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Today is Wednesday, August 26, 2009 and we will be continuing our studies in the book of Jeremiah, please read chapters 41-44 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-august-26

Today's Message: False Leaders
False leaders appear to be solid in the community, but when it comes down to the critical time of testing their traditions, they are false and deceiving those who truly want to follow the Lord.

After the Babylonians left, Gedaliah was placed in charge of the ones that were left behind in Judah and Jerusalem. He was a very trusting soul, however, Ishmael who was next in line of the throne before Nebuchadnezzar took charge, was passed over, and that caused him to plan the murder of Gedaliah so he could reign. “Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.” - Jeremiah 41:2,3. Ishmael claimed to be of the royal seed, and believed that Gedaliah did not have the right under the law to be in charge, so it was out of pure jealousy that he killed Gedaliah.

After the death of Gedaliah, the leaders called Jeremiah to seek God for a message from Him. “Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.” - Jeremiah 42:1-4. The people are telling Jeremiah that they want God to give them direction for their lives and their families, but these are the same people who did not listen to him when he warned them before the fall of Jerusalem. Notice the wording that Jeremiah uses here. He says "I will pray unto your God according to your words". What he is saying here is that he is a little suspicious of them and their honesty in seeking God for help. He could see the doubt in their minds by the way they asked for help, so he used the word “your” to signify that he knew they were not seeking the one true God for help.

Through Jeremiah God Said, “If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.” - Jeremiah 42:10-12. They had every reason to be afraid, because they had broken every law established both by God and Babylon, but God is assuring them if they stay where they are and abide in Him that everything will come to pass and He will show His mercy upon them and they will be saved.

Now when Johanan and the men that were left behind heard of the evil that Ishmael had done they went after them. Johanan and his forces overtook Ishmael and freed the people. Once the people were freed by Johanan, they sought Jeremiah's advice as to what God would have them do and Jeremiah told them to return to their homes and they would live. However, they took council amongst themselves and determined that Jeremiah was lying to them and that Baruch, his scribe was putting these ideas into Jeremiah's mind so they did not listen and headed for Egypt, forcing Jeremiah and Baruch to go with them. “Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.” - Jeremiah 43:2-4. Because of this, all the people that went to Egypt died. This is typical of those who do not have the plan of God in their minds, they will devise their own, that always goes against His Will and sadly take people with them.

It does not matter how much a person may seem to be a great preacher, or teacher, if that person does not lead properly in the Spirit of God, he is deceiving the people. False leaders will claim to be very spiritual, and in tune with our heavenly Father, but when the Word of the Lord comes to direct them, they will close their mind and chase after their own imaginations. That is why we must grow familiar with the plan of God, to know His Word personally, and to abide by it. It's the only way that we will know whether or not our leader is a man of God or a man deceiving the people.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, You lead us through the valleys and mountain top experiences of everyday life. Your ways are far superior to the path we might choose when guided by our own limited wisdom. We are so grateful for the strength and encouragement we receive from our brothers and sisters who bear our burdens and share in our joys. When considering the choice of walking faithfully with You or turning to our old way of life, let us be reminded of the freedom we enjoy by having Christ as our Savior and the life we can enjoy by keeping Him with us daily. In Jesus' Name..........Amen.

God Bless You,
Christina

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