The people were in effect saying; “God won’t stay angry forever. He’ll get over it.” Or we might think of the wife who says to her husband; “Don’t be mad--be glad!” The Lord’s response: You have taken every opportunity to say and do evil things. The reforms of Josiah brought changes on the outside; but not on the inside. You would think after begging and pleading and praying that God would give in! Isn’t God a merciful God?

Yes God is a merciful God. But God is also all knowing and seeing. God knows if a person’s heart matches a person’s prayer. 

The beginning of greatness is to be little; the increase of greatness is to be less, and the perfection of greatness is to be nothing.

We know that God gives grace to the humble.

When we attempt to avoid the necessary correction and discipline that God brings; we avoid being made humble, and therefore avoid the means of grace.

You wouldn’t worry so much about what other people thought if you understood how seldom they think about you. 

Jeremiah never worried about what anyone thought--except God.  Jeremiah did not take into consideration what would occur if he obeyed God.  He didn't sit in the fence and think about it...he simply obeyed!

Deuteronomy 27:10 (NIV) "Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today."

Then Jeremiah told them how foolish they had been. He said, “Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods?” (2:11). He was telling them that the pagans were faithful to their gods, even though they were only chunks of stone or wood. But the Israelites, even though they have experienced God’s power and faithfulness, had abandoned him for these pieces of stone and wood. 

We get so dry in our souls that we run to all sorts of gods.  When our spirits run dry our soul searches for water.  Some find water in food, others sex, still others materialism or attention-good or bad.  When the precious spirit of God is ready and willing to come into our hearts like a flood where the enemy has brought a drought.

The Israelites lived in a dry land where every drop of water was precious. They knew what it was to dig cisterns to collect runoff, and they knew what it was to lift buckets of water from the cistern and carry them to their gardens. Every drop of water was precious.

God said, “They have forsaken me, the spring of living water”—the mountain spring that flows faithful and pure—the artesian well that provides abundant water. “They have forsaken me…, and cut cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

​The problem that Jeremiah was addressing was idolatry—the chasing after false gods. Jeremiah called God’s people to return to the true God—and to abandon their idolatry.

When I read this scripture my first thought was, “What does this have to do with us today? We don’t worship gods of wood and stone” But then, as I thought about it, I realized that it has everything to do with us today. What is idolatry, after all, but putting something else in God’s place! Defined that way, we see idolatry all around us.

What are our idols? We might ask the question this way: What is more important to us than God. Those are our idols! They are many!

Chaplain (Major General) Kermit Johnson, a former Army Chief of Chaplains used to warn chaplains about something that he called SAM. He told us that SAM was the destroyer. When a chaplain left the Army in disgrace, it was usually because of SAM. He could have said that SAM constitutes our idolatry. What is SAM? SAM stands for sex, alcohol and money.

It should not surprise us that sex would be one of the destroyers— one of the idols—one of the things that we love more than God. Sex is the goddess of the century. It pervades our media and our entertainment! It promises us joy! The Pill freed us from fear and promised us sex without consequences. It made the rules obsolete.

But sex without rules has not lived up to its promise. The consequence of sex-without-consequence has been the near-ruin of the family in America. America’s children are paying the price for America’s pleasure.
It should not come as a surprise that alcohol is one of the destroyers—another idol—another of the things that we love more than God. We should really talk about alcohol and drugs, because they are similar. Idolatry is putting something other than God first in our lives. For an alcoholic or drug addict, nothing is more important than their fix! The next fix is more important than God, family or life itself. Those of you who are recovering alcoholics know how destructive—and idolatrous—alcohol and drugs really are.

And it should not come as a surprise that money is one of the destroyers—one of the idols—one of the things that we love more than God. Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men in America, said, “The amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry.” The Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. It does not condemn money or the possession of money but the love of money. The problem is when we begin to love money more than we love God—when we begin to put money in God’s place. That is idolatry, and it is a destroyer.

But SAM—Sex, Alcohol and Money—is only part of our idolatry. Health is the most modern idolatry. Ellen Goodman, a Newsweek columnist, had a wonderful column on our health fetish. She said:
“The old taboos were religious. Ours are medical.
Our ancestors talked about risks to the soul,
and we talk about risks to our bodies.…
Our focus on these matters is religious in its intensity.”

