Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Since today is FRIDAY, we’ll be reading from one of the books of Prophecy. We’re begin the book of Amos. I’ll start with a brief introduction to the book, then after we read chapters 1-4. I’ll have some comments  for you. And of course I’ll have an “On This Date In Church History” segment for you, too. I’m calling today’s episode “Warning From A Good Ol’ Boy”

Comments on Amos 1-4

Amos was what we might call today a good ol’ boy. He was a plain-speaking, simple, country farmer. The name means “burden-bearer”, and he certainly did bear the burden of carrying God’s message.

Amos challenged Bethel’s priest, Amaziah, and he bore God’s message reproving the sin of the people and calling them to repentance. His first message was against nearby enemies of Israel, and then he spoke to Israel about their idolatry and stubbornness toward God. After telling them about the judgments God would bring against them, the book ends with the promise of the coming Messiah.

Over and over again in chapter four we heard the phrase, “The Lord is speaking.” Throughout their history, God has repeatedly told them what He expects from them in terms of their behavior and the condition of their hearts. But repeatedly, they forsake God to go their own way, only to come under His judgment. After a time, they repent, and God again blesses them. 

Now, at this point in their history, they are being told again of impending judgment. And now Amos reminds them with each statement, “The Lord is speaking.” As if to say, “Guys, I’m not saying this, God is. Remember who He is! Think of what has happened in the past. Do you want that again? This is God telling you this!”

There used to be a TV commercial many years ago. If you’re as old as I am, you might remember it. It was for a stock brokerage firm by the name of E.F. Hutton. The tag line was, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” 

If only we would listen when God talks, huh?

Steve Jobs Introduces the iPod

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-4 NET

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Transcript

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Steve Webb 0:00
He was a plain speaking simple country farmer.

Steve Webb 0:11
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible and podcasting since 2004. I am your OG God caster Steve Webb, welcome. It’s really great to see you today. And this is the Daily Show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Since today’s Friday, we’ll be reading from one of the books of prophecy, we’ll begin the Book of Amos. I’ll start with a brief introduction to the book. Then after we read chapters one through four, I’ll have some comments for you. We’ll have an on this date in church history. And I have a praise and a prayer request. I’m calling today’s episode warning from a good old boy. The shownotes page for today’s episode is at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 354. Which means there are 110 remaining days to this season of the Lifespring family Audio Bible. You can email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let’s get started.

Steve Webb 1:04
This introduction to Amos is from the New International readers version of the Bible. When the nation of Israel was divided, Israel became the northern kingdom. Judah was the southern kingdom. Israel had become very powerful under the long rule of King Jeroboam the second. And that was about 800 years before Jesus was born. Israel had put its trust in its own military strength and wealth. Everything was going well for them. They acted like they loved God when they worshipped, but they didn’t really love him in their hearts. They thought that since God was with them in the past, he had to be with them now. They expected the day of the Lord would come and they thought it would bring them blessings. They thought God would make Israel the ruler of all the nations around it. The prophet Amos came into the situation. He was a farmer and a shepherd. He lived in the southern kingdom of Judah, but God called Amos to be a prophet, and Amos was to speak to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. Amos announced that God is preparing a nation to conquer Israel. He was told Israel that the day of the Lord will be darkness, not light.

Steve Webb 2:16
Amos chapter one. The following is a record of what Amos prophesied, he was one of the herdsmen from Toccoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him during the time of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam, son of Joash. In Israel, two years before the earthquake, Amos said, The Lord comes roaring out of Zion from Jerusalem. He comes bellowing. The shepherds pastures wilt the summit of Carmel withers. This is what the Lord says. Because Damascus has committed three crimes Make that four. I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped through Gilead like threshing sledges with iron teeth. So I will set Hayes ales house on fire, fire will consume Ben hate ads fortresses, I will break the bar on the gate of Damascus. I will remove the ruler from Wicked Valley, the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden, the people of Aram will be deported to care. The Lord has spoken. This is what the Lord says. Because Gaza has committed three crimes Make that four I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They deported the whole community and sold them to eat them. So I will set Gaza city wall on fire, fire I will consume her fortresses. I will remove the ruler from Ashdod, the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon, I will strike Ekran with my hand, the rest of the Philistines will also die. The Sovereign Lord has spoken. This is what the Lord says. Because tyre has committed three crimes Make that four I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the whole community to eat them. They failed to observe a treaty of brotherhood. So I will set fire to Tyre city wall fire will consume her fortresses. This is what the Lord says. Because Edom has committed three crimes Make that four. I will not revoke my decree of judgment. He chased his brother with a sword, he wiped out his allies. In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest. In his fury he relentlessly attacked them. So I will set Tieman on fire, fire will consume Balzers fortresses. This is what the Lord says. Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes Make that four I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Ghillie ads pregnant women so they could expand their territory. So I will set fire to rabid city wall fire will consume her fortresses. war cries will be heard on the day of battle. A strong Gale will blow on the day of the wind storm Ammons King will be deported and his officials will be carried off together. The Lord has spoken.

