You Can Run But You Can't Hide.

Good  morning to all on this wonderful Sunday morning. I just joined the 21st Century. My family bought me an iPad for Christmas and I just initiated my first face time. What a thrill to see my sister and her grandson and what a thrill to see my two littlest munchkins!! Technology is really something. Georgia continues to go through cold spells so you can't quite predict what to wear or how warm to dress. No snow for us but there was snow in the mountains.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 49 verses 1-39 " This is what the Lord says: Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad?  Why do his people live in its towns? But the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,” says the Lord. Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, Who will attack me? I will bring terror on you from all those around you, declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives. Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the Lord. 

 

This is what the Lord Almighty says: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time when I punish him. If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted?  But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say, Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me. This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. I swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.” I have heard a message from the Lord; an envoy was sent to the nations to say, Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!”

Now I will make you small among the nations, despised by mankind. The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns, says the Lord, so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it. Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.  Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me? Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.  Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

 

Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord Almighty. I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.

 

Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the Lord says: Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, Terror on every side! Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,” declares the Lord. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence, declares the Lord, a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger. Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side, declares the Lord. Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no people will dwell in it.” This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: This is what the Lord Almighty says: See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.  I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go. I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger, declares the Lord. I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials, declares the Lord. Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come, declares the Lord." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading nd hearing of his Word.

 

We are coming to the end of the book of Jeremiah and God is winding it up. For the better part of 40 chapters God has pleaded with Judah to stop their idol worship and because of their sin He has allowed their captivity by different cultures and tribes and every culture and tribe that has coveted Israel is now being destroyed because regardless of Israel's sins God's promises never waiver. Israel will be restored. God does not alter His response to us because of our sin--we are alienated from Him because of sin. Its like the concept of sunshine; just because the clouds hide the ability for us to see the sun does not alter the fact that the sun is still there. Likewise the sin of man blocks the ability of man to benefit from the relationship we have with God. God is so rock steady. You never have to wonder about Him. I had a devotional this week in Psalms 23:4 where David thanks God that His rod and staff were a comfort to David. When I have read and thought about that passage before I always focused on the fact that God's rod and staff was protecting David but this time I saw another meaning. God provides rods and staffs to not only protect us but also to assist us. When you take a walking stick on a journey it serves as a device to assist you in your footing. This is the nature of God through Jesus. As Christians we are the recipients of the Support that comes through Christ. Our Rod and Staff is Jesus who not only beats off our enemies but also supports us! Hallelujah!

 

When I testify that God is real and an on time God some of my friends smile and say "I am glad you are on a spiritual journey"; unbelievers think I am delusional; some people may wonder why I talk about Jesus so much. My experience with God daily is that He wants me to involve Him in EVERY aspect of my life that IS IMPORTANT TO ME AT THE TIME IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME. If I need help with a parking space I pray for one. If I need help with making payroll I pray for it. If I need help with recruiting staff I pray for it. God knows me and and deals with me JUST THE WAY I AM. He doesn't demean my needs or my prayers, He just deals with them which frees my up to think and dwell on the more important things of life--how to love Him with all my heart and soul and then to love my neighbor as God has loved us. He takes care of everything else when we turn it over to Him!

 

When you come to know God you can't help but love Him. When you really come to know Him, you are compelled to tell everyone about this GREAT God who takes care of every detail; who is always good on His promises;whose love is not based on anything we can do or say because it is based on His promise to us. His love is so pure and rich; you can't run from it or hide from it! Hallelujah!

 

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

 

 

 



