God’s Word Stands.

“Yes, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple and in the palace of Judah’s king: ‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.’” ­– Jeremiah 27:21-22 NLT

No one liked Jeremiah’s message and who could blame them. Nobody likes to hear a steady flow of bad news and warnings of eminent destruction. So at one point they decide to put Jeremiah on trial. Their goal is to kill the messenger, and this would not have been the first time. An unknown prophet named Uriah was also delivering the same message as Jeremiah during the reign of Jehoiakim. He predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and the people as Jeremiah did, and as a result, Jehoiakim sent men to assassinate him. But Uriah found out about the plan and escaped to Egypt. King Jehoiakim sent men to capture him and when they returned to Judah with him, the king had him killed. So Jeremiah knew that his trial could end in his own death. But the wise men of the city persuaded the people to spare Jeremiah. They had killed Uriah, but it had not altered God’s plan at all. Killing Jeremiah would not change anything either. Killing the messenger would not change the message.

Then a number of years later, word had gotten back to Judah that King Nebuchadnezzar was having some difficulties back in Babylon. At this point, the Babylonians had already invaded Judah and taken some of the people captive back to Babylon. They had spared Jerusalem, but the threat of their return was always there. Rumors had arrived in Judah that Babylon was being threatened with invasion by another country. The nations surrounding Judah had sent diplomats to King Zedekiah, who was reigning as a puppet king under the control of Babylon, to persuade him to join an alliance of nations against Babylon. There was a feeling of hope that they could stand up against the Babylonians if they joined forces. But God sent them word that His plan for the destruction of Jerusalem was in no way altered by rumors of the weakening of Babylonian power or the plans of nations to form alliances. What He had predicted was still going to take place. The only choice the people had was to submit to the yoke of Babylonian captivity or die. And as a visual reminder of this fact, God had Jeremiah construct a yoke, much like oxen would wear to plow the fields, and physically wear it as an object lesson for the people. He was to remind the kings of the nations who were plotting revolt against Babylon that they would not be able to stand up against King Nebuchadnezzar. Their best bet would be to submit to the yoke of slavery God was bringing on them. God gave them a very clear message: “With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control” (Jeremiah 27:5-6 NLT). They could not alter God’s plan. Jeremiah told the same thing to King Zedekiah of Judah. “If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people” (Jeremiah 27:12 NLT). He told the priest and the people, “Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live” (Jeremiah 27:17 NLT). King Jehoiachin had already been taken captive into Babylon years earlier. But the people took comfort in the fact that the Temple still stood. They falsely believed that everything was going to be okay. They had convinced themselves that God would not allow His Temple to be destroyed. But God let them know that it would only a matter of time before Nebuchadnezzar returned and destroyed the Temple, the city, and everyone who refused to surrender to His demands.

God’s word was going to take place just as He had spoken it. Nothing was going to alter it. Destruction could not be avoided or averted. But there was as a second part of God’s word that was also going to be fulfilled. There was good news to accompany all the bad news. Yes, the Babylonians would be returning and when they did, they would ransack the Temple and take everything in it back with them to Babylon. But chapter 27 ends with a promise from God that reminds the people, “Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again” (Jeremiah 27:22b NLT). The day was coming when God would restore the people back to the land and  the treasures back to the Temple. You can read about it in Ezra 1:7-11. God’s word was unstoppable and reliable. He was going to do what He said He was going to do. And we can rest in the knowledge that God is still going to do what He has said He is going to do. His Son IS going to return one day. He is going to judge all mankind one day. He is going to establish His kingdom on earth one day. He is going to send His Son to return for His church one day. God is going to do what He has said He is going to do. His Word stands.

Father, thank You that Your word is trustworthy and true. It can’t be altered, changed, or stopped. Your promises and Your plan are unstoppable. May I find hope and comfort in that fact, even in the midst of all the uncertainty that seems to fill this life. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

The Bigger Picture.

