Whose Path Are You Following?

June 26, 2015

Whose path are you following?

We have a choice. We ALWAYS have a choice. We can choose to surrender our will to God's will and follow HIS path until our earthly life ends and the promise of our eternal salvation begins; or we can refuse to surrender our will to His, choose our own path to follow, and in so doing follow a path that leads to our destruction. Our ability to choose the path we will follow ends with our last breath. We control the choices we make but God controls our consequences—both the good and bad. If we choose to be in control and choose our own self-made path, we are only fooling ourselves. We are NOT in control. Any control we may think we have is only temporary.

Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead) means not always knowing where the path leads but having the faith to trust the One who is leading and knowing with-out-a-doubt that we can have complete assurance of where it ends up. I feel like we are at one of those times again, not knowing what is coming up around the next bend.

LORD, where is this path leading?

This is what I KNOW:

• God has good plans for us
• We trust Him
• We are committed to following HIS path no matter where it leads
• God's hands are at work in our lives

And that is enough. We are following HIS path—no matter what.

What about you? When you get to the end of the path you are on, will it take you to where you intended to go? We are each going to reap what we sow. Our final destination is determined by which path we choose. We have made our decision. As for me and my house, we choose to follow HIS path.   

Addendum: 6/27/15 ~ We received a phone call from our lawyer today. Late last night (after I had finished writing the "Whose Path Are You Following" post), he received notice from the courts about some new motions/developments in the lawsuit. Whenever we get word that something new has happened, my heart starts beating faster, but then the peace that only God can give soon fills us again.

HE is our safety. HE is our judge. HE is in control.

The lawsuit my sister and brother-in-law filed has been going on for almost eight years now. They filed a Motion for Summary Judgment almost six years ago. For that same period of time, the courts have been uncharacteristically silent. I'm sure the judge has thought that if he waits long enough that the parties would solve this matter between themselves. If that is the case, he doesn't know how stubborn my sister can be. I don't think any earthly thing can or will stop her; she appears dead set upon seeking revenge and total control.

It was ten years ago when my sister and brother-in-law came up with their get-rich-quick scheme and implemented their trickery against us. When we discovered the trickery and averted their plans, they resorted to Plan B—file a lawsuit.We have tried everything possible to peacefully end the breakdown in our joint business project and relationship... many, many times. Everything we've tried has been flatly rejected. We tried to buy out their interest—they refused. We tried to sell them our interest—they refused. We had an offer from a third party for over one million dollars—they refused. We offered them all the remaining funds in escrow (over $100,000)—they never responded. Mediation—failed. It appears there is only one thing my sister wants—everything I have. It is nearly impossible to deal rationally with someone who is thinking irrationally. And now, even though it has been languishing in the court system for eight years, they evidently still cannot let go of their greed, anger, and revenge.

The lawsuit makes NO logical or fiscal sense whatsoever. It will cost more to take the lawsuit through to trial than they could ever hope to recover from our assets. They are willing to spend more money that they could possibly ever gain if it means they can take us down. Their latest effort is basically telling the judge to hurry up; we are tired of waiting on you. Hurry up and find them (my husband and I) guilty NOW; we want everything they (my husband and I) own signed over to us NOW; we want to see them (my husband and I) destroyed NOW; we have waited long enough; we want what we want NOW!

For the almost eight years that we have been in "captivity," we have done what the LORD told Jeremiah to tell the people to do. Live your lives; build your home; and make plans. We've made extensive and continued improvements to our property and home that hangs in the balance. Two more grandchildren have been added to our family. Our family owned business has flourished. We have been happy and content on our island of safety even with "the storm" brewing around us. We have seen God's Hand at work in our lives and we have LIVED our lives secure in knowing we are: Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead).

We believe God will take what was meant for our harm and use it for our good. We will someday hear the words, "You are free to go." When? We don't know and it doesn't matter. What we absolutely DO know is that we are NOT victims of a vile and vicious lawsuit; we are the recipients of a Blessed Event. God is a God of Justice and we choose to trust HIM to fulfill His promises.

Isaiah 48:11 (NLT) - "I will rescue you for my sake—yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols!"

We claim the promises God gave us through Jane. Psalm 140:12 - "I KNOW the LORD secures justice for the poor (NIV) and will defend the needy in court (NCV)." Great is HIS faithfulness!!


Next Entry: What Kind of Trail Are You Leaving?

A Letter to Our Grandchildren

November 02, 2011

     If you ever read this journal you will be very shocked to find out what was happening in Nanna and Pop-Pop's lives while you were little and growing up. You will be shocked to find out that Nanna has a sister. You were protected from knowing that for a reason. You see, for the last almost five years (almost your entire life A___), Nanna's sister and her husband were accusing Nanna and Pop-Pop of all sorts of false and ugly things. Lies. They tried to trick Nanna and Pop-Pop. You know how you have been taught you should never bully anyone? Well, they tried to bully Nanna and Pop-Pop into doing what they wanted us to do and into believing their lies.

     Nanna and Pop-Pop knew that what they wanted us to do was wrong and we said—No. This made them very angry and they made lots of mean and ugly threats and accusations against us. Nanna had a really hard time believing and understanding that her sister could say and do those awful things. They were so mad and angry that they decided they would try to hurt us and they started something called a "lawsuit." In the lawsuit they said Nanna and Pop-Pop were liars and cheaters. They said we stole money. They said we promised to pay them lots of money (that is the paper they tricked Nanna and Pop-Pop into signing). The things they said were very, very ugly... and it was lies. (I didn't have to tell you it was lies did I. You know Nanna and Pop-Pop would never do the things they said.) Anyways, when someone files a lawsuit it goes to a judge and the judge decides who is telling the truth and what should happen.