Judgement and Restoration

Good morning to all on this glorious Sunday morning. For whatever reason, God woke me up early this morning so I am fresh and in a state of thankfulness. Waine and I are in Thomaston this weekend and he is getting over the flu. He said this is the 1st day he has felt like his old self in about a week. we have been seeing a lot of flu in Thomaston and my little patients are so sick. Thank God my staff and I have remained well.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 48 verses 1 - 47, " This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the stronghold will be disgraced and shattered. Moab will be praised no more; in Heshbon people will plot her downfall: Come, let us put an end to that nation. You, the people of Madmen, will also be silenced; the sword will pursue you. Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim, cries of great havoc and destruction. Moab will be broken; her little ones will cry out.  They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping bitterly as they go; on the road down to Horonaim anguished cries over the destruction are heard. Flee! Run for your lives;   become like a bush in the desert. Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the Lord has spoken. Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste^; her towns will become desolate, with no one to live in them. A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed! Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another—she has not gone into exile.So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. But days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will send men who pour from pitchers, and they will pour her out; they will empty her pitchers and smash her jars. Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel. How can you say, ‘We are warriors, men valiant in battle’? Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,”declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty. The fall of Moab is at hand; her calamity will come quickly. Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter, how broken the glorious staff! Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground, you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon, for the one who destroys Moab will come up against you
and ruin your fortified cities. Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping, ask them, ‘What has happened?’ Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered. Wail and cry out! Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. Judgment has come to the plateau—to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath, to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, to Kerioth and Bozrah—to all the towns of Moab, far and near. Moab’s horn is cut off; her arm is broken,” declares the Lord. Make her drunk, for she has defied the Lord. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule. Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her? Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave. We have heard of Moab’s pride—how great is her arrogance! How great  is her insolence, her pride, her conceit and the haughtiness of her heart. I know her insolence but it is futile, declares the Lord, and her boasts accomplish nothing. Therefore I wail over Moab, for all Moab I cry out, I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth. I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,
you vines of Sibmah. Your branches spread as far as the sea^; they reached as far as Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes. Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy. Although there are shouts, they are not shouts of joy. The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz, from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up. In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods, declares the Lord. So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe; it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone. Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered with sackcloth. On all the roofs in Moab and in the public squares there is nothing but mourning, for I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants,” declares the Lord. How shattered she is! How they wail! How Moab turns her back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule, an object of horror to all those around her.” This is what the Lord says: Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab.  Kerioth will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the Lord. Terror and pit and snare await you, you people of Moab,” declares the Lord. Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year of her punishment,”declares the Lord. In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon; it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the noisy boasters. Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come,” declares the Lord. Here ends the judgment on Moab. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of his Word. Amen.

 

Wow, I really had to do some research on this chapter to understand the significance of Moab and their relationship to God and the Israelites. This is what I found. The Moabites were the result of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his older daughter. Lot, as we remember, was Abraham's nephew and was rescued in the nick of time from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. From that point forward whenever you hear of the Moabites in the Bible, you will know that some sort of calamity will follow because as you remember Lot and his family were involved in some sort of pagan god worhsiping and had gotten caught up in the life style of the peole of Sodom and Gomorrah. He and his family were saved because of the Promise God made to Abraham. Lot was always a contenuous person, very jealous of the blessings given to Abraham however from the Moabites came Ruth and thus King David which is a testament that God always brings good out of evil. From the lineage of David comes Christ, the Messiah. Ruth was unique in that she was willing to give up her pagan gods for the one true God. She loved Naomi so much that she was willing to leave her homeland and go to Israel, a land where she would be despised. As you follow the Moabites through the Bible to the time of the Judges, God uses them, like He used the Philistines, to punish the Israelites when they fall away. When the Israelites call out to God, He brings forth a judge to rescue them from their oppressors and this chapter in Jeremiah describes the destruction of the Moabites.

 

This theme of Judgement and Restoration is also applicable in the lives of Christians but in a slightly different way. We are protected from judgement because of the Blood of Jesus--however I think we need restoration on a constant basis. We are free of the Judgement of God because as Christians we have declared that there is only One and True God--Jehovah. We acknowledge that Christ is Lord and is the Only way to be free of the Judgement of God and restored to God as was intended when God created us. We also know that when we sin, we are not in the presence of God because God and sin cannot exist in the same plane, so when we ask God for forgiveness of our sins we are then restored to God, not unto salvation which has been secured forever, but unto Blessings. When we are restored we are free to receive the Blessings that come from God. Hallelujah!! Christ taught us this lesson when He taught us how to pray and on a Daily basis.

 

"Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom Come, They will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for Thine is the Kingdom and the Glory FOREVER and Amen!" Be blessed today as you welcome the restoration of the Father and your protection from judgement by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus!!

 

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

 
 

 



God's Unchanging Hand!

Good morning to all on this glorious day that the Lord has Made. Waine and I are in Atlanta this weekend and it has been a glorious weekend. The temperatures have been in the 70's and as I write this blog my beloved it cleaning our Koi pond. Have to love a man who cleans you Koi pond on a Sunday. So many memories in this home; Waine remarks that I have every thing just the way I want it and that is true.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 47 verses 1-7, "This is the Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza: This is what the Lord says: See how the waters are rising in the north; they will become an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and everything in it, the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out;
all who dwell in the land will wail at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Parents will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp. For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. You remnant on the plain, how long will you cut yourselves? Alas, sword of the Lord,  how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.  But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when He has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?" Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

