Thanksgiving

 I will pause briefly from the book of Jeremiah for Thanksgiving Day.  This has been a really bad year in many respects, but if you are alive, you still have reason to be thankful I believe.  The first Thanksgiving Day had came at a time when life was really tough and people were divided between those coming to settle America and those who were already here, but they came together to celebrate.  We in America have had a rough and divisive year, but I believe that we need to pause, come together and celebrate our blessings.  Of course, I believe this is really true for Christians, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  No matter how bad things are going here, God is still in charge and He expects His people to put their faith in Him and worship him even in the hard times.  This Thanksgiving, let us joyfully celebrate the blessings of God.

Jeremiah 2:1

 Jeremiah 2:1 says, Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,  Verse two adds, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.  God's word once more came to Jeremiah and told Him to go and to remind the people of Jerusalem about their promises made to Him in the wilderness.  God had lead them out of Egypt, and sustained them in the wilderness, and they made a covenant with Him to obey His word.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He leads us out of the wilderness of sin and commands us to go and share the gospel with all those that we can.  Verse three continues, Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.  God had Jeremiah to remind the people of Jerusalem that they were the first fruit of His people.  The people of Israel were not called so that they would be the only ones who were God's people, but to be the first of His people and to spread His word to all the world.  Verse four declares, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:  God called for all His people to hear Him, even if they were divided as a nation.  All of God's people need to hear Him today, even if we a separated in some earthly way.  Verse five adds, Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?  God asked those who were supposed to be His chosen people what iniquity their fathers had found in Him that had caused them to become vain, or self centered.  We need to make sure that we never become vain about our relationship with God.  Verse six states, Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?  God said that His people, who He had delivered from Egypt and all the dangers they encountered afterward, no longer sought Him.  God has delivered us from the power of sin and death if we are followers of Christ, and we can never begin to be complacent in our faith if we are to be successful in our walk with God.  Verse seven adds, And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.  God said that He gave His people an abundant land, and that they made their heritage an abomination.  Verse eight adds, The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.  God said even the religious leaders had stopped following His word and had gone after false gods.  We can never afford to allow false gods to come between God and us.  Verse nine declares, Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead.  God said that He would still plead with His people and their children to come back to Him.  God does not give up on people easily.  Verse ten continues, For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.  God called on the people of Israel to look at the other nations around them.  Verse eleven concludes, Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.  God said these other nations who worshipped false gods had not changed them for other gods.  There are many nations around the world today who worship false gods, and they seem at times to be more devoted to their gods than we as Christians are to the One true and Living God.  Verse twelve declares, Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.  God said that even the heavens should be astonished at the fact that His people had turned away from Him.

Jeremiah 1:11

 Jeremiah 1:11 says, Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. God's word came to Jeremiah, asking him what he saw.  The first thing Jeremiah had to do was recognize the word of God when it came to him, and so must we.  What Jeremiah saw was nothing unusual.  Jeremiah said he saw the rod of an almond tree.  Verse twelve states, Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.  God told Jeremiah that he had seen well, and then God added He would hasten His word to perform it, which I believe meant to bring down the rod on His people,  Verse thirteen says, And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.  God's word came to Jeremiah a second time asking him what he saw.  This time Jeremiah saw a seething pot with the face to the north.  Verse fourteen declares, Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.  God then told Jeremiah what the seething pot represented.  God was going to allow a great evil from the north to come upon the people of Judah.  Verse fifteen adds, For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.  God said that he was going to allow Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah to be defeated.  We need to be aware of signs that we are falling out of God's will as His people today, and if we see such signs, we need to repent and return to following God's will.  Verse sixteen continues, And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.  God said that this was His judgment against His people who had abandoned Him and worshipped false gods.  We cannot allow ourselves to stray away from God's will and start to worship false gods as followers of Christ.  Verse seventeen says, Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.  God then told Jeremiah to get up and tell the people what God had told him and to not be dismayed by their faces.  If we are to be successful in presenting the gospel today, we cannot allow ourselves to be dismayed by the way the people of the world may look at us.  Verse eighteen  declares, For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.  God basically told Jeremiah that he didn't need to be afraid, because God would protect Him.  The same is true for us today as followers of Christ.  The world can never defeat us spiritually if we only remain true to God and proclaim His word as He leads and empowers us to do.  Verse nineteen adds, And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.  God told Jeremiah that the people of the world would fight against him, but that they would not prevail.  God make this same promise to us today.  We can be bold in our faith because God is with us to protect us, even through a physical death.

