“You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” – Lamentations 5:19

Hassanal Bolkiah is the Sultan of Brunei since 1967 and the prime minister of Brunei since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.

He is one of the few absolute monarchs in the world. The eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit, he is the 29th sultan to ascend to the Bruneian throne, following the abdication of his father in 1967.

Hassanal Bolkiah is currently the longest-reigning monarch upon the death of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on 8 September 2022. He has reigned for more than 56 years.

Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, the sultan is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers. On 9 March 2006, Brunei's constitution was amended to make the Sultan infallible under Bruneian law.

There is a King whose reign is eternal. Jesus Christ reigns through all of the ages. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that His throne endures from generation to generation.

"God, who is eternal, infinite, supremely mighty, does great and unfathomable things in heaven and in earth, and there is no understanding his wonderful works. If the works of God could easily be grasped by human understanding they could not be called wonderful or too great for words." - Thomas à Kempis

God’s Word: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” – Psalm 90:2

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street. How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands!” – Lamentations 4:1-2

A recent study showed that 99% of the mass of the human body consists of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus.

They are worth about $576. All the other elements taken together are worth only about $9 more. This is a total of less than $600 for the elements in one’s body.

But the worth of a man can never be determined by the worth of his body. We must ask "What is the worth of a human mind? What is the value of a human soul?"

Scientific research - just as the Bible, Koran and even Greek mythology have been suggesting for thousands of years, that man has the same elements as clay. In religious texts from the Bible to Chinese legends, God molds clay into the shape of man and then breathes life into him through his nostrils.

The love and working of our Lord has elevated us far beyond our base elements. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His goodness. Seek Him as you would the most precious treasure of all.

"The world is poor because her treasure is buried in the sky and all her treasure maps are of the earth." - Calvin Miller

God’s Word: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

Keri Wyatt Kent, in her book “Deeply Loved”, writes: “Patti and Bruce, feeling a tug from Jesus, welcomed a four-year-old foster child into their home. Originally the child welfare organization told them Jonathan would be staying with them and their four other children for about a month. Five months later, after a couple of attempts to place him back with his mother, he’s still living with Patti and Bruce.

The process has been messy and complicated. This little boy is sweet, charming, and winsome at times, but angry and confused at other times. So sometimes he cuddles and hugs, but other times he acts out: yelling, scratching, hitting, and even biting.

My friends have loved this child, even as he tries their patience, even as they sometimes despair over the difficulties his birth family faces: poverty, illness, and so on. When they tuck him in at night, they ask him, “Jonathan, when God looks at you, what does he say?” And they have taught him to answer, “He says, ‘I sure do love that little boy!’””

Jesus loves you with an endless love. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His love for you.

"His purpose in sending Jesus into the world was to show his love and to draw men to himself." - Merrill C. Tenney

God’s Word: “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” – Psalm 86:15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.” – Jeremiah 50:6

In October 2023, a flock of 44 sheep escaped from their farm in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario Provincial Police were notified the evening of the day the sheep were last seen on their farm. There was no evidence that the sheep were stolen. The area is rural and sparsely populated, with woods nearby. Police hoped that someone with information would come forward.  The police took to X asking for help in locating the animals, who had gone missing the day before in Beckwith Township, about an hour south of Ottawa.

The following day, the Police posted an update, noting the wayward animals “returned home and are in good health.”

 “The owner contacted us today just after noon to say the sheep were located on the road near their residence in good health. All accounted for,” Constable Joe Tereschuk

People are like sheep, we are prone to wander and very vulnerable. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He is the Good Shepherd and pray for those who do not yet know Him. 

“Like sheep that get lost nibbling away at the grass because they never look up, we often focus so much on ourselves and our problems that we get lost.” – Allen Klein

God’s Word: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” – Luke 15:4-7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3

John Wyatt says the following in “God’s design for our life is that we should be dependent”:

“We come into this world totally dependent on the love, care and protection of others. We go through a phase in life when other people depend on us. And most of us will go out of this world totally dependent on the love and care of others.

And this is not an evil, destructive reality. It is part of the design, part of the physical nature that God has given us. I sometimes hear old people, including Christian people who should know better, say, “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone else. I’m happy to carry on living so long as I can look after myself, but as soon as I become a burden I would rather die.”

But this is wrong. We are all designed to be a burden to others. You are designed to be a burden to me and I am designed to be a burden to you. And the life of the family, including the life of the local church family, should be one of “mutual burdensomeness.” “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Christ himself takes on the dignity of dependence. He is born a baby, totally dependent on the care of his mother. He needs to be fed, he needs his bottom to be wiped, he needs to be proper up when he rolls over. And yet he never loses his divine dignity.

