Not All Prophets Are True

Scripture: Jeremiah 23: 1, 11, 16, 21

Woe Be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.(1) For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.(11) Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.(16) I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.(21)

Scripture Commentary: True and false prophets are as different as night is from day

Be careful about what people say, do, and how they live. We like to be told things that make us feel good, even if it’s wrong. Jeremiah told the people what they did not what to hear. He told them what God had said to him: these people are evil.

True prophets and false prophets are as different as night and day. If we are to be nourishment to our people we must live as God tells us to live. To share and teach the gospel is a great responsibility.

The way we live will show and encourage people either to accept the Word or reject it. People are looking at you, especially if you’re talking about God’s place in your life. If the word hasn’t changed you, why should others let it change them?

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Jeremiah Chapter 23

The Destroyer Flees from the Voice of God

Scripture: Isaiah 33: 1-6

Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed. O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up the nations scatter. Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it. The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Scripture Commentary:

In this passage, the “destroyer” is Assyria, and Assyria continually broke its promises, but demanded that others keep theirs. It is easy for us to act the same and demand our rights while ignoring the rights of others.

Broken promises shatter trust and destroy relationships. Attempt to keep your promises; at the same time, ask for forgiveness for past broken promises. Treat others with the same fairness that you demand for yourself. Only when God’s Spirit is in you, can you have and ask for forgiveness.

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Isaiah Chapter 33

The Lord is Our Shepherd, We are His Flock

Scripture: Ezekiel 34: 1-2, 6

The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

Scripture Commentary: God is the shepherd who cares for his flock

God promises to take over as shepherd of his scattered flock. When our leader fails us, we must not despair but remember that God is in control. He promises to return and care for his flock.

Know that you can turn to God for help. He can transform any tragic situation to produce good for his kingdom. In hard times it’s easy to forget that God is in control and looking out for us. Let this scripture remind you that he sees our pain. You can always call on him and he will come to care for you.

God’s love for us is boundless, and our love for God should also be boundless.

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Ezekiel Chapter 34

The Rebellious Will Stumble

Scripture: Hosea 14:9

Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Scripture Commentary:

Hosea closes with an appeal to listen and learn from God’s word. To those receiving the Lord’s message through Hosea, this meant the difference between life and death.

God’s concern for justice can be seen in his dealings with Hosea. He required faithfulness and a love that offered forgiveness from Hosea. For you, the reader of the book of Hosea, the choice is similar. Either listen to the book’s message and follow God’s ways, or refuse to walk along the Lord’s path.

We can err by forgetting God’s love and feeling like our sins are hopeless. We can err by forgetting his wrath against our sins and ignorantly believe he will accept us no matter how we act. People who insist on following their own direction without God’s guidance are in “deep darkness, they do not know what makes them stumble.” If you are lost you can find the way by turning from your sin and following God.

Forgiveness is a key word. When God forgives us he judges the sin but shows mercy on the sinner. We should never be afraid to come to God for a clean slate. Remember, we must forgive others before we can ask for forgiveness.

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Hosea Chapter 14

God’s Justice Comes in God’s Time

Scripture: Jeremiah 12:1

Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Scripture Commentary: Looking for God’s Justice When Other Do You Wrong

Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah, despite his love for and obedience to God. Jeremiah knew that God’s justice would ultimately come, but he was impatient. He wanted justice to come quickly. Are you patient? Can you wait on God?

God didn’t give Jeremiah a doctrinal answer; he gave him a challenge. If Jeremiah couldn’t handle this how would he handle the injustices ahead?

It is natural for us to demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. If you call on God for relief, God may reply, “If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?” Not all of God’s answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle. When we call for justice, we must realize that God gave each of us what we truly deserve.

Do not ask for vengeance. Pray for forgiveness, love, and understanding. Commit to God in everything you do in life, because God is committed to you.

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Jeremiah Chapter 12

God is Slow to Anger, We Are Slow to Find Him

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. 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. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.

