Jeremiah told them over and over about the coming judgement and they wouldn't listen. People are hearing now of the plan of the Lord's return but they wont listen.

Jeremiah 25:1-2 KJV  The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;  (2)  The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

The year 605 BC was the year that Nebuchadnezzar made his first attack on the city of Jerusalem. His attack was followed by the taking of captives back to Babylon with him.
The captives taken in this first of three captivities included Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
The second captivity would take place in 597 BC, and would include King Jeconiah, the prophet Ezekiel, and 10,000 other people were taken to Babylon.
The third captivity took place in 586 BC, and would be the time when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. Most of the remaining people were taken to Babylon.

Jeremiah 25:3 KJV  From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

Jeremiah has been prophesying for 10 years. 10 YEARS!!!!! The people have the word of God but refuse to listen.

Jeremiah 25:4 KJV  And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

Prophets - plural. Not just Jeremiah. The people are not listening.

Jeremiah 25:5 KJV  They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

Repent. They have been telling them repent.

Jeremiah 25:6-7 KJV  And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.  (7)  Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

We hurt ourselves when we sin.

Jeremiah 25:8-9 KJV  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,  (9)  Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

He who has ears to hear let him hear. They weren't listening.

Jeremiah 25:10-11 KJV  Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.  (11)  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

70 years.

Which do you think could be more productive for God: Dying at age 40 from stress, poor health, and overwork – or living to age 90 and living a productive life serving God?
When God fed Israel manna in the wilderness, He gave it every day except on the Sabbath. He provided for them on the Sabbath in a different way. By letting them rest.

Jeremiah 25:12 KJV  And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

Daniel 9:1-27 KJV  In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;  (2)  In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.  (3)  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:  (4)  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;  (5)  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:  (6)  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  (7)  O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.  (8)  O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.  (9)  To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;  (10)  Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.  (11)  Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.  (12)  And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.  (13)  As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.  (14)  Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.  (15)  And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.  (16)  O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.  (17)  Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.  (18)  O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.  (19)  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.  (20)  And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;  (21)  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.  (22)  And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.  (23)  At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.  (24)  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.  (25)  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  (26)  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  (27)  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Israel is now back in the land. The end is coming. The time is coming for the Lord's return.

START PRAYING!!! The time is near. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time. You are not guaranteed another hour or day.

Jeremiah 25:13-26 KJV  And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.  (14)  For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.  (15)  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.  (16)  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.  (17)  Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:  (18)  To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;  (19)  Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;  (20)  And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,  (21)  Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,  (22)  And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,  (23)  Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,  (24)  And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,  (25)  And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,  (26)  And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

All nations will be judged.

Jeremiah 25:27 KJV  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.

Spew - hurl - toss your cookies - barf

Jeremiah 25:28-33 KJV  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.  (29)  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.  (30)  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.  (31)  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.  (32)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.  (33)  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

10 years he has been telling them

Jeremiah 25:34-38 KJV  Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.  (35)  And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.  (36)  A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.  (37)  And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.  (38)  He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

Warning... My brain is a little foggy today. I am not at the top of my thought process so I apologize if anything or sentences or something are half formed or anything. If something doesn't make complete sense feel free to ask.
I wanted to post this today even though I am a little under the weather (not sure what is worng exactly but I am shaky and dizy and jittery).

Luke 11:37-38 KJV  And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.  (38)  And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

There is a whole ceremony to having a guest. Jesus didn't do the ceremonial washing.

It was the Jewish custom to dip the hands in water before eating and often
between courses for ceremonial purification. 
They would wash their hands by immersing them up to the elbow before
eating.  When they had been to the
market, or among any large number of people, or had reason to think they had,
or feared they had touched any unclean person or thing, they immersed
themselves all over in water.

The law required that you wash your hands in a certain way.  Large stone vessels of water were kept for
this purpose as ordinary water may be unclean. 
You must use at least a quarter of a log of water.  The water is first poured over the hands
beginning at the finger tips and running down to the wrists.  The palm of each hand was to be cleansed by
rubbing the fist of the other hand into it. 
Again water is poured over beginning at the wrists and running down over
the fingertips.

Luke 11:39-44 KJV  And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  (40)  Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?  (41)  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.  (42)  But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  (43)  Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.  (44)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Verse 39... Cleaning the outside of the cup = Religion. Looking on the outside. Doing the right things. That is religion, but their insides are wicked.
God sees the motivations.

