Dwelling In The Midst Of His People

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Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.  And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent Me unto thee.  And the LORD shall inherit Judah His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.  Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for He is raised up out of his holy habitation.
Zechariah 2:10-13

In these verses the LORD, speaking to the prophet Zechariah is speaking of a day that has yet to occur. It will be a day of rejoicing in the LORD. Judah will have returned to the LORD, through the recognition of Jesus their Messiah, when He comes again to fight against the one’s who have harmed God’s people.

We have the words written that “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall be My people; and I will dwell in your midst…” The only way God will dwell in the midst of His people is that each on has come to Him through Christ Jesus, and His finished work of the cross of Calvary dying, buried, and risen from the dead.

Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will have eternal life.

The King of Israel; Considerations

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Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.   In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, “Fear thou not:” and to Zion, “Let not thine hands be slack.”   The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.
Zephaniah 3:14-17

“And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:  since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to Me,” saith the LORD.
“Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid, consider it.  Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.”
Haggai 2:15-19

Asking The LORD God Questions

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A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
“O LORD, I have heard Thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.  And His brightness was as the light; He had horns coming out of His hand: and there was the hiding of His power. Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet.
Habakkuk 3:1-5

Most of the prophecy of Habakkuk is the prophet asking questions about why He is using an evil people like Babylon to judge or chastise His own people! “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil; and You cannot look on iniquity” 1:13

We all have questions we ask God about, and if we are not careful we can begin to question God. It is one thing to ask Him a honest question, as Habakkuk has done, but when you begin questioning Him that comes from doubt and leads to unbelief.

In the prophet’s prayer, which all of chapter 3 of Habakkuk is; the prophet has heard God, and believed Him. He came to the end of his prayer, and gives a praise to the LORD, and a strong word  of faith. It is similar to Job’s expression of faith when he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). In the beginning of the prophet’s prayer he says, “In wrath remember mercy,” and God does show mercy through His longsuffering  – His patience. He showed no mercy when He smote His own Son cursed by hanging on that tree; so that He could be merciful and gracious to us.

That kind of faith comes from a heart devoted to God, and trusting His word. We can have that kind of faith only through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God,  the Lord Jesus Christ.

Call on Him today. You may not have tomorrow.

Into the depths of the sea

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The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.  They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of Thee.
Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.  He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.  Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Micah 7:16-20

Micah began his prophecy warning Jacob [Israel] of their transgression; and also warning the nations coming against them.

He ends the prophecy by giving us the prophecy of the confounded nations fearing the LORD, because of His mighty works He has done.

He proceeds to tell Israel that the LORD will not retain anger; hold on to anger, forever, because He delights in mercy. He has compassion on us, and subdues our iniquities, by casting them (our sins) into the depths of the sea. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us because He took our sin and the wrath of God for sin dying for us, He was buried for three days, having carried our sins away never to be seen again. (Read about the scapegoat in Leviticus). When the three days had passed Jesus rose from the grave victorious over sin, over death, and over Hell.

The LORD God will perform every promise He has promised to Jacob, and to Abraham.

God’s answer for the salvation of our race is only found in Jesus Christ. He has subdued our iniquities – our sins – and cast them into the depths of the sea. That is good news for all to hear. Will you believe and receive that good news, that Christ Jesus has died for  our sins, was buried, and He rose again three days later; and that same Jesus is returning someday.

The Flight of Jonah

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There seems to be a few people, maybe many more than a few who do not believe the account of the book of Jonah. They say no one could be swallowed by a great fish and survive. I say since God can do whatever He desires, and if it says that God prepared  great fish to swallow Jonah, then that was a special fish made for Jonah.

Jesus said that Jonah was swallowed by  a great fish, “But He answered and said unto them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” Matthew 12:39-41

Jonah is mentioned as a prophet in Second Kings 14:25. If you cannot believe the simplest account of Scripture then, you are going to have a problem accepting any of Scriptures.

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”  But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah 1:1-3

Now about “The Flight of Jonah” it crashed 🙂 . God called the prophet to go to a distant city, a Gentile city, because of the evil within that place. When Jonah heard the word of the LORD, he apparently says nothing, just packs a travel bag and goes out from the presence of the LORD. Every step he took was downward from that time until he prayed for deliverance.

