Tue.’s Devo - God’s Yoke

Read: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16 Jeremiah’s prophecies are not in order. This one we read today was given during Jehoiakim’s reign. Here is the order of the last five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedikiah. God sent Jeremiah to stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple and give them God’s word. If they didn’t listen to the prophets that God sent them, he was going to destroy this Temple like he destroyed Shiloh (where the Tabernacle had been.) As soon as he finished speaking, he was mobbed by the priests and leaders and the people. They wanted to have him killed. *** The officials in the palace heard the commotion and ran over to hold court. They listened to what the priests and prophets were saying about Jeremiah. They wanted him to die a traitor. *** Jeremiah spoke and said he was just saying what the Lord told him to say. If they would stop sinning and begin to obey the Lord, he would change his mind about bringing disaster upon the. If they kill him, they will be killing an innocent man and they will be judged accordingly. The officials told the priests and prophets that there was no grounds to kill him. Some of the elders spoke and reminded them of Micah who prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah. He prophecied the same thing about Jerusalem but King Hezekiah didn’t kill him. He led the nation to repent and God changed his mind. *** Around this time, Uriah son of Shemaiah was also prophesying the same thing in Kiriath-jearim. When the king and his army officers heard what he said they sent someone to kill him, but Uriah ran to hide in Egypt. He was found and brought back to King Jehoiakim where he was killed and buried in an unmarked grave. Uriah’s brother, Ahikam stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn Jeremiah over to the mob to be killed. *** Chapter 27 happened early in Jehoiakim’s reign. The Lord told Jeremiah to make a yoke and fasten it on his neck with leather straps. He was to give a message to the ambassadors to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. God was going to give their nations to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. God has given control of the whole earth to Nebuchadnezzar until his time is up. Then, God would send a nation to conquer him and rule over Babylon. They were to put themselves under Babylon’s yoke. He warned them not to listen to their false prophets who told them Babylon would not rule them; they were liars. But, any nation who submitted to the king of Babylon would get to live in their own land. *** Jeremiah also told King Zedekiah this same message and begged him to submit to Babylon’s yoke so they could stay in the land. He told the king and the priests not to listen to their false prophets who told them that Babylon was soon returning the things they stole from the Temple. This was a lie. Instead, they should be praying that the things still in the Temple will stay and not be taken also. As for them, they needed to surrender to the king of Babylon and not die by famine and the sword. All the articles in the Temple will be taken to Babylon and stay there until God sends for them. Then God will bring them back to Jerusalem. *** Paul writes from Corinth where not everyone is a believer. He asks for prayer that their teaching would spread and be honored by those who hear it. He warns them to stay away from people who want to live off everyone else and not work. Idleness is the parent to busybodies. They should stay away from these people. *** Paul ends with our prayer: May the Lord of peace himself give you us peace at all times and in every situation. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all!

Mon.’s Devo - Be Not Deceived

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15 God brings up the false prophets again. They were going around claiming to have dreams from Him. They are not true prophets but prophets of deceit and the dreams they claimed to have were not from the Lord. God called the true prophets to give his words. They were like grain that would bring life, but the false prophet’s words were like straw that caused the people to sin. *** God told Jeremiah if they asked him ‘What prophecy has the Lord burdened you with now?’ He is to respond, ‘You are the burden.’ God was tired of them saying they got their words from the Lord when it was a lie. He warned them, He would expel them from his presence along with Jerusalem. He would make them an object of ridicule and their name would be infamous throughout the ages. *** King Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin, his officers and all the craftsmen and artisans to Babylon. Jeremiah was left and God gave him a vision of two baskets of figs placed in front of the Lord’s Temple. One was filled with fresh, ripe figs and the other with bad figs, too rotten to eat. God told him that the good figs reprinted the exiles he sent to Babylon. He would watch over them and bring them back again. They would recognize him as the Lord and return to him wholeheartedly. But the bad figs represent King Zedekiah who was left in Jerusalem and those who lived in Egypt. He would make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on the earth. He would eventually kill them all off. *** Chapter 25 was written before they went into exile. Jeremiah had prophecied for 23 years that the land was going to be taken by a foreign nation and sent into exile. He begged them to turn from their idols and worship the Lord, but they refused to turn so they would go into exile for 70 years. When the time was over, God would punish Babylon and make it a wasteland. They will become enslaved just as they had enslaved Judah. *** God had a cup of his anger and Jeremiah was sent in the spirit to give it to the Pharaoh in Egypt and all his attendants, officials and people. He was also taken to the land of Uz and the Philistine kings to make them drink from the cup. From there he was taken to the nations of Edom. Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Zimri, Elam and Media…all the kingdoms of the world. Finally, the king of Babylon had to drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger. This would signal the fall of their nations. The Lord of Heavens Armies would accomplish this. *** In Thessalonians, Paul wants to clarify some misconceptions about Jesus’ second coming. Some were saying that the day of the Lord had already began, but Paul told them not to be deceived by this. This day would not come until a great rebellion against God had happened and the man of lawlessness was revealed. This man would bring destruction and exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He would even sit in the temple of God and claim that he is God. *** He can only be revealed when the one who is holding him back steps out of the way. But Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. *** This man of lawlessness will have counterfeit power to do signs and miracles. He will use deceit to fool those on their way to destruction because they refuse to be saved. They will be condemned for choosing evil over truth. *** Thank you, Jesus, for salvation and truth. Help us to stand firm on your Word and in your spirit. Thank you for the comfort you strengthen us with to keep going with confidence. You are our rock.

