Jeremiah 39:10-14 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, "Take him and look after him, and do him no harm; but do to him just as he says to you." So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's chief officers; then they sent someone to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.
Jeremiah 39:15-18 Meanwhile the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, "Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.' "
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
After 40 years of prophesying it finally happened. Chapter 39 of Jeremiah begins with the fall of Jerusalem. The Lord had told Jeremiah that there would not be fruit from his ministry and there was not. Jeremiah, however, had been faithful to do all that the Lord had told him to but his warnings had fallen on deaf ears.
The first 10 verses of this chapter speak to judgment on King Zedekiah, his family and the nobles of Judah because of their refusal to obey the word of God. The next several verses are filled with God's mercy, care, faithfulness and grace to Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech, Zedekiah's servant.
The Lord had promised Jeremiah that he would survive the opposition and persecution he would face in speaking His truth to the people. I wanted to sing as I read the words of the King of Babylon telling the captain of the guard to care for Jeremiah and to do to him just as he says. Treat him well...let him do what he wants. They gave me encouragement and hope and reminded me that God is faithful. His promises are sure. He preserves those who love Him and put their trust in Him.
Read God's promise to the prophet in Jeremiah 15:11.
The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
Jeremiah 38:6-9 tell the story of Ebed-Melech which means servant of the king. (don't miss the irony in his name) Ebed-melech saw that Jeremiah was in dire need and in danger of death. At his own peril, he performed a great kindness to Jeremiah by speaking to King Zedekiah on the prophet's behalf. King Zedekiah gave Ebed-Melech permission to haul Jeremiah out of the dungeon. (pit) God who sees all, rewarded his kindness to Jeremiah by protecting him from the Babylonians. I love Jon Courson's words of application here:
"You might not be able to perform miracles. You might not have musical talent. You might not be an evangelist. You might feel like an Ethiopian, without anything to offer. But you can find a person in the pit--in your community, your school, your office. You can intercede on his behalf. then you can do something to help him practically. You can pull him out of the pit."
Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
Love
Mom
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Someone On Our Side...
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.--1 John 2:1-2
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
It is night time and it is snowing hard outside. Mikayla is right next to me in bed reading. Rebecca is in bed and Anna is in her room writing and listening to music. Suzanne is happy and safe at her house watching Ramona and Beezus with her family. It is a cozy night for everyone. How good our God is!
We are looking at the first two verses of 1 John, Chapter 2 for this study.
John who is probably close to 100 writing this calls us his little children. I love that. One of his reasons he says for writing is so that we may not sin. I am pretty sure John knows we are going to sin. God's standard, however, is perfection....Sin is, sadly, a fact of life for the born again believer. (See 1 John 1:8) John also makes it clear that there is forgiveness when we sin. (1 John 1:9) One of the differences between a believer and a non believer is that a believer admits and confesses sin. They have a settled understanding that they are sinners in need of forgiveness. A believer also has the power not to sin. We can surrender to the Spirit of God who dwells within us and obey Him instead of our own desires and lust. We are free to obey God. Christ died both to sin's penalty and to its power. His death will never need repeating. He forever paid the penalty and forever broke sin's power over those who belong to Him.
Romans 6:6-11" knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Unbelievers are slaves to sin...believers have been set free from the power and the penalty of sin. They live unto God. As believers, we can now choose to obey God by surrendering to the Spirit of God who dwells within us. If we sin, John tells us we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. He Himself is the propitiation for not only our sins but the sins of the whole world.
What is an Advocate? An advocate as used in the bible is a helper or one who comes alongside. In modern terms it might be used to describe a defense attorney. Christ is our Advocate! Satan accuses us before the throne of God night and day. (See Rev 12:10) Jesus Christ, the righteous, our Advocate before the throne of God, is Himself the propitiation that appeases the wrath of God. He paid the penalty for our sin. All manner of sin is forgiven but one...that is the sin of unbelief...of blasphemy against the Spirit of God.
