Lamentations 5 - Prayer of Jeremiah

"The Prayer of Jeremiah," a lament, confession, and plea to restore God's children to Himself.

"Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
    look, and see our disgrace.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
    our homes to foreigners.
We have become fatherless,
    our mothers are widows.
We must buy the water we drink; 
   our wood can be had only at a price." (Lam 5:1-4 NIV)

As I read the first few verses of chapter 5 this morning, I thought that it sounded familiar. It sounds a lot like us, today. There is a difference, though. We think that buying water to drink and purchasing fuel for cooking and warmth is the way it should be. It is definitely common practice. Our children are fatherless and/or motherless. In many cases; they have no parent at all; at least none that act like parents. We have many, many homeless children in this country. And... we don't even have enough sense to know that this is a disgrace.  

Since, we don't know that we have been disgraced; we also can't figure out that we need to repent and be reconciled to God and to one another. That, in itself, is a shame.

With the "Prayer of Jeremiah," let us pray:

"Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
    renew our days as of old. (Lam 5:21)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 52 - In and Out of Exile and Captivity

We have come to the end of the Book of Jeremiah with Chapter 52. Chapter 52 is basically an encapsulated history of the Babylonian Captivity to ensure that we and all who read or hear Jeremiah understand that the Word of the LORD prophesied through Jeremiah was fulfilled. It is a remembering of their history.

It is good to remember the history of the children of Abraham, so that we do not repeat it. Sadly, I think we do continue to repeat it. We follow in the footsteps of Abraham's children, into the wilderness of sin. As we are  strengthened by the hardships, we return to the LORD and to the promised land. And... once, safe in the land, we take for granted the LORD, our God, and back to the wilderness, in exile, we go.

"When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath." (Deut 4:30-31 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 47 - As Relentless As A Tsunami

"The word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

Thus says the Lord:
See, waters are rising out of the north
    and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who live in it.
People shall cry out,
    and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    at the clatter of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
parents do not turn back for children,    so feeble are their hands." (Jer 47:1-3 NIV)

The word of the LORD is promising destruction to the Philistines. He will send an army like an overflowing torrent of water. They shall overflow the land; all that fills it, the city, and those who live in it. People shall cry out, and all inhabitants of the land shall wail.

We have seen the destruction of tsunamis. There is nothing that can stop or even slow down the wall of water as it destroys everything in its place. The LORD has promised to destroy the enemy of His children and nothing can save them. He will send an army from the north to put an end to their attacks on others.

What the LORD sends out, nothing can stop, nothing can slow it down, except that the LORD, Himself, will change His mind. There are no magical incantations, no offerings, no false gods, no works of man's hands that can change the flow of the tide once the LORD has ordained it.

This last week we had confirmation classes at Zion for our Junior High Youth. We talked about God calling and ordaining His people. I reminded them. with a smile on my face and a shocked look on most of theirs, that when God calls you to service, He will keep calling no matter how long it takes for you to say, yes. May as well stop saying no to God now; because, sooner or later you will listen and follow. It is much easier to say yes to God when you are young than fighting against it 'till you are old when you will turn and say yes, anyway. God calls whom He will call. He will ordain whom He will ordain. What He promises will come to pass.

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
    and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."  (Isaiah 55:10-11)

God's Peace - Pr. J
 

Jeremiah 43 - Trust The LORD - Call On His Name

OK! So, the remnant still refuses to hear the words the LORD their God had given to them through Jeremiah! Humankind is a pretty hard-headed lot. God's own people hadn't been able to keep themselves from evil or harm so far; so, they're pretty convinced Egypt is going to be able to save them.

What about the remnant today? Are we listening any better? In whom do we really put our trust? Is it God? Or, are we just like everyone else thinking that our governments will keep us safe? Do we put our faith in governments who are actually made up of people who, no matter how good their intentions, end up putting their own bias', their own welfare, before the welfare of the people, as a whole (even if they are elected by the people)?

