Are We In Jeremiah 48:11?

"Moab has been at ease since his youth;
He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs,
And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
Nor has he gone into exile.
Therefore he retains his flavor,
And his aroma has not changed."

Then verse 12 says: "'Therefore behold, the days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.'"

What's this about and how does it relate to us?

Verse 11 is describing the wine making process, and using that to describe what has not been happening in Moab.

As wine ferments a sour "sludge" forms and needs to be removed. What was done was to pour the wine into a new jar' leaving behind the "sludge" which is called the dregs. This was done over and over and over, pouring the wine from one jar to another, and removing the dregs from the bottom of the each jar after the wine was poured out. Eventually the result is a sweet tasting, quality wine.

Jeremiah 48:11 is saying that the people of Moab have had an easy life. Things have been good, with nothing to disturb that good life. They have not been poured from jar to jar, which would have purified them. Wine in which the dregs are not removed is a sour, foul tasting wine that is thrown away and the jars that held it are destroyed. Moab is like that, and God is warning them that the time is coming when they will be destroyed.

Isn't America like that? We've had it easy. We've not been refined by troubles. We've not been disturbed by being poured from jar top jar. We are rich, comfortable, enjoying life and ignoring God. We are just like Moab was in Jeremiah 48:11... and we can expect tghe same result -- to be poured out and destroyed.

Can we avoid this? Is there a way to be saved from God's wrath? Yes, God sent Jesus Christ to earth to save us from God.

How Do You Know Which Religion Is True?

How would you answer this question?

Can you know which religion is true? Is more than one religion true?

We've been working on a DVD that answers this question. There are three questions you can ask to determine whether a religion is true of created by mankind. Here's the first:

Is the religion self-centered? Every religion will claim to be God centered, if they believe in a God. The way to get the answer to this question is to get the answer to another question: What happens after you die? If the answer is centered on what YOU can do, then it is a self-centered religion and thus is a false religion. Here are some examples:

Hinduism: you must live your life well within your caste. This will result in your being reincarnated into a higher level in your next life. Is this self-centered or God centered? It is self-centered and thus a false religion.

Islam: to enter paradise your good deeds must outweigh your bad deeds. Is this self-centered or God centered? It is self-centered and thus a false religion.

Christianity: there is nothing you can do to save yourself (get into heaven). Only God can save you. Is this self-centererd or God centered? It is God centered and thus is the true religion.

All religions other than Christianity are self-centered. They all claim there are things you can do to obligate God, the creator of the universe, to allow you into heaven. All other religions put man in authority over God. They say there are things you can do (good works) that then obligate God to do something for you in return. Christianity says that there is nothing we can do to obligate God to do anything. God is GOD. He is supreme. He is in charge. He is the creator and we are the created. We never have power over God. God saves us not because of what we've done, but because of what He has done... died on the cross to pay the penalty we owe for sin.

Jesus Is God

If you were introduced to a tall, bald, black man wearing a jersey that said "Bulls 24" on it, and he was introduced as "Michael Jordan" would you expect him to say, "Hi, I'm a basketball player?" Or could you tell from his name and what you've seen him do that he was a basketball player?

Michael Jordan demonstrated on the court that he was a basketball player. There is no doubt about it. Watch him in action on the court for a few minutes and you knew that he could play basketball.

It's the same with Jesus Christ. He didn't need to proclaim that he is God by saying "I am God.", he did it through his actions.

Read Matthew 9:1-8

"Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven.'"

"'Blasphemy! This man talks like he is God!' some of the teachers of religious law said among themselves."

"Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, 'Why are you thinking such evil thoughts? Is it easier to say, Your sins are forgiven or Get up and walk? I will prove to you that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins.' Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 'Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!.'"

"And the man jumped up and went home! Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen right before their eyes."

The teachers of religious law knew that only God can forgive sin. Sin is an offense against God, and only the one who has been offended can forgive that offense. Thus only God can forgive sin, and here Jesus was acting as though he could forgive sin... he was acting like God because He is God.

That's why it says that "Jesus knew what they were thinking." This happens numerous times in the Bible, where Jesus knows the thoughts of people. He knows what a disciple is thinking even before he meets him. He knows about the Samaritan woman's life without her telling him. These are things only God can do.

What Pleases God?

As you read the Bible, keep this question in mind: What pleases God?

I had not thought about it before, but this seems like an important question. So I invite you to start reading your Bible, and keep this question in mind. What is it that pleases God?

Yes, there are many things that make God happy. But, what pleases Him the most. When He looks down on us, what is it about us, or that we are doing, that would please Him the most?

This question has been in my mind so much that I thought we'd do a survey and find out what you think. If you have a few moments, tell us what you think pleases God the most. You'll find a link to the survey page in the upper right corner of our home page.

Psalm 19:1-4

"The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make Him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is silent in the skies;
yet their message has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to all the world."