October 23, 2012 Bible Study

October 22, 2012 AttilaDimedici

I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Jeremiah 42-44:23

     The leaders of the various armed bands and their followers approached Jeremiah and requested that he ask God what they should do and where they should go. Jeremiah told them that he would do as they asked and tell them everything that God told him. They swore that they whatever Jeremiah told them that God said that they should do. After ten days Jeremiah received a reply from God. He called the people to him and gave them the message. Jeremiah told them that God said that if they stayed in Judah, He would build them up and protect them. They would not need to fear the king of Babylon. On the other hand, if they went to Egypt, war and famine would follow them there. They would die in Egypt from war, famine and disease. Jeremiah then told them that he knew that they would not listen and that they would insist on going to Egypt. That despite their promise to do whatever Jeremiah told them to do, they would go to Egypt. Jeremiah told them that his prophecy would be fulfilled and they would die there from war, famine and disease.
     The leaders of the armed bands believed that Jeremiah was lying to them. Instead of listening to Jeremiah they fled to Egypt bringing the people with them, including Jeremiah. When they got to Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer the city where the people of Judah had fled and all of Egypt. Once the people had settled in, Jeremiah had another prophecy for them. He condemned them for continuing to worship other gods. The people replied that they would not give up their worship of other gods, even now that they had been driven out of their homes in Judah.
     How often are we like the people in this passage? We ask for God’s guidance on what to do, then, when we get it, we do something else anyway. How often is our failure to receive God’s guidance because we don’t like the answer He is giving us?

God's Paint-By-Numbers — God’s Paint-By-Numbers

2 Timothy 2:1-21

Paul reminds Timothy that the things Timothy had heard Paul preach had been confirmed by reliable witnesses. Paul then tells Timothy that he should live as a good soldier. He should not get tied up in affairs of “civilian life.” This is a message to me not to get tied up in things that do not involve spreading God’s Word. Paul goes on to tell Timothy (and us) to work hard and be a good worker. We should avoid foolish talk that leads to godless behavior. God knows who are His and those who belong to God will turn away from evil. We should strive to keep ourselves pure so that we may be a special utensil to God that is reserved for honorable use rather than a utensil made of wood or clay that is for everyday use.

Psalm 92-93:5

It is indeed good to give thanks to the Lord. I will proclaim His unfailing love in the morning and His faithfulness in the evening. God is mightier than the raging seas. When the tides and waves of life crash against me, I will trust in the Lord and rely on Him.

Proverbs 26:3-5

We have three proverbs about fools today. The first tells us that fools will not be guided by anything other than punishment. The second and third appear to contradict each other. One tells us not to answer the foolish arguments of fools because to do so risks becoming a fool as well. The other tells us that we should answer the foolish arguments of fools or they will think themselves wise. I think this means that one should be very careful when making a case to a fool so as to not get caught in their foolish thought processes, but nevertheless to point out the foolishness of their arguments.

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October 22, 2012 Bible Study

October 21, 2012 AttilaDimedici

A Selection from God's Pain-By-Numbers Collection — A Selection from God’s Pain-By-Numbers Collection

Jeremiah 39-41:18

King Nebuchadnezzar returned and conquered Jerusalem just as Jeremiah had prophesied. King Zedekiah attempted to escape in the night, but was captured. King Zedekiah was forced to watch as his sons and the nobles of Judah were executed. King Nebuchadnezzar then had King Zedekiah’s eye’s gouged out and took him to Babylon as a captive. This was the result that Jeremiah had warned King Zedekiah about if he did not surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar then sent his captain of the guard to release Jeremiah from prison and to provide his needs.
Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor over the people he left in Judea and took his armies back to Babylon with most of the captives. Jeremiah chose to remain with Gedaliah rather than go to Babylon. Shortly after this Gedaliah met with the leaders of the armed bands that were in the countryside of Judea. Gedaliah promised them that Nebuchadnezzar meant them no harm and would leave them in peace if they did not rebel against him. Many of those who had fled Judea when Nebuchadnezzar began to besiege Jerusalem returned when they heard the news that Gedaliah had been appointed governor. Some of the leaders of armed bands learned that Ishmael, the leader of one of the bands, was planning to kill Gedaliah. They attempted to warn Gedaliah, but he did not believe them. Ishmael followed through on his plan and killed Gedaliah. In addition, he took captive the people who had been living under Gedaliah’s protection and started to lead them back to his camp outside of Judah. The other armed bands united and chased down Ishmael and his followers. They killed all by Ishmael and eight of his followers, freeing his prisoners. The people then began preparations to leave for Egypt because they were afraid of what Nebuchadnezzar would do when he heard that Gedaliah had been murdered.

