Greetings,
"O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. " Jeremiah 5: 3
Numerous of my word and phrase studies is found within these opening verses of Jeremiah 3. We have the "hear and see" activity of God; we have the "R" words of this verses 3, 'refuse (2)'; 'receive' and 'return'. And we have the impassioned plea of God in verse 1, to find one that is as concerned about the people as He is. It is declared what God has done, and what the people have responded with. God judged them for their abominations against Him and His statutes. We are repeating the same folly and abominations of Judah and we are reaping the same judgement.
In verse 1, God sends forth one, to run to and fro, to see and know and seek a man that is executing judgement of right and wrong (living rightly) and a man that is seeking the truth of God. If such a man was found, God would pardon their sin and grant mercy.
In verse 2, God dismisses the religious that say the right thing, but their hearts do not do the right thing. For God knows not only what we do, but why we do it.
Thus, in verse 3, the question is asked of God, 'do you not see those that within their hearts and souls are lovers, doers and followers of Your truth?
And then we have our current plight spelled out as well as we can in the conclusion of this verse 3 - "Thou hast stricken them, . . . Thou hast consumed them" WE are in a society of death, dying, destruction and heading toward utter desolation due to our forsaking and forgetting God. Read the response of the people towards God striking them and consuming them: "but they have not grieved"; 'but they have refused to receive correction"; 'they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return."
Oh Holy Father, what will it take to change this! before it is eternally too late! For those of you that have heard me preach the last two weeks and lead studies and prayer, I have asked the question and posed the observation that during these days of plague, riots and looting, advancement against the church and our freedoms, and death on our streets; you would think people would see and understand that we are heading for something major and that our future is at stake as a nation and the end of the age is coming rapidly. You would think that people would see this and consider their end is nigh and run to the Lord. But alas! we do not see nor do we hear of this. WE see this same response of Judah toward God as the US population toward God today. I could not believe it when I read this passage to see the exact same response.
Woe unto us as the church for not seeing and understanding that everything that we hold precious and blessed with, is about to be removed from us. Our freedoms, our advancements, our comforts, all will be gone, and a greater woe is barreling towards us. IN verse 4, they are termed ignorant of knowing the way of the Lord, that is true of our day. But the church is without excuse. WE should know better and be doing better. A declaration of God's ways, words, and will are to be proclaimed and explained. Regardless of whether they will return or not, let His Truth be spoken. The results are not our issue, that is between God and them; but we are accountable for telling them the truth.
On our knees, in our prayer closets, to pray like never before that when God sends a man to run to and fro they find us, as Daniel, praying 3 times a day on knees interceding. When God seeks for a church to be a house of prayer, that is exactly what we are. Be praying, for therein is our refuge, there is our hope. 'And who knows if He will repent and leave a blessing behind Him". But I don't hear much from the church in such prayers, nor in understanding why these things are happening. The same abominations and sins of Judah against the Lord, described in detail over these chapters and verses are the same sins on our streets, in our homes, and in the hearts of men. We are guilty of great offence against the Lord God.
Neither our nation, nor the church has returned to the Lord rightly during these crisis days. Thus, the judgements will continue and have. They will be greater in their persistence, depth and assault against us. That which remains untouched will be touched. That is a fearful thing.
Is there hope? Always in God, there is hope. For in the greatest darkness, God's 'suddenly' breaks forth. The end is not yet, for the nations and people groups must still be reached. And somehow and someway God will do it. But whether we still exist as a nation, remains to be seen. But whatever, as the church, we have been tasked with, we better find ourselves obedient in great and small things. For all is being shaken like never before. The last phrase of the end times if rapidly coming upon us. It may be greater judgements, it may be revival; but regardless of either of those two things, we know Satan is working venomously against us for he knows his time is getting shorter. Many have departed from the faith; men are working greater works of evil, and it is reaching the point of Noahs day, 'where men's thoughts were continually evil'.
If you be a saint of God, a child of the King and His bride. You be and do what Your Lord and Master requires of you. You be much in the Word, much in prayer, much in sharing Him with one and all. Seek His kingdom come and His will be done, while we are still able to do so. Many have departed from such things, and only a remnant is faithful in their spiritual disciplines. But you should know this verses, 'this is the way now walk in it'. Brethren, it is the last time, finish well. All things for His glory and honor, for He is worthy. Blessed be His Name, that He has allowed us to live and serve for such a time as this.
PRAYER TARGETS:
epidemics -
1. Drugs/Alcohol - no stats, but cases continue to come in our area every day of overdoses; great addiction of hell against the souls of our loved ones;
2. Children - in all this uproar of our nation, children are silently paying the price with neglect, abuse and sex trafficking continues;
3. LGBT - continued to pursue, it is an agency of hell to come against churches; it will be the plight of the near future for the church in regards to jail, lawsuits, and persecution;
4. Great Evil - numbers are staggering already first full week of July; watching as mass shootings saw 3 a day in June, and on the same pace; 1 police officer killed this week; murder-suicides are at 2 a day for July; death, destruction and desolation are upon us;
5. Pestilence - corona virus continues to happen; US had less deaths yesterday, just over 200, but back up to 500 today; world wide, recently saw its highest number of cases; cancers; STD's; plague in China, new strain of swine flu in China;
6. Natural Disasters - numerous things happening that I cannot stay up with; floods, fires in the West; volcanoes, earthquakes, odd happenings of the animal kingdom; still waiting for an 8.0 earthquake; waiting to see what happens for hurricane season; a record 5th storm in Atlantic, earliest ever;
UPDATE:
--bible readings up into Jeremiah; word study all the words that begin with "R";
--The Activity of God - Jeremiah 40;
--A Word blog; finished Isaiah chapter 65 of starting all verses, need to finish over 1/2 of those and complete chapter 66;
--live streams continue for Monday night and looking at Thursday and Saturday night Hour of prayer;
--church services we assembled this past Sunday for the first time in 100 days;
Until,
Dan
Started: July 7, 2020
Continued:
Finished:
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