Reading for today:  Jeremiah 49-50
Original Post:  August 30, 2014


Chapter 49 continues the Lord's foretelling of the nations that will fall to Nebuchadnezzar.  One by one countries that border Israel, or lay in the path the Nebuchadnezzar took in route to Egypt are spoken of.   The only thing that I would point out from this passage is the reason they are being destroyed.   It isn't because Nebuchadnezzar is so powerful, it's because they have not served the one true and living God.  In some cases when God chose to use them to punish Israel, they gloated over their success.  This made God angry, and now He has come to provide justice.  Several times in our reading over the last week you will see the phrase "should you go unpunished?"   Every time the answer is "no".   Punishment is coming and cannot be avoided.   Ammon, Moab, Edom and Egypt have engaged in some pretty unsavory, and seedy behavior and now it's coming back to haunt them.

I wonder how differently we would live our lives if we knew for certain that every errant deed would be punished.  How much differently would we THINK, if we knew that every thought was being captured, recorded and used as evidence against us at a trial on a future date?    Some people in power have learned not to have discussions on sensitive matters on their cell phones, or in email, because they have a habit of coming back to haunt you.    Our deeds and thoughts are going to come back to haunt us.  

Since I know that there is plenty of evidence against me, what hope do I have before the Judge?   Only that I can claim forgiveness of all my sins, past present and future (of course after this trial there are no "future" sins) through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.   This is the reason that we sing songs about the blood of Christ.  "What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus.   O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.  No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus"

The most terrifying thing that I can think of is that God himself would be against me, and not on my side.  This is what is happening to Israel and the surrounding area.    And, in Chapter 50 the Lord says that Babylon will not be spared.   They will be punished for acting exactly like the nations they are being used to punish.   In one way of thinking, it's very sad that the Babylonians are so arrogant.  Had they been aware of Jewish history, and understood their place in the unfolding story of mankind they might have behaved differently, and enjoyed the Lord's favor.   As it was, they were completely destroyed by another army....after the Medes and Persians comes Alexander the Great.    But we will hear more about the prophecies concerning him in the book of Daniel.

PR

Reading for today:  Jeremiah 46-48
Original Post:  August 29, 2014


I am reminded as I read today that God is the Lord over all nations, not just Israel.   We have spent much of our time looking only at Israel, because that is the nation through whom the message of salvation comes.    It doesn't mean that God doesn't love the people from other nations, or that He isn't interested in them serving Him as well.

It's easy to forget that a several thousand years earlier all people were of one tribe.  They traced their lineage back to the Ark of Noah, and all of them knew of God.  Gradually they began to forget who God really was, and then they began to fashion idols which they in turn worshiped.

It's hard to imagine how a nation could go from worshiping God, and not knowing anything about false gods to serving false gods and forgetting about the Lord.   In fact, it would take generations of slow creep to get this started.  It would begin gradually and become a rapid descent as time went on.

Perhaps that's what we see going on in the world today.  Nations that were Christian several hundred years ago are now adopting new ideas about what is spiritually right.    This just underscores the importance of making sure your children are taught the validity of the "old way".  Jeremiah calls it "the ancient path" and "the good way" in Chapter 6:16.   Rest is found when we reside in Jesus Christ.   Anxiety, fear, anger and war are found when we abandon God for idols.

Even though these nations have long ago disavowed themselves of any relationship to God, they are still under his authority.  They cannot escape judgment for their sins, because the one they have insulted has authority over the entire universe.

I was wondering why Jeremiah left to go to Egypt with the disobedient remnant, when God commanded them to stay.  God must have told him to go with them, because he had a message for the Egyptians as well.  (and the Philistines and Moab, along the way).

One last thought:   God doesn't offer to delay or cancel his judgment on these nations if they will repent.   He offered that to Israel, but not to Egypt or Moab.   He does say that one day they will be restored, but he doesn't say that He will inhabit and bless them in the same way He does for Israel.

PR

Reading for today:  Jeremiah 41-45
Original post:  August 28, 2014


Witness today the complete and final collapse of what is left of Israel.  The few people left in the land rebel against the leader appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.     Ishmael was loyal to the king of Judah, who was killed by Nebuchadnezzar, so he makes himself the enemy of the new regime.    The army officers and the rest of the people who are left in the land to a very noble thing, they rescue those who have been captured by this renegade, but then instead of returning home and settling down, they begin packing up to leave the country.

Leaving the country sounds wise when you look at it on the surface.   There isn't anything left for us here, and in Egypt they haven't been attacked.  Let's move to a land of peace and rebuild our lives.    And, the people do a very wise thing: they ask Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord for them.   They go so far as to say "whatever the Lord says we will do".   Right up to this point I am with them.   But that's where the story turns, and the wicked intent of the remnant is revealed.    When they hear from Jeremiah that they are not to go to Egypt, they rebel.

They didn't mean what they said when they stood in the presence of God and promised to do whatever He told them.   The whole time they were burning incense to other gods, and making offerings to them.  In fact, they truly believed that their worship of these false gods had brought them favor.   They did not value or fear the Lord at all.   They were willing to include God in our their plans as long as He went along with what they already planned to do.    Of course, they had to discredit the messenger first, so when Jeremiah brought them the message, they told everyone that he had some political motivation.

Off to Egypt they went in blatant and direct disregard for what the Lord had said.

I see a similarity to the body of Christ in these verses.   Sometimes people will associate with the church and say all the right things, behave in the right way (while they are here).  It's only later that you find out that their home or business life doesn't line up with what they say they believe.   The vows they take before God are forgotten almost before they leave the building.   Their hearts are intent on themselves, not service to the Lord of Heaven.

They must be warned, and they must be allowed to go.   God created all of us with free will, and we have the right to reject God.  If we do, we heap upon ourselves the peril that overtakes all who are foolish, but that is our right nonetheless.    It seems that God is using their own desires against them, in order to purge the land.   The idol worshipers have left, they will soon be exterminated by the very one they were fleeing.  Had they done what God told them to do, we would be able to locate their descendants today.  As it is, they were erased from the earth.    Now, only those who are in captivity in Babylon (Baghdad, Iraq) are left.

Why do we inquire of God and then reject what He says?   Better perhaps to have never asked.   What could we possibly hope to gain by going against the one who created all things, and who holds all kingdoms in His hands?  Rebellion is pointless, and serves only to bring us and our children trouble.

Judah has reached their lowest point.  That, however is the good news.  The gradual resurgence of godliness begins while they are held captive.  Those who rely on false gods are dying off.   Soon we will see the godly men who were taken captive rise up through the ranks.   Stories will be told and repeated for generations about the godly men and women who refused to serve false gods.    God will once again be revered and honored and esteemed.  

It is my constant prayer that we don't have to endure such hardship in order to bring us to our senses.   Probably the greatest idol that is served in our culture is self.  Everything serves self.  Self is placed in highest regard.  Some people even have over-sized pictures of themselves made and hung in their homes.    God is someone we go to see on Sunday, and we pray and ask Him for things and sing praises to His name.....as long as He doesn't get in the way of self.

Honestly, that's very dangerous ground on which to walk.   I consider myself a risk-taker, and I won't even think of doing that.    Just something to think about....


PR

Reading for today:  Habakkuk 1-3  (whole book)
Original post:  August 27, 2014


This prophetic discussion with God is inserted into our reading program at this point because Habukkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah.   Unlike Jeremiah, he doesn't have a specific message from God to deliver to the people.  Instead, Habukkuk is an account of the prophet's discussion with God about the impending disaster. (Nebuchadnezzer and the Babylonian army)

Habukkuk seems to be saying "you can't seriously be considering using godless people like the Babylonians to overthrow your own people, can you?"   I wonder, have you ever been frustrated as you watched those who were dishonest become wealthy, while you, being honest remain poor?
Have you ever wondered why people who overcharge, cheat and lie are allowed to become rich and powerful while honest people seem to always have less?

Habukkuk wondered something similar.  He felt that only someone more righteous than Israel would be allowed to punish Israel.  But when you think about it, there aren't any of us that are "righteous enough" to be seen as holy in God's sight, unless we are cleansed of sin by the acceptance of his sacrificial death.    The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory".   Here's another way of saying the same thing.....you might be able to understand where I'm coming from better...

Habukkuk felt that the Babylonians were less godly than Israel.  Never mind that Israel was given commands, guidance, prophets, laws and many other encouragements that they disregarded.   Never mind that Israel had placed profane idols all through God's temple, had bowed down to them and worshipped them.    Habukkuk says "we are to be overrun by a people who sacrifice to their fishing net?"     The answer is "why not?  You aren't any better, you sacrifice to many other false gods as well."      Here's the point:  maybe you don't think that you are better than others...maybe you just think that others are a little more "bad" than you.    Hmmm.

At times I have been caught in the web of pride, thinking that I was better than I really was, feeling that I deserved more than I truly did.   There have been times when I felt that I should make more money, have more things, enjoy a larger role in leadership...you know what I'm talking about.   The nagging feeling that you aren't getting "your fair share".   While others who are less devout than you are making a fortune.  

