Under the Under the Water BucketWater BucketNowNow

LockoutLockout

LockoutLockout

How bad is bad?How bad is bad?

LockoutLockout

Mama I'm Coming Mama I'm Coming Home…Home…

This is the text of the letter This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the sent from Jerusalem to the survivingsurviving elders among the elders among the exiles and to the priests, exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the the prophets and all the other people other people Nebuchadnezzar had Nebuchadnezzar had carriedcarried into exile from into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon...Jerusalem to Babylon...

This is what the LORD This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those says to all those I carried I carried into exile from Jerusalem to into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:Babylon:

SovereigntySovereignty- God may use - God may use other agents, but God is other agents, but God is ultimately in controlultimately in control

This is what the LORD This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. and eat what they produce.

Marry and have sons and Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for daughters; find wives for your sons and give your your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so daughters in marriage, so that they too may have that they too may have sons and daughters. sons and daughters. Increase in number there; Increase in number there; do not decrease. do not decrease.

Also, seek the peace and Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to prosperity of the city to which I have carried you which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it for it, because if it prospers, you too will prospers, you too will prosper."prosper."

Yes, this is what the LORD Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "says: "Do not let the Do not let the prophets and diviners prophets and diviners among you deceive youamong you deceive you. Do . Do not listen to the dreams not listen to the dreams you encourage them to you encourage them to have. They are have. They are prophesying lies to you in prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD. them," declares the LORD.

Only trust those who are Only trust those who are willing to tell you what you willing to tell you what you don't don't want to hwant to hearear

This is what the LORD says: This is what the LORD says: "When "When seventy years seventy years are are completed for Babylon, I completed for Babylon, I will come to will come to youyou and fulfill and fulfill my gracious promise to my gracious promise to bring you back to this bring you back to this place. For I know the plans place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and plans to give you hope and a future…a future…

What is the hope?What is the hope?

For whom?For whom?

Then Then youyou will call upon me will call upon me and come and pray to me, and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me will seek me and find me when you seek me when you seek me with all with all your heartyour heart

ReduxRedux-God w-God wantsants it all it all

TruthTruth- H- Hardard t timesimes have have purpose purpose whenwhen I involve God I involve God in themin them

I will be found by you," I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the nations and places where I have places where I have banished you," declares the banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from back to the place from which I carried you into which I carried you into exile..."exile..."

You may say, "The LORD has You may say, "The LORD has raised up prophets for us in raised up prophets for us in Babylon," but this is what Babylon," but this is what the LORD says about the LORD says about the the king who sits on David's king who sits on David's throne and all the people throne and all the people who remain in this citywho remain in this city, , your countrymen your countrymen who did who did not go with you into exilenot go with you into exile----yes, this is what the LORD yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says:Almighty says:

"I will send the sword, "I will send the sword, famine and plague against famine and plague against them and I will make them them and I will make them like poor figs that are so like poor figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten…bad they cannot be eaten…

I will pursue them with the I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague sword, famine and plague and will make them and will make them abhorrent to all the abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth and kingdoms of the earth and an object of cursing and an object of cursing and horror, of scorn and horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the reproach, among all the nations where I drive themnations where I drive them

For they have not listened to For they have not listened to my words," declares the my words," declares the LORD, "words that I sent to LORD, "words that I sent to them again and again by them again and again by my servants the prophets. my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not And you exiles have not listened either," declares listened either," declares the LORD. Therefore, hear the LORD. Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon- Jeremiah 29:1, to Babylon- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-204-20

Exile…Exile…

What now?What now?

ChoiceChoice::

Pining, yearning, wishingPining, yearning, wishing

OROR

Contentment and Contentment and flourishingflourishing

1- B1- Builduild houses, settle down. houses, settle down. Plant gardens Plant gardens

1- B1- Builduild houses, settle down. houses, settle down. Plant gardens Plant gardens

- Quit looking for a wQuit looking for a wayay o outut

Why?Why?

God calls his people to be God calls his people to be faithful faithful wwherehere they are they are planted, planted, wwhilehile they are they are planted thereplanted there

2- M2- Marryarry, have kids, let the , have kids, let the kids marry kids marry

Make it a point to increase Make it a point to increase wherever you are instead wherever you are instead of waiting for the right of waiting for the right circumstances and the circumstances and the right timeright time

In Christ, my circumstances In Christ, my circumstances can't stop me from living can't stop me from living life fully. Only I can stop life fully. Only I can stop meme

3- S3- Seekeek the peace and the peace and prosperity of the people prosperity of the people who have conquered and who have conquered and captured youcaptured you

If the pIf the peopleeople prosper, so will prosper, so will youyou

But…that's not fair!But…that's not fair!

What about the people who What about the people who weren't taken captive?weren't taken captive?

To those still living back in To those still living back in JerusalemJerusalem

1- “I will send sword, famine 1- “I will send sword, famine and plague against them”and plague against them”

They're under a curseThey're under a curse

To those still living back in To those still living back in JerusalemJerusalem

2- They refused to listen to 2- They refused to listen to God’s WordGod’s Word

The ones who aThe ones who appearppear to be to be blessed are under blessed are under judgment. The ones who judgment. The ones who aappearppear to be cursed are to be cursed are actually blessedactually blessed

Comparison is a lComparison is a lieie

Truth always leads to Truth always leads to gratitude, not envy or gratitude, not envy or angeranger

How I vHow I viewiew my my circumstances is circumstances is paramount to how my life is paramount to how my life is livedlived

It’s never where I am, but It’s never where I am, but wwhosehose I am I am

Cross-training= always more Cross-training= always more than I deservethan I deserve

Real Faith IsReal Faith Is::

Looking forward, not Looking forward, not backwardbackward

−Remember what God has Remember what God has donedone

−But don't pine away for what But don't pine away for what used to beused to be

Real Faith IsReal Faith Is::

Looking at where I am, not Looking at where I am, not where I wish I werewhere I wish I were

−If it never changes- or gets If it never changes- or gets worse- can I still trust God? worse- can I still trust God?

−What am I waiting on before What am I waiting on before I start living?I start living?

Real Faith IsReal Faith Is::

Looking to God, not where Looking to God, not where someone else is relative to someone else is relative to meme

−Comparison is a lie of the Comparison is a lie of the enemyenemy

−Envy and covetousness Envy and covetousness question God and his question God and his provisionprovision

−Contentment trusts GodContentment trusts God

Maybe we ought to be Maybe we ought to be praying for peace and praying for peace and prosperity while we pray prosperity while we pray for revival? for revival?

I can’t seek God I can’t seek God wholeheartedly while wholeheartedly while cursing my circumstances cursing my circumstances or waiting for them to or waiting for them to change firstchange first

For the eyes of the LORD For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the range throughout the earth to strengthen earth to strengthen those whose hearts are those whose hearts are fully committed to him”- fully committed to him”- 2 Chron. 16:92 Chron. 16:9

TakeawaysTakeaways::

•What's stopping me from What's stopping me from living right now, right living right now, right where I am?where I am?

•Why?Why?