PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE

“Now you shall say to this people, thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death!” (Jer. 21:8 NKJV).

Today’s verse is a reminder of our responsibility of proclaiming God’s message. Thus we want to note the crowd for the message, the command for the message, the communicator of the message, and the contents of the message.

Crowd for the message – “You shall to this people.” The people were not only hostile to God’s ministers, but had also demonstrated considerable disrespect for the Divine message. However, ministers must preach God’s message regardless of the attitudes of the people. Indeed, it will take much courage to preach God’s message.

Command for the message – “You shall say.” Preachers are to preach what God says to preach since His message is not a suggestion and it is not optional. To preach something else is to disobey the command of God. Some ministers make the mistake of preaching only what is acceptable to their congregations. However, this is not God’s command. We are commanded to preach the message we are given, regardless of what people think.

Communicator of the message – “You.” Jeremiah was the one called of God to preach His message. Although he had been rejected and persecuted, God was still using him. It is not what people think of us that determines God’s call, but it is what God thinks of us. We do not need to be popular and accepted by the world to be called into the ministry.

Contents of the message – “Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.” While the immediate context relates primarily to the situation in Jerusalem just before its fall, the principles also speak of the Gospel message. The message we are to preacher shows the way of life (Christ) and warns of the way of death (sin). There are only two ways - life or death. Which way are you going?

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“If you want to be popular, preach happiness. If you want to be unpopular, preach holiness!”

Vance Havner (1901 – 1986)

American Author and Preacher

Word Study

Distressed

In Phil. 2:26 we read, “Since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick” (NKJV).

Distressed is the Greek word adēmoneō (ἀδημονέω = ad-ay-mon-eh'-o). It means to be distressed, deeply troubled, be sorely troubled, be upset, be dismayed, and be in anguish. Adēmoneō describes the confused, chaotic, and state of restlessness that results from a time of turmoil or great trauma. Further, the word is in the present tense indicating that this was a lingering distress.

Adēmoneō does not occur in the Septuagint and only occurs three times in the New Testament – twice in the story of Jesus’ distress in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33), and the third time here in Phil. 2:26. In context, Epaphroditus was more concerned about the Philippians’ worry for his health than he was about his own difficult situation.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah will be resurrected and live forever (Isa. 53:10)

New Testament Fulfillment – Rom. 6:9

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that Jesus makes many righteous (Rom. 5:19).

Bible Quiz

To what city did the LORD ask Jonah to go preach?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Which king was taught sayings by his mother as related in the Book of Proverbs? King Lemuel (Prov. 31:1).

Names of the Lord Jesus Found in the Bible

“Lamb of God”

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29; NKJV).

1. Meaning – The Lord Jesus is our sacrifice.

2. Insights – The Lord Jesus is the whole fulfillment of the sacrificial system, especially as our Passover Lamb (Heb. 7:26-28). As the Lamb of God, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus pays for our sins – past, present, and future

3. Related Titles – Offering / Sacrifice (Heb. 10:10); Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7); Atoning Sacrifice / Propitiation (1 John 2:2); Fragrant Offering (Eph. 5:2).

Did You Know – Christian History

Jeremy Taylor was born in 1613 in Cambridge. England. He was a clergyman in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during The Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He is sometimes known as the “Shakespeare of Divines” for his poetic style of writing.

Taylor was educated at The Perse School, Cambridge before going on to Gonville and Caius College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree.

Taylor had been a clergyman since he was 20. His sermons attracted the attention of William Laud, a powerful bishop and the violent persecutor of many who did not accept Church of England forms. Laud had become Taylor’s patron and cleared a path for the young preacher. In his sermons, Taylor argued that recusancy (refusal to attend Anglican services) was a sin. He believed that England’s Roman Catholics should attend Church of England services. For Taylor, obedience meant standing by the king.

In the years between 1633 and the rise of the Puritans in 1645, he was a Fellow of two Cambridge colleges, and chaplain to Archbishop Laud and to King Charles. This made him politically suspect when Laud was tried for treason and executed in 1645 by the Puritan Parliament during the English Civil War. After the Parliamentary victory over the King, he was briefly imprisoned several times.

Eventually, he was allowed to retire into Wales, where he became the private chaplain of the Earl of Carbery. Upon the Restoration, his political star was on the rise, and he was made bishop of Down and Connor in Ireland. He was also made vice-chancellor of the University of Dublin.

Among his many books on theological, moral, and devotional subjects, the best known are The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living (1650) and The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying (1651), usually cited simply as Holy Living and Holy Dying. Many readers, including Charles Wesley a century later, have reported finding these books of great spiritual benefit. Another work of his, Liberty of Prophesying, argues for freedom of conscience and freedom of speech in a religious context.

If the ups and downs of Taylor’s life were tied to the fortunes of the crown, his death was tied to his performance of duty. Having caught the fever from his church member, he died ten days later, on August 13, 1667. He was fifty-four years old. Taylor is honored on August 13 in some provinces of the Anglican Communion.

A Little Humor

A pastor was shy about meeting a young lady. He opened the songbook to “I Need Thee Every Hour” and handed it to her. She turned to “God Will Take Care of You” and handed it back to him.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“The greatest business in life is to prepare for the next life!”