Bible In One Year-Day 139 (Monday, May 19, 2014)

Commentary: Jer4-6. Jeremiah was born in the time of Manasseh, the king who revived witchcraft in Jerusalem; he never received his calling until the time of Josiah, the son of Manasseh. In the initial moment of his calling, he faced some grievous opposition because he proclaimed God’s warnings to Judah for defecting to idolatry. The opposition was so bad that he withdrew for a while from answering God’s calling until God came to encourage him that He would put his words in his mouth and promised protection and guidance. The best way Jeremiah could describe the problem between God and His love was to liken it to a marriage that is breaking up into divorce (Jer2-3) and extra-marital affairs or harlotry; broken heart. Despite the breaking of God’s heart, He still made provisions and conditions for restoration; Jeremiah 4:1-2 “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”

They rejected God’s offer and leaned on their own understanding and counsel. They trusted in their own ability and strength which eventually drove away God’s blessings; their land did not yield food and there was no rain to water their dryness. It is one thing for us to work hard, but it is another thing for God to bless it. The sins of these people drove away God’s blessings;

Jeremiah 5:23-25 “But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.”

The manner in which the rain falls in the physical is the same manner in which blessing falls in the spiritual (showers of blessings). Blessing does not fall on a life living in iniquity. The mere fact that you have something to take home now does not mean one is still right with God’s heart. A tree could be dead at the root and still have its leaves green for a while. Termites could have invaded a home but still have the paintings covering the wood on the outside. Judah and Israel were disconnected from God and there was internal decay without their knowing. God made this known to them through prophets but they never yielded to the words of God. This was what made Jeremiah to weep after seeing how horrible it would be for Jerusalem. Chapter6 was the last warning God gave to Jerusalem. He sent prophets and priests to them but they remained adamant; Jeremiah 6:16-17 “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.”

God is still warning somebody out there today who has gone out of His covenant and joined with another. Everything we do to sin breaks the heart of God. Many run away from reading Deut29-30 because it contains a lot of “curse are ye …” To run from reading them isn’t the protection from these curse but knowing what brings any of these curses to be is what matters. Taking one’s eyes away from looking towards a cemetery while passing by does not mean one will not die and be buried there one day. We need to flee every known sin. We should not compromise. When you compromise, you are agreeing to the terms binding the agreement which is contrary to God’s warning; Exodus 20:5 “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” Let us ask for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. May His grace be sufficient for us in the name of Jesus. Our next reading for today is Jer7-9. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Bible In One Year-Day 138 (Sunday, May 18, 2014)

Commentary: Jeremiah1-3. Prophet Jeremiah, a symbol of God’s purpose and intention, was born 70 years after Prophet Isaiah died.

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

His life reveals to us that we cannot know who we are and what we are created for without the Spirit of the Creator. In the testimonies of the Bible, we could see that many did not know purpose and essence of their being until after they encountered the Divine, our Creator. Such people include Moses who never mentioned God before he came in contact with God on the mountain. He asked God to teach him how to introduce Him to the Hebrews. Gideon did not know who he was also. The Angel of the Lord called him “mighty man of valor” but he described himself as ordinary man and the least of his kindred. Jeremiah is not exempted in this wise also. In the following verse, he described himself the way he perceived himself;

Jeremiah 1:6 “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”

But God told him to stop regarding himself as irrelevant based on age or the way he viewed himself; with ordinary eyes. Immediately after this correction, he was transformed into another man when God’s Spirit entered him in form of His word.

Jeremiah 1:9 “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.”

His life never remained the same again; he started seeing beyond the ordinary and fear disappeared from his heart; people that mattered did not like him for his rebuking messages. He had a positive ministry but full of powerful oppositions which landed him prisons, went through physical abuses and suffered great deal of rejection. The step to his empowerment started from his acknowledging his weaknesses and limitations; this is humility which God desires in His own. Jeremiah had his weaknesses which were evident in his emotional breakdown in delivering God’s messages. He delivered heartbreaking messages against the sinfulness of the people of Judah for forty years. He had his struggles, but God saw him through. His prophecies were not written in the order in which they were delivered.

