GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE

Jer. 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  NLT

     You may not know what the future holds for you, but the Lord does.  He knows all that lies ahead of you, both the good and the bad.  He knows your ups and downs.  There is nothing that you will face in life that He doesn’t already know about and He is preparing you today for what lies ahead.

     What you need for your future the Lord knows and lovingly is providing you with it today.  You may not see it or understand it, but be assured that the Lord is taking care of you.  He lovingly is equipping you for your good and He will be glorified because of it.  Do not take lightly what the Lord is doing in your life today, because you need it for all of your tomorrows.

       Learn well what the Lord is showing you about Him and life.  Search the Scriptures daily so you will learn all that you need for today and your future.  Observe what is happening in your life so that you can learn important spiritual lessons from it.  Learn from others who have walked the path you are on so that you can learn how to handle what lies ahead of you.

      The plans the Lord has in store for you are all good.  He does not let you go through anything in life that is not good for you.  Trust in God’s goodness and do not let Satan cause you to doubt it.  Nothing that happens in the life of the godly is bad if we but have eyes to see the goodness of God.  Things may be difficult for us to go through, but we can go through them victoriously for Christ gives us the means and strength to do it.

       Keep your eyes focused on the truth of God’s love and goodness and your future will be bright, full of hope and the peace of God will steady you each step you take.  The Lord plans on walking with you each step you take until He gets you home to heaven.  Trust God; He will not let you down or disappoint you as you boldly step into your future.

BUT, WHAT DOES GOD SAY?

Jer. 23:35-36  You should keep asking each other, “What is the LORD’s answer?, or “What is the LORD saying?”  But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the LORD.’  For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the LORD Almighty.  NLT

       So much is being said in the name of the Lord these days it’s hard sometimes to know what is from God and what isn’t.  How can we know for sure what is from God?  We go to the Word of God and examine the Scriptures carefully.  We need to ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance so we can gain understanding.  We must make sure that our understanding is supported by the rest of the Scriptures.  We must know that God never contradicts himself or goes beyond His Word. 

      People use the Word of God often for their own gain.  They sometimes use it to stir up trouble amongst the brethren.   They use it to promote their own ideas or agendas.  We must be very careful what we listen to, believe and teach.  It is good to examine the thoughts of man by the Word of God, but we must be sure it’s for the right reasons. 

       God honors the searchings of an open and honest heart.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.  God wants us to understand what He is saying to us.  We just have to be willing to listen with humble and submissive hearts. 

       Just because someone says that it is true from God doesn’t mean anything unless it is supported by the Word of God.  Be very careful how the Word is used.  It can be used to support just about anything if it’s taken out of context or pieced­­­-meal together.  The whole of Scripture is truth.  All of the Word together is profitable for our understanding and living.  We cannot pick and choose what we want to live by and believe.  Live by the whole counsel of God and the truth will set you free.

THE POWER OF THE WORD

Jer. 23:29  “Does not my word burn like fire?” asks the LORD.  “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes rock to pieces?”  NLT

      Do not underestimate the power of God’s Word.  It burns like fire.  Fire is not discriminatory; it consumes whatever is in its path.  Fire burns best those things that are all dried up.  There are some things that do not burn as easily as others, and there are some things that refuse to be consumed.  People when exposed to God’s Word are like combustionable material.  People who are most affected by God’s Word are those who know that their souls are all dried up.  They come to the point where they have no hope left in their lives for soul satisfaction.  They have tried and failed to find a life worth living for.  God’s Word also deeply affects those who may not be totally dried up, but know that there is more to life than what they are now experiencing.  They find some enjoyment in life, but know that something is missing.  God’s Word affects those who know they are in need.

       Those who are not generally affected by God’s Word are those who have let sin harden their hearts to the point where they stubbornly refuse to listen or get near to the Word.  They dig in their heels and fight hard against anything having to do with God or His Word.  They refuse to be open to the possibility that God’s Word is absolute truth.  They scorn anything that has to do with God.  They refuse to acknowledge that they are in need.