Sun.’s Devo - A Righteous King is Coming

Read: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14 Jeremiah was sent to speak to the king face to face. He was to tell King Zedekiah to stop robbing the people, mistreating the poor and murdering the innocent. Josiah had been a good king who gave justice and help to the poor and everything had gone good for him, but the last three kings: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin had done the opposite. *** Jeremiah told them that when Jehoiakim is dragged out of Jerusalem, the people will not mourn for him. His son, Jehoiachin will take his place and God would abandon him also. He would be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and be taken to Babylon where he would die. None of his children would ascend to the throne. All the shepherds who were supposed to care for the people will be taken away. They will be judged for the evil they had done. *** At the appointed time, God will gather a remnant from the countries they are scattered to and bring them back. Then they will be fruitful and increase in number. God will appoint responsible shepherds to care for them. A righteous descendant of David will be their King and he will do what is just and right. His name will be The Lord Is Our Righteousness. *** God rebuked the prophets of Jerusalem because they committed adultery and loved dishonesty. They encouraged evil and would not repent. He likened them to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. God will cause them to drink poison for what they have done. Jeremiah warned the people not to listen to what they said. They didn’t speak for the Lord. In the end, they will understand that Jeremiah spoke the truth. *** In Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, he commends them again of their faith and love for one another in the midst of all their persecution. He tells them that God will justify them and give them rest. His angels will bring judgment on those that still refuse to obey the Lord. They will receive punishment with eternal destruction and forever be separated from the Lord. Lord we pray with Paul asking for you to enable us to live a life worthy of the call on our lives. May you give us the power to accomplish all the good things our faith prompts us to do and may the name of Jesus be honored because of the way we live.

Sat.’s Devo - The Coming Judgment

Read: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28: Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:9-10 God told Jeremiah to go and buy a clay jar and take it to the place where they sacrificed children to Baal. He told them that this place would become a place of slaughter. They would be slaughtered by foreign armies and Jerusalem would be reduced to ruins making it a monument to their stupidity. They would be besieged and end up eating their own sons, daughters, and friends. *** He was to break the jar and tell them that as this jar scattered when it broke, so their nation would be scattered and shattered beyond repair. There would be so many dead bodies to bury they would run out of room to bury them. *** The priest, Pashhur, who in charge of the Temple heard what Jeremiah was saying and had him arrested, beat and put in stocks at the gate of the Temple. He was released the next day. *** Jeremiah told Pashhur that the Lord had changed his name to “The Man Who Lives in Terror”. God would send terror upon them and his friends and they will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. All their wealth will be taken to Babylon also. He and all his friends will die in Babylon and all will know that his prophecies about how everything was going to be all right will be proven false. *** Jeremiah goes through great internal conflict as he is persecuted for all his words. He feels like he has shamed his family and himself but can not keep the words the Lord gives him to himself. *** When Jeremiah’s prophecies began to come true and Babylon came and attacked Judah, King Zedekiah sent Pashhur to him to ask him what God was saying. Amazing how conflict and fear brings humility. They were hoping for God to deliver them. *** No such luck. Jeremiah told them that their weapons would be useless against the Babylonians and when they fought, they would be fighting against God. King Zedekiah and his staff would be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and everyone would die of disease, war or famine. There would be no mercy. *** The only hope they would have would be to the ones who surrendered and let them take them to Babylon. They would live while Jerusalem would be reduced to ashes. *** He told the royal family to begin giving justice to the people and help the oppressed. This will help them when they are judged. *** Paul warned his people of judgment also. One day the Lord would come like a thief to the world. It will not be that way for those who are children of the day. They will be protected by their faith. God is not coming to judge the righteous, but the wicked. *** We are to live lives of diligence, love for one another and peace. We are to be bold and tenderly care for those who are weak. We are not to make fun of or treat lightly prophets or their words. We are to avoid all and every kind of evil. *** Lord, may your peace make us holy in every way and may our whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless until Jesus Christ comes again.

