Date: Thursday, August 28,
2014
Today's Chapters: Lamentations
3-5
Message Title: True
Happiness
Hello My
Friend,
“Happiness is to know the Savior, Living a life within His
favor, Having a change in my behavior--Happiness is the Lord, Real joy is mine,
no matter if teardrops start; I've found the secret- it's Jesus in my heart!
Happiness is a new creation, "Jesus and me" in close relation, Having a part in
His salvation--Happiness is the Lord, Happiness is to be forgiven, Living a life
that's worth the livin', Taking a trip that leads to heaven--Happiness is the
Lord, Happiness is the Lord, Happiness is the Lord!” These are the
song lyrics to “Happiness Is The Lord”, they are a reminder that a life with
Jesus brings true happiness, even if we are shedding tears, we can find joy.
“That the trial
of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it
be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ:” - 1 Peter
1:7.
When we are going through trials it can bring a lot of mixed
emotions and actions that we might not normally do, especially if the trial
seems to go on and on. Oh, we can keep our head up for a while, but the longer
the trial the lower our head begins to hang. When we have done everything in our
physical power to do and still see no end, that is when we begin wondering if
God is even around. Jeremiah had a very heavy heart, he continues to express his
deep sorrow and grief, this time over the affliction he had to deal with.
“I am the man
that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought
me into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth
his hand against me all the day. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out:
he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my
prayer. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths
crooked.” - Lamentations
3:1-3,7-9.
It's easy to see God when things
are going well, but it's almost impossible to see Him when we just keep getting pounded with one trial after
another. That's when we need to step back, take a deep breath and remind
ourselves that God never leaves nor forsakes us. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans
8:35,38,39.
As Jeremiah was
contemplates
his afflictions he began to
realize something, things could have been a lot worse had it not been for God's
mercy and compassion to save those who wanted to be saved. He also reminded
himself that while God allows grief, He also gives hope through
that grief. “This I recall
to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is
thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope
in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh
him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation
of the LORD. For the Lord will not cast off for ever:” -
Lamentations 3:21-26,31.
Think about all the suffering that an unsaved person or even a person
that has backslidden faces and how hopeless they feel. We cannot escape
affliction, it's inevitable, but we can endure it if we keep our eyes on Christ.
Jesus endured more suffering than anyone here on earth will ever have to face,
but through that suffering came redemption, reconciliation, and resurrection for
all who believe in Him. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to
the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the
right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us.” - Romans 8:31-34. Praise
God!
Is any afflicted? Let him pray, and let him pray
and pour out his complaint to God.
Those who truly want God to change
their situation, will not only seek God and His mercies, but also take the
steps needed to change them by walking with Christ and conforming to Him. Only
through affliction can we become like Christ and find hope out of every
situation. “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or
railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto
called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see
good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no
guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For
the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their
prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do
evil.” - 1 Peter
3:8-12.
Today's
Prayer: God, Of all
the people that have come and gone in the world, You had a purpose for every one
of them. Sadly, not everyone fulfills that purpose and not only do they suffer
judgment, we suffer the repercussions of their judgment. While we do
not want to face affliction, often You place difficult situations in our lives
in order to show us that You do
have a
purpose for us and that through our suffering true joy and happiness will come out of it. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, strengthen us, and help
us to look to You for hope out of every situation, and do what is necessary on
our part to not only conform to the likeness of Christ, but to be a
witness and a testimony that You alone turned our messes into messages of hope
and faith in You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for
you,
Christina
Are You
100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's
PriceLike Us On
Facebook: I'm Following
Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
An End To Pain And Sorrow
Date: Wednesday, August 27,
2014
Today's Chapters: Lamentations 1-2
Message Title: An End To Pain And Sorrow
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Lamentations is the twenty-fifth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains five chapters. The timeline for these events took place approximately 588 BC. It was written by Jeremiah to the Jews who were captive in Babylon, the purpose of the book was to get the Jews to repent and restore their relationship with God. What we are to learn from the book is that God is faithful in both judgment and mercy. “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22,23.
To lament, it means to feel deep sorrow and grief, so much that nothing can comfort them, all they see is pain. Have you ever felt so much sorrow in your heart, soul, and spirit, a pain so deep that you see no hope in sight? This is the way Jeremiah felt after things began to settle after the fall of Jerusalem, he gets kind of angry that no one feels the same as he does. “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.” - Lamentations 1:12-14.
When we are feeling deep sorrow, it can anger us when no one seems to care about the things that are going on, it can even feel as though God is against us too. If we are not careful, things like depression, bitterness, and hate creep in. If you ever wonder why the suicide rate is so high, it's because hurting people cry out every day, but feel as though no one hears them. We must remember that God is always with us, He is not against us, He loves us. If anything, He is speaking to us, but we cannot hear Him because we only hear those demons in our head telling us there is no hope. Fight the demons with God, He really is the only one who can turn those sorrows into joys. “ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.” - Psalm 18:1-4.
