WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:02.500 God knows us even before we're conceived. 00:00:05.660 --> 00:00:10.660 Welcome to the LifeSpring One-Year Bible Rewind. I'm Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster, 00:00:10.840 --> 00:00:17.060 coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004. This is the daily podcast 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:21.960 where we read the entire Bible together in a year, and if this is your first time or your thousandth, 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:27.040 I'm really glad you're here. You'll find everything at LifespringMedia.com. 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:29.720 Today is National Nothing Day. 00:00:30.340 --> 00:00:33.120 Yes, it's a real thing, and I have nothing more to say about it. 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:37.220 But the real reason we're here is, this is Prophecy Friday. 00:00:37.390 --> 00:00:39.180 We'll read Jeremiah 1 through 6. 00:00:39.980 --> 00:00:41.900 Commentator G. Campbell Morgan said, 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:47.120 Among all the prophets of the Hebrew people, none was more heroic than Jeremiah. 00:00:48.040 --> 00:00:50.040 Let's see what led him to that statement. 00:00:50.700 --> 00:00:51.220 Let's pray. 00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:56.320 Our Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for this time, and we are so thankful for your word. 00:00:56.780 --> 00:01:01.780 I pray, God, that you would open our hearts, open our minds, help us to learn, Lord, what you have for us today. 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:04.720 I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:08.740 Jeremiah chapter 1 00:01:09.960 --> 00:01:12.560 These are the words Jeremiah received from the Lord. 00:01:12.940 --> 00:01:14.460 He was the son of Hilkiah. 00:01:15.240 --> 00:01:17.440 Jeremiah was one of the priests at Anathoth. 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:19.780 That's a town in the territory of Benjamin. 00:01:20.740 --> 00:01:22.700 A message came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:26.400 It came in the thirteenth year that Josiah was king over Judah. 00:01:27.160 --> 00:01:28.560 Josiah was the son of Ammon. 00:01:29.360 --> 00:01:34.200 The Lord's message also came to Jeremiah during the whole time Jehoiakim was king over Judah. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:36.780 Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:43.520 The Lord continued to speak to Jeremiah until the fifth month of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king over Judah. 00:01:44.300 --> 00:01:47.340 That's when the people of Jerusalem were forced to leave their country. 00:01:48.320 --> 00:01:50.040 Zedekiah was the son of Josiah. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:52.600 Here is what Jeremiah said. 00:01:52.660 --> 00:01:58.660 A message came to me from the Lord. He said, Before I formed you in your mother's body, 00:01:58.940 --> 00:02:06.020 I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to 00:02:06.100 --> 00:02:11.340 the nations. You are my lord and king, I said. I don't know how to speak. I am only a child. 00:02:12.380 --> 00:02:18.700 But the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am only a child. You must go to everyone I send you to. 00:02:19.040 --> 00:02:24.460 You must say everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of the people I send you to. 00:02:24.980 --> 00:02:30.660 I am with you. I will save you, announces the Lord. Then the Lord reached out His hand. 00:02:31.220 --> 00:02:37.140 He touched my mouth and spoke to me. He said, I have put my words in your mouth. Today I am 00:02:37.300 --> 00:02:42.620 appointing you to speak to nations and kingdoms. I want you to pull them up by the roots and tear 00:02:42.780 --> 00:02:48.860 them down. I want you to destroy them and crush them. But I also want you to build them up and 00:02:48.860 --> 00:02:55.560 them. A message came to me from the Lord. He asked me, What do you see, Jeremiah? The branch of an 00:02:55.640 --> 00:03:02.120 almond tree, I replied. The Lord said to me, You have seen correctly. I am watching to see that my 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:09.480 word comes true. Another message came to me from the Lord. He asked me, What do you see? A pot that 00:03:09.600 --> 00:03:15.340 has boiling water in it, I answered. It's leaning toward us from the north. The Lord said to me, 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:19.300 Something very bad will be poured out on everyone who lives in this land. 00:03:19.920 --> 00:03:21.240 It will come from the north. 00:03:21.640 --> 00:03:26.020 I am about to send for all of the armies in the northern kingdoms, announces the Lord. 00:03:26.600 --> 00:03:28.300 Their kings will come to Jerusalem. 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:31.480 They will set up their thrones at the very gates of the city. 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:34.540 They will attack all of the walls that surround the city. 00:03:35.200 --> 00:03:37.600 They will go to war against all the towns of Judah. 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:39.500 I will judge my people. 00:03:39.940 --> 00:03:41.480 They have done many evil things. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:42.840 They have deserted me. 00:03:43.500 --> 00:03:45.500 They have burned incense to other gods. 00:03:45.780 --> 00:03:48.560 They have worshipped the gods their own hands have made. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:53.160 So get ready, stand up, tell them everything I command you to. 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:55.180 Do not let them terrify you. 00:03:55.620 --> 00:03:58.040 If you do, I will terrify you in front of them. 00:03:58.780 --> 00:04:02.100 Today I have made you like a city that has a high wall around it. 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:05.280 I have made you like an iron pillar and a bronze wall. 00:04:05.980 --> 00:04:08.140 Now you can stand up against the whole land. 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:11.060 You can stand against the kings and officials of Judah. 00:04:11.540 --> 00:04:14.160 You can stand against its priests and its people. 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.459 They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you. 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:18.579 I am with you. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.799 I will save you, announces the Lord. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:23.020 Jeremiah chapter 2 00:04:23.540 --> 00:04:25.540 A message came to me from the Lord. 00:04:26.080 --> 00:04:29.940 He said, Go, announce my message to the people in Jerusalem. 