He went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship going to Tarshish. When the LORD loved that generation of Gentiles in Nineveh so much that He was not finished with Jonah He sent a storm. Where was Jonah? Down in the lowest part of the ship. He was eventually thrown overboard, and went down into the belly of the fish.

Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of that prepared by God fish, which seems to have been specially prepared for Jonah.

God loves Jonah. He prays from the belly of the fish and despite his rebellion, and his hatred for these Gentiles whom God loves, God  delivers Jonah, by having the great fish vomit him out on the shore (2:10). Then the LORD calls Jonah again (3:1), and evidently with much angst he obeys the LORD reluctantly. When he arrives in Nineveh he warns them of approaching judgment from God, and the whole city repents, and the city is delivered for a few more years. About one generation was delivered from the judgment of the LORD, by His mercy and grace.

The flight of Jonah may have been his national hatred for the enemy nation. Jonah needed to learn love and compassion for others. I pray that he did, and that I do as well.

The love, mercy, and grace of God is clearly seen through the cross of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. There He took, willingly, our sins upon Himself to die for our sins; He was buried and He rose from the grave. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so was the Son of Man three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Do not take flight away from God, but flee from sin, to Jesus Christ, and live.

Planted and Assured

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When a tree has been planted it grows where it is planted. As long as all goes well, the plant has water, the right kind of soil, and nourishment it will grow right where  it is, and become a tree planted for sure.

“Behold, the days come,” saith the LORD, “that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.  And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them,” saith the LORD thy God.
Amos 9:13-15

There are several sections of verses in the prophecy of Amos that are words of promise and hope for the people of God, the remnant He will save. Words of promise and hope are needed by Christians today, and rejoicing toward Israel, praying for them, loving them, and believing that God still loves and cares tremendously for them.

The above prophecy has yet to see its fulfillment in full.  The LORD says, “Behold the day is coming…” and we can rest assured that since it is the word of the LORD, that it shall come.  After the Babylonian captivity and their return to  their Promised Land they did not remain planted there because many years later they were scattered over the globe, and returned to the Land in 1948, and were recognized by the United Nations as a Nation, on May 14, 1948.

It appears that this promise of being planted in their Land is now, and yet there is more to come. Lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near.

It will happen when they see their Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, who was the fulfillment of the GOD’S promise of One who was to come. He is their Savior as well as for all Gentiles who call on the name of the LORD God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus became sin for us, that we ( that is all who will believe), that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The full weight, and judgment for our sin was on Jesus as He died on the cross, He was buried carrying our sin, shame, and condemnation, away, then He rose up alive from that grave, giving all who will believe eternal life.

When you trust in Him, then you will be Planted and Assured.

The Holy One in the midst…

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“How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, My repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.  They shall walk after the LORD: He shall roar like a lion: when He shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.  They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses,” saith the LORD.
Hosea 11:8-11

I try to be a promoter of God’s amazing love, mercy, and grace. The above verses tell us just how loving, merciful and gracious He is.

While the LORD has spoken through Hosea of His anger, because of the iniquities of Ephraim; which is also called Samaria, and Israel – the Northern kingdom; God now reveals that He cannot, and will not destroy her. He will instead will be fully merciful, and gracious. He will not pour out all His wrath on Ephraim, but will continue to discipline her, and draw her to Himself. “They shall walk aft the LORD” is the evidence of that. God knows that one day all those taken captive will return to their “Glorious Land,” (Daniel 11:16, 41), and they will walk after Him.

The LORD God says through the prophet Ezekiel, “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” (18:23), and in verse 32 of that chapter, God says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” The more I learn about God my conviction of His great love grows stronger, and it is the testimony of my life too. He has never forsaken me, and I know He never will.

God is offended by our sins and iniquities. The cross where the Son of God died for our sins was the answer for Adam kind, and our redemption. Jesus Christ took our place, becoming our sin, and taking the wrath of Holy God on Himself, so that we might be with Him eternally. In the death of Christ, His burial, and resurrection He redeemed all of Israel as well; and when they look upon the One whom they pierced, believing Him they too shall live with Him eternally.

Have you called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, believing Him? Will you do so now?

