In Trouble For Nothing

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 18-21
Message Title: In Trouble For Nothing

Hello My Friend,

Trouble, no one wants trouble, but it's amazing how much we get into it. There are two kinds of trouble, wicked, the kind that we bring upon ourselves from sin, and righteous, the kind that comes upon us for doing what's right. We can do what we can to avoid wicked trouble, but what about righteous trouble. Regardless of what kind of trouble we get into, it's important that we seek God's help in the matter, if we confess our sins He is faithful to help us, and likewise if we come to Him for doing what's right, it may be that through our troubles others may get saved. “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:” - 2 Timothy 2:9-11.

Judah is in a wreck, there is a famine in the land, diseases popping up, and people are going crazy, much like what some of the nations are going through today. Jeremiah is still trying to get the people to understand that this is part of the judgment from God, but no one is listening. God sends him to a potter, and as he watches him shaping a piece of clay on a wheel, God speaks to him. “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” - Jeremiah 18:6-10.

Clay, you can shape it and mold it into all sorts of designs, as long as it stays wet you can flatten it out and start over again until you get the design you want. Once the clay dries up there is no changing the design, if you try you will break it. God is the potter of every saved, born again soul, Jesus is the water, without Jesus we get all dried up, as long as we pour the water of Jesus on us daily God will mold us and shape us into the design that He wants for us. If we stop the water, we will dry up, and that's when trouble comes our way. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” - Hebrews 10:22-24,31.

What happens after the clay is set and the pot hardens, it's useful for whatever need it has been made for. Now, what happens when it gets broken? It gets thrown away. God sends Jeremiah to break a clay pot in front the elders. These are priests and prophets who know Him, but refuse to listen. “Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests; Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:” - Jeremiah 19:1,10-12.

Tophet, means drum, it was a town east of Jerusalem where children were burnt to the false god Moloch or Baal, and the drums were used to drown their cries, it's also known as hell. I cried when I learned of this, it still breaks my heart because the same thing still goes on today, only in the form of abortion. Life, in the womb or out of it, is precious, and no one has the right to take that away in any form. We are all sinners, if we do let Jesus fill us with His water, we will get into trouble, we are going to get broken, and God will deal with us. Being saved does not give us the right to live as we please and destroy lives in the process, we must accept the responsibility for our actions. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” - Revelation 3:19.

Now, things are starting to get crazy in Judah, people are in a stir about what is happening, and they are blaming Jeremiah. Jeremiah gets arrested, and asks God why he was the one in trouble. “O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.” - Jeremiah 20:7-9,11.

It did not take long for Jeremiah to come to his senses, realizing that God was with him, and knew exactly what was going on. Nevertheless, God answers Jeremiah with the judgment He is about to place on the city. “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.” - Jeremiah 21:8-10.

It use to bother me greatly, it still does sometimes, to see people that I know who are saved doing God knows what and enjoying life, when I am trying to do everything right and struggle every day. You know the saying, “What goes around comes around.”? That's exactly what happens. We may witness it, but those who live wicked lives will lose, while those who do not will win. Those who are saved, by the blood of Christ, are new and useful for the purpose God has made them for. In our lifetime here on earth, God molds, shapes, flattens us, and makes us into the design He wants us to be, and it is the troubles that we get into that do all this. Sometimes He might even have to break us, but He will put is back together again. “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” - 1 Peter 3:17,18.

Today's Prayer: God, I realize that every thing I go through is not always a punishment, but simply You molding me and shaping me just the way You want me. I know that there is no way I will ever be perfect, but I have Your perfect Son in me to help me be the vessel You want me to be. Lord, give me Your power to endure the struggles I face, give me Your strength to stand with You through them all, and heal all the broken pieces so I can be used of You for what purpose You need me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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When God Has No Mercy

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Friday, August 14, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 14-17
Message Title: When God Has No Mercy

Hello My Friend,

Mercy, the act of sparing one of the punishment deserved for their crime. God's mercy, it truly endures, and if you are anyone who has escaped a well deserved punishment under the grace of Christ than you can relate to the mercies of God. Now, God has a tremendous amount of mercy, not only for His own, but for those who are not His, but there does come a time when His mercies wear out. “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,” - Romans 9:21-23.