“His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with the sword. I, the Lord, have spoken!” ­– Jeremiah 25:31 NLT

For 23 years, Jeremiah had been bringing his message of God’s coming judgment to the people of Judah. Over and over again he called them to repent and return. He pleaded with them to turn away from their false gods and return to the one true God. But they continued to refuse Jeremiah’s message and God’s call. “Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention. Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever. Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.’” (Jeremiah 25:4-6 NLT). The formula was simple: turn away from worshiping false gods and turn back to God, then they would escape destruction. But they refused His offer. The continued to live in open rebellion against God.

So God told them exactly what would happen – 20 years before it actually took place. He predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. He also predicted their return to the land after the 70 years of captivity. Then God went on to tell them what was going to take place beyond that point. He predicted the future destruction of the nations at the time of the second coming of Christ. God would be forced to deal with the growing sin and rebellion against Him by bringing one final round of punishment on them. This will all take place when Jesus returns the second time to the earth and judges the earth. “They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty. Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed. And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon” (Revelation 16:14-16 NLT). The rebellion of mankind against God will continue. The destruction of Babylon was not going to stop nations from rising up against God. The restoration of Judah was not going to make the people of God return to Him. The nation of Israel continues in disobedience to God to this day. But there is a day coming when the Messiah will return to restore all things to the way they should be. He will bring an end to all wrong and restore righteousness to the land.

ThenI saw heaven opened and here camea white horse! Theone riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justicehe judges and goes to war. His eyes are like a fieryflame and there are many diadem crownson his head. He hasa name writtenthat no one knows except himself. He is dressed in clothing dippedin blood, and he is called the Word of God.  Thearmies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen,were following him on white horses. From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations.Hewill rulethem with an iron rod,and he stomps the winepressof the furiouswrath of God, the All-Powerful.He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 20:11-16 NET).

God has a long-term plan for the world. He will not allow evil to win. He will make all things right. That is His promise to all mankind. And He has never failed to keep a single promise He has made.

Father, You are not done yet. You are still at work and You have a divine plan that You are working out in Your perfect timing. Your Son is going to return one day and restore all things. He will bring perfect righteousness to the land. Never let us lose sight of that fact. No matter how bad things may appear, You are still in control and working Your perfect plan to perfection. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

The Time Is Coming.

“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.” ­– Jeremiah 23:5-6 NLT

“Trust me!” Those are words we hear a lot these days. They come from the lips of politicians, investment bankers, insurance salesmen, and even pastors. But the truth is, it’s hard to know who to trust any more. Everybody seems to have their own version of the truth – one that tends to benefit them. The same was true in Jeremiah’s day. There were all kinds of voices shouting their own version of the truth and trying to get the attention of the people. In fact, it appears Jeremiah had some serious competition. He wasn’t the only prophet claiming to have a message from God, but he was the only prophet who was preaching a message of coming judgment. All the rest of them were busy telling the people just what they wanted to hear – that nothing was going to happen. Theirs was a message of hope, not judgment. According to them, God was not going to do any of the things Jeremiah was predicting. They were completely contradicting the words of Jeremiah. “They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’” (Jeremiah 23:17 NLT). So while Jeremiah was busy calling the people to repentance, they were telling them to relax. Everything was going to be all right. Not exactly the truth, but it was a lot easier on the ears.

These men were deceivers. They were making up everything they had to say and they weren’t speaking on behalf of God. He didn’t send them. He didn’t commission them. God said, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying” (Jeremiah 23:21 NLT). Their words were their own, not God’s. They had not received a message from God – in spite of their claims to the contrary. So God warned, “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!” (Jeremiah 23:28 NLT). Their words had no nourishment. They couldn’t feed anyone or sustain life. Only the words of God could do that. These men were false witnesses, spreading lies and giving the people false hope. They were pseudo-shepherds who had no love for the sheep under their care. While they claimed to speak for God, they were really driving people away from God. They were causing them to reject His will for their lives. “By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me” (Jeremiah 23:17 NLT). They didn’t like what God had to say, so they simply said what they knew the people wanted to hear.