Steve Webb 4:58
Amos chapter two This is what the Lord says. Because Moab has committed three crimes Make that four. I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They burned the bones of itams king into lime. So I will set Moab on fire and it will consume carry on its fortresses. Moab will perish in the heat of battle amid war cries and the blaring of the ram’s horn. I will remove Moabs leader, I will kill all Moabs officials with him. The Lord has spoken. This is what the Lord says. Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions Make that four, I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They rejected the Lord’s law. They did not obey His commands, their false gods to which their fathers were loyal, led them astray. So I will set Judah on fire and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses. This is what the Lord says, because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions make that for I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the innocent for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals. They trampled on the dirt covered heads of the poor. They pushed the destitute away. A man and his father go to the same girl. In this way. They show disrespect for my moral purity. They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral. They do so right beside every altar. They drink wine brought with the fines they have levied, they do so right in the temple of THEIR GOD. For Israel sake, I destroyed the Amorites they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. But I destroyed the fruit on their branches and their roots in the ground. I brought you up from the land of Egypt. I led you through the wilderness for 40 years, so you could take the Emirates land as your own. I made some of your sons, prophets and some of your young men Naza rights. Is this not true? You Israelites? The Lord is speaking. But you made the Nazirite drink wine. You commanded the prophets do not prophesy. Look, I will press you down like a cart loaded down with green presses down. fast runners will find no place to hide. Strong men will have no strength left. Warriors will not be able to save their lives. archers will not hold their ground. fast runners will not save their lives. Nor will those who ride horses, brave hearted warriors will run away naked in that day. The Lord is speaking.

Steve Webb 7:29
Amos chapter three. Listen you Israelites to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against you. This message is for the entire clan I brought up from the land of Egypt. I have chosen you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins due to walk together without having met Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey? Does a young lion bellow from his den if he is not caught something? Does a bird swooped down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait? Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something? If an alarm sounds in a city, do people not fear? If a disaster overtakes the city is the Lord not responsible? Certainly the Sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. A lion has roared who is not afraid? The Sovereign Lord has spoken who can refuse to prophesy. Make this announcement in the fortresses of Ashdod and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt. Say this gather on the hills around Samaria. Observe the many acts of violence taking place within the city, the oppressive deeds occurring in it. They do not know how to do what is right. The Lord is speaking. They store up the spoils of destructive violence in their fortresses. Therefore it says the Sovereign Lord and enemy will encircle the land, he will take away your power, your fortresses will be looted. This is what the Lord says. Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth, a couple of leg bones or a piece of veneer. So the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. They will be left with just a corner of a bed and a part of a couch. Listen and warn the family of Jacob, the Sovereign LORD, the God who commands armies is speaking. Certainly when I punish Israel for their covenant transgressions, I will destroy Bethells altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. The houses filled with ivory will be ruined, the great houses will be swept away. The Lord is speaking.

Steve Webb 9:34
Amos chapter four. Listen to this message you cows of Batian who live on Mount Samaria. You oppress the poor, you crushed the needy. You say to your husband’s bring us more to drink. The Sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his own holy character. Certainly the time is approaching when you will be carried away in baskets every last one of you in fisherman’s pots. Each of you will go straight through the gaps in the wall. halls you will be thrown out toward Harmon the Lord is speaking. Go to Bethel and rebel. At Gill gal rebel some more. Bring your sacrifices in the morning your tithes on the third day. Burn a thank offering of bread made with yeast. Make a public display of your voluntary offerings for you love to do this you Israelites, the Sovereign Lord is speaking. But surely I gave you no food to eat in any of your cities. You lacked food everywhere you live. Still you did not come back to me. The Lord is speaking. I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. I gave rain to one city but not to another. One field would get rain but the field that received no rain dried up. People from two or three cities staggered into one city to get water but remained thirsty. Still you did not come back to me. The Lord is speaking. I destroyed your crops with blight and disease. Locusts kept devouring your orchards, vineyards, fig trees and olive trees. Still you did not come back to me. The Lord is speaking. I said against you a plague like one of the Egyptian plagues. I killed your young men with the sword along with the horses you had captured. I made the stench from the corpses rise up into your nostrils. Still you did not come back to me. The Lord is speaking. I overthrew some of you the way God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, you were like a burning stick snatched from the flames. Still you did not come back to me. The Lord is speaking. Therefore, this is what I will do to you Israel, because I will do this to you prepare to meet your God Israel. For here he is. He formed the mountains and created the wind. He reveals His plans to men. He turns the dawn into darkness and marches on the heights of the earth. The Lord, the God who commands armies is his name.

