In the above scriptures, the Prophet Amos was describing the fast approaching destruction of Israel. God was fed up and was ready to judge and destroy. It wasn't a matter of "if" it came, it was a matter of "when" in the very near future.
Pastor's and scholars use Amos 8:11 to describe our own time. I know now from experience it's very difficult, if not almost impossible, to find a church or teacher who is preaching the sound biblical doctrine alone without some infiltration from worldly philosophies and practices.(See HERE) When it's found...people hang onto it like a cup of water in an arid land. Those who are seeking the Words of the Lord are wandering, staggering, looking for somewhere it's distributed to the flock. Most churches are feeding their flocks the equivalent of fast, junk food. And many are eating it up gladly. In fact the junk food appeals to them so much they can no longer put up with the Words of the Lord. They can't stomach it and therefore reject it.
A famine of hearing the Words of the LORD is an act of judgment by God. What we're seeing today is judgment make no mistake. I know in America and most of the Western world pop psychology, philosophies, mysticism, witchcraft have been added to popular teachings by popular teachers and distorted the Bible. Because they have continually rejected the Words of God and His knowledge and knowing Him through the only means He's provided (His Word)...He's rejected them.
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. 'Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.'" Hosea 4:6
As people have vomited up His Words so He is vomiting them up. This is a fatal blow. Not only do most not recognize it for what it is, they don't care...
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3
The teachers and Pastors propagating these myths are to be blamed because they are in positions of authority, teaching and leading so they will be judged far more harshly. But look at the above verse carefully. That verse isn't describing teachers. That verse is describing the people who flock to those types of twisted doctrine and teachers. They are not victims. They are just as guilty as the teachers. They can no longer put up with the sound doctrine. They themselves are surrounding themselves with these false teachers because they're being told exactly what they want to hear.
The people can't handle the truth. They don't want to hear it. They can't stomach it. They reject it. Because they reject it God rejects them by withholding His Words, His blessing and His guidance and turns them over to their sin. They love it so much they can have it. Another fatal blow. The longer they sit under those teachers the more they are subjected to their own deceit until they become so debased they are good for absolutely nothing. God has withdrawn His protective grace. Now they're on their own until they are utterly pulverized in their sin.
They're told God loves them just the way they are and don't have to change and they love it. They're told God wants them to be successful and rich and they devour it. They're told God is all love and understanding to their struggles from the past therefore won't act on their continued sin and they gorge themselves. They're told any suffering they go through is evil and God only wants to bless and they feast on it. It's exactly what they're itching ears want to hear and they flock to it, rejecting all sound doctrine. They've cast it off.
Look at these teachers. They fear the truth. It will drain their pockets so they malign the Bible and do character assassinations on people who are calling them out with the truth. They hate when anyone questions what they're teaching. They don't want anyone going behind them and searching the Scriptures to see if their teaching lines up or not. If Paul didn't have a problem when the Bereans cross checked his message in Acts 17:11 why do these teachers? But like rabid dogs they go on the attack and the people love it.
"Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." 2 Peter 2:2-3
They always have one thing in common...they all have special messages from God and they all have been given some revelation, dream or vision. God is always "speaking" to them. They take scripture and twist it to suit what they're eager listeners want to hear. They take scripture out of context. "God told me" or "God said to me" and when you compare their message to the actual Bible it doesn't match up. They all sound the same in many ways because they're all intermixing, taking and using things from each other then tailoring it to fit their listeners.
"'Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has My word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the LORD. 'Is not My word like fire,' declares the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? 'Therefore,' declares the LORD, 'I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from Me.'" Jeremiah 23:20
They use God's Word in twisted, distorted ways and "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5) because they "think that godliness is a means to financial gain". 1 Timothy 6:6
Both teacher and people are guilty because they feed off each other in their debasement. They both want the same things and as Paul Washer said "It's not God."
But those who truly want out and don't know where to look because they've been so inundated with everything but God's Word...
"This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16
"'Come out and be separate', says the Lord" (2 Corinthians 6:17) Go back to the Bible. Go back to the ancient way. This is the good way. It's the way all the Prophets, Patriarchs and Apostles have walked...the narrow road. Get rid of all your "Christian" books from your favorite teachers....lock them up, burn them, throw them in the garbage but don't give them away because at some point you're going to know that all your favorite teachers are in fact perpetuating lies and it's just as sinful to pass their heresy off on someone else. Get out the only book God has provided for you...the Bible. There is no room for laziness with God.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3) But we have to put in the effort. Start reading it, study it, meditate on it, know it, pray it because that is the way where God is.
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