00:04:30.460 --> 00:04:31.780 I want everyone to hear it. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:35.420 Tell them, I remember how faithful you were to me when you were young. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:37.860 You loved me as if you were my bride. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:39.900 You followed me through the desert. 00:04:40.620 --> 00:04:41.920 Nothing had been planted there. 00:04:42.380 --> 00:04:43.700 Your people were holy to me. 00:04:44.020 --> 00:04:48.720 They were the first share of my harvest. All those who destroyed them were held guilty, 00:04:49.300 --> 00:04:51.920 and trouble came to their enemies, announces the Lord. 00:04:52.860 --> 00:04:58.520 People of Jacob, hear the Lord's message. Listen, all you tribes of Israel. The Lord says, 00:04:58.960 --> 00:05:03.780 What did your people find wrong with me? Why did they wander so far away from me? 00:05:04.380 --> 00:05:09.040 They worshipped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless. 00:05:09.460 --> 00:05:15.460 They did not ask, Where is the Lord? He brought us up out of Egypt. He led us through a dry and 00:05:15.660 --> 00:05:21.020 empty land. He guided us through deserts and deep valleys. It was a land of darkness where there 00:05:21.200 --> 00:05:27.400 wasn't any rain. No one lived or traveled there. But I brought you into a land that has rich soil. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:33.540 I gave you its fruit and its finest food. In spite of that, you polluted my land. 00:05:34.050 --> 00:05:39.200 You turned it into something I hate. The priests did not ask, Where is the Lord? 00:05:39.260 --> 00:05:46.560 Those who taught my law did not know me. The leaders refused to obey me. The prophets prophesied 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:52.860 in the name of Baal. They worshipped worthless statues of gods. So I am bringing charges against 00:05:52.870 --> 00:05:57.960 you again, announces the Lord, and I will bring charges against your children's children. 00:05:58.900 --> 00:06:04.139 Go over to the coasts of the western nations and look. Send people to the land of Keter and have 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:09.940 them look closely. See if there has ever been anything like this. Has a nation ever changed 00:06:10.030 --> 00:06:16.220 its gods? Actually, they're not even gods at all. But my people have traded away their glorious God. 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:22.560 They have traded me for worthless statues of gods. Sky above, be shocked over that. 00:06:23.140 --> 00:06:29.020 Tremble with horror, announces the Lord. My people have sinned twice. They have deserted me, 00:06:29.370 --> 00:06:33.840 even though I am the spring of water that gives life. And they have dug their own wells. 00:06:34.380 --> 00:06:39.740 But those wells are broken. They can't hold any water. Are you people of Israel, servants? 00:06:40.370 --> 00:06:45.200 You were not born as slaves, were you? Then why have you been carried off like stolen goods? 00:06:45.900 --> 00:06:51.620 Lions have roared. They have growled at you. They have destroyed your land. Your towns are burned 00:06:51.630 --> 00:06:57.340 and deserted. The men of Memphis and Toppenhees have shaved your heads to dishonor you. Haven't 00:06:57.340 --> 00:07:03.319 you brought that on yourselves? I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me. You left me even 00:07:03.340 --> 00:07:09.400 when I was leading you. Why do you go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor River? Why do you go 00:07:09.400 --> 00:07:14.520 to Assyria to drink from the Euphrates River? You will be punished because you have sinned. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:21.220 You will be corrected for turning away from me. I am the Lord your God. If you desert me, bad 00:07:21.400 --> 00:07:27.040 things will happen to you. If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly. I want you to 00:07:27.180 --> 00:07:33.220 understand that, announces the Lord who rules over all. Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you. 00:07:33.520 --> 00:07:40.020 You tore off the ropes I tied you up with. You said, I won't serve you. In fact, on every high 00:07:40.200 --> 00:07:45.220 hill you lay down like a prostitute. You worshipped other gods under every green tree. 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:51.240 You were like a good vine when I planted you. You were a healthy plant. Then how did you turn 00:07:51.400 --> 00:07:58.020 against me? How did you become a bad, wild vine? You might wash yourself with baking soda. You 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:02.840 might use plenty of soap. But I can still see the stains your guilt covers you with, 00:08:02.940 --> 00:08:09.380 announces the Lord and King. You say, I am clean. I haven't followed the gods that are named after 00:08:09.580 --> 00:08:15.760 Baal. How can you say that? Remember how you acted in the valley. Consider what you have done. 00:08:16.230 --> 00:08:21.880 You are like a female camel running quickly here and there. You are like a wild donkey that lives 00:08:21.890 --> 00:08:28.039 in the desert. She smells the wind when she longs for a mate. Who can hold her back? The males that 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:33.000 run after her do not need to wear themselves out. At mating time they will easily find her. 00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:37.800 Do not run after other gods until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry. 00:08:38.680 --> 00:08:44.980 But you said, It's no use. I love those gods. I must go after them. A thief is dishonored when 00:08:44.980 --> 00:08:50.660 he is caught, and you people of Israel are filled with shame. Your kings and officials are dishonored. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:56.060 So are your priests and your prophets. You say to a piece of wood, You are my father. 00:08:56.500 --> 00:09:03.080 You say to a stone, You are my mother. You have turned your backs to me. You refuse to look at me. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:08.840 But when you are in trouble, you say, Come and save us. So where are the gods you made for 00:09:08.920 --> 00:09:13.100 yourselves? Let them come when you are in trouble. Let them save you if they can. 00:09:13.700 --> 00:09:19.800 Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. Why do you bring charges against me? All of you 00:09:19.920 --> 00:09:25.779 have refused to obey me, announces the Lord. I punished your people, but it did not do them any 00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:30.440 good. They did not pay attention when they were corrected. You have killed your prophets with 00:09:30.640 --> 00:09:36.420 swords. You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion. You who are now living, consider my message. 