Archive for the ‘prophecy’ Category

Jeremiah (part 3: Complaint Department)

Posted: October 20, 2010 in Bible, Christianity, culture, faith, prophecy
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Yes, I know you have it bad.

Yes, you should’ve gotten that promotion, or raise, or pat on the back, or new car, or whatever.

Yes, people are mean.

No, it’s not fair.

No, God isn’t picking on you.

Yes, you can complain about it (if you must).

No, God won’t be mad.

The book of Lamentations is Jeremiah’s complaint to the Lord as he mourned the fall of Judah. It gives us insight into the soul of the prophet and an unfiltered glimpse at his personal anguish.

Before you lament your own circumstances & join Jeremiah’s pity party, you should know that:

  • Jeremiah was accused of being a false prophet and a pro-Babylonian traitor (37:13).
  • He was ridiculed and ignored (26:7-9), his prophecies were cut-up & burned (36:20-24).
  • He was betrayed by his own family (12:6), intensely persecuted (15:15-18), plotted against (11:18-23; 18:18), beaten and imprisoned (20:2), and he faced hostility from the masses (26:10-11).
  • He was thrown into a dungeon (37:16) and a cistern (38:1-13), and was locked up in the guardhouse (37:21).
  • He witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem under the heavy hand of a cruel foreign regime (2 Kings 24:10-14; 39:1-10; 52:1-11), saw the destruction of the Temple (52:12-27) and tells about the bloodshed in the streets (39:6-7).
  • As if that wasn’t enough, he was taken hostage by rebels and forced to live in Egypt (43:1-7).

 

Although Jeremiah never understood why he had to personally suffer while faithfully serving the Lord, he demonstrated fortitude of character and commitment–without compromising his faith–regardless of popular opinion, long-term persecution, and the apparent futility of his efforts.

Through it all, he clung to hope in the faithfulness of God:

Lamentations 3 (NLT)
19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”

Now what was that you were complaining about?

Jeremiah (part 2: Object Lessons)

Posted: October 19, 2010 in Bible, Christianity, prophecy
Tags: , , , , , ,
Those of you who are visual learners (like me) will appreciate Jeremiah’s frequent use of object lessons to communicate the prophetic message to the people. As you read the book, look for these great illustrations:

Jeremiah (part 1: Chaos)

Posted: October 18, 2010 in Bible, Christianity, faith, prophecy
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you’ve ever felt the tension between your current reality and the promises of God’s word, then you’ll relate to Jeremiah. His prophecies reveal God’s wonderful plan for His people and create a yearning for the fullness of redemption.

Jeremiah’s ministry spanned more than 40 years during some of the most chaotic times in the history of God’s people. Jeremiah personally witness the decline of Assyria & Egypt as Babylon rose as the regional superpower. He lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. He felt the pain of Exile as the Jews were taken into captivity. Jeremiah himself was not taken to Babylon; instead he was taken hostage by Judean rebels and forced to settle in Egypt.

The book of Jeremiah reflects the chaotic times of the prophet’s ministry and seems to be a collection of anthologies — sometimes committed to writing decades after Jeremiah originally spoke the words. Chapters 1-25, for example, are a second edition of Jeremiah’s original prophecies (the first edition was written on a scroll that Judah’s king had cut up and burned). God’s judgment was even more severe in the second edition than it was in the first!

Jeremiah struggled with his calling, sometimes felt betrayed by God, and suffered greatly even though he was faithful to the Lord. I think Jeremiah would be deeply offended by modern “prosperity” teachers who claim that faithfulness to God results in earthly blessings like power, money and easy living.

Jeremiah’s hope was firmly fixed on the future–and eternal–era of God’s kingdom. The certainty of God’s eternal blessings gave the prophet courage and perseverance in the midst of chaotic times and intense suffering.

It can do the same for you…

Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NLT)
10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

Unlocking the Secrets of Bible Prophecy

Posted: October 7, 2010 in Bible, Christianity, prophecy
Tags: , , , , , ,

Unlocking the Secrets of Bible Prophecy started last night! If you missed the series opener, you can listen to the audio below (or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or right-click the message title to download the mp3 file to your computer). Here’s the Study Guide. I hope to see you on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM! ~Kraig

Session 1: What’s the Big Deal? – Bible prophecies are thousands of years old. Why study them now? What impact will it have on my life?

Session 2: Laying a Foundation – This series overview highlights some of the foundational principles required to accurately interpret biblical prophecy.

Older Entries