A Mouthpiece of God

Hosea 9:7-9

"The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come;
 Israel shall know it.  The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad,
because of your great iniquity and great hatred. The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways and hatred in the house of his God.
⁹ They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins."

We all have heard a speaker state, you are not going to enjoy this message, but it is one that is needed, so do not shoot the messenger.  They are not expecting to be shot, what they are saying is it’s a truth that must be voiced and so I’m doing it but do not get mad at me.  It is like a parent or best friend telling an overweight child or friend that sugar, bread, and pasta will only add to their weight problem.  And the threat is real that each new pound is bringing the friend, or child closer to sugar diabetes, which is a destroyer of life.

A prophet of God had one job, to be the mouthpiece of God, to only say the words that God had spoken and not to worry about the outcome.  How we need the prophets of old today, for many who have the role of pastor/teacher weigh the words coming from their mouths to make sure no one goes away unhappy or discouraged by the message. 

The message coming from Hosea was not received as from God, but as from an insane man, and yet God still blessed Israel with the counsel of His prophet Hosea.  So what happens to a family who no longer take stock in what the dad is saying, in that he is not a good example and his message changes with the season?  They begin to look to others or to themselves; they believe the lies of the culture, and do what seems in their best interest.  This is also true in a business, a church, and a nation, as stated in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction.”

So it comes down to choices, as a follower of Christ do I believe what God has stated in Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” 

Quotes on Integrity:

The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love, and loyalty.  (By Zig Ziglar)

The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively. (By Bob Marley)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice