How Big is Your God?

O. T. #1781"How Big is Your God?"
Sept. 18, 2020
Jeremiah 23-Part 4
Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? (verse 23)

 LET IT GLOW
 In our key verse, God asserts His omnipresence and omniscience. Not only is God on His throne in heaven, but He is here in our world. Our God is everywhere. No one can hide from Him. (verse 23)He knows the minds of men and angels. In Jeremiah's day, people thought a diety was limited and localized-a neighborhood  god. They assumed that God did not care about their situations in their lives. Nor could He handle things beyond our control. How big is your God? My God can see everything and knows everything. He can fix our messes. Nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) Do you have an impossible? Have faith.

 LET IT GROW
Jeremiah was heartbroken because of the false prophets. His bones trembled and he staggered like a drunkard. Why was he feeling like this? It was because of the holy words the LORD had spoken against them.
 How did he describe Judah's priests and prophets?
*They were ungodly, wicked men, who did despicable acts (adultery) in the Temple.
 *They lied, made up everything they prophesied, deceitful,smooth words.
*They prophesied in the name of Baal, the false god.
*They encouraged those who did evil so no one turned from their sins.
*Nothing bad was going to happen to Judah, they told the people. There was only peace for them. The result? Those false prophets and families would die when Babylon invaided.

 LET IT GO
Be near to each of us Heavenly Father.
Encourage us as we encourage others.
You alone are worthy of praise and worship.

How to be Righteous

O. T. #1780  "How to be Righteous"
Sept. 17, 2020
Jeremiah 23-Part 3

LET IT GLOW

I think we have in our mind what traits of a "righteous" person are-moral, virtuous, good conduct, avoiding evil and fleshly temptations, uprightness. Perhaps they walk a good, straight path of faith, do not gossip, say only good things about others. These are wonderful qualities, but we can still be unrighteous in God's eyes.

Our righteousness is as filthy rags, according to Isaiah 64:6. We fall short of God's standard. It's not our good works nor good conduct that makes us righteous. We are undeserving and unmerited. Righteousness is a gift from the Lord Jesus.

Jesus is the righteous Branch and King of David's line. His name is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (verses 5,6) Jehovah Tsidkenu is the Hebrew name. It is faith in His blood sacrifice for us that makes us righteous before a Holy God.

[Resource: Knowing God By Name, by David Wilkerson]

LET IT GROW

Who was it that was a righteous man in the Old Testament, a patriarch? It was Abraham.
What was it that made Abraham righteous? Not his works, as he was obedient in about to sacrifice his only son on the altar to his God, but faith.

Romans 4 tells us that:
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (verse 3)
Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. (verse 9)
(Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (verses 20-22)

Do we have strong faith like Abraham? Do we have faith the size of a seed of mustard? That is all that is required.

Jude 24 says, [He] is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.

Are you enduring afflictions? simply hold onto faith with patience. Trust God to be working, keeping His Word, being your Jehovah Tsidkenu.
Are you feeling unrighteous? Believe Jesus and He will look upon you as righteous.
Is your life a mess and think you need to do something to make it right with God? Trust Jesus, Jehovah Tsidkenu. That kind of faith is pleasing to God.

LET IT GO

In this trial, in this waiting, in this mess, Lord Jesus, we surrender to You.
All I am is Yours.
Be our Righteousness.
Grow our faith.

A Righteous Branch

O. T. #1779  "A Righteous Branch"
Sept. 16, 2020
Jeremiah 23-Part 2
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (verse 5)

LET IT GLOW

As I have shared before, there was an old pecan tree in our back yard, at least 50 years old. As a child, I played in that tree, climbing to the middle branches, overlooking my kingdom as a queen.
Well, due to high winds throughout the years, large branches fell off of the tree. Eventually, it was cut down. Then a sprout grew out of the sawed off tree trunk, which still had its roots in tact. The sprout grew, so I though we would have a new pecan tree there, but it did not happen. Today, we read about a sprout growing. Continue to find out who it is.

Jeremiah gives us a contrast between the bad shepherds, leaders in Judah and The Good Shepherd which is to come. The bad shepherds scattered God's flock, drove them away, and did not visit them. Their false teachings of false prophets and pastors gave assurance to the people that they were ok and promised peace, but their sin of idolatry and immorality was not pleasing to God. In fact, it angered Him, so much that judgment was coming for Judah and Jerusalem in the form of the Babylonian army. We know that they paid for their sins 70 years in captivity.

Now, the contrast hope was coming in the form of a Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  He would feed them the Truth because He is the Truth. In our key verse, what is Jesus called? He is a righteous Branch from David and a King.

In the Hebrew language, branch is a sprout; bud; that which grew; spring (forth, up).

