Jeremiah 33:3 Expanded Bible (EXB) ‘Pray [ Call] to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you ·important secrets [great and hidden things] you have never ·heard [ known] before.’
In other translations, we read this verse as "Call on to Me." But in the expanded bible, it points out that calling out to HIM is to pray. When we pray or call on to HIM, HE will tell us secrets of great hidden things. HE will give us revelation and wisdom which is the Bread from Heaven. HE will reveal more of HIMSELF to us for HE is our reward.
During my prayer last week, I am reminded and shown that many Christians come to God for many things and for many reasons. But we must realize whatever avenues HE allows and for whatever reasons we come to HIM, all road shall lead to HIM. HE is our reward. HE is my reward. All knees shall bow before HIM whether they like it or not. We must come to realize, all that we do is for HIM and to be with HIM. Everything else is secondary. We must understand this to our core.
Many come to God for many reasons. Some need their bills paid. Some want power and position. Some come to socialize. Some come for family problems.
Some come for spiritual gifts for the wrong reasons. Some come for a word for their own sakes. Some come because the church may have a good children's program. Some come to network to find a job. Some come thinking they are sent to help and fix the church. Some want this or that. But they fail to realize, we need to have come for God. Like the prodigal child, many come because they are hungry in the flesh. They have needs of the flesh and they expect God to fulfill the needs of their fleshly desires. But we have been warned that we cannot live on bread alone but on every Word of God. The Word leads to HIM. The Word is HIM.
Out of His abundant Grace and Mercy, HE still receives the prodigal child. But once we are in, we still need to call on to HIM. We need to pray and ask God to get rid of our anger, lust, disobedience, laziness, coveting, rebellion, pride, strife, impatience, and etc so that we may be broken. Only through brokenness shall we see as HE is. Only through brokenness shall we come closer to HIM in spirit. Only through brokenness shall we receive the secrets and hidden things from Heaven.
What is to go through brokenness? Before the cross, Jesus was already being broken. HE was physically wiped, falsely accused, betrayed, spat on, kicked, and beaten. HE endured all this without opening HIS mouth. Then after this severe ordeal, HE was hung to die.
Many Christians speak about carrying their own crosses but they have yet to be hung on the cross to die to themselves as they flee from being spiritually beaten, falsely accused, betrayed, spat on and etc. Some Christians are literally beaten and martyred. But in the western world, we complain and murmur. We cannot even thank God for our jobs but complain about our bosses, teachers, pastors, and government. Many Christians are but flesh. They are proving to be children of the disobedience. We must humble ourselves. We must allow and ask God to break us. We must embrace the Cross.
Many Christians are confused and they do not even know HIS Truth. They have many doctrinal questions and there is confusion on what is right or wrong. What is sin or not sin? What is the difference between law and grace? What is ritual law and moral law? How will it be answered? There are so many churches and so many different teachings. What is the Truth?
We must call onto HIM with desperation. We must pray, seek, and ask for the answer. We must pray until HE has answered us. We must ask for humility and obedient hearts and for eyes to see and ears to hear so when HE gives us the answer, we may receive and move forward. We cannot presume or assume anything. We must take all into prayer and if need be we need to pray for hours until our questions are answered and our idols are removed. We are in spiritual war and the situation is more desperate than people realize for many are dying in their sins.
John 8:21-23 Again, Jesus said to the people, “I will leave you. You will look for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot come where I am going.”22 So the Jews asked, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he said, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”23 But Jesus said, “You people are from here below. But I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don’t belong to this world. 24 So I told you that you would die in your sins. Yes, you will die in your sins if you don’t believe that I am he.”
Jesus was speaking to HIS own people the Jews telling them that they will die in their sins because they are from below. They were Jews but living carnal fleshly lives and when they saw and heard the Word (Jesus), they did not recognize HIM. HE told HIS own people here in John chapter 8 that they belonged to the world. They all believed in God but yet Jesus said unless they believed in HIM, they would die in their sins. They would go to HELL.
We can all say we believe in God and we can all believe we are God's people who do not belong to the world but Jesus was the Word. In today's term, when the Word is preached, HE is speaking. HE is with us. But when we reject and when we do not apply or obey what we hear, we are not believing. We may not want to believe. We may not want to obey because we may be living carnal lives. We may be living in sin. Just as His people of the old days, they were deluded thinking they were God's people going to heaven stating they are the children of Abraham. But in reality, they were sons of disobedience as they rejected the Word when HE came in the flesh to speak to them personally. The message is the same for us as it was when Jesus walked the earth. REPENT!
Today, HE speaks to us from the alter. HE speaks to us through HIS Word. HE speaks to us through the revelation and of deep hidden secrets. HIS people were amazed because HE had spoken with Authority but yet many still rejected HIM. They admitted HIS preaching and Word was one of Authority. But because the Word required them to change and it touched the comfort of their personal lives, they decided to kill HIM.
Let us not make the same mistake today. We know HE is speaking to us with Authority. We know there is deep hidden secrets and revelation HE is feeding us. May we not reject HIM because we are to required to change simple daily things of comfort in our lives. May we truly decide to go and stay on the Narrow road to Life.
Glory to HIM
Pastor Steve
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