There are two things to learn from this man’s life; ability to see well and correct interpretation of the divine assignment. Before the Spirit of God came into him, he could not see well and, as such, could not properly understand God’s presence, purpose and intention. But after his encounter, the story changed;

Jeremiah 1:11-12 “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.”

In the womb, Jeremiah was prepared, made and ordained for a purpose which was hidden from him. This means there was a treasure in him which was hidden and it took the Spirit of the Person who put the treasure there to expose it. God had perfected His agenda in Jeremiah right from the womb but the authority to release this was not given to him until God officially authorized him to do so. The ability to release this purpose is POWER which lies only on God. God will only work on His word.

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

The release of the preciousness of this treasure is ONLY of God and not of human being. This lies in the similar narration of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isa45:3;

Isaiah 45:3 “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”

His calling is based on what He has invested in you; the treasures of darkness, the hidden riches of secret places. These are not physical things but spiritual matter. God must be glorified in the release and the use of this power. When you see people boast of these, then such still has some problems to solve.

Isaiah 10:15 “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.”

Ephesians 2:9 “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The release of the power is in HIS own way and not ours. The manner in which He does it in the calling of Brother A is different from that of Brother B; they are also in diverse measures but for the same purpose.

Jeremiah 9:24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

Jeremiah was called in the womb but was commissioned in Jeremiah 1:9-10. To be called is not to be commissioned or chosen. To be commissioned is to be chosen or appointed or specifically assign a task in a project, activity or operation.

Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

When you are called, remain under instructions; don’t set out! If you are to set out, the owner of the work will give you the Spirit of the assignment. God will never send you out without giving you power and authority that will soar you over all oppositions (Matt20:1/ Mark6:7);

Luke 9:1 “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”

No person in the scripture made it without the Spirit of the assignment. If you reject instructions under the supervision of another person God is using to prepare you, you cannot fully obey and be submissive to the Spirit of the assignment if He ever gives you; and God’s calling is all about OBEDIENCE; obedience to the WORD of God and not to emotional weakness. Apostle Paul was called but waited for his divine commissioning, appointment and separation;

Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

Paul was called but had a different time for his separation. Since God is Spirit, His things are done by His Spirit and in the spirit; not in the soul of man (emotion, will and mind of man). Attempt to get things done outside of this truth is seeking for trouble from Satan and from God. Things of the spirit must be addressed spiritually. God will begin to perform His works when He has proved His word in you. Jesus testified to this;

John 14:10 “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak to you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

You can only know who you are when the Spirit of truth rests on you and you could truly understand divine things only by the interpretation of the Spirit;

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

From Jeremiah’s appointment, we could see that God is omniscience, (knows individual in and out), can appoint anybody for any task without seeking permission from anywhere and He only gives His authority to whoever He appoints. These are what change a person’s status which makes demons and problems tremble. But if you allow offences and bitterness to separate you, the same will be the message on the pulpit and God is not where His word isn’t. You need to be commissioned by His Spirit for the right task; this is His WILL. Our reading for today is Jer4-6. Keep the fire burning and alive

1 Corinthians 12:3-7 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

2 Corinthians 10:13 “But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even to you. And you can truly”

Bible In One Year-Day 137 (Saturday, May 17, 2014)

Commentary: 2Kings24-25. There are things that shouldn’t take over a child of God if at all it ever happened to him or her. However, in all situations, we need to consider our ways. If a child of God is neglected and it seems no one is there for him or her, it is not a failure, neither is it a curse. The most reliable and trusted person could be a disappointment in time of dear need; it is not a curse or a failure. This is bound to happen a times in order to prepare us for another level. However, if the anger of the Lord is to the extreme as it was against Judah, one is therefore doomed;

2 Kings 24:3-4 “Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.”

God Himself supervised the attack on Judah, the victor became the victim and the master became the servant. God could use anything to effect His judgment. Severally, He used the Assyrians to spank the Israelites in the chapters we had read so far; Isaiah 10:5 “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.” Nebuchadnezzar was an instrument here in chapters24 and 25. The kings and important people of Judah were ridiculed, molested and carried captive. The poor ones were left uncared for. All the works of the temple which Solomon took credit for were burnt down. When a man is rejected, the work of his hands will be rejected also. Witchcraft stole the heart of Solomon and he lost a prestigious place with the Lord. The beauty of the temple he spent years to build was razed down within 24 hours. The books of Samuel and Kings were political history of the kingdoms (within and without); quite messy tussle for power, independence and dominion. In this messy political confrontations and battles, Jehoiachim, King of Judah, was held captive for 37 years. All important people and his mother were carried with him. His uncle, Mattaniah, was installed in his stead. The king of Babylon even went ahead to give him a name which was easier for him to pronounce, Zedekiah. Unfortunately, along the line he was dealt with by the same king who installed him; 2 Kings 25:6-7 “So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.”

