Bud-and-Flourish

Deuteronomy  32: 3-4 NKJV 3 For I proclaim the name of the  Lord : Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is   the Rock,   His work   is   perfect; For all His ways  are  justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright  is  He. God is both Righteous and Just.  You can't have righteousness without justice.  They go hand in hand. (Psalm 89:14NKJV  Righteousness and justice   are   the foundation of Your throne; ) There is no lawlessness in God and His actions are carried out perfectly.  His standards of what's right and wrong have been defined for us through the word of God.  A law can be changed as an attempt to redefine right and wrong but, that has no bearing on the truth as revealed to us in the word of God.  Isaiah 5:20   20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet ...

Jeremiah 3:22 NKJV 22 “Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” Perhaps you're struggling today.  Maybe you feel overwhelmed with the guilt and shame of sin or feel like you're beyond help.   There is no sin greater than the power of God, no situation He cannot handle, no person beyond His reach.  God has the power to drive sin that keeps us in bondage out, the power to help us overcome. Sin is a disease which requires Jesus our Great Physician.  It’s not in the strength of man that we overcome but, it is the Lord who strengthens us  ( Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.)   so whether you're sick with sin or sick of sin cry out to the Lord.  Draw near to Him today.  Resuscitation Ezekiel 37:7-10 7  So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.  8...

Jeremiah 2:1-3 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.  3 Israel was holiness to the Lord, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ” Hear how God tenderly calls His people unto Himself, pleading for them to remember h ow they once pursued Him and were led by Him.  God was good to Israel and they were set apart for Him.  There was no provision that they lacked, no protection that they did not have, no love that they failed to receive from the Holy One.  Israel had fallen away and God was calling them to repent and return back to Him. Do you remember? Do you remember when you first accepted Christ as Lord and Savior?  Do you remember the passion, zeal, joy and excitement you...

Jeremiah 3:1-10 “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lord. 2 “Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness. 3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; You refuse to be ashamed. 4 Will you not from this time cry to Me, ‘My Father, You are the guide of my youth? 5 Will He remain angry forever? Will He keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and done evil things, As you were able.” A Call to Repentance 6 The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high moun...

Jeremiah 2:13 NKJV “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water." Forsaken- abandon, leave behind In Israel rain comes in the winter months and it's typically hot and dry in the summer.  Cisterns were used to collect and store rainwater.  They were constructed using bedrock and the inside was covered with limestone plaster so the water wouldn't seep through the cracks.  Obviously if there were cracks, water would seep out making it completely useless.  The people would have labored in vain and would not profit from it one bit.  All that work for nothing and they would still be thirsty. The people of Israel understood this message.  They had turned away from God.  They were no longer fully devoted to Him and were now "idolaters" (Jeremiah 2:5)  They were pursuing false gods rather than turning to the Fountain of Living Water. ...