A Commanded To See

I enjoy reading the book of Jeremiah.  I came across the verse quoted yesterday and found there was a lot there so I decided to break it up and spread it out over a few days.  Yesterday we saw that we are “Commanded To Stand”.

Today we are going to look at the next command of this verse. Look at Jeremiah 6;16, “Jeremiah 6:16, “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.”

We are commanded to see.  If you are like me you can look at something and not see it.  We don’t perceive it.  this is not good.  It is like eating a meal with someone and they have a crumb or something on them and you or I don’t say anything.  We see it; but, we will not do anything about it.   We see it; but, we are not motivated to do something about it.
This is the problem with too many Christians today.  We will sit comfortable in our padded Church pews while the world goes to Hell and we do nothing about it.  God is exhorting Jeremiah and the nation of Israel to open their eyes and see.We as God’s children need to open our eyes and see.  We need to see as God sees.  That is the problem. we let our sight be skewed by a host of things.  We do not see men and women as God does, lost and on their way to eternity in hell.  Jesus taught more about hell than He did heaven so why do we not attempt to warn people about it?  We have lost our vision.  We have given up the mission.  We have set aside compassion.  In other words we are no longer living like Christ.  God help us!So, how are you doing?

Hold Fast 6

It is sad; but, we have become a people of entitlement.  We expect someone else to provide for us.  To give us what we want.  This is far too often way more than we need.  There is a deep and wide chasm between want and need.  As I progress in years I am very, very slowly learning this truth.

It has been said that within the Church that 20% of the people do 80% of the work.  I can see this.  It should not be this way though.  It should be 100% of the people doing 100% of the work.  I know, I know, dream on Preacher.  Just because it is not the reality does not negate the fact that it should be the reality.

We need to “Hold Fast to our Service”.  Look at Hebrews 12:28, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”  I like the phrase “serve God acceptably”.  It is not just being busy in the ministry.  It is; as Jesus said we are to be “about my Father’s business”.  He was not referring to carpentry; unless, you want to say it is carpentry to build the Kingdom of God.

We need to get back to an old fashioned Christianity where God’s people served Him with all their heart and soul.

So, how are you doing?

Bring Back The Glory 3

Today it seems so easy to let things drop.  I mean we have allowed ourselves to get so busy.  I know personally that I struggle with that very thing.  If we are not careful “life” will crowd out the things in life that are good and godly.  I have been there too.

We need to set up priorities that coincide with the Scriptures.  If we do then when we follow them we will not get into so much trouble.  We need to work together too.  I know far too many so-called “brothers” who would not go out of their way to help anyone.  The mentality of “Me, my four and no more.”

We need to get back to Bible Christianity.  I mean really people.  We see the elders and the Levites came together for a common cause.  That cause was to bring back the ark.  The ark symbolized the presence of God.  They wanted to “Bring Back The Glory” and they did something about it.  Look at II Chronicles 5:4-5, “And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.  And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.”  It is high time that we get to work for the cause of Christ and the glory of God.

So, how are you doing?

Stinking Feet

In John chapter 12 Jesus identifies Himself to His disciples again as God the Son.  He has walked with them, talked with them and loved them supremely.  Sadly, one would still betray Him.  We know by the eye of faith that Jesus is the Sinless Son of God.  There is no disputing that fact.

Then in John 13 Jesus suddenly gets up from dinner and does what nobody in the room expects.  Jesus, the Son of God, puts on a towel and begins to wash the disciples feet.  I don’t know about you; but, I do not like feet.  They are dirty, nasty and smelly.  Yet, God in the flesh took a towel and a basin of water and began to wash all of the disciples feet.  Yes, even Judas who would soon betray Him.

This really struck home for me today.  Maybe for you it means nothing.  It means a lot to me.  Jesus was the epitome of being a servant.  He showed these men by example how to serve one another.

What does this mean to me?  Look at John 13:12, “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?”  It shows me that humble service is possible.  It does not discriminate; but, simply goes on to serve.  God forgive me and help me to be the servant leader You have called me to be.

So, how are you doing?

Simple

The Israelites were miraculously delivered from Egypt and began a journey to the land God promised to them.  The bad thing is that when they met adversity they immediately wanted to return to slavery in Egypt.  They would doubt God and bring false accusations against Him.  It is no wonder that He offered to kill them.  Thankfully for them, Moses stood up for them and God allowed them to live.

There were two men that had a vision of what God could do.  They were Caleb and Joshua.  Look at Numbers 13:30-31, “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.  But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”  Caleb and Joshua served a big God and they had faith that He would deliver the inhabitants into their hands.  Because of their unbelief they had to wander for forty years in the desert when they could have just crossed over and took it.

How many of us have the same problem?  We believe the naysayer and we doubt the God of Heaven who created everything.  I speak this to my shame as well as yours.  Someone once said, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”  Dwell on that for a while.  Solomon said it this way in Proverbs 14:15, “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”  It is time for us to quit listening to the naysayer and start listening to God.  If we will do this we will go farther and do more.

So, how are you doing?