And at the end, on the cross, he again becomes totally dependent, limbs pierced and stretched, unable to move. So in the person of Christ we learn that dependence does not, cannot, deprive a person of their dignity, of their supreme worth. And if dependence was appropriate for the God of the universe, it is certainly appropriate for us.”

Jesus desires us to develop a special dependence on Him. Today in prayer, humbly come before the Lord, call on Him and trust in Him by faith.

"Never does he who clings to God despair, because he is never without resources." - Jacques B. Bossuet

God’s Word: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” – Jeremiah 29:12

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.” – Jeremiah 32:19

Pastor J. Mike Minnix, in his blog pastorlife.com, writes the following:

“During World War II an ocean liner left a British port headed for a harbor in the United States. Enemy subs and cruisers were scattered about, placing the ship in peril as it crossed the Atlantic. Therefore, the captain was given secret directions charting the route. Added were these instructions: “Keep straight on this course. Turn aside for nothing. If you need help, send a wireless message in code.”

After a few days out at sea, the crew spotted an enemy cruiser on the horizon. It appeared to be trailing them. The captain immediately sent a coded message: “Enemy cruiser sighted. What shall I do?”

The reply came from an unseen ship, “Keep straight on. I'm standing by.”

No friendly vessel could be seen, but the captain kept the liner on course until it safely reached the port. Within a short time, a British warship slipped into the same harbor. Although it had been out of sight, it had protected the passenger vessel all the way to port. For those of us who know the Lord, He is always watching and caring for us. He will see you till you reach the final destination. Just stay straight on course.”

Nothing escapes the Lord’s eyes. The whole world is continually in His focus. Today in prayer, give thanks to Jesus that sees you and knows you like no other person can.

"Wherever you are, the eye of God will be upon you - as much on you as if there were not another person in the whole world." - Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” – Jeremiah 17:10

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’” – Jeremiah 31:3

Amy Peterson, in her book “Where Goodness Still Grows”, wrote the following on kindness:

“I started reading The Kindness of God by Catholic theologian and philosopher Janet Soskice. In her examination of the etymology of the word kindness, Soskice helped me see it for the first time as a strong virtue rather than a weak one. “In Middle English,” she writes, “the words ‘kind’ and ‘kin’ were the same—to say that Christ is ‘our kinde Lord’ is not to say that Christ is tender and gentle, although that may be implied, but to say that he is kin—our kind.

This fact, and not emotional disposition, is the rock which is our salvation.” I paused after reading this sentence to try to take it in, to try to peel the sentimental layers off my definition of kindness and replace them with this fact: to be kind meant to be kin.

The word unfolded in my mind. God’s kindness meant precisely that God became my kin—Jesus, my brother—and this, Soskice said, was a foundational truth about who I was. Not only that, but for speakers of Middle English, Lord had a particular meaning—a lord was someone from the nobility, the upper social classes. To say “our kinde Lord” was to say the difference in social or economic status between peasants and nobility was also erased through Jesus the “Lord” being of the same “kinde” as all, landowners and peasants alike. Jesus erased divisions that privileged some people over others.

If Soskice is right, then practicing kindness requires, at minimum, a willingness to see the image of God in, and to find a point of honest connection with, every person—even, and especially, those I dislike.”

God loves you and desires His loving kindness to work through you and to bless others. Today in prayer, praise Jesus for His loving kindness to you.

"By the cross we know the gravity of sin and the greatness of God's love towards us." - John Chrysostom

God’s Word: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11

Mark Batterson, in his book “Play the Man: Becoming the Man God Created You to Be”, writes:

“I spent an unforgettable week in the Galapagos Islands. This archipelago of islands off the coast of Ecuador hasn’t changed much since Charles Darwin sailed there on the HMS Beagle in December 1831 and studied fifteen species of finches. The Galapagos may be the closest thing to the Garden of Eden left on Earth!

My son and I saw a two-hundred-year-old turtle weighing in at nearly a thousand pounds. We came face-to-face with giant iguanas that weren’t the least bit intimidated by humankind. We watched pelicans that looked like prehistoric pterodactyls dive into the ocean and come back up with breakfast in their oversized beaks. And we went swimming with sea lions, which we later learned isn’t altogether safe!

A few weeks after returning home, our family went to the National Zoo in Washington, DC. The National Zoo is a great zoo, but zoos are ruined for me. Looking at caged animals isn’t nearly as exhilarating as witnessing a wild animal in its natural habitat—it’s too safe, it’s too tame, and it’s too predictable.

As we walked through the ape house, the four-hundred pound gorillas looked so bored, so emasculated, behind protective plexiglass. That’s when a thought fired across my synapses: I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals.

I don’t think it’s intentional. In fact, it’s well-intentioned. But I wonder if our attempts to help people sometimes hurt them. We try to remove the danger, remove the risk. We attempt to tame people in the name of Christ, forgetting that Jesus didn’t die to keep us safe. Jesus died to make us dangerous.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

That doesn’t sound safe, does it? That’s because it’s not. The will of God isn’t an insurance plan. The will of God is a dangerous plan. It takes tons of testosterone, and it produces high levels of holy adrenaline.”

God’s plans are far greater than any plans we may have for ourselves. Today in prayer, praise the Lord and look to Him for the wonderful plans He has for your life.

"God hath a work to do; and not to help Him is to oppose Him." - John Owen

God’s Word: “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” – Psalms 40:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” – Jeremiah 23:29

In 1931, Dietrich Bonhoeffer began teaching at the University of Berlin. His pastoral ministry continued as a chaplain and a teacher of a confirmation class for young boys in an impoverished part of Berlin, choosing to live in their neighborhood. It was during this year that Bonhoeffer experienced a radical conversion experience:

“Then something happened, something that has changed and transformed my life to the present day. For the first time I discovered the Bible…I had often preached, I had seen a great deal of the Church, and talked and preached about it—but I had not yet become a Christian…Also I had never prayed, or prayed only very little. For all my loneliness, I was quite pleased with myself. Then the Bible, and in particular the Sermon on the Mount, freed me from that. Since then everything has changed. I have felt this plainly, and so have other people about me. It was a great liberation. It became clear to me that the life of a servant of Jesus Christ must belong to the Church, and step by step it became plainer to me how far that must go.”

God’s Word can change our lives. Today in prayer, give thanks to Jesus for His Word and spend some extra time reading His Word this weekend.

“Every word of the Bible rings with Christ.” - Martin Luther

God’s Word: “Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.” – Psalm 119:91

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“But they will reply, `It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.'". - Jeremiah 18:12

In the summer of 1986, two Soviet ships collided in the Black Sea when the Admiral Nakhimov, a passenger liner, and the freighter Pyotr Vasev struck each other. Some 400 passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident.

It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction–or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late. The authorities also said that both vessels' captains knew for 45 minutes that they were on a collision course but ignored warnings.

The Lord hates man’s stubbornness. Today in prayer, acknowledge sin and turn away from it.

“When you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn, and creates strife with others.” – John C. Maxwell

God’s Word: “one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.” – Deuteronomy 29:19

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.” - Jeremiah 17:11

In March 2024, Lamor Whitehead, nicknamed the “Bling Bishop,” was convicted in federal court of using a parishioner’s retirement savings and trying to extort a businessman while touting he had connections to the New York City mayor.

Whitehead, the pastor at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn, was found guilty of five counts, including wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to the FBI. The convictions are from three separate schemes. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, except for the false statements count, which is a maximum sentence of 5 years, according to the US attorney’s office.

Whitehead, known for his Louis Vuitton suits and extravagant jewelry, also made headlines in 2022 after he said he and his wife were robbed of $1 million worth of jewelry at their church.

The Lord hates gain through unjust means. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that He is the giver of all things and seek to follow His will in all that you do.

“Temporal prosperity is very unfavorable to spiritual development.” – Charles Simeon

God’s Word: “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” – Proverbs 23:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” – Jeremiah 17:9

Lyndon Johnson was known as a master at the game of self-justification. His biographer, Robert Caro, described what would happen when Johnson came to believe something to be true, he would believe in it “totally, with absolute conviction, regardless of previous beliefs, or of the facts in the matter.”

George Reedy, an aide who witnessed the same behavior, described LBJ as having “had a remarkable capacity to convince himself that he held the principles he should hold at any given time, and there was something charming about the air of injured innocence with which he would treat anyone who brought forth evidence that he had held other views in the past. It was not an act … He had a fantastic capacity to persuade himself that the ‘truth’ which was convenient for the present was the truth and anything that conflicted with it was the prevarication of enemies. He literally willed what was in his mind to become reality.”

Our hearts are deceitful and sin has made our hearts more deceitful. Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life to Jesus and give your heart to Him.

