Archive for March, 2026
Promises Broken, Promises Kept
In Jeremiah 33, we see that the prophet Jeremiah was still in prison but received another message from the Lord. God promises to fight for Judah and announces that her enemies would end up dead. None of this is based on Israel’s response to God because they continued in their rebellion and disobedience, which is why God needed to purge once again rebels in that nation. However, He was also looking forward to a time when another Israelite generation would exist, a generation that would be obedient to Him. Because of this, the Lord would bring about Judah’s healing and prosperity.
Crash Course in Hebrews, Pt 1
The book of Hebrews contains warnings to its readers in Hebrews 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12. It is extremely easy to miss the point of the warnings by taking from them meaning that doesn’t belong if people fail to comprehend the background and context of the situation. I don’t have time or space to go over each chapter and every verse. Suffice it to say that Hebrews opens with the writer expressing the fact that Jesus is supreme and His supremacy is over all things and all religious systems, including the Mosaic sacrificial system. This point is brought out in various ways throughout Hebrews and we need to take note of it.
What’s a Christian to Do?
Regardless of what you might believe about a Christian and self-defense, I still insist that being aware of your surroundings is the first and best alternative to being oblivious to what is going on around you. I contend that if a person is fully aware of what is going on around them, the chances of them being the victim are slimmer. Too many people walk through life clueless. They are lost in thought, lost on their phones or simply unaware of what might be transpiring around them. People who are aware do not often become victims. If you do not believe Christians have the right to defend themselves, then at least be willing to be thoroughly focused on what is going on around you. This alone is likely to make you much less of a victim.
Hope is on the Way
Jeremiah had been imprisoned at this time by King Zedekiah for preaching against Jerusalem saying Babylon would destroy the city. It’s also interesting that God prompted Jeremiah to purchase land from his cousin while in prison. This was a test by God because the land was already in possession by Nebuchadnezzar. God commanded Jeremiah to take the Land even though Nebuchadnezzar was ready to take Jerusalem! (v25) Kind of weird but if we consider that God was essentially telling Jeremiah that He would be victorious over Nebuchadnezzar after He finished using the king for His purposes for Israel. In essence God is saying that the Land would come back to Israel eventually.
Exposing the Underbelly
Rose was a one-of-a-kind woman. She was fiercely loyal, had many friends and loved people as I’ve not seen in anyone else do in my lifetime. As noted, I truly loved Rose, but I am blessed immensely because I see part of Rose in my wife. I also see part of my wife’s father Karl as well. There are certain expressions that my wife has that mirror the way Rose expressed herself and Silvia’s gentleness mirrors Karl’s. I’m glad to see that they have passed part of their personality onto my wife. I’m also so glad Rose no longer suffers either from her own maladies or from people who seemed to not really care about her welfare.
StudyGrowKnow 