Amos 8 - 11.28.23
SCRIPTURE: Amos 8:11 “The days are coming”, declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.”
OBSERVATION: Many people had abandoned the Lord, but they still pretended to be religious. Their wealth, power, and prosperity caused them to become greedy, self sufficient, and, they ignored the needs of the poor, whom God loved.
Amos spoke out boldly against their sinful lifestyles. Their self-sufficiency and pride showed up in the way they were so consumed with enriching themselves. Because their sin was being exposed, the king and the advisors looked at Amos as the enemy, not as a spokesman for God.
So… because of their rebellion and disobedient hearts, God sent a famine throughout the land, and caused them not to be able to hear His Words! “People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it.” (verse 11, 12).
APPLICATION: When our appetite for pleasing ourselves becomes greater than our appetite for pleasing God, He allows us to fill ourselves with those substitute gods in order to teach us how futile they are, and what emptiness they bring in the long run! We tend to long for something greater than ourselves when we feel empty and hopeless!
It’s God desire to bless us with good things, but when those blessings cause us to become self-sufficient, and we stop relying on Him, He helps us by causing us to remember how much we need Him. The spiritual hunger and thirsting that He caused the Israelites to have was for the sole purpose of helping them to search for Him, long for Him, and re-connect with Him!
PRAYER: The worst thing I could ever imagine is for God to be silent! When we don’t hear from Him, we lose hope! And when He’s silent, its because we’re the ones who‘ve distanced ourselves from Him.
I pray my heart will always be in tune with God’s voice, whether it be through His Word, through the Holy Spirit, or through a brother and sister in Christ.
Lord, We are so blessed to be guided by You! Thank You for not withholding Your love from us even when we stray! Thank You for Your patience, love, compassion, and guidance that You give as we put our trust in You. I pray we will hear You and obey, and that we will keep our focus on pleasing You more than ourselves because absolutely nothing is able to satisfy the longing of our heart’s more than You Lord!
- Robin Orefice
Romans 12 - 11.27.23
Scripture
Romans 12:10 NLT
“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Observation
In this chapter, the Apostle Paul is writing the Roman Church and encouraging them to live their lives in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God. One of the things that they can do to show that is by loving and honoring one other. Paul reminds them that God has blessed them and given them so much, that they should use those blessings/gifts to bless others and most importantly…to truly love and honor each other.
Application
Take some time to show someone love and honor today. ❤️
You know, here at Desert Streams Church, we like to take the month of November and use it as month to give honor and thanksgiving to those in our church body. We have a “Wall of Honor” where you can write a thank you card to honor someone and place it on this wall for them to receive. Let me tell you that it’s been so great to see this wall filled with so many cards, filled with so much love and words of adoration for one another. It’s a great habit to build on and something we should all continue, even past this month of November.
Even as I was reading this chapter and came across these certain verses, I couldn’t help but think of certain people I wanted to honor today:
“If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.-Romans 12:7
With this verse, I think of people like Joni Ragsdale, Cindy Howard, and my wife (Michelle Gaddi). You ladies are such gifted teachers. Your hearts to help kids learn and grow in their faith and education is second to none. I honor you all today for all the hard work and dedication you put in your craft.
“If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”-Romans 12:8
This verse brings multiple people to mind. Tina Kudelka and Robin Orefice, you two women are so encouraging. I know personally, as well as from other people, just how much your words of encouragement mean in our lives, so thank you for your faithful service in this ministry.
To Carol Fish, Rich and Crystal Flory, you all are some of the most giving and kind hearted people I know. Carol, your heart for our youth and the homeless is unmatched. You truly inspire me in the way you go about doing things for them. Rich and Crystal, every time there is a need at church, you both are there. Whenever someone is sick, you guys are there delivering home cooked meals. Whenever someone needs a ride to church or the doctors, or even the airport, you are there gladly to help them out. You two are amazing, and I just wanted you to know that.
I want to encourage everyone out there to not just use the month of November to honor and give thanks to people. Let’s continue to build on this every month. Let’s have a culture here at DSC that truly shows that we honor God by loving Him and loving people! ❤️😊
Prayer
Father God, thank You for surrounding me and my family with such a loving church. Thank You for the leadership of Pastor Levi and Pastor Katie who encourage us and guide us to live godly lives. May the lives we live be honoring to You. May we as a church can be united in loving You, loving others, and making disciples wherever we go. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽
-Moses Gaddi
Amos 6 - 11.24.2023
Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.
Amos 6:12-14
Do horses run on the rocky crags?
Does one plow the sea[b] with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—
you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar[c]
and say, “Did we not take Karnaim[d] by our own strength?”
For the Lord God Almighty declares,
“I will stir up a nation against you, Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”
Romans 11:1-2, 11-12
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew….
Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?
The prosperous nation of Israel had allowed pride to seep into their culture - their national identity. They began to believe it was by their own strength they accomplished victory, instead of by the strength of Him who strengthens me. The Lord declares through the prophet Amos that Israel will be oppressed.
The Lord speaks through the apostle Paul. Just because punishment has come to one nation does not mean he has rejected them. Paul writes that Israel did not fall so far as to be beyond recovery. For look at what their transgression brought? The wealth that was the life, teaching, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the world, the gentiles.
Application - How will you apply this to your life?
Lord, this morning as I read these words I was filled with hope. As I write in my journal today, there is a war going on in Israel. Lives have been taken by both sides. Possibly innocent ones. Anti-semitism and Islamophobia have begun to rear their ugly heads in our country as well as the rest of the world. This morning my life application will be to pray.
Prayer - Write out a prayer.
Thank you for reminding me this morning Lord what an amazing God you are. I am grateful that I can read verses about your just punishments followed by your amazing love. I pray for everyone who is living through the terror of war, that they would turn to You, that they would turn to Jesus Christ who gave to those of us who believed in Him - everything.
For those of us who know the word of God, I pray that we would not turn to hatred but to the teachings of our Lord and Savior. For those of us that don’t know you and have given ourselves over to sin, evil, and hatred my prayer is that I put my faith and my trust in Your capable, wise, and just hands.
Thank you for being a loving God. Thank you for your moments of correction. And thank you for those moments of peace.
I love you Lord. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.
-kenneth lee