A Famine In The Land

Amos 8:11

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 It will change your thinkingYour thinking will then affect your decisions

Your decisions determine the course of life you pursue

Amos 8:11

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD

Times were coming when they would search for the cast aside word of the Lord, but it would elude them (Amos 8:12)This was the bitter fruit of their actions (Amos 8:13-14)

God’s spirit will not always strive with man (Gen. 6:3; Prov. 1:23-33)

We are living in a time when there is such a famine in the land.The word of God is abundantly available today.

More Bibles are owned now than at any other time.Are they read?Are they studied?Are the words therein heeded and followed?

The Situation In The “Last Days”

2 Timothy 3:1-4Not some far off time periodThe last days began at Pentecost

Peter invokes Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:16-21; cf. Joel 2:28-32)

–Peter says this is what is happening (v. 16)– It happens in “the last days” (v. 17)–Thus the last days are now, not later–Men will call on the name of the Lord in

order to be saved in the last days. When? (v. 21)

God’s Son speaks to us “in these last days” (Heb. 1:1-2)

What is described as happening in the last days is indicative of a famine There are far too many similarities to modern times to dismiss this

Notice some similarities in 2 Timothy 3:1-4“Lovers of themselves” (v. 2)“Lovers of money” (v. 2)“Lovers of pleasure” (v. 4)

There are those in the church who have no use for God’s word (2 Tim. 4:3)They will listen to the teachers who tell them what they what to hear so they can do what they want to do

This is hardly new (Isa. 30:10-11) “and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:4, ESV)

The AntidoteThe antidote to this famine is to feed on the word of GodLive by the book (2 Tim. 3:14-17)Three great truths about God’s word:The word comes from GodThe word brings salvation in ChristThe word equips us to do God’s work

The antidote needs to be in me It is not only the power of God, but contains the instructions on how we are to “live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17)

It is able to save (James 1:21) It is what I need (Acts 18:8)

To hearTo believeTo follow