by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Jeremiah 40-42
We see in our modern times how a vacuum of leadership is a dangerous thing. When dictators are removed from their position, there is rejoicing for a season, and then confusion seems to set in. All of the different factions are vying for the top spot. Some principles remain the same throughout history.
When Judah fell to Babylon all of the rich, educated, and productive people of the community were taken away. The only people left behind were the poorest of the land. Nebuchadnezzar’s choice of king, Gedaliah, was put in place, but only for a short season. As usually happens, the one who was easily controlled by Nebuchadnezzar was also easily fooled by Ishmael. The result: a slaughtered king and all of his cohorts, and many who were ready to run to Egypt because of the slaughter.
This is a spiritual lesson for our day. Of course, we need strong, godly leadership in government, but I am talking about a lesson for us personally.
When Jesus is truly our leader, we will stay focused on our purpose and continue on the path of God. We will have the peace He promises us.
However, if we put down our guard, get too busy, and allow His headship to become vacated in 0ur lives, we are in trouble. There is no such thing as a vacuum in the spirit. As soon as that place of authority in our lives goes untended, Satan moves right in. He has his own plans for our lives, and they are not good ones.
Over the years, in pastoring, I have seen some sad cases of people turning to the Lord, being blessed, and then becoming too busy or distracted for Him. Before they knew it, the enemy was at the door. Sometimes healed marriages would revert back to disarray and divorce. Sometimes addictions would rise up in greater force than ever. Sometimes financial chaos would develop.
Jesus put it this way,”When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”(Matthew 12:43-45)
We can’t afford to have vacuums of headship in our lives. Either we will continue with Jesus, or demonic forces will come and take that place.
However, you and I are dedicated to filling up our lives – our thoughts and attitudes – with the Word of God. As we develop the mind of Christ, the enemy has no chance with us!
That’s the way I want to live! I know that you do too.
Hebrews 2
Hang on! Here goes a big one.
“Inasmuch as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (V. 14)
God’s Son became a man and walked the earth as we do. It’s hard to imagine that our Jesus went through the same temptations that we do, but He did. He not only knows what it means to be a man because of His all-knowing aspect, but he experienced it first hand.
So not only did Jesus take on the form of a man, but he walked in our footsteps just as we do, and He came out totally victorious. He was tempted, but He never, never sinned. And through His perfection He had the right to overcome death which the devil brought His way.
Not only that, but in taking on the form of man, He was able to become a merciful and faithful High Priest. (V.17) He knows what we are going through.
The bottom line is this: are you in need? Run to Him. Are you overwhelmed? Run to Him. Have you sinned, and do you feel unworthy? Run to Him.
As long as we keep Jesus as our High Priest, we will be just fine.
Of course, things will not always go our way, and we won’t always do things just right. But there is nothing which can separate us from God’s love for us.
If we run to Jesus and spend time with Him, we will find ourselves growing in our confidence – and our ability to overcome our obstacles.
He is an Overcomer, and so are we!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Jeremiah 37-39
There’s an old saying, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” When the time comes – in any life – for death and destruction to be at the door, people instinctively reach out for God, even if they don’t know Him.
That’s what we see with Zedekiah. He has been appointed king by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. (The Chaldean country had besieged Judah and taken off some of the elites. Now they were demanding their choice of leadership in the land). Certainly, Nebuchadnezzar had not chosen someone who would be faithful to his God. So we have a lukewarm Jew as king.
Publicly Zedekiah persecuted and abused Jeremiah, but there are hints that he had the aforementioned “foxhole syndrome.” When the king discovered that Jeremiah had been thrown into a cistern and bogged down in mud, he engineered the prophet’s secret release. And he brought him to his own guardhouse.
Soon thereafter, promising to keep him safe and not to punish him for his words, Zedekiah calls Jeremiah to him. “What’s God saying to you?” is his request.
The prophet boldly tells Zedekiah the word of the Lord. Judah will be overthrown by Babylon; there is no stopping it. If the king will willingly go and turn himself over to Nebuchadnezzar, then he will not be harmed and Jerusalem will not be burned. If the king resists, however, the reverse will be true.
Zedekiah stubbornly remains in his place, and is soon carried away against his will. His palace and many fine homes are burned by the invading army, and Zedekiah’s sons are killed before his eyes. Then he is blinded and carried away. The king’s life is spared, but just as Jeremiah predicted, he suffers greatly.
When God speaks, we must listen. He is calling to His church today, stirring hearts to return to Him. He is a glorious, wonderful, merciful God who wants to bless us all abundantly.
If we will just listen, obey, and receive from Him!