Jeremiah does understand that all the destruction and affliction God's people were facing was due to the sin that was in the nation. What he did not understand was why God made a covenant with Israel if He was not going to keep it. Jeremiah ask God questions, wondering if He even remembers the covenant He made with Israel. “How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast. The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.” - Lamentations 2:1,7-9.
When faced with circumstances beyond our control, especially when there seems to be no end to them, they tend to cloud our faith in God. Quite often, God may step back a bit to allow us to think on these things, but He is always with us, He's just waiting for our faith to show up. And it's perfectly fine to ask God questions, many times the only way we can draw closer to Him is by grief and sorrow, and while He doesn't want to see any of us suffer, He knows that we are unlikely to seek His presence when there are not circumstances. When we seek answers from God, we may or may not find the answers to our questions, but we can find peace, hope, and joy, in an out of the midst of our circumstances. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:13.
Affliction, the cause of continued pain of the body or mind due to the circumstances in our lives. No one wants to be afflicted, we try to avoid it at all cost, no matter how much we try, no matter how prepared we are, it comes. We cannot escape affliction, but we can find comfort, and even lessen the blow through our faithfulness to God and trusting Him to bring it all to pass in His timing. We can overcome the sorrow and grief that controls us, but we cannot do it alone, we need Jesus. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10.
Today's Prayer: God, I don't know anyone who loves to feel pain and sorrow, and it simply does nothing for our morale either, but whatever You allow us to go through You have a reason for it. The only way we can truly be at peace and find comfort and even an end to the suffering is through You. Lord, we need You, so many people are full of sorrow and do not knew where to go, break through the door, open their hearts to see that You are their help. Great things always come to those who endure their affliction with You as they draw closer to You and trust You. Give us your power, wisdom, and strength to increase our faith, and let us see You do great things in our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Today's Chapters: Lamentations 1-2
Message Title: An End To Pain And Sorrow
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Lamentations is the twenty-fifth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains five chapters. The timeline for these events took place approximately 588 BC. It was written by Jeremiah to the Jews who were captive in Babylon, the purpose of the book was to get the Jews to repent and restore their relationship with God. What we are to learn from the book is that God is faithful in both judgment and mercy. “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22,23.
To lament, it means to feel deep sorrow and grief, so much that nothing can comfort them, all they see is pain. Have you ever felt so much sorrow in your heart, soul, and spirit, a pain so deep that you see no hope in sight? This is the way Jeremiah felt after things began to settle after the fall of Jerusalem, he gets kind of angry that no one feels the same as he does. “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.” - Lamentations 1:12-14.
When we are feeling deep sorrow, it can anger us when no one seems to care about the things that are going on, it can even feel as though God is against us too. If we are not careful, things like depression, bitterness, and hate creep in. If you ever wonder why the suicide rate is so high, it's because hurting people cry out every day, but feel as though no one hears them. We must remember that God is always with us, He is not against us, He loves us. If anything, He is speaking to us, but we cannot hear Him because we only hear those demons in our head telling us there is no hope. Fight the demons with God, He really is the only one who can turn those sorrows into joys. “ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.” - Psalm 18:1-4.
Jeremiah does understand that all the destruction and affliction God's people were facing was due to the sin that was in the nation. What he did not understand was why God made a covenant with Israel if He was not going to keep it. Jeremiah ask God questions, wondering if He even remembers the covenant He made with Israel. “How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast. The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.” - Lamentations 2:1,7-9.
When faced with circumstances beyond our control, especially when there seems to be no end to them, they tend to cloud our faith in God. Quite often, God may step back a bit to allow us to think on these things, but He is always with us, He's just waiting for our faith to show up. And it's perfectly fine to ask God questions, many times the only way we can draw closer to Him is by grief and sorrow, and while He doesn't want to see any of us suffer, He knows that we are unlikely to seek His presence when there are not circumstances. When we seek answers from God, we may or may not find the answers to our questions, but we can find peace, hope, and joy, in an out of the midst of our circumstances. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:13.
Affliction, the cause of continued pain of the body or mind due to the circumstances in our lives. No one wants to be afflicted, we try to avoid it at all cost, no matter how much we try, no matter how prepared we are, it comes. We cannot escape affliction, but we can find comfort, and even lessen the blow through our faithfulness to God and trusting Him to bring it all to pass in His timing. We can overcome the sorrow and grief that controls us, but we cannot do it alone, we need Jesus. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10.