GOD Loves His People

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Anyone who has read the Bible, and studied it, can clearly see that God loves His people. Though Israel had departed from Him many times, and the LORD chastened them, because He saw  them destroying themselves. He always calls His straying people to return to Him.

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.  After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Hosea 6:1-3

Many people who do not know God believe Him to be a harsh and cruel God; but He is actually very loving, merciful and gracious One. Someone has said, “God loves us the way we are; but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.” Another said, “God will not allow His children to sin successfully.”

When the LORD tells us we have sinned, then we better listen, and fall on our faces before Him and ask forgiveness for our sin(s). We ought to always keep our account with GOD short.  That when we realize our sin, we immediately go to the throne of grace and plead forgiveness. Guess what? He forgive us our sin (1 John 1:9). If you say that you have no sin then, hear this. “He that says he has no sin, deceives himself, and the truth is not in him” 1 John 1:8.  Lost and in the darkness of sin and death.

When one or many of God’s children return to Him it is like healing from being torn, and binding or wounds after being smitten. Even though GOD disciplines His wayward children we can be assured through and by the chastening that we are His; for He has said in Hebrews 12:5-8, ” And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,’ nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

Now, if you are a child of God and you have the assurance of that salvation, but you have gone astray He is calling you back to Himself. He is calling you back. Hear Him and run back to Him. He will be running to you to welcome you home (Luke 15:20).

For those who read this and are not a child of God, and you want to be. Know this that you need to know God’s Son who is Jesus Christ. He took your place and mine on the cross, taking the full wrath of God for our sins, He was buried taking away our sins casting them into the very depths of the sea, and as far away as east is from west.  He did not stay dead, but arose from that tomb, alive forever more. When you call out to Him He will hear you.

…There shall be a time of trouble… (2)

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And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?”  And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when He shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Daniel 12:1-7

This is a prophecy of the last days. We are living in the last days, and there is trouble in this world. We as a people on earth and of the earth are troubled by many things. There is coming a time of greater trouble than any other time in the history of humanity.

This trouble will specifically be directed toward the Hebrew people, to prepare them to meet their Messiah, who is known to Christians as Jesus the Christ. All those who are without Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior will go through this great trouble, but you do not need to. Believe on Jesus and you will be delivered from the wrath to come.

At The Mercy Of Lions

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Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee.”  And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.  And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”  Then said Daniel unto the king, “O king, live for ever. My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”  Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
Daniel 6:16-23

Daniel had found himself in a pit of trouble. It was big furry, with big teeth and a big roar. How did he get here? It was not because he wanted to be in this pit full of hungry growling beasts of the field. It was because he had prayed, and he had continued to pray to God, even after a King Darius had written and sealed an edict that forbade any one under his rule to pray to anyone except him for thirty days.

King Darius loved Daniel. He had been deceived by some advisers who actually were jealous and envious of Daniel, even hating him so much they wanted him dead. They must have kept an eye on him, because they caught him in his daily time of prayer, praying despite the king’s edict.

The king had Daniel put in the pit with these hungry lions, and even says to him, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” The king could not go back and remove the edict, so he spent the night fasting, and no sleep. He yearned for Daniel to be alive as he hurried to to the den of lions. I would not be surprised to know; if it could be known; that Daniel slept all night in peace.

What did the king find when he arrived at the den? He found Daniel alive and well, without a single scratch or injury of any kind.

Lions show no mercy. There are many times in Scripture that “lions”is used referring to mighty, and wicked rulers of nations, but not here. These lions were the big, furry beast that roar loudly, and have big claws in their feet. The only reason these hungry beast did not kill and eat Daniel is that God had mercy, closed the mouths  of these lions, and thusly was merciful to him.

What can we learn from Daniel’s time with the lions? First of all, we can learn to be faithful; even though he knew of the edict, he continued praying to the One God whom he faithfully served. Secondly, we can learn that God is the Sovereign of the universe, He is creator, and in control of all things, even the mouths of hungry lions.

Just as his three friends – Hanniah, Mishsael, and Azariah had been delivered from Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace, so also is Daniel delivered. Only God can do such.

I pray that when I am faced with making such decisions in tough situations I will have the strength, and the faith to stand for the Lord, as did his three friends, and Daniel.