November 03, 2011

     Nanna's sister and her husband want Nanna and Pop-Pop to pay them money—lots of money. If the judge says the paper they tricked us into signing has to be followed, then we will have to pay them the money. That is what my sister wants to happen. Nanna and Pop-Pop don't have lots of money. What we have is the most important and best thing of all—Love and Family (YOU!). If the judge says we have to pay them money we will have to sell the home and land you love and we will also have to sell Pop-Pop and and your Daddy's (or uncles) tractors and equipment. I bet right now your eyes just got really big and that your heart is beating really, really fast. That's okay. Sometimes Nanna and Pop-Pop's heart would beat fast too. Like the time when one of you would say to us, "We just love your house Nanna—please don't ever move." You didn't know the innocent things you would say about fishing, or swimming, or running through the woods, or the pigs, chickens, and cows, or Nanna Camp would sometimes make Nanna's heart beat fast.

     Do you know what makes your heart beat fast? Lots of times it is something called fear... being afraid of something. Do you know what the Bible says about fear? It says we should not be afraid and that fear never comes from the LORD. It says it a whole bunch of times!! So, we better listen. So, even though once in a while Nanna and Pop-Pop's heart would beat a little fast it would not last long because we trust God to take care of us. 

     I bet you are very surprised by all of this. But, now you know why you were protected from knowing that Nanna has a sister. Do you remember when Great-Grandpa died and we had the special time with Great-Grandma and Nanna's brother and his wife, and we all sat around Great-Grandpa's grave? We listened to Nanna's brother talk and then you all sat on a blanket with me and I showed you pictures of Great-Grandpa's casket and how it was put in the ground. You asked questions. We talked about how only Great-Grandpa's body was in the ground and how the part of him that thinks and feels was with Jesus in heaven. We talked about how all of us were born with sin in our hearts. We talked about Adam and Eve and how sin began. We talked about when Jesus was born at Christmas. We talked about Jesus dying for our sins and we talked about Easter and Jesus raising from the dead so we can be forgiven of our sins. Nanna told you the reason Great-Grandpa was in heaven was because he asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins. I told you Nanna and Pop-Pop, and your Mommy's and Daddy's had asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins and that someday you will want to ask Jesus to forgive your sins too.  (C___, the next night you told your Mommy and Daddy you wanted Jesus to forgive you and they helped you pray. Nanna and Pop-Pop were so excited!)
 
     If you remember, Nanna said it was okay to feel sad when someone you love dies. I told you the best way not to feel so sad was to play "remember whens," so that's what we did and we all made silly Great-Grandpa faces. What you didn't know was that was the second service for Great-Grandpa. Nanna's sister and her husband were at the first service and your Mom's and Dad's didn't want you to be there because they didn't want you to see her or for her to see you either. Your Mommy and Daddy didn't go to the first service either for the same reasons. We all didn't know what my sister would do so that is why we had our own very special service. Nanna videotaped the first service so you and your Mommy and Daddy's could watch it. Your Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa knew all about what their other daughter was doing to Nanna and they were very sad about it. Nanna wished the lawsuit would be over before Great-Grandpa died, but it wasn't.

     Nanna told you the judge will decide what will happen with the lawsuit. The judge has had the papers for over two years. (Miss A____, he has had the papers since before you were even born.) Nanna has told you what her sister wants—lots and lots of money. Do you want to know what Nanna and Pop-Pop want? Nothing. Nanna and Pop-Pop aren't trying to take anything from them. We don't want anything they have. The only thing Nanna and Pop-Pop want is to be free from all their lies, traps, and accusations. We will be very happy when the lawsuit is over, but the lawsuit does not stop us from being happy right now. You see, happiness does not come from things around you, it comes from inside of you.

November 04, 2011

     That's what I want to talk to you about now. It's the most important thing and it's what I want you to remember. A lot of things have happened to Nanna and Pop-Pop these last five years, but Nanna and Pop-Pop aren't angry, mad, bitter, sad, anxious, fearful, or nervous. We don't want to try and hurt anyone and we don't want to try and get even with people who are still trying to hurt us. There is a reason for that. Nanna and Pop-Pop are very happy, content and completely at peace. We are not worrying about "what ifs." There is a reason for that. Nanna and Pop-Pop have lots of friends who we love and who love us. And we have family that we love dearly (You!) and that loves us. We love it when you come to our house and when we go to yours. (L____, how many tunnels have we built?)

     We love Nanna Camp. We love Brown County. We love fishing, sledding down the hill, (do you remember when Nanna went flying through the air?), we love the mule rides. We love Christmas. We've loved all our time with you... and that has made us very happy. But, it isn't the things around us or the people around us that has given us the peace and happiness deep down inside of us. There is a reason we have the kind of peace and happiness that nothing or nobody can take away from us. There is a reason we can go through really hard times (like when Great-Grandpa, or when Pop-Pop had his accident before you were born, or when Nanna's sister is trying to hurt Nanna and Pop-Pop, your Mom's and Dad's, and even you guys by trying to take away Nanna and Pop-Pop's home and business) and still not be upset, angry or worried. Do you want to know how Nanna and Pops can still be happy—no matter what?

November 07, 2011

     It's God!!  We believe what God says in the Bible. We trust Him to take care of us—no matter what. You see, when Nanna and Pop-Pop were both young, we asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins, and we put our total faith and trust in Him. As we grew and got older, and as we learned more about God we trusted Him even more. This may sound kind of strange to you, but you know what? Nanna and Pop-Pop are very thankful and grateful even for this awful thing called a lawsuit. You know why? Because it has brought Nanna and Pop-Pop even closer to God and each other, and it has done that for your families as well. Some people tell us they are very sorry that we have had to go through these bad times. But Nanna and Pop-Pop don't see it as bad times.

