Jeremiah 17:1-4 NIV
“Judah’s sin is
engraved with an iron tool,
inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of
their hearts
and on the horns of their altars.
Even their children
remember
their altars and Asherah poles
beside the spreading
trees
and
on the high hills.
My mountain in the
land
and your wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as
plunder,
together with your high places,
because of sin throughout your country.
Through your own fault
you will lose
the inheritance I gave you.
I will enslave you to
your enemies
in a land you do not know,
for you have kindled
my anger,
and it will burn forever.”
The church in America, at large, but not including all, is
like the people of Judah of Jeremiah’s day. Their sin is idolatry, sexual immorality,
and forsaking their Lord to return to following after the lusts of their flesh.
And, this isn’t just about porn use, either, though that is HUGE!
For, many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ take in
regular doses of immorality in TV shows, movies, video games, music, and on the
internet, including on social media sites and in private chats with people,
etc. Oh, and then there is sex-texting, too, and photo sharing of inappropriate
photographs, usually selfies, some with just sexual poses and others much more
graphic, and I’m sure a whole lot more that I don’t know about.
Even many pastors are addicted to porn, and are engaged in
extra-marital affairs, and are visiting prostitutes and are engaged in all sorts
of deviant behaviors, as are many of the men and even some women within the
church, too. And now many youth and children, as well, within the church are
sexually addicted. Oh, how utterly shameful and so very sad!
Yet, so many of these men and women involved in porn or in
extra-marital affairs or flirtations will vow fidelity to their spouses, but it
is a lie. For, while they are vowing fidelity they are secretly engaged in
sinful sexual behaviors and they are hiding these from their spouses, so their
words cannot be trusted. And, sometimes, too, they may tell their spouses that
they are making changes in their lives for them, while truly the changes are
for someone else, not the spouse. For, they continually cover it all with lies.
But, there is another aspect to all of this. For romantic
affairs and sexual affairs and porn and masturbation, etc. all produce some
kind of mental and emotional high much like a drug, so people can be sex
addicted in much the same way in which someone is addicted to a drug or to
alcohol. For, it is a stimulant and it is intoxicating, and it is very hard to
break, apart from the power of God and his grace in their lives in delivering
them from it.
But, they have to be willing to be set free. Jesus provided
the way of escape for all of us. He shed his blood on a cross in death so that
we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He put sin to death on that
cross and he conquered its power over our lives via his resurrection. But, if
you want to be free, you have to yield to his Lordship, and do all that he says
to do, and not hold anything back from him, and he will set you free!
But, so many people in this situation will not let go. They
will not let God have control of their lives. They do not truly want to be
free, even though they will say that they do. And, that is because they are not
willing to put that sin to death, because they are “drug” addicted, and they
want that addiction (that high) more than they want God in their lives.
So, God is warning here, and in the New Testament, too, that
if they or if you or if we choose our sinful lifestyles over obedience to our
Lord, we will lose our inheritance with God. Instead of the hope of heaven when
we die, we will have the fearful expectation of divine judgment and the fires
of hell.
So, don’t be fooled! God is not mocked!! What you sow you
will also reap. If you sow to please the flesh, from that flesh you will reap
decay (death). But if you sow to please the Spirit, then you will reap eternal
life.
This blows OSAS out of the water, folks! For, we are not
saved based on past belief. We have to walk according to the Spirit and no
longer according to the flesh if we want to have eternal life with God. Please
don’t reject this message! Your eternity depends on you believing and living
the truth of this.
[See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24;
Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Tit. 2:11-14; etc.]
Jeremiah 17:5-6 NIV
This is what the Lord
says:
“Cursed is the one who
trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
That person will be
like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the
parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
We cannot place our trust in humans, no matter who they are,
or what professions they make about themselves, or what positions of power or
rule or authority they may have over our lives. Our loyalty and devotion must
be to God, and to him alone.
So, don’t follow men (or women). Follow God! Don’t follow
books written by mere humans. Follow the Word of God (the Bible – Genesis to
Revelation). Don’t follow human counselors unless what they are teaching you is
truly the Word of God. Don’t put your hope in human leaders to “save” this
nation out of the trouble that it is in, for they are largely responsible for a
lot of this mess our nation is now in, but so is everyone who supports them and
who follows after human flesh instead of following after God and His Word.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
“But blessed is the
one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a
tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when
heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a
year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Our confidence, and our hope, and our salvation must be
found in God alone; in Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is our only hope for what
ails this nation and for what troubles our hearts and lives, as well. He is the
only one who can rescue us from our demons, and from our sins, from our
idolatry and from our addictions. So, we have to look to him and stop relying
on human flesh. For human flesh will fail us.
This is no guarantee, though, that everything will be rosy
for us. In fact, scripture teaches that if we truly follow Jesus Christ with
our lives that we will be hated and persecuted. For, Satan once had us under
his control, and he lost us, and he wants us back, so he is fighting hard
against us to get us back under his control. So, just know that following Jesus
will mean that your enemies will increase, especially as the time draws closer
for our Lord’s return. Some of us will even be put to death for our testimonies
for Jesus.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV
The heart is deceitful
above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the
heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person
according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
Many people who are sexually addicted or who are trapped in
any kind of sinful practices are deceived by the deceiver, and then they begin
telling the lies themselves and even believing their own lies, too. Because
they love the darkness, they will not come into the light, lest they be exposed
for the evil that they are doing in secret when no one else is looking, except
God. And, so they have to shut out the light and make up their own alternative “truth”
so that they can continue in their sinful practices (addictions). And, that is
totally irrational.
But, thanks be to God that he does search our hearts, and
that he examines our minds, and that he loves us enough to tell us the truth,
and to send people to us who will tell us the truth so that our blinded eyes
might be opened, and so we may be turned from darkness to light and from the
power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place
among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.
But, just know that one day we will all come before God, and
he will indeed reward us according to our conduct and what our deeds deserve.
And, it says this in the New Testament, too. So, don’t think just because you
prayed a prayer to receive Christ that you are guaranteed eternal life with
God.
Scripture says differently. We will be judged by our walks
of faith, because Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. His grace at work in saving us is him turning us from darkness
to light…
Living
Water
An
Original Work / November 21, 2013
Based
off Various Scriptures
My people have forsaken Me,
Their Savior, who died on a tree;
Made idols, and they worshipped them;
So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.
Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.
Those who turn away from You will be shamed;
The Spring of Living Water left behind.
Living Water satisfies.
The thirsty, let them come and drink;
Believe in Jesus as their King;
The gift of Jesus given them,
So they will never thirst again.
Indeed, the Living Water flows within.
It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.
Eternal life in heaven promised them.
Living Water glorifies.
Oh people, won’t you come to Him?
Obey Him and repent of sin.
Let Jesus come and live within.
Surrender all your life to Him.
My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?
Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.
Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?
Living Water sanctifies.
Friday, December 21, 2018
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