2 Timothy 1:1-18

Once again Paul starts out his letter by emphasizing the fact that he prays for the recipient(s) frequently. By this standard, do we spend enough time in prayer? I do not know about those of you reading this, but I do not. Paul then goes on to encourage Timothy to fan the flames of the spiritual gift he has been given. We have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline, not a spirit of timidity and fear. We should never be ashamed to tell others about our faith in Christ, nor should we be ashamed of those who are suffering for their faith. We should be prepared to experience the same suffering, knowing that God will give us the strength to endure whatever suffering he sends our way.
We should accept the suffering that comes our way because God saved us and called us to live a holy life. God did not do this because we deserved His attention, but because that was His plan from the beginning. We should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guard and remain faithful to the truth which we have learned.

Psalm 90-91:16

Let us remember how brief our lives are, how short the time we have to do God’s work on this earth. In that short time, let us remember that God is our refuge and place of safety. He will those who love Him and protect those who trust in Him. He will answer us when we call Him and be with us in our troubles. Let us turn to the Lord for all of our troubles in the confidence and faith that He will turn them into blessings.

Proverbs 26:1-2

No one expects a fool to behave honorably and fools are rarely honored. I believe that there are those with the power to supernaturally curse others, but those curses will not take effect against those who are undeserving of such curses.

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October 21, 2012 Bible Study

October 20, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 37-38:28

     After Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king of Judah, Zedekiah did not listen to Jeremiah’s prophecies any more than his predecessors. However, when Nebuchadnezzar again attacked Jerusalem he asked Jeremiah to pray to God for himself and the people of Jerusalem. At this time, Nebuchadnezzar withdrew his armies to face the Egyptian armies which had come forth to relieve the siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah sent word to Zedekiah that the Egyptians would return to Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar would return and destroy Jerusalem.
     While the siege was lifted Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin and complete the purchase of the land from his relative. One of the gate guards, believing that Jeremiah was defecting to the Babylonians, arrested him. After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time, King Zedekiah sent for him to ask him what message he had from the Lord for the king. Jeremiah told the king that God said that he would be defeated by the Babylonians. One faction of the king’s court wanted Jeremiah killed because of the message he had been giving to the people about the outcome of fighting the Babylonians. They went to the king and requested that he kill Jeremiah. The king told them to do as they pleased because he could not stop them. They took Jeremiah and placed him in a cistern with thick mud at the bottom of it, leaving him there to starve to death. Another faction of the court went to the king and requested the king’s permission to remove Jeremiah from the cistern. The king granted their request and told them to take a small force and do so.
     Later, King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him for a private audience. The king promised Jeremiah that he would neither kill him nor allow him to be killed for what Jeremiah told the king. Jeremiah told King Zedekiah that if he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar all would go well with him and his family and Jerusalem would not be burned down. On the other hand if he refused to surrender, he would not escape and the city would be destroyed.

1 Timothy 6:1-21

Paul tells Timothy that some people like to quibble over the meaning of words. Such people cause trouble and see putting on a show of godliness as a way to become wealthy. True godliness with contentment is in itself great wealth. We came into this world with no possessions and we will take none with us when we leave, so we should be content with enough to feed and clothe ourselves. We should avoid arguments with those who want to quibble over words and pursue teachings that promote godliness. If we pursue wealth, we can easily fall into temptation. This does not mean that wealth is evil, just that we should not seek it as a first goal. We should pursue righteousness and a godly life. The disciplines which lead to a godly life are faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. If and when we acquire wealth we should not be proud nor come to rely on that wealth because it is unreliable. Instead we should use that wealth to do good. We should use whatever wealth we acquire to share with those in need.