Today's Prayer: God, I don't know anyone who loves to feel pain and sorrow, and it simply does nothing for our morale either, but whatever You allow us to go through You have a reason for it. The only way we can truly be at peace and find comfort and even an end to the suffering is through You. Lord, we need You, so many people are full of sorrow and do not knew where to go, break through the door, open their hearts to see that You are their help. Great things always come to those who endure their affliction with You as they draw closer to You and trust You. Give us your power, wisdom, and strength to increase our faith, and let us see You do great things in our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Set Free From Captivity
Date: Tuesday, August 26,
2014
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 51-52
Message Title: Set Free From Captivity
Hello My Friend, Sin, it's not something that most of us live for, I do not think most people wake up every morning looking for ways to bring shame and suffering upon themselves or devise evil schemes to get the things they want. Most of us want a normal life, without any drama or complications, but thanks to this flesh of ours we often do things out of pride, emotions, and feelings, which can result in sin and a life full of drama and complications. Can I tell you that no one is without sin, no one is perfect, and no one is better than anyone else, we all have sinned and done things that have hurt us or someone else. Thanks to Jesus, we are set free from the captivity of sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” - Romans 3:23,24.The fate of Babylon had already been foretold, after all their glory of invading Judah, they would be next. The idol worship of the nation would also be judged, and their fate was grim, but there was hope even for them. Through Jeremiah, God pleads with every soul, regardless of who they were, to get out of Babylon before His vengeance came upon that nation. “Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” - Jeremiah 51:1,4-6,8,9. It is God's desire than none perish, He will save any who comes to Him through His Son, but unless they come to Him He cannot and will not save them. Why? Free Will, Choice, and Acceptance. God gives us all the free will to choose what we believe, if we want to believe that man evolved over millions of years ago, than that is our choice. Believing in God is not enough, we also must believe in and accept Jesus. If they do not believe in and accept Him as the only own who can save them than He will not save them. It is God's choice not to save those who do not believe in Him or His Son. Why would He save anyone who does not believe in Him? “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” - Romans 9:14-16.
Four-thousand and six hundred Jews were carried into captivity to Babylon while Nebuchadrezzar was king, but while in their seventy year captivity something amazing began to happen, many of the people sought forgiveness of their sins, and put their faith and trust in God. The result, God's mercy and grace was upon them and they began to prosper, even the last king of Judah, Jejoiachin, who was captured and imprisoned was released from prison and sat under the throne of the king of Babylon. “And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.” - Jeremiah 52:31-34.This is an example of God's mercy and grace, we can mess up a million times, but He will never stop forgiving us, if we come to Him with a humble heart, there is no sin that can separate us. Sin hurts, it makes us ill more than anything we could ever do to our bodies, I mean, sin literally makes us sick, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank God that we have our loving physician, Jesus Christ, the key to His healing is realizing that we have sinned and only He can heal us. “And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” - Mark 2:15-17.
Today's Prayer: God, There is no amount of words that can describe just how merciful and forgiving You are, no matter what we have done. To think of the things we have allowed in our lives or been caught up in due to others is astounding, but You are always there to catch us, to pick us up, to mend the wounds, and heal everything from a broken heart to a broken ego. Lord, give us your power and strength to set free anything that we have brought into our lives, whether we are imprisoned by sin or held captive to it. Give us the strength to endure, let us not escape Your sight. Lead us and guide us, give us Your mercy and grace, and keep us looking to You through all of our joys, trials, and sufferings. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
ChristinaAre You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 51-52
Message Title: Set Free From Captivity
Hello My Friend, Sin, it's not something that most of us live for, I do not think most people wake up every morning looking for ways to bring shame and suffering upon themselves or devise evil schemes to get the things they want. Most of us want a normal life, without any drama or complications, but thanks to this flesh of ours we often do things out of pride, emotions, and feelings, which can result in sin and a life full of drama and complications. Can I tell you that no one is without sin, no one is perfect, and no one is better than anyone else, we all have sinned and done things that have hurt us or someone else. Thanks to Jesus, we are set free from the captivity of sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” - Romans 3:23,24.The fate of Babylon had already been foretold, after all their glory of invading Judah, they would be next. The idol worship of the nation would also be judged, and their fate was grim, but there was hope even for them. Through Jeremiah, God pleads with every soul, regardless of who they were, to get out of Babylon before His vengeance came upon that nation. “Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” - Jeremiah 51:1,4-6,8,9. It is God's desire than none perish, He will save any who comes to Him through His Son, but unless they come to Him He cannot and will not save them. Why? Free Will, Choice, and Acceptance. God gives us all the free will to choose what we believe, if we want to believe that man evolved over millions of years ago, than that is our choice. Believing in God is not enough, we also must believe in and accept Jesus. If they do not believe in and accept Him as the only own who can save them than He will not save them. It is God's choice not to save those who do not believe in Him or His Son. Why would He save anyone who does not believe in Him? “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” - Romans 9:14-16.
Four-thousand and six hundred Jews were carried into captivity to Babylon while Nebuchadrezzar was king, but while in their seventy year captivity something amazing began to happen, many of the people sought forgiveness of their sins, and put their faith and trust in God. The result, God's mercy and grace was upon them and they began to prosper, even the last king of Judah, Jejoiachin, who was captured and imprisoned was released from prison and sat under the throne of the king of Babylon. “And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.” - Jeremiah 52:31-34.This is an example of God's mercy and grace, we can mess up a million times, but He will never stop forgiving us, if we come to Him with a humble heart, there is no sin that can separate us. Sin hurts, it makes us ill more than anything we could ever do to our bodies, I mean, sin literally makes us sick, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank God that we have our loving physician, Jesus Christ, the key to His healing is realizing that we have sinned and only He can heal us. “And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” - Mark 2:15-17.
Today's Prayer: God, There is no amount of words that can describe just how merciful and forgiving You are, no matter what we have done. To think of the things we have allowed in our lives or been caught up in due to others is astounding, but You are always there to catch us, to pick us up, to mend the wounds, and heal everything from a broken heart to a broken ego. Lord, give us your power and strength to set free anything that we have brought into our lives, whether we are imprisoned by sin or held captive to it. Give us the strength to endure, let us not escape Your sight. Lead us and guide us, give us Your mercy and grace, and keep us looking to You through all of our joys, trials, and sufferings. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
ChristinaAre You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
How To Flee Predators
Date: Monday, August 25,
2014
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 50
Message Title: How To Flee Predators
Hello My Friend,
Sheep, they are mild mannered, timid, and quite good at sensing danger, but their natural instinct is to flee not fight. They use their instinct to band together for safety, after fleeing, they will reform their group and look directly at the predator. Sheep also have an amazing tolerance for pain, they do not show pain, because if they do, they will be more vulnerable to predators who look for those who are weak or injured. Any sheep that is by itself is more vulnerable to an attack, which is why a shepherd is not far behind. God often refers to His people as sheep, when they stay close to Jesus they are less vulnerable to the predators of the world, and there is nothing that Jesus would not do to save His sheep. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” - John 10:10,11.
As God continues to send Jeremiah to all the nations facing judgment, He ends with Babylon. Now, Babylon has been glorying in the fact that God used them to fulfill the judgment upon Israel, especially since they could care less about God. God may use heathens to get His people to repent, including them, but when He has fulfilled His purpose for them, they too will be judged. God does have a message for His sheep. “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.” - Jeremiah 50:4-7.
Before the destruction of Babylon, this is not talking about the actual nation, but the world, we learn that the lost sheep of Israel will willingly seek God and return to Him, and not by Jewish tradition, but by the Gospel. They will willingly confess that the Messiah they heard so much about truly is Jesus,a nd join in with the rest of His sheep. God is angry at all the shepherds who caused His sheep to flee, many are lost, and some have even fell prey to predators, but Jesus knows where His sheep are and once He returns they will all regroup and find Him. “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” - John 10:14-16.
God continues to tell the fate of Babylon, this time He foretells of His sheep fleeing Babylon, again this is metaphorically speaking of the world, and returning to their land with every one of their sins forgotten. “Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.” - Jeremiah 50:17-20.
The reserve, the few saved sheep, compared to billions upon billions, who fled the world in search of their Shepherd, once they found Him and came to Him, all of their sins were forgotten, never to be remembered, and they are pardoned of all their iniquities. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Just like sheep have an amazing tolerance for pain, so do we, which is why God afflicts His sheep every once in a while. When we start to wander away from the Shepherd, affliction is going to come, not to punish us, but to keep us from fleeing, once we flee, He cannot keep us safe from our predators. We must remember that God never afflicts us more than we can handle, He will always make a way for us to escape, regroup, and find our Shepherd. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Today's Prayer: God, It's amazing to find out just how much we are like sheep, there may be some black sheep among the group, but for the most part, we truly do have the natural instincts to flee danger and escape our predators. When the predators of the world tempt us, we can easily fall prey to them when we lose sight of our Shepherd. Lord, let no temptation move me away from Your sight, give me Your power to stay close by You so that I can flee and escape their attempts to get me away from You. When I feel the desire to run away from You, give me Your strength to endure, and let me not lose my ability to sense the dangers ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 50
Message Title: How To Flee Predators
Hello My Friend,
Sheep, they are mild mannered, timid, and quite good at sensing danger, but their natural instinct is to flee not fight. They use their instinct to band together for safety, after fleeing, they will reform their group and look directly at the predator. Sheep also have an amazing tolerance for pain, they do not show pain, because if they do, they will be more vulnerable to predators who look for those who are weak or injured. Any sheep that is by itself is more vulnerable to an attack, which is why a shepherd is not far behind. God often refers to His people as sheep, when they stay close to Jesus they are less vulnerable to the predators of the world, and there is nothing that Jesus would not do to save His sheep. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” - John 10:10,11.