Nahum 1: 2-6

Commentary:

People avoid God because they see evildoers and hypocrites in the church. They don’t realize that God’s slowness to anger gives his true followers time to share his love and truth with the evildoers. Judgement will come to those against God; he will not allow sin to go unchecked forever. People wonder why God doesn’t punish evil immediately. Remind them that if he did no one would be here. We can all be thankful that God gives people time to turn to him. Don’t defy God; he will be here forever with greater power than any nation. The relationship you have with God is up to you. What is your relationship with him right now?

Avoid Sexual Sin: Steps to Take

Scripture verses from Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7: 1

My son, keep my works, and lay up my commandments with thee.

Proverbs 7: 4-5

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

Proverbs 7: 7

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding.

Scripture Commentary: Steps to Avoid Sexual Sin

People argue it’s okay to break God’s law against sexual sin if nobody gets hurt. Somebody is always hurt; spouses devastated, children scarred. Partners can escape disease and unwanted pregnancy, but they lose their ability to fulfill commitments, feel sexual desire, trust, and be entirely open with another person. God’s laws are not arbitrary. They apply to all.

There are definite steps you can take to avoid sexual sin. First, guard your mind. Don’t read books, look at pictures, or encourage fantasies that stimulate the wrong desires. Second, keep away from settings and people that tempt you to sin. Third, focus on the future, not the present moment. God’s law doesn’t forbid good clean fun. God warns us against destroying ourselves through unwise actions or running ahead of his timetable. Running ahead means running into the timetable of Satan.

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Proverbs Chapter 7

God Knows You in Your Entirety

Scripture verses from Isaiah Chapters 29 and 30

Isaiah 29: 15

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Isaiah 30: 1

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.

Scripture Commentary: God Knows You – He Cares About Who You Are and What You Do

If you go about your life doing good or bad and think God will not know what you are doing, you are making a big mistake.

Our God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. God knows who you are, what you do, and why you are doing what you do.

We are told in Psalms 139 that God has examined us and knows everything about us. Do not be like the obstinate people of Judah, who rebelled against God. The people of Judah sought advice from =everyone but God.

When we are driven by fear, we tend to search everywhere for comfort, advice, and relief, hoping to find an easy way out. All we have to do is to put our concerns in God’s hands and he will take care of it. When you give over your concerns to him, leave them there. Doing anything else says to God that you do not trust him.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Isaiah Chapter 29
Isaiah Chapter 30
Psalms Chapter 139

Trust God Who Can Do All Things

Scripture: Jeremiah 17: 5-7

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Scripture Commentary: Trust the Lord and Flourish Like A Tree Planted By Water

When you are doing well, and your life is bubbling over, do you thank the Lord Jesus Christ or do you take full credit and thank yourself? Do you rely on God or only on yourself? Why are you here, and what are you doing with your life?

God tells us “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” When you trust yourself or another person to do for you, it will be short lived. The only trust you can have is in God. Trust in the Lord and you will flourish like a tree planted by water.

Do not be like a fool and continue to cherish sin knowing the eternal consequences of it. A sinful life is short, a sinless life is for eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When you put your life in His hands you will see all the good in life. When you put your trust in human man, impoverishment and spiritual weakness will be upon you when trouble comes.

We are weak and have a deep tendency to sin, but God’s love can redeem us. Trust in the Lord and have abundant strength, not only for your needs, but others, and God will remove temptation when it comes.

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Jeremiah Chapter 17

Don’t Be Afraid To Speak About God

Scripture: Ezekiel 2: 1, 6

And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Scripture Commentary: Don’t Be Afraid to Do What God Asks of You

Is God telling you, as he told Ezekiel, not to be afraid and rebel, but to speak his words whether or not people will listen?

It is amazing that God chooses to work his divine will on earth through finite, imperfect beings. God addressed Ezekiel by calling him son of man, emphasizing the distance between them.

God made us from the dust of the ground. He chooses to place his life and breadth within us, and he asks us to serve him. God doesn’t expect us to understand everything about him. He asks that we be his willing and obedient servants. He wants us to be faithful to what we know is his will.

We can lay aside our fear of rejection or ridicule when God’s Spirit is within us. God’s strength is powerful enough to help us live for him, even under the heaviest criticism. God always gives us the strength to accomplish what he asks us to do.

What is God asking you?

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Ezekiel Chapter 2