Fri.’s Devo - Trust in the Lord

Read: Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16: Proverbs 25:6-8 God was sending out his fishers and hunters to fish the evil people out of their hiding places and hunt them down. At last, they will know that the Lord is powerful and mighty - the only God. God will give all their wealth and treasures to their enemies. They will take the people to a foreign land. *** Those who trusted in people will be greatly disappointed, but those who trust in the Lord will not be bothered during the long months of drought. They will thrive. They will never stop producing fruit. *** God searches the hearts of men and examines all of their secret motives. He gives people their due rewards according to their actions. Those who get rich unjustly will lose it in midlife and end up poor. Those who turn away from the Lord will end up disgraced. God is the fountain of living water. *** God told Jeremiah to go and stand at the gates of Jerusalem and tell the people to stop trading and opening their gates on the Sabbath and instead, make the Sabbath a holy day. If they obeyed, there would always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. He reminded them that their ancestors had been told the same warning and they didn’t listen. Neither did the ones Jeremiah told. He warned them that if they didn’t listen and obey, God would set fire to their gates and it would spread to the palaces and no one would be able to put the fire out. *** Then the Lord sent Jeremiah to the potter’s house and he watched as the potter was making a pot on his wheel. It didn’t turn out the way he hoped so he crushed it into a lump and started over. That was just what God was going to do to his people. *** When Jeremiah told the people this, they told him to stop talking to them. They choose to live the way they want to…following their own evil desires. *** God said he would turn his back on them and in their time of trouble, he will refuse to help them. *** The people were tired of hearing all the words Jeremiah was telling them. Killing him hadn’t worked the time before, so this time they spread rumors about him. *** Jeremiah cried out to the Lord for help. He told God that he was trying to help the people, but all they want to do is kill him. Jeremiah cursed them and their children. Now, Jeremiah knows how the Lord feels. That is exactly what they did to Him. *** Paul urges the believers in Thessalonica to live their lives to please the Lord. He told them to live in holiness and avoid the sexual sins of the pagans. They are to love the Lord and have love and respect for one another. *** Paul didn’t want them to grieve over loved ones who died as believers. Their bodies will resurrect when Jesus returns. Those who are alive on earth will meet the Lord in the air. His coming will happen when everything is peaceful and secure. It will begin with pains like labor pains and when they start, there is no going back. *** Lord, may we learn from scripture that when You are ready to judge, we need to agree that your judgment is just and fair. Help us to see things through your perspective and work with you.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Coming Destruction

