Archive for the ‘Jeremiah--BibleTrekToday’ Category
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is the Truth and the last Word from God! Jesus is a prophet as well as a priest and our King! He is worthy of all worship and praise and worthy to be listened to because He is a true prophet–He has spoken the eternal word of God and is that Word made flesh! (John 1:14) We come together each week to honor Jesus Christ and listen to His word speak into our lives. Listen to Him and be saved and encouraged today!
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3a)
God has placed various gifts in the body of Christ and gives manifestations of the Spirit to different members of the church. He does this as He wills for the common good of His church. (1st Corinthians 12:1-7) We don’t choose to use these manifestations or make them happen. We can only cooperate with His Spirit and speak at His direction the words He gives us. Some have a stronger manifestation of this gift and are appointed as “prophets”.
Prophets are gift people to the body to help prepare them for the works of service that God has for each person. They work with pastors, teacher, apostles and evangelists to bring unity and maturity in the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:7-13) The prophets’ messages must be tested by those who hear and they are to speak only two or three at a time. God is a God of order and peace. (1st Corinthians 14:29-33) Their messages must line up with God’s word and agree with the Spirit of God in those who hear.
False prophets will mark the last days! (Matthew 24:24) They will seek to deceive the very elect of God with counterfeit signs and miracles. Jesus warns us to listen closely and use discernment. Ask the Lord for a manifestation of His Spirit to help you when needed: discerning of spirits! (1st Corinthians 12:10)
May the Lord bless and keep you by the Spirit of Truth!
In His Love, Pastor John
Scripture reading for August 7th: Jeremiah 11-15
“Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.” (Jeremiah 14:11-12)
Jeremiah had been given strict instructions not to pray for the people but to speak what God told him to say. God was fed up with His people’s attitude and actions. They had crossed the line of no return therefore He would send judgment. He sent His message of judgment with Jeremiah but Jeremiah’s message conflicted with that of most of the other prophets in the nation.
“But I said, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, the prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place’” (Jeremiah 14:13)
God told Jeremiah that those prophets were speaking lies in His name. God did not send them or appoint them. They were self-appointed and they made up a message that tickled the ears of the people that listened. They used false visions that God had not given them and they spoke from the delusion of their own minds. (Jeremiah 14:14-16) God was going to let the true word from Him come upon them in the form of sword and famine and calamity!
Now put yourself in the place of the people of that day and decide which message you would rather listen to? Would you listen and heed Jeremiah’s call for judgment on the king and queen? Would you love to hear of God’s plan to send four kinds of destroyers against His own backslidden people? (Jeremiah 15:3-9) Or would you sooner listen to soothing prophesies of peace and safety?
I fear today that many false prophets are again filling people’s ears with what they want to hear. Many self-appointed prophets give messages that do not come true. God’s word declares how to tell the true from the false. “You may say to yourselves, “How can I know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) Be careful who you listen to!
Scripture reading for August 6th: Jeremiah 7-10
Jeremiah was told to go and stand at the entrance to the temple of God and speak a strong message to the people of Israel who were going in to worship. He was to preach as they entered or left, calling them to repentance and away from the deception of empty religion. He would be considered a fanatic today and would probably be heckled or possibly even be arrested for disturbing the peace. Let’s consider his message.
“Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”–safe to do all these detestable thing? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching declares the Lord!” (Jeremiah 7:9-11) Jeremiah had a tough message for a hardened people. They were so hard that God told him not to pray for them any more. He would not listen to prayers for them. (Jeremiah 7:16) He also told Jeremiah that the people would not listen to his message from Him either. (Jeremiah 7:27-8) Jeremiah was to cut off his hair and throw it away and take up a lament for this lost people who were beyond God’s help.
Wow, this is hard stuff! Why would God have Jeremiah preach this message if they would not listen? Why would God tell Jeremiah not to pray? Was God unmerciful? Would He not give them another chance? A principle of God is that preaching brings responsibility and, if there is no response, judgment. Prayer postpones judgment. God had given these people opportunity to repent by sending many prophets. They had rejected the message again and again until the only remedy left was God’s wrath! (Jeremiah 7:20, 25-26)
Because of sin, man has a blind spot. He tends to think that God doesn’t see what is done in darkness. When God doesn’t judge immediately, he tends to think that God may be soft or senile. None of these presumptions are true. God is watching everything and will judge the evil and reward the good. His eyes penetrate the darkness and it is as light to Him. He even sees inside and knows the motives and thoughts of our hearts. Respond today if you hear His voice!
