“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared – who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken – who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7-8).
Very obviously the children of Israel did all the religious rites perfectly, they were by religion in the right standing. But God visited them in fury along with all the surrounding pagan nations. In fact the punishment of the pagan nations was lighter comparatively.
- God is more interested in a heart response to faith confession rather than a heartless practice of religion.
- God’s big issue is his love for humanity and therefore humanity’s big issue must be the same reciprocation in love for God not mere religion.
- Faith in God and love of God in the heart of man MUST respond to corresponding ethical matters as an evidence of true religion. This is what God is looking for on earth, where JUSTICE will flow like water and right living and rightness in all things like a rushing river.
The culprits are the clergy who teach religiosity at the expense of care for environment, care and protection of human lives, special care for widows, orphans and protection of the poor and vulnerable people in the community. Both the clergy and the affluent are in the same boat doing acts of charity ONCE A WHILE or once or twice a year in front of cameras. The crime is simple, there is no love for God and yet there is work of God everywhere without clear evidence of the the love of God in action on a daily basis. There is also no evidence of faith in God that overthrows oppression, evil and wickedness in the land. Consequently “work for God must be motivated by love for God or its work and religion without God!