“All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy.” - Scott Alexander

God’s Word: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” – Psalm 139:23

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.” – Jeremiah 15:19

In his book “Extraordinary Faith For Ordinary Time”, Larry R. Kalajainen writes the following on repentance: “Samuel Colgate, the founder of the Colgate business empire, was a devout Christian, and he told of an incident that took place in the church he attended. During an evangelistic service, an invitation was given at the close of the sermon for all those who wished to turn their lives over to Christ and be forgiven. One of the first persons to walk down the aisle was a well-known prostitute. She knelt in very real repentance, she wept, she asked God to forgive her. Then she stood and testified that she believed God had forgiven her and wanted to become a member of the church. For a few moments, the silence was deafening. Finally, Samuel Colgate arose and said, “I guess we blundered when we prayed that the Lord would save sinners. We forgot to specify what kind of sinners. The Holy Spirit has touched this woman and made her truly repentant, but the Lord apparently doesn’t understand that she’s not the type we want him to rescue.” Immediately, a motion was made and unanimously approved that the woman be accepted into membership in the congregation. God accepts us as we are. There’s not a sin too black, not a deed too awful, not a thought too horrible for him to forgive.”

Sin separates from the Lord, but repentance and a return to Jesus brings life. Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life and return to following Christ.

“It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors” ― A.W. Pink

God’s Word: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’” – Mark 1:14-15

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

“You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” – Jeremiah 12:1

Hans Urs von Balthasar, in his book “A Theology of History”, writes the following about patience:

“God intended man to have all good, but in . . . God’s time; and therefore all disobedience, all sin, consists essentially in breaking out of time. Hence the restoration of order by the Son of God had to be the annulment of that premature snatching at knowledge, the beating down of the hand outstretched toward eternity, the repentant return from a false, swift transfer of eternity to a true, slow confinement in time. . . . Patience [is] the basic constituent of Christianity . . . the power to wait, to persevere, to hold out, to endure to the end, not to transcend one’s own limitations, not to force issues by playing the hero or the titan, but to practice the virtue that lies beyond heroism, the meekness of the lamb which is led.”

The Lord is patient and desires all men and women to come to a saving knowledge of Him. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His patience toward the wicked and pray for those who have not yet come to know Jesus.

“God bears with the wicked, but not forever.” – Miguel de Cervantes

God’s Word: “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” – Isaiah 55:7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS †

"Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord." — Jeremiah 9:24

In the book “The Faith of Elvis”, Billy Stanley, half-brother of Elvis Presley, poignantly shares the ups and downs of Elvis’ walk with Jesus. On a more humorous side, he shared this encounter between Elvis and Sammy Davis Jr.:

“It was a kind of a funny thing, and also serious in a way, but one time in Las Vegas, he was talking to Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy noticed Elvis wearing both a Star of David and a cross necklace—two things that don’t normally go together because they represent two distinct religions: Judaism and Christianity.

Sammy said, ‘Elvis, isn’t that kind of a contradiction?’

Elvis looked at him and said, ‘I don’t want to miss heaven on a technicality.’”

The Lord desires us to know Him. Today in prayer, thank Jesus that you know Him and pray that you will get to know Him better.  

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord.” ― J.I. Packer

God’s Word: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” – John 17:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS  †

“O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.” – Jeremiah 8:18

Thomas Kelly, in his book “A Testament of Devotion”, writes the following on the Comforter: “The sense of Presence! I have spoken of it as stealing on one unawares. It is recorded of John Wilhelm Rowntree that as he left a great physician’s office, where he had just been told that his advancing blindness could not be stayed, he stood by some railings for a few moments to collect himself when he “suddenly felt the love of God wrap him about as though a visible presence enfolded him and a joy filled him such as he had never known before.”

An amazing timeliness of the Invading Love, as the Everlasting stole about him in his sorrow. I cannot report such a timeliness of visitation, but only unpredictable arrivals and fading-out. But without doubt it is given to many of richer experience to find the comfort of the Eternal is watchfully given at their crises in time.”

God knows us, loves us, and is the Great Comforter who is always present in our sorrows. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is a God of Comfort.

“Most of our comforts grow up between our crosses.” – Edward Young

God’s Word: “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” – 2 Corinthians 1:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS  †

“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.” – Jeremiah 6:10

Stephen Macchia, in his book “Becoming a Healthy Church” writes the following: “We must tune our ears to hear God’s voice. It’s like the child who was told by his father during a symphony orchestra concert, “Listen for the flutes in this song. Don’t they sound beautiful?” The child, unable to distinguish the flutes, looks up at his father with a puzzled look, “What flutes, father?”

