Praise God

We have two new members today, Elaine Wareing and Sandy Barnhill.  Both from my high school days!  How about that?  Some of you who have been with us a while know that I love Jeremiah.  I was reading there again recently and was lead to write something from his prophecy.  He spent a lot of energy trying to warn the Hebrews about the way they were living as compared to the calling on their lives by God.  In chapter 12 he asked a question I know many of us have asked from time to time.  “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?  You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.”  God begins to answer in chapters 13 and 14, and Jeremiah argues (bless his heart).  God says, “Do not be proud, give glory to the Lord your God before He moves against you.”  Now keep in mind that all of this happens as God is about to send them into captivity (that is the ones He does not kill).  God says, “Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet, therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, and punish their sins.”  He goes on to explain that there will be false prophets preaching a prosperity gospel and telling lies in His Name.  He says that even if Moses and Samuel pleaded for mercy it would do no good.

I was alarmed as I compared this to our standing today.  I boldly (inspired by my friend Jeremiah) ask God, what about today God, where do we stand as a people compared to these hard-headed Hebrews?  He sent me to Galatians 5!  He said, “I say then; walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”  As they are at war; “now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  I don’t know, as a people how are we doing?  I know it makes me more than ever thankful for the Blood of Jesus to forgive my sins and the infilling of the Holy Spirit to guide me away from these things in the future. God bless us and keep us in these trying times, amen. Jim

LIFE does not meet tonight.