Study from God’s Word… 2nd Kings 23: 29-30 [2Chron 35: 20-25]; 2Kgs 23: 30-35 [2Chron 36: 1-5]; Jeremiah 22: 10-17 and Chapter 26… Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 26: 10 – 11 … NIV 10 When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD's house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"
My Journal for Today: What a mess! Reading about the contentious battle between the truth speakers, i.e., God’s Prophets, like Nahum and Jeremiah in these days when the tribes of Israel and Judah wavered back and forth in disobedience and even seasons of obedience, we read of Jeremiah being accused and threatened with death from false prophets, soothsayers, and the seers of the day. They had seen many of Jeremiah’s prophesies unfolding; but when Jeremiah prophesied against them, they would rather see him dead than listen or contend with God’s truth.
Dr. Smith, my devotional author, is right when he compares this time in Jeremiah’s life to the Passion of Jesus when our Lord was brought up on trumped-up charges and even killed unjustly. But Jeremiah was delivered from his life threatening dilemma because of God’s need to use this Prophet remained. However, what happened during these times is certainly an historical reflection of what we see going on in our world today.
We have the “prophets” of political-correctness and those who promote false-doctrines like the word of faith movement coming out and loudly attacking God’s truth. The former would like to “kill” the concept of “God” or “Christ” in the public arena, and strike down every vestige of The Bible from the view, study, and consideration by a public whose mind they want to control with policies of death and the flesh such as their views on pro-abortion, homosexual marriage, and the like. … Then there are the religious soothsayers of our day, such as the Oprahs or Osteens, who preach a feel-good gospel. And these false-teachers don’t want anyone to tear down their empires of thought control which produce vast wealth for them. Who wants to hear “the truth” when non-truth is so lucrative and produces so much power? So, all of these arch enemies of GOD’S truth do all they can to bring down those who are purveyors of the real-deal truth, which I believe is being preached in our days by modern day Jeremiahs, … men whom I so greatly admire, like John Piper, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and others.
Once again I return in my thoughts to the marvelous witness of the Bereans when they heard what they thought was a “new” message of hope from an Apostle who used to be a Christian killer, … that Saul of Tarsus who had become the Apostle Paul. We read about (see Acts 17: 10 – 15 - linked) what these Bereans did when Paul came to their area, preaching the Gospel of Christ. They carefully searched the Scriptures as they knew them (the Torah and the words of the Prophets); and God helped them see His truth being preached by His man, Paul; and they believed.
And that’s what we need today, … discerning Christians who know God’s truth – from His word – so fully and clearly that we can readily see the counterfeit message being taught in our culture. When Oprah puts forth her gospel of self-dominance or Osteen his “take control of your life with your thoughts” messages, we need to go back to the ONE source of real truth, … God’s word, and discern that these messages just don’t measure up to the plumb of God’s will for our lives.
When the social gospel preachers of political-correctness do all they can to manipulate our political systems to eradicate “God” from the market place of ideas, we need to stand up for God as did the Jeremiah’s and other Prophets of truth in their day. The question, from Dr. Smith today, gets to the core of our lives, when he asks, ”What am I willing to forfeit in defense of the truth?”
Personally, it needs to be all I have; … and I will pray today that it is.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be a trumpet for your truth even if my very life or freedoms are threatened. Amen
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