Wow! One of the wonderful things about God is that He keeps His Word 100% of the time. He promised Abraham that his seed would become a mighty nation and that no nation that opposed them would be spared. And thus the destruction of the Philistines at the hands of Egypt another enemy of Israel. God's plan of action is coming forth even as He disciplines the tribe of Judah. God is ensuring the future of Judah because this is the tribe from whence Christ will arrive so even though the Israelites are now in captivity in Egypt, God is making a way! Even with us, God's unchanging hand never waivers. We may waiver but God's promises never waiver. Remember Christ died for us while we were SINNERS so whatever is going on in your life that you think is blocking you from the Love of God, rebuke it and tell Satan that he is a liar because nothing can keep you from the love of God. Hallelujah! God is such a powerful and loving God; ever when we stray He still loves us and will welcome us back. He loves us so much that He died for our sins. Remember this lesson when you are frustrated this week. God's plan for your life is still in play!

 

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

Sin is Messy!!

Good morning to all on the 1st Sunday of the New Year. Waine and I want to wish all of you a spirit filled and prosperous new year. May God lead you and your family to new heights. May your health and the health of your family be elevated and may God grant you the desires of your heart. When you think about it, God doesn't celebrate years--as the Alpha and the Omega time is neither linear or horizontal. Time is existence in His all encompassing LOVE. As continue in His love this year be the LIFE that you often sing about.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 46 verses 1-28, " This is the Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor! What do I see? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are defeated. They flee in haste without looking back, and there is terror on every side,” declares the Lord. The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall. Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters? Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters. She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth; I will destroy cities and their people. Charge, you horses! Drive furiously, you charioteers! March on, you warriors—men of Cush and Put who carry shields, men of Lydia who draw the bow. But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty— a day of vengeance, for vengeance on His foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you. The nations will hear of your shame; your cries will fill the earth. One warrior will stumble over another; both will fall down together. This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt: “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol; proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes: ‘Take your positions and get ready, for the sword devours those around you.’ Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down. They will stumble repeatedly; they will fall over each other. They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back to our own people and our native lands, away from the sword of the oppressor.’ There they will exclaim, Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity.’ As surely as I live,” declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty, one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, like Carmel by the sea. Pack your belongings for exile, you who live in Egypt, for Memphis will be laid waste and lie in ruins without inhabitant. Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but a gadfly is coming against her from the north. The mercenaries in her ranks are like fattened calves. They too will turn and flee together, they will not stand their ground, for the day of disaster is coming upon them, the time for them to be punished. Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees. They will chop down her forest, declares the Lord, dense though it be. They are more numerous than locusts, they cannot be counted. Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, given into the hands of the people of the north. The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord. Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord. Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished. Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of his Word.

 

Another fine mess SIN and disobedience has gotten the children of Israel, the tribe of Judah, in to. You would think that the children of Israel would have learned their lesson by now. God has admonished them through prophets and kings and still they seek answers in idolatry and other leaders. But that is how sin is. Sin seems not to have a memory. When we are living through hard times as a consequence of sin or just hard times, man ultimately turns his thinking toward Heaven. Even atheists ponder why a loving God would allow calamity, which is why they don't have a belief in the Divine. What human kind forgets is that destruction is a NATURAL consequence of SIN. Sin will lead to destruction just like fire will produce a burn. The nature of sin is to destroy.

 

The nature of God is to build and prosper. The twin towers of GRACE and MERCY are to provide prosperity and peace. So why does human kind turn their face from God. Well just like these lost people from the tribe of Judah that went to Egypt when God told them not to, Satan the father of Sin will have you believe that your way of thinking is the best way of thinking. That you should be the ruler of your own life. That the most important thing is YOU. That is what caused Adam and Eve to disobey God. They understood and experienced the LOVE of God in the GARDEN. They KNEW God was love--they however did not understand the NATURE of God. God cannot exist in the same space as sin. He will turn His face from it and when He turns His face from us we are exposed to the calamity that exists because of sin. This is what the Egyptians and the Judites were going to experience here shortly--the natural consequence of SIN is death and destruction. Now some may read this passage and wonder how a loving God could foretell so much death and violence. Well God, for one, truly understands Satan and is not fooled by him (Satan). God knows that the natural consequence of turning to Satan will be death and destruction AND God always provides a Life Line. In our age this Life Line is Jesus the Christ. All men have to do is believe that Christ is the bridge back to God and accept this GIFT of Life with Christ. There will be a day of reckoning. I believe by faith that I will cross over Jordan with Christ and while here on this side will be sheltered from the calamity that exists. Our job as Christians is to preach this good news so that others may come to now the God of Jesus. In 2013 will that be your mission?

 

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