Not A Modern Crisis
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Today we read Amos chapters 1–5. This book inspired much of the structure for my first book, Moving Ahead: How to Make America Godly Again. (1)However, as I read these chapters today, I only thought about the tragic situation that exists in our world now, similar to Amos’s day: human trafficking, the sex trade. Economic strife causes people of all genders to live in oppressive and abusive conditions.
We Don’t Want to See
Honestly, it’s not a topic polite society wants to deal with. News channels run features on it because “sex sells,” and they can sensationalize it. But most Christians feel detached, believing all they can do is pray. And yes—there is nothing more powerful than prayer. But as I read Amos, I feel an urgent calling: we must do more. At the very least, we must pray in larger numbers and put pressure on our governments to take action.
The System We Fund
It’s a sordid situation we feel the need to avoid. Yet in some ways, we help support it. When we use social media—which has become a tool to exploit these victims—we help fund the very system that enables abuse. I’m not saying we should avoid social media. I use it all the time to reach victims. To me, it’s a mission field.

Just as Jesus dined with sinners (Luke 5:29–32), and Paul preached in pagan marketplaces (Acts 17:16–34), we are called to be in the world, but not of it (John 17:14–16).
Gaza’s Sin
In Amos 1:4–6, we read of Gaza’s sin—human trafficking. They captured entire communities and sold them into slavery. In Amos 4:4–6, we see that Bethel and Gilgal were centers of corrupted worship, including temple prostitution. The wealthy and powerful abused the vulnerable under the guise of religion.
Trade Deals
Today, our focus is on the trade agreements that the president is making. These might benefit the economy, yet a more shadowy aspect of it includes the $6.3 billion revenue from services such as OnlyFans. According to Edworking, 80 percent of the income goes to content creators, but only the top 1 percent earn substantial amounts. The rest scrape by.(2)

Last night, I spoke to someone online who claimed to be a young woman. I told her about Jesus. She questioned whether her conduct would provoke God’s fury. I said He hates the sin, but still loves her—and died to pay for it. I explained how to turn her life over to Jesus, placing her trust in Him alone. But I also shared that He gives us a Spirit of repentance (Rom. 2:4) to leave that lifestyle. She backed away, saying she was just trying to make a living.
Not a Living
It may be a source of income, but it’s not a life. My guess is that, like many young people, easy credit, societal pressure to look a certain way, and designer labels seduced her. Now, debt, penalties, and interest rates eat away at what little she earns.

I’ve been there. When I was publishing my magazine, I learned there are no shortcuts. Debt makes us slaves. As John MacArthur’s book Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ points out, we are all slaves—either to sin, which entraps us, or to righteousness, which sets us free (Rom. 6:16–18).(3)
Amos’s Earthquake
Amos warned of coming doom, which manifested in a devastating earthquake around 760 BCE. Archaeological evidence supports this event, with damage found at sites like Hazor and Gezer.(4)

God was aware of their actions. Like Christians today, they were doing all the outward signs of worship, but their hearts were far from Him. He was not accepting their sacrifices (Amos 5:21–23).
Stand Your Ground
The modern church can know these atrocities and even pray for God to intervene. But when God sees that we’re doing nothing else, does He believe we care? Is it just an outward show?

We must be like the archer who stands his ground (Amos 2:15)—not flinching, not giving up, until the target is in sight. That target must be repentance. It is necessary for us to stop the $150 billion global sex trade.(5)
Seek the Lord
For the victims, we must do all we can to show them they can seek the Lord and live (Amos 5:4–6). They may think they’re making a living, but it’s not a life. And we must heed James’s warning: faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
Tomorrow, we will read Amos 6-9.
Notes

Linders, Thom. Moving Ahead: How to Make America Godly Again. (Book Writing Pioneer, 2024).

Edworking, “OnlyFans Economic Breakdown,” https://edworking.com/news/startups/onlyfans-economic-breakdown-a-6.3-billion-success-story.

John MacArthur, Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (Thomas Nelson, 2010).

Armstrong Institute, “Amos’s Earthquake: A Mountain of Evidence,” https://armstronginstitute.org/319-amoss-earthquake-a-mountain-of-evidence.

Polaris Project, “Human Trafficking in the U.S.,” https://polarisproject.org.