00:09:36.760 --> 00:09:42.320 I am saying, have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been like a land of deep darkness? 00:09:43.060 --> 00:09:49.400 Why do my people say, we are free to wander, we won't come to you anymore? Does a young woman 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:55.760 forget all about her jewelry? Does a bride forget about her wedding jewels? But my people have 00:09:55.780 --> 00:10:02.360 me more days than anyone can count. You're very skilled at chasing after love. Even the worst of 00:10:02.460 --> 00:10:07.860 women can learn from how you act. The blood of those you have killed is on your clothes. You 00:10:07.860 --> 00:10:12.820 have destroyed poor people who were not guilty. You did not catch them in the act of breaking in. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:19.500 In spite of all that, you say, I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. The Lord isn't angry with me. 00:10:20.160 --> 00:10:26.060 But I will judge you. That is because you say, I haven't sinned. Why do you keep on changing your 00:10:26.260 --> 00:10:32.620 way so much? Assyria did not help you, and Egypt will not help you either. So you will also leave 00:10:32.880 --> 00:10:38.120 Egypt with your hands tied together above your heads. I have turned my back on those you trust. 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:41.800 They will not help you. Jeremiah 3. 00:10:42.920 --> 00:10:47.280 Suppose a man divorces his wife. What if she then gets married to another man? 00:10:47.860 --> 00:10:53.640 Should her first husband return to her again? If he does, won't the land become completely unclean? 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:59.380 People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute. You have loved many other gods, 00:10:59.800 --> 00:11:05.100 so do you think you can return to me now? announces the Lord. Look up at the bare hilltops. 00:11:05.540 --> 00:11:10.600 Is there any place where you have not committed adultery with other gods? By the side of the road 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:15.819 you sat waiting for lovers. You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert. You have 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:22.220 polluted the land. You are like a sinful prostitute. So I have held the showers back. I have kept the 00:11:22.220 --> 00:11:28.180 spring rains from falling. But you still have the bold face of a prostitute. You refuse to blush 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:34.400 with shame. You have just now called out to me. You said, My father, you have been my friend ever 00:11:34.560 --> 00:11:40.859 since I was young. Will you always be angry with me? Will your anger continue forever? That is how 00:11:40.880 --> 00:11:47.280 you talk, but you do all the evil things you can. During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to 00:11:47.340 --> 00:11:53.080 me. He said, Have you ever seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to 00:11:53.080 --> 00:11:58.480 me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worship them on every high hill and under 00:11:58.760 --> 00:12:03.540 every green tree. I thought that after they had done all of those things they would return to me, 00:12:03.980 --> 00:12:08.900 but they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw it, and they were not faithful to me either. 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:15.220 I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:21.180 times. But I saw that their sister nation, Judah, did not have any respect for me. They were not 00:12:21.340 --> 00:12:26.860 faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods. Israel was 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:32.940 not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land unclean. They worshipped 00:12:33.060 --> 00:12:38.459 gods that were made out of stone and wood. In spite of all that, their sister Judah did not 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:43.800 come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:50.600 They only pretended to, announces the Lord. The Lord said to me, Israel and Judah have not been 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:57.160 faithful to me. But Israel was not as bad as Judah was. Go, announce this message to the people in 00:12:57.160 --> 00:13:02.500 the north. Tell them, Israel, you have not been faithful, announces the Lord. Return to me, 00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:07.340 then I will look on you with favor again. My love is faithful, announces the Lord. 00:13:07.880 --> 00:13:12.840 I will not be angry with you forever. Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong. 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:19.000 You have refused to obey me. I am the Lord your God. You have committed adultery with other gods. 00:13:19.580 --> 00:13:24.300 You worship them under every green tree, and you have not obeyed me, announces the Lord. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:30.140 You people have not been faithful, announces the Lord. Return to me. I am your husband. 00:13:30.780 --> 00:13:34.820 I will choose one of you from each town, I will choose two from each territory, 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:40.520 and I will bring you to the city of Zion. Then I will give you shepherds who are dear to my heart. 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:46.180 Their knowledge and understanding will help them lead you. In those days your numbers will increase 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:51.260 greatly in the land, announces the Lord. Then people will not talk about the Ark of the 00:13:51.460 --> 00:13:56.140 Covenant of the Lord anymore. It will never enter their minds. They will not remember it. 00:13:56.620 --> 00:14:02.380 The ark will not be missed, and another one will not be made. At that time they will call Jerusalem 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:07.880 the throne of the Lord. All of the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor 00:14:07.900 --> 00:14:13.580 me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do. In those days, 00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:18.240 the people of Judah will join the people of Israel. Together they will come from a land in 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:24.139 the north. They will come to the land I gave to your people long ago. I wanted them to have it as 00:14:24.160 --> 00:14:30.860 their very own. I myself said, I would gladly treat you like my children. I would give you a pleasant 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:36.700 land. It is the most beautiful land any nation could have. I thought you would call me Father. 