Read: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5 Again, God tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the people who were set on sin and doomed to destruction. Their false prophets told them that all was well and that war will not come. They will become victims of the war and famine they say will not come. *** Jeremiah can’t help praying and mourning over the disaster he sees coming to the people. He sees visions of their dead bodies lying in the streets. He can’t help himself; he confesses the sins of his people for them and prays for God’s mercy. He prays for the sake of God’s reputation for him to save his people. He prays that God would relent and send rain. *** God responds by saying if Moses or Samuel was standing before him, he would not listen to their cry for rain. He gives the people four options: death, war, famine or captivity. That is their fate. He describes four scenarios they would face; the sword to kill, dogs to drag away, vultures to devour and wild animals to finish up what was left. God was done with second chances. *** God would first come to take away the children, then the fathers, then the mothers. Then their wealth will be taken and they will be exiled to a foreign land. *** Jeremiah finally prays for himself. He reminds God how he loved his word and was obedient to say what God had told him to say. He petitioned for his own life. *** God told him if he continued to be faithful to him and not let the people influence him but he became the influencer, God would make Jeremiah secure and he would not fall. God would protect and rescue him. He also told Jeremiah not to get married or have children in this place or they would die of disease. He also told him not to go to funerals or mourn those who do die. Nor was he to go to their parties of celebration. When he’s asked why, he is to tell the people that their ancestors sinned against God and they had done even worse. He ends by saying that one day God would bring them back from the land of the north to their own land. *** The church at Thessalonica was made up of many Gentiles. Paul had encouraged the church in their walk and they had accepted his written teachings as if they were from God. They had received much persecution from the devout Jewish people in their city for following Christ. Paul reminded them of how the Jews killed the prophets and how it was them that crucified Jesus. Those then, were of the same spirit that was persecuting them now. They were only piling up their sins till the judgment day. *** Paul had sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them in their faith. He had returned and reported about their strong faith in the Lord in spite of the persecution they were facing. Paul was very thankful and proud of their walk. He promised to pray continually for them. Lord, we pray that we would stand strong in persecution and let our joy and faith shine. May we love one another and may our hearts be strong, blameless and holy.

Wed.’s Devo - Godly Boldness

Read: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34 Jeremiah brought his complaint before God. He saw how prosperous and happy the wicked were, or seemed to be. They talked about God, but he was not in their hearts. Their wickedness was affecting nature - the grass and the animals. The people doubted his prophecies. *** God responded by saying, if just seeing the towns people in their rebellion wears him out, how is he going to stand before kings and the officers of the nation. He has no ally among them. They are all his enemy just like they are God’s enemy. But, they are going to be soon surrounded by their enemy and all their beauty is going to turn into barren wilderness. They will not be boasting much longer. *** God was going to uproot them to a foreign land and then after 70 years, bring them back to their own land. They will learn to swear by his name and not Baal’s. *** God told Jeremiah to take a loin cloth and bury it in the ground in a hole by the Euphrates River. When God told him to go and dig it back up, it was rotten and falling apart, good for nothing. God said that that was a picture of how he was going to rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. They had gone into idolatry and were like the loincloth - good for nothing. *** God told Jeremiah to tell them, “may all your jars be filled with wine.” Then he explained that God was going to fill the land with drunkenness and they would stumble and fall in the darkness. They would look for light but find only darkness and gloom. Jeremiah would be the only one lamenting their sins knowing they were going to be led into exile. *** God stopped the rains to get their attention. They blamed God for not taking care of them. It wasn’t God’s fault; it was their own because they refused to make God their Lord and king. *** The church at Thessalonica was started by Paul when he visited their city and went to the synagogue and taught about Jesus. Some of the people who attended the synagogue weekly and responded to Paul’s teaching were “devout Greeks” as well as prominent women. This got the attention of the Roman officials and people who opposed the Jews. They were not pleased with the conversion of the people and their new-found loyalty. They accused Paul of insurrection and Paul had to secretly escape to save his life. *** Paul sent them this letter to encourage them in the faith, love and hope they had in Jesus. They had endured much persecution for their beliefs which made them a good example for others. Many had turned from idols to worship the true God and Lord, Jesus Christ. Their witness was reaching people beyond Macedonia and Achaia. They testified of their faith in the resurrection and the return of Christ. *** Lords may we keep you as our first love always. May we be bold in our witness and may it spread far and wide. May we not be afraid of what man can do to us.

