SCRIPTURE
Hosea 10:9-15 (NRSV)
Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel;
there they have continued.
Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah?
I will come against the wayward people to punish them;
and nations shall be gathered against them
when they are punished for their double iniquity.
Ephraim was a trained heifer
that loved to thresh,
and I spared her fair neck;
but I will make Ephraim break the ground;
Judah must plow;
Jacob must harrow for himself.
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
You have plowed wickedness,
you have reaped injustice,
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your power
and in the multitude of your warriors,
therefore the tumult of war shall rise against your people,
and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle
when mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel
shall be utterly cut off.
DEVOTION
I am highly motivated by the words, "It is time to seek the Lord, that He might rain righteousness upon you!"
It is always good to remember that any righteousness that we may have is ours because it has been attributed to us by the Blood of the Lamb.
It is easy to stand in judgment when another brother or sister publicly falls from grace and is ridiculed by others, but it is much harder to remember that, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
Recently, in response to a large religious scandal in the United States, Bishop TD Jakes called all Christians to prayer. He said, "When all of this is over, one thing is for sure, somebody--if not everybody in it--is going to need THE BLOOD!"
This is most certainly true! It is Jesus' blood that has never lost its power. It has power to save. It has power to deliver. It has power to transform even the most wretched of people and circumstances.
I don't know about you, but I daily pray that God would help me to crucify the spirit of pride that would seek to cause me to look in condemnation upon a brother or sister in need of Jesus!
ALL OF US are sinners and all of us are saved ONLY by God's Unconditional Love and Amazing Grace revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
No matter who you are--you have sinned. And no matter what you've done--God will forgive you! You can't out sin, out fox, or out run the love that God has for you...
Re-TURN to God my friends! Make your humble confession before The Almighty One, and receive God's forgiveness today!
You can start over. Let's do it now:
Holy One, I am so sorry. I have sinned against you and I have sinned against my neighbors. Please forgive me for failing to live in love for you and other human beings. Particularly forgive me for standing in judgment of others, when I am so desperate for you myself! Please fill me with the Holy Spirit and empower and equip me to share the good news about Your Son. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
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