“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected the for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:7-10).

Perfect.
Flawless.
Sinless.
Omniscient.
Omnipotent.

Do these words describe you? There is not a single human being on planet earth that can claim these words for themselves. Would you agree?

What this means is that the nearer we get to God, the more we get to know who God is, the more God corrects, disciplines, and challenges us. You know why?

Remember those words at the top? Perfect, flawless, sinless, omniscient, omnipotent – all those words describe God. And because God loves us and desires that we become more like God the more we know God, God will correct, discipline, and challenge us to change and grow.

So, be really careful if your god never disagrees with you. That’s a real problem. Because, at that point, you don’t believe in God, you believe in a figment of your own creation. And if that’s who your god is, that’s a scary world for everyone else.

God loves you. That’s why God corrects, disciplines, and challenges you.

Thank God for Godly discipline and correction!

“Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and delusions of their own minds'” (Jeremiah 14:14).

The Prophet Jeremiah was called to deliver a word of judgment to Judah and Israel. As words of judgments go, the words of the Prophet Jeremiah was not very popular. Judah and Israel had sinned repeatedly by worshiping other gods and putting their trust in their political alignments with other nations rather than placing their trust in God. 

While the Prophet Jeremiah was the only one proclaiming judgment so that Judah and Israel would repent and return to God, all the other prophets were prophesying peace and prosperity. While the message of the other prophets were very welcome and popular, it just wasn’t true. It wasn’t God’s word.

So, the million dollar question is, “How do you know who’s speaking the truth? Who’s prophesying on God’s behalf? Who’s just prophesying the delusions of their own minds?”

False prophets are nothing new. There are many false prophets today. Today’s false prophets fill the faculty positions at seminaries and pulpits in America’s churches. They have fancy titles and book sales that “prove” their popularity, but what is proclaimed by these professors and pastors is nothing but their own fancy. It certainly is not God’s truth.

How do you know?

God’s word. God’s word is the standard by which you measure all teaching.

If what is being proclaimed and taught is contrary to God’s word, that teaching is not coming from God. It doesn’t matter what titles they hold and how they are esteemed by the world. If what they are proclaiming is contrary to God’s word, they are false prophets.

I am so glad that you invest the time to read these Verses of the Day, that you are in small groups to grow deeper into God’s word, that you commit to hearing God’s word proclaimed every Sunday. The study of God’s word is the key.

Keep at it. Measure and check to ensure that what is being taught is consistent with what God’s word clearly proclaims.

“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven and do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives'” (Hosea 4:15).

Does where we worship God matter?

The prophets use the language of adultery and prostitution when referring to Israel and Judah. When the prophets use this language, it doesn’t necessarily mean sexual adultery or prostitution. What God is angry about his idolatry, is when Israel and Judah worships and follows after other gods and nations. Whenever Israel and Judah put their trust in any other gods or nations instead of God, that is adultery and prostitution. To God, Israel chasing after other gods is akin to a spouse cheating. It is spiritual adultery and prostitution.

Not only does the language of adultery and prostitution refer to other gods and nations, but it also refers to worshiping God in a manner and way that God did not prescribe.

God commanded the Israelites to worship him at the Temple in Jerusalem. And then, God gave specific instructions about how God is to be worshiped. When the nation of Israel was divided into two between Israel and Judah, Israel set up her own temple in Bethel, Gilgal, and Beth Aven. This was way more convenient for the people of Israel as it was closer to them than the temple located in Jerusalem, but this was not what God prescribed.

Does where and how you worship God matter? Absolutely. God tells us his people to set apart the Sabbath to make it holy. We are to worship God in the house of God in the manner in which God told us to worship.

Worshiping in the mountains? Nope. The ocean? Nope. Golf Course? Nope.

The only caveat is online worship. There are some of you who cannot get to church. Set aside the time and worship God online. If you are able to get to God’s house of worship, that is best.

When it comes to worship, it’s about location, location, location. Location matters.

See you at the Little Church or Lakewood Grace or online this weekend!