Tues.’s Devo - Fear the Lord

Read: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; Proverbs 24:28-29 Jeremiah warned them not to try to read the future by looking at the stars or to fear what others read when they studied the heavens. These same people manufacture idols, nail them down so they wont fall over, and think they possess some kind of power. He likened them to scarecrows in a cucumber field. Even the crows are not afraid of the scarecrows, so why should they fear these man-made gods? *** They should fear God, the only one who is full of power, who makes the whole earth tremble when he is angry. *** Jeremiah was told to tell the ones who worshiped these idols that they would vanish from the earth. The Lord made the earth and he preserves it by his wisdom. He speaks through his lightning, thunder, wind and rain, not their silly idols. *** It was time to pack their bags and prepare to leave because the siege was about to begin. In verses 19-22 of chapter 10 Jeremiah speaks of the future he sees. He sees his home gone, his children taken, and the sound of the armies coming from the north. Jeremiah pleads with God to pour out his wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge him, the ones that devoured Israel. *** God reminds Jeremiah of the terms of the covenant the people of Judah made with God. He tells Jeremiah to go remind the people of this covenant and to read it to them. They promised to obey him and honor only him as their god. Israel and Judah both broke this covenant so God will do what he promised in the covenant. Their idolatry would bring their own destruction. God told Jeremiah again to stop praying for these people anymore because he wasn’t going to listen to that prayer. God had given up on them because they rejoiced in doing evil. *** Some of the people were plotting to kill Jeremiah, but God told him of the plot and he was able to avoid it. They thought they could kill him and his words would die with him. God vowed to kill all who had wanted to kill Jeremiah. *** In Colossians, I love how the Living Bible tells husbands to love their wives and never treat them harshly. Obeying our parents, even when they are gone, pleases the Lord. Fathers represent God and God tells them to not aggravate or discourage their children. God would never do that to us. *** If we have a boss, we are to honor him and do our work as if God was our boss and we were working for him. If we are the boss, then we represent God to our workers and we are to treat them like we want God to treat us. *** We live among unbelievers so we should let our conversation glorify God and let God give us the right responses. *** Paul gives greetings to and from his fellow workers. *** Lord may we be strong and fully confident in our walk with you. May our light shine so that your glory can be seen through us.

Mon.’s Devo - Warning to the Teachers, Prophets and Priests

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27 The people boasted that they had the word of the Lord from their teachers, but Jeremiah argued that their teachers twisted the word of the Lord so they were being taught lies. God would judge the teachers and give their wives and farms to others. The prophets and priests were also frauds. They assured the people everything would be fine, when it was far from the truth. They will be killed along with the teachers. *** When they begin to see that the enemy is coming to devour them, they will try to find refuge in the fortified cities but they will not save them. God will send poisonous snakes to kill them. This is happening all because they provoked God’s anger with their idolatry. *** In spite of the sins of the people, Jeremiah grieves and cries for them. It hurt him to hear their lies and see how they refused to stand for truth. The time was coming when they would not be able to trust their neighbor, their brother, or their friend. They would all lie to save themselves. *** Because of their idolatry and rebellious hearts, God would scatter them around the world and even there, they will be hunted down. *** Jeremiah called for the mourners to cry for the people. He told the mourners to teach their daughters to mourn because it would affect them also. He told the rich that they should not boast in their money because the only thing that will be able to save them is if they know the Lord. God was coming to judge the whole earth and even the house of Judah. *** Paul warned the people of the same thing Jeremiah warned his people. Sin will eventually kill them if they continue walking in it. He warned them they were new creatures in Christ and not to return to their same way they lived before they knew Christ. As new creatures in Christ, we are to put on love, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience and above all love. Love binds us together as one body. *** Paul gives us practical ways to stay strong: read and meditate about Christ, sing psalms of praise to the Lord, and always be thankful to the Lord. *** Lord, may we always have a heart of love and gratitude for all you have done for us. We are so grateful to be chosen to be your children. Thank you for supplying all our needs and being with us always.

Sun.’s Devo - Call To Repent

Read: Jeremiah 6:16-8:7; Colossians 2:8-23; Psalm 78:2-31; Proverbs 24:26 Jeremiah told them to go back to their roots and follow God’s path but they refused to walk down that road. All along the way, God had sent his warnings from the prophets to get the people to turn from their wicked ways and follow him. *** The time was coming to act. A foreign nation was coming to destroy Jerusalem. The people were terrorized but continued in their evil ways. God sent Jeremiah to the Temple to try to warn the ones who still came to worship him there. He told them not to think they will be saved because the Lord’s Temple was there. They would only be saved if they stopped thinking of evil, started treating others with justice, stopped exploiting foreigners, orphans and widows, stopped murdering, and stopped worshipping idols. *** Jeremiah told them they could go to Shiloh in Israel, where the Tabernacle was and see what happened to it. It was not saved from destruction, and just like God destroyed it, he would destroy Jerusalem. *** God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the people because they were too far gone. They refuse to be taught, disciplined or even listen. They had set up idols in the Temple that bears God’s name. They burned their children to Molech in the valley, and in that very place, they will be buried. Then their bones will be dug up and scattered on the ground. Those who survive the takeover will wish they had died rather than be sent to live where they will be sent. *** Paul warns the Colossians not to be captured by the false doctrine that came from human reasoning and not from Christ. The doctrine of Christ is spiritual. His circumcision was one of the heart, not the flesh. His resurrection was real and ours is spiritual now but will be real one day. His death was real and ours is spiritual but it will be real one day also. The feasts are real but represent something spiritual that will be fulfilled in God’s timing. *** The false doctrines they were being told had to do with pious self-denial and the worship of angels. The false teachers boasted of visions they had which made them proud. These people were not part of Christ’s body. *** Lord, thank you that you are the truth and your truth is balanced and leads to life. May we have discernment to believe the truth and see through the lies. May we worship you in Spirit and in truth.