The Branch (tsemash) was not an individual twig or branch of a tree, but a sprout from a fallen tree or a sprout directly out of the ground from a root, forming a second tree. Therefore, out of the fallen dynasty of Israel life would spring through an individual Messiah, upon whom the nation's, as well as the world's hopes, would rest. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

Isaiah predicted this Branch in 11:1-2, And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

Secular history and the Bible both teach that Jesus Christ was that Branch that came.

This righteous branch is Jesus Christ, who will reign one thousand years, establishing His kingdom on earth as King. What will He do?

• He shall reign (to ascend the throne; make king; to induct into royalty).
• He shall prosper (teach. instruct, wisdom, intelligent, understanding, prudent, skillful).
• He shall execute (to do or make; appoint; fulfill; use) judgment (a verdict; divine law; a sentence or formal decree) and justice (rightness; virtue).

In other words, Jesus Christ will ascend the throne as King over all the earth at that time. He will use wisdom to use the divine law and rightness as He reigns. The Messiah came the first time as Savior; the next time He comes, He will be Judge. This judgment and justice has not happened yet on a local, let alone worldwide, scale. Israel will dwell safely and Judah will be saved.

What a time that will be for Israel. They shall recognize that Jesus is the awaited Messiah that came to save them from their sins.

LET IT GROW

Today, it seems that the word "righteous" is thrown around carelessly. People do not understand its meaning. They do not recognize that we are not righteous, but it take the blood of Jesus to make us righteous.

Unlike Zedekiah and those last kings of Judah, this King will do what is right. What does verse 6 call Him? The LORD is our Righteousness is His name Jehovah Tsidkenu is His name. The Hebrew word for righteousness is tsedeq (tseh'dek), which means the right; equity; just.

Jesus was without sin when He died on the cross, for He was God in the flesh. He had overcome the temptations of Satan while living on earth. He was the Perfect Lamb of God that overcame the world, as Peter called Jesus. Do you know this Lamb as your Savior today? Simply ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and be your Savior. He willingly awaits you, dear one.

Next time, we will see how Jesus is our Righteousness, for ours is but filthy rags. And it is by faith in Him that we are counted as righteous before a Holy God.

LET IT GO

O Holy One, Righteous King, You alone are LORD of everything.
We bow before You, Jesus, praise and adore You, thank You for being our Righteousness.

Scattering and Regathering

O. T. #1778  "Scattering and Regathering"
Sept. 15, 2020
Jeremiah 23

LET IT GLOW

Is there anything that is causing you to be afraid? Reassurance is found here in this chapter, so please read on, friend.

Evil shepherds, false prophets, and unrighteous rulers (kings, civil leaders) were common in Judah. The pastors had destroyed and scattered the sheep of God's pasture, the very ones that were expected to care for. (verse 1) That's the bad news.

Now, the good news is that:

• God will gather a remnant of those scattered out in different countries together back in Jerusalem. They will be fruitful and increase. (verse 3)
• He will appoint responsible shepherds over them that will feed them spiritually and care for them. (verse 4)
• The people will not fear, be dismayed, nor lack anything.

The remnant of believers in God would have to go into exile with the rebellious ones. They would be affected because the majority of people were idolaters and immoral. However, God gives them hope.

Dismayed means afraid; discourage; to break down, either violence or by confusion and fear.

Numerous times God's people were reassured by being told to not be dismayed.

Isaiah 41:10 says, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

Are we trusting God to strengthen us, help us, uphold us with His righteous right hand? He says that He will.


LET IT GROW
Judgment begins at the household of God. In verse 2, we read where the pastors affected the people by:

• causing them to scatter as the flock of God's people;
• drove them away;
• did not visit them.

God said He would visit upon them for the evil of their doings. It was the false priests and false prophets that were supposed to walk close to the Lord, but did not. They prophesied peace when God had proclaimed destruction. They didn't tell the truth that Judah was sinning against God with their idols. They pretended all was well when it was not. They had large enthusiastic audiences and were very popular as a result.

Life Application Study Bible gives us 4 warning signs of a false prophet:

1. They appear to speak God's message, but they do not live according to God's principles.
2. They water down God's message in order to make it more palatable (agreeable or acceptable to the mind).
3. They encourage their listeners, often subtly, to disobey God.
4. They tend to be arrogant and self-serving, appealing to the desires of their audience instead of being true to God's Word.

We should observe if our pastors are like this.

LET IT GO
Let's go back to Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Thank You Father, for the Word of Truth.
You do not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a strong mind.

