The Simple Life

Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.'" For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened? Jeremiah  23:16-18  (ESV)   We need to be careful about from who we accept counsel. If we only listen to those who tell us what we want to hear, we are in great danger of living a lie. It's easy to think we are God and to speak as if our thoughts are God's, when in fact, our thoughts have nothing to do with God or His thoughts. We get in the habit of using His name in vain to get our way. This should not be.  https://www.podbean.com/relate365

"Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the Lord. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the Lord. In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah." Jeremiah  23:11-14  (ESV)   Leaders who strengthen the hands of the evil so that no one turns from evil are evil. It is easy for a "leader" to justify a lifestyle of sin so they can maintain their popularity. Lot did not start a part of Sodom and Gomorrah, yet, he eventually was destroyed by his decision to be ...

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 23:1-4 (ESV)   The job of the shepherd is not to destroy and scatter the sheep, but to care for them. Sheep need protection, and shepherds are the protectors. Shepherds are not concerned with throwing a sheep party, but they are always, always, always on the lookout for whatever might endanger...

And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death." Jeremiah 21:8 (ESV)   Today we have choices, and our choices matter. We can tell if we have made the right choices by the fruit that is displayed in our lives.   If we choose to focus on self, we choose to struggle with depression, anger, and worthlessness. Focusing on self usually means we focus on what others are doing or saying, or not doing or not saying, and place our lives somewhere on our own-created relevance scale. If we choose to live the way we were intended to live, we do not focus on ourselves but on how we can use the circumstances of our lives to show the world who God is and to demonstrate to those around us the principles that give them purpose, life, and hope. We live disparaging lives because our focus i "Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was ...

"And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death." Jeremiah 21:8 (ESV)   Today we have choices, and our choices matter. We can tell if we have made the right choices by the fruit that is displayed in our lives.   If we choose to focus on self, we choose to struggle with depression, anger, and worthlessness. Focusing on self usually means we focus on what others are doing or saying, or not doing or not saying, and place our lives somewhere on our own-created relevance scale. If we choose to live the way we were intended to live, we do not focus on ourselves but on how we can use the circumstances of our lives to show the world who God is and to demonstrate to those around us the principles that give them purpose, life, and hope. We live disparaging lives because our focus is on ourselves, and our decisions are about what is best for us.   Jesus came to earth, was born in a stable, and was crucified because...

Then Jeremiah said to them: "Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.'" Jeremiah 21:3-5 (ESV)   There is no weapon of war, no strategy, and no armed force that can prevail against God. If God says that He, Himself, will fight the fight, and His comments are directed at me, I have no hope.   Experiencing the mercy of God and living in the grace of God is easy and very "doable." To choose a life that ignores Him, His ways, and His purposes dooms us to certain and irrevocable disaster. For now, the choice is ours. https://www.podbean.com/relate365