Brethren, early in John’s gospel, he records for us twice that John the Baptist saw Jesus walking and proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (Jn. 1:29,36). John the Baptist recognized something in Jesus.

He recognized our Passover, the sacrifice that would cleanse us from our sins and redeem us so that death would pass over us as it did the Hebrews on that first Passover in Egypt (Ex. 11:23).

John himself would also later see the lamb in a different light, as he wrote of his vision while on the island of Patmos, “then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion” (Rev. 14:1). Whether John saw a vision of an actual lamb, or viewed our savior, he recognized the Lamb of God. And He stood on a mount, the mount of which Scripture also tells us, “the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders” (Isa. 24:23).

This is the same picture John paints of his vision in Rev. 14, that of the Lamb surrounded by those belonging to them, as they sing songs of praise and worship to Him.

Brethren, let us, like John, recognize the Lamb of God, our savior. Let us, like the elders in Rev. 14, sing to Him songs of praise and worship. He is our redeemer. He is our savior. He is our Passover. He is the Lamb who will stand on Mount Zion!

——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, January 17

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion." Revelation 14:1

The apostle John was privileged to look within the gates of heaven, and in describing what he saw, he begins by saying, "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!" This teaches us that the chief object of contemplation in the heavenly state is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." Nothing else attracted the apostle's attention so much as the person of that Divine Being, who hath redeemed us by His blood. He is the theme of the songs of all glorified spirits and holy angels. Christian, here is joy for thee; thou hast looked, and thou hast seen the Lamb. Through thy tears thine eyes have seen the Lamb of God taking away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little while, when thine eyes shall have been wiped from tears, thou wilt see the same Lamb exalted on His throne. It is the joy of thy heart to hold daily fellowship with Jesus; thou shalt have the same joy to a higher degree in heaven; thou shalt enjoy the constant vision of His presence; thou shalt dwell with Him for ever. "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!" Why, that Lamb is heaven itself; for as good Rutherford says, "Heaven and Christ are the same thing;" to be with Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with Christ. That prisoner of the Lord very sweetly writes in one of his glowing letters- "O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want." It is true, is it not, Christian? Does not thy soul say so?

Not all the harps above
Can make a heavenly place,
If God His residence remove,
Or but conceal His face.

All thou needest to make thee blessed, supremely blessed, is "to be with Christ."

Jeremiah
Chapter 12

1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

7 I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.

8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.

9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.

10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

13 They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

14 Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.

17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

With all of the Iran and Muslim articles going on. I have a very heavy heart for 2 people. Both females.

One was a very good friend when we were children and into adults. When she came back to the states, it was very awkward. When she was brought back, she was never the same. I know that reason.

When we were both in our early 20's, she met someone that lavished her with many gifts and "acted" like she was the cats meow. She never had to worry about money, she had it personally. It was more that he "acted".

The other was a few years younger than she and I. My Momma's, x daughter inlaw, (Chicago) knew some Islamic's That were just in the states for a short time. It didn't take long, and she left the states. She "claimed" all was well, that she was able to do everything, as she was in the states. She posted on FB, when she was pregnant, and had her 3 baby girls. Then that was it, nothing more about them. Then she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. After that, she no longer posted, no one has heard about or from her.

Neither one of these women were naive, gullible, they were both strong women. So what happened...

I will be the first to tell you, that man or woman can have their self-esteem taken from them. At Least Once, So Don't Be Saying It Can't Be. No Matter How Strong You Are.

I suppose that I'm saying this because, there are so many women out there that need to hear this.

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.15.1-5.NKJV

In the heart of the South, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, etc. what do you say to the clerk when ordering a bagel? “Gimme one a them Yankee Donuts”

The Fire That Carries the Wind

Before names were given to directions,
There was a force that understood both urgency and patience.
It moved like resolve through open ground.
leaving courage where doubt once slept.

The elders say power is not meant to dominate.
But to carry the spirit forward
when the heart grows heavy.
It remembers the taste of dust and thunder.
and does not fear either.

This strength is decorated by stories,
not for beauty alone,
but to remind the world
that motion can be sacred,
and speed can still listen.

What rises from the ground is not destruction,
but awakening—
The sound of ancestors calling momentum a gift.
A promise spoken without voice:
When purpose runs true,
Even the earth makes space.

Artist and storyteller: Dorothy Vera

Jeremiah
Chapter 8

1 At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.

9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

13 I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.

17 For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

18 When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.

19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?

20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

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Jeremiah
Chapter 7
VS 20-34

20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.

22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:

26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.

28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.

29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.

30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.

31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.

33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.

34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

A well known Christian leader has asked people of Faith to pray for our nation today, all together at 12 noon, in whatever time is 12 noon wherever you are, as reported on Fox News. Psalm 35 is a good way to pray for our countries leader’s. In our own words we can say, complain - we know every human being has been given a free will to decide to do or not to do, but we know the Eternal Almighty has put in checks and balances as His Holy Spirit is at work.