Hebrews 4:1-16 KJV  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  (2)  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  (3)  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.  (4)  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.  (5)  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.  (6)  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:  (7)  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.  (8)  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.  (9)  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  (10)  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.  (11)  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  (12)  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  (13)  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.  (14)  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  (15)  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  (16)  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Religion is external show. Following God inward change of heart.

Verse 40... Fools. God made the inside too not just the outside.

Verse 41... Give God your heart, not just religious show. Clean the inside and the outside will come too.

Verse 42... Rue = a plant.
God is holy. God judges sin. He is also loving, merciful, and kind.

All have sinned. No righteous. God sends His son to bear our sin. To pay for our sins. Through Jesus God can be judge and justifier. Jesus is the key. They were majoring in the minors.

Verse 43... They want to be the most important. They want reputation. All about reputation but have no character.

Verse 44... They would rather be recognized then be really spiritual with God.

Unmarked grave....
Numbers 19:16 KJV  And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

Appear to be righteous but they really defile those who come to them.

Luke 11:45-46 KJV  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.  (46)  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Lawyers - expositors of laws and traditions.
Traditions - man made laws that they put around the word of God.

In time traditions became more important then the word of God. They had a double standard for the people and didn't keep them themselves. They chase people away from God.

When a person is loaded down with guilt and condemnation, we don't need to be harping on them about quitting smoking, wearing a suit and tie to church, start tithing, and to stop cussing.  What people need most is for Jesus to touch their heart.  Jesus will take care of the outer stuff.

Luke 11:47-48 KJV  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  (48)  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

The prophets told of the hypocrisy. They killed them. Example would be Jeremiah. They worship the dead that spoke the truth and persecute the living (John the baptist and Jesus) that tell the same truth.

Hypocrites fear exposure.

Luke 11:49-51 KJV  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:  (50)  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;  (51)  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Abel
Genesis 4:1-4 KJV  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.  (2)  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  (3)  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.  (4)  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Cain brought his work.
Abel brought blood sacrifice.

He was showing blood attonement. Pointing to the future attonement through Jesus.

Works can not satisfy.

There are two paths.
One is blood atonement.
The other is works.

You are not saved by works. You can only be saved by the blood attonement of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 4:5-8 KJV  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.  (6)  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  (7)  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  (8)  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Zacharias
Joash was only a little boy when he became king over Judah, but he had the help of Jehoida the priest, who raised him and taught him the ways of the Lord.  As long as Jehoiada was alive, Joash was a good king.  But the day came when Jehoiada died, and Joash began to do wicked things.  Zecharias (or, Zechariah), was the son of Jehoiada

2 Chronicles 24:1-27 KJV  (1)  Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.  (2)  And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.  (3)  And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.  (4)  And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.  (5)  And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.  (6)  And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?  (7)  For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.  (8)  And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.  (9)  And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.  (10)  And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.  (11)  Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.  (12)  And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.  (13)  So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.  (14)  And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.  (15)  But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.  (16)  And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.  (17)  Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.  (18)  And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.  (19)  Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.  (20)  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.  (21)  And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.  (22)  Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.  (23)  And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.  (24)  For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.  (25)  And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.  (26)  And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.  (27)  Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

Zacharias was not the last of the prophets to be killed, but the last recorded prophet to be killed.  The order of the Hebrew Old Testament is different than the order in our Bible, with the book of 2Chronicles being the last book.  Abel was the first, Jesus is using Zacharias as the "last".

Luke 11:52 KJV  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

What is the key?
Luke 24:26-27 KJV  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  (27)  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Jesus is the key!
Luke 24:44-48 KJV  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.  (45)  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.

JESUS is the key!!!

Jews were excomunicated for following Jesus. Let us pray that this sin will never be ours. That we will NEVER hinder one coming to Jesus. Let us encourage and not hinder.

Luke 11:53-54 KJV  And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:  (54)  Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

They didn't let Him finish. They were mad. They unloaded on Him verbally. They looked for things to accuse Him.

  My 5 (6 at the end of the month) year old son accepted Jesus into his heart tonight, the last night of vacation bible school.

