King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 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.]
Date: Thursday, August 11, 2022
Chapters: JEREMIAH 14-17
Study: Faithful Servant
Hello My Friend,
It seems like every day we are hearing about some shortage of a necessity as the prices of things like dairy products, eggs, and chicken increase due to these shortages. On top of that, we have these companies showing up with these food containers that are filled with x amount food for x amount of days should we get to a place where we are in a famine. I know people who have storage units of food for that purpose as well. Then when I read this passage I knew that God is talking to His faithful right now.
[Jeremiah 17:7-10 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.]
Here I am just living paycheck to paycheck, trying to catch up on bills that got behind when I was facing my own famine. Am I worried about a food shortage? Am I worried that my bills will not get caught up? Not one bit. Of course, I am concerned, as anyone else would be of what is going on, and do wonder at times if I will ever get caught up, but I am trusting in God, and He will surely supply. If those verses sound familiar, well, we have heard them before, [Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.]
I spent a good amount of time with God this morning talking to Him about my plans for the future, then He reminded me that my plans may not be what His plans for me are. He also reminded me that His timing is everything as well, and who am I to question what job He has for me or what position, for that matter. Last week, I had a conversation with my pastor, he wants me to oversee our missionaries, and also our prayer list. For years I have been a Sunday school teacher or worked with kids in some capacity, but perhaps it is time for me to hand over my reins and start a new position as a servant of God. I tell you what, these past few years have been a challenge as we are heading toward a famine upon the entire earth like we have never seen. And as we continue in the reading of Jeremiah, God, warns of this.
[Jeremiah 14:1-5 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. 2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. 3 And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. 4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. 5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.]
[concerning the dearth.] [Dearth; Scarcity; as a dearth of corn; Want; need; famine; Words of restraints] This would be a time when there would be no rain, sort of like when God had omitted rain from the Northern Kingdom for three years due to Israel’s sin. Can you imagine a drought upon the entire earth? Water, is the very key to life itself, without water we have no wheat or corn for bread, we have no fruits and vegetables to sustain us, nor grass for the animals to eat. In other words, life as we know it will fade quickly, but that time will come. Why? Well, two reasons, His people that refuse to repent and the false prophets who are leading them to sin. God, goes on to explain this, and even goes on to tell Jeremiah not to pray for them.
[Jeremiah 14:11-15 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. 12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. 13 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. 14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. 15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.]
[prophesy unto you a false vision and divination,] All of these churches telling you how much Jesus loves you and died for you, yet omit that He died to save them from hell for their sins are all liars and wicked. The sad thing is that their members believe the lies and are headed straight for hell. You see, those who believe the lies love to hear this, [John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.] What they do not want to hear is this, [John 3:18-19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.]
Someone who accepts Christ under the false pretenses honestly needs to make sure they know what salvation is. The reason that they believe the lies is actually two reasons; one; they have been led to believe that there is no consequence to sin, and two; they like living in their sin. And let me tell you, God is faithful and just to forgive our sin whenever we come to Him for repentance, but He does get weary from all the constant unfaithfulness from His people. And as God continues, He expresses how weary He is with His people.
[Jeremiah 15:1-3,6-7 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. 3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. 6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. 7 And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.]
[therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee,] Do you know how many people in same sex marriages, or committing fornication, or cheating on their spouses are saved, born again Christians? Honestly, I do not know that number, but it is a staggering amount. And this is why God judges His house first, even if they are ignorant to their faith. While we may not have hell to face, life itself might as well be like hell on earth for those who are unrepentant and remain in their sin, and it will be the death of them, [1 John 5:16-18 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.]
Do you see the clause there that keeps the devil at bay? Now, Satan, will always try to inflict us with doubt and temptation in an attempt to take our minds off the promise that God has for us. Well, God even allows that for the fact that he is proving us and trying our reins. With that said, our safety and protection from the evil is contingent upon our obedience to God. We are not perfect by a long shot, but we are perfect in Christ and our faithfulness to Him is what shows God that we are serious about our salvation. Through Jeremiah, God promises that while we are going to face some adversity because in our walk, we will still be saved from what is to come.
[Jeremiah 15:19-21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.]
[and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.]
[Jeremiah 16:3-4 For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; 4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.]
[They shall die of grievous deaths;] What would make God so angry that He would have no more mercy upon these people? God explains why, [Jeremiah 16:11-13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; 12 And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: 13 Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.]
[where I will not shew you favour.] So many people want the favor of God without actually doing anything, and while God’s grace does go pretty far, there does come a time when enough is enough and there will be no more favors until He sees some repentance in effort. Nevertheless, His anger is only for a moment,
[Jeremiah 16:16-19 Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. 17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. 18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things. 19 O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.]
[the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth,] It will be said that where we were once not His people, but now we are, solely upon our faith in Christ, [1 Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.]
If there is no better time than to be out there telling the lost about Jesus, it is now. Whenever we put our trust in man to save us, we can be sure that two things are going to happen, the loss of liberties and it will be required to be paid payback, and with interest. However, whenever we put our trust in Christ, we may suffer a bit, but we will survive, and will be blessed, even if it takes a lifetime to see it.
[Jeremiah 17:1-5 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; 2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3 O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. 5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.]
[shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee;] Salvation does not justify sin! Repeat, salvation does not justify sin! And this is exactly why there are so many Christians suffering today. This actually brings tears to my eyes, I can only imagine the tears that it brings to God’s. I bet some of those afternoon thunderstorms I see every day are God’s tears. Our souls may be saved, but that does not mean that our bodies will not suffer in our sin, which is why we need to be repentant every single day, confessing our sin, and asking Him to forgive us for our failing Him. If we are not sincere, He will not hear one prayer, [James 4:14-17 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank you, for Your gift of eternal life though our faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ alone. There is not one thing that we need to do for our soul to be saved other than to trust Him as our Saviour. Jesus, since You gave Your life for us, let us become the faithful servants that You call us to be. Salvation, has gotten sloppy, Christians are forsaking Your Word, ignoring it, and even refusing to hear what You have to say, using their salvation as a cloak for their sin. Lord, open their hearts, eyes, and ears, help them see their need to let go of their sin while they have some time left here. As for your faithful servants, give us Your hedge of protection, shied us with Your mercies and grace, and keep us repentant. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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