Sheep Among Wolves. Jeremiah 19-20; Matthew 10

May the mumbling commence!

Sometimes, God calls us and asks of us difficult things.  If we do what God calls us to do, sometimes we will not be mister or missus popular.  But to refuse to do so will bring even worse consequences.  Read from Jeremiah chapter twenty:

O Lord, you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked by everyone in the city.  Whenever I speak, the words come out in a violent outburst. "Violence and destruction!" I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke.  And I can't stop! If I say I'll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in! 

I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror." And they say, "If you say anything, we will report it." Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. "He will trap himself," they say, "and then we will get our revenge on him." (Verses 7-10)

We cannot outmuscle God.  God is stronger.  Yet, we must allow ourselves to be persuaded.

Then the will of the Lord will flood our lives.  Nothing will stop it – even if we want it to be stopped.  We will burn with the desire to speak it out, to live it out.  And we will do it to its fullest.

And sometimes the words that God puts in our mouths will not be welcome.  Rumors will start.  Threats will roll in.  Hatred will blossom.  Still, we will not be able to stop, because we are persuaded that the Lord’s Word and will must be done – despite all personal and immediate cost.

And it’s not just about Jeremiah either.  This call has been given throughout the ages. It still goes out today.  Will we allow ourselves to be persuaded?  Read from Matthew chapter ten and the sending out of the apostles:

Jesus sent the twelve disciples out with these instructions: "Don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God's lost sheep.  Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! 

Don't take any money with you.  Don't carry a traveler's bag with an extra coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.  Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy man and stay in his home until you leave for the next town.  When you are invited into someone's home, give it your blessing.  If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.  If a village doesn't welcome you or listen to you, shake off the dust of that place from your feet as you leave.  I assure you, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off on the judgment day than that place will be. 

Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary as snakes and harmless as doves.  But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues.  And you must stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me – yes, to witness to the world.  When you are arrested, don't worry about what to say in your defense, because you will be given the right words at the right time.  For it won't be you doing the talking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Verses 5-20)

That’s terrifying!  We’re sheep among wolves.  Let’s go!  May God lead us and be our rear guard!

Enough mumbling for now…  Peace Out

Moist Clay in God's Hands. Jeremiah 17-18; Matthew 9

May the mumbling commence!

May our prayer always be to be teachable for the living Spirit of God.  May we be like moist clay in the Great Potter’s Hands.  Read from Jeremiah chapter eighteen:

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, "Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. I will speak to you while you are there." 

So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel.  But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again. 

Then the Lord gave me this message: "O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand.  If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.  And if I announce that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would. 

Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, 'This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster against you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.'" (Verses 1-11)

It’s simple.  Return to the Lord.  Discard your evil ways.  Do what is right.  It’s simple, yet so difficult.  Form us in Your hands, O Lord, so that we might be blessed and so that we might do what is right in Your eyes.

And this path means that we need to focus on our own personal sins – not the sins of others.  We need to focus on our communities’ sins – not the sins of other peoples.  It’s a harsh light sometimes, but it’s a light that heals.  Let that light shine on us!  Read from Matthew chapter nine:

That night Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners.  The Pharisees were indignant. "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" they asked his disciples. 

When he heard this, Jesus replied, "Healthy people don't need a doctor – sick people do."  Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough." (Verses 10-13)

These tax collectors and sinners needed the healing touch and relationship with Jesus.  Most of them knew their need, too.  It’s a need that the Pharisees were unaware of… for themselves.  They thought they were good enough. 

Jesus pointed them to their error.  He told them to go and learn.  They didn’t already know it all.  They needed to learn the value of mercy over sacrifice.  We will tend to be more merciful and understanding to other people when we remember we are sinners too.

May we seek to come to the Lord with our own faults at least twice as much as we focus on the shortcomings of people around us.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Reason for Confidence. Jeremiah 12-16

May the mumbling commence!

When the world seems to be crumbling around you, do you want to be a confidence man or woman?  The answer is simple take refuge in the Lord.  Jeremiah is often known as the weeping prophet.  He has good reason to be weeping for his people.

