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Devotional: Jeremiah 4:1-31

Today’s passage: Jeremiah 4:1-31

Helpful thoughts:

  • Chapter 4 begins with a continuation of God’s call for Israel’s repentance.
  • Repentance is a matter of the heart (The inner man) before it ever becomes evident in our actions.
  • The idea of judgment against Jerusalem was bewildering to Jeremiah, but it was coming.
    • Verse 23 brings to memory Genesis 1:2.  God took was was formless and void and filled it with purpose.  Now Judah would see the undoing of it’s purpose.

Questions to consider:

  1. In awaiting judgment, what should have been shocking to the Jews?  Why should they have lamented?
  2. Would we typically be more prone to lament the downfall of our country militarily or the downfall of our country righteously?  Would we be more prone to lament the consequences of our sin or the sin itself?
  3. What do we know now about the future of Jerusalem?  Would it remain formless and void?  What is God going to do? (Revelation 21:1-4)

January 28, 2021 Category: Devotions, Jeremiah

Devotional: Jeremiah 3:6-25

Today’s passage: Jeremiah 3:6-25

Helpful thoughts:

  • In this illustration of marriage, Israel had left her groom (God) for false gods made of stone and wood.  This is spiritual adultery.
    • God hates divorce, but according to the Old Testament law, it could be seen an act of mercy when adultery is involved (Leviticus 20:10, Matthew 5:32).
  • God is merciful and calls for the repentance of Israel.  But, reconciliation was only possible if Israel confessed and repented (Verse 13).
  • Their repentance is guaranteed (In God’s sovereignty) and depicted in the latter portion of the chapter.
    • Verses 16 and 17 teach us that this time of Israel’s repentance will be after the second coming of Christ.  They will not speak of the Ark (Where God’s presence resided) anymore because God will be with His people.

Questions to consider:

  1. How does the illustration of marriage help us to understand marriage in this life and how does it help us to understand our relationship with God?  How does sin in marriage and the reality of divorce in this world make it harder?  What kind of “husband” is the Lord?
  2. Why is the first portion of verse 13 so important in helping us know how to be reconciled together?  When have we truly made peace with others?  If two people are at odds with each other, how many of them have to be involved to truly make things right?
  3. In order for Israel to return and be healed (Verse 22), what has to happen to their hearts (End of verse 17)?  What would Israel (And all of us) continue to do if God had not intervened graciously in our lives?

January 27, 2021 Category: Devotions, Jeremiah

Devotional: Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

Today’s passage: Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

Helpful thoughts:

  • Today, Jeremiah gets his first assignment.
    • God is going to set up court.  Israel and Judah are guilty.
  • Christians, God is your glory! (Verse 11) He is the most important and the best thing about you.
    • We are prone to go to other things to find our joy and satisfaction, but they never work (Verse 13).  The Samaritan woman in John 4 kept searching for what she wanted in men, but Jesus offered her living water.  The men were just broken cisterns.  Jesus is a well that springs up for eternity.
  • Verses 35-36 depict a people who are deep in sin and yet see themselves as innocent.  The only way this can happen is if the people are ignorant of the law or if they have decided what parts matter and what parts don’t.
    • A people who decide to follow their own hearts and decide for themselves what is right and wrong will always be a people who find themselves innocent of any wrong-doing.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why do you think the other world religions are tolerated (Even commended) when Christianity is rejected?  Why are other view points “tolerated” but Christianity unacceptable? (Verse 11)
  2. What would you say are the most common “broken cisterns” of our culture?  Do you have any broken cisterns in your life?  What would it look like for you to reject those false hopes and turn to the Lord?
  3. If I think my own opinion and my own feelings of right and wrong are what I should live by, what will my attitude be toward God if He should judge me as a sinner?  What would a sinner need to realize before they would even ask to be saved?

January 26, 2021 Category: Devotions, Jeremiah

Devotional: Jeremiah 1:1-19

Today’s passage: Jeremiah 1:1-19

Helpful thoughts:

  • Anathoth is a town just three miles north of Jerusalem.
  • Jeremiah’s time of ministry spanned from the reign of King Josiah into the Babylonian exile.
  • God did not change Jeremiah’s mind by telling Jeremiah how great and important Jeremiah was.  God told Jeremiah he should serve because of how great and important God is.
    • God has not called us to be so awesome that people become Christians.  He has called us to point people to His awesomeness.

