The Choice is Yours!

Good morning to all on this Sunday morning! God is in His heaven and all is right with the world. If you don't have this perspective then ask God to help focus your attention on your blessings! It is the first Sunday in July and July 1st. One-half of the year is already passed us and for Waine and I it has been an exciting 2012! There have been opportunities and challenges; the challenges continue to cement us as a unit and the opportunities just shower blessings on us. I know the plans that God has for me and my family; plans for propserity and hope and God is NOT man that He should lie. Hallelujah!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 29, verses 24-32, "Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons. So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?  He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:  “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.’” Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says to all of us , "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Satan and his minions will have us believe otherwise, just has Shemaiah tried to do. There are many among us that will try and tell you what the will of God is for your life. They will preach from the Word but then put their own spins to it. The Word of God is clear to those that believe. It needs no interpretation. God means what He saids in His Word and tells us to hide His Words in our Heart so that we will not be led a stray by the Great Deceiver, satan. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge or they would surley die. Satan comes along and then interprets this commandment to Eve who buys it hook, line and SINKER. God meant what He said to Adam and Eve and His Words are still true today. He commands us to love Him with all of our hearts and be obedient to His other Commandment to love our brothers as God has loved us. On these two GREAT Commandments hang ALL the laws of heaven and earth. When we love God we have a true desire to serve Him and to tell everyone about Him. It is not enough to be a good person; we have to be a Spirit filled, born again good person to fight the good fight against the evil one. Satan wants the world to believe that a Benevolent God would not allow so many people to perish. Well what Jeremiah has taught me is that God is not only benevolent, He is long-suffering and gives the world many chances to repent. But when the time is up it is up. God cannot exist in the same space as sin and so when your number gets punched and you die in sin, never having confessed Christ as Lord, the consequence of that decision is an eternity without God. The choice was yours and your chose unwisely.

Don't believe the Shemaiahs of this world. Believe that God is not man that He should lie. He has told us that we must confessour sins and then accept Christ as Lord. A grieving world needs this message. God has a plan of prosperity for all you acccept it. Our jobs as Christians is to get the Word out!

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

Stephanie

I Know the Plans I have For YOU!!

Good morning to all on this glorious Sunday morning. Waine and I have already been up walking and exercising, enjoying each other's company and thanking God for all our blessings. There is so much to thank God for--our children who are all successful and healthy; our grandchildren who bring joy into our lives; and after 24 years the joy of waking up together. God is truly good!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 29, verses 1-23, "This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.  (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)  He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.   I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. For they have not listened to my words,” declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord. Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.’ For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,” declares the Lord.

We have traveled with Jeremiah for 28 chapters; chapters filled with stories of the disobedience by the children of Israel; their chastisement by God; their enslavement by King Nebuchandnezzar and still God did not turn His back on the promise made to Abraham. God NEVER turns His back on a Promise. It is not in His nature. He tells us that He knows the plan He has for each of us. The Plan is for PROSPERITY; God's Promise does not include any harm for you. So why do so many Christians find themselves in harm's way? Because we forget the Promise!! We begin to focus on the circumstances that surround us as Peter did when he walked out on the sea to meet Jesus. He took his eyes off God and got caught up in his circumstance and then became afraid. Fear is what Satan uses to distract us from the Promise. Actually when you get frightened with all the "what-ifs" of life that the time to STOP and FOCUS on the PROMISE. When I focus on the Promise of my prosperity, I get calm; I have clear thinking and confidence; I become bold in my pronouncements of God's promises for my prosperity. I count on God and not on man and what man can do for me. Even in the face of disappointment I maintain that God's promise for me is one of prosperity and that is what I trust. My faith is the evidence of God's Promise. My circumstances is the evidence of my faith. As my faith soars so does my circumstance of prosperity.

Claim your Circumstance of Prosperity and look to God to deliver what He says. He is not man that He should lie so look for your prosperity daily! Do not believe in the devil for he is a liar; proven over and over again. Have a blessed day and now may the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;  aythe Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace!

