Saturday, August 29, 2020

August 29

 


I’m comfortable, are you comfortable? The reason I’m asking is because we have been coddled and are living lives in relative peace with minimal discomfort. As I continue to read Jeremiah’s account of his life and his walk with the Lord, he was not comfortable or protected from the hands of oppressors, and yet he continued to call on the Lord, and he answered him. If things begin to get rough, do not turn your back on God, remain steadfast and loyal to him. He didn’t call us to serve him for comfort in our bodies, but to have peace and comfort in our salvation and our hearts. God can still hear you in the chaos while you are being oppressed. Find satisfaction in Jesus and in knowing the salvation that lies ahead, that should be enough for you. The message that Jeremiah gave was obnoxious to the hearers and rejected; you can expect the same, but the message of Jesus must go out into the world, even if it is for that one soul that God is calling out of the darkness. Continue to sound the alarm; time is short, if not for the world, for those whose days are cut short. 

Notice in the following verses that while Jeremiah was held captive, God spoke to him, reminding him to pray.


The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:1-3

August 28

 


For more than thirty years, I have been an advocate for the pro-life movement. I guarantee you that the trouble we are facing right now in this country is a direct reflection of God’s disgust with us for our laws affirming the right to kill our children before they are born. During Jeremiah’s time, he told God’s people that they were going to be held captive in Babylon because of their worship of other gods, including Molech. The people were sacrificing their children to this created god by burning them alive! God assured them that he never wanted this kind of behavior, and they had to face punishment because of it. 

We have the opportunity to rid ourselves of the people making these heinous laws, but you will have to vote for the party that promotes life rather than the party of death. It is up to the people of God to make this happen; otherwise, the destruction will continue. You cannot bury your head in the sand because you don’t like the way our president hurts your feelings. It’s not about your feelings; it’s about the action that we must take to prevent further punishment. Our country needs to turn back to God with our whole heart and stop destroying our people in the womb. He didn’t spare Israel and Judah, why would he spare us?


This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight... They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. Jeremiah 32:31 & 35

Thursday, August 27, 2020

August 27


Part of doing the will of God is to maintain our faith in him. We are a part of the New Covenant, yet it won’t be fulfilled until the end. I had to research a verse I ran across in Jeremiah that eluded to the new covenant. After reading it, I thought, “why am I teaching if we are part of the new covenant?” 

Here’s the verse:

"And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”  Jeremiah 31:34


Here’s the answer: We have to keep teaching and learning because it is not complete, and will only be fulfilled when Jesus returns to take his rightful place as King. 


We’ve all heard this verse:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33


I’ve always understood this verse out of context! I thought it was for the here and now, but it’s not. It is referring to the same period as when Jesus comes to rule. That’s when we will have the Word of God written on our hearts, not now, we still have to study and learn even though we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as our helper. God has given us his creation so we can understand his magnificence, but to know him deeply, we need Jesus, and we need to study his Word.


Note: Memory verses are only useful if you use them within the proper context.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

August 26


I was on an elevator, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a tiny light flash from the floor. I thought to myself, that must be a piece of glitter. I looked for it, and sure enough, it was glitter. That stuff gets everywhere! It was probably a Christmas leftover from years ago, and it never lost its sparkle. Its tiny reflection on a dark floor can still be seen even though it’s slightly buried in the loops of the carpet. Those of us carrying the message of the LORD is like that tiny piece of glitter, this dark world surrounds us, and yet we reflect Jesus. 

Jeremiah brought a message to the world, predicting their captivity in Babylon would last 70 years, but the world didn’t want to hear him, and even tried to kill him. His life was spared; however, another “prophet,” Hananiah, came and to lessen the blow of Jeremiah’s message and predicted that their captivity in Babylon would only last two years. He was a false prophet, and God dealt with him severely by taking him out; he died within the year. The world doesn’t want to hear your message of salvation because they like their sin. That’s not your problem; the problem belongs to God, so don’t lose your sparkle. God will deal with prophets/preachers that are lying to congregations about what the Bible teaches. Wait and watch.


And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.’” In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died. Jeremiah 28:15-17

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

August 25

 

This could be good news or bad news, you decide. There is nowhere you can go to get away from God; he fills heaven and earth! You can fear the world and hide away in a closet or crevasse to be alone, but you’re not alone, he is there with you whether you like it or not. You can’t conceal yourself from him, or become more significant than him, we are like dust in his presence, and we never leave it. The sooner you get this straight in your mind, the better off you will be. To some, this revelation will bring comfort, but to others, this will bring fear. Repent, turn away from your sin and be clean, so that fear will not overtake you, and so you feel comfortable with him around you. 


I have twenty-seven chapters left in the book of Jeremiah, and I’m struggling to get through them because a lot of his prophecy is negative, but he was only telling what God told him to share. However, there are fascinating tidbits that I can’t help but bring to your attention because they are truths that need to be understood and kept in the forefront of our minds. Don’t fear God’s presence; enjoy it.


“Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. Jeremiah 23:23-24

Monday, August 24, 2020

August 24

Florida seems to have dodged a couple of hurricanes that were heading our way; unfortunately, someone else will feel the full effect of those disastrous storms. Have you ever seen trouble heading your way, only to watch it veer off in another direction? We all face difficulty, but when it evades us, we are thankful and relieved. The prophet Jeremiah got beaten and put in prison overnight for prophesying disaster against Judah and Jerusalem. He told them that they would die by the sword, and their dead bodies would become food for the birds and other animals if they didn’t turn from their evil ways. Even today, we hear many people crying out to the world to turn away from their wicked ways to avoid pending disaster, only to watch it continue. No one wants to hear it, especially those perpetrating the evil. I see it all the time, a simple post with a warning becomes a tongue lashing, and then the powers of the Facebook Community Standards put the poster in “Facebook jail” for a couple of days. People would do well for themselves to heed some of those warnings. Continue to cry a warning out of love! Continue to praise God! Continue to pray for the world! Hopefully, people will hear our cries and comply, and the Lord will turn away the pending judgment.


If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. Jeremiah 18:7-8

Sunday, August 23, 2020

August 23

Richard and I had dinner with some dear friends last night. They picked us up and took us on a trip to Dunedin, which is a short drive from our Clearwater home. What a cute little town! It was a beautiful scenic drive down old highway 19. I want to go back there when I’m able to linger and enjoy a little boutique shopping. The place they took us was called Lucky Lobster. I usually avoid restaurants with the name lobster in it because I’m deathly allergic to it! Even the steam from the boiling water will cause a reaction. When I chose my food last night, I made sure I selected land animals to prevent cross-contamination. Here’s the lesson; in this situation, lobster represents sin. If we know what causes death, why do we continue to relish in it? Just like there are choices on the menu, there are choices that maintain life and choices that lead to death. There is no excuse for sin; he always gives us a way out. Choose carefully, so you don’t have to deal with the consequences. 


As a side note: the verse I’m including is always misquoted by weak Christians or unbelievers. “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle” is a lie that the devil wants you to believe so that you will blame God for your unrelenting trouble. The verse is about sin, and not about your burdens unless your burden is sin.


No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13