00:14:37.210 --> 00:14:42.680 I hoped you would always follow me. But you people are like a woman who is not faithful to her husband. 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:49.820 Israel, you have not been faithful to me, announces the Lord. A cry is heard on the bare hilltops. 00:14:50.160 --> 00:14:54.940 The people of Israel are sobbing and praying. That's because their lives are so twisted. 00:14:55.580 --> 00:15:01.220 They've forgotten the Lord their God. You have not been faithful, says the Lord. Return to me. 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:07.720 I will heal you. Then you will not turn away from me anymore. Yes, the people say, we will come to 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:13.759 you. You are the Lord our God. The gods we worship on the hills and mountains are useless. You are 00:15:13.780 --> 00:15:20.080 the Lord our God. You are the only one who can save us. From our earliest years, shameful gods 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:25.440 have eaten up everything our people worked for. They have eaten up our flocks and herds. They've 00:15:25.520 --> 00:15:32.420 destroyed our sons and daughters. Let us lie down in our shame. Let our dishonor cover us. You are 00:15:32.420 --> 00:15:37.960 the Lord our God, but we have sinned against you. We and our people before us have sinned. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.220 We haven't obeyed you from our earliest years until now. 00:15:42.660 --> 00:15:43.820 Jeremiah chapter 4 00:15:45.020 --> 00:15:48.560 If you will return, Israel, return to me, announces the Lord. 00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:51.620 Put the statues of your gods out of my sight. 00:15:51.740 --> 00:15:52.320 I hate them. 00:15:52.880 --> 00:15:54.700 Stop going down the wrong path. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:57.220 Take all of your oaths in my name. 00:15:57.580 --> 00:16:00.200 Say, You can be sure that the Lord is alive. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.680 Let all of your promises be truthful, fair, and honest. 00:16:04.260 --> 00:16:07.600 Then I will bless the nations, and they will take delight in me. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:11.440 Here is what the Lord is telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 00:16:11.920 --> 00:16:12.420 He says, 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:16.040 Your hearts are as hard as a field that has not been plowed. 00:16:16.520 --> 00:16:18.720 So change your ways and produce good crops. 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:21.220 Do not plant seeds among thorns. 00:16:22.040 --> 00:16:24.200 People of Judah and Jerusalem, obey me. 00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:26.480 Do not let your hearts be stubborn. 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.520 If you do, my anger will blaze out against you. 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:33.200 It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:35.240 No one will be able to put it out. 00:16:35.920 --> 00:16:37.340 Announce my message in Judah. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:43.940 Tell it in Jerusalem. Say, blow trumpets all through the land. Give a loud shout and say, 00:16:44.380 --> 00:16:48.380 gather together. Let's run to cities that have high walls around them. 00:16:49.020 --> 00:16:55.040 Warn everyone to go to Zion. Run for safety. Do not wait. I am bringing trouble from the north. 00:16:55.620 --> 00:17:01.380 Everything will be totally destroyed. Lions have come out of their den. Those who destroy nations 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:07.380 have begun to march out. They have left their place to destroy your land completely. Your towns 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:14.040 be broken to pieces. No one will live in them. So put on black clothes, sob and cry over what has 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:20.579 happened. The Lord hasn't turned His burning anger away from us. A dark day is coming, announces the 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:26.260 Lord. The king and his officials will lose hope. The priests will be shocked, and the prophets 00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:32.740 will be terrified. Then I said, You are my Lord and King. You have completely tricked the people 00:17:32.760 --> 00:17:38.440 of Judah and Jerusalem. You have told them, You will have peace and rest. But swords are pointed 00:17:38.600 --> 00:17:44.460 at our throats. At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be warned. They will be told, 00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:50.240 A hot and dry wind is coming, my people. It is blowing toward you from the bare hilltops in the 00:17:50.340 --> 00:17:56.600 desert. But it does not separate straw from grain. It is much too strong for that. The wind is coming 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:02.440 from me. I am making my decision against you. Look, our enemies are approaching like clouds. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.040 Their chariots are coming like a strong wind. 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:07.380 Their horses are faster than eagles. 00:18:07.980 --> 00:18:09.660 How terrible it will be for us! 00:18:09.860 --> 00:18:10.620 We'll be destroyed! 00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:15.220 People of Jerusalem, wash your sins from your hearts and be saved. 00:18:15.660 --> 00:18:17.940 How long will you hold on to your evil thoughts? 00:18:18.660 --> 00:18:21.460 A voice is speaking all the way from the city of Dan. 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:24.580 From the hills of Ephraim it announces that trouble is coming. 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:27.100 Tell the nations, warn Jerusalem. 00:18:27.580 --> 00:18:29.380 Say, an army will attack you. 00:18:29.820 --> 00:18:31.700 It is coming from a land far away. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.760 It will shout a war cry against the cities of Judah. 00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:37.660 It will surround them like people who guard a field. 00:18:38.340 --> 00:18:41.040 Judah has refused to obey me, announces the Lord. 00:18:41.780 --> 00:18:44.520 The army will attack you because of your conduct and actions. 00:18:45.080 --> 00:18:46.520 That is how you will be punished. 00:18:47.020 --> 00:18:48.100 It will be so bitter. 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.780 It will cut deep down into your hearts. 