Jeremiah

No Middle Ground Ripe or Rotten When a man steps out of the covering of God's promises… the impact will always make waves for those who are not prepared for the waters headed their way. Josiah didn't rest, being restless with the circumstances, and took matters in his own hands, putting himself in a place and position that God promised he'd never see. Trust not in the counsel of men, even the wisest of men, when you have a direct word from the King. (Jeremiah 17) God, thirteen years earlier, promised Josiah he'd go to his grave in peace… (2 Kings 22:19-20) But, because of what appeared to be a threat, which was no threat, Josiah trusted his counselors, his heart and what he could see with his eyes and failed to cling to the promise and providential commitment of God. (2 Chronicles 35:20-27) Shepherds feed by leading their flocks to the right pastures… mislead sheep feed upon lies, falsehoods and deception. God's shepherds feed His sheep with truth. They are shepherds according to God's heart. (Jeremiah 3:15 ; Jeremiah 23). There's always a consequence to being unequally yoked. We see it with Josiah and each of his sons. These boys were the shame and product of their mother and her families influence upon them. #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #nomiddleground #jeremiah23 #jeremiah22 #jeremiah24 #2kings23 #2kings22and19thru20 #2chronicles35and20thru27 #2chronicles36 #jeremiah17 #Necho #Nebuchadnezzar #Josiah #newnames #ripe #rotten #figs #lost #saved #missionaries #feed #lead #mislead #Egypt #Godisnear #Godknows #Godsees #Godhears #ripeorrotten #shepherds #fed #pasture #waters #unequallyyoked #corruptedhearts #jackeduplove #jackedideas #corruptnation

God — The World's Greatest Problem and Our Only Solution Those who are sick WITH sin and KNOW it... are usually those who are sick OF sin and HATE it. Jesus says it best... "Those who are healthy have no need of the insight or instructions of a physician, but those who are sick know they need the professional perception and prescription of a doctor. I did not come to call the self righteous, those who cannot acknowledge or admit they are sin sick, but I came to cure and call sinners, who know and admit they need My help and healing, to repentance." ~ Jesus Now be prepared... if you come for His cure, He's not going to treat your symptoms that are causing you the misery, He's going to start with you. Yes, He's going to get to the root of the problem. He knows what He's doing and He knows who needs what. And He knows YOU need healing. For, without Him, you and your sins are a problem, for you, with God. You are under God's wrath... for your worst enemy in the world in not Satan, your issues or worldly problems, it's God, Himself. But... I'm so thankful for the "But God..." phrases of God and His grace in Christ Jesus. Without Jesus God is no doubt your worst nightmare but with Jesus as your greatest advocate you can be at peace with God. It's true, friends, only Jesus can deal or should I say, mediate that eternal problem for both you and God. God has a problem with you. And you, in your pride, have thought or acted as if you knew better than He. But Jesus, being both God and Man is the ONLY person ever that can reconcile both God's wrath and your natural rebellion toward Him. Jesus is (and must be ours, too), God's answer for His wrath…

Prerogatives of the Potter The effects and expectations of the gospel, that transforms and alters the heart and thinking of the repenting sinner, who's been saved by grace, having been made a new creature in Christ Jesus. (Jeremiah 16:19-21 ; Revelation 19:20-21) Those who have been bought, sought, caught and taught by Jesus can see and know that Jesus is God in the flesh and this revelation and regeneration changes their perspective and perception on God, life, grace and eternity. Jesus alters everything when He interrupts and invades a life. The prerogatives of the Potter and privilege of being a vessel of His mercy. Privileges of the pot… Prize within the pot… The place, the picture, the purpose… Jeremiah went where he was sent and he found it as God meant. They that went, because they were sent, found it just as their Master meant. Every generation has seen the contenders for God's glory and there's coming a Contender who will encapsulate the best and brightest of all of Satan's contending beast. The beast who have exalted and elevated lies and falsehoods to steal the hearts of humanity. Those who will bow to the Antichrist have already been marked and bowed to a lie that stands in the place of and opposes Christ in this world. #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #jeremiah16 #jeremiah16and19 #jeremiah16and19thru21 #revelation9and20 #jeremiah18 #jeremiah19 #effectsofgospel #effectsofthepotter #thevisionofthePotterandHisgospel #anger #anguish #flesh #public #private #habbakuk #repentance #light #open #eyes #aimless #worthless #idols #antichrist #contenders #surrender #lifeless #football #family #sports #work #money #marred #anguished #anger

