GOD'S LOVING REBUKE
Sunday (10/2), we continue the series in the book of Hosea (5:1-15). Hosea begins the chapter by challenging the spiritual and civic leaders of Israel. He warns them that judgment is imminent due to their unwillingness to obey God’s righteous commands. And the only way for them to escape what’s coming is to turn from their sin and turn to God.
Unfortunately, Israel did not heed the warning. They continued with the pretense of faith in God. They made sacrifices to God and idols. They professed their love for God and idols. They played both sides. Their stubbornness would cost them their nation and their lives. Their love for the passing pleasures of sin seemed to have blinded them to the danger lurking.
For his part, Hosea didn’t give up on his people. His heart, passion, and patience for Israel reflect the character and nature of God. The Apostle Peter writes, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:10).
Today, the church lives within the boundaries of a nation that has turned its back on God. It seems that anything that is said is drowned out by the prevailing winds of a culture that is Anti-God and Anti-Christ. And it is for that reason that the church must rise and be that clarion voice that calls our beloved nation to repent and place their trust in a loving, holy, and righteous God. Letting everyone know there will be a day when each one will stand before God to give an account of their life. And that the only way for them to escape is to turn to the One who, in His mercy, will grant them everlasting life.
I look forward to our time together. Please pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the entire Calvary Chapel family.
There are several opportunities for worship. On-campus (10:00 am), drive-in church (92.1fm), and online (Facebook and YouTube: Calvary Inverness)
In His Strong Love,
Pastor