Sunday, February 2, 2020

HORSE SENSE AND GROUNDHOGS

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 22

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

A view looking east over the Old City of Jerusalem towards the Mount of Olives.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verses: Jeremiah 22:25

…and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear — the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans.

 

Notice the number of sentences in the Bible that start with the conjunction “and.” Would an English teacher let us away with that today? Not! (as I’ve heard some teens say). People who’ve decided to believe in the verbal (word by word) inspiration of the Bible, might ask, “Why the ‘and’?” It may be that God is never really finished His work until He puts the final period on the last sentence of human history here on this earth as it is in the present.

Our key verse indicates that the time comes when God has been rejected so totally that He can do no other than shift from mercy to judgment. He did not force the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem, but He knew that He was not wanted by the religious, political, and social elites who were in power, and with great regret He withdrew His presence and, thus, His protection. Three times in this chapter God speaks through Jeremiah of those who “sit on the throne of David.” The last of King David’s descendants, through Solomon, is about to be deposed and taken to Babylon where he will die. BUT a descendent of King David through David’s son, Nathan, is yet to come. Although King Jeconiah and King Zerubbabel are listed in the genealogy of Joseph, Jesus’ foster father, Jesus did not come from Joseph (Matthew 1:6-12); He came as a human Person through the Virgin Mary (Luke 3:31). Legally, Jesus was linked to Joseph, but His DNA was all God and Mary!!! What about that?

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, Your servant, Jeremiah, urges people to “weep bitterly for him who goes away.” I pray for as much of Your great heart of compassion as You know I can handle. You are infinite in Your capacity to grieve, and I’m so very small and finite. Thank You, Lord, for being willing to share a little bit of the heavy burdens You bear with me. In the Name of the One who went into prayer early every morning, bearing our sorrows and griefs (Isaiah 53:3-5). Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

There’s the word “woe” in Jeremiah 22:13! One farmer from my childhood, when they still used horses for just about everything (before most of them had tractors), said that the word “woe (whoa)” to a horse meant “STOP!” That’s horse sense! Horses know enough to stop what they are doing when they hear “woe.” I’ve just checked the dictionary for “Whoa!” It still means stop or slow down. When God says something that sounds like “whoa,” let’s pay attention!

The Lord, through Jeremiah, reminded King Jehoiakim about his dad, King Josiah, whom God said did what was right. Josiah was just and righteous. “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well!!!” (Jeremiah 22:15-16).

Yours for a “Horse Sense” commitment, something which is all too uncommon…just doing something because it is the right thing to do,

David

P.S. Jeremiah’s detailed prophecies have come true. They are now history. Peter describes the Bible Prophets as giving “the prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter 1:19a). Today is “Groundhog Day” across North America. It is said that when a groundhog comes out of his underground burrow February 2nd and does not see his shadow, it is a “prophetic” word indicating an early Spring. If this is true it will be chance. Only God knows the future, and He told Jeremiah the “Word made more sure!” Of course, the groundhog folklore is just for fun. God’s prophets were dead serious!

An artistic rendering of the core of Jerusalem created in 1660 AD (from the Library of Christ Church in Jerusalem).

22 thoughts on “Sunday, February 2, 2020

  1. Amen to David’s message and prayer, this morning. Praying for those lost and fallen to grab onto the cloak of Jesus and receive His loving mercy and grace. Blessings fellow saints in the Lord. May you be safe and warm, today, as we come together to worship and praise our King.

    Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. Eccl. 7:9 ESV

    Gaither Vocal Band – Hymn Of Praise (Lyric Video)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kivDxsLYLPs

  2. ” … for a “Horse Sense” commitment, something which is all too uncommon…just doing something because it is the right thing to do,”This is so true.The Democrats haven’t got a bit of horse sense and will not allow the truth to come forward,for obvious reasons.’Woah’ !
    Rabbi Jonathan Cahn ‘s,The Oracle,shows history repeating itself over and over throughout the centuries right up til the present.Conditions must get much worse before He returns,IMHO.
    Very beautiful song,Beverlee.Thanks….and thanks to Ron and Ann again.God bless all and have a great Lord’s Day.

    • The horse sense scenario makes me smile this a.m. as a friend sent me a joke about our Prime Minister Trudeau who thought a cattle guard was a person and brought legislation in to keep them. Anyone raised on a farm or ranch or just in the country knows what a cattle guard is. Agreeing with you 100% brother Bill! So sad Jeremiah had to suffer so.
      God’s blessings on you this special day of the week.