The thing that must be known is that these stories are more than just stories, they are not just historical record, they are God’s truth, and He shows us how we ought to live. The first thing we need to do is to believe God, and His word. If we believe His word, we will believe the words of His Son Jesus Christ. The following are the words of Jesus, believe Him,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” John 3:16-20

Believe Him, and all your sins are forgiven, and you receive eternal life.

 

The Glory of the LORD’S House

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Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.  And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.  And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.  So the Spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.  And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.  And He said unto me, “Son of man, the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and My holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.  In their setting of their threshold by My thresholds, and their post by My posts, and the wall between Me and them, they have even defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in Mine anger.  Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.  And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”
Ezekiel 43:1-12

 

Back In Their Land Forever

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There is a day coming when Israel will return to their land, all of it, for God has said so, and what ever GOD has said will come  to pass. Yes there has already been a partial fulfillment of His word. The nation of Israel had been all but forgotten except by God, and the Nation of Israel came to be once again in 1948 May of that year. Hear the word of the LORD…

And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them.  And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and My servant David shall be their prince for ever.  Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
Ezekiel 37:24-28

God has made everlasting covenants with Abraham, Israel, and David. He has promised Abraham an everlasting  people. He has promised Israel an everlasting land, and He has promised David rule over the kingdom of Israel forever more.

Why does the above verses mention David as king and David as prince. The Messiah of Israel is to rule as King, and the Messiah is a descendant of David, His name is Jesus the Christ (Messiah) the son of God, and descendant of David.  The rightful eternal King, shall reign forever and forever.

It is believed by some that David the prince is speaking of the son of Jesse, who is David the king of Israel with whom GOD made the eternal covenant. David the king of Israel in ancient days, will sit beside King Jesus, in Jerusalem in days yet to come. O what a glorious time that will be.

When you are born again through faith in Jesus Christ and His work or grace on the cross of Calvary, then you will have an eternal spot with Jesus as well. The way to be born again is by receiving God’s gift of grace which is displayed by Jesus, taking our sin, becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) taking the wrath of God in our behalf and dying, and He was buried taking our sins away, and then He rose again, and came out of that tomb alive. Believe Him, and be born again.

Israel Will Dwell Safely In Their Land

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Thus saith the Lord GOD; “When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”
Ezekiel 28:25-26

It is God’s word. He has spoken and it will be done.

The LORDS Name Is Wonderful

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“And I gave them My statutes, and shewed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.  Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness: they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, ‘I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.’  But I wrought for My name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.  Yet also I lifted up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.  Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.”
Ezekiel 20:10-17

The LORDS name is wonderful for many reasons. Be sure to read the verses, and the chapter it is in; as well as the chapter before and after (chapters 19 and21.

Let us see what the LORD says;

  1.  He is speaking of His deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage; reminding the captives where they came from – it was by the LORDS hand;
  2.  He had given them judgments, statutes, and Sabbaths to do which made them a chosen, and different kind of people;
  3.  If they were to do them, they needed too live by those judgments, statutes, and remember the Sabbaths;
  4.  Israel rebelled against the LORD, and He could have destroyed them;
  5.  But He did not because of His name.

The Lord GOD’S name is a wonderful, marvelous, glorious name. He is trust worthy, and worthy of praise. That is why His name should never be used vainly or in anger.

GOD desires that the whole world know that He is the LORD. Egypt found that out when each of the plagues showed the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods. The LORD is telling us here that He did not destroy Israel, because it would look as if God failed to really deliver Israel from bondage.  He did that for His name’s sake, not for Israel’s sake, but for His own name. His name is holy, righteous, just, also loving, merciful, and gracious.

The most awesome and glorious of His name; if any of His names are better than another; that name is Jesus who is the Christ who is the Incarnation of God who came to earth.

God’s name means so much to Him that you and I can trust that whatever He has said will happen, it will happen. The Old Testament tells us many times about One who would come as their Messiah, even telling that He would die cruelly, horridly, a very ugly death. Read Isaiah 52 – 53. Jesus is that One. God also tells that He would rise from the dead, and be an Everlasting King reigning the world from Jerusalem,

His name is wonderful, His name is wonderful, His name is Jesus. I pray that you the reader of this is already a follower of Jesus Christ, that you are growing day by day in prayer and in the reading and study of the word of God, The Holy Bible.

