Tues.’s Devo - The Pain of Suffering

Read: Lamentations 4:1-4:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23 Jeremiah’s 4th poem has to do with the devastation his people are going through because of their sins. *** Their precious children are being treated like common property. They were starving and no one was there to help them. The once rich are begging for food and clothes. Their bodies once healthy are skinny and weak. Tenderhearted women cooked and ate their own children. How horrible! *** No one believed that Jerusalem would be taken. Yet, it happened because of their sins and the sins of their priests who shed innocent blood. The priests were so defiled that their own people threw them out of their city. They ran to other nations but they didn’t want them either. The people no longer respect their leaders or their priests. They were exposed and now could not walk the streets. *** Judah had thought their allies like Egypt would come and help them but no one came. If they fled to the mountains, they were hunted down. If they hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for them. They had trusted that their king would save them but he was taken also. *** Edom rejoiced when they heard that Jerusalem was besieged but they would not laugh long. Their sins would also be exposed and God would punish them. *** The last poem was a detailed description of the suffering of Jerusalem. The women and young girls were being raped. The princes were hung by their thumbs. The old and younger men were made slaves to do hard labor. Violence was in the streets and famine was everywhere. In the midst of his tears, Jeremiah proclaims that God remains the same forever and his throne continues from generation to generation. He prays for their joy to be restored and for God to remember them. *** In Hebrews, the writer tells us that even the angels who violated God’s laws and followed Lucifer were punished. If they were punished for what they did, so will man be punished for his sins. *** God exalted mere mortals who were made a little lower than angels. He crowned man with glory and honor and gave them authority over all things. This happened through Jesus and his death. Jesus died and went to his glory but he brought others with him. Jesus makes us holy and leads us to his Father so he can be our father too. *** Jesus became flesh and blood so that he could break the power of the devil and his power over death. Jesus did this by dying for us. Jesus had to be made like us with all the weaknesses of a human being so he could become our merciful and faithful High Priest. He went through suffering and testing so he could have mercy and compassion on our suffering and testing. *** Lord, thank you for your wonderful plan of salvation through your son. Thank you, Jesus for suffering and dying for us. Thank you Holy Spirit for leading us into all truth and being in us to help us in all our ways.

Mon.’s Devo - Prophecy Endures

Read: Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102; 1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22 This is Jeremiah’s third poem about God’s severity and yet his mercy. Jeremiah had seen all of this happen before it happened and then had to see it again in real time. Nothing he did could stop what God was bringing against Israel and Judah. His people had made fun of all his prophecies and laughed and mocked him. They had refused to repent and now he was being punished for their lack of responding to his words from God. It was a bitter pill to swallow. *** In spite of all of this, Jeremiah still dares to hope in the faithful love of the Lord that never ceases. He declares that God’s mercies never come to an end but are new every morning. He knows that God never abandons a people forever. He brings grief but also shows compassion. God sees everything that happens on the earth. He punishes and disciplines but he doesn’t enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. He allows pain for a season to get a positive response so he can turn and bless his people. *** Jeremiah felt the discipline of the Lord on his people and felt the fear of being trapped and ruined by their enemies. Jeremiah’s heart was broken over the fate of the women of Jerusalem. Jeremiah himself was rescued from the cistern which was to take his life. His own people tried to kill him as well as their enemies. He asked the Lord to avenge him and pay them back for the all the evil they had done. *** Hebrews tells us that God spoke in the Old Testament through his prophets but now, he speaks to us through Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of what the prophets foretold. Jesus is the very character or God, His expression on the earth. Jesus is far greater than all the angels just as God’s name is greater than any name. Angels are flames of God’s fire but Jesus is his son. *** God rules with justice. He made the heavens and the earth which lives and dies, but one day it will be changed and made different. *** Hebrews tells us that the angels are servants sent to minister to us that will inherit eternal salvation. How comforting is that! *** Lord, thank you for your love for us in the midst of turmoil. Thank you that your mercies triumph over your judgment. We plead for your mercies in our land and the nations of the world. Bring change that changes hearts.

Sun.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Lamentations

Read: Lamentations 1:1-2:22; Philemon 1:1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:20 Lamentations consists of 5 poems of lament probably written by Jeremiah. He had spent most of his life warning the people to return to the Lord and get rid of their false idols and yet they had refused to listen. When God’s judgement did come, he wrote about it making sure the people understood the days they were walking through. *** In the first poem which is the first chapter of Lamentations he expressed their defeat. He fills the humiliation of Jerusalem which now lies empty after most of the people had been taken to Babylon. No nations are coming to her aid and no one seems to care. She had brought it on herself because of her immorality. *** The people left in the city scrounged for food and had sold everything of worth just to stay alive. This had all been the Lord’s doing. He had sent the army to defeat them and was justified in what he did. Those who saw what happened to them were happy to see it. *** In the second poem which is in Chapter Two describes God’s destruction and Jeremiah’s reaction. He describes Jerusalem which lies in the dust. Even the Temple was ransacked and destroyed. The priests and kings were all gone and there would be no more celebrating the holy festivals and Sabbaths. *** The walls were torn down and its ramparts and gates and locks smashed. Their kings and prices were gone to Babylon with no law left to rule the people. The people left walked around in shame and humiliation. Jeremiah had cried many tears in despair and agony. He wept over the babies and little children crying for food and milk when there was none. *** Jeremiah reminded them of what their false prophets foretold. They had promised them false pictures that gave them false hope. He explained to them that they invited this to happen because they refused to repent. *** Philemon had been a wealthy slave owner who had converted to Christ. Philemon lived in Colosse and the church met in his home. He had had a slave named Onesimus who had stolen from him and ended up in Rome where he met Paul and was saved. *** The reason for this letter was to acknowledge the good things Philemon had done and to tell him the good news of Onesimus’s salvation. He had become a great help to Paul and was offering to pay from his own expenses anything Onesimus had cost Philemon. He sent this letter by the hands of Onesimus. *** This book attests to God’s great forgiveness and grace and the power of salvation that totally makes a new creature out of a sinner. *** Lord, may we embrace new Christians as new creatures in Christ instead of who they used to be. May we remember what you did for us and have great grace for others. May we grieve with those who are under the judgment of God and seeing such destruction happen in their land. May we grieve over what is happening in our own nation and seek your forgiveness and grace.

Sat.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Last Words

Read: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 26:18-19 Jeremiah is taken forward to the time when Babylon is being destroyed. Babylon is alive and well in America and she is loud. She has taken every mountain of society: government, education, finance and business, entertainment, medicine, family and religion. The Lord who gives just punishment will repay her for all the chaos and deception she has dealt out. *** Babylon’s kingdom was in the process of being leveled to the ground. Jeremiah wrote this all down and sent it with the staff officer of Babylon when they came and took Zedekiah to Babylon. He told the staff officer when he got to Babylon he was to read aloud everything he had written on the scroll. It said that Babylon would be destroyed completely. When he finished reading it, he was to tie the scroll to a rock and throw it into the Euphrates River and say, “In the same manner Babylon and her people will sink, never to rise, because of the disasters I will bring upon her.” ***Chapter 52 is the story of everything Jeremiah had prophesied for years. Zedekiah had rebelled against Babylon and stopped paying them tribute in the ninth year of his reign. Babylon came to Jerusalem and built siege ramps and besieged her for two years. When they finally broke through the walls, Zedekiah tried to escape but was caught by the Babylonians. He was taken to the king and tried. They killed his sons and all his officials, then gouged out his eyes and took him to Babylon. *** The Babylonians tore down the walls of Jerusalem and took everyone except the poorest of the people which were allowed to stay and care for the land. They took anything of worth from the Temple and the city. All of the city officials and army officials were taken to Babylon and put to death. They took 3,023 people captive in the 7th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, 832 more in the 18th year and 745 more in his 23rd year. In the 37th year of Jehoiachin’s exile, Evil-meredach became the king of Babylon. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison. He gave him the higher place of honor than all of his other exiled kings. He gave him new clothes and allowed him to dine in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. *** In Titus, Paul tells them to submit to their leaders and do what is good. Don’t slander, quarrel, or waste their time on useless discussions that cause division. Instead, remember where they came from and what they were like before they knew Christ. They are not the same person now. Now they should pursue kindness with humility and unity with love for one another. *** Lord, thank you for your Word that stands forever as the truth. We watch in eager expectation of the fall of Babylon in our day. Thank you for the powerful army that you have. May your kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven.

Fri.’s Devo - Babylon’s Takeover

Read: Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Provers 26:17 God gave this message to Jeremiah six years before the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It was written on a scroll and tomorrow we will read how he gave this written prophecy to a man named Seriah to take to Nebuchadnezzar and read to him when he took captives back to Babylon. *** Written on the scroll was their fate. Babylon would be destroyed. They would hear rumors of Cyrus preparing for war in the first year. The next year they would hear that Cyrus was closer and entering Assyria. They would be taken the third year. *** It would be a total takeover. Babylon would be winnowed like wheat and their army completely destroyed. In the midst of the prophecy, God talks to his people Israel and Judah. He tells them that he is still their God and when they hear of war it is time to flee Babylon and avoid being trapped in her punishment. *** God had determined Babylons destruction. This is his vengeance against those who desecrated his Temple. God would repay Babylon for all the wrongs they did to his people in Jerusalem. Babylon had been the power of the earth, but God was making it clear that He was the power of the earth. He would send the Medes to be like locusts that destroyed everything in sight. All of their escape routes would be stopped. *** The walls of Babylon were 80 feet wide and 60 feet long and 200 cubits high. Babylon was shaped in the shape of a square with 25 gates on each side. There were 250 towers, 100 on each side and yet in a single night Babylon fell. The Persian army drained the water and came under the gates while the leaders of Babylon were feasting and getting drunk. It was a surprise attack and the city was taken in a night. (Remember Belshassar and the writing on the wall? It was that night that Babylon was taken.) *** Babylon would be taken and her god, Baal would be punished. All her idols would be destroyed. *** Paul instructs the older men to have self-control and life respectfully and wisely. They are to be full of love and patience. The older women are to honor God in how they live and communicate with others. They are to be examples of how to love their husbands and raise their children to be wise and pure. The young men are to be examples to others by the good works they do. They were to be men of integrity and truth. The slaves or workers should obey their masters and do their best work for them. *** We are to be examples to the world of God’s kingdom and how it is suppose to operate with truth and righteousness. Our godly living should entice the world to want what we have. *** Lord, may we be examples in this crazy mixed up world of what your Kingdom should look like and how it should run. Help us to love one another and join together as one unit in the body of Christ.

Thurs.’s Devo - Babylon is Fallen

Read: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46; Titus 1:1-16; Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 26:13-16 Jeremiah picked up his roll call on the ones on God’s list of destruction. Damascus was next. They fainted in fear just hearing what was coming. They were defeated before the battle began. They were killed and their walls burned down by the enemy. *** Next was Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor. These people were descendants of Ishmael who lived in black-haired tents which symbolized their total separation from God. Kedar means “darkness”. Hazor would be destroyed forever. *** Elam was next on the list. It would be shattered by God via Babylon. But God would restore Elam one day. *** Now it is time to turn on the one God used to destroy the other nations and destroy it. This is Babylon. Babylon means “confusion”. God would use the Cyrus to do this in 538 B.C. *** Jeremiah was to tell the whole world that Babylon was going to fall. The most powerful nation on the earth would one day be a wasteland. It was unfathomable. God’s people would return to their homeland weeping and seeking the Lord. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten. *** God unleashes his army against Babylon to completely destroy her and leave nothing standing. What she had done to others would be done to her. Her wise counselors would become fool, her mightiest warriors would be seized with panic. Her allies from other lands would become like women in fear. All her treasures would be plundered and her water supply would be dried up. Their ability to access the dark powers would be dried up. *** God would chase the Babylonians from their land and appoint His leader who is like Him. This was Cyrus. *** Paul came with a new message the people had never heard. This message was that all the people of the earth was offered salvation through Christ Jesus. *** Paul wrote this letter to Titus who he had left on the island of Crete to complete the work that Paul started. They were to elect elders to watch over the people and Paul gave him the qualifications of the elders. Along with a list of qualities he summed them up with he must love what is good and live wisely and be just in his dealings. He must live a disciplined life himself and be the same at home as he is in the church. *** He warned Titus against people who taught religion and laws to get to God. They led to believing in myths and other lies. Their lives would testify to their hearts; they would know them by their fruits. *** Lord, may our fruits testify to our faith in you. Let your glory shine on the earth through your true people who love you with their whole hearts.

Wed.’s Devo - To Moab, Ammon and Edom

Read: Jeremiah 48:1-49:22; 2 Timothy 4:1-22; Psalm 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 26:9-12 God gave Jeremiah a word for Moab, Ammon and Edom. Moab and Ammon had been the descendants of Lot but Edom was the descendant of Esau, son of Isaac. Judgement was coming to all three because they worshiped idols and rebelled against the Lord but Moab and Ammon would survive and one day be restored. Edom would be destroyed forever and not be rebuilt. History has proven this to be totally true. *** The Moabites worshiped Chemosh the fish-god who was the destroyer and subduer. On the Moabite stone they gave credit to Chemosh for helping them defeat the Israelites. Solomon brought this god to Jerusalem but Josiah got rid of it during his reign. They had boasted against the Lord, so terror, traps and snares would be their lot. One day their fortunes would be restored. *** The Ammonites worshiped Molech which was the child sacrifice god. It had the head of a calf and body of a man. The infants were put in its fiery hands as a sacrifice. They had refused to let the Israelites pass through their land in the Exodus and had with the Moabites hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. They along with the Moabites were told that they could not enter into the Temple of the Lord up to the tenth generation (Ex. 23:4). *** Jeremiah said that the Ammonites trusted in their wealth and thought no one could ever harm them, but terror would come upon them and they would be chased from their land with no one to help their exiles as they fled. God would one day restore their fortunes. *** The Edomites had refused permission to the Israelites when they asked to pass through their land (Num 20:14-21) and always were hostile to Israel. They were conquered by David and Amaziah but they regained their independence later. They helped Nebuchadnezzar capture Jerusalem but fell under the power of the Chaldeans. Today they have totally disappeared and their language has been lost attesting to the power of God’s word through his prophets. *** Jeremiah said of the Edomites that they had been deceived by the fear they inspired in others and by their own pride. Though they were powerful and had great influence they would be brought down and destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. *** In the New Testament, we read of Paul’s boldness. He told Timothy to preach the word of God whether the time was favorable or not. He was to correct, rebuke and encourage the people with right teaching. Because the time was coming when they wouldn’t want to hear sound teaching but teaching that made them feel good. They would reject truth and follow myths. Paul knew what he was talking about because he had experienced this false teacher in Alexander who fought against everything he said. Paul had stood alone in preaching the truth and God rescued him and delivered them from every evil attack. *** Paul told Timothy to work for the crown of righteousness that the Lord will give when he returns. *** Lord, may we not shrink back in fear in our day of testing. Thank you that you never leave or forsake us but you are our defense and strong tower.

Tues.’s Devo - Judging the Nations and the Church

Read: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 26:6-8 Jeremiah saw that the people were so bent on going to Egypt so they could worship their Queen of Heaven. He told them to go ahead and carry out their promises to her and worship her. But, they could no longer claim her and the Lord as their God. God didn’t want them to utter his name. Only a handful of them would survive what was coming. Egypt would be taken by the Babylonians and destroyed. *** Baruch had been Jeremiah’s scribe and risked his life to do so. Jeremiah told him that he was so worried about his nation, but his worry was in vain. Nothing would save them, but God would save Baruch wherever he went as a reward to him for helping Jeremiah get out the words that God had spoken. *** Chapter 46 was a prophecy against Egypt given to Jeremiah in Jehoiakim’s fourth year. They would prepare for battle, but run in disgrace and fear when the Babylonians attacked. They would be defeated beside the Euphrates River. Their mightiest warriors would run into each other and fall down together because the Lord would be fighting against them. He told the citizens of Egypt to pack up and get ready to go into exile. *** Amon would also be punished. Their god of Thebes would be punished along with all the gods of Egypt and all the rulers who trusted in them. While they were exiled to Babylon, their land would recover from the ravages of war. God would also bring the Israelites back to Israel to a life of peace and quiet. Then God would completely destroy the nations which exiled them. *** The Philistines would also be destroyed along with their allies from Tyre, Sidon and Crete. Gaza, Ashkelon and those along the Mediterranean coast would sit in mourning as God destroyed them for their sins. *** Paul told Timothy to run away from all youthful lusts and run toward righteous. As a servant of the Lord, he must learn how to deal with difficult people. Instead of quarreling with them, he needed to love and gently instruct them in the truth. *** Paul describes what it will be like in our days - the last days. People will love themselves and their money. They will be proud and scoff at God. They will dishonor their parents and be entitled. Nothing will be sacred to them. They will have no self-control and hate what is good. They will betray their friends and love pleasure more than God. If this isn’t a perfect description of our day, I don’t know what is. *** There are two churches in the last day - the true church of God’s redeemed and the apostate church. There are two women in the church - the Bride of Christ and Jezebel. There are those who love the truth and those who will be deceived. The way to stay on the right path is to stay humble, belong to a group of believers, stay in the Word and under submission to God. *** Lord, help us to navigate our faith through these last days of your final victory. May we do all the things that Paul instructed Timothy to do with love. Thank you that we are never alone.

Mon.’s Devo - God’s Answer

Read: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5 Johanan, who had moved his military army against Ishmael and saved the remnant of Judah from his takeover, went to Jeremiah to ask him to pray for them and ask God what they should do. They promised that whatever the Lord said, they would follow even if it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. *** Jeremiah prayed and 10 days later, God answered. He told them to stay in their land and he would cause the Babylonians to have favor on them. God would protect them and bless them. If they went to Egypt the Babylonians would come there and do to Egypt what they had done to Judah and they would die or be taken captive. *** The remnant turned on Jeremiah and told them that they wouldn’t obey his words but they would continue to worship their foreign gods who they believed caused them to prosper and they would go to Egypt where they could worship their gods. Jeremiah told them he knew they were not telling the truth when they said they would obey the Lord. They would be left to their own doom. God had tried to give them another chance to repent and turn to him but they had not taken it. Only a handful of them would survive all that was coming. *** Paul urged Timothy not to get tangled up in the matters of the world. There were false teachers who were leading some astray. Instead of worrying about all that, Paul encouraged them to keep their minds on things that are true and godly. *** We cannot control what others do, but we can control what we do. We are citizens of another kingdom - God’s kingdom - and we need to live accordingly. *** Paul gave him this mantra: If we die with him, we also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” *** God’s Word is our foundation stone and anything other than it is useless. If we want to be the most useful to the Kingdom then we will keep ourselves pure from evil. *** Lord, help us to keep your Kingdom in mind when we make all our decisions. Thank you for your Word. May we hide it in our hearts that we won’t sin against you.

Sun.’s Devo - Victory In Jesus!

Read: Jeremiah 39:1-41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1-91:16; Provers 26:1-2 The siege of Jerusalem lasted two and a half years beginning the 10th month of Zedekiah’s reign and ending the 4th month of the 11th year of his reign. Zedekiah and his officers tried to escape at night but were captured in the plains of Jericho. They took Zedikah to where Nebuchadnezzar was at Riblah and judgment was pronounced against him. He had to watch as they killed his sons and all his nobles. Then they gouged out his eyes so that was the last thing he would see. He was bound in chains and led to Babylon. *** Jerusalem was burned to the ground just like Jeremiah had said and only the poor were left to care for the land. Nebuchadnezzar had commanded his officer Nebuzaradan to find Jeremiah and make sure he was taken care of. He was to put him under the care of Gedaliah. *** God had told Jeremiah to tell Ebed-melech the Ethiopian who had saved Jeremiah from the cistern that he would be rescued because he trusted in the Lord. Nebuzaradan found Jeremiah in chains with the other people they were leading back to Babylon. He called him out and told him that he could choose to come to Babylon where they would care for him or stay in Jerusalem and be cared for there. Jeremiah chose to stay, so he gave Jeremiah food and money and let him go. (That is the what God meant when he said he would prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies.) *** Gedaliah was chosen by Nebuchadnezzar as the governor of the people left in Jerusalem. He ruled in Mizpah. The leaders of the Judean military groups in the countryside heard that he had been appointed the governor of the poor people left so they went to see him. Gedaliah had tried to comfort the people left and told them that he would be Babylon’s representative for them and no harm would come to them. People that had fled from the cities during the siege returned to the land and began to farm the land once again. *** Baalis, the king of Ammon saw this as an opportunity to take the land of Judah so he sent Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah. Johanan tried to warn Gedaliah but he refused to believe it. Sure enough Ishmael, with ten of his men, went to meet with Gedaliah and they killed him as well as the Judean’s and the Babylonian soldiers who were with Gedaliah. *** The next day a group of 80 men had come to worship at the Temple of the Lord. Ishmael went to meet them crying as if he was mourning the slaughter of Gedaliah. He brought them back to see what had happened to Gedaliah and ambushed them once they were inside the city. He killed them and put their bodies in a cistern that had been dug by King Asa. *** Ishmael took the kings daughters and others who had been left under Gedliah’s care to the land of Ammon. *** Johanan who had tried to warn Gedaliah, heard of what had happened and along with other military leaders, pursued Ishmael and his men. They caught up with them and rescued all the people and took them to the village of Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem. They prepared to go to Egypt since they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do to them when they learned that their appointed governor and soldiers had all been killed. *** In Timothy’s second letter, Paul proclaims that he serves the Lord with a clear conscience which is the life promised through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul reminded Timothy that he had a rich heritage of faith that was shared with his grandmother Lois and his mother, Eunice. Lois means “no flight” and Eunice means “victorious”. So, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. He need never be ashamed to share the power of the gospel. This was God’s plan from the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Jesus. He broke the power of death and lit up the way to eternal life through him. *** Paul had been deserted of his friends and was in prison but his faith was strong in Christ who has the power to save and set free. Paul sent a shout out to Onesiphorus and his family because they visited and encouraged Paul even those he was in chains. *** Lord may we not be ashamed to proclaim your gospel to all we meet. Thank you for your precious promises to us who believe that you are the Christ, the Lord of All.

Sat.’s Devo - Zedekiah’s Weak Reign

Read: Jeremiah 37:1-38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 25:28 Zedekiah was appointed as Judah’s next king by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It becomes plain to see why. He was easily manipulated and a very weak leader. He was swayed back and forth by the opinions of others. ***Zedekiah wouldn’t listen to what Jeremiah prophesied and yet he would call for him and ask him to pray for them. The king of Babylon stopped attacking Jerusalem to tend to the Egyptians, but Jeremiah told them that they would return and finish capturing the city and burning it to the ground. *** Jeremiah tried to leave Jerusalem to see about the piece of property he had bought from his relative but was stopped at the gate and accused of defecting to the Babylonians. He told them that was absurd but they wouldn’t believe him. He was blogged ad imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary and put into a dungeon cell. *** Finally, the king sent for Jeremiah to ask him if he had any message from the Lord. Jeremiah said that he sure did. He would be defeated by the Babylonians. Then Jeremiah pled his own cause and begged him not to send him back to the dungeon to die. The king let him go to the royal palace prison and be fed a loaf of bread as long as they had bread. *** Three of the officials came to Zedekiah and told him how Jeremiah was telling the people that they needed to surrender to the Babylonians or they would die. This was killing the morale of their soldiers. So Zedekiah caved to them and allowed them to do whatever they wanted to Jeremiah. They took him and put him in a cistern that was full of mud. When the Ethiopian, Abed-melech found out what had happened to Jeremiah, he went and pled his case before Zedekiah. Zedekiah told him to take 30 men and pull Jeremiah out before he died. *** Jeremiah was pulled out and allowed to return to the royal prison. Zedekiah secretly sent for Jeremiah again to ask him for advice. Jeremiah told him that if he would surrender to the king of Babylon he and his family would be allowed to live, but if he didn’t, he would not escape. The city would be burned to the ground and all the women left in his palace would be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. All his wives and children would be led out to the Babylonians and he would be seized. *** Zedekiah told Jeremiah that he was afraid to surrender for fear of what the Judeans who had defected might do to him. Jeremiah told him that he wouldn’t be turned over to them if he obeyed and surrendered. Zedekiah sent Jeremiah back to his cell and told him not to tell his officials what they had talked about. He did what the king said and remained in the prison until Jerusalem was captured. *** Paul gave advice to the working men. They were to respect their boss especially if he was a believer. Anyone who taught differently than the teaching of Christ lacked understanding. Those who were contented to live godly lives were spiritually wealthy. We brought nothing into this world and can take nothing with us when we leave. Longing to be rich is a temptation that will lead to foolish and harmful desires. and to love money is a root to many kinds of evil. It has caused many to leave the faith and given them sorrow in return. *** Paul encouraged Timothy to run from the desire to be rich and desire instead to live a pure, righteousness and godly life full of faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. If he did this no one would be able to find a fault in him. *** One day, Christ will be revealed from heaven by God. Until then, the rich must not be proud and trust in their money, but their trust must be in God. They are to use their money for the good and be rich in good works and generosity. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure for the future. *** Lord, may we put our eyes, our hope and our future in your hands. We look to you as the author and finisher of our faith.

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Examples of Holiness

Read: Jeremiah 35:1-36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; Provers 25:25-27 God sent Jeremiah to the home of the Rechabites and invite them into a secret room in the Temple. No one could see them there and they poured them a glass of wine and told them to drink with them. They turned down the wine saying that their ancestor Jonadab and commanded them never to drink wine. This commandment was to be carried down for generations forever. They were also not to build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards or own land but that they were to live in tents as strangers. They had obeyed all these commands since then. They had come to Jerusalem when Nebuchadrezzar came into the land in hopes of finding safety. *** God set them up as an example of a people who obeyed their prophets, yet Israel had ignored their many prophets who had come to them and told them to repent from their wicked ways and start doing things right. Because they refused to listen, God would bring on them all the disasters he threatened them with. *** Jeremiah told the Rechabites that because they had obeyed their ancestor’s instructions to the tee, they would always have descendants who served Him. *** During Jehoiakim’s fourth year of reigning, God told Jeremiah to have Baruch, his scribe, write down all the words he had been given on a scroll. Jeremiah had Baruch take the scroll and read it to the people at the Temple on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement would be when all the Israelites would come to the Temple to pray for the peace and atonement of their sins for the next year. They would repent of past sins and pray for God’s blessing on them as a nation. *** All of the Temple officials were meeting in the room close to where Baruch stood and read the scroll. They asked Baruch to come and read it to them. They were alarmed at what he read and wanted to take it to the king. They told Baruch for him and Jeremiah to hide. *** The king had Jehudi read it to him. When Jehudi had read a few columns, Jehoiakim would take a knife and cut it away and throw it into the fire. His men begged him to stop but he wouldn’t listen. Then he commanded his top men to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah but the Lord had hidden them. *** God told Jeremiah to write another scroll with the same messages on it but he added much more. *** Paul told Timothy to treat older men as his father, younger men as his brother, older women like his mother and younger women as sisters. Widows should be taken care of if they have no family. Families were responsible for one another. He gives the definition of a true widow as one who has no family and has placed her hope in God. To get support from the church she had to be at least 60 years old, had been faithful to her husband and brought up her children well. She had to have a reputation of being kind to strangers, serving believers humbly, helping those in trouble and always being ready to do good. Younger widows should not be on this list of support from the church or they would learn to be lazy and entitled. They should marry again and have children and take care of their own homes. *** Those who work for the church should be respected and paid well for their service. If someone has a matter against a church leader there must be at least two or three witnesses. If they have sinned then they should be reprimanded in front of the whole church. This would be a warning to the whole church. These commands should be obeyed with out favoritism or prejudice. He reminded them that even secret sins will be made public one day. *** Lord, may we conduct our lives in a way that gives you glory like the Rechabites did. May we obey you in everything we know is right to do.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Secrets Revealed

Read: Jeremiah 33:1-34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 25:23-24 Jeremiah was still in prison when God told him to ask Him and he would tell him remarkable secrets about what was to come. The people had torn down their houses to strengthen their walls against the siege ramps the Babylonians built. They expected to fight the Babylonians but God said they were as good as dead. They would not prevail against Babylon. This was their fault because they had abandoned the Lord and worshiped evil instead. *** In the future, God would heal them and prosper them. They would live in true peace. God would cleanse them from their sins and forgive all their rebellion. This city would one day bring the Lord joy, glory and honor before all the nations of the earth. Their desolate towns would be filled with sounds of joy and laughter. They would bring offerings to the Lord with songs of God’s goodness. David would have a descendant sitting on the throne forever. The Levites would also have the promise of ministering before the Lord forever. *** The people were saying that the Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them. But the Lord said, he would never abandon his people or change his plan for them to rule in their land. *** The king Nebuchadnezzar returned to continue the siege against Jerusalem. God told Jeremiah to go to King Zedekiah and tell him that the Lord was going to hand the city over to the king of Babylon and he would burn it down. Zedekiah would not escape but be taken to meet Nebuchadnezzar face to face. He would not be killed but die peacefully and be mourned by his people. *** King Zedekiah had set the Hebrew slaves free from their masters and had made a covenant with God to allow them freedom after six years like the law said. After a while had allowed them to enslave them again. God was not happy about that and told him that since he broke his covenant with Him, God would break his covenant with Zedekiah. God would make him an object of horror to all the nations of the earth. Zedekiah and all his officials would be killed by their enemies and their bodies would be food for the vultures and wild animals. God would make sure all the towns of Judah were destroyed, with no one living there. *** Paul explains how it will be in our day. People will become deceived by teachings that come from demons. These teachers are hypocrites and liars and have no conscience. They will teach that it is wrong to marry or eat certain foods. Instead of listening to their rules, train yourselves in righteousness. Teach yourself to be godly. A life of godliness promises benefits in this life and in the life to come. *** Paul admonished Timothy to not neglect the spiritual gift God had given him when the elders laid his hands on him and prophesied. *** We all have spiritual gifts that we have been given by God. God wants us to develop them by putting them to use. *** Lord, may we step out in faith and use the gifts you have given us. May we not be deceived by teachings that come from demons.

Wed.’s Devo - Buy the Field

Read: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-18; Proerbs 25:20-22 God told Jeremiah of the day when the population of people and animals would increase in Jerusalem. People would no longer be cursed with the sins of their parents but would bear the responsibility of their own sins. God was going to give Israel a new covenant. It would no longer be a written, oral covenant like before which they broke. The new covenant would be written on their hearts. They would not need to learn about God, they would instinctly know them. God will forgive their wickedness and not remember their sins. *** God would rebuild Jerusalem. It will be holy to the Lord and never captured or destroyed again. *** God told Jeremiah that his cousin, Hanamel would come to him and ask him to buy his field at Anathoth. By law, he had the right to buy it first. Just like God said, Hanamel came to visit Jeremiah in prison and asked him if he wanted to buy his field in Anathoth. He bought it which must have looked silly since he was prophesying that they would be taken by the Babylonians and taken as prisoners to Babylon. He bought it for 17 pieces of silver. He signed and sealed the deed before witnesses. *** Jeremiah told Baruch to take the sealed deed and the unsealed copy and put them in a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time. One day the people would return and again own property her in this land and would buy and sell houses. God would find joy in doing good for them at that time. *** In Timothy, Paul gives the requirements of a church leader. He must be a seasoned follower of Christ who runs his family with integrity and wisdom adhering to the Spirit of God. Deacons and wives of leaders must be filled with righteousness, faith and self-control. They must conduct their lives as an example of how God leads his family. *** The Church was to the the pillar and foundation of the truth. *** Lord, may we live our lives as living epistles that others can read and find love, truth and understanding.

Tues’s Devo - The Time of Restoration

Read: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 25:18-19 This time God told Jeremiah not to say his prophecy but to write it down since it would be relevant for the generation returning in 70 years. They could look forward to the restoration of their fortunes when He brings them home again. *** This word was not only for Judah but for all the tribes of Israel. He saw the time of trouble when Cyrus, the Persian king would conquer Babylon. Men would act like women because of their fear. God told them not to be afraid because it was his doing. He was bringing them back to their home land. Then he would destroy the people who destroyed them. *** As for now, their sins were many and they would be punished. The time would come when the ones who devoured them would be devoured and all their enemies would be sent into exile. What thad been done to God’s people would happen to them. Israel would be established as a nation and have a ruler from their own people. He would be invited into God’s throne room and He would be their God. Israel would return with tears of joy and be lead home safely. *** Jeremiah addressed the nations that God was gathering his people and redeeming Israel from nations that were stronger than them. They would come home with songs of joy and enjoy the blessings of God on their land. Their land would yield abundant crops and they would be watered like a garden. Their mourning would be turned into joy. *** In verse 15 the tone changes as a cry is heard in Ramah. Rachael is crying for her children. Ramah was where Rachael died delivering Benjamin. All her life she had lamented not having children and now she would be leaving the ones she had. Ramah was also the place the Jews were gathered before being marched to Babylon. *** Jeremiah reminded them of the pain of Rachael which made their deliverance even sweeter. Her children would return from the land of the enemy. God had always loved Israel though he had had to severely punish him. *** Jeremiah told the people to mark road signs in their minds so they would know the way home. The best part was that Israel would return to the Lord and God would give them peace. *** Paul told the people to pray for the people in authority over them that they may live in peace. It is God’s desire to reconcile everyone to him. Paul was sent to the Gentiles to offer them the gift of salvation. He longed to see men in every place of worship holding up their hands and praying to the Lord. *** He told the women how they could honor God in their dress and appearance. Ephesus was a Greek city where women were worshipped as gods. So, he told the women to be quiet and let the men rise up and take their authority. *** Lord, may your blessing come to your people and may they see what your mighty hand is doing.

Mon.’s Devo - Exposing the False and Expanding the True

Read: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; proverbs 25:16 In the late summer of that same year, the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign, Hananiah, a prophet from Gibeon addressed Jeremiah publicly in the Temple in front of the priests and people. He told him that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies would remove the yoke of the king of Babylon within 2 years and bring back all the Temple treasures, their king Jehoiachin and all the captives they had taken. *** Jeremiah’s response at that time was to “Amen” his prophecy and say that he hoped that would happened. But he reminded them that a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right by his predictions coming true. Hannaniah took the yoke off Jeremiah and broke it to give him a show that his prophecy was true. God sent Jeremiah back to give them Hananiah a message. He had broken a wooden yoke, but God would replace it with a yoke of iron forcing all the nations into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Even the wild animals would be under him. He turned to Hananiah and told him the Lord had not sent him, but because the people believed him, he had to die. In two months, he died. *** Jeremiah then wrote a letter to the elders, priests, prophets and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon. He sent it with Elasah and Gemariah who had gone to Babylon as King Zedekiah’s ambassadors. It was a letter to be read to the people who had been exiled to Babylon. It said for them to build homes and plan to stay there. Live their lives like normal and work for the people and prosperity of the city where they were sent. Pray for God’s welfare to be upon the people and they would be blessed also. *** Furthermore, do not listen to the false prophets and fortune-tellers who lie. They would be there for 70 years and then God would come for them and give them the good things he had promised them. He would bring them home. His plans for them in the future were good and hopeful. He would be found by anyone who would look for him. In the end he would gather them and give them back their land and their fortunes. *** Jeremiah gave the names of the prophets who were telling them lies - Ahab and Zedekiah. They had not only lied to them in God’s name but they had committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives. *** God sent a message to Shemaiah in Babylon exposing his lies. He had written a letter to Zephaniah, the priest and other priest in Jerusalem telling them to put Jeremiah in stocks and neck irons. He told them about the letter he had sent to the captives in Babylon saying they would be in captivity for a long time. When Zephaniah received Shemaiah’s letter, he gave it to Jeremiah. God told Jeremiah to send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon telling them what Shemaiah had done and how he was tricking them. He would be punished and none of his family would live to see the good things God had planned for his people. *** Today we begin the letter to Timothy from Paul. Paul had left Ephesus to visit other churches. He was gone nine months while Timothy was left in charge. Paul wrote to Timothy to instruct and encourage him until he could return. *** Some of the people had gotten caught up in Gnosticism which started out as very legalistic then advanced to superstition then from there went to godlessness. This was the teaching that Paul said was contrary to the truth. Paul warned Timothy in getting caught up in endless discussions of myths and spiritual pedigrees which only led to meaningless speculations. These don’t help people live a life of faith in God. *** The law is good when used correctly but it was not intended for people who were righteous, but for people who were lawless and rebellious. *** God had saved Paul from a sinful life of persecuting his people but by the mercy and life of Christ, he was saved. *** Paul encouraged Timothy to remember the prophetic words which were spoken about him and let them help him fight his battles and cling to their faith in Christ, keeping their consciences clear. He reminded Timothy of Hymenaeus and Alexander who Paul had handed over to Satan so that they might learn not to blaspheme God. *** Lord, may we not be caught up in false teachings which are silly arguments that don’t lead to an end. May we be intentional and wise and use our time on earth wisely. Thank you for discernment.