Sat.’s Devo - Warnings to Repent

Read: Jeremiah 4:19-6:15; Colossians 1:18-2:7; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 24:23-25 It is noteworthy to know that Jeremiah began prophesying the takeover of Jerusalem 40 years before it happened. He began prophesying when Josiah was king. Josiah had implemented great spiritual reform but reform has to happen in the heart and the people didn’t have a heart to be reformed. They continued to worship their idols and reject the Lord. *** Jeremiah described the people as clever at doing wrong and having no idea how to do right. There leaders, priests, and prophets were all corrupt so their was no righteous leadership. *** Jeremiah got vivid pictures of the destruction that was coming and tried to relay those images to the people, but they didn’t want to hear. He went to the leaders but they didn’t want God either. *** They rejected his warnings of the war and famine that was coming, saying that God wouldn’t do this to them. God sent Jeremiah to tell them that a distant nation was coming with deadly weapons to devour their harvest, their sons and daughters and everything they had. They would destroy the cities they thought were so safe. When the people ask why God did all this, they were to say that it was because they rejected him and gave themselves to foreign gods. Then, they would serve foreigners in a foreign land. *** The people oppressed one another. They denied justice to the widow and the orphan. The prophets gave false prophecies and the priests ruled void of mercy or compassion. *** What will happen to them when God brings judgment? They will be destroyed because they are wicked through and through. From the prophets to the priests, they are all frauds. The whole city will fall because they refused to repent. *** In Colossians, Paul continues his letter to the church in Colosse warning them against the false teachers. He explains that Christ is the head of the church, not just another entity created by God. We as the church are his body. Christ is the our beginning and supreme over all who will rise from the dead. Christ was who God lived in to reconcile us to him. Through Christ’s blood, we have peace with God. This gift is for all sinners. This is the great secret that had been kept until now. Now, Christ lives in us. This is how we know that we will one day share in his glory. *** This truth is what drove Paul to continue pouring his heart out to the different churches. He wanted to be able to present them before God spotless and blameless and with the right doctrine of truth. His goal was that they continue to grow stronger and stronger in their walk with Christ. *** Lord, this is our goal. May we continue to grow in you. May we stand strong when all seems to be falling apart. We know that you will continue what you started and the end will be victorious.

