A North Carolina Blue Ridge Pig-Pickin This Past Week - The men began the cooking process at 6:00 am and at 5:00 pm
the community was invited to share in a time of food and fellowship at South
Estatoe Baptist Church – near Mt. Celo
Church and the Blue Ridge Parkway ( 1st photo; 2nd photo - at the gathering)
My Meditation on Today’s Readings
(Ellipses are mine
and are used for contemplation.)
Key Words: Words Referring to God's Providential Timing: (Now it came to pass, And it happened, Forever, Until that Day, When as yet); God and His Word (Pray for us, we will obey Him, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, Thus says the Lord, The LORD has said, Your word, Your faithfulness, Your ordinances, Your law, Your precepts, Your testimonies, the gospel, Jesus Christ, the pattern of sound words)
The Profane - Guise of Pretense Lived in the Power of Self – Jeremiah 41 and 42 (Facts:
What It Says – Summarized) Murderous
Pretense: Gedaliah has been appointed governor by the Chaldeans over the
remnant of poor Judeans left in the land.
He has been warned by Johanan that Ishamel plans to kill the
governor. Gedaliah brushes off the
warning; Ishamael and 10 cohorts come and “eat
bread together” with Gedaliah; they murder him and all the Jews that were
in the land as well as the Chaldeans that were found there. Devout men from Schechem, Shiloh and Samaria
come to worship with offerings and incense to the house of the LORD– with their
beards shaved, their clothes torn, having cut themselves (supposedly over the
sacking of Judah by the Babylonians.) Ishmael comes out weeping to meet them,
to invite them to come to Gedaliah, the appointed governor. But…Ishmael kills all these men, except for
ten who promise him wheat, barley, oil and honey. Ishmael throws all the murdered men in a pit,
“carries away captive all the rest of the people in Mizpah whom the captain of
the Chaldean guard had committed to Gedaliah."
But Johanan hears of the evil and gathers a force to fight Ishmael at
Gibeon. Ishmael and 8 men escape, but the
captives join Johanan near Bethlehem and plan to go to Egypt because of fear of
the Chaldeans. Spiritual
Pretense: These men go to Jeremiah, the prophet, and ask him, “Please, let our petition be acceptable you,
and pray for us to the LORD…your God…for all this remnant, since we are left but
a few of many, as you can see…that…the LORD…your God…may show us the way in
which we should walk…and the thing we should do.” After ten days, the LORD promises to protect
these people, but only if…they remain in the land and do not go to Egypt. If they go to Egypt, the very sword, famine
and pestilence they fear will devour them.
Jeremiah repeats the warning and says, “The LORD has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to
Egypt!’ Know certainly…that I have
admonished you this day…For…you were…hypocrites…in your hearts when you sent me
to the LORD…your God…saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord. I have this day declared it to you…but…you
have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent
you by me. Now, therefore, know certainly
that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place
where… you desire…to go to dwell. Principle: Asking God to bless what we intend to do,
when we explicitly know it is not His will, will only end in dire consequences,
which are usually delineated for us in the Word of God.
Spiritual
Authenticity – Psalm 119:89-96 – (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) The permanency of God’s Word: David, “the sweet
psalmist of Israel, a man after God’s own heart” says, “FOREVER…O Lord…YOUR
Word…is settled…in heaven. YOUR
faithfulness…endures…to all generations.
YOU established the earth…and it abides. They continue this day…according to YOUR
ordinances. For all…are YOUR servants. The necessity of God’s Word: Unless…YOUR law…had
been my delight…I would then have perished…in my affliction…For I have sought
YOUR precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me…but I…will consider YOUR
testimonies. The efficacy of God’s Word: For
by them, YOU have given me life…I am YOURS….save me. I have seen the consummation of all
perfection…but YOUR commandment is exceedingly broad. Principle: God’s Word is eternal and will be accomplished;
His Word is essential, effective, and enduring for all – regardless of whether one chooses to believe it or not - but is loved and cherished by those who love Him – who are people after His own
heart.
The Sacred - Genuine
Faith Lived in the Power of His Word – 2 Timothy 1 – (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) Paul
remembers the.. genuine…faith that was in Timothy’s mother and
grandmother and that the apostle sees evidenced in young Timothy’s life as
well. His reminders as he passes the
torch to Timothy: 1) Stir up the gift of God which is in you…FOR…God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of…power…and of
love…and of a sound mind. 2)
THEREFORE, do not be ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner…but…share with me in the sufferings for the gospel…according to the
power of God…who has called us with a holy calling…not according to our
works…but…according to His own purpose…and grace…which was given to us…in
Christ Jesus…before time began…but has now been revealed by the appearing of
our Savior Jesus Christ…who has abolished death…and brought life and
immortality…to light…through the gospel.
For this reason…I also suffer these things…nevertheless…I am not
ashamed…FOR…I
know…whom I have believed…and am persuaded…that He is able…to keep what I have
committed to Him until that Day. 3) Hold fast the pattern of sound words…which you have heard from
me…in faith and love…which are in Christ Jesus. 4) That good thing…which was
committed to you…keep…by the Holy Spirit…who
dwells in us. Principle: Discipleship is not easy. We have work to do – enabled by His Word, His
power, His Holy Spirit - all securely committed to Him until His Second Coming.
My Lessons and
Applications: It is impossible to
feign faith to God or in light of His word – whether through His prophet, or
through His spoken or written Word. At
some point, even among His people, the truth will out; it will be evidenced in
our walk, in our pattern of life. For
the word of God is living and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division
of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) The genuine and the profane are revealed in light of God’s Word. If that is not enough to get us deep into
study and knowledge of His Word – to be able to navigate this world of
deception and lies – I am not sure what is!
Beware, I pray thee, of presuming that thou art saved. If thy
heart be renewed, if thou shalt hate the things that thou didst once love, and
love the things that thou didst once hate; if thou hast really repented; if
there be a thorough change of mind in thee; if thou be born again, then hast
thou reason to rejoice: but if there be no vital change, no inward godliness;
if there be no love to God, no prayer, no work of the Holy Spirit, then thy
saying “I am saved” is but thine own assertion, and it may delude, but it will
not deliver thee.
—Charles Spurgeon
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