And false prophets are alive and well today. There are still those who claim to speak on behalf of God, but who are making up their message and telling people what they want to hear – because a message of false hope is a whole lot easier to sell than a message of repentance and heart change. But telling people what they want to hear is dangerous – for the messenger and the hearer. Paul warned Timothy, “You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food – catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 MSG). And then, just as now, there were those who were more than happy to accommodate the whims of the people by telling them what they wanted to hear. But God wants faithful shepherds. He wants truth tellers. He needs more Jeremiahs.

But here’s the good news. There’s a day coming when God will provide His own shepherd. He will raise up a righteous ruler who will reign in truth. He will do what is just and right. He will be called, “The Lord is Our Righteousness.” And this shepherd will provide salvation for the people of Israel. He will be the Messiah, returning at the end of the ages to restore His people Israel. He will bring a message of hope – at just the right time. He will do away with judgment and destruction once and for all. When He comes, He will bring truth and righteousness. He will restore things back to the way they were intended to be. For all time. No more lies. No more deception. No more false words of hope that fail to deliver. God’s Son will return and restore righteousness to the earth. He will bring His people home. He will return the scattered remnant of His people Israel to the land He had promised to Abraham all those years ago. And then Christ will reign over them as David’s heir – in righteousness and truth.

Father, we must speak Your words and not our own. We must be faithful shepherds who are willing to speak truth even when it is not well received. You have a plan and there is a day when Your Son will restore all things. May we wait faithfully for that day. And while we wait, may we be faithful shepherds and true messengers, telling people what Your Word says – even when it is not well received. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Do The Right Thing.

“This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!” ­– Jeremiah 22:3 NLT

True righteousness reveals itself in right living. A real relationship with God will make a real difference in the way we live our lives. God expects His people to live as if they really know Him. But when He looked at the people of Judah – His chosen people – He saw a dichotomy. Their lives did not exhibit an understanding of His ways or a knowledge of His character. God specifically called the leadership of the nation to account, exposing their flawed character and self-centered tendencies. He accuses the kings of Judah of practicing injustice, oppressing the people, and murdering the innocent. Their actions did not reflect a knowledge of God. They may have been the kings over the people of God, but they did not live as if they knew God. Over and over again in these three chapters God uses Jeremiah to bring a message of indictment on the kings of Judah. He calls them to “Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Otherwise, my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins” (Jeremiah 21:12 NLT). He tells them to “Attend to matters of justice. Set things right between people. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Don’t take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows. Stop the murdering!” (Jeremiah 22:3 MSG). This wasn’t just about the sins of commission such as idolatry. It was about the sins of omission – like failing to do what was right, neglecting to provide justice to the oppressed and protection to the poor and helpless. God recalls the reign of Josiah, the last good king Judah had seen. He said He had blessed Josiah because he “was just and right in all his dealings” (Jeremiah 22:15b NLT). “He upheld the cause of the poor and needy. So things went well for Judah” (Jeremiah 22:16a NET).

Then God asks a sobering and rhetorical question: “Isn’t that what it means to know me?” To know God is to live for God. It is to live a life that reveals a heart for the things of God – like justice, mercy, compassion, and righteousness. It is to love what He loves and hate what He hates. But the kings of Judah had become enamored with their power and corrupted by their positions. Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, had put more value on contructing his royal palace than building a reputation as a man after God’s own heart. But God told him, “a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king!” (Jeremiah 22:15a NLT). Jehoiakim had all the outward trappings of success, but lacked a knowledge of God. He failed to do the right thing. He was not motivated by the things of God. His life was marked by greed and dishonesty, excess and self-centeredness.

We can claim to know God, but if our lives do not reflect a heart for the things of God, we end up living a lie. We can brag about having a relationship with God, but if it doesn’t show up in our actions and attitudes, it ends up being a lie. The knowledge of God is not academic, but practical and personal. It makes a difference in the way we live. It changes our relationships. It determines our actions. It dictates our behavior. Because we know Him, we want to live in obedience to Him. His ways become our ways. His heart influences our hearts. His desires become our desires. His character influences our own character. We end up living what He loves: mercy, compassion, justice, righteousness – and hating what He hates: injustice, greed, dishonesty, hypocrisy, oppression. Isn’t that what it really means to know Him?