In ancient Israel G-d told the people to assign sheriffs and law protectors- a police force as they began to reside in the promised Land. Many nations have followed that Biblical example including the US. That tell’s us people who cannot control that free will they have been given to always choose the good, the lawfulness of NOT doing to another what you would HATE being done to yourself. Plus the Laws put in place that protect everyone from violations of a nation’s sovereignty, with protections for citizens from every crime under the Sun. Israel had to fight many enemies within and without.

What we are seeing in the US is a common human plight; there is always someone who will disagree with what is being done to uphold the Law and in the process fight against those who’s main purpose is to protect them. It makes no sense and we don’t understand it. How do we pray for G-d’s will to be done on earth over the will of the lawless?

G-d wants us to pray! Why? Is it lifting up our hearts in a way we honor and praise Him for the righteousness He has decreed in His Word to be the reigning principals on earth? It becomes important we follow our prayers with appropriate actions. We see a majority of our leaders doing that - action is in place.
It’s necessary to pray for the anointed “good guys” success while not neglecting prayers for their haters, our heaters, deceived hearts to be changed. Will we see that happen? We just don’t know, but we continue to pray anyway.

Truth cannot be done away with or ignored. Psalm 52 where King David lamented his suffering at the hands of an evil person can be very encouraging.

In Ps. 75 we are reminded concerning our Beloved G-d and Redeemer “You (G-d) are Illumination, mightier than the mountains of prey.” So please G-d get illuminating, your fighters believe You do not see or hear them so they think there will be no retribution. You will not save us as they believe they are successful, and there will be no accountability.
We need to do what ever is necessary in prayer and in action to tear down the strongholds of the evil Deceiver in the hearts of people and in our nation, so we can see Numbers 10:35 fulfilled:
“Arise Adonai! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate You flee before You!” (From The Complete Jewish study Bible - Isights for Jews and Christians.)
All Psalm versus come from “Tehillim - (meaning, prayers - book) , by O.Yosef Yitzchak with English translation of the Hebrew.

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Believer, consider your salvation. It is not accomplished by human power, but by God Himself, and He is mighty, “mighty to save” (Isa. 63:1).

We could not earn our salvation. Just as Israel, though they pledged to obey God, turned away over and again throughout the Old Testament, so we once lived in sin and ourselves were estranged from Him, by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3).

Yet even while we were enemies, He reconciled us to Himself (Rom. 5:10). How mighty is our God, who, by the blood of His son, could turn sinners from their wicked ways and make them His children, and when He appears, we will be like Christ (1 Jn. 3:2).

No amount of work, no might of man nor human ingenuity could perform such a mighty deed.

Of course, God exhibits his might in saving physically as well. For how many times did He deliver a small contingent of His people from great armies (ex. Judges 7:7)? Or to save Daniel from the lions (Dan. 6:16-23), or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego from the flames of the furnace (Dan. 3:19-27)?

Martin Luther penned in his hymn that “a mighty fortress is our God,” and mighty He is indeed.

Praise God that He is not only merciful to save us (Tit. 3:5), but mighty to do so as well (Isa. 63:1)!


——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, January 14

"Mighty to save." Isaiah 63:1

By the words "to save" we understand the whole of the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words are multum in parro: indeed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is not only "mighty to save" those who repent, but He is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe; but He is, moreover, mighty to give men new hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of His name to bend the knee before Him. Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by "the Mighty God." The bush burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep His people holy after He has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ's might doth not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself; but He who begins the good work carries it on; He who imparts the first germ of life in the dead soul, prolongs the divine existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder every bond of sin, and the soul leaps from earth, perfected in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is "mighty to save." You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for His strength is sufficient for you. Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is "mighty to save;" the best proof of which lies in the fact that He has saved you. What a thousand mercies that you have not found Him mighty to destroy!

Bob Weir has passed away.
https://bobweir.net/bobby/
But the music lives on. Son number one and his wife in their younger days (he is now 66) followed the Grateful Dead all over the US one year. In my 50’s I got to go to 5 shows and bought a book of the lyrics by Robert Hunter. Not a drinker or a toker myself, I’m sure I got a contact high with smoke in the air. Joy was in the music. Pure joy, I danced my heart out and my son got a kick out of his mama getting on the bus. Only another Dead Head would know what that means. This song is deeply meaning full. A person of Faith will hear its meaning. https://youtube.com/watch?v=sFBQSx_xc2o&si=HKlTxt3u6dTFQlJL
Rest in peace Bobby

Jeremiah
Chapter 5

1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.

3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.

12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:

13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.

17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Jeremiah
Chapter 4

1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.

6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,

12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.

13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

Jeremiah
Chapter 3

1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.