Psalm 89:38-52

The psalmist writes that he feels abandoned by God, that God has allowed him to be disgraced. Yet despite feeling this way He praises the Lord and calls on us to praise the Lord forever. Let this be a model to us that even when we feel far from God we will lift up praises to Him.

Proverbs 25:28

Lack of self-control leaves us completely defenseless, both against our human enemies and our spiritual enemies.

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October 20, 2012 Bible Study

October 19, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 35-36:32

     Jeremiah received instructions from the Lord to invite the Recabites to a meeting. He was instructed to offer them wine. Jeremiah did as instructed. His visitors declined to drink wine because their ancestor had instructed them to never drink wine and to live as nomads. The Lord commended the Recabites through Jeremiah for obeying their ancestors instructions. Jeremiah then contrasted their obedience with that of the rest of the people of Judah. As a result of the people of Judah’s refusal to listen to the Lord’s commands and obey them, He was going to bring disaster on Jerusalem.
     Sometime after that God instructed Jeremiah to write down all of the prophecies that God had given to him. So, Jeremiah summoned Baruch, a scribe, and dictated to him all of the prophecies that he had received from the Lord. Jeremiah then sent Baruch to read the scroll at the Temple on the next day of fasting in the hope that perhaps the people would repent their sins if they heard the prophecies one more time. When certain Temple officials heard what Baruch was reading, they told Baruch and Jeremiah to hide and took the scroll to King Jehoiakim.
     The king had one of his courtiers read the scroll to him. As the courtier read the scroll, the king cut off the portions that had been read and burned them. The king burned the entire scroll despite the objections of those who had brought it to his attention. None of the king’s court showed any fear or repentance upon hearing Jeremiah’s prophecies. When he was done burning the scroll the king sent some of his retainers to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch but they were unable to find them. When the furor died down God instructed Jeremiah to rewrite the scroll that King Jehoiakim had burned. Do we treat the Scripture the way that King Jehoiakim treated Jeremiah’s prophecies? As something that we do not really pay any attention to? Are we like his courtiers who stood by while he burned it and took no particular note of what was being read? Or are we like the Temple officials who brought the scroll to the king’s attention and begged him to take heed to what it said? Are we begging our neighbors to take heed to God’s word? Or are we standing by while they wallow in their sins on their way to destruction?

From God's Paint-By-Numbers Collection — From God’s Paint-By-Numbers Collection

1 Timothy 5:1-25

Paul gives Timothy instructions on how to treat people. These are instructions that we today should follow as well. Treat those who are older with respect as if they were your own parents. Treat younger people with love as if they were your siblings. We should take care of those widows who have no one else to care for them, but we should care for our own relatives to the best of our ability and not make them rely on others for their needs. While the Church should care for those in need, it should not allow those who have skills to remain idle. Those who are capable of being productive should be encouraged to do so. The elders in the Church should be paid for the work they do for the Church. We should not listen to accusations against people in the Church, especially the elders, unless those accusations are confirmed by multiple witnesses. Here he gives an instruction that all too often we bypass in the interest of “tact”. Paul tells Timothy that those who sin should be reprimanded before the whole Church, to serve as a warning for others. Finally Paul concludes today’s passage by telling us that just as some sins are obvious and some are hidden so are some good deeds obvious and others hidden. But, in due time the sins and good deeds done in secret will come to light.

Psalm 89:14-37

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of any stable government just as they are the foundation of God’s throne. God is our strength. He will provide us the ability to follow His will. God is our protection. He will be our defender when we take risks at His command. God is entirely trustworthy and His kingdom is forever.

Proverbs 25:25-27

It is always a pleasure to receive good news from far away. Compromising with evil is not a virtue. All too often we get caught up in the idea that we should meet people half-way and apply it to situations where we are meeting evil half-way. So that instead of either doing what is good or what is horrifyingly evil, we only do what is mundanely evil. But it is evil nonetheless. The final proverb of today tells us that campaigning for honors for oneself can be as self destructive as overindulging in food.