God's response to Habukkuk can also be summarized.  He says "what you see isn't the final result, those who punish you today will be punished themselves, and much more severely.  Your punishment will be momentary, so continue to praise and trust God, because when this is over you will be restored".

At least, that's what I'm hearing.    So I don't know where you're living today.  Maybe in poverty, maybe below the normal standard of living.  Perhaps you feel that you deserve a better life, a better job, a better family or spouse.   But I submit that such thoughts miss the point entirely.   I need to focus on eternal things, since everything else is temporary.   As I write this, both of my vehicles have problems, and there is more work to be done than their are hours in the day to do it.    But the vehicles and the work have this in common: neither will be in heaven.   Why allow earthly things to rob us of eternal joy?    If God in His wisdom chooses to allow times of scarcity, or even times of punishment....rejoice!  Two things we know for certain:  they are temporary, and God still loves us and wants what is best for us.    

By the end of his brief account, Habukkuk comes to this wonderful conclusion  "I will continue to praise you, even when there are no crops and no animals.  I will rejoice and be joyful in God."     I don't think Habukuk is celebrating that there aren't any crops, rather he is celebrating that he serves the one and only Living God, who will bring crops back in His time.   He's celebrating that even the lean times are really temporary, and one day he, like all of us will be living "large" with Jesus.

PR

Reading for today:  2 Kings 24-25 and 2 Chronicles 36
Original post:  August 26, 2014


Todays reading is a nice summary of what we have read over the last several weeks.   2 Chronicles gives almost no details about the reign on Zedekiah.  It only says "he rebelled, and was punished."  We learn much more in Jeremiah.   But it is interesting to think about how our lives might be summarized.   If we had to write a single paragraph that gave an accurate picture of our entire lives...what would we include?   Would we devote a line to our children, or other descendants?   Would we mention the size of our bank account at the time of our death?   What would we say was our life's passion?   Was it serving God, having fun, working.....?     What will you and I be most remembered for?     And, is that what we want to be remembered for?

In any case, the entire time of the exile (70 years) is almost completely skipped.  That means a whole generation lived in Iraq and we don't know anything about them.  Nothing is written.  And the reason for that is that is doesn't matter to the narrative.   The Bible isn't just a book of jewish history, it's the story of God delivering the human race through the jews.   So the exile is important only to help us understand justice, punishment and God's mercy and faithfulness.     God promises to bring them back and forgive them, and that's what He does.

And, that is exactly what He does for us.  God brings us back and forgives us when we have willingly walked away from Him.  He restores us and loves us and exalts us.   Once we have repented of our sins, He remembers them no more.  In His eyes, we are clean and pure...like it never happened.     Israel has sinned, but she will be forgiven.   She has strayed, but she will return.   She is captive today, but she will be released, and will rule.   Today she is downtrodden, tomorrow she will be exalted.   Watch Israel, because through that nation the Lord brings guidance to us all.

PR

Reading for today:  Jeremiah 38-40 and Psalm 74, 79
Original Post:  August 25, 2014


Well, the astute among us will note that this post didn't actually go up until the next day.   Much like the destruction of Jerusalem, it took a while to develop.     Today we read about Jeremiah being tortured because of his message, and how a man named Ebed-Melech came to his aid.

Why throw the prophet down into a cistern?   Because what he said made people angry.  I know WHAT Jeremiah said, but I wonder HOW he said it.   Did he deliver his message with an air of superiority, or was he heavy handed and blunt?    Actually, I doubt it.  You will remember that he is known as the "weeping prophet", which leads me to believe that he would have been in the public square pleading and wailing and creating a scene....but not "lording" his message over the people.  

Do you know anyone who is so passionate about something that they can't discuss it rationally?   I have some friends who can't watch a football game, or discuss football without becoming crazy.    I have some friends that can't discuss different political views without coming to blows.   All this  passion about things that don't really matter...and a lack of passion for the one thing that does.    Why aren't all of us like Jeremiah?   Clearly, only one thing mattered in his life....hearing and serving God.  Sure, he had a family, and probably lived a full life in between prophetic messages...but when God spoke to him, he allowed it to sink into his very core.   God was angry, so Jeremiah was in tears.  

Passionate people tend to create a stir.  Jeremiah had that effect on those around him.   I'll bet that some people really liked him, and obeyed everything he said.  Others thought that he was an annoyance, and was "creating fear and panic" among the people.   It probably seemed like a good idea to them to silence his message.   Thank God for people like Ebed-Melech, who risked disfavor and went to the aid of Jeremiah.    Ebed pulls Jeremiah out of the well, and in a later chapter God reveals to Jeremiah that Ebed will not be killed when the army storms the gates.  He will live, and not be persecuted.    It chills me to think that inside the city there were godly people like Ebed who were killed and/or persecuted because of the sins of the entire community.  Certainly their eternal fate is different, that's some consolation.

The psalms we read today were written sometime after the city is destroyed.  They are insightful in helping us understand the completeness of the devastation, and the mindset of the people some time after the destruction.  It sounds as if the people have repented, or at least are beginning to recognize who truly is God.    To my point above about the righteous being swept away in the conflict, you will see a sentence about "the blood of the saints is poured out.." or something like that.   It stands to reason that God fearing people perished as well.

I want to tuck that thought away for our discussion on the tribulation, when we read Revelation.

PR

Reading for today:  Jeremiah 35-37
Original post:  August 24, 2014

Chapter 35 tells a brief story about the family that didn't drink any wine or live in houses or plant the fields....because they were instructed by their ancestor not to.   They faithfully kept the command for generations.  Wow.   God calls them in front of Jeremiah and says "how come all my people aren't like this?"  He wasn't saying that everyone needed to be a wanderer, never drinking wine or having a garden.   He was looking for people that would obey Him.  
His question is compelling still today:  " How hard is it to simply do what I asked you to do?"   God has not given us a task that is too hard to accomplish, or too technical to be understood.   He has given us commands that will cause us to stand out in society.    Just like the Recabites who were told not to drink wine in a culture that drinks wine every day.   They couldn't plant fields in a society that was agricultural.  God made them stand out.   The family that obeys the Lord will stand out in our society as well, and that family will be rewarded with the promise that their family tree will always flourish, and they will always have men who are in service of the Lord.   What a great reward!

In Chapter 36 the famous account of the destruction and rewriting of Jeremiah's scroll is recorded.  No doubt pastors have spoken of this passage in many sermons, so you are likely familiar with it, even if you haven't read any of Jeremiah before.
The first and most direct lesson we learn here is that God's Word and His decisions cannot be overruled by man.   You cannot get rid of the Bible and say "since I have destroyed the words, there will be no judgment".    It sounds elementary, but that's what Zedekiah was trying to do.  His destruction of the scroll was open defiance toward God.

Secondly, it tells us here (and in the next several chapters) that difficult challenges will be encountered by God's people.   We should not expect an easy path, with no resistance.  Our message is counter-cultural, and will certainly be resisted.   Instead, we should behave like Jeremiah, who re-wrote the scroll with quiet determination  "and added many more words".   Zedekiah's attempt to squash the prophecy had a reverse effect.  Jeremiah made it longer and more detailed.   When Jeremiah as put in prison, thrown into a well, etc. he didn't despair, he only pleaded for his life, and never changed his message.   Even when threatened with death, he remained true to his message.

You and I should take a lesson from Jeremiah.  God has given us a message in His Word and has commanded us to deliver it to His people.   Regardless of the pressure to assimilate and tone down the message, we should be bold and deliver it with confidence.   That doesn't mean it will be well received, or that we will even escape with our lives...it means that God will be pleased with us, if we deliver it in the manner and spirit in which He intended it to be delivered.

Blessings,


PR

Jeremiah 32-34
Original Post:  August 23, 2014

Two things I would like to mention today: 1.  God's view is often different from our view, so His commands to us don't seem to be good advice....but they always are.     2.  If you make a deal with God, then you'd better stick to it.

Okay, so Jeremiahs uncle shows up with a great deal for him....he has some land he would like to sell.  Never mind that Jeremiah is being held captive in the courtyard, and the land is polluted with Babylonians.   Never mind that in a few days (if you're alive) all the land will be available, because the people will be deported.  Never mind that even if you do buy it,  Nebuchadnezzer isn't going to honor your bill of sale.   Come on now, are you serious?   I think that uncle Hanamel must have been filled with the Holy Spirit as well as Jeremiah, because nobody would think this is the best time to sell their land.   Either that, or Hanamel thinks Jeremiah is really dumb.

In fact, Jeremiah doesn't want to buy it, that's why God appeared to him and told him to do so.   The lesson is simple, really.   God knows what the future holds, and He has infinite power of human and divine events.  God can MAKE it happen.   Buying land when your city is about to be overrun seems crazy...but wait.    God didn't tell Jeremiah to buy the land because it was a good investment, He told him to buy it because He wanted to demonstrate to the people that He still loved them.    The text tells the story.  God says "Jeremiah, buy the land because I want people to know that someday things are going to be even better than they were before.   The land will be filled with people again, it won't be desolate forever."    

