As You Have Believed

As You Have Believed

Putting On The Righteousness Of Christ

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 51-52
Message: Putting On The Righteousness Of Christ

Hello My Friend,

I was in a store looking for an ingredient down an isle that was along the cashier line, for some reason it was so busy that the line was half way down the isle. I witnessed a black man attempt to help a white woman who was just complaining about everything, she immediately changed her attitude and made a remark that there are still good people in the world, she did not care about the color of his skin. Now, with all the talk about blacks and whites, Jews, Christians, and now Muslims, hating each other you would think that there is no goodness in our nations anymore. You see, while sometimes race does play a factor, God help us all for being the color of our skin, the majority of people are not hateful, it is the ones who spread the hate that make it seem like everyone is against each other.

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” - James 3:16,17

God often gets accused of being a hater, rather the people that are faithful to Him, they pick through the Bible, take every verse that talks about sin and judgments the He placed on people and become defensive, haters of God, and everyone who follows Him. The haters of this world are the very people that are cruel, mean, and spiteful, not God, or anyone that truly follows Him, and His Word. God is a just God, He will not hesitate to use the world to chasten His people, but His people are His people, He will never forsake them, and when He is done chastening them with the world, He will come back to not only judge the world, but destroy everything and everyone who is a hater.

“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 hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. 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 51:5-9.

“and deliver every man his soul:” The utter destruction of the nation of Babylon is a picture of the utter destruction of the world that will take place when Christ returns for Judgment Day, Israel here is a picture of the saved, Jews and Gentiles. People do not realize that when Christ returns this time it will not be Judgment Day, this will be the time when the saved are taken to a safe place and He sets up His temporary Kingdom in the millennial age in Jerusalem. The living Jews will finally accept Him as their King, and a few more will get saved.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” - I Thessalonians 4:16,17.

I admit it, sometimes I read through the Bible and wonder why God is so angry, why we suffer so much when we are just trying to makes something out of this life He has given us. Then I realize something, this is God, our Creator, He built us from the ground up, naturally if you built something you would want total control over its matters. It is not a matter of being in bondage, it is a matter of keeping things in check. Ever see a person start a business, and have it suddenly taken over to where they lost all control of it? This is how God feels when His people rebel or take matters into their own hands.

“He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.” - Jeremiah 51:15-19.

“and Israel is the rod of his inheritance:” Salvation has always been about redemption, Christ made that permanent when He went to the cross, suffered, and died, then resurrected. All who are saved are one with Israel, they are God’s inheritance, yes, they will face some chastening if they live in sin, and sometimes when they are not, but we belong to Him, He will never leave nor forsake us, and one day there will be an end to all suffering.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 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.” - I Peter 4:12-16.

God may allow suffering, chasten His people, and let them fall into trouble sometimes, but He never stops loving or caring for them, and if you look carefully you will see that He never lets you down if you put your faith and trust in Him. Making Christ King is not about being perfect, we will never be perfect, it is about having a relationship with Him that separates us from the world and brings others to Him. The last chapter of Jeremiah, gives an account, four-thousand and six hundred Jews were carried into captivity while Nebuchadrezzar was king, but during their seventy year captivity something amazing began to happen, they turned to God, the result, they all prospered, and the last living king of Judah was released from the prison and spent the rest of his days with the new 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

“And changed his prison garments:” This is an example of a soul that receives Christ as its Saviour, we are no longer covered in filthy rags, and have put on the righteousness of Christ. God's mercy and grace are endless for the saved, 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 destroys us, and literally is the death of us, but Christ is eternal, and literally the life of us.

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” - I John 5:10-12.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.” - Jeremiah 51:57. Jesus is King and LORD, He will give life to all who come to Him.

