JEREMIAH

Today is Wednesday.  Tonight we begin our Mission's Conference.  I am excited about it and looking forward to a great time this week as we put the spotlight on Missions.  I hope you can attend if you life around us.  For all of our members, I'm looking forward to seeing you there!  Here are some thoughts from Jeremiah again:   1) WHOSE WORDS SHALL STAND- Along with the above truth, here is another one:  "shall know whose words shall stand, mine or theirs."  Jer. 45:28  God is saying this.  He is saying in time people will see whose words shall stand.... His or theirs!  God's Word will stand!!  You can bank on that. 2) STRONG HEARTS TURN WEAK- In Jer. 48:41 it says: "and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs."  Tough men turn weak when they stand before the judgment of God.  So many times I've witnessed to men, who acted tough, but they will not be tough in God's presence, and they will not be tough in Hell.  In an instant, they will be crying out like a woman in birth.  Let us be compassionately persistent when witnessing to strong men.  3) ISRAEL REMAINS- Jeremiah ends with Judgment on different nations like: Philistines, Moab, Ammonites, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Babylon.  These nations are never heard of again as a nation.  Jer. 51:5 says: "For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of host;"  All of these other nations were destroyed and never heard of again, but Israel was judged and God brought them back together again.  WHY?  Because they were chosen by God to bring forth His Son, Jesus Christ.  So, though God judged them, He kept bringing them back together and blessing them.  God does love Israel and will again bring them back to Himself during the tribulation time. 4) BABYLON IS THROUGH- In Jer. 51:13, God says to mighty Babylon: "O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness."  God rises up a nation and lowers it.  Perhaps that is what God is doing to America and the nations of the earth right now financially.  We must look to the Lord and know that all will be well as we trust Him.  In the captivity of Israel, remember that they went into captivity with Babylon, and then Babylon was overtaken by the Medes and Persians.  So they were servitude to two world powers during the seventy years of captivity.  Daniel was a chief counselor in both of their rule. 5) THINK ON HIM AND HER- The Him is God; and the Her is Jerusalem.  In Jer. 51:50, it says: "… remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind."  Here the captives were going into captivity, and God's prophet is told to say: "remember the LORD afar off"; don't forget God, do turn back to Him, do think on Him.  And then, "and let Jerusalem come into your mind."  This is what Nehemiah did.  He thought about Jerusalem even though at his age, he had never seen it!  Now, I've not seen the LORD, but I think about Him; I've not seen Heaven, but I think about it!  Lord, help me to think of you throughout the day, let me dwell on that which is eternal.  Forgive me when I get earthly minded, and give attention to worldly things that bring you no pleasure.  Help me LORD, to think on my great God! 6) BROKEN AND ABANDONED- In Jer. 52, we see that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and that only the poorest of the people were left in the impoverished land.  Then all of the houses were burned, and all worth taken was taken from the city and the temple.  When God humbles a land, He does a good job of it.  Let us not be found out needing to be humbled by God.  Rather, let us chose ourselves to walk humbly before God knowing that He is in control at all times.