 

Jeremiah 24:1-2 KJV  The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.  (2)  One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

Two baskets are seen in this vision. The first basket has good figs, like those that ripen early. Supposedly these figs are the best tasting and ripen in July, while the major portion of the figs are not ready till September. The other basket has bad figs, they are so disgusting you can't even eat them.

Jeremiah 24:3-7 KJV  Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.  (4)  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  (5)  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.  (6)  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  (7)  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

The good figs- God says that He will watch over them. Care for them. But again, they are taken away into captivity to Babylon. That does not seem fair! Why did God allow this? Understand this, God can take something, something that looks bad, and use it for good.

One example of this is the wandering of the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years, they were going around in circles. You see, they did not believe the promise of God that the land of Canaan was theirs. They listened to the 10 spies who gave a bad report, said their were giants in the land and we will never defeat them, instead of looking to the 2 spies, Joshua and Caleb, who saw the hand of God in this, giving them this land even though there were giants in it. The one group said "We can't win!", while the other 2 spies said "We can't lose!" And the people refused to hear what Joshua and Caleb said, and followed the report of the 10 spies, and because of that, all those people who were twenty years old and up where going to die in the wilderness because of their unbelief, except for Joshua and Caleb. Only those who were under twenty years old would enter the promise land of Canaan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

You see, the group that was twenty years old and above were the walking dead. They were just waiting to die. But, those under twenty were being taught the things of God, learning how to walk in the ways of God. One group had the sentence of death, the other were being prepared for victory in the land of Canaan.

But how could the Babylonian captivity be good for these people? First of all they couldn't worship God with all the religious ceremony like they could in Jerusalem. The temple was a long way off. So they got into the Word of God in Babylon. They began to dig into it. In fact this is where the Synagogues got their start. And when they returned home, to the land of Israel, they brought what they learned back with them.

You see, they divided the Torah, the first 5 books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy, into 52 readings. Thus, over a years time they would cover the Law of God. This captivity actually strengthened the people of God, it purified them. No longer as a nation did they fall into full blown idolatry. They learned their lessons. You see, God always has good in mind for His people, He has a plan, He has a purpose to what He is doing, even though we might not understand it. As Paul said in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Jeremiah 24:8-10 KJV  And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:  (9)  And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.  (10)  And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

God is saying that the bad figs, those who have turned from Him, they are going to be destroyed, wiped out for their idolatry. Wherever they try to hide, they will find trouble. There is no escape for them.

The people taken into captivity were the fortunate ones.

In the end times
Zechariah 13:8-9 KJV  And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.  (9)  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

2/3 of the Jews will die at the hands of the Antichrist.
Only one-third of the Jewish people will survive the Great Tribulation.

Jewish people who survive the Great Tribulation, come to salvation in the second half of that final period and welcome Jesus in the name of the Lord. This group - which includes the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14, but is not limited to that number - will make up the core of a restored Israel as Jesus establishes His millennial rule over the earth.

Today, as we walk by faith, God puts us through the fire, trials, testing our faith and refining us, purging out the dross to make us like pure gold. He is making us more like Him! It is a Paul said in II Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

We cannot be established except by suffering. It is of no use our hoping that we shall be well-rooted if no March winds have passed over us. The young oak cannot be expected to strike its roots so deep as the old one. Those old gnarlings on the roots, and those strange twistings of the branches, all tell of many storms that have swept over the aged tree. But they are also indicators of the depths into which the roots have dived.
-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon in "A New-Year's Benediction" (War Cry, Jan. 1, 1994).  Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 1.

This all makes me look at the fellows on TBN, the "faith" preachers who give you the impression that God does not want you to ever be sick or go through a difficult time. And I wonder what kind of Christian comes out of that ministry if the whole mindset is on avoiding and rebuking difficult times instead of growing through them. I'm not saying we need to become masochists and jump headfirst into difficult times.  But I wonder if it's possible to come to the point where we actually learn to embrace the difficulty instead of run from it.

God's ways are not always our ways. You need to trust Him even when things aren't going the way you think that they should.

May God bless and guide you today and draw you ever closer to Him.

Jeremiah 23:1 KJV  Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

Scattered spiritually into idolatry.
They will also be scattered into captivity.

Jeremiah 23:2 KJV  Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

Shepherds in the east call their sheep and the sheep came to them. They drove them away.