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, pick us up, 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 are on bondage to. Give us the strength to endure, let us not escape Your sight. Lead us, guide us, and fill us Your mercy and grace. Keep us looking to You through all of our joys, trials, and sufferings, for they will all come to an end. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Keeping God’s Moral Standards

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, August 20, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 41-45
Message: Keeping God’s Moral Standards

Hello My Friend,

The more you read the Bible the more you begin to understand how God works and that many of the calamities we face today are a result of judgments placed on nations who turn their backs on God. A lot of people will discredit, hate, or even deny God exists because they do not agree with what the Bible teaches. Can I tell you that you do not need a Bible to tell you that some things are just wrong? Sadly, the wrong things are such a norm that they are seen as good, while the good things are seen as bad, and who are we to question a persons lifestyle when they are within their own moral standards. So, how do they go from being morally good to morally bad? They forgot God.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” - Romans 1:18-21.

I am not the only one that takes a look at the diseases, floods, and fires destroying life and wonders how much more God will afflict us before He has had enough. I am also not the only one who wonders why no one gets it and makes God angrier with their false religions and corrupt lifestyles, claiming to be Christians. I was looking for a simple quote yesterday and got all kinds of garbage about Christians being hypocrites and haters, we are at a war here, and the real target is those who follow Christ. Now, with Nebuchadnezzar taking charge of Judah it did not take long for a group of people to start causing problems. Things were getting out of hand, they were conspiring against each other and being killed left and right. It all began with a ruthless man named Ishmael, who not only killed Jews, but Chaldeans as well who got in his way.

“Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.” - Jeremiah 41:1-3.

“of the seed royal,” Ishmael, thinking he was next in line to the throne took it upon himself to eliminate anyone who got in his way, this is the object of every person who is against those who are faithful in following Christ. Now, with everyone in a panic, they want to go to Egypt, some of the remnant found Jeremiah and asked him to help them get a hold of God. The people are telling Jeremiah that they want God to give them direction and they would do whatever He tells them, Jeremiah prayed to God and ten days later got an answer.

“Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.” - Jeremiah 42:2,7-11.

“If ye will still abide in this land,” We may not always understand God’s judgments, but He has a reason for why He does what He does, to rebel against Him only causes our own hurt. Those who actually live their lives with Christ and seek His will try to follow the moral standards listed in the Bible, we are not under the law to follow commands given specifically to the Jews, but we ought to be wise enough to know that when God called it an abomination for the Jews to do, He calls it an abomination for the Christians, who are supposed to be Christlike. We are to love one another, not be judgmental, but make good judgment, not to be one with them, but be separate.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - II Corinthians 6:17,18.

All you need is an election year to discover just how divided and cruel people are, including those who call themselves Christians. You truly know who the faithful are when being told of judgments from God and how to avoid them. The news that Jeremiah gave to these proud men did not go so well, they not only rejected God’s blessings, they rebelled against Him.

“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 Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.” - Jeremiah 43:2-4.

“Thou speakest falsely:” How many times have you heard something like this when giving the Gospel or teaching someone the Bible? It is much easier to call us names and talk against us than actually listen to what God has to say. All the afflictions, calamities, trials, deaths, and sorrows we face are a direct result of our sinful nature. I do not know why through one man God passed down all these evils onto us, why innocent lives are lost in these battles, or why God allows such cruel things to happen to people, but I do know that we bring them upon ourselves. We would not suffer half as much if we just did what God asks. Christ does not stop us from living life, He gives us a life that is worth living through God’s standards. If you are going to suffer affliction for living with Christ, it is better t do it in the will of God rather than suffer in the world.

“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.” - I Peter 4:14-16.

Because of their revolt, not only will they suffer, but everyone that got pulled into the mess too. God reminds them of their worshiping false gods, which was the reason He allowed the destruction of Judah, and that they cannot run, yet, they still did not listen, this time telling Him that they are in the mess they are in because they stopped worshiping their gods and turned to Him.

“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.” - Jeremiah 44:16-18.

“for then had we plenty of victuals,” The typical response to anyone not really wanting to follow Christ, “Everything was going great until I came to you.” The truth is, everything was not going great, and anyone who tells you that their wicked, immoral, profanity filled life is the greatest is deceiving themselves. We cannot expect things to change if we remain living sinful lives, and there is a difference between someone who follows Christ and sins through life’s daily challenges, like frustration, anger, and worry, and someone who lives in sin, like adultery, fornication, and drug use. It all comes with consequence, and effects everyone around us, our only option to overcome sin is Christ.

