Amend Your Ways and Doings by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. There are 2 different topics addressed in the chapter we will be reading from this morning. Now, scripture reminds us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. This statement is still fundamentally true today. We are going to be reading from the book of Jeremiah 7 this morning. In the previous chapter, God called Jeremiah to stand at the gates of the temple to address the crowds as we begin reading with verse 1 or chapter 7.

        The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

        2 Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.

        3 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

        God is giving the people a time to amend, that is to change, their ways. The mindset to follow Christ is the same thing. You and I have to change our ways. You come through those doors to exercise your worship to God.

        Amend your ways and doings. There's a difference between the two. Doings are actions that you do. Ways are thought processes you have established for yourself. Some people are content with the, "Oh, just to get me by, Oh Lord." You should desire to walk in the middle of the path you're on and not to the sides. Seek to be in a place where there lies the overflow of the holy spirit.

        4 Trust ye not in the lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord are these.

        Jeremiah is speaking about formalism and hypocrisies in church. Pure religion is something the New Testament speaks about for us to seek and attain. It isn't for us to modify or to reform.

        5 For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgement between a man and his neighbor;

        You thoroughly amend your ways. Execute judgement in your life. The definition of thoroughly is as "very much and greatly". You can't do this walk with a half heart or part time. You need a full time commitment. 

        6 If you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

        Don't oppress others, nor shed innocent blood. There are thousands of scriptures from both the old and new testament commanding you not to oppress the poor. Don't walk after other gods to your hurt.

        7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

        Jeremiah is speaking to the descendants of Abraham in this chapter. He is reiterating the past to them. Knowledge is something you learn. Wisdom is what God imbues in you.

        A true widow or widower is a person who's spouse has passed and there is no son or daughter to fall back upon. They are truly alone. Shedding innocent blood is not limited to an act of violence. It can be from what comes out of your mouth at someone.

        8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

        If we put our trust in a lie without gain, it can be a life altering turn. What does it mean to be strong? You can build strength without first tearing the body down first.

        9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Ba-al, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

        If you trust lying words, you will self-justify each of the things listed in verse 9. You will lie to yourself, believe in false doctrine, misappropriate scripture to support your justification. You have the appearance of vain confidence. What is that? Vain confidence is believing something that is a lie.

        There are two kinds of heat. God will try you like gold in a fire and cut out the impurities which rise up to the surface. The 2nd kind of heat comes from your flesh operating in emotions and channeled in anger. You have to separate yourself from the world and draw closer to God. God rejects vain confidence. There's a difference between confidence and arrogance. There are a lot of people who can't tell the difference. Arrogance is ignorance in disguise. True confidence doesn't need to speak. 

        10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations. 

        We can hide our sins, cover them up, sweep them under the rug, We can and do walk into sanctuaries casting the illusion of a believer working on their faith. We project that vain confidence and don't even realize it.

        11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.

        If you go and read in the book of Malachi, you read how God called out Israel for their tithes and offerings in the temple. God said the people hide their sin in plain sight and he still sees it.

        The word of God has not changed from the words of Jeremiah back in this manuscript then to today. Whosoever follows the path has access to God's spirit. Strength is always tied to recovery from pain. There are all types of hurts out in life to contend with. If that pain can come under the blood, the recovery is strength. You execute judgment first on yourself and do it daily. A lot of us want to control every aspect of our life. Relinquish control over things in your life and let God guide your outcome.