00:18:51.340 --> 00:18:52.040 I'm suffering. 00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:53.200 I'm really suffering. 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:54.640 I'm hurting badly. 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:56.840 My heart is suffering so much. 00:18:57.180 --> 00:18:58.460 It's pounding inside me. 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:00.060 I can't keep silent. 00:19:00.380 --> 00:19:05.560 I've heard the sound of trumpets. I've heard the battle cry. One trouble follows another. 00:19:05.990 --> 00:19:11.860 The whole land is destroyed. In an instant, my tents are gone. My home disappears in a moment. 00:19:12.460 --> 00:19:17.880 How long must I look at our enemy's battle flag? How long must I hear the sound of the trumpets? 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:24.799 The Lord says, My people are foolish. They do not know me. They are children who do not have any 00:19:24.840 --> 00:19:30.860 sense. They have no understanding at all. They are skilled in doing what is evil. They do not know 00:19:30.900 --> 00:19:36.420 how to do what is good. I looked at the earth. It didn't have any shape, and it was empty. 00:19:37.100 --> 00:19:42.080 I looked at the sky. Its light was gone. I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. 00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:48.460 All of the hills were swaying. I looked, and there weren't any people. Every bird in the sky 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:54.220 had flown away. I looked, and the fruitful land had become a desert. All of its towns were 00:19:54.240 --> 00:20:00.380 destroyed. The Lord had done all of that because of His burning anger. The Lord says, The whole 00:20:00.580 --> 00:20:05.760 land will be destroyed, but I will not destroy it completely. So the earth will be filled with 00:20:06.060 --> 00:20:12.460 sadness. The sky above will grow dark. I have spoken, and I will not take pity on them. I have 00:20:12.580 --> 00:20:19.020 made my decision, and I will not change my mind. People can hear the sound of horsemen. Men who 00:20:19.040 --> 00:20:24.760 are armed with bows are coming. The people in every town run away. Some of them go into the bushes, 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:30.780 others climb up among the rocks. All of the towns are deserted. No one is living in them. 00:20:31.620 --> 00:20:36.560 What are you doing, you who are destroyed? Why do you dress yourself in bright red clothes? 00:20:37.020 --> 00:20:42.640 Why do you put on jewels of gold? Why do you put makeup on your eyes? You make yourself beautiful 00:20:42.770 --> 00:20:49.000 for no reason at all. Your lovers hate you. They're trying to kill you. I hear a cry like 00:20:49.020 --> 00:20:54.960 cry of a woman having a baby. I hear a groan like someone having their first child. It's the cry of 00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.180 the people of Zion struggling to breathe. They reach out their hands and say, Help us, we're 00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:08.100 fading. Murderers are about to kill us. Jeremiah chapter 5. The Lord says, Go up and down the 00:21:08.320 --> 00:21:13.340 streets of Jerusalem. Look around. Think about what you see. Search through the marketplaces. 00:21:13.980 --> 00:21:17.440 See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful. 00:21:18.100 --> 00:21:19.980 If you can, I will forgive this city. 00:21:20.780 --> 00:21:22.780 They take all of their oaths in my name. 00:21:23.100 --> 00:21:27.880 They say, you can be sure that the Lord is alive, but their oaths can't be trusted. 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:30.680 Lord, don't your eyes look for truth? 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:34.040 You struck your people down, but they didn't feel any pain. 00:21:34.340 --> 00:21:36.940 You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:39.620 They made their faces harder than stone. 00:21:40.120 --> 00:21:42.240 They refused to turn away from their sins. 00:21:43.060 --> 00:21:47.960 I thought, the people of Jerusalem are foolish. They don't know how the Lord wants them to live. 00:21:48.280 --> 00:21:52.960 They don't know what their God requires of them. So I will go to the leaders. I'll speak to them. 00:21:53.460 --> 00:21:58.460 They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them. 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:03.460 But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes He 00:22:03.560 --> 00:22:08.920 had tied them up with. So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will 00:22:08.940 --> 00:22:14.720 destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:20.980 dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from Him 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:27.140 many times. The Lord says, Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted Me. 00:22:27.610 --> 00:22:31.440 They have taken their oaths in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:37.680 I supplied everything they needed, but they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the 00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:43.600 houses of prostitutes. Your people are like stallions that have plenty to eat. Their sinful 00:22:43.880 --> 00:22:49.340 longings are out of control. Each of them goes after another man's wife. Shouldn't I punish them 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:53.940 for that? announces the Lord. Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things? 00:22:55.040 --> 00:22:59.540 Armies of Babylonia, go through their vineyards and destroy them, but do not destroy them 00:22:59.840 --> 00:23:05.960 completely. Strip off their branches. Those people do not belong to me. The people of Israel and 00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:10.840 Judah have not been faithful to me at all, announces the Lord. They have told lies about 00:23:10.860 --> 00:23:17.040 the Lord. They said, He won't do anything. No harm will come to us. We will never see war or be 00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:22.940 hungry. The prophets are nothing but wind. Their message doesn't come from the Lord. So let what 00:23:22.940 --> 00:23:28.620 they say will happen be done to them. The Lord God rules over all. He says to me, 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:34.880 The people have spoken those words, so my words will be like fire in your mouth. I will make the 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:40.560 people like wood, and the fire will burn them up. People of Israel, listen to me, announces the 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:46.740 Lord. I am bringing against you a nation from far away. It is an old nation, and it will last for a 00:23:46.860 --> 00:23:52.460 long time. Its people speak a language you do not know. You can't understand what they're saying. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:58.020 The bags they carry their arrows in are like an open grave. All of their soldiers are mighty. 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:04.860 They will eat up your crops and your food. They will strike down your sons and daughters. They 00:24:04.860 --> 00:24:07.480 They will destroy your vines and fig trees. 00:24:08.300 --> 00:24:12.780 You trust in your cities that have high walls around them, but the people in them will be 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:13.640 killed with swords. 00:24:14.320 --> 00:24:19.360 In spite of that, even in those days I will not destroy you completely, announces the 00:24:19.500 --> 00:24:19.600 Lord. 00:24:20.340 --> 00:24:25.220 Jeremiah, the people will ask, Why has the Lord our God done all of this to us? 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:28.760 Then you will tell them, You have deserted the Lord. 00:24:29.180 --> 00:24:31.260 You have served other gods in your own land. 00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:35.320 so now you will serve another nation in a land that is not your own. 00:24:36.120 --> 00:24:38.600 Here is what I want you to announce to the people of Jacob. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:40.160 Tell it in Judah. 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:41.500 Tell them I say, 00:24:42.040 --> 00:24:45.080 Listen to this, you foolish people who do not have any sense. 00:24:45.660 --> 00:24:47.680 You have eyes, but you do not see. 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:49.840 You have ears, but you do not hear. 00:24:50.620 --> 00:24:53.060 Shouldn't you have respect for me? announces the Lord. 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:55.620 Shouldn't you tremble with fear in front of me? 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:58.600 I made the sand to hold the ocean back. 00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:00.020 It will do that forever. 00:25:00.280 --> 00:25:01.840 The ocean can't go past it. 00:25:02.380 --> 00:25:04.740 The waves might roll, but they can't sweep over it. 00:25:05.120 --> 00:25:07.380 They might roar, but they can't go across it. 00:25:07.940 --> 00:25:09.940 But you people have stubborn hearts. 00:25:10.230 --> 00:25:11.460 You refuse to obey me. 00:25:12.020 --> 00:25:13.420 You have turned away from me. 00:25:13.860 --> 00:25:15.520 You have gone down the wrong path. 00:25:16.100 --> 00:25:19.760 You do not say to yourselves, let us have respect for the Lord our God. 00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:22.660 He sends rain in the fall and in the spring. 00:25:23.260 --> 00:25:26.920 He promises us that the harvest will come at the same time each year. 00:25:27.400 --> 00:25:30.560 But the things you have done wrong have robbed you of those gifts. 00:25:31.380 --> 00:25:34.340 Your sins have kept those good things far away from you. 00:25:35.080 --> 00:25:37.680 Jeremiah, some of my people are evil. 00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:41.740 They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds. 00:25:42.360 --> 00:25:43.660 They set traps for men. 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:47.020 A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds, 00:25:47.540 --> 00:25:50.220 and my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods. 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:52.340 They have become rich and powerful. 00:25:52.800 --> 00:25:54.320 They have grown fat and heavy. 00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:00.460 There is no limit to the evil things they do. In court, they do not state the case of children 00:26:00.550 --> 00:26:06.080 whose fathers have died. They do not stand up for poor people. Shouldn't I punish them for that? 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:10.400 announces the Lord. Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things? 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:17.220 Something horrible and shocking has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy lies. The priests 00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:23.160 rule by their own authority. And my people love it that way. But what will they do in the end? 00:26:24.080 --> 00:26:31.200 Jeremiah chapter 6. The Lord says, People of Benjamin, run for safety, run away from Jerusalem. 00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:37.260 Blow trumpets in Tekoa. Warn everyone in Beth Hacarim. Horrible trouble is coming from the 00:26:37.380 --> 00:26:43.580 north. The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power. I will destroy the city of Zion, 00:26:44.020 --> 00:26:49.119 even though it is very beautiful. Shepherds will come against it with their flocks. They will set 00:26:49.140 --> 00:26:54.460 up their tents around it. All of them will take care of their own sheep. The Babylonians say, 00:26:54.930 --> 00:27:00.420 Prepare for battle against Judah. Get up. Let's attack them at noon. But the daylight is fading. 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:06.200 The shadows of evening are getting longer. So get up. Let's attack them at night. Let's destroy 00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:12.440 their strongest forts. The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says, Cut some 00:27:12.570 --> 00:27:19.100 trees down. Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem's walls. I must punish that city. It is 00:27:19.120 --> 00:27:25.200 people who treat others badly. Wells keep giving fresh water, and Jerusalem keeps on sinning. 00:27:25.710 --> 00:27:31.180 Its people are always fighting and causing trouble. When I look at them, I see nothing but sickness 00:27:31.460 --> 00:27:37.240 and wounds. Jerusalem, listen to my warning. If you do not, I will turn away from you. 00:27:37.800 --> 00:27:41.440 Your land will become a desert. No one will be able to live there. 00:27:42.530 --> 00:27:48.240 The Lord rules over all. He says to me, People gather the few grapes that are left on a vine, 00:27:48.600 --> 00:27:52.620 So let Israel's enemies gather the few people who are left alive in the land. 00:27:53.190 --> 00:27:54.800 Look carefully at the branches again. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.980 Do it like someone who gathers the last few grapes. 00:27:59.260 --> 00:28:00.300 Who can I speak to? 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:01.440 Who can I warn? 00:28:01.880 --> 00:28:03.020 Who will ever listen to me? 