The Key is Obedience

Good morning to all on this Sunday morning. My last posting was on the Sunday after Violet's passing and I dare say that the past 2 weeks have been a whirl wind. Her brothers and sisters came from near and far as did her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Her memorial service was very touching and beautiful as the life of this woman was celebrated. I don't think it has quite hit Waine yet so please keep him in your prayers. I didn't even get to post my weekly Jeremiah blog entry because of the demands (good demands) of ensuring that our children and our obligations to Violet and her family were met. Waine and I had a great bonding time with all four of our children, Kai and Hailie and hosted a Sunday dinner for about 50 people. Funerals and weddings are a great time to catch up with family and friends. In lieu of flowers, Waine established a Violet Johnson-ABC memorial fund which anyone can access through http://www.abcardio.org/. Violet had atrial fibrillation for decades and if her passing can assist others, this would continue to honor the life of this remarkable woman who was eulogized by one of her son's as a woman "who never hid the talents that God gave her". What a wonderful tribute.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 21, verses 1-14 "The Word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: Inquire now of the LORD for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us. But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath. I will strike down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’ Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’ Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says to you, house of David: “‘Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it. I am against you, Jerusalem, you who live above this valley on the rocky plateau, declares the LORD— you who say, “Who can come against us? Who can enter our refuge? I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forests that will consume everything around you. Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

Here is what the Lord says, "I am setting before you the WAY of Life and the way of Death". This is a reference to the coming of Christ. In John 14:6, Christ declares that I am the Way, the Truth and the Light. No man comes to the Father but through me. God was telling the disobedient Israelites that although they would be conquered and would suffer because of their sins, there was still a way out. A path to secure life if they chose to take it. Even in their disobedience; even in His disappointment, God was providing a Way for the obedient to save themselves. It wasn't so much that delivering themselves into the hands of Babylonians would save them; the message to the Israelites was always that their OBEDIENCE would save them. Whether its their obedience to these particular instructions or their obedience to the instructions provided by God through His prophets, the key is obedience.

God desires that we have LIFE and have it more abundantly which is why Christ died for us while we were yet in SIN. The act of obedience to accept the sacrifice provided by Christ when He freely gave His life so that we could live, IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. On this hangs the balance of your life and my life. Violet went to sleep on Friday February 10th and never woke up on this side of Jordan. Hallelujah that she long ago had accepted Christ as her Savior so when she woke up on the other side of Jordan she was ready for the continuation of her life with Christ. Our job here on earth is to use our lives so that others can see Christ in it and also be ready whenever they are called to cross the River Jordan. That is an eventuality ofr all of us. We all have "one more River to cross". When we let out lives so shine that others will come to know God and to love God then our living is not in vain.

As you reflect on your obedience, I thank God that He never gives up on us. We are never lost and as we continue to step out on faith, His blessings are pressed down and multiplied. We are not to live in fear but break the bonds of fear through OBEDIENCE to His Word. As we approach this Advent season, know that God loves you and so do I.

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie

Fret Not! God Is With You Like a Mighty Warrior.

Happy and blessed Sunday to all! I am in Thomaston weathering temperatures of 30-37 degrees! I left sunny Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday with temperatures in the 80's! What a difference a couple of latitudes make! Our news of the week is that Waine's mother Violet went on to her new sunrise on February 11, 2012. I can honestly say that Violet received her roses while she was alive and she knew she was loved. She will be missed by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. My husband will miss his frequent visits to her to taste her humor and her cooking. We will memorialize Violet on Saturday the 18th of February and as I record this Bog entry her loved ones and family members are preparing to come into Atlanta from near and far.Please keep us in your prayers.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 20, verses 7-18 "You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the Word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, “I will not mention His Word or speak anymore in His Name, His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side! Denounce Him! Let’s denounce Him!”  All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, “Perhaps He will be deceived; then we will prevail over Him and take our revenge on Him.  But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. LORD Almighty, You who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, "A child is born to you—a son!” May that man be like the towns the LORD overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. For He did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

I had to read a commentary of verse 7 because I was not understanding why Jeremiah would accuse God of "deceiving" him. Apparently the Greek translation is "persuaded"; in other words God persuaded Jeremiah to be His prophet and as we have all discovered in these 20 chapters, Jeremiah was NOT without murmurings and laments as he went about his duties as God's prophet to a sinful Israel. He would go ahead and do as God instructed but God would hear about it. Which is good instructions for us. God doesn't mind that we lament; He minds that we lament and then become un-empowered. We focus on the terror and not on the revelation that "the Lord is with me as a mighty Warrior!" That statement at the beginning of  verse 11 starts with "but" which then negates all that has been said before that statement. "But" is a conjunction--it connects two thoughts in a contraction or contrary manner. Jeremiah was lamenting his trials in verses 7-10 and then realizes that despite the persecution he faced GOD REMAINED WITH HIM AS A MIGHTY WARRIOR!!!!!

When we are obedient to the commandments of God He has us covered. God will fight all the battles that befall you so you are free to continue to perform your Kingdom building activities. It is only when Satan can distract us from our duties involved in Kingdom building by "frustration", does he (Satan) win. We are to stay focused on the Cross; the place where all your battles have been fought and won. Be obedient such that God can do His work as your Mighty Warrior and not have to worry that you will run into the very sword that He is using for your enemies. Be bold in your faith and not worry about how the check gets covered. We are to step out in faith and let God work the rest for us. Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah!

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

God bless your daughter Violet who is now in your bosom.

Stephanie

Shaken but Not Stirred!

Good Sunday to all. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville, Georgia this weekend and it has been an eventful weekend for me. It started on Friday when I had to assist in the delivery of a 32 week old baby whose mother had taken methadone, marijuana and opiate before the delivery. The baby had to be supported for his respirations but is now fine but the mother is now in liver failure so please lift up both the mother and baby. Waine and I are off to Jamaica tomorrow; please pray God's traveling mercies for us. God is good all the time and His mercies endure even when we have given up. Thank God that He doesn't limit His blessing because of our doubt.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 20, verses 1-6 "When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the official in charge of the temple of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the LORD’s temple. The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD’s name for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side. For this is what the LORD says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. I will deliver all the wealth of this city into the hands of their enemies—all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies. " Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

Jeremiah is not backing off! That is very refreshing. He has, during the previous 19 chapters been at times, whinny, wimpy and scared. Today he has endured suffering and still got in Pashur's face with the prophecies of God. Basically, Jeremiah is telling Pashur that both he and his family will suffer at the hands of the enemy because of Pashur's persecution of Jeremiah who was obeying God and spreading the gospel as told by God. Jeremiah was bold because he knows that God is going to take of him. God does have his back! I think Jeremiah is realizing that calamity may befall him but God is still in control and will deliver him from the hands of the enemy. What a mighty lesson! God always has a 50,000 view of our circumstance. We at times get lost in the trees of doubt, confusions, frustration and disappointment AND God never loses site of the promise He has made to us, His people. When we are obedient to His commandments, you can trust that what you have asked will be brought to past even though you may not have the vantage point to see clearly. It is always ok to be shaken; we are only human. Just don't be stirred from your mission to love God with all your heart and mind and to love your neighbor as your self. God loves your obedient heart.

As you go about your week, be a blessing to others because God has your secured! Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie