King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Saturday, August 10, 2019
Chapters: Jeremiah 10-13
Message: Keep Your Heart And Mind Through Christ
Hello My Friend,
As you read through the prophecy books, and of the judgments of God, it can get a little disheartening. It is not as though we do not want them to come to pass, after all, when Christ does return, His people will not have to endure it. You just get the sense that you are all alone in all this, and that nothing you do in your faith is ever noticed, especially when you face one trial after another. Can I tell you, the trials we face in our faith are not the same as what the world faces, they are not unnoticed, nor are they vain, for every trial we face with Christ leads us to the peace that passes understanding. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” – Philippians 4:7-9.
“shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Let me tell you how important it is to keep our hearts and minds through Christ, we are going to face many trials because we stand behind Christ. It is actually the trials we face in our faith that open our hearts, teach us how to deal with each and every issue the way God would lead us, and gives us mercy, grace, compassion, and love that only Christ can give to all people. When you see how evil and corrupt the world is getting you cannot help, but see their need for Jesus, I mean, they are looking to everything else, but God. If we have learned anything from Israel, it ought to be the importance of obeying God rather than sacrifice. Here is Israel, they have forgotten the Law, turned to every man made god and idol, but refuse to return to God, even though they know Him, and He has pleaded with them time and time again. He already sent judgment upon the northern kingdom, Judah was about to be judged for their sin, Jeremiah pleads with them to hear what God is saying, and stop trusting in the false gods of the world.
“Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.” – Jeremiah 10:1-7.
“for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” There are many religions in the world who are just idle, they are not doing anything evil, but not much good either. Some of them are so strict that they refuse to observe any holy days, even associating these verses with the Christmas tree as it being an idol. Being idle does not lead souls to Christ, in fact, being idle will lead souls to hell because they are so faithful to their religion that they will not listen to one word of the Gospel. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” – Matthew 12:35-37.
“For by thy words thou shalt be justified,” It is our words that will justify or condemn us because they are what come from the heart. When we proclaim Christ and tell of God’s judgment to come, the world and the religious are going to get angry, and they are going to fight us every chance they get, but we need not fear them because our words will be justified. As Jeremiah was telling the people what God wanted them to know they did not like it and began conspiring to kill him as though that would have stopped it from happening. Their sins were many, but what angered God most was their arrogance as though He would not condemn them because they were Jews, and in their worshiping false gods. As you read the verses, it is actually God describing His Son, as a tree.
“For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble. What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal. And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings. But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.” – Jeremiah 11:13-19.
“that his name may be no more remembered.” The religious thought if they killed Jesus that He would be remembered no more, they thought if they killed Jesus the people would return to their rule, they thought if they killed Jesus that they would be the ones praised with honor and glory. What they got was a risen Saviour that will never be forgotten, a Judge who would set them free from their religion, and a KING who would be praised with honor and glory forever. Amen! The religious hate the truth of the Bible more than anyone, the real reason is because they are convicted, they know the way they are living is wrong, instead of repenting, they seek to destroy. Jeremiah tries to understand why no one is listening and are trying to kill him, he asks God why the wicked prosper and do not get punished for the things they do when he is getting punished.
“Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.” – Jeremiah 12:1-3,7,14-15.
“after that I have plucked them out I will return,” You see, the judgments God’s faithful face are not judgments at all, they are the worlds reactions to the news that their judgments are fatal. Christ’s people, both Jew and Gentile, have an inheritance awaiting them, one so grand that every single one of us who already left this earth, and are in heaven will resurrect as Jesus did to receive their new glorified and immortal body’s. Amen! “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” – I Corinthians 15:52-54,57-58.
Since God is the Creator, we can make a false assumption that He creates some people good, some evil, and some in between. However, that is really not how God works, yes, He is the Creator, and every baby born is precious, and good. It is man that turns God’s good and precious creation into something evil, rather, it is their lusts and desires that do. Through Jeremiah, God addresses why some people are more accustomed to do evil.
“Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.” – Jeremiah 13:9-11,23-25.
“because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.” While we all have a little bit of evil in us, just like a leopard will always have spots, some people will always be evil. This is not something that God creates, it is something He allows because He gives us all the free will to choose how we live. We are all born with the knowledge of God in us from birth, He is forgotten by whoever raised them as they trusted in the falsehood. Does He know they will choose the evil? Yes. And if they are going to choose the evil way, He will still use that to His advantage. All things work together for good to them who love God. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” – Romans 8:28-30.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” – Jeremiah 10:10.
Today’s Prayer: God, Help me to remain faithful to You and your calling upon my life. Strengthen and grow my faith as I daily search Your Scriptures and apply their truths to my spiritual walk. As I go through the trials and experiences of my earthly journey would You fix my eyes and my heart upon You. Search me, Lord, and if there is any evil in me, break me free from the bondage of it, and let everything I do being glory to You. Let me not forget Your truths or trust any falsehoods, only look to You in every area of my life. I ask this in Your name Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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