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

The Rainbow of God After EVERY Trial!!!!

Good morning to all on this last Sunday of 2012. We spent last weekend in Orlando with the "cherubs". Hailie had a ballet recital and when I tell you she was the cutest thing on 2 legs with her pink tutu, I am not exaggerating! Chirstmas with Freddie, Tracy, Kai and Hailie is always a treat. My sister Velma and her daughter Michele came up from Miami with baby Kenzo and son-in-law Marco. Many good memories were made on this trip which is what I think spending time with family is all about. As all these talks about fiscal cliffs are taking place isn't it good to know the God that handles it all. It's a good time to exercise FAITH! ZOe Peds has a new web-site. Check it out at www.zoepeds.com.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 45 verses 1 - 5 "When Baruch son of Neriah wrote on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch:  “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch:  You said, ‘Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’ But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the earth. Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life." Amen and may God add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

I think this is the shortest chapter in Jeremiah! Now remember the context of this chapter is that Baruch had disobeyed God and took the remnants of the tribe of Judah to Egypt against God's commandment. Devastation followed but this is the rainbow at the end of the storm! Many of the tribe of Judah perished in Egypt because they followed the idolatrous leading of Baruch. Apparently Baruch survived and this is God's promise to the remnant of Judah. God never breaks His promises! We break ours all  the time. We even break silly ones that don't matter to God; they only matter because our self esteeme gets eroded with disobedience. There are only two things that matter to God; in Matthew 22 verses 37-40 Jesus replied when asked by a Pharisee what was the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Now the Pharisee was trying to trip Jesus up to decide which of the 10 commandments was the greatest of all commandments. What the Pharisee was concentrating on was the laws of the old dispensation which Christ had come to fulfill which were based on the 2 Great Commandments which Jesus articulated in Matthew. You see the Pharisee was "majoring in the minors and minoring on the MAJOR!". If we live our lives on these two Great Commandments as delineated by Christ then we will be fulfilled. We will have rainbows everyday and the circumstances of life will not be important. These two Great Commandments help us to live in the now and not worry about the future will may never come.

 

Be blessed as we approach the new year. Leave your old thinking behind and let Christ REST, RULE and ABIDE in you so that you can experience the prosperity God has for you. The offer is always extended.

 

Now may the 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

Why Rouse His Anger?

Good morning to all! Waine and I are on the count down to Christmas and I think I can say without hesitation that recent events in the news would underscore the need for the "Reason for this Season". I pray for those 20 mothers and father who dropped their little cherubs off at school only to be told they would not be coming home because a 20 year old kid thought that his needs, whatever they were, took precedence over the needs of others. That is what sin is. Putting your needs as the most important and then ignoring those instincts that would allow you to consider the welfare of others. The tragedy to those family is 100% today and for every day they draw breath. The tragedy for God is that men has rejected His formula for salvation. I pray our country reflects on the culture of "me" and takes the opportunity to focus on the free Gift from God through His son, Jesus.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah, chapter 44 verses 1 - 30 "This Word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis—and in Upper Egypt: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today. Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant? Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse and an object of reproach among all the nations on earth. Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your ancestors. Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah. I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach. I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem. None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah,  “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine. The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her? Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, “Did not the Lord remember and call to mind the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your ancestors, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? When the Lord could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed Him or followed His law or His decrees or His stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see.” Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, “Hear the Word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!  But hear the Word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt: ‘I swear by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign Lord lives.” For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose Word will stand—mine or theirs. This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him. Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

I was listening to a NPR news program yesterday with Carlton Preston. He is an evangelist who preaches the Gospel of Inclusion, which basically says that you don't have to profess and accept the Deity of Christ to be reunited with God. He basically is preaching the belief as promulgated by satan to Eve and from Eve to Adam that one didn't have to adhere to the doctrine of God--that God would not allow us to perish if we were disobedient. Well I think these Jews in Jeremiah were of the same misconception. The truth about God hangs on 2 Commandments--that we love God with all of our hearts, mind and soul. That we accept this love through the forgiveness purchased through the sacrifice of Christ. And then we love one another just as God loved us. So simple and yet so hard for some people to accept. The Jews of the tribe of Judah did not want to be obedient to God, they wanted other gods which then led to their destruction. Likewise Carlton Preston now preaches that there are many pathways to God, even though God has told us that there is only ONE path and that is through Christ. Satan would have us confused 100% percent of the time because he wants to be the god of our lives. He is that narcissistic. He cannot fathom that there is a being greater than himself and then uses the logic of morals to fool us into thinking that we can get along through this life without God through Christ.