Jeremiah 23:3 KJV  And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

God will scatter them into captivity. Later God will call them out of all the countries where they were scattered.

Jeremiah 23:4-5 KJV  And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.  (5)  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Isaiah 11:1 KJV  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Jeremiah 23:6 KJV  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Luke 16:19-31 KJV  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  (20)  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,  (21)  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  (22)  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  (23)  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  (24)  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  (25)  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  (26)  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.  (27)  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  (29)  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Jeremiah 23:7-8 KJV  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;  (8)  But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Return of Jews from Babylon and also migration of Jews when Soviet Union collapsed.

Israel is back in their land NOW. That is a sign of the last days.

Ezekiel 36:1-37:28 KJV  Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:  (2)  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:  (3)  Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:  (4)  Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;  (5)  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.  (6)  Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:  (7)  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.  (8)  But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.  (9)  For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:  (10)  And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:  (11)  And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.  (12)  Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.  (13)  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;  (14)  Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.  (15)  Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.  (16)  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  (17)  Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.  (18)  Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:  (19)  And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.  (20)  And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.  (21)  But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.  (22)  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.  (23)  And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.  (24)  For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.  (25)  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  (26)  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  (27)  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.  (28)  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.  (29)  I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.  (30)  And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.  (31)  Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.  (32)  Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.  (33)  Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.  (34)  And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.  (35)  And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.  (36)  Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.  (37)  Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.  (38)  As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.  (37:1)  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,  (2)  And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.  (3)  And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.  (4)  Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.  (5)  Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:  (6)  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.  (7)  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.  (8)  And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.  (9)  Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  (10)  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.  (11)  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.  (12)  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  (13)  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,  (14)  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.  (15)  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,  (16)  Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:  (17)  And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.  (18)  And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?  (19)  Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.  (20)  And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.  (21)  And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:  (22)  And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:  (23)  Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.  (24)  And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.  (25)  And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.  (26)  Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.  (27)  My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (28)  And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Jeremiah 23:9-11 KJV  Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.  (10)  For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.  (11)  For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.

Corrupted more like the world then the things of God. In my house have I found their wickedness - wonder what God thinks of some of the things going on in churches now days.

Jeremiah 23:12-13 KJV  Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.  (13)  And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

1 Kings 22:6-37 KJV  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.  (7)  And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?  (8)  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.  (9)  Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.  (10)  And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.  (11)  And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.  (12)  And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand.  (13)  And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.  (14)  And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.  (15)  So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.  (16)  And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?  (17)  And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.  (18)  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?  (19)  And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.  (20)  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.  (21)  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.  (22)  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.  (23)  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.  (24)  But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?  (25)  And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.  (26)  And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;  (27)  And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.  (28)  And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.  (29)  So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.  (30)  And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.  (31)  But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.  (32)  And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.  (33)  And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.  (34)  And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.  (35)  And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.  (36)  And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.  (37)  So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

They called the false prophets and they said win, conquer, kill.
They called the prophet of the true God and God said, You will die and your army wont know what to do.
The king said lock him up. I will deal with him when I get back.
He said, If you come back then I am not a true prophet.

God's rules for prophets is 100% accuracy.  If a prophet is not 100% accurate God says they are a false prophet.

1 John 4:1 KJV  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Matthew 7:15-23 KJV  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  (17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  (18)  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  (19)  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  (21)  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

2 Peter 2:1-22 KJV  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  (2)  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  (3)  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.  (4)  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;  (5)  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;  (6)  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;  (7)  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:  (8)  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)  (9)  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:  (10)  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.  (11)  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.  (12)  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;  (13)  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;  (14)  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:  (15)  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;  (16)  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.  (17)  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.  (18)  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.  (19)  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.  (20)  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  (21)  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  (22)  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Jeremiah 23:14 KJV  I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

They aren't calling for repentance like they are supposed to.

Does that sound familiar? Well,  you know we don't want to offend anyone. If they come to church and we tell them that they are sinners....they might leave.
There is a whole church movement that believes we need kinder words and softer theology.

Remember what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah?

Jeremiah 23:15-16 KJV  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.  (16)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

How do you know a true prophet?
100% accuracy!

In the last days the bible says man will draw to people who tell them what they want to hear. Remember, test those saying God says this or that. Are they 100% accurate? If not God says they are a false prophet.

Jeremiah 23:17 KJV  They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.