Stephanie

Good morning to all from Kingston, Jamaica. Waine and I are here on a little holiday and much needed rest. The weather of course is gorgeous!! Waine and his brother Earl were able to lay their mother to rest on our little farm next to her mother and we were able to attend the wedding of Waine's cousin so it has been a fun, filled and packed couple of days. We went to the beach yesterday and it was very windy but we still had fun.

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 27 verses 1-17. I had actually read this passage a couple of weeks ago but then had to research it because it just seemed confusing to me. I had to re-read it several times but I think I have the gist now.  "Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.  All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him. If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand.  So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’  They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish.  But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the Lord. I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.   Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. ‘I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.  Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you.  Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin?  If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord, let them plead with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon.  For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea, the movable stands and the other articles that are left in this city,  which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin  son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place." Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of his Word.

I had to read this several times because I couldn't figure out why God was purposely telling Jeremiah to predict the subjugation of the people of Judah. When I read the concordances I figured out that God had to distinguish Himself and His prophet Jeremiah from all the false prophets that were out there preaching teachings that were not sanctioned by God. God also knew that only the faithful would obey His commandment to willingly subjugate themselves into the hands of a nation that did not believe in the true God Jehovah. You really had to have faith in God to trust that you would be protected! Just like the three (3) Hebrew boys,  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had unwavering faith in the power of God to deliver on His promises to keep them safe, the people of God of Jeremiah's times also had to learn trust and obedience.

One of the lessons I am learning is obedience and trust. God's promises are true and can be trusted. What I think happens is that we think His promises must occur on our time table. God's promises always happen on His timetable which allows us to learn the lesson on TRUST. As we wait on the Lord, just like the three Hebrew boys, even when we see the flames of destruction around us instead of looking at eye level we should look UP from whence comes our help. When God lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, He could have taken them a shorter route but instead He used the time to test the faithfulness of these people who cried unto Him to be delivered. Even Moses, His most faithful, lost his patience and faith and instead of speaking to the Rock, Moses smote the Rock. This act of disobedience cost Moses the opportunity to cross into the Promised Land. It didn't cost Moses his reserved seat in Heaven but his act of disobedience cost Moses the blessing of seeing the promised land.

So to for us as Christians. Our salvation is secure however our acts of disobedience cost us our blessings and the timing of our blessings here on earth. Oh that we could learn to submit to the "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit that admonishes us to surrender our Will to Him. Remember the two great commandments to Love God with all your heart and soul and then to love your neighbor as God has loved you. If you need to forgive, then forgive yourself and then the one you thought offended you. If you have transgressed then ask for God's forgiveness. If you lack patience then be patient. What ever you lack then plan accordingly and as if you had it already. Don't limit God with your own limitations. Trust God and His abundant love for you.

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! Have a gret week.

Stephanie

Only One Path!

Good morning to all on this Father's Day and a shout out to all the father's in the house!! I woke up this morning with Praise on my lips and God on my mind. Joyce Meyer often talks about the battlefield of the mind in that Satan tries to incapacitate you with negative thinking. It is so true!! So when he is attacking me I just simply start thanking Jesus for everything. Yesterday my littlest grandson Kai caught a lizard. He loves to catch things like frogs, spiders and lizards and then he puts them in this little cage his Mom bought him. He took a picture of it and insisted that I be sent the picture. He named the lizard Stephanie. He thought enough about me to name a lizard after me! What a gift! A simple gift like that can uplift anyone. These moments are proof positive of the love of God for me. His eye is on the Sparrow and I know He watches me. A shout out to Little Mama and her baby in the Bun. God's blessings on you this day!!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 28 verses 1-17, "In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people:  “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon.  I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin  son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon."  Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord.  He (Jeremiah) said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.  Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms.  But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true. Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it,  and he said before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:  “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.  Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’”In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died." May God add a blessing to the reading and hearing of his Word.