Hebrews 1
Heads up! Every time we read Hebrews we should be energized in the spirit. It’s such a wonderful rendition of Christ and what he has done for us. And it is the best comparison between the old and new covenants.
First we establish who Jesus is. He speaks to us in these last days to bring us the revelation of God’s plan – and just what He wants to do through us.
Jesus is the heir of all things, being the exact representation of God’s nature. (If we’ve seen Jesus, we’ve seen the Father). But His magnificence is explained even more. Jesus “upholds all things by the Word of His power.” (V. 3) It was Jesus who spoke the world into existence, and the power in that word is still here today. The world is still spinning as it was in the beginning – and won’t stop until He tells it to. Think about that!
One Word of His power can create or destroy. When he speaks, things happen. Mind-boggling.
So this mighty, perfect Son of God paid the price for our sins and sat down at the right hand of his Father in heaven.
Now all the hosts of heaven – the angels and the demons are subject to Him. The demons have to flee when He tells them to. And the angels scurry about doing His will in the earth. They are ministering spirits sent to help those who inherit salvation.
Now we usually can’t see these spirits, but they are there. If you think about it, I bet there have been times when you knew they had to be helping you. Maybe a car accident avoided or a dangerous situation averted. Or maybe you knew that they helped you to find something you lost.
We have so many advantages as we walk with our God. As we pray, we can pray for angels to bring people across the paths of our loved ones who haven’t come to know Jesus yet. Using the authority delegated to us, as we speak God’s word, angels must obey us also.
They are at work on our behalf, so let’s be aware of them as much as we can. We will become more and more mindful of the benefits they provide.
We have everything we need for this abundant life we are living.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Jeremiah 34-36
The kings are no longer appointed by God. The king of Egypt came, deposed the king, and made Eliakim king over Judah, renaming him Jehoiakim. (II Chronicles 36:3-4) Needless to say, they didn’t pick a holy man to reign. So Jeremiah’s words mean nothing to him.
Since Jeremiah is no longer allowed in the temple, he tries to get his message to the leadership some other way. First he brings in some nomads who live in the area. They are true to their traditions as presented to them by their fathers. They don’t drink wine and they never build houses, but live in tents. Those ancestral traditions are obeyed to the letter.
Jeremiah uses these people as representatives of those who follow the leading of their fathers, in contrast to the Jews who don’t. He sends these people with that word to the leaders. To no avail.
Then the prophet calls Baruch the scribe to him. He dictates all of the words which God has spoken to him – from the beginning. Baruch writes them on a scroll, and takes them to the temple. As he reads them, some of the leaders feel compelled to take the messages to the king. Again to no avail.
The king, appointed by Egypt, burns the scrolls and tries to find Baruch and Jeremiah.
It’s ironic how evil tries to silence the messenger. As if the truth won’t be the truth when it’s not being spoken.
On his 95th birthday, Billy Graham aired on TV what he calls his final message: the message of the cross. The message of hope for all mankind.
This sweet, holy man, who reminds everyone of God’s forgiveness awaiting them, speaks very plainly. He said, “The cross confronts, and sometimes makes them hostile.” The reason? “It doesn’t suggest, but it commands that people receive it and change their lifestyles.” Those who don’t want to change, fight against the message ,and they fight against the messenger.
It was the same in the days of Jeremiah. Those who didn’t want to hear what God was saying would try to stop the message. But they couldn’t.
The truth is the truth. Eventually everyone will know it, but for some it will be too late.
That’s the way it was in the days of Jeremiah. That’s the way it is today.
Philemon
Even though slavery was a common practice in the early days of the church, it’s easy to see God’s attitude toward it here.
Paul is appealing to Philemon to accept Onesimus, his former slave, as a brother in Christ. He has come to the Lord under Paul’s ministry while in prison. Onesimus is being sent back, to fulfill the law of the land, but Paul’s appeal is for pardon and freedom.
This is such a good picture of the way God works in our hearts. Our works are no longer under the law, but they are fruits emanating from spirits loyal to our God.
When we become new creatures, our hearts are sensitive to what our Father wants. No longer are we compelled, but we are led, to do what is right toward our brothers and sisters.
The urgings of the Spirit should be our guide. God’s Word in accordance with these leadings bring us to a higher level than any law – whether an earthly one or the God-ordained Old Testament law.
It’s always a higher standard, but one we embrace willingly when we allow our Father to work within our hearts.
A better covenant and a better way of life.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Jeremiah 30-33
Do you need encouragement today? Then these words will speak to you. On one level, the words are God’s words to the nation of Israel, but on another level they are for the church today. In fact, the Lord makes it clear that He is speaking about our dispensation.