Daily Bible Study

October 19, 2012 Bible Study

October 18, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 33-34:22

God gave Jeremiah a prophecy for Jerusalem. God was going to destroy Jerusalem because of the wickedness of the people, but He would restore them again after a time. Those who wish to stop counting Israel among the nations had better rethink because God has made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and He will not break it. God will never abandon the people of Israel.
Jeremiah had another prophecy for the people of Jerusalem. At the king’s command, the wealthy of Jerusalem had freed their slaves who were descendants of Jacob. However, after a short time, they found excuses to force those they had freed back into slavery. Jeremiah condemned them for this and told them that God would bring punishment to them for their wicked acts. The people had made a token of obeying God’s commands, but did not follow through and obey the spirit of those commands. For this, they were condemned. Do we do the same? Do we see some area where God is calling us to be more faithful and we make a nod in the direction of following His will, only to go back to our old ways after a short time?

1 Timothy 4:1-16

     Paul tells Timothy that there will come people who teach that it is wrong to get married and people who teach that it is wrong to eat certain foods. Paul however tells us that God created those foods to be eaten with thanksgiving. We should not reject any food, but instead we should eat it with thanksgiving to God for meeting our needs.
     We should not waste time arguing over old wives tales or godless ideas. Instead we should train ourselves to be godly the same way that a professional athlete trains themselves to compete in their sport. How do we train ourselves to be godly? When you train yourself to compete in athletic events there is a series of things that you need to do that build on each other. I may be reading more into what Paul is writing here than he intended, but it appears to me that he tells Timothy (and us) how to train to be godly. For athletes, the first step is build your conditioning and strength. For Christians, the first step is to read the Scriptures. The next step for athletes is to work on learning the moves particular to that sport. For Christians, the next step is encouraging our fellow believers. Finally, athletes study film to learn how to counter what their opponents are going to do. For Christians, this step is teaching others what we have learned from reading the Scripture. I am sure there are flaws in the way I have fleshed out this analogy, but I think there is some merit to looking at it that way. The important point is that training ourselves to be godly is hard work. We need to discipline ourselves to it and strive to build ourselves up in serving god in the same way that a successful professional athlete strives to constantly improve his game.
     We need to live our lives as an example to other believers. This involves what we say, the way we live, the way we show love to others, how we express our faith and our purity. We should not neglect the spiritual gifts we have been given and we need to stay true to what is right.

Psalm 89:1-13

Are we like the psalmist? Do we sing of God’s unfailing love? Do all of those around us hear of how wonderful and powerful God is? Both young and old alike? There is no one as mighty as God and He is entirely faithful. I need to work at expressing my faith more openly to those around me. God I pray that you give me both the words to say and the courage to say them, so that others may know that I believe.

Proverbs 25:23-24

Those who gossip cause people to become angry. Either at the target of their gossip, or at themselves. Both are things that we should avoid. The second of today’s proverbs is one that I am happy to say involves a choice that I have not had to make. There are two messages here. To men who are single the message is this; if the woman you are dating is always finding fault, run away, run far away. To all who are married, think about what you are doing, are you arguing about something because you are attempting to improve the one you love and your life together, or are you arguing because you want to change them to make things better for yourself (or for some other reason other than the first one I mentioned)? If you are doing the latter, you are making the other’s life unhappy for no good reason. Even though the proverb refers to a quarrelsome wife, it can be just as true the other way as well.

Daily Bible Study

October 18, 2012 Bible Study

October 17, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44

The Lord told Jeremiah that He was going to make a new covenant with the people. He will write His commands on their hearts. Indeed He has now done so. God then instructs Jeremiah to buy land from his cousin, despite the fact that God had been telling Jeremiah to predict the destruction of Jerusalem. This was God confirming His promises that He would bring the people of Judah back to Jerusalem after a time in exile. By buying the property, Jeremiah demonstrated his belief in the prophecies he was preaching. This gives a measure to hold those who claim to be delivering prophecies from God about the future. Do they take actions that are consistent with what they claim is coming? An example from the recent past. When Harold Camping most recently predicted the date of Jesus’ return, he did not sell his possessions (which he claimed he would shortly have no more use for) and use the money to alleviate the suffering of the impoverished. There are other prophets whose actions are inconsistent with their prophecies, look at most of those declaring that man-caused global warming will bring about a tragedy in the near future. How many of them reduce the amount of CO2 that they are responsible for to the bare minimum? Or closer to home, do we ourselves live our lives according to what we claim to believe? If we say that we believe that God calls us to care for the poor, what are we doing about it?