Jeremiah 1:1

Jeremiah 1:1 says, The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:  We first have Jeremiah identified as the son of Hilkiah, who was of the priests of Anathoth.  As a part of a priestly family, Jeremiah had been authorized and appointed to teach the people of Israel as Matthew Henry states it, but God added to that authority.  As followers of Christ, we are a part of the priesthood of believers and are appointed to share the gospel with everyone, but some are called for a more specific purpose in sharing the gospel, such as pastors and evangelists.  Verse two states, To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.  We are then told that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, and when this was historically.  If we are going to proclaim God's word today as Christians, we must first make sure that what we proclaim has come from God, and if it is from God, it will be consistent with His written word, the Bible, and will point people to Christ and will glorify God.  Matthew Henry says that with Josiah, a young king and Jeremiah a young prophet working together that we would have expected the people of Israel to reform, but they didn't.  Verse three adds, It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.  Jeremiah continued to prophesy through the reigns of two more kings, unto the carrying away of Judah.  Matthew Henry points out that Jeremiah continued to prophesy after that, but at that point many of His prophesies were fulfilled.  Even if we see the prophesies of God being fulfilled today, we are still to witness for Christ.  Verse four declares, Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Then verse five adds, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  God told Jeremiah that even before his conception that God had a purpose for him.  God said Jeremiah was sanctified and ordained a prophet even before he was born.  I believe that God has a purpose for each individual born today, but most will never fulfill His purpose because they refuse to accept His authority.  We can certainly attest to the sanctity of every child that is formed in the womb from what is said here.  Verse six proclaims, Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.  Having been commissioned by God, Jeremiah first offered an excuse as to why he could not do what God had called him to do.  When we know what God has called us to do today, do we begin to offer excuses as to why we cannot?  Verse seven declares, But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.  God basically told Jeremiah to not look at who he was but to look to Who God is.  We need to do the same today and go where God sends us and do what He calls us to do.  Verse eight adds, Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.  Just as Jeremiah was told to fear not the faces of the people because God was with him. so does He promise us today.  We need to boldly do what God calls us to do.  Verse nine continues, Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.  Jeremiah said that then the LORD put forth His hand, touched his mouth, and said that He had put His words in Jeremiah's mouth.  We as followers of Christ must put our faith in God to provide us with the ability to speak His word today.  Verse ten concludes, See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.  God then stated what Jeremiah was to do.  God said He set Jeremiah over the nations and kingdoms, to root out the evil in them and to plant the word of God.  We as Christians when we are following God's will for our lives have authority over all earthly rulers.  We must always put God's kingdom first.

