Re: the Prophet: his calling (Jeremiah 1:5-9,18~~)

"Then, the Word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Before I formed you in
the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I
consecrated you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations. Then I
said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! Behold, I do not know [how] to speak, for I
am a youth. But Jehovah said to me, Do not say, I am a youth; for you
shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and whatever I command you,
you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to
deliver you, says Jehovah. And Jehovah put forth His hand, and touched
my mouth. And Jehovah said to me, Behold, I have put My Words in your
mouth." (Jer1:4-9)

Well, for the topic of this study, having now read these verses, we
could just as easily pronounce, "Amen!" and conclude this study. But
let's make some observations, as we have recently also just considered
Ezekiel's call as a prophet.

In that study we exhorted, If you have "wondered about" being in the
ministry, or have been thinking about your life, thinking about "which
career" to go into, and in amongst your list of options, you also have
listed "Ministry", and you are 'weighing' in you mind the pros and cons
about the ministry, then, let me repeat here, "FORGET IT! DON'T DO IT!
GO INTO SOME OTHER CAREER!" If your motivation for the Lord's work is
merely a 'balancing' of choices, as -YOU- are mapping out your own
life, then, whatever you do, DO NOT go into the ministry! I am being
deadly serious! Christendom is already overloaded with your
predecessors, who are leading hordes down the "broad way" to
"destruction". (Mt7:13) And when I just said "deadly", remember God's
Word to Ezekiel about the "blood" of those who were not warned by you,
whose blood is now on your hands. (Eze3:18,20)  If you decide to "go"
anyway, understand that God did not send you (Jer14:15), and you bear
the consequences when you stand before God who didn't call you.

So, how does God's call come? At what point does God make the decision
that you are to be His messenger? The Word of Jehovah came "unto"
Jeremiah. God says to Jeremiah that his call was before he was ever
born. Remember John the Baptist, when Mary comes to Elizabeth's house,
John, still in the womb, "leaped" at the sound of Mary's voice
proclaiming Jesus' impending birth. (Lk1:41), as John was proclaimed to
be a prophet "even from his mother's womb". (Lk1:15) Paul says, "But
when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called 
me through His grace." (Gal1:15) If you are in the ministry at God's 
call, He has specially hand-picked you for the task He has assigned.  
And there is NO QUESTION as to His call upon your life. And if you 
began fulfilling your call later in life, I expect you can reminisce 
back through your life, and see how God was preserving and preparing 
you for 'now'.

And as we see from so many who became great prophets, their own flesh 
was of the inclination to resist God, to resist being God's messenger.
Moses pleaded with God to "send somebody else". Saul/Paul, although
being trained up as a pharisee, was wreaking havoc with the Church
until God knocked him down and got his attention. And here, Jeremiah is 
objecting: I am so young. I'm just a kid. I don't know how to speak. I 
don't know what to say. Just as Paul encourages Timothy to "let no one 
despise your youth" (1Tm4:12), God here says, Don't say you're too 
young, because I am sending you. (vs7)

Are we understanding? God's messenger never goes under his own
authority. If a person does such a thing, they are an impostor. When it
is God's messenger, -GOD- does the sending. He makes Himself known to
the messenger. In the O.T. God instructed through Moses that, "Then He
said, Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, Jehovah,
make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream."
(Num12:6)  In the day of Christ's Church, it is the Holy Spirit who
gives the call, as in, "the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to Me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Acts13:2)
Again notice, the Holy Spirit "says" and "calls". The individuals did
not decide on their own that they "wanted to" do something, and then
took the matter to some church council, board or pastor for approval.
When God calls, such a call does not require the approval of some
man-made council or agency...

Because notice: "For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city
and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land; against
the kings of Judah, against its princes, Against its priests, and
against the people of the land.  They will fight against you, but they
shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says Jehovah, to
deliver you." (Jer1:18-19)

Indeed, God's messenger does not have a life of ease. His job is not to
make everybody "happy" and cheer everybody up with "uplifting
thoughts". His life is one of confrontation, because God's message is
to the Rebellious House. The rebels oppose the message, and thus, the
messenger. Their hearts are hard and their necks are stiff. But God's
messenger must be faithful anyway, even if they lash out verbally, send
nasty e-mails, or as in Jeremiah's case, end up in a pit, left to die.
Jeremiah was dropped into the pit, and then apparently, people were
throwing water in it? ...or perhaps it was a well, and the water levels
came up, almost to drowning him? Read about it in Lamentations 3:53-54.
But Jeremiah trusted in God's promise for deliverance (vs55-57), just
as He had promised, "Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you
to deliver you, says Jehovah." (1:8)

And just like with Ezekiel, the commission to Jeremiah was the same.  
Jeremiah pleads with the Lord about his inability to speak. What does 
the Lord do? "Then Jehovah put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and 
Jehovah said to me: Behold, I have put My Words in your mouth." (vs9) 
The messenger's message is -GOD'S- WORD. In his vision Ezekiel was 
given a book to eat. (Ezek2:8-10) Jeremiah has God's 'hand' upon his 
mouth. Whatever the visual effect, it is -GOD'S- direct anointing. If 
the person's abilities were developed as fishermen, doctors, musicians 
or what-have-you... it seems that, typically, the people whom God calls 
are not "gifted" in the area of ministry to which they are called.  But
God takes their weaknesses and gives -HIS- enablement. Thus, in so many
instances, that very transformation becomes a form of "proof" of God's
call upon their lives; and of His Word through their mouths, pens and 
keyboards.

Amen!

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re: the Prophet: distress and burden (Jeremiah 4-5)

"My stomach, my stomach! I am convulsed to my heart! My heart groans
within me; I cannot be silent because you have heard, O my soul, the
sound of the ram's horn, the alarm of war.  Destruction upon
destruction is cried; for the whole land is devastated. Suddenly my
tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment.  How long shall I see the
standard and hear the sound of the ram's horn?" (Jer4:19-21)

Over the years there has been a category of "christian" that carries
its nose just an angle or two higher in the air, and 'sniffs' it's own
self-righteousness at others, and they call it "trusting in God". If
somebody else should be displaying any sort of emotional sadness or
distress, this person will 'snif' at them, that God calls the Christian
to "victorious living", and that if a person is truly "in tune with"
God, they will not ever feel situations of sorrow or anxiety. After
all, Peter says, "casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares
about you" (1Pt5:7) Thus, if they are feeling distraught about
anything, that such a state automatically means the person must have
sin in their life, or at the least, is not "as close to" God as the
'sniffer' is.

Well then, if we follow such thoughts to their conclusion, I guess, 
even though he was a specially-chosen prophet of God, doing God's 
bidding, Jeremiah must not have been very "close" to God, because he 
seems about ready to ask somebody to "please pass the Alka-Seltzer".  
Due to the coming war, he obviously has an upset stomach. His insides 
are churning from the emotional stress of it all. After all, remember 
his calling: is as a "youth", and I expect everything he is becoming 
privy to is a bit overwhelming to such a young fellow. But for his 
stress and sorrows to be labelled as "sin", however, is simply not 
Scriptural. After all, God devoted an entire book to nothing but
Jeremiah's "Lamentations".

Question: When a person puts their trust in God, does God somehow
remove all physical/emotional characteristics from us? Obviously, the
answer is, "No!" Even Jesus, God's Son, at the death of Lazarus and
seeing the sadness of everybody gathered around his death, "wept".
(Jn11:35) Because Jesus felt, emoted and empathized with sadness, was
Jesus somehow "less close" to the Father at that moment? Jesus was
"without sin". (Heb4:15) Again, the answer is obviously, "No!"

Obviously, anybody who is yet possessed of human attributes, will have 
times of sorrow, worry, concern, terror, etc. But that is when we take 
those anxieties and "cast them" upon the Lord. Peter did not say that 
we "don't have" anxieties. But rather, when those cares come along to 
torment us, we roll them over to the Lord. When the Lord "prepares a 
table for me in the presence of my enemies" (Ps23:5), our human psyche 
may have 'moments', but when we trust in our Shepherd as we follow Him, 
then we can say, "I will fear no evil". (Ps23:4) Notice, it doesn't 
say, "I will not fear", but rather, I will not fear "evil". Yes, when 
things come along, we may suddenly "get scared". A few months ago when
one of those earthquakes "BOOMED" right under my work place, with a
sound almost as though a person was right inside the middle of an
explosion, you can be sure my heart rate increased rather dramatically
quickly at the spur of the moment.  That's the way we are designed by
God. But I have not been 'afraid' of these things. God has given me a
job to do, and my work is not yet finished. He is not going to allow
something to incapacitate me until it is finished.

There's a lot of people (even so-called "Christians") who are
scampering about in recent weeks, all full of paranoia over world-wide
events of the past couple of months. Following this quack-pot and that
pied-piper... those proclaiming all sorts of "Scriptural" -numerology-,
selling spiritual snake-oil, and getting people into a panic to be sure
they have gas masks, and a whole host of other survivalist stuff.

So, Jeremiah has an upset tummy. What does he do about it? Does he find
the nearest drug store to get his "plop plop fizz fizz"? Or...?

O Jehovah...how can this be? You have stricken them, but they are not
paying any mind. (5:3) They are being just like America recently. We 
have seen God allowing judgment, but instead of repenting, the nation 
is boasting in its own goodness and resolve to "go get the bad guys".  
[Ed: Please note that I am not saying we shouldn't retaliate; sit idly
by and let them come after us again. Not hardly! These they should do,
but not ignore God's wake-up call to repentance.] And while everybody
talks about "how great" we are, what I am actually seeing as I interact
with people, is a satanically induced angry militance. That 'spirit' is
there when people call on the phone, and I see it in traffic as I drive
in it, and as it passes by my store daily.

So, in his inner turmoil, Jeremiah reasons to himself, "So I said,
Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they do not know the way
of Jehovah, nor the judgment of their God." (5:4) In other words, 'they
don't know any better'.

And truly, except for the "church" that -should- know better because it
has the Scriptures, isn't this the case with society, as a whole? They
don't know better. Well, in their consciences they do (Rom2:15). But 
they are following the gods of this world in their "times of ignorance" 
(Acts17:30).

So, knowing that most are in ignorance, what does the prophet do? Go 
get a gas mask, stock up on antibiotics, purchase all sorts of survival 
gear, build a secure bunker under his house? You know, there is this 
one e-list I'm on from a person who claims to be in "ministry"; but I
must say that a very high percentage of his e-mails of late have been
of instructions on how to create a "safe room" in the house, how to
build air filtering systems, where to purchase gas masks and other
ingredients for bio-terror antidotes, and all such related stuff.

What does Jeremiah do? "I will go to the great men, and will speak to
them; for they have known the way of Jehovah and the judgment of their
God..." (5:5a)  You see, this is Jeremiah's mission. This is his heart.
This is his calling, to go and proclaim, Thus says the Lord. As God had
commissioned him, "..whatever I command you, you shall speak" (1:7)

Thing is, Jeremiah -KNOWS- "..But these have broken the yoke together
and have torn off the bonds! ...Everyone who goes out from them shall
be torn in pieces, because their sins are many and their backslidings
are multiplied" (vs7b) He knows that they know better because they have
heard the message but have refused to repent; and he knows judgment is
deserved and is coming...!

Is it any wonder, then, that his stomach is upset, and his gut is
wrenched in agony..!!

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Re: the Prophet: inspector/examiner (Jeremiah 6:27-30)

"I have set you up as an inspector, and a fortress among My people,
that you may know and examine their way. They all stubbornly rebel,
walking in slanders; they are bronze and iron; they are all
corrupters." (vs27-28)

Years ago I had this temporary job at a firm that specialized in
winding toroidal (donut-shaped) transformers and inductors, very much
the likes of which one can find in one's computer's power supply if you
were to open it up and look inside. Most of these, after being tested,
potted with epoxy or krylon, and having the leads trimmed, would then
be treated to the solder pots. These little pots would be heated up,
and solder melted into them, such that a pool of molten solder would be
in there, much like creamy tomato soup in a small Chinese teacup.  The
trimmed leads of these units would be dipped into the molten solder a
certain distance to do two things. Melt/burn off the lacquer insulation
from the wire, and to leave the ends of the leads "tinned". As a person
would dip unit after unit, as the lacquer begins to collect in the pot,
it develops a yucky scummy 'film' over the surface of the molten
solder. Periodically the operator would have to take a blade and
scrape/skim the surface of the solder and draw all the crud off to the
side and outside the pot.  If this crud was not scraped away, and new
leads were dipped in, the lacquer would not melt off very effectively,
the ends would not get tinned very well, and the crud would lump onto
the leads, leaving a royal mess.

Now, having just now (at random as I'm writing) chosen the word "crud"
to use here, I decided to look up the word; just to make sure it might
not be too 'offensive' for anybody.  Guess what "crud" means... "a
coating or an incrustation of filth or refuse. Something loathesome,
despicable or worthless". Ahh! A most 'perfect' word, indeed, for this
application!  The reason the lacquer needs to come off the wire is
because with magnet wire, the lacquer is the insulation. If it is left
on, no electrical connection is possible. However, if the pot is not
skimmed, and the wires get incrusted with 'crud', at the very best, any
electrical connection will be erratic and unpredictable; and at worst,
the crud completely coats the ends of the leads like yet another layer
of insulation.