Questions to consider:

  1. What does God’s knowledge of Jeremiah (Verse 5) tell us about the sovereignty of God?  What does it also tell us about the sanctity of life, including in the womb?
  2. What did Jeremiah feel disqualified him from service?  On whose characteristics was he focusing? Why was the ministry of Jeremiah acceptable/qualified?  On whose characteristics did the ministry depend?
  3. What message was God specifically giving Jeremiah to share?  How did God say the people of Judah would respond?  Was it going to look like Jeremiah was on the right side or the wrong side from the perspective of the people?  What can we learn from this?

January 25, 2021 Category: Devotions, Jeremiah

Devotional: Philemon 23-25

Today’s passage: Philemon 23-25

Helpful thoughts:

  • Epaphras is mentioned in Colossians 4:12-13.
  • The listing of Mark’s name especially could have also served to remind Philemon and the church at Colossae of broken relationships being restored. (Colossians 4:10, Acts 15:38-40, 2 Timothy 4:11)
  • A church is people, covenanted together to follow Jesus.  It isn’t a place you go.  It isn’t just a preaching post or a place to get a music gig or express your talents.  It is a group of people who seek to love each other, serve one another, serve others, and follow Jesus together.

Questions to consider:

  1. What did Paul call all of these men on his list?  Besides sending their greetings, what did he call them?  What are some of the “works”/”labors” you are doing to serve the Lord and your brothers and sisters in Christ?
  2. Why did the church want to know how Epaphras was doing and vice-versa?  What are some ways we can be an encouragement to our missionaries who have gone elsewhere to serve the Lord?  Might there be people from our church whom God would call to go in the future?
  3. What would be the fruits of Paul’s prayer in verse 25?

January 24, 2021 Category: Devotions, Philemon

Devotional: Philemon 17-22

Today’s passage: Philemon 17-22

Helpful thoughts:

  • The one who formally was a slave was to be counted as equal to the Apostle Paul.  The Apostle Paul was happy to count himself a slave to Christ.
  • Options are presented for reconciliation:
    • Paul was willing to pay the price for Philemon’s and Onesimus’ reconciliation.  (A picture of Christ’s work on the cross on our behalf)
    • Philemon could choose to forgive the debt.
    • If Onesimus had the means to repay, he could have done that as well.
  • It brings great joy to our hearts when brothers/sisters in Christ are reconciled to each other.

Questions to consider:

  1. What would be necessary for Philemon and Onesimus to be reconciled?  If Onesimus asked for forgiveness but Philemon did not grant it, would they be reconciled?  If Philemon told Paul he was willing to reconcile but treated Onesimus poorly, would they be reconciled?
  2. How does the love of God and Christ’s sacrifice (The gospel!) give us our road map for reconciling our relationships?  What has God done for you which equips and motivates you to forgive others?
  3. How would the way Philemon and Onesimus handle their relationship have affected the health of the Colossian church?  What do unresolved conflicts do to the church?  How does resolution fuel health and growth?

January 23, 2021 Category: Devotions, Philemon

Devotional: Philemon 8-16

Today’s passage: Philemon 8-16

Helpful thoughts:

  • Though Paul had the prerogative to give a command, he wanted Philemon to respond in willful love.  He gave Philemon freedom to do the right thing.
  • Before his conversion, Onesimus was a detriment to Philemon in earthly ways.  As a new brother in Christ, Onesimus was now of great value in eternal ways.
    • Onesimus’ name means, “Useful.”  This was evidently a common name for slaves in that day.
  • The kind of slave Onesimus was is not the same as the slavery in our nation’s history.
    • The servant and the master were fully brothers in Christ.  Equal in the eyes of God and each other.