God's not happy about the decision of the remnant to move to Egypt so that they might be safe from the Babylonians. He warns them: "In Tahpanhes the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes. Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd picks his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’” (Jer 43:8-13 NIV)

The remnant will not escape. They cannot run to Egypt to be saved. We will not be saved by trusting in Pharaoh's and Kings to save us. There is only one God. "And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls." (Joel 2:32)

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Act 2:21)

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

It has always amazed me; but, I have been amazed all over again this past week as I have read stories of the faith of those who are being persecuted in eastern countries, particularly this week the Coptic Christians in Egypt. They continue to call on the name of the LORD, trusting in Him to be with them always, no matter what the circumstances of the world around them may be. They do not run. They stand on His promises even as their places of worship are burned. They call upon His name, even as their lives are threatened.

Let us give thanks to God for the remnant who listens and follows in the way of the LORD.

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

Jeremiah 40 - Fear Divides

Jeremiah doesn't do any prophesying in this chapter. We find him bound in chains. The Nebuzaradan commander frees him and gives him a choice. Go to Babylon and he will take care of Jeremiah or stay with the remnant. Jeremiah chooses to stay with the remnant.

Meanwhile, Gedaliah has been left in charge of the remnant in the Yehud province. But, not all of the God's people are pleased with this turn of events. Most of their people have just been carried off as prisoners to a foreign country and some of those who have been left behind are plotting to kill Gedaliah. Gedaliah doesn't believe it! He cannot believe that Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, would try to destroy him and ultimately divide and scatter the rest of the remnant. Politics!

It has been a difficult morning as I have been considering the plight of and praying for the Coptic Christians in Egypt this morning. At least 40 Christian churches were destroyed this week. Politics! Even Religion! So much turmoil! What causes it all! Could it be the fear of losing what one has had? Maybe, anger over the recent changes in the country? Could it be the fear of change? It just kind of baffles me that when things don't go our way, rather than face and address the situation appropriately, we sometimes attack, not the one(s) who is actually at the root of the problem, but the one who we don't care for, but is closer and more vulnerable. As individuals, we do it all the time. The problem is too big for us to handle alone, so we attack anyone and anything that irritates us. We end up attacking the symptom not the problem. Kind of reminds me of a few doctors... That is just what some of the remnant are about to do. They are frustrated and angry over the deportation of their people to Babylon. They can't stand up to Nebuchadnezzar's forces so they will attack Gedaliah, one of their own, who has been placed in charge of them.

Doesn't make sense to me to attack the symptom when the cause overwhelms us.

Doesn't make sense to me to not trust the LORD to see us through the disasters that come upon us and to give us the strength and courage to endure. Seems like God's people in Jeremiah's day were really having a hard time learning this. Seems to me that they will probably be bringing more trouble to themselves. May God help us to avoid all troubles by listening to His Word and doing His will.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 39 - I Will Rescue You!

"But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord." (Jer 39:17-18 NIV)

You will escape, because you put your trust in me. That was the LORD's message to  Ebed-Melek as Jerusalem was being seized by the Babylonians. King Zedekiah did not escape; even though he tried to run. His sons were caught and killed as well as all the nobles of Egypt. But, this man, Ebed-Melek, was to be saved because of his faithfulness, in that when Jeremiah was put into the cistern by the nobles, Ebed-Melek helped to effect his release from that prospective death. Ebed-Melek would be saved because he trusted in the LORD and was willing to stick his own neck out to do God's will.

We are reminded, in today's reading, that we are saved by faith. We are saved because we trust that God has saved us through Jesus Christ, our LORD.

Jerusalem has been seized. It was surely a dark hour. But, even in this darkness, the light of God's grace shines. "But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields." (vs 10)

The poor people, Ebed-Melek were granted grace in these very dark times. These unknown people, out there somewhere on the fringe, that no one paid much attention to, and had no one to truly trust, but God, were saved and even blessed.