Now, also, when the pot is skimmed, the crud that piles up to the side
is totally worthless. It's all icky and gucky! To be thrown away. Not
useable for anything. It is rejected. If the pot is not skimmed, and
leads are dipped, and left incrusted, they are rejected; unless the pot
is subsequently skimmed, and the leads are fluxed and re-dipped.

Notice what God says about Israel. "The bellows are scorched" (vs29)
When stoking the fire to melt metal, a much hotter fire is created by
blowing air (oxygen) onto it. In God's economy with Israel, the fire
was stoked, and the bellows were "scorched" because they were so close,
getting the fire nice and hot. God was at-the-ready regarding Israel,
to have her be pure. But the process was "in vain" because the pot was
not being skimmed... "for the wicked are not drawn off". Just like in
my experience where the units were rejected and the crud worthless,
"Rejected silver they call them, because Jehovah has rejected them".
(vs30)

"..for the wicked are not drawn off.." 

Hmm! Sounds like a topic we have considered in the past, eh!  Recently 
a pastor from a local [???-brand] church (the name contains the words 
"landmark" and "baptist" in it) came in to my store. By its label, a 
staunch, conservative right-proper-KJV-only church. Once business had 
been conducted, and a little friendly chit chat was happening as he was 
ready to find the door, I asked him, off-the-cuff in the context of 
everything else we were chatting about, "Do you invite the unsaved into 
your meetings?" 'Yes'.  When I asked him about 'keeping out the
profane' (Ezek22:26, 44:7-9, 2Chr23:19, Lam1:10) from God's presence,
his response was something on the order of, We want to win them for
Christ... we'll get them 'in' ANY WAY WE CAN. I didn't bother replying 
to that answer; it was not the proper time or place to take that topic 
any further.

But notice God's Word to Jeremiah here. The problem with Israel was
that the "wicked were not drawn off". They were trying to dip their
leads into the solder pot with all the crud on top. And then, they were
wondering why they had no "connection" with God.

How is the connection with God broken? When there is sin in one's life.
"But your iniquities have come between you and your God, and your sins
have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Is59:2) And
as a "congregation" we are told "Do not be unequally yoked together
with unbelievers". One of the reasons Believers meet together is for
"fellowship". Well, "..what fellowship has righteousness with
lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" (2Cor6:14)
When judgment comes, "the ungodly shall not stand..nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous". (Ps1:5)

Ever wonder why your congregation seems to be stagnating? Why it 
doesn't seem to receive God's blessing? Why your fellowship is cold?  
Why there are continual disputes? etc? Are you inviting the unsaved 
into your fellowship? If so, then, what else could you possibly expect!
You are not "drawing/skimming off" the wicked. You might be like this
above-mentioned pastor... you want to win them "any ol' way you can".
Well, when Paul spoke of becoming "all things to all men" (1Cor9:22) he
did not have in mind to do things contrary to God's ways. He might have
been "all things" to people, but he is also the same one who wrote to
not be "unequally yoked". God's ways are not "carnal, but mighty
through God". (2Cor10:4)

You might 'think' you're being "soul winners", but you are being 
disobedient. God said, "Be holy, because I am holy" (1Pt1:16) The term 
"holy" has nothing to do with the "feeling" of a halo hovering 
overhead, but "holy" means, literally, "cut apart and separate" from 
sin and sinners. Yes, we witness to them in the "hiways and hedges" 
where they are, but we do not fellowship with them where "two or three" 
are gathered in Christ's name, with Christ "in the midst". "Behold, to 
-OBEY- is better than sacrifice, and to -HEED- than the fat of rams
[yes, and also than soul winning]. (1Sam15:22)

Just a thought to consider in this matter: it would be more obedient to
go into a tavern to witness to somebody, than to invite the unsaved
into a congregational meeting designed for worship, teaching,
exhortation and the fellowship of Believers.  Did I hear a big "Gasp!"
out there? Don't you know that respectable people just don't go to
places like that? Remember that Jesus was also criticized for eating
-with- "tax collectors and sinners" (Mt9:10-13) He was -where- they
were. When He reached those of Samaria, He went -to- them. (Jn ch4)
Jesus was the physician who made "house calls". Thing is, today, nobody
makes house calls anymore!  Trouble is, when the infected (with sin)
person is brought to where all the healthy people are, they infect
everybody else that was well.  Think about it... it is easier to catch
diseases in a hospital, than just about any other place on earth.

But notice about Jeremiah. While these leads are being dipped, and crud
being skimmed off, there is somebody who does a "quality control"
process. Obviously, the operator at the solder pot is checking the
quality, to know how frequently to skim the solder. But there is also a 
final quality control inspection before the product goes out the door. 
Perhaps, a supervisor who goes around periodically so see how the 
operators are getting along. If things are not quite right, 
instructions are given as to how to improve performance or quality.

One of the duties given to Jeremiah, the prophet (this series is 
looking at the "prophet"), was as "an inspector". This was not a job he 
took on for himself. Remember, he didn't really even want the job, "I
don't know how...I'm only a youth!" (1:6) But this was the job given to
the prophet. Check out the quality. Look for flaws. Give instructions
as to how to fix problems. Haul out the rejects. Yes... -LABEL- the
rejects as "REJECTED".

Yes, people whine and complain when sin is exposed and labelled as
"sin". People howl and scream and walk out on Godly men as they are
preaching God's Word from the pulpit. How -DARE- you point at my
'lifestyle' and call me an "unregenerate sinner"! Well, that's part of
the prophet's job description. Remember, a faithful prophet is one who
seeks to "turn people from their evil way..." (Jer23:22) That cannot be
done without labelling sin as "sin".

Remember, when he was called, God said, "I have this day set you 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." (1:10)

My! What an awesome task! But you know, after Judah has been under
siege, and is finally taken captive; Jeremiah will have also been
imprisoned by Israel's leaders... almost to the point of death. But you
know (when we get there we will look at it more closely), when
Nebuchadnezzar's officials are sorting out the matter of Judah and
Jerusalem and the captives, they know about Jeremiah. While Israel
rejected God's Word, Babylon, at least, respected Jeremiah's -position-
as God's prophet.  While everybody else is being prepped for exile,
they come along and find him, retrieve him from out of the masses of
the people, and honor him by giving him his freedom to live wherever he
pleases. (ch40)

Q/A -Skimming the Solder Pot?

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Re: the Prophet: in the 'gate' of the House (Jeremiah 7)

"Stand in the gate of the house of Jehovah, and proclaim there this
Word, and say, Hear the Word of Jehovah, all Judah, who enter in at
these gates to worship Jehovah." (7:2)

While it is true that the temple in Jerusalem was not set up like our
"church" buildings with massive meeting rooms to hold hundreds of
people and a podium from which to preach, there is quite a picture
here. God's house was supposed to be a place representing Jehovah's
presence in Israel. But in Ezekiel it is recorded how God's glory left
from the Chrubim (in the Holy of Holies) to the threshold (Ezek9:3),
and then, once judgment was meted out, His glory left the temple
entirely. (Ezek10:18)  Here, Jeremiah is not proclaiming
from-the-temple, but "outside" the temple, at-the-gate. This will
happen at other times, too. (17:19, 26:2, etc)

These writings/studies are not -about- "VW", but a little personal
observation is in order. Not so much any more, but for awhile there,
there used to be periodic queries as to VW's "authority".  Who is VW
accountable to? Is there a board of directors to help keep it on a
straight course? What is its church "affiliation"?  Well, for years I
tried to work 'within' the system. But it wasn't until I had come out,
for good, that VW began. VW is not tied to any organization, just like
Jeremiah was told to proclaim "at the gates". I would not be accepted
"into" most congregations, as most of my past persecution came from
church leaders; in the same way we will see Jeremiah being attacked by
the religious leaders (as we continue the series).

Why is this? That which calls itself "church" is no longer -Christ's-
Church. There is an expression God uses over and over throughout the
book, "..this house, WHICH IS CALLED by My name.." (7:11,14,30 32:34,
34:15, etc)  Notice this passage starts with Him saying "house of
Jehovah" (7:2). But as we saw God's glory depart in Ezekiel, throughout
the rest of the book, God labels it as a pretend-temple. Why?

"Has this house...become a den of robbers in your eyes?" (7:11) "Will
you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn
incense to Baal, and walk after other gods..and then come and stand
before Me in this house..and say, We are delivered (it's OK) to do all
these abominations?" (7:10) It's OK to do all these things, because,
"God accepts you JUST AS YOU ARE..." You can go forward, make a
committment, and God's graeeesss doesn't care what your "lifestyle" is.
Today's society (as well as the so-called 'church') has reinvented
"sin" into "lifestyle". And thus, His grace has been turned "into
licentiousness".  (Jud1:4)

But God says, You do all these abominations, and then presume to come
and stand before Me as though everything is all peachy??

So Jeremiah stands at the gates, speaking to those who come and go to 
the temple; just like those today who have "come out of her" and are 
proclaiming to those who are yet 'in' the place that is "called by 
Jesus' name". Israel was saying, "The temple of Jehovah, the temple of 
Jehovah, this is the temple of Jehovah" (7:4) Jeremiah says they were 
"lying words". There are those in Israel today who have nothing other 
than the "3rd temple" on their minds. In their minds, Israel's primary 
fault is that they haven't yet "built the temple". And for Gentiles, it 
is "the church, the church, the church". What "church" are you
affiliated with? Where do you go "-to- church"? Since 9-11, apparently
the churches have been filled...people seeking "comfort".  As long as
the "heart" (Rom2:29) is not right with God, all this talk of temples
and churches is nothing but "lying words".

So, just as Jeremiah stood at the gates proclaiming repentance and "go
out of her midst; and let each man deliver his soul from the fierce
anger of Jehovah" (51:45), there are some today who "did not sit in the
assembly of the mockers, nor rejoice" and "sat alone because of [God's]
hand" being "filled..with indignation" (15:17), who proclaim God's
Word, "Come out of her, my people, so that you not share in her sins,
and so that you not receive of her plagues." (Rev18:4)

Amen!

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Re: Do not pray for them  (Jeremiah 7)

"Hear the Word of the LORD, all Judah, who enter in at these gates to
worship the LORD.." [Listen, all you church members who call yourselves
"Christian".] "..Make your ways and your doings good...amend your ways
and your doings.." (~Jer7:2-3) "Will you steal, murder and commit
adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after
other gods...and then come and stand before Me in this house which is
called by My name, and say, We are delivered [it is Okay] to do all
these abominations?" (vs9-10)

"Therefore..I will cast you out of My sight..." (vs15) "Not everyone
who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he
who does the will of My Father in Heaven" In that day many will claim
to be "Christian" and "then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart
from Me, those working lawlessness!" (Mt7:21-23)

What should the True Believer into Jesus Christ do about these
pretenders? Dialogue with and 'love on them'?  Jeremiah was told,
"Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up cry nor prayer for 
them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you." (Jer7:16)

Jeremiah, do you not see what they are doing? (vs17) They, as a family 
unit, prepare and sacrifice to the queen of heaven. (vs18) They burn 
incense to Baal. (vs9)  "And I will make them a horror to all kingdoms 
of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, 
for what he did in Jerusalem" (Jer15:4) What did Manasseh do? He built 
all sorts of altars and graven images to the baals and the host of the 
heavens in God's temple. He burned his children in sacrifice... all the 
abominations of the pagan... and set them up -in- God's temple, the one
Solomon built from David's blueprints... (2Kg21) the temple that the 
"unclean" should not at all "in any way go in". (2Ch23:19)

Surely the "church" today doesn't do these things?! It was not all that 
long ago that we observed how the "church" has many "likenesses" 
(Ex20:4). And when we made those observations, many readers became 
quite upset... not in holy anger, that these things are being done; but 
that we should proclaim them to be abominations. The cross, pictures of
Jesus, the inscriptions "IHS". Images of Isis and Horus are in the
churches. [I have not researched to see what a modern equivalent of
Set/Baal might be, whether or not there is one.] And what of the annual
heathen tradition which usurps all these other images. God said "Do not 
learn the way of the nations..." (Jer10:2) And then vs3-5 describes "O 
Tannenbaum", the tree addressed as a -god- in its song of dedication.
However, this abomination is brought right up to the altars of most
churches, during the time of the winter solstice, when pagans celebrate
fertility.

Jeremiah, have you seen what they do? They "..have done evil in My
sight..they have set their abominations in the house which is called by
My name, in order to defile it." (vs30)

God says, "I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did
not hear; and I called you, but you did not answer" (vs13) Therefore,
Jeremiah... don't pray for them.

God says, "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My
people; and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you...but they
did not listen, nor bow their ear, but walked in their own plans, in
the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not
forward." (vs23-24) Therefore, Jeremiah... don't pray for them.

Jeremiah, "..speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to
you; you shall also call to them, but they will not answer you" (vs27)
because "..they do not know Me, says Jehovah" (9:3) They are 'pretend 
christians'. Changelings.

God promises, "I will bring evil on them, which they shall not be able
to escape.." and when that happens, "..and though they shall cry to Me,
I will not listen to them. (11:11) And you, do not pray for this
people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them..." (vs14)

You see, dear reader: while God is gracious and merciful and "slow to
anger" (Nu14:18, etc), there is a limit to His patience. While He is
"longsuffering, not purposing that any should perish" He is also not
"slow concerning His promise" because the Day of the Lord -will- come.
(2Pt3:9-10) You see, there comes a time for every individual where God
pronounces, "..the time is at hand. He acting unjustly, let him still
act unjustly. And the filthy, let him be filthy still. And the
righteous, let him be righteous still. And the holy, let him be holy
still." (Rev22:10-11) Where is that "line"? God knows for each 
individual.