  3. Morning all. William, I am reading “The Oracle” just now. Got it from the library. I’m about halfway through. It is simply amazing, incredible. You can see how God’s Hand has been in all of history. Have a blessed day all.

  4. As I was lying in bed early this a.m. kept thinking of how, when I go out into public, so many people are walking around with a cell phone in their hands (I’m slightly guilty too:-). Made me think of this song:
    https://youtu.be/nfdzwTdkxQ4

    What a trooper Jeremiah was. Had to be filled with God’s holy spirit for sure.
    Praise the Lord for so many good people on His earth this day and age. Thank u, thank u, thank u and endless blessings on them all.

    • This was a popular song in the late 70’s; and is still true He’s got the whole world in His hands

      Thank you Lynda D for sharing,

  5. Dear Lord God, may praise for You ring out throughout the world today. We pray that You are exalted, and that many will be drawn to You today, in Jesus’s most-worthy name, amen

  6. Blessings on each of you today! I appreciate all the encouraging comments read on here daily. A few days back there was mention made of a Fr. Mark Goring. I didn’t know who he was so looked him up. I was impressed by his obvious sincerity in faith, devotion to and love for the Lord. But one thing troubled me as it has ever since I became a Christian back in 1979. Why do born again Catholics still hold allegiance to Mary? And other dead saints? Why do we Protestants see this as totally wrong and unscriptural but they don’t? I’m sorry to bring such a heavy subject up but this has been very upsetting to me for many years, and I wonder if anyone else has light to shed on my perplexity? If, not, that’s okay too. I just ask that you pray for me to have peace on this and be able to give it fully to the Lord, once and for all.

    • I watch Fr. Goring every Sunday. I truly believe if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, we are saved. We may have other doubts, but As long as we have faith and communicate with The Lord, He will guide you.

    • Bless u Deanna. It’s very natural to be curious:-). I never understood the Catholic denomination before till after reading a wonderful book “Martin Luther” by Eric Metaxas. What a read!! Highly recommend it. I am curious also about all other denominations and believe God is happy as long as His Word is at the centre of their messages. I’m a Protestant… have always been and am delighted about it but believe that some other denominations do such a lot of good in Jesus name also.

    • I am on a little late so I hope you see this Deanna.

      There is nothing in Scripture about putting up a Christmas tree yet every year thousands of Protestants put one up in their home. Why? Tradition. It is a Christian tradition, not a teaching or doctrine.

      The Catholic Church has been around a very long time, thousand of years of traditions that are still being practiced and some over time got misused, but misuse doesn’t make the tradition a contradiction to Christian teaching or a replacement for it.

      Because of the vast number of traditions in the RCC, it is sometime easy to confuse a tradition for a teaching, meaning to be Catholic you have to accept the same doctrines of the Christian faith that Protestants do. But as a Catholic you do not have to accept Mary as queen of heaven, pray the rosary or have her statue in your home to practice your faith as a Catholic– those are traditions, just like you can be a Christian and not put up a Christmas tree.

      St. Paul said in Christ Jesus there is no longer Jew or Gentile– I imagine in Christ Jesus there is no longer Protestant or Catholic, – unity in the body of Christ doesn’t mean conformity, so we can have different traditions to express our faith, yet hold the same faith.

      I hope that helps.

      • Well said Donna, makes sense!
        I am protestant but in the last number of years have learned quite a bit about the catholic faith.
        Some years ago while watching a catholic service on TV called…. ..Food for Life….. I believe it was FR VanderAcker who said,” we don’t worship Mary but we honour her as the birth mother of our Lord and Saviour.”
        I thought that was a beautiful and touching statement.

  7. I watch Fr. Goring every Sunday. I truly believe if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, we are saved. We may have other doubts, but As long as we have faith and communicate with The Lord, He will guide you.

    • Amen Blessed,
      Jesus is the truth, and the light and the way; He is our Savior; the One the only one who died for us and rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father; No one comes to the Father except through Jesus: He is the truth, the light and the way, if we keep our eyes and heart on Jesus we are on the right path:Amen!

  8. I just joined into the chariot of reading God’s word. I pray the Lord give me the courage and strength to make it to this site every single day till i incline His word to my heart and confess them with my lips that Jesus is Lord and i believe God raised Him from the dead ! Yea i got it. Amen
    Glory unto Jehovah God and His Son Jesus Christ my Savior

  9. I just joined into the chariot of reading God’s word. I pray the Lord give me the courage and strength to make it to this site every single day till i incline His word to my heart and confess them with my lips that Jesus is Lord and i believe God raised Him from the dead ! Yea i got it. Amen
    Glory unto Jehovah God and His Son Jesus Christ my Savior

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