Jeremiah 8

Verse Of The Day: V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.”

It was recorded that before the Tsunami or the great flood hit the villages near the sea, the animals and the birds were already moving and flying to higher grounds for safety from the impending disaster. Yet many villagers refused to take heed of these signs but instead thought that it would never come. The Tsunami came and destroyed them completely!
 
1.  The Stork Knows 

V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times;…”

God warned the people through His prophet Jeremiah that His impending judgment was near unless they would repent of their sins. However, the people refused to repent. God then gave them the illustration of the storks in the sky which knew the time of their migration so that they could fly to faraway places for food and water, yet His people did not know or refused to know God’s time of judgment.

V5 “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.”

2.  The Turtle, The Crane And The Swallow Knows

V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming;…”

The crane and the swallow also knew the time of migration and even the turtle knew the time to return to shore to lay their eggs, yet God’s people refused to know God’s impending judgment.

3.  The People Of God Know Not

V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.”

God’s living creatures know the time of migration and time of giving birth, yet God’s people made in His own image refuse to repent of their sins because they choose to reject God and His Word. But praise God, there is always a remnant of God’s people who chooses to love God and His Word!

Romans 9:27 “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to be the remnant who loves You and Your Word.

Jeremiah 7

Verse Of The Day: V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

1.  Obedient Life

V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, …”

The prophet Jeremiah lived and preached in the days of the people of God who disobeyed God. Many of them praised and worshipped God in the temple of the LORD, but their hearts were far away from God. They sinned and disobeyed God and their lives were no different from the people of the world. Jeremiah wept and warned them not to lie when they praised God in the beautiful temple while refusing to repent their sins!

V4 “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these”

Look around you, and do you see many Christians praising and worshipping God in a beautiful and majestic church building but their lives are no different from the people of the world as they smoke, drink, swear, curse, steal, cheat, deceive and in sins?

2.  Transformed Life

V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, …”

A durian tree shall bring forth durians and a mango tree shall bring forth mangos and God shall bring forth God’s people! God’s people shall always obey God’s commandments and walk in God’s ways. When you are a true Christian, you shall have a sense of guilt and remorse when you disobey God. You shall seek to repent and return to God and live a transformed and changed life that honors and glorifies God.

3.  Happy Life

V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

An obedient and transformed life shall result in a happy life! You reap whatever you sow. When you sow obedience you shall reap happiness and be well in your life.

Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to sow obedience so that I shall reap happiness.

Jeremiah 6

Verse Of The Day: V13 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.”

What is covetousness? It is defined as a great and intense desire to acquire and amass material possessions. Covetousness or greed is the sin that was in the heart of man since the fall of mankind.

1.  Covetousness is in Every Person

V13 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; …”

The sin of covetousness is in every person including young children and old folks. Look around you. Children are crying for toys in the shopping centers. They are never satisfied and contented even when their rooms are filled with toys from floors to ceilings! Old folks are queuing up to buy lottery, thinking that this shall be their last chance to strike big, enjoy life with plenty of possessions and eventually die rich!

2.  Covetousness is in Every Prophet and Priest

V13 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.”

The sin of covetousness was also in the spiritual leaders, the prophets and the priests. The prophets who represented God in teaching the people to live godly and without covetousness were the ones who were ungodly and covetous. They required the people to offer them large sum of money or expensive gifts for their so-called service of God. Even the priests who represented the people before God to sacrifice the offerings in the temple of God for them were also the ones who kept large parts of the offerings for themselves and were ungodly and covetous.

3.  Covetousness shall be Punished

V15 “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.”

The saddest truth was that the people themselves were not ashamed of their covetousness. They thought that life consisted of the abundance of possessions. They failed to realize that their possessions were transient and would one day vanish away and that God shall punish their sin of covetousness. The only thing that is of great gain and shall last forever is their relationship with God and to be contented with life!

1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to be contented with You and the simple things of life.

Jeremiah 5

Verse Of The Day: V4 “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.”

God commanded His prophet Jeremiah to find a man who was pure in heart and sought the truth and He shall forgive the entire nation of Israel. Imagine just one man yet Jeremiah could not find that man! Today, God is also looking for a man who is pure in heart and seeks the truth.

