Monday, September 09, 2013, 2:41 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Jesus Paid It All” playing in my mind. I read Jeremiah 37-38. I took some notes on the passages, and then I went back to sleep for a couple more hours. I woke again around 9:00 a.m. I had a vision of someone descending stairs, and I heard in my mind, “The king came down.” Then, the Lord put the song “Amazing Grace” in my mind, and then I read Jer. 39 (ESV). I will quote selected passages from these three chapters.
They Did Not Listen
Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians. The king of Babylon made Zedekiah king of the land of Judah. Zedekiah pledged loyalty to the king of Babylon, but later he broke his promise. Evidently he turned to Egypt for help, and they had come to help, but now they were headed back home. The Babylonians would most certainly now come and burn Jerusalem to the ground, proving Zedekiah’s trust in mankind to be futile.
Yet, this was not Zedekiah’s greatest sin, nor was it the true cause of his ultimate downfall. His greatest sin was that he did not listen to the words of the Lord, nor did his servants nor did the people of the land. And, yet he sent word to Jeremiah asking him to pray for them to the Lord.
The Bible has much to say on this subject of not listening to God’s words and yet still expecting him to hear and to answer our prayers (See Micah 3:4; Is. 1:15; 65:12; Jer. 11:11-14; Amos 5:22-24; Matt. 6:7; 13:10-16; Jn. 10:27; 18:37; Jam. 1:5-8). If the Lord speaks to us, which he does, and time and time again we turn a deaf ear to what he says, or if we are like the person who looks intently in the mirror but immediately goes away and forgets what he looks like, not doing what the word says, how can we expect to receive anything from the Lord? We are like hypocrites just saying words which go nowhere. Yet, God may answer us, like he did Zedekiah, but it may not be an answer we like.
Burn it With Fire
The Bible also has much to say on the subject of not putting our trust in humans, in princes, or in manpower (our own strength and wisdom), as well as it has much to say on the subject of not following after lies and deceptions and messages which give a false hope. We are not to place our trust in humans, human leaders, politicians, church leaders, armies, governments, the institutional church and/or in our own resources and human abilities, because they are fallible and subject to failure and to disappoint us, plus they are subject to lies and deceptions. As well, putting our trust in other humans or in ourselves is idolatry, if we choose trust in mankind over trust in Almighty God.
Zedekiah’s downfall was two-fold: 1) He didn’t listen (heed) the words of God, and 2) He put his trust in humankind over and above God. And, this speaks to many hearts yet today of those who claim faith in Almighty God and yet they fail to listen and to heed his words, and instead they put their faith and trust in mankind and in human resources and in human reasoning. This is a HUGE problem in the institutional church here in America. God has been calling out to his church here in America for some time now for her to listen and obey, repent of her sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery, and for her to stop trusting in humans, but for her to trust in the Lord God/Jesus Christ as her only Lord.
If she does not listen and obey, and if she does not repent of her evil ways, and if she continues to put her trust in humankind over and above God, he promises he will judge her (See Rev. 2-3). Yet, this is truly his way of showing her grace. How? Because the purpose of God’s grace is that we are delivered from our bondage to sin and we are set free to worship, honor, love, and obey our Lord and to walk in his righteousness. If he cannot get us to listen via so many, many messages coming from his word and from his servants, then he will have to get our attention another way so that we will repent and we will obey, and so we will cease following after the ways of this world, but we will follow our Lord with all our hearts. This is called tough love, and it is what America needs right now if the church here is to be revived and set on fire for Jesus Christ and for his gospel.
Persecution
When people don’t want to hear the words of the Lord, and they don’t want to be confronted with their sins or told they need to repent, or when they don’t want to hear that God will judge them if they refuse his words, or if they refuse to repent and obey him, they may take out their anger and frustration on the messengers God sends. Many just want to hear happy-happy messages that make them feel good, that are non-threatening, non-judgmental, comfortable and that tickle their ears. This is the direction the institutional church here in America has been heading for some time now. Marketing techniques of humans for how to build “churches” has replaced Jesus’ plan for how to build his church. Humanistic philosophy has replaced the word of God. True worship has been replaced with feel-good fun and entertainment. And, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been diluted to where it no longer requires the sinner to turn from his sin or to obey Christ’s commandments, even though the word of God says we must if we want to have eternal life.
