God Never Stops

STUDY: #912- CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: SEPTEMBER 20 @ 26, 2016

Theme: "God Never Stops" Jeremiah 29: 1-13 Jeremiah 29:10 "For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place." Those who had been confined since the beginning of the captivity were now elderly. In other words, they were not young with the strength to continue the great struggle. Most likely, those elders would not be returning. The captivity would be for seventy years. Jeremiah wrote the letter with this prophecy shortly after suffering that great calamity, that immense misfortune. Jeremiah 29:1 "These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon." But they had to continue believing as the Lord had warned them. Jeremiah 29: 4-7 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." Build, live, sow, and enjoy the fruit. Have children. They couldn’t stop because of the economy. Do not fall, as if there was no faith or hope. Do not stop to think, as if God had forgotten His people. The false prophets told the people that the captivity would not happen. Jeremiah 29:8-9 "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not sent them, declares the Lord." These false messengers brought a message to the people of always having to live comfortably, like in the clouds. No. This is not so. There are enemies. They had a strong, and terrible enemy: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. However, the biggest thing is that WE HAVE A GOD ON OUR SIDE. A MIGHTY GOD, WHO EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE BAD CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WE LIVE, HE WILL BE WATCHING TO TAKE CARE OF US, AND HELP US. I can see this with my brothers in Venezuela! The captivity for God’s people was not short. It would be seventy long years. And they had to continue living, and believing in God. Sometimes the righteous must endure judgment, along with those who do wrong. But this is where we see that God is our refuge and help. The Sovereign God protects us to spare us from suffering danger. During difficult days we do not have to disappear, or die out. There is hope in each day, month, and every bad year. Because when there is prayer, a seeking of God, the good will of God will always come to us. Jeremiah 29:13-14 " You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you..." A believer lives in a patient submission to the Lord. We must always submit to God, and not embrace sedition (an uprising, rebellion). Some rebellions are mostly due to the ambitions of all that we want to own. Do not be fooled by those who speak lovely words. It's a shame when people want to be deceived. Many people love the darkness rather than the light. The sickly appetite of wanting to be deceived is what often gives way to the rising of deceivers. Those people allowed the prophets to tell them dreams that would encourage them not to submit to the prophecies of Jeremiah, even though they knew that everyone of Jeremiah’s prophecy was always fulfilled. Good word! (Jeremiah 29:10 "... and I will fulfill to you my promise..."). For those who obeyed and went to Babylon, it was a good word of the Lord. We do not have to become impatient. We can never move forward before the fair treatment of God. That is, we have to calm down so we will not get ahead of the time set by the Lord, which is perfect. One cannot skip what has been established by God, because when

it’s over it will not be perfect. Nor can we delay what is established by God because we become hard and bitter. He is Himself. God is God, and above all the bad things in our lives He gives us His good word. Jeremiah 29:11 "... For I know the plans I have for you ..." The false prophets didn’t know of these thoughts. The false do not know anything about God's purposes because they do not know Him. It doesn’t matter how much they pretend to know about God, their distance and lack of searching for God disqualifies them. God speaks to those who seek Him. Everyone wants to speak to God, but without commitment. Without a search. Without holiness. Without any sacrifice. They will only speak to God pretending to know His thoughts. The Lord's thoughts were thoughts of "peace". The false prophets had no thoughts of peace, only of "evil" (misfortune), because they could not understand how they would be free if they were enslaved. But God works in mysterious ways! (It's a good saying!) There are two moral diseases to man: the first is VAIN CONFIDENCE, and the second, DESPAIR. First, they would laugh at the prophecies, and then find themselves lost in captivity. Jeremiah 29:11 "... to give you a future and a hope." God knows how to give us what we expect. But in the right time. When God intends to give mercy, He puts in the hearts of His people to pray for the mercy He wants to grant. When this spirit of prayer pours out, it is a sure sign that MERCY IS COMING! Jeremiah 29:12-13 "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me with all your heart.” We will seek Him, go to the temple of prayer, then we will shall find Him, because we have sought with "all our heart." Amen.