King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Vain Imaginations
Date: Monday August 15, 2011
Chapters: Jeremiah 10-12, Proverb 15, Psalm 66
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-august-15
Details of Today's Chapters: The greatness of the one true God, the coming distresses in Judah and Jerusalem because of sin, Jeremiah’s message on the broken covenant, Jeremiah’s complaint to God and God’s rebuke.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” -Romans 1:20-25.

Believe it or not, we are all born with the knowledge of God implanted in our brains from birth, those who do not believe in God as an adult merely have been taught to think otherwise or through their vain imaginations distort God into some image they created from bits and pieces of information they have heard. I recently heard someone tell me that they did not believe that Mary was a virgin, this is an example of changing the glory of God into something corruptible. While I will not debate with someone over their beliefs I will hold true to mine, God's Word is true, infallible, and without error. Those who choose to believe otherwise can not see the greatness of God and how important it is that we believe and follow every Word of God.

For centuries the kingdom of Israel had been divided up into two kingdoms, the northern and southern. The northern kingdom was know for their rebellion of God and worship of false gods and idolatry. They had already seen God's judgment well before the southern kingdom was being warned about theirs. However, God sent Jeremiah to speak to the people in the northern kingdom, to give then a chance to redeem themselves. He spoke to those who have been using false gods, charms, talismans, and idols to seek help, reminding them that these were all man made gods that had no power, but God alone in the only true, living God, who is great in power.

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them...But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities...But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion...Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.” - Jeremiah 10:2,8,10-12,14,15.

So many people believe in heaven, sadly, they think there are several ways to get there. There is only One Way to heaven, there has always been only One Way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, the laws of the Jews were a foreshadow of Christ. I was watching the news last night about a teenage girl that died, the mother was saying how everyone looked up to her and that the knows she is in heaven because she was such a good girl. Sadly, if that girl did not have Christ she is not in heaven. Being good does not get us into heaven! Why? Because there is no one righteous enough to get to heaven on their own. You have to be sinless to get to heaven, and there is not one person born, except for Jesus Christ that has not committed at least one sin in their lifetime, therefore we all come short of reaching heaven no matter how much good we do. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:..For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;..To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” - Romans 3:10,23,26-28.

Now, it was time for the southern kingdom, the people of Judah, to hear what God has to say to them. The southern kingdom was where the Temple of God was and up until now there were some that held true to God, but now even the priests were corrupted and following false gods too, this is why Jerusalem was about to face God's judgment. God sent Jeremiah to speak to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, reminding them of the covenant their fathers made with God.

“And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God: That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD...Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not...Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.” - Jeremiah 11:3-5,8,11,12.

Sound familiar, the beginning of this message we learned that those who changed the glory of God walked in the imagination of their own heart. It is one thing to just not be knowledgeable about the things of God because we all grow at different levels of our Christianity, it is another to create an image of Him based on our own human reasoning, never having any desire to even know the truth. Remember, ignorance is not a defense, if you were to run a red light not knowing that you were to stop that still does not stop you from getting hit by oncoming traffic. Believe it of not, God rather see a person not saved live a wicked life than one that is saved. Yes, being good does not get us to heaven, but being good does show God that we are thankful of Him do acknowledge Him. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” - Romans 6:11-14.

You know, we are not always going to understand all God is trying to say to us, that is why He reveals it to us little by little as we read His precious word. Just like a baby grows and learns by their parents, we too grow and learn, by our Father by reading His Word and getting around people who do walk in the truth. A person can debate me all they want whether or not Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, but I know the truth because the truth is in the Bible. Besides, Jesus had to be born without sin, otherwise His death on the cross would have been in vain as well as His resurrection.

“Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not...But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” - I Corinthians 15:12-15,57,58.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Your abundant grace is poured out on mankind like showers of blessings, both for believer and nonbeliever alike. Yet it is only as we receive Your saving grace through Your Son that we turn away from evil and walk in the ways of righteousness. Many leaders and rulers have come and gone, but You, God, are the eternal One and only living God, whose kingdom knows no end. I humble myself before You and bring honor and glory to Your holy name and I become a living sacrifice for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

P.S. I apologize for the inconsistencies in sending the devotions, I have been having some personal issues, but God is good and I know He will get me back on track. Please pray for me if you can.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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