Droughts • Disease • Devourer If My People — Avoiding Droughts, Devourers and Diseases 1. Return to Me. (Trust and come to Me with yourself, your sin, your past and your future.) 2. Acknowledge your sin. (Confess... come and agree with Me that your sin is yours --- and it is just as I have described it to you. Come to Me and you will see your sin as I see it. You have knowingly trespassed against Me because of the wickedness in your heart... acknowledge it and I will heal you!) 3. Turn from these offensive things, for Me... give Me your heart and all that you are. 4. Welcome my love and forgiveness with open arms, you are Mine and I want to lavish you with My unfailing love. 5. I will give you shepherds and teachers that have a heart for Me and they will have a heart to feed you with knowledge and understanding of Me and My ways. 6. I will make My presence known in and through your life. 7. I will be your hope, your joy, your peace, your confidence, your strength, your praise... your life. #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #jeremiah19 #jeremiah20 #jeremiah21 #jeremiah22 #1kings #2kings 2Chronicles7 #2chronicles7and13and14 #droughts #devour #death #famine #ourpartrepentance #humbleseekpray #turn #jeremiah3 #ifmypeople

Reaping — An Unavoidable Issue Reminders, Promises, Obligations When we are humble and meek before the Lord and His word... He molds and leaves His impression on us. But if we find ourselves hard hearted, like the current condition of this concrete, our lives only become bitter toward truth and eternally unimpressionable. No such thing as accidental obedience. God's not obligated to remind us. Good motives are no substitute for God's promise... the king's (Josiah) good motives not only cost him his life but the lives of many others. There are no substitutes for a fresh word from God nor are there any substitutes for a fresh reminder of a landmark day when God spoke, delivered or gave you what you needed at the time to help you walk with Him in the days ahead. Manasseh, with God's help, immediately began to restore all that he had done and lived the remainder of his days for the glory of God. After years and years of drifting and rebellion and deception and lawlessness he was now completely forgiven. Then the rescued king tried to throw his nation a lifeline. He made every attempt and effort possible to lead the nation back to shore in order to secure their ship… #nestingwithjesus #Jeremiah #jeremiah15 #jeremiah22 #2Kings24 #Josiah #kingjosiah #cleaningup #2kings22 #2kings23 #tender #humble #promised #13yearslater #necho #2chronicles35 #Manasseh #asa #2chronicles14 #2chronicles16 #promises #reminders #obligated #forsake #athaliah #ahab #mislead #judah #jerusalem #joash #carchemish egypt nech babylonians proverbs3and5thru6 no accidential obedience reap sow vengeance ramifications implications

When Anguish Speaks for Us The Voice of Anguish — Not God I pray this helps and encourages you. Not just today... but for many days ahead. We look at the psalmist, as he deals with the same issues Jeremiah has battled with, and glean some help learning how to distinguish our flesh and faith in our gracious God. We need to take every thought captive and ask the question. Is this God or my anguish peaking? Jeremiah struggled and in his struggle he spoke from his anguish. God, in Jeremiah 15, gently and with compassion reminded him of his calling and God's protection through the hardships. Now, in chapter 20, he's pitying himself again. Who or what are we listening to? Notice how the psalmist had a light bulb moment. Yes, a switched flipped when he listen to the audacity of his own voice in despair. "And I came to realize, "This is (my) ANGUISH, (my) imagination and (my) anxiety and (my) emotions, SPEAKING:" (Psalms 77:10) What does our anguish sound like? It has the same kind of spirit as these questions. The questions may be different. They can be worded different but the spirit of the questions are the same. When anguish speaks it sounds like Psalms 77:7-9 But once the psalmist listened to the folly coming out his mouth, he realized the birth place of these questions and quickly recognized their foolishness and said... you can find it in Psalms 77:10-19. Now, here's the thing... He had something to turn to greater than his own anguish, imagination, anxiety and emotional instability. He had years being at God's right hand. For at His right hand are all the right pleasure. In His presence is the right place for fullness of joy.

A Dilemma of Identity Identity... is far more important than serenity. Meanwhile… while the wicked do their thing, God will use the wicked to do His thing and bless the righteous (Jeremiah 15 ; Jeremiah 39). God's people should be happy people... and their happiness should be rooted in who they are and not in the circumstances they find themselves in. Happiness may be the goal of humanistic thinking but it should never be the goal of the disciple of Christ. For it should be a product of the goal of finding our identity in who were are, in Him. Judges is one of those books that helps us see and recognize our need for a KINGDOM invasion, influence, instruction and identity upon our lives. When any of it was removed... every man did what was right in his own eyes. They sought serenity at the expense of identity. Samson being a case in point.... when he lost the final dynamic that IDENTIFIED him as a Nazarite, he lost his strength and influence. Because Samson wanted to be happy he forfeited his identity and went after his happiness... but it cost him. God was giving Jerusalem one more chance to turn their foot away from going their way and trusting Him and His ways. The sabbath was the last opportunity they had to identify with God. Their unwillingness proved their utter rebellion and lack of faith. God would find a people for Himself… "O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things…" (Jeremiah 16:19-21) #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #jeremiah15 #jeremiah16 #jeremiah17 #jeremiah18 #jeremiah39 #joh

