Jeremiah 3

Physical adultery is unfaithfulness to your mate. Spiritual adultery is unfaithfulness to God. Its roots are in the mind. If a man’s mind refuses to entertain impure thoughts, He won’t be tempted to commit adultery. His battlefield is his mind.

Adultery reveals that he allowed his thought life to be unfaithful to his wife. Jesus zeroed in on the issue when He declared, “If a man looks with lust upon a woman, he has already committed adultery in his heart.” Physical adultery is evidence that the man’s mind was dwelling on lustful thoughts.

James said, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” [James 1:14,15]

A man is wise to keep His mind stayed upon the Lord. [Isaiah 26:3]

Jeremiah 2

The young prophet, in chapter two, states one of his major messages … God’s people have turned their backs on Him. What a sad message and duty to call out. It must have been a very tough job.

Calling out sin is just that – a tough job. Yet how would the sinner know they are sinning? They must first know how lost they are before they can acknowledge the gap between themselves and God’s grace.

One very effective evangelist, Ray Comfort, uses this principle. He teaches that sinners must first know how their conduct has grieved God and violated His creation. Israel was Jeremiah’s target audience, but we learn what grieves God’s heart by hearing the prophet’s message.

We are not talking legalism here, but the author of Romans did say, “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.” In effect, the law (Ten Commandments etc.) is the clearest way we can understand what grieves God. Christ’s shed blood is the ONLY way we can un-grieve God.

Jeremiah 1

Let’s continue our study by going through Jeremiah again. His message was to God’s people who were in captivity, not unlike some of the cultural and political conditions we are experiencing today.

From the outset, God reassured Jeremiah that He would preserve and rescue His people from their oppressors. We can live our lives with this same confidence … God is and will always be the only Rescue we will ever need. We are citizens of the Heavenly Country. This supersedes ALL other national affiliations.

Isaiah 66

God’s nature is to gather unto Himself those whom He has created and will in the millennial reign of Christ. This chapter describes how all the Redeemed will be gathered to Jerusalem to bow before the Lord and worship Him.

Armageddon will have already happened and the dead will be piled high as evidence of God’s great power.

We are wise to vote for men and women who fear the Lord. Their governing decisions will blend into God’s plan for our universe as He moves towards creating a new heaven and new earth.

Isaiah 65

God loves people. What parent doesn’t love and keep reaching out to their offspring even though they choose unwise paths for their lives? God is our Heavenly Father. He LOVES us. Even when we are on a destructive path, He STILL loves us. He still reaches out.

As parents, we can more clearly see the awaiting hardships our stray children will experience than they can. Yet, we reach out … we pray … we wait, with arms open and outstretched. If we don’t, we are maybe too messed up ourselves to have the proper love and emotion toward our children.

God said, “I WILL NEVER leave you or forsake you.” [Heb. 13:5]

Isaiah 63, 64

The reading of Isaiah 64 rings in the heart of every Christian as a plea for God to show up in His supernatural power.

Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down,
That the mountains would quake at Your presence—

Later in the passage, the key to seeing this kind of power is …

(You God), Who acts in behalf of one who waits for You.
You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways. [NASB]

Isaiah 62

Here on this earth, we learn about the eternal, Heavenly relationship of Christ and the Bride through God’s Word and our marriage relationship. When we get to Heaven, we won’t be married to our earthly mate. For some, that’s good news. For others, it may be a disappointment. Regardless, to honor Christ we give our best to our marriage. He gave His best to us.

Obviously, earthly mates can fail and disappoint us. But Christ Jesus …. NEVER!

Isaiah 61

This passage was read by Christ Jesus in the synagogue to essentially validate His beginning in ministry. He spoke of the inheritance all believers would receive … a double portion.

Since my parents recently passed from this life, to their children was left an inheritance. It has been an interesting process to appropriate the funds from investments and the sale of their home. It has been a lot of work … I am the executor .. but rewarding to inherit the fiscal value of their labors here on earth.

Christ has made us co-inheritors with Him of all God has. Material wealth is one thing, but eternal life in glory is the big bonus. We have yet to see it.

Isaiah 60

Arise, shine, for your light has come!

Because the Lord is our Light, we will forever land on the BRIGHT side of things. Wherever His light shines, all darkness MUST flee.

This revolutionary and pivotal chapter probably speaks of Christ’s Millennial Reign and our eternal existence in Heaven. Regardless, there are GREAT DAYS ahead for God’s people.

(I can’t wait to see the new Temple Ezekiel spoke about. Presently, God’s temple is US. But there is a day coming when He will put on display magnificence and splendor no eye has yet seen. It’s the “sweet by and by.”

Now back to the “nasty now and now.”

Isaiah 59

Although many who live in habitual sin don’t know anything else and think its a normal life, God’s Holy Spirit can convict them and cause them to seek a solution. The Christian witness of God’s people can also provide a contrast to the sinner of how it could be here on earth.

What is the sinner’s habitat?

• You live WITHOUT God’s blessing v.9
• God doesn’t protect you v.9
• Your outlook on life is dark and gloomy v.9
• You lack a clear perspective on your future v.9
• You can’t see the pitfalls of life v.10
• You lack vitality and a healthy outlook v.10
• You groan and complain like a hungry bear v.11
• You are not treated fairly without the Heavenly Advocate v.11
• Your wrong-doings pile up and begin taking you down v.12
• You begin realizing how lost you are v.12
• You become rebellious v.13
• You plan and utter lies v.13
• You think wrong is right and don’t tolerate the truth v. 14

This is a very sad way to live.