Father, may our lives truly reflect that we know You – that we have a relationship with You. Don’t let us say one thing and do another. May the way we live our lives reveal that we truly know You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Self-Righteous Indignation.

“Lord, you know all about their murderous plots against me. Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins. Let them die before you. Deal with them in your anger.” ­– Jeremiah 18:23 NLT

Jeremiah was angry. He was upset and ready to have God give the Israelites just what they deserved. In fact, he made it clear just what he wanted God to do to them. He told God to “let their children starve! Let them die by the sword! Let their wives become childless widows. Let their old men die in a plague, and let their young men be killed in battle! Let screaming be heard from their homes as warriors come suddenly upon them” (Jeremiah 18:21-22 NLT). Jeremiah was wishing the worst on these people – the same people he had interceded for on several occasions in the past. Why was he so upset? What had made him go from praying for God to spare them to praying that God would completely destroy them? Was it because they had offended God with their sinful practices or idolatrous ways? Was it because they stubbornly refused to obey God and keep His Law? Was it because they worshiped other gods and failed to give God the glory and honor He deserved? No, Jeremiah made it perfectly clear why he was so upset. He said, “For they have dug a pit for me and have hidden traps along my path” (Jeremiah 18:22b NLT). This was all about Jeremiah, not God. It seems that Jeremiah was more upset about their sins against HIM, than their sins against a holy God. When the people turned their attention toward Jeremiah and he started feeling the affects of their sinful ways, he suddenly became indignant.

What had happened? Basically, the people began to attack the messenger. Since they couldn’t stop God, they decided to stop Jeremiah. They said, “Come on, let’s cook up a plot against Jeremiah. We’ll still have the priests to teach us the law, wise counselors to give us advice, and prophets to tell us what God has to say. Come on, let’s discredit him so we don’t have to put up with him any longer” (Jeremiah 18:18 MSG). They turned their attack on Jeremiah, and when they did, he became angry. But rather than righteous indignation, Jeremiah’s was self-righteous. It was me-centered and self-focused. Jeremiah told God, “GOD, listen to me! Just listen to what my enemies are saying. Should I get paid evil for good? That’s what they’re doing. They’ve made plans to kill me! Remember all the times I stood up for them before you, speaking up for them, trying to soften your anger?” (Jeremiah 18:19-20 MSG). Suddenly, they were his enemies. He reminds God of all the good he had been doing, all the times he had stood up for these ungrateful wretches. It had become all about him, not God. Jeremiah’s dander was up because he was beginning to feel the heat. But isn’t that what we do? Isn’t that how we react? We can tolerate the sins around us as long they don’t sin against us. We can read about murder, rape, injustice, and greed – and tolerate it – until it comes home to roost. Just let something like that happen to us or to someone we know, then we can become angry and demand that God repay those who have harmed us. We can silently watch others suffer, but just let one thing happen to us, then we become highly vocal and vengeful. And worse yet, we can sit back and watch the world thumb its nose at a holy, righteous God who we say we believe in, but just let the world sin against us, then our self-righteous indignation explodes.

The sins of men are always against God. We may feel the impact of them, but they are direct against a holy God. The people were attacking Jeremiah because he was convenient. They couldn’t get at God, so they chose to kill the messenger. Satan can’t get at God, so he attacks us, and he uses those around us to do his dirty work. The Jews destroyed Jesus because they couldn’t stand His message. But their sin was against God. And you don’t see Jesus whining and complaining from the cross about how much He was having to suffer. He didn’t call down wrath from heaven against those who were sneering and mocking Him. No, He said “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NLT). Two times before, Jesus had become angry when He walked into the Temple courtyard and saw how they had desecrated it and turned it into a carnival-like atmosphere where making money had become the focus instead of confessing sins. He practiced righteous indignation and cleared the place – because He saw their sins as an affront against a holy God. We should be angry when we see injustice and sin in the world. We should be upset when we see people destroy one another and snub their noses at a holy God. But we tend to tolerate a lot until it touches our lives. We can easily lose sight of the fact that the sins of man are always God-focused. That’s what had happened to Jeremiah. But God made it clear to Jeremiah that their sins were against Him. He said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.’” (Jeremiah 19:15 NLT). God was going to punish Judah for their sins against Him, not their sins against Jeremiah. It was about God, not Jeremiah. It is always about God. So the next time you are sinned against, remember that their sin is really directed at God. The next time you see sin taking place around you, examine your reaction to it. Does it bother you only if it directly impacts you? Does injustice in a place halfway around the world concern you? Do the sins being done every day in the face of the God you say you worship bother you? Are you indignant about a world that thumbs its nose in the face of your God? Or is your indignation more self-focused?

Father, it never ceases to amaze me how easy it is for us to make everything about US. Even the sins of others can become all about us. And we lose sight of the fact that the sins of all men are against You. But that doesn’t seem to bother us. Open our eyes and let us become angry over mankind’s sins against You. May our anger be at the flippant, flagrant sins committed against You every day. You are holy, righteous and just. You deserve better. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

In God We Trust.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” ­– Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

In who or what do you place your trust? This is an important question to God. And it’s one He knows the answer to, even if we don’t. God knew that the people of Judah were no longer trusting in Him. They were trusting in other gods, other nations, their own strength, their king, and the military might of their army. But they were NOT trusting in God. And God told them what would happen for failing to trust Him. “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:5 NLT). These individuals would be like stunted shrubs in the desert with no hope for the future. They would be barren, lifeless shrubs attempting to survive in harsh, drought conditions. No fruit. No life. Ho hope.

But God says that those who trust in Him – who put their hope and confidence in Him – will experience a completely different outcome. They will be like a tree that sits on the bank of a river flowing with life-giving water. They will grow and prosper. They will develop deep roots that reach down into the soil. So even if the times of drought come and the river dries up, they will still be able to survive and thrive because their roots will have access to an invisible source of nourishment. Their leaves will stay green and they will continue to produce fruit. This passage does not promise a lack of trouble or trials for those who trust in the Lord. It promises that those who place their trust in God will discover a source of strength and sustenance they didn’t even know was there – even in the midst of struggles. They will find themselves producing fruit even in the most difficult of times. Because God is doing it in them and through them. He is the source of their fruitfulness. This is not a gut-it-up, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps message. This is not telling us to work up our confidence or muster up some trust. The Hebrew word for trust carries the idea of confidence in something or someone else. It is a dependence or security found in the trustworthiness of another. It is less about my ability to trust than the other person’s trustworthiness. I rest in and place my confidence in God, because He is fully trustworthy. The tree in God’s analogy does not work at trusting in the water source, it simply takes advantage of it. It rests in it. And grows accordingly.

This passage reminds me of one of the prayers of Paul found in his letter to the Colossian church. Listen to what he says. “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy…” (Colossians 1:9-11 NLT). What does Paul say is the key to living fruitful lives? It is the spiritual wisdom and understanding that comes from knowing God’s will. It is resting in and trusting in God’s will for our lives as revealed in His Word and disclosed through the indwelling Holy Spirit. As I seek and obey God’s will, I will see fruit produced in my life – not by me, but by the Spirit of God. I will find myself growing spiritually and I will know that only God could have produced that growth, not me. As a result, I will grow to know Him better and better. And I will find strength in His power that gives me the power to endure and the patience I need to continue to trust Him. And this will produce in me a joy that rejoices even in the midst of trials.

It all begins when I place my trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Because of what He has done, I can do what God has called me to do. I can live the life He has called me to live. I can rest in His provision and not in my own strength. I don’t have to rely on human strength. Because it will fail me every time. But God never fails. He never runs dry. He never leaves me high and dry. I can trust Him.

Father, I want to learn to trust You more and more. I want to have a growing knowledge of Your will. I want to have spiritual wisdom and understanding so that my life will always honor and please You. I want my life to produce every kind of good fruit. But I know that none of that is possible in my own flesh. It must all come from You. And it was all made possible by You through Your Son’s death on the cross. May I learn to rest in that fact more and more every day. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

A People Of Influence.