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 15:56,57.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.” - Jeremiah 42:11. All who put their hand in Christ’s will be safe.

Today's Prayer: God, The world is getting more and more corrupt, 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 this battle, 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

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Faith Defined

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, August 15, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 25-27
Message: Faith Defined

Hello My Friend,

Faith, To trust, to persuade, to draw towards any thing, to believe, to obey. Faith is a funny thing, it does not matter what you believe, if you hold to that belief it becomes a way of life and everything around you tends to evolve around that. Faith does not necessarily mean because we believe something that it is true, I was looking at picture of a pacu fish, they have teeth that resemble a humans, no doubt the evolutionist try to use this as an argument that we have evolved into some other species. It is much easier to have faith in something that seems so obvious rather than the obvious, that we do have a Creator, that He made everything accordingly, and that He is in control of all things.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,3,6.

Faith, the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another. Much of our faith in God depends upon what we have seen from those lives He has touched, but our main source of faith must come from what we learn from His Word. We must know the Bible to know God and be able to understand all that is going on in the world, otherwise our faith turns to corrupt things. God will use anyone to get His people to return to Him, He will plead with them and encourage them until there is no more hope left. Through Jeremiah, God warned them again that judgment and gave the details on exactly how it was going to happen.

“Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” - Jeremiah 25:9-12.

“and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant,” If God’s people do not wise up and listen to His warnings no amount of pleading or silencing His faithful will stop the judgment, only true repentance does that. And He will not use His faithful to enforce judgment, He will use the ungodly and wicked. Wondering why our nations are led by corrupt leaders? Wondering why so many people are living in poverty? Wondering why strange diseases are popping up in the most populated, ungodly societies? God allows all this. Right now He is using His faithful to warn them and preach the Gospel, but there will come a time when there will be no more warnings and judgment will begin.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” - I Corinthians 15:51-53.

Faith, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. Faith is believing that God does exactly what He says He will do, all the time. God is no different today than He was back then, He can still do miracles today, and there are many more things that He has to accomplish yet. When God placed judgment upon the people of Judah they did not want to hear Jeremiah tell them the reason behind it, they thought if they stopped him from speaking they would stop the judgment.

“Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears. Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” - Jeremiah 26:11-16.

“ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves,” The people did come to their senses and realized that Jeremiah was telling the truth. Sometimes being linked with Jesus can seem like we get more burdens, people constantly accusing us of things and persecuting us for doing what God wants us to do. Can I tell you that it will never stop, if they accused Jesus they are going to accuse us of the same things. We are going to face some burdens in life just for remaining faithful to God, but after the burdens always come blessings. “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.” - I Peter 5:10.

Faith, The promises of God, or His truth and faithfulness. Faith means embarking on an unfamiliar journey that only God can take you, knowing that in the end it will be a blessing. God orders all the nations, Israel included, to be under the authority of Babylon, while Judah was encouraged to go with the rest of the Jews getting carried into Babylon, the rest of the nations were encouraged to stay put. It may have sounded odd, and quite a waste of time for God to do this, but for seventy years Babylon would be a great and powerful nation above all the others, and the only way anyone would be safe was to do as God says.

“And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.” - Jeremiah 27:8-11.

“that nation will I punish,” God commanded Judah and all nations to live under the authority of Babylon, if they tried to rebel they would suffer the same fate as Judah. While it seemed as though they were losing their freedom becoming servants, God was actually saving their lives. The same reigns true for those who yoke themselves with Christ, while it may seem that we are losing our freedom under the authority of Christ, He is actually saving our lives.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” - John 15:13-16.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.” - Jeremiah 25:29.