Isn’t that true! Don’t you know people whose whole lives revolve around their cholesterol count! Health is the most modern idolatry. We care everything about the health of the body and very little about the health of the soul.

Even the church is not exempt from idolatry. It is all too easy for the church to become captive to the idolatries of tradition, attendance, money, and the beauty of our buildings. We are always tempted to make those things more important than God.

The really modern church idolatry has to do with the church and politics. The church has often tried to use the government to achieve its goals. In the process, the church has been seduced by power. When the church sits down with presidents and Congress, it often begins to believe too much in their power and too little in God’s power—to believe too much in politics and too little in prayer—and that is idolatry.
This is a fine line. The old cliché is that religion and politics don’t mix. The opposite is true. Our religious faith should affect every aspect of our lives, including politics. Our faith should affect our vote, just as it affects our family life, our entertainment and everything else.

The problem arises when Christians begin to think of government as great power and God as not-so-great power. At that point, we have crossed the fine line into idolatry.

Thirty years ago the church, particularly the more liberal denominations, began to push the government to eliminate racism and poverty. So far, so good! We must fight racism and poverty.

But the more closely the church worked with the government, the more it began to believe in the government’s power and the less it began to believe in God’s power. At some point, the government became our highest power—and that is idolatry.

It is interesting to note the effects of all that. The denominations that allied themselves so closely with the government have lost millions of members in a time of great church growth. They allied themselves with the government to increase their influence. Today, they have little influence.

Ironically, the right-wing of the church today is in the same place that the left-wing was in thirty years ago. Just as the left-wing of the church became an appendage of the Democratic Party, so the right-wing of the church is becoming an appendage of the Republican Party. The line between conservative religion and conservative politics has become very fuzzy. The right-wing of the church has placed a great deal of faith in the right-wing of Congress.

At what point does that become idolatry? It becomes idolatry when we begin to believe more strongly in secular power than in God’s power—when we put something other than God on God’s throne. That is now happening in the right-wing of the church, just as it already happened in the left-wing. I will dust off my crystal ball and predict that, within two decades, both the conservative churches and the Republican Party will be sorry that they ever met.

Let me be clear. I am not preaching about politics—or even politics and religion; I am preaching about idolatry—putting something other than God in first place in our lives and beliefs. That is what idolatry is!
When we love sex—or alcohol—or money—or health more than we love God, they will betray us. When we believe in secular power more than we believe in God’s power, it will betray us.

Jeremiah called the people of Israel to love God and to put him in first place in their lives. Today, I call you to love God and to put him in first place in your life. It isn’t easy, because other things always pull our hearts in another direction. But God, in his great love, will give us everything we need if we first give him our hearts. Give him first place in your heart today.
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Scripture quotations from the World English Bible.
Copyright 1995, Richard Niell Donovan

Jeremiah much like you and I did not agree with the Lord immediately.  ​"But I protested, ‘Oh no, Lord, GOD! Look, I don't know how to speak since I am only a youth'" (Jer. 1:6). Jeremiah felt inadequate as a public speaker. By the way, this excuse was shared by Moses (Ex. 4:10).

When others heard the news that I was called to preach, most people in my hometown thought the news bearer had made a mistake. "Surely, you don't mean Rena Pirlo is called to preach. You must mean her husband only." When God's call came I felt unworthy and extremely inadequate. My lack of talent to me was obvious. I didn't look like a preacher. (What does one look like anyway?)

I felt a lot like, Calvin Miller, pastor and author. He wrote about his call:

"I was so inferior, even the neighbors noted it and pointed it out to my mother as I grew up. In my late teens, one of my sisters felt led of God to help me get in touch with myself by telling me that in her opinion, which was as inerrant as the King James Bible, that if God called me to do anything he must have had a wrong number. When I told my preacher I was called to preach, he didn't necessarily feel that God had a wrong number, but he was concerned that I might have had a poor connection."
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God has a way to overcome weakness and our insufficiencies, doesn't he? I have learned over the years, however, that the person most aware of his own inadequacy is usually the person most dependent on God's all-sufficiency. My inadequacy has caused me to rely upon God. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. His glory is manifested through my flaws.

Give it all to God.  He tells us His burdens are light and His yoke is easy.  Her tells us we never have to be alone.  When we learn to depend on Him, everything changes.  Start your process of changing today.  