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.--Matthew 12:31-32
The one sin that condemns us to an eternity in hell is the refusal to listen to the Spirit of God speaking to our heart. It is the voice that tells you that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. It is the voice that says, "God's Son died for your sin...accept His free gift of salvation and live forever". You know, in rereading the words I have written, I am thinking, "wow, how gracious is our God." My Father is God, my Brother is Jesus Christ who is my Advocate before my Father. Satan accuses me and my Lord and my Brother, Jesus, says to charge it to His account. He paid the penalty for that sin and then points to His finished work on the cross. He took the wrath of My Father...His Father, upon Himself so that I could live forever with Him. I stand in awe! Read 1 John 4:10,Revelation 12:10, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:33-34 and Hebrews 7:24-25.
Rejoice...Our hope is in Him!
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.--1 John 4:10
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.--Romans 8:1
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.--Romans 8:33-34
But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.--Hebrews 7:24-25
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.--Revelation 12:10
Christ died for the sins of the whole world...I have heard it put that as far as sin extends, His propitiation extends. If you have not already done so, accept His free gift and salvation is yours...your debt will be paid and you will be free from the power of sin and death.
Love
Mom
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
It is night time and it is snowing hard outside. Mikayla is right next to me in bed reading. Rebecca is in bed and Anna is in her room writing and listening to music. Suzanne is happy and safe at her house watching Ramona and Beezus with her family. It is a cozy night for everyone. How good our God is!
We are looking at the first two verses of 1 John, Chapter 2 for this study.
John who is probably close to 100 writing this calls us his little children. I love that. One of his reasons he says for writing is so that we may not sin. I am pretty sure John knows we are going to sin. God's standard, however, is perfection....Sin is, sadly, a fact of life for the born again believer. (See 1 John 1:8) John also makes it clear that there is forgiveness when we sin. (1 John 1:9) One of the differences between a believer and a non believer is that a believer admits and confesses sin. They have a settled understanding that they are sinners in need of forgiveness. A believer also has the power not to sin. We can surrender to the Spirit of God who dwells within us and obey Him instead of our own desires and lust. We are free to obey God. Christ died both to sin's penalty and to its power. His death will never need repeating. He forever paid the penalty and forever broke sin's power over those who belong to Him.
Romans 6:6-11" knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Unbelievers are slaves to sin...believers have been set free from the power and the penalty of sin. They live unto God. As believers, we can now choose to obey God by surrendering to the Spirit of God who dwells within us. If we sin, John tells us we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. He Himself is the propitiation for not only our sins but the sins of the whole world.
What is an Advocate? An advocate as used in the bible is a helper or one who comes alongside. In modern terms it might be used to describe a defense attorney. Christ is our Advocate! Satan accuses us before the throne of God night and day. (See Rev 12:10) Jesus Christ, the righteous, our Advocate before the throne of God, is Himself the propitiation that appeases the wrath of God. He paid the penalty for our sin. All manner of sin is forgiven but one...that is the sin of unbelief...of blasphemy against the Spirit of God.
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.--Matthew 12:31-32
The one sin that condemns us to an eternity in hell is the refusal to listen to the Spirit of God speaking to our heart. It is the voice that tells you that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. It is the voice that says, "God's Son died for your sin...accept His free gift of salvation and live forever". You know, in rereading the words I have written, I am thinking, "wow, how gracious is our God." My Father is God, my Brother is Jesus Christ who is my Advocate before my Father. Satan accuses me and my Lord and my Brother, Jesus, says to charge it to His account. He paid the penalty for that sin and then points to His finished work on the cross. He took the wrath of My Father...His Father, upon Himself so that I could live forever with Him. I stand in awe! Read 1 John 4:10,Revelation 12:10, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:33-34 and Hebrews 7:24-25.
Rejoice...Our hope is in Him!
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.--1 John 4:10
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.--Romans 8:1
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.--Romans 8:33-34
But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.--Hebrews 7:24-25
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.--Revelation 12:10
Christ died for the sins of the whole world...I have heard it put that as far as sin extends, His propitiation extends. If you have not already done so, accept His free gift and salvation is yours...your debt will be paid and you will be free from the power of sin and death.
Love
Mom
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