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:05.620 Their ears are closed, so they can't hear. 00:28:06.540 --> 00:28:08.340 The Lord's message displeases them. 00:28:08.820 --> 00:28:10.260 They don't take any delight in it. 00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:13.060 But the Lord's anger burns inside me. 00:28:13.540 --> 00:28:15.040 I can no longer hold it in. 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:19.160 The Lord says to me, Pour out my anger on the children in the street. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:22.280 Pour it out on the young people who are gathered together. 00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:24.940 Husband and wife alike will be caught in it. 00:28:25.380 --> 00:28:27.000 So will those who are very old. 00:28:27.600 --> 00:28:31.820 I will reach out my hand against those who live in the land, announces the Lord. 00:28:32.600 --> 00:28:34.760 Then their houses will be turned over to others. 00:28:35.540 --> 00:28:37.240 So will their fields and their wives. 00:28:37.760 --> 00:28:42.400 Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important. 00:28:43.220 --> 00:28:46.400 Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:50.120 They bandage the wounds of my people as if they were not very deep. 00:28:50.840 --> 00:28:52.040 Peace, peace, they say. 00:28:52.840 --> 00:28:53.840 But there isn't any peace. 00:28:54.580 --> 00:28:56.300 Are they ashamed of their hateful actions? 00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:59.180 No, they do not feel any shame at all. 00:28:59.700 --> 00:29:01.460 They do not even know how to blush. 00:29:02.140 --> 00:29:04.720 So they will fall like others who have already fallen. 00:29:05.280 --> 00:29:08.080 They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord. 00:29:09.400 --> 00:29:10.960 The Lord tells the people of Judah, 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:13.460 Stand where the roads cross and look around. 00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:15.640 Ask where the old paths are. 00:29:16.280 --> 00:29:18.060 Ask for the good path and walk on it. 00:29:18.560 --> 00:29:20.200 Then your hearts will find rest in me. 00:29:20.860 --> 00:29:22.960 But you said, we won't walk on it. 00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:25.340 I appointed prophets to warn you. 00:29:25.820 --> 00:29:28.220 I said, listen to the sound of the trumpets. 00:29:28.580 --> 00:29:30.160 But you said, we won't listen. 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:32.300 So pay attention, you nations. 00:29:32.860 --> 00:29:33.960 Be witnesses for me. 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:36.240 Watch what will happen to my people. 00:29:37.080 --> 00:29:37.980 Earth, pay attention. 00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:39.900 I'm going to bring trouble on them. 00:29:40.320 --> 00:29:43.200 I will punish them because of the evil things they have done. 00:29:43.690 --> 00:29:45.480 They have not listened to my words. 00:29:46.060 --> 00:29:47.740 They have said no to my law. 00:29:48.520 --> 00:29:51.380 What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba? 00:29:51.960 --> 00:29:55.340 Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away? 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:57.840 I do not accept your burnt offerings. 00:29:58.360 --> 00:30:00.160 Your sacrifices do not please me. 00:30:00.840 --> 00:30:04.380 So the Lord says, I will bring an army against the people of Judah. 00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:07.280 Parents and children alike will trip and fall. 00:30:07.800 --> 00:30:09.200 Neighbors and friends will die. 00:30:09.980 --> 00:30:13.960 The Lord says to Jerusalem, Look, an army is coming from the land of the north. 00:30:14.270 --> 00:30:15.860 I am stirring up a great nation. 00:30:16.630 --> 00:30:19.640 Its army is coming from a land that is very far away. 00:30:20.260 --> 00:30:22.580 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. 00:30:23.060 --> 00:30:23.680 They are mean. 00:30:23.950 --> 00:30:25.800 They do not show any mercy at all. 00:30:26.320 --> 00:30:27.920 They come riding in on their horses. 00:30:28.140 --> 00:30:29.660 They sound like the roaring ocean. 00:30:30.220 --> 00:30:31.220 They are lined up for battle. 00:30:31.530 --> 00:30:34.000 They are marching out to attack you, city of Zion. 00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:37.900 We have heard reports about them, and our hands can't help us. 00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:42.000 We're suffering greatly. It's like the pain of a woman having a baby. 00:30:43.080 --> 00:30:45.780 Don't go out to the fields. Don't walk on the roads. 00:30:46.120 --> 00:30:49.280 Our enemies have swords, and there is terror on every side. 00:30:49.840 --> 00:30:52.980 Put on black clothes, my people. Roll among the ashes. 00:30:53.620 --> 00:30:56.840 Cry with bitter sobbing, just as you would cry for an only child. 00:30:57.600 --> 00:30:59.840 The one who is going to destroy us will come suddenly. 00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:04.160 The Lord says to me, I have made you like one who tests metals. 00:31:05.080 --> 00:31:08.840 My people are the ore. I want you to watch them and test the way they live. 00:31:09.640 --> 00:31:13.680 All of them are used to disobeying me. They go around telling lies about others. 00:31:14.320 --> 00:31:18.340 They are like bronze mixed with iron. All of them do very sinful things. 00:31:19.020 --> 00:31:22.080 The fire is made very hot, so the lead will burn away. 00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:25.040 But it is impossible to make those people pure. 00:31:25.840 --> 00:31:29.940 Those who are evil are not removed. They are like silver that is thrown away. 00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:32.460 That is because I have not accepted them. 00:31:34.280 --> 00:31:41.560 2 Timothy 3.16 says, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, 00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:46.280 and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped 00:31:46.780 --> 00:31:53.100 for every good work. Beloved, I believe that. Do you? Okay, well, with that out of the way, 00:31:53.540 --> 00:31:59.160 here are some thoughts from today's reading. I love the message from chapter 1, verse 5, 00:31:59.600 --> 00:32:06.700 which said, This is the account of how God called Jeremiah. God said, Before I formed you in your 00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:13.740 mother's body, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to 00:32:13.820 --> 00:32:20.600 be a prophet to the nations. Beloved, I love it when we're reminded that God knows us even before 00:32:21.100 --> 00:32:27.159 we are conceived. In the same way that God had a plan for Jeremiah, He has a plan for each and 