As God continues to send Jeremiah to all the nations facing judgment, He ends with Babylon. Now, Babylon has been glorying in the fact that God used them to fulfill the judgment upon Israel, especially since they could care less about God. God may use heathens to get His people to repent, including them, but when He has fulfilled His purpose for them, they too will be judged. God does have a message for His sheep. “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.” - Jeremiah 50:4-7.
Before the destruction of Babylon, this is not talking about the actual nation, but the world, we learn that the lost sheep of Israel will willingly seek God and return to Him, and not by Jewish tradition, but by the Gospel. They will willingly confess that the Messiah they heard so much about truly is Jesus,a nd join in with the rest of His sheep. God is angry at all the shepherds who caused His sheep to flee, many are lost, and some have even fell prey to predators, but Jesus knows where His sheep are and once He returns they will all regroup and find Him. “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” - John 10:14-16.
God continues to tell the fate of Babylon, this time He foretells of His sheep fleeing Babylon, again this is metaphorically speaking of the world, and returning to their land with every one of their sins forgotten. “Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.” - Jeremiah 50:17-20.
The reserve, the few saved sheep, compared to billions upon billions, who fled the world in search of their Shepherd, once they found Him and came to Him, all of their sins were forgotten, never to be remembered, and they are pardoned of all their iniquities. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Just like sheep have an amazing tolerance for pain, so do we, which is why God afflicts His sheep every once in a while. When we start to wander away from the Shepherd, affliction is going to come, not to punish us, but to keep us from fleeing, once we flee, He cannot keep us safe from our predators. We must remember that God never afflicts us more than we can handle, He will always make a way for us to escape, regroup, and find our Shepherd. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Today's Prayer: God, It's amazing to find out just how much we are like sheep, there may be some black sheep among the group, but for the most part, we truly do have the natural instincts to flee danger and escape our predators. When the predators of the world tempt us, we can easily fall prey to them when we lose sight of our Shepherd. Lord, let no temptation move me away from Your sight, give me Your power to stay close by You so that I can flee and escape their attempts to get me away from You. When I feel the desire to run away from You, give me Your strength to endure, and let me not lose my ability to sense the dangers ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Only One Escape, Jesus
Hello My
Friend,
The second a person believes in and asks Jesus Christ to save them they are born again, meaning the Spirit of God enters the soul, becoming alive with the Spirit of God. A newborn soul is just like a newborn baby, it requires love and nurturing from their parents in order to grow up big and strong. Our spiritual Father is none other than God Himself, and just like any parent, love and nurturing requires lessons, experience, commands, affection, correction, and even chastisement. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” - Hebrews 12:6-8.
God's judgment upon Israel came to pass, but He was not done with them, just as He said, most of Judah and Jerusalem had been carried off to Babylon in which they were to remain there for seventy years. The rest were scattered throughout surrounding nations in an attempt to escape the captivity, unfortunately there was no escape. Because they revolted, all the nations that they fled to were about to be judged as well, despite the fact that they too had their share of sins be judged for. God sent Jeremiah to Moab to warn them of their coming judgment, distant cousins to Israel, descents of Lot, Abraham's nephew under unusual circumstances.
“Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together. And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken. Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.” - Jeremiah 48:4-8,47.
Since God is not respecter of persons, He does not limit salvation to a select race or family, and no matter what family we are born into, we all have a chance to become a part of the family of God. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” - Romans 3:10-12,22-24.
This time God sent Jeremiah to give a message Ammon, they too were related to Moab, having the same father, Lot. God had given the country of Gilead to the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad, but the Ammonites had taken it, and still possessed it.
“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD. Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together. Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me? Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth. And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 49:2-6.
God gave them the same message, I am sure if the Ammonites trusted God that He would have welcomed them in the land, but they took complete possession of it, set up their idol in it, and offered sacrifices to it. No one, no matter who we are, can be blessed by God if we are worshiping other gods. The only way we can be saved from judgment is by knowing Christ personally. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” - 1 John 5:13,20,21.
One way or another every child of God who has backslidden finds their way back to Him. God, in His loving grace patiently waits for the day His child comes to Him and says, “Father, I'm sorry.” Blessings from God come by more than being obedient to Him, they come by having faith in Him, repentance, and waiting for His promises. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:35,36.
Today's Prayer: God, I know that if I ask You anything believing that I will receive it. I also know that I am custom to want it right now. You bless me every day, but sometimes I cannot see it past my impatience. Help me to wait patiently for everything that I am asking for. Give me Your power to overcome all the temptations and tricks from the devil trying to hinder me from trusting in You. Help me to get rid of any hindrances that I do have that may be stopping the blessings in the first place. I love You, Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
The second a person believes in and asks Jesus Christ to save them they are born again, meaning the Spirit of God enters the soul, becoming alive with the Spirit of God. A newborn soul is just like a newborn baby, it requires love and nurturing from their parents in order to grow up big and strong. Our spiritual Father is none other than God Himself, and just like any parent, love and nurturing requires lessons, experience, commands, affection, correction, and even chastisement. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” - Hebrews 12:6-8.