Wow! Talk about subtle. In the previous chapters Jeremiah foretold the bondage of the Israelites to the king of Babylon. This bondage was necessary to test the obedience of the children of Israel to the Will of God. God did not foretell of a early release because He was using this time to weed out those Jews who were going to be obedient and those who would remain in their sin.  No one likes to be in bondage so Hananiah took it upon himself to predict the early release of the Israelites from the Babylonians. I am sure he became the most popular person in the congregation because he was preaching a message that everyone wanted to hear. He became the oracle of truth for a short time AND THERE-IN LIES THE LESSON!! The children of Israel were in their very predicament because of their disobedience and reliance on false gods and teachings. Instead of being obedient to God their Father, they wanted to believe in the morality of men. They began to preach that there are many paths to God and that you didn't have to be obedient to win favor with God. Sound familiar??? Satan said the same thing to Eve in the Garden when tempting her to eat of the forbidden fruit --in Genesis 3: 4-5 Satan very cunningly approaches Eve and says "You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

There are many false prophets today that will try and make you believe that a Benevolent God would create many "paths" to a relationship with Him. That being a morale person is enough or we will see Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and others in the Kingdom of Heaven. My response is always the same--yes we will see morale people in heaven as well as Buddhists, Muslims,  and Jews who have ACCEPTED THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN THAT COMES THROUGH THE ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST AS LORD. I don't care who you are and how righteous people think you are, if you have not accepted Christ as Savior and Lord you will be in the lake of fire with Satan and will not spend eternity with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. YOUR MUST BE BORN AGAIN.

There will be a lot of good and moral people in hell wondering what went wrong. Our jobs as Christians is to be bold like Jeremiah and tell the people Not what they want to hear, but to preach the Good News that Christ was conceived, was born, lived, died and .....................ROSE AGAIN because He conquered the grave for all those that accept Him as Lord. It is our job to be like Jeremiah and spread the Good News as commanded by God. Don't be deceived in these last days that there are many paths to God. There is ONLY ONE and that is Jesus the Christ.

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

Focus on the Message and Not the Messenger!

Good morning to all on this glorious Sunday morning! Waine and I are enjoining a long holiday weekend and although I am on call I am able to bustle around my house and do some fun things. We played Bid Whist with some neighbors yesterday. It was emancipation day in Thomaston and the tradition here is that every one has a cook out in their yards. Neighbors sit with each other, exchange news and catch up. Which is what Emancipation Day is all about. Apparently in the South, although the slaves where legally emancipated  on January 1, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln many Southern slave holders did not let their slaves know and kept them enslaved. In Georgia the official day the slaves were emancipated was in the summer of 1865 and thus the tradition. Thomaston, Georgia has the distinction of having the oldest, continuously-observed annual emancipation event in the USA. Freddie and Tracy celebrated Hailie Christine's 2nd birthday yesterday. She is the cutest little something walking on 2 legs!! Happy Birthday Hailie!!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 26, verses 16-24, "Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets. Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek his favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves! Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt. King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people. Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word. Amen.

Nothing has really changed since the times of Uriah, Micah or Jeremiah! People who are living contrary to the will of God will always attack both the messenger and message! Satan and his minons have always been among us and uses some of us, that let them, to be a mouth piece that creates confusion and distrust of God. Brad Pitt, who has an instant platform, was recently asked what makes him the maddest and he replied "when someone says they will pray for me". Now why would that make anyone mad? His issue is that he doesn't need God because He is a moral person who does good works on his own. This is the great deception of Satan. If you are moral and live your life as a "good" person then that's all that is required. Christ says that there are no good people. He lived among us and was without sin and still when He took on our sins, God turned His face from Him. Sin is the key that locks the door through which a relationship with God is possible. Our repentance of sin opens this door and makes a relationship with God possible.

Some wonder why a relationship with God is required. They live a good life here on earth. They help others. They are prosperous. Why do they need God? I can tell you I need God because without Him I am unfulfilled. Now that I know what a life with God is like, not to be in His presence is like not having oxygen to breathe. I was swimming yesterday and I frequently pray and commune with God while swimming. I pray for my family and the challenges they may have. I pray for the salvation of my family, their health and prosperity. God reminded me of the many laps I swimmed and prayed for some members of my family and how He has answered my prayers. I was shouting hallelujah under the water because I was reminded, lap after lap, of God's goodness and mercy. How even in the midst of despair and evidence to the contrary I kept praying only to see that God would bless me with an answer to my prayers! God always has a "ram in the bush" for His faithful. Christ was the utimate "Ram" in the bush. Like Uriah your "lamb" may be to go home to God; like Jeremiah it may be to live to continue your ministry; like me it may be to celebrate all the love and affection that God showers on me daily. God is never far away and yes pray for Brad Pitt and his salvation so that he will know the love of God as you do. Pray and witness to the unbelievers of this world boldly and wait upon the Lord. Wait expectantly and proclaim the Good News that Christ died so that we could live and have an abundant life!! God loves you this day 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

The Price of Obedience

Good morning to all on this Sunday morning!! Waine and I are in Hawkinsville this weekend and the weather is beautiful. The highs are in the mid-80's with very little humidity so Waine has enjoyed lots of good golf. It has been a wonderful week in which God in His goodness continues to bless Waine and I.  Our lesson for this week was to "let go" of the future and focus on today. What I have learned is that if I do the best I can today it literally sets me up for success tomorrow. I know for us "Baby-Boomers" this is a scary thought--What? No planning for our future success??--Truly as I learn the truth that tomorrow is not promised to us, I strive to make the best of today. As I practice this I am actually happier!

I am continuing my journey with Jeremiah 26 verses 1-15, "Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, This is what the Lord says: "If you do not listen to Me and follow My law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened ), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth." The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord.  But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, “You must die!  Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?” And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!” Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster He has pronounced against you.  As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing. Amen! May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

What struck me when I read this passage was that Jeremiah didn't question God as to this assignment. Jeremiah had to know what kind of people he was dealing with. For 25 chapters we have learned of the disobedience to the Word and words of God these Jews exhibited. We have read about their idol worship; their exhortations in their own plans; their propensity to take matters into their own hands and their frank disobedience to the teachings of God as conveyed by Jeremiah. Now God sends Jeremiah into the temple to preach a gospel that predicts the fall of Jerusalem unless the Jews turn from idol worship and turn back to God.  The significance of the city of Shiloh is that this was where the Ark of the Covenant was  housed until it was taken by the Philistines. Shiloh means "place of peace" and is the city in which God housed His Tabernacle until the Jews there forsook God to worship idols. God then gave the Ark of the Covenant to the tribe of Judah and now He threatens to do the same to the temple at Jerusalem, should these Jews of the tribe of Judah continue in their disobedience to Him. These Jews are aware of the events of Shiloh as is Jeremiah. Jeremiah is also fully aware that voicing these words of prophesy may endanger him and cost him his life but obeys God anyway. Jeremiah is not concerned for his future because he KNOWS the One who holds not only his future but the future of all mankind as he knew it. He was INTIMATELY aware of the power of God over man and had learned to be obedient. Not so much out of fear but from love.

To know God to the point of OBEDIENCE is truly a blessing and the journey that I am on. To know Him so intimately that obedience is not a chore or a second thought. Obedience becomes like breathing; it is what I seek. When you become caught up in this type of obedience then the "winds and waves" of this life cannot buffet you. Its like Peter in the boat when he walked on water to be with Jesus. As Peter kept his eyes, and thus faith, riveted on Christ, Peter was invincible to the world. Peter walked on water. He defied the rules of nature and became "Christ like", until, until, until he took his eyes off Jesus.