Fri.’s Devo - Do Not Be Deceived

Read: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Colossians 1:1-17; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 24:21-22 God asks the people of Judah if he has been oppressive or invisible to them. How could they just forget him and be glad they don’t need him anymore? *** Judah had flirted with the gods of other nations and when they got in trouble, they just hired the army of another nation to help them. They had forgotten who they were as a nation and who their god was. So, they would lose their nation and be taken to another in exile. *** When this happens, will they turn back to the Lord? They wanted the Lord to deliver them but they don’t want to serve him with all their hearts. King Josiah had tried to bring spiritual reform to Judah, but she continued to worship her false gods. He looked at what had happened to Israel. She had not returned to the Lord. *** Jeremiah proclaimed that though Israel had sinned, Judah was much worse. Judah pretended to be sorry when she had no intention of turning back. Jeremiah pleaded with Israel to return to the Lord and confess her sins; He would have mercy and forgive her. He would bring her back to her homeland and give her shepherds after his own heart. *** When they return home, there will be no reason to rebuild the old way of worship because the temple will be in their hearts. *** In the third Chapter starting with the 19th verse, God laments how he longed to treat the people as his children. He was so excited to give them the land of Israel and have them never turn from him again. But they left him like a faithless wife and went after many lovers. God calls them back and promises to heal their hearts. *** Israel responds that they are coming. She acknowledges that the idols she has worshiped are only a delusion. She had watched her fathers build their whole lives on a delusion. *** God tells them that they can trade their delusions for truth. They can choose to become a blessing to the nations of the world like they were created to be. But, they must begin with a total change in their hearts. *** Jeremiah sounds the alarm to warn them of the enemy that is coming from the north to destroy them. The only hope they have of saving their lives is to repent. They could not stop what was coming but they could save their souls. *** In our reading in the New Testament we are beginning Colossians. The church of Colosse was probably an outgrowth of the church in Ephesians. It was believed to be started by Epaphras who was its leader. They met in the home of Philemon. Paul had never been to this church but was asked by Epaphras to help him deal with the false teaching which was trying to lead the people astray. This false teaching was a mixture of pagan-occultism, Jewish legalism and Christianity. It was like Gnosticism which taught that Jesus was not fully God and fully man, but a one of the semi divine beings sent from God to bridge the gap between God and man. He lacked in the authority and ability to meet their needs, so the believer could achieve spiritual fullness through special knowledge and rigorous self-discipline. What a lie! *** Paul begins his letter by praising them for their faith in Jesus and their love for people. He reminds them that they have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son who purchased their freedom. *** Then, Paul gets to the crux of the matter. He declares that Christ is the visible image of God and is supreme over all creation both earthly and heavenly. He made everything we can see and what we cannot see. He made thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. He existed before anything made and is supreme over it all. *** Lord, in this world of information over-load, sometimes the truth can get distorted. May we return to the elemental truths of who Christ is and who we are. We are created to worship the one and only God who sent his son to die for our sins. If we choose to die with him to our sins then we are raised with him to live an abundant, set-apart life. May our lives be filled with his Spirit and bring him glory and honor.

Thurs.’s Devo - Jeremiah

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30; Philippians 4:1-23; Psalm 75:1-10; Procures 24:17-20 Jeremiah lived during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim until the 11th year of King Zedekiah, Judah’s last king of Judah. He was set apart from the womb to be a prophet to the nations. When he was called by God, he complained that he was too young to be a prophet. God told him not to say that; he was to say what ever God told him to say and to go wherever God sent him. God promised to protect him. *** He would stand up against nations and kingdoms. To some he was to uproot and tear down and others he was to build up and plant. *** God showed him a branch from an almond tree which was to say that God was watching Israel and was about to move there. *** Then God showed him a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north. It was the terror of the northern armies coming to Jerusalem. They were coming to judge Judah for all her idolatry. Jeremiah was to go and tell the people this was coming and why it was coming. Jeremiah would stand before the kings, officials, priests, and the people and declare this. God would protect his life. *** Jeremiah was given a message to go and tell Judah how they had gone from a young bride who wanted to please the Lord to an older nation who worshiped worthless idols. Judah had chosen to forget the Lord who had brought them there and blessed them with every blessing. *** No other nation traded their gods in for new ones, even though they were not even gods. Judah had the one true God who was glorious and had exchanged him for worthless idols who couldn’t do a thing. *** Israel had already been taken into captivity for the same reason and now Judah was bringing the same outcome on herselves. Israel had aligned with Egypt to help them, but Egypt was no help. Abandoning the Lord was the most self-imposing harm they could have done to themselves. *** Judah was even worse that Israel because she hid the fact that she turned from the Lord. She only felt shame because she was caught and her sin was pointed out to her. The people only turned to the Lord when they were in so much trouble and they realized their gods weren’t working. *** In Philippians, Paul encouraged Euodia and Syntyche to settle their disagreement because they belonged to the Lord. These were two women who had worked with Paul in evangelism. *** Paul encourages God’s Body to always be full of joy in the Lord and to rejoice in Him and what He is doing. Tell God about all your concerns and then leave it to him and choose to live in peace. *** Fix your mind on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable. Think about the things that are worthy of praise. Live out what you have learned from the Lord. *** Paul knows that they have been concerned about him and couldn’t do anything about it. He tells them that he had learned how to be content no mater what his situation was because it is Christ that strengthens him. It is this same God what will meet all of our needs from his glorious supply. All Glory to God our Father! *** Lord, we praise you for being our abundant and loving Father. You are the one who gives us peace and joy and cares for all our needs. We put all our affection and trust in your hands.

