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Scripture: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26, 1 Timothy 2:1-15, Psalm 87:1-7, Proverbs 25:18-19

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Observation: In the book Radical, David Platt writes:

Application: God came down the mountain. Do you realize how liberating this truth is? There is nothing I have to do. Nothing I can do. He’s already done it all. Some might say that the truth of the uniqueness of Christ makes Christianity an exclusive religion. On the contrary, the uniqueness of Christ makes salvation equally accessible to everyone. It isn’t hard. Nobody can say, “I can’t get to God.” He’s come to us. His blood paid my price. Its done. So why am I not sharing this wonderful news with everybody I know?

Prayer: Thank You. God, thank You for the cross. Thank You for making a way, and then walking it. In a thousand lifetimes I could never say it enough. Thank You.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 28:1-29:32, 1 Timothy 1:1-20 Psalm 86:1-17, Proverbs 25:17

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. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Observation: Imagine yourself a lonely traveler on the road heading from Jericho to Jerusalem. It’s a war torn land. All the wells have been stopped a few years back to keep the invader from having easy access to water. Combine that with the foraging done by the Babylonians when they did arrive and there is nothing. The land is desolate.

And off in the distance heading towards you is a dust cloud. Thinking it is the army and not wanting to be pressed into labor you quickly get off the road. From the vantage point of a nearby hill you see that it is the army… well, kind of. There are some soldiers but far outnumbering of them are captured Hebrews. This is the beginning of the forced resettlement of an entire nation. Marching in a bedraggled line are thousands of thousands of beaten, downtrodden men and women and children. They are little more than slaves in chains.

Then a few miles off in the distance, you see someone shouting something from horseback. You cannot hear what he is saying but you strain to hear anyways. Apparently he is shouting out something he is reading from a scroll. After a bit he finishes up and starts galloping in your direction. It is the oldest son of Shaphan, a former advisor of the last great king, Josiah. What is his name again?

Never mind, it looks like he is stopping a few hundred yards beyond you at the next hill on the far side of the road. Listen…

“A letter! From the prophet Jeremiah! Hear the words of the Lord! For seventy years I am sending you as captives to Babylon! Do not fight against this yoke! Rather than grow bitter, find jobs! Build houses! Marry and have children! Do not seek the harm but rather the well being of Babylon and it’s people!”

As he reads out the letter something inside of you boils with rage. These Babylonians are an evil people. They sacrifice their children in the fire. Their city is a cesspit of filth and all kinds of unspeakable evil. You have seen the product of what the army does when moving through a village. You can see around you the result of this war on the land. You can see before you the atrocities they do to the people themselves. The Babylonians do not just conquer land. They destroy cultures. They take the best and the brightest for themselves and then move almost everyone else to various distant lands to ensure that there will never be a threat from that people group ever again.

But the speaker is not done. He says something that breaks you from your reverie. It grips you deep in your soul and a tear comes unbidden to your eye. After a pause, with deep emotion in a faltering voice he says it again…

” ‘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. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.’ “

Application: This is one of those verses that everybody knows and many people have as their favorite. I’m glad. It is a comfort. It is a great verse. But I’ve seen people use it almost as a charm against anything bad happening, or for whatever bad that is happening to end quickly. “I know God won’t let me go into captivity, after all hasn’t He said, ‘I know the plans…’ ” Or, “I’m in captivity now but God won’t let me stay here long, after all hasn’t He said, ‘I know the plans…’ “

70 years. Captives. That’s the context in which we found this most beautiful of truths. God is far more interested in our position than in our circumstances, and the position He wants for us is to be right next to, and completely dependant on Him. That is our future. That is our hope.

Prayer: God do whatever You want to do with me. If that means allowing me to go into captivity, bring on the chains. Whether in good times or hard, whether in worldly success or failure, the most important thing is that I am pursuing after You. Help me to want that more. Strip away any other desires that might be pulling away from that goal. Be my only hope. You are my only future.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 25:16

As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 2Thessalonians 3:13

Observation: What is perseverance? Some say its a habit. Its the habit of getting up in the morning when you’d rather hit the snooze button. Its the habit of doing that extra pushup, taking that extra step, and running one more check. Its the habit of going a little further, of not stopping until you know that you are done… and then doing a little more just in case.