Many are doing, as we have suggested often in the past... "hedging 
their bets". Many don't believe Jesus is coming again. Many don't 
believe there will be such a thing as a rapture, where Believers are 
"caught up" to be "with" Christ. (1Th4:17) Many think that "if they 
were wrong" about events, that after the Rapture occurs, they can get 
saved then. But just in case they are wrong about that, they are 
preparing for earthly "survival". But guess what! If you heard the 
Truth now, but refused to believe it, don't count on any second 
chances!

Listen to this very carefully! Your eternal destiny is at stake!  After 
the Rapture, when the deceiver is "revealed" (2Th2:8) his work is going
to be effective upon those who 'now' are in unbelief. Notice: "..with
all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, BECAUSE they -DID-
NOT receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved." (vs10)
Notice the verb tense there. When they had a chance, they -DID-NOT-
[past tense] receive the Truth. While God does not "purpose" (2Pt3:9)
any for destruction now, then He will. "For this cause God SHALL SEND
them strong delusion, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE... SO THAT all 
those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, 
MIGHT BE CONDEMNED." (2Th2:11-12)

If you are not believing in Him -now-, the signs and wonders you seek
-then- will be "lying wonders". (vs9)  "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit 
says, Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.." 
(Heb3:7-8)

If you insist on "wandering" and not "restraining your feet" then God 
says that He "does not accept" you. He will remember your iniquity.  
(Jer14:10)  And He exhorts Jeremiah, "Do not pray for this people for
good" (vs11) And furthermore, after they have crossed that 'line' and
when they find themselves in dire straights He promises, "I will not
hear their cry; and when they [worship] I will not accept them. But I
will consume them..." (vs12)

Now, even if some "great men of God" [prayer warriors] were to rise up 
and pray, God will not hear. "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, 
My soul could not be toward this people. Send them out of My sight, and
let them go out... to death, to the sword, to famine, to captivity.
(Jer15:1-2)

Why?  "...since they do not turn from their ways." (vs7)  -REPENTANCE-

Dear reader: if you refuse to REPENT before God, God does not hear you.  
Sin separates between you and God, so that He refuses to hear. (Is59:2) 
Many of you have been deceived. Many of the staunchest pharisee 
"fundamentalists" thumping their KJV-bibles are telling you that you 
don't need to repent. That salvation does not include the "work" of 
repentance. But remember that the act of crying out to God for His 
mercy because of your sin is not a "work". It is a "place" of utter 
despair and helplessness. It is a place of full acknowledgement of your 
sin nature, your utter depravity.  As Job says, "I am vile!" (Job40:4) 

There is no "self-worth" in salvation. You cannot come 'proudly' to
God. You must be "humbled" and "sorrowful" over your sin.  (Jas4:9-10)
You must "despise" it and yourself (Job42:6) and cry out for God to be
"merciful to me, the sinner". (Lk18:13) There is no "self-empowerment"
in salvation. If you are self-empowered, it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to be
saved. Did you get that? If you are self-empowered, you CANNOT be
saved. Christ did not die for you. He died for the ones who are "yet
being WITHOUT STRENGTH". (Rom5:6)

If you've truly been deceived, God will overlook, but now "..strictly
commands all men everywhere to repent." (Acts17:30) If you do not, no
amount of 'praying' will save you!

Amen!

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Re: the Weeping Prophet: sorrow (Jeremiah 8:18-22, 9:1,10)

"I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint within me.
Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a distant
land..." (8:18-19) "Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain
of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter
of my people!" (9:1) "I will take up a weeping and a wailing for the
mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness;
because they are burned up, so that no one can pass through them; nor
can men hear the voice of the cattle. Both the birds of the heavens and
the beasts have fled; they are gone." (9:10) "

I am not one to cry too much. I would never make a 'proper' guest on
the Oprah show, because I am not one to pull, twist and turn on
people's emotions; and am continually disgusted every time a news
'report' decides to focus on "how did that make you feeeel?"

But there are some things I do shed tears about. I was in tears the
first time I saw the WTC towers collapse as I was first turning on the
TV, seeing what I was seeing, and thinking to myself, "Are the people
still -in- there??" as the buildings went crumbling.  I have a real
hard time holding it together whenever I see those documentaries of the
Holocaust. By the end of "Schindler's List" I was weeping
uncontrollably. The other day I let out a little, "Oh no!" when the
news reported the death of that lion in the Afghan zoo. (Perhaps some
of you have seen him: the lion whose face was deformed due to bombings,
and Taliban cruelties. Well, he was getting 'on' in years. But still..)
And lately, my heart is wrenched regularly at the news of yet more 
bombings and killings in Israel; as the Israeli government continues to 
refuse to step out in faith in God and not cave to world opinion, and 
'take-care-of' the problem the way David would have done.

Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet". An entire book is devoted
to his "Lamentations". Notice what he weeps about...

"Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is not her King in Her? Why have they provoked
Me to anger with their graven images, with foreign vanities?" (vs19)

Dear Believer: How do you see the unregenerate? (This includes both, 
those of the world as well as those in the [c]hurch) In the previous 
lesson of this series, God told Jeremiah "do not pray for them". (7:16) 
Do you observe that and conclude, 'Well, Hmph! They got it comin' to 
them. They deserve everything they'll get. Judge them, God! Go, God,
go! Get 'em real good!' Or, do you 'weep' for them?

As the disciples were coming back from their shopping trip, the woman 
is calling all her male acquaintances to meet Jesus, Jesus says to the 
disciples, "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are 
already white for harvest!" (Jn4:35b) In Samaria that day was a harvest
of souls.

But Jeremiah looks and sees, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
and we are not saved." (vs20) In God's plan there is a 'line' in time.
"..the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he
who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be
righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." (Rev22:10-11)

Having become a Christian at such a young age, in childhood, I do not 
have a 'memory' of what a life without Christ is like. I have only 
known a lifetime of belonging to Jesus Christ. Thus, I have suspected
that this one dream I had (during my college days) was from the Lord to
'teach' me what vs20 is about. In the dream, I was on my 'death-bed',
and was not saved; and I knew I was dying. But also, for the sake of
the dream, it was no longer possible for me to become saved. It was
"too late". Several people came by to 'visit', confirming the
'finality' of my fate. In the dream, I was "unjust" and I could only
remain "unjust still". While I have had many disappointments in life,
none compared to that sense of hopeless emptiness. The 'inevitability'
of my impending death... without God.

Notice Jeremiah's sense of Israel's condition: "I am in gloom; horror
has seized me." (vs21)

Yes, there is something else I often have tears about. As we
continually study God's Word, and frequently must answer the retorts of
the false prophets and pretend [c]hristians, as Paul wrote, "For many
conduct themselves,  of whom I have told you often, and now tell you
even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ:" (Phil3:18)
Tears at the hard-heartedness and blindness to God's Truth. Sometimes,
even, tears of 'indignation' at the perversion of God's Word. Sometimes
the soul cries out, "Oh, Lord; how long?" (Isa6:11)

Well, Jeremiah asks, "How long?": "How long shall your vain thoughts
lodge within you?" (Jer4:14)  "Woe to you, O Jerusalem! Will you not be
made clean?  How long will it still be?" (Jer13:27)  "How long shall
this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies?" (Jer23:26)
"How long will you vacillate, O backsliding daughter?" (Jer31:22) "

While God's prophet knows God's message to the rebels, and obeys in
terms of "do not pray for them", it does not stop the "gloom and
horror" of it all! While the people are blindly, willfully, doing
"their-own-thing", the prophet knows what's coming to them. And so the
heavy heart cries out...

"Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has
the healing of the daughter of my people not come?" (vs22)

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Re: the Prophet: can I leave yet? (Jeremiah 9:1~)

"Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place for travelers, that I
might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all
adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men." (vs2)

How much do you 'enjoy' being around '[c]hristians'? Do you go to
church regularly, attending one of the apostate congregations, and you
come away "blessed"? Do you enjoy "not forsaking the assembling of
yourselves together", even though you hear the preaching and see the
pagan idolatry, and read something different in the Scriptures? Do you
become engaged in 'dialogue' and come away feeling 'stimulated' at
having 'exercised' your mind and wits? When those females were up on
the platform leading in "worship", with their bodies wiggling to the
beat of the music, or that lady led in "worship dance"... what was
going on in your mind? When you see all the corruption around you, do
you still desire to "agree on the -essentials-" for the sake of "unity"
and "brotherly love"?

Notice the prophet... "..that I might leave my people and go away from
them!" Why? They are adulterers, treacherous; they lie and do evil.(vs3)
They "supplant and assail" each other. (vs4) They "deceive" and "speak
lies" (vs5)

And notice that this is not "by chance" that the people are this way.
It is not that they are ignorant and "don't know better". No! Notice:
"through deceit they -REFUSE- TO KNOW ME" says Jehovah. (vs6)

For a True Believer, there is no fellowship with those who refuse God.
There is no "winning" them, either. (That's why Jeremiah was told to
not pray for them.) It is not possible. They might have the label
"Israel/Church", but they do not know God. They are unbelievers. Their
lives demonstrate their unbelief. Any "fellowship" with such is an
"unequal yoke".  (2Cor6:14) There -is- NO FELLOWSHIP!

And so, yes, I can 'relate' to the prophet's sentiments.  There are
different ones I communicate with, ones I 'know' to be Believers, and
we often say to each other, things similar to...

"Can we go -HOME- yet?"

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Re: the Prophet: infirmities, "I must bear it" (Jeremiah 10:19-20)

"Woe to me for my ruin! My wound makes me sick. But I said, Surely this
is an infirmity, and I must bear it." (vs19)

What is this "wound"? Was it from persecution? The immediate context
doesn't seem to indicate. But Jeremiah has an affliction. Paul had an
infirmity about which he "besought the Lord three times". But when God
replied, "My grace is sufficient.." he learned that part of its reason
was so that he would not become "haughty" due to the "abundance of the
revelations" God was giving through him. (2Cor12:7-9)

It is not always "God's will" for people to be well. Paul, the apostle,
performed many signs and miracles, healing people. (Acts19:12, 28:8)
And yet, for Paul, himself...God said, 'No'.

Why does God allow sickness for His own? In Paul's case, to keep him 
humble. In Jeremiah's case? He doesn't say. Just, "..I must bear it." 
Somebody I know has had cancer reappear. What? For the "third" time, 
now?  For what purpose? Well, as people seek to comfort her, she is
being a witness for Christ by encouraging them, more than they
initially sought to encourage her. She is "displaying" Christ. But for
sure, it is not without tears and anxieties on her own.

When somebody years ago lost a spouse, the ministry continued. The
expression was that it was "what was -required- of him". Just as
Ezekiel was told to not weep or make any visible mourning when his wife
died. It was a witness against Israel.  (Ezek24:16-18)

God often takes the most-unlikely-seeming circumstances and uses them
'specifically' to demonstrate His power. Recall when the Philistines
sent the Ark of God back to Israel on a cart, hitched up to two "milk
cows". (1Sam6:10)  If you've ever been on a farm, or otherwise been
around animals, you know that the maternal instinct is the same for
them as for people. When my uncle would shear his sheep, the ewes and
lambs would be bleating, looking for each other. The lambs no longer
recognized their mothers, being freshly shorn. Go out to the pasture to
vaccinate and ear-tag new-born calves, mama gets a tad-bit irritated at
anything coming between her and her new-born. Usually, it would take
two; one to catch the calf and do the necessary chores, and the other,
to keep mama at bay. The Philistines hitched up two cows, with nursing
calves back at the corral, set them loose, to pull God's Ark to
Israel... ON THEIR OWN, without being led or directed by man. "Lowing
as they went". (vs12)  Yes, they were not happy with their calves being
back at the barn, and themselves going another way, but God's hand upon
them directed them to Israel.

As this series continues, we will see many things that will be
"required" of the prophet. But for now, we observe his attitude about
his infirmities. If God requires something of us, do we run away like
Jonah? Or do we suck-it-up and say, "This is what I must do"?

Blessed is the one who can be of Paul's attitude, "Therefore most
gladly I will rather exult in my infirmities, that the power of Christ
may dwell upon me." (2Cor12:9)

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Re: the Prophet: correction (Jeremiah 10:23-25)

"O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in
man who walks to direct his own steps.  O Jehovah, correct me, but with
justice; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing." (vs23-24)

When reading much of Scripture, one is often left wondering about the 
proximity of the writing of various parts. In most Bibles that have 
paragraph markers, this passage is in the same paragraph with the 
previous lesson on Jeremiah's "infirmities". Thus, we might be left
wondering 'what' brings about Jeremiah's 'contrition' before God here.

Let us observe two possibilities from the context of the passage.

Is it possible that Jeremiah's "infirmity" was the Lord's chastening?
We know that Corinth experienced sickness and death because of sin.
(1Cor11:30) When "healing" is addressed in Jac5:15, it is hand-in-hand
with "sins" being "forgiven". However, if it is God's chastening of the
prophet, we don't seem to be told 'what' the prophet is guilty of.
Typically, God does not rebuke or chasten somebody without it also
being recorded 'what' the fault was. After all, since God called
Jeremiah to the same "rebellious house" that Ezekiel was, God's promise
was, "Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver
you.." (1:8) And we will see how Jeremiah suffers at the hands of
Israel. And so, when vs19 speaks of "wound", that would seem to be most
consistent with persecution. Thus, I suspect we need to look elsewhere
for an understanding.

