Counterfeit Lordship

I issue a challenge to anyone who will listen this morning...read the One Year Bible passages listed below in light of the current state of culture. The verses in Jeremiah, Psalm & Proverbs speak of a time when the people are so full of themselves that God cannot help but turn away.

Warning after warning after warning was issued to God’s chosen people, His special possession, & yet even though His name was on their lips, He was not allowed full residency in  their hearts.

God speaks through Jeremiah, begging his people to pay attention & because they refuse to listen, the Lord proclaims:

“You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves. You have forgotten me, putting your trust in fake gods. Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people. Now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins.”

Foreign enemies conquered their land to the point of complete desolation. Y’all, whether we realize or not, there is a time of desolation coming unless we the people of God do our part to repent & pray.

Paul writes in his letter to the Thessalonians rejoicing how they turned away from worthless idols to serve the living & true God. Like Paul, if we claim the name of Christ, then He need be allowed full residency in our hearts. 

Is He? Are there any deep recesses that we refuse His Lordship? Body, career, music, food, finances, relationships, emotions, time, words, actions...

Are we willing to be like Paul & abandon all selfish ambition to speak as bold messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News?

Our nation & world are in a state of shambles. The people, we the people of God, are in desperate need to examine our own hearts & root out any counterfeit lordship in ourselves & in our families. THEN, we are positioned to repent & pray on behalf of our nation & world.

God is waiting for the remnant to rise?

Will you?

#OneYearBible

October 9th One Year Bible Readings

💡JEREMIAH 12:1-14:10

💡1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-2:8

💡PSALM 79:1-13

💡PROVERBS 24:30-34

Be Wary of the Worthless Things

Sometimes it takes seasons of seeming lack to understand the much we have. I was a bit melancholy yesterday & lamented to my husband how I longed for this season of hard in our family to be over. I said, “If only x, y & z would happen, then I wouldn’t feel so weary.”

When times are plenty, it can become easy to slide down the slippery slope of worshipping anything or anyone but our Creator. I’ve discovered however, that it’s just as easy to fall into those faulty feelings when things are hard.

This morning, I read how the Israelites became fat cats in their land of plenty & began to follow the idol practices of surrounding nations.

Jeremiah describes their little g gods as, 

“Helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak & they need to be carried because they cannot walk...”

The visual made me laugh out loud, but the laughter was quickly followed by a question:

What sort of counterfeit security do I long for or even carry with me like a snuggly security blanket? 😳

Jeremiah continues to describe the worthless idols that have no breath or power with exclamation, “They are ridiculous lies!”

I have never questioned what is true so much in my life as I do right now. It is hard to believe anything you read or see in the news. I’m pretty sure that the longing for security is shared among many.

I proclaim Jeremiah's words this morning as an antidote to any faulty security we try to grasp:

“But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists...” (even the false idols we cling to!)

Anything or anyone that vies for our time, attention & treasure more than our Creator God is a worthless idol. Any security it seems to offer is an all-out lie. I don’t want to cling to “helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field” & I certainly don’t need any excess baggage of idols to carry with me, how about you?

Father, guard us from worshiping anything or anyone but You. Remove the worthless scarecrows for You alone are our Source of security in Whom we trust. Whether we are in times of plenty or seeming lack, remind us that our sufficiency comes from You, our Creator of everything that exists, (even the idols we’re tempted to worship!)

#OneYearBible

October 8th One Year Bible Readings

💡JEREMIAH 10:1-11:23

💡COLOSSIANS 3:18-4:18

💡PSALM 78:56-72

💡PROVERBS 24:28-29

Walking in Warranty

I’ve never made  the connection between the words “warrant” & “warranty” until this morning

👉🏽A warrant authorizes and secures with authority

👉🏽A warranty guarantees the thing given or granted

The root means to stop, hold or resist danger.

I find it fascinating that Jesus’s life & resurrection served as a warrant to arrest death in all of its ugliness. Because He lived a sinless life, the accuser had nothing of which to accuse Him, so Jesus conquered the eternal effect of death not only for Him but for anyone who believes in Him!

And what’s even awesomer is that once we accept Jesus as our Savior & allow Him to become Lord, He becomes our warranty of what’s to come! 👉🏽Eternal perfection in His Presence! 

There are some days, like today, when I awaken in the foggy mist of emotions & forget that I’ve been raised to new life in Christ.

When we set our sights on the realities of heaven, however, & remember that our old life has been arrested, dead & buried, we can traverse this new life completely unhindered as a representative of Whom we serve in word AND deed! 

It’s not about works, but the good word & deed become a result of remembering Whom we serve & in Whose Name we pray!

We do not end our prayers, “in Jesus’ Name” because it’s some spiritual formula, but rather because it’s a declaration of His authority & a reminder that our life is hidden in His warranty!

Regardless of the hills & valleys we face, our gaze rises above it all when we remember the guarantee our Savior provides! His authority is the warrant & His glory is the aim!

Father, You remind us in Colossians 3:17 to walk in the warranty of our salvation, remembering Who warrants it! Holy Spirit, hold us close & help us to resist the danger of following ourselves. May our lives warrant glory unto Jesus alone! Whether it’s the way we drive or think or talk or walk, may we ever do so as a representative of You & as a reminder of our citizenship in heaven!

#oneyearbible

October 7th One Year Bible Readings

💡JEREMIAH 8:8-9:26

💡COLOSSIANS 3:1-17

💡PSALM 78:32-55

💡PROVERBS 24:27