Embrace the Judgments of the Lord
Dear church, Imagine this:
The country"s leadership was making mistakes. The economy was hurting... Everything we worked for and believed in, as God's people, seemed in jeopardy. People were afraid.
Imagine that in recent history, there was an attack that pierced our national consciousness. It breached our walls, knocked down our illusion that we were untouchable, but we had recovered. We had vowed "never again" rather than repent of our pride.
Then, imagine it, a large national threat on our borders... A large army. We cried out "God save us." Yes, we had been distracted, materialistic, unfaithful to our spouses, our kids were a mess and didn't know God... Yes, murder was rampant in our culture, theft at every level. Yes, depression was so bad we self medicated with alcohol and pills. But we still believed in God.
Then, God's answer was this "give in to the army at your border. Give up everything you are trying to protect. See that trying to save your own life is costing you. Give in to My judgment. I SENT the army to SAVE YOU. You don't need to be saved from the army, you need to be saved from your pride and selfishness. Armies are easy for Me to deal with, I refuse to make you clean without your agreement. You need to accept you were already dying and I'm trying to save you... To bring you to your senses. Your houses, cars, lusts, materialism, nationalism and religious pride are really what are killing you from the inside, so I've sent this thing from the outside to wake you up to your real need. Give in to it, and I will be your Savior again. Admit I was right in judging you."
Would you accept that as from God? Would you be able to admit the truth that what you were trying to save was dead a long time ago, and that this trouble was the result of your own personal lack of repentance... That a once great gift was now totally squandered? Would you have the courage, faith, and love of God to salvage your relationship with Him at the cost of your relationship to your stuff, your appearance, your freedom.... Your pride?
This has happened before, in Israel. Jeremiah was sent to preach ^ this message. The priests and King's fought him, but some people listened... Jeremiah preached this to God's people, not "godless sinners." Those who embraced the judgement flourished. Those who resisted it were crushed.
God is doing this again in our day. It was always promised to come. If you try to save your life, you will lose it. If you lose it for his sake, you will save it.
Would you kick Jeremiah out of church, or would you respond to his preaching? This is the question before the body of Christ in America right now.
Don't follow those trying to save your country for you. Follow those trying to save your relationship with Jesus for Him... For real.
Jeremiah 38:2 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live!’
3 The LORD also says: ‘The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”
4 So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!”
5 King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like. I can’t stop you.”
Jeremiah 29:8 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams,
9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD.
10 This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
14 I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
15 You claim that the LORD has raised up prophets for you in Babylon.
16 But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon.
17 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.
18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery.
19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the LORD.
There is no army to defect to... What the Lord says is "embrace my judgments... Don't resist them. Stop trying to make things safe or right. Make yourself safe make yourself right. Come to me and stop fighting for your rights.Then it will go well for you. I am trying to save you. Stop trying to save yourself."
The country"s leadership was making mistakes. The economy was hurting... Everything we worked for and believed in, as God's people, seemed in jeopardy. People were afraid.
Imagine that in recent history, there was an attack that pierced our national consciousness. It breached our walls, knocked down our illusion that we were untouchable, but we had recovered. We had vowed "never again" rather than repent of our pride.
Then, imagine it, a large national threat on our borders... A large army. We cried out "God save us." Yes, we had been distracted, materialistic, unfaithful to our spouses, our kids were a mess and didn't know God... Yes, murder was rampant in our culture, theft at every level. Yes, depression was so bad we self medicated with alcohol and pills. But we still believed in God.
Imagine it.
Then, God's answer was this "give in to the army at your border. Give up everything you are trying to protect. See that trying to save your own life is costing you. Give in to My judgment. I SENT the army to SAVE YOU. You don't need to be saved from the army, you need to be saved from your pride and selfishness. Armies are easy for Me to deal with, I refuse to make you clean without your agreement. You need to accept you were already dying and I'm trying to save you... To bring you to your senses. Your houses, cars, lusts, materialism, nationalism and religious pride are really what are killing you from the inside, so I've sent this thing from the outside to wake you up to your real need. Give in to it, and I will be your Savior again. Admit I was right in judging you."
Would you accept that as from God? Would you be able to admit the truth that what you were trying to save was dead a long time ago, and that this trouble was the result of your own personal lack of repentance... That a once great gift was now totally squandered? Would you have the courage, faith, and love of God to salvage your relationship with Him at the cost of your relationship to your stuff, your appearance, your freedom.... Your pride?
This has happened before, in Israel. Jeremiah was sent to preach ^ this message. The priests and King's fought him, but some people listened... Jeremiah preached this to God's people, not "godless sinners." Those who embraced the judgement flourished. Those who resisted it were crushed.
God is doing this again in our day. It was always promised to come. If you try to save your life, you will lose it. If you lose it for his sake, you will save it.
Would you kick Jeremiah out of church, or would you respond to his preaching? This is the question before the body of Christ in America right now.
Don't follow those trying to save your country for you. Follow those trying to save your relationship with Jesus for Him... For real.
Jeremiah 38:2 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live!’
3 The LORD also says: ‘The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”
4 So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!”
5 King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like. I can’t stop you.”
Jeremiah 29:8 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams,
9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the LORD.
10 This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
14 I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
15 You claim that the LORD has raised up prophets for you in Babylon.
16 But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon.
17 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.
18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery.
19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the LORD.
There is no army to defect to... What the Lord says is "embrace my judgments... Don't resist them. Stop trying to make things safe or right. Make yourself safe make yourself right. Come to me and stop fighting for your rights.Then it will go well for you. I am trying to save you. Stop trying to save yourself."
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