“If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!” ­– Jeremiah 15:19 NLT

Like all prophets, Jeremiah had a difficult job. He was commanded by God to preach a message of coming destruction if the people did not repent of their sins and return to God. Every day he had to point out the sins of the people and remind them of what God was going to do to them if they didn’t stop. He had to tell the religious and political leaders that they were also doomed because of their lousy leadership. As a result, Jeremiah was anything but popular. He wasn’t invited to parties or greeted warmly when passed on the streets. As God’s representative, he was blamed for anything bad that was going on. And as if his job was not hard enough, he had to face competition. There were other prophets walking around, but their messages were contradictory to Jeremiah’s. They were telling the people that, “all is well – no war of famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace” (Jeremiah 14:13 NLT). Who do you think the people listened to? Jeremiah was a lone voice crying in the wilderness. His messages went unheeded. Jeremiah was a social pariah, a reluctant loner who cared deeply for the people of Judah, wanted to remain faithful to God, but who longed to have a normal life. At one point, he got so low that he prayed, “Unlucky mother – that you had me as a son, given the unhappy job of indicting the whole country! I’ve never hurt or harmed a soul, and yet everyone is out to get me” (Jeremiah 15:10 MSG). Jeremiah let the Lord know just how he felt: “I never joined the party crowd in their laughter and their fun. Led by you, I went off by myself. You’d filled me with indignation. Their sin had me seething. But why, why this chronic pain, this ever worsening wound and no healing in sight? You’re nothing, GOD, but a mirage, a lovely oasis in the distance – and then nothing!” (Jeremiah 15:17-18 MSG). Jeremiah was feeling the affects of his occupation. He was wearing down and feeling low. You might say he was having a pity party.

But in the midst of Jeremiah’s moment of sorrow, God responds. He doesn’t blast Jeremiah for the brutal honesty of his prayer, but instead He encourages him. God fully understood what Jeremiah was feeling. He knew the difficulty of Jeremiah’s job. It was not easy. But God needed Jeremiah to stand strong. He needed Jeremiah to complete the job he had been given. So God tells Jeremiah, “Take back those words, and I’ll take you back. Then you’ll stand tall before me. Use words truly and well. Don’t stoop to cheap whining. Then, but only then, you’ll speak for me. Let your words change [them]. Don’t change your words to suit them. I’ll turn you into a steel wall, a thick steel wall, impregnable. They’ll attack you but won’t put a dent in you because I’m at your side, defending and delivering. GOD’s Decree” (Jeremiah 15:19-20 MSG). God knew just how difficult Jeremiah’s job was, and He knew just how tempting it would be to just simple tell the people what they wanted to hear. Just by changing his message, Jeremiah could change his condition. He could become popular. He could go from social outcast to social butterfly, well-liked, well-known and well-received in all the right social circles. But that was not God’s call on his life.

God needed Jeremiah to stand firm and remain strong. He wanted Jeremiah to stick to the truth, and remain faithful to the message he had been given, no matter how difficult it might become. And the same stands true for us today. A message of sin and repentance is not popular today. No one wants to hear that their a sinner in need of a Savior. No one wants to think that they might be guilty and in need of punishment. So the message of the Gospel falls on deaf ears. People reject the truth and search for alternative messages. Paul warned Timothy about this. “You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food – catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But [you] – keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.” (2 Timothy 4:3-5 MSG). We are called to be a people of influence, telling the truth of God, even when falsehood might make things easier on us. We are to remain faithful to the message God has given us and the task He has assigned us. Paul told Timothy, “Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not,reprove, rebuke, exhortwith complete patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:3 NET). Keep on keeping on. Remain strong. Be a people of influence.

Father, don’t let me give up or grow weary. Your message of hope and salvation needs to be heard, even if no one wants to hear it. Keep me faithful to Your Word and Your calling. May I be a person of influence – but solely based on Your Word. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

God’s Special Possession.