 

This world is sick, sick, sick and our job as Christians is to spread the joy of living with God through Christ. This world needs Jesus. Not Buddha, not Mohamed, not the stars, moon and other firmaments. It needs Jesus, more than ever and what am I doing to see to it that they hear this Gospel of love and truth? Jesus is the reason for the season. Do not be deceived that you can have other gods in your life and prosper. Do not be blind as the children of Judah were. Amen and 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. Amen.

 

Stephanie

 

 

Arrogance and Pride: Twin Towers of Destruction

Good morning to all on this beautiful Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Thomaston, enjoying an early Sunday morning. ZOe Peds will be hosting a Christmas Party for the children in our pracyice today. We will have a clown, face painting, an ornament station where kids can make ornaments, a Zumba instructor, and a movie. So pray that we get a good attendance and a good time is had by all. I am struck daily by the Grace and Mercy of God. He is truly a good God and I am humbled constantly at His power and insight. He does cover your check when you let Him and He has been covering alot of mine.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 43 verses 1- 13, "When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the Words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”  So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them. So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes. In Tahpanhes the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes. Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword.  He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd picks his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt." Amen and may God add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

Again, the people of Judah disobey God. One would have thought that when Judh was overtaken by the Babylonians, these Jews would have relented from the arrogance and turned their face to God. Their arrogance has hardened their hearts to God's Words. That is what arrogance and pride will do. It hardens your heart to the message of LOVE that comes from God. Satan uses these tools to alienate us from the Love of God. God's love is constant--what is also constant is Satan's insistence that there is no God but you. Your needs, your desires, your way of thinking, you, you, you is always the message from Satan. That is how you can tell when you are being misled. The focus of your thinking will be "me, me, me" instead of 'Lord have it your way'. These foolish people of Judah will be destroyed by their own wickedness and disobedience and I am sure as the subsequent chapters play out, we will also hear these very same people pleading for help.

 

I am reminded as Noah was busy building the Ark, there were few hands to help him but when the rains came and the door was shut there were many hands banging on the doors for help. Sin will close the heart of men to the Love of God. Our jobs as Christians is to the example of an open heart and hand to God and those whom God sends our way. Hallelujah and glory be the God of Adam, Abraham and Jesus!

 

Now my 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 Never Takes a Vacation from Us!

Good morning to all on this 1st Sunday in December. Waine and I were in Orlando last week and when we are with "Pete" and Re-Pete" they are the center of our world from sun up to sun down. We hardly have time to fall into bed, exhausted but happy when the next day's dawn is ushered in with greetings of "Poppop" and "Ganma" and we start all over again. Our grandchildren are really a blessing to us and each of the six (6) of them are unique in their own way. We only lament that we can't spend enough time with them so we can be enriched more and they in turn can learn "life's lessons, much like Asdrodon wrote about in her Thanksgiving posting. Family is a concept that should be promoted--if you are lucky and blessed as we are, your family, your tribe is what has shaped your response to this world and I am thankful that Astrodon reminded us to reflect on all the unique experiences your family will bring to you.

 

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 42 verses 1- 22 "Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do. I have heard you, replied Jeremiah the prophet. I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.

Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.  Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land. However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ then hear the Word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’

Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything He says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all He sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle. Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

Wow!!!  Why in the world would these folk ask God for His help and then disobey Him? I don't get it? You are asking for God's favor and help and then you decide when the favor comes that its ok to return to disobedience. Is it that we think God takes a vacation from us; that He is not serious about obedience? I don't get it. The Judeans have been admonished, warned, pleaded with for 40 chapters and then are captured by the Babylonians just like Jeremiah told them they would be because of their disobedience. A remnant is left and they are supplicant and then become arrogant again. This struggle that humans have with being obedient to God is a real thing. I was reflecting on my own life and trying to mature to the point that I am always humble and trusting in God's will for me when I perceive that times are good and times are bad (whatever that means). God always shows me my weaknesses during the "bad" times, when I am feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. I shore myself up and get into His Word where there is consistency and hope and then falter again during the good times. The one constant is God who when I turn to Him is always there to remind me of His CONSTANT Love, Grace and Mercy. I need only be obedient and trusting of His Will. He does not make mistakes and does not need any help being God. He is quite comfortable being God all by Himself and is always true to His Word. His Word is really His bond.

 

The deceiver (Satan) will always confront you with fear. If you are feeling fear just know that there is no fear in LOVE and God is LOVE. If you feel fear then turn your face to God and leave the fear at the feet of Christ. Go about your business as if every thing is well with your soul because in reality it is. When you turn your fears over to God and have the PATIENCE to wait on His outcome for you then He will pave the way and fix what is necessary for your continued success. The lesson is TRUST and OBEDIENCE so that you can experience the LOVE, GRACE and MERCY that is always there. Remove the cloud of doubt from your life and TRUST and OBEY which is what these Judeans should have done.

 

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