Questions to consider:

  1. How might the book of Philemon have been useful in eliminating the use of slavery as a social construct?  Not just based on race, but even also in an economic or social class kind of system which would have been the kind of slave Onesimus was?
  2. Why did Paul allow for Philemon to welcome Onesimus back by his own choice, in love?  What was Paul allowing Philemon to do which he was also asking Philemon to allow Onesimus to do?
  3. In what way have we been set free from our bondage to sin in Christ?  In what way should we see ourselves as slaves to Him and desire to be found, “useful?” (Romans 6:15-23)

January 22, 2021 Category: Devotions, Philemon

Devotional: Philemon 4-7

Today’s passage: Philemon 4-7

Helpful thoughts:

  • Paul’s prayer concerning Philemon:
    • Thanks for the love and faith that is evidenced in Philemon’s life, toward Jesus, and toward the church.
    • A request, that Philemon’s life and the words he speaks (His faith/The Gospel message) would be effective, producing fruit.
  • These observations of fruit are evidence of Philemon’s conversion and place in the family of God.
  • Faithful, loving ministry and shared participation in the church brings joy and refreshing to everyone.
    • Many people want church to “work” by simply coming to services and leaving.
    • The fellowship of the believers produces fruit and joy when the believers are truly “fellowshipping” together.

Questions to consider:

  1. Paul knew a lot of people.  And this is the Bible, so I don’t think he was lying when he said he prayed for Philemon often.  How can Paul’s example give us encouragement to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ?  Not just the amount of prayer, but the content of our prayers?  What might happen as we are faithful to pray for fruitfulness in ministry for one another?
  2. How does this description of the life of a church differ from the way we sometimes think about church in our time and in our culture?  How are your relationships with the people of our church?  How close are we?  How can we grow?
  3. If Paul was writing this letter to you, how might he have described the fruits that have come through your faithful service?  What would you ask him to pray for you if you could?  Where in your life and relationships might future fruit come from?

January 21, 2021 Category: Devotions, Philemon

Devotional: Philemon 1-3

Today’s passage: Philemon 1-3

Helpful thoughts:

  • Philemon was a member of the church in Colossae (The Colossians).  The church met together in his house.
    • Designated church buildings are unheard of until the third century.
  • Paul wrote this letter to Philemon, his family (Aphia and Archippus) and the rest of the church from his imprisonment in Rome.
    • In this letter, Paul did not immediately appeal to his authority as an apostle, but to the hardship which he was happy to endure for the cause of Christ.  What he was about to ask Philemon to do didn’t really compare.
    • In addressing this letter to the whole church, Philemon would have accountability to complete the task Paul is about to ask.
  • “Grace to you” appears in all of Paul’s letters.
    • God saves us by grace and our salvation brings us peace.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is church membership important?  What has to be happening in the membership of the church to prove its very real purpose?  What kind of church life would convince people that membership was unnecessary or something you would desire to avoid?
  2. What would the lack of a building do to the church today?  Would it be the end of the church?  In what ways would it hurt?  In what ways might it be a blessing?  How could thinking through this help us get the best of both options?
  3. Why does it matter that Paul equates God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?  What is the doctrinal significance?  Why does it matter that Jesus Christ is Lord?  Can you be a Christian if Jesus is not your Lord?

January 20, 2021 Category: Devotions, Philemon

Devotional: 2 Kings 25:1-30

Today’s passage: 2 Kings 25:1-30

Helpful thoughts:

  • Because Judah rebelled again, unwilling to submit, Babylon finished them off entirely.  Instead of the lower class being left and elevated, only the poorest remained as servants.
  • Jeremiah had told Zedekiah he would see Nebuchadnezzar.  Ezekiel told Zedekiah he would never see Babylon.  Both prophecies were right. (Jeremiah 32:4, Ezekiel 12:13)
  • The sons of Zedekiah (Whom Nebuchadnezzar had made king) were killed to end that royal line, but not the sons of Jehoiachin. (Matthew 1:12)
    • Jehoiachin had been cursed that none of his line would ever sit on the throne (Jeremiah 22:30).  But, Jesus Christ is not Joseph’s biological son.

Questions to consider:

  1. After the events of verses 25-26 where are all of the Jewish people?  Who is left in Judah?  With all the events of this chapter, what has happened to Jerusalem?
  2. Who seems to be missing in this final chapter of the history of Judah?  Even though He is not mentioned, is He active?  What is God doing when we don’t feel like He is listening or intervening?  What has He promised?
  3. What was God’s promise to these exiles (Jeremiah 29:4-14)?  In what way would this passage be applicable to us today?  In what way are we “not home?”  What plans does God have for his people in the future?

January 19, 2021 Category: 2 Kings, Devotions

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