Pastor's Blog

Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."


At the outset of this great book we are reminded that each and every one of us were created by God, and God has a plan for our lives. For Jeremiah, God’s plan was that he would be a voice declaring the Word and the will of God to a people who were in desperate need to hear and heed the message. Jeremiah ministered over a period of around 40 years that preceded the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians on March 15-16, 597 BC. During those 40 years the world witnessed the fall of Assyria and the subsequent power struggle between Egypt and Babylon to become the ruling power over the Middle East. Judah was caught in the middle, alternately submitting to or rebelling against one or the other. Jeremiah began preaching the message that God burned into his heart in the days of King Josiah. Josiah was a godly young man who brought a “mini-revival” to the nation of Judah. Josiah worked hard at restoring the Word of God to its place of prominence. He worked hard to get rid of idolatry. Josiah knew that the future of the nation depended upon Judah living for God. It was into the midst of that reformation that God sent Jeremiah to preach the message that there was going to be invasion and exile because of the spiritual adultery that was taking place. Jeremiah’s message was not popular – in fact, he was persecuted and even imprisoned by a later king for preaching about the judgment of God on their sins. Yet, Jeremiah lived to see everything that God told him to say come to pass.

As you read through this book over the next few weeks, it may be helpful to know that the first 10 chapters were part of the message that Jeremiah was given to speak during the reign of Josiah during the days of spiritual reformation. Chapters 21-39 record messages delivered during the reigns of the ungodly kings Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. In 587 B.C. Jeremiah was arrested and imprisoned for treason. Chapters 40-52 report the culminating events of his life and of Jerusalem’s fall.

Jeremiah has a tough message to preach. It was filled with lots of the judgement of God. But it was also a message of great hope. Jeremiah also preached about a day in the future when God would make a new covenant with a remnant of people from Judah. It would be a covenant written in the hearts of the people. There would be a day when sins would be forgiven and forgotten, and the people of God would once again be a source of blessing to the nations around them. Jeremiah’s message reminds us that God is holy and sin will be punished, but God is also full of grace and mercy and wants so much to be able to be in close relationship with people.

Jeremiah’s message reminds us that doing my own thing is very bad for me, doing God’s thing is very good for me, and God has a plan that works! Jeremiah’s message reminds us that we must follow the words of Jesus and seek his kingdom first and foremost. Jeremiah’s message reminds us that we must pray for our nation and a return to God, or else . . .


Suggested Readings To Read Through The Bible In A Year

Tuesday      September 21, 2010   Jeremiah 1-3 & Psalm 119:153-160

Wednesday September 22, 2010   Jeremiah 4-6 & Psalm 119:161-168

Thursday     September 23, 2010   Jeremiah 7-9 & Psalm119:169-176

Friday          September 24, 2010   Jeremiah 10-12 & Psalm 120

Saturday     September 25, 2010   Jeremiah 13-14 & Psalm 121

pushpay
donate-online-pushpay
Simple. Fast. Secure.

To make giving an easy process for our church, we have partnered with PushPay® for our online and mobile giving platforms. PushPay is completely safe and very secure. You can read more about PushPay security here.

You can give online by clicking the "DONATE online" button
or by downloading the Faith Family Christian Center App in your favorite App Store.

FFCC
android apple
Get the App