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: Thursday, August 08, 2019
Chapters: Jeremiah 4-6
Message: Why Call Me Lord?
Hello My Friend,
We know of God’s judgments, His mercy and grace toward those who love Him. We know of God’s anger, His hatred of sin, and the judgments from it. We know the great lengths God has gone through so that those who love Him would be pardoned for their sin. And we know that God so loved the world that it is His Son that He sent to pardon those who love Him. There is something we may not know or fully understand about God, and that is how much He grieves for His people. Yes, God is a just God, and He will chasten His people that they might be a reflection of His Son. Yes, God is faithful and just to forgive us of all our unrighteousness when we confess our sin to Him. Yes, His judgment stands, He will destroy the earth because of all its evil. And yes, there is not a day that goes by that He does not grieve for His people because of His judgment. Why? Because they call Him Lord, but refuse to do the things He says. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46.
“And why call ye me, Lord,” It is a sad fact that a good majority of saved, born again Christians take their salvation for granted. Meaning they know they are saved, but they live is sin because they know they are saved by grace. The fear of God has gotten about as vain as the fear of parents, a job, or even the law, people are unruly, disrespectful of any kind of authority, and can care less that they are crucifying Jesus all over again. Do you think God is going to take these things lightly? Yes, we are all sinners, yes, we sin every day, but our salvation is not a means to live the way we please and not face the consequences for it. Judgment comes to the house of God first, but seeing His people living in sin grieves Him greatly, and He pleads with them to repent. Judah was about to be taken over by Babylon, the people refused to listen to Jeremiah and the other prophets who urged them to repent. Through Jeremiah, God is crying out to them, but they refuse to listen.
“Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.” – Jeremiah 4:18-22,27-28.
“My bowels, my bowels!” Back in these days people did not know the contents of their body, they believed their gut was the inner source of how they truly felt. Since we are made in God’s image, He feels what we feel, and if His faithful are grieving over the state of our godless churches, think of how God must feel. And He will chasten every church that leads His people into sin, but because He made a promise not to put an end to them, after they have suffered a while He will settle them. God has a deep pain for His people He does not want to see them suffering in their sin, but they remain doing so because they are not being taught the truth. You can tell people how much Jesus loves them all you want, and you can tell them that He died on the cross, but if you do not tell them why He died on the cross, and just what they are believing in then they will continue to live in sin. Jesus said, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” – Matthew 15:8-9.
“teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Of course, Jesus was referring to the religious people, and let me tell you, creating a version of God’s Word that takes out the punishment for sin, and the blood required for redemption is not from God, it is the doctrine of man, and those who create and follow these false Bibles, and form their doctrines from them will face the wrath of God, many already have. Through Jeremiah, God addresses those who proclaim Him, yet live in sin, believing that no evil will come upon them, and the false prophets.
“Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.” – Jeremiah 5:1-5,9,12-13.
“neither shall evil come upon us;” The Jews believe they are automatically saved because they are Jews, the churches believe they are automatically saved because they speak of Jesus. None of them will be saved unless they know the truth, and the whole truth, that Jesus came to save sinners who only believe in and call upon Him for their salvation. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” – Romans 10:12-15.
“that preach the gospel of peace,” You want peace in this evil world? You need Jesus. God does not want to see the earth destroyed, and He certainly does not want a single soul to end up in hell, but that choice is up to each individual. If you ever wondered why entire nations are not destroyed right now, it is because someone in them loves Jesus. And let me tell you, the days in which God will not find any that seek Jesus are coming fast, more and more people are rejecting Christ over the world every year, and even worse, many Christians are doing the same. Through Jeremiah, God expresses His anger toward the saved who live sinful lives, and not a bit ashamed.
“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.” – Jeremiah 6:15-20,30.
“therefore they shall fall among them that fall:” Saved, born again Christians may not face the second death and hell, but they will fall among the wicked, because they will suffer and die in their sin unless they repent, and if they continually live in sin with no repentance He will take them home where they can no longer hurt themselves or anyone else. Saved, born again Christians are the salt of the earth, we are to be seasoning the world with the Gospel, healing the cuts of the wounded, and throwing it out on the ice cold heart, but instead, many have been tainted it by the world, they have lost their savor, and their sacrifices are no longer acceptable. “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” – Luke 14:34-35.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.” – Jeremiah 4:2.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for reminding me once again of just how much You love me and how blessed I am to be one of Yours. For the life of me I do not understand why you are so willing when sometimes I am not, but You are faithful and just to forgive all my unrighteousness and continue to use me to tell the world about Your Son, and even Your people of how they ought to be living by Your Word. It truly is grieving to see our nations run by so much evil, and I can only imagine how much it grieves you, and how much you just want them to see Your Son again, and turn away from their sin. Lord, I am Yours, and I want to be that salt that seasons the world with Your Gospel, that helps heal wounds, and melts the heart of the lost and backslidden, put Your hedge of protection around me, fill me with Your power, mercies, grace, compassion, and a passion to reach the lost. And I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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