This would give the Israelites great hope.   They would remember the promise to restore them that God made.  Perhaps that hope encouraged them to repent while they were held captive, and to instruct their children to always follow God's commands.  It would be their children that would go back to the land (along with some of the original exiles).   When Jeremiah's deed was uncovered, they would remember that what God says comes true.   It was a great lesson, and an act of love.   But it didn't seem to make sense at the time.    Remember that when God asks you to do something that doesn't seem to make sense.   A good rule of thumb is this:  God always makes sense...we are sometimes confused.     What we see is limited and often incorrectly interpreted.   God sees all, and He sees it clearly.     Which is why he wants to be honored by obedience.  

Second lesson:   The king looks out and sees that the city is surrounded.  It probably has been for many days.  He makes a decree that all slaves are now free.  His intent is that the slaves can help prepare and fight against the enemy.  What isn't said is that the slaves shouldn't have been captive in the first place.   The people were not allowed to hold fellow Israelites long term as slaves.   It was part of their original agreement with God.   So when the trouble seems to have passed (Egypt tries to come to the rescue, and their is a momentary lapse in the siege) Zedekiah goes right back to his old habits, and forces fellow Israelites into slavery once again.   In other words, good old Zedekiah hasn't really learned anything, or had any change of heart.

So God is angry, and says they will be punished for their disobedience.  The enemy returns, the siege is reinstated, and the city falls.   The people who had enslaved their countrymen were then taken away as slaves.  Those who had beaten others were now beaten.   God's punishment was just.  

The part about walking through a calf that has been cut in half is important.    In Genesis 15 we see the Lord making an agreement with Abram.   Here's how it works:  several animals were cut in half, and the blood of them ran toward the center.  The two people making the covenant would state their terms, and then each take a turn walking between the halves.  It was a graphic way of saying "let this mutilation happen to me if I break the terms of this covenant".   In Chapter 15 that's why Abram is reluctant to walk between the pieces.  He cannot keep the covenant, and he knows it.   But God shows us (smoking firepot) and walks between the pieces himself.   The promise has been made, and the bargain struck.   Keep my commands, and you will live.   Disobey them, and this violent end will also be your demise.    Guess what...the people disobeyed.  Now the Lord is recalling the vow they took and saying "it's going to happen to you just as we agreed".

Promising to do something for God is no small matter.   Marriage is a promise.   Repentance is a promise.   Dedicating your children is a promise.  Communion is a promise.
 These things are celebrated in the church, and should be taken very seriously.   God expects us to live in accordance with His laws.   If we do, we will be blessed.  If we don't, then we can expect to be punished.


PR

Reading for today:  Jeremiah 30-31
Original post:  August 22, 2014


Chapter 31 is the brightest point in the prophecy given to Jeremiah.  However, before we glimpse that good news, I want to call to our attention a verse from Chapter 30.  Verse 11 says "I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished."

Sometimes as you are reading your Bible something jumps off the page and catches your eye.  The wonderful thing about God's Word is that it could be something different in the same paragraph each time you read it.   Of course, as we are reading through Jeremiah, we fail to comment on hundreds, or perhaps thousands of noteworthy events or phrases.   Even if we were to make a life study of the book, we would still be finding inspiration and caution at the end of our lives.

Anyway, today verse 11 stood out.   I marvel at God's restraint in dealing with His people.  Surely they have committed enough atrocious acts to incur His full wrath.  In fact, He tells them they are going to drink the cup of His wrath, full strength.   This verse tempers God's anger by reassuring the people that He isn't punishing them only because He is angry.   If that were the case, God's punishment could be severe enough to wipe the nation (or all nations) from the face of the earth.   Instead, the Lord acknowledges that they should be punished, but tells them He will be fair.

Who wants to go before an angry Judge?   The punishment could be too extreme.   You would be right to day "they  (and we) deserve judgment without mercy because of our great sins" and you would be right.  But this is how we learn how merciful and just God is....He limits His punishment and extends grace and mercy.

Anyone who has ever been angry with and punished a child for doing wrong understands what it is to love and punish at the same time.   I was instructed to remind my children of how much I loved them before and after I punished them. so they would understand both love and punishment.   I rarely if ever did it, probably because I was too immature myself to realize the value of it.

Some people say that a loving God could not devise a place such as hell.  Others say that they will never serve a God who would be so cruel as to punish people with eternal torment.   I say that if you agree with them, you are seeing only part of the picture.  "a penny looks like a thin line from one perspective"    When viewed from the edge, you miss the detailed engraving and the fact that it is round.   No one ever describes a penny from the side view....it's always the front.

God's mercy and His love are the front view.  Justice tempered by love for His people,  grace extended time and time again in an effort to avoid the eternal suffering that is hell.   This is the front view.   Is hell a real place?  Yes.   Will people be there for eternity?  Yes, I believe so.   But it's the side view of the penny.   In fact, for the Christian talking about hell is spending time considering a place that we will never visit or experience.

Anyway,   Chapter 31 deserves more of our time and consideration than a discussion of hell.  God promises to restore the people, to make sure they aren't completely destroyed, and to once again bring them back to the homeland.  He speaks of the days in the future when children will play, young girls will sing, and mothers will give birth.   All of this will happen while those who have persecuted Israel (at God's command) will be punished.

You might ask "why would God punish the people that He sent"?  (speaking of Nebuchadnezzer).   It's because of the brutal manner in which they treated the Israelites.   Had they overthrown the city and treated those who were there with any compassion at all, it might have been different.   They did not.  They ripped open the pregnant women, tortured and killed the men, and abused the young women.   Brutal and inhumane doesn't describe completely how they behaved.   Even worse, they will speak proudly of how powerful they are, and will give not credit to God for the victory.    Both of these sins will be called to account.

PR

Reading for today:  Jeremiah 26-29
Original post:  August 21, 2014


Between these prophecies the annexation of Jerusalem (and all Judah) takes place.   Exactly what God spoke of when He told Jeremiah what to say has come true.    Now, Jeremiah continues to educate the people by revealing God's punishment of the false prophets among them.  One by one Jeremiah contradicts what the false prophets have predicted, and then he pronounces a judgment upon each of them.   Of course, over a period of time each of these prophecies come true.

It would appear that Jeremiah isn't in Babylon with the people.  He has sent them word to settle down and have families there.  In yesterday's reading the Lord said that He would look with favor upon the people taken captive, but would scatter the people who were left in the land.   To me, that seemed counter-intuitive.  I would have thought that the people who were left had a special "exemption" from persecution from God, but that's not the case.

I don't choose to go into too much detail today, but there is a train of thought that says "God disciplines those He loves".   Therefore, as we think of the end times, we cannot say with complete confidence that God will not allow any Christians to endure the tribulation.   It is possible that we will be raptured to heaven before any of the intense trials of the tribulation begin, but it isn't certain.    Verses such as this one remind us that difficult times can be ordained by God (for our good).   It isn't always the devil who sends hard times our way.       Better for us to ask "why has the Lord allowed this to occur?" rather than to curse His name, and vow not to serve a God who allows bad things to happen.  

As I was praying to understand why the exiles would be blessed and the remnant would be scattered, it occurred to me that God is able to make any decision He wants, and to use any means He wants to make it happen.   Why He does what He does is sometimes revealed to us, but not always.   And on those occasions when He doesn't reveal why, then we have no "right" to demand an answer.      I think that the people who where left in Judah continued to worship false gods, even after they saw everything Jeremiah said come true.

Last thought:   In today's reading we see the very popular verse "I have plans to prosper you..."  found in 29:11-14.   Remember as you read it, that this verse was given to people who had just begun their deportment, and many of whom would never see their homeland again.   It was meant to encourage and bring strength through hope to the exiles (as they told it to their children).   The time of the exile is set....70 years.   Now they are to pray for the community that they are in, work diligently and prosper as best they can.   They will not get to keep everything they plant, much of their earnings will be taken as tax, and they will be subjected to harsh laws meant to keep them in submission to the authority.    Disobedience could easily mean death.    (Daniel will risk everything when he chooses not to bow, or eat from the kings table, etc.)

We sometimes take the verse out of it's original context and use it for our building campaign, or our next project.  I think we should be careful here....the false prophets are accused of painting a rosy picture for the people when God was actually not pleased with them.    Unless we are speaking of future days of glory with Jesus Christ, let's not promise God's plan to prosper and bless unless we know for certain that's what He intends to do.

Context is always a key factor in understanding what you are reading.   Yesterday Pastor Kathy asked how we would recognize a false prophet.   That's a great question, and one that each of us should take to heart.  How do we recognize them?   Context is one way.   Always make sure that the Scripture being quoted isn't being "twisted into shape" to fit the message of the speaker.   Rather, the speaker should allow the Scripture to speak, and if there is any adjustment to be made, let it be on the human end, not the divine.