     Some people say that when things are going really good that it is like you are on a mountain top and that when life is really hard it is like you are in a valley. We don't see the "valley" we are in as a bad thing. When you go with us to the Appalachian Trail we will show you what we mean. When you are up on a mountain and look out over the valley—it is beautiful! Sometimes all the "junk" of the lawsuit is kind of hard, and it makes Nanna very sad to think about what her sister is doing, BUT Nanna and Pop-Pop have watched things happen that could only be called God-things. We have seen the hand of God work in ways we could have never experienced without being stuck in this lawsuit. So, even though we are still "stuck" we are very grateful and thankful that God has taken this ugly thing and used it to show us how much He loves us—making what was ugly beautiful.

     I can't wait until we take each of you hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We will show you how beautiful the valleys are. We will remind you then of what we have been through and what God has done so you will remember what the secret is to being happy and content even if there are difficult things you need to go through. Nanna and Pop-Pop will also tell you the story of their special friend Jane. (Her Name Was Jane)

     God told Jeremiah to tell His people who were being held captive in Babylon to keep on living, having families, and planting gardens, and enjoying their lives. When the time was right God would set them free. This is what Nanna and Pop-Pop have done. We are still "stuck" in this lawsuit, but we are still planting trees, laying a lot of street bricks, changing the porch, planting gardens, etc. We are not living in fear. When God says the time is right HE will free us from this lawsuit. Nanna and Pop-Pop believe that with ALL our hearts. We think it is very, very special that each one of you will be a witness to what God is going to do. Together as a family, we are going to build a special outdoor shelter to honor and remember what God has done. Each of us will hunt for and gather stones, and we will put them together just like the children of Israel did when they left Egypt. We will tell the stories of what God has done, and someday you will pass those stories on to your children too.

     We pray each one of you will want to know and DO what Jesus says. We thank God for you. We love you very, very much, and we pray for you every day.

We Love You,

Nanna and Pop-Pop

Addendum: One week from today (June 24, 2015) my husband and I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail with our oldest grandchild and we will tell him the story written in this letter.  Since the grandchildren were very, very young, we have always told them that we would take them with us to hike the A.T. the year they turned ten. Well...that time is here. And one week from today we will step foot on that narrow footpath. God's timing continues to amaze me. I wrote this open letter to our grandchildren over a six day period in November of 2011 as a way to memorialize the events of our lives so we could share it with them when they were older. And now, just one week before we take our first grandchild on their promised trip to the Appalachian Trail, I am recording that letter into this blog. 

Last year when my husband and I were hiking (and we discovered our quest of hiking the A.T. was over) I was crushed. (See - The Land In-Between) It made no sense at the time, but now it makes total sense. It is no longer about what path we are following, it is about what kind of trail we are leaving. It is no longer about us, it is about what we are going to pass on. I am excited. We aren't "stuck" in this lawsuit. We are being moved forward on HIS path.  We are Walking on His Footpath and we are determined to Follow His Lead.

There will come a day...

There will come a day when the time is right and GOD will free us.

Addendum #2: 7/21/16 ~  This is crazy. Last year I was recording this journal entry (the letter to our grandchildren) just one week before taking our oldest grandson to hike the A.T. This year I am editing this journal entry just one week before taking our second grandchild to hike the A.T. In 2011, I wrote about our plans to take each grandchild to the Appalachian Trail. In 2015, I enter the journal entry into Blogger just one week before taking our oldest. In 2016, I'm editing this same journal entry just one week before taking our second grandchild. Crazy. 

Addendum #3: 10/5/17 ~ I've been going through my blog to correct the links to the story of Jane because I changed the link from a post to a page, and here I am editing this page just one week after returning from taking our third grandchild (our oldest granddaughter) to the trail and sitting atop a mountain overlooking the valley and telling her the story of how beautiful the valleys are when viewed with the proper perspective. Wow!

Next Entry: Whose Path Are You Following?

Jeremiah 27:1 – 29:32 (Continued)

November 02, 2011

Some of the people had already been taken captive. They had surrendered to God's plan. The LORD had Jeremiah send them a letter to tell them what to do. The LORD said:

• Build houses
• Settle in the land
• Plant gardens
• Enjoy the fruits of your labor
• Get married
• Have families
• Do good things where you are
• Pray to the LORD
• Don't fight your circumstances
• Don't be led astray by the lies of false prophets

I will allow you to be in captivity for 70 years. At the right time, "I will come to you, and I will keep my promise to bring you back. I say this because..."

• I know what I am planning for you
• I have good plans for you
• I don't have plans to hurt you
• I will give you hope
• I will give you a good future

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." That familiar verse is often quoted, but the key to successful living is found in the next verses.  

"Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all you heart, you will find me! I WILL LET YOU FIND ME, and I will bring you back from your captivity... AND I WILL BRING YOU BACK TO THIS PLACE."

What a thought! What a promise! What a reality! God knows!! He knows His plans for us, and they are good plans! What God wants/needs from us in order to implement those plans is our obedience and our surrendered hearts and lives no matter what the circumstances we are in. He wants our open hands. He wants us to be willing to drive a stake in the ground. A stake that represents our surrendered lives; our surrendered fears; our surrendered hopes and dreams; our surrendered pride; our surrendered everything. EVERYTHING laid down and surrendered to Him—no matter what. He wants our willingness to be held captive for however long it takes in order for God to accomplish His plan. And then! AND THEN the most incredible thing happens. When we search for God with all our hearts WE FIND HIM! BECAUSE HE WILL LET US FIND HIM!!

God goes on to explain what will happen to those who refuse to surrender to His plan. War, hunger, terrible disease, bad figs too rotten to eat, hated, shamed, destroyed. All because they refused to listen to His message that He sent to them over and over again. "They have also spoken lies and said those lies were a message from me. I did not tell them to do that. I know what they have done; I am a witness to it, says the LORD."

