Jeremiah 29:11 - The Most Misused Verse in the Bible?

I read an article yesterday afternoon about Jeremiah 29:11. The author, Chris Blumhoffer, claimed that it is the most misused verse in the Bible.

The reason the article even caught my eye was the title. There are many verses that people use out of context all the time... I wanted to know which one was misused the most. I suppose I actually wanted some hard and fast statistics but instead, I got a well-written article on an interesting topic. One that I probably wouldn't have noticed on my own, if we're being honest... The scientist in me was a bit disappointed, perhaps, but it was still refreshing for my spirit...

Blumhoffer points out that in Jeremiah 28, there was a bit of a confrontation between Jeremiah and Hananiah. You can read the article yourself, but Hananiah told the children of Israel that everything was going to be good in 2 years. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Dead wrong. The Israelites would be in Babylon for 70 years. And Jeremiah had to break the news. That's where we are when Jeremiah 29:11 happens:
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV). I'm pretty Blumhoffer says it better than I could, so I'll let him take this one...

Jeremiah promised that God had a plan that was certain and inevitable. But it would not unfold on Israel’s timetable. It would not simply undo Israel’s hardship. Yet the promise stood: God would fully restore His people and bring them out of their desperate situation, but He would not do it in the way any of them would have planned it.

So here's the thing... This is part of why it struck me so hard. I wear a ring that says "I know the plans I have for you" on my left ring finger as my purity ring. I picked this one because I found it symbolic... God has a plan for me and my future husband so I'm waiting. But here I am, 20 years old (yes, I know 20 is young and I have plenty of time, bear with me), with people getting married or entering serious relationships left and right around me, and here I am, a single, knitting, awkward crazy cat lady... I'm waiting for my prince charming, and quite impatiently, if I may say so myself (I'm not sure why anyone would object to me pointing out one of my own flaws...). I'm thinking that it has to be soon, right? I mean, what if I graduate college with a Master's Degree and *gasp* don't have a pretty diamond ring on my left ring finger??? What if I move to another state (what's more, out of my parents' house) and *gasp* am still wearing this ring that promises me that God knows the plans He has for me???

Now, I probably wouldn't admit to you a week ago that these thoughts do go through my mind. But here I am, telling the Internet that I am insecure in my singleness. I am waiting incredibly impatiently for God to being me my prince charming, to sweep me off my feet onto his white horse, when all along, I should be pursuing God. I should be trying to become the kind of woman that I want to be when I meet the kind of man I want to meet.

This is a process. I'm not too excited about this patience thing when it comes to finding love, but I don't want to frolic about, casually dating guys who aren't the one because I'm bored, so here I am, waiting. God knows the plan He has for me, and it's probably not the plan I have for me, so I'm going to have to continue to learn to rely on Him and His perfect timing.

And with that, I return to science. Thanks for reading!

Matthew 24:36

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

As many of you know, recently a man proclaimed to know when the rapture was going to happen. He said that by 6:00 on May 21, we would be gone. Well, it’s 10:45 on May 25, so I guess he was wrong.

I don’t want you to think I’m surprised. I am most certainly not. Jesus said it: NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR! That is definitely not an invitation for people to try to figure out when it will happen!

Okay, look, just because ONE GUY says he knows when the rapture is going to happen (which is not the same as the end of the world, please note) does not mean that all Christians think he is right. It’s really unfortunate that so many are judging all of us based on one crazy guy.

Look, if this guy is the reason you are rejecting God, then you have got some big issues. Judging God based on those who call themselves His is an issue. I know that many Christians are crazy – I think so too! But that doesn’t stop me from serving my Jesus!

If you have heard the gospel (and if you’re reading this, you probably have – and if not, just browse around here and click some links!) and you reject God, you have no excuses. If you stand in front of God and say “those crazy people drove me away from you!” He will just point to someone else there and say “then how come this guy figured it out?!”

Yes, there are crazy people, but we aren’t supposed to judge God based on those people. We are supposed to listen to His Word! Please don’t let those who the world exploits keep you from the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

 

“the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him] and at an hour that he is not aware of” – Matthew 24:50

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” – Matthew 25:13

 

God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts.

The Ever-Ready Man: 4/3/2011

“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” - 2 Peter 1:16

• Men do not face persecution or death for fiction. Why would Paul and Peter go through all the torture for something they didn’t know to be true. They saw Jesus, they knew He was the Messiah.
• Satan wants to make the gospel sound like fiction. He wants to destroy every single person on this earth.
• There are two types of men: natural (carnal) and spiritual; never-ready and ever-ready. Be ever-ready for Jesus!
• God will NEVER fail. He will never fail us even though we stumble. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
• Where there is a corrupt pulpit, there is often a corrupt church backing it up.
• Every single person is religious. Everyone has controlling influences in their lives, be it God or something else.
• God is much greater than what man can do to us.
• We have a responsibility to attack the enemy’s stronghold under God’s leading!
• “Nevermind the torpedos, full speed ahead!” Apply this to your Christian life.
• There is always conflict between good and evil. And there is no such thing as Utopia here on earth. Just strive to be like Jesus.
• Be an ever-ready (wo)man. Be ready for ANYTHING that comes through the door, as unpleasant as it may be.
• Yeah, the truth may hurt those around you. That doesn’t mean you should stop telling it.
• Hell is populated by those who want the Bible to be a myth. So is earth. But God has changed the earth like no other can.