More from God's Paint-By-Number Collection — More from God’s Paint-By-Number Collection

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Paul here lays out the requirements for an elder in the Church. First an elder must be a man who lives a life that is above reproach. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and be able to teach. He must not be violent or a heavy drinker. He must be gentle and not quarrelsome.. He must not have a love of money. He is to be the husband of one wife whose children respect and obey him. He must not be a new believer and people outside of the Church must speak well of him. Unfortunately, because of the controversy about what it means that Paul says that an elder must be the husband of one wife, we spend not nearly enough time looking at the other qualifications. I have rarely seen any time spent considering whether a potential elder is hospitable. I am not sure I have even seen enough emphasis on the ability to teach. Paul then goes on to lay out the requirements for someone to be appointed as a deacon. They are similar to those of elder, except that they do not include a requirement that they be able to teach and includes what appears to be set of requirements regarding women as deacons (although it could be a reference to deacon’s wives, but my interpretation is supported by other New Testament writings–including some by Paul–which refer to women deacons).

Psalm 88:1-18

Do we continue to cry out to the Lord, even when it seems like He does not answer? Do we call out to the Lord for His help every day? Do we wait for the traps to close around us before we cry to the Lord for help? There is nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord for help when our troubles have overwhelmed us. As a matter of fact we should certainly do so. However, we should not wait until we are the end of our strength to call upon God for help. We should call on Him for His help, even when things seem to be going well with us.

Proverbs 25:20-22

Being cheerful and bubbly to someone who is experiencing sorrow is like pouring vinegar in an open wound. We should do good to those who have done evil to us, that will cause them more discomfort than what they have done to us. But that should not be our goal, our goal in doing good for others is to serve the Lord and receive a reward from Him.

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October 17, 2012 Bible Study

October 16, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 30-31:26

Through Jeremiah God promises to restore the people of Israel after they have been thoroughly punished for their sins. He tells them that He will pass judgement against those that have mistreated them. God will turn their mourning into joy. All of this is true and applies to the people of Israel, but there is also a message here for those who love the Lord who are not biological descendants of Abraham. When we sin God will discipline us so that we will turn back to Him and to righteous deeds. When we turn back to Him, He will comfort us and turn our mourning into joy. God will give rest to the weary if they will only lay their burdens on Him rather than insisting on carrying them themselves.

1 Timothy 2:1-15

We are instructed to pray for all people. We should ask God to intercede on their behalf and we should thank God for them. I think that might be a challenge for us sometimes. There are people that we have trouble thanking God for. People that we would rather ask God to remove from our lives. But we are called to thank God even for those people we would rather not have to deal with. We need to remember that those people we find troublesome have been brought into our lives by God for a reason. In particular, we should pray for those in authority and give thanks for them. That can certainly be a trial for many of us. Can we be thankful for those in authority? Even when we think what they are doing is wrong? Nevertheless, we are called to do so. Further we are called to live quiet and peaceful lives, even when those in authority seem to be doing things that are contrary to the will of God. We are to do this because it pleases God.
Paul tells us to pray in our places of worship with hands lifted up. But more importantly, he tells us to pray free from anger or controversy. There is something to the idea of praying with our hands lifted up. I learned sometime back that it is possible to alter how I feel in a particular situation by changing my body language. If I sit with my arms crossed while someone talks to me, not only do I give them the impression that I am unreceptive to what they are saying. I have discovered that I am less receptive to what they are saying. I have also found that when I am feeling down and depressed, if I make the effort to smile, some of that depression will lift. If I smile, I am more likely to feel happy. So, when we lift our hands when we pray, we are more open to God’s Spirit being poured out upon us than when we bow our heads and clasp our hands as if we are expecting to be justifiably reprimanded (although there is a time and place for that posture in prayer as well).

Another Selection from God's Paint-By-Number Collection — Another Selection from God’s Paint-By-Number Collection

Psalm 87:1-7

All of those who choose to follow Christ have become citizens of the City of God, no matter where on earth they live. No longer are we to be citizens of the U.S. or citizens of India or Canada. Hong Kong, or Poland. We are to be citizens of the Kingdom of God. The source of our life springs from the City of God.