So, if we are preaching the true gospel, and especially if we are warning of impending judgment, we should expect to be persecuted, rejected, despised and ostracized. And, we may even be killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel. Yet, we are to be encouraged, because Jesus will never leave us or forsake us, and he will honor us even when no man does, and one day he will take us home to be with him, and there we will receive our eternal rewards for being his faithful servants.
I Will Fulfill My Words
When God makes a promise, he keeps it. It may be years before his words are fulfilled which were spoken through his prophets, yet they will come to pass, because God does not lie. He does not promise and then not fulfill. He told us via his prophets that a day was coming in which a global empire (the beast), symbolized here by the Babylonian kingdom, would take over the world and would rule for a short period of time. This beast kingdom has been forming for some time now, and has been in the workings for probably hundreds of years. Our government of the United States of America has been leading the way in this rise of this New World Order (the beast). For years they have been in the process of conquering the kingdoms of the world through intrigue, deception, false flag operations, man-made natural disasters, creating chaos in order to bring order; through war, and false messages, etc. Via TV they can deceive many to believe their lies, for it is such a powerful tool for deception and manipulation. So, even though they give an image that they are the “Saviors” of the world, truly the “grace” they purport to offer these hurting nations is a “Sinister Grace,” for it is riddled with evil intent, is threatening, and it intends harm.
Yet, God is using and will use their evil deeds as a means of his grace to the world in opening blinded eyes and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are being sanctified and made holy by our Lord Jesus (See Ac. 26:16-18; Is. 61). He is giving and will give the power to the beast to rule and to conquer the saints of God for a time (See Rev. 13), i.e. this rule is limited and it will be short, but God will accomplish his purposes in reviving his church, in preparing his bride for his return, and in advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world so that many, many will flock to Jesus Christ and to his salvation (See Isaiah 2). I believe this is what the prophets spoke about with regard to these last days, and although I don’t know exactly where we are on that timeline, I do know that this beast is forming, that it is conquering nations, and that our government has been instrumental to its success. Yet, God will come against our government in judgment, and he will use this beast to come against us, too. I believe that time is at hand.
Amazing Grace / John Newton
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
And Grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come.
'Tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me home.
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3yLV2M0rlc
They Did Not Listen
Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians. The king of Babylon made Zedekiah king of the land of Judah. Zedekiah pledged loyalty to the king of Babylon, but later he broke his promise. Evidently he turned to Egypt for help, and they had come to help, but now they were headed back home. The Babylonians would most certainly now come and burn Jerusalem to the ground, proving Zedekiah’s trust in mankind to be futile.
Yet, this was not Zedekiah’s greatest sin, nor was it the true cause of his ultimate downfall. His greatest sin was that he did not listen to the words of the Lord, nor did his servants nor did the people of the land. And, yet he sent word to Jeremiah asking him to pray for them to the Lord.
The Bible has much to say on this subject of not listening to God’s words and yet still expecting him to hear and to answer our prayers (See Micah 3:4; Is. 1:15; 65:12; Jer. 11:11-14; Amos 5:22-24; Matt. 6:7; 13:10-16; Jn. 10:27; 18:37; Jam. 1:5-8). If the Lord speaks to us, which he does, and time and time again we turn a deaf ear to what he says, or if we are like the person who looks intently in the mirror but immediately goes away and forgets what he looks like, not doing what the word says, how can we expect to receive anything from the Lord? We are like hypocrites just saying words which go nowhere. Yet, God may answer us, like he did Zedekiah, but it may not be an answer we like.
Burn it With Fire
The Bible also has much to say on the subject of not putting our trust in humans, in princes, or in manpower (our own strength and wisdom), as well as it has much to say on the subject of not following after lies and deceptions and messages which give a false hope. We are not to place our trust in humans, human leaders, politicians, church leaders, armies, governments, the institutional church and/or in our own resources and human abilities, because they are fallible and subject to failure and to disappoint us, plus they are subject to lies and deceptions. As well, putting our trust in other humans or in ourselves is idolatry, if we choose trust in mankind over trust in Almighty God.
