October 4th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Jeremiah 2:31-4:18 ~ Colossians 1:1-17
Psalm 76:1-12 ~ Proverbs 24:21-22

Old Testament - Harsh words today from God to Israel in Jeremiah chapters 2 & 3 - calling the nation a prostitute and an adulteress.  These are not words a person wants to hear from God - much less an entire nation hearing these words!  Jeremiah wrote this book during the last 40 years of Judah's existence, which is not surprising to consider when we read this in chapter 3 verses 8 through 10 - "But now Judah, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution. Israel treated it all so lightly--she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been greatly defiled. But in spite of all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry," says the LORD."  Again, not words you want to hear from God.  Can you imagine a much worse insult from God?  A prostitute?  An adulteress?  As harsh as these words are - I almost hesitate to ask this - But I think I should - Today, are we ourselves ever a "prostitute" or an "adulteress" to God?  Do we give ourselves over to sins and lusts and false loves that break God's heart because of his love for us?  Well, when we act in such a bad way, we are fortunate that God says things like he did in verse 1 of chapter 3 of Jeremiah today - "But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the LORD. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me."  Even though we may sin gravely against God, he still calls us to come back to Him!  Through Jesus today we can come back to Him!  Do you need to come back to Him in any way in your life?  Will you?  Will you leave behind any and all adulteress or prostituting ways, and return to Him simply as the child of God that you were always made to be?

New Testament - Today we begin Paul's letter to the church in Colosse!

~ Colossians ~
Author: Paul the apostle
Place: Rome
Date: A.D. 60 or 61
Content: Paul wrote this letter while a prisoner in Rome to a city he had never visited. He had come to know of these believers while living in Ephesus on his second missionary journey, and now he was concerned because he had heard of some strange pagan theories that were creeping into the church. The views that were troubling the Colossians were a mixture of astrology, magic, and Judaism, which downgraded Christ to being just some sort of angel. Paul wrote to correct this error by showing that Christ is none other than God and possesses the fullness of the eternal God. Instructions follow concerning Christian living.
Theme: In this important letter of Paul’s we are presented with a carefully worked-out defense of Christ’s deity and glory. He is all in all and the believer has everything he needs in Christ. Paul warns that believers out not to be led astray by the foolishness and the false wisdom of men. Instructions for Christian living stress the power of God for men and the joy that believers may have by making use of all the resources that are theirs in Christ. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” pp. 27-28)

A wonderful commentary on Colossians by J. Hampton Keathley, III, is at this link.

Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 through 17 are some of the most powerful statements in all of the Bible about Who Jesus truly is - "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.  Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see--kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together."  Do you believe these words of Paul's are true?  Do you believe that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God?  Did Jesus exist before God made the Earth?  Do you believe that Jesus holds all of creation together?  Does Jesus hold you together?

Psalms - I love Psalm 76 verse 4's reflection on God - "You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains."  I wonder how often we look at nature and forget that God created nature?  I think so often we can look at a beautiful sunset or a mountain or a forest or an ocean and temporarily forget that God created these beautiful things.  If God created these beautiful things, then doesn't it stand to reason that God is more glorious and more majestic than all of his created things?  I've said this one before on this blog:  before I believed in Jesus or really even God, I honestly think I was evangelized by creation.  Meaning - I would look at a starry night with my friends and say things like, "How could there be so many stars up there like that and there not be a God?  Things like that can't just happen by chance!"   Praise God for his creation that was evangelizing me toward Him!  Has creation ever evangelized you?  Do you think creation might be able to evangelize your friends who do not yet know God?  Let us pray that we don't ever end up worshiping creation instead of the Creator.  Let us be impressed and thankful and admire creation - but let us give the glory and the worship to the Creator, God, who is more glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains...

Proverbs - Interesting Proverb in chapter 24 verses 21 & 22 today - "My child, fear the LORD and the king, and don't associate with rebels. For you will go down with them to sudden disaster. Who knows where the punishment from the LORD and the king will end?"  I find it interesting that this Proverb says fear both God and the king.  This is interesting that "fear" of the king - essentially the government - is put on equal footing with fear of God.  I think this is important for us to pay attention to.  God cares about governments.  Really, God is of course above all governments.  (I think it is important here to note that this Proverb does not say "worship" God and the king - we most definitely should not be worshiping the government....)  It's interesting that we are instructed here to fear the king and don't associate with rebels.  Or else you'll go down with them to sudden disaster.  Generally speaking, I can agree w/ this Proverb.  But, this is also one of those Proverbs where I think to myself - "well, wait a second - what about this type of situation....."  I am sure we can all think of some situations where we should be associating with "rebels" of the government - and where that association is actually the moral high ground - the right thing to do. (if the government was a Nazi government for example)  This is one of those Proverbs I need to chew on a bit more.  If anyone has insights on this one, please post up in the Comments below! 

