TEXT: AMOS 8: 11- 14 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:

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again. (KJV)

Today we would like to learn of Amos through a message entitled “FAMINE OF BREAD.”

Let’s look at the text.

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.”

The famine of the end time is not that of bread. So, like communist countries, it does not refer to such a famine that they do not have the Bible. To the contrary, it is written, “a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” Therefore, it says about hearing the words of the Lord, that is, hearing the messages of service, preaching.

There may be some people who say, “There is preached a good message in any church. What famine is there?” but as long as I see many people are in this famine.

Even such people who are hungry so much and almost fainted would be usually fine and satisfied, if they eat bread. And they would be walking lightly to be filled with power. But, why are there many people who are weak, powerless, and unsatisfied in the Church now? This is surely the very thing to show there is famine in the Church, isn’t it?

For example, there often arise famines even now in India, Africa and so on. What is the characteristic of the people who are in famine? They may have such impressions such as thin, unable to walk straight, or unable to discern alive or dead.

And this is happening in Japanese churches, isn’t it? We may not be weak physically but spiritually, and the churches are covered by famine, aren’t they?

The Word has no problem, for it has no change since the days of Lord Jesus. But, the Bible says that there is a famine to hear many messages.

We should humbly hear this voice. All who serve the Word should cry out to seek mercy of the Lord before the altar, aren’t they? Famine really covers over our churches and the people.

12 “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”

They seek the Word of the Lord. But, they “shall not find it.” Surely this prophecy is fulfilled. It is seen that many believers wander from that church to this one, and from that meeting to this one. There may be some pastors who say to them such as, “Don’t wander here and there. Such is not of faith.” But, they wander to seek the bread of life.

There are, however, many people who are not satisfied in their churches and go to others. The reason why they belong to their churches and at the same time go to other meetings far away may be that they might not have eaten what they should eat.

The believers are not necessarily blamed. And, they would not be satisfied, even if they wander like this. It is as written, they “shall not find it.” For, it is certainly the days of famine.

13 “In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

“That day” is the day of the end time. The word “thirst” is related to water, that is, “the Holy Spirit.” In this day of the end time many God’s people will face not only famine to hear the Word but also thirst for lack of water of the Holy Spirit.

As they reject the Word of the Lord and oust God of the Holy Spirit, they will face such days. We, human beings, have days of childhood, youth, and old age. And they, men and women, are full of power and beauty in the days of their youth among them. But even such believers like them will “faint for thirst” in that day. Isn’t it now that day? I feel many people have spiritual thirst in them and faint for it.

14 “They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.”

Those who “swear by the sin of Samaria” are the ones who have received the doctrines and teachings of Samaria. Samaria is the capital of northern Israel and is supposed to be the sign for the Catholic now. As long as they swear by the sin, they “shall fall, and never rise up again.”

The characteristics of the Catholic to be compared with the Protestant are “Pope of Rome, Mary worship and Apocrypha.” They may be proud of these, but the Lord says such is sin.

And, they have spiritual hunger and thirst, and some of them may go to Buddhism or Hinduism. But the Lord says the cause is this sin.

To turn it over, those who throw away these sins will not hunger or thirst even in this day of famine.

Let’s remember the days filled with sins of Samaria, that is, the days filled with Baal worship of Ahab and Jezebel, and the period of three and half years of Elijah of no rain when only the widow woman of Zarephath was given bread and oil so that she did not hunger for them.

Famine will not strike those who follow the Lord even in the end time. The Bible says this repeatedly.

Let’s do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.