Thus, let's observe another possibility. Jeremiah observes what he is 
in the midst of. "..the shepherds have become stupid, and have not 
sought Jehovah." (vs21)  Translated to today... the pastors and 
conference speakers are idiots! For all their boasts of being "men of 
God", the truth is, they do -NOT- seek after God. And thus, the
prophecy of Judah's "desolation". (vs22)

I expect Jeremiah is doing some introspection, as he sees all the evil 
around him. 'Look at all this spiritual corruption around me... But...  
what about me?' The taunts come from all the big-shots, 'Just who do 
you think you are? Do you mean to suggest that you are right, and ALL 
OF US are wrong?' As the prophet is proclaiming against them, yes, as 
an "inspector/examiner" (6:27) of them, the natural thoughts will be, 
'well, really now, who am I to be doing all this?'

And truly, any prophet of God worth his salt introspects regularly.
Because we are all "flesh and blood" and not worthy of Heaven.
(1Cor15:50)  Perhaps the prophet is heeding what Jesus would teach?
"..First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the twig from your brother's eye." (Mt7:5)?

Look at all this evil around me. And yet, if I look within my own
heart, I see all sorts of dirt that would like to spring up and corrupt
my own way, too, but for the grace of God. Yes, look at all this evil I
am proclaiming against, but in reality...

"..the way of man is not in himself...to direct his own steps.." (vs23)

Including -me-!

Thus, what is the cure? "Jehovah, correct me.." (vs24) What is involved 
in "correction"?  Please pardon the crudeness here (I'm from Spokane); 
does it always involve a 'butt-whoopin'?  If a ship is at sea, and the 
captain orders a "course correction", what does that entail?  Adjust 
the rudder. A course correction for a space craft would require some 
rocket thrusts.  An obedient dog... a slight nudge of the leash, or
soft-spoken voice command. For an obedient child of God, or prophet:
"..And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way,
walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the
left." (Is30:21)

Yes... all this corruption surrounds me, and I'm proclaiming against
these "works of darkness" and "reproving them". (Eph5:11) But, Lord,
how is -my- life before You? Do I need a nudge? I 'think' I'm doing as
you have instructed me, but am I doing right? I know I struggle with
the flesh. But give me course "corrections" as needed.

Jeremiah is being like the horse with its ears 'back', listening for
the rider's commands; the dog at its master's side, looking up and
listening for the master's commands. Not the wayward horse that must
have a strong hand on the reins, or the dog huffing and puffing,
straining against the leash.

"Lead me, O Jehovah, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make
Your way straight before my face." (Ps5:8)

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Re: the Prophet: can't take it? (Jeremiah 11-12)

"Righteous are You, O Jehovah, when I complain to You; yet let me speak
with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are all those who deceive with treachery at ease?" (12:1)

Before we address Jeremiah's situation, let us see what he is
surrounded by. God reminds, "Cursed is the man who does not obey the
words of this covenant.." (11:3) Well, that is all Israel has been
doing... disobeying God. So, as God reminds of the curse, Jeremiah
agrees, "Amen, O Jehovah." (11:5b)

As God continues reviewing Israel's rebellion, He reminds Jeremiah,
"Therefore, do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer
for them.." (11:14)

But notice that what Jeremiah does, proclaiming to/against Israel, he
does so with full revelatory "knowledge" of Israel's condition: "And
Jehovah gave me knowledge of it, and I made it known; for You showed me
their doings." (11:18)

While Believers are exhorted to "come out from among them and be
separate" (2Cor6:17), there are times God brings His prophets to full
understanding of just-how-evil the evil is, against which they are
commissioned to proclaim. The prophet often has to "be there" to see
it and experience it.

But when a prophet like Jeremiah, in docile naivete, being in agreement
with God, sees the evil, and with God's abhorrence of that evil boldly
proclaims against it, those who are doing the evil plot against God's
prophet. And such naivete, due to the pure heart, does not understand
or suspect that evil has been plotted. (11:19)

"To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and
unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are 
defiled." (Tit1:15)  When my unequal yoke was still with me, and we
would discuss the animosities of in-laws and various family situations,
she being one who periodically spoke of the "darkness within" herself
and understood their hearts, would inform me that I did "not
understand" the hearts of those in-laws who were continually plotting
against me. While I never had to say a word about their life-styles, my
own righteousness apparently spoke volumes to their consciences. But
she knew that my naivete could not fathom that which motivated them. 
Even when they conceived and carried out treachery against me, I 
"didn't see it coming", because I could not imagine the kinds of things 
people devise in their hearts... until after the fact!

In "free" societies, a Christian will experience 'politics'. The plots
will seek to either smear one's reputation by spreading gossip and
lies, or will make things politically impossible to stay within a
fellowship. (Yes, folks, we're talking about "church" here; that which
calls itself by Christ's name, just as Israel was called after God's
name) In Jeremiah's case, however, they are plotting to 'kill' him.
(11:21)

But notice God's word to Jeremiah about their schemes. "..I will punish 
them.." They "shall die by the sword.." (11:22) God reminds Jeremiah of 
His promise to him back when he was first called into ministry: "..I am
with you to deliver you..they shall not prevail against you. For I am
with you, says Jehovah, to deliver you." (1:8,19)

But Jeremiah contemplates all this, and starts complaining: Why are all 
these evil people prospering and at ease? Today he would see them as 
'pretend [c]hristians'; they speak the words, but God is not in their
hearts. So, "how long" shall all this evil abound, distressing God's 
created earth and living creatures? (12:1-4)

Aren't these some of the thoughts a True Child of God has about the
world in which we live? And yet, while we see the evil the way God
does, do we wish to impose our own 'emotions' and time-table over God's
plans? Do we let these emotions rise up to depress us and render us
incapacitated? Do we begin to feel self-pity with, "I just can't take
it anymore!" ??

"If you have run with footmen, and they wore you out, then how can you 
compete with horses? And if they wearied you where you feel secure in 
the land of peace, then how will you do in the swelling of the Jordan?" 
(12:5) If you can't keep up with a runner, how will you compete, 
running against a cyclist? If you can't handle a sideways snide remark 
about your "intolerance" for "different ideas" because you want so 
desperately to 'fit-in' and 'have-friends' and not be 'alone', how can 
you expect to go up against a church board/council when they decide to
"discipline" you for sticking to God's Word, when it goes against their
apostasy? If you can't handle economic/health adversity, if Islamic
inquisition-like persecution were to face you, how could you expect to
hold up under that? It's like the old saying, "If you can't stand the
heat, stay out of the kitchen." If you make a claim to being God's
minister (there are many ministers on this mailing list), then expect 
adversity. Don't expect everybody to "like" you. You are not called to 
be "popular" or "famous". If you are a true servant of God, people will 
NOT 'flock' to you. Yours will be the smaller congregation, and you
will likely be living a struggling existence.

Well, remember Jesus' words about the cost of following Him?  "Do not 
think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring 
peace but a sword." (Mt10:34) And Jesus goes on to explain how it is 
"family" who will be most at odds with the Believer. True Christianity
does -NOT- include so-called "family values".

Sorry to bring in a personal example again, but: After my unequal yoke
had left, in my naivete I met with her father. He was all "supportive"
and emotionally "understanding". Little did I understand that he was
gaining ammunition to use against me. Notice God's word to Jeremiah:
"For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have
dealt treacherously with you. Yea, they have called out a multitude
after you. Do not believe them, though they speak pleasant things to
you." (12:6) And also, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for
these things their fathers did to the false prophets." (Lk6:26)

Yes, while we are to strive if at all possible "to be at peace with all
men" (Rom12:18), and are to be "harmless as doves", we are also to be
"wise as serpents".  Yes, a minister/prophet is labeled a "shepherd".
(12:10) In Israel they were "destroying" God's vineyard. Today's
unregenerate preachers are also leading the so-called "church" in their
apostasy, down the "broad" way to "destruction". (Mt7:13)

But while God's true servant serves as a "shepherd", he is also a
"sheep" under the "Good Shepherd". (Jn10:11,14) Thus, Jesus warns to be
"wise" because He sends out His ministers as "sheep in the midst of
wolves". (Mt10:16)

So, to you who are God's ministers: "You therefore endure hardship as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one serving military duty entangles
himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who
enlisted him...  Consider what I say, and the Lord will give you
understanding in all things.  (~2Tm2:3-7)

Amen!

Addendum: Why, Why?

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Re: the Prophet: entreaty for his people  (Jeremiah 14-15)

"O Jehovah, though our iniquities testify against us, work for Your
name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against
You." (14:7)

This is Jeremiah entreating God on behalf of Israel. Notice how he
includes himself, "-our- iniquities", and "-we- have sinned.." Why does
Jeremiah need to repent?

In many ways this is not at all unlike Daniel who prayed, "..we have 
sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly.." (Dan9:5) 
He goes on to expound upon Israel's rebellion to God, and then implores 
God's mercy upon His people and Jerusalem. And it is in the context of 
such confession on-behalf-of Israel, that God sends Gabriel to expound
the prophecies to Daniel, the ones dealing with the "70 weeks"

Daniel, himself, was living a righteous life. He prayed three times a
day, such that it landed him in the lion's den. His righteousness gave
him the standing of being a "man greatly beloved" (Dan10:19) in Heaven.
But he was praying for "we" sinners... in 'advocacy'.

Well, Jeremiah is doing a similar thing. He is a man standing "in the
gap" (Eze22:30) for Israel before the Lord. How many of today's
self-proclaimed prophets put themselves in-along with their apostate
congregations to seek God's mercy? They are not "laying down [their]
life" for the sheep (Jn10:11,15) but are rather stealing, killing and
destroying. (vs10) They are building up empires, wealth and fame for
themselves.

But notice God's exhortation back to Jeremiah. Israel is soooo far gone 
to a point of no return that God says, "Do not pray for this people for 
their good" (14:11)

But God, have You not heard what all the other prophets are
proclaiming?  Israel "..shall not see the sword, nor shall [they] have
famine; but [will have] sure peace in this place." (14:13)

Ah yes...bring me your 'seed money', help grow my empire, repeat the
Prayer of Jabez hundreds of times everyday, and all your dreams and
wishes will come true. God's wrath and judgment? What are you talking
about! Don't you know that God is pouring out 'revival' all over the
world? We are taking over governments to set up a 'Godly' world, after 
all, see our 'christian' president! And then we will welcome Jesus to
come and sit upon the throne we have prepared for Him. The 'church'
will have victory over satan as we conduct prayer warfare.

And Jehovah said to me... (This is where our truth comes from; God and
His Word, the Scriptures): "The prophets prophesy lies in My name; I
did not send them, nor have I commanded them, nor did I speak to them.
They prophesy to you a false vision and a worthless divination, and a
thing of no value, and the deceit of their heart." (vs14) That's right, 
folks: all those health-and-wealth prophets today are NOT believers.
They are NOT God's servants. God did NOT send them. Their message is a 
LIE!  And...Who is the "father" of lies? (Jn8:44)

Notice the judgment against the false prophets: that which they say
will not come?  Well, "by sword and famine those prophets shall be
consumed" (14:15)  Not believing that Jesus is coming as He promised,
they are telling everybody that they are going through God's wrath...
Indeed, they are!

And against their apostate congregations: "the people to whom they
prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the
famine and the sword...I will pour their evil upon them" (14:16)
Indeed, the apostate '[c]hurch' is to receive God's wrath, too!

Well, isn't there any kind of second chance? "Have You utterly rejected
Judah? ..Do not abhor us...do not break Your covenant with us." (vs19-22)

Well, just as today's Laodicea has been "vomited" out of Christ's mouth
(Rev3:16), God tells Jeremiah about Israel: there is no more entreaty
left on their behalf. While Jeremiah will become known as one of the
'major' prophets, he is 'now' a prophet in a place of despair and
frustration. In this place of pleading with God on Israel's behalf, God
replies with past people of greatness... Moses and Samuel.

God was about to totally wipe out Israel even before they became a
viable nation, due to their rebellion and making the golden calf, and
was prepared to make out of Moses a nation. And Moses falls on his face
before God and stays His judgment by his entreaties on their behalf,
and for the sake of God's great name. (Ex32) And Samuel, of course, we
remember for being the one through whom Saul is rejected, and David is
anointed.

During Jeremiah's time Israel had rebelled to such a degree that 
judgment would no longer be turned back. Even "though Moses and Samuel
stood before Me, My soul could not be inclined toward this people. Send
them out of My sight, and let them go out." (15:1)  Get 'em outta here!!

If they ask, "Where shall we go?"