It was Jeremiah’s task to prophesy about destruction and about the sins of the people.  That’s a message no one wants to hear.  That’s a message that can make you enemies in high places… and in low places… and everywhere in between.

But when you do the Lord’s work, God’s got your back.  Rely on the Lord, and you will never suffer without reason.  Read from the end of Jeremiah chapter sixteen:

Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, "Our ancestors were foolish, for they worshiped worthless idols.  Can people make their own god? The gods they make are not real gods at all!" 

"So now I will show them my power and might," says the Lord. "At last they will know that I am the Lord." (Verses 19-21)

Along with Jeremiah and our other ancestors in the faith, let’s rely on the power and strength of the Lord to protect us.  Let’s say along with Jeremiah that You, O Lord, are our STRENGTH and FORTRESS and REFUGE.  We need no other god.

Idols are shaped by human hands and are worthless.  They can do nothing.  They are not real gods at all.

Let’s kick our idols to the curb.  Let’s trust in God.  Then, there’s a reason for confidence.  In that, I am confident.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out  

God's Urgent Call. Jeremiah 10-11; Matthew 8

May the mumbling commence!

My life is not my own.  Your life is not your own.  Our lives are not our own.  We belong to God, individually and collectively.  Let’s welcome the correction of the Lord in our lives.  Read from Jeremiah chapter ten:

I know, Lord, that a person's life is not his own. No one is able to plan his own course.  So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. (Verses 23-24)

My plans are bound to go awry.  So are yours and ours.  Let’s give our lives over to the Lord.  We could be in no better hands.

We pray along with Jeremiah, “Be gentle, O Lord.”  Show us Your Way.  We will do our best to follow it to the end.  May we embrace the course God has set for our lives.  May we count the cost and know that it’s well worth our “everything”.  Read from Matthew chapter eight:

When Jesus noticed how large the crowd was growing, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. 

Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go!" 

But Jesus said, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head." 

Another of his disciples said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." 

But Jesus told him, "Follow me now! Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead." (Verses 18-22)  

The call of the Lord is urgent.  Nothing is more compelling.  The comforts of home will be left behind… the comforts of family as well.

Welcome to a new Way of life!  God forms it.  We follow it the best we can.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

An Open Book Test. Jeremiah 8-9; Matthew 7

May the mumbling commence!

Always check a prophetic message with the Word of God… with the intent of the Holy Spirit.  If they do not align, then do not trust the message or the messenger.  Prophets and preachers do not always speak within the will of the Lord.  Beware!  Read from Jeremiah chapter eight:

"Jeremiah, say to the people, 'This is what the Lord says: When people fall down, don't they get up again? When they start down the wrong road and discover their mistake, don't they turn back?  Then why do these people keep going along their self-destructive path, refusing to turn back, even though I have warned them?  

I listen to their conversations, and what do I hear? Is anyone sorry for sin? Does anyone say, "What a terrible thing I have done"? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse rushing into battle! 

The stork knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know what the Lord requires of them. 

'How can you say, "We are wise because we have the law of the Lord," when your teachers have twisted it so badly?  These wise teachers will be shamed by exile for their sin, for they have rejected the word of the Lord. Are they so wise after all? 

I will give their wives and their farms to others. From the least to the greatest, they trick others to get what does not belong to them. Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.  They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when all is war. 

Are they ashamed when they do these disgusting things? No, not at all – they don't even blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be humbled when they are punished, says the Lord.  I will take away their rich harvests of figs and grapes. Their fruit trees will all die. All the good things I prepared for them will soon be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken!' (Verses 4-13)

God’s Word can be twisted beyond recognition.  It can be maligned for personal gain.  When these things are done, the good expected turns abruptly into evil.

Symptoms are masked, but the real wounds are not treated.  Peace is proclaimed by war, and strife fill the streets.  Lies are more common than truth.

It’s shameful how little has changed over the many centuries.  Test the words of your pastors and teachers.  This message is coming from a pastor!  I deserve a test each Sunday that I preach or teach.  And this test is open book…  We can use the Bible, folks!

