Category: belief

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God Must Get Tired of this Nonsense!

Ezekiel 8 to 11 “ God’s Way or My Way?”

Ezekiel 8 to 11 El Roi

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul wrote: they knew God …yet they did not honor Him as God. Centuries before, the religious leaders were doing it in Ezekiel’s day. Their whole purpose; drive God far from His sanctuary. Today: What I do behind closed doors is my business because “The Lord does not see me.”

What a difference from the words of Hagar who called God “El-Roi,” the God who sees me.

Ezekiel’s Temple tour revealed four idols: (1) the idol of jealousy—“I wish, I wish, I wish.” (2) the idol of self-indulgence—pleasure is the goal; (3) the idol of self-sufficiency—I will just try harder, do better; and (4) the idol of entertainment worship.  It all boils down to this: When men want to do Christianity their way, God will give them over to a depraved mind to do that which is not proper. He removes His hand of protection and unleashes the enemies of the world. God showed Ezekiel what Paul noted: Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Yet in all of this depravity, God’s grace is present. The righteous were to be marked on their forehead lest the executioner mistake them.

God seals all the righteous and gives the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Yes, God does see! Yes, God knows who are His.  

 

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What do you trust in?

Ezekiel 4 to 6 unchangeable

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. [Psa 20:7]

There were no newspapers, no Instagram, no Facebook, no cellphones— only miles and miles of desert sand. Ezekiel’s fellow captives had some serious questions.

Why are we here? What is happening in Jerusalem 900 miles away? 

God used Ezekiel to dramatize the news as He revealed it. God in his mercy wanted them to know how He saw their lives. He wanted them to repent. Over and over Ezekiel spoke these words in their ears: “I the Lord have spoken” or “then they will know that I am the Lord.” and more importantly: I have not forgotten you.

He wanted them to trust Him—even if they didn’t understand. Back in Jerusalem, they had worshiped idols on the mountain tops and yes even in the homes and the temple. Because He loved them He sent them prophets to warn them: do not trust in these idols, they will fail you—but the words fell on deaf ears. Now in the plains outside Babylon, Ezekiel asks:

Where are your idols now? Did they save you? Do you have them now?

Idols rust and decay, but this one truth remains; God loves yesterday as He does today and will tomorrow. He will use whatever means He considers best so that we might return to Him and repent.

The question remains: Do you trust in chariots (idols) or in Him?

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When was the last time you wept for others?

Lamentations 1 to 5 “Do You Weep for Your People?”

lamentations 1 to 5 tears.2ajpg

In Israel long ago God raised a prophet to tell God’s saving message but the people turned away.  For 45 yrs. Jeremiah faithfully reminded the people of their sin and consequences with no repentance.  And so, just as Jeremiah prophesied, the nation was destroyed both physically and spiritually. God’s discipline was harsh and long and Jeremiah’s heart was broken.

As Jeremiah wept we should also. We should weep for our countrymen who hear the gospel and reject it. We should weep for ourselves if we have failed to share the truth. But even as he wept he knew this truth which never changes:

The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant!

Jeremiah poured out his pain in his writing and as we read these words, tears run down our faces for those who have heard and reject and for those who have yet to hear.

Are we weeping along with Jeremiah?

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Fight or Surrender

Jeremiah 50 to 52 The book of Jeremiah is long and there are some pointed lessons to learn and they come through the tale of two kings; Zedekiah and Jehoiachin.

Jeremiah 52 fight or surrender.2ajpg

Both had the privilege of having Jeremiah speak the words of God to them and both had sought the advice of him as the Babylonians were crouching at their doorstep. Both were placed in the position of leadership yet failed because of their wickedness. One believed Jeremiah, surrendered and saved his family. The other rejected and lost his family and the royal household. Both ended up in a Babylonian prison yet one was released after 37 yrs. to sit at the king’s table. The other would die in his bronze chains and in blindness remembering the faces of his children as they were slaughtered. Neither would have a descendant to take their place on the throne.

What is our take away from these two men and their end? When we ask God what to do and He tells us, we have a choice; we can keep fighting God or surrender. God says surrender your life to me and you will have everlasting life but often we say we can save ourselves. I can fix myself. I can…I can…etc. etc. etc. Yet, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.”

Surrender to God and be saved; reject and enter a Christ-less eternity.

 

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It Isn’t Just Faith!

Jeremiah 47 to 49  The countries of Moab and Ammon had been protected for centuries by the mighty hand of God. When the children of Israel left Egypt, God said they could not walk on their ground or even ask for a morsel of bread from them. And so,  Moab and Ammon stood by and watched as Israel walked on by. Just because Israel was forbidden to ask does not mean Moab and Ammon could not have offered. Yet, they never offered a crumb or a drop of water.

Centuries later when the Babylonians entered Israel their hatred rose to new heights. They waited until the land was stripped bare. Then like looters, they sought to take possession of the land and its riches. God’s anger rose in his nostrils. This time God would no longer protect them but allow them to be treated as they had treated Israel. They would feel the pain of the Babylonians as well, in fact so much so that today there is not a remnant of them to be found.

jeremiah 47 to 49 meeting needs1a

These chapters remind us of the story of the rich man and Lazarus of Luke 16. The rich man walked by Lazarus each day to and from his duties elsewhere. He never offered a crumb of bread to the beggar Lazarus who laid at his gate. He had much but offered nothing. When death darkened the door of each man, only one was found in Paradise: Lazarus.

Beloved, when God places those in need at our doorstep, we must reach out and offer that crumb. God is watching.