Today's Prayer: God, I know I am not perfect, I know I am going to make lots of mistakes, even when following You. My faith often gets tried when I try to do things on my own without Your guidance. Lord, give me Your power to follow You faithfully, let me not be tempted to turn to the right or left, but keep my eyes on You. Help me heed and listen for the warnings as I serve You, knowing that no matter where You take me, it will lead me to where You want me to be. Fill me with Your wisdom, guidance, and increase my faith so I can move mountains. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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The Potter And The Clay

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, August 13, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 18-21
Message: The Potter And The Clay

Hello My Friend,

Clay, As the sediment (thick substance) of water remaining in pits or in streets. Dry clay is tough, made from the disintegration of felspar (rock) and similar minerals, and always containing silica (sand)and alumina combined in variable proportions. When clay gets wet it becomes smooth, soft, and pliable, you can mold and shape it the way you want, but once it dries it is hard and what you see is what you get. Since we are all made from the earth it is fitting that God would associate us with clay, as long as we are in His hands He will mold and shape us the way He wants us, but if we let go of Him we will dry and harden into something unmanageable. When God is the Potter He makes something beautiful out of us.

“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.

I made my first and only ceramic dish when I was about ten years old, it was in the shape of a heart, it was exciting to shape, cut out the pieces, mold them together, and watch my dish form into something beautiful after countless tries to get it just right. God is the same way with us, when we choose to allow Him to take control of our lives He finds great joy in shaping and molding us into an image liking to His Son. It is not always easy, and sometimes we are going to mess up His design, but as long as we are on that wheel He will reshape us. This is what God was trying to tell the people of Judah when they were facing judgment, their calamities were only the beginning, and through the illustration of a potter and clay He expresses His grief of those who refused to listen.

“Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 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. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.” - Jeremiah 18:2-6,12.

“but we will walk after our own devices,” Rather than listen to God they found no hope at all, set in their ways, they refused to remove the evils from their lives. We must understand that this was not the result of one or two people rebelling against God, this was a multitude of them, priests, workers, kings, princes, laymen, they were all rejecting God and had no remorse whatsoever of the lives they were living. And because they refused to once again, trust God, judgment was coming. Continuing with the vessel, now formed and hardened, God instructs Jeremiah to take it to the elders and show them exactly what was going to happen.

“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; And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. 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.” - Jeremiah 19:1-3,10,11.

“Even so will I break this people and this city,” People who reject Christ will have no where to hide when He places judgment upon that nation or the world. God is very merciful and patient, but a broken and hardened vessel (heart) can never be mended. Those who receive Christ, although they may suffer affliction from the world as part of our being molded and shaped into the image of Christ, will be safe from judgment.

“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” - II Thessalonians 3:3-5.

After years of quandaries from God similar to what Jeremiah was expressing I have come to the conclusion that if you work for God you literally become an enemy to the world, and you will face many hardships. However, great blessings do come in spite of those who try to bring us down, God never ceases to take care of you, even if that means He gives you day by day your daily bread. Jeremiah, after illustrating the broken pot to the elders got arrested by a priest, while grieving a bit he ponders the affliction he was facing fro simply telling the truth.

“Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?” - Jeremiah 20:13-18.

“that my days should be consumed with shame?” When we are facing affliction through no fault of our own it can bring us to a deep sense of grief and discontent. Jeremiah was not really wishing he were never born, he was just feeling great sorrow over being persecuted simply for speaking God’s Word, he even tried to stop preaching at one point, but God would not allow him to stop. Persecution is often one of the elements that God uses to mold and shape us, He does not do it to punish us, but to build us. Remember, our body might be tempted and tried, but our soul cannot be touched, so while we may suffer in this life, those who reject Christ have much more more suffering, body and soul. As Jeremiah continues in his grief God sends him to the king when he sought answers from God.

“And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. 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.” - Jeremiah 21:5-9.

“Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.” We may not understand God’s ways, we may not understand why we struggle just trying to live a decent and moral life, we may not understand why we are hated, but we can understand that God always has a reason for what He allows and His way always leads to life. In our lifetime on earth, God molds, shapes, flattens, and makes us into the image of His Son, and it is the trials that we go through that form us. We need not fear anything man can do to us because no matter what happens we will be with Christ.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:28-31.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “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.” - Jeremiah 21:8. Jesus has the keys of life and death, those who receive Him get life after death.