Steve Webb 11:52
Well, Amos was what we might call today a good old boy, he was a plain speaking simple country, Farmer. Amos means burden bearer. And he certainly did bear the burden of carrying God’s message. Amos challenged Bethells priest Amaziah. And he bore God’s message reproving the sin of the people and calling them to repentance. And his first message was against nearby enemies of Israel. And then he spoke to Israel about their idolatry and stubbornness toward God. And after telling them about the judgments God would bring against them. The book ends with the promise of the coming Messiah. Over and over again. In chapter four, we hear the phrase, The Lord is speaking. throughout their history, God has repeatedly told them what he expects from them in terms of their behavior and the condition of their hearts. But repeatedly, they first look God to go their own way, only to come under His judgment. After a time they repent. And God blesses them again. And this cycle repeats over and over. Now, at this point in their history, they’re being told again of impending judgment. And now Amos reminds them with each statement, the Lord is speaking as if to say, Guys, I’m not saying this. God is remember who he is. Think of what happened in the past. Do you want that again? This is God telling you this? You know, there used to be a TV commercial many years ago. If you’re as old as I am, you might remember it. It was for a stock brokerage firm by the name of EF Hutton. The tagline was “When EF Hutton talks, people listen.” If only we would listen when God talks, huh? Do you have a comment? I’d love to hear it. Let me know at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 354. Tomorrow being Saturday, we’ll read from the Gospels right now we’re in the book of John. And we’ll read chapters 16 through 18. boost.

Steve Webb 13:53
Well, a show or two ago, I asked you to email me if you’re new to the Lifespring family and to tell me where you heard about the show. I said, email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. And in your subject line put. Here’s where I found you. Well, I got one of those emails today from Jessica. She said ITM or in the morning, you’re mentioned on no agenda. Of course, I’ve been searching for a straight audio reading of the Bible via podcast forever. Thank you so much for this show. And it is very helpful to me. Keep doing what God calls you to do and she put a little smiley face emoji. Well, thank you, Jessica. It’s so good to hear from you. And I’m so happy that you’re in the Lifespring family. God bless you, my sister. Feel free to email me anytime.

Steve Webb 14:45
I just became aware of the passing of someone who dramatically changed my life. It happened just three days ago on May 10 2020. To wait did I say someone I misspoke. It was some thing not someone Apple announced on the 10th that they are discontinuing the iPod, which was first introduced by Steve Jobs in 2001. It’s safe to say that without the iPod, you would not be listening to me right now. I would not be doing voiceover work. And I would not have written webs easy Bible names Pronunciation Guide. Here’s the story. When Adam curry brought home his first iPod, he had the vision to see that this was not just a music player. It was a radio, a broadcast mechanism. In about 2004, I think with a little help from his friends, he wrote a bit of apple script that enabled his Mac to transfer audio files to his iPod, whenever a new file was downloaded to his Mac. And from that the idea of a podcast was born. I got my first iPod in 2003 or four. And then I heard about this new thing called podcasting in September of 2004 when Adam was on Leo Laporte radio show, and then God called me to do the first Christian podcast in October of 2004. The first Lifespring podcast was recorded and published on November 13 2004. Now I haven’t used an iPod and I can’t remember how long it’s been years, but the demise of the iPod is a bittersweet passing. I’ll have the video of Steve Jobs introducing the iPod on the show notes page. We sort of forget how revolutionary the iPod was. The video is worth watching, so check it out at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 254.

Steve Webb 16:42
On this date in church history, May 13 1963 AW Tozer passed away. He was an American Christian and Missionary Alliance clergyman and Christian writer. He served as pastor of Chicago’s South Side Alliance Church for 31 years. His best remembered book is the pursuit of God, which he wrote in 1948. And that’s a book I highly recommend. AW Tozer was really really good really blessed.

Steve Webb 17:19
I have a praise to share with you today and a prayer request. First, the praise. I told you a few weeks ago that Adam curry and his wife, Tina had talked about really beginning to explore Christianity, they talked about it on their podcast, curry and the keeper. And when I told you about that, I asked you to pray for them. I think I told you that I’ve been praying for Adam, since our first conversation back in 2005 or six. And I know that there have been lots and lots of other people praying for him as well. Take a listen to this from the latest episode of Curry and the Keeper.

Adam Curry 17:49
I said the most man you know all this evil that I see it kind of has driven me right into Jesus’s arms. And I didn’t say much more than that. A lot of people apparently listened to the whole show all the way to the end. I got a lot of notes about this piece. Oh, and in many people’s like, I’ve been praying for you to be saved. Like, which always feels weird when someone says that. But yeah, because yeah, I talked about that. And I’m okay with that. Again, so many people like Mike Molaro Oh, my God. He said, I found God four years ago. And he said, What are we talking about? I said, Yeah, I’m just kind of getting started. He says, Now man, it’s okay. You know, so we’re still level Romans 10 Nine, which is basically, you know, saying the prayer, Lord, Son of God, have mercy on me, I’m a sinner. And it’s because I’ll read this to you. Romans 10 Nine, if you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Just like could that be any easier?