The Price and Reward of Obedience is to be Christ like. To know Him and His Words will protect you and the world from the great DECEIVER! This is what our mission should be. Everything else is the "small stuff" that continue to distract us from the abundance that Christ offers us through a relationship with God through Him. There is a price to obedience; that price is death to yourself and your way of thinking and trusting in JUST the literal truth of the Bible. Today be child like as God commands and submit to His commandment that you love God with all your heart, soul and mind and that you love your neighbor as yourself. Give as Christ commands and love those who may not love God or you in return. Amen and hallelujah. Let go of the small stuff.

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

 

Good morning to all and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the house! Waine and I spent Mother's Day with Kai and Hailie and their parents. We got plenty of hugs and kisses and Waine got a lot of exercise running after the grandchildren as they took great delight in say "get me Poppop". I was blessed beyond expression to see these two little ones building memories of their grandfather and we are blessed to have the health and stamina to be able to interact with them. My glass is truly half-full today and running over. Satan will always try and get us to focus on our glass being half-empty and that's the time we have to gear up and praise God that our glass is half-full which is the fulfillment of His promise to us that our blessing will be pressed down, multiplied and over flowing. Praise God and hallelujah! A shout of to my nephew Jason who graduated from 8th grade over the weekend. I have had the pleasure of knowing Jason since his birth and he has turned out to be quite a handsome young man. Thanks to his Dad and Mom, he is also quite the athlete. Congratulations Jason from Auntie Steph and Uncle Waine!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 25, verses 31-38 " Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: The Lord will roar from on high; He will thunder from His holy dwelling and roar mightily against His land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.  The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring charges against the nations; He will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword, declares the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.” At that time those slain by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. Weep and wail, you shepherds; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock for your time to be slaughtered has come; you will fall like the best of the rams. The shepherds will have nowhere to flee, the leaders of the flock no place to escape. Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the Lord is destroying their pasture. The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the Lord. Like a lion He will leave His lair, and their land will become desolate because of  the sword of the oppressor and because of the Lord’s fierce anger." Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

When I read this passage I was reminded of Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord." What God was communicating through Jeremiah was that the natural consequence of sin  IS death and destruction. God wishes that none perish which is the natural consequence of His LOVE for us however because we have free will, God cannot force His love on us. We  must accept it. He can warn us; He can show us the consequences of sin and our acceptance of sin; He can reveal the calamity that will befall us when we remove His protective Hand from us. He cannot make us accept His love but will try everything short of that! Hallelujah! I finally get it. Jeremiah is not about God's wrath its about the nature of Sin. Sin separates us from the Natural Love of God and the protection it provides. The scriptures describe Satan as a "roaring lion" ready to devour us. The lion's nature is to kill and destroy and when we are not in the protection of God's love we are vulnerable to the destruction that is all around us. Do not be fooled with what you see with your eyes. This world is a dangerous place without the love of God. Satan is a liar and the father of all the chaos and calamity that befalls you. Money and fame cannot protect you from Satan. Likewise God can shield you from all of it on a minute to minute basis is you let Him. If you let Him in to your life and then let Him steer your life, there is protection from the Great Deceiver. God implores us to take heed. He wants us to share this wonder Gift of Jesus that provides that protective hedge of Love and Security that we need. Do not be fooled that money, wealth or man made power can protect you. Remember what we have seen in Jeremiah. Death and destruction befell the kings and rulers just as readily as it befell the farmers in the field. Satan is the great destroyer who will try and fool you and the world. We, as Christians, have the key--we know the Savior. Isn't it time to stop fooling around and share this wonderful gift with all we know. Christ was not "just a great man and prophet". He is not like Buddha, or Mohammad, or Confucius. It is not enough to be moral. All these great men have come, walked among us and then died. Only one conquered the grave that is Jesus the son of God. Isn't it time that we all declared the Glory of the Lord to all mankind so that they too can be saved? Today, let your light shine that others may come to know the salvation that is available to them.

Have a GREAT day and keep your eyes open for all the blessings that God has in store for you today. 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. Amen and amen.

Stephanie