Some say it is a personality trait. Whether through nature or nurture, perseverance is a temperament that some people have. They are the type of people that just cannot quit. They don’t know the meaning of the word. Maybe its perfectionism that wants to make sure everything is just right, maybe its competitiveness that pushes them to do more than the next guy. Whatever it is, its part of their personal DNA to just keep going.

Some say perseverance is a choice. Every step I take I can chose to make my last one. Or I can go one more. I can punch out when the clock says I’m done, or I can punch out when the task says I’m done. I can turn around and start going back at any time… or I can push forward until I’ve reached the top of the hill. Then, maybe, there will be another hill I can push towards after that. Its my choice.

Some say perseverance is focus. My sights are so narrowly set on my goal that stopping is not an option. Distractions are for lesser people, I don’t have time for them because my mind is set on the task before me. Perseverance is a matter of a disciplined mind and by pushing through, I prove that mine is worthy.

Application: Maybe those people are right. Maybe not. But I say that, at least in the context Paul uses here, perseverance is a matter of love. I think it is possible to be tired of doing good but still, for a time, to continue to do it. I’m pushing through the action but my heart is not in it. That’s not biblical perseverance. Perseverance means that I will continue on because I have the longing, the desire, the love to do so. I will forgive one more time because I long to see the person who wronged me reconciled to God. I will serve one more time because I desire to bless them just as God has blessed me. I will pray for a few more minutes because nothing… nothing, is as great as spending time with the one I love. Perseverance comes because I love the thing, or the goal, or the person, or the God I’m striving for far more than I love myself.

Prayer: God, I love You. Help me to love You more. Help me not to do the good things I do so that I might be seen, or even because its the right thing to do. Help me to persevere in doing good because I love You. Help me to follow Your example as the One who walked up the hill, carried the burden, and then stayed… until it was finished.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20, 2Thessalonians 1:1-12, Psalm 83:1-18, Proverbs 25:11-14

Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss. Instead, weep for the captive king being led away. (Jeremiah 22:10)

Observation: The King is dead. Long live the King. These words have been a traditional part of the ascension ceremony in England, France, and Denmark for hundreds of years. They are used over and over in literature and even Shakespeare in Hamlet alludes to it. The phrase is at once a mourning over the death of the former king and a rejoicing over the ascension of the new king. It is weeping for what has gone and rejoicing over what is coming. But God tells Jeremiah to do the opposite.

Josiah was the last godly king of Judah. In a few short years, three of his sons and one grandson will all hold the throne. Three are carried off into exile and one will die prematurely. The country will be dominated by Egypt, then Babylon and ultimately will fall, never to be a significant political player again. Most importantly, both the kings and the people left all semblance of godliness behind them. God is telling Jeremiah at the crux of this change, don’t mourn (in sorrow) over what has happened and cannot be undone, mourn (in intercession) for a king literally (and spiritually) being led away.

Application: I don’t know how to say what I want to say without sounding political. It is not my intention to get political but as I sit here staring at the screen in front of me I’ve written and rewritten this portion in my head and it just does not seem to want to come out right. I look out and it feels like I’m looking at Josiah’s four successors. No matter which one sits on the throne, its not the right one. No matter which one wears the crown, things do not look good. No matter which man takes office come November, we are a people being led away. One group votes their wallet, another group votes their pet issues. No matter which group wins, the fact is we will have a man in office who is a slave to these constituents and who is being led away (and leading us away) from true godliness and good governance. I don’t know how else to say it… so there it is.