God's judgment upon Israel came to pass, but He was not done with them, just as He said, most of Judah and Jerusalem had been carried off to Babylon in which they were to remain there for seventy years. The rest were scattered throughout surrounding nations in an attempt to escape the captivity, unfortunately there was no escape. Because they revolted, all the nations that they fled to were about to be judged as well, despite the fact that they too had their share of sins be judged for. God sent Jeremiah to Moab to warn them of their coming judgment, distant cousins to Israel, descents of Lot, Abraham's nephew under unusual circumstances.
“Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together. And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken. Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.” - Jeremiah 48:4-8,47.
Since God is not respecter of persons, He does not limit salvation to a select race or family, and no matter what family we are born into, we all have a chance to become a part of the family of God. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” - Romans 3:10-12,22-24.
This time God sent Jeremiah to give a message Ammon, they too were related to Moab, having the same father, Lot. God had given the country of Gilead to the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad, but the Ammonites had taken it, and still possessed it.
“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD. Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together. Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me? Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth. And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 49:2-6.
God gave them the same message, I am sure if the Ammonites trusted God that He would have welcomed them in the land, but they took complete possession of it, set up their idol in it, and offered sacrifices to it. No one, no matter who we are, can be blessed by God if we are worshiping other gods. The only way we can be saved from judgment is by knowing Christ personally. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” - 1 John 5:13,20,21.
One way or another every child of God who has backslidden finds their way back to Him. God, in His loving grace patiently waits for the day His child comes to Him and says, “Father, I'm sorry.” Blessings from God come by more than being obedient to Him, they come by having faith in Him, repentance, and waiting for His promises. “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:35,36.
Today's Prayer: God, I know that if I ask You anything believing that I will receive it. I also know that I am custom to want it right now. You bless me every day, but sometimes I cannot see it past my impatience. Help me to wait patiently for everything that I am asking for. Give me Your power to overcome all the temptations and tricks from the devil trying to hinder me from trusting in You. Help me to get rid of any hindrances that I do have that may be stopping the blessings in the first place. I love You, Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Monday, August 25, 2014
The Nation of Israel
Date: Saturday, August 23,
2014
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 46-47
Message Title: The Nation of Israel
Hello My Friend,
The catastrophic events that take place in the world are often followed by several others soon after the first one begins. Now, perhaps the world sees these as something contributing to things like global warming, no gun control, or even overpopulation. To the born again Christian, events like these are judgments from God upon any nation that goes against Israel. Do not be offended, Israel is not in the clear either, it too will be judged. This is not something we are just learning, this has been known since the day the Israelites stepped foot onto the promised land, which is Israel, and it continues today. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” - 1 Peter 4:17.
Any nation that goes up against Israel will face judgment sooner or later. Why? It's God's nation. God chose the nation of Israel to be His, to show the rest of the world that He exists, and blesses all who come to Him, whether or not they are a Jew. All it took was one event, the revolt of the remnant of Jews fleeing to Egypt, to cause God's judgments upon all nations that were against them to begin also. God tells Jeremiah of His judgment upon all the Gentile nations, starting with Egypt. “Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 46:2-5.
While God is a forgiving God, He is also a just God, which means that we will face the consequences for our sins, if we continue to live in sin. There is no hiding or escaping God's judgment, He knows where we are at all times, but He is willing to forgive and even repent of the judgment He places upon them if the admit their sins and turn to Him. Yes, you can change God's mind when you honestly and wholeheartedly seek repentance for sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
God is angry, and He is letting Jews and Gentiles know about it, and while He will not repent of His judgment, He will make sure that His people know that He will not be angry forever. Through Jeremiah, He tells Israel that while they will not remain unpunished, He will not destroy them as a nation.
“The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD. But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.” - Jeremiah 46:25-28.
The name Israel means, the prince that prevails with God, contrary to the assumption that Israel is referring to a specific race of people, namely the Jews, it actually refers to a nation of people. A nation is a body of people living in the same country. Those who are saved, born again Christians are a body of people of Christ and our nation is the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, while we are in the flesh we cannot live in His Kingdom therefore, we are scattered all over the world. Eventually, God will bring all His people back together again, but until then, we must do what we can to stay close to Jesus until He comes for us. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” - 1 Peter 4:14-16.
Today's Prayer: God, As we learn to live by faith and not by sight, we see much of what the world does not see because we see it through Your eyes. By faith we see a risen Savior who died for us, and who is now interceding on our behalf. By faith we believe that life’s trials will be worth it all when we join Him at the pearly gates and gather with saints of all the ages to praise our glorious Savior. It is by faith that we come to Jesus, and it is by faith that we will stay the course. For it is not the one who runs the swiftest nor the one who runs for a day, but the one who endures to the end that will be saved. The struggles of this life diminish when we walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 46-47
Message Title: The Nation of Israel
Hello My Friend,
The catastrophic events that take place in the world are often followed by several others soon after the first one begins. Now, perhaps the world sees these as something contributing to things like global warming, no gun control, or even overpopulation. To the born again Christian, events like these are judgments from God upon any nation that goes against Israel. Do not be offended, Israel is not in the clear either, it too will be judged. This is not something we are just learning, this has been known since the day the Israelites stepped foot onto the promised land, which is Israel, and it continues today. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” - 1 Peter 4:17.