Jeremiah said, "You will be there a long time, so build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they grow." Continue to LIVE! While waiting on the LORD, continue to LIVE!

For those who will not listen, Jeremiah 29:18 says, "I will make them..." God is in control. Surrender to His authority. Submit to His will.

We are waiting on the LORD. He may use others to fulfill HIS will, but it is the LORD who will free us.

Addendum: 10/30/19 ~ As I was reading these chapters this morning the methods Shemaiah used to try and discredit (and destroy) Jeremiah jumped out at me. Shemaiah tried to use the very words God gave Jeremiah to say as the means to try and destroy him.

Shemaiah was part of the group who was already captive in Babylon but he obviously was not there because he surrendered to God's authority when God told them to willingly go into captivity. Because here he is doing everything he can to harm Jeremiah and with an audacious spirit says, "So why haven't you arrested him? Jeremiah has sent this message to us in Babylon: You will be there for a long time, so build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they grow." How dare Jeremiah!!! How dare he say we will be here a long time. How dare he say we should settle down, build houses and plant gardens. How dare he!! Get him!! Destroy him!! Who does he think he is?

And what happened?  Shemaiah and his family were the ones who were destroyed. When someone chooses to try to harm God's true followers they are choosing to walk down a very dangerous path. 


Next Entry: A Letter to Our Grandchildren

Jeremiah 27:1 – 29:32

November 11, 2011

God is in control. He made the heavens and earth, its people, and all the animals. He can decide what He wants to do and when He wants to do it. This time He decided to use His servant Nebuchadnezzar (notice I said "servant" NOT "follower"), as a means to fulfill His purpose. God had delivered the Israelites from captivity in Egypt. He removed them from Pharaoh's control. He gave them the land He promised. He did all He promised and yet the Israelites still continued to wander from Him and refused to obey His commands.

So God decided to put them in captivity again, this time for 70 years. Not every single Israelite refused to obey, but they were all subject to the discipline. It was how they handled the discipline that determined what their outcome would be. If they submitted to God's will (captivity under Nebuchadnezzar) they would live. If they refused to surrender to God's authority they would be destroyed. God was using Nebuchadnezzar to further His agenda. He was God's servant for this period of time. When God was finished using him He would hold him accountable for all the years he had done things against God.

So the Israelites had a choice. Surrender—OR—Disobedience. There were all sorts of prophets who tried to convince them that everything would be fine, they would not need to go into captivity, that captivity wouldn't last long, etc. Hananiah was one of them. Shemaiah was another,  and God held them both accountable. God told His people over and over, "Don't listen to them! They are prophesying lies to you. Don't listen to (them)." Some of the Israelites chose to listen to the message they wanted to hear instead of listening to God's truth.

Things happened along the way to show them who was "saying" this was God's message and who was truly giving them God's message, but some of them still chose to believe what they wanted to hear instead of choosing to believe the truth. They refused to surrender to God's authority. A false prophet's message can sound good. It can be close to the truth, but it is not the truth. God (through Jeremiah) kept saying—Listen! Listen to me! You are to surrender to this captivity. I will keep you safe while you are there. And when it it time for it to be over, I will bring you safely out of it and return you to your land. But you must surrender to my authority. 

You can be stubborn and refuse to surrender to God's will but that doesn't mean your plans will bring you success or help you to win. Oh, it may appear that you have achieved your goals, and you may think you have won. But, God is in control. What He says will happen—will happen. If necessary He will do what He says in Isaiah 37:29 - "I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. Then I will force you to leave my country the same way you came."

Jeremiah warned Hananiah but he didn't care and arrogantly continued on. Jeremiah told him, "The LORD says, 'I will remove you from the earth...' " and several months later God fulfilled His promise. God's will WILL be done. It will prevail.


Next Entry: Jeremiah 27:1 – 29:32 (Continued)

Jeremiah 24:1 – 26:24 (Continued)

October 31, 2011

The Cup.

Psalm 75:8 - "The LORD holds a cup of anger in his hand; it is full of wine mixed with spices. He pours it out even to the last drop, and the wicked drink it all."

Jeremiah 25:15 - "My anger is like the wine in a cup. Take it from my hand and make all the nations, to whom I am sending you, drink all of my anger from this cup."

Jeremiah 25:16 - "They will drink my anger..."

Jeremiah 25:17 - "So I took the cup... and made them drink from it."

Jeremiah 25: 19 & 26 - I made these people and nations "drink from the cup of the LORD's anger..."

Jeremiah 25:27 - "Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel says: Drink this cup of my anger. Get drunk from it and vomit. Fall down and don't get up because of the war I am sending among you!' "

Jeremiah 25:28 - "If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, say to them, 'the LORD All-Powerful says this: You must drink from this cup. Look! I am already bringing disaster... do you think you will not be punished? You will be punished!' "

Revelation 14:9–10 - "...If anyone worships the beast and his idol and gets the beast's mark on the forehead or on the hand, that one also will drink the wine of God's anger, which is prepared with all its strength in the cup of his anger."

Strong words. The choice of how we live our lives is our choice to make, but God is the One who chooses how we are held accountable. Do evil—and God will choose the punishment. We don't get to choose the punishment or the severity of it. It is God's choice. "You must drink from this cup... do you think you will not be punished? You will be punished."

There is also another mention of a cup in the Bible.

Luke 22:42–43 - "Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want." "Then an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him."

Jesus took God's cup of anger on behalf of you and me. He died for our sins, and He arose for our salvation. When we surrender our lives to His Lordship, and live our lives obeying and serving Him, we NEVER have to face the cup of God's anger. Jesus did that for us. But, to say we accept Him and then reject His teachings, and continue to nail Him to the cross as described in Hebrews 6:4–8, then we open ourselves up to the Holy Wrath of God and He will choose our punishment, and we will drink the anger of His cup—all of it.

