August 12 - Jeremiah 23:33-24:10 | Jeremiah 29:1-31:14

Good morning everyone,

We begin today with a warning to false prophets. There were some who didn’t really like what God was saying through Jeremiah, the message was too, well, honest and to the point. A message that clearly stated live according to the laws God put in place or they would be taken into captivity where conditions would be hellish. These false prophets took the message Jeremiah spoke and put a twist of “don’t worry, be happy” on it and God said, “Ummm, yea, don’t do that, cuz if you do I will bring everlasting disgrace and shame that would not be forgotten on you.” (paraphrasing) Now I don’t know about you but everlasting shame and disgrace is not something I would want to bring on myself or my descendants. Seriously!

There are a lot of people today who feel that God’s way is too harsh or too cumbersome, who are teaching and preaching “sweet words” which flies right in the face of God and what His real message, in the Bible, truly says. I sincerely fear for these people and would caution everyone to beware, validate what you are hearing. If you find God’s way to be too much of a burden then I would suggest you get to know Him better because within Him lies truth, peace and understanding. When you know God, when you really, really know God you will love Him and want to live for Him. His way will be the only way that makes sense to you, all the quick and easy “all you need is love” plans will be exposed for what they are, false prophecy. Your hearts desires will fall in line with His hearts desires for you. I love that.

In chapter thirty the Lord says He will bring Israel, (the ten tribes of the north), and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land He promised them. This can only speak to future time because Israel, the ten tribes, were taken away, you’ll remember, by the Assyrians and never returned. However in 1948, Israel, God’s chosen, was reestablished as a nation and since that time jews from all over the world have been returning to their home land.

In chapter thirty-one the Lord speaks to them saying “I have loved you with an everlasting love” and he says “I will build you up again.” God has such an unconditional love for Israel, for His church. He chastens them, he chastens us, because He loves us and wants to purify us. Can’t you just feel His love embracing you? Allow yourself for just a moment to get quiet and feel the warmth of His presence. He is so amazing. 

Tomorrow we will read that when the city is rebuilt, the boundaries will be much larger then they originally were and get this, you need to hear this, “it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.” Forever is forever friends. Israel will not be destroyed ever again, God says it. It believe it! So with all this unrest that is going in Israel right now, it is not Israel I fear for. Oh no, no, no! Oh I do pray for the country, safety for their people, wisdom and direction for leadership and while they may get bruised, they’ll be fine, however ….. however, it is the unbeliever, the person on the fence, the scoffer, the false prophet I fervently pray will have the blinders lifted from their eyes. Hebrews 12:2 says, “We must focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

There is a lot going on in our world right now. There are wars, and bombings; the imprisonment, torturing, killing of innocent men, women and children around the world. It is easy to get caught up in it, to let the whirlwind take you away but while these things may define our world they do not have to define us. Make sense? God loves, loves, loves you and is alive and very much in control, you need to believe that. Keep your eyes and your heart focused on Him. Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” The Rock eternal!! Eternal is forever too, just incase you didn’t know ;-) Cling to the Rock. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be all the glory!

God bless you all …..