Scripture reading for August 5th: Jeremiah 1-6
“The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”" “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” (Jeremiah 1:4-6)
Have you ever made excuses for why you can’t do something? Has your mom or dad or preacher ever asked you to do something and you looked for all the reasons why you couldn’t? Have you felt fear rise in your heart at the thought of beginning a new job or going to school? Because of sin and Satan, we are creatures bound by fears and centered on ourselves. Change is often difficult and we become our own worst enemy by positing endless excuses.
Jeremiah was a young man when God spoke to him about a plan for his life. This plan would take Jeremiah out of his comfort zone and involved public speaking. Jeremiah was being called to speak before nations, not just the local people. He immediately thought up some excuses! “I can’t speak” and “I am only a child” came first into his mind. Public speaking is one of the top fears even today. I know personally that as a young man, I was terrified to get up in front of people.
God immediately rebuked Jeremiah and told him to stop his excuses. God made promises to Jeremiah to calm his fears. He told him that He would be with him and rescue him! What comfort that should have brought! I wonder if Jeremiah’s mind raced to think of the kind of dangers that God might rescue him from?
God also touched Jeremiah’s mouth and put His words in his mouth. He spoke a prophetic word to Jeremiah that would define his mission. “See today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10) He then gave him a vision of an almond tree. This tree was the first tree to bloom in Israel and signaled the coming of spring. Everyone watched the almond to know when spring had arrived. God promised Jeremiah, “I am watching to see that My word is fulfilled.” (Jeremiah 1:12) God knows how to deal with our excuses!
Scripture reading for August 18th: Lamentations 1-5
Do you enjoy funerals? How about mourning and wailing over the dead? Well, this next short book of Jeremiah is a series of five funeral songs about the death of Jerusalem and the captivity of God’s people. As a pastor, this book is helpful to gain insight into the process of grief and helping families and individuals deal with death and loss. Grief takes time and energy to process. Mourning people go through stages ranging from disbelief and shock, to mourning and wailing, blaming others or God, to quiet acceptance and finally readiness to move on. These stages may take various amounts of time to process and work through. God understands our grief and sorrows for Jesus was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. (Isaiah 53:3)
Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet because he had a tender heart of compassion for God’s people. (Lamentations 1:16) He had warned them faithfully of the coming judgment and destruction of Jerusalem. He had witnessed this destruction and now was writing to chronicle the grief process going on in his heart. Jeremiah was a lot like Jesus Christ, who also wept over the city of Jerusalem as He saw prophetically the destruction that was to come upon it for their rejection of Him as their Messiah. (Matthew 23:37-39) God values tears so much that the Psalmist said He gathers them up in a bottle and records them on a scroll. (Psalm 56:8) Tears are a sign of caring and compassion and they were modeled by Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb and again over Jerusalem.
In Lamentations 3, the prophet is recounting his misery and pain and describes it with images that bring Isaiah 53 and the crucifixion to mind. In the middle of his rant, he turns his thoughts to hope! (Lamentation 3:20-21) The cause of this hope is the thought of God’s steadfast love and great compassion and mercy. Jeremiah states that this mercy is “new every morning” and that “great is God’s faithfulness”. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Because God is Jeremiah’s portion, he will wait for the Lord. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him and put their hope in Him! It is truly God’s mercy that gives us hope and leads us to repentance! (Romans 2:4) His unfailing love and compassion will come through for those in deep grief!
This funeral lament ends with words of faith and hope and a prayer. God is sovereign and reigns forever. He will have compassion and restore them as they pray. Take a moment and offer a prayer of thanksgiving and trust in the Lord and His compassion for you today. His Son Jesus Christ wept over us and bore our sorrows and tears that we might live in the joy of His love and receive new mercies every morning!
“You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.” Lamentations 5:19-22
Scripture reading for August 17th: Jeremiah 46-52
“Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves. Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her.” Jeremiah 51:6-8a
Jeremiah’s prophecies in the last chapters of his book are absolutely amazing and encouraging to every student of Scripture. God has promised to watch over His word to perform it and we get in on some amazing performances; others are yet to be confirmed. Jeremiah ends his book with the story of God’s dealing with Babylon because of her treatment of the people of God. Babylon is to be destroyed suddenly and the people who will do it are named by Jeremiah 70 years before it happens. The Medes and Persians would carry out God’s purposes and be his war club! (Jeremiah 51:11, 20) Jeremiah had earlier told the people that the captivity would last 70 years and that word came to pass! (Jeremiah 25:11-12)
Through Jeremiah God calls to His people to flee from Babylon. Although they will live there for 7o years, they must be ready to return to the promised land and to escape the punishment of God upon that land. The end of Babylon would come quickly or suddenly. Jeremiah tells how Babylon will fall. In Jeremiah 51:36-40, he tells that God will dry up the sea or springs of Babylon. The officials of Babylon will be aroused and drunk at a feast. They will be shouting with drunken laughter and suddenly they will sleep forever! This word was probably known by Daniel and helped him interpret the handwriting on the wall the night that Babylon fell! The Babylonian officials were drinking from the golden goblets from God’s House in Jerusalem when the handwriting appeared on the wall. (Daniel 5) Daniel was called to interpret and God’s judgment fell before morning! (Daniel 5:30) It is said that the Medes damned up the river and came in under the wall, taking the city from within! What a fulfillment of God’s prophetic word!