A Chance to Change

O. T. #1777  "
Sept. 14, 2020
Jeremiah 22-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

Chapters 22-25 are not in chronological order as events occurred. We studied about King Zedekiah of Judah in the previous chapter, although he was the last king of Judah. God sent Jeremiah directly to the kings of Judah to prophesy what was to come if the did not repent of their sins and turn back to worshiping Him.
In verse 4, we see that it was not too late to change. There was still time for the kings to obey what God had said in verse 3.

The faithful discharge of their duties (verse 3) would advance and secure their prosperity, plus the royal family and city.
Had they actually changed, there would have been a descendant of David sitting on the throne as king in Judah. but they would not do it. Therefore, Judah and Jerusalem would become desolate.

There was some hope of favor yet remaining, provided the king and the whole people received the admonitions of the Prophet; provided their repentance and conversion were sincere, God was still ready to forgive them. (Calvin's commentary on Jeremiah)

If only those kings had turned from evil and done what was right in God's eyes, according to His Word, then they could have rebuilt their nation. If only. Do you have any "if only's?"

Doing what is right is more than simply believing all the right doctrines about God. It means living in obedience to God. Good deeds do not save us, but they do display our faith (James 2:17-26). (Life Application Study Bible)

Our God is King of all nations, Majesty on High, is the One True, Living God, and Everlasting Father.

There is still hope for our nation (and individual) if we will confess our sins, turn from our sinful ways, and obey God.

LET IT GROW

Josiah was a good king of Judah, who did away with idols and restored worship of God in the Temple. He led a much needed revival and cared deeply about his people. He died at the battle of Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29). The next 3 kings to reign in Judah were Josiah's son, I think. Judah was a theocracy, so it was the king's responsibility to establish justice, enforce moral law, social justice, and worship. Jeremiah was sent to them to warn them of the coming judgments of God.

First was Shallum, called Jehoahaz (1 Chron. 3:15), who was the fourth son of Josiah. After his 3 month reign, Jehoahaz was carried off to Egypt. He was the first leader of Judah to die in exile.

Next was Jehoiakim, who was spiritually bankrupt. He was a puppet king installed by the Egyptians and was so self-serving and corrupt that he made his subjects work for him without pay to build him a massive palace (verses 13-14). He was not above shedding innocent blood, committing exhortation and oppression.  Jehoiakim was so disposed that his dead body was dragged off and thrown outside Jerusalem's gates (verses 18-19). No one mourned for this king.

The third king was Coniah, also Jehoiachin, was as a broken pot, useless to the Lord. When he took off the king's signet ring, it showed he rejected God's leadership. So he was useless to the Lord. (verse 24) He had no descendant to sit in the throne of David, though he had 7 sons. He brought a curse in his line.

Jesus Christ is a descendant of David, who will sit in the throne to rule in Jerusalem during the Millennium. It is through His mother's line, Mary, that His genealogy traces Him through Nathan's line, not Solomon. Joseph was the foster father of Jesus. The Holy Spirit caused Mary to conceive Jesus. Had Joseph been His father, He would not have been eligible to sit on the throne.

LET IT GO
As long as we are breathing, we have a chance to turn from our sinful lifestyle. We can change our ways to please God. So can others. That is good news to share. 
Thank You Jesus!

Fires and Forests

O. T. #1776  "Fires and Forests"
Sept. 11, 2020
Jeremiah 22

LET IT GLOW

Previously, we read about the message God sent to the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, through the Prophet Jeremiah. He had the opportunity to surrender to God, turning from idolatry, yet he would not repent of his sins.
God sent Jeremiah to the last kings of Judah because they were responsible for the spiritual leadership of their country. Had the last 4 kings of Judah not been a sorry bunch and heeded the warnings, they would have obeyed God and Babylon would not have taken the people of Judah captive and Jerusalem would not have been destroyed, along with the Temple.

What was the message Jeremiah delivered to those kings, found in verse 3?

• Execute judgment and righteousness; being fair-minded and doing what is right. 
• Helped those who have been robbed.
• Rescue them from their oppressors.
• Quit your evil deeds.
• Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows.
• Stop murdering the innocent.

If the kings obeyed God, then there would always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. The king would ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of attendants and subjects. But if they refused, to pay attention to this warning, then their palace would be a pile of rubble.

He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8)

Those are all related to how we treat others. Are we doing what is right and good? Are we helping others in need? Are we merciful? Our God is merciful toward us, or we would have been taken out of this world already.

LET IT GROW

If Judah's kings did not hear and heed God's Words, then their royal palace and city would be destroyed. We read this in verses 6-9.
God loved His people as much as fruitful Gilead and the green forests of Lebanon. Gilead, a region east of the Jordan River, is mentioned 3 times in this chapter-verses 6, 20. 23. It was a region where livestock and goats grazed. Certain trees grew there-pine, cedar, cypress, and terebinth, which dripped a liquid rosin, balm, used for medicinal purposes. Back in 8:22, the question is asked, Is there no balm in Gilead?"