PR

Reading for today: Jeremiah 23 - 25
Wednesday, August 20, 2014

In today’s reading we hear Jeremiah denounce the false prophets. In this book Jeremiah refers to false prophets more than any other book. Why? Because it is so devastating to God’s people to listen to false witness. 

Leaders who will tell the people what they want to hear and then profess that it came from God, cause more trouble for believers than one could imagine. It is no wonder that the Bible (Old and New Testament) continually warns us against listening to them. The problem is, if we don’t know our Bibles, it is hard to know when we are listening to a false prophet or a true prophet of God. So, because we don’t know, we find people would rather listen to the false prophets because their message on the surface seems easier to take at least that was the case in Jeremiah’s day. 


Jeremiah categories the false prophets into four groups.
    1. Those who were unrighteous, of low moral character and just not capable of providing sound moral leadership
    2. Some who outright say they are prophesying by Baal rather than by Yahweh
    3. Those who prophesied what the people wanted to hear
    4. Some who were just self-serving and prophesied for their own gain and subtly encourage people to disobey God.


What happens when we follow false prophets and false teachings like these found in Jeremiah is that there is no remorse or repentance for the evil acts that are taking place. Many times you will see people follow the practices of the leaders, so when moral decay in our leaders is prevalent, then the people follow suit and what we have is the killing of innocent babies by abortions and we say it’s alright; we see cheating and lying taking place and it’s ok as long as you don’t get caught; there are lifestyles that seem to be the norm, people living together without benefit of marriage, same sex unions…. We let “politically correct” policy trump Christian beliefs because we want everything to be equal, fair. The problem lies with having to compromise our beliefs for the sake of equality. Life is not fair and the only recourse that is open to us, is to follow Jesus and listen to His words, listen to His true prophets and repent and ask for forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed.


How do we learn what is right from what is wrong? First read your Bible (it is the first and last place you should go to find out if something is true or false), pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding, attend worship services, read your Bible, join a Bible study or small group, did I mention read your bible. (Make sure that whatever church you attend is a Bible believing church that does not compromise the Word of God). If you try to make it on your own, the false teachers/prophets will lie to you and lead you down the wrong path. 


Now Jeremiah also has a word for those false prophets, those “shepherds”, “who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” (23:1) – woe. Those responsible for leading Israel down the wrong path will be punished. Leaders will be held accountable and they better beware – God is all-knowing, you won’t get away with it forever. For all people there is a bigger responsibility and subsequently a stronger accountability for those who lead and influence others. Pastors, politicians, parents, teachers, coaches, etc.


But lest I’ve depressed you too much, I want you to know, that there is also a word of hope in this reading. God is never far away. Even those Israelites that were punished by being taken off into captivity in Babylon, were cared for by the Lord. Through their trials they were made stronger. We’ll read of some of those times in later books. (Esther and Daniel.) I want you to know that we serve a just God and His plan for our salvation is laid out before us (23:5-6). Just accept and believe.


Blessings
PK

Reading for today: Jeremiah 18 – 22
Tuesday, August 19, 2014

I love object lessons. They help me to see visually in my mind what the “teacher” is trying to get across. This parable of the potter and clay is such a great visual example of God’s sovereignty over all. He is the potter, we are the clay. He has the power to mold us, use us, bless us or destroy us. We are His creation. We must be compliant to what He wants for us in our lives, to be obedient, humble, submissive and dependent upon God. Contrast this obedience to God with our society today. In our culture we seem to admire and revere assertiveness, pride and independence.


Growing up in the 60’s, I remember hearing about people who defied authority and they were applauded and praised, songs were written to honor them, movies were made that audiences would stand and cheer. Now, please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that having a good sense of self-worth is bad, but what starts to happen is we become too independent and we forget to look to God. We rely on our own resources to save us. That’s what is happening here in Judah. They have forgotten all that God has done for them and they only look to the people who will tell them what they want to hear. They praise God on one hand but then praise and worship their idols too. You can’t have it both ways. We cannot serve two masters.


There is a passage of scripture in Matthew (21:44) and again in Luke (20:18) that says “he who falls on this stone (that would be Jesus) will be broken to pieces (just like the potter who can form us into a pot that seems best to him), but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” We need to come before God, broken and ready to accept the way God wants to mold us – or just like Jeremiah, who smashed the clay jars, we will be crushed by the judgment of God upon us.  I am so grateful that God hasn't given up on us yet. My prayer is that we will look to God for everything before it is too late (which means now) and let Him mold us into the people he wants us to be.



Blessings
PK

Jeremiah 14 - 17
Original Post:  August 18, 2014

So our devotional reading today is pretty much the same general thought as it has been.   The people have disobeyed, and they will be punished.   In reading chapter 17 my eye caught the phrase (vs 10)  "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind".   In pondering that particular passage, and another one that says "the heart is deceitful above all things"  I find myself wondering what the Lord would make of my own thoughts.

It's easy to shake our heads in disappointment at the plight of the Israelites.  "Why don't they just listen and obey?" we say to ourselves.   Here's another question:  Why don't we?    It's not just the Israelites that have a problem with obedience, is it?  

In this passage the Lord says that He stopped the rain and stunted the growth of the crops.   The Lord then goes on to say that He can't believe (my translation) that the people haven't cried out to him for relief.  Instead they go about their business like nothing is wrong, and try to handle the situation in their own human wisdom.

I can't help but think of all the natural disasters taking place all around us.   There is a 13 year drought going on in the west.  They have the lowest water levels out there since before the Hoover Dam was built.   There are shortages of several different kinds of fruit and vegetable this year, because of frost, drought, etc.   And then there are the earthquakes, floods and forest fires.   Am I imagining this, or does it seem to be more prevalent now than ever before.?

I know the Bible says that we will always have wars and rumors of wars, and that they are not reliable signs of the beginning of the end.   However, aren't they still reliable signs of God's displeasure?   Surely we cannot believe that our many sins and crimes against Christianity will go unanswered by God?   As I mentioned yesterday, the Lord will right every wrong and exact the right amount of penalty from all those who come before Him harboring sin in their lives.   No one is getting away with it.    That means us, as well.  

I think we should pay close attention to the section of chapter 17 devoted to following the Sabbath.   It has long been a sign of your affiliation with Jesus Christ to remain idle on the Sabbath.   I'm not talking about those who absolutely have to work...I'm talking about those who take Sunday off so they can spend more time on themselves and their children.  

God is adamant that we should keep the Sabbath holy.   I can't think of a better way than to worship Him together, and then to spend time with friends and family, sharing what we have learned.     I am not opposed to  having fun on the Sabbath, but I think that it had better remain different enough in activity and character to distinguish us as Christians.     It is clearly important to Jesus.

PR

Jeremiah 10-13
Original post:  August 17, 2014


A brief devotion today:   I think we can derive from chapter 12 a significant life lesson.    Jeremiah asks a compelling question, one that most of us have asked ourselves.   "Why do dishonest non-christian people flourish and prosper while the honest christian people remain poor and struggle?"

In this brief chapter God responds to Jeremiah by saying "they aren't getting away with anything".  This is the dilemma of the human race, we don't see the bigger picture.  We think if someone cheats his neighbor and doesn't get caught for several years he "got away with it".   We think dishonest government workers are "getting away with it" because we don't see them going to jail, or punished in any way.

The reality is quite different than what we perceive.   God has set up a "day of judgment" that cannot be avoided.  Every person will be judged for the way that they conducted themselves while on the earth.  If you cheated people, became very wealthy and oppressed others....your sins will demand an accounting.   Since there is no currency on earth that is valid in heaven, it will be your life as payment.    For the christian, the story isn't much different...because we who have accepted the reality of God the Father, and have turned our lives over to Him also realize that we aren't perfect.   We may not have cheated and lied to the same degree as some others have, but sin doesn't come in degrees.   You sin, or you don't.   And the Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."   Therefore, we have the same fate ahead of us as the dishonest person.   But wait, there is one thing that we can offer:   As christians, we have turned our lives over the Jesus Christ.  Therefore, we belong to Him, and He has the authority and the ability to pay our debt.   Jesus has promised to step forward on judgment day and pay the price for our sins.   In fact, He has already paid the price, He has only to mention on that day that we belong to Him, and the judgment will be vacated.   No punishment.

What happens on the earth doesn't always seem fair, but that's because we haven't seen the whole picture.

What if you saw someone cheating on a test in school, or taking something from the grocery store without paying?    You would think they had escaped if they turned in the test, or left the store with the product.   What you don't see is the policeman showing up at their door one week later to remove them to prison.   If you knew that were a guaranteed reality, then you wouldn't be quite as upset when the made it through the first couple of hours.   I think that's what's going on here.

David said in Psalm 73 "I was angry about the way the wicked prospered, until I went into the house of the Lord and saw their fate".    I re-read Psalm 73 this morning, and it goes along with chapter 12 perfectly.    Jeremiah isn't the first to ask the question, and he comes to the same conclusion as David did.     God will be satisfied, as will all who serve Him.  It's just going to happen on a different timeline than what we are used to.     One day soon, it will all be put into the correct perspective.