Prayer: Take a moment and weep and pray for our nation and its leaders. Pray that no matter who takes office they would find the true freedom that only comes through Christ and that they would lead us in godliness rather than be led away by the latest polls or by their political base.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14, 1Thessalonians 5:4-28, Psalm 82:1-8, Proverbs 25:9-10

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Observation: One of the most life changing books I’ve ever read is a book that took me maybe an hour, cover to cover. Now, I’ve read lots of books. Some of them are really good. Some of them are really popular but terrible books (Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter, etc). Outside the Bible, though, I think the greatest book I’ve ever read was actually the collected sayings of an illiterate monk who died more than 300 years ago. If you have $5 or so, I recommend you go over to CBD and get yourself a copy of The Practise of the Presence of God

The book is about Brother Lawrence, born Nicolas Herman, a laymen in a Carmelite monastery. For 53 years of his life he never left the monastery as he worked as a cook and, later, as a shoe repairmen. What made him famous was that he did his best to make his life such that every action, every thought, every task was an act of prayer. This man, a cook for ascetics and a shoe repairmen for an order of barefoot monks who couldn’t read and write and never got a promotion in over 50 years of faithful service was visited by Archbishops, Dukes and Barons. His thoughts and testimony has been printed in dozens of languages in millions of copies and influenced the lives of men like Wesley and Tozer.

Application: I used to equate my godliness with how much time I spent in prayer. I’d read about men like Praying Hyde and comments Luther made on prayer and made it my goal to spend 3 hours every morning in prayer. Those days I did it, I was only doing my duty, those days I didn’t… I was living in guilt. This book was huge in changing my mindset. It wasn’t just about how much time I spent on my knees. It was also about how I spent my time once I got off them. Brother Lawrence said there was no difference for him between his time in the kitchen and his time in the chapel. Every moment, every act, he would strive to live in the presence of the Father. That is what a life of prayer is about. That is what Paul means when he says, “Always be joyful, never stop praying, and be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants for you.”

Prayer: Dear God, help me to live in Your presence. Help my every thought to be one pleasing to You. Help every action be one of praise to You. Help me to be aware that my every moment can be one in communication with You. As I go from this place, go with me.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 16:16-18:23, 1Thessalonians 4:1-5:3, Psalm 81:1-16, Proverbs 25:6-8

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 he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. (Jeremiah 18:3-4)

Observation: Army Ranger training is really nothing more than voluntary torture. It’s said that going through Ranger Training is an equivalent of taking about 5 years off your life. The high levels of stress, starvation diet, sleep deprivation, and grueling physical tasks slowly wear away on a person to the point that when they graduate, if they make it through, they are a ghost of their former self and in the worst shape of their life.  In addition to the weight loss, dehydration, and sleep deprivation, trainees often suffer from trench foot, tissue tears, nerve damage, fractures, frostbite, heatstroke, and numerous other ailments. Nobody in their right mind would voluntarily go through this. Yet thousands, every year, try.

The reason for that is because this voluntary torture serves a purpose. Rangers are the best of the best. (I don’t care what you SEALS say, they are.) They are being prepared to “go further and faster and fight harder” than any other soldier in the world. In order to make the perfect soldier, the Army knows that it must first unmake whatever has been there before. That is why training seems so impossible to an outsider. They mean to break you down. (Besides, if a Ranger happens to get captured, what can an enemy possibly do to him that is worse than what he has already done to himself?)

Application: I will never, ever subject myself to anything nearly as grueling as Ranger training. Maybe a Tough Mudder, but that’s not close. However, how many times have I asked God to make me into what He wants me to be? Like the potter Jeremiah saw and like Ranger Training, sometimes that means He needs to unmake something in me first. If I seem to keep going through the same type of trial, over and over, is it because there is something He wants to teach me that I am not learning? I don’t believe every hardship comes from God, but I definitely know that every hardship can be used by Him. Am I willing to learn?

Prayer: Dear God, if needs be, break me down. I want to be a reflection of You but all too often too much of me is shining through. Whatever it takes, dig it out. When I am going through hard times, help me to understand what it is You want me to learn from it. Help me to be more compassionate with others who might be going through trials of their own. In all things, both good and bad, help me to become more like You.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13, Psalm 80:1-19, Proverbs 25:1-5

Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.

Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. (Psalm 80:19)

Observation: When things are going good, we don’t need a Savior. No… that’s not right. When things are going good, we don’t think we need a Savior. I think of the beginning of Rocky IV. There’s an exhibition match planned between Appollo Creed and this new Russian boxer, Ivan Drago. Appollo doesn’t take the match very seriously and comes in to a lot of patriotic pomp and circumstance. The bell rings and Drago beats him to death… literally.