Proverbs 25:18-19

Telling lies about others can do as much harm to them as physically attacking them. This harm can come not just from derogatory lies, but also from lies that claim positive attributes for the person that they do not possess. We are also told that relying on an untrustworthy person in times of trouble is like having a bad tooth or a lame foot. I pray that I am never that bad tooth or lame foot for someone.

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October 16, 2012 Bible Study

October 15, 2012 AttilaDimedici 3 Comments

Jeremiah 28-29:32

Jeremiah got into confrontations with several self-appointed prophets who claimed that his prophecies of war, disaster and disease were wrong. They proclaimed that instead God was going to break the power of Babylon within a short time and return the Judean exiles to Jerusalem. Jeremiah responded to those prophets by predicting their imminent deaths and revealing their hidden sins. Jeremiah prophesied that rather than prepare for a quick return the exiles should settle in and build a life for themselves and their children. Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would extend for 70 years. As I read this passage I think of our current situation. There are those who predict good things for the future of this country, but unless the hearts of the people change I foresee nothing but war and disaster. We as Christians must call on people to be transformed. The problems that face this nation are not political problems. They are spiritual problems.

Yet another of God's Paint-by-Number works — Yet another of God’s Paint-by-Number works

1 Timothy 1:1-20

Paul tells Timothy that he left him in Ephesus so that Timothy could stop those whose teachings were contrary to the truth. Reading this passage it is hard at first to see what type of teachings he is condemning, but as I read closer I realized that Paul phrased it that way because he wanted to give us a guideline to recognize any future false teaching as well. How can we recognize false teaching and meaningless speculation? Teaching that is from God helps people to live a life of faith in God. It builds up the love in believers’ hearts and leaves them with a clear conscience. It leads them away from sexual and other sins that treat other people as objects. We are all at root sinners and must recognize that our only salvation is through the action of God.

Psalm 86:1-17

Let me join with the psalmist in praying to God. If we give ourselves to God, He will give us happiness. If we call on the Lord in our times of trouble, He will answer us. He alone is God. Let my prayer always be:

Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
I will praise God for as long as He gives me breath and when I enter into His presence I will praise Him some more. God is merciful and compassionate. I desire that He gives me the strength to serve Him in all of my life.

Proverbs 25:17

Today’s proverb tells us not to visit our neighbors too often or we will wear out our welcome. This is not a problem for most of us today, since most of us rarely visit our neighbors at all. Nevertheless it is a good point to keep in mind relative to those we do spend time with (although if you are my neighbor, you are welcome to stop by.)

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October 15, 2012 Bible Study

October 15, 2012 AttilaDimedici

A Selection from God's Paint By Numbers Set — A Selection from God’s Paint By Numbers Set

Jeremiah 26-27:22

     Early in King Jehoiakim’s reign God sent Jeremiah to preach in front of the Temple. Jeremiah told the people of Judah that if they did not listen to God’s message and turn from their sins, God would destroy the Temple just as He had destroyed Shiloh. When Jeremiah gave this message, a mob that included the priests gathered around him and demanded to know by what right he prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed. Government officials heard the disturbance and rushed over and set up court in the Temple gate. The priests and the official prophets demanded that Jeremiah be put to death as a traitor for making such a prophecy. Jeremiah replied to the charges by saying that he was giving them the message that God had sent him with, but if they would turn from their sins and obey God, God would turn aside His wrath and not destroy Jerusalem. Jeremiah further told them that they could do as they wished to him, but if they killed him they would be killing an innocent man. In this case, some older, wiser men stood up and told the crowd that they should not kill Jeremiah. Instead they should follow the example of the people of King Hezekiah’s reign who listened to a similar prophet and turned from their sins. At around the same time, another prophet had prophesied similarly and King Jehoiakim had had him killed, but on this occasion Jeremiah was spared.
     Later, during the reign of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah prophesied that King Zedekiah and the people of Judah should submit to the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar. He told them that if they continued in their rebellion against King Nebuchadnezzar, King Nebuchadnezzar would come and take them and the remaining treasures in Jerusalem back to Babylon. Those prophets who were telling them that they could stand up against King Nebuchadnezzar were liars who were not speaking the words of God.
     Through all of this I see a message for us today. If we do not turn back to God and pray for the transformation of our hearts and minds into what He wants us to be, God will bring judgement against us today. We, as the Church today, must focus our efforts on spreading God’s Word to those around us, praying that the Spirit will transform their hearts. We should not be concerned with the government, but instead with the hearts of the people.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