The LORD will never allow anything He has spoken fail. His salvation is forever, and is found only through Jesus Christ. Call out to Jesus, and He will hear you, and save you.

HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL.

The LORD God’s Judgment Has Purpose

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For thus saith the Lord GOD; “How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.  And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it,” saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 14:21-23

How can I say that? That is basically what the word of God says above. He does withhold judgment from His people. In Hebrews 12:8 it is written, “But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakes, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

The LORD always has a purpose for all that He does, and all that He allows. It is only because of His love and grace that the human race; Adam’s race has not been destroyed. It is also by His mercy and grace that evil has been kept somewhat at a level of sanity for most of us.

What was God’s purpose for judging Israel and Judah, sending them back into captivity? Are you ready for the answer? It does not take too many words to say it. For a multitude of years God continued to love them, protect, enrich them; and they reached a level of self awareness, desiring to be god themselves, making their own way, doing their own thing. God sent prophets morning and evening to the spiritual leaders warning them to turn back to God, and they would not obey. Therefore they were destroyed by sword, famine, noisome beasts, and pestilence. He delivered those who obeyed. God saved their lives.

The greatest love, mercy, and grace God has shown to all of us is when He sent His Son to die in our place. You see, none of us can obey Gods commandments without help. We all want to go our own way, but that leads to death. God provided the way through the propitiation of Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. If Jesus Christ had not taken my place and your place on the cross we would have died and burned in Hell. Christ becoming sin for us bore all the wrath of God for all our sin, died, was buried carrying our sins away, the then He rose again. Now when we come to God through Christ Jesus we have eternal life now. Call on the name of Jesus and be saved to eternal life.

Captives Hear the LORD’S Word

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Captives may hear the good news of God’s word, but will they believe and do the will of God? That is the question for myself as well as you the reader. The following is a promise from GOD, of their return to Him, and they to their land of promise as well.

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
“Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads,” saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 11:14-21

Note that the LORD says, “I will be to them a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.”

The LORD God is our shelter, our comfort, our strength; a very present help in our time of need; no matter what situation we are in in life.

There is only hope for salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ who died on the cross, was buried, and He rose again. He is returning soon. Be ready by calling on His name.

Called To Know God Is The LORD

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And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
“Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD;’ Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.   And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.  In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.”
Thus saith the Lord GOD; “Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, ‘Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.’  He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.  So will I stretch out My hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 6:1-14

These are possibly the people of Israel who were first taken captive to Babylon. Ezekiel, a priest, is called by God, the LORD to be His prophet to those captives. He tells them what the LORD is saying. It is grim, but there is light for them as well.

Why does the LORD God have such wrath against those whom He often calls His people? They had fallen into a life of luxury, ease, and full of  themselves, and loved their things and worshiped foreign idols. They had turned their backs on God, rejecting His continued warnings. In there sin they are not a vibrant witness for Him. He is holy, righteous and just; and He sees the greater harm that sin is doing to His people.

I believe it was Charles H. Spurgeon said, “God never allows His children to sin successfully.” That is certainly so of all Israel. It is also true of the follower, disciple of Jesus Christ. There is great chastisement for the child of God who turns their back on God.

There is a phrase all through the Bible. It seems that Ezekiel uses it far more than all the other books combined. That phrase is “You (or They) shall know that I am the LORD.” It is used four times in these fourteen verses. Why does He use this phrase so many times? I have one answer to that question, and that is because the LORD God wants the world to know that He is the LORD God.

He has made that possible by sending His Son Jesus Christ to pay the blood sacrifice on the cross, His burial, and resurrection. When you receive Him through faith you will know that He is the LORD, and you will desire to sin no more, because you have received the Spirit of Christ Jesus, and now your hearts desires have changed.

God is calling you to receive Him today by grace through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

 

New Every Morning

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It is a wonderful thing to know that the LORD God’s mercies are new every morning. That is when you know that He is your portion, the One who is the major part of your life.

Hear the word of the LORD.

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.  The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.  It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Lamentations 3:22-27

Just a short read for today. God bless you and may you have a godly day, and always remember that God showed His love for us through the death of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, His burial, and resurrection. Receive Him and believe Him.