What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

>>This is one of those Proverbs I need to chew on a bit more. If anyone has insights on this one, please post up in the Comments below! >>

I think it’s all about prospective.

My son, [reverently] fear the Lord and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change [of allegiance, and are revolutionary],
(Pro 24:21 AMP)

1) You could capitalize “king” and then you would have the Words of Jesus to obey. ["If you love me, you will obey my commandments. (Joh 14:15 NET.)]

2) This was written specially to Judah, though Judah, did have some wicked and fallen, very fallen kings and one queen who was totally “off the hook.”

3) From reading this Book, I am convinced we get the leadership we deserve, in my humble estimation, and since we serve our choices, we need to either change our lifestyle, renew our minds and then we will get better leadership when we find ourselves living in a wicked nation. Remember Elijah suffered through the famine called down in Israel although he was God’s man. (I Kings 17-18). Although Elijah did get himself a brook, a raven and a widow to feed him. God always provides a way out.

For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. (1Co 10:13 AMP)

Any more thoughts and PERSPECTIVES?

[Vance Brown]

JEREMIAH 3
22
"My wayward children," says the LORD, "come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts."

JEREMIAH 4
1
"O Israel, come back to me," says the LORD. "If you will throw away your detestable idols and go astray no more,
2
and if you will swear by my name alone, and begin to live good, honest lives and uphold justice, THEN YOU WILL BE A BLESSING TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, AND ALL PEOPLE WILL COME AND PRAISE MY NAME."
3
This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.
4
Cleanse your minds and hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.

NOTE:
Wow!

WE ARE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM – and we participate in the CALLING and BLESSING of Abraham—because of Jesus!

Galatians 3 (Amplified)
26
For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
27
For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.
28
There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29
And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.

May we become and fulfill the covenant which God called for Abraham—what the Father established forever by the Life, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus—the covenant of the Gospel:
“…THEN YOU WILL BE A BLESSING TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, AND ALL PEOPLE WILL COME AND PRAISE MY NAME."

Our own holiness does not make us righteous. The Lord Jesus, by His grace does. Yet, because God is holy, we must be holy BECAUSE we are His children.

Hebrews 12 (Amplified)
14
Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

Vance

[Ramona]

Jeremiah 2:31-4:18
In reading today’s passage, I wonder if there are any “Jeremiahs” walking around today that we are totally ignoring. We have the tendency to think judgment belongs to someone else and the person who is walking around shouting our doom is, well, just plan crazy.

I’ve always found it fascinating how God always uses the language of marital infidelity to describe his people’s idolatry. What is there in marriage that represents God’s Kingdom? People who are “stepping” out on there spouses usually use a multitude of excuses and justifications; however, if God uses the imagery marital faithlessness to describe out pursuit of other god’s then we can learn a great deal about God’s covenant with us and the covenant

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up your ground left uncultivated for a season, so that you may not sow among thorns. (Jer 4:3 AMP)

Although not stated in the text, I’ve sometimes read this and think on this verse when I come across people who have been in, lets say, very rough “life styles,” who then immerse themselves in the scriptures and just go plum crazy. The Word of God is powerful and sometimes we try to mix that power with a corrupt lifestyle, thinking that the Word will cancel out the corruption. I do not know why I think of that when I read Jeremiah 4:3, except that Jesus compared the “seed” to the Word of God and the soil to our hearts. And I do know several people who have fallen into mental illness after having been enmeshed in drugs and vice, then when caught or exposed, descended into madness upon picking up the Bible.

Colossians 1:1-17

For those of us looking and seeking for our purpose in life, this chapter contains a powerful pray that can be personalized as well as prayed for others. Not only does it seek to help us find our purpose it also prayers for the power of God to enable to fulfill what we have called and been created to do in the Kingdom of God:

For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves

Grace and peace,
Ramona