Have you ever tried to be noticed by someone you loved?
Did all your attempts to capture their attention fail?
The Psalmist wrote, “Look at all that the Lord has done for you! Don’t fail to notice all that the Lord done for you! Return thanks unto Him! He did all this because He loves you.”
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.
To Him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
Who by His understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
Who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
Who made the great lights—His love endures forever.
The sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
The moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1, 4-9
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Grounded in God's Word During the Last Days
“Mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
Evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of… the Holy Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13-17
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
Evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of… the Holy Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13-17
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Declaring Divine Ultimatums
Jeremiah was standing in the court of the Lord’s house. The Lord instructed him to say to all the people, “’This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to Me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.’" [1]
Jeremiah announced an ultimatum from God to his people.
…As soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, ‘You must die!’ [2]
Jeremiah did not get an honorarium for his message. His religious peers grabbed him and told him that he must die. He spoke the truth. His reward was condemnation from his fellow priests and prophets.
“Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: ‘The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you.” [3]
Jeremiah did not change his tune. He pressed them to change their ways to avoid the disaster that God had pronounced upon them.
“As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.’” [4]
Jeremiah warned his peers that if they killed him, that they would have to face God for it. By the grace of God, government officials intervened and stopped the false priests and prophets from carrying out their assassination plans against him.
“Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ‘This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.’” [5] Two fellow priests also stood up for Jeremiah, “Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.” [6]
[1] Jeremiah 26:4-6
[2] Jeremiah 26:8
[3] Jeremiah 26:12-13
[4] Jeremiah 26:14-15
[5] Jeremiah 26:16
[6] Jeremiah 26:24
Jeremiah announced an ultimatum from God to his people.
…As soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, ‘You must die!’ [2]
Jeremiah did not get an honorarium for his message. His religious peers grabbed him and told him that he must die. He spoke the truth. His reward was condemnation from his fellow priests and prophets.
“Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: ‘The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you.” [3]
Jeremiah did not change his tune. He pressed them to change their ways to avoid the disaster that God had pronounced upon them.
“As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.’” [4]
Jeremiah warned his peers that if they killed him, that they would have to face God for it. By the grace of God, government officials intervened and stopped the false priests and prophets from carrying out their assassination plans against him.
“Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ‘This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.’” [5] Two fellow priests also stood up for Jeremiah, “Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.” [6]
[1] Jeremiah 26:4-6
[2] Jeremiah 26:8
[3] Jeremiah 26:12-13
[4] Jeremiah 26:14-15
[5] Jeremiah 26:16
[6] Jeremiah 26:24
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
God Is God ~ We Are Not
While caring for the flood survivors, I saw people in shock. I saw an aura of sadness around some of the survivors as they walked towards me. During good times, we may begin to think that we are invincible and no longer need God’s help, That’s when a disaster brings us back to the realty of our need for God.
The Lord warns us via Jeremiah. “This is what the Lord says: ’Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.’” [1]
We need to invest our time, treasure, and talent in the practice of trusting in the Lord. Learn to lean on the Lord! The Lord says that if we turn from evil ways, and reform our actions, He will build up our land and stabilize it.
“If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.” [2]
The problem with Jeremiah’s audience was that they rejected God’s counsel. “But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’” [3]
Let us pray that our nation will reject defiance towards God. “Dear Heavenly Father, please grant us grace to repent and reform our ways. Please rebuild and reestablish us. You are God, and we are not. We need You to help and save us. This I pray in the Name of Jesus Your Son. Amen.”
[1] Jeremiah 17:5, 7
[2] Jeremiah 18:7-10
[3] Jeremiah 18:12
The Lord warns us via Jeremiah. “This is what the Lord says: ’Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.’” [1]
We need to invest our time, treasure, and talent in the practice of trusting in the Lord. Learn to lean on the Lord! The Lord says that if we turn from evil ways, and reform our actions, He will build up our land and stabilize it.
“If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.” [2]
The problem with Jeremiah’s audience was that they rejected God’s counsel. “But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’” [3]
Let us pray that our nation will reject defiance towards God. “Dear Heavenly Father, please grant us grace to repent and reform our ways. Please rebuild and reestablish us. You are God, and we are not. We need You to help and save us. This I pray in the Name of Jesus Your Son. Amen.”
[1] Jeremiah 17:5, 7
[2] Jeremiah 18:7-10
[3] Jeremiah 18:12
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