Wed.’s Devo -Israel Will Be Born in a Day

Read: Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:5-21; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 74:1-23 The Lord declares that he built his own resting place. He made his throne in heaven and his footstool on the earth. How could we build him a temple better than that? Everything in the heaven and the earth his his. *** Then, the Lord moves to the individual. He will bless the person who is humble and has a contrite heart and who trembles when they read his Word. But, to the one who goes their own way, and who delights in sinning he will not accept their offerings. Their attempts to please him will be offensive to him. He will send them their greatest fears because they had chosen to do what they knew God hated. They oppressed those who did honor God’s name but they would hear the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against his enemies. *** God says that when it comes time for Israel to be born again it will happen so quickly it will be a miraculous. Jerusalem will be a conduit of peace and prosperity and the wealth of the nations will flow to her. She will be comforted by the Lord himself. Everyone will see the Lord’s hand of blessing on her and the righteous will be glad to see it. The Lord will punish the world with his fire of fury. Many will be killed by the Lord. *** Those who survive God’s judgement will become missionaries to other lands. They will tell of the things the Lord did in Israel and they will cause the remnant of God’s people to come home. Many of them will be anointed priests and Levites to the Lord. *** All humanity will come to worship the Lord and they will see the dead bodies of those who rebelled agains the Lord and look with horror at their end. *** In Philippians, Paul gives his resume which is very impressive as a zealous follower of the law. But he discarded all of it for Christ. He came to see that being all the right things and doing all the right things meant nothing. The way to righteousness was through having faith in Christ, alone. It was to know Christ and experience the power that raised him from the dead. It was to suffer with him and share in his death so that he could experience the resurrection from death. *** Paul learned that it was a day by day walk of forgetting the past and looking forward to the future. It was about living as citizens of heaven while we are living on earth. *** Lord, may we do that very thing: live as citizens of heaven while we walk on this earth. May we live for the future that we have been given in Christ. May we honor what Christ did on the cross by walking in the power he gained in the resurrection. All to your Glory, Lord.

Tues.’s Devo - Great Things Are Coming

Read: Isaiah 62:6-65:25; Philippians 2:19-3:4; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 24:13-14 God calls all his intercessors, prophets and followers to pray for the restoration of Israel and to not stop till God has completed it. He tells them to prepare the way for the Lord to bring his people home. This is just like he told John the Baptist to do for him to come, but this is talking about preparing the way for the people to come. It is also to prepare him to come to his people again. *** Isaiah was seeing the return of God’s people from Babylon. God promises that the land of Israel will never be turned over to their enemies again. God would send them a Savior and they will be called “The Holy People” and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.” Israel would be known as “The Desirable Place” and “The City No Longer Forsaken.” *** Isaiah asks who this blood stained man is who is coming from Edom, their most formidable enemy. He is marching in royal robes in great strength. It is Christ our redeemer bringing salvation with him. He had trampled our enemies and caused our enemies. Isaiah praised the Lord for what he saw. He saw that it was God’s great love and mercy that saved Israel. It was God that had saved them through all their years. *** Israel rebelled and God had to become their enemy but when they woke up, they remembered what God had done for Moses and prayed for Gods’ mercy. *** God reminded them that he was ready to help long before, but no one had asked for his help. They kept going their own way and worshipping their idols not giving him any thought or honor. They would have to pay for their wickedness. So God destroyed them, but not all of them. He kept a remnant to preserve for himself. They will possess his land and inherit it. Those who were faithful will receive the blessing of his inheritance. They will have food and drink, joy and blessings. *** God will create new heavens and a new earth to be a place of happiness and a source of joy. People will live as long as trees - hundreds of years and only the cursed will die young. People will enjoy the fruit of their labor and it will not be taken from them. They will have time to enjoy their blessings and will not fall into misfortune. God will answer their prayers as soon as they pray. Peace will be in the land even among the animals and no one will be hurt or destroyed in God’s kingdom. *** In Philippians, Paul tells them he is sending Timothy and Epaphroditus who both love them and long to see them. Paul hopes to one day come also. He warns them once again of the false teachers who try to bring them back under the law. *** Lord, thank you for your faithful love for us. May we always depend on you and your Spirit to help us in all we do. Thank you for the promises of what is coming. We expectantly look forward to what is coming with great joy and anticipation.