1.  The Man in the World of Immorality

V8 “They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.”

After God had fed the nation of Israel with a great harvest, they committed immorality instead of thanking God and keeping themselves pure. Today, immorality is also rampant. Even the youth as young as 12 years old, has committed immorality. Indeed, when God finds His man who has kept himself pure from immorality, He shall surely bless and keep him forever!

2.  The Man in the World of Rebellion

V23 “But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.”

The people in Jeremiah’s time had no respect for authority. Everyone did what was right in their eyes. Even the young children were rebelling against their parents. Today, rebellion is also rampant. Many parents and teachers have lost control of their young people. In some countries, the children physically abused and beat their parents at home while students abuse and beat their teachers in schools. Indeed, when God finds His man who has kept himself pure from rebellion, He shall surely bless and keep him forever!

3.  The Man in the World of Deceit

V27 “As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.”

God richly blessed the people in Jeremiah’s time yet they were deceitful in their worship of God. The people offered sacrifices and worshipped God in the temple yet their hearts were far away from God. Today, many people worship God with loud music, dancing, shouting and praises but their hearts are far away from Him. Indeed, when God finds His man who has kept himself pure from deceit, He shall surely bless and keep him forever!

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please keep me pure in heart so that I shall see You in heaven one day.

Jeremiah 4

Verse Of The Day: V4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.”

How you are today is how your heart is today. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. When your heart is evil, you shall be evil no matter how hard you try to be good. Conversely when your heart is good, you shall always be good, and people around you can feel and experience your goodness from your good heart.

1.  God Rewards Good Hearts

V4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: …”

God rewards you when you circumcise your foreskins of your hearts or when you keep your heart pure and holy. God shall surely draw near to you and bless you with peace and joy when your heart is pure and holy before Him.

James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

2.  God Punishes Evil Hearts

V4 “… lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.”

God punishes the evil hearts and cut down or destroy them like grass and green herbs. Many times, we get upset when we see evil doers got off scot-free and injustice prevails. We fail to realize that God shall certainly punish the evil doers though it may not be swift it is sure, as God hates evil.

Psalms 37:1-2 “Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”

3.  God Loves All Hearts

God loves all hearts as He warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem to purify their evil hearts lest His fury come upon them like fire. God desires all hearts to repent and turn to Him and be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please clean my heart and make it pure and holy.

Jeremiah 3

Verse Of The Day: V10 “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.”

Have you ever wonder why you are not joyful and victorious in your Christian walk?
The answer is found in this precious verse when God commanded His people not to pretend in their walk with Him. Indeed, we are guilty before God when we pretend to give Him our whole heart! It is tragic and sad for Christians to live a double life, and no wonder we have no joy or victory in our Christian walk!

1.  Labor Whole Heartedly For God

Are you giving your whole heart to God in your labor or study or work?

Whether we are students, executives, managers, doctors, church staff, etc., we are studying, working and serving not just for our employers, or for ourselves, but for God!

Colossians 3:22 “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:”

Some people believe that the most spiritual Christians are those who serve God as church full-time staff or pastors or missionaries in a foreign field. How far from the truth can they be! We are serving God when we are studying in a school, or working in a company, or in a church, and there is no separation of secular and spiritual work as some would want to believe. Where ever you are and whatever you do, you are doing it for God in singleness of heart and with your whole heart!

2.  Love Whole Heartedly For God

Are you giving your whole heart to God in your relationship?

How do you express your love for your loved ones, family, friends, classmates, etc? When a man expresses his love to the woman he loves, he will not say, “I love you with half my heart!” This is a sure way to end their relationship. Yet many times, we do not love with our whole hearts or all our hearts in our marriage, relationship and friendship.

Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

3.  Live Whole Heartedly For God

Are you giving your whole heart to God in your life?

Let us not pretend or live a double life because one day, we shall meet God our Judge!

Ecclesiastes 12:14 “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to labor, love and live whole heartedly for You.

JEREMIAH 2

Verse Of The Day: V13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

1.  Man Commits Evil

V13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, ...”