This prophecy about the destruction of Babylon was to be read aloud to the captives in Babylon by Seraiah, an aid to King Zedekiah. When he was finished, he was to tie a rock on it and throw it into the Euphrates River. It was to sink to the bottom as a symbol of how Babylon would sink at the appointed time! (Jeremiah 51:59-64) For a real rush of adrenaline, turn to Revelation 18 and read the whole chapter in light of Jeremiah’s prophecy. God’s word has multiple fulfillment and speaks to the time of the end as well as to the fall of Babylon in Daniel’s time.
“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. . . .Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her; death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” ” Revelation 18:4-5,8
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! Another week has flown by and we have another opportunity to enjoy a Sabbath rest. We can join with others of precious faith and worship and pray together. The church is the Bride of Christ and meets together to prepare for His coming and to reach out to those who are yet to know Him. The Sabbath is for man’s benefit and blessing.
As I reflect back on this week’s readings in Jeremiah, I am again encouraged with the simplicity of God’s message to His children. Trust and obedience will bring blessing! It is so simple yet it seems to be so difficult for the people of God to trust Him! We see over and over people who say they want to hear His word and follow His directions turning the other way and doing their own thing. This always leads to disastrous consequences and they are warned again and again that these consequences will come. Who will deliver them from these fatal errors?
A group of people mentioned by Jeremiah and singled out by God for blessing were the Recabites. (Jeremiah 35) These people had sworn in a covenant oath to their father Jonadab that they would not drink wine, plant grapes, sow seed, or build houses but would live in tents. This people had been faithful to their oath for years. Jeremiah tried to entice them to drink wine and they refused. They were commended as being faithful to their oath while the Israelites had broken their covenant vows to God to be faithful over and over. (Jeremiah 35:18-19) These Recabites were rewarded and commended for their faithfulness! They had learned to trust and obey their earthly father while the Isrealites refused to trust and obey their heavenly father! Even in their limited obedience, they still needed God’s grace because they too were sinners.
Thanks be to God for He did for us what we could not do! We have the Holy Spirit living in us today and God’s power and presence to enable us to live holy, obedient lives of faith. We have the New Covenant and God’s law written on our hearts and minds as promised through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 31:31-34) We are born again by the Spirit, living seed of God’s word, and adopted as God’s children. We are being transformed daily by the Spirit by an ever-increasing glory! Trust and obedience should be so much easier for us under the Spirit than for those who lived under the law. Check your trust level in Jesus Christ, the one who totally trusted and obeyed on our behalf! Rest in His complete obedience and grace today! In His Love, Pastor John
Scripture reading for August 15th: Jeremiah 40-45
“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” Jeremiah 42:1-3
These Jews were scared and feared the wrath of Babylon because their Babylonian appointed leader, Gedaliah, had been assassinated. They were thinking about fleeing to Egypt but decided to seek a word from the Lord. They approached Jeremiah and asked him to pray for them to “your God”. That’s not a very encouraging sign! As a minister, many people want you to pray for them and are thankful when you do. Sometimes I wonder why they are not praying themselves. Other times I wonder if they are asking something similar to these Jews who asked Jeremiah to pray.
After this group promised Jeremiah to abide faithfully by what the Lord would say, he agreed to seek the Lord. They said the right words and seemed so sincere. They promised to do whatever was asked that it might go well with them. (Jeremiah 42:5-6) As Jeremiah prayed over their request, ten days passed before the answer came. He called the Jews together to hear the Lord’s directions. He made them very clear and presented an obvious choice that did not take a genius to figure out the preferred decision! If they would stay in the land, God would plant them and build them up. He would protect them from the King of Babylon and show them great compassion. (Jeremiah 42:10-12) However, if they did not obey and chose to go down to Egypt, what they feared would overtake them and they would surely die by the sword, famine and plague! (Jeremiah 42:13-18) Just to help them out, Jeremiah emphasizes to them the right choice, “Do not go to Egypt.” (Jeremiah 42:19)
You would think that a people who wanted prayer and God’s word of direction and promised to obey would easily find the right answer. However, their words and actions were not really sincere because their hearts were not right with the Lord. They had no fear of the Lord or His holy word. They accused the prophet of lying and that God had not spoken through him or sent him! (Jeremiah 43:2-7) They proceeded to gather up everyone and head for Egypt! This is the mystery of iniquity in the heart of sinful man. Why would a people who knew God’s word and the penalty for disobedience choose to disobey and die? There is no logical answer!