"Those who are for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword;
those for the famine, to famine, etc" The dogs will drag and the
carrion birds will feast on their bodies, to "make them a horror to all
kingdoms of the earth" (15:2-4)  Yes, the "..supper of the great God.."
(Rev19:17)

Why? Because Israel had "forsaken" God. (vs6) They had not merely 
slipped up and gotten their feet dirty while walking in the world, such 
that they needed washing (Jn13:10), even like David who sinned but then
repents (Ps51). But they had "gone backward". They had "drawn back to
destruction" (Heb10:38-39)  They didn't "lose" their salvation.  They
'rejected' it out-of-hand. They said, "We -WILL-..." do our pagan
practices as we worship the Queen of heaven. (Jer44:17,25)

With such rebellion and apostasy, there is no more intercession left 
that God will hear. Israel had been privy to God's blessing and had
tasted of God's 'bread of Heaven' (Ex16:4, Jn6:31,33, 1Cor10:3-4,
Heb6:5), but they "turned aside". There was nothing left of God's mercy
for Him to be "pleased with" them. (1Cor10:5) There was no more "to
renew again to repentance". (Heb6:6) They had committed the "sin unto
death" for which there was no more "prayer" that God would accept.
(1Jn5:16)

Thus, while Jeremiah let his "..eyes run down with tears night and
day.." (14:17) for Israel...

(Dear Believer: Do you weep for the apostate?)

God's verdict was: "Do not pray for this people for their good."(14:11)

Amen!

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Re: the Prophet: born into strife (Jeremiah 15:10-11)

"Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and a man 
of contention to the whole earth!" (vs10a)

A couple of years ago when we took a break from this series in Jeremiah, 
we ended on chapter 14. So far each section has been titled with: "the 
Prophet". While we have seen the prophet's call, his heart, and God's 
exhortations to him; much of our observations have been regarding 
Israel's CONDITION; if you will, the 'reasons' for God calling/sending 
Jeremiah. As we resume the series with chapter 15, the thrust is going 
to turn now more directly to Jeremiah, himself. His own EXPERIENCES, 
life and circumstances as he proclaims for the Lord, and as Israel 
reacts to him (the man), how they treat him. His own personal mental 
struggles and heartaches as he bears up under attacks and persecution. 
What God requires of him as a "prophet", one who -proclaims- God's Word, 
and how the Lord provides for him.

Not all Believers are called of God to be a "prophet" (preacher); but 
all Believers do proclaim God's Word in some manner or another: in daily 
life, in verbal witnessing, in confrontations with apostate church 
leaders, etc. Thus, I believe we will all draw much encouragement for 
ourselves, as we experience some of the same struggles. Yes, the 
remainder of this series will be primarily to believing [C]hristians. 
Through Jeremiah we will come to realize more and more that, those 
things we wrestle with, some of which may be "fiery trials", are not 
"unheard of" (1Pt4:12), "...knowing that the same afflictions are 
experienced by your brethren in the world." (1Pt5:9)  And as we see what 
Jeremiah's life was like, perhaps we will conclude that we've actually 
got it 'pretty easy' by comparison!

So, Jeremiah moans: Poor me!  With all this strife that surrounds me, 
Mom, why did you bother giving birth to me?  Somewhat like Job in his 
misery, "Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night in which 
it was said, A male child has been conceived...Lo, let that night be 
barren! Let no joyful shout come into it!" (Job3:3,7)

As this is being written/prepared, I was talking with somebody just last 
evening who is despairing of life. He had a particular recent event over 
which he was sorrowing. But life for him, in general, is one of 
regularly hitting the bottle. And only in his mid-30s, life is so 
lacking, that he is resigned to the fact that his life will continue 
only perhaps another 10 years, or so; that this is an 'inevitable' 
situation for him; that, after all, there is nothing after this life, 
anyway. When I spoke of God's Book of Life, he pretty much volunteered 
that his own name is in the "Book of Death"...not accepting that there 
even could be something like God's Book of Life.

This person is in despair, and spends his time drinking his life away. 
Others simply commit -direct- suicide, and get-it-over-with quickly. 
Some do so at the hands of the police; create a threatening situation 
which forces the police's hand where they 'have-to' shoot the person.

Well, Job... and here, Jeremiah does not contemplate suicide. But is so 
worked up over the evil that surrounds him, which he is often forced to 
be the brunt of, that he complains: "Why" must I be in this situation?

What Jeremiah is facing is the same thing many -true- Christians face at 
the hands of [c]hristians and [c]hurch leaders. (Remember, Israel/Judah 
was a theocracy. As a society it was as though they were an organized 
living 'church'. Imagine the pastor being the governor, and the elders 
being the government council and judges. Everything functioning as 
though it was 'church' social, activities, work-days, etc.)

When the faithful believer is true to God's laws, but the church 
leadership is not, such a situation pits the 'lone' -individual- against 
the 'many' who comprise the pastor, elders, and the entire congregation 
who think the pastor is "just great". 

So... Just who do you think you are? Do you think you're 'better' than 
us?  We are engaged in our activities, and you haven't joined in 
(perhaps the Lord hasn't happened to burden you to join the rest in that 
particular activity, or perhaps their activity is wrong/sin); So, you 
think you're better than us! Hmph!!  Or, if the pastor is leading the 
congregation down a wrong path, and you, the 'lone' individual stand up 
to it, refuse to go along with the crowd; and when asked "why", explain 
from Scripture the wrongness of the direction; or perhaps you see the 
corrupt direction the congregation is taking, and knowing you cannot 
change it/them, you resign, doing so with a letter explaining "why" you 
are leaving... And BOY, OH BOY!  Do you get attacked!  Just what are you 
saying?  That YOU 'ALONE' are "Right", and ALL THE REST OF US ARE 
WRONG???  Just who do you think you are to be so presumptuous! Remember 
God's judgment against the sin of presumption! (Num15:30, 2Pt2:10)  Look 
at our pastor's 'credentials', education and experience. And just 'who' 
are you???  to be making such accusations. You are not 'qualified' to be 
so "judgmental".  Are you trying to "divide the body"? Don't you know 
that God judges those who "sow discord among the brethren" (Pr6:19 KJV) 
Christians are supposed to "love one another" (Jn15:12); and what you 
are doing is stirring up "hate".  We are supposed to obey our pastors in 
what they say (De17:11, Mt23:2-3, Heb13:17); you know, that 
"chain-of-command" -thing- that "Jesus taught". (Mt8:9)

But what did I do? I opened the Scriptures, and merely presented, "God's 
Words...Thus says Jehovah..."  (1:9, 2:2)  I have not done harm to 
anyone, "I have neither loaned with usury (stolen), nor have men loaned 
to me (I'm not in debt)" just presenting, 'This is what the Bible says' 
"...yet every one curses me." (vs10b)  I speak from the Bible, and they 
(who claim to be "Christians") attack me for speaking Biblical truth, 
saying, "That's your 'interpretation' of the Bible. TO US IT MEANS..."

But the Bible is right there, written, black-and-white. It's meaning is 
not lofty in the heavens out-of-reach, nor buried deep in the sea with 
unfathomable meanings, "But the Word is very near you, in your mouth and 
in your heart, that you may do it." (De30:11-14)

So, why does it seem like, WHEREVER I GO, it is always the same 
scenario? I come to a new church, and immediately get accepted because 
they like the music by which I minister to them; but as soon as anything 
gets into some nitty-gritty regarding Scriptural doctrine, or how 
Christians should -do- what the Bible says, and -not-do- what it says 
not to; if I stand on the Scriptures, "everyone curses me". (vs10b)

OK...so my past had to do with music. Yours is something else. But do 
these few paragraphs resound with the 'reality' of your experiences?  
Why do these words sound sooo familiar? Because, yeah, I've been there, 
too. And like we see from the passage... this is NOTHING NEW just to us. 
It was Jeremiah's experience, too.

Oh, and... Are they not ever-so convincing with their arguments! 
Especially, the first few times it happens, you are yet young, and they 
use that "you think you're right and we're all wrong" argument!  After 
all, being raised in democratic-type societies, where people vote, and 
the "majority" rules...we are raised up as societies to "go along" with 
the majority. 

Ah, but... what does God's Word say about that?

"You shall not follow the majority in doing evil; nor shall you testify 
in a dispute so as to turn aside after the majority to thrust aside 
justice." (Ex23:2)

But most congregations operate on the "majority-rule" concept. Pastors 
are voted-in by the majority. Congregational business meetings conduct 
their affairs by majority vote; often-times, after the meeting was 
characterized by knock-down drag-out verbal fights. Boards of 
elders/deacons make decisions by majority vote. So, when there are 
lone-dissenters, when the predominance of the congregation is of the 
'pretend' [c]hristian variety who conduct their affairs the way the 
world does, they attack the 'lone' individual, who happens to be a 
-True- Believer, whose heart yearns after God's Holy Word.

The conflict is between Godliness and evil. Between God's followers, and 
the followers of satan; even though those of satan make claims to belong 
to God, and they "make claims for Jesus"

Now, we know the command is to "come out of her My people" (Rev18:4), as 
Jeremiah proclaimed at the "gate" of the temple, and was told, "do not 
pray for them". (ch7)

And yet, there are times God specifically uses the Godly 'within' such 
groups, 'until' it is His time for them to leave. God was specifically 
-keeping- Jeremiah in the midst of the turmoil: "Jehovah said, Truly I 
will not free you for good." (vs11a) Why?

"Truly I will cause the enemy to entreat you in the time of evil and in 
the time of affliction." (vs11b)

As we progress through the series, these who are harrassing Jeremiah 
will come to ask his advice, at the Word of the Lord; although they will 
also disobey it. The ruler will come to him privately to ask advice when 
he is in prison. And when Babylon comes to take the captives away, the 
Babylonian officials will take special note of Jeremiah, and give him 
his freedom. Jeremiah was God's 'light' within their darkness. (Mt5:14)

Please allow some little personal musings a moment: What will be the 
total sequence of events before the Lord comes for the Church? Will they 
have begun to collect True Believers into their concentration camps, 
along with other political dissidents? When all these people are being 
herded around in confinement, what is the overall mood going to be? As 
the sound of the guillotine (Rev20:4) is heard, and fellow-prisoners are 
despondent as they are dreading their turn, what will be the role of 
Christ's Believers?  As I've thought about, and wondered about the 
possibility that the day might come where I find myself in such a place, 
I've thought about 'how' the Lord might use me to minister to 
fellow-prisoners. Remember, Joseph had done no wrong, but was in prison 
in Egypt; and his righteousness was so evident, the guards entrusted him 
with responsibilities. (Gen39:21-22)  And God used him to minister to 
Pharaoh's servants when they were troubled by their dreams; proclaiming 
God's word to them. (Gen40)  

How will Believers minister to "the enemy" in those places? How will 
they answer the interrogations of the officials? Jesus said, "But when 
they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you should 
speak, for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in 
you." (Mt10:19-20)  

This is my personal thought here, based on the examples we have from 
Scripture. A Believer should not worry over how to 'escape'. Remember 
the fact how when Paul and Silas remained in the prison after the 
earthquake opened the doors, the jailer came in repentance to Christ. 
(Ac16) If they had escaped, that might have been a missed opportunity. 
And Paul spoke of his own imprisonment: "But I want you to know, 
brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out 
for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the 
whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;" 
(Php1:12-13)

Thus, dear Believer: Should the time come where we find ourselves in 
such confinement due to our witness for Christ, we should consider it as 
our new mission field; and let them see "Christ in you, the hope of 
glory" (Col1:27)

Amen!

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Re: the Prophet: indignation (Jeremiah 15:15-21)

"O Jehovah, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for 
me on those who persecute me. In Your long-suffering do not take me 
away; know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke." (vs15)

So, what's the deal? Is Jeremiah seeking Israel's restoration and 
forgiveness (14:7), or does he want revenge?

Dear Believer: Do you ever feel 'torn' inside as you see all the 
apostate corruption around you? On one hand your eyes "run down with 
tears" (14:17) as your heart yearns after the lost state of those you 
know; and yet on the other hand, within your spirit is a righteous holy 
anger that wells up against the wickedness. And so, at the taunting of 
the unsaved (pretend) so-called '[c]hristians', you begin to feel 
'guilty' for being sooo "unloving", because of this that is in your 
heart.

But you read and know the Scriptures that exhort us to not be "unequally 
yoked" with unbelievers. (2Co6:14) You do not "walk in the counsel of 
the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the 
scornful"... so why are you not -feeling- "blessed"? (Ps1:1)  You are 
not "sitting in the council of the mockers" nor "rejoicing" with them. 
Because of your loathing of their wickedness you "SIT ALONE". (vs17) 
Where does this so-called "unloving" attitude of 'vengeance' come from? 

Jeremiah says, "..for You have filled me with indignation". (vs17)

Yes, dear Believer: this holy anger comes from the Lord. God's 'wrath' 
is due upon this world. Paul says, "For the wrath of God is revealed 
from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who 
suppress the truth in unrighteousness..." (Rom1:18)  Due to God's 
indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom8:9) we also "have the mind of Christ". 
(1Co2:16b)  In other words, those things that please God please us; and 
those things that God hates fill us with 'indignation'. What is 
"indignation"?  According to the dictionary: Anger aroused by something 
unjust, mean, or unworthy. Thus, the psalmist proclaims: "Do I not hate 
them, O Jehovah, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up 
against You? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies." 
(Ps139:21-22)  Yes folks...this is how 'christian' psychology's favorite 
"self-love" and "self-esteem" chapter ends.

So, what does God do for Jeremiah?  OK, dear one: Stand aside and let Me 
zap them for you. ??  No. "I will make you to this people a fortified 
wall of bronze; and they shall fight against you, but they shall not 
prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you, 
says Jehovah." (vs20) 

You see, dearly beloved: It is not always God's intention for us to "get 
along" with everybody. Jesus said that we are the "light of the world". 
(Mt5;14)  But what happens when moths and bugs find the light at night? 
They come to the light, and go charging and bumping into it. And 
depending on what kind of light it is, they maybe get zapped. But a lot 
of DEAD bugs are retrieved from light fixtures.