      The Word of God is like a mighty hammer that smashes rock to pieces.  It does what God gave it to us to do; it penetrates deeply into the soul and destroys all that is not of God.  When it is received, it pulverizes sin.  It does not spare any sin that it exposes.  The Word of God is very effective in bringing about change in the heart of anyone who is open to it.  When we read the Word with humility and expectation of receiving something from God, we will hear from God and be changed when we let it rule our hearts.

        If we are not affected like we should be by God’s Word, the problem does not lie within the Word, it lies within us.  God’s Word does not return to Him void.  It always does what God sends it out to do when we are open to it.  So, if you find that God’s Word doesn’t do anything for you, examine your soul.

       Also, if you find that you simply cannot understand what you read, examine your heart.  And if your heart is pure before God, ask Him to make things clear to you.  He loves you and will not withhold from you anything you need to know for your faith walk.

LIFE IS A CHOICE

Jer. 21:8a Tell all the people, “This is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or death!”   NLT

       Life is a choice. We do not choose whether or not we are born, but we choose whether or not we are born again. We alone can make the decision whether or not we will believe and accept Jesus as our Savior. No one can avoid making the choice. God has revealed himself sufficiently to everyone so that they can make a decision in their heart to believe in Him or not.

       No one will miss out on heaven because they did not have a chance to believe in God. Each will be held responsible for the knowledge they have been given.

       One of life’s greatest tragedies is when someone takes away or destroys the ability of another to choose. Every human being deserves the opportunity to choose whom he will serve and the type of life he will live. I believe God will hold everyone who robs another of their right to choose, whether it be by force or deception, responsible for it.

      We also choose the type of life we live in Him. For some, Jesus in nothing more than a good fire insurance policy. For others, Jesus is Lord. We choose whether or not we live in victory or defeat. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives.

       Every day we make choices regarding our eternal destiny.  We choose whether or not we are going to sin against God or not.  We choose whether or not we are going to learn more about what sin is so we can know what to do in order to please God.  We choose what we are going to invest our lives in, the pleasures of earth or the pleasures of heaven.  We choose and God holds us accountable for our choices.  Choose to live life today in Christ.  Choose to align yourself up with His holiness.  It is the pathway to heaven.

PASSION FOR THE LORD?

Jer. 20:9 “And I can’t stop! If I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in!”  NLT

      Oh but that this verse would be the life verse of every child of God!  Oh but that we all would be so consumed by the Lord that our voices could not be contained!  But, it simply is not that way, is it?   Have you ever asked yourself why?  I believe there are many reasons why we don’t have such an all-consuming passion for the Lord and His Word.

     We talk most about those things which excite us.  Most of us simply are not all that excited about the Lord.  We fail to pursue Him to the point of no return.  We are satisfied with where we are in Him, and are not all that interested in more of Him in our lives.  We give lip service to Him, but that is about it. 

     We fix our attention on more tangible things and become consumed by them.  We focus on the offerings of the world and think that it is enough to satisfy our souls.  We spend most of our time chasing after the things of earth instead of the things of heaven.  We put greater value on what we can see instead of what we can’t see. 

     Rarely do we become so consumed by the Lord like Jeremiah did.  Rarely are we able to say that we are so overpowered by Him in our lives that we MUST tell others.  Rarely does our desire for the Lord compel us into action. 

      We need to capture the passion of Jeremiah for the Lord.  We need to be so consumed by Him that we HAVE to tell others about Him.  We need to make the Lord our number one passion in life.  It is the only way we are going to have a lasting impact on our world.  May the Lord help each of us to fix our hearts on Him to the point where we too have an all-consuming passion for Him to the point where we can’t do anything but tell the world about Him.

      Such passion is contagious.  When the messenger catches the passion for the Lord, the message becomes full of passion.  When the message is passionate, the listener catches the passion.  Pray much for those who proclaim the Word that their hearts will be consumed by an unquenchable passion for the Lord.

COMPELLED TO TELL

 

Jer. 20:8-10 “Whenever I speak, the words come out in a violent outburst. ‘Violence and destruction!’ I shout. So these messages from the LORD have made me a household joke. And I can’t stop! If I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in!”

      Have you ever been so excited and passionate about something that you just had to tell others about it? I know I have, many times. Two things in particular jump out at me: the day in which I became engaged and the day in which our children were born. I wanted everyone to know about them. They were highlights of my life.

