Church Under A Bridge

Jer 25:27-31 “Then tell them, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send among you.’ But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: You must drink it! See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword on all who live on the earth, declares the LORD Almighty.’
“Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
“‘The LORD will roar from on high;
he will thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD will bring charges against the nations;
he will bring judgment on all mankind
and put the wicked to the sword, ’”
declares the LORD.

Time is running as the world ignores God’s warnings. There are many happening right now! How long do we have before He has had enough, only He knows. However long it is before He comes to take His children home, we should be about His business and sharing His word of love and grace with all we can. We shouldn’t worry or fret over His return. We should welcome it and help others to fully understand what it will mean to finally live in a world God desired in the first place.

Lord, may I be found doing Your business when You return to take Your children home. Guide me to help others join the family of God. Amen

Jer 25:1-14 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”
“But you did not listen to me,” declares the LORD, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.”
Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
“But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the LORD, “and will make it desolate forever. I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

Again, God did what He said and took His blessing off the Jews because of their continued sin. God hasn’t changed and is still warning us and the rest of the world. We return to Him or we suffer the consequences of Him removing His blessings. We all know people, maybe it was us at one time, that ignore warnings of punishment from parents or law enforcement for continuing to do things they shouldn’t. They were warned the consequences would be enforced if they didn’t stop, but they continued. The parents or law enforcement then enforced the consequences of punishment. The person on the receiving end of the punishment are shocked. Why me, why am I being punished?! I shouldn’t be punished, I’m not that bad or what I did isn’t that bad! We see that very thing happening in today’s world and the world will see the consequences of its continued sin if it doesn’t heed the warnings of our Father God.

Lord, please help us to see the sin as sin and the wrongs as wrongs. Help us turn from our sins and accept the salvation You offer. Amen

Jer 22:20-27 “Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
let your voice be heard in Bashan,
cry out from Abarim,
for all your allies are crushed.
I warned you when you felt secure,
but you said, ‘I will not listen!’
This has been your way from your youth;
you have not obeyed me.
The wind will drive all your shepherds away,
and your allies will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced
because of all your wickedness.
You who live in ‘Lebanon, ’
who are nestled in cedar buildings,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
pain like that of a woman in labor!
“As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. I will deliver you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians. I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. You will never come back to the land you long to return to.”

Have you ever gave someone a chance, maybe many, to make a wrong, right? How did they do? When they failed again, did you hate them for it or were you disappointed in them, but still loved them? Our Lord is the best example of tough love there is. He allows logical earthly consequences to choices we make, while we are alive and allows the one of two consequences when we die, Heaven or Hell.
During the time these verses speak of, our Lord protected the Jews when they honored and lived as the Lord asked of them. However, once they turned away from God and chose sin over God, He removed His protection and allowed logical consequences to happen. He still does today. How does our Lord protect us today? His protection doesn’t mean that our lives, minds and bodies are perfect, we’re not. Adam and Eve caused that protection to be removed. He gives us strength to make it through the issues of life, health problems, relationship, financial, employment, self esteem issues and many more. He shares His wisdom to help us overcome doubt and the evil that constantly attacks us. He freely shares His love to help us love ourselves and others as He loves us. The primary question is, do you allow Him to help you, or do you always try and do it on you on? It didn’t work out very well for the Jews back then and it usually doesn’t work out well for those who turn their back on God today. How about letting Him help you help yourself. Accept His gift of salvation. Just say and mean the following;
Lord I’m a sinner. I repent from my sin and ask You to forgive me and become Lord over my life. Please forgive me and use me. Help me follow the path You ask of me. Amen