Jeremiah 29:7
“Some want to live within the sound of Church or chapel bells; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” - - C.T Studd
Jeremiah 29:7
7 “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,
and pray to the Lord on its behalf,
for in its welfare you will find your welfare. “
At the time of this passage the nations of Israel found themselves under the Lord’s judgement and by the word of the prophet Jeremiah were warned on the coming exile of them to foreign nations. One of these nations, Babylon, would soon attack and capture God’s people and carry them off into a foreign pagan land. Scripture would show us that God uses this discipline not only to address the sin and rebellion of His people, but also to call and sanctify individuals within these foreign nations by the example and obedience of His people within their nations as exiles. Jeremiah calls the people to submit to God’s sovereign plan and to seek the welfare of these foreign nations and to pray for their enemy captors.
As these prophecies play out, we see men like Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel stay true to the Lord and by their testimonies even the highest court and king Nebuchadnezzar exalts the name of God. (Daniel 2:47, 3:28, 4:34-37) These men and their life circumstances set an example for us as Christians even today. The idolatry of our culture and country in 2023 appears more and more like the pagan nations of old than One County Under God.
In the book of Romans chapter 1, Paul addresses what it looks like when a nation has been given over to their sin and finds themselves under God’s judgement:
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness
“18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:18-32
As Christian men we are called to be the light in this darkness and as first responders we find ourselves in the darkest corners of this culture. Christians are often called Pilgrims because our hope is in our eternal rest and home, not this passing world. But this reality at times causes Christians to forget the marching orders of Our King prior to His departure:
The Great Commission
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”- Matthew 28:16-20
It is by God’s grace that we have been called out of the dark and His love that called us should motivate us to seek the salvation of others. Our work is our ministry. This can play out in the respect we show to victims or suspects, the carrying out of justice or the patience and sympathy to save and prolong even the most frail and broken of lives. We seek the welfare of this nation under judgement, not because we condone the darkness, but because we overtake darkness with light. This is not a time for Christian’s to circle the wagons and look inwardly. Now more then ever we as Christians at the forefront of societies battles of light and dark need to hoist the flag of biblical love, truth and obedience to our King who has all authority on heaven and earth given to Him. This comes by the day-to-day battles and principles we live by to submit our fears and doubts to Him who see’s and knows all and to live by the revelation found in His word.
I Peter 2:17 “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
⦁ James Doyle
“Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God’s majesty.” – John Calvin