       Spiritually, the day Jesus and I connected for real was one of those days. I am still excited about that day, even though it has been many, many years ago that it happened. Jesus forever changed the course of my life. He has been involved in how I live and continues to patiently teach me His ways. He has allowed me the privilege of serving Him in a variety of ways. My love for Him continues to grow and it is impossible for me not to tell others about Him. There is a fire in my bones that cannot be quenched. I must tell others about Him whenever I get the chance.

      How about you? Are you in love with Jesus to the point where it has become a fire in your bones? Do you have a passion to tell others about the Lover of your soul? Does Jesus excite you to the point where you just can’t contain it?   If not, maybe you need to renew your love vows to Him today.  Such passion comes from spending both quality and quantity time with Him.  It comes from purposely living in Him at all times. 

SET US ON FIRE!

Jer. 20:7-9  “O Lord, you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded.  You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me.  Now I am mocked by everyone in the city.  Whenever I speak, the words come out in a violent outburst.  ‘Violence and destruction!’ I shout.  So these messages from the LORD have made me a household joke.  And I can’t stop it!  If I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire.  It’s like a fire in my bones!  I am weary of holding it in!”  NLT

      The Lord persuaded me.  Has the Lord ever persuaded you to do something for Him, maybe even something you did not want to do or thought you couldn’t do?  If we are serious about our faith, there will be times in which the Lord will lay upon our hearts to do things.  When He does, we then have a choice to make, do we do it or not?

      Jeremiah let the Lord persuade him.  He yielded himself to the will of God and did what God wanted him to do.  We are not told, but I believe he did it without too much resistance.  Jeremiah walked with the Lord and knew Him to be faithful.  He knew God to be trustworthy and worthy to be obeyed.  He loved the Lord and wanted to please Him.  He understood the consequences of what it would be like if he did not obey God.  He knew that it would be hard to live with himself for there would be no peace within his soul.

     Jeremiah’s obedience did not make his life any easier.  People mocked him and considered him to be a laughing stock in the community because he dared to proclaim God’s message to the people.  Obedience often does come with a price.  The world does not welcome those who take a firm Biblical stand and speak out against sin.  The world does not want to hear from God or about Him and will often try to make life miserable for those who do.  But, we need to be like Jeremiah; we need to be so consumed by our obedience to God that we cannot be silenced, no matter what.

       Oh, but that the Word of God would have such a hold on us that it burns in our souls like fire!  Oh, but that it would so consume us that we cannot hold it in, no matter how hard we try!  The world desperately needs God’s children who will not stop proclaiming the Gospel to them.  The world needs you and me to be consumed by the Word of God and set on fire by it.  The coming of the Lord is soon and the harvest field is ripe.  The day of salvation is almost past and the world is full of souls who are not saved. 

      “Lord, help us to care!  Set a fire in us for the lost!  Lord, when we read your Word, use it to fire us up.  Use it to move us into action.  Lord, do not let us sit idly by and wait for your coming.  Send us out into the world with the Gospel message that souls may be saved while there still is time.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.”

DESPERATELY WICKED

er. 17:9-10  “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”  NLT

       If we are honest about it, most people do not have a clue as to just how bad the human heart really is without Christ.  Most people see themselves in a much better light than God sees them.  Most look at others and consider themselves just as good, or better, than them.  Most do not see themselves as bad people.  They believe that they are good enough just as they are and when they die they will go to heaven. 

       God does not see us the same way that we see ourselves.  He knows what the heart is really like behind our “goodness” or persona.  He looks at the heart and if He does not see the righteousness of Christ blanketing it, condemns the soul to hell.  He knows that without Christ no one can ever be good enough for heaven for the heart is by nature sinful and deserving of hell. 

       God searches every heart and examines every motive.  He knows the reason why we do what we do and judges us accordingly.  He does not cater to our sins.  He has shown us clearly how we can get rid of our sins and be good enough for heaven.  He has given us opportunity to choose whether or not we will accept the righteousness of Christ as our own or depend on our own.  Because He loves us, God provided a way for us to get rid of our sins, Jesus.  Only Jesus can forgive and take away our sins.  Each day lived without Christ is one day closer to an eternity in hell. 