Jeremiah is in the midst of a famine in the land, he knows that it is because of the sins of the nation, he sees the people offering sacrifices and fasting in hopes of God showing up to help them. He looks to God, prays, and pleads with Him to show Himself and save them. God, knowing their hearts and why they were really doing these things gives him an answer that he did not expect. “Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not. Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.” - Jeremiah 14:9-12.

Astoned, one consumed with fear. God certainly has the power to intercede and turn things around, He fears nothing, but is going to keep allowing these things to happen. Unless you have been living in a bubble you pretty much know that the world is in chaos, from diseases, to mass killings, to murderers selling baby body parts, it's a mess. Now, with all that's going on you would think people would be flocking to Christ, instead they are flocking to Allah, Buddha, and the Pope. Pray and fast all you want to a false god, God will not hear you, He has no mercy on those who cry to Him yet worship every other god, and He will cast you out of His sight. “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:25-27.

We who are saved cannot help, but wonder how much more we have to endure before God's mercy does run out. We can become discouraged when we are doing what we can to live the way God wants us to live and yet we have to suffer also. Jeremiah, discouraged and dismayed over all that is going on, does what many faithful servants of God do, he loses his zeal for serving Him, but it's only making things worse. A bit angry, he reminds God that he has been living by His Word. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.” - Jeremiah 15:16-19.

God wants to restore the relationship He has with Jeremiah, He wants him back on the streets telling the people about the judgment. God wants to restore His relationship with all His faithful, He is with us, and will protect us, sometimes that means we must endure some suffering here, maybe even death, but God sees what we do not see, and if death is what is needed to protect us then that is what He will do. Saved, faithful Christians are God's mouth, we are the only ones who know the truth about Jesus, and while we are to go into the world to preach the Gospel, we are not to be of the world. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12.

You know, God is not done with the world just yet, if He was, Jesus would be here and we who are saved would be safe in the clouds while the earth and the devil gets destroyed. God's mercy may run out for some, but it has not run out on the lost, and as long as there are some looking to be found, His mercy still endures. God talks to Jeremiah about bringing His people back to Jerusalem from all over the world. “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.” - Jeremiah 16:14-17.

We must never forget that God is always with us, even if we have walked away from Him, He never looses sight of us. Yeah, we can get into a mess of trouble, but God will find us and bring us back home, even if death is the only way to do it. Now, that is God's grace. While His mercy pardons us from the punishment we deserve, His grace keeps us saved from the punishment no matter how many times we mess up. The key to enduing all the affliction we will face here in earth is trusting God, not the world, not a false god, and certainly not a man who is just as much of a sinner as we are. “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” - Jeremiah 17:5-7.


Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy, You could have made me suffer the well needed punishment I deserved for my sins, but through Your Son I got pardoned from that. Thank You for Your grace, as much as I mess up, Your are always there to help me clean it up. You promised to never leave nor forsake me, and for that I am truly grateful, I know many times I have come to the edge, only to have You bring me back to solid ground. Lord, I am Your mouth, let me speak boldly about Your Son, and give me the strength to endure all the affliction I face for remaining faithful to You. Give me Your power to stay faithful, keep my eyes straight on You, and keep my feet from following the world. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Put Away The Idols

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 10-13
Message Title: Put Away The Idols

Hello My Friend,

Idols, man made objects of worship. Everyone has some kind of object that they hold on to as a type of security blanket, but rarely do we think f them as idols. Now, there is no power or magic to these things, but if we are not careful we can become dependent upon them. Since God is a jealous God, He will not compete with anything, including objects we look to for comfort. God has all the power to help us through any situation, we must look to Him for help. “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. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13,14.

