Ezekiel 23:49 (HCSB)

They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences for your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD."

We must know that there are consequences even for forgiven sins. If you are a child of God your sins are under the blood. Those sins are forgiven and they are forever gone from the record. But God chooses not to protect us from the consequences of our sins here on earth. If He did that would be an encouragement to sin.

Viewing pornography can lead to addiction. Even if one does not become addicted those images are indelibly etched upon the brain. An illicit affair can lead to pregnancy. Even if one does not become pregnant there is still an emotional attachment and broken trust and broken hearts. Cheating on taxes can lead to jail time. Even if restitution is paid one will still undergo the ordeal of an audit for years. All these sins can be forgiven, but there are still consequences.

If the image of our Savior hanging on the cross is not enough to make us loathe our sin, then the prospect of the consequences should be.

Standing in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:30 (HCSB)

I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one.

What an indictment! The wall around the city of Jerusalem was in bad shape. Siege ramps had been built against it. Holes had been dug through it. Battering rams had been used to knock it down. It was in pitiful condition. Consequently the city was vulnerable. It was open to invasion and attack.

God is speaking here figuratively. The wall He is speaking of is spiritual. It is a wall of prayer for spiritual protection. God looked for one man in all of Jerusalem who was standing in prayer for the city, but He found not a single one.

As men it is our job to guard our families, our churches, and our country from Satanic attack. We must pray for God’s protection. We must intercede for our leaders. We must lift up our loved ones.

Are we doing our job? Are we standing in the gap? Will our city be destroyed on our watch?

We must act like men. Let us see the breech and not wait for someone else. May we see it as our job, our responsibility, and take our position and pray!

God's New Contract

Ezekiel 16:59–63 (HCSB)

"For this is what the Lord GOD says: I will deal with you according to what you have done, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

But I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant.

I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD, so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth again because of your disgrace." ‹This is› the declaration of the Lord GOD.

Here God talks about renewing His covenant with Israel, but on different terms. Now, instead of it all depending on Israel, it will all depend on Him. And it will be an everlasting covenant. He says, “I will make atonement for all you have done….”

This was done at the cross. God has established a new contract with us. He takes full responsibility for fulfilling all the terms and conditions of this contract. All we have to do is put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

At the cross a sovereign and infinite God did everything that needed to be done to make fallible and finite men forever right with Himself. This contract ensures everlasting salvation to all you come by faith to Christ. Since we did nothing to establish this contract, we can do nothing to dissolve this contract. God Himself has taken upon Himself responsibility for doing it all. Now all that remains is for us to simply exercise childlike faith and accept it. Praise God!

Idols of the Heart

Ezekiel 14:1–8 (HCSB)

Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.

Then the word of the LORD came to me:

"Son of man, these men have set up idols in their

hearts and have put sinful

stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all?

"Therefore, speak to them and tell them: This is what the Lord GOD says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart, puts a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him appropriately. ‹I will answer him› according to his many idols,

So that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.

"Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.

For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in Israel separates himself from Me, setting up idols in his heart and putting a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I, the LORD, will answer him Myself.

I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

The most dangerous idols are not those we set up on our mantle but those we erect in our hearts. We would look silly to put a little statue of a car on our mantle and say to people, “This is my god.” But we can hide that same idol in our hearts. People may not know it is there, but it is just as much our “god.”

An idol is anything that we pursue before the living God. We put it in the place that is reserved for God alone. It becomes the passionate pursuit of our life. We bow down to it, giving it our adoration and attention. We pin our expectations for fulfillment, happiness and security upon it.

When we have idols in our heart the Lord promises not to hear our prayers. We have separated ourselves from the Lord and we put ourselves under the curse and judgment of God.

We must examine our hearts and see if these idols are there. When our prayers are ineffective this may be the reason. When the Holy Spirit shows us what our idols are we must not argue with Him. We must confess this as our willful sin and repent. We must consciously enthrone the Jesus alone as Lord in our hearts.

Idolatry is a part of our culture. It is just as prevalent today as it was 3,000 years ago—although it is not as ostentatious. We don’t want to appear to be superstitious. We do not erect our idols upon a pedestal in our living rooms.

Idolatry in our materialistic society is much more insidious. Idols slip into our lives. We must be on our guard. Christians are not immune to this. When the Holy Spirit makes us aware there has been a change in our fellowship with Christ we must check our hearts. Are there idols there?

False Visions

Ezekiel 12:21–25 (HCSB)

Again the word of the LORD came to me:

"Son of man, what is this proverb you ‹people› have about the land of Israel, which goes:

      The days keep passing by,

      and every vision fails?

Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord GOD says: I will put a stop to this proverb, and they will not use it again in Israel. But say to them: The days draw near, as well as the fulfillment of every vision.

For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. But I, the LORD, will speak whatever message I will speak, and it will be done. It will no longer be delayed. For in your days, rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass." ‹This is› the declaration of the Lord GOD.

 

I see a couple of things here. First, are not people saying the same kind of things today? “The Lord said He is coming back, but the days have passed—and the years—and He has not returned. He’s not going to return.”

 

But the Lord is coming back and one day the time of His return will arrive. I have some personal beliefs about our responsibility for getting the Gospel to the whole world—but there are other Christians in the world who are preaching the Gospel. The North American church is not a "lone ranger." We are not the only missionaries. The Gospel could go to the whole world in just a few years without our even knowing it. Then the Lord will fulfill His promise and return.

 

Second, the nature of a false vision or flattering message is that it makes us breathe a sigh of relief and basically say, “Everything is fine.” But when God gives a message it calls us to a posture of high alertness. God’s message always shakes us out of our apathy. He calls us to attention and action.

The spiritually discerning will be sensitive to this note in modern preaching.

Defiled worship

Ezekiel 8:6 (HCSB)

He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, so that I must depart from My sanctuary? You will see even greater abominations."

 

The glory of God departed the temple, and this is why. The people were doing detestable things there. They were worshipping idols in the temple of Jehovah!

 

Before we condemn them we better look at ourselves. Remember, God says “examine yourselves.” Where is the temple of God today? Not those made with human hands but that created by the art of God—the human body. Are we ever guilty of worshipping that which is not God in the temple of God? Do we defile our bodies? Do we commit detestable practices in the temple?

 

When a man takes the body that God has redeemed and inhabited with His Holy Spirit and use that body in an act of adultery or fornication, is that not an abomination? We are worshipping the body instead of the One who made the body! Do we obsess over the way we look? Now, it is good to take care of the temple. But is it proper to focus a disproportionate amount of time and attention on the body? It is one thing to keep it in shape, it is another thing altogether to be obsessed with “looking good” or “looking young.” On the other hand, some defile the temple by indulging it in other ways—over eating or using drugs or alcohol. It is all about making the body “feel good.” We do not live for our bodies—in live in our bodies.

 

The Bible teaches us that now the glory of God indwells the body of every born again Believer in Jesus Christ. The glory will never leave, but it can certainly be smothered beneath a mound of sin. Let us be careful! Let us keep the vessel clean so the light can shine through it. And remember, we worship in this temple not the temple itself. 

The Need for Revival

Lamentations 5:19–22 (HCSB)

      You, LORD, are enthroned forever;

      Your throne endures from generation to generation.

      Why have You forgotten us forever,

      abandoned us for ‹our› entire lives?

      LORD, restore us to Yourself, so we may return;

      renew our days as in former times,

      unless You have completely rejected us

      and are intensely angry with us.

 

Our great need today is for revival. Only One can give it: the LORD who sits upon the throne of the universe.

 

This should be our prayer for America: “LORD, restore us to Yourself, so we may return.”  We cannot return unless He restores us.

 

I was saved during a time of revival. God was moving in an unusual way. I remember the quality of preachers and teachers we had in those days.  We have great communicators today, but we sorely lack the depth of teaching the church once enjoyed. I pray that the Lord would renew our days as in former times.

 

It seems to me that we once had more lost people in church than we do today. But we did it without completely altering our services to make them feel comfortable. We sang from a hymnbook and the preacher wore a suit and tie, but lost people came—and they were saved. We were baptizing more in those days than we are today. Certain churches get unprecedented publicity when they have a service in which they baptize 100 people in a day, but we are way behind in baptisms overall.

 

I’m not saying we need to go back to the old days. I personally like worship where people don’t look down but look up. There is more freedom of expression today in worship. And even though we had some great preachers and Bible teachers in those days most people in the pews still didn’t get it. I cannot say there is any greater depth in our Christianity today than there was then. The spiritual immaturity of the average church-goer was just as frustrating then as it is today. But there are undeniable indications that more was going on then than now. I mentioned there were more people being baptized then than now. Churches were growing more then than now. Our Southern Baptist Convention is now in decline for the first time in our history. And there are far fewer young men and women who are surrendering for full-time Christian service now than thirty years ago. Enrollment in our Southern Baptist Seminaries is declining. These are sad trends.

 

There is only one answer: we need revival! We need for God to restore us to Himself and renew us as in former times. There is only one way it will come: we must ask God to do it. Please join me in praying for revival. 

The Pit

Lamentations 3:55–57 (HCSB)

      I called on Your name, Yahweh,

      from the depths of the Pit.

      You hear my plea:

      Do not ignore my cry for relief.

      You come near when I call on You;

      You say: "Do not be afraid."

 

His pit had a name. Notice he does not refer to it as “a pit” but as “the Pit.”

 

Do you have a pit with a name? Perhaps yours is “unemployment,” or “bad marriage,” or “cancer.” Whatever it is, your pit has a name.

 

What do you do in the Pit? Call on the name of the LORD.

 

“I do that.” The calling takes on a new meaning, a new intensity when you’re in the Pit. You cry out. It is not one of those “now I lay me down to sleep” kind of prayers. You cry out from the depths of your soul. You want God to hear you, to answer you, to attend to you. You cry out, “Lord, deliver me… help me!”

 

What does the Lord do? He comes near. There is something about your Pit that makes the Lord seem near.

 

And what does He say? “Don’t be afraid.” You will not perish in the Pit. The Lord has a purpose for you in the Pit.

 

Remember this:

•  You are there for the Lord’s purpose
  
• You are there for the Lord’s period
•  While there you have the Lord’s presence and power
• When He is done you’ll experience the Lord’s deliverance

 

The Pit is not your permanent address. It is only temporary. You will survive. 

God of the Bad Stuff

Lamentations 3:37-39 (HCSB)

      Who is there who speaks and it happens,

      unless the Lord has ordained ‹it›?

      Do not both adversity and good

      come from the mouth of the Most High?

      Why should ‹any› living person complain,

      ‹any› man, because of the punishment for his sins?

 

We have no problem believing that good comes from the Lord, but adversity? Is God responsible for the bad things as well as the good? The answer is “Yes.” If the words of our mouths come true only if God ordains it, then we can know for sure that God ordains all things—even the bad things that happen to us.

 

How do we rectify this with our image of a “good God”? God allows bad things, but it is always for a holy purpose. Does this include children being sold as prostitutes and innocents being raped and murdered? There is no avoiding an affirmative answer if you believe in the concept of a sovereign God. How can God then be good if He allows such evil and suffering?

 

Look at what Jeremiah writes next:

     

 Let us search out and examine our ways,

      and turn back to the LORD.

      Let us lift up our hearts and ‹our› hands

      to God in heaven:

      We have sinned and rebelled;

      You have not forgiven.

(Lamentations 3:40–42, HCSB)

 

Let us do what God’s Word says and examine our own hearts. Are not the seeds of every kind of evil present within our own hearts? Who commits the acts of evil in our world? We do. People like us. The difference between us and them is so slight that close examination scares us!

 

If God were to completely wipe out all evil from the world He would have to begin by wiping us out. G. K. Chesterton was right when he answered the question, “What is wrong with the world?” His reply was simply “I am.” 

Daily Mercy

Lamentations 3:22–27 (HCSB)

      ‹Because of› the LORD’s faithful love

      we do not perish,

      for His mercies never end.

      They are new every morning;

      great is Your faithfulness!

      I say: The LORD is my portion,

      therefore I will put my hope in Him.

      The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

      to the person who seeks Him.

      It is good to wait quietly

      for deliverance from the LORD.

      It is good for a man to bear the yoke

      while he is ‹still› young.

 

 

These words were written by Jeremiah while he and his nation were exiled in Babylon. They could have perished in Babylon and been swallowed up within a foreign nation and disappeared forever from the face of the earth. But they did not. They continued because God’s faithful love to them continued. He was merciful to them. Who can deny that the Lord is merciful to us? We continue to exist in this United States of America because of God’s faithful love and His plan for us. Maybe He yet has some work for us to do that demands our continued existence.