We should pray for those who are facing persecution. We should pray both that they be rescued from the hands of wicked and evil people and that the Gospel message be spread rapidly. We should stay away from those believers who do not work as hard as they are able to support themselves. Those unwilling to work will not eat. We should strive to do good and not be a burden on anyone. We should not lead idle lives, meddling in the lives of others. In addition, we should avoid those who lead such lives so that they become ashamed and change their ways and so that we are not tempted to imitate them. We should not see them as enemies, but as family members who need to be warned against bad habits.

Another of God's paint by number selections — Another of God’s paint-by-number selections

Psalm 85:1-13

Let us listen carefully to what God says to us and not return again to our foolish ways. Then He will revive us again and our land will be filled with His glory. If we seek after God’s righteousness and avoid wallowing in our sinful desires, God will pour out His unfailing love upon us with many blessings.

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

Proverbs 25:16

When you come upon good things in your life, do not take them in excess or they will cause you harm.

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October 14, 2012 Bible Study

October 13, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 23:21-25:38

Jeremiah continues his condemnation of false prophets who claim to speak in the name of the Lord in order to lead people into sin. He tells us that rather than listening to God, they steal messages from each other. They use false messages and false dreams to get people to forget God. This reminds me of today, many people try to use the name of God to promote their own agenda rather than God’s agenda. We must listen carefully and ask, “What is the Lord’s answer?” We have a reference to judge all such messages against. We must use it.
Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that he has been calling them to turn from their evil and back to serving God for twenty-three years, but they have not listened. Now God is going to bring Nebuchadnezzar to conquer the land and destroy it. The people will be taken into exile for 70 years. After that He will bring judgement on Babylon and return His people to Jerusalem. Then Jeremiah concludes today’s passage by prophesying that God is going to make all of the nations of the earth drink from the cup of His anger. He is going to punish all of them for their sins with war and destruction. While Jeremiah was speaking of a time in his near future, I wonder of this prophecy might not also apply to the world today. It certainly looks like God is about to pour out war upon the earth again in our near future because so few still acknowledge Him. Few of the rulers of nations today even bother to pay lip service to justice and righteousness and for the most part the people like it that way. We need to pray and fast that God’s Spirit will move in the hearts of the people and bring a revival throughout the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Today’s passage begins by telling us not to be easily alarmed by those who claim that the Day of Jesus’ Return has already happened. Paul tells us that that Day will not occur until the “man of lawlessness” has been revealed. That will be a time of great rebellion against God. The man of lawlessness will exalt himself and defy everything that anyone calls holy. He will set himself up as God. He will perform signs and wonders and many will be fooled, but only those who refuse to accept the truth of God’s word. People will be fooled because they want to be fooled. If you look around, you see this all of the time. Someone comes along and claims to have the answer to our problems. They offer a shortcut to solving life’s problems that does not involve doing what is right and working hard. People don’t look closely at what the solution being offered looks like because they want the easy way out. There is only one easy way out of our troubles, that is to trust God and strive to live righteously. We cannot continue to wallow in our sins and work our way out of our troubles.

Psalm 84:1-12

O Lord, let me wish for the same things that the psalmist does in this psalm. Let us desire with our entire being to be servants in God’s house, knowing that such a role is more fulfilling and a source of greater happiness than being master in the house of the wicked. A day before God is better than a thousand anywhere else. Let us sing for praise because we have the honor of serving the Lord.

Proverbs 25:15

Patience and soft speech are often seen as the province of the weak. But this proverb tells us that there is more power in them than we realize. I have seen this. Those who are not easily convinced by urgency and strong words often respond to those who are patient and speak softly.

Fact and Fantasy

Monthly Archives: October 2012

October 23, 2012 Bible Study

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