The Prophetic Word - Day 154 thru 159

The Prophetic Word

Day 154: Do not be dismayed.

In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:

“A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?””

Luke 23:27-31 NLT

Jeremiah 1 (All)

Jeremiah 2 (All)

Jeremiah 45 (All)

““But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there.”

Isaiah 65:8 NLT

The world seems to be on fire. All around us we see death and destruction; and at the same time, many people—even those numbered within the Church—are living lives far from God.

How are we to navigate these perilous times without becoming overwhelmed? How can we obey God’s instruction that we must not be dismayed?

Over the next five days we will discuss how—even in the midst of days of trouble—we do not need to be dismayed!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 155: Don’t allow fear to have its way with you by failing to trust God.

“They came to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging, violent waves, and they ceased, and it became calm [a perfect peacefulness]. And He said to them, “Where is your faith [your confidence in Me]?” They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?””

Luke 8:24-25 AMP

The prophet Jeremiah was called when he was very young.

In fact, Jeremiah initially argued with the Lord that his age would be an obstacle to doing what the Lord wanted him to do.

“But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.””

Jeremiah 1:7-10 NKJV

You see, the Lord was calling Jeremiah to prophesy to the people of God concerning the judgment they would face because they had forsaken the Lord and turned to other gods.

“I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.”

Jeremiah 1:16 NKJV

The Lord warned Jeremiah that he must not allow himself to become dismayed because of the hostility he would face coming from the people.

““Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.””

Jeremiah 1:17-19 NKJV

It’s interesting to note that the Lord warned Jeremiah that if he allowed himself to become dismayed because of the peoples’ hostility toward him, God would allow him to truly be dismayed before them.

Now, what initially may sound like a “wherever you go, there you are,” statement, actually is the Lord warning Jeremiah not to bring about a self-fulfilling prophecy.

That is, if he feared the people in spite of the fact that the Lord had sent him to speak, the Lord would allow him to have reason to be afraid of them.

In our opening scripture we see Jesus scolding the disciples because they had allowed fear to overtake them in the midst of the storm. Yes, they were fearful even though their master was sleeping on the very boat they were in.

“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?””

Mark 4:37-38 NKJV

As we see, when the disciples came to wake Jesus, they questioned whether He cared about them or not!

Yes, we are living in a world on fire. Death and destruction surround us. As a result, we may find ourselves being alarmed and distressed. Sadly, fear may have us gripped, seeing no way out.

However, that level of distress would never be experienced if we truly had confidence that the Lord is with us and cares about us.

Additionally, if God sends you to do something, you need not fear what others will think or do to you.

Remember, as we saw in what the Lord said to Jeremiah, if we choose to remain in fear (as opposed to trusting God), fear has free rein to do its worst to us!

Tomorrow we will look further into this.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 156: Sin is to blame for it all.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5 NKJV

There is a very old hymn entitled, “Sin Is to Blame.” Here are some of the lyrics:

“Yonder a man in the prison dwells.

Sin is to blame; sin is to blame.

Sadly his story of woe he tells;

Sin is to blame for it all.

Chorus:

Sin is to blame for all sorrow;

Sin is to blame for all woe.

Heartbreak and pain,

Hopes that are vain,

Sin is to blame for it all.”

Some people may contend that blaming everything on sin is far too simple. The same people would probably also want to talk about the dynamics in society that lead to crime and all other ills.

Now, whereas I would not disagree that we can see a cause-and-effect relationship between certain societal patterns and criminal behavior (as well as other human woes), I would not agree that societal patterns are the starting point of all woes.

You see, for the most part, secular humanism would contend that deep down inside, everybody is good. That indeed, all criminal behavior, all distress, etc. is a result of the failure of society to meet the needs of individuals.

Sadly, even some churches present, a narrative over their pulpits that has no biblical basis. This narrative would contend that listening to a 20 minute motivational message on Sundays, will help the congregants discover how wonderful they really are, leading to a victorious life.

Now, positive motivation may be part of good practice, but trying to fix the problem with humanity through positive motivation, or even as mentioned earlier, through societal reconstruction, is akin to trying to provide a viper a better environment in which it will cease to use it’s venomous bite to destroy.

Before you wonder if this evaluation is too harsh, let me remind you that this is the stance we see in the word of God.

““From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord.”

Jeremiah 6:13-15 NLT

Yes, the Lord warns against offering platitudes or false promises to try to heal the mortal wound of sin.

The misery you see around you, man’s inhumanity to man, hunger, disease, yes, all that is wrong in the world, can be blamed on sin.

The only solution for the individual is accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:14-19 NKJV

And, because all people will not believe in the work and rule of Christ, the only solution for the world, is Christ’s bodily return to rule and reign as King over the Kingdom that will never end!

In our opening scripture, we see that peace with God came through Jesus Christ.

With that, we also see that because we still live in a sinful world, we will experience persecution, yes, tribulation.

The good news is that God by way of His Holy Spirit is with us to help us navigate our way until Jesus returns to set EVERYTHING straight.

Tomorrow we will talk further about the hope we can have even here and now in the midst of judgment and destruction.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 157: Mercy digs the ditch through which judgment flows.

““But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there. I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there.”

Isaiah 65:8-9 NLT

It may seem that we took a detour yesterday as we turned our attention to discussing how sin is behind every woe of man.

However, in terms of addressing how to avoid being dismayed in the midst of trouble, we must necessarily recognize that some terrible things we see, are judgments on particular people, or nations, even on the whole world.

And, lest we become disturbed over why God is allowing terrible things to be happening, we must be aware that, if not for sin, none of these bad things would’ve ever happened.