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Word Stands

Read: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16 We are taken back to when Jehoiakim first became king of Judah. Jeremiah stood in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord and prophesied that if the people didn’t repent of their sins, God would destroy the Temple like he destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle had been. *** When Jeremiah finished prophesying, they people shouted to “Kill him!” The officials ran over from the palace and sat down to hold court. The priests and prophets (false prophets) brought their accusations against Jeremiah saying he should die. Jeremiah defended himself saying that he was only saying what God told him to say. *** The officials and the people told the priests and the prophets that he didn’t deserve to die because he had spoken in the name of the Lord. Some of the wise old men stood and reminded the people of the prophet Micah who prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah. He told the people that Jerusalem house be reduced to ruins and instead of killing him, King Hezekiah repented. God, then changed his mind about destroying them. *** At this same time that Jeremiah was giving his prophecy, another prophet by the name of Uriah was also prophesying the same thing. King Jehoiakim and the army officers heard what he was prophesying and sent someone to kill him. He heard about the plot and escaped to Egypt. The king had him brought back from Egypt and killed with the sword and buried in an unmarked grave. But, this was not to be the fate of Jeremiah. Ahikam stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed. *** Years later, ambassadors from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon had come to visit with King Zedekiah. God told Jeremiah to stroap on a yoke on his neck and go to the ambassadors and tell them that God who was over all the nations had declared that he was giving all the nations to King Nebuchadnezzar. If they submitted to him and came under his yoke, then their nation would be allowed to live but if they fought against him, they would die. Their false prophets were telling them that the king of Babylon would not conquer them, but they were wrong. He told the same thing to King Zedekiah about Judah. Jeremiah begged the king. the priests and the people not to listen to the false prophets who prophesied that they would conquer the Babylonians. They were not telling the truth. If he wanted to spare Jerusalem he needed to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. *** Jeremiah pointed out the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts and all the other ceremonial articles and told them that they would be carried to Babylon until God sent for them to come back to Jerusalem. *** In Thessalonians, Paul prayed to be rescued from wicked and evil people - the people who were not believers. He told the believers not to become idle and entitled but to work and earn their own way. *** Lord, lead our heart into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

Sat.’s Devo - The Two Baskets of Figs

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15 God spoke against the prophets of the day who ran around giving messages they said were from the Lord. He had not given them those messages. God had his true prophets whose words were like grain but these false prophet’s words were like straw. They meant nothing and were not from God. *** God told Jeremiah that when the false prophets and priests asked him what prophecy had God burdened him with, Jeremiah was to reply that they were the burden. They had burdened him with their false prophecies and lies. *** King Nebuchadnezzar came to power in Babylon and took Jehoiachin and all the craftsmen and artisans with him. God gave Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs. One held fresh, ripe figs and the other was filled with bad rotten figs. God explained that the good figs represented the exiles that God sent to Babylon. (Daniel was in that group.) He would watch over them and bring them back. The other basket were all the people left in Jerusalem and those who had been sent to Egypt. They would be an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on the earth. They would be disgraced, mocked, taunted and cursed wherever they ended up. *** For the past 23 years, Jeremiah had prophesied for the people to repent or else they would see destruction yet they people had not listened. They had continued to provoke the anger of the Lord by worshiping idols they made with their own hands. Now, God was gathering the armies of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as his deputy to destroy them. Their partying would come to a stop. They would serve Babylon for 70 years and then God would turn on the Babylonians and punish them for their sins. They will be punished in proportion to the suffering they caused God’s people. *** God sent Jeremiah to all the nations with a cup of anger to drink from. First he was sent to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah because judgment starts at the house of the Lord. Then it went out to a list of other nations ending with Babylon. Nation after nation was going to experience God’s great whirlwind of fury rising from the most distant corners of the earth. *** The dead would fill the earth from one end to the other and no one would mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. The land would be made desolate. *** In Thessalonians, Paul warns the people of his day not to be fooled by people who say the day of the Lord had already begun. It will not happen until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed - the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship, He will even sit in the temple of God claiming that he himself is God. He will deceive the people into believing his counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will deceive those who believe his lies and enjoy evil rather than believing the truth. *** I pray with Paul that we would always be thankful that God chose us to experience salvation, that comes through the Spirit who makes us holy and comforts us in everything good thing we do and say.

Fri.’s Devo - The Promise of Justice

Read: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18: Proverbs 24:11-14 Jeremiah was sent directly to the king of Judah and his attendants with a message from the Lord. Jeremiah condemned them for the injustice they were doing. The injustice of his day was much like ours today. The people were being robbed and oppressed by their government - think income taxes, laws that were against the common people getting ahead and downright slavery. Foreigners, orphans, and widows were being oppressed - think about illegals coming into our country and being trafficked and enslaved. Innocent people were being murdered - think the murders of many whistleblowers, innocent people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. If they repented and stopped doing these things then they would have a king that would have a powerful king to rule them. But if they didn’t pay attention to this warning, the king’s palace would be turned into a pile of rubble. *** When people looked at the ruins of their city in the future they would ask why the Lord destroyed it and the answer would be that they violated their covenant with the Lord by worshipping other gods. *** God told them not to mourn the death of Josiah who was a good king, but to weep instead for Jehoahaz his son who was not a good king. He would be led captive to Babylon and never return. Jehoahaz had built a beautiful palace with forced labor, but a beautiful palace doesn’t not make a great king. Josiah had been just and right in his dealings so God had blessed. Jehoahaz was greedy and dishonest and murdered the innocent and oppressed the poor, reigning ruthlessly. The people would not mourn his death or give him a proper burial. His body would be dragged out of the city and dumped by the gates. All of his friends would be taken as captives and his wickedness would be exposed. *** Jeremiah then turned to give a message to the leaders of the nation, the shepherds. They were suppose to care for the people but instead they had deserted them and driven them to destruction. God would pour out judgment on them for the evil then had done. But God would gather his remnant together and bring them back to their own sheepfold and they would be fruitful and increase. God would appoint responsible shepherds over them who would care for them. *** God promised them a righteous King who would rule with wisdom and his name would be “the Lord Is Our Righteousness.” Then, Judah would be saved and Israel would live in safety. The people would boast that the Lord was the one who brought them back to their land. *** Jeremiah mourned the curse the land was under because of the false prophets. They abused their power and did evil. The priests and prophets were ungodly, wicked men who did despicable acts in God’s Temple. They prophesied in the name of Baal and led the people into sin. They were as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were. *** God said the prophets would be fed bitterness and poison because that is what they had fed the people. The false prophets today are the main-stream media who spout out lies to put fear and anxiety into the hearts of anyone who will listen to them. Don’t listen to them! That is what Jeremiah told his people of them also. They filled the people with futile hopes and made everything up. *** In Jeremiah’s day they were offering false hope like the media today offers false hope in a vaccine that will end up harming you instead of helping you. *** God’s anger would not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. One day in the future we will understand all of this clearly. *** In the second letter to the Thessalonians he thanked God for their growing faith and love for one anther. He was proud of how they endured the persecutions and hardships of their day. God would use all of this to show his justice and make them worthy of his Kingdom. He would pay back those who persecuted them. *** When the Lord appears from heaven he will come with his angels in flaming fire and judge the wicked and reward his chosen people who received him with praise. Until then, God will give us the power to accomplish all the good things our faith prompts us to do. The name of Jesus will be honored because of the way we live. *** Lord we look forward to that day. We will live our days honoring you and praising you for all you have done, continue to do and have promised to do in the future.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Valley of Broken Pots

Read: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:9-10 God told Jeremiah to buy a clay jar from one of the potters and invite the leaders and priests to follow him through the Gate of Broken Pots where potters threw their broken pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnon. This was another name for “drugged”. They had turned this valley into a place they drugged children and sacrificed them. They had shrines to Baal where they made their sons walk through fire. They had killed innocent children here and this would be where they would be slaughtered. *** Jeremiah was to smash the jar he had brought and tell them that this is what happen to Jerusalem. It would be torn down as a monument to their stupidity. As it went through its siege, the people trapped inside will eat their own children and their friends. They would be driven to utter despair. *** Jeremiah left Topheth, the garbage dump and wet to the front of the Temple of the Lord and told them people there of God’s coming judgment. When Pashhur the priest in charge of the Temple heard Jeremiah prophesying he arrested him and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate. This was the gate that Jesus would enter through on the donkey to Jerusalem to be crucified. *** Jeremiah was released the following day by Pashhur. Jeremiah told him that God was changing his name from Pashhur which means “liberation” to “the Man Who Lives in Terror.” He and all his friends who prophesied that everything would be all right would live to see Jerusalem sacked and the people taken in captivity. They would go into captivity and have to live among the people they refused to warn and continued to lie to. They would be branded false prophets. *** In verses 7-18, Jeremiah has a melt down. He can’t help but say what the Lord tells him to say which is all about violence and destruction, but nothing happens so it makes him look like a fool. They called him the name that he gave to Passhur and threatened to report everything he said to the authorities. Jeremiah knew he was being tested but it didn’t make it easier to endure. He begged for God to let him see his words come true. *** Jeremiah was told to prophecy 35 years before Jerusalem fell, but it did finally happen and he lived to see it. When the siege began, Pashhur was sent to him by King Zedekiah to ask him to help them. Don’t you know this was like eating humble pie for Pashhur. He had to ask Jeremiah to pray for them for a miracle. They hoped that God would make Nebuchadnezzar withdraw his armies. Jeremiah told him to tell the king that their weapons would be useless against Babylon because God would be fighting with the Babylonians against them. He would show no mercy, pity or compassion. He told them they could choose their end - death or deportation. *** God gave the royal family of David one more chance to get it right. They were told to judge the people with justice and help the weak and oppressed. Otherwise they would be burned to death. *** Paul told the Church to stay awake and the day of the Lord would not take them by surprise. Only those in darkness would be surprised. God was coming to save them when he comes. *** They were to have respect for their spiritual leaders, not be lazy, take care of those who are weak and be patient with everyone. Don’t pay back evil for evil, but do good to others. Always be joyful and thankful in all circumstances. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit by scoffing at prophecies but test everything that is said and hold on to what is good. Stay away from evil. *** Lord, may we heed Paul’s instructions and love at all times and live godly lives that bring you glory. May we heed the words of the prophets and not scoff when we don’t see them fulfilled in our timetables.

Wed.’s Devo - Be Ye Holy

Read: Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-8 God was sending for the fishermen and hunters to hunt down the people who did evil and caused others to do evil. God sees everything and saw them fill the land with lifeless images of their detestable gods. Even the children were worshiping these gods. They were leaving a foolish heritage to the next generation. *** God cursed those who put their trust in mere humans and human strength instead of God Almighty. There is no hope in their future. But blessed are those who trusted in the Lord instead and made Him their hope and confidence. They would not be stunted shrubs, but like trees planted along the riverbank. Their roots will go deep into the soil and be able to stand even during long months of drought. They will stay green and productive and never stop producing fruit. *** The evil who put their trust in the wealth will lose it all and be disgraced. These people scoffed at what Jeremiah said because they weren’t seeing his predictions come true. *** Jeremiah told God what the people were saying and begged him to bring double the destruction he had prophesied upon them and prove to the people that what he said was going to happen. *** God sent Jeremiah to the gate where the king went into the Temple first and tell them to stop doing trade on the Sabbath. Then he was to go to the other gates and proclaim the same thing. It was a warning to keep his Sabbath day holy. If they didn’t stop, God would set these gates on fire. *** God gave them the illustration of the potter working with clay to show them how God could remake them if they repented. But, sadly, they told Jeremiah to not waste his breath on his warnings because they were choosing to lie as they wanted and stubbornly following their own evil desires. *** The people decided they had heard enough of Jeremiah’s warnings and his pointing out their sins, so they plotted to kill him. They had plenty of other false prophets; they did not need his words. Jeremiah prayed that their plans for evil would fall back on them. *** May this happen to the men who plot against President Trump and God’s people. May what they plan for evil fall back on them. *** Paul told the people at Thessalonica that God’s will was for them to live holy lives not like the pagan who chose not to have self-control and who were full of lust, hatred and lawlessness. Then he reminded them the importance of loving one another. *** Resurrection was new to them since Jesus was the first to rise from the grave. Paul comforted them with the fact that when Jesus comes back, the believers who died would rise from their graves first. Then those on the earth would rise to meet them in the air. They would be with the Lord forever. *** The Lord’s coming will be like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them and there will be no escape. *** Lord, may we trust in your plan and put our hope in you. Show us how we can make your Sabbath holy. Inspect our lives to see if there be any unholy thing in them and help us to put it away. May we be holy as you are holy.

Tues.’s Devo - Impending Judgment

Read: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5 God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the people because He wouldn’t hear those prayers. He was not accepting any of their heartless worship or offerings. *** Jeremiah told the Lord that the people’s false prophets were telling them that everything was going to be fine. They would not get the war and famine that Jeremiah told them was coming. God responded that their prophets lied and He did not send them. They would be punished and they would die by the war and famine. The ones who believed their prophecies would be victims of the famine and war also. *** God told Jeremiah to prophecy as if it had already happened. He was to tell them that he saw bodies slaughtered by the enemy and dead in the streets by starvation. Yet, the prophets and priests would continue to do their thing, aimlessly. *** Jeremiah pleaded with the Lord to repent his judgment but God was not to be moved. He had destined some to death, some to war, some to famine and some to captivity. *** Because of the wicked things Manasseh did, God would send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what was left. God was tired of giving them second chances because they refused to change. He would take first the children, then the fathers and last the mothers. Those who were left would be given over to the enemy. *** Jeremiah complained to the Lord on his own behalf. He had done nothing harmful to the people and yet they cursed him. God promised to take care of them. One day, their enemies would be asking him to intercede for them. *** Jeremiah came to the Lord again and asked him to step in and help him against his persecutors. *** God told Jeremiah to return to him and he would restore him so he could continue to serve him. He told Jeremiah that he must influence them not vice versa. Though they attack him, God would make him strong and they would not conquer him. God would protect and rescue him. God also told him not to marry yet because so many would die. He was not to mourn their death or show any sadness. He was not to go to their feasts and parties or participate in their lifestyle. When the people ask him why God has decreed such horrible things for them he was to tell them it was because their ancestors sinned against him and then they did even worse. A remnant of them would survive and be taken to a land in the north but He would bring them back to the land one day. *** You can feel the joy that Paul writes his letter to the Church at Philippi. Paul had labored to train them to live their lives in a way that was worthy of God and after much persecution from their own countrymen, they had endured and continued in their faith, growing more and more in the knowledge of Christ. Paul was so elated to hear this good news. *** Paul had wanted to go and visit them but things prevented him, so he finally sent Timothy to encourage them and strengthen them for the troubles that were coming up ahead. Timothy came back with news of their faith and love for God and one another. This made Paul very encouraged and thankful. *** Lord we pray with Paul that our love for one another and all people would grow and overflow just as our love for You overflows. May our hearts be strong, blameless, and holy as we stand before You, our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people.

Mon.’s Devo - God’s Case Against His People

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34 Jeremiah had a case to bring before God and he knew God would give him justice. His question was why are the wicked so prosperous and seem to be so happy. They talked about the Lord like he was their god but he was not in their hearts. *** We could say that about the singers who say in their concert that they are Christians and yet they worship Satan. They have all the wealth of the world and seem to be happy but we know that is not the truth. *** Jeremiah continued to complain about the situation in his land. God had stopped the rain so their fields were drying up, and the evil in the land was abundant. The people didn’t think God even knew their future. Jeremiah’s family members had turned against him. *** God responded and said he had abandoned his people because they abandoned him. The leaders had trampled his truth and turned everything that was good into evil. Their enemies were coming and no matter what they did to save themselves, it would not do them any good. The good things God had intended for them would be taken by enemy nations and they would be uprooted to other nations. *** Afterward, God would return everyone to their own nations. If the nations learn the ways of his people and swear by his name, they would be saved and given a place among his people . Any nation that refused to obey him would be uprooted and destroyed. *** God instructed Jeremiah to take the loincloth he was wearing and bury it beside the Euphrates River. After a long time, God told him to go back and dig it up. It had rotted and fallen apart. God said this was a picture of how He would rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. Their pride had made them like this loincloth - good for nothing. Judah and Israel were created to be God’s pride and joy but they refused to obey. He would fill everyone’s cups with the wine of drunkenness from the king to the lowest person. Then he would smash them against each other and they would fight one another. *** Jeremiah begged the people to repent but concluded that they would not be able to start doing good since they had always done evil. God would expose their sins to their shame. *** In Chapter 14, the people responded to their lack of rain. The land had run out of water. Their crops had died. The people finally acknowledged that their sins had caused this and cried out to the Lord to save them, to save his own reputation. But, God wasn’t being moved by them anymore. He said it was time to punish them for their sins. They would no longer be accepted as his people. *** Paul writes to the Thessalonians thanking them for their faithful work, loving deeds and the enduring hope they have in Jesus. *** Paul commended them for taking his message seriously and believing it as their own. Though the truth had brought them persecution and trouble, they had stood for the truth becoming an example to all believers in Greece and throughout Macedonia and Achaia. Everywhere Paul went, he heard good testimonies about what was happening in their church. They had turned away from the idols to serve the living and true God. *** Lord, thank you for always preserving a remnant of people who honor you and trust you. May we rise up together and fight for your justice and your cause. Thank you that You bring us victory. You win!