Old time idols were statues or pictures carved out of wood, usually of a man, animal, or something in that combination, many were overlaid with precious metals such as silver or gold. Through Jeremiah, God tells His people to stay away from idol worshipers and their idols. “Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” - Jeremiah 10:1-5.

Do you know how many people take these verses out of context? They literally associate this with the Christmas tree. We must look at the bigger picture here, what is being worshiped, it was a tree cut out of the forest. Then the workman or creator of the idol would carve it, work it into shape, and afterwards overlay it with silver and gold to cover the wood. To keep it upright and in its place they would fasten it down with nails so that it would not fall, be thrown down, or stolen. Today, idols are made out of anything, even trees. Ever hear of environmentalists? See the key word in the word, mental? It's in the mind, again, objects have no power, it is the devil who gives power to these things through our minds because he would do anything to get our focus off God, in particular Jesus Christ. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” - 1 Corinthians 10:16,21,22.

Now, the people of Judah and Jerusalem are in hot water for doing the same thing, even the priests had their idols too. Through Jeremiah, God reminds them of the covenant He made with their fathers and the judgment they face for worshiping idols instead of Him. “And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.” - Jeremiah 11:9-12.

It is one thing to just not be knowledgeable about the things of God because we all grow at different levels of our Christianity, it is another to create an image of Him based on our own liking, never having any desire to even know the truth. Remember, ignorance is not a defense, if you were to run a red light not knowing it was red or that you had to stop that still does not stop you from getting hit by oncoming traffic. We must learn all of God, not just that He loves us and has mercy on us, but that He is a just God, who will not put up with us worshiping a type of god and portraying it as Him. “But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” - 1 Corinthians 8:3-6.

A god is also known as someone in high authority, many people will flock to a person and worship them over God. God's anger is not toward the unbelievers here, but toward the ones who know He is the only God, yet choose a false god. Jeremiah is distraught and truly cannot comprehend why there were so many of his people ignoring God. “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 12:1,14-17.

Why do those who have walked away from God prosper? They have their reward. God is saying that He will not forget those who remain faithful to Him. Yeah, we might have to go through some suffering by those who are trying to corrupt us, but in the end we will be safe with Jesus. There is also a prophecy here, when Jesus returns all of God's people will return to Jerusalem. God places the wicked among the good so that they can see that what they need is God, but if they never learn, He will take them away. A strong Christian will, in the midst of suffering, remain faithful to God, knowing that he has a wonderful inheritance awaiting him. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23,24.

Today's Prayer: God, Help me to remain faithful to You and your calling upon my life. Strengthen and grow my faith as I daily search Your Scriptures and apply their truths to my spiritual walk. As I go through the trials and experiences of my earthly journey would You fix my eyes and my heart upon You. Search me, Lord and if there is any evil in me help me to break free from the bondage of it and use my talents for Your glory. Let me not get caught up in idols that complete with You, only look to You for help in every area of my life. I ask this in Your name Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Backsliders And Willful Sinners

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 7-9
Message Title: Backsliders And Willful Sinners

Hello My Friend,

Backsliders, we've seen them before, perhaps have even been one, saved, born again Christians who have fallen away from Christ and into the world. It doesn't take much for a person to start backsliding, loneliness, depression, fear, sin, all we need is take our eyes off Christ for a second and it begins. While backsliding does not take away our salvation it does cause some problems in our lives. You know, there's a reason why God does not interfere with our free will to choose the way we live, we will not listen to Him. So, He just lets us be and waits for us to come to Him on our own, yet there are some people that do not get the hint, and sadly they suffer greatly until the day they die. God loves His children, but cannot bare to see them living as if they never knew Him. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” - Proverbs 21:2,3.

The heart, boy does God know the heart, after all, we are made in His image and created by Him, so, of course, He's going to know all about our heart. It's the heart that starts a person backsliding, and unless they are walking with Christ daily they do not have the strength to overcome the heart. Israel once thrived as the nation led by God, and now it's a wreck. He already judged Israel and now, He is about to judge Judah. Through Jeremiah, God tells them that He is done watching them living in sin, and is casting them out of His sight.

“Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” - Jeremiah 7:14-16,27,28.

Ever wonder why some people never know Christ? God has hardened their heart. You know, anyone can be saved because nothing is impossible with God, but there are some people out there who are just plain wicked and God will not waste His time with these people. While God is the Creator of all, He is not the Father of all, some belong to the devil, and as much as God loves us all, He simply will not listen to the pleas of those who will never come to Him. “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” - John 8:42-44.

Now, some people just do not know any better because they grew up under some false religion or made up doctrine. Many people want God's blessings, and they try to do good things to get them, but they want to follow God on their terms. Rather than make themselves feel convicted every time, they justify sin by making up their own set of rules and putting God's name on it. This is very dangerous and something God despises. Through Jeremiah, God addresses those who are saved, living in sin, and still trying to get His attention.

“Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.” - Jeremiah 8:5-8,14.

Given water of gall to drink, this is interesting because when Jesus was being crucified He was given water of gall to drink right before He died. When Jesus was on the cross, God turned His back on His Son because He could not look at Him for every sin of every person, past, present, and future was on there with Him. “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” - Mark 15:34-37.

The majority of people in the world have sight by see faith, meaning if they do not see it they do not believe, and believe it or not, many Christians live that way also. The problem comes when we start trusting man, these men and women of God who have flesh just like us, they can give us things and make us feel good by filling our bodies and pockets with things we long for. What happens when these men and women, who are really not who they say they are, get exposed? People blame God and the church. Where's God's vengeance? These false preachers of His. Through Jeremiah, God speaks of His vengeance on them.

“Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” - Jeremiah 9:4-9.

Guess what, we are all human, we all make mistakes, we are not always going to agree with the person teaching God's words to us, but God's Word is infallible, meaning it is not written in vain, does not deceive, and does not change. Why do you think there are so many different versions of the Bible? Men and women living in sin who have willfully, rewritten Scripture in vain. We are to live by every word of God, not just the portions we like, but every word, and until we get that in our heads there will be problems, and that goes for those who do not know any better because they followed the man or woman instead of God. “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” - Ephesians 5:6-8.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for guiding me along the path to Your Son, Jesus Christ. Of all the people in the world You chose me to be one of Yours and for that no words of gratitude can express my thanks to You. Lord, now that I know the truth, let me not get caught up in strange doctrines that would hinder my walk with You. I trust in You, let me not be put to confusion, but see clearly all that You are trying to tell and show me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Being Content With Christ

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 4-6
Message Title: Being Content With Christ

Hello My Friend,

The Christian life, when we first get saved it's amazing, we literally get transformed into someone new, and Christ shows from the inside out. As time goes by, many burdens we carried before we got saved still haunt us, on top of that we get new ones, all of a sudden the Christian life is not so exciting anymore. What do we do? Some people bail, they jump ship, and Christ is no longer a part of their lives, in some cases they become worse than they were before they knew Christ. I look at it this way, if I jump now, where would I go. I may not like where my life is right now, but I do not want to go back to where I was, and I certainly do not want what the world has to offer today. When you stop to think about all you have at the moment with Christ, you will realize just how much you have and how blessed you are. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” - Hebrews 13:5.

Covetousness, the lust or desire of what others have, in particular, what those of the world have. Covetousness is the downfall of every Christian, once they get a taste of the world, they want more. Now, God knows how to take care of our needs, and He does it amazingly, but the problem comes when we get impatient with Him. Start hanging around worldly people and you will start to desire what they have. No matter how strong a Christian you are, without Christ you will fall into the temptations of the world, especially if other Christians have already fallen. Yes, other Christians, worldly Christians to be exact, and we wonder why the world is in such chaos. This is not something new, Israel went through the same thing. Through Jeremiah, God explains why He will not repent of His judgment, but does give the people one last chance to repent before the destruction will take place.

“If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.” - Jeremiah 4:1-4,22.

