HOSEA--JONAH

I'm in the minor prophets today.  We had such a great Valentine's Banquet last night.  It was so enjoyable by all.  Stayed up late watching the opening night of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., CANADA.  It is a beautiful city and just wished they had more snow for the games.  Today I'm in the minor prophets and will be for three days.  Here are some highlights: 1) CALLING OLD MEN- Joel 1:2-3  "Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?  3  Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation."  As older men, we have a message to tell to the next generation.  Starting with our children and grand children.  Let us be careful to keep the truth of God's Word shared to each generation. 2) GOD'S SPIRIT UPON US-Joel 2:28-29  "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:  29  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."  This is talking about the time when the Holy Spirit will be put into the heart of every believer and the presence of God's Spirit will stay with us forever.  We have His Holy Spirit right now!  So... what are your dreams?  What are your visions?  What do you desire to see done for Christ's glory?  This is what these visions and dreams are for... not for ourselves.   We HAVE His Spirit.... now we need our visions for God and for His glory!  Dream big my friend! 3) AMOS- Amos is an interesting little book.  It has key phrases in different chapters that it tends to repeat over and over.  Such as in chapter one:  "For three transgressions of ________ and for four,".  Into these phrases, it lists Damascus, Gaza, Tyrus, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel.  (eight nations in all with the same phrase before their judgment is listed.)  In chapter four, we see the phrase: "yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD". (verses 6,8,9,10, & 11)  In chapter five, it says to:  See ye me vs. 4; Seek the LORD vs. 6; Seek Him vs. 8; Seek good vs. 14.  Also in chapter five:  "I will not smell" vs. 21; "I will not accept" vs. 22; "I will not hear" vs. 23.  And finally in chapter nine:  "Though they dig into hell" vs. 2; "though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel" vs. 3; and "though they go into captivity" vs. 4... God will still find them and judge them for their sins.  A book of repetitive phrases... interesting! 4) HOW FAR WILL YOU GO?  In Jonah, Jonah was told to go to Ninevah!  But he went down to Joppa, and got on a boat to Tarshish.  Now, when you start running from God... you never know how far you will go!  Tarshish is 2,500 miles away from Ninevah!!!  Wow!  Do you want to be 2,500 miles away from God's will for your life?  I think not!   Stay close and don't stray because you may stray much, much further than you ever imagined. Well, got to go and speak to the men.  God bless!  Pastor Mike Mutchler