PR

Jeremiah 7-9
Original Post:  August 16, 2014

Yesterday I began memorizing 6:16, where it talks about "standing at the gate".   Today Jeremiah identifies the gate as the gate to the temple.   In essence he seems to be saying "while you are standing at the entrance to the temple, ask about the old way....that's the right way."    The temple is now filled with detestable idols, and most of them are new (recent).   The "old way" would be the book of the Law.
I think that chapter 7 is the clearest and most plain language I have read to date that explains why God is punishing the people.    As we have been reading, we have heard the reason again and again.   The same message repeated over and over and over.    That's because God is reluctant to bring such a horrible punishment on the people, but He must because of their blatant false worship.   If He allows this to continue, all generations would be lost.   As it will happen, some of the people are shocked back to their senses, and the rest of us have the account of what happens to people who participate in false worship.

The other key thing that I want to mention today is genuine worship.   It seems the people have been going to the temple and praying to God, and asking God for help, and saying in the presence of others how wonderful God is.   They have been kind to one another in public, and have put on appearances...but they are not genuine.   Once they are out of the public eye, they cheat, lie and oppress.   They do not obey what God has commanded them (7:6).

The warning to us is very plain.   We cannot come to church and pray and sing and listen to the sermon and then go home and act badly.   We have no greater understanding of God than the way we behave when no one else is looking.    Have you been kind to the people who are less fortunate than yourself?   Have you charged more than should?   Have you in any way taken advantage of others?   A genuine christian will not do such things, or at the very least, will repent of them having done them.    Have you accepted that there is one God, and only one?   Accepting the idea that there are other gods is foolish and dangerous for a christian.    Learn the lesson that the people of Israel paid dearly to learn.    Be genuine.

On another note:   Chapter 9 gives us a glimpse of why Jeremiah is called the "weeping prophet".    He laments at length, shaves off all his hair (as a captive would be forced to do) and stands in barren places crying.   It would have seemed very out of place  while the enemy was far away, and no one was attacking the city...but in a few short years (maybe less) his actions would be clearly prophetic, and a stark glimpse of what the future held for the rebellious.

Sadly, the people would not listen.   The priests, the scribes, the leaders all lied and deceived and guided the people to their doom.    Their hearts were so hardened that they could not recognize or react to the Word of God when they heard it.

We have the Word of God with us today.   Are you allowing it to change your life?    When God speaks, (even through His Word) are you able to recognize it and make the necessary changes?

We all have room to grow...let's pray that God will continue to open our eyes, give us discernment and wisdom.  Let's also confess Him as Lord over all, and pray that He would grant us the honor of worshiping Him in humility and honesty.    Let's pray for our nation, our communities, and our homes and children.

We are in need, and we stand on the precipice.

PR

Jeremiah 4-6
Original Post:  August 15, 2014


Three things caught my eye in chapters 5-6 that I would like to comment on:

1.  Beginning in verse 30 of chapter 5 it talks about how the priests have ruled by their own authority.   I think this very thing happens today.   The Bible speaks clearly about many things that our religious leaders have tempered.   For instance;  alternative lifestyles.  The Bible clearly says that we are not to engage in alternative lifestyles, however today we have ministers who not only say that it's okay, they engage in the behavior themselves, and profess to be godly.   This is only one example, but there are others.    It's not my intent to beat up on the LGBT crowd, I consider that in some ways our leaders have misled them.   They haven't been given a clear and accurate picture of what the Bible says.   In any case, this particular post has nothing to do with LGBT, it's about leaders who have not remained connected to the Lord.   Since none of us is perfect, and all of us are subject to succumbing to temptation, we should keep an eye on each other.   It reminds we of the old adage of the hot coals.   If a hot coal is removed from the other hot coals, it cools more quickly...but if it remains with the others they keep each other hot, and burn for much longer. Even though our leaders are "in charge of us" they also need to be "kept  hot".  We should pray with them and for them, and make sure they don't deviate in their teaching from the written Word.   And should they decide to walk a different path, they should be removed, and publicly, so that those who are trying to decide what is right and what is wrong will be able to understand where the church stands.   We shouldn't quietly dismiss leaders, sweeping their deviations under the rug in hopes that the people will remain true.  The people should know that the direction the leader has gone was unacceptable, and why it was such.   It might be more work, but I think it will produce a better disciple.
Verse 31 says "and the people love it this way".   Sure they do.  Who wouldn't love getting whatever they want with a promise of eternal life and happiness attached?   Who wouldn't sign up for a religion that you can "yourself"?   That's the kind of thing that was going on in Jeremiah's day, and I see it happening today as well.

2.  Chapter 6 beginning with verse 13.   The religious leaders are greedy, which by very design ensures a diluted proclamation of the message.   Greed corrupts the message.   If the messenger is greedy, then they will alter the message in order to gain.  The two cannot exist together.   Since the messengers (priests) were greedy, they told the people that there weren't any problems with the way they lived.  They proclaimed "peace" with God, when God was actually very angry with them.   In some way you have to feel sorry for the people, who were led astray by their priests and prophets.   Again, I'm not trying to absolve them of guilt, they should have known better.   But let's allow the message to be as clear as it can possibly be.    Jeremiah isn't very popular after the reign of Josiah...that's because he wasn't saying what the people wanted to hear.

3.  I really love this one.    I'm going to quote it here because I want to remember it.

"Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

The good way is the doctrine of salvation according to the Bible.   It is the path of righteousness, the path of holy living.   It is the path of denial, sacrifice and surrender.   The path of prayer and proclamation.  The path of worship, study and fellowship.  It is the path that hundreds of thousands of disciples have walked in generations before us.  They didn't all believe exactly the same thing about the minor details of scripture, but they all agreed on the key points and basic principles.    That's the good way, the old way, the trusted and true way.  The Bible calls it the narrow way, because not everyone finds it.    It isn't lost because it's so hard to find, it's lost because we aren't looking for it.    God promises that we will find the Way, and Him, if we search for Him.   If we ask Him, the door will be opened.    Each of us stands at a crossroads in our lives at some point.  Choose to follow Jesus Christ, or take a different path.   ASK for the ancient path.  ASK for the good way.   Don't choose on your own wisdom.   There are many followers that can point you in the right direction.    Most people on the path have made mistakes and chosen unwisely before.  They can help you find the right path, and avoid some errors.

God bless you today!     Here's a quick challenge...are you ready?    If you have read the post, ask me if I have memorized this passage from 6:16.  That way, I'll know someone out there is reading this  :) and I will have a greater motivation to commit this passage to memory.

I'm getting ready!

PR

Jeremiah 1-3
Original Post:  August 14, 2014


Today we begin reading through one the the key Old Testament texts.   It is the longest book in the Bible, having more words than any other book.   Jeremiah is more well known to us than any other prophet, because many of his most private thoughts and emotions were recorded.    He is called  to his ministry during the reign of Josiah, the righteous king and great grandson of Hezekiah.   Josiah is king in Judah, the southern kingdom, but Jeremiah has a word from God for both the northern and southern kingdoms.

On the world stage, empires are shifting.  The Assyrians have dominated the middle east for many years, conquering as far as Egypt.   As Jeremiah is prophesying, the Babylonians are becoming a world power.   Under Nabopoolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzer all other regional nations have fallen.   Nineveh, once the capital city for the Assyrian empire has been conquered.   Egypt has tried to come to the rescue of Assyria, but it hasn't helped.  Nebuchadnezzer defeats Egypt soundly at the battle of Carchemish, and in so doing becomes the new "world power".     Soon Nebuchadnezzer will appear in Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy regarding the fall of Judah.

Jeremiah is often referred to as "the weeping prophet" because his message was primarily one of gloom.   I assume that he didn't reveal his visions with a calm, straight face, but rather was emotionally investing in what he said.    I imagine him to be visibly disturbed, sometimes shouting and pleading, and often with tears and a trembling voice.     He must have been very compelling, because he was a close friend of Josiah, and enjoyed unhindered access to the kings court during his reign.   As soon as Josiah died (in his battle with Pharaoh) fortunes changed for Jeremiah.    He was often jailed, infrequently taken seriously and generally scorned.

His calling in Chapter 1 help us understand when life begins.  God says that Jeremiah was known and had a life mission "before he was formed in the womb".   I take that to mean that life begins at conception.    As I see it, the only reason we argue it at all is for selfish reasons (1. we don't want to have a child, or be hindered by the pregnancy   2.  we would like to use the fetal body to create something else that benefits us)   Both of these are grounded in selfishness, which is never a godly endeavor.   Therefore, my reading of Jeremiah 1 helps me develop my belief about birth and abortion.

