Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 4-10 (NIV) :
The Word of the LORD came to me , saying ,
"Before I formed you in the wombs I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations"
"Ah, Sovereign Lord,"I said,"I do not know how to speak ; I am only a child."
But the LORD said to me,"Do not say, I am only a child.'You must go to everyone I send
you to and say whatever I command you.Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and
will rescue you,"declares the LORD.
"Then the LORD reached out his handand touched my mouth and said to me,"Now
I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
to uproot and tear down,to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
What is the significance of the verse above?
Simple. It means 3 things:
1. God knows us.
2. God sets us apart.
3. God appointed us to be his prophets to nations.
What is consecration?
To be set apart and devouted to God for a holy purpose.
Refer : Leviticus 20:7- "Consecrate yourselves and be holy becasue I am the LORD your God.Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD,who makes you holy."
How does God look at life?
We are chosen before the world is made . It's the Omniscient God who choose us. This is
different from the way the World looks at life:
1. Christians are insignificant.
2. To be significant, you have to use , consume, gain, enjoy, grab as much as everyone else.
3. Success = Big house, big car , big wife (*hehe*)
4. Winning is the ONLY thing to do.No win-win situation.
5. Christians perform lip-service to goodness and holiness. But in our hearts, we are hypocrites who love wickedness, hatred , etc. We sin on normal days , worse than the devils and yet we want to point fingers at the others.
6. Christians conform to the ways of the world.
7. God is a spare tyre. Christians live their lives for earthly treasures and treat
God as an insurance, just in case "The theory of Eternity" exists.We cheat God.
Why do we come to Jesus?
1. He died to make us holy ; not to make us happy!
2. We , His children , must bring forth joy to the rest.
Refer: Ephesians 1:12 - "in order that we , who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise for his glory."
OK, now you may be thinking , holiness IS needed , but we need to survive!
No! We need to LIVE ; not merely survive.
Refer : Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything beautiful in its time.He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end."
It is a face that God exists.No argument about that in the Bible.
Remember Esau , son of Isaac ? (Refer to Genesis 25:19 onwards) Our lives are like Esau's life. We want things HERE and NOW . Like Esau, we are willing to sell out birthright for earthly things ; Esau was selling his birthright to his brother, Jacob for a bowl of stew! What about you and me?
Why Jeremiah 1:4-10 is so important?
It is not by chance that we are all here , in this place, at this time, knowing one another.You and I are planed for.This is the best time and the season and the occasion for all of us to know God. At a point of etrnity, God has already planned that THIS is the best time for you to get to know Him.We all are significant in God's eyes.
What Consecration is NOT:
Separated from the world like a hermit e.g: christian friends & Christian activities only.
-> We are to consecrate our lives in our family and our workplace.We have to be the
person God wants us to be.
-> God's infinite power and mind makes a housewife a housewife.Her family, her relatives, her friends are her mission field.Morning breakfast, send kids to school,meditation in the morning,commune with God, listen to God and carry His presence with her throughout the day.Making a sandwich for the kids can be an act of worship and a ministry.
The spirit of gentleness, patience and long suffering should be in the hearts of Christians. Yes, we should always be ready for the backlash of being holy. We maybe "getting it back" from our colleagues, and this kind of stuffs are "not practical in the family / life.Just look at my husband/wife/kids/boss/colleagues!!!"
Jeremiah's message is simple.We are merely exchanging the spring of Living Water with a broken cistern.(Shaped like a bell with the narrow end at the top, it fills up with water, but when Jeremiah was thrown into it , it only had mud./Jeremiah 38:1) We all say " Wow, that Brother Yun is a hero for Christ for his long-suffering ; but hey, please, not me!" We are afraid of holiness , aren't we?
Suffering = A privilige that God gives only to a few. The few will come off as gold, whom God has prepared for heaven.
What's the hole in the pocket when God has not even touched your lives yet? We're so aware of our own inadequacies like Jeremiah with "Oh I don't know how to speak".When we pray, we ask things for ourselves. Does your prayer sound like this:
"God please bless me with ..."
Perhaps it's time we change the style of prayer into this :
"I worship you , Lord. I thank you,God. Please bless my family and friends and ... "
Stop saying to yourself that you are merely a child ; consecration to God is NOT an option, it is a command! And through this, God promises deliverance.
God willing, the content of our character is moulded into the image of God.
What did God do with Jeremiah?
Read again Jer 1:9. It's interesting because Jeremiah likes to complain, just like you and me.He said he don't know how to talk, so God put His words into Jeremiah's mouth!(**You better be careful with what you tell God**)
Who is this Jeremiah?
1. Young man with a heart for God.
2. Only 18 years old in the bible.
3. Given the power to tear down and build nations although there were many other great kings of his contemporary such as Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Josiah of Judah.The other great kings were not given that privilige ; only Jeremiah has it.
4. Later, a refugee to Egypt.
5. Has same weaknesses (complains), desires as any human being.
6. Difference with others: He consecrated his life to God.
Key to the power of God (in the book of Jeremiah):
" Now I have put my words in your mouth" -- Jeremiah 1:9.
Why does the people hear the same message in church and feel the different burning sensation again and again?
It's the Word of God spoken to you. Therefore, speak the words of God to your brother.Know what God's word can do in you, with you and for you.If you don't speak the will of God into their lives, it will NOT be done.
Independence , stubbornness and disobedience has crept into the lives of our children. The primary tool for a child's learning is not the ears anymore ; it's the eyes.Children see the hypocrisy of their parents' lives who lives ungodly lives and therefore they grow into becoming ungodly people.
Our consecrated lives means:
1. Bringing the presence of God every where you go.
2. Letting God's light shine through you.
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