Evidently, you can’t be stronger than the powers that installed you when it comes to spiritual matters; only in Jesus could you overcome. One of the ways to deal with rebellious leaders in those days was to pluck out their eyes. The last thing Zedekiah saw before his eyes were removed was the death of his children. Two prophets actually lived during all these political rubbish; Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah was born in the time of Manasseh. He could not stand the idolatrous lives of the two kingdoms and this was why he was called the weeping prophet. He warned Zedekiah severally about the impending danger of idolatry, but Zedekiah listened to the counsels of his lieutenants rather than the voice of God. There is no protection for whoever rejects the word of God. The smell of God is in His words; you can’t find Him where His word is not. It was during his own time that Jerusalem fell. All along, Jehoiachim was in captivity. His restoration at the end of chapter25 was a sign of hope for a repentant nation, Jer29:10-14.

We need to read the book of Jeremiah next to have more in-depth knowledge of God’s dealing with His people. The reading for today is Jeremiah1-3. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say to you, Till heaven and earth shall pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Bible In One Year-Day 136 (Friday, May 16, 2014)

Commentary: 2Kings21-23. Though King Manasseh was King Hezekiah’s son, he never followed his father’s good steps in the Lord. Though he lived longest amongst the kings, his ways were quite evil in the sight of the Lord. He promoted witchcraft and idolatry in the land of Judah. His reign brought unmatched defilement in the land to the point that God couldn’t keep quiet over it anymore;

2 Kings 21:10-12 “And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.”

From God’s pronouncement, we could see that Manasseh’s atrocities surpassed that of the former inhabitants of the land and God, being a just God, judged him along that line. The cry over Jerusalem in the spirit realm was the cry of vengeance by innocent blood. Manasseh painted Jerusalem red with the blood of innocent people;

2 Kings 21:16 “Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.”

God sent prophets to him but wouldn’t listen; he continued carrying out his evil imaginations. Though he was of the descendant of those having covenant with God, violating the rules binding the covenant was a thing God couldn’t tolerate. Christians who abuse grace are threading the path of Manasseh. Christians who interpret God’s word to encourage flesh are threading Manasseh’s path. Those who had godly parents but have decided to go another way are in the same category. Those Christians who have compromised the faith for any reason, political or otherwise, are absolutely threading on Manasseh’s path. He was a king who made Judah to sin. Politicians who encourage ungodly act for the purpose of their selfish political ambitions are the present day Manasseh. What we read in the Bible or see around us as God’s judgment are for our examples and not fairy tales as some think;

2 Peter 2:6 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample to those that after should live ungodly;”

Jesus Himself warned us seriously against acts that invokes God’s judgment which we have witnessed in one way or the other in Luke 13:3 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Every one of us will be given fair hearing on the Day of Judgment; the collared and non-collared Christians, the unbelievers also. Actions will be weighed and books will be read. It would be disastrous for those who have tasted grace but compromised faith in one way or the other. What Manasseh did in Judah was not a good thing. He is likened to somebody who uses God’s blessings and grace to feed God’s enemies. His grandson, Josiah was a good man, but the havoc Manasseh did still affected him despite his love for God. This is the extent to which ancestral sin could negatively affect peoples’ lives;

2 Kings 23:25 “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.”

Josiah did thorough spiritual sanitation in the land of Judah and even made them to read the book of the law that was removed from governance (separation of the state and religion). It will surprise us to know that the last time Passover was observed was in the time of Joshua, Josh5:11. Josiah restored observance of Passover in the land of Judah., 2Kings23:21-22. He fulfilled the prophecy that was passed over the altar built by Jeroboam;

1 Kings 13:2 “And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.”

One may wonder why Josiah had to die a cruel death in the hand of his enemies. Josiah was born to fulfill prophecy, i.e. he was prophecy in human flesh.