      God declares very clearly and boldly that we will get what we deserve.  Our living will either affirm our belief in Him or it will betray what we profess to believe.  We will be judged not by what we believe, but how we live.  Faith without the works proving it is not saving faith.  Saving faith is holy living.  Without it, no one will see God.

      It is impossible to fool God.  You will get exactly what you deserve when you die, heaven or hell.  The choice is yours to make.  Choose today whom you will serve.  As for me, I choose to live in Christ and go to heaven when I die.  Will I see you there?

PEOPLE WILL FAIL YOU

 Jer. 17:5 This is what the Lord says, “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the LORD…..” NLT
This verse reminds us of a very real danger in the Church today. There are a lot of people today that gather a following solely based on who they come across as being. Because of the technology available to us, people with a lot of charisma are easily noticed. People with strong personalities can gain a fo...llowing fairly easily. People can be put on a pedestal without a lot of problem and with very little real scrutiny. People follow people, many of whom are dangerous people to follow.
      Whenever churches are built around individuals, there is a real danger of people being led away from the Lord. Most people are not students of the Word and will believe whatever they hear without examining whether or not it lines up with the Scriptures. When error is cloaked in truth there is a weakening of faith. Soon a stand is taken on things that simply are false teachings. It then is an easy step to turn away from the Lord, all in the name of truth. No one should be believed unless what is proclaimed is the truth of the Gospel.
      We must be vigilant caretakers of the truth. We must never allow anything but the truth of the Gospel to be taught and proclaimed in the Church. We must quickly challenge those whose message is not sound Biblical teaching and if the message is not changed to line up with the Scriptures, the messenger must be removed immediately from leadership in the Church.
It is also imperative that we be very careful about what we read from popular pastors and leaders in the Church. Just because someone has a following and is in a prominent position does not mean that what they write is true or edifying. Many hearts are turned away from the Lord by digesting the writings of so-called leaders in the Church.
      Our allegiance must always be to the Word of God, not the messenger of it. God declares that those who follow man rather than the Word are cursed because their hearts are turned away from Him. Fix your eyes solely upon the Lord, the author and finisher of our salvation. Flee from those who draw people to themselves. Flee from those who clamor for the spotlight. Don’t let anyone or anything turn your heart away from the Lord.

NO COVER-UPS

Jer. 13:23 Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you always do evil.  NLT

       There’s a huge difference between covering up your sins and your sins being forgiven.  People are cover-up artists when it comes to their sins.  We masquerade well the true nature of our souls.  Many put on good fronts.  They are good people doing good things, in and outside of the church.  They have the respect of those who know them.  They may even be leaders in the church and community.  It’s not all that hard to come across as being a good person.  With a little bit of effort a person can stay out of trouble and be well-liked by those who know him.

        But, who a person really is cannot be covered up.  Beneath the appearance of goodness lies the soul.  And, the measure of goodness of the soul is not based on the goodness of one’s living.  The Lord declared that before God no one is good.  We are born into this world without Christ and we will die without Christ unless we turn to Him for the forgiveness of our sins and let Him rule our hearts.  No one can live well enough of a life to change the nature of the heart.  Only Christ can change the evil heart of man into a righteous heart before God.

       God is not impressed by what impresses us.  He does not acknowledge the good deeds we do without Jesus in the heart.  There will be many who will stand before God standing on their own righteousness thinking that it will be good enough to get them into heaven and God will declare them unknown to Him.  Only Christ is our righteousness before God.  He is the only way our souls can be made right before God.  Jesus forgives those who come humbly before Him, own up to their sins, and confess them to Him.  When a person does this, God no longer sees him as unworthy of heaven, but embraces him as His child.  And his sins are forever wiped out of God’s memory; he is a new creation in Christ.

       If you are trying to make it to heaven by being and doing good, it will never work.  You are a sinner bound for hell until you let Jesus be your Savior and Lord.  It is impossible to cover up your sins with your goodness.  God sees right through it and sees your sinful heart.  Repent now and let Christ be your righteousness and holiness from God.