I choose to obey. I choose to follow His teachings. I choose His will for my life.

Isaiah 51:23 - "I will now give that cup of punishment to those who gave you pain, who told you, 'Bow down so we can walk over you.' They made your back like dirt for them to walk on; you were like a street for them to travel on."


Next Entry: Jeremiah 27:1 – 29:32

Jeremiah 24:1 – 26:24

October 28, 2011

Good Figs—OR—Bad Figs. Two different outcomes, the result of two very different choices. Blessings—verses—Curses. We are all given the option to choose which path we are going to take. The consequences we receive are a direct result of the choices we've made. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Good Figs - People who have chosen to surrender their wills to God's will. God says He will look after them. He will free them from bondage. He will build them up. He will plant them so they will grow. He will make them want to know Him even more. He will make them His people and He will be their God. They will return to God with their whole hearts. What God does for them will be "for their good."  (KJV)

Bad Figs - Rotten... too rotten to even be used (eaten). People who have refused to surrender their wills to God's. People who have insisted on following their own selfish ways. People who in their pride have elevated themselves to be their own god. And God compares them to rotten figs, something that is no longer valuable or useful in His service. God says He will make those people hated as an evil people. He will scatter them and people will make fun of them, tell jokes about them, point fingers at them, and curse them. God says He will send war, hunger, and disease against them. He will attack them until they are gone. Then they will no longer be in the land that was given to them and their ancestors. What God decided to do to them, "was for their hurt." (KJV)

Jeremiah 25 - summarizes Jeremiah's preaching. For 23 years Jeremiah warned the people—but they would not listen. The LORD sent many prophets to them over and over again, "But you have not listened or paid any attention to them." The prophets were telling them—Stop! "Stop your evil ways. Stop doing what is wrong! Don't follow other gods to serve them or to worship them. Don't make me, the LORD, angry by worshiping idols that are the work of your own hands, or I will punish you."

But the people did not listen. Instead of heeding the message they were angry at the messenger. How dare you! How dare you! That was their response. Jeremiah was relaying God's message. God told him to tell them everything and to not leave out a word. "Maybe they will listen and stop their evil ways." Say to them: "You must obey me and follow my teachings that I gave you." But they did not listen and chose instead to blame the messenger. For 23 years, Jeremiah urged them to "Change your lives and start doing good and obey the LORD your God. Then he will change his mind and not bring on you the disaster he told you about."

Some of the people wanted to kill Jeremiah because of the message he brought. Jeremiah responded, "As for me, I am in your power. Do to me what you think is good and right. But be sure of one thing. If you kill me, you will be guilty of killing an innocent person... the LORD truly sent me to you to give you this message." So the people decided not to kill Jeremiah because, "If we hurt Jeremiah, we will bring terrible disaster on ourselves."

But STILL they refused to listen to his message. 


Next Entry: Jeremiah 24:1 – 26:24 (Continued)

Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40 (Continued)

October 27, 2011

"You have acted like this since you were young; you have not obeyed me."

I have finally come to terms with the truth of that statement. For some people, disobedience is (and has been) a life-style choice, and is not a temporary "off-in-a-ditch" situation. Understanding that is one thing and accepting it is another. Accepting it and facing what the truth is—is hard—especially when it involves a family member. It means giving up false hope and wishful thinking. Oh, there will always be a ray of hope. Hoping they will "get it" and change their hearts and lives with a new way of thinking. (Ezekiel 18:30–32) But, "the storm" we are facing is not a temporary-off-in-a-ditch situation. That kind of situation lends itself to greater hope for realization and restoration, to God first and foremost, and then as a matter of course, to others around you.

Repenting and returning from a slide off into a ditch is one thing. Repenting and returning from a choice to disregard God's authority in your life, ("I will not listen.") is something else entirely. Someone who has slid in a ditch is more likely to: 1) recognize they are in a ditch; and 2) want to get out of the ditch and back on firm ground. Therefore, abundant hope.

But the person, who for a lifetime has created a pattern of rejecting God's commands; of hiding behind appearances; of using people for their own gain; who "feel free to hurt people and steal from them"; who have purposely chosen to say, "I will not listen"; for that person there is a ray of hope (because God is always pursuing us) but there is not the abundant hope. Their lifestyle is the "norm" for them. Why would they want to change? They don't see the need for change.

Ezekiel 18:30–32 - "So I will judge you, people of Israel; I will judge each of you by what you do, says the LORD God. Change you hearts and stop all your sinning so sin will not bring you ruin. Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to die, people of Israel? I do not want anyone to die, says the LORD God, so change your hearts and lives so you may live."

Ray of hope. I will always hold on to a ray of hope, but the truth is the truth. Some people choose to disobey and ignore God's warnings. It's hard to let go of wishful thinking. I so wanted to believe what I wanted to believe; to have abundant hope for changed lives; and to believe people would want to change. But unfortunately, many people don't even see a need for change. Jeremiah 14:10 - "They love to wander from me." Why would they want to change from what they love to do? Why would they want to change from a life-time pattern of "I will not listen?" Why would they want to change from the "norm"? The truth sometimes hurts. But the truth is—the truth.

Jeremiah 22:22–23 - Like a storm, you will be sent away and taken into captivity. You will be shamed and disgraced because of all the wicked things you did. You feel safe now. You live in your cozy rooms that you have built for yourself. But your punishment will come. And when it comes—how you will groan.

The LORD goes on to say, "Even if you were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off." We cannot use and abuse God's grace by claiming Him as Savior but then continue to live however we please and still think we live under His protection. Judah thought they could do what they wanted because they were His people. It doesn't work that way.