Lebanon was a mountain range in Palestine. The cedar of Lebanon is mentioned 72 times in the Bible. It is known that cedar trees grow best in deep soil where their roots have access to water.  (Numbers 24:6) Thick cedar forests found in Lebanon during that time provided the wood used in building may things. Solomon used the cedars of Lebanon to build the Temple and the second building of the Temple, Ezra 3.

God said that He would turn their cities into a desert with no one living within their walls. The cedar beams would be torn down and thrown into the fire.
People who passed by would wonder why the LORD destroyed such a great city as Jerusalem. The answer was because they violated their covenant with the LORD their God by worshiping other gods.

We can see how God can burn thousands of acres as it has happened in our northwestern states lately. Those are mountains with forests of trees we use in our nation for paper and building wood, which is important to us. Are we asking God to stop the fires? To bring people to Him? To protect His children in that region?

LET IT GO
At the cross, I surrender my life; I owe all to You, Jesus.
There is nothing that our God can't do. He is all-powerful. He can send rain to put out fires.

Finding Rest

O. T. #1775  "Finding Rest"
Sept. 10, 2020
Jeremiah 21-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

Finally, my husband and I were able to get away this past weekend for some rest. Not only did we need rest for our tired bodies, but our weary souls. When working with people day in and day out, it can take its toll on a person. Especially when your situation is dealing with those who are disgruntle.
So we enjoyed a short getaway to Branson. The highlight of our trip for me was a self-driven golf cart ride through the woods. There were fantastic waterfalls, a variety of huge rocks, an amazing cave with a waterfall, green hills, cute squirrels, and  happy singing birds in the quiet setting. A lake was in the background at one stop. How grateful I was for eyes to see God's splendorous creation, hidden away and rest.

This chapter jumped to the latter years of Jeremiah's ministry. It was during the reign of the last king of Judah, King Zedekiah, who protected the Prophet and consulted him secretly. Although, the king never carried out his advice. It was during this period of time that Jeremiah was thrown into prison (chapter 37) and put into a dungeon to die (chapter 38). However, a royal eunuch, Ebedmelech, showed compassion on Jeremiah had him moved from the pit to the court of the guard, where he remained until Jerusalem was taken by Babylon.

A large part of the blame for Judah's sins could be laid at the foot of the throne in Jerusalem. Judah's last 4 kings ruled badly for their last 22 1/2 years and failed in the spiritual leadership role God had for them. They were descendants of the royal household of King David, through whom the Messiah would come. Certainly, they should have practiced righteousness and justice. (verse 12)

David was a "man after God's own heart." He had been promised by God to have a relative on the throne of Israel if they would remain faithful to God. There was no insider advantage of being of this Davidic line, unless it was accompanied by obedience. How it must have been painful for God to address such a sorry bunch of kings.

LET IT GROW

The Jews fought the invaders outside the walls of Jerusalem on the hillsides and valleys. However, they were driven back into the city. When their enemy built ramps outside Jerusalem's walls, it should have brought Zedekiah and his officials to their knees, but not so.

Since King Zedekiah refused to surrender, his eyes were put out; and he died in a Babylonian prison. (chapters 39 and 52) Some say that this king died of grief when his son was killed by the enemie's sword.

What were some warnings that Jeremiah predicted would happen, and did?

• God would fight against the sinful Judeans with His outstretched hand and strong arm in anger, fury, and great wrath. (verse 5)
• God would not spare the people of Judah, neither have pity, nor have mercy on them. They would die by the sword, pestilence, and famine. (verse 7)
• Those who surrendered to the enemy would live.(verse 9)
• God set His face against Jerusalem for their evil, and Jerusalem would burn, as well as the land. (verse 10)
• Because of their evil doings, God would punish its inhabitants according to the fruit of their doings. (verse 14)

[Resources: The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, Liberty Bible Commentary, The MacArthur Bible Commentary]

King Zedekiah turned to God for help, but without acknowledging God's warnings or admitting his sin. Too often we expect God to help us in our time of trouble even though we have ignored Him in our time of prosperity. But God wants a lasting relationship. Are you trying to build a lasting friendship with God or are you merely using Him occasionally to escape trouble? What would you think of your family or friends if they thought of you only as a temporary resource?
(Life Application Study Bible)

Are you in need of spiritual rest? Jesus invites us to come to Him, weary and heavy hearted friend.
Find rest from struggles, opinions, criticisms, challenges at every corner, and temptations to quit or give in.

Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

LET IT GO

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea, as long as we have faith.
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
Come let us worship the King, let us bow down before Him. He has done great things.

Lord Jesus our Savior, bless all who read this with Your peace and rest.