Most of the remainder of the movie is all about Rocky going into training and ultimately fighting the bout of his life to regain American pride but also self respect. He was, after all, the one who trained Appollo and he was also the one who had an opportunity to end the match, but didn’t. Ultimately, like Appollo, he did not take his enemy seriously.

Application: Neither do we. Neither did the people of Judah. The scripture from Jeremiah is basically God telling Jeremiah that He has given His people plenty of opportunity to repent. They have not taken the warning seriously, and now their fate is sealed. The Thessalonian church, on the other hand, stood firm against an enemy that has been persecuting and killing them. In the Psalms a judged people have recognized their sin. They are turning back to God and asking Him to turn back to them.

Ultimately we tend to fall into two traps: 1) We don’t take our enemy seriously and end up being humbled. 2) We are humbled by our enemy and so we try to train harder, work more, read more, pray more (etc) so that we might be stronger and stand up against the next attack. That might work for Rocky Balboa but it will never work for us. The Psalmist has the right idea. Turn us again to You… only then may we be saved.

Prayer: Dear God I repent. I repent of my sin. I repent of the times that I have fallen. But I also repent of those times when I thought I could stand on my own. I repent of those times I have neglected You when everything has been going well. Help me to realize that any blessings I might have come from You and only when I stay with You can they continue. Help me to realize that on my own, I can never stand against the enemy. Never. Help me to shelter in You, my fortress. Turn me again to You. Only then can I be saved.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8, Psalm 79:1-13, Proverbs 24:30-3

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 1Thessalonians 2:4

Observation: I did a quick google search for a job description for the perfect pastor. I’ve seen some of the others before but this one seems to be the most common.

The Perfect Pastor:

1. Preaches exactly 10 minutes.
2. Works from 8AM to midnight.
3. Earns $40 a week, gives $30 a week to the church, drives a good car, wears good clothes, and buys good books.
4. He is 29 years old with 40 years of ministry experience.
5. He is handsome.
6. Has a burning desire to work with teenagers, loves kids, and spends most of his time with senior citizens.
7. Has a thoughtful demeanor, a great smile, and a sense of humor.
8. He makes 15 visitations a day and is always in the office in case someone drops by.
9. He makes it to every group, organization, and committee meeting
10. He prays 3 hours a day and studies 5 hours a day, but is never put off when interrupted.

Application: Obviously the list is ridiculous. Is it? Sit down and think about the 5 main things you expect from your pastor. Then pretend you are someone 20 years older, what would your expectations then? What would your expectations be if you were half your age? The opposite sex? Twice as rich or twice as poor? Our expectations are based on our needs. Those needs change as life changes. Now imagine what it would be like trying to meet all the changing expectations of dozens, or hundreds of people. Next time your pastor lets you down, thank God that your pastor has chosen to answer to Him and not to you.

Prayer: Dear God, I apologize for the times I have placed undue pressure on the men of God who have been called by You to shepherd me. I apologize for the times I have tried pleasing other people and living up to their expectations even when that has taken me away from what You have called me to do. Help me always to remember that You are the one I live for, the one I work for. Help me also to remember that You are the one others should be living for as well. Help me to not distract their gaze from You.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23, Colossians 3:18-4:18, Psalm 78:56-72, Proverbs 24:28-29

I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. Jeremiah 10:23-24

Observation: 1) He was an actor who decided he was never going to make it in the field so he gave up and became a carpenter. 2) She was an international woman of mystery, working for the CIA in countries like Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and China. She burned out at 36 and went back to school… cooking school. 3) He worked at a deli, and since that wasn’t the most lucrative of jobs, he also moonlighted as a movie theatre usher. 4) He was an outlaw on the run. In a tight spot he pretended to be insane, drool and all. It worked and he got away. 5) She was a stockbroker who decided she was more suited to the domestic life. At age 32, with her husband, she bought a beat up old farmhouse in Connecticut. 6) He was a high school principle. At 34 he walked away from that to help lead a rag tag group of insurgents. 7) He was being groomed for politics… until he committed murder. At age 40 he ran off to the desert to be a shepherd. 8) He wasn’t accepted at West Point and dropped out of college after a semester. Tried and failed as a farmer, saw mill operator, mail room clerk and running a clothing store.