Great sermon! You can find it on www.ccmech.org under the sermons tab! :)

3/27/2011

2 Corinthians 7:1-5

• Forgiving others means you are going to have to suffer.
• If, as a Christian, you do not repent of known sin, you will: a) be annoying to those around you; b) get in the way of your rewards; c) potentially lead yourself to be an apostasy.
• Don’t point fingers. True repentance means taking the blame for what you have done.
• God has every right to expect faithfulness from his people, like in a marriage.
• Perhaps there are failures in Christianity. That doesn’t mean Christianity is a failure.
• God is the God of the living.
• Be careful with what you have. Don’t waste what God has given you (monetarily or otherwise) on the flesh.
• Christ needs to be real to you. Because the devil is real and he’s not letting up.
• God will not violate your free will.
• “If you marry a child of the devil, you will have Satan as your father-in-law.”
• We don’t have to have an appointment to go to God – we can go right to Him, anytime.
• Faithlessness produces nothing good.
• The healthiest Christians are those who serve with Christians.
• Do not let the world write your spiritual dictionary.
• We aren’t trying to convert. We are trying to save. And we can’t do that without Christ.

Dare to Rise Above

"To lie and cringe beneath one's load means death, but life and power await all those who dare to rise above."

-Streams in the Desert, March 9

Never give up hope. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). God can get you through it all. When you call on Jesus, you can rise on wings like eagles and soar!
- Rachel

3/9/2011, 3/16/2011

Job 32:1-36:33

I’ve combined both of these sermons into one post since it’s been quite some time since I have posted. Sorry about that…

• Don’t cause your friends (or anyone else) to stumble. Job’s friends failed to put themselves in Jobs’ place and failed to shut up. They also caused him to say risky things. Don’t be the reason for this in your friends’ lives.
• One of the great advantages we have over Job in reading this book is that we know the end of the story.
• Elihu focuses so much on the sovereignty of God that he doesn’t leave any room for any of the other attributes of Him. Yes, God is sovereign, but He is also loving, all-knowing, just, graceful, and so much more. Don’t put God in a box.
• When we are persecuted, we may have to turn the other cheek, but we never have to change our doctrine if it’s right. The truth is not up for debate.
• It’s never good to give the devil a microphone. Just don’t do it.
• The gullible get devoured. It takes work to be a Christian. It took a bloody cross to start it, so why would we think it was going to be easy?
• Serving the Lord is serious. It’s not always convenient, but it is worth it. It involves sacrifice, but it doesn’t have to involve misery.
• Don’t be a toxic Christian. Don’t judge people for not living up to your standards.
• There is contention in this world. Against God or against sin. Pick which side you are on.
• Practice what you preach. God can give you something in private that you screw up in public. Just don’t.
• Don’t be a know-it-all who wants to do good. They are problems.
• Being self-existent is a job requirement for being God.
• You don’t have to defend [protect] God. Preach the truth when the door is opened.
• When we get to heaven, we will not just be sanctified. We will be glorified as well.
• Don’t be someone who has to be heard under all circumstances. Job’s friends didn’t know God’s plan, but they still spoke up.
• Making someone else feel small so you can feel big is addictive to the flesh, but that doesn’t make it right.
• Just because a catastrophe happens doesn’t mean God is judging a nation or a group of people.
• Satan is an accuser of the brethren. He will try to make you feel like you have done something wrong, even if you haven’t. Don’t listen to him! Listen to God!
• “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” – John 3:19
• Many heroes of the faith felt that it was a bigger sacrifice to not sacrifice their time, love, and life to the Lord. Do you feel the same way?
• The just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17); We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) – you don’t have to feel God’s presence in your life. Live by faith.
• We don’t have to get everyone to come to our church. We can fellowship with those who do not go to the same church or share every tiny detail of doctrine with us, but we must agree on who Jesus is.

Sketches of the Christian Life–3/5/2011

Deuteronomy 11:10-12

“For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven”

• God uses what you understand.
• The book of Joshua is more than just a history story. It is also a parallel to our crossing over into the Christian life.
• The battles of the Christian life (against the world, ourselves, Satan, etc.) won’t end until we get home, in Heaven.
• The Jews leaving Egypt is symbolic of the death of a life in bondage. Their entering the promised land is symbolic of the death of a meaningless life. The Jews fighting to rid the land of Canaan of wickedness is like our fighting to rid our lives of sin.
• Don’t lose sight of the love we are to have for the lost.
• The flesh will not die of natural causes. Period. It must be crucified every day!
• The Christian life isn’t a playground – it’s more of a battleground.
• When we come to Christ, our flesh and the world chase us. They are trying not to let us go. Resist it!
• Not only is God sovereign and true, but He also loves us.
• We have a responsibility to fight for what God has promised us. It will not all be handed to us.
• Drive your giants out of your life like the Israelites had to drive the giants out of the promised land!
• Expect and be prepared for ups and downs. But know that Jesus has overcome the world!
• Our bodies are broken because they house sin. Jesus’ body was broken to take our sin, so we may stand blameless before God Almighty.
• People don’t have to believe in God to benefit from His grace.
• You always have something to aim for. Strive to be like Jesus!
• It is not advisable to have question marks in your life with God.
• Is God real to you?
• God will provide for His people until the end.
• We should all be FAR more concerned with our sin footprint than we are with our carbon footprint.
• “Having a lab coat does not make you my god!” – Pastor Rick.
• Say you’re a Christian, but live like a devil? Expect the consequences.

God bless! ><>