The Place You Desire To Go

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Do we listen to the word of the LORD? Do we hear the word of the LORD? Do I really want to know the will of God? Do you? When we know the will of God, do I do it?

Are we like the people in the following verses of Scripture in Jeremiah? They came to the prophet asking him to pray for them concerning staying in Judea, and whatever God told them through the prophet they would do.

Hear the word of the LORD.

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, “Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) that the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.” Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, “I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.  Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”  And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.
Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, and said unto them, “Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before Him; if ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent Me of the evil that I have done unto you.  Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him,” saith the LORD: “for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.  And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. but if ye say, ‘We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, saying,’ No;’ ‘but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:’ and now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.”
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; “As Mine anger and My fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall My fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.” The LORD hath said concerning you, “O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt:” know certainly that I have admonished you this day.  For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.’  And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which He hath sent me unto you. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.”
Jeremiah 42:1-22

 

He Thought He Had Destroyed It

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Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words.
Jeremiah 36:32

In chapter 36 of the prophecy of Jeremiah, the LORD God had commanded Jeremiah to write in a scroll all the words that He had said to him. He called Baruch to be his writer, and Jeremiah spoke to Baruch all that the LORD had said.

When the scroll was finished Jeremiah sent Baruch to read it to the nobles of Jerusalem; because he himself was imprisoned. Baruch took the words as Jeremiah had said, he read it to the people he was told to. They heard, and said they would take it to the king Jehoiakim. They did, and he did not like what he heard. It was the word of God to a vile and wicked king, who evidently thought that if he burned it then he would need to be concerned about it. He cut it into pieces and threw it in the fire, and thought he had rid himself of these annoying prophecies of war, capture, captivity, and destruction to the  city.

Folks, you can ignore it. You can hate it. You can even work to try and destroy it; but the word of the LORD endures forever.

After the king destroyed the scroll of the word of the LORD, the LORD commanded Jeremiah to write it again. He did, and many more words were added as the LORD commanded.

Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in Heaven.” Jesus said, “Heaven and Earth will pass away; but My words will not pass away (Matthew 24:35). So if you choose to go ahead, and not believe in and trust the Lord Jesus Christ you do so at your own peril. His word, all of it shall come to pass just as He has said.

The LORD has a Son whom He sent to be our sin-bearer, and take the wrath and judgment of our sin for us. The word of the LORD tells us this.  A sinless, innocent, Man died for the sinful, evil,  guilty, of the whole world. That includes you and me. Call on Him today and be delivered from sin, death, and Hell.

 

In A Foreign Land

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Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.   For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; “Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.  For they prophesy falsely unto you in My name: I have not sent them,” saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:5-9

As a follower of Jesus Christ, a student of His word, and always praying to be faithful to Him and His word, I am a foreigner in  a foreign land. I  mean by that that I am a citizen of the Land of Beulah also  called Heaven or Glory, and I am a citizen of the country of which I was born into – the United States of America. I was born into this Nation  and into a family where several generations of people of my lineage had been born as well.

Yet, I see myself as a foreigner. Why? Because this world is not my home. My desire is to be in the place where my Lord lives. Do I love the Nation in which I live, and reside? Most certainly I do. I also love my family, and I am praying that they have that same desire to be nearer our Lord and Savior that I do; or even greater than I.

You may be wondering what does that have to do with the Bible text? Many, if not all the people of Judah who were taken captive to Babylon were probably ones who had heard the word of the LORD through the prophet Jeremiah when Babylon was there at or near Jerusalem; “To save your lives you need to go out and give yourselves up to Babylon.” Jeremiah was accused of treason, and no one would hear the word of the LORD. Some did, but were taken to a foreign land.

The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from which our text comes from giving them good advice for surviving in a foreign land, and it is purposeful advice for any follower of Jesus Christ in any day.

When you are bound in a foreign land, by captivity or other reasons then live your life in light of God’s word.

  1. Build houses and live in them;
  2. Plant gardens, and eat the fruits of it;
  3. Get married and have children;
  4. Take wives for your sons, and husbands for your daughters;
  5. Do these things so that you will not wilt away;
  6. Seek for the peace of the city where you are, for in their peace you will have peace;
  7. Do not listen to or heed the words of false prophets who have dreams to lead you away from the truth.