00:32:27.180 --> 00:32:33.180 every one of us, before we were conceived. Well, that means that there are no mistakes. There are 00:32:33.360 --> 00:32:40.540 no unplanned pregnancies. We might be surprised, but God is not. And it's God who forms us. 00:32:41.120 --> 00:32:48.100 It's not just biology. It's not simply random cells multiplying and then dividing into distinct 00:32:48.350 --> 00:32:54.099 organs and other tissues. It is God Himself who fashions each one of us. You are who you are 00:32:54.120 --> 00:33:00.420 because God made you the way you are. Each of us is different, and each of us is perfect. Maybe not 00:33:00.420 --> 00:33:06.240 by human standards, but certainly by God's standards. I happened to be born with what most 00:33:06.380 --> 00:33:12.480 people would consider to be imperfect eyes. I was very nearsighted until I got LASIK surgery about 00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:18.679 20 years ago, and now that I'm older, I'm farsighted. And not only that, but several years 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:24.620 ago, the retina in my left eye became partially detached, leaving me completely without vision in 00:33:24.620 --> 00:33:30.080 the bottom third of that eye. That's okay. I don't know why God gave me less than perfect vision, 00:33:30.210 --> 00:33:36.340 but I'm okay with the body He fashioned for me. He made it, so it's the body I was meant to have. 00:33:37.260 --> 00:33:43.220 The point is that none of us are accidents in any way whatsoever. God knew us before we were born, 00:33:43.820 --> 00:33:47.260 He has a purpose for us, and He does not make mistakes. 00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:50.980 And that's true for each person ever conceived. 00:33:51.580 --> 00:33:57.340 And because of that, I believe that it is wrong, wrong, wrong to voluntarily terminate 00:33:57.660 --> 00:34:01.900 any pregnancy because of this and other scriptures that confirm this fact. 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:06.340 Some people may argue with me, but I'm just telling you what the Word of God says. 00:34:06.700 --> 00:34:07.700 This isn't my opinion. 00:34:08.120 --> 00:34:09.720 This is the Word of God. 00:34:09.919 --> 00:34:11.080 So, take it up with Him. 00:34:12.060 --> 00:34:14.200 Here's the verse of the day. 00:34:17.340 --> 00:34:20.860 The verse of the day, maybe not surprisingly, is Jeremiah 1.5. 00:34:21.399 --> 00:34:24.620 Before I formed you in your mother's body, I chose you. 00:34:25.120 --> 00:34:28.040 Before you were born, I set you apart to serve me. 00:34:28.620 --> 00:34:31.159 I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations. 00:34:33.220 --> 00:34:34.260 Lifespringmedia.com 00:34:41.500 --> 00:34:42.020 slash support 00:34:42.040 --> 00:34:44.440 On this date in church history, January 16. 00:34:45.190 --> 00:34:52.639 On this date in 1604, English Puritans brought their concerns directly to the king at the Hampton Court Conference. 00:34:53.280 --> 00:34:55.340 Their request was simple but bold. 00:34:56.000 --> 00:35:05.320 They wanted reforms in the Church of England, including clearer preaching, fewer ceremonial requirements, and worship practices grounded more directly in Scripture. 00:35:06.260 --> 00:35:11.620 King James I was not particularly sympathetic to their demands, but one outcome of the conference 00:35:11.960 --> 00:35:18.100 proved lasting. In response to debates about Scripture, James authorized a new English Bible 00:35:18.340 --> 00:35:24.800 translation. The result was the 1611 King James Version, a translation that would shape English-speaking 00:35:25.160 --> 00:35:29.940 Christianity for centuries, though the form most of us recognize today comes from later revisions, 00:35:30.120 --> 00:35:33.620 especially the widely used 1769 Oxford edition. 00:35:34.720 --> 00:35:38.340 I keep bringing up my time in Christian bookselling, but I love this stuff. 00:35:38.940 --> 00:35:42.900 In 1982, Thomas Nelson published the New King James Version, 00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:47.680 and at the same time they published the 1611 King James Version with Apocrypha, 00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:49.360 which is still available today. 00:35:49.900 --> 00:35:55.040 And you might not be surprised that working in the Bible department was my favorite department to be in. 00:35:55.420 --> 00:35:59.480 And my favorite thing about that was helping people choose their very first Bible. 00:36:00.040 --> 00:36:05.060 We had literally hundreds of Bibles to choose from, and new believers would just be overwhelmed. 00:36:05.270 --> 00:36:08.280 So it was really a joy to find just the right one for them. 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:09.560 Moving on. 00:36:09.860 --> 00:36:15.480 More than 150 years after the 1611 King James was published, on this date in 1756, 00:36:16.160 --> 00:36:19.740 a small but significant church was formally organized in Massachusetts, 00:36:20.580 --> 00:36:22.500 the First Baptist Church of Middleborough. 00:36:23.240 --> 00:36:25.680 Now, that might not sound like a headline event, 00:36:26.060 --> 00:36:31.980 but it represents something important in early American church life. Baptists were still a 00:36:32.160 --> 00:36:37.480 minority in New England, where congregationalism was culturally dominant and often supported by law. 00:36:38.180 --> 00:36:43.540 Forming a Baptist church was not just a theological choice, it was a statement about conscience. 00:36:44.140 --> 00:36:49.500 These believers insisted that faith had to be freely chosen, baptism should follow personal 00:36:49.820 --> 00:36:56.020 belief, and the church should be independent from state control. Over time, churches like this one 00:36:56.040 --> 00:37:01.760 shape America's deep commitment to religious liberty. So, taken together, these moments remind 00:37:01.860 --> 00:37:06.420 us that church history often moves forward through ordinary believers asking hard questions, 00:37:07.200 --> 00:37:13.380 organizing faithfully, and insisting that truth matters. And sometimes the effects echo far beyond 00:37:13.550 --> 00:37:17.140 their own time. If you enjoy the show, tell someone. 00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:30.920 Beloved, you are not an accident, nor is anyone. 00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:34.340 May the God who called Jeremiah before he was born 00:37:34.520 --> 00:37:36.600 remind you today that he is intentional, 00:37:37.180 --> 00:37:40.120 sovereign, and faithful in every life he creates. 00:37:40.980 --> 00:37:42.920 Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. 00:37:43.420 --> 00:37:45.400 Thanks so much for being here. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:46.660 I'm Steve Webb. 00:37:47.360 --> 00:37:47.480 Bye.