You see, folks...our mission is not necessary to 'save' -everybody-. We 
are not "soul-winners" to all sinners. To many we are testimonies to 
their death: "..the aroma of death unto death.." We are not called to be 
'salesmen' who are "peddling the Word of God" but "as of sincerity, but 
as from God, we speak in Christ, in the sight of God." (2Cor2:16-17)

We do not (as some erroneous translations say) "make disciples", but we 
are to "instruct all the nations" (Mt28:19) as we are "witnesses" to 
Jesus Christ. (Lk24:48)  In a court of law, quite often the 'witness' 
who testifies in the case results in the -JUDGMENT- of the accused.

Just as Jesus promised the Church, that we "have affliction" (Jn16:33); 
here God promises Jeremiah that Israel will "fight against" him. But 
just as Jesus also promised that the "gates of Hades shall not prevail" 
against the Church (Mt16:18); so, too, God promises "..they shall not 
prevail against you.."  

This...a reminder of God's promises when He first called Jeremiah to the 
ministry. You see, God knows "..our frame; He remembers that we are 
dust" (Ps103:14)  He knows that our emotions can play up, and cause us 
to get down, even though intellectually we remember God's original 
promise: "Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver 
you, says Jehovah" (1:8)  God had also said, "Do not be dismayed at 
their faces, lest I shame you before them." (1:17)  They will fight you, 
but "they shall not prevail against you." (1:19)

So, forget about ecumenism! Forget about unity-in-diversity! "Come out 
of her My people" (Rev18:4)  Make a separation between you and them. Is 
this not the direct OPPOSITE of what christendom is doing? There are 
very few, a paltry few who proclaim as a doctrine: Biblical "Separation"

When the apostates are going down their "broad way" to "destruction" 
(Mt7:13)[Note in the context: that's talking about those claiming to be 
'christians' who call out: "Lord, Lord" (vs21) That's not even talking 
about the world with no claims to 'christianity'!], we are not to 
seek-them-out. If they seek you out, "let them turn back to you" BUT 
(and note this well) "...DO NOT RETURN TO THEM" (vs19)  As Paul says, 
"...not to keep company with anyone named a brother..." the fruits of 
whose deeds show him to be a liar... "..not even to eat with such a 
person." (1Cor5:11)  ...having "no fellowship with the unfruitful works 
of darkness.." (Eph5:18)

And as you separate yourself from them, take along the righteous with 
you. 

WHAAAAT??? Advocating "church splits", you say???  Indeed!!

God says to Jeremiah, that if he is functioning as God's "mouth", 
proclaiming God's Word, that he will "..take the precious out from the 
vile.." (vs19)

So... How does a Believer hold up under such responsibilities? such 
negativity?  It is such a 'thankless' position to be in. Right?  If such 
Godly indignation is at work, how can we claim that "the joy of Jehovah 
is your refuge"? (Neh8:10)  How can we "rejoice always"? (1Th5:16)

For those who are "called by [God's] name"; a True Believer and 
"disciple"; by true definition: we are CHRIST-ians... (Ac11:26)

"Your Words were found, and I ate them; and Your Word was to me the joy 
and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Jehovah the 
God of Hosts." (vs16)   The Scriptures!

And as for that indignation? Vengeance? Deliverance from our enemies? 
The tables will be turned upon them...

Jesus promises: "Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, 
who say they are Jews and are not, but lie; indeed I will make them come 
and bow the knee before your feet, and to know that I have loved you." 
(Rev3:9)

Even so, Amen!

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Re: the Prophet: don't get married (Jeremiah 16:2)

The Word of Jehovah also came unto me, saying, You shall not take a wife 
for yourself, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place" (v1-2)

There is a false teaching (that's been around for decades) that somebody 
forwarded to me awhile back (aspects of British-Israelism); I have since 
deleted the file and don't remember all the details; but it follows the 
basic gist of a tale that, when all the sons of a particular king (I 
think Zedekiah? 2Ki25:7) in the Davidic line were murdered, that there 
supposedly weren't any 'sons' left to succeed on to the throne, that the 
daughters who survived escaped and migrated northwest, and ended up in 
the regions of the UK, accompanied by Jeremiah. From everything else 
that I read of that teaching, while I don't recall if it was stated 
directly, I was left to suspect the implication that it would have also 
then been necessary (from that tale) for Jeremiah to have fathered 
offspring with these royal princesses, in order for today's British 
crown to supposedly be sitting on the heads of alleged 'heirs' to 
"Israel".

Of course, we know there were many sons to both David and Solomon, and 
when the exiles came back from Babylon, Zerubbabel, was governor, and 
was of the Messianic line (Mt1:12, Ez2:2, etc) to continue the lineage 
of the prophecies regarding David's throne.

And Jeremiah, being a faithful prophet of God, we know he did not father 
the British royal lineage, as this passage tells us clearly, that God 
commanded him NOT to take a wife.

So, on another subject, does this passage then suggest papal/priestly 
celibacy? Well, the Scriptures do not apply to pagan religions. But 
since that entity from Rome claims to be "christian" and has deceived 
many, and many who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ also look to 
Rome for their doctrinal guidance, does this mean that pastors should be 
celibate? No. The O.T. priests married, although the rules for their 
marriage were strict: they were to only marry virgins. (Lev21:14)  And 
in the coming Kingdom age the priests will be required to marry only 
virgins or widows of priests. (Ezek44:22)  Paul commands that 
pastors/leaders be husbands of "one wife". (1Ti3:2, Tit1:6)  And even 
the one the pagans erroneously claim was the "first pope", Peter, was 
also married. (1Co9:5)

So, what is the deal with Jeremiah?

God's prophets, while receiving historical notoriety by being named in 
the Scriptures, such notoriety was also often accompanied by stringent 
requirements upon their own lives. You want a career as a cook? Then be 
ready for the 'heat'. You want to be a 'leader' such as a pastor or 
prophet/preacher? Then, be willing to accept the life God requires of 
you to go along with that position, along with God's stricter judgment 
of you. "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that 
we shall receive a stricter judgment." (Jac3:1)

Jeremiah was told to NOT MARRY. Hosea, on the other hand, was commanded 
to marry a prostitute. (Hos1:2) Some, who cannot see anything past their 
own sense of self-piety suggest that Hosea "didn't really" marry a 
"prostitute", because "God WOULDN'T ASK that of a prophet". You know... 
the opposite of "what would Jesus do?"  What God WOULDN'T DO?  Well, 
Ezekiel was required to lie on his sides for over a year, "laying seige" 
against a clay tablet, as a sign to Israel. (Ezek4)  God required of 
Isaiah to walk about naked, as a sign to Ethiopia and Egypt, even with 
bare bee-hind. (Is20) This, required by the same God who commanded a 
certain standard of dress so that priests not expose their nakedness. 
(Ex20:26) But who also used other graphic language at times, to get His 
point across, "Therefore I also have drawn up your skirts over your 
face, that your shame may be seen." (Jer13:26)

One quality about God that many seem to overlook, is that God often 
behaves towards sinful man -AS- sinful man has lived his life. They 
assume that, since "God is love" (1Jn4:8), that He WOULD NEVER DO 
anything "hateful" or "evil". They overlook: "..with the pure You show 
Yourself pure; and with the perverse YOU SHOW YOURSELF TWISTED." 
(2Sa22:27)

As with Ezekiel and Isaiah, Jeremiah's own life was a 'sign' to Israel. 
If Ezekiel was required to not cry or mourn publicly when his wife died 
(Ez24), can you imagine the sorrow and heartache to one like Jeremiah, 
whose eyes were -already- a "fountain of tears" (Jer9:1) because of 
Israel. 

God said about those who should be born, that they would die horrendous 
deaths: "They shall die from deaths of diseases; they shall not be 
mourned, nor shall they be buried. But they shall be as dung on the face 
of the earth. They shall be destroyed by the sword and by famine; and 
their carcasses shall be food for the birds of the heavens and for the 
beasts of the earth." (vs4)

Furthermore, Jeremiah was to keep his distance from those in mourning. 
Remember, as he had come out from them and was not to return (15:19), 
when their calamity came he was not to empathize with their grief either 
by sitting, eating and drinking with them. (vs8)

The "holy and just one" (Ac3:14), Jesus Christ, spoke to the 
unbelievers, "..you will die in your sins" (Jn8:21,24)  Jesus had no 
empathy for their judgment. Jeremiah, a 'righteous' man-of-God, 
similarly was to have no empathy for Israel's sorrows of judgment. God 
had appointed him as a 'bronze wall' against them. (15:20)  There is not 
much in the way of condolences, empathy and tears from a wall of bronze.

The coming judgment is spoken of as being for "-THOSE- who dwell on the 
earth" (Rev3:10b) And those in God's presence, observing and serving in 
God's holy courts of Heaven proclaim, "You are righteous, O Lord, the 
One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these 
things, for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You 
have given them blood to drink, for -THEY- are deserving." (Rev16:5-6)

Jesus said of the coming judgment, "But woe to those who are pregnant 
and to those who are nursing babies in those days!" (Mt24:19)  If 
Jeremiah had married and had children, and then judgment came; it's just 
the nature of a man to mourn for his family. Was God sparing him, in 
order that he could maintain his calling as the "bronze wall"?

In order to follow Christ, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to Me and does 
not hate his father and mother, and WIFE and CHILDREN, and brothers and 
sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." 
(Lk14:26)  

Other than the husband/wife couple mentioned in Ac18, Aquila and 
Priscilla, God did not call husband-and-wife 'teams'. Moses' wife lashed 
out in anger against him and could not handle God's holiness 
(Ex4:25-26), returned to her father's house, and later her father 
brought her back to Moses in the wilderness once all the judgment of 
Egypt was complete. (Ex18) Moses did not have his wife-at-his-side while 
he struggled through all the events in Egypt; she had abandoned him! And 
we know how Solomon's wives enticed him away to idolatry. (1Ki11:4)  
Other than some like Jeremiah, Hosea, Peter, etc. Scripture does not 
tell us much about the prophets' wives. God did not call the wives; He 
called the prophets. God reveals Himself 'personally' when He calls 
-that- 'individual'. (Num12:6)

Is God calling you to ministry? Should you get married? If God leads, 
and "only in the Lord" (a Believer). (1Cor7:39) If you are married, 
should you seek to be loosed? No. Be content in that state in which God 
has called you. (1Co7:27,24)

If you're married, you'll be like Peter. If you remain single, you'll be 
like Paul and Jeremiah. Paul understood the benefits of singleness, in 
terms of a person being able to devote the 'entirety' of their lives to 
the Lord's service. (1Cor7:32)  And in Jeremiah's case it enhanced his 
position as that "bronze wall" against Israel; and spared him a -lot- of 
grief and heartache, within the context of that which God required of 
him.

Are you in service to the Lord? Then, in whatever is required of you, 
remember that "...YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN... For you were bought with a 
price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are 
God’s." (1Cor6:19b-20)

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Re: the Prophet: I've been faithful (Jeremiah 17:12-19)

"As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows 
You; nor have I desired the woeful day; You surely know the going forth 
of my lips before Your face." (vs16)

One of the arguments the apostates throw back in the face of God's 
faithful servants is: What makes you think that -you- (alone) are right, 
and ALL OF US are wrong?  You are being prideful and presumptuous, 
calling yourself 'righteous', God will judge you! You better repent of 
this pride (or else)!

Besides Jeremiah, we have other examples: "Then Paul, looking earnestly 
at the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good 
conscience before God until this day." (Ac23:1)  What was their reaction 
to this statement? The high priest commands somebody to hit him in the 
mouth. (vs2)

John writes: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, 
because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They 
are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears 
them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God 
does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of 
error." (1Jn4:4-6)  In other words, we are confident that, if 'we' have 
God's Word, and somebody disagrees with 'us', then we know that their 
disagreement with us indicates that they are not of God, because 'us' 
includes the indwelling Holy Spirit; God Himself.

How is Jeremiah able to make claim to being faithful? Because he knows 
Who it is that he is being obedient to. Like Paul says in the midst of 
his trials as God's minister, "For this reason I also suffer these 
things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed 
and am persuaded that He is able to keep safe what I have committed to 
Him until that Day." (2Ti1:12)

Jeremiah knows the "glorious high throne" as the place of his 
"sanctuary". (vs12) What is a sanctuary?  A holy (set apart) place of 
REFUGE. He knows that Jehovah is the "Hope of Israel". (vs13)  God is 
the "Fountain of Living Waters". Jesus was not the first to use that 
image of Salvation and Eternal Life. (Jn4:14)  Whatever Jeremiah's 
"infirmity" was (10:19), he knows that God is the one who can heal it. 
(vs14)  Just as Jonah calls out "Salvation is from Jehovah" (Jon2:9); 
Jeremiah knows that his salvation is from God, and he gives praise to 
God. 