YOU CAN'T HIDE

Jer. 13:23 Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you always do evil. NLT

       You may be able to hide who you are from others, but you can never hide who you are from God.  It’s easy to appear to be who we are not.  We can do the right things, say the right things, be in the right places, and hang out with the right people, but if the heart is not right with God it doesn’t matter.  There are so many of us who know how to come across in a positive light.  We want to be looked upon as children of God.  We don’t want others to see our down side, the side that is prone to wander away from God.

      We may even convince ourselves that all is well with us and God.  But, the Lord knows the heart.  He knows whether or not we are all show and no go.  He does not honor the living of those who are not right with Him.  If your heart is not right with God, what you do is deemed to be worthless and useless to God. 

       If you have any question at all about your heart condition before God, examine the Scriptures.  Let God’s Word show you how you are doing.  God makes it very clear what we need to be like, what we should be doing and not doing, how we should think about things and others.  A careful reading of the Word leaves no sin unturned and it shows us the pathway of holy living.

       It is imperative that we take seriously our heart’s condition before God.  Before you try to live a Christian life, you must first let Christ make you one.  Only Christ can change the heart of man from one that is evil to one that is righteous and holy.  Only Jesus can make what we do acceptable to God.

GIVE GOD THE GLORY

Jer. 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says, “Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!”  NLT

       If you have been blessed with spiritual maturity and insight understand this, it is only by God’s grace that you are who you are.  You don’t deserve to know what you know or be who you are, but God has brought you to this position of life so that you can help others on their journey of faith.  If you have been blessed to be used of the Lord to reach people for Him, it has nothing to do with you.  God ordains who gets what gifts and knowledge.  God determines whom He puts where in His kingdom.  We have nothing and are nothing apart from the Lord’s will.

         When you are tempted to look at yourself, look in the mirror of God’s grace and mercy.  See yourself as one whom the Lord has put together and put to use.  See yourself as you really are, clay in the Potter’s hand.  Look upon yourself and then give God the glory.  Praise Him that you been called out of your sinful life and into His love and grace.  Praise Him that you have been chosen by Him to make a difference in the world for Him.  Praise Him for the giftedness He has given you to accomplish what you do for Him.

       Wise is he who knows that only in Christ are we righteous before God.  Only in Christ will God spare us from judgment that is coming upon the world.  Wise is he who keeps his eyes focused on the Lord and resists the temptation to be focused on himself.  Wise is he who boasts in the Lord only and strives to know and understand that it is in Christ alone we are made holy and acceptable to God.  The Lord, our God, delights in those who are truly wise in their understanding of these things.

DO NOT GLOAT

Jer. 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says, “Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!”  NLT

     We do like to gloat, don’t we?  Whatever it is that we do well, we want to boast about it.  We want others to know that we are worth something.  We like to be noticed for what we do well.  We like to impress others with what we know.  But there is a real problem that we get into when we gloat over our accomplishments.  We tend to internalize it to the point where we crave the attention of others.  It gets to the point where we must have others notice us and appreciate what we do in order for us to feel good about ourselves.  We tend to consider our worth to be what we can do.

      God says the wise do not get caught up into boasting about themselves.  Instead of turning the spotlight on themselves, the wise turn it on the Lord.  They understand that it is God who gives a person the talents and gifts they have.  It is God who enables a person to do things well.  It is God who orchestrates a person’s life in such a way that talents are nurtured and refined.  It is God who provides opportunities to shine and be noticed by others.  It is God who deserves the credit, not us.

      The wise understand that it is God who deserves the glory and honor that comes from a job well done.  It is God who deserves the credit for the work He does in our souls.  We owe Him the credit for saving us, keeping us, growing us, and using us.  It is the Lord alone who deserves the praise and glory of man.  It is God who makes us righteous and gives us a life worth living and dying for. 

      The wise in heart delights in the Lord, not in what he can do well.  He does whatever he does for the honor and glory of God, not himself.  He keeps his eyes focused on the Lord, not himself.  He continues to do what he does well, but he does it for the Lord and Him alone.

