JEREMIAH

Today is Friday.  Last night I was priviledged to lead a lady to Jesus Christ who wanted to know she was going to Heaven.  Here children want to ride our bus to Church as well.  It may be that she and her husband will attend our Spanish Church too.  I'm in Jeremiah this morning, and here are a few things I want to share:   1) GLORY IN THIS!- Jeremiah 9:23 "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:  (vs. 24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:  for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."  We don't glory in ourselves, or our accomplishments, but in the LORD, for all things come from Him, and all of our accomplishments, are His, not ours.  Let us determine to glory in the LORD today!  Let us praise His Holy name!  Let us listen to His voice and obey!  Let us sing unto His great name!  To glory means to give credit and adoration to.  To exalt!  To love and to cherish!  We glory in the LORD!   2) WE MUST BEAR IT- Jeremiah 10:19 says:  "Woe is me for my hurt!  my wound is grievous:  but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it."  Life is full of hurts and griefs, and we must learn to bear them.  We bear them, by letting the LORD bear them!  We exist by letting the LORD bear our bruises and our hurts!  He loves us and desires to have us cast our cares upon Him.  This is how we "bear" our burdens, our griefs, our pain.  We give them to the LORD, we do not meditate upon the pain... it will destroy us.  We meditate on our God who allows us with His help to bear the grief.  Bear your grief with a smile when you have put it on Jesus!   3) WRITTEN ON THE HEART- Jeremiah 17:1 says:  "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 hearts, and upon the horns of your altars;"  God writes His judgments upon our hearts.  Our conscious mind knows right from wrong.  God saw that it does!  He wrote out His basic laws on our hearts.  We are hard wired with God's commandments, so that we are all without excuse!    4) CURSE OR BLESSING.... WE CHOOSE!  In chapter 17, we see that God gives Judah a choice.  A Curse or a Blessing.  InJeremiah 17:5  "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."   We see that the Curse comes when we trust in man and the works of the flesh, but the Blessing comes when we look to the Lord and trust only in Him!  Jeremiah 17:7  "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."  Now the next verse tells us about this blessing.  What we can expect if we decide to put our faith and trust in the LORD.  Here it is:  Jeremiah 17:8  "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."   Sounds pretty good.... I think I'll choose the blessings.... how about you?     5) GOD TO EARTH.... LISTEN UP!  Jeremiah 22:29 says:  "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word o the LORD."  I think God is trying to tell the earth something.  I think God wants us to listen to the LORD and to His Word!  Well, the earth might not be listening, but I sure want to.  Speak LORD, for thy servant heareth!   Well, I have so much more to say, but my time has come and gone.  May God richly bless you today!   Pastor Mike Mutchler