The apostates are scoffing: Jeremiah, you've been preaching gloom and 
doom for a long time, now. But HERE WE ARE! God hasn't zapped us yet. 
You keep telling us that God is going to judge, but we don't see it. 
Some prophet you are...Har! Har! Har!  C'mon, show us some sort of sign 
or fulfillment, and then we'll believe you. (vs15)  Well, this they 
threw at Jesus, too, didn't they, when He was on the cross: "He saved 
others; He has no power to save Himself. If He is the King of Israel, 
let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him." 
(Mt27:42)  "...if He is the Christ, the chosen of God" (Lk23:35) after a 
ministry full of, "..we want to see a sign from You." (Mt12:38)

Later on in ch29 a false prophet is going to try to flamboyantly 
publicly discredit Jeremiah's calling, and at Jeremiah's mouth he will 
be judged (we'll address that when we come to it), but for right now, it 
seems that Jeremiah is receiving 'generic' taunts. C'mon, show us 
something spectacular and 'prove' that you are really a prophet.

So how does God respond?  Oh, right you are, Jeremiah. You do have 
things rough, don't you. Why don't you take some time off and rest 
awhile. Stay in your house and continue praising Me and worshiping. 
Hmm??  No!

"Thus Jehovah said unto me: Go and stand in the gate of the children of 
the people, by which the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go 
out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; and say to them, Hear the Word 
of Jehovah, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants 
of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates! Thus says Jehovah, Take heed to 
yourselves... But they did not obey, nor extend their ear, but made 
their neck stiff, so that they might not hear nor receive 
instruction...." (vs19-23~)

In other words: Jeremiah has been faithful, Jeremiah looks to God for 
deliverance and reviews in his own heart that he is being faithful; and 
as Jeremiah gets this all sorted out, God commands him to GO PREACH some 
more. Don't change the message: 'Obey God and be blessed; disobey and be 
judged.'

I expect any minister of God experiences this same thing, as I do from 
time to time. When the message is proclaimed, the enemy taunts and gives 
convincing-seeming arguments for why you are doing wrong. But then in 
that secret place of the holy sanctuary with God, God's messenger 
reviews in their heart God's call, and their own obedience to that call; 
and the result is that God's prophet comes back out of his corner 
'swinging'. The team is getting bested on the court, so they take a 
"time-out" and get pumped by the coach, and they go back out with fresh 
determination to score some baskets. They don't 'quit' till the game is 
over. "...forgetting those things which are behind and stretching 
forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the 
prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as 
many as are complete, be of this mind..." (Php3:13-15)

Dear fellow-minister in Jesus Christ:

If you've been proclaiming God's Word faithfully, don't change the 
message. Don't water it down. Don't soft-pedal it. After all, that's 
what the apostasy is about: "Please, let your word be like the word of 
one of them, and speak pleasant things." (1Ki22:13) (be more 'loving') 
...as they also take the barbs (that pierce the heart Ac2:37) out of 
God's Word with all their progressively worse and worse perversions.

The very first temptation proclaimed, "Has God indeed said...?" (Gen3:1) 
That's the same taunt from the enemy today: Are you -sure- you have been 
called by God? How can you be so contrary, when EVERYBODY ELSE is saying 
these other things? And look how 'happy' they all are! And you seek to 
tear down their self-esteem!

Just remember Paul's words: I know Whom I have believed. Remember that 
the Word is -God's- Word. If we speak any less, we are just as 
disobedient as the ones to whom we've been sent. But let us conduct 
ourselves in such a way that, when the enemy taunts, we can commune with 
the Lord, KNOWING we are being faithful.

Amen!

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Re: the Prophet: verbal plots  (Jeremiah 18:18-23)

"Then they said, Come and let us devise schemes against Jeremiah. For 
the Law shall not perish from the priest, nor wisdom from the wise, nor 
the Word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with the tongue, 
and let us not pay attention to any of his words." (vs18)

Later the people are going to physically confine Jeremiah, but notice 
right now they say, "..let us strike him with the tongue"  This is how 
the persecution starts. With -words-. First time the apostles were 
brought before the council, when the lame man had been healed, they 
merely "threatened" them. (Ac4:15-22)

Now, please notice their arguments; the same arguments we have observed 
in the past that happen to God's faithful servants in our own time: 

"The Law shall not perish from the priest." Translate that for today: I 
am an ordained preacher/pastor (see my certificate on my office wall?). 
Why should I listen to you? You're a nobody. Don't you know that God 
appointed "pastors and teachers"? (Eph4:11) And pastors are to be given 
"double honor". (1Ti5:17) I'm up here on 'my' pulpit, and you are to be 
subservient to me, while I parcel out the Scriptures and explain them 
down-to-the-level of the "laity". My job is to protect 'my' flock from 
such as you. You are not welcome to come back until you come and bow to 
'me', repenting of what you've been saying.

"..nor wisdom from the wise.." You mean to say that you, all by your own 
little self, are -right-, and all of us with our seminary degrees and 
credentials, and the authors of the books we read, written by degreed 
scholars... are -wrong-?  Just what are your credentials? What school 
did you go to? Did you go to any school at all?  Our credentials come 
from ABC and XYZ Semitaries, where the famous Dr. Hoity Toity, PhD was 
my thesis advisor.

"..nor the Word from the prophet.." You're a self-appointed prophet? Well, 
see? We're prophets, too.

So...pastors who formerly hated each other with loathing suddenly become 
bosom-buddies as they commiserate over you; just like Pilate and Herod 
became "friends" on the occasion of Jesus' crucifixion. (Lk23:12) When a 
certain other church hears that you're back in town, they collect a 
gathering of the former board members you were condemning through God's 
Word, and get you cornered, and try to elicit a confession of 
wrong-doing from you for your stance against -them- those years prior, 
the "elders"..."elders" the ones God put "in charge", thus they rule, 
thus you were being disobedient to God's chain-of-command hierarchy 
order of authority, even though you were standing upon God's Word, and 
they ousted a true man-of-God who had been teaching them the 
Scriptures... but the Word he taught was stepping on toes, because the 
church was a congregation of wolves, as were these elders. Or, a pastor 
who is living in sin, knowing the church respects your stand upon God's 
Word, gathers an unlikely assemblage of outcasts, half of whom are not 
even regularly connected to the church but are this man's friends, to 
contrive a false accusation, saying that you are trying to usurp his 
'position' as pastor, to take over his position to oust him, to become 
pastor in his place... because... and here's the supposed 'fault': Some 
of the people in the church decided one Sunday to meet at a 
pre-designated restaurant, and invited you to join them, but did not the 
pastor; and the meal was just a "meal" for "fellowship" of kindred 
hearts...but, oh, it was "plotting" against the pastor (even though his 
name never once came up). Of course, those he gathered for your little 
lynching were not some of those that had fellowshiped over that meal 
that day, either.

And of course these pastors and leaders spread a false report about you 
around their spheres of influence: Don't listen to him. He's whacked out 
crazy. He is being prideful. He has a lot of emotional self-esteem 
issues from his childhood...that's why he is the way he is. He thinks 
he's better than us. He hasn't yet learned about "graeeeessss".

Well, remember from our last lesson, how Jeremiah reviews in his heart 
before God: I've been faithful... "I have not hurried away from being a 
shepherd who follows You" (17:16)  And now as they are lashing at him 
with their tongues, notice his reasonings with God:  I've done good for 
them, and this is how they repay me? "Should evil be repaid for good?" 
(vs20a)  And he reviews before God (As if God needs a reminder! But -we- 
often need the reminders, don't we.), what we've observed in prior 
lessons, how he has pleaded with God on Israel's behalf: "..I stood 
before You to speak good for them, to turn away Your wrath from them." 
(vs20b)

But remember how God told Jeremiah on several occasions, "Do not pray 
for this people for their good". (7:16, 11:14, 14:11)  Furthermore God 
said, "Send them out of My sight..." (15:1)

Thus, Jeremiah the prophet, being of God's mind, just as we who are True 
Believers "have the mind of Christ" (1Co2:16), in agreement with God, 
lists off the things that are appropriate for God's wrath to accomplish 
against them: death through famine, sword, war. Agreeing with God that 
they have 'crossed the line' over which there is no turning back nor 
forgiveness... "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is 
filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be 
righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." (Rev22:11)  
God, don't forgive them. (vs23)

Now, notice one thing that Jeremiah DOES NOT DO. And this is in stark 
contrast to today's charismania camp who presume they are engaged in 
"spiritual warfare" or "prayer warfare". Like some prayer meetings I 
have been in, where these of this spirit pray -to- satan, telling satan: 
You better watch out, satan, because -WE- have got you wrapped around 
-OUR- little fingers, and -WE- are going to smash you to smithereens.

No! No! No!  What does Jeremiah say?

Praying to God, now: "..nor blot out their sin before -YOUR- sight, but 
let them be overthrown before -YOU-; deal with them in the time of 
-YOUR- anger." (vs23)

In other words... Jeremiah is in agreement with God. Notice that 
Jeremiah did not gather some other people to "agree" together, and now 
they are praying to God to comply with -THEIR- agreement. But his 
agreement is 'with' -GOD-, and says, essentially: In Your own good time, 
Lord, give them Your wrath as You know is fitting. 

As the angels cry out in John's vision:

"You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, 
because You have judged these things, for they have shed the blood of 
saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, for they 
are deserving. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, 
Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." (Rev16:5-7)

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re: the Prophet: I won't speak anymore (Jeremiah 20)

"Now Pashur...heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashur 
struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks..." (vs1-2)

First of all, who was Pashur? He was the priest's son, and "chief 
officer" in the house of Jehovah. (vs1) We're talking 'top dog' in the 
religious establishment. Predecessor to the same hierarchy that dragged 
Jesus (Lk22:66) and His disciples before the council. (Ac4:1) 
Predecessor to the same ones who crucified Jesus, and martyred Stephen. 
As Stephen would say a few centuries later as he was about to be stoned, 
"Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they, who 
received the Law by the command of angels and did not keep it, killed 
those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have 
become the betrayers and murderers." (Ac7:52-53) Pashur and this 
incident, certainly, was one of the cases in Stephen's message.

Like we repeat regularly: Most of the Christian's persecution comes from 
church -leaders-, preachers, so-called Bible teachers, and chat room 
moderators. It's what my experience has been, and it is what subscribers 
relate to me. In my experience, as most of my earlier life was spent 
on-the-platform in ministry, the 'ordinary' folk were receptive to God's 
Word as it manifested itself through the ministry, and they loved it; 
just as it says about Jesus: "And the large crowd heard Him gladly". 
(Mk12:37) But it was when the temple rulers stirred up the crowds that 
they yelled, "Crucify Him!" (Mk15:11) The Gentiles were receptive to the 
Gospel message Paul preached, until the Jewish rulers came along and 
stirred them up, and they stoned him, thinking they had killed him. 
(Ac14:19) As Jesus said, "They will put you out of the synagogues 
[churches]..." (Jn16:2)  So, indeed, the Believer's confrontations are 
most-often with pastors, elders and other church/denominational leaders. 
The ones with the degrees and ordinations behind their names. Indeed, as 
is taunted: the Believer is bucking up against a depraved 
chain-of-command.

And what is the message Pashur is so upset about?  God is judging the 
rulers (19:3), they are corrupt and idolatrous (19:5), they will become 
bird feed (19:7), during the judgment they will eat their own offspring. 
(19:9) And Jeremiah has been so bold as to come into their turf (the 
court of Jehovah's house) and proclaimed: "Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, 
the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring on this city and on all its 
towns all the evil that I have spoken...because they have hardened their 
necks so that they might not hear My Words." (19:14-15)

Oh, but... you're so negative and judgmental! Don't you know you're not 
supposed to "judge...lest ye be judged"? What makes you think YOU'RE so 
great, that you can criticize us?

But you see, Jeremiah makes it VERY CLEAR -WHO- the message is from. It 
is not Jeremiah's -own- 'opinions', nor his own feelings and 
interpretations. He -clearly- identifies the source of the message: 
Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel. It is not Jeremiah's -own- words, 
but God's.  And isn't that what the Believer experiences today! The 
pretenders sit in their circles commiserating as to what the Word 
"means-to-them"....and when the True Believer who may happen to be 
sitting in their midst proclaims, "It is written" or "This is WHAT IT 
SAYS" .... Oh! You're so judgmental! Jesus teaches us to "love" one 
another, and not judge.  But the Believer is not judging: he is merely 
proclaiming, Thus says the Lord. This is what the Bible -SAYS-!

As a quick little 'aside' here: When people come to you asking "what do 
you think about...?" or "what's your opinion regarding...?"  or  "don't 
you think that...?"  the child of God should be prepared to respond, 
rather, with: "IT IS WRITTEN". It doesn't really matter what I 'think'. 
What does God's Word -say-? If the Believer keeps their discussions out 
of the theoritical 'opinions', and sticks with the 'facts' of God's 
-written- Word, argument and debate is greatly simplified. Of course, to 
be able to proclaim "it is written", one must actually be -reading- the 
Scriptures regularly, eh...

In the previous lesson they were merely -talking- against Jeremiah. Now 
Pashur puts Jeremiah in the stocks. (vs2) Confinement. In free societies 
they dis-member you from the church; they ask you to not return; if you 
want to return, you must be ready to bow-the-knee to them, worship and 
repent to them. History proliferates with accounts of imprisonment and 
torture of Believers at the hands of Catholic, Protestant and Islamic 
leaders.

