I want to introduce to you Amos.

No, i’m not talking about the cooke, Famous Amos. I’m talking about the prophet, Amos.

Some of you may have heard of him. Some of you may have read a piece or two from the book of Amos. And some of you may not even know who I am talking about. Well, you are in luck.

For the next several weeks, our missional communities will be studying the Book of Amos together. We will be exploring the journey of Amos and the themes presented throughout the books. One of the most prominent themes that is emphasized is that of justice.

What is justice? And how has it informed your faith and your relationship with Christ? How does it inform your relationship with others?

Throughout this series, our aim is to understand Amos, the prophetic genre, and how it informs our lives as everyday missionaries. Our hope is that we can all individually discern how to practically apply justice within our own communities.

Justice originated in the heart and mind of God. Justice is one of God’s own attributes. Justice is a divine attribute alongside holiness, righteousness, steadfast love, and compassion. The things we’re afraid to discuss could very well be the very things God wants to discuss.

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

- Amos 5:24

God has loved justice and hated wrongdoing from the very beginning. Justice is all about restoring wholeness to community. It is punishment for wrongdoing. But it is also restoring the rights of the vulnerable and disadvantaged. God loves justice. If we truly entrust ourselves to God, shouldn’t we also love what He cares about?

We should deeply love justice ourselves.

How can we grow in love for justice? How can we be true advocates of justice?

Sometimes, when we think about advocating for social justice, we can get caught up in the “what.” But maybe it needs to be more about the “who.” Who are the marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged in your community? Who might God be asking you to be concerned about? Justice can start small and it can be really small. Our intention with this series is to lead all of us to think about the areas in our world where God and His Kingdom needs to reign.

Reflection:

• How do you feel about justice?

• Where has social justice influenced your faith in Christ and life of discipleship?

• Who is God asking you to be concerned about?

In the month of August, our community has been exploring the topic of healing and spiritual warfare. It has been a great experience for our community. Some of us are hearing about healing for the first time. Some of us have had numerous experiences with it. And some of us are somewhere in the middle.

Healing

Why is healing such a hard topic for us? I think many of us have a difficult relationship with healing because we don’t actually understand it. Or we have bad experiences with what we do understand.

Healing is about restoration. Healing is about pursuing wholeness. Healing is never complete until we are reunited in the kingdom with God the Father. But this doesn’t mean we cannot experience aspects of it today. We are already being transformed from one degree to another (2 Cor. 3:18).

I wonder if our struggle with healing has a lot more to do with our expectations and less to do with God’s divine power. Can we take a step back and really learn what God longs to do? Is that a little far-reached?

Lord, surprise us. Lord, come and do what You want to do no matter how painful it might be for me.

I don’t know if many of us are so willing to participate in such bold prayers. But God loves bold prayers. He delights in us delighting in Him. This delight shows our full reliance on Him. This brings pride to His heart. God doesn’t just take pride in our boldness, but He asks us to be bold. He asks us to be courageous and brave in our prayers because it does reveal the trust we have in Him. The question then becomes, how much do we trust in God?

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

Acts 3 talks about such expectations.

“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put everyday to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. “

Acts 3:1-8

What kind of expectations did this man have? He was expecting to receive money. His expectations were so short in comparison to what he received. He was definitely seeking for something better but had no idea what that might look like. Maybe we can resonate with this. Maybe we have low expectations in regards to our relationship with God. Peter was unable to give the man what he requested. But Peter was able to give him what he needed. Peter knew that he could pray. He knew he had the authority to pray and ask for healing for this man. Something the man probably didn’t think to ask. I mean, he had been in this condition for quite some time.

There’s one thing that I really love about this scene. See, Peter doesn’t just pray for this man’s healing. He also helped walk him to his healing. “Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.” Peter joined God in his invitation to heal. He recognized the authority he had been given, and he was willing to stay with this man in his healing. We need our community to help us in our healing. Are we willing to walk with people in their healing? God intervenes in today’s world to change lives through His power to heal. He invites us to participate. He calls us to pray to Him for healing. Do we believe this?

Reflection

• What expectations do we have in regards to healing?

• What does God long to do in you in this season?

• Who are we bringing along with us?