THE HARVEST IS FINISHED

Jer. 8:20 “The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone,” the people cry, “yet we are not saved!”  NLT

       There is coming a time very soon in which there will be world cry similar to this.  When Jesus comes to take the Church out of the world, the world will be in dismay.  There will be an awareness that it is too late.  The harvest is done; the day of redemption has come and gone.  There will be many who will be in great agony and despair for they will know that they waited too long and were left behind.  For those who listened but never took to heart the Gospel message, there will be the haunting reality that they are not saved. 

We don’t know when that day will be.  Right now the harvest is going on.  The summer season is almost over.  There are so many things happening in the world today that point to the soon return of Christ.  There seems to be a deep anticipation in the Church today that we are in the latter stages of preparation for His coming.  Much work yet needs to be done in the harvest field.

      Jesus declared while He was on earth that the harvest field was ready.  He sends many out into the field and those who can’t go, He sends to their knees to pray for the harvest and the harvesters.  No one will be saved without those who pray for them and for those who go to them.  We have an enormous task ahead of us.  God is not willing that anyone would miss out on heaven and neither should we be.  Jesus sends us out into the world to proclaim salvation and to disciple those who will believe.  It is our mandate until Jesus comes.

      There are so many in the world who know they are not saved and want to be saved, but don’t know how.  They need someone who will care enough to come alongside of them and show them the way of salvation.  Will you pray?  Will you go?  It is not enough for you to be saved.  You are mandated to go and help others that they too may be saved.  Will you do your part?  If you really love Jesus as you claim to do, you will.                          

LISTEN TO GOD!

Jer. 7:24  “But my people would not listen to me.  They kept on doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts.  They went backwards instead of forward.”  NLT

     We need to think about what the Lord is saying to His people here.  Although in this context the nation of Israel is being addressed, I believe it applies to us as well.

        It is our nature to want to do what we want to do and not what God wants us to do.  Ingrained within us is the tendency to be drawn away from God.  We naturally want to resist the voice of God that guides us to Him.  Whether you are a believer or not, it is true.  Our sinful nature left alone will cause us to slip backwards away from God.

       Our only hope of resisting our urges is to work hard on our relationship with Christ.  We must resist the mindset that once we are saved we can coast our way to heaven.  We live by grace, but grace without works is no grace at all.  It takes effort to stay connected to God.  It is not possible to live in Christ and not be changed.  He changes our natural desires to resist and pull away from Him.  He changes the very direction of our lives.  He changes our desires so that we will listen to Him and not shut Him out.  The more we work on developing our ties with the Lord, the quicker our growth will be.

       I don’t believe there is any neutral ground upon which we can stand as Christians.  We are either growing closer to Christ or we are drifting away from Him.  If we are drawing closer to the Lord we are consistently reading and meditating on His Word.  We are seeking ways in which we can become who God says we are and need to be.  We are seeking ways to apply to life what God tells us to do.  We as well are spending time in fellowship with the Lord, talking to Him and worshiping Him.

      Listen to the Lord.  Let Him draw you closer.  Learn from Him.  Lean on Him.  Let Him have His way with you.

ETERNAL TRUTH NEVER CHANGES

Jer. 6:16  So now the LORD says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.”  But you reply, “No, that’s not the road we want!”  NLT

      Stop right now and think about this verse for a few moments.  Don’t be in a hurry to do something else.  I don’t know what your church upbringing was like, but chances are what church is like for you today is not the same as what it was when you were growing up.  Times have changed, we have changed, and the Church has changed. 

       The church I grew up in was conservative in thought and practice.  The Gospel was preached faithfully.  Testimony time was the norm and not the exception.  Altar calls were common. Wednesday night prayer meetings were normal where people actually knelt and prayed at the altar.  Holiness was proclaimed.  Revival meetings were a part of the church life.  Church fellowships were an essential part of our social lives.  There was great security, comfort, and stability in the church.

       As I look back on my early church experiences, one thing that really stands out to me is that you knew where you stood on Biblical truth.  You did not have different spins on truth.  You knew the way to holy living and were often challenged to live it.  You didn’t cater to people’s whims.  You proclaimed the truth and let the chips fall where they may.  Holiness was not an add-on to the Gospel message, it was the Gospel message.  In many churches, holiness is never proclaimed. 