Sun.’s Devo - Idols vs. God

Read: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; Proverbs 24:28-29 Jeremiah gives us a sharp contrast between their idols and his God. There is no comparison between life and death. There idols were made from inanimate objects and had no life and could not do anything. God was life and had the power to do anything. He is the only true God and everlasting King. The whole earth trembles at his anger and no nation can stand up to his wrath. *** Jeremiah explained how they made their idols then he explained how God created everything. The contrast is huge! Because they chose gods who could do nothing for them, they would lose everything. Judah would become desolate and they would be ravished and taken into exile. *** Jeremiah begged God to take out his vengeance on the nations who were their enemies and didn’t worship him. God told Jeremiah to remind the people that they had a covenant with him. It said that they would be his people if they obeyed his laws if they didn’t they would be cursed. Instead of obeying him, they had conspired against him to worship other gods. Israel and Judah had both broken their covenants with him. He found it offensive that they worshiped other gods then came to his Temple to worship him. They were once fruitful and blessed but their sins had brought a curse on them. *** God revealed to Jeremiah that the people were plotting to kill him. The man who was doing this was named Anathoth which means “affliction”. God said that he would bring affliction upon him and his followers, but Jeremiah would be saved. In Colossians Paul told wives to submit to their husbands, husbands to love their wives, children to always obey their parents, and parents not to aggravate their children to discouragement. He told employees to obey their bosses and masters to be just and fair to their employees. *** Everyone needs to pray with a thankful heart. Live wisely as an example to others of Christ who is in you. *** Paul gave greetings from his fellow helpers in the ministry and told them to share this letter to the church at Laodicea and to read their letter also. He ended with, “May God’s grace be with you.” *** Lord, may we walk in your grace and power. May our lives be sweet incense poured out at your feet.

Sat.’s Devo - Boast in the Lord

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27 The people boasted that their wisdom came from the Lord but they twisted God’s Word in their writings. God said that they would fall into the trap they set for others. They would lose everything because of their greed. The false prophets and the priests were all corrupted by lies. They were frauds. They promised peace instead of telling their people of the judgment that was imminent. They wouldl end up dead along with their wealth and the things they trusted in. *** Jeremiah could see in his spirit the coming enemy armies. His heart was filled with grief for his people. He could hear the sound of crying across the land even before it happened and it made him sick with sadness. Jeremiah knew the sin of his people but his love for them was so deep. He wished they had repented and stopped their impending doom. But there was nothing he could do to stop it even though he cried out to the Lord for help. *** God responded that the people would rather lie than tell the truth. They do not know Him, their God. They refuse to acknowledge Him. He would send them through the fire of refinement and see if there was any good in them. *** God would make Jerusalem a heap of ruins taken over by the wild animals. This would be a testimony to all that these people refused to worship the Lord and stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped false gods like Baal. *** Jeremiah tried to beg them to lament and repent but they had no knowledge of how to do this. They saw no need because they were proud and didn’t believe what he prophesied. *** The Lord said to let them boast in their wisdom, power, and riches but the truly wise are those who boasted in the fact that they knew Him. The time was coming when he would punish all those who were not circumcised in their hearts. *** In Colossians, Paul reminds us that since we have been given this new life with Christ, we need to think about things of heaven. Our real life is hidden in Christ. Heaven has our future, not earth. We can put to death earthly thoughts and desires and choose to rid ourselves of our past desires. We can choose to put on tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We can choose to forgive others and allow for their faults as God does for us. We can choose to walk in love and live in peace with people. *** Lord, we choose to walk in your peace, your love and your freedom. Thank you for the blood of Christ that has the power over sin and death. We live in that promise. Our boast is in the fact that we know our God who demonstrates unfailing love and brings justice and righteousness to the earth.

Fri.’s Devo - Our Supreme God

Read: Jeremiah 6:16-8:7; Colossians 2:8-23; Psalm 78:1-31; Proverbs 24:26 Jeremiah told the people to return to their roots, “the old, godly way, and walk in it.” There is where they would find rest for their souls. But that was not the road they wanted. God had posted prophets all along their way to lead them back to that road, but they refused to listen or head their warnings. So now they would face the consequences of their rebellion. A great army was coming from the north that would have no pity or mercy. *** Jeremiah begged them to repent. Their test would be to see if they listened to what Jeremiah said or not. The people had hard hearts that were full of slander and corruption. Since God could not refine them through fire of oppression, he would reject them like discarded silver. *** In Chapter 7, God sent Jeremiah to the entrance of the Temple to give a message to the ones who chose to worship at his Temple. Their message was also to repent and not be deceived by those who told them they would be safe because of the Temple. They were not safe because of a building but their safety depended on the condition of their hearts. He told them to stop their evil thoughts and start treating each other with justice. Stop exploiting foreigners, orphans and widows. Stop murdering and stop harming themrselves by worshiping idols. Then they could stay in their land forever. *** If they didn’t think God would destroy his Temple, they should go to Shiloh where they used to worship and see what happened to it. God is not confined to a place. Shiloh became so wicked, God had to destroy it and he would do the same to Jerusalem. *** God told Jeremiah to stop praying for them because they refused to give up worshipping their false gods. God would consume them all in his unquenchable fire of his anger. God never wanted what they brought to sacrifice, it was their obedient hearts He wanted, then their sacrifices would be accepted also. But they hadn’t listened or wanted to listen. They were more stubborn and sinful than their ancestors. *** Since they were a nation who refused to be taught the truth, God’s fury would destroy them. They set up their idols in the middle of the Temple and did child sacrifices to Topheth which was another name for Molech. God would put an end to their happy singing and laughter in the streets. *** The people were walking on a self-destructive path and they refused to turn back. They defied nature to go their own way. *** Paul was warning his people of Colossians the same warning. He told them not to let anyone capture them in their nonsense that came from human reasoning or any spiritual being but Christ. In Christ was the fullness of God in human form. We are also made complete in Christ. He is the head over every ruler and authority. *** When we came to Christ, he cut out our sinful nature. Our old nature was buried with Christ in baptism and raised to new life through the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. He set us free from the powers of this world. Rules of self-denial don’t help us in conquering our evil desires. The realization that Christ has conquered them does. *** Lord, may we walk in your power and authority over sin and the evil powers of this world. You are supreme above every power or authority in the seen and unseen world and You are our God. We trust in You.

Thurs.’s Devo - Christ In Us

Read: Jeremiah 4:19-6:15; Colossians 1:18-2:7 Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 24:23-25 Jeremiah lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem. He lived during Josiah’s son’s rules which were weak and ungodly. The sins of the rule of Manasseh and many other kings were now being realized in real time and Jeremiah saw the judgment coming. He saw their homes being destroyed and heard the sound of the enemy’s trumpets as they sounded their war cry. He saw the desolation of the land and the response of nature to the war. Yet, the people of Judah still acted like they could bribe their enemies into helping them. *** God challenged Jeremiah to go throughout the city and search for one just and honest person. God said they all lied. In all their calamity, none were turning to the Lord, the only one who could help them. They refused to repent. Jeremiah decided that the poor were too ignorant to understand they needed to repent so he went to the learned leaders but they were just as ignorant. They had chosen to worship foreign gods and ignore the voice of God’s prophets. They cursed the prophets and said to let their words fall on them instead, but that would not happen. *** God would send a distant nation against them and they would be devoured by them. But, God would save a remnant of the people. He would send them to a foreign land. *** The people had lost their fear and awe of God, their creator. They had become hunters and the people were the prey. The leaders had become rich and wicked. They refused to give justice to the orphans and the widows. Their false prophets gave false messages and their priests were power-hungry. The sad thing was the people liked it that way. *** Jeremiah sent out a warning to flee Jerusalem before the enemy came and they couldn’t escape. They refused to listen but it wouldn’t stop what was coming. Their land would be picked over again and again till nothing of worth was left. It would all be turned over to their enemies. Their prophets were prophesying peace, but peace was not coming. *** In Colossians, we read that Christ is the head of the Church. God lived in Christ when he walked the earth and through Christ, God reconciled the world back to himself. Through Christ, God made peace with everything in heaven and on the earth. It all happened through the cross. He has individually done that for everyone who chooses to become his son. Through Christ’s death we are brought into the very presence of God and stand blameless before him. *** Paul urged them not to lose this assurance of their position with God. This is the Good News. Paul was honored to have suffered for Christ’s sake and share in his sufferings. The secret that had been revealed to them had been kept secret for centuries but now was revealed to them. This secret was that Christ lives in us. In Christ, lies all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If He is rooted in us, and our lives are built on Christ then our faith will grow and we will be thankful. *** Lord, thank you for the truths of your Word. Thank you for revealing to us that it is Christ who lives in us and enables us to walk in confident assurance of our position with You. Thank you for empowering us to walk as you walked because you walk through us. Lead us today to do your will.