“I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies. My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated them with contempt.” ­– Jeremiah 12:7-8 NLT

Sometimes when we read a book like Jeremiah, we become calloused towards God as we read of His anger, wrath, and warnings of eminent destruction. We begin to see God as a vindictive and vengeful deity with a short temper and unrealistic expectations on His people. And it’s easy to reach those conclusions when you read phrases like, “On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the Lord devours people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape!” (Jeremiah 12:12 NLT). Or how about, “I myself will strip you and expose you to shame”? (Jeremiah 13:26 NLT). It would be easy to build a case from those verses that God is uncaring and heartless, eager to bring destruction on the disobedient. But that would be a wrong conclusion and a dramatically false understanding of God.

Woven throughout all the messages of destruction are the clear indications of God’s unfailing love. He repeatedly refers to the nation of Judah with phrases like my people, my special possession, my dearest ones, my chosen people, and my vineyard. These are not the words of a dispassionate, uncaring deity with destruction on His mind. They are expressions of love and affection. God cares for His people. He longs to bless them, but because He is holy and righteous, He must deal righteously and justly with their sin. He cannot overlook their sins. He must do what is right. He must punish those who break the Law. But He does not do so joyfully. Like a proud and loving father, He is having to punish His disobedient children. He chose them from among all the nations of the world. He grew them from nothing – from one man, Abraham, to a nation that numbered in the millions. He had rescued them out of captivity in Egypt. He had led them across the wilderness for 40 years, tolerating their disobedience and sin, then leading them into the very land He had promised to give them. He gave them victories over superior foes. He provided houses and cities to live in that they didn’t have to build and vineyards they didn’t have to plant. He gave them His Law to guide all their daily activities and the sacrificial system to provide forgiveness and restoration when they failed to keep the Law. He had given them judges and prophets to guide and redirect them when they strayed. All along the way God had proven His love for them. But enough was enough. Their sin had become too great to ignore. Their rebellion had become intolerable.

But God was not pleased with what He was having to do. To prove it God gave Jeremiah a visual illustration of what this meant to Him. He had Jeremiah buy a linen loincloth. This was an intimate undergarment that was worn close to the skin. Jeremiah would have had to have sacrificed financially to buy a linen one. Then God told Jeremiah to put it on. But before long, Jeremiah was instructed to take it off and hide it in a hole in the rocks down by the river. After a long time had passed, Jeremiah was told to go and retrieve the linen loincloth. But it was ruined. It was rotting and falling apart – it was good for nothing. Jeremiah could not wear it any longer. It was useless, wasted, and no longer able to function as it had been intended. And God says, “This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 13:9 NLT). God compares Judah to the loincloth. Because they refuse to listen to Him and stubbornly follow after their own desires and worship other gods, God says, “they will become like this loincloth — good for nothing! As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory — an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me” (Jeremiah 13:10-11 NLT). God had chosen the nation of Judah to have an intimate relationship with Him. They were to be His special possession. But instead of enjoying their place as His people, they turned against Him and turned to other gods instead. They spurned God’s love and attention. They refused His affection. They rejected His gracious favor. And how do you think God felt? God, who is perfect love, was spurned and rejected. He was rejected. The one who was love, was unloved. But God was not punishing them because they refused to love Him. He was punishing them because of their sin. And yet, in spite of their sin, God was not washing His hands of them altogether. He would bring punishment, but He would also bring restoration. Not only to Judah, but to the nations as well. He promised, “afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession” (Jeremiah 12:15 NLT). He will punish, but He will also have compassion. He will rebuke, but He will also restore. He is a holy, righteous, just, and demanding God, but He is also a loving, merciful, gracious, patient and forgiving God. All He asks is that we return and repent. He always stands ready to forgive and restore. Because that is who He is.

Father, even in your anger, You are loving. Everything You do is bathed in love – even when I can’t see it or understand it. You love us more than we could ever know. You discipline us in love. You restore us in love. Everything about You is love because You ARE love. Never let me lose sight of that fact. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

A Knowledge of the Truth.

