Just a word!!!!!!!! Jeremiah 7: 1-15

This morning's devotion was too good not to share. Because of the length, I decided to make it a blog post. It will be a part of our Summer 2013 Road Trip blog!!!

Our Daily Bread Devotional entitled the first 11 verses is God Obligated?

I have sermon notes (and I did not write who delivered the sermon) on verses 1-15 entitled
Professing not Possessing. We as a part of the church need to individually take a look into a mirror and self evaluate the person who is looking back.

today the church's influence in the world is declining...

1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
2. Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the Lord's word, hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.
3. Thus saith the Lord of hosts (Commander in Chief ), the God of Israel (Creator, who chose to covenant with the Israelites, Amend your ways and your doings  (correct your behavior/adjust your course)
4. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these.
5. For if ye thoroughly amend your ws, and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor;
6. Remember the Golden Rule: if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt.
7. Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and
ever.
8. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that do not profit.

Get Real
Do an about face...the command from God

9. a reference to the Ten Commandments...backbone principles to a holy lifestyle
Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not:
10. And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are all delivered from these abominations?
11. Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.  God's people must vigilantly guard against religious hypocrisy and insincere worship. 

Learn from your mistakes....By repenting of insincere worship, we demonstrate genuine Faith

12. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel
13. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
14. Therefore, will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto this place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
15. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim (one of the strongest tribes in Israel)


God cannot and will not be manipulated. Just because we are reading the Bible, praying, and fellowshipping with other believers does not mean that God is somehow obligated to do something for us. He cannot be manipulated. The purpose of any external activities are to develop our relationship with the Lord and to help us live differently than those in the world around us.

Lord, help me to remember that you are most interested in an obedient heart. Change me when I think you're obligated to me because of my religious acts of worship or service. Give me a pure heart.

In Christ's Love,
more later