2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

5 Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

From Psalm 31: “The Lord preserves the faithful, and repays with exactness those who act haughtily. Be strong and fortify your hearts, all who put their hope in the Lord!”

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At the outset of Daniel, we read of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invading the land of Israel, taking the Israelites captive back to Babylon (Dan. 1:1-2). Once in Babylon, he sought to imbue the Israelites, at least the young, fit, intelligent men, with the language and culture of Babylon. All that Nebuchadnezzar did was to turn these men from their God.

Among them, Daniel (which means “God is my judge”), to whom he gave the new name Belteshazzar, meaning “Bel protects the king”, Bel being the name of a Babylonian god (Dan. 1:7).

We see similar today in our own culture. Those around us seek to imbue us with their beliefs. They wish us to accept and even encourage their sin, their idolatry as it were. They change the language, overriding the meanings and underpinnings of words used for centuries (marriage, gender, etc.) and attempt to induce Christians to acquiesce.

Yet like Daniel, who “made up his mind that he would not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8), and his companions, Hananiah (renamed Shadrach), Mishael (renamed Meshach), and Azariah (renamed Abed-nego), who chose to honor God rather than please the king, we must stand firm on our faith and reject the culture’s attempts at coercion.

We must be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). We must not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2).

Let not threats from or fear of those who belong to the world deter you from your devotion to God. For God knows your troubles. Consider Him who endured hostility by sinners against Himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb. 12:3). Do not fear; for He is our God - He will strengthen us, help us, uphold us (Isa. 41:10). There is nothing man can do to us that compares to what God can do to all (Mt. 10:28).

If we endure, we will one day reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). Refuse to bow to the gods of this world, and He will be with us just as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:8-27).

Christian, in the parable of the sower, Jesus mentions four types of ground upon which the seed fell. One of those types was rocky soil (Lk. 8:13). In this soil, the seed once sprouting could not develop deep roots. The dirt received the seed gladly enough, but being hard and unyielding, roots could not burrow, and so, when the harshness of the sun beat down upon the plant, it withered.

So it is with many who claim the name of Christ. In good times, all is well, and they are happy to bear the title “Christian.” But when trials and temptations arise, they are not sustained, because they have no root. They quickly fall away and behave as the world.

Perhaps you know someone like this. Perhaps you have behaved in this manner. Dear brethren, this should not be.

Jesus is our root, the vine in which we are the branches. It is from Him we receive our sustenance, and apart from Him, we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). Apart from Him, we wither and are thrown away (Jn. 15:6). Yet if we abide in Him, by His doing, we will bear much fruit to the glory of God (Jn. 15:5, 8).

Believer, examine yourself today, as is right for one claiming faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Then cling to Him as if your life depends upon it, because it DOES!

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, January 11

"These have no root." Luke 8:13

My soul, examine thyself this morning by the light of this text. Thou hast received the word with joy; thy feelings have been stirred and a lively impression has been made; but, remember, that to receive the word in the ear is one thing, and to receive Jesus into thy very soul is quite another; superficial feeling is often joined to inward hardness of heart, and a lively impression of the word is not always a lasting one. In the parable, the seed in one case fell upon ground having a rocky bottom, covered over with a thin layer of earth; when the seed began to take root, its downward growth was hindered by the hard stone and therefore it spent its strength in pushing its green shoot aloft as high as it could, but having no inward moisture derived from root nourishment, it withered away. Is this my case? Have I been making a fair show in the flesh without having a corresponding inner life? Good growth takes place upwards and downwards at the same time. Am I rooted in sincere fidelity and love to Jesus? If my heart remains unsoftened and unfertilized by grace, the good seed may germinate for a season, but it must ultimately wither, for it cannot flourish on a rocky, unbroken, unsanctified heart. Let me dread a godliness as rapid in growth and as wanting in endurance as Jonah's gourd; let me count the cost of being a follower of Jesus, above all let me feel the energy of His Holy Spirit, and then I shall possess an abiding and enduring seed in my soul. If my mind remains as obdurate as it was by nature, the sun of trial will scorch, and my hard heart will help to cast the heat the more terribly upon the ill-covered seed, and my religion will soon die, and my despair will be terrible; therefore, O heavenly Sower, plough me first, and then cast the truth into me, and let me yield Thee a bounteous harvest.

Night Taught Us

We were taught
to walk with the dark,
not against it.

To keep our breath
slow,
our listening wide.

Endurance was learned
by staying present
through long hours,
by trusting
What does not rush?

Compassion meant
standing close,
sharing warmth,
asking nothing
to change.

Protection lived
in awareness—
a steady body,
a calm heart,
a promise
not to abandon.

The ancestors carried this
without words.
They moved gently
and the world
made room.

What remains with us
is this quiet truth:
strength listens,
care stays,
and the night
knows our names.