TODAY’S READING FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT- JEREMIAH 42:1-44:23;
You would have thought that the indisputable fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies would have convinced everyone that he was a true prophet of God. But no. They ask for his counsel but refuse to heed it.
“Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do”, they ask (Jeremiah 42:3).
When Jeremiah tells them that they are to remain in the land of Judah and not go to Egypt, they reject his counsel and accuse him of telling lies (43:2). They insist on going to Egypt and returning to their idol worship.
Jeremiah 44:16-17 16 “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you! 17 “But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune.
How deceived they were! They imagined that they were being blessed by worshiping their idols, not realizing that they were putting themselves under a curse.
Jeremiah continues to be the weeping prophet whose words go unheeded. He tells it like it is:
Jeremiah 44:23 23 “Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”
TODAY’S READING FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT – 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-21
Paul is passing on his final words to his protégé, Timothy. He reminds Timothy of the worthiness of the cause and the sufficiency of God’s supply. It is tough to be a minister of the gospel in times of persecution.
2 Timothy 2:1 1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Paul reminds Timothy of his calling. He is to fulfill the Lord’s Great Commission by making disciples:
2 Timothy 2:2 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
He is to select those who are faithful, reliable, available and teachable. He is to pass on the foundational truths he has received from the apostle Paul to men who will be faithful to pass it on to others.
Notice that there are four generations in this charge: 1. Paul 2. Timothy 3. Faithful men and 4. The others they will be teaching and will pass it on.
Paul explains that we need a ‘wartime mentality’ describing the Christ-follower as a soldier. (2 Tim 2:2-5). We need ‘a strict discipline’, like that of a competing athlete (2 Tim 2:5). We need to work hard in this present season, whatever it may be. If we plant, water, and tend to the harvest, there will be a great reward at the return of Christ (2 Tim 2:6).
In Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, when he is ministering with his team of Silas and Timothy, as well as the many who were holding fast to the faith, he referred to the gospel as ‘our gospel’. Now he is alone in prison and he is clutching to the very source of his life and strength. This is ‘my gospel’ (2 Timothy 2:8).
Paul is suffering being confined in chains, but confesses that God’s word is not chained! (2:9). God’s Word is still at work.
Paul makes it very clear that this is not ‘the best life now’. If we endure (suffering with Him) we will also reign with Him (in the future)! He has the hope of the kingdom. He also knows the danger of apostacy. If we disown Him, He will also disown us.
Our faith may waver, but Jesus is a Savior for our wavering faith, He cannot disown Himself. He is able to save us to the uttermost.
How can we be workmen who need not be ashamed? Be careful how you handle the Word of truth.
Who were Hymenaeus and Philetus? They were those who said that believers were misinterpreting the gospel promise that we shall receive glorified bodies when Christ returns. They said the resurrection promised, was not to be taken literally, but was merely symbolic, representing a spiritual resurrection.
Paul reminds Timothy that our choices matter. Our responses to God’s grace can play a part in determining how God will use us in the future.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
TODAY’S READING FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS – PSALMS 92:1-93:5
It is good to praise the Lord throughout the day! The Lord made us to be musical instruments. We are to make music, whether we have musical instruments or not!
The Psalmist writes about what inspires his songs: His deeds, the works of His hands, His profound thoughts, His victory over every enemy, and the way He causes His people to grow and flourish like the majestic trees of the Middle East.
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar planted in the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 92:12) They are like palm trees that stand tall and live long. They are like the cedars that grow to 120 feet in height and are up to 30 feet in circumference. They are strong, solid trees, that cannot be toppled by the winds of adversity.
This song is a tribute to the Supremacy of God over all things!
TODAY’S READING FROM THE BOOK OF PROVERBS- PROVERBS 26:3-5;
Proverbs 26:3-5 3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes.
PRAY FOR THE NATIONS – SERBIA
Serbia
(from Operation World and Prayercast.com)
Republic of Serbia
Europe
Captured sixty times and destroyed thirty-eight times, Serbia’s beautiful capital city Belgrade exemplifies the war and civil unrest that the Balkan peninsula has undergone over the past two millennia. A landlocked nation within the Balkan state, Serbia also includes two autonomous provinces: Vojvodina and Kosovo. Serbia’s geography consists of flatlands in the north, forested hills in the middle, and mountains in the south, with the Danube River passing through the capital city of Belgrade.
Forty-five years of Communism, inclusion in Yugoslavia, and the devastating Balkan wars that followed have all left Serbia with a bitter legacy and a desperate economy. The recent global economic crisis and the effects of war have led to high unemployment rates. A past littered with what most of the world perceives as ethno-religious hatred and cleansing haunts Serbia even today.
For most Serbians, ethnicity and religion go hand-in-hand. Primarily Orthodox (73%), 80% of the population claim Christianity. Over half of these would see their faith as cultural and part of their ethnic identity, leading to rampant nominalism. The Serbian Orthodox Church has suppressed other churches, often in totalitarian fashion. Non-Serbian Orthodox churches are increasingly attacked, Muslim/Christian relations remain tense, and hostility against Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists is also prevalent. Protestantism has had a history of influence on Hungarian and Slovak minorities, but its impact on Serbs has been minimal, with only about half of the local believers being ethnically Serbs. But despite deep divisions within the faith community and difficult cultural hurdles, a tiny but growing body of evangelical believers is attempting to overcome ethnic division by worshipping together in unity.
Geography
Area: 88,147 sq. km
Landlocked Balkan state. Serbia has two autonomous provinces, Vojvodina in the north and Kosovo in the south.
Population: 7,771,633 Annual Growth: -0.22%
Capital: Belgrade
Urbanites: 52.4%
HDI Rank: 67 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Serbian Languages: 21 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian
|
Religion |
|
Pop % |
Ann Gr |
|
6,246,061 |
80.37 |
-0.3 |
|
|
45,580 |
0.6 |
1.8 |
Here is a Prayercast for Serbia: https://prayercast.com/serbia.html
Challenges for Prayer
Outreach challenges. Pray specifically for:
- a) Compassionate ministry to war refugees from the former Yugoslavia – millions were uprooted and became refugees or internally displaced. Few have returned to their original homes due to further balkanization of ethnic groups. Inevitably, trauma and disillusionment will open hearts to sensitive Christian ministry. Many organizations, indigenous and foreign (Bread of Life, Eurovangelism, MCC), share Jesus’ love through practical aid – and they see responsiveness.
- b) Young people are the most responsive, having seen the destruction wrought by their parents’ generation.
i Children. CEF and others actively reach out to children and train national Christians to do the same.
ii Students. EUS(IFES) has groups on most campuses in Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad. There is a vision to extend ministry to other areas for student witness. Camps, conferences and seminars train and equip Christians to share the good news effectively. Alpha and Omega is the publishing arm of EUS.
iii Addicts. A growing trend. Through shelters and Christ-centered rehabilitation, Teen Challenge Serbia ministers to young men and women suffering from drug abuse.
PRAYER: Lord, You have said that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Forgive us for those times we have asked for Your counsel, but then not heeded it. We realize that true believers will be heeders. We ask that You inspire us and direct us to fulfill the Great Commission. Help us to disciple those who will be faithful, available and teachable, and will also be able to teach others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
- Pastor David