They were telling the people that everything was going to work out when God was going to bring judgment.
We all love to hear a great, uplifting, positive message. But sometimes the things that God has to say to us are rough and difficult. When a person is caught in their sin, God wants them to turn around. The word that God may say to them might cause them to be offended.  It might cause them conviction. But that's God's goal – to get a person to turn around. When we share Christ with people, we might want to only talk about the wonderful positive things of the gospel. We want people to know that God loves them.  We want them to know that eternal life is real. But we also need to let people know that they have a huge problem when they don't have Jesus.

Some folks will give people the impression that they don't need to worry about their sin. They say that God loves you anyway.  Though God loves me, He loves me so much that He wants me to get out of trouble – He wants me to turn from my sin. Some will even try to say that things the Bible condemns are really okay. People have a problem with sin.  Our sin cuts us off from God.  Our sin will one day be judged by God. And that's why we need a Savior. Jesus didn't just come to show us what heaven is like. He came to die a horrible death, paying for our sins, so that we might be able to be forgiven.

Jeremiah 23:18-22 KJV  For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?  (19)  Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.  (20)  The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.  (21)  I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.  (22)  But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

How many of you are troubled when you see cults and other things out there and you see how badly deceived people are.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 KJV  Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?  (24)  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

God knows everything.  He sees everything.

Jeremiah 23:25-40 KJV  I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.  (26)  How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;  (27)  Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.  (28)  The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.  (29)  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?  (30)  Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.  (31)  Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.  (32)  Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.  (33)  And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.  (34)  And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.  (35)  Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?  (36)  And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.  (37)  Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?  (38)  But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;  (39)  Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:  (40)  And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

A wonderful thing happened last night. My 7 year old daughter asked Jesus into her heart. I am so happy.

Last night at VBS they had a lovely thing about how all have sinned. They explain salvation so well, at a child's level but not leaving anything out that you would normally hear in a salvation message.

We live in a generation that is trying to tune out God's word. They don't want to know what God thinks. They want their own absolutes. Some of them even want to claim that there are no absolutes. They want their own standards. They don't want to listen to what God has to say. They want to do what is right in their own eyes. To follow after wickedness.

Jeremiah 22:1 KJV  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

Jeremiah is not popular with the people. He has been telling them about their sin. They know but they are so tuned out. They don't care.

It is the same way for Christians. We are supposed to be out in the world telling people about their sin. telling them about salvation through the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. Many wont care. Many will tune you out. Many will ridicule you but like Jeremiah you need to keep on speaking anyway.

Jeremiah 22:2-3 KJV  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:  (3)  Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

The king had been doing the opposite.

Jeremiah 22:4 KJV  For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

If/Then = conditional

Jeremiah 22:5 KJV  But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

God will "clean house."

Jeremiah 22:6-9 KJV  For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.  (7)  And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.  (8)  And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?  (9)  Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

They Forsook the covenant.

The covenant Duet 28
Deuteronomy 28:1-68 KJV  (1)  And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:  (2)  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.  (3)  Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.  (4)  Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.  (5)  Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.  (6)  Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.  (7)  The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.  (8)  The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  (9)  The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.  (10)  And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.  (11)  And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.  (12)  The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.  (13)  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:  (14)  And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.  (15)  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:  (16)  Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.  (17)  Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.  (18)  Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.  (19)  Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.  (20)  The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.  (21)  The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.  (22)  The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.  (23)  And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.  (24)  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.  (25)  The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.  (26)  And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.  (27)  The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.  (28)  The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:  (29)  And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.  (30)  Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.  (31)  Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.  (32)  Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.  (33)  The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:  (34)  So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.  (35)  The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.  (36)  The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.  (37)  And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.  (38)  Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.  (39)  Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.  (40)  Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.  (41)  Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.  (42)  All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.  (43)  The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.  (44)  He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.  (45)  Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:  (46)  And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.  (47)  Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;  (48)  Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.  (49)  The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;  (50)  A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:  (51)  And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.  (52)  And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.  (53)  And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:  (54)  So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:  (55)  So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.  (56)  The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,  (57)  And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.  (58)  If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;  (59)  Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.  (60)  Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.  (61)  Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.  (62)  And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.  (63)  And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.  (64)  And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.  (65)  And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:  (66)  And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:  (67)  In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.  (68)  And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

Jeremiah 22:10-12 KJV  Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.  (11)  For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:  (12)  But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

There were false prophets. They kept saying everything will be great.