Review 3

 After Jesus called his disciples and started his ministry, He performed many miracles for which the multitudes began to follow Him.  They were looking for an earthly leader who could meet their physical needs, as He did when He fed and healed them.  We need to look not for a Savior Who meets our physical needs and desires, but for One who meets our spiritual needs.  The only thing that Jesus ever promised us about physical or material things was that we are to take up our cross daily, or die to physical desires, and that He would meet all our needs.  Jesus never promised to give us everything that we saw and desired.  Jesus spent time alone to pray to His heavenly Father, and so must we if we are to be able to be successful in following the will of God.  Jesus taught us that we are not to worship simply for the praise of people.  No matter how much we give, if we are doing it so that we receive the praise instead of God receiving the praise, it is spiritually worthless.  Jesus had very little use for those who were supposed to be the religious leaders of the Jews, and they had no use for Him.  We need to be careful that we do not begin to follow the teachings of religious leaders today instead of following the will of God.  The disciples, who were the closest to Jesus physically still had ambitions based on physical results.  They wanted to be closest to Jesus in His kingdom, which they still thought would be an earthly kingdom then, but when the time came to prove their devotion, they could not even pray with Him for an hour and they abandoned Him after His trial.  Though Peter took up the sword to defend Jesus when He was being arrested, He did so for all the wrong reasons and denied even knowing Jesus after His arrest.  Some people throughout the ages have made strong professions of faith and followed after Jesus as long as everything was going their way, only to abandon Him when real times of trouble come.  We saw that given the choice between a bad sinner and Jesus that the world will often choose the bad sinner instead of Jesus.  Though there are many other things that the book of Matthew teaches us, the final thing that I will mention is the most important.  Jesus came to earth to live to show us how we are to live and He died to bring us salvation if we put our faith in Him as Savior and Lord.  Death could not defeat Him and the grave could not hold Him, and the same is true of us if we follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  We will next look at the book of Jeremiah.

Matthew Review Continued

 As we continue to review, we see that Jesus began to call His disciples, which we are today if we are Christians.  Jesus called simple men from different walks of life to follow Him, and He still does today with the men and women He calls to salvation.  Then, Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized, setting the example for us.  John said that he needed to be baptized by Jesus, and not Jesus by him.  Like John, we may at times try to question Jesus, but like John we need to simply learn to listen to and obey Him.  We also saw God's endorsement of the baptism, and He will endorse ours today if we have put our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  Some of John's followers were jealous of Jesus, just as some religious leaders are jealous of Jesus today.  They were more interested in their own position than they were in Jesus.  We know that the Devil tempted Jesus after Jesus' forty days of fasting in the desert, when the Devil thought that Jesus would be at His weakest.  We can be certain that the Devil will tempt us with all kinds of things if we put our faith in Jesus and he will tempt us when we are at our weakest point of temptation.  Jesus answered the Devil by referring to scripture, which the Devil himself quoted out of context.  We need to answer the temptations of the world by referring to God's word, but we need to make sure that we aren't using God's word to accomplish our own objectives.  We also see that great multitudes of people began to follow Jesus, but most were following Him for the wrong reasons.  Many people today profess to follow Jesus as long as they are getting what they want from Him, but never really accept Him as their Savior and Lord.

Matthew Review

We will review some of the things that we learned from the book of Matthew.  We learned that Jesus was of the lineage of David, just as the word of God had said He would be.  God's people had been looking toward the birth of the Messiah for years.  Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, just as had been foretold.  This was not some scientific act, but a miracle from God.  We might claim that it is scientifically possible for a virgin to have a child today, but it can never be done without the involvement of a man in any way.  For a child to be created, it requires a man and a woman.  Then, we see that God leads wise men to Jesus, and that if they are truly wise they will come to Him.  Everyone is called, or led, to Jesus, but only those who are wise will come to Him.  We are also taught that we are not going to be able to find Jesus by going to government officials or worldly leaders.  As a matter of a fact, we may often find our that the governmental officials are more out to destroy the gospel than they are to promote it, just as it was with the wise men.  Wise men will not be deceived, though, and will listen to God in every situation.  Also, wise men will bring gifts to Jesus, not to salvation but to show their reverence for Him.  We also learned that God will warn us when we are in danger spiritually if not necessarily physically, and will always protect us.  Mary and Joseph had to leave where they were physically to be safe, and we may have to today, but only if God tells us to. We are not always led out of harm's way as we know from the lives of the disciples.  We then learned of the forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist, who came to tell the people of Israel to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.  John knew that he was not the Messiah, even though some people would have made him to be.  We today as followers of Christ are the forerunners of the second coming of Christ and must call on people to prepare for His second coming.  We will never be the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and we can only call for people to accept the One Who is, Jesus Christ.  Like John the Baptist, we must be willing to lay down our life in order to do so.