"I will rescue you, declares the Lord; because you trust in me, declares the Lord"

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 38 - Listen and Live

Apparently Jeremiah's preaching is having an effect on King Zedekiah. The officials wants him dead and lower him into a cistern to die. But, Zedekiah hears of it and rescues him. He not only rescues him, he has a private meeting with him wherein he listens to Jeremiah's advise on what he should do in order to live. Jeremiah informs him that if he is to live, he must surrender to the Babylonians

Just because we don't always like someone's advice; just because the end result of someone advice isn't exactly how we would have our future, doesn't mean that we shouldn't listen. It doesn't mean we shouldn't follow that advise. Zedekiah seems (at least in this chapter) to have enough sense to at least listen. We will see in the following chapters what he chose to do: whether to follow Jeremiah's advice and live or ignore it and suffer and die.

Many kings and their kingdoms; many men, women, and children, have fallen for refusing to listen and taking sound advice. Listen to the word of the LORD. Listen to Him and follow in the way that He would have you go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 37 - Light After Darkness

Jeremiah is thrown into prison for preaching the word of God. Of course, he is arrested under the pretext that he is a traitor. He was not.

This seems to be a not so uncommon an occurrence when the truth is told. The enemy will do what it can to make it look like you have done something wrong other than speak the truth. It might be your neighbor or even a family member who will falsely accuse you. It might even be your own government. The fact that you are speaking the truth so that the people might be saved will be overlooked and you may end up being branded a criminal, even a traitor. You may be imprisoned.

But, that is the chance truth-tellers must take in order to help their neighbors; in order to save them. Jeremiah was put into prison for speaking the truth. Jesus was put to death for proclaiming it. Not everyone wants to hear the truth and come out into the light. Not everyone wants to be released from the bondage of darkness. They would prefer to drag the rest of the world into their own dark little world. But, remember this when someone drags you into deep, dark dungeons: "...weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5b NIV). There is light after darkness....

"Light after Darkness," a hymn for this morning written by Frances R. Havergal, in 1879:

Light after darkness, gain after loss,
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears,
Home after wandering, praise after tears.
Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain,
Sight after mystery, peace after pain;
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast,
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last.
Near after distant, gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, life after tomb;
After long agony, rapture of bliss,
Right was the pathway, leading to this.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 36 - Proclaim God's Word

One way or another, the people will hear the word of the LORD. They didn't listen to Jeremiah. He was restricted from the temple because of his preaching. Now, he has Baruch write down his sermons and bring them to the temple to read. Baruch is questioned. Are these not Jeremiah's sermons? Baruch is advised that he and Jeremiah ought to get out of town and hide as this will be reported to the king. It surely was. The king burns the scroll containing the word of the LORD and puts out a warrant for Baruch and Jeremiah. But, even as the LORD has hidden them, Jeremiah and Baruch write yet another scroll with the word of the LORD on it so that all may hear and turn to God.

In Matthew 24:10-14 Jesus tells his followers: "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Whatever it takes... speak it; write it; send it in letters; post in on the lamp post; or even the door to the church; Facebook it; tweet it; but, get the word out. Proclaim the gospel of the kingdom as a testimony to the whole world, to all people. Just as in Jeremiah's day, you may well be persecuted for speaking the truth. You may end up in hiding for awhile. Luther did. There are faithful children of God in this world, even today, who are even put to death for the proclamation of the Good News. Kings really don't like having another kingdom proclaimed. Whatever it takes, proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God for all who believe, through Jesus Christ, our LORD.

Jeremiah attempted to get the word out by use of the law; but, we have a message that is not one of impending doom. It is a message of grace. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) That is, eternal life in the Kingdom of God where we live completely, totally, in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 29 - The LORD Has A Plan

The prophet Jeremiah and the false prophet Shemaiah are sending letters between Jerusalem and Babylon. Shemaiah continues to lie about what the LORD says and seeks to do harm to Jeremiah. Jeremiah advises the people who have been exiled to Babylon to settle down and help the city in which they live to prosper for in doing so they too will prosper and in seventy years their families will return to Jerusalem. Shemaiah on the other hand does not offer such wisdom. He gives the people false hope in telling them they only have two years in Babylon and then they will return. If they listen to him, they will be wasting some very precious gifts, not the least of them being years of their time as they do nothing but rebel. Jeremiah promises that the LORD says because Shemaiah persists in preaching rebellion against the LORD; in witnessing falsely to the will of God, that he and his descendants will suffer.

It is sometimes very difficult to accept the LORD's will. Very often, His will is not what we would desire for ourselves. But know this:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”" (Jer 29:11-14 NIV)

Take that leap of faith and trust that no matter what you are going through today, the LORD has a plan for you and it is a very good plan - the best!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 28 - Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!

Liar, Liar, pants on fire!

No, that is not what Jeremiah said in response to the prophet Hananiah's prophecy that the LORD will break the yoke of Babylon in two years. "He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon." (Jer 28:6 NIV) Jeremiah would have liked that prophecy to occur, but he knew better. He knew because he, himself, had heard the word of God concerning the exile.

Hananiah tries to convince the people that Jeremiah is the one who is wrong. He takes the wooden yoke, that Jeremiah has been wearing as a warning to the people of their bondage to Babylon, and breaks it. Hananiah says, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” (Jer 28:11)

Bad news... Lying about what God says is not a good thing, for sure!

"Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’”
In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died." (Jer 28:15-17)

It's really not a good idea to be saying "Thus says the LORD" if the LORD hasn't said it.

"Every word of God is flawless;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." (Prov 30:5-6)

God's Peace be with you! Pr. J

Jeremiah 27 - Nebuchadnezzar; The Servant of God

"Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.  All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him." (Jeremiah 27:6-7 NIV)

We all have those days when we just can't figure out why our enemies prevail; when we beg God to intervene. Can you imagine what God's people thought when they heard Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Nebuchadnezzar being the servant of God? I'm thinking, it probably would have been pretty hard to believe Jeremiah and much easier to believe the false prophets. Of course, many of God's people have already been exiled to Babylon, so maybe they should be listening a whole lot closer to Jeremiah.

But, God has a plan and that plan includes restoring His people in the long run. Nebuchadnezzar has been chosen by God to help in that plan. The people have been yoked, for a very long time, to their false idols. Now, they will learn what it really means to be yoked by something, by someone, who is not God Almighty. They will learn this and turn to the LORD. They will then return to the land promised them.

Sometimes, hardships, may not be so much about our enemies persecuting us. Sometimes, they just might be about our LORD softening our hearts toward Him, as well as others.

May God bless your day as you go about serving the One God with an abundance of joy!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 23 - Speaking Without Integrity

It is going to be one of those very busy weeks. Last night as I had begun working on one of the four sermons I have yet to prepare, my granddaughter, Cassie, was cleaning the house. She even dusted a few pictures! On the window ledge in my office is a framed quote given me by my friend, Jennifer Lynn, at my ordination. It says: "Comfort the Disturbed. Disturb the Comfortable." Cassie wanted to know what it meant. I told her it was my job description.

"Well, what does that mean?" she asked.

"It means," I told her, "that when someone is hurting or troubled, I am to comfort them with the Good News of Jesus the Christ. And... when someone becomes too comfortable in themselves and are busy hurting or troubling others to make themselves feel good about themselves, then I am to disturb them a bit by confronting their ways. Kind of like when you start doing things that are not good for you or anyone else, I have to confront you about it."

I continued by telling her that the saying actually comes from a newspaper writer (Finley Peter Dunne), who used these words, "comforts th' afflicted, afflicts th' comfortable" to describe, in part, a newsperson's job description. It means we are to speak with integrity and that means comforting those who need comforting and sometimes speaking to those who are a little too comfortable with their sins about it.

"Oh," was the only reply I got from Cassie before she went on cleaning.

One of my pet peeves is what I call "speaking without integrity." Makes me a little crazy when young people do it. Makes me even crazier when adults do! That is twisting or exaggerating stories so no one gets to hear the real truth, the whole truth. Often it is done so that the speaker looks a little more innocent than they actually might be and someone else looks worse.

Cassie's dad simply refers to "speaking without integrity" as "too much drama." Twisted stories and half truths cause a lot of problems, a lot of drama, not just for people around them, but for the speakers, themselves. When too much drama caused by speaking without integrity enters the picture that is usually when I end throwing a rock into the pond and disturb the too comfortable.

There were many prophets in Jeremiah's day (as there is today) that spoke without integrity. They did not speak the truth. They twisted God's message to the people to please themselves as well as the people. The LORD speaks through Jeremiah warning them to quit twisting the word of God to make themselves more appealing to the people. Speak the truth. Speaking the truth might get you persecuted; people really may not want to hear the truth; but, it is better to speak the truth than to lie in God's Name. It is better to keep your lips still than to speak without integrity. It is better for all who would speak the lies and it is better for all who would listen to stand on the word of God rather than appease the itching ears. Families, communities, even entire kingdoms will fall for the lack of the truth.

But, for those who will hear the truth, there is Good News, indeed! We have a Good Shepherd who will guide us in all truth; who will guide us in His way. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, our LORD! Listen to Him and follow!

God's Peace - Pr. J
 

Jeremiah 21 - Day Of Judgment

Have the people not been listening? Has King Zedekiah heard none of the prophecies of Jeremiah? After much warning, Zedekiah finally realizes that Nebuchadnezzar is coming against them and sends word to Jeremiah to inquire of the LORD if He will deliver the people. It is, in fact, the LORD who is sending Nebuchadnezzar against them. It is too late. The day of judgment arrives. All those wasted days and years living for themselves rather than for God and doing what was not right in His sight, have finally come back on them.

 “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.  I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’
  “Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. ¹² This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice every morning;
    rescue from the hand of the oppressor
    the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
    because of the evil you have done—
    burn with no one to quench it.
I am against you, Jerusalem,
    you who live above this valley
    on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord—
you who say, “Who can come against us?
    Who can enter our refuge?”
I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
    declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire in your forests    that will consume everything around you.’” (Jer 21:8, 10-14)

It will not be good on the day of judgment. There will many who will think, as King Zedekiah thought, that the LORD would save them and in the end, the LORD will say, I knew you not, because you knew me not. Hear the prophecy of Jesus, just in case you haven't heard it before and a reminder if you hadn't, like King Zedekiah, paid attention.

   “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
   “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
   "He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’" (Matt 25:41-45 NIV)

Feed His Sheep! And have a blessed day!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 20 - Can't Keep His Mouth Shut

There are times when we think I should have just kept my mouth shut.

In the face of much persecution, Jeremiah keeps doing what he is called to do. He continues to warn the people of their impending captivity in Babylon. But, they will not listen. Instead, Jeremiah is beaten and thrown into a dungeon for speaking the word of the LORD. Yet, he will not, he cannot, stop speaking God's message to the people. God's word burns in his heart like a fire. It will not be stilled. He must speak it.

In spite of the personal danger, Jeremiah does not pull back from doing what the LORD calls him to do. He laments even his own birth; yet, he stands firm in faith, committing his cause to the LORD. He assures himself that the LORD will declare those who persecute him as unrighteous. They will incur much damage for persecuting the prophet of the LORD. They will suffer greatly for not listening to God's word.

The servants of the LORD are still persecuted, even today. At least, in this country (U.S.A.) we are not beaten or imprisoned for our faith. Yet, in many subtle and overt way the faithful are shunned or persecuted. Yet, even as Jeremiah kept faith and continued to proclaim His word, we continue to proclaim the truth. We do not keep our mouths shut. We proclaim His wondrous deeds even as we sing praises to God and bless His Holy Name.  

"Sing to the Lord!
    Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues the life of the needy    from the hands of the wicked." (Jer 20:13)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 19 - Lesson in Pottery

More potter and clay jar examples from Jeremiah this morning. Jeremiah is instructed to purchase a clay jar from a potter and then break the clay jar in the sight of the people, saying, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired." (Jer 19:11 NIV) This visual prophecy is God's warning to the people for worshipping false gods. This seems to be the theme of the whole book of Jeremiah. The people will go into exile. The nation will be destroyed for not listening to the word of the LORD and following in His Way.

But, here's the thing... Even as I read today's chapter, I remembered God's promises and I remembered His power. He is able (and will) to, even after something has been totally decimated, restore it and raise it back up. I was thinking of other stories from the old testament. Stories like: God creating all things from nothing; God creating humankind from the dirt (I presume mud after the waters had been pulled back from the land); Jonah being spit out after being swallowed by a large fish, and the vision of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones. And... stories from the New Testament; most notably raising Lazarus from the dead and the resurrection of Jesus the Christ; and don't forget the restoration (reconciliation) of Saul through his encounter with the ascended Jesus on the road. God can restore even those whose lives have been shattered like clay jars.

God can restore anything! Big and small! He creates and He re-creates! He is the ultimate artist! He is the ultimate potter! I was between things yesterday and had a few minutes to spare so I stopped in at the Keweenaw Cairne, the gift and novelty shop in town owned by members of Zion, Derrick and Brenda Hoffman. My granddaughter is being home-schooled and we have been trying to figure out what we can do for an extra art credit this year, one that is more structured than her dad or I can provide. While at the Keweenaw Cairne, I noticed a sign on the counter. They are purchasing the pottery business in town and are hoping to hold classes this fall at the Keweenaw Cairne. So, I'm thinking, the art class answer is solved! (Hopefully!) Not only are they gifted people, they are wonderful examples of people of faith, of children of the LORD. Just maybe they are gifted because, as children of the LORD, they use the gifts He gives them for the good...

God provides for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Often, the answer to where we are going or what we should be doing is right before our eyes. Listen and allow the LORD to remake and reshape you into all that He intends for you to be - His child...

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 16 - The Warning Relevant For Today?

I am thinking that the LORD sure gave Israel a lot of warning and time to repent before He sent them into exile and captivity in Babylon. He warned them and warned them that the worship of their false gods was going to have some consequences. But, they did not listen to His promise of destruction through Jeremiah. They simply did not understand that they were bringing a curse upon the land and that God knew every one of their actions. There was nothing done in secret that God could not see. He saw it all. He sees it all, even today.

The consequences were going to be bad. Don't bother marrying or having children in that time, they are warned, for your children will die of deadly diseases in the land that you are being exiled to. There will be no joy or gladness in those days.

All had turned away from God. All had done what was evil in His sight. Therefore, the LORD promises to bring them back to Himself. 

“Therefore I will teach them—
    this time I will teach them
    my power and might.
Then they will know
    that my name is the Lord." (Jer 16:21)

But, there is hope even in this dire warning. There will be a day as they live in captivity that they will learn to turn to the LORD and they will say: "Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress..." (Jer 16:19) And.. the LORD will restore them to the land which He had driven them from. The LORD will have mercy upon His children who had strayed and desired to be returned to the land (the kingdom) that He had promised them.

Every now and then a few members of my congregation mention that they would like me to try to make the scriptures sound more relevant for today, use a few more personal, timely examples. And... I think, I should probably not go there, by using clear examples. I'm thinking that if I narrow it down more than scripture already has it becomes to easy for everyone to point the finger at someone else. I believe that the exhortations of the LORD through Jeremiah to stop worshipping false idols and turn to the LORD is already quite relevant for today. If we are honest with ourselves, we should be able to see quite clearly the examples in our own lives and the trouble that we are bringing upon ourselves as we seek to serve other gods and to build up little kingdoms of our own. Seek first the kingdom of God... Seek the land that He has promised and care for that land, before you find yourself exiled in a land that holds you in captivity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 12 - Justice

Jeremiah wants to know about God's justice. He's not a happy camper. He wants to know why the way of the wicked prospers and the faithless live at ease. This is an age-old question. We continue to ask why and when God will put a stop to the injustice in the world.

It is difficult to watch people whom we love suffer from the injustice of the world - of not being loved or cared for - when they are alone or hurting. It is most difficult to see those who do not worship the LORD trample on the hearts and minds of those who do.

But, if we think that the LORD does not see and will not act (Jer 12:4); then we are mistaken. The LORD will act. He will uproot us and send us far away from Him, from the land (vs 14), from His people. But, if we repent... He will restore us and bring us back. He will establish among His people those who were once estranged from Him. (vs 15-16)

The LORD sees... let us, as this new year begins, return to the LORD and with compassion help and do not harm our neighbors.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 12 - God's Justice

Jeremiah's starting to sound a little fried. Yes, I know what "fried' is. Been there... Many of us have. Jeremiah is sounding just a little unhappy with God's kind of justice. He's not thrilled that the wicked prosper and the faithless live in ease. He's not thrilled that while he is busy doing the LORD's will and being persecuted for it, the persecutors go about doing as they please. I think Jeremiah's getting just a little tired of being "refined" as he does the LORD's will. For, indeed, the LORD will refine even His children so that they can endure every trial and be made even stronger through each of them. Trials build character - or so I've been told. Could Jeremiah possibly be tired of all this character building? There seems to be just a tinge of self-righteousness in him today.

Like Jonah (unhappy that the people repented and were saved) and many others, Jeremiah just doesn't seem to get that God's justice, His will, includes welcoming those who are not His people, as His people. The LORD reminds Jeremiah that even to those who go against God's people, all who turn from their false gods and call upon the name of the LORD, He will show mercy. He will make even the enemy His own. "But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people." (Jer 12:15-16 NIV)

God's plan and His mercy is for all people. Jeremiah's role and the role of all whom God has called is to seek out the lost, seek out those who do not know God, and introduce Him (by proclamation) so that they too might hear and believe, and be welcomed into the Kingdom, the family, of God. And... that, my friend, includes even you and me. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1Pet 2:9-10)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 11 - Do Unto Others...

Jeremiah continues to declare the word of the LORD. He continues to do what the LORD requires of him. He reminds the people of the covenant that God made with their ancestors. Live by the terms of the covenant, live by the law, and you will be blessed or turn your backs on the covenant and you will suffer the consequences. Jeremiah, was trying to save their lives. And for this, what did he receive in return? He received threats of persecution and even death if he did not stop prophesying, if he did not stop relaying God's word to the people.

Jeremiah calls on the LORD to protect him and his family. Now, what does this mean? In order to be protected from his enemies, from God's enemies, God will have to stop the enemy. That may not be such a pleasant thing for the enemies of God and His prophet. It may well mean that the very same thing that the enemies plan for Jeremiah will return to them. It may mean that it will be they and their own children who will die, not Jeremiah or his children.

Be very careful about what you pray for and what evil schemes you devise against others. I think of it on the lines of Jesus sending out the twelve to proclaim the Good News and telling them, "Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.  As you enter the home, give it your greeting.  If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town" (Matt 10:11-15 NIV)

When my children were very young, as I tried to teach them to treat others fairly, this is one of the tactics I would use. I would tell them, "Do to others as you would have them do to you," (Luke 6:31; Matt 7:11) because what you do to others will be done to you. My mother use to put it to us this way when we were children and our plans against others or their plans against us backfired, "What goes around, comes around."

Taking all this into consideration, might it not be a better idea to welcome those who proclaim the good news rather than persecute them?  Just saying... :)

Have a blessed day... and may the peace of the LORD be with you all.  Pr. J