Today's Prayer: God, I realize that every thing I go through is not always a punishment, but simply You molding and shaping me into the image of Your Son. 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, Your strength to stand with You through them all, mold me and shape me 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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Mercy, Grace, And The Rules Of God

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, August 12, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 14-17
Message: Mercy, Grace, And The Rules Of God

Hello My Friend,

When I was a little girl I was playing in the front seat of the car my dad was working on and decided to turn the key and start the car. What I did next was what was the cause of my punishment, I grabbed the column, and shifted the car in reverse. My dad quickly got from under the car, pulled me out, scolded me, and I was not allowed to get in a car again while he was working on it. You see, rules are made to not only keep us from getting hurt they are for the safety of others as well. I know we are in a generation that cares less about what happens to the next guy, but there are still a few out there who care about the safety of others. If there has never been a more critical time to teach the world that they need Jesus it is now, judgment is coming, and our only hope is Jesus.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” - Jeremiah 17:7-10.

If you were to look up the statutes and mandates required to run a business that sells prepared food for people there are hundreds of rules to follow, each one made to not only keep the consumer safe, but the people preparing the food as well. When God gave the over six hundred and thirty to the Jews He did it for their safety. Did He expect them to know and keep them all? No. He expected their faithfulness. Now, Judah has backslidden so far away from God that there was a severe famine in the land, they fast and pray to God for relief, and even admitted their sin, only this time God was not sending any. They plead with God to no avail.

“O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? 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 14:7-12.

“he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.” People like to question God on how He dealt with man before Christ came, He dealt with them the same exact way, the only difference we have permanent redemption through Christ now, when we break the rules of God we are still redeemed, but if we want to get right with God we still need to admit our sin and confess it. Again, God never expected them to know and keep so many rules, He just wanted them and all of us to be faithful to Him. All sin comes with consequence whether we realize we have sinned or not, if we are not saved every one of them will be revealed when we stand before Christ, but if we are saved the only thing that will be revealed are missed opportunities we had. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” - Romans 14:11,12.

Sometimes we do not have to break any rules, we just get afflicted because someone else has sinned. As Jeremiah sees all these things happening and still has problems with people trying to kill him, he goes before God with a complaint, but God answers him with an assurance.

“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. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 15:16-20.

“but return not thou unto them.” God has one reason for keeping His faithful in the midst of the judgments of the world, to tell them about Jesus. We are in the world to preach the Gospel to them, we are among them, but not to be of them. Jesus is right there with us, He even prays for us and will keep us safe. “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” - John 17:14-17.

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 is endless for His people, but there will come a time when it runs out for those who are not His. 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. O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.” - Jeremiah 16:14,15,19-21.

“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,” Every person much come to a point in their lives that they see the world, the lies and deception of it, and their false perception of God is all of no profit. 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 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.

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.” - Jeremiah 17:14-18.

No matter what we have done in the past, or even what we are doing now, there is always hope for those who know Christ as their Saviour. He will let us live the way we want, He will let us fall, but He will also be there to pick us up. When we truly seek God's help He will give it to us, but we must be willing to let Him show us the right way to do things. “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” - Proverbs 8:34-36.


Jesus Christ Magnified: “O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?” - Jeremiah 14:8. Jesus is the Saviour, the hope of all in their time of trouble.

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 them all. Thank You for Your grace, as much as I mess up, Your are always there to help me and clean me 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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To Understand And Know God

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 7-9
Message: To Understand And Know God

Hello My Friend,

When you read through the prophecy books with an open heart you cannot help, but think about our current state and feel deep sorrow over what is about to come to our nations and even the world. It truly is sad to see how corrupt and immoral society has become, and I am not talking about fornication and adultery, I am talking about nine year old girls dressing like prostitutes, and nine year old boys smoking and drinking. Just this week a bunch of kids were rushed to the hospital after side effects of eating brownies laced with marijuana. This is how corrupt our society is getting, and all I see is a bubbling brew of lava getting hotter and hotter until God has had enough and lets it tip over, as judgment is poured upon the earth.