So, the next day when Jeremiah is set free, what does he do? Cower away, 
keep-my-mouth shut, let the sleeping dog lie, until I'm out-of-range and 
'safe' again...?? (vs3)  Today many might call names on their captors of 
things like: You S.O.xxx..! Well, Jeremiah calls his captor a prophetic 
name, "Magor-Missabib" (terror on every side). Does Jeremiah recant his 
message; the reason for which he was bound? No. Your friends will fall 
by the sword, you will see it, you will go into captivity, you will die 
and be buried in Babylon...you along with all your fellow liars. (vs3-6)

You mean to tell me that you think I'm a false prophet? Are you calling 
me a liar? Mmmm??? Just who do you think you are; you don't know me, and 
you presume to call me an 'unbeliever'? I'm a born-again, spirit-filled 
christian, just as good as you are! So there!!! Hmph!! 

Well....if the shoe fits...

So now... Jeremiah is by himself, and goes into another self-pity party. 
It was one thing to hear -words-. But now he's experienced being bound 
hand and foot in the stocks.

"O Jehovah, You have deceived me..." (vs7a)  How could Jeremiah be 
thinking such thoughts?  Hadn't God promised, "they shall fight against 
you; but they shall not prevail against you..." (1:19) At the beginning 
of his ministry God had promised to be with him, to "deliver" him. Being 
bound in the stocks doesn't look very much like "deliverance"! Being 
"struck" doesn't feel very much like non-prevailing.

Well, Jesus promised a similar thing. He said "..the gates of hades 
shall not prevail.." against the church. (Mt16:18)  But He also 
promised, "In the world you have affliction; but be of good courage, I 
have overcome the world" (Jn16:33) The history of the years since has 
documented the torture and martyrdom of Christians (True Believers), but 
the Church of Jesus Christ has prevailed. And as we shall see, by the 
time we reach the end of this book, when the rest of them are being 
killed, and shackled together for the long trip to Babylon, Jeremiah is 
going to be given a stipend by the Babylonian officials, given his 
freedom, to live wherever he wishes. He will have survived.

On a related theme, in these last days: There are those pretend 
christians who taunt the Believers who expect and wait for the Lord's 
return, alleging that the church is supposed to experience God's wrath, 
taunting: What makes you think you should get off scott-free from 
persecution?! Well, indeed, until the Lord returns, many Believers -do- 
experience persecution, just as Jesus promised. And as the forces of 
evil close in, it could well-be that Believers will spend some time in 
concentration camps, be tortured and martyred; subject to the wrath of 
satan. But in the end, when Jesus comes, the True Believer is the one 
who will be raptured out, while the rest go through -God's- wrath.

Notice Jeremiah's complaint. "I am in derision all the day; everyone 
mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I cry violence and 
devastation; for the Word of Jehovah has been a reproach and a derision 
to me all the day." (vs7-8)

Notice that word "EVERYONE". You that have experienced it: You think 
that -you- are right, and -ALL- OF US are wrong? Typically, when a 
Believer is taunted in this manner, he/she faces it all 'alone'. There 
is typically not another Believer close-by to hold your hand, so you can 
give each other encouragement. Remember, Jeremiah didn't even have a 
wife to go home to, to receive comfort; he had been told not to marry. 
(16:2)  Just the same way Jesus died on the cross...all alone; even His 
disciples scattered from Him. (Mt26:56)

And indeed...when a Believer proclaims the 'negativities' of God's Word 
(you know the message: DON'T REBEL and DON'T SIN AGAINST GOD!), and now 
-everybody- is taunting, the flesh goes into this mode of self-analysis: 
Well, perhaps they are right? Perhaps I shouldn't be so harsh? Perhaps I 
-should- take into account people's feelings? Perhaps there -really- are 
"gray areas" that people have their own personal rights to? Perhaps I 
-should- use 'softer' rhetoric to say the same thing, without so many 
barbs?  

[VW: I am chagrined to have to admit that this is what I did for 20 
years; especially when one of the people whom I respected, who took me 
aside and counseled me, was from one of those solid conservative Bible 
schools of the day, from the Canadian prairie provinces, so looking at 
that school's credentials and this person who was an alumna (instead of 
the Lord and His Word) I listened to that person... and 'softened'. I 
had also 'recently' switched to the NASB perVersion. :VW]

However, I never did what Jeremiah does next. "Then I said, I will not 
make mention of Him, nor speak in His name any more." (vs9a)

But indeed, there are many who do just this. They make claims to 
following God, but bump heads with the opposition. They see the 'cost' 
it takes to follow Christ, and wimp out! They never speak of Christ. 
They even start to stop behaving like a Christian. They stop reading 
their Bibles. They become as-though 'deactivated'. They stay in that 
state.

Fortunately for Jeremiah, being God's servant, God did not disconnect 
from Jeremiah. And to those who might be of the false notion that God's 
Word is "only alive when God -makes- it alive", hear Jeremiah's 
testimony: "But His Word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in 
my bones, and I was weary with holding it in, and I could not." (vs9)

I can testify to this! I might have 'softened'. And being a music major, 
and then getting into professional and music ministry, I thought -that- 
was my ministry. And yet, at the height of my music years there was yet 
this 'NAGGING' at my heart for the proclamation of God's Word. It took 
many years, and God knocking me up-side the head to get my attention; 
but you-all are now witnesses to what 'won' out in my life.

And indeed...when God gives His message, I can attest that it is, truly, 
"like a burning fire". God doesn't need to -make- it alive... IT -IS- 
"ALIVE", and burns till it bursts forth!

And yet, Jeremiah is whimpering and afraid. When the apostles were 
commanded to not preach in Jesus' name, they boldly replied, "we ought 
to obey God rather than men" (Ac5:29)  But here Jeremiah is cowering as 
they threaten: If you keep preaching, we'll report you. (vs10)  And the 
less-threatening ones are sitting by, waiting for him to "stumble and 
fall". On one hand he has God's Word in his heart, bursting to come out; 
and on the other hand, the rebels crouched around him, waiting to pounce 
at the least false move he might make.

In Jeremiah's heart a huge big-time struggle is going on. On one hand, 
he is confident in God's might; and in God's judgment of the wicked. 
(vs11-12) And as he considers this, he is able to "sing" and "praise" 
God. (vs13)

And yet, emotionally, he is exhausted and defeated. Just as he had 
moaned to his mother for having borne him into a world of strife 
(15:10), here he is continuing in the same despair: "Cursed be the day 
in which I was born; let not the day in which my mother bore me be 
blessed" (vs14) Wishing that he had been aborted or still-born. (vs17) 
He is feeling quite low and full of "shame". (vs18)

Dear Believer: Consider a moment. Consider the stature of this man, 
Jeremiah, who is called one of the -major- prophets in the O.T. He was 
of such faithfulness to God that an entire -large- book of the 
Scriptures is attributed to him. A special prophet consecrated "out of 
the womb". (1:5) In that aspect he shares a stature along with the likes 
of John the Immerser who, "being filled with the Holy Spirit" before 
birth, "leaped" in Elizabeth's womb at the sound of Mary's voice 
(Lk1:15,41,44) Of John, Jesus proclaimed, "Truly I say to you, among 
those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the 
Immerser" (Mt11:11)  So, consider the greatness of Jeremiah in God's 
sight.

But at this moment Jeremiah is certainly -not- 'feeling' very "great". 
He was also 'human', just as we are. And so, if someone of Jeremiah's 
standing with God could feel a tad bit "low" due to persecution, who are 
we to not also experience similar momentary despairs. As we are reminded 
to resist satan: "knowing that the same afflictions are experienced by 
your brethren in the world." (1Pt5:9)  Jeremiah is just such a 
"brethren" who experienced the "same afflictions" we do...whose account 
we are blessed to have in the Scriptures to read about. Thus, don't take 
onto yourself the feelings of 'guilt' the goody-two-shoes Bible-belt 
pretend-christians would heap upon you for feeling a bit low once in 
awhile. They like to teach that a Christian should always be smiling, 
and should "never wear a frown", so they pump each other up to "c'mon 
everybody...smile!" as they sing, "Open up your heart and let the 
sunshine in!" Remember that Paul also had times of "despair" (2Co1:8) 
Notice that Peter does -not- say that the Believer NEVER HAS anxieties; 
but rather, to "cast" them upon Jesus. (1Pt5:7) Those anxieties satan 
hurls at us, as Paul says, "..we should not trust in ourselves but in 
God who raises the dead" (2Co1:9) 

Thus notice something a minute: When Jeremiah is looking at self, he 
moans in self-pity...Oh, why was I ever born into such depravity? But 
when he looks to God, he is able to sing and praise, as Paul proclaims: 
"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not 
ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is 
able to keep safe what I have committed to Him until that Day." 
(2Ti1:12)

Hebrews ch11 is the so-called great "Faith Chapter". As you read through 
those verses you read of people being outcast, starved, naked, being 
sawn and tortured in many ways. And as the writer considers the "great 
cloud of witnesses" watching our progress, the methodology by which we 
persevere is to be "..LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of our 
faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of 
God." (Heb12:2)

Yes... "take up the cross and follow" JESUS CHRIST. (Mt16:24)

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re: the Prophet: broken-hearted (Jeremiah 23)

"My heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones 
shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, 
because of Jehovah, and because of the Words of His holiness. For the 
land is full of adulterers. Yes, because of cursing the land mourns; the 
pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is 
evil, and their strength is not right...  Behold, a tempest from Jehovah 
has gone forth in fury, a whirling tempest. It shall whirl upon the head 
of the wicked. The anger of Jehovah shall not turn back, until He has 
executed and until He has fulfilled the purposes of His heart; in the 
LATTER DAYS you shall diligently consider it with understanding." 
(9-10,19-20)

While the religious leaders, we spoke of in the previous lesson, are 
taunting God's messenger: Who do you think you are? You think you're 
better than us! You shouldn't judge us!  what is it that is truly going 
on in the -heart- of the messenger? Why does the prophet proclaim gloom 
and judgment from God? If you read this entire chapter, you see quite an 
indictment from God upon those who are supposed to be feeding God's 
sheep; who instead have let the wolves in and scattered the sheep.

Is it that the prophet feels a position of 'loftiness' over the 
religious leaders, and is refusing to submit to their self-imagined 
'chain-of-command'? No! It is a matter of -HOLINESS- and their rebellion 
against God's holy standards. For all the sins that could be enumerated, 
notice the one that is chosen to describe them: 

ADULTERERS

This term has two applications, 1) spiritual and 2) physical. And as we 
see this passage extending God's mention of judgment for these things, 
even to the "latter days" (vs20), we know this passage speaks of more 
than merely Israel. It is also for -our- world, today.

In the O.T. God speaks of Israel's "adultery" with regard to their 
idolatry. (Ezk23:37) In the N.T. Jacob addresses the church: "Adulterers 
and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is 
enmity with God? Whoever therefore purposes to be a friend of the world 
is shown to be opposing God." (Jac4:4)  Notice this wording from our 
Lord's earthly half-brother, supporting Jesus' pronouncement that it is 
NOT POSSIBLE to "serve two masters". (Mt6:24) If a person calls themself 
a "Christian", but lives like the world...they are not merely dangling 
one foot in the water, while keeping the other on dry land. They are 
actually 'kicking' with that foot, splashing water in our Lord's face. 
They are not merely 'indifferent' to the Lord; Jacob says they are 
(actively) -OPPOSING- God.

It's called "adultery" because Israel was said to be -married- to God. 
God proclaimed to Israel: "For your Maker is your husband; Jehovah of 
Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel." 
(Is54:5) And the Church is the "bride" of Christ. (Eph5:32) You that are 
erroneously "replacement" theologians please don't get your noses bent 
out of joint at this, and e-mail me about the New Jerusalem being called 
the "bride of the Lamb" (Rev21:9-10)  Remember that the New Jerusalem 
includes both Israel and the Church; the gates are named with the 
Israeli tribes, and the foundations with the names of the apostles. God 
the Father and Son are "One". (Jn17:21) And Jew and Gentile have -both- 
been reconciled -to- GOD. (Eph2:16) It is not a different Savior: that 
was Jesus Christ. It is not a different salvation: that always has been 
through the blood of Jesus Christ, beginning with Adam, Eve and Abel. 
It's just different covenants and dispensations. But whether it's a 
Jewish Believer, or a Church (Gentile or Jew) Believer, "adultery" 
against God is the same: it is a claim to belonging to God, while 
turning aside and indulging in the world in things that are contrary to 
God's holiness. Whether O.T. or N.T. covenants, God's -holiness- has 
always remained the same. N.T. "grace" is not "license". (Ju1:4) God's 
"grace" is not His 'permission' to claim His name, but also indulge in 
the world's impurities. (Like a bride claiming to love her husband, but 
asking if she can also go hang out with her old boyfriends. Surely the 
husband wouldn't mind?) God's grace is that which saw us in this world's 
sin, and saved us 'anyway', -OUT-OF- the WORLD! "..unto good works.." 
(Eph2:10)  That's what "holy" means....a "separation". 

The original Hebrew word actually involves the meaning "to cut apart". 
It's like having a cutting board on which is a piece of meat, and the 
person takes a knife and -cuts-, 'separating' the fat from the rest. The 
piece of chicken is there, and the knife is used to 'separate' the skin 
from the meat. The veggies are there, and the knife 'separates' the tops 
from the radishes, carrots, onions, etc. The tops are thrown out, and 
the meat is prepared for cooking/eating. You don't cut the tops off the 
carrots, and then start munching on the leaves. (unless you're a rabbit)

But that's what Israel did, and what today's church does. The false 
prophets impress people with those huge bushy green