If you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth,
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. Explain more »
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
The people falsely accused Jesus, despised Him, and mocked Him. His response was to ask God to forgive them. We should be like Jesus.
People don't treat me anywhere near as badly as people treated Jesus, but sometimes people do treat me me badly. When they do, I'll remember this and handle it with forgiveness.
For [they are] impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
The Lord sends prophets to speak to His rebellious people. We should speak the Lord's Word to His people even if they're rebellious.
Their wings [were] joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
We should be like this, that we go straight forward to serve the Lord and do what's right, without turning from that even in adversity.
Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.
I noticed the part that said Persis, "laboured much in the Lord". We should labor much in the Lord.
I've had applications lately to do good for people and to serve. Sometimes that's a lot of work. I'll do it anyway.
The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
Sin brings great woe. The things like orphans and starvation in this chapter remind me of the effects of AIDS in Africa. Sin doesn't just hurt ourselves.
Our fathers have sinned, [and are] not; and we have borne their iniquities.
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
There are many temptations, like to forsake the Lord and run away, to deny that we ever knew Him, or to sleep when we should be doing something else like watching and praying. How can we stay out of temptation? Pray.
I'll pray that I won't enter into temptation.
For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
The people were starving to death and the riches were scattered. The people who should have been upright leaders were responsible for the sin.
If I sin, that would be the worst thing in the world for me. I need to look at it that way.
[It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
We should patiently wait in the situations we have, even when they're very difficult situations. We should hope in the Lord's salvation.
It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
No amount of physical good could pay for the spiritual work we've received from saints. When saints are in physical need and we have the means, we should be pleased to make a contribution to them.
Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
When people visit, I'll be receiving of them.
Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord [...]
When we're almost overwhelmed with our trouble and with everything, we should pour out our hearts to the Lord. We should pray, telling the Lord how we feel, what we think, and what we really want.
But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
We should be servants, like Jesus was a servant at the last supper.
I'll be a servant.
Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.
Lamentations talks about the miserable punishment on the Lord's people because of their sin. We should seriously consider whether we have any sin, and thoroughly repent from it.
For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
The Lord is merciful, but the judgment for sin is inevitable. We shouldn't do evil in the sight of the Lord.
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.
We shouldn't do any thing that would cause another believer to be tempted to sin.
I won't waste time and tempt other people to waste time with me when they or I are supposed to be doing something else.
Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.
Jeremiah 51 talks all about the Lord's judgment of Babylon and the destruction of Babylon. The problem verse 52 talks about is "graven images" which is idolatry. We should watch out for idolatry.
In your patience possess ye your souls.
It's critically important to be patience, even when we're mistreated.
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.
I'm not being betrayed to be killed or anything like that. But the people in this verse are good people to practice being patient with. I'll be patient with my parents and siblings.
Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;
The Lord used Babylon to judge His people, and then the Lord was going to judge Babylon for the way they acted.
When other people do things wrong, and the Lord uses us to reprove them for that, we shouldn't be like, "Oh goody!"
But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.
Several times in this chapter, the Lord mentioned how He, in the future, would bring people back from captivity. He has much serious judgment for many nations and cities, but He's still merciful. That's encouraging.
We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
Jeremiah 48 is all about the judgment of Moab. Verse 29 uses all kinds of words about pride:
We shouldn't be like that. We should be meek and humble.
How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.
This verse is talking about the sword of the Lord that won't be put back into its sheath. It's going to be judging the Philistines. The Philistines make me think of the enemies of the Lord's people. I think of the verse that says:
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
The Lord will deal with our enemies.
Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I [am] with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
If you're the Lord's servant and you sin, He won't completely blow you away. But He won't leave you without punishment either.
We should be examining our hearts, and consider to make sure we're right with the Lord.
And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek [them] not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
We shouldn't seek for great things for ourselves. We should just be happy that the Lord will save us.
They are not humbled [even] unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
Following what the Lord says has to do with humility and fearing Him. If we're going to be humble and fear the Lord, we need to follow what He says.
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