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” - II Thessalonians 1:7-9.

I had a mother tell me not to explain to her daughter the plan of salvation, in her eyes as long as her daughter was obeying her she thought she did not need to be saved. This is the perception of all those who have the mind set that their good works are what get them into heaven. I get a little sad every time I watch a movie or show that teaches people that heaven is obtainable as long as you are good. While it is true that being good is what is necessary to get to heaven, God does not nor ever has quite worked that way. Why? Because our good will never match up to what God sees as good. Even if the Jews obeyed every one, but one of the six-hundred and thirty commands they had it would send them to hell. Salvation has always been about confessing of sin and the giving a sacrifice, Jesus just made it permanent. Teaching a false doctoring or hiding the truth from others does not save them, it is true today as well as before Christ. Through Jeremiah, God upbraids those trusting the lies of man rather than the truth of His Word.

“Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 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.” - Jeremiah 7:8-12,15,16.

“Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” People do not want to hear the truth, they want the tickling of their ears, their sins sugar coated for them, and they want peace that allows them to keep living the lives they live with no consequence. Let me tell you, the truth does hurt sometimes, especially if we are doing something we ought not be doing, this is actually the Holy Spirit trying to get our attention. Yes, God speaks to us many times before we actually listen to Him and come to know Christ as our Saviour, but there are some people who are oblivious to that fact. As God continues explaining why He was judging Judah, the ones who were supposed to know Him.

“But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.” - Jeremiah 7:23,24,30-32.

“but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart,” We all think that the choices we make will not make much of an impact, but the truth is, they not only impact us individually, they impact those around us as well. Take for instance a man that is having an affair, he not only acts out in his guilt others act out at his acting out, and when it is found out, and they are always found out, the repercussions are endless, and the same is true for the woman consenting in the affair, even if she had no idea what she was doing. None of us are perfect, but if we allow sin to creep in, it will eventually overtake us. Of all the creatures God created, we who are made in His image are the hardest to tame, and the reason why, that sin nature. God continues explaining His reason for the judgment, and by the way, God never needs to explain anything.

“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. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.” - Jeremiah 8:7-10.

“but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.” Do you know how many people there are in the world that are “saved”, but do not know the judgments of God? I hate to see the countless people who have died having believed a false doctrine. There are churches proclaiming Christ, yet none of them tell them that unless they admit they are a sinner and confess to Jesus that they need Him to save them from their sins they will not be saved. This goes back to the little girl that never got told the truth because her mother would not allow it. Ignorance does not save us, only Jesus does.

“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. 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 3:10-12,23,24.

“there is none that doeth good,” This does not mean that everything we do is bad, to understand this we have to know what the meaning of word good means, Complete or sufficiently perfect in its kind. No one is complete, no one is perfect, which is why we need Jesus. The people during Jeremiah's day may not have known Jesus Christ personally, but they did know God, and right well knew He was the only way to salvation. The things Jesus spoke were the exact same things God spoke through all the prophets. God warns us over and over again not to trust in our own understanding, but His.

“Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation. For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them. Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 9:20-24.

“that he understandeth and knoweth me,” As much as we like to think that our own righteousness or wisdom is the an option, it is not, there is only one way, one truth, and one life, and that is Jesus Christ. You know, the great thing about the Bible is that we can learn millions of things, all by reading one line of Scripture, and while I am set in my ways, I know I must leave my heart open to learn from other godly men and women who tell of God’s truths. We must also learn to discern truth from lies, while anyone can tell you the Gospel in truth and lead someone to Christ (interestingly Jesus allows this), not everyone teaches the truth beyond that. For the life of me I will never get where some people make up their own conclusions and drag thousands of people into it, but that is why we face judgment today. Nevertheless, God will use anyone to preach His Son, and then it is up to us to discern whether or not the rest of the doctrine is true, if any church or religion gets away from the truth that, then get away from it fast.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” - Romans 16:17,18.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “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 8:14. Jesus was given gall to drink before He died, it was a symbol that Jesus had taken on all the sin of man to the cross with Him.