Together we can find that narrow way that God puts in front of us… the path that Jesus blazed for us.  Read from Matthew chapter seven:

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.  But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” (Verses 13-14)

Let’s keep our eyes peeled.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

SAFE! Jeremiah 6-7; Matthew 6

May the mumbling commence!

The only true safety we can claim is if we walk in the Way of the Lord.  Just going through the motions and mouthing the words is NOT enough.  God is our only refuge.  Go to the Lord and no other.

Purge the idols from our midst!  Do not worship money or what it can buy.  Do not worship fame.  Do not worship knowledge.  All these and many more pale in comparison to the Almighty living God.  Read from Jeremiah chapter seven:

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, "Go to the entrance of the Lord's Temple, and give this message to the people: 'O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here!  The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land.  But do not be fooled by those who repeatedly promise your safety because the Temple of the Lord is here.  I will be merciful only if you stop your wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair to others; and if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; and if you stop your murdering; and if you stop worshiping idols as you now do to your own harm.  Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever. 

Do you think that because the Temple is here you will never suffer? Don't fool yourselves!  Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and worship Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, "We are safe!" – only to go right back to all those evils again?  Do you think this Temple, which honors my name, is a den of thieves? I see all the evil going on there, says the Lord. 

Go to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle to honor my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites.  While you were doing these wicked things, says the Lord, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer.  So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that was built to honor my name, this Temple that you trust for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors.  And I will send you into exile, just as I did your relatives, the people of Israel.'” (Verses 1-15)

Worship of the Lord is more than just poetic prayers and hymns.  Worship means taking time to build relationship with the Lord.  That means listening.  How often do we make space in our worship services to listen?  How comfortable are we with silence?  God is speaking to us about our sins.  Are we willing to listen?  It’s bitter medicine, but the alternative is much, much worse.

So let’s be careful where we store up our treasures.  Read from Matthew chapter six:

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves.  Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (Verses 19-21)

Treasuring the things of God leads to caring for the vulnerable.  It eliminates the evil that Jeremiah spoke about so long ago.  Though the names of the idols may change, their effect is the same.  Let’s be careful where we put our hearts and thoughts.  Let’s keep them safe in the Lord.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

The Heavens are Hung in Black. Jeremiah 4-5; Matthew 5

May the mumbling commence!

Sometimes the world seems like it’s coming down.  The time seems dark.  Just watch the nightly news, and you will see.  The heavens look as if they are hung in black.

The heavens are hung in black… It’s the title of a play about Abraham Lincoln and the decision to extend the Emancipation Proclamation.  I thought about my part in that play as it was gifted to the community of Hutchinson, Kansas.  I thought about it as I read from Jeremiah chapter four.  Read a passage from it below:

I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.  I looked at the mountains and hills, and they trembled and shook.  I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of the sky had flown away.  I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The cities lay in ruins, crushed by the Lord's fierce anger. 

This is what the Lord says: "The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.  The earth will mourn, the heavens will be draped in black, because of my decree against my people. I have made up my mind and will not change it." 

At the noise of marching armies, the people flee in terror from the cities. They hide in the bushes and run for the mountains. All the cities have been abandoned – not a person remains! (Verses 23-29)

So it must have felt as the United States was torn with Civil War.  It’s ironic – the name.  When is a war ever civil?

We can look at the conflict around the world and weep.  The heavens are hung in black.

We can look at the division and strife that is rampant in the US.  The heavens are hung in black.

Where is our hope?!?  Where can we find honesty, truth and justice?  Don’t look for them among people.  Jeremiah couldn’t find one person who fit the bill.  Read from the beginning of Jeremiah chapter five:

"Run up and down every street in Jerusalem," says the Lord. "Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one person who is just and honest, I will not destroy the city.  Even when they are under oath, saying, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' they all tell lies!" 

Lord, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to turn from sin. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent. (Verses 1-3)

They all tell lies.  You do.  So do I.  It’s pathetic.  Let’s begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness.  We will be blessed by the Lord if we do.  And we will receive our fill.  Read from the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five:

God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,

for they will receive it in full. (Verse 6)

Plant a new hunger in us, O Lord.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out