Read the Bible in a Year (12AUG19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, August 12’s Bible reading is Jeremiah 1-3.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, August 13’s Bible reading is Jeremiah 4-6. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD. 

Jeremiah Introduction The Prophet Jeremiah had been tasked with giving Israel God’s warning of judgments that were to come to both Jerusalem and Judah. He had been born to a family of priests and was chosen by God to be His servant. God warned that His wrath would be severe because of their detestable sins and rebellion towards Him. Babylon, who had defeated Nineveh and the invading Egyptians, was the Lord’s tool to render punishment upon His people. They had become vile and wicked. They worshiped false gods and even sacrificed their innocent children to the heathen fires of Molech and Baal. Babylon captured Jerusalem in 586 B.C. after overtaking Judah.  Jeremiah warned Israel of what was to come for nearly forty years, but the hearts of the people still did not turn to the Lord. God had given them ample time to repent, but they failed to do so and remained defiant, which caused God to have no choice but to follow through with His anger against them. Although Jeremiah warned of judgment to come, he also gave the hope of restoration and a new covenant that would be fulfilled once Jesus came to earth.

Jeremiah had been in constant danger from both political and religious leaders who despised his warnings. They hated the message he preached, but God protected him so that he could continue to warn. Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry started in 626 B.C.  and ended around 586 B.C.  Although he gave warnings to Israel during their time, His warnings of judgment, repentance, and restoration are still viable today.

JEREMIAH MOMENT – (12AUG19) “The Lord gave me this message: ‘I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations’ ” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Jeremiah had been chosen by God before he was even born to be His prophet. He was tasked with having to give a hard word from the Lord concerning Israel’s rebellion against Him. Jeremiah was young and did not think that he was capable of fulfilling the role of the prophet, but the Lord told him not to say nor act as if he was a youth. He was to give every single word that God gave him as a warning, so that His people would know the error of their ways. Jeremiah would not go in his own might, but God was going to strengthen him like a fortified city. Jeremiah’s lips were touched by God to proclaim what “Thus saith the Lord.” God warned Jeremiah that the people were going to fight against this message of judgment, but He would protect him. Time was running out. Their days were numbered. Unlike the Prophet Isaiah, Jeremiah would live to see the fulfillment of his warnings come to pass during his lifetime.

There is a constant debate on when human life actually begins. According to the Word of God, life begins at the moment of conception because God forms each and everyone one of us with His hands. Before we are born, God has a plan for our lives if only we would follow Him. Just like Jeremiah, we can sometimes think that we are not qualified to do the task that God has called for us to de because we are waiting on the approval of man when God is the One who approves, ordains, and appoints us to His divine task. We all have a purpose in life, and God is the One who can answer the question, “What is my purpose in life?” For some of us, we have been called as watchmen on the wall to cry aloud and spare not just as Jeremiah was. God has called for us to sound the alarm to kings, queens, priests, and prophets who are not aligning themselves in the will of God. “Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land – against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land” (Jeremiah 1:18). Even so, everyone in the body of Christ is called to evangelize. People are literally dying in their sins daily, and that person who may be able to usher them to Christ could be YOU.

It does not take a degree, certificate, letters behind or in front of one’s name to be a servant of God. We are all children of God and as such, we are to help those who have lost their way to see Jesus, and understand that this earth will one day come to an end as we know it, but there is an eternal home to look forward to. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (12AUG19) “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15). What was wrong with Israel’s shepherds? What happened to the priests who were supposed to be the leaders in turning the people’s heart to God? They were just as detestable as the rest of the nation. The Bible says, “The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols” (Jeremiah 2:8). What good are leaders when they will not lead? What good are pastors when they will not preach the WORD? What good are evangelists when they will not go into the world to evangelize the Gospel? What good are prophets when they will not prophesy by God, but they are prophets for profit? Israel’s leaders had abandoned God and as the leaders did, so did the people. They were not shepherds after God’s heart, and many of the shepherds in today’s pulpits are the same way.

We have religious leaders who will campaign for a president, but they will not rally people to Christ. We have those who are caught in more scandals than the actors and actresses in Hollywood. We have leaders who do not know the truth because they do not know God – those in the pulpit. And, we wonder how this nation got in the shape that it is in. It is because many of today’s leaders do not have hearts for God. Their heart is where their treasure is, and this is why there is begging for first fruits offerings, seed offerings, money pledges, prayer cloth, oil, holy water, and more sells to line their pockets because they are filled with GREED. They honor God with their mouths to flood their bank accounts through emptying the pockets and purses of their victims, but their hearts are far from Him. As a result, we have a nation who is headed down the highway to hell. Let’s not be fooled by the slogan of America becoming great again. We are a replica of Israel’s past, and our fate will be similar to theirs as with any nation who does not honor the Lord. “ ‘Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,’ declares the Lord (Jeremiah 2:19). Something to ponder….

JEREMIAH MOMENT – (12AUG19) “ ‘If a man divorces a woman   and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again,   for that would surely corrupt the land.
But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers,   so why are you trying to come back to me?’  says the Lord” (Jeremiah 3:1).  The Lord likened Israel to a man who divorced his wife, but after she had married another man, he took her back to be his wife. This had been forbidden in the Mosaic laws, and yet, Israel acted similarly. They prostituted themselves to foreign gods, but they expected God to just take them back into His fold as if they had never done anything. They took advantage of Him being a gracious and merciful God – only wanting to return to Him when they were in trouble. They had no true loyalty for God, but used Him if and when it had been convenient for them. They wanted to remain married to their gods, but have the Lord on standby to help them should they ever be in trouble. The Bible says, “They turn their backs on me,  but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘Come and save us!’ But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah” (Jeremiah 2:27b-28). The Lord did not like being taken advantage of. He wanted Israel to love Him and be faithful to Him even when they were not in trouble. They failed to understand God’s faithfulness towards them, nor did they seem to care. They were only concerned with pleasing themselves and fulfilling the desires of their idolatrous appetites. Many Christians are of a similar mindset.

Some evangelicals teach the grace message in error as if one can sin, and just expect the Lord to forgive because they speak a few half-hearted words. This, however, is not how God want us to be. He desires that we be so in love with Him that we will always want to please Him as a bride seeks to please her husband. Many people allow their flame to go out for God and the relationship becomes like moldy bread in the process. However, just as an newly engaged couple has the sparks for each other, the Lord does not want us to lose our fire for Him. He wants us to remain true and loyal to Him so that we do not take advantage of His abundant grace and mercy. God should be our first point of contact and not our last before and when we get into trouble. We are to always seek the face of God above all else when it comes to any decision we face. God is a forgiving God, but His mercy towards us should show us how much He loves us and should never be taken for granted due to self-entitlement. When we truly appreciate the work that Jesus did on the cross for our sins, we will be a faithful bride in whom He can take great pleasure in calling us His own. Something to ponder….