 

His mercies are new every morning. This is a new day. Perhaps you are discouraged. Perhaps you are just living day to day. When God’s mercies are new each day that is not a bad way to live. He does not give us mercy today for tomorrow. He does not give us mercy today to live in the past. He gives us mercy this day for this day.

 

He is our portion—He is more than that. Christ is our life! We live today by Him. Today we have His presence. Everything we need is in Him and we have Him today! Put your trust in Him today. You have faith that He has saved you. Have faith today that He is with you, that He sustains you, that He will live His life through you.

 

If you are waiting for the Lord’s answer see it as a good thing. Wait on Him in quiet trust. If that is your yoke to bear then please remember that you do not bear it alone. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” What did He mean? Yoke were designed for a pair of oxen. On one side was the stronger, more experienced ox. Call Him “The Trainer.” That is the Jesus side. On the other side was the smaller, less experienced ox. Call him “The Trainee.” That is our side. He pulls the load, and for our part we get to be bridled with Him. Not a bad partnership… for us! He said, “Take My yoke and learn of Me.”  If you’re waiting you are learning. Learn well. Watch and listen closely. Trust Jesus. Enjoy the fellowship. 

The Necessity of Self-Examination

Lamentations 3:40–42 (HCSB)

      Let us search out and examine our ways,

      and turn back to the LORD.

      Let us lift up our hearts and ‹our› hands

      to God in heaven:

      We have sinned and rebelled;

      You have not forgiven.

 

Have you heard about the farmer who had a pond that became stagnant and rank? The stench became unbearable. He had to drain it to find the problem. When he took the grate off the drain he found it was completely stopped up—by two huge bullfrogs! But how did they manage to get in there? The holes on the grate were too small for them to swim through. Then he got it—they had swum through when they were tadpoles. Then they got big!  

 

Small vices that go unchecked become big vices. At first the life of the Spirit is only stymied, but after a while it is completely blocked.

 

Someone said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” We do not like to examine our hearts for fear of what we might find there. But we must do it if we are to be productive Christians.

 

Let us search out and examine our hearts, and turn back to the Lord! Then revival might come. 

Let God be God!

The last few chapters of Jeremiah predict and describe the downfall of Babylon. Babylon had been the instrument God used to punish His people for their idolatry. He kept them there seventy years, and then He set them free to return to their homeland. God raised up another leader (Cyrus) and another nation (Persia) to defeat Babylon. He had used the Babylonians, but then He had to punish them for doing what He had raised them up to do. Does this sound fair?

 

What’s fair got to do with it? God is God, and He can do whatever He wants to. Mike Melendez gave me the best definition for sovereignty i've ever heard: "Sovereignty means that God can do whatever He wants to and it's right." 

People have a problem with that. Tough! Just accept it. It seems they also want a God they can understand, predict and control. Sorry, can't do it. 

There are two simple rules: First, God is God. Second, I ain't. 

We have to allow God to be God and know that He has a plan. It may not seem fair or make sense right now, but in the end we will see that God’s plan is perfect. Praise His Name!

Unworthy Shepherds

Jeremiah 50:6 (HCSB)

      My people are lost sheep;

      their shepherds have led them astray,

      guiding them the wrong way in the mountains.

      They have wandered from mountain to hill;

      they have forgotten their resting place.

 

Breakthrough! But I don’t like it, because it refers to me… to my kind… to shepherds. These are not good shepherds. They led the people astray. I do not know if they deliberately led them astray. They were probably just lost themselves. In their arrogance they did not know the way but they would not admit their mistake. Instead, like a man driving a car they refused to pull over and ask directions. They kept going, getting further and further away from their “resting place.”

 

What is this “resting place”? It is the Lord! He is our resting place. When we put our trust in Him there is peace. When we try to figure things out ourselves and trust in our own abilities we get into trouble. Part of that trouble is anxiety—the opposite of rest. Once we start down that road of relying on our own resources to find our way and solve our problems we have to keep thinking and striving to covers our mistakes, and then we have to keep thinking and striving to cover those mistakes, and then we have to…. Get the picture? It’s a vicious cycle that gets us lost on the outside and knotted up on the inside.