Today's Prayer: God, You make it simple to understand You, and Your ways, we do not need thousands of books written by man, we just need Your Word and the Holy Spirit, He will direct us to the truth, will even guide us to dictionaries and other men and women who know it. Lord, keep me in Your Word so I can discern Your truths from the lies, and not only that, live through it so I can be a witness and testimony that brings the lost to Your Son, who is the only way, truth, and life that brings us to You. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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True Repentance

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 4-6
Message: True Repentance

Hello My Friend,

Repentance, a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. When John the Baptist walked the earth he preached the need for repentance, to turn away from sin and to God, as a symbol of their turning to God they got baptized, making way for a new law that would soon take the place of the law of Moses, the law of grace. Baptism has never been about the cleansing of ones sin, it is a public profession that they want God in their lives more than the sin. Today, baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and our being spiritually baptized in Christ. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” - Matthew 3:11.
Repent, To change the mind in consequence of the inconvenience or injury done by past conduct. Jerusalem and Judah was about to be turned upside down for all the wickedness and abominable acts that had been going on there. God's judgment was coming, in the blink of an eye they would be invaded and the city of God would be destroyed and handed over to heathens. Through Jeremiah, God explains why He will not repent of His judgment, but gives the people a chance to repent themselves 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.” - Jeremiah 4:1-4.

“and take away the foreskins of your heart,” People place a think skin over their hearts when it comes to letting others in, especially if it happens to be God. If it is one thing I have learned when it comes to relationships it is that there are a lot of keys that must be tried in order to get through the lock on the door of the heart, if a heart has bitterness, anger, or arrogance there may not be a key that will fit. When we humble ourselves before God we remove that foreskin. The fire that John talked about is the same fire that God mentions here, centuries before John was even born. As God continues, He explains the judgment in detail.

“Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us. Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.” - Jeremiah 4:5-8,13-15.

“The lion is come up from his thicket,” Nebuchadnezzar, was called the lion for his fierceness and strength, he had great control of Babylon during that time and had control over many nations. When God gives the green light, another Lion will come and judge the entire earth, Jesus Christ, and what a roaring Lion He will be. God has made up His mind and He will not repent of His decision, but He is giving people time to get saved before that day comes.

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” - Revelation 5:1-5.

I truly believe that had Israel repented the very last second that God would have spared the nation from judgment, but no matter how many warnings they got they continued to reject Him. While God did not repent or change His mind of the judgment He did say He would not destroy it completely. As Jeremiah pleas with God to remove the judgment, God tells Jeremiah why the judgment still stands, but does have some comforting news.

“Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you. And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” - Jeremiah 5:18-22,25.

“which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree,” Sand, a mass or collection of particles of stone, it has no control, but God miraculously uses it to tame the sea, it obeys Him more than foolish man. Sin deprives us of God's blessings, it keeps us from more than just earthly things, but heavenly as well. Certainly the things of this world are not the best things, and we are not to think, that, because the wicked prosper that God allows their practices. Though a sentence against evil is not executed speedily, it will be executed, God is just patient in giving all a chance to repent.

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.” - Hebrews 6:1-3.

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 the hypocrites and false men of God.

“Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. 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 6:11-16.

“We will not walk therein.” They lusted after the things of the world, and took them. There are so many men and women proclaiming Christ, living wicked and immoral lives, yet they do not even see what they are doing is wrong. The problem is, we are lusting over what the world has, 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, but if we learn to be grateful for what we do have, God will bless us with more, much more than we want. Repent, turn away from the sinful lifestyle and return to God, it is not popular, it is not always easy, but neither is life, at least with Him we have eternal security.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - I John 1:7-10.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “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.” - Jeremiah 4:2.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for showing me that repentance really has nothing to do with my sin, but a changing of my heart toward sin. 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 change. God, renew my thinking, give me a new way of seeing the blessings that You have waiting for me as I endure my troubles and show the truth to others. Help me to never forget that You are always with me and will help me get through all my troubles. I love You Lord and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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