Someone commented the other day, “Pastor, it seems that whatever the world philosophy is, it seems so convincing and true that there is no God.” Indeed since the fall of man, man has refused to acknowledge his creator and thinks that he knows all the answers in life. Man has become so proud that he believes that he is his own destiny and no one can tell him what to do! Man has failed to realize that God is the Fountain of Living Waters and when he drinks God’s Living Water or he believes God’s Living Word, the Bible, he shall never thirst but shall be satisfied all the days of his life and through all eternity.

John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

2.  Man Commits Another Evil

V13 “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

Man not only commits evil by forsaking God but he commits another evil by worshipping idols. Why do man worship idols? Man is created by God in His image and with a soul that thirst for God. However, instead of worshipping his creator, man chooses to worship nature, things made by man, or things or people he places above God. These idols can be the sun, the moon, his loved ones or they can be his material possessions and even his thirst for power or fame. Sadly, these idols can never truly satisfy the spiritual thirst of man. Only God, the Fountain of the Living Waters can truly satisfy man’s thirst!

3.  Man Commits Good

Unless man acknowledges and worships God, his creator, he shall always be a miserable and purposeless man living in a selfish and godless life and committing the two evils of forsaking God and worshipping his idols.

Psalms 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me always to do good and thirst after You.

JEREMIAH 1

Verse Of The Day: V5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

1.  God Forms You

V5 “Before I formed thee in the belly ...”

Just like God told Jeremiah that He had prepared him as His Prophet or spokesman, He also tells you that He is with you even when you are in your mother’s womb! God gives you the breadth of life as you live in this world. In fact, God created and formed the first man from dust and breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul.

Genesis 1:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

2.  God Knows You

V5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; ...”

God not only forms you but He knows you! God knows your inner thoughts, your greatest fear, your happiest moment, your deepest desires and secrets of your heart.

Psalms 44:21 “Shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.”

3.  God Sanctifies You

V5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, ...”

God not only forms you, knows you, but He sanctifies or separates you to serve Him as His ambassador or representative to tell others of His great love and to reconcile them to God.

2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

4.  God Ordains You

V5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

God not only forms you, knows you, sanctifies you but He ordains or empowers you to be His ambassadors.

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, thank You that You form me, know me, sanctify me and ordain me to be Your ambassadors and tell others of Your great love.

ISAIAH 66

Verse Of The Day: V1 “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest?”

In the days of Prophet Isaiah, many people have put themselves above God. They worshipped God with their lips but not their hearts. They loved themselves and their houses more than they loved God and His house. Today, the people are also worshipping God with their lips but not their hearts. They worship themselves, their family, their career and their possessions more than they worship the true and living God.

Isaiah 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”
 
1.  God is King In Your Life

V2 “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”

The judgment of God is coming soon and one day, everyone of us, whether young or old, rich or poor, shall meet Him. The good news is that those who are poor and contrite in  spirit, or those who do God’s commandments, and have chosen God as the King in their lives, shall meet Him as His faithful, and shall enter into the gates of the city of God.

Revelation 17:14 “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

2.  God Is Nothing In Your Life

V4 “I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.”

The bad news is that those who refuse to believe in the true and living God and continually do evil before Him, their names shall not be found in the book of life and shall be cast into the lake of fire and burnt forever and ever.

Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, I believe in You, and You are right in the center of my heart and life.

ISAIAH 65

Verse Of The Day: V17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”

What a glorious day it shall be when Christians or the saints of God meet their Creator and Almighty God in the new heaven and the new earth!

1.  No Death

In the new heaven and the new earth, there shall be no more death and every Christian or saint of God shall serve their Almighty God.

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Revelation 22:3 “And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him:”

2.  No Sorrow

V19 “And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”

In the new heaven and the new earth, there shall be no more sorrow nor weeping nor crying as the saints of God shall rejoice and reign with Him in His everlasting light forever and ever.

Revelation 22:5 “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

3.  No Hurt

V25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”

What a great and glorious day it shall be for the saints of God in the new heaven and the new earth as there shall be no more hurt nor destruction but peace and worship!

Revelation 22:9 “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, I believe in You and I shall be with You in the new heaven and the new earth.