Amos 6:1 says, Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!  The people of Israel were at ease in Zion, feeling that simply being close to the holy mountain of God would keep them safe.  We today may be at ease thinking that our claim to be God's people will keep us safe, but for us to really be safe in the world today, we need a real relationship with Christ.  I believe that when we begin to proclaim that all we have to do is claim what we want and God will give it to us, we have begun to believe that God wants us to find peace through the things of this world.  We should never feel that the things of this world will bring us peace and security.  Verse two advises, Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?  These were great cities that were now in ruins.  The people there had felt safe, but found that there was no security simply in the things of this world.  God asked if Israel was better than these cities.  Based on their own strength, the answer was that they were not.  When the people of Israel became at ease because of who they were, instead of whom God is, they were just as powerless as these other cities.  If we begin to believe that God has to bless us because of where we were born, or what family we were born into, then we should be ready for a fall.  Verse three declares, Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;  As the nation of Israel was at ease, they did not worry about the coming day of judgment.  I believe that we can say that God's judgment is not just something that will one day occur, but that God judges people every day.  We may escape the penalty of His judgment through faith in Christ, but that does not mean that we can live however we want to until Christ returns.  Verse four states, That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;  The people of Israel had become content with the riches of the world and had forgotten the God Who gave them those riches.  We hear the call for God to bless America again, as though we by right of birth deserve more blessings than people in other countries.  If we want God to bless us, we must first bless God with all that we have.  Verse five states, That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; Then verse six says, That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.  These two verses basically say that the people were going through religious ceremonies without there being any real meaning to them.  They had no real concern for the affliction of those around them.  I believe that as long as we go about living enjoying all that God blesses us with but with no compassion for others, then we are not living as God would have His people live.  Verse seven declares, Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.  Those who were most concerned with themselves and their own pleasure would be some of the first to go into captivity, and all those things that they celebrated for their own pleasure in the name of worshipping God would be removed.  God never takes empty worship lightly.