As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, we are to live according to the direction the LORD leads us, and to build, and plant, and wed of the opposite sex, have children – lest we be diminished. We ought always seek peace with God, and our neighbor, our city, rural area, or where ever we might live.

There is much warning in the Prophets of listening to the prophets who tell people they are speaking the word  of the LORD, when they actually telling lies to develop a following for themselves. Do not hear them. Do not be deceived.

Jesus said, “Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:13). That simply means keep doing what you are supposed to be doing, until I come again. As Believers, followers of the crucified,  buried, and risen Lord Jesus Christ we ought to see the great need for repentance in many coming back to faith who have been unfaithful; and calling others to receive the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

Do you know Him? He died in your place, taking the wrath of God that should have been you receiving it. Call on His name, and ask Him to save you.

…They shall return to Me…

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Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
“Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.  For I will set Mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.”
Jeremiah 24:4-7

Is it important to you; or is it important to us that when someone tells us they are going to do something good for us, that, they will do it? To many of us it is almost a top priority for people to do what they say they are going to do.

Humanity is fickle. We are all a bit or maybe  a lot fickle. That is not a word I use a lot, but it describes the way many of us are in life; easy to change, disloyal . You get the idea.

Why do I bring that up? Because the LORD God is not fickle. Neither was His Son Jesus Christ. God is constant, consistent, faithful, loyal, trustworthy, and He never lies; because He is Truth. Whatever contradicts Truth is a lie.

In our text for the day we have the LORD speaking to Jeremiah, asking him, “What do you see? The prophet answers “Two baskets of figs.” We notice in reading those verses that one basket has good figs, and one has bad figs.

Remember now that Jeremiah has warned the king and the people of Judah that in order for them to survive this judgment from God they needed to go out of the city and surrender to Nebuchadnezer king of Babylon who has the city of Jerusalem surrounded. The promise of returning to their land is given to the people who go out at the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah.

Of course the “Bad figs” represent the ones who refused to hear and do the word of the LORD.

Note also the promise of  a new heart. “They shall return to Me with their whole heart.” They will not be fickle about their faith in God, will be loyal and faithful to Him by hearing and being obedient to His word. They will also be “Built and not torn down,” and “Planted and not plucked up,” meaning that God will bless them in what they do; He will bless their building and their planting. The LORD also says of them, “I will be their God; and they will be My people.” The LORD will be faithful and do what He has said He will do.

The words of this prophecy was partially fulfilled by the return of the first set of captives who returned after Cyrus gave the edict for Ezra to go and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Did they return to the LORD with their “Whole heart?” Not really. The LORD has had many years to work in their lives to get them to the place to recognize their Messiah. Jesus the Christ (Messiah), was known to His people then, as Jesus of Nazareth. They hated Jesus, and with the help of the Gentile nation of Rome crucified Him on a cruel and rugged cross. They cannot, neither can anyone else, return to GOD with their whole heart, until they have received Jesus as their Messiah, the incarnation of God. That is when He gives you that new heart.

Yes, Jesus died on that cross for the sins of the whole world, and He was buried in a borrowed tomb, and He rose again defeating Satan, death, and Hell. That same Jesus will be returning. Has He given you that new heart? I pray so. If not call on His name now, before it is too late.

 

The Potter and The Clay

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Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel.  At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”
Jeremiah 18:5-10

A potter is one who makes pottery from clay. Sometimes by shaping in their hands alone into the image they desire it to be. Sometimes the potter uses a flat surfaced wheel that required, in Jeremiah’s day, the potters fee to keep the wheel spinning around, and the potter would use his hands to form the pottery into bowls, vases, platters; you get the idea. I know very little about it myself. I have watched potters doing their work, and were quite good at it.

The LORD has spoken to the prophet and commanded him to go down to the potter. The  LORD uses this as a matter for teaching Jeremiah, and us of GOD’S sovereignty and authority to do with His people as He pleases, for His name’s sake, and for His honor and glory.

When we get to the place where we know and understand, trusting the LORD God is in our own best interests, then we will have  the desires of God’s own heart. The Bible says in Psalm 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” We will be the better for it, be in the will of God, and be at peace with Him. With our neighbor’s, friends, and enemies as well.