In chapter 2 God refers to himself as the "spring of living water" which reminds me of Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well.    Just before this passage God asks the people "when has a nation every changed it's gods?"   which is really a compelling question.    Why would Israel defect?   They were delivered out of Egypt by a series of miracles, and seemingly had a steady stream of miracles the whole time they were in the desert.   Every judge was clearly filled with the power of God, and testified to the fact.  So during the time of the judges God revealed himself constantly.   Who can argue how closely David followed the Lord?   Even in their recent history the Israelites have served God.    What would cause a leader to decide in his own heart that God wasn't real?   And who in the world would ever follow him?   The people must have known that the current king, no matter who he is cannot make decisions about who God is.   Why did they listen, and not stone him?     In some ways, I think this is what God is asking.\

Also in chapter 2 is the reference to bringing charges against "your children's children".  Our sins have consequences not only for us, but for our grand-kids.    I trust that our righteousness will be visited upon our descendants for many more generations, in keeping with God's promises.

In chapter 3 God actually gives the people another chance to return to him, and seemingly to stave off disaster.   However as history will prove out, they would not return.   Honestly, this baffles me.   I struggle to understand how God's chosen people could be so hardened of heart.     My prayer is that I will not follow the same path.

As in most other prophecies regarding Israel's faithlessness, their apostasy is referred to as prostitution.  Is is a graphic way to illustrate how God views our prayers to objects of wood and stone.    Ironically, if you had encountered these people on the street, you would think they were Christians by the way they acted.   They prayed to God all the time, they called Him their friend, and they expected God to hear and deliver them.   The problem was they weren't serious.  They also prayed to other gods, and trusted in other gods.   They knew God, but didn't obey Him or follow His commands.   Again,  my prayer is that our faith would be genuine, proved valid by our actions and our wholehearted devotion to the One and Only True God.   Jesus Christ.

Undoubtedly there is far more to discuss in these chapters, but since the post is getting long, I'll save it for another time.


PR

Zephaniah  1-3
Original Post:  August 13, 2014


Zephaniah prophecies doom for Judah and the surrounding area.   The reason for this is simple, the people in Jerusalem have forgotten God, and have worshiped idols instead.   The countries surrounding Judah have mocked God, and oppressed Judah, and all of Israel in the past.

This judgment is not because of something they have done recently, because recently they have been serving God under the direction of Josiah.   In fact, the penalty is not to be paid until after Josiah, the righteous king has passed away.

It is in Zephaniah we see the word to the very popular praise chorus "our God is mighty to save".

Here are a few of my thoughts based on this quick read...

1.  Godliness motivates God to hold off judgment.   If we as a people are righteous, then perhaps God will not bring about a disaster in our day.   However,  those who worship false gods, or who deny the Creator will have a day of recompense, and it cannot be avoided, save by repentance.

2.  Even when God wipes mankind from the face of the earth he leaves a remnant, and those who are left have been spared because they were humble.

3.  When God speaks of a judgment against His people, He also reminds them that He is willing and able to strengthen and bless them.   I am sure He does this to encourage them to be strong and faithful, so that they may inherit the blessings after the time of punishment has passed.   It tells me that God's character is one of love, not vengeance.    God will avenge, and He does become angry....but his truest  motivation toward us is one of love.

4.  When God brought punishment on other nations, He hoped that His people would apply the lesson to themselves and not go down the same path.   Sadly, they did not.    In some respects, the United States seems to be repeating history here.

5.  This passage seems as if parts of it could be applied to the great and final day of the Lord's judgment, rather than to the one that happened in the past.  For instance 3:15  "never again will you fear any harm" certainly hasn't come true yet.  

PR

2 Kings 22-23     and   2 Chronicles 34-35
Original Post:  August 12, 2014

Today we read about one bright spot in the later years of Judah's history.   King Josiah.   The northern kingdom has already fallen, and most of it's people have been taken away as captives.  Because of the godly activities of his great grandfather Hezekiah, the southern kingdom still remains.   However, it is doomed because of the actions of Manasseh, Hezekiah's son.   He was so evil that he incited God to destroy the whole area.   You will remember from previous readings how corrupt Manasseh was spiritually.  In today's reading we see just how bad idol worship had become.   The kings of Israel and Judah had fashioned and set up INSIDE the temple idols to other gods.   They had created housing for shrine prostitutes INSIDE the temple.    It's bad enough to have this sort of thing at all, but to have it inside the temple itself is a complete departure from what is holy.  No wonder the Lord is angry.

Josiah tears his clothes when he hears the words of the book of the law.   His secretary has already read them, and there is no record of him tearing his clothes.   It is the leader that god impresses his desires upon, so that they will be accomplished.   Without the leader, (or the shepherd) the people wander into all sorts of problems.

Josiah removes all the idols, and demolishes the high places.   Several kings before him went part way, but not wholeheartedly as Josiah did.   He's the first one who also takes down all the Asherah poles and other high places.

There's something to be said for zealous obedience.  I wonder what Israel would have been like if Josiah had followed king David.   What if we were as zealous for the Lord as Josiah was?   What would our lives look like if we removed with extreme prejudice anything that conflicted with holy living?   We used to refer to this as "sanctification".   The zealous believer would "go all the way" in their devotion to the Lord.  Really, the requirement is the same today.   God still expects us to "cast off the sin that so easily entangles" and pursue Him with all our heart.  That's what Josiah did.  He was a good example of wholehearted devotion.

One last thing.   In just three short generations the book of the Law has not only been lost, but forgotten.   This young king has no idea what is written in it.   How sad that the temple that was erected as a tribute to the one who gave the words of the Law is now so completely overlooked in His own temple that His Words are forgotten.   Even the book itself had been misplaced.     This serves as a warning to us to always keep God's Word in front of our children.   God's Word is precious.  It contains life, wisdom, peace and happiness.  (along with many other things).  A person cannot enter into heaven without knowing some of what is contained in the Book.   A person cannot please God without knowing what God wants, and that is all included in the Book.    The Bible should be the centerpiece of our home, our church and our nation.  

It should be the functional centerpiece, not an idol....that would be a dusty volume that is never opened, yet often looked upon as we pray to a God we choose not to experience.   But rather it should be read as a love letter, closely read and re-read as we allow our spiritual imagination to carry us away to a place where we walk hand in hand with our God and Heavenly Father.    It should be used to foster a close interpersonal relationship.  It should inform our actions and our prayers.


PR

Nahum 1-3
Original Post   August 11, 2014

The first chapter in Nahum is a picture of an all powerful Creator who is capable of both great mercy and of vengeance.   Reading it, I find myself both praising God and honestly, a little in awe of His great power.   Seriously, if God becomes angry with us, who can stand against Him?   Who advocates for us against the Creator?   It's no wonder that the New Testament says that if we reject Jesus, then there is no way to be saved.  

Thankfully, this revelation from God, via Nahum is one of restoration.   Our God is a God of rescue.  In fact, Israel wouldn't have ever been defeated had they remained obedient to God in the first place.   consider all the carnage that would not have taken place had God's people simply remained obedient.

I wonder what evils assail the earth today because of our disobedience?  Are we as guilty as they of squandering the grace afforded us?

In addition to being a revelation of God's rescue mentality, this passage tells us that God is just.  Those who have acted in evil ways will be punished.   I read in my study Bible that after Nineveh fell, it's destruction was so great that the sandstorms covered up what was left.   No one even knew where it was until the mid 1800's when it was rediscovered.     Evil men still exist today, intent on violence and brutality.   The words of Nahum hang over them.   Punishment will ensue.   The godly will be restored and will flourish, and those who have oppressed them will be wiped away from the earth, never to be heard of again.

The wise person will make every effort to be on the winning side in this battle, and we can do that by confessing our sins before the Lord, asking Him to forgive us and then living in obedience to His commands.   In short, we allow God to rescue us from our life of sin, and restore us to His intended destiny, heaven.    

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2 Chronicles 32-33
Original Post:  August 10, 2014


This account parallels and adds a few details to 2 Kings 20-21 from yesterday.  Here in Chronicles we catch a glimpse of what happened after the Assyrian army was defeated by God.   Some of the praise lands on Hezekiah, who accepts it, and begins to believe that he really is something special.    Pride has a way of snatching victory over sin out of our hands even after the battle is thought to be over.    It is the last thrust of the defeated foe which sometimes catches the warrior off guard.    We should be very careful to always give God the credit for what He has done, and is doing.    Praise and money are two very difficult things to manage.   The temptation to abuse both seems to be great.   At least Hezekiah repents, and is better for it.    Sadly his son doesn't follow in his footsteps.   There's no way to predict how our children will turn out.   I have seen children raised in godly homes who didn't grow up to know the Lord, and I have seen children from ungodly homes accept Jesus and become beautiful, fragrant representatives of Christ.   Prayer seems to be the best way that we can be involved in shaping their future.    Modeling godly behavior is another excellent idea.

 How relieved I am to heat that Manasseh repented of his sins and became a more godly leader at the end of his reign!   Sadly the damage had already been done.   The people, once led astray are less likely to return to godly habits.   No wonder God places such a high value on godly, competent leaders.  