 

The alternative is to obey God and trust Him. I heard Charles Stanley say once, “When we obey God He is responsible for the consequences of our obedience.” I’ve not forgotten that. The Chief Shepherd never gets lost. As long as we follow Him we can lie down in safety and not be afraid. The way may not be easy, but we have His peace on the inside. We also have His promise that, whatever we face along the path, He will supply us what we need to push through. 

Dry Spells

I’ve read about a dozen chapters of Jeremiah since yesterday and… nothing. If it’s there I’m not seeing it. Just nothing is speaking to me. Since I’ve started this blog I feel compelled to say something. So maybe there is a lesson here.

 

What do you do when you’re not getting anything out of your daily Bible reading? Keep reading! There are periods like this. I assume everyone has them. Jeremiah lived a pretty long and eventful life and he only wrote fifty-two chapters. If he had used his imagination he could have written fifty-two books. But since he was committed to write only what the Lord gave him, well, fifty-two chapters is what we get.

 

That is not to say that God does not have something to say to us everyday, but He may just say it in different ways. In fact, sometimes God cannot say it to us—He has to show it to us.

 

Anyway, the point is this: keep reading. You will not get a bombshell revelation every day. That’s okay. Just keep reading. Keep praying. Keep on keeping on.

 

I heard a guy put it like this: “I have been married for thirty years. Most every day of those thirty years my wife has cooked for me.  For the life of me I don’t remember what was on the menu for one single meal. Don’t get me wrong; my wife is a great cook. But no single meal just jumps out at me as outstanding. Does that mean I didn’t get anything out of it? Look at me! Do I look malnourished? I’m as healthy as a horse. It’s the overall effect of consistency.”

 

I’ve had thousands of quiet times, but no single time jumps out as outstanding. I’ve had some of those; I just can’t remember any of them off the top of my head. I’d probably be hard pressed to remember one if I sat down and strained my brain over it. But am I spiritually undernourished? I’m still here. I’m not where I want to be but I have grown. The Holy Spirit has given me every day what I needed whether I was aware of it or not.

 

So, hang in there. Keep reading. Keep digging. The breakthroughs will come. 

No Forgiveness without Repentance

Jeremiah 36:3 (HCSB)

Perhaps, when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their wrongdoing and sin."

 

Judah did not repent. Nebuchadnezzar besieged and conquered Jerusalem. Many perished. Most were deported. Only those who had either escaped or were too weak to travel were left behind. God did this because His people refused to repent of their idolatry. He still had a plan for His people, but it was not carried out through this generation. In fact, seventy years past before the Jews returned to their homeland under Nehemiah and Ezra. A whole generation knew nothing but Babylonian slavery.

 

Hegel said, “God will forgive; after all, it is his business.”

 

He was a fool. God does forgive, but it is never without repentance.

 

Please understand that: God will not forgive deliberate sin without repentance. If we willfully disobey God, but refuse to repent, God does not forgive that sin.

 

I have had ladies say to me: “My husband is cheating on me. He refuses to stop seeing this other woman. Should I just forgive him?”

 

The answer is “No—not until he repents.”  God does not forgive without repentance. He does not just look the other way and pretend everything is okay. He is very patient, but He does punish sin—even the sin of His own children.

 

But God will forgive—every time—if we turn away from our sin.

 

 

Prophecy Fulfilled

Jeremiah 33:10–11 (HCSB)

"This is what the LORD says: In this place which you say is a ruin, without man or beast—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without man, without inhabitant, and without beast—there will be heard again a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, and the voice of those saying,

      Praise the LORD of Hosts,

      for the LORD is good;

      His faithful love endures forever

as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the LORD.

 

God has made promises to Israel. He is going to keep those promises. One day He will bring them all back to the land that He pledged to give them-- and they will possess all of it. They will live in peace and they will worship in that land again—but they will not offer all the sacrifices described in the Bible. They will offer “thank offerings.” There will be no need to offer sacrifices for atonement because there will be no more need.

 

Jeremiah 33:14–18 (HCSB)

"Look, the days are coming"—‹this is› the LORD’s declaration—"when I will fulfill the good promises that I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

In those days and at that time I will cause a Branch of righteousness to sprout up for David, and He will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is what she will be named: The LORD Is Our Righteousness. For this is what the LORD says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel. The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices."

