Jeremiah 12:9: Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird...

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on Jeremiah 12:

Matthew 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Hosea 7:11 (NKJV)
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense—

Hosea 7:11  Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. 12  When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard. 13  Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. 14  And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. 15  Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. 16  They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Psalm 110:3  Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

II Corinthians 5:14: For the love of Christ constraineth us...

Luke 15:11 He also said: "A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I'll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands. 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father told his slaves, 'Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let's celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate. (HCSB)

I John 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Micah 7:8  Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. 9  I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness...

18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20  Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted... 6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

I Peter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (NKJV)

Romans 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Advent #3 WHY HAS JESUS COME? not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to Repentance
Letter 25 on assurance and fighting for joy (a strong craving ≠ His joy)
Jesus' yoke --> fullness of joy (Letter 31 on assurance & fighting for joy)
true repentance leads to joy (Letter 37 on assurance & fighting for joy)
Prevail | apart from sovereign grace
postcards from England: "Flower in the Crannied Wall" (Tennyson)
don't waste your new year ~ teach us, satisfy us, make us glad (Psalm 90:12-15)
Ash Wednesday: Do you despise yourself? | Job 42
What is Biblical mourning? (Ash Wednesday)
Biblical mourning, assurance and false guilt
Christian, are you bearing fruit in keeping with repentance?
Dearest idol, how can I find rest
Things to Look for in a Church: Humility before God leading to confession, repentance & fruits worthy of repentance

Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.  Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

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Luke 22:7  Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” ...

14  And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15  And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 15  And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16  For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18  For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19  And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

24  A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25  And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26  But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27  For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Having been born of the first man Adam and being subject to the effects of the Fall, not a single one of us is any different than the disciples in our fleshly desire to be regarded as the greatest. Instead of having a Theocentric, Christocentric viewpoint, apart from the grace of God, my universe and your universe revolves around me, myself, and I !

I loved this picture. → → → → → →

Jesus the carpenter didn't come to earth expecting or seeking a reserved parking place. The Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant. The Son of God came as one who serves! Our Lord was willing to take the lowest place. He was willing to wash feet. He was willing to die the most excruciating and humiliating of all deaths: death on a Roman cross. (Read Philippians 2.) He came not to be served but to give His life as a ransom for many! (Mark 10:35-44) Consider Christ's unfailing and willing obedience to His Father and His marvelous and perfect condescension to make a way for unrighteous and unworthy sinners to be reconciled to a holy God: the only true God who is light and in whom there is no darkness, the God who is holy, holy, holy, and cannot abide sin in His presence or even behold evil or look upon wickedness! (I John 1; Hab. 1:13; Psalm 5:4-5)

In marked contrast, left to our own ways, each and every one of us ends up feeling entitled to get all the gusto we can get! We shout and pout and whine at even the scantiest offense against us: "I deserve!" "I have a right to ... "It's only fair!" "Did you see what that person did to me? I don't deserve this!"

Well, what is it that we really deserve, my friends? The only thing we rightly deserve is eternal damnation, as Jonathan Edwards reminds us in his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God":

The fact that we have been given another day to live, and we are not cast away from the presence of the Lord into the lake of fire is all due to the mercy and grace of God in Christ. Our God is longsuffering, and Jesus Christ tarries returning, and all the while He calls out to lost, tired, thirsty, and hungry souls: "Whosoever will may come to Me! Come to Me and be saved from the wrath to come! Come to Me and find rest! Come to Me and drink! Come to Me and eat!"

It is by the grace of God alone that any of us have repented of our sins and believed on Christ and received the gift of eternal life. Thanks be to God that our Judge is our Justifier and our eternal Intercessor – but apart from the Lord Jesus Christ where would we be? It was God's kindness which led us to repentance in the first place. Even our faith is not our own, it is the gift of God. What do we have that we have not received? How could the mind which was enmity against God ever begin to seek after God and be saved?! How could the soul which is dead in sin and transgressions ever come alive apart from the quickening breath of the Holy Spirit?

And regarding what we think is fair...

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
(Isaiah 53:10)

Matthew 23:1  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3  so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5  They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6  and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7  and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9  And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10  Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11  The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

When we are honest with ourselves (by God's grace alone – for our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked!), each and every one of us would admit we love and lust after those places of honor and the best seats. We obsess over and we seek the affirmation and approval of men in one form or another.

However, as Christians, because we are God's holy nation, we are to have holy ambitions. I regret to say that all too often our ambitions are no different than those of unbelievers. Our ambitions are focused on the here and now, rather than eternity, and so we end up filling up barn after barn after barn, but what treasures are we laying up in heaven? Are we gaining the world and losing our souls? Is not Christ far superior and all-satisfying to any and all things the world has to offer? Let us ask God's Spirit to come and examine ourselves and our affections. For those who know Christ, these things ought not even be named among us because we have been born again of the last Adam, the One who humbled Himself, and Christ's holy nature now dwells in us through His Holy Spirit, so we are enabled to humble ourselves and follow in His steps:

John 13:2  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.  5  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him...

12  When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Romans 12:1 starts off with Paul's urgent appeal:

In other words, IF we have truly known the glorious mercies of God in Jesus Christ in saving us, how can we do anything but present ourselves and all our affections and all our ambitions to God, so He might purify us and conform us to the image of His Son? The phrase spiritual is the Greek word logikos, meaning "rational" or "reasonable." In other words, IF we are Christ's, it is only rational, it is only reasonable, it is only logical for us to present ourselves to God, or as the KJV puts it, such a offering of ourselves is our "reasonable service." Any other response to the love of God in Christ is patently irrational, illogical, unreasonable, and unspiritual!

By the power of God at work in us, may we be strengthened to will and to do them, and enter into and enjoy God's all-surpassing and unparalleled blessedness: the life, peace and joy of the LORD!