Jeremiah 23 starts out with five words that are used over and over throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah as the beginning of a statement:

How terrible it will be....

But, there will come a time when He will raise up a good branch who "will do what is fair and right in the land" and He will be called, "The LORD Does What is Right."

The false prophets will be punished. They live as if there were no God. They do what they want, even in the temple of the LORD. They think they are above the rules, and they think they have gotten away with it. But, the LORD All-Powerful says they will be held accountable. They will be defeated. Disaster will come upon them. This is what the LORD All-Powerful says:  

• Don't pay attention to them
• They are trying to fool you
• They have fooled themselves

They make up things in their minds and then try to say it comes from God. They try to assure themselves and others by saying, "you will have peace" and "nothing bad will happen to you." But those are false messages. They do not come from God. God's messages bring conviction and demands accountability. It is not a "feel good do whatever you want" message. The false prophets claimed to have messages from God, but they had never stood in the meeting of angels. They were only saying what the people wanted to hear. If they had spoken the truth they would have turned the people from their evil ways and from doing evil. But because they didn't, "punishment from the LORD will come like a storm. His anger will be like a hurricane. It will come swirling down on the heads of those wicked people. The LORD's anger will not stop until he finishes what he plans to do. (Psalm 75:8) When that day is over, you will understand this clearly. I did not send those prophets, but they ran to tell their message. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied anyway."

Jeremiah 23:23–24 - "I am a God who is near... I am also a God who is far away. No one can hide where I cannot see him. I fill all of heaven and earth."

How long? How long will these prophets continue to believe their delusional thinking? Straw is not the same as wheat. I (God) am against false prophets. They use their own words. They steal words from each other and claim they are from me. "They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings!" "I did not send them..." In Jeremiah 23:30–31 - God says three times, "I am against false prophets."

Jeremiah 23:28b - "Let the person who hears my message speak it truthfully."


Next Entry: Jeremiah 24:1 – 26:24

Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40 (Continued)

October 26, 2011

How terrible it will be—

• for those who build their wealth by doing evil
• for those who cheat others to benefit themselves

They use and abuse people for their own gain. "You only look for and think about what you can get dishonestly." You are interested in "appearances," wanting the best so other people will be impressed by your so-called importance. It's all about you and what you want. Pride controls your decision making and ethics. You will do whatever it takes to get ahead. "You are even willing to kill innocent people to get it. You feel free to hurt people and to steal from them." You don't think the rules or laws apply to you. Fluid. You want to "appear" to be great. But appearances mean nothing. "Appearing" to be a Christ follower means nothing. The truth about how we live is what is important. 

Jeremiah explains what kind of choices you need to make.

    "He did what was right and fair,
        so everything went will with him." (Jeremiah 22:15)
    "He helped those who were poor and needy,
        so everything went well with him." (Jeremiah 22:16)

"This is what it means to know God," says the LORD. "Appearances" mean nothing. The truth will come out. God knows. In Jeremiah 22:21 God says, "I warned you, but you said, 'I will not listen'." "You have acted like this since you were young; you have not obeyed me." Once again—pride. The determination to be in control yourself, to be the god of your own life, has been the root of the problem since youth.


Next Entry: Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40 (Continued)

Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40

October 24, 2011

For the last week I have lived in these chapters reading them over and over again. It's been a week of conflicting emotions. On one hand, it has been an incredibly wonderful week. Our family (all ten of us) spent five days in Brown County State Park together. It was such a fun, relaxing time having the kids and grand-kids all together. So much fun hiking, swimming, hayrides, trick or treat trail, laughing, talking, playing, eating, shopping, etc. Mom stayed with Dozer at our house. So, on one hand it was a wonderful week.

On the other hand, I have been living in these three chapters of Jeremiah—and God's patience is wearing out. The captivity of His people is about to happen. The Bible, almost from the beginning, has been leading up to this point. God has warned His people to change their hearts and minds but they keep refusing. They instead "love to wander from me" and refuse to repent and obey. God has been faithful on ALL He has promised, but His people have been unfaithful to Him. They continually break the first commandment: No other gods. They are ruled by their pride and stubborn refusal to submit to God's authority.

Over and over God pleads with them to return to Him. He sends prophets. He disciplines. He warns. He reminds them of His faithfulness. He does everything in His power and yet they still refuse, and now God's patience is gone. He is ready to turn them over to captivity. Their worst fears are about to be realized. Their "self-reign" is about to come to an end. Their main number one desire has been to be in control of their own lives, actions, future, etc. But soon, they will have no control because they are going to be led away into captivity. But even that is going to require submission to God's will.

Heavy, heavy stuff to contemplate. 

Nebuchadnezzar was attacking Judah. King Zedekiah sends messengers to Jeremiah to find out what the outcome would be. Zedekiah wanted to know if "maybe the LORD will do miracles for us as he did in the past so Nebuchadnezzar will stop attacking us and leave." Incredible. Zedekiah spent his time as king doing the very things God hated. (See II Kings 24:18 - 25:21 and II Chronicles 36:11-23) The people of Judah were already in deep trouble. They were already in partial bondage. But still they didn't "get it." They were still stubborn, refusing to follow God, and insisting on being their own god. Why on earth would Zedekiah, who had spent his life doing the very things God hated, now think that "maybe the LORD will do miracles for us as he did in the past..." If he knew about the miracles of the past, and understood God's power could save him in the future, then why not trust God in the here and now? In his daily walk and trials, why not trust God then? He, like most of us, relied on his own self-sufficiency until the situation was over his head then he turned to God, but it was too late.

God told Jeremiah to tell him that the weapons of war he intended to defend himself with would become useless. God himself would make them useless. Not only would the weapons be useless, but God said, "In my anger, my very great anger, I myself will fight against you with my great power and strength." What an awful thought. God, the All-mighty, the creator of the universe, fighting against you! The hopelessness. The finality. The mistaken notion of being in control—verses—the reality of having no control and the understanding that God Himself was fighting against you.  

