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? – Jeremiah 7:8-10
The Message. The Prophet Jeremiah – God’s judgment. If you have ever read the book of Jeremiah, you know he continued to give the same type of message again and again to the people of God, yet they would not listen. Instead of listening to Jeremiah, they continued to do as they were doing.
The question Jeremiah asks in this scripture is how long will you continue to trust in words that will not profit. How long will you run after things of the flesh and then come into the house of God as one that should be clean? How long will the flesh be able to rule is the question Jeremiah is asking the people of this time.
There is a message for us today in the words of this prophet. He talked about the judgment of God coming upon the people because they refused to turn to God and away from those things that were an abomination to God. Are we hearing the call today? Are we sitting Sunday after Sunday but not really walking away with a clearer understanding of the message of God? Or a changed life?
God’s message for yesterday, are clearly messages for today. God is still calling for us to be willing to be messengers of righteousness. Just as God called Jeremiah from his mother’s womb, he is so calling us today. Just as he sent word of the promises of Jesus as the savior through the prophet Isaiah, those promises are still for us today. The savior is still the savior today. Jesus is still the only way that we can have power over the flesh so that we do not sin against God.
Let us not be like the reluctant prophet, Jonah and refuse to do as we are instructed and setting ourselves up for a “downward” trip. Let us also remember from the words of Nahum about the mercy of God. Even when he corrects us, it is done because of his mercy. The message from Jeremiah is do not allow flesh to dwell within you and then feel comfortable coming into the house of God to praise. Do not be fooled into thinking that because hands are raised that God overlooks the sinfulness of the life we live. Yet, we can rejoice and know that if there be anything in us that needs to be removed, God is the one that can remove it. He has the power over all that would hold us and keep us from being what God has called us to be.
So when you go to worship this week, God with a humbled heart seeking God to show you what needs to be laid at the altar. What needs to be released and what needs to be strengthened in you. Go having heard, received and willing to live out the living message of God’s word. Go telling God, I am listening, speak.
Showing posts with label The Message. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Message. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Words of Encouragement
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. – Nahum 1:3
The Message. The Prophet Nahum – God’s mercy. This scripture is regarding the sayings to Nineveh and God’s anger against her. However, we can look at the words of this verse and see a message for us today.
The scripture reads that God is slow to anger. This small part of this scripture speaks of the mercy and patience of God. We often confuse God’s patience with a lack of power. The enemy fools us into believing that because God hasn’t moved against our sinful behavior he is some how powerless over our situations, and our sins. Or the enemy makes us believe our sin has gone unnoticed by God and we have somehow fooled him by our deeds. Yet, we are reminded that even though he is slow to anger his is also great in power.
God shows not only his mercy upon those that trust him, but he is extending his mercy even to the unsaved. Think about this. Even as one goes about their day continuing in unrighteousness, they are functioning within the mercy of God. It is God’s mercy that the unrighteous are able to continue, but it is all done so that God can draw them to himself.
Even though God is slow to anger, he will not allow the deeds of the unrighteous to go on continually unchecked. God is a loving God and he seeks that all would turn to him, but if we refuse to heed in the time he has given to us, we will have to stand before him for the unrighteousness of our deeds.
If you find yourself in a storm, caught up in the whirlwind, just maybe it is God saying to you, “today is the day I am calling for you to yield”. Did you know that if God calls you to accountability while you yet live, he is still showing you mercy? He is calling you to accountability NOW because he doesn’t want you to perish. He will correct you now, so that you have the chance to change and right your relationship with him.
Today I pray and ask that we all pray for those that have turned from God’s calling. There are people you know that have been living on the mercy of God, yet are refusing to obey him. He has been extending his mercy, but by his great power he will correct. So today, let us pray that when God calls to those that are disobedient, they will hear. And then let us pray for ourselves that there be nothing hidden in our hearts that would make us disobedient to God. Let us pray that we would always yield to the will of God. God is calling, are you listening?
The Message. The Prophet Nahum – God’s mercy. This scripture is regarding the sayings to Nineveh and God’s anger against her. However, we can look at the words of this verse and see a message for us today.
The scripture reads that God is slow to anger. This small part of this scripture speaks of the mercy and patience of God. We often confuse God’s patience with a lack of power. The enemy fools us into believing that because God hasn’t moved against our sinful behavior he is some how powerless over our situations, and our sins. Or the enemy makes us believe our sin has gone unnoticed by God and we have somehow fooled him by our deeds. Yet, we are reminded that even though he is slow to anger his is also great in power.
God shows not only his mercy upon those that trust him, but he is extending his mercy even to the unsaved. Think about this. Even as one goes about their day continuing in unrighteousness, they are functioning within the mercy of God. It is God’s mercy that the unrighteous are able to continue, but it is all done so that God can draw them to himself.
Even though God is slow to anger, he will not allow the deeds of the unrighteous to go on continually unchecked. God is a loving God and he seeks that all would turn to him, but if we refuse to heed in the time he has given to us, we will have to stand before him for the unrighteousness of our deeds.
If you find yourself in a storm, caught up in the whirlwind, just maybe it is God saying to you, “today is the day I am calling for you to yield”. Did you know that if God calls you to accountability while you yet live, he is still showing you mercy? He is calling you to accountability NOW because he doesn’t want you to perish. He will correct you now, so that you have the chance to change and right your relationship with him.
Today I pray and ask that we all pray for those that have turned from God’s calling. There are people you know that have been living on the mercy of God, yet are refusing to obey him. He has been extending his mercy, but by his great power he will correct. So today, let us pray that when God calls to those that are disobedient, they will hear. And then let us pray for ourselves that there be nothing hidden in our hearts that would make us disobedient to God. Let us pray that we would always yield to the will of God. God is calling, are you listening?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Words of Encouragement
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. – Jonah 1:1-3
The Message. The Prophet Jonah – The Reluctant Servant. Most of us have heard the story about Jonah being in the belly of the fish quite often. We have heard of the story of Jonah’s reluctance to do as God has instructed him to do. Jonah’s reluctant to do what God is telling him is because of the treatment they have received from the people of Nineveh.
If we look at this from our times and situation, this is what that means. God wants you to go to the person that has treated you the worse, and tell them the message of salvation. Maybe you just don’t want to tell them, partly because you know if God says he will save them, he will. Your desire for your worse enemy is vengeance. Yet, we must be willing to let go of the desire for vengeance against those that hurts us, because God says vengeance is his.
So here we have Jonah, receiving a message from God to go and preach against the wickedness. Instead of going as the Lord instructed it says, “He went down…” When Jonah went down to Joppa, he was also going down spiritually. For everything after this leads down for Jonah. He ran from God and he went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship and then he ended up down in the sea, and finally down in the belly of the fish for three days.
What’s the message for us today? When we refuse to heed what God is telling us to do, we can expect to take a downward trip. The things we are trying to accomplish will go down. The self-promotion will go down, the activities will lead down, until finally we find ourselves trapped in a “fishy” situation. But the merciful God of heaven allows us to be trapped in some fishy situations because it is in those places he has our full attention. It is in those places that we must humble ourselves, if we ever hope to find release.
I pray for us today that we would not be reluctant to hear the word of the Lord and his instruction for our lives. I pray that when he calls, we listen. God is calling, are you listening?
The Message. The Prophet Jonah – The Reluctant Servant. Most of us have heard the story about Jonah being in the belly of the fish quite often. We have heard of the story of Jonah’s reluctance to do as God has instructed him to do. Jonah’s reluctant to do what God is telling him is because of the treatment they have received from the people of Nineveh.
If we look at this from our times and situation, this is what that means. God wants you to go to the person that has treated you the worse, and tell them the message of salvation. Maybe you just don’t want to tell them, partly because you know if God says he will save them, he will. Your desire for your worse enemy is vengeance. Yet, we must be willing to let go of the desire for vengeance against those that hurts us, because God says vengeance is his.
So here we have Jonah, receiving a message from God to go and preach against the wickedness. Instead of going as the Lord instructed it says, “He went down…” When Jonah went down to Joppa, he was also going down spiritually. For everything after this leads down for Jonah. He ran from God and he went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship and then he ended up down in the sea, and finally down in the belly of the fish for three days.
What’s the message for us today? When we refuse to heed what God is telling us to do, we can expect to take a downward trip. The things we are trying to accomplish will go down. The self-promotion will go down, the activities will lead down, until finally we find ourselves trapped in a “fishy” situation. But the merciful God of heaven allows us to be trapped in some fishy situations because it is in those places he has our full attention. It is in those places that we must humble ourselves, if we ever hope to find release.
I pray for us today that we would not be reluctant to hear the word of the Lord and his instruction for our lives. I pray that when he calls, we listen. God is calling, are you listening?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Words of Encouragement
Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria." – Isaiah 7:13-17
The Message. The Prophet Isaiah – God Promises. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the promise of a coming messiah to the people of Israel. Isaiah says to the people that God would give them a sign of his promise of protection. That sign would be a virgin would be with child and call his name Immanuel. The promise was a sign also regarding the breaking of the control of the two kings that were bothersome to the Israel.
However, the people did not truly understand the words of the prophet, Isaiah. We know that because when Jesus did come, they were looking for a different kind of savior, messiah. They were looking for a savior that would fulfill the later part of what Isaiah spoke. They were looking for someone to break the hold of other kingdoms over them. They were looking for a savior that would come in and set up an earthly kingdom, with physical strength and might. The people’s misunderstanding of the words of the prophet does not change the words of the prophet. Isaiah’s words were true because they were the words of God. And God always fulfills his own word.
What is the lesson for us, the message in this scripture? We must listen carefully to the words of the Lord however he sends them. If he sends the message by a person, or if it comes from the very scriptures of the Holy Bible, it must be heeded. We must listen carefully to them so that we understand what God is saying. We don’t want to be like the people of Isaiah’s time and misinterpret the message and lose out on the promise. Many rejected Jesus because he was not the messiah they were looking for.
Let us not reject the truth about Jesus because he is not what we think. Let us not reject the promises of God when he sends word to us of what he is offering to us. Let us respond to the message, to the call.
I pray for us today that we would heed to the message of God so that we can hear the truth of what he is telling us. Help us Lord to hear clearly what you are speaking in your word and through your servants. Help us not to reject Jesus, because to do so, we reject your promise of our safety, our deliverance and our soul’s safety. God is speaking, are you listening?
The Message. The Prophet Isaiah – God Promises. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the promise of a coming messiah to the people of Israel. Isaiah says to the people that God would give them a sign of his promise of protection. That sign would be a virgin would be with child and call his name Immanuel. The promise was a sign also regarding the breaking of the control of the two kings that were bothersome to the Israel.
However, the people did not truly understand the words of the prophet, Isaiah. We know that because when Jesus did come, they were looking for a different kind of savior, messiah. They were looking for a savior that would fulfill the later part of what Isaiah spoke. They were looking for someone to break the hold of other kingdoms over them. They were looking for a savior that would come in and set up an earthly kingdom, with physical strength and might. The people’s misunderstanding of the words of the prophet does not change the words of the prophet. Isaiah’s words were true because they were the words of God. And God always fulfills his own word.
What is the lesson for us, the message in this scripture? We must listen carefully to the words of the Lord however he sends them. If he sends the message by a person, or if it comes from the very scriptures of the Holy Bible, it must be heeded. We must listen carefully to them so that we understand what God is saying. We don’t want to be like the people of Isaiah’s time and misinterpret the message and lose out on the promise. Many rejected Jesus because he was not the messiah they were looking for.
Let us not reject the truth about Jesus because he is not what we think. Let us not reject the promises of God when he sends word to us of what he is offering to us. Let us respond to the message, to the call.
I pray for us today that we would heed to the message of God so that we can hear the truth of what he is telling us. Help us Lord to hear clearly what you are speaking in your word and through your servants. Help us not to reject Jesus, because to do so, we reject your promise of our safety, our deliverance and our soul’s safety. God is speaking, are you listening?
Monday, March 31, 2008
Words of Encouragement
The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." - Jeremiah 1:4-10
The Message. The Prophet Jeremiah – God Calls. This is the calling of the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord is speaking to Jeremiah and reassuring him that he was formed in his mother’s womb with a purpose. That purpose was for him to be a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah’s response isn’t much different that others (such as Moses) when called for such an awesome task.
His response is, But God I cannot speak I am only a child. Maybe our response isn’t the same as Jeremiah, but we can relate. Maybe your response to God when he spoke his purpose to you was, I can’t do that, or will people listen to me, or even I don’t know enough, I’m not good enough. Whatever the excuse is, God’s answer to us is the same as it was to Jeremiah.
God told Jeremiah, do not say you are a child, but you must go and speak everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid to speak the words I give you for I will rescue you. In other words, I will be with you as you speak the words I give you to speak.
Then God reached out and touched Jeremiah’s lips and said, I now put my words into your mouth, so go forth and do as I have commanded. God’s word comes through us to uproot and tear down those attitudes, behaviors and beliefs that would set themselves up above God. God’s word also comes to build up and to plant, to build up his people for the fight ahead and to plant the good seed that will take root and bring forth fruit.
Today, God is calling. He is calling for his people to step forth and walk in the truth as he sets forth. He is calling his people to pick up their armor and begin to run this race, his way. I pray for us today that we allow the truth of God’s word to set us free from the sins that so easily besets. God has a message for us, are we listening?
The Message. The Prophet Jeremiah – God Calls. This is the calling of the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord is speaking to Jeremiah and reassuring him that he was formed in his mother’s womb with a purpose. That purpose was for him to be a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah’s response isn’t much different that others (such as Moses) when called for such an awesome task.
His response is, But God I cannot speak I am only a child. Maybe our response isn’t the same as Jeremiah, but we can relate. Maybe your response to God when he spoke his purpose to you was, I can’t do that, or will people listen to me, or even I don’t know enough, I’m not good enough. Whatever the excuse is, God’s answer to us is the same as it was to Jeremiah.
God told Jeremiah, do not say you are a child, but you must go and speak everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid to speak the words I give you for I will rescue you. In other words, I will be with you as you speak the words I give you to speak.
Then God reached out and touched Jeremiah’s lips and said, I now put my words into your mouth, so go forth and do as I have commanded. God’s word comes through us to uproot and tear down those attitudes, behaviors and beliefs that would set themselves up above God. God’s word also comes to build up and to plant, to build up his people for the fight ahead and to plant the good seed that will take root and bring forth fruit.
Today, God is calling. He is calling for his people to step forth and walk in the truth as he sets forth. He is calling his people to pick up their armor and begin to run this race, his way. I pray for us today that we allow the truth of God’s word to set us free from the sins that so easily besets. God has a message for us, are we listening?
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