Break up your fallow ground, break up the emptiness of your heart, I truly believe that had some of the peoplel repented the very last second that God would have spared them from being captured, but no matter how many warnings they got they refused to listen. There comes a time when God's judgments stand, and no amount of pleading will get Him to repent of allowing it to take place. What He does do is give people a chance to get out of or endure that judgment. All judgments come with some pain, even if we are not the cause of it, but those who endure get the blessings of God. “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.” - Mark 24:13,14.

While God did not repent or change His mind of the judgment, He did say He would not destroy it completely. Jeremiah pleas with God to remove the judgment, God tells him why it still stands. “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD. They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” - Jeremiah 5:11-14.

Belied, falsely represented, I'm saved and I can do whatever I want, this is the attitude of many Christians, who live in the world. They live among the world as if they do not know Jesus Christ, but they talk about Him, and proclaim Him as their Saviour. Now, we all sin, and we can fall tremendously of we are not walking with Jesus daily, but a life with Jesus is a changed life, one that shows we are not of the world, but are of Him. We are not to be like the world, if we are than we are falsely representing Christ, and there will be judgment for that.

Through Jeremiah, God expresses His anger toward false men of God.

“For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” - Jeremiah 6:13-16.

Given to covetousness, they lusted after the things of the world, and took them. There are so many men and women of God proclaiming Christ, living extravagant, wicked, and immoral lifestyles, and they do not even see that what they are doing is wrong. The problem is, while we ought to be counting every one of our blessings, we are instead crying about what we don't have. We are lusting over what the world and even some Christians have and that is why Christianity itself has declined tremendously. Some of the most truly blessed Christians are the most ungrateful people you will ever see, which is why God's judgment still stands today. We cannot always have everything we want, and let me tell you, we rarely get what we want, but if we learn to be grateful for what we do have, God will bless us with more, much more than what we want.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:11-13,19. Praise God!

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for reminding me of just how blessed I am to be one of Your children. At times I know I let the cares of life alter my thinking, I begin to doubt Your presence and even that things will ever get better. Then You show up and remind me that You are still here, and everything is in Your time. Lord, renew my thinking, give me a new way of seeing the blessings I have and what You have waiting for me as I endure my troubles with You guiding me. Help me to never forget that You are always with me and will help me get through every burden that I have. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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A Sin Unto Death

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Monday, August 10, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 1-3
Message Title: A Sin Unto Death

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Jeremiah is the twenty-fourth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains fifty-two chapters. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 629BC – 588BC. The author of the book is Jeremiah and it was written to warn Judah of the captivity of the Jews, and to encourage them to repent. What we are to learn from the book is that national disasters and deterioration of the world is often due to disobedience to God, but as we return to HIm things will be restored. This book is actually directed to backsliders. “And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.” - Jeremiah 12:5.

Every time I read the Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah I am reminded of the state that my own nation is in, one that is headed for the same fate as Israel and Judah were when God judged them. Before God places judgment on any nation or person He gives ample warning of repentance so that He can remove the judgment. Now, about seventy years after Isaiah prophesied about the judgment, Jeremiah is about to be right in the midst of it. God calls him to tell the nation of the judgment that is about to come, giving him assurance that he will be safe. Remember, these are not strangers to God, they are the ones who seventy years ago knew this was coming.

“Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.” - Jeremiah 1:8-10,14-16.

Before we were formed in the womb, God had a purpose for us, sadly, not everyone fulfills that purpose, some reject it out of fear, others because they love the world. Those who receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour accept His purpose to know His Son. Those who are saved are touched by the hand of God, and He through the Holy Spirit puts His words in their mouths. God will deliver His people out of the judgment that is to come, we who are saved are God's mouth and we are to preach the Gospel to all that we see. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” - Matthew 28:19,20.

Those who are saved and living their lives with Christ, know they have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, because of this, God expects a little more from them. Can I tell you that there are some unsaved people that do more for God than saved, the sad thing is they have no idea that they need to be saved by Christ for it to mean anything. Through Jeremiah, God upbraids both Judah and Israel for their unprofitable works and false gods.

“Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD. In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?” - Jeremiah 2:11,28-30.

Any religion that changes the simplicity of the Gospel and added all these rules to salvation is creating a false god, you can work and plead with God all you want under a false religion, but He will not hear you, they are unprofitable works and prayers. Until we admit we are sinners and cannot be saved by our own works, believe that Jesus died, was buried, and arose three days to save us, and confess that we need Him, God will see us worshiping a false god and ignore us. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” - Romans 10:9-12.

Israel had already faced their judgment when they were attacked by the Assyrians, now, Judah, who were the Christians of that day, were about to face judgment, the sad thing, their sins were more abominable than Israel's. God illustrates their backsliding as an adulterous woman, He gives them one more plea to repent. “The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” - Jeremiah 3:6-8,14,15.

Many saved people continue to live wicked, sinful lives, fully believing that their actions are justified through their salvation. While that behavior does not remove a persons salvation it does bring judgment, there really are sins out there that can kill us, and those who remain in them will will die in them if they do not repent of them. “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” - 1 John 5:16-18.

Today's Prayer: God, It is amazing how much You reveal to us through the Holy Spirit, I know sometimes I get over confident and think that I can do this on my own, but You reveal to me time and time again that my way leads to a big mess, but Yours always leads to victory. Thank You for giving me those second chances to get back up and move forward, let me not be held captive to sin, only let me depend on You as I walk with You, my Saviour. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Promise Of A King

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Sunday, August 09, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 64-66
Message Title: Promise Of A King

Hello My Friend,

Those who are saved, born again, children of God can rejoice in the fact that Jesus Christ will return one day and when He does it is only the beginning to our wonderful journey, as we join Him in His Kingdom. “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” - Isaiah 65:17,18.

The most amazing thing about God is that even when we mess up, He never leaves us, never forsakes us, nor goes back on His promises. Through Isaiah, God tells Israel as well as the rest of the world that vengeance is coming, but He will not turn His back on those who are His.

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” - Isaiah 64:4-8.

Who are His? All who believe in and accept the Gospel of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, as the only one who can cleanse us from our iniquities and take away our sin so we can stand before God, perfect, and righteous. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:5-7.

No matter how strong our walk with God never underestimate the power of the flesh, if we take our eyes off Him for one second we can get caught up in a mess. A sheephold is a place where sheep are protected from dangers outside the fence, as long as they remain within the sheephold they are protected. Should one escape and go astray it is subject to all the predators just waiting to attack and devour it. Just like sheep who have gone astray we too can go astray, through Isaiah God foretells the fate of His sheep, even after they have gone astray.

“I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.” - Isaiah 65:1,2,12-14.

Praise God that He is a forgiving God and that He does not forsake any of His people, even if they have gone astray. They may be in the midst of those who reject Christ, but God will find them and save them from being destroyed. Why? It is not what we have done to be saved, it's who be believe in and trust in to save us that we are saved. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:4,9,10.

Through Isaiah, God gives wonderful assurance to all who have heard the voice of Jesus calling and answered Him. When Christ does return every believer will be gathered together to give praise and honor to Him as their King.

“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.” - Isaiah 66:1,2,5,22,23.

What a glorious day it will be when the King returns to claim His people. Being a child of the King does not mean we will not suffer some chastening from time to time, but it does mean that no matter what we have done and or will do we will be saved from the fire. Those who never received Him will face eternal death. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:7,8.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, I believe in the sacrifice that You made for me, and I put my faith and trust in You that one day I will see You face to face and all my efforts to serve You will not be void. I know my works do not get me into heaven, but they do show You just how thankful I am of what You have done for me. Lord, lead me and guide me, let me enter and remain in Your sheephold, protected and comforted by Your loving arms, at all times. Never let me forget that I am Yours and You are mine and no matter what I have done that will never change. I love You, Lord and ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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