Any nation that goes up against Israel will face judgment sooner or later. Why? It's God's nation. God chose the nation of Israel to be His, to show the rest of the world that He exists, and blesses all who come to Him, whether or not they are a Jew. All it took was one event, the revolt of the remnant of Jews fleeing to Egypt, to cause God's judgments upon all nations that were against them to begin also. God tells Jeremiah of His judgment upon all the Gentile nations, starting with Egypt. “Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 46:2-5.
While God is a forgiving God, He is also a just God, which means that we will face the consequences for our sins, if we continue to live in sin. There is no hiding or escaping God's judgment, He knows where we are at all times, but He is willing to forgive and even repent of the judgment He places upon them if the admit their sins and turn to Him. Yes, you can change God's mind when you honestly and wholeheartedly seek repentance for sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
God is angry, and He is letting Jews and Gentiles know about it, and while He will not repent of His judgment, He will make sure that His people know that He will not be angry forever. Through Jeremiah, He tells Israel that while they will not remain unpunished, He will not destroy them as a nation.
“The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD. But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.” - Jeremiah 46:25-28.
The name Israel means, the prince that prevails with God, contrary to the assumption that Israel is referring to a specific race of people, namely the Jews, it actually refers to a nation of people. A nation is a body of people living in the same country. Those who are saved, born again Christians are a body of people of Christ and our nation is the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, while we are in the flesh we cannot live in His Kingdom therefore, we are scattered all over the world. Eventually, God will bring all His people back together again, but until then, we must do what we can to stay close to Jesus until He comes for us. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” - 1 Peter 4:14-16.
Today's Prayer: God, As we learn to live by faith and not by sight, we see much of what the world does not see because we see it through Your eyes. By faith we see a risen Savior who died for us, and who is now interceding on our behalf. By faith we believe that life’s trials will be worth it all when we join Him at the pearly gates and gather with saints of all the ages to praise our glorious Savior. It is by faith that we come to Jesus, and it is by faith that we will stay the course. For it is not the one who runs the swiftest nor the one who runs for a day, but the one who endures to the end that will be saved. The struggles of this life diminish when we walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Sunday, August 24, 2014
A Battle Of Pride
Date:
Friday, August 22, 2014
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 43-45
Message Title: A Battle Of Pride
Hello My Friend,
Over the years, and especially this year, I have noticed something, hostility. I was reading some comments about a woman who called the police on someone because she used profanity in front of her kids. People began making rude and offensive comments about their right to say whatever they want in public. Today, people fight over everything from cake mixes to copyrights, to paint colors. What does that tell me? Jesus is coming very soon. “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” - Matthew 24:6-8,12-14.
When Jeremiah returned to Judah after being set free, it probably was not the best decision he made, but since he was there God was about to use him to save a few more people who would be caught up in a revolt. Johanan might have appeared as though he had it all together and wanted to help the Jews get to safety, but it was all a plot to escape to Egypt. When Johanan and his followers sought Jeremiah for direction from God, He knew that they had no intentions of listening to Him. Just as He thought, they revolted and went to Egypt, taking the Jews and Jeremiah with them.
“And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.” - Jeremiah 43:1,2,5-7.
God gave us His Word so that we can grow with Him, understand Him more, and learn His will for our lives. We are all different people with different lives, different lifestyles, and different views, but we should all come down to one conclusion. God used forty inspired men to pen down His Word, yes forty, from different generations, but they all came to the same conclusion, the blood of Christ, and there are thousands of transcripts to prove it. More and more people are revolting God's Word, including those who claim to want Him in their lives. Sadly, they do not act alone, and end up dragging believers with them.
Because of their revolt, not only will they suffer, but everyone that got pulled into the mess too. God reminds them of why He allowed the destruction of Judah, and that they cannot run. They still did not listen, this time insulting God by telling Him that they are in the mess they are in because they stopped worshiping their gods and turned to Him. Jeremiah tries to reason with them, to no avail. “As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?” - Jeremiah 44:16-18,20,21.
The typical response to anyone not really wanting to follow Christ, “Everything was going great until I came to you.” The truth is, everything is not going great, and anyone who tells you that their wicked, immoral, profanity filled life is the greatest is deceiving themselves. Okay, I am not the judge of people, we all have our own faults, not one of us is perfect, and we are all sinners, but people have no one to blame for the affliciton they face, but themselves, and usually the first person they blame is God. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” - Romans 1:28-32.