Trademark Works of God "O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things…" (Jeremiah 16:19 Trademarks are important for many reasons. They help us identify companies, artists, architectures and so on. Have you noticed the trademarks of His continued work? How are the trademarks of God's redeeming grace being manifested in your life? We've gleaning and love for you to join us. We want be guided by the descriptive and prescriptive insights — recognizing the difference and how to apply these insights, as we journey through the continued work Jesus, in His body and by the Spirit of God, as unveiled to us through the Scriptures and the book of Acts. What Jesus began to do and teach... it continued and still continues way beyond Rome, into the utter parts of the world. Are you part of His sequel and continued work? Where are you written into the sequel? Have you noticed the trademarks of His continued work? How are the trademarks of God's redeeming grace being manifested in your life? #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #jeremiah16 #jeremiak16and19thru21 #1thessalonians1 #1thessalonians2 #acts2 #acts1 #acts1and8 #luke19 #trademarks #trademarkworksofGod #trademarksofarescue #thesequelofJesus #tobecontinued #descriptive #prescriptive #descriptiveorprescriptive #sometimesboth #luke1and74thru75 #deliveredfromsomething #deliveredtosomething #givingthanks #faithlovehopegrace #thosewhobelieve #thesyllabusofgrace #prayingforasycamore #prayingforaZacchaeus #keepliftingupyourZacchaeus

A Terror to Yourself You thought you had issues... For thus says the Lord, Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself, and to all your friends...Jeremiah 20:4 It's never a good thing when God's your enemy. And it's even worse when your enemy (God) makes you, your worst nightmare! 
It's never a good thing when you ignore God's ways and He becomes your enemy. Because the Lord can take it up a notch and make you, your own worst nightmare. You take about misery... 
 You and I can fight it and continue to spiral into the pit or yield to Jesus, confess your sin and rebellion and seek His mercy and forgiveness. He's got more mercy and forgiveness than we could ever need... but it comes at a cost. We come His way, not our own way. Our way put us into to this place... His way can deliver us but He requires that we trust Him, give in, turn from ourselves and doing life our way and acknowledge our ways are corrupt and misleading, and entrust our lives to Jesus, His gospel of grace and His kingdom. And if He chooses to keep us there, we're good with it because He's now in control of our lives, trust and hope and we believe He knows best. It's then He replaces the misery with peace... circumstances may not change but He's changed us. Glory! May this never be you or me! May we be humble and meek before a holy God today... #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #jeremiah20 #jeremiah20and9 #faith #hope #love #wisdom #peace #discernment #grace #graceupongrace #blessings #glory #terror #fear #misery #jeremiah20and4 #jeremiah3 #leviticus26 #proverbs28and1 #proverbs14and26thru27 #isaiah26and3 #hebrews12 #proverbs3and5thru6 #2timothy1and7 #psalm112 #proverbs3and25thru26

Like a Fire in My Bones We praise what we prize... and we prize what we praise regardless of the atmosphere surrounding us. (Psalm 42:8) Can I encourage you? Never let the atmosphere of the age determine the level of zeal you will give to seeking, serving and sharing Jesus. ...Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. BUT HIS WORD was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary and could not endure keeping it in, I had to release it from within me. I could not keep silent any longer... Jeremiah 20:9 There were times when He, YES, God, made people a terror to themselves. But it went further than that, He made the man a terror to everyone around him and all associated with him. I know, scary isn't it? Not only would he live in misery but everyone that believed his lies and followed his ways would be, too. 
 Listen to this: You nor I do not want these issues... 
 For thus says the Lord, Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself, and to all your friends...(Jeremiah 20:4) 
 It's never a good thing when you ignore God's ways and He becomes your enemy. Because the Lord can take it up a notch and make you, your own worst nightmare. You take about misery... #nestingwithjesus #jeremiah #jeremiah20 #jeremiah20and9 #faith #hope #love #wisdom #peace #discernment #grace #graceupongrace #blessings #glory #terror #fear #misery #jeremiah20and4 #jeremiah3 #leviticus26 #proverbs28and1 #proverbs14and26thru27 #isaiah26and3 #hebrews12 #proverbs3and5thru6 #2timothy1and7 #psalm112 #proverbs3and25thru26