Wed.’s Devo - Return to God

Read: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Colossians 1:1-17; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 24:21-22 God laments the fact that his people, who he chose, saved and blessed have chosen to forget him. He reveals how they secretly plot to scheme and kill the innocent then act innocent and take no responsibility for the sins. They struck deals with the enemy Egypt but they are going to be as disappointed as they were with Assyria because they will lead them into exile instead of saving them. Israel had tried every god but the only true God. Because of their sins, God didn’t give them their spring rains. *** Jeremiah said all this during the reign of Josiah who was a good king who celebrated the Passover and tried to turn the nation back to God. This shows us that having a godly leader can only go so far. The people have to join him, but their hearts were too far gone. Judah was worse than Israel. Judah had Jerusalem, and the Temple, and the priests. They were the ones who should have stood as a nation who worshipped God in truth but they, like Israel, chose to follow the gods of the nations around them. *** God promised to bring a small remnant back to Jerusalem. When they return, they won’t miss the days when they had the Ark of the Covenant. They won’t need to rebuild it. In that day Jerusalem will be known as the Throne of the Lord. All nations would come and honor the Lord there. Jerusalem was given to them as an inheritance forever!!! *** God made an appeal to the people to return to Him and they responded that they would but they didn’t mean it. If they would return they would be a blessing to the nations of the world and all people would come and praise God’s name. *** Jeremiah begged them to plow up the hard grounds of their hearts and surrender their power and pride. If they don’t, the Lord’s anger would burn like an unquenchable fire. God’s fire comes to the wicked as a consuming fire but it comes to his people as a cleansing fire. His fire burns up his enemies but it enlivens his chosen with power. Jesus came to baptize us with the fire of the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t sound like a destroying fire but a good fire of glory. *** What God was about to do in Jerusalem was going to shock their lying prophets who prophesied in the name of Baal and it was going to shock their politicians. They still had a chance to repent individually but their fate as a nation was sealed. God was bringing judgement upon them by a nation from the north. *** Paul wrote to the Church at Colosseum to warn them of the heresy that was being taught in the church. It was a blend of pagan-occultism, Jewish legalism, and Christianity. Sounds like what is being taught today. It taught that Jesus was not fully God and fully man, but a semi-divine being that bridged the gap between God and the world. Thus, Jesus lacked the authority and ability to meet the needs of the Colossians. They could achieve spiritual fullness through special knowledge and rigorous self-discipline. This was another way of saying that man had to help God out with their own power; God was not enough. *** Paul wrote his letter to expose the heresy, give them the truth and warn them of the danger of returning to pagan ways. It was also to encourage the believer that he was with them and to keep loving one another and living in peace. *** Paul told them that Jesus rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. *** In the Ten Commandments we are told not to make any graven image and worship it. That is because Jesus is the visible image of God. No one would have thought to do an image of a man to worship. Instead they worshipped images of goats and fish and half-human half-animals. *** When Jesus and God created the world they made things we could see and made invisible thrones and kingdoms and rulers and authorities we can’t see. God existed before them all and he holds it all together. *** Lord, give us ears to hear and eyes to see and hearts to understand what You are doing on the earth today. Give us discernment to know good from evil.

Tues.’s Devo - Jeremiahs Commission

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30; Philippians 4:1-23; Psalm 75:1-10; Proverbs 24:17-20 Isaiah had prophecies up till the reign of Hezekiah but two kings later, Jeremiah began to prophecy. He prophesied during the last five of Israels kings. Jeremiah means “God will cast forth.” That was prophetic since at the end of the last king, they were cast forth out of Jerusalem and taken captives. *** God anointed Jeremiah from the womb to be a prophet to the nations. He would stand up against nations and kingdoms. With his words he would uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow nations. To other nations he would build up and plant. This is a great definition of what we can do in spiritual warfare with our decrees. *** The first thing God showed Jeremiah was a branch of an olive tree. It was the picture of Him watching over all his plans. Next he showed him a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north. God said that it was armies coming from the north spilling into to Jerusalem. They would set their thrones at the gates of Jerusalem and attack it. This would be God’s pronouncement of judgment against their evil lifestyles. *** God told Jeremiah to go and tell the people what he said and if he was afraid of them, he would make Jeremiah look foolish to them. He had given Jeremiah the strength to stand against the whole land - the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. God told Jeremiah that they would fight him but they would fail. *** The first message Jeremiah was given to tell the people of Jerusalem was about their past. At their conception they were so eager to please the Lord. Israel was holy to the Lord and he protected them against their enemies. Then they began to stray away and worship worthless idols which made them become worthless themselves. Their prophets spoke in the name of Baal. Why did they reject their God. No other nation traded their gods for another, but they had traded the only God for false ones. This shocked the heavens! *** They abandoned the fountain of living water to dig wells that can not hold any water. Israel has become a slave, their land is destroyed and the towns in ruins. No one lives there anymore. (Sounds like Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles.) They brought this all upon themselves because they rebelled against the Lord. God asked them what good was it to make alliances with Egypt and Assyria. *** God had delivered them once from Egypt’s bondage and given them their own land and they refused to worship him. He compared Israel to a thief who only felt remorse when they were caught. They only cried out to the Lord when they were in trouble. Why weren’t they asking their gods to help them. Instead, they killed the prophets of God. *** Paul closes his letter encouraging them to help those who minister, don’t worry about anything but instead be filled with joy, thanksgiving and love. Then they will experience God’s peace which will be a guard around your heart. Think about things that are true, honorable, right , pure, lovely and admirable. this about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. *** Paul thanks them again for their financial help they gave to him. He blesses them with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. *** Lord, help us to watch over our hearts and not let them be filled with fear or anxiety. May we always keep our eyes on you and your goodness and glory. You have anointed us for this hour.

Mon.’s Devo - God’s New Birth

Read: Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:5-21; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 24:15-16 God makes it clear that there is nothing we can build that will impress him. But we can move him by our hearts. If they are humble and fear his Word then he will bless us. But the proud who go their own way and delight in their sins will not be able to please the Lord no matter what they give him or do. *** God says that the new birth will come so suddenly like a baby being born before it goes into labor. Is that the same thing as it coming without any pain? I think so! This new Jerusalem will be a a river of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the other nations will come to her. Her people will be comforted and all the world will see the blessing on Israel. They will also see his punishment on his enemies. The whole earth will be blessed and many will be killed. *** God will gather all the nations together to see his glory. He will do some sign to show them his power and nations that have not heard of the Lord and his glory will get to see it. A remnant of God’s people will come out of these nations to Jerusalem. Some of them will be priests and Levites who were dispersed through the years. *** God’s new heaven and new earth will remain and the people will be the Lord’s forever. All humanity will come to worship him from week to week and from month to month. They will see the dead bodies of the rebellious that will burn in the lake of fire. *** Paul gave his credentials, then said that as impressive as he once thought they were, they were nothing compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He counted all his education and pedigree as garbage in comparison to knowing Christ which was the only education that mattered. Paul wanted to suffer with Christ so he could share his experience and in death be resurrected with Christ. *** Paul admonished them to remember that their citizenship was in heaven, not on this earth. If you put Christ in front of you and set him as your goal, you won’t have to worry about getting righteous, you will become righteous. We look forward to the day when Christ will return and take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his. Then everything will be under his control. Hallelujah! *** Lord, thank you for your great plan of victory. You are a good God who will bless the whole earth and fill it with your glory. We look forward to that day!

Sun.’s Devo - People Redeemed by the Lord

Read: Isaiah 62:6-65:25; Philippians 2:19-1:4; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 24:13-14 God tells Jerusalem that he has posted watchmen - prophets to watch over them until he brings his blessing back to Jerusalem. They will never be turned over to their enemies again. They will never again have their income taken from them by enemies. They were told to prepare a road for their people to return on, to go take out the rocks that are in the road and make it passable. *** This is the same message John the Baptist gave about their hearts. They were to make the way smooth for the Lord to walk into their hearts. The boulders in the way were their sins. Jesus was coming with rewards and his followers would be called “The People Redeemed by the Lord.” *** The Lord came the first time to save us individually but he is coming the second time to save us nationally. The first time his robe was stained with his own blood as he paid for our sins, but this second time he is coming with his robe stained with the blood of his enemies. *** Isaiah takes a moment to praise the Lord for what he has done for them in the past and what he is going to do for them in the future. He begs God to do what he did in the past when he came down on Mt. Sinai and made himself known to his people. But these people rebelled against him over and over. Isaiah described Jerusalem as a city torn down and ravaged. Isaiah asks God if he is going to help them or not. *** God responds. He has always been ready to help them but they didn’t ask for his help. They wanted to do it themselves without him. They thought they could defeat their enemies with the help of their idols. God must respond to their deeds. He will destroy them all but preserve the remnant that stayed true to Him. Everything will flip and the God’s people will be blessed and their enemies will be cursed. *** God will create new heavens and a new earth. No one will even think about the old ones. Jerusalem will be a place of happiness and her people will be a source of joy. God’s blessing will be on his people and they will be blessed beyond their wildest imaginations. War will be gone and there will be peace on earth. *** Paul tells the church at Philippi that he is sending Timothy and Epaphroditus to them to encourage them in their faith. Timothy genuinely cares about them because he cares about what matters to Jesus. Epaphroditus had almost died but didn’t and longs to come see them. *** Paul warned them to watch out for the ones who told them they must be circumcised to be saved. Circumcision is of the heart not the physical. No deed we could do would save us. We are saved by God’s grace and Jesus’ blood. *** Lord, your promises are so good for us who are called by your name. Help us to patiently wait on You to act.