In our text for the day we see that God is sovereign over all the affairs of Adam kind; even all the governments, and kingdoms of creation. He sets up kings and kingdoms; and He pulls them down. It is the same in each individual. When we get to a place that we think we are in control, then, He will overrule to show us the truth of the matter.

As God sent His Son for a visit to earth through the normal means for a man to come into the world; except He was born of a virgin; He came to intervene by dying to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ willingly left the glory of Heaven, and the throne of Glory to become a flesh and blood man, so that He might become our sin, and take the wrath of God for us. That is how much God loves us.

God loves you. He desires that you trust in Him, know Him, and live for Him. Repent of your sins, turn to Christ Jesus and be saved today. Then trust Him through your everyday life.

Horses and Floods

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If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
Jeremiah 12:5-6

The prophet had a talk with the LORD. He was asking the LORD God questions similar to questions people ask in this day and age. Why do the wicked prosperous and happy? Why do the righteous suffer? Why don’t God just deal with such wickedness in the world?

The LORD’S answer was probably not what Jeremiah wanted to hear.  The LORD knows the prophet’s heart and soul and mind. The prophet whom God called to be a prophet, out of the priesthood, was not comfortable being a prophet confronting his family, friends, and others of the priesthood who had departed from the LORD. He did not understand.

The LORD’S words to Jeremiah was “If running with the footmen or soldiers wearies you then how are you going to do with men on horses?” God is telling him that if he cannot handle matters of men only, then how will he be able to handle men on the tougher things of life. Also God ask him, “If in your land of peace, which you trust, they have wearied you, then how will you stand in the swelling of the Jordan? The  LORD is telling Jeremiah, “If you cannot handle dealing with your own family then how will you deal with the arrogance and pride of the royalties of the lands?”

God had big plans for Jeremiah, and He has big plans for the lives of every Christian today. Let us not walk in fear, but in faith. Trusting the Lord our God with the questions and problems of life. The Him handle the problems and situations we do not understand.

When we are walking with God, that is, in the power of His Spirit, being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18ff), then we will be able to deal with men on horses, and the pride and arrogance of those who have forsaken the LORD, and those who hate God’s messengers.

You can have the Holy Spirit only from trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior who died for your sins, was buried and He rose again. After He ascended into heaven, having revealed  Himself to a multitude of people, He sent His Spirit to dwell in all who believed. Those who have the Holy Spirit are His. He is the One who draws us to Jesus Christ for Salvation. He is the One who reveals things in the Scriptures to our hearts and minds. He is the one who convicts us when we sin, comforts us when we grieve over our sin, and counsels us and gives us the wisdom of God.

Do you know Jesus? If you do not, would you join us  in this great salvation by calling on  the name of  Jesus the Christ of God?

A Change Is Coming

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For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.  For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
Isaiah 62:1-5

A change is coming for God’s people of Zion. I do not believe in “Replacement Theology” which is the replacing Israel [Zion] with the Church, and making all the promises of Israel now being promises to the Church. Those of you who believe that; do you also accept the curses God warns Israel about? (Leviticus 26:14-26).

These verses from Isaiah 62 are promise to Israel of a change that is coming. It has not occurred yet; but that change is coming.

The LORD God loves the people of Israel, and one day they will become, not Forsaken, but Hephzibah or “My Delight”. God’s Delight will be Israel, and their land called, “My Bride.” Yes Israel shall have a remnant return unto the LORD, and He will make them His wife forever more

How will this take place? Only God knows for sure. It seems to me He gives us clues to how it will happen though. Israel will go through a time that the prophet Jeremiah calls the time of Jacob’s trouble,

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Jeremiah 30:7

It will be a period of time when the Church (all those who are born again) will no longer be on earth, but will be with the LORD. Near the end of that time of their trouble, a remnant will have their hearts changed, “They will look on the One whom they pierced,” and they too will be saved, go into a new age of one thousand years, and receive all the promises that have not yet been fulfilled.

The born again are those who have been changed from a sinner (which includes all of us), into a saint (called so by God Himself, not by some man, or religious institution). To be born again is to realize and receive the marvelous grace of God He displayed on the cross through the death of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. He was buried, and He rose again.  He said, “I will come again.” Are you ready? All you need is to call on the name of Jesus, He will hear you and give you eternal life. For God’s sake, and your own call on Him now.