        In many churches today the Gospel message has shifted in emphasis.  We like our Gospel to make us feel good and comfortable.  We don’t like to be confronted with sin.  We don’t like to be told we need to repent.  We don’t want preachers to get specific about sin.  We want sin glossed over.  The Lord says, “Stop it!”  He says, “Return to the message I first gave you.  Pursue godliness and travel down its path.  There you will find rest for your soul.”

        Don’t be like the majority who say they no longer want to hear what God wants for us.  Don’t let the masses dictate what your soul needs.  Pursue godliness and you will find rest for your soul.

PAY ATTENTION!

Jer. 6:16-17  So now the LORD says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.”  But you reply, “No, that’s not the road we want!  I set watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet!’  But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention!’ ”  NLT

        Sound familiar?  Some things never change.  The Lord has always reached out to mankind and warned them to change their ways before it was too late.  He has always tried to help man understand that to continue on in a life opposed to Him was both futile and fatal.  We need to hear what God is saying to us today.

       Notice that the rebellious spirit was emphatic.  There was an attitude of strong rejection of God.  There was no way they were going to listen to God, repent, and change their ways.  Their defiance doomed them to a life without hope or rest for their souls.

       If you are sinning against God today, “Stop right where you are!”  Don’t be foolish and ignore the old, godly way He has shown you.  Pursue godliness and you will find rest for your soul.  Don’t be like most people who in their stubbornness and arrogance refuse to listen to God.  Don’t insist on living like you want to rather than as God wants you to.

       The message of God is crystal clear.  He has warned you about the dangerous path living in sin leads to.  He knows what lies ahead of you if you insist on dabbling in sin.  He loves you and wants to spare you the pain and self-destruction that comes from sinful behavior and thought.  He wants to give you peace and rest for your soul today.  Will you let Him?

AN IDOLATROUS HEART

Jer. 5:23-25  “But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.  They have turned against me and have chosen to practice idolatry.  They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the LORD our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of plentiful harvests.’ Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.  Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.” NLT

        Idolatry is the turning of our affections away from God and towards someone or something else.  It is what we deem to be most important in our lives.  It is robbing God of the love and devotion He deserves.  It is denying God the gratitude of our hearts for who He is and what He has done.

       Idolatry is sin and prevents God from blessing our lives.  Where idolatry resides there can be no peace or joy from God.  Any benefits that may come from an idolatrous heart are very fragile and fleeting.  They fail to satisfy the longing of the soul.  Don’t let sin take away from you the blessings the Lord wants to give to you. 

       If you want to make it to heaven, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, not just part of it.  You shall put Him before anything else in your life.  You shall acknowledge His role in your life as your Father.  You shall not attribute to anyone or anything else the glory do Him.  You shall live in awe of Him, for He is God, who provides for your every need.

      Don’t be stubborn and rebellious.  Don’t turn your heart away from Him.  Don’t chase after the empty promises of the world.  Don’t let the momentary pleasures of sin draw you away from God. 

       Let the Lord be your God.  Let Him fill your life with His life.  Acknowledge Him and give Him the glory and honor He deserves in all things and you will be truly blessed.

PLOW UP YOUR HARD HEART

Jer. 4:3-4  This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!  Do not waste your good seed among thorns.  Cleanse your minds and hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of your sins.”  NLT

        The first thing we must consider today is, “Have we allowed our hearts to be hardened?”  Before we answer this question, let’s pause for a moment and consider what that may mean to us.  Our souls must be soft and pliable before God if we are to going to be right with Him.  We must be like soft clay in a potter’s hands.  We must be able to be molded and shaped in any way the Lord wants us to be.  We must be willing to let Him get rid of all imperfections in our lives.  We must be willing to be made into what the Lord wants us to be and not what we want to be.  We must be willing to be used to serve His purposes and not our own.  We must be willing to let Him determine what goes into our souls and not us.  It takes concentrated effort on our part to stay soft and pliable because sin hardens the heart.  It contaminates the soul and prevents us from reaching our potential in the Lord’s hands. 