Our talent may appear inadequate, but God always equips those he calls. We have the promise of God's provision. "Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with My words" (Jer. 1:9). The touch was not so much to purify as it was to inspire and empower. It was symbolic of the gift of prophecy bestowed on Jeremiah.

Jesus experienced this touch in a visible, yet profound way. Following his baptism, immediately coming out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove. And God spoke, "This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him" (Matt. 3:17).
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God blesses not the silver-tongued orator, but the one whose tongue has been touched with coals from the altar. God uses not the most gifted and talented person, but the one touched by the hand of God. God uses the most unlikely persons to shake a church or a community or a nation. Never underestimate the power of the touch; especially when God does the touching.

Jeremiah was called to be "a prophet to the nations" (Jer. 1:5), not a priest like his father and his grandfather. A prophet was a chosen and authorized spokesman for God who declared God's Word to the people. We often think of prophets as people who can tell the future. But a prophet spoke messages to the present that had future ramifications. They were forthtellers more than they were foretellers, exposing the people's sins and calling them back to their covenant responsibilities before God.Being a prophet was more demanding than serving as a priest. The priests' duties were predictable. Everything was written down in the law. The prophet never knew from one day to the next what the Lord would call him to say or to do. The priest worked primarily to preserve the past. The prophet labored to change the present so the nation would have a future. Priests dealt with externals - rituals, sacrifices, offerings, services - whereas the prophet tried to reach and change hearts. Priests ministered primarily to individuals with various needs. Prophets, on the other hand, addressed whole nations, and usually the people they addressed didn't want to hear the message. Priests belonged to a special tribe and therefore had authority and respect, but a prophet could come from any tribe and had to prove his divine call. Priests were supported from the sacrifices and offerings of the people, but prophets had no guaranteed income.

Jesus, too, was called to be a prophet. He traveled from place to place challenging the people to change so that their future in heaven would be guaranteed. Jesus spoke to the hearts of people. Most did not accept his message of repentance, for they did not want to change.

God may assign you a demanding task, but his call keeps us going when we don't want to go and are ready to quit. We have the promise of God's purpose. "I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born'" (Jer. 1:5). The verb know has much more meaning than simply being aware of. It carries the idea of recognition of the worth and purpose of him who is known. God knew Jeremiah, chose Jeremiah, and appointed Jeremiah. He was known by name, hand-picked by God, and commissioned to serve. Those acts give one a great sense of purpose. The promise of God's purpose allows us to let go of our own plans and to receive God's plan without fear.

Like Jeremiah and Jesus, we need to accept that our future is not our own. We are God's. He has a distinct plan and purpose for our lives.

Jeremiah 1:6-10 (KJV) "6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. 9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Looking forward to traveling through Jeremiah with you.  Invite a friend!

God called you and I just like He did Jeremiah to a particular people, place and purpose.  The only way to find those people, that place and the purpose is to find God.  We don't have to look for Him because He is always calling us to Himself.  He stands and knocks at the door of our hearts.  All we need to do is open the door and let Him in.

​God shapes us. HE is the potter and we are the clay and He never throws the clay away.  No matter what we have done He refuses to trash us.  Instead He molds us and makes us into the vessel He wants us to be.  We may have to be squeezed and crushed and go around on the potters wheel many times but He will not throw us away.  He shapes us.  HE may use people to do this. It may be uncomfortable. It may be that we try to run but in the end God will continue to have His way. He knows all about us.  

The Lord God Almighty has holy plans for you.  Not just a plan and a purpose for which He formed you in your mothers womb but they are holy plans.  He created you for good. He created you with what He wanted you to do long before you saw the light of day.

Then.....here is the nugget.  He gave you away before you were born.  Just like He gave Jesus away God gives us away.  Imagine the love of a father for the world that would shape sons and daughters and for the purpose of giving them away.  God so loved He gave.

For what people, place and purpose were you formed, shaped and called?  Only the Master knows the plan and that plan can be found in His Word.  Read the book.  That's where Jesus found His purpose and you will too.

Intensive 2016 has begun.  The women have arrived and are full of expectation and excitement.  The presence and praise is beyond words.  We have named this time, "Running with the horses" and we refuse to weary, complain or turn back.  We shall not be denied.  So until Monday make life worth living by living for God.  I will catch you all up on Monday.  Appreciate your prayers.