“I know, GOD, that mere mortals can’t run their own lives, That men and women don’t have what it takes to take charge of life. So correct us, GOD, as you see best. Don’t lose your temper. That would be the end of us.” ­– Jeremiah 10:23-24 MSG

This prayer of Jeremiah sits right in the middle of two interesting sections of Scriptures. In one, Jeremiah compares the ubiquitous idols that had become so prevalent in Judah with the majesty of the one true God. He exposes the lunacy of worshiping something that you made with your own hands – a block of wood that can’t speak, walk, or keep itself from falling over. He expresses the power of God reflected in His creation of all things, from the earth itself to the wind, rain, thunder and lightning – and even Israel itself. God is no idol! He is all-powerful creator of the universe.

In second section, God reminds the people of Judah about the covenant He had made with them all the way back to Mount Sinai. This was a conditional covenant – an if-then agreement that came with conditions and consequences. If they obeyed the terms of the covenant, they would receive blessings from God. If they disobeyed, they would experience curses. God had told them, “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me” (Exodus 19:5 NLT). Their obedience to God’s Law is what truly set them apart as His people. They were to belong to Him. They were to live their lives according to His terms, not their own. This is what would set them apart and prove their position as His special treasure. But the people of God refused to obey God, and the proliferation of idols were proof. And it had been going on for generations. God said, “but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant” (Jeremiah 11:8 NLT). And God accused the current generation of Israelites of doing the same thing their ancestors had done. “There’s a conspiracy among the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. They’ve plotted to reenact the sins of their ancestors – the ones who disobeyed me and decided to go after other gods and worship them. Israel and Judah are in this together, mindlessly breaking the covenant I made with their ancestors” (Jeremiah 9-10 MSG). And according to the terms of the covenant, their disobedience warranted God’s punishment.

But right in the middle of these two passages, Jeremiah prayers a short, but powerful prayer. In it He expresses a clear understanding of who God is and the reality of man’s inability to control their own lives. He says, “I know, GOD, that mere mortals can’t run their own lives, That men and women don’t have what it takes to take charge of life. So correct us, GOD, as you see best. Don’t lose your temper. That would be the end of us” (Jeremiah 10:23-24 MSG). Jeremiah knew the undeniable truth that men and women were incapable of making wise decisions, keeping their commitments, or living in obedience to God’s Laws. They couldn’t help from creating idols and worshiping them, even as idiotic as it might seem to bow down to a block of wood you carved and carried around with your own hands. Jeremiah also knew that mankind deserved to be corrected. The Hebrew word he uses for “correction” is yacar and it means “to chasten, chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, instruct, or teach.” He confesses their inability to live the life God had called them to live and acknowledges that their actions warrant God’s correction. But he seemed to understand that even God’s punishment was constructive. He would not only reprove them, but reform them through His discipline. Jeremiah knew that God loved them in spite of their actions. So he calls on God to correct them, because he believed that God knew what was best for them. And if punishment from the hands of a loving God could turn their hearts back to Him, then so be it. But Jeremiah also asks that God not punish them in anger. He asks that God temper His rebuke with love. Because he knew that no man could stand against the unbridled wrath of an angry, righteous and holy God.

Jeremiah knew God. And he knew the truth about man. So he appealed to God for His mercy and grace. He trusted God to do the right thing. He knew that they were getting what they deserved, but he asked that God be gracious, loving and gentle with them. Because they were incapable of doing what was right. They needed God’s correction, but mixed with mercy, compassion, patience and love.

Father, Jeremiah’s prayer could be the prayer of every one of us today. We need to confess our inability to run our own lives. We can’t keep all the balls in the air. We can’t make it all work. We are incapable of living up to Your holy standards and so we fail You on a regular basis. But You love us and know our weaknesses. You stand ready to forgive us if we will just confess our sins to You. If we will admit our inability to live holy lives and come to You in weakness and dependence, You will give us what we need to live the lives You’ve called us to live. You are a great God. You are a loving and merciful God. You want to help us live lives that reflect our position as Your sons and daughters. We just have to admit that we can’t do it without You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org