Jeremiah 38-39, Proverbs 5, 1 Corinthians 14

What God said to me – As holy God I must judge sin because “I AM” righteous and holy.  When I bring judgment on the world, a few will repent but most will curse Me and reject Me.  However, I don’t only judge the world for their sin, I also judge My people for theirs.  The severity of that discipline is dependent on their response – are they quick to repent and turn back to me or are they stubborn and unrepentant.  When I brought Babylon to judge Israel for their sin, I told king Zedekiah through My prophet Jeremiah that if he would go out and surrender to the king of Babylon that although they would still go into captivity, he and his household would be saved, and Jerusalem would not be burned.  But if he refused then they would burn the city and kill his family, and he would not escape either.  King Zedekiah refused to repent and accept his discipline, so the judgment was harsh – he was blinded, and his family and the city were destroyed.  Sin is serious – no one is immune, and the consequences are always painful.  You must be quick to repent and return to Me because I will not let you go, and I will do whatever it takes to bring you back to Me.

Jeremiah 36-37, Proverbs 4:14-27, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 to 13

What God said to me – The world rightly says that “I AM” a God of love but then they distort it to say that means I will accept everyone and everything.  They say that love is tolerant and accepting but My word says that love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices in truth.  I demonstrate My love by showing My love by showing mercy and extending grace to those who repent of their sin and unrighteousness and who turn to Me as their only hope of salvation.  Those who refuse to accept My love and the mercy and grace I offer and repent of their sin will not experience My love, but My wrath.  This is not a message that the world is eager to receive and so it’s not easy to share but you must be faithful to stand on My word and rejoice in the truth – My word is truth – “I AM” truth.

Jeremiah 34-35, Proverbs 4:1-14, 1 Corinthians 12

What God said to me – I intentionally designed My church to be dependent on one another and for no one person to be totally self-sufficient.  You need each other by design – that’s why I refer to you as My body.  Each member has a role and a place to minister and when someone neglects their calling and ministry, the entire body will suffer.  One of the reasons the church is not effective today is that the members of My body are neglecting it and going off on their own.  Advances in technology can be a blessing and a curse because people can hear a sermon and feel like they’ve done their “duty” to Me without participating in church as I intended.  The word may be preached but other gifts and ministries are being neglected so the church as a whole is falling away.  You need to actively participate in My church for the accountability it brings and the opportunity to use your gifts in ministry to others and so they can minister to you in return.