~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Jeremiah 6:16-8:7 ~ Colossians 2:8-23
Psalm 78:1-31 ~ Proverbs 24:26
Old Testament - Today in Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 16 we read - "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” I love these verses! It reminds me that on a daily basis each of us is standing at a crossroads. A crossroads of where the world would have us go and where God would have us go. I too often realize that I am taking the worldly path and not the ancient path. "Ask where the good way is" - Do you do this in your life? How often? I think we can best do this through prayer. "Ask, and you shall receive" we have learned from Jesus. Do we ask Jesus in prayer where the good way is? Then, do we walk in it? And the reward for walking in it is - “you will find rest for your souls." I like this a lot! Who doesn't want rest for our souls? Is your soul at rest today? Why or why not? If your soul is not at rest, is it possible that you are walking along the wrong path? The worldly path? Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths. Ask where the good way is. And walk in it.
New Testament - Colossians chapter 2 verse 8 is a teaching from Paul that reminds me so much of our modern world today... "Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ." Have you ever heard anyone in our world today offer you empty philosophy or high-sounding nonsense? I know I have... And perhaps I've even preached it on occasion in my past too. Scary stuff. There is stuff out there today that does indeed come from human thinking - not divine thinking - and from the evil powers of this world - not from Christ. I think we need to prayerfully be so vigilant to protect ourselves from these empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense. I almost hesitate to write this... but I am feeling like I should. I think we need to even watch out for empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense in some churches today too. I really don't mean to be divisive to the body of Christ, the church, by saying this. But I say this for our own good - for brothers and sisters in Christ. One thing that I have seen in churches on occasion that has alarmed me is what I'll call "the cult of personality" around a pastor. Meaning, I think it can reach a point in a church where there is an unhealthy fixation on a pastor or minister. Don't get me wrong. We'll all have our favorite pastor or minister or priest. But let us be cautious if ever our devotion to a pastor surpasses our devotion to Jesus. It's then when the "cult of personality" can lead to empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense invading our hearts and minds. Maybe there is someone out there that needs to hear this... Just pray about it to Jesus if ever you feel that you are paying more attention to a pastor / priest / etc. than you are paying to Jesus. And ask Jesus what he would have you do. Perhaps it would be to move on to another church... A church where Jesus is clearly preached, worshiped, and followed. Trust me, there are multitudes of churches out there where Jesus is clearly the cornerstone. Make sure Jesus is clearly the cornerstone of your church.
Psalms - Psalm 78 verse 4 is a wonderful reminder that we have an important opportunity to disciple and teach others in the generation coming up behind us - "We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did." Are you discipling or teaching someone about God's truth, deeds, and love? How are you helping the next generation learn about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
Proverbs - Interesting Proverb in chapter 24 verse 26 today - "It is an honor to receive an honest reply." This is an interesting Proverb to me because it almost seems to be inferring that it is rare to receive an honest reply! It wouldn't really be an honor to receive an honest reply if that was standard operating procedure, would it? This is actually a bit frightening to think about - that perhaps many / most replies we receive are not honest? I think there is truth in this... I'll have to chew on it a bit more. I will say this - how about if you and I make it a practice to give honor to others in our lives by giving them an honest reply! Let us be truth-tellers!
What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!
Grace,
Mike
I just wanted to leave this comment, though not directly related to any of today's readings.
JAMES 1 (New King James Version)
21
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
25
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
We are made in the image of God, not angels. We, therefore, were created with MORE authority ABOVE angels. Since Satan is a fallen angel, we were created with authority over him.
Psalm 8 (Amplified)
5
Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
Yet, when man sinned and yielded to the temptation and snare of the devil, we willing—and foolishly—yielded our authority to that of the devil. And, from that point on, man developed a sinful nature, each generation stained forever.
This is one key reason why Jesus HAD to become a man.
Yes…He came as a man—the most Perfect, most Complete Man—because He desired to speak our language in a way that we could understand. He came to TELL us and SHOW us that Jesus—being One in essence and purpose with the Father and the Holy Spirit—LOVES US!
Yes…He came to withstand temptation FOR US, IN OUR PLACE to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. He did that so we could draw on THE IRON-PILLARED, SEASONED strength of the GRACE AND ABILITY of Jesus to resist and overcome temptation.
Yet…Jesus also HAD to become a man to RESTORE OUR AUTHORITY over the devil. By Jesus becoming a REAL man overcame the world, the flesh, and the devil, He turned tables on the devil. The Lord Jesus used the VERY thing that the devil used against man—and turned that as a weapon that DESTROYED FOREVER the devil’s authority.