While all the people got dragged into Egypt, not all wanted to follow Johanan, God assures them of their safety if they return to Judah, but has a thing or two to say to those who revolted. “Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.” - Jeremiah 44:27-30.
How aggravating to know that because these arrogant fools refused to leave Egypt that the same destruction that fell upon Judah would come upon them. Although Egypt had their fair share of reasons to have judgment placed upon them, that did not excuse them for refusing to leave and causing problems for the people of Egypt. Let me tell you, as much as I know God wants us to love one another, I despise people who cause problems for others for their own selfish gain. While we all have some selfish tendencies, hurting others to get what we want is not an option. Pride, it's the root of war, no one wants to be told how to live their lives, but everyone wants to tell others how to live theirs. The way to living a great life is not revolting against God or anyone else, it's about losing our pride. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” - 1 Peter 6-9.
Today's Prayer: God, The world is getting more and more proud, we are fighting over things that have no merit, and innocent people are getting caught up in it all. Lord, soften some hearts, help them to let go of their pride, and turn to You. Be with those who are caught up in the middle of a battle of the proud, bring them to safety, and let them know You are near and will take care of them. Give us Your power, wisdom, and guidance to go where You tell us to go, help us reach some who are in the midst, and give us Your strength to endure the trials we face. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 43-45
Message Title: A Battle Of Pride
Hello My Friend,
Over the years, and especially this year, I have noticed something, hostility. I was reading some comments about a woman who called the police on someone because she used profanity in front of her kids. People began making rude and offensive comments about their right to say whatever they want in public. Today, people fight over everything from cake mixes to copyrights, to paint colors. What does that tell me? Jesus is coming very soon. “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” - Matthew 24:6-8,12-14.
When Jeremiah returned to Judah after being set free, it probably was not the best decision he made, but since he was there God was about to use him to save a few more people who would be caught up in a revolt. Johanan might have appeared as though he had it all together and wanted to help the Jews get to safety, but it was all a plot to escape to Egypt. When Johanan and his followers sought Jeremiah for direction from God, He knew that they had no intentions of listening to Him. Just as He thought, they revolted and went to Egypt, taking the Jews and Jeremiah with them.
“And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.” - Jeremiah 43:1,2,5-7.
God gave us His Word so that we can grow with Him, understand Him more, and learn His will for our lives. We are all different people with different lives, different lifestyles, and different views, but we should all come down to one conclusion. God used forty inspired men to pen down His Word, yes forty, from different generations, but they all came to the same conclusion, the blood of Christ, and there are thousands of transcripts to prove it. More and more people are revolting God's Word, including those who claim to want Him in their lives. Sadly, they do not act alone, and end up dragging believers with them.
Because of their revolt, not only will they suffer, but everyone that got pulled into the mess too. God reminds them of why He allowed the destruction of Judah, and that they cannot run. They still did not listen, this time insulting God by telling Him that they are in the mess they are in because they stopped worshiping their gods and turned to Him. Jeremiah tries to reason with them, to no avail. “As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?” - Jeremiah 44:16-18,20,21.
The typical response to anyone not really wanting to follow Christ, “Everything was going great until I came to you.” The truth is, everything is not going great, and anyone who tells you that their wicked, immoral, profanity filled life is the greatest is deceiving themselves. Okay, I am not the judge of people, we all have our own faults, not one of us is perfect, and we are all sinners, but people have no one to blame for the affliciton they face, but themselves, and usually the first person they blame is God. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” - Romans 1:28-32.
While all the people got dragged into Egypt, not all wanted to follow Johanan, God assures them of their safety if they return to Judah, but has a thing or two to say to those who revolted. “Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.” - Jeremiah 44:27-30.
How aggravating to know that because these arrogant fools refused to leave Egypt that the same destruction that fell upon Judah would come upon them. Although Egypt had their fair share of reasons to have judgment placed upon them, that did not excuse them for refusing to leave and causing problems for the people of Egypt. Let me tell you, as much as I know God wants us to love one another, I despise people who cause problems for others for their own selfish gain. While we all have some selfish tendencies, hurting others to get what we want is not an option. Pride, it's the root of war, no one wants to be told how to live their lives, but everyone wants to tell others how to live theirs. The way to living a great life is not revolting against God or anyone else, it's about losing our pride. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” - 1 Peter 6-9.
Today's Prayer: God, The world is getting more and more proud, we are fighting over things that have no merit, and innocent people are getting caught up in it all. Lord, soften some hearts, help them to let go of their pride, and turn to You. Be with those who are caught up in the middle of a battle of the proud, bring them to safety, and let them know You are near and will take care of them. Give us Your power, wisdom, and guidance to go where You tell us to go, help us reach some who are in the midst, and give us Your strength to endure the trials we face. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's PriceLike Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
©2014 I'm Following Jesus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)