Steve Webb 18:54
So I would say that calls for a gigantic praise the Lord, wouldn’t you. And from their conversation, it really sounds like teen is right there without him. So let’s pray that their walk will grow closer because if I know the enemy, their faith will be challenged. Pray that God puts a head jump around them. And pray requests. I debated with myself about sharing what I’m about to tell you, but we are family, right, and family shares. So here goes. If you’ve been listening for the last few weeks, you know that I’m scheduled to have a procedure done on my heart on the 27th of this month. And you know that I had a CT scan of my chest a week or so ago, which prompted the doctor who’s going to be doing the procedure, which by the way is called cardiac ablation or atrial fibrillation ablation to send me a message. The results showed that there are some abnormalities in my lungs. The doctor said in her message, incidental abnormalities are often found on CT scans. Please do not be alarmed but do not ignore the findings. I would run recommend that you follow up with your primary care physician to discuss if you need further testing. Well, I also got the full report, which I won’t go into here. And I have contacted my primary care doc, and I’m waiting to hear back from him. Now, my thinking is that most, if not all of the spots are from the dust that I breathed in. When I worked with my dad. My dad was a bricklayer, and he specialized in working on mostly big industrial furnaces, which meant that there were lots of insulation materials. I started working with him when I was 10 years old on a very occasional basis. Of course, at that age, he was not a child labor abuser. But after I graduated high school, I worked most summers with him until I was in my late 20s. Or maybe even into my 30s. It was good money. And when I worked with him, when I was still in college, I made enough money in the summertime to be able to not have to work during the school years. So it was a good thing. Anyway, there was a lot of junk in the furnaces that we worked on, including asbestos. And in the job, what we would do is we would go into these furnaces that were worn out, and we’d tear out all of the old lining of the furnaces, the brick and the insulation and everything. And that would create a lot of dust. And back then we didn’t wear respirators, I mean, come on. So sometimes at the end of the day, I blow my nose and just what came out of my nose was not pretty a lot of black and dark and nasty looking stuff. Don’t mean to grossly out, but I was breathing that stuff in. So I know that my dad had spots on his lung X rays for years. And nothing ever came of him. He didn’t get lung cancer. He didn’t get me Sophie Leone and anything like that. I’m telling you this because there is a small chance that some of the abnormalities that showed on my CT scan could be malignant. I looked at the whole report and the descriptions from the report when you google them, they can scare you if you if you let them. So there is a chance and I’m telling you this because I’d like you to pray for me. Now we have to keep in mind with a doctor said in her message to me. Incidental abnormalities are often found on CT scans, please do not be alarmed. But obviously that’s easier said than done, right. But I also know that God holds my life in His loving hands. He always has, and he always will. So family, I would deeply appreciate your prayers. And I’ll keep you in the loop whenever I hear any news. So with that, let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for touching Adam and Tina’s hearts. How marvelous it is to hear Adams words of faith and how good it is to see you’re working and he and Tina’s lives. We praise you. And we pray that you would hold them close and keep the enemy’s attacks at bay. Protect them, Lord, hallelujah. And now Lord, I’m asking You to bless me. As David wrote in Psalm 139. For you formed my inward parts. You wove me in my mother’s womb, I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works in my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, and skillfully rot in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance. It in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me when as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me? Oh, God, how vast is the sum of them? Lord, hearing this news today doesn’t change anything. I trust you and my life is yours. I love you, and I am your servant. But even better than that, I’m your son, father, Abba, Daddy, I’m asking you to give me much more time to serve you here on Earth. I do want to see your face and I look forward to that day. But I want to be here for Leann, for my kids and my grandkids. In Jesus name, I’m asking that these abnormalities would be benign, and that my days instead of being shortened, would be lengthened. Lord, I thank you so much for the Lifespring family. And I thank you for the blessing of being able to speak to them and with them. Thank you for calling them here, Lord and for calling me to this humble podcast. I truly do not know why you called me. But I’m so glad you did. Bless the Lifespring family Lord, lift them up, provide for their needs and draw each one of us closer to you. I thank you and I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. If you have a prayer request or a praise, go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com fill out that form there and I’ll pray for you You in my private prayer time and we’ll pray together on the show.

Steve Webb 25:12
Beloved, share the show would you? Let people know about the Lifespring family Audio Bible show him how to subscribe and comment on the show at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 354. Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com And thank you to Kirsty and Sean of San Pedro, for helping out and I thank you for sharing your time with me today.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai