Sunday, August 31, 2008

Peace in a storm...

August 30, 2008


It is very easy to say that all is peaceful. I mean when a hurricane is going all around you, you can say all is peaceful. That does not mean that it is, it just means that you can say it. True peace however comes from something else. A knowledge of God and what He wants with your life. Ezekiel tried to explain that to his countrymen prophets were going around saying that the city would not fall, all was at peace.

Ezekiel 13:10-11 CEV
(10) Those prophets refuse to be honest. They tell my people there will be peace, even though there's no peace to be found. They are like workers who think they can fix a shaky wall by covering it with paint.
(11) But when I send rainstorms, hailstones, and strong winds, the wall will surely collapse.


You see, just saying there is peace means that when the storm comes, peace is going away. Living in the peace, is another thing all together.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Ezekiel 13:1-15:8
Tomorrow
Ezekiel 16:1-17:24
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Friday, August 29, 2008

A new heart

August 29, 2008

Ezekiel 11:19-20 GW
(19) I will give them a single purpose and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts.
(20) Then they will live by my laws and obey my rules. They will be my people, and I will be their God.


When I was first saved, these verses cam real to me and I did not even know them. I was a strange young man who had a lot of anger problems. God took that angry heart from me and gave me one of peace. From time to time I took the anger back, but in the end it has been one of peace. The other part is what I am talking about though.

He put his laws in me, I knew what was right and wrong. I used to smoke a pipe and saw no real reason to stop when I got saved. Strange thing is, one day my wife asked me if I was going to smoke them or would she have to keep dusting them. It was then that I realized I had not smoked one in a month. I had no desire to smoke. Why? Because the need to smoke, the worry and anger, had been removed and filled with a desire to be good for God.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Ezekiel 9:1-12:28
Tomorrow
Ezekiel 13:1-15:8
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Take it all with you?

August 28, 2008


Ezekiel 7:19 ESV
(19) They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.


There is an old saying that you can not take it with you. When we die we cannot take all we have accumulated in our lives. This verse says that when we face the wrath of the Lord, we will not want to take it with us. An interesting thought. How do I escape the wrath of the Lord? Simple, you ask to receive Jesus as your personal savior. If you have never done that, e-mail me. I would like to talk to you about it.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Ezekiel 5:1-8:18
Tomorrow
Ezekiel 9:1-12:28
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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Bitter or sweet?

August 27, 2008

Ezekiel 3:1-3 MKJV
(1) And He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this roll, and go speak to the house of Israel.
(2) So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll.
(3) And He said to me, Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your belly with this roll that I give you. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was like honey for sweetness.


Many people find the Word of God to be disturbing. I do not. Like Ezekiel, when God puts His word in me I eat it up. There are times when I do not like what I eat, but it is for my good, just like in the natural. I do not like it when God reveals some hidden sin in my life when I read His word.

Ezekiel did not like the words that he was going to have to tell the captives in Babylon. God gave him the words and he gave them to the people. But when God put them in his mouth, they tasted sweet. Likewise, when I do not like something, I realize it is for my own good. I take the words and try to correct my life. In that way, they will become sweet in my life.

How about you? When you read God's Word, is it sweet, or is it bitter?

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Ezekiel 1:1-4:17
Tomorrow
Ezekiel 5:1-8:18
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Will the real God please stand up?

August 26, 2008

Lamentations 3:42-47 CEV
(42) "We've sinned! We've rebelled against you, and you haven't forgiven us!
(43) Anger is written all over you, as you pursue and slaughter us without showing pity.
(44) You are behind a wall of clouds that blocks out our prayers.
(45) You allowed nations to treat us like garbage;
(46) our enemies curse us.
(47) We are terrified and trapped, caught and crushed."

Lamentations 3:55-58 CEV
(55) From the bottom of the pit, I prayed to you, LORD.
(56) I begged you to listen. "Help!" I shouted. "Save me!" You answered my prayer
(57) and came when I was in need. You told me, "Don't worry!"
(58) You rescued me and saved my life.

Within just a few verses of Lamentations, Jeremiah shows us two totally different views of God. In one He is the angry God, in the other he is the forgiving God. Which is God? Can they both be God?

My thoughts, and I am no theologian, would be that the first verses show a God as the people are picturing Him. They have done wrong and they thing that the punishment is from God. We know that every good gift is from God, can He give us bad gifts. An image of God as my father says I could accuse Him of child abuse if He did. But the second set of verses show things how they really are. The forgiving God who listens when we pray and values us enough to respond.

Which view of God do you have? Why?


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Lamentations 3:37-5:22
Tomorrow
Ezekiel 1:1-4:17
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Deopression, it does not have to hurt...

August 25, 2008

Think of the worst day you ever had. I am sure there are some beautiful ones. Now think about the days since then. Did things get better? You bet they did. It is something that happens. As some one who suffers from a chemical imbalance that causes depression I am more aware of those cycles and have come to realize when I am down for a long period of time, it means I have not taken my medications. They do not take away the depression, just let the normal cycles continue. In that respect, I am keenly aware the cycle is there wile many may not.

Did you know that those cycles are talked about in the Bible? In fact God speeds them up and makes them daily.


Lamentations 3:22-24 NET
(22) (Khet)

The LORD's loyal kindness never ceases;
his compassions never end.
(23) They are fresh every morning;
your faithfulness is abundant!
(24) "My portion is the LORD," I have said to myself,
so I will put my hope in him.

God wants us to know that no matter how bad things may seem now, that there is a new day tomorrow. And if you put enough of those days together they will get you past what you may be in now.

It is hard to remember this when you are down. It might be a good idea to put it into you now.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Lamentations 1:1-3:36
Tomorrow
Lamentations 3:37-5:22
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Monday, August 25, 2008

Forsaken

August 24, 2008

Jeremiah 51:5 ESV
(5) For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts, but the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

No matter what, God will not forsake you. Read what Israel and Judah had done. And yet, even though they are punished, God is with them. I do not think anyone reading these words today can honestly say that they have done something that God can not forgive them of. You may not forgive yourself, like I used to. God will forgive you. There is nothing in your past God cannot take care of.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 51:1-52:34
Tomorrow
Lamentations 1:1-3:36
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Sunday, August 24, 2008

A promise

August 23, 2008

Jeremiah 50:4-5 GNB
(4) The LORD says, "When that time comes, the people of both Israel and Judah will come weeping, looking for me, their God.
(5) They will ask the way to Zion and then go in that direction. They will make an eternal covenant with me and never break it.


What a promise. In the middle of promises of death and destruction to all of the nations surrounding Israel, God promises that He will bring them back to their homeland. I am sure they though that if this is what is happening to them we have no chance.

God has made a promise to us as well. We will go to be with Him when we die. With all the bad around us, it is good to have an anchor.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 49:1-50:46
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 51:1-52:34
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Friday, August 22, 2008

Fear

August 22, 2008

God does not want you to be in terror.

Jeremiah 48:44 ESV
(44) He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For I will bring these things upon Moab, the year of their punishment, declares the LORD.


Plain and simple, God is on your side. If you are fleeing in terror, you do not believe that He can help you. I ran away from a marriage because of that, I did not believe that God could fix it. And when I did I fell into the pit of sin. As I tried to climb out on my own power, I was caught again. Only in giving my life to Him could I get clear of the fear. Are there still problems, yes. Will I run again, no. I do not welcome the problems but I do not fear the problems either.

Take stock of your life. Are you in fear of something, you could be running away from God.



Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 46:1-48:47
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 49:1-50:46
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Thursday, August 21, 2008

The god of self

August 21, 2008

Sometimes, when we try to do the right thing it can be tempting to go back and do the wrong thing. You may have had some addiction that gnaws at you for years and then when you break free from it, all the problems of the world seem to come at you. Jeremiah had to face issues like that in his life. He had told the remnant that was left after Babylon hadconquered them that they should not go to Egypt or they would die there. They took Jeremiah and forced him to go with them. While there, the people figured they had enough of that crackpot and they decided to go back to there old ways.

Jeremiah 44:16-19 MKJV
(16) As for the Word that you have spoken to us in the name of Jehovah, we will not listen to you.
(17) But we will certainly do whatever thing goes forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our rulers, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
(18) But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked all things, and have been devoured by the sword and by the famine.
(19) And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make our cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our men?


It is not clear to me why they would do this, I mean, God had gotten them through all the problems of surviving this war, and now that there was starting to be some stability, they decided to run back to what had gotten them in trouble in the first place.

Then I look at my life, and I realize, I am no better than they are. When problems ease up again I have to check myself to make sure that I am not taking the credit and leaving God behind. But even worse is when I decide that the problem is too big for God to handle and I have to do it myself. That is just not going to fly, for like the woman in today's verse, I am worshiping a god, I am worshiping the god of self.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 41:1-45:5
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 46:1-48:47
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

To Do Lists

August 20, 2008

I have found in my own life that I need to right down the things I need to do in a day. If I do not, then I tend to let things slide and not get them done. We call these lists a to-do list, and usually we put them in a priority order. A few years ago it was the only way that I could keep everything in order because I worked full time, taught part time and was a full time student. Putting things in a priority helped. In my current life I have to put a priority on the calls I have in my que and monitor what my co-worker has to make sure that he does not let important calls slide. All of this is important, and the most important of this is to write it down in some way or shape. Why? I am glad you asked.


Habakkuk 2:2(AMP)
2 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.

You see, God is a God of order and he wants us to be able to have a plan for our lives, not just His plan. We need to take the time to plan out our day so that we can see it and run with it. Yes problems not planned for will come up, but rather that letting the devil distract you with those things, you will have a list of things to do when you get back form the interruption. If you are ministry oriented, then it is also important that your vision for the ministry be written down so others can see it and do it.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Habakkuk 1:1-3:19
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 41:1-45:5
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Fear God or man?

August 19, 2008

I hope all of my readers have been keeping up with the daily readings. Though I did not talk about it yesterday, there was an important event in the life of Zedekiah in yesterday's reading. He called Jeremiah to him and asked what would happen. Jeremiah told him what the future would hold if he did not repent and return to God. He would be personally be seized by the King of Judah. Zedekiah was afraid of those whom had already surrendered to the Babylonians. For that reason only he would not do as Jeremiah warned him.

2 Kings 25:1-7 GNB
(1) Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and so Nebuchadnezzar came with all his army and attacked Jerusalem on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. They set up camp outside the city, built siege walls around it,
(2) and kept it under siege until Zedekiah's eleventh year.
(3) On the ninth day of the fourth month of that same year, when the famine was so bad that the people had nothing left to eat,
(4) the city walls were broken through. Although the Babylonians were surrounding the city, all the soldiers escaped during the night. They left by way of the royal garden, went through the gateway connecting the two walls, and fled in the direction of the Jordan Valley.
(5) But the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah, captured him in the plains near Jericho, and all his soldiers deserted him.
(6) Zedekiah was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who was in the city of Riblah, and there Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him.
(7) While Zedekiah was looking on, his sons were put to death; then Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah's eyes put out, placed him in chains, and took him to Babylon.


When God speaks through a Holy man of God, the man had better listen. Zedekiah was not in a good position in either circumstance, but if had learned to fear God and not man, I am sure that his fate of having the last thing seen before his eyes were plucked out was seeing his children killed. Always remember it is better to fear (or respect) God more that it is man.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
2 Kings 24:1-25:30, 2 Chronicles 36:1-23
Tomorrow
Habakkuk 1:1-3:19
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Where does your help come from

August 18, 2008

Sometimes help can come to you that is from God but is not from a Christian.

Jeremiah 38:6-13 CEV
(6) Then they took me back to the courtyard of the palace guards and let me down with ropes into the well that belonged to Malchiah, the king's son. There was no water in the well, and I sank down in the mud.
(7) Ebedmelech from Ethiopia was an official at the palace, and he heard what they had done to me. So he went to speak with King Zedekiah, who was holding court at Benjamin Gate.
(8) (SEE 38:7)
(9) Ebedmelech said, "Your Majesty, Jeremiah is a prophet, and those men were wrong to throw him into a well. And when Jerusalem runs out of food, Jeremiah will starve to death down there."
(10) Zedekiah answered, "Take thirty of my soldiers and pull Jeremiah out before he dies."
(11) Ebedmelech and the soldiers went to the palace and got some rags from the room under the treasury. He used ropes to lower them into the well.
(12) Then he said, "Put these rags under your arms so the ropes won't hurt you." After I did,
(13) the men pulled me out. And from then on, I was kept in the courtyard of the palace guards.


When God sends a blessing to you, unless it is from an outright sin, it is best that you learn to accept it. It may just save your life.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 38:1-40:16
Tomorrow
2 Kings 24:1-25:30
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Monday, August 18, 2008

Everybody is doind it.

August 17, 2008

I know that no one else suffers with a problem I have so I will just tell you about what I have read in my Bible today and how it effects me, is that OK?

You see, I have a problem. A lot of times sin stares me in the face and I want to (and sometimes do) give in. I mean, doesn't everybody. That is a good excuse right? Everyone does it.


Jeremiah 35:5-8 GNB
(5) Then I placed cups and bowls full of wine before the Rechabites, and I said to them, "Have some wine."
(6) But they answered, "We do not drink wine. Our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab told us that neither we nor our descendants were ever to drink any wine.
(7) He also told us not to build houses or farm the land and not to plant vineyards or buy them. He commanded us always to live in tents, so that we might remain in this land where we live like strangers.
(8) We have obeyed all the instructions that Jonadab gave us. We ourselves never drink wine, and neither do our wives, our sons, or our daughters.


The Rechabites lives in a bad time. There was sin all around them. It would have been easy to give into that lifestyle. But guess what, they did not. If someone tries to tell you that everyone is doing it, tell them that you do not have to, you are a Rechabite. (Be prepared for them to look at you funny though).

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 35:1-37:21
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 38:1-40:16
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Sunday, August 17, 2008

Where is your house?

August 16, 2008

Jeremiah 32:6-9 ESV
(6) Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me:
(7) Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.'
(8) Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
(9) "And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.


Why in the middle of all this garbage does God tell Jeremiah to by a piece of property. Doesn't God know there is death and destruction around?


Yes He does! Our future is not in the world though. We have a property purchased for us with the Blood of Jesus.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 32:1-34:22
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 35:1-37:21
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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Sins of our fathers?

August 15, 2008

In this devotional in the past I have noted that the sins that the parents do affect the child. I may have given the impression that the child is no longer responsible for his or her actions. That is far from the truth.

Jeremiah 31:29-30 Webster
(29) In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
(30) But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Jeremiah clearly shows here that a child has the right to sin or not sin, it is their choice. What happens is that a child has a much harder time not sinning if their parents were doing so. For example, a parent that is always drunk teaches a child that drinking is normal and that he is expected to do so. A parent who is moving from husband to husband tells her daughter it is OK to sleep around. They enable the behavior in their children.

God says it is not OK. Your parents did their sins, you are responsible for your sins, or not sinning.

In my life I blamed a lot of behavior on my dad. In reality it is my fault, not his, he has been dead for over thirty years.

Who do you blame for your sins?


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 30:1-31:40
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 32:1-34:22
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Friday, August 15, 2008

God's Plans

August 14, 2008

(Late due to heavy work schedule)

Left by myself I have a good imagination. I am sure that most of you do also. When disaster comes, and I feel that I have been trying to live for God, I often go, what are you going to throw at me next. It is then that God reminds me of one thing.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
(11) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.


God does not have bad plans for me. I may think that they are. And even if they are, in the long run, I do not see the whole picture. What looks bad now may be look as bad when I can see the whole picture.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 26:1-29:32
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 30:1-31:40
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Thursday, August 14, 2008

What do you do with a false preacher?

August 13, 2008

I have always been amazed of two things. The first is the number of people who will try to con you and do it in Jesus name. I know that there is a special place prepared for them when they pass away. I can remember as a non-Christian teenager, a man named Reverend Ike that would come on our TV sets back on the east coast and basically yell at you to give money to him, mentioning his name and phone number more than he mentioned Jesus. It was clear He was after one thing, money. When I moved to Oklahoma there was a man who cam on our TV late at night, I think he Dr. Scott. He preached all sort of weird things, basically that most any sin you wanted to do was OK. He preached that along with questionable passages and interpretations from the Bible while smoking a big cigar. I hear he died a painful death of cancer. But rather than be warned about how bad things were, his daughter has picked up his mantle and is on TV as well. Clearly there are frauds, but not all preachers are.

The other thing that has amazed me is the ones that think it is there job to take these people out of the picture, along with any one who does not preach their brand of Christianity. I do not mind non-Christians doing it, they are looking for any excuse and this just gives them another one. No, it is the 'Christians' who want to clean out the population. An example of this is the recent requests from a US senator to several 'faith' preachers (don't all teachers preach faith?). If you look at the man asking the senator to look into them you will find the same man who brought down Robert Tilton years ago. His job in life is to take out these 'faith' preachers at all cost. Do not look into his closet though, you will find lots ofskeletons. While running a Christian commune he had several woman visit him in his bedroom. I think you get the picture.

The fact is, the second group really does not have to do anything to get rid of the first group.

Jeremiah 23:2-3 NET
(2) So the LORD God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling over his people: "You have caused my people to be dispersed and driven into exile. You have not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the evil that you have done. I, the LORD, affirm it!
(3) Then I myself will regather those of my people who are still alive from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their homeland. They will greatly increase in number.

You see, if what they are preaching is false, God will hold them accountable. While we should not sit under false teaching, we should not try to take anyone else out. That is God's job. And do not worry about the one that you think were lost by the bad preaching. God will gather them back again.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 23:1-25:38
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 26:1-29:32
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Half prayed prayers

August 12, 2008

The time for asking God to help is not when your back is up against a wall. King Zedekiah saw that Nebuchadnezzar was on his way in full battle gear. This was not the first time that he had been warned. Yet he waits till the last minute to ask Jeremiah to pray, and then only a half hearted request.

Jeremiah 21:1-2 MKJV
(1) The Word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
(2) Please inquire of Jehovah for us. For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us. Perhaps Jehovah will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that he may go up from us.

When you ask God for something ask believing that it will happen. Of course if you have been chasing other things you will not ever have faith in God, will you?




Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 18:1-22:30
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 23:1-25:38
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A fatherr's voice

August 11, 2008

Your words and actions can affect others, some you may not even know. This became quite clear to me about 6 months ago. My son, who lives with wife and grand-kids in Jakarta, Indonesia, e-mailed me. He said, 'dad, a funny thing happened the other day, I went to discipline Judah and when I opened my mouth, your words came out!' Now that I think about it, I hope they were good words.

God shows us this type of thin in His Word as well. Jeremiah had to tell the people that they were doomed, and when they asked why because there sins were not that bad, Jeremiah replied:

Jeremiah 15:4 GW
(4) I will make these people a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. This will happen because of what Judah's King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, did in Jerusalem.


Now Manasseh had been ruler of Judah several generations before. But what he had done to the land was introduce things that did not belong there. When you do things in your life, try to remember that it will affect generations to come. That includes the good with the bad things.

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 14:1-17:27
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 18:1-22:30
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Monday, August 11, 2008

Worshiping Scarecrows

August 10. 2008

Jeremiah 10:5 ESV
(5) Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good."


How many of you would pray to a scarecrow. It has no brain, it cannot move, it cannot work, and it most cases it does not really scare the crows in the first place. So why would you make prayers to it. In reality you would not.

So why do you think your earning power, your banker will help you? Or going back to the same bad habits you had in the past. None will help you.

So why do you worship scarecrows?

Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
Jeremiah 10:1-13:27
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 14:1-17:27
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Saturday, August 9, 2008

What do you boast about?

August 9, 2008

Jeremiah 9:23-24 English Standard Version (ESV)

23 Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

We all need to know that the strength that we have is not in us. We can not boast is any thing in our lives. The other day I was praying with my children and I thanked God for giving my the ability to work. One of the kids asked me why did I thank God for that. My answer was that I could be sick or disabled and not be able to work at all. God has given me my health and it was not something that I had done for myself.

Think for yourself, what can you boast in your self. If you find something, maybe you have to look again at your relationship with God.

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
Jeremiah 7:1-9:26
Tomorrow
Jeremiah 10:1-13:27
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Friday, August 8, 2008

Evil thoughts

August 8, 2008


Jeremiah 4:14 BBE
(14) O Jerusalem, make your heart clean from evil, so that you may have salvation. How long are evil purposes to have a resting-place in you?


When I first became a Christian I had a difficult time, and I still have it to this day. I had a bad childhood with a lot of self-image problems. As a kid I was fat and the one that every boy knew he could beat up so when it came time to impress their friends, you know who they picked on. I was told by my dad that I was an 'oops' and was not planned for. What the older brothers got as the grew older, I did not. To top it all off, when I needed a father the most, early teen years, my dad decided to leave my mom and I wondered what I did to cause it.

Why do I say all that, because it affects who I am today. My life is a combination of all that is in my past. I, like you are affect by the positive and negative things of our lives. If you are thinking bad things about yourself, you are thinking evil things. God through the prophet Jeremiah tells us today that we have to take evil thoughts and get rid of them, they are not to have a place where they can come to rest in our hearts.

I am working on me, do you need to work on yourself also.

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
Jeremiah 4:1-6:30

Tomorrow
Jeremiah 7:1-9:26

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Thursday, August 7, 2008

Examples

August 7, 2008


One of the things I learned with my older children that I have been able to use with my younger children is that it is easier for you to understand something if I show them how to do it rather than tell them how to do it. For example, I can tell them to clean their room but actually getting in there with them a few times helps them learn the right way. Likewise, God has to do the same with us. In an effort to get the message across of what He is going to do, God tells Jeremiah in a few cases some pictures to help him understand.

Jeremiah 1:11 ESV
(11) And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see an almond branch."

This, by the way, is a good example of how to do things with employees or co-workers also. I can learn so much more if you show me than if you tell me.


Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
Jeremiah 1:1-3:25

Tomorrow
Jeremiah 4:1-6:30

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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Escaping God's anger

August 6, 2008

Zephaniah 2:3 YLT
(3) Seek Jehovah, all ye humble of the land, Who His judgment have done, Seek ye righteousness, seek humility, It may be ye are hidden in a day of the anger of Jehovah.


Seeking God is always a good idea. Some people would look at this verse and say that even Christians can go to hell. That Christians can not escape the anger of God. But one must look at things through the eye of the one that wrote it. While the Holy Spirit guided what was spoken and written, the man was not one who could understand fully that Jesus was coming to cleanse our sins so we could be right with God. He was telling those around him to do what they could and maybe they would escape the anger.

We have Jesus, they did not. We can escape the anger, they only could by right living and understanding what the scriptures pointed to. I, for one, am glad that I live now and have that assurance from God.


Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20 KJV

Tomorrow
Jeremiah 1:1-3:25

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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

God keeps His promises

August 5, 2008

A promise is made to be kept. When God makes a promise He keeps it. It may take some time. You may not even see it in your time. It will be done.

We have used in this devotional before the story of an old prophet and a new prophet. In the early days of the split kingdom of Judah and Israel, the new prophet left Judah, came to an area where the King of Israel was sacrificing to the god Baal. As he spoke he told that one day a king would come named Josiah, and he would burn the bones of those that did these evil things on the very alter that they were sacrificing on. This would be a profanity to the god Baal and would keep the alter being used for normal sacrifices. The old and new prophets meet up and the story takes a much different turn, but it ends with the new prophet dead and being burried in a tomb and a monument errected. The people told each other of this man for years to come I am sure.

Flash forward a few hundread years. A new king is crowned in Jerusalem. At the age of eight people do not think he will be worth much. By the age of 18 he was tearing done idol worship places. At the age of 20 he takes his crusade out of his country and into Israel.

2 Kings 23:15-18 GW
(15) He also tore down the altar at Bethel-the place of worship made by Jeroboam (Nebat's son), who had made Israel sin. He tore down both the altar and the place of worship. They burned the worship site, crushing it to powder and burning the pole dedicated to Asherah.
(16) When Josiah turned and saw the tombs on the hill there, he sent men to take the bones out of the tombs and burn them on the altar to make it unclean. This fulfilled the word of the LORD announced by the man of God.
(17) Then he asked, "What is this monument that I see?" The people of the city answered him, "It's the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah to announce that you would do these things to the altar of Bethel."
(18) So Josiah said, "Let him rest. Don't disturb his bones." So they left his bones with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria.


I can picture the people looking on, the story they had been told of what would be done. I am sure many thought it was just an old wives tale that would never take place. And hundreads of years later it was done.

God keeps His promises. If He has made a promise to you, know that it will come to pass.

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
2 Kings 22:1-23:37, 2 Choricles 34:1 - 35:27

Tomorrow
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20 KJV

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Monday, August 4, 2008

I am a friend of God's

August 4, 2008

I know all of you reading this are more spiritual than I am so I guess I am just writing this for myself today. You know, there are a lot of days that I question things. I mean, nothing seems to go right, everything seems to go wrong, I spend time working by myself or when I am with others the feedback is just negative ll the time. It is at times like that I start to wonder if God exist. Is He something that I made up? Why am I really here if nothing seems to go right?

Nahum 1:7 BBE
(7) The Lord is good, a strong place in the day of trouble; and he has knowledge of those who take him for their safe cover.


In times like I have written about I take comfort in these words. Though it seems like no one could care about me, and that God seems to not exist, He still knows me, and I can run to Him for shelter when things seem to be going wrong. Like a good friend that someone can talk to, when I seem alone, He is there to hear me and talk with me.

Of course, none of you have that problem, right?

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
Nahum 1:1-3:19

Tomorrow
2 Kings 22:1-23:37

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Who is with you?

August 3, 2008

On one of my many jobs I had a problem with some of my co-workers one day. They seemed to be doing things to aggravate me. I am twice the age of them at the minimum, but I do the same if not more work then they do. It was really getting under my skin one day because one person was bossing me around one day and she has no more authority in the position than I do. A few days later these verses came to mind and all has been better with me:

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 NET
(7) "Be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.
(8) He has with him mere human strength, but the LORD our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!" The army was encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

You see, Hezekiah knew where the real problem was. It was not the King of Assyria, it was what was behind him, Satan. And all the King of Assyria could use was natural human strength. On the other hand, he had God behind him. Even though there were many out there God was stronger than them all.

Oh and my situation, well let's just say bosses watch when people do not think that they do. I think that says enough.


Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
2 Chronicles 32:1-33:25

Tomorrow
Nahum 1:1-3:19

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Saturday, August 2, 2008

Teach your children well..

August 2, 2008

2 Kings 21:1-3 GNB
(1) Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah.
(2) Following the disgusting practices of the nations whom the LORD had driven out of the land as his people advanced, Manasseh sinned against the LORD.
(3) He rebuilt the pagan places of worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he built altars for the worship of Baal and made an image of the goddessAsherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done. Manasseh also worshiped the stars.


Why do kids not follow the examples of their parents. I am sure there are a number of reasons. We will never know why in this case. But as you mature and become a parent, or if you are one now, know that all of your children will follow God the way you expect them to. Some may exceed you and some may not. All you can do is train them the best you can. They still have free will.

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
2 Kings 20:1-21:26

Tomorrow
2 Chronicles 32:1-33:25

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Friday, August 1, 2008

Beautiful houses for God

August 1, 2008

Years ago I had to go to Los Angeles to help out the company I was working for. I was there for two weeks and the one weekend I was there, on Sunday afternoon, having turned down free ticket to Disneyland (can you picture going to a place like that by yourself?), I found myself out for a drive just to do something. I found myself at the Chrystal Cathedrial, built by Robert Schuler. If you have ever seen that building on television, believe me, TV can not do it justice. I was there on a sunny day and the way the light streemed in and the beautiful design, I just felt I could sense God in a more beautiful way. Especially when you compared it to my home church which was a converted four room grade school building. But going home and attending that church I also felt God. The people at my home church loved God in a very deep way and had reverence for him. All this to say, that a beautiful building does not make a home for God. Something that God said Himself:

Isaiah 66:1-2 BBE
(1) The Lord says, Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is the resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, and what place will be my resting-place?
(2) For all these things my hand has made, and they are mine, says the Lord; but to this man only will I give attention, to him who is poor and broken in spirit, fearing my word.

God does not care for beautiful buildings. We may care about them. The late Buddy Harrison, a former pastor of mine, once said, 'since I live in Oklahoma I believe in two things, God and air conditioning.' Buddy hit it on the head. We care for the creature comforts, not God. What God wants is people who follow Him, and do so with the right attitude.

Read through the Bible in historical order in one year

Today
Isaiah 64:1-66:24

Tomorrow
2 Kings 20:1-21:26

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