We start off these chapters with Jeremiah imprisoned because the king doesn’t like what he is saying. Zedekiah wants to shut him up! The Babylonian army is surrounding Jerusalem, ready to wind up this long-awaited war, and the king and his cohorts are still in denial.
As for Jeremiah, he keeps on prophesying. God tells him to speak and he obeys.
The character of our God is so clear as we see what Jeremiah says. The prophecies concerning their transportation to Babylon are coming into fruition immediately, yet before they even leave, the Lord is bringing words of hope.
The Lord promises that He will eventually bring his people, the Jews, back to their own land and bless them once again. They must stay in Babylon for the seventy appointed years, but after that time, He will cause them to return.
But it’s even better than that, and here’s where we come in. Jeremiah begins to speak of a new day and a new covenant.
No longer will the law be a thing apart from the people, but it will be written on their hearts. “I will put My law within them, and on their hearts I will write it; and I will be their God and they will be My people.” (31:33) Oh boy! He is talking about you and me – those of us who are born again with His Spirit within us. Then He says, “And they shall be My people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and the good of their children after them.”(32:38-39)
We are living in that glorious day. Indeed after 70 years the Lord caused a remnant to return and to rebuild Jerusalem. Yet the promise was for more than that. The promise was for the day when Jesus would come and fulfill His mission. The new King would be the King of all the earth – not just Israel.
So these words are being fulfilled. And there is even more to come, so we need to be observant of the times and seasons of God.
Let’s keep our eyes open. We have a terrific future ahead. God’s Word is true and it will come to pass!
Titus 3
We were saved, “not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (V. 5)
We don’t and couldn’t deserve our salvation. It’s totally according to the mercy of our great Father, who poured his love out for us.
So we receive it – that’s all. We allow our precious Holy Spirit to wash over us, and allow His word to refresh and instruct us. That’s what we do.
And just as a healthy plant can’t help but bear fruit, so we can’t help but do His will in our lives. We share about Him, because it bubbles out of us. We give, because it’s our new nature. We love, because He first loved us.
Fruit that remains. That’s what I want!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Jeremiah 27-29
The Lord of Hosts shows up in Israel. The Hebrew words for the Lord of Hosts are Jehovah Tsaba, and when He shows up, big things happen.
He is seen sometimes in scripture as the Captain of the Hosts, and He is leading hosts of angels to do the will of the Lord. When the children of Israel were led out of Egypt and into the Promised land, it was Jehovah Tsaba who directed the moves and caused the great demonstrations of God’s power.
Now here He is again. Israel has turned against God to the point where some elite members have already been carried off to Babylon. Yet there is still false word coming from the prophets saying that they will be returned in two years.
Jeremiah speaks words to the king, the elders, and the priests. Then he sends letters to the elders in exile. God will no longer relent. The Jews who are in captivity should build, plant, and settle, because they will be there for a long time. The Jews in Israel (really Judah) should get ready, because they are about to be taken to Babylon. There is no longer a second or third chance.
Of course, I don’t mean that Jehovah Tsaba is another God, but this is a different manifestation of the one true God. He is the warring God who forces his will to be done in the earth at the proper time.
There are many Hebrew names for God in the Old Testament, distinguishing His many characteristics. There is Jehovah Shalom, the God our peace; Jehovah Rapha, the God our healer; Jehovah Jireh, the God our provider, and others. It’s the same God, of course, but with many attributes. each name distinguishing the attribute which is being manifested at the moment.
So when Jehovah Tsaba shows up, the manifestation is the Lord of Angelic Hosts, and He is about to do something big.
Jehovah Tsaba could be the name used when the angels announced to the shepherds the birth of our Savior. Or during all of the demonstrations surrounding His death, burial, and resurrection.
There are many unfulfilled prophecies concerning the end times, and there are many prophecies coming forth that will require Jehovah Tsaba to show up again.
In our modern world, there are many – even believers who don’t believe in great manifestations from our God, but they are going to be in for a surprise. He is still a miracle working God, and when the time comes for Him to act, he isn’t shy about doing it! After all, He is the Creator of all things and the world belongs to Him. He will eventually take it back!
Whew! It gives me chills even thinking about it!
Titus 2
In the meantime, we are to live our lives above reproach in this world so that the gospel will not be maligned.
We are not to be argumentative or gossips or enslaved to wine, but to live honorable lives.
Paul goes on to say that we are to be patient, knowing that God’s glory will be revealed, and we are to be his witnesses. Our Father has purified us for His possession – and we will show His glory in the earth.
Fathers and mothers are to share with younger people what they know about God, and they are to exhort others to follow suit.
I want to be an instrument of God’s glory – shining for all to see His goodness.