1) He was working on a stage set when they needed someone to step in and read some lines. Harrison Ford volunteered to help and was given the role of Han Solo. 2) At 39 she began teaching what she had learned in school and Julia Child’s cooking career was born. 3) Watching people watch movies for him wasn’t enough. He decided to make movies for them to watch. In 3 days, Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for Rocky. 4) King David continued running, for about 25 years total… until Saul died. Then he himself became the greatest of Israel’s kings. 5) That burnt out stockbroker turned that beat up old farmhouse into an interior designing masterpiece. She decided she was pretty good at that and Martha Stewart decided to help other people with their interior designing as well. 6) That former high school principle led those insurgents on the now famous long march. Sometime during that march they named themselves the Red Army and later fought their way to power under a former principle named Mao Tsedung. 7) At 40 Moses ran from Pharaoh’s court into the desert. At 80 he returned to help lead millions of Israelites out of slavery. 8) For 38 years he flitted from one career to the next before finally running for and becoming a judge. Ten years later he became Senator, then Vice President, then President Harry S Truman.

Application: All these people were into their thirties or well beyond before even beginning to do those things they are now so famous for. How often do we feel like a failure because we haven’t yes found the niche God has been creating for us? Have we felt that we are too old, or too set into our ways to stop and start something new? Is the change you are thinking of too drastic to try? (Too drastic like an international spy becoming a cookbook creator?) Do the dreams you have seem too impossible for you to accomplish? (Like a deli counter employee becoming the lead actor in not one but two of the greatest “guy movie” franchises in history?) Remember, your life is not your own. You aren’t able to plan your own course. Let God correct, or redirect, your path. You might be surprised at what He has in store.

Prayer: Take some time to just listen. Ask God to direct Your thoughts and then dream of what He might be calling You to do. Grab a pen and write it out. Don’t worry about how impossible or unrealistic it might seem. God is a lot bigger than your doubts.

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Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16-8:7, Colossians 2:8-23, Psalm 78:1-31, Proverbs 24:26

This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ Jeremiah 6:16

Observation: I just did a google search putting the words “new and improved” in quotes. In 0.41 seconds with a bad internet connection I had 91 million hits. I think that’s pretty amazing when you think that the statement is a logical contradiction. Is it new then how can it be improved? If it is improved then it can’t be new, its an improvement on something old(er).

I don’t have an IPhone 5. I don’t have an IPhone 4 (or 3, or 2…) From what I’ve heard 5 is pretty much the same thing as 4 but a little bigger, a little lighter, and more glitches. Sad thing is, more than half the US is still using a 3g network not a 4g. Infrastructure hasn’t even caught up with the last update yet but we’re all (at least 5 million of us on opening weekend) waiting with baited breath for the newest and the best. Even if its not.

Application: I am so glad that great men of the faith of yesterday like C S Lewis, Chesterton, Kierkegaard, Anselm, Aquinas, Augustine, and Origen have just as much to say today as they did when they first wrote. I am even more grateful that great apostles like Peter, and James, and John, and Paul have the same authority to speak into my life as when they wrote the bulk of our New Testament. I am grateful even more that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

We live in a now society that is obsessed with new. What was good enough yesterday isn’t good enough for today and tomorrow needs to have something better or we will be severely disappointed. As the pressure of this commercial society tries to force you into its way of thinking why not take a moment to slow down. Why not stop and reflect on this beautiful road the Lord has brought his bride, the Church? Lets stop and remember that timeless are the greatest things in life: family, friends, community, and the beautiful privilege of spending time with God. Why not make a renewed commitment to pursue after these things far more than those gimmicks that the world calls “new and improved”.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to slow down. Help me to put the rush and bustle and newness of the world around me on pause or at least on slow motion so I can truly be grateful for what you are giving me. Help me to understand the difference between my needs and my wants. Help me to surround myself with those who are further along this old journey of following You. Most of all, help me to pursue You first and foremost… and forever.

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