December 10, 2020

 Thankful Thursday

Today we can ask for forgiveness and BELIEVE without doubt that we are forgiven thanks to Jesus Christ. The Israelites dreamed and hoped for the Messiah because change would come. God is not punishing anyone. During this Christmas season, we celebrate his birth. The people praised him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you." Mary believed the word. Without him we were God's enemy. Jesus reconciles us to God. We do not teach punishment but we teach forgiveness (in his name) no matter how vile the sin. No matter who the person is. His blood can clean it and his grace can reach them. He reaches into darkness. He is the light that still blinds and saves sinners. He gives sight to the blind. He does not punish them but he enlightens them. As we read Jeremiah let us weep with joy that we are not captives but we are free. If you desire to hurt someone or kill someone because you say they are bad. You need to be saved. Saved people save people. Forgiven people forgive others (as he has forgiven you). You have to know that person just need light. They are in darkness. Let your light shine in the darkness. A long time ago God punished sins over, and over, and over again and man ended up in the same situation over, and over,  over again. Frequently the people still went astray. So he sent his son to deliver, enlighten, and heal them. When you know him. You know we all are in need of mercy and God forbid anyone should fail to believe and be lost. Punishment means you are holding the sins against the person. If God being righteous forgives who are we to be wicked and not forgive. How can you hold sin against another person as you say God has forgiven yours. I would argue you are not forgiven because you refuse to forgive those who have sinned against you. If you are not forgiven you are a enemy to God. He is going to hold your sins against you. Lastly what person has the right to punish someone for sins. What person can shame you? What person can judge you? Only God. The devil can trick you out of believing you are forgiven but someone bad cannot tell someone else to be good. Only the good can speak against the bad and there is only one that is good and that is God. "Don't be good for goodness sake" but be good because you have made right with God and it is by his spirit you have be made righteous (this righteous has been put on you). The bible never speaks of goodness it speaks of righteousness. Punishment comes becomes we believe wrong. If you believe right you will see the goodness of the Lord. 

Jeremiah 39

 (NIV)

 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it.  And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through.  Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.  When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.

 But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.  There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah.  Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

 The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.  Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.  But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

• Ironically he did not want the poor people
• He also gave them vineyards and fields.
• In the beginning of the book it speaks of the injustice among the wealthy and the poor 

 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard:  “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.”  So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.

 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him:  “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.  But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Have a great day!