We reveal our faith by what we do not just by what we say.

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Hypocrite! Hypocrite!

Jeremiah 40 to 43  In the NT, Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites meaning one who has the form of godliness without the power. But these religious leaders were not the first; Jeremiah meets them in our reading today. They came to Jeremiah feigning piety seeking God’s counsel about the next step.

Standing before him, they said: please pray to the Lord “your” God that He will tell us where we should go. We promise that whatever he says we will do. Ten days later Jeremiah emerges from his prayer closet with God’s counsel and it is resoundingly rejected. Those who were so pious showed their true heart when they said the Lord “our” God did not send you to tell us to stay here. How quickly they changed from ‘your’ God to ‘our’ God.

Setting piety aside they said, we are going to Egypt and guess what, you are going with us. How often are we like these people? We ask others to pray but when the answer comes we say no way did God say that. That is the height of hypocrisy!Jeremiah 40 43 hypocrisy2

God demands that we listen and obey. Proverbs 3 says ‘trust in the Lord’ with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. We say the first phrase but omit the second. God is not pleased.

 

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Heroes and Villains

Jeremiah 37 -39 The Hero is the Man of the Hour

Novels and mysteries have cliff hanger episodes to keep us riveted to the plot. Jeremiah’s book is no different and chapter by chapter we are privy to the plans of the villains and the heroes. First is the cowardly vacillating king, Zedekiah. The villains seek to keep the king from making a decision to surrender to the Babylonians. The hero is the man behind the scene yet to be discovered.

King Zedekiah vacillates between keeping the prophet Jeremiah safe but in the next moment lets the villains plot his demise.  Jeremiah makes a fateful mistake-or so we would surmise-to leave Jerusalem. The villains catch him and throw him into a muddy cistern and place a cover over it. End of Jeremiah, right? 

1500 yr old cistern

While the villains are busy slapping each other on the back for getting rid of Jeremiah, our man of the hour, our hero, Ebed Melech, a court servant, is busy convincing Zedekiah to get Jeremiah out of the cistern. Some time later he and thirty men use with ropes, rags, and towels to raise Jeremiah out of the cistern. Ebed Melech is the man of the hour.

Jeremiah probably thought he made a fateful mistake by trying to leave Jerusalem, but God was looking to demonstrate a lesson of what a faithful servant looks like behind the scenes. Ebed Melech just cared about Jeremiah, he wasn’t looking for any credit but God cared about Ebed Melech. As a reward, God told Jeremiah to tell him that he could be rescued and saved when the Babylonians take Jerusalem.

You never know when God will use you to be the man or woman (think Esther)  of the hour but God’s eyes see and He rewards faithfulness.

[picture of a cistern, 1500 yr old, found in Jerusalem courtesy of Pinterest ]

 

 

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Doubters Need Not Apply

doubter jer 33.2a

Jeremiah 33  If you read or watch the news it can be pretty daunting. But, we who are His children know that God has the world in the palm of His hand and He orchestrates it all for His glory. Yet, even so, God reminds us “call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know.”

What great things are you yearning to know? God wants to open your eyes, your ears and your heart to understand the wonderful things He has for you as His child. What he told the people of Judah then is as true for you today.

Are you carrying a burden today? Do you need strength and wisdom? Remember these words from James: ask in faith without doubting. Doubters are like the wave of the sea. Doubters will not receive anything from the Lord because a doubter is a double-minded person. They vacillate between believing and doubting. God wants those who will trust Him on His team.  God promises that if we truly call on him and do not doubt, He will open the windows of heaven and pour forth His blessings.

Call on Him today and believe.

 

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One Door, One Decision

Jermiah 21 decision2a

Jeremiah 21:8  The phrase great minds think alike is often used when one or another come up with the same thought. Moses, Joshua, Elijah and Jeremiah thought alike, talked alike, and wrote alike in many ways. Listen to their words:

Jeremiah: ‘I will give you a choice between two courses of action. One will result in life; the other will result in death.[Jer 21]

Moses: Today I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life. [Deut 30]

Joshua: Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve [Josh 24]

Elijah: How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if  Baal, follow him. [1Kings 18]

The people were at a crossroads. They could choose God’s way or the world’s way. Moses said: It is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it. [Deut 30:14]

But men do not like rules; they can delay or choose their own way. Jesus said; For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

Choose God and life or Baal and death. What will you choose?

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It isn’t rocket science!

Jeremiah 6 Heeding Instructions

jeremiah 6b choos= the right path.2a

Ezekiel was told to pay attention, watch closely, and listen carefully and Jeremiah echoed those words! He reminded them that they were standing at the crossroads and must decide; God’s way or the world’s way. He also reminded them that the ways of their forefathers who chose the ‘good way’ or the ‘right way,’ they were now calling old fashioned. Like many even today the glitz and glamor outweigh the prudent and wise ways of God.

The nation was standing at the crossroads of life. They must consider their path—there is the narrow way that leads to God or the wide path that leads to destruction. A funny but true story of a prophet teaches that principle.

Balaam refused to listen to his donkey that had been empowered by God to speak. Balaam was both deaf and blind to the wisdom of the donkey until the angel opened his eyes when the donkey was in a narrow place with nowhere to turn. This story illustrates that if we fail to follow God’s way we may too find ourselves in a narrow place with nowhere to turn. Jeremiah is saying to his people and to us: Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it.

Smart advice: Don’t be stubborn like the prophet but choose God’s way.  Remember the words of Proverbs: The one who wanders from the way of wisdom will end up in the company of the departed.

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