It also seems that Manasseh didn't pass along his newfound discovery of God's omnipotence to his son, whose reign is listed as evil as well.    Peeking ahead, we see Josiah, who will do much to put Israel back on the right track.

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2 Kings 20-21
Original Post:  August 9, 2014

I have revisited this story many times in my devotions.  I refer to it as "Hezekiah's error".   The error seems innocent enough.   Hezekiah is ill, and wants the Lord to heal him.   He has a right to ask, after all, he has been righteous, and zealous for the Lord.   He has done good work, removing all the idols and other false objects of worship that had distracted the people from accurate worship.

I guess the error is in not being content to transition from this life to the next on God's timetable.   Here's the problem:   His son Manasseh is 12 years old when he takes over the kingdom.  That means he was born during the extension of life that God granted Hezekiah.    Manasseh is one of the most evil kings the kingdom has ever had.   55 years of idol worship, child sacrifice, and rebuilding all the idols that his father had rallied against.   Had Hezekiah known, I think he would have done it differently.     And, in that same 15 years, Hezekiah receives envoys from Babylon and shows them too much.   Another mistake that wouldn't have happened had he been content to go to heaven when he was supposed to.

I pray from time to time that I will be content to leave earth when God says it's time, and that I won't try and second guess his timing.   It may seem like an inopportune time to me, but then again, I can't see the future.    I suppose that I am not going to have any more sons (it will certainly be one for the record books if I do!) but who knows what other decisions I could make that would be counter productive.;

Some may say that if there wasn't a Manasseh, then we wouldn't have Josiah either.    I guess that's true.   Even still,  I say God was right the first time.     We should be careful about what we ask for.   God might give it to us, even though it's not the best for us, or for the Kingdom.

Lord,  allow me to be content with the time you have given me, and help me to be productive and helpful both in the way that I live,and in the way that I die.

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Isaiah 64-66
Original Post  August 8, 2014

My study Bible says that chapter 65 is summarizes the whole book of Isaiah.   It also provides hope for a people who are headed for suffering.   God has revealed that there is still good in His people, and that He will not destroy them completely.   As I have mentioned in previous posts, His grace and love surpass His quest for justice.   For if God were just and not loving, all of us would be destroyed.   If it were not for His mercy and love, that temper His judgment, no one would survive.

The text seems to speak clearly of  the millennial reign of God.  Perfect peace, where animals don't attack each other, and neither do men.  The curse is lifted, and our life span will be much longer, as it was in the beginning.   There are some tantalizing questions here as well:  "the former things will not be remembered, neither will they come to mind"  (65:17)  I wonder if that means that we will not remember those who perished because they didn't know the Lord?    And how can that be, if the last two sentences of the book say that those who are saved will go out and look at the dead bodies of those who rebelled?

The question about what we will know, or remember in heaven is often asked.   Of course, we aren't qualified or privileged to know such a thing.  The Bible tells us that we will be happy, and that we will not fear anything.    It must be that our knowledge of God will be increased enough for us to realize that every human has a choice to make:  accept God for who He is, and follow His teachings,  or deny and suffer the consequences.  

It seems difficult to think of people that we love in hell.   God loves everyone, and some of them are clearly going to be there because they denied Him.   Perhaps we will be enough like God to accept that everyone had the opportunity to know Him and some deliberately chose not to.   Whether they are part of our family tree or not isn't the issue.   Of course they are part of someone's family....so we must be somehow enlightened.

These last chapters of Isaiah are encouraging to us as we go though difficult times today.  They remind us that even though the road may be difficult, and the trials large God will not abandon us.   There lies in store for us a beautiful place of eternal rest.   We  often call the grave "eternal rest" but that is completely inaccurate.   The grave is temporary, a momentary pause on the way to rest, restoration, peace and happiness.    The grave holds no attraction, it is more like a doorway though which we pass in order to enter a far more spacious and beautiful place.    That next room is what God is describing here.   I think Isaiah shares his vision both for the people of his day, and for the people of ours.

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Isaiah 59-63
Original Post:  August 7, 2014

It is so encouraging to hear how God desires to bless and reward His people!   If we would only stay close to Him, what great privileges would be ours!   These chapters are filled with ways that God promises to bless the people.  There will be peace, prosperity, long life, fruitful fields, large families, an abundance of the best building materials, wealth will pour in from other places.   The Lord says that He will be the sun, and there will never be any night.   That sounds more like heaven than earth.  

So, is God speaking of heaven in this passage?   And if He is, then why speak of distant nations bringing treasure to the holy city?   There won't be any distant nations in heaven.  

It would appear the walls of the city will all be rebuilt, and the gates will never be closed.   That's repeated in Revelation.  In fact much of this description is familiar in Revelation.   I find myself wondering if this passage is looking forward to the end of time, or the end of the exile.   Perhaps the second temple, built by Zerubbabel and improved upon by Herod is what is spoken of here.    The roads being created would then fit with the message of John the Baptist, who cried out to make "straight paths in the wilderness".  And, it would fit with the Roman strategy of building highways between their cities.

I am curious to know if the temple is rebuilt before the millennium.   (before the tribulation and return of Christ)    It says in 60:7 that sacrifices will be made on the altar.  That would require a temple, wouldn't it?   So if this passage is before the tribulation, then the temple would have to be rebuilt.   If it's after the tribulation, then it wouldn't matter.    And why do we need sacrifices anyway?   Isn't that part of history complete?    So, perhaps the text speaks of the return from captivity, or of the days of Jesus.   If that's the case, then the nations bringing wealth and the gates never being closed are out of place.

It' s a mystery to me, but a tantalizing one.

Having said all that, let's celebrate the goodness and benevolence of our God today.  He is willing to forgive when we have erred, He is willing to restore, and even to improve our condition so that it is better than it was originally.  

Praise the Lord!

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Isaiah 54-58
Original Post:  August 6, 2014

I really enjoy reading passages like Isaiah 55.  It reminds me of how generous, loving and forgiving the Lord really is.    We have read lately of his justice, and his anger with Israel.  In this passage His deep love for them shines through.   If we use the nation of Israel as a pattern for us all, then we understand God to love us just like He loves Israel.   He invites us to His table, and freely shares all His riches with us.   When I don't understand what God is doing (in my life, or in the church) I call to mind verse 9 of Chapter 55.    Who am I to understand what God is doing, and what He has planned?   If He tells me then I will know, but if He does not, then I have no hope of knowing...because no one can search out the thoughts of God.

Sure, it says "have the mind of Christ" in the New Testament, but it means "think in the way that Jesus thinks"  see as He sees,  feel as He feels.    It doesn't mean we know what He knows.

The thoughts of God are unsearchable.  Who can even imagine what God is considering?   And yet here in His Word, He reveals himself to us.   He shares His deepest thoughts and emotions.  We hear of His love, His frustration, His jealousy, and His anger...both toward His people, and those who will oppress them.

56:6  tells us that salvation isn't just for the Jews.   The foreigners (that's us!) will also be included if we bind ourselves to God.   I use the branch grafted into a tree as a metaphor for our inclusion in the body of Christ.   When the branch is grafted in, it's wrapped with binding.

Chapter 57 says that the righteous are taken to heaven to spare them the distress of what's to come.   That's interesting.   I might remember that sometime for a funeral service.   In the original context, it seems that God allowed the righteous to die before the invasion, and He considers it an act of mercy.   Too often we see death as the end, but God sees it as advancement, and a beginning.   I suspect that if we did have "the mind of Christ" we would view death differently.

Chapter 58 is the base motivation for many christian charities.  God says that it isn't enough to come to the temple and pray and listen to sermons, etc.   There must be some outward evidence of our faith.   If we simply say that we believe, and then treat each other harshly, cheat our neighbors and live lust-filled lives, we aren't really part of the kingdom of God.   We have religion, but not salvation.   True repentance will be expressed in christian charity (providing food for the hungry, clothing for those in need, helping others in a variety of ways, taking care of the downtrodden).    Again,  if we have the mind of Christ, we will express concern for  the well being of others....Jesus loves people, even the people who oppose Him, and even the people that rub you the wrong way.   God loves them all, even though they understand the meaning of community differently than you, they have different opinions on what a work week is, or what the best use of the their time is.    They may make decisions that you don't agree with, or even understand.   They may make decisions that leave them in poverty....love them anyway.    Jesus does.

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Isaiah 49-53
Original Post:  August 5, 2014

One thing I know for certain:  there is so much content in this selected reading that we cannot possibly cover it all in a brief devotional writing.  And yet, it seems to me almost sinful to summarize the passage, put it in context and then move on.   It could well be the very heart of the Gospel, recorded in the book of Isaiah, some 700 years before Jesus was born.    Could there be any description more plain than the one given in chapters 52 and 53?    This passage is part of the foundation on which our theology is formed.    God says that he will reach out to distant lands (include the U.S.) and that the nation of Israel will never again be destroyed.   Clearly, the Lord has a special place in His heart of Israel and it's people.   We cannot dispute that God loves the city of Jerusalem, and has promised to protect it.   Therefore, I surmise it would be wise for me to support Israel as well.

