WHEN YOU ARE DOWN - HOW TO GET OUT.
"When You Are Down - How To Get Out" is based on
a book written by Micah about 700 B.C. Quotes
are from the N.I.V. Bible and our comments are
in brackets.
(God made us in His image but everyone chooses
the self centred, instead of God centred, life.
The result? Every man for himself - and its
penalty of death now and eternally. But God, in
the person of Jesus Christ, showed how much He
loves you by coming and paying your penalty by
dying on a cross. So you have the choice of
continuing on your own way and hell or turning
to go His way and heaven. If you want to go His
way tell Him with words like these. "Dear God,
I'm guilty of living life my way and I need your
forgiveness. Now I want to turn away from living
life my way and instead live it your way. I know
Jesus died and rose again to give me your new
life, and I want Him to live His life through me
from now on" (through God the Holy Spirit). This
makes you a Christian and a member of God's
family. Now the country is full of people who
call themselves Christians but not many are
letting Him fully control their lives. So here
is what He has to say about this situation).
Listen Christians, the Lord is coming and He is
displeased because of your sins - the way you
break His law of love written in your hearts.
Your religious activity, Christian symbols and
church buildings won't save you.
(Chapter 1)
If you plan evil, covet others' possessions, and
defraud them, God will bring disaster on you and
you won't be able to save yourself. You have
Christian leaders who say this is not so. You
appoint leaders who tell you what you want to
hear, not what I have to say.
Nevertheless, there are always a few true
believers. Such ones God gathers like a flock in
a pasture.
(Chapter 2)
Listen Christian leaders. You allow injustice.
You hate good and love evil. You abuse the trust
of those you lead and "chop them up like meat
for the pan." You proclaim peace to those who
pay you and war to those who don't. Whether it's
night or day you'll be "in the dark", ashamed
and disgraced because you get "no answer from
God." You distort the truth, teach for a price
and have the hide to "lean on the Lord and say,
Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us."
Because of you, institutional (system/material
centred instead of Christ centred) Christianity
"will become a heap of rubble." Though they cry
to the Lord "He will not answer - because of the
evil they have done."
But God always warns such people with a
messenger "filled with power, with the Spirit of
the Lord" to declare their transgression and
sin.
(Chapter 3)
In the last days Christ's people will be
established. Peoples will stream to them and say
"He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk
in His paths." God's law and His word will go
out from them. God will judge and settle
disputes between nations. "They will beat their
swords into ploughs and their spears into
pruning hooks ... nor will they train for war
any more. Every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree, and no one will make
them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken"
and Christ's people "will walk in the name of
the Lord our God for ever and ever."
"In that day declares the Lord,
I will gather the lame;
I will assemble the exiles
and those I have brought to grief.
I will make the lame a remnant,
those driven away a strong nation,
the Lord will rule over them - from
that day and forever."
For now it may seem that Christ's people are
captives of the enemy but "the Lord will redeem
you out of the hand of your enemies" - who "do
not know the thoughts of the Lord, they do not
understand His plan."
(Chapter 4)
Christ's people may be besieged but He, their
ruler, has come from Bethlehem.
"He will stand and shepherd His flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the
Lord His God
and they will live securely, for then
His greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth
and He will be their peace."
That's why, no matter what the circumstances,
Christ's people know they will be delivered from
the enemy. They are "in the midst of many
peoples like dew from the Lord."
But if they depend on their own offensive
strength against the enemy, (Satan), their
theological strongholds, and their religious
structures, instead of depending on Christ
alone, God will destroy "the work of your
hands." God's vengeance falls on all who have
not obeyed Him.
(Chapter 5)
God has a case against His people:
"My people - how have I burdened you?
- I redeemed you out of slavery -
remember your journey - that you
may know the righteous acts
of the Lord."
God's people may ask what they can bring before
the Lord to atone for their transgressions and
sin.
He answers:
"He has showed you, O man, what is good
and what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
But those of God's people who won't listen need
to know that He knows about their dishonest
trading, violence, lying and deceit. To them He
says:
"You will eat and not be satisfied -
you will store up but save nothing -
you will plant but not harvest -
crush the grapes but not drink the wine -
I will give you over to ruin
and your people to derision
you will bear the scorn of the nations.
(Chapter 6)
When we look at our society of so called
Christians to-day, what do we see?
"The godly have been swept from the land:
not one upright man remains
all men lie in wait to shed blood -
hands are skilled doing evil;
the ruler demands gifts
the judge accepts bribes -
all conspire together -
the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge
- do not trust a neighbour
put no confidence in a friend -
be careful with your words
for a son dishonours his father
a daughter rises up against her mother
- a man's enemies are the members
of his own household."
But the "fair dinkum" Christian says:
"But as for me, I watch in hope
for the Lord,
I wait for God my Saviour;
my God will hear me."
and the so called Christian should say:
"Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light
because I have sinned against Him
I will bear the Lord's wrath,
until He pleads my case
and establishes my right.
He will bring me out into the light
I will see His righteousness
then my enemy will - be covered with
shame, she who said to me,
'Where is the Lord your God?'
My eyes shall see her downfall."
To such Christians God says, As in the days when
you came out of slavery I will show non
Christians my wonders.
As a result "Nations... will turn in fear to the
Lord our God."
So we conclude:
"Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the
transgression
of the remnant of His inheritance.
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl our iniquities into the depths
of the sea -
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago."
(Chapter 7)
HERE ARE SOME MAIN POINTS FROM MICAH:
1. God will bring disaster on Christians and
other leaders who have substituted
"Christian" activity for love of Him. Only
"fair dinkum" Christians will be spared.
2. God will then establish His people and non
believers will come to them to be taught
God's ways. Christ will be the Shepherd of
His people and peace will spread to the
nations.
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