We need to learn from these two major characters in the three chapters we read. What God says He would do, He will surely do it. How a man dies is not what really matter but how he lived his life as far as God is concerned. Let us live a godly life for the sake of the generation unborn. Hezekiah was to blame in this matter in that his final statement was very selfish, he never cared about the future of his descendant;

2 Kings 20:19 “Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?

Our next reading is to conclude 2Kings, i.e. 2Kings24&25. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Mark 6:11 “And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

Bible In One Year-Day 135 (Thursday, May 15, 2014)

Commentary: 2Kings18-20. Hezekiah, an unusual King in Judah, was ruthless against idolatry. His walk with God was likened to that of David and even beyond in that he broke and destroyed the serpent Moses made for the Israelites when they were faced with some difficulties on their journey to the Promised Land. They had perverted the purpose and idolized it. Apart from that, the serpent was done with its purpose. The hatred he had for idolatry made him to remove the serpent from their midst. Unfortunately, many ministries are still following traditions, not following the leading of the Holy Spirit and this has become idols in their midst. This was what Jesus condemned within the Jews.

Matthew 15:3 “But he answered and said to them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”

Mark 7:13 “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

This cannot redeem anyone, no matter how long one remain in that tradition.

1 Peter 1:18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;”

Though we had Kings before Hezekiah who did what was right in the sight of God, he was different in the sense that he removed the high places which others left untouched. He made sure that his people were restored in the real way of worship in Jerusalem. King of Assyria came to ridicule Hezekiah based on his trust in the God of Israel and even extended the mockery to the God of Israel by comparing Him with other gods;

2 Kings 18:33-35 “Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?”

Hezekiah did not deny his stand with the God of the universe. It was true he had no might as the king of Assyria. He, however, went humbly into the power house of God to tender his grievance. He called Prophet Isaiah into the issue; a lesson for us to know where to go when the enemy or a problem wants to ridicule us and our God. In difficult situations we should learn to call on God in a secluded place where we could hear Him. Hezekiah is very good in tendering prayer letters before God and he was never disappointed at anytime; 2 Kings 19:3 “And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.”

Isaiah read to Hezekiah the reply of God to his letter

2 Kings 19:6-7 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.Behold, I will send a blast (or spirit) upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

From God’s response, we could notice an uncommon weapon God used, “spirit of rumor”. This spirit summoned the servant of the king of Assyria home that he was needed. Christians should be very careful about this spirit. By this spirit, churches rise against one another, men of God condemn one another concerning their callings, and enmities bred amongst Christian brethren. The enemy uses this spirit to bring division in the body of Christ. The spirit of rumor isn’t a good spirit but it could still answer to God when needed. Just as He approved the spirit of lying to deceive the prophets of Baal against King Ahab, He used the spirit of rumor to summon the servant of king of Assyria home to meet his death because he requested for the manifestation of the power of the God Hezekiah trusted in.. The king of Assyria again sent another message to Hezekiah. Again, Hezekiah tendered the evil message before God; 2 Kings 19:14 “And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” Hezekiah’s prayer was deep over this letter and God had no option but to answer. God gave a profound poetic response which wasted no time in coming to pass. Again Hezekiah received a clinical prophecy of death in chapter20, he tender it to God in prayer without wasting time. The life of Hezekiah was one that symbolized the affliction of the righteous. However, he never gave up trusting and praying to Him. The prayer he offered in each problem was deep and effectual; the prayers touched God.

Psalms 11:7 “For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”

All these rages were because he pulled down the evil altars in high places. When you go into warfare against ancient gates these are the problems you face; the rage of darkness. But we need to know that God will never forsake His own. Psalm2 says “why do the heathen rage and people imagine a vain thing …” Hezekiah refused to compromise his faith and trust in God and he never regretted. The second stanza of this hymn is quite encouraging “What a friend we have in Jesus”

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

The question I have for you is “are you getting tired of writing letters to God?” I admonish you to learn from King Hezekiah; Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Our reading for today is 2Kings21-23. Keep the fire burning and alive. GOD IS NEVER TIRED OF READING YOUR LETTERS.

Psalms 50:15 “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Psalms 91:15 “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

Psalms 97:11 “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.”

Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”