As I write this passage, there is a 72 hour cease fire in effect in the Israel - Gaza conflict.   The last cease fire lasted only 90 minutes before hostilities broke out again.   I pray that this one takes root.   I'm not sure what side of the conflict you support, there are people who see the tragedy on both sides, and that is certainly valid...however, as I read Isaiah I know that God does not lie, and what He says is always true.   No one who attacks Israel will be successful in their endeavor.    History has already proved this point out.   They will not be overrun  by another nation (as a punishment from the Lord) ever again.   That's not to say that God cannot punish them...He can, and He may.   But He has promised (in this passage) not to allow it to happen by another nation.

This passage speaks heavily of a time called the millennium.   It is the 1,000 year time of peace after satan has been initially imprisoned.  I say initially, because Revelation tells us that he will be released for a short time after the 1,000 years...only to be defeated once and for all.     The millennium is understood by some people to be a metaphor for a time of peace, and not an actual event.   As I read this passage I imagine it to be an actual time in the future when God comes to live with His people, here on the earth.    What a great privilege and honor it would be to be alive for the millennium!  

51:11 says "the ransomed of the Lord will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads."     Now that could refer to the time when Cyrus the Persian will allow the people to return to their own homes (some 70 years from now).   It could refer to the time when I rode a bus into Zion and sang with great joy.  (I was one of the redeemed that "returned").   Or, it could refer to the time when all people from every tribe and nation will gather together to sing praises to God at the end of the ages.    Maybe it refers to them all.     What a day that will be!

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2 Kings 18:9 - 19:37  and  Psalm 46, 80 and 135
Original Post:  August 4, 2014


This is the same account that we read about yesterday.   So, if you jumped ahead in your reading back in the middle of July (when we read the rest of 2 Kings...except this part) our reading in Isaiah was a review for you.     That's okay, as long as we remind ourselves that the Bible compresses some of these accounts together, making it seem like they happened closer together than they actually did.

The good news about the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib is that it reveals the one and only True God.   Someone told me once, when I was going through a difficult time that "when your whole world is shaken, that which doesn't move is found to be unshakable".  Another was of saying the same thing is to say "God cannot be shaken, so those who hang onto him find stability."     Hezekiah goes right to God when his whole world is shaken.   Hezekiah is a righteous king.  The judgment that is coming on Israel and Judah isn't his fault, he has served faithfully.   God is bringing about His justice for the sins of the leaders and the people before his time.   Hezekiah's righteousness causes God to relent, and our righteousness may have the same result today.   It's never too late to pray for a nation, or a community, or a family....or yourself.    God is fond of stepping in right before judgment and showing mercy.    Never be afraid to ask.   Just remember to be honest and humble when you do.

The psalms that go along with  today's reading are celebratory.  They are great examples of the cheers the people would have raised when they saw the enemy camp vacated.   Psalm 46 give credit to God for all that He has done (the people had begun to take it for granted).   Psalm 80 could have been the prayer that Hezekiah prayed as he went before the Lord.   I don't mean to say that it is the prayer, only that it has the same contrite and humble spirit to it.   This is how we should go before the Lord when we are in need.   By the way, I think I see a veiled reference to Jesus in verse 17.    As he was being stoned, Stephen said that he saw Jesus at the right hand of the Father.  And one of Jesus' favorite ways of referring to himself is "the son of man".    Jesus is the way that we will be restored.   Jesus is the way that God's favor will be returned to us.  Jesus is the way that we will be saved.

Psalm 135 looks back at the events in which God has revealed himself and testifies about the might and power of God.   It is the theological statement about God that is being recorded for all the people.   So that the children can read and know, and those who are older can read and remember.    God is all powerful, He does what pleases him, nothing can stand in His way, He is worthy of all our praise.

I think thoughts like this are a great way to begin your day...or end it!  (depending on when you read..)


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Isaiah 44-48
Original Post:  August 3, 2014

There is one thought that practically jumps off the page in today's reading:  "I am God and there is no other".  In these verses God tells us that He alone has created all that we see,  He alone sustains it, He alone orders and shapes the future and He alone is the one who can redeem and restore us.   Apart from God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...the God is Israel...there is no other god.

God says that he as chosen to use Cyrus even though Cyrus doesn't believe in Him, or serve Him.   That also helps shape our theology.    God isn't limited to using god-fearing people in order to support and sustain His work.   Sometimes the resources and leadership come from unlikely places.   I wonder how many godly endeavors were not pursued because the christian leaders didn't want to accept help from ungodly sources?   Perhaps they haven't read this part of Isaiah.

I also see two dangerous trains of human thought here.   One is to give credit for creation or events to an idol.   Wow...that really makes God angry.    Mental note to myself:  under no circumstances should I ever fashion something out of wood or precious metal and then ask it to help me.      This idea is where we differ from our friends in the Roman Catholic church.    We shouldn't fashion idols, which are by definition images of things that exist, or did exist either in heaven above, on the earth beneath, on in the waters below.   We should not fashion them, or bow down to worship them.   (2nd commandment).   I am sure that our intent in fashioning these figurines was at first innocent, but it has become a distraction for us.    Just as Gideon's ephod was eventually worshipped, (Judges 8) even though it's original intent was to seek the Lord.

Second dangerous train of thought:  to say that these things happened without any diety oversight.   Babylon is guilty of this.  In chapter 47 they are recorded as saying "I am, and there is none beside me".  This also angers the Lord, because it denies Him credit for what He has done.    This is the error of many otherwise godly people.   They believe that creation has simply evolved over many years, and they fail to give God credit for what He specifically says that He has done.   I cannot emphasize this strongly enough....failure to give God credit for what HE has done is to drink condemnation onto yourself.   If God says He created the earth and all that is in within 6 days, then it is foolhardy to question that.    Accept that you don't understand, but do not question the validity of what God says.   Seriously....don't do it.    You don't want to anger the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth.   Even though He loves us, He will discipline us if we begin or persist in saying things that deny Him the glory He deserves.


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Isaiah 40-43
Original Post:  August 2, 2014

Each of these chapters is filled with familiar and encouraging verses that we use all the time to bring hope and restore faith in God.   I want to list a few of them here, but before we do that, let's reflect on the literal, historical intent of the writing.

God is revealing through Isaiah how much He loves His people Israel.   In my mind's eye He stands before them like a prosecuting attorney, and puts the idols on the stand.  "which of these has ever answered you, or predicted the future?"  He says, as he looks at the defendant, Israel.    Maybe my mind is working overtime, but that's how it seems to me.   In fact, it works even better if Israel is on the stand, and the idols are the defendant....except that at the end of the day, it's Israel being punished, not the idols.

Even though they are to endure a very difficult time of slavery and persecution, God is reminding them that they will one day be restored, and the people who persecuted them will taste persecution for themselves.

OK, let's take a quick tour of some popular verses:

40:3 and following refer to John the Baptist.  They are quoted in part in the New Testament.   John is referred to as "the voice of one calling out"

40:8  often used to remind us that all things are temporary, except for the Word of the Lord, which endures.

40:29-31    A phrase often found on plaques and motivational signs.  It applies only to those who put God first in their lives.   If you do, then you can expect that God will bless you with sufficient strength and renewed vigor for the tasks he sets you to.

42:1 and following.   Isaiah is speaking of Jesus, who will not appear for about 700 years.   In this whole argument, God has said "the idols cannot foretell the future, but I can"  and in this place that's exactly what He does, so that we will know without a doubt that He is truly God.    He states it plainly in 42:9.

43:2   Often used in funeral services.  God will not leave us or forsake us.  If we run into great trouble He will be there with us to help us.   Death is often referred to as "crossing the river" or "crossing over Jordan" by Christians.   Both of which mean "entering into a new land".    The phrase "when you pass through the waters" brings to mind the imagery of moving from this life into the next.

43:10-13    The validity of all other religions is dashed in this paragraph.   "Apart from me there is no savior".   Wow.   It can't get any more plain than that.

43:18-19   Leaders often use this phrase to call attention to something new that they believe God is doing among the people.    It probably gets a little more use than it should.  On the other hand, God is often working in new ways among His servants.s

So, a quick recap...looking at the last verses of chapter 43.    God is saying "look, you bring all your gifts to the idols, and then come to me with all your problems.  That's not right."

I find that we are sometimes guilty of the same thing.   We use almost all of our resources on ourselves, and then come to church and ask God for His help, or His intervention in our medical or financial problems.     I suspect that the Lord wonders where the gifts that are supposed to be laid at His feet have gone.    Where is the tithe, the offerings, the good deeds done in the name of Jesus?    Certainly none of them save us, but do you go before the King empty handed?   Do you allow the one you love to go day after day without any response from you?  

As I look back at these verses, I know that God is angry with Israel, but I also think His feelings are hurt.   God has feelings.  He loves, He cares, He is jealous for our praise.    He wants to see practical expressions of our love for Him, and not just "lip service".


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