God tells Jeremiah to tell the people of Jerusalem, "This is what the LORD says: I will let you choose to live or die." The judgment had already been decided. They were going into captivity. If they fought God's will and tried to avoid the captivity they would be destroyed, and they would be choosing to die. IF they accepted their consequences and surrendered to God's will (captivity) they would be choosing to live.

Not everyone chose to surrender. Some people went down fighting and refusing to accept God's will to the very end—their end. "I will let you choose to live or die." Obedience is our choice, always our choice. God will not force us to obey Him. He can and will do everything in His power to get us to surrender to Him, but He will not force us. He blinded Saul to get his attention, but it was still Saul's choice to become Paul. 

Even up to the very point of captivity, God was still trying to get His people to change their hearts and minds and follow His ways. "Do what is fair and right." Don't mistreat or hurt others. Judge fairly. Save those who are robbed from their attackers. Don't falsely accuse, harm, hurt, or kill innocent people. Carefully follow all of God's commands. If you do these things then all will go well with you. If you don't follow my commands, "I swear by my own name that this king's palace will become a ruin." IF—we refuse to surrender our will to HIS will, THEN—punishment and destruction happens as a direct result of our choices and our refusal to change our hearts and lives.  

Jeremiah said people will pass by the ruined city and ask why the destruction happened. The answer is: because they chose to quit following the LORD.

Our life choices DO matter!! 


Next Entry: Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40 (Continued)

Jeremiah 18:1 – 20:18

October 17, 2011

The power of free will choice is entirely ours. It was given to us by God. But our free will ends with whatever we choose. God is the One who determines the consequences for the choices we make. God gives Jeremiah the example of the Potter and the clay. The Potter (God) sometimes intends for the clay to be used for one purpose. But something happens, and the Potter (God) uses it to make something else instead.    

"Can't I do the same things with you? You are in my hand like the clay in the potter's hand." (Jeremiah 14:6)

God has the authority and power to "pull up by its roots" or "pull down to destroy." There is a direct correlation between the choices we make and God's decision to bless or discipline. 

"But if the people... stop doing the evil they have done, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to bring disaster to them." (Jeremiah 18:8)

God goes on to say that the opposite is true as well. He can have plans to "build up and plant" or to "pull down to destroy."

"But if I see them doing evil by not obeying me, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to do good for them."(Jeremiah 18:10)

God sent prophet after prophet to His people trying to get them to repent. He gave them every opportunity and chance to change their ways. But, as Jeremiah 14:10 says, "They really love to wander from me; they don't stop themselves from leaving me." Jeremiah 18:11-12 - This is what the LORD says: "I am preparing disaster for you and making plans against you. So stop doing evil. Change your ways and do what is right. But the people of Judah will answer – It won't do any good to try! We will continue to do what we want. Each of us will do what his stubborn, evil heart wants."

The problem of "I," doing what we want when we want instead of submitting ourselves to God's authority. And God asks, "Have you ever heard anything like this?" After all He had provided; after all He had freely given to them; they still rejected Him. The people and nations who honored false gods were loyal to them. But the people/nation whose God was the one and only true God, rejected Him. 

Then God makes a statement that ought to make every one of us shudder. It's found in Jeremiah 18:17 - "Like a strong east wind, I will scatter them before their enemies. At that awful time they will not see me coming to help them; they will see me leaving."

What a horrible, horrible thought. The thought of seeing God leaving. Too late. Done—over. His people were used to seeing God coming. They had become accustomed to being "His people"; having Him part the Red Sea; help them cross the Jordan; provide manna for them; and win great victories over their enemies. But along the way, "they loved to wander from me," and after repeatedly warning them and begging them to change their hearts, minds, and ways, God says—I have had enough. "At that awful time they will not see me coming to help them; they will see me leaving." Then they will know. Then they will know! It will be too late to change the consequences, but they will know, just as Pharaoh and the Egyptians KNEW before they were swallowed by the Red Sea.  

Again, what a horrible, horrible thought. When you KNOW God, and you understand (in the limited manner our finite human minds can understand), the Holy, Awesome, Power of the LORD God Almighty, the thought of "seeing" and watching God walking away and literally leaving you, ought to cause all of us to drop to our knees and it should bring tears to our eyes as we contemplate the Holy Wrath of God as He leaves those who refuse to change their hearts and minds and obey Him. And, the fact they will know He is leaving and they will see Him leaving, makes me shudder and tears well up in my eyes. Jeremiah 16:21b - "Then they will know that my name is the LORD." But it is too late.

What a disturbing and sobering thought.

And the people's response when God spoke to them, pleading with them and warning them through Jeremiah? Jeremiah 18:18 - "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah... let's ruin him by telling lies about him. We won't pay attention to anything he says." Notice, they didn't try to ruin Jeremiah by exposing the "truth" about him. No, they tried to ruin him by telling lies about him. They were willing to do anything and everything to avoid accepting responsibility for their decisions, actions, and choices. Choosing instead to try and ruin God's messenger by telling lies about him and refusing to pay attention to his/God's warnings.

It's so hard to understand why or how people who have known God; who have witnessed His faithfulness; who at one time claimed Him as LORD; could possibly become so blinded that they turn their backs on what they knew to be truth.  