As you think about this story today, examine your own life and check out your heart. Have you sought the Lord for something you know is not God’s will? When a man or woman of God gives you truth that you disagree with do you go ahead and do your own thing? Is the Lord “your God” or does He belong to others?
Scripture reading for August 14th: Jeremiah 37-39
“Jeremiah was put in a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained for a long time. Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?” “Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” Jeremiah 37:16-17
When times are tough, many people are curious about what the Lord might be saying. When you haven’t listened to His word for a long time and have tried to silence the voice of God in your life, it is not easy to hear properly again. God knows the motives behind our questions. They may sound like we want to hear, but may be mere curiosity. Such was this question from King Zedekiah. He sounded sincere–like he wanted to know and understand what the Lord was saying–but really did not believe that what Jeremiah said was true.
Sometimes we have another reason for wanting to hear another word from the Lord. We may hope that God has changed His mind or given a new word. None of the last kings of Judah wanted to hear Jeremiah’s word from the Lord. He was in prison because of preaching that word of coming judgment. In the coming days, a plot to kill Jeremiah came from some of the king’s officials and King Zedekiah did nothing to stop them. He really did not want to hear the word of coming judgment. He was hoping for a word of peace and safety.
Today, people are running around looking for a “word from the Lord”. They go to conferences and seek out those with prophetic gifts. They want to hear the latest prophetic predictions. They want guidance and direction. We each must check our motives and ask ourselves if we are obeying what has already been spoken and written from the Lord. If we have been ignoring simple truths, how can we be sure we will be given truth? In the last days there will be a famine, not for bread or water, but for hearing the word of the Lord! (Amos 8:11-12)
Yes, there is a final word from the Lord for these last days; Jesus Christ Himself is the last word from God for the world. He offers grace and forgiveness of sins to all who will repent and believe on Him. He promises salvation, healing and deliverance through Him alone. Have you responded to this word?
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3
Scripture reading for August 13th: Jeremiah 34-36
Jeremiah 36 gives us a record of the process of recording scripture in written form. Jeremiah the prophet dictated to his secretary, Baruch, what God had revealed to him concerning the judgment coming on Jerusalem. Baruch took a pen and ink and wrote the words down on a papyrus scroll. (Jeremiah 36:18) He was told by Jeremiah to go and read the words to the people in the temple of the Lord. (Jeremiah 36:8) As he read the words of coming destruction and God’s wrath against the people because of their sins, officials of the king heard the message. They had him read it again to them and they decided that the king must be notified. They warned Baruch to tell Jeremiah to go and hide both of them.
The king was sitting by a fire and had a scribe’s knife in his hand as the scroll was being read. As he heard the words of a portion of the scroll, the king cut it off, threw it into the fire and burned it up. (Jeremiah 36:23-24) They showed no fear or respect for what the Lord had said or for the written word of God. In fact, the king gave orders to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord had hidden them! God knows how to protect his people!
As I read this account, I could not help but wonder if God’s people are still doing this same thing today. When some who claim to be Christians read the command “you shall not murder”, they don’t believe that it applies to them or their politics and simply ’slash and burn’ the word of God! They vote to keep murder legal by supporting abortion. When some who claim the name of Christ hear that no homosexual offender will inherit the kingdom of God, they ’slash and burn’ and sanction gay marriages and ordain gay pastors and priests. Still others cut out the verses concerning salvation by grace through faith and continue to teach a righteousness based on good works.
The ’slash and burn’ mentality is bad theology and yield’s God’s wrath and judgment. King Jehoiakim lost his future place in the messianic line as well as a decent and honorable burial. (Jeremiah 36:30-31) All that was written by Jeremiah and Baruch would come to pass because God watches over His word to perform it! (Jeremiah 1:12) No word of God is void of power. It is a fire and a hammer that will burn and smash those who try to oppose it! (Jeremiah 23:29) Take time today to reflect on your treatment of God’s word. Make a fresh commitment to read, believe, and obey the word of God. Good theology puts the fire in your bones!