 

That “Branch of righteousness” is Jesus Christ. A branch is an offshoot and a piece of wood. Jesus is a descendant of king David and He died upon a wooden cross. He is become “Our Righteousness.” We do not have to do anything to make us right with God any longer. Everything that needs to be done has been done for us! He suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem—perhaps in that same place where God slew an animal to make clothes for Adam and Eve. He is our Righteousness. And He is our Priest. He has offered one eternal sacrifice for us. That blood remains upon the altar and it still works it’s power today.

 

Jesus is the fulfillment! 

God's friends

Jeremiah 33:1–3 (HCSB)

While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time: “The LORD who made the earth, the LORD who forms it to establish it, the LORD is His name, says this: Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and wondrous things you do not know.”

 

Jeremiah was locked up in a prison cell. He was there because he faithfully declared the message of the Lord—a message the king did not like.

 

I am sure he felt lonely... isolated… cut off. He may have even felt betrayed—he had spoken God’s message and look where it landed him! Had the Lord abandoned him? He may have been struggling with some doubts. You know the devil came to him and said, “You’re here because God doesn’t love you. He doesn’t care about you. He can’t help you. He’s not strong enough. Why, He may not even exist!”

 

Does this sound familiar to you? You might say, “Yeah, I’ve been there!”

 

Maybe you’re there right now.

 

Has God abandoned you? Has He forgotten about you? Are you there because God cannot do anything about your situation? Or maybe He does not really care about you?

 

Watch what happens. The LORD spoke to Jeremiah. He needed that! Listen to what the LORD said, “I am the LORD who made everything.” He reminds Jeremiah, “I’m a BIG God! I can handle anything—even your little predicament.”

 

Then he says—and this is the most precious thing of all—“Call on Me and I will show you great and wondrous things you don’t know.”

 

“I’ll tell you a secret. I’ll lay it all out for you.”

 

Isn’t that amazing? Like to get some of that?

 

It comes in the same place—in the prison!

 

God reveals His secrets to His friends, those He can trust to be faithful with the information. It’s not an easy life. It is sometimes very hard. The rewards are not convertibles and condos at the beach. The reward is a more intimate relationship with Him. The reward is to hear His secrets… to hear His heart. The reward is power with God.

 

You can have what you want. What do you want: an easy existence or a closer relationship? 

He's A Big BIG God!

Jeremiah 32:26–27 (HCSB)

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

"Look, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

 

Of course God is asking Jeremiah a rhetorical question. The answer is an emphatic one: “Nothing is too difficult for God!”

 

We need to be reminded of both facts. First, that He is the God of all flesh. He created everyone. We all belong to Him whether we acknowledge that fact or not. Ultimately He is in control of our lives, even those who don’t know Him.

 

Second, He is a Big God! He can do all things.

 

What are you faced with today? Are you feeling overwhelmed and under-qualified? Do you feel that your problems are insurmountable?

 

Remember this: your problems are not too big for God. He loves you. He can do all things. He will move heaven and earth to come to your rescue. He will help you. He is our Deliverer, our Refuge and our Strength. Call on Him in your trouble. Rely on Him. Watch Him work.

Does God Speak Through Dreams?

Jeremiah 31:26 (HCSB)

At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.

 

Jeremiah received a message from the Lord in his sleep. People ask me occasionally, “Do you believe God speaks through dreams?”  Well, does He? Allow me to make a few observations.

 

First… why not? God can do anything, right? So if He wants to speak to us through a dream He can.

 

Second, the Bible backs it up. God spoke to people through dreams in the Bible. I believe the Bible is a pretty reliable witness (my tongue is way up in my cheek!).

 

Third—and very important—any message God gives in a dream is going to gee haw with His Word. The test is never our experience, but God’s Word. That could be last night’s pizza speaking. If God said it then it will never contradict His Word—it will always agree with His Word.

 

Fourth, if God gives you a message in a dream and Scripture affirms it then you better get with it—I mean right now! Don’t stand before God one day and have Him look at you and say, “How many ways do I have to speak to you before you get it?”

 

Fifth, if it is from God you’ll wake up feeling refreshed.  In fact, it may be the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had!

 

Don’t ever put limits on what God can do. If you do then prepare to be stretched.