As Christians, we are RESTORED WITH AUTHORITY over the world, the flesh, and the devil. We DO NOT HAVE to live below our place of authority.
Just like the Lord Jesus—the Real Man:
1. We “can do nothing of ourselves, but only what the Father is doing”.
2. We “have not come to do our will, but the will of the Father Who sent us” (John 5:19, 30).
3. We are submitted to God's revealed Word in the Scriptures.
Just like the Real Man—the Lord Jesus—our authority is expressed ONLY through true humility.
Religious traditions have wrongly taught and misled us about what is true humility. Rather, religious traditions have taught many to embrace a false humility.
False humility says, “I am no good. I am not worthy”. False humility teaches that it is wrong to think highly of yourself. False humility emphasizes that we are to always put ourselves down. That is not humility…that is shame.
Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Who is One with the Father and Jesus), said this about himself in Numbers 12:3 (NKJV): “(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)”
That is God’s true estimation of Moses. Even if someone else had written that about Moses, Moses would not have rejected God’s true evaluation of Moses. He simply would not have boasted about it.
Man was originally given authority to rule on the earth as ambassadors and representatives of our Loving Father. That has never been taken away.
Psalm 115 (Amplified)
16
The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth has He given to the children of men.
We are in the same boat. We have authority over the world, the flesh, and devil. Are we going to let false humility—which is really fear rooted in shame—keep us from receiving that authority and walking in it?
Jesus Himself—the Perfect and Real Man—said that:
Matthew 28 (Amplified)
18
Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
19
Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20
Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).
He said the same thing in a more concise manner in John
John 20 (Amplified)
21
Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! [Just] as the Father has sent Me forth, so I am sending you.
22
And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit!
Do I believe and receive it? Do we?
I pray we will not follow the leading of false humility and say: “I could never do that. I am nothing. I do not deserve it." Who are we to set our opinion higher than what God says?
~~~~~
I thoroughly agree with Martin Luther when he said this, in his commentary on the book of Galatians chapter 1:
VERSE 1.
Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?
Since the devil has this uncanny ability to make us believe a lie until we would swear a thousand times it were the truth, we must not be proud, but walk in fear and humility, and call upon the Lord Jesus to save us from temptation.
VERSE 2.
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
We must learn that forgiveness of sins, Christ, and the Holy Ghost, are freely granted unto us at the preaching of faith, in spite of our sinfulness. We are not to waste time thinking how unworthy we are of the blessings of God.
We are to know that it pleased God freely to give us His unspeakable gifts. If He offers His gifts free of charge, why not take them? Why worry about our lack of worthiness? Why not accept gifts with joy and thanksgiving?
~~~~~
Vance
Posted by: Vance Brown | October 06, 2005 at 07:11 AM
Jeremiah 6:16-8:7
I know I have stated this before but it’s worth repeating, the judgments, the rebuke, the warnings are all directed toward Judah and Jerusalem, not some “heathen” sinners, it is God’s people who are idolatrous. They go to the Temple to pray, to offer sacrifices, to worship, but what they are offering up to God is not what God is requires.
How often do I go to church, offer up a sacrifice of praise, raise my hands in worship but my heart is far from God. Going through the motions with a divided heart or a distracted heart is simply idol worship because we are not focused on God. Just because we stand in worship in church makes us no more a true worshiper then standing in a garage makes us a car. Does God have my heart or have I given it to some other in acts of idolatrous, adulterous worship?
Colossians 2:8-23
Mike asks us a question regarding our hearing vain philosophies and high-sounding nonsense. I work in a college so I can hear a multitude of ideas, philosophies and nonsense that passes itself off as wisdom. However, without the measuring rod of true wisdom, the Word of God, one can easily find oneself following the truly blind into the microwave oven. There are many voices in this world calling out for our attention, our money and our loyalty. Which voice will we submit too, the worlds’ or Christ’s
Psalm 78:1-31
It is good to rehearse in the hearing of our young the testimonies, past and present of God’s provision in Israel’s wilderness experience as well as our own. Not only does this teach the young about the ways of God but it also reminds the speaker of God’s faithfulness in the midst of trials.
So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).
(Rom 10:17 AMP).
Proverbs 24:26
I think it is an honor to receive an honest reply because this means the speaker values you so much as to tell you the truth no matter the cost to themselves. Honest replies are rare and rarer still is receiving a straightforward reply with graciousness and thanksgiving. After all, Jesus was persecuted because He spoke the Truth. No, in societies, past and present, honest replies are rare and devalued. . In fact Truth can get you killed, but Truth is the only thing that will stand when everything else fails and falls. Truth crushed to the ground will always rise.
The world’s motto should be, “Tell me a lie so I can feel good.”
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | October 06, 2005 at 06:46 PM