      We can prevent a lot of our sin problems by watching the company we keep.  When we linger in the presence of sinners, sin often rubs off on us.  We see and hear things that infiltrate the mind and conditions it to be accepting of sin.  Like seed planted amongst thorns, our growth is often stymied and stunted.  We lose our effectiveness as a witness and child of God.

      We must take sin seriously and cleanse our hearts and minds of it.  We may not like it, but if we want to live holy lives, we must do it.  We must confess our sins and change our ways.  We must be willing to change what entertains us.  We must be willing to change what we think about.  We must be willing to change everything that hardens our hearts towards God. 

      The alternative is not very good.  God’s anger is poured out on those who refuse to repent and be softened before Him.  God does not spare the soul from hell who will not strive to live free from sin.  He is gracious and forgiving towards those who sincerely try, but to those who don’t, He has no mercy. 

       Are you letting sin into your soul to harden it?  Get rid of it while you can before it sets in place permanently and makes you the object of God’s wrath. 

INSINCERE SORROW

Jer. 3:10 “But in spite of all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry,” says the LORD. NLT

       Israel and Judah had fallen away from God. Their attempts at reaching out to God were feeble at best. They wanted all of what the world had to offer and yet retain a semblance of their religious identity. God was an afterthought in their lives rather than a forethought. God was turned to only in times of great distress and danger. Sincerity was not their strong suit.

      Many of us are just like that today. We too, lack sincerity in our walk with God. We too want to have what the world offers and still be identified as followers of Christ. We too give lip service to Christ and not heart service. There is a shallowness in the life of the Church today that is downright scary. We are easily worked up emotionally and think that is godliness. We become so caught up in ourselves that we fail to move on to the deeper life of holiness. We accept with our minds holiness of living, but not with our hearts. We fail to sincerely pursue godliness in our thinking. We treat living in Christ as if it doesn’t really matter.  We think that a “profession of faith” at some time in our lives will automatically get us into heaven.

     We think that it is enough to “worship” the Lord an hour or two out of our week. We think that as long as we put forth some effort to be Christ-like that it is good enough. We think that holiness is an option, not a necessity, in our lives.

     I wonder what the Lord thinks about the way we think and live.

TWO EVIL THINGS

Jer. 2:13  For my people have done two evil things.  They have forsaken me---the fountain of living water.  And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!  NLT

      God is charging the Israelites with two things here: they have forsaken Him and they have built their lives on things that have no value at all for their souls.  We need to look at ourselves as well and ask ourselves if God might say the same thing about us.

       Have we forsaken God?  Obviously, we can declare that most people have.  We cannot go anywhere outside the church without facing unholy people.  But, what about inside the church, can we be accused of forsaking the Lord?  Have you or I forsaken the Lord?  Let us pause for a moment and take a serious look at our lives. 

       Are we living out God’s Word as we should?  God makes it clear that we are to live holy lives before man, lives that are characterized by godliness and not sin.  How much sin do we allow to creep into our hearts?  We don’t always know it when sin creeps in, but most of the time we do.  We are not as careful as we should be about letting sin influence what we do, say, and fill up our minds with.  When we are careless about sin we are in a sense forsaking the Lord.  We are not standing guard over our souls like He expects us to.  We are not keeping Him the first love of our lives.  If we love Him, we will obey Him. 

       Are we keeping the Lord the primary focus of our lives?  Does our love for Him determine how we live?  Do we love people or things more than we love the Lord?  If such is the case, we have forsaken Him.

       Are we building our lives on things that have no soul value?  The Living Water cannot be contained by the soul that is not made of eternal material.  Living for the things of the world prevents the soul from holding onto eternal life.  No matter what it is, the only thing that will keep God in our hearts is our faith in Him.  A life that is not faith built and faith led will not see God. 

      We must understand this.  Living for anything other than the Lord is a one way ticket to hell.  If Jesus is not your Savior and Lord, you are not going to make it to heaven. 

      Examine your soul today.  Is it cracked?  Is it keeping Christ in?  Is it full to overflowing?  Or, is it running dry?  Ask the Lord to repair your damaged soul.  Confess your sins and let Him remove them from you so that you can live a life that is full of Him and pleases God.