As well, because sin persists in spite of God reaching out to man, there are times when we see major judgments; we see terrible things happening to people, yes, even on groups of people. In these cases, our position should be to stay humble and penitent before the Lord. The last thing we want to do, when, finding ourselves in the midst of God’s judgment, is to waste energy being angry for what God has allowed. Again, the enemy, the source of all ills, is sin.

“That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.”

Joel 2:12-14 NLT

Hearing of the judgment of God, indeed, seeing the judgment of God all around us, can be overwhelming and lead to dismay. But, we must remember that the Lord will help and rescue the penitent and humble soul.

“Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

Psalms 51:9-10, 17 NLT

Baruch was a scribe who served the prophet Jeremiah. And, as we know, the Lord used Jeremiah to convey strong prophecies concerning the Lord’s displeasure of His rebellious people. As such, Baruch became overwhelmed with the gravity of the words he was writing.

Therefore, the Lord, seeing Baruch’s distress, spoke to Jeremiah a special message for him.

““This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You have said, ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.’ “Baruch, this is what the Lord says: ‘I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted. Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken!’””

Jeremiah 45:2-5 NLT

Yes, the Lord encouraged Baruch by assuring him that no matter the judgment, no matter the destruction he would see around him, wherever he went, his life would be preserved as a prize.

In our opening scripture, we see the Lord, in referencing a judgment He pronounced against the people, pointing out that He has found a remnant who will not be destroyed: His true servants.

Yes, the Lord always looks for those whose hearts are faithful toward Him even in the midst of judgment, to preserve them, to use them, even when the world is crumbling all around.

Now, it would be ludicrous for me, or anyone else, to try to come up with an exact analysis of why all bad things happen, and an exact remedy for how to avoid all these bad things. But, one thing we know, one thing that is certain, God is a merciful God. Indeed, mercy became personified in Jesus Christ!

Therefore, no matter what is going on around us, if we cry out to the Lord with a humble and penitent heart, the mercy flowing from Him will dig the ditch through which destruction comes, such that the judgment does not come on us.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 158: There is comfort in covenant.

“But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you.”

Isaiah 49:14-17 NKJV

God is a God of covenant. Yes, if God has made a covenant with a person, nation, or even the whole world, He will keep it.

God made a covenant with Abraham that through his Seed all the world would be blessed.

“Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.””

Genesis 22:15-18 NKJV

As well, we know that God’s covenant with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is an everlasting covenant.

“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.””

Genesis 17:7-8 NKJV

“O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,””

Psalms 105:6-11 NKJV

As we are speaking, Israel is involved in yet another fight for its very existence. Some people falsely believe that God has forsaken Israel, that somehow He no longer honors His covenant with the nation of Israel.

Now, whereas individual Jews will face God in terms of whether they have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, the nation of Israel will always exist. Indeed, the final battle against the enemies of God will be fought from Israel.

“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is one,” And His name one. The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.”

Zechariah 14:1-4, 9, 11-12 NKJV

As well, we know that through Jesus Christ, we have become heirs of the promises of God.

Jesus died, not only to forgive us of our sins, but to extend an everlasting covenant to us, and to all who would believe on Him.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.””

Matthew 26:26-29 NKJV

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 NKJV

You may wonder what God’s covenant has to do with keeping you from being dismayed, or overwhelmed, concerning things going on in your life and the world around you.

You see, just as God has kept His everlasting covenant with Israel and has not forgotten them (even though they have experienced times of judgment), just so, all who receive Jesus as Savior, and trust in the blood of His covenant, will be sustained in this life, and rule and reign with Him in the next!

In our opening scripture we see the Lord speaking through Isaiah, that though they feel forgotten and forsaken (because of the things they were going through), they have not been forgotten, and will never be forsaken.

Friend, the enemy of our souls wants us to despair and be dismayed. He wants us to think that God has forgotten us, that God will not deliver us. But make no mistake, just as God’s covenant with Israel is sure, just so, our covenant through Jesus Christ is a guarantee that God has not forgotten and help is on the way!

Take comfort in God’s covenant written in the holy, precious, indelible ink of Christ’s Blood!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 159: Say, “Yes,” to pray, and, “No,” to dismay!

““But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.””

Luke 21:34-36 NKJV

Just hours before our Lord would be crucified, He and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

Taking Peter, James, and John aside with Him, Jesus instructed them to watch with Him.

However, after pouring Himself out before the Father, Jesus returns to find Peter, James and John fast asleep.

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””

Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV

You see, Jesus knew what the disciples were about to face; and, He also knew that they weren’t spiritually prepared to face it.

Sadly, they were tired, and failed to heed His instruction. So, when the pressure was poured on, they were scattered, just as Jesus had warned.

“Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”

Matthew 26:31 NKJV

This week we have been discussing how we can face all the things going on in this world without becoming dismayed.

As we conclude this discussion, we must consider the importance of watching with Christ through prayer.

No amount of hypervigilance will keep you from being overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, that level of fear-inspired intensity will drain your resources just about more quickly than anything else.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Pouring ourselves out before the Lord, can bring refreshment to the soul, keeping us from becoming overwhelmed.

In our opening scripture, Jesus, talking about the pressure of the Last Days before His coming, warns that we must not allow ourselves to become overcharged. Rather, we are to watch and pray.

Now, it isn’t a matter of praying to the Lord just to “give vent” to our concerns.

Rather, making our needs known through prayer, effects change, particularly when we pray in an attitude of thanksgiving.

You see, knowing that the Lord wants to answer, and to give us good things, makes thanksgiving a natural response rather than a forced form.

My friend, praying can keep you from “dismaying.” It’s a gift from God that we neglect to our own peril.

So, don’t dismay, watch and pray!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!