It all starts with that first choice to willfully disobey and the decision to choose self-centeredness and self-sufficiency—pride. It starts us down a path away from God. The farther we go down that path the harder it is to return, and pretty soon the desire to return is gone and Jeremiah 14:10 becomes true, "They really love to wander from me; they don't stop themselves from leaving me." Their response to God's warnings is to make their necks even stiffer and their determination to be in control grows even stronger. The ability to self-deceive increases and pretty soon:

Jeremiah 8:5 - "They believe their own lies and refuse to turn around and come back."
Jeremiah 9:3 - "Lies, not truth have grown strong... they do not know who I am."
Isaiah 29:16 - "(They) are confused. (They) think the clay is equal to the potter."
Jeremiah 5:21 - "They have eyes, but they don't really see. They have ears, but they don't really listen."
Jeremiah 5:12 - They think, "He will not do anything to us!"

They've traded the truth of God for lies; they decide to follow their selfish ways.

Jeremiah goes to God and says, "Listen to what my accusers are saying! Good should not be paid back with evil, but they have dug a pit in order to kill me." Jeremiah prayed for God's mercy for them, but they only wanted his destruction. Then Jeremiah prayed for God to hold them accountable.  Jeremiah 18:22 - "Let all this happen, because my enemies have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet." (Psalm 140 - Her Name Was Jane)

Jeremiah 18:23 - "LORD, you know about all their plans to kill me." Jeremiah did not seek revenge. He instead took his complaint before the LORD and left it in the LORD's hand. "Vengeance is mine," says the LORD. God knows. And that is enough.

God again uses the illustration of a clay jar and describes Judah as a broken jar. God declares that He will bring disaster and destruction upon His people because of their refusal to turn from their evil ways and obey Him. Jeremiah 19:7 - "I will ruin the plans of the people." Jeremiah was prophesying in Topeth. Isaiah 30 talks about Topeth. It was a valley where people burned the bodies of criminals and animals, along with garbage—clearly a place of destruction. Isaiah 30:33 - "Topeth has been made ready for a long time; ... the LORD's breath will come like a stream of burning sulfur and set it on fire." Jeremiah 7:29-34 also talks about Topeth, a horrible place and symbol of destruction.

Jeremiah left Topeth. He went to the LORD's temple, stood in the courtyard and said to all the people. "This is what the LORD, All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I will soon bring disaster to Jerusalem and the villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because the people are very stubborn and do not listen at all to what I say.' " (Jeremiah 19:15)

And Pashhur's (the priest) response? He was angry and had Jeremiah beaten (40 lashes) and then bound his hands, feet, and neck in stocks, and left him there over night. When Jeremiah was released he said, "The LORD's name for you is not Pashhur. Now His name for you is Terror on Every Side." Terror was going to happen to him and his friends. They were going to be taken captive, their wealth was going to be taken away, and they were going to be forced away. Terror.On. Every.Side.

Jeremiah complains. He was being faithful. He was declaring the words God gave him to say, but all he got was insults, ridicule and blame from the people. They called him "terror on every side." Jeremiah thought maybe he just wouldn't talk about God's words anymore. But he couldn't stop. He could not hold in the words of God that burned within him. People whispered about him. They plotted against him. The lay in wait hoping he would make a mistake. Jeremiah 20:10b - "Maybe we can trick him so we can defeat him and pay him back."

Pay him back. Hmmm. For what?? His crime? Honesty and faithfulness to God. Compassion and mercy for them. A desire to see them repent and be saved. And their desire is "to pay him back."  

"BUT! the LORD is with me like a strong warrior, so those who are chasing me will trip and fall; they will not defeat me. They will be ashamed because they have failed, and their shame will not be forgotten." Jeremiah 20:11

"Lord All-Powerful, you test good people; you look deeply into the heart and mind of a person. I have told you my arguments against these people, so let me see you give them the punishment they deserve." Jeremiah 20:12

"Sing to the LORD! He saves the live of the poor from the power of the wicked." Jeremiah 20:13

Beside these verses I have written two Psalms as Cross References: Psalm 112 and Psalm 124.

Psalm 112: "Praise the LORD! Happy are those who respect the LORD, who want what he commands. Their descendants will be powerful in the land; the children of honest people will be blessed. Their houses will be full of wealth and riches, and their goodness will continue forever. A light shines in the dark for honest people, for those who are merciful and kind and good. It is good to be merciful and generous. Those who are fair in their business will never be defeated. Good people will always be remembered. They won't be afraid of bad news; their hearts are steady because they trust the LORD. They are confident and will not be afraid; they will look down on their enemies. They give freely to the poor. The things they do are right and will continue forever. They will be given great honor. The wicked will see this and become angry; they will grind their teeth in anger and then disappear. The wishes of the wicked will come to nothing."

Beside this chapter I have written: April 2008 - God's promise. I wrote this as God's promise. just a few days before Jane spoke her last God-given promise to us—Jeremiah 33.

Psalm 124: What if the LORD had not been on our side? (Let Israel repeat this.) What if the LORD had not been on our side when we were attacked? When they were angry with us they would have swallowed us alive. They would have been like a flood drowning us; they would have poured over us like a river. They would have swept us away like a mighty stream. Praise the LORD, who did not let them chew us up. We escaped like a bird from the hunter's trap. The trap broke, and we escaped. Our help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

Addendum: 2/22/17 ~ I've been thinking about the irony of the people being loyal to false gods and the lack of  loyalty to THE God. False gods—loyalty. The One and only True God—no loyalty.

Why is that? I believe the answer is this: False gods are chosen by the people. They are in control of who or what they decide to make a god and so while they are being loyal, they are being loyal to what they chose. On the other hand, to be loyal to the One and only True God, it requires our submission to Him. It requires understanding and accepting the

God 

↓

man 

relationship.  He is God—I am not. "I" don't get to choose who my god is going to be. "I" have to surrender to the authority to the One and only True God, and that is what people fight against. From the beginning of time, that is the basis of the struggle of humanity because we want to be in control. If we are going to surrender to the One and only True God we must daily die to self, surrender ALL, and change our hearts and minds. It's the only way. 


Next Entry: Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40