WEDNESDAY, JULY 25
Scripture: Jeremiah 44:1-3, Revelation 2:14,15

In Jeremiah 44:1-4 we are told, “The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers. However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!’”’” Number four in the 44 series tells us exactly what God does when a nation refuses to hear His Word. In verse 4, the question is, are we willing to be the voice that stands up and says, “What you are doing is an abomination and it is something the Lord hates. Do not do it!” Are we willing? So far, the church has not been willing to do that. The church has taken another path – a very, very Priestly path that knows nothing of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Consequently, we have the advancing of what God hates. Evil is growing dramatically. Yet we have people teaching “The Lord does not hate anything. He loves everybody. Judging is Old Testament.” I hear leaders talk as if ‘God’s love means He accepts everything. ‘The Lord hates evil and judges those who advance it’ is a message that is unheard. Consequently we have believers with a diet of milquetoast. To say that there is sin that God does not hate and that He does not judge is drinking a form of spiritual cool-aid. We have to dub it scripture–light. The resurrected Christ who took all of our judgment on Himself and supposedly judges. No one is out of character in Revelation 2 and 3 where He speaks to the church and tells them there are things He hates. He tells them He will judge those who refuse to repent. Then He does. This is the resurrected Christ! To the church at Pergamos, in Revelation 2:14,15, He says, “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” What is that doctrine? It is basically that we are spirit and what we do with our spirit is what is really important. Nicolaitans mores allow you to do anything you want to with your body as long as you attend to your spirit. Basically what we can say about the church at Pergamos is that Jesus hated the sexual sin they were tolerating in their church. We know the end was not good. He promised to come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth. That is Jesus in the New Testament. And we see that again in His response to the church at Thyatira. Jesus told them that if they refused to repent, He would kill their disciples with death. Jesus judges sin in the New Testament church. He judges it with destruction. He judges it with termination. He is not fooling around. If we want the creative operational in our lives, the question of Jeremiah is a simple one. Are we willing to be the voice that says, “What you are doing is evil and it will bring the judgment of God. Do not do this abominable thing that God hates!” Are we willing to say that to our politicians?