The child first needs to learn what flutes sound like on their own, separate from the whole orchestra, before he is able to hear them in a symphony. So it is with us as children of God. Unless we take the time to hear his voice in the quiet moments of life, we will not be able to hear him in the symphony sounds of life.”

When we listen to the Lord, our lives go so much smoother. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to give you an attentive ear to hear His Word and to act upon it.

“God never ceases to speak to us, but the noise of the world without and the passions within bewilder us and prevent us from listening to Him.” – Francois Fenelon

God’s Word: “You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” – Isaiah 42:20

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS  †

“I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.” – Jeremiah 5:4-5

Waldemar Kaempffert, the science editor of the New York Times, wrote in February 1950 of “Miracles You’ll See In The Next Fifty Years.” One of those miracles involved housekeeping. Kaempffert described the life and chores of a future housewife he named “Jane Dobson” thusly: “When Jane Dobson cleans house she simply turns the hose on everything. Why not? Furniture (upholstery included), rugs, draperies, unscratchable floors—all are made of synthetic fabric or waterproof plastic. After the water has run down a drain in the middle of the floor (later concealed by a rug of synthetic fiber), Jane turns on a blast of hot air and dries everything.”

He also said: “Everything in the house is synthetic. There are no dishwashers. Dishes are ‘thrown away after they have been used once, or rather put into a sink where they are dissolved by superheated water’”.

Though the world may be foolish, as Christians we are called to be wise in our actions. Today in prayer, look to the Lord and ask Him to for wisdom and guidance in all the decisions you face this day.  

“Wise men learn more from fools than fools from wise men.” – Marcus Cato 

God’s Word: “A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.” – Proverbs 18:7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS  †

“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” – Jeremiah 4:22

In March 2024, a pastor in Southern California was arrested in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot.

The male adult victim stated he was driving when another vehicle pulled up alongside him. Gunfire came from this other vehicle, and he was struck several times. 

The victim was able to drive himself to the hospital where he was treated for injuries, authorities said. 

Detectives from the Riverside Police Department’s robbery-homicide and crime analysis units conducted the follow-up investigation and learned that the suspects who fired on the victim were hired by 47-year-old Victorville resident Samuel Pasillias, the pastor at a local Spanish-speaking church and the father of the woman the victim had been dating.

During their investigation, detectives uncovered evidence the father met with the men he hired and provided them information about the victim, including his location the evening of the shooting.

Pasillias was arrested where he faces charges of solicitation of and conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. The pastor is being held on $1 million bail. 

Our sin nature makes us inclined to become skilled in doing evil. Today in prayer, give thanks to Jesus that He has overcome the world and our sin nature. Pray for those who are practicing evil that their eyes and heart might be opened to Jesus Christ.

"Punishment for evil will be administered, and the final dimension of eternal life will be granted to all who have responded to God's loving offer." - Millard J. Erickson

God’s Word: “The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” – Genesis 6:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS  †

“Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.” – Jeremiah 2:11

“Tertullian was an early church leader (a bishop in Carthage) in North Africa. His voluminous writing and ministry have led many to acknowledge him as the father of Latin Theology/Western Theology. Tertullian worked hard to fight various heretical strands of the Christian faith, including Gnosticism. He also focused a significant amount of his ministry speaking against the destructive nature of idolatry. Here is what he wrote on that subject:  

The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment, is idolatry. For, although each single fault retains its own proper feature, and although it is destined to judgment under its own proper name also, yet it is marked off under the general account of idolatry.”

Avoid idolatry. Today in prayer, confess any sin of idolatry and worship Jesus, the one True God.

"You don't have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol." - D.L. Moody

God’s Word: “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” – Galatians 4:8-9

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS  †

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” – John 20:19-20

In 1954, during his historic crusade in London Billy Graham had a private meeting with Winston Churchill. Graham shared the gospel with the famous statesman and Churchill became a Christ-follower. We can see this in the way the Prime Minister planned his own funeral. According to his instructions, two buglers were positioned high in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. At the conclusion of the service, the first one played taps, the signal of a day completed. Immediately thereafter, with the sounds of the first song still ringing in the air, the second bugler played reveille, the song of a day begun. Churchill made these plans to proclaim the fact that for the Christian death is not an alley with no exit but rather a thoroughfare from earth to Heaven.

The brightest day in human history is the first Easter! Today in prayer, praise the Lord that death could not hold Him!

“Belief in the Resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith.” – John S. Whale

God’s Word: “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’” – Luke 24:36-39

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2024, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTION FOR Easter †