Zedekiah’s downfall was two-fold: 1) He didn’t listen (heed) the words of God, and 2) He put his trust in humankind over and above God. And, this speaks to many hearts yet today of those who claim faith in Almighty God and yet they fail to listen and to heed his words, and instead they put their faith and trust in mankind and in human resources and in human reasoning. This is a HUGE problem in the institutional church here in America. God has been calling out to his church here in America for some time now for her to listen and obey, repent of her sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery, and for her to stop trusting in humans, but for her to trust in the Lord God/Jesus Christ as her only Lord.
If she does not listen and obey, and if she does not repent of her evil ways, and if she continues to put her trust in humankind over and above God, he promises he will judge her (See Rev. 2-3). Yet, this is truly his way of showing her grace. How? Because the purpose of God’s grace is that we are delivered from our bondage to sin and we are set free to worship, honor, love, and obey our Lord and to walk in his righteousness. If he cannot get us to listen via so many, many messages coming from his word and from his servants, then he will have to get our attention another way so that we will repent and we will obey, and so we will cease following after the ways of this world, but we will follow our Lord with all our hearts. This is called tough love, and it is what America needs right now if the church here is to be revived and set on fire for Jesus Christ and for his gospel.
Persecution
When people don’t want to hear the words of the Lord, and they don’t want to be confronted with their sins or told they need to repent, or when they don’t want to hear that God will judge them if they refuse his words, or if they refuse to repent and obey him, they may take out their anger and frustration on the messengers God sends. Many just want to hear happy-happy messages that make them feel good, that are non-threatening, non-judgmental, comfortable and that tickle their ears. This is the direction the institutional church here in America has been heading for some time now. Marketing techniques of humans for how to build “churches” has replaced Jesus’ plan for how to build his church. Humanistic philosophy has replaced the word of God. True worship has been replaced with feel-good fun and entertainment. And, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been diluted to where it no longer requires the sinner to turn from his sin or to obey Christ’s commandments, even though the word of God says we must if we want to have eternal life.
So, if we are preaching the true gospel, and especially if we are warning of impending judgment, we should expect to be persecuted, rejected, despised and ostracized. And, we may even be killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel. Yet, we are to be encouraged, because Jesus will never leave us or forsake us, and he will honor us even when no man does, and one day he will take us home to be with him, and there we will receive our eternal rewards for being his faithful servants.
I Will Fulfill My Words
When God makes a promise, he keeps it. It may be years before his words are fulfilled which were spoken through his prophets, yet they will come to pass, because God does not lie. He does not promise and then not fulfill. He told us via his prophets that a day was coming in which a global empire (the beast), symbolized here by the Babylonian kingdom, would take over the world and would rule for a short period of time. This beast kingdom has been forming for some time now, and has been in the workings for probably hundreds of years. Our government of the United States of America has been leading the way in this rise of this New World Order (the beast). For years they have been in the process of conquering the kingdoms of the world through intrigue, deception, false flag operations, man-made natural disasters, creating chaos in order to bring order; through war, and false messages, etc. Via TV they can deceive many to believe their lies, for it is such a powerful tool for deception and manipulation. So, even though they give an image that they are the “Saviors” of the world, truly the “grace” they purport to offer these hurting nations is a “Sinister Grace,” for it is riddled with evil intent, is threatening, and it intends harm.
Yet, God is using and will use their evil deeds as a means of his grace to the world in opening blinded eyes and turning them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are being sanctified and made holy by our Lord Jesus (See Ac. 26:16-18; Is. 61). He is giving and will give the power to the beast to rule and to conquer the saints of God for a time (See Rev. 13), i.e. this rule is limited and it will be short, but God will accomplish his purposes in reviving his church, in preparing his bride for his return, and in advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world so that many, many will flock to Jesus Christ and to his salvation (See Isaiah 2). I believe this is what the prophets spoke about with regard to these last days, and although I don’t know exactly where we are on that timeline, I do know that this beast is forming, that it is conquering nations, and that our government has been instrumental to its success. Yet, God will come against our government in judgment, and he will use this beast to come against us, too. I believe that time is at hand.
Amazing Grace / John Newton
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
And Grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come.
'Tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me home.
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3yLV2M0rlc