Jeremiah 22:13 KJV  Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

This is a message for Jehoiakim.  He ruled Judah for eleven years.

The writer of 2Kings tells us one thing of note about Jehoiakim.  When Pharaoh Neco conquered Josiah, one of the things he did was demand that the nation of Judah pay him tribute money – 100 talents of silver and one talent of gold.  We're told how the money was collected.

2 Kings 23:34-35 KJV  And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. {35} And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.

Jehoiakim was known for his taxes.  He kept his kingdom going by increasing the taxes and giving the money to Pharoah.

Jeremiah 22:14-18 KJV  That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.  (15)  Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?  (16)  He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.  (17)  But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.  (18)  Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

He was taking money to pay tribute to Pharaoh. He was also building himself a fancy house and forced people into labor without pay.

Vermilion is a deep red color.

The buildings don't make the king. Like the saying clothes don't make the man. the king was all about himself. He was greedy.

Jeremiah 22:19 KJV  He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

The idea is that when Jehoiakim died, he wouldn't be buried, but would be thrown out on the garbage heap.  The writer of 2Kings records his death:
2 Kings 24:6 KJV  So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
Usually a mention is made of a king's burial.  No mention for Jehoiakim. He was just thrown out like trash.

Jeremiah 22:20-21 KJV  Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.  (21)  I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

God says I tried to tell you while things were good but you wouldn't listen.

Jeremiah 22:22-30 KJV  The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.  (23)  O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!  (24)  As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;  (25)  And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.  (26)  And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.  (27)  But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.  (28)  Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?  (29)  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.  (30)  Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Jesus comes from the line of David. That is why Satan attacked the line of David so hard. Satan wanted to make the line of David useless to God.
Jesus is legal heir for the line of David to rule on the throne. He comes from Nathan not Solomon (a different son of David). Not the cursed branch.

Luke traces Jesus' physical descent back through Mary and Nathan to David, bypassing Jehoiakim's line and showing accurately the fulfillment of this prophecy of Jeremiah.

Luke 3:23-38 KJV  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,  (24)  Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,  (25)  Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,  (26)  Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,  (27)  Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,  (28)  Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,  (29)  Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,  (30)  Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,  (31)  Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,  (32)  Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,  (33)  Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,  (34)  Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,  (35)  Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,  (36)  Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,  (37)  Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,  (38)  Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Which was the son of Eli; meaning, not that Joseph was the son of Eli; for he was the son of Jacob, according to Mathew 1:16, but Jesus was the son of Eli; and which must be understood, and carried through the whole genealogy, as thus; Jesus the son of Matthat, Jesus the son of Levi, Jesus the son of Melchi, etc. till you come to Jesus the son of Adam, and Jesus the Son of God; though it is true indeed that Joseph was the son of Eli, having married his daughter; Mary was the daughter of Eli: and so the Jews speak of one Mary, the daughter of Eli.

As the Hebrews never permitted women to enter into their genealogical tables, whenever a family happened to end with a daughter, instead of naming her in the genealogy, they inserted her husband, as the son of him who was, in reality, but his father-in-law.

The Massachusetts Senate has voted to repeal a 1913 law used to bar out-of-state homosexual couples from marrying in the state. The law prohibits couples from obtaining marriage licenses if they couldn't legally wed in their home states.

After Massachusetts became the first state to allow homosexual marriages in 2004, then-Gov. Mitt Romney ordered town clerks to enforce the little-known law and deny licenses to out-of-state couples. The repeal effort has the support of state Democrats and Governor Deval Patrick, whose 18-year-old daughter announced last month she is a lesbian.

Critics fear repealing the law would open the homosexual marriage floodgates. Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, which opposes same-sex marriage, said the law is in sync with federal constitutional protections guaranteeing individual states the right to define marriage. "It is an issue of one state honoring the rights of other states," he said, but conceded the California ruling was a setback. "The green light has been given to try to export this radical social experiment from coast to coast."

Despite the introduction of homosexual marriage in Massachusetts and California, most other states have statutes or constitutional amendments specifying that marriage is between a man and a woman, and denying recognition to same-sex unions. The federal government also does not recognize such unions.

The Massachusetts House is expected to vote on the measure later this week.