The best way I have found to fight against the tide of what is distracting me or taking me away from my destiny is to remember that I am one with God.  He lives on the inside of me and He is always fighting my battle with and for me.

​Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner.

The Olympic Games always open with an awe inspiring procession of athletes from all the participating countries of the world marching around the field under their country's banner or flag. The flag is their identification with the sponsoring country and a rallying point for the athletes and fans. Great cheers go up from the citizens of each country as their team goes by with the flag waving back and forth.

We rally 'round the flag each Fourth of July in the United States to celebrate our freedom. We wave flags, bake flag cakes, display flags and sing a song about our flag - the Star Spangled Banner, at the opening of every baseball game.

The most important thing flags or banners do, however, is mark victory. It is well understood that the conquering army in any battle has the right to remove the defeated country's flag and replace it with their own, usually in the highest spot possible for all to see. The country with the conquering flag has won and now they are in control.

In the Old Testament God revealed himself as Jehovah Nissi, THE LORD IS MY BANNER. It happened at the time when Israel was wandering in the wilderness after miraculously crossing the Red Sea. Amalek was the enemy who came against Israel in Rephidim. In Exodus 17:8-16 Moses called on his young apprentice, Joshua, to lead the Israelites into battle while he stationed himself on top of a hill to pray. He had with him his brother Aaron and his assistant, Hur. As Moses lifted his hands and prayed, the Israelites prevailed in the battle but when he let his hands down, Amalek prevailed. So Aaron and Hur set Moses on a rock and held his hands up for him until the battle was totally won.

At the end of the day there was victory and God told Moses to write down what had happened and read it in Joshua's hearing. God was thinking ahead to the time when Moses would be gone and Joshua would be called upon to take over leadership of God's chosen people. Joshua would be the one to cross the Jordan River into Canaan (the Promised Land) and defeat Jericho. He would have plenty of battles ahead of him and God wanted him to remember back to this one and the victory God had given them.

Instead of raising a flag, Moses built an altar because in those times, an altar was often used as a place of remembering or marking an important event. This is where Moses called God Jehovah Nissi because he understood the revelation that God himself is our banner, our victory. He is the one who wins our battles. He still does that by the way. When Moses wrote that story down for Joshua, he was also writing it down for our benefit so that we will remember it as we go into battle.

There is an interesting thing that God says when he tells Moses to write down the story. God says that he "…will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." (verse 14b) That means that this enemy would not rise again - he was defeated UTTERLY. In verse 16, however, Moses says; "…the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." How is it that God is saying the enemy was completely defeated and yet that there would be future wars with Amalek in future generations?

Amalek in this story represents our enemy, Satan, who is active against God's people in all generations. Even though the literal "Amalek" at that time was completely defeated by Israel's army, other Amaleks would rise up against Israel and on down to you and me in our own generation. When you gather under Jehovah Nissi as your banner, trust him that the outcome of your battle will be the same as it was for Moses and Joshua at Rephidim.

God is saying there will always be war; don't be surprised by it. He is also saying he is always the winner.

Be one with God. Lean into Him. Depend on His strength. He is our VICTORY!​

It has always amazed that when ever I come through something with God I am always changed for the better.  I learn things about myself I could have never learned any other way. I learn that I am stronger than I think. I learn that pain does not last forever. I learn that people will disappoint us. That is why we are to put our hope and trust in the Lord not in people.  We are to love people but trust the Lord.  Yes, fire changes everything.  Embrace the fire of God and allow God to have His perfect work. 

1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

Zechariah 13"9 (VIV) "And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

He is a refiner's fire, and that makes all the difference. A refiner's fire does not destroy indiscriminately like a forest fire. A refiner's fire does not consume completely like the fire of an incinerator. A refiner's fire refines. It purifies. It melts down the bar of silver or gold, separates out the impurities that ruin its value, burns them up, and leaves the silver and gold intact. He is like a refiner's fire.

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I look forward to spending time with a powerful group of woman that are willing to be changed that God might work through them.  It's not too late to register for the 2016 WOW Intensive http://form.jotform.com/61616360231951    Once you apply you will be sent a link to Register.  Go ahead just do it.  If you want things to change then take the first step.