Author: Brian Burdett

“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” – Jeremiah 33:15

Jesus is the righteous branch. He is the descendant of King David Who reigns over the world with justice and righteousness! God made this promise through Jeremiah just as the kingdom of Israel is about to fail. When things looked the darkest, God promised that a new king was coming. While earthly kings would always fail and fall short of God’s commands and expectations, King Jesus was going to be different. And He is!

After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went up to heaven where He rules over the universe. He holds all of the universe together by His will and He remains without sin and perfect in His righteousness. While the world continues to suffer from injustice, unrighteousness, sin, and death, these things won’t last forever! There is a day coming in which King Jesus will return to rule visibly over the earth. When He does, all evil and unrighteousness will be swept away. Creation, which has been damaged and scarred by the Fall into sin, will be totally renewed. Nothing will be cursed by sin anymore. Everything will be as it was designed by God to be. It will be glorious!!!

When that day comes, everyone will recognize that Jesus is the true King of the Universe. However, only those who submit to King Jesus before that day comes will enjoy that glorious eternal future in His Kingdom! Embrace the branch of David today! Believe in Him and let His sacrifice on the cross cleanse you from your sins. Pray for forgiveness and let His death and resurrection set you free from the power of death over your life. Declare Jesus to be the Lord of your life and be welcomed into His eternal kingdom of justice and righteousness! #FollowJesus

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” – Jeremiah 31:31

In the heart of a book full of bad news delivered by God to His profoundly sinful people is this promise of the best news imaginable! God was going to end the cycle of human sin and divine punishment Himself. Despite the repeated failures of mankind, God wasn’t going to destroy His people. Instead, He was going to make an entirely new covenant between Himself and His people. This new covenant wouldn’t be based on rules and laws because people always break rules and laws. Instead, God promised a covenant in which He graciously transforms sinful human hearts through a personal relationship with Him.

This is the covenant Jesus proclaimed at the Last Supper, when He said that the cup represented His blood that was about to be shed to establish the new covenant. The new covenant offers forgiveness for our sins not because God ignores them, but because God’s Son paid the penalty for them. Though He was eternally God the Son, Jesus entered our world to live the perfectly sinless life of submission to God’s will that we fail to live. Then Jesus voluntarily died on the cross as an innocent sacrifice to atone for our sins and He rose from the dead, His sacrifice accepted.

Every biblical covenant was sealed with blood and God sealed the new covenant with the blood of His Son. God’s perfect justice was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus. God’s perfect love and grace are poured out on everyone who trusts in Jesus. Through faith in Jesus, His righteousness is credited to us. We are forgiven our sins, made new in Christ, adopted by God as His beloved children, and become citizens of Heaven. This is the new covenant of grace! It’s a covenant of grace because we can do nothing to earn or deserve this exalted status. It’s given entirely through the work and will of God the Father through Jesus the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The covenant of grace is yours if you’ve trusted in Jesus. If Jesus is your Lord, then rejoice in this new covenant that raises you from spiritual death to life! If Jesus isn’t your Lord, make Him your Lord right now! Believe in Jesus, the Son of God, Who died and rose from the dead so your sins could be forgiven. Repent of your sins and your rebellion and turn your heart to God through faith and obedience to Jesus. #FollowJesus

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13

Jeremiah made this promise specifically to the exiles of Israel living in Babylon who thought they no longer had access to God. However, it expresses a deep, unchanging truth about God. Though He may seem distant, He never is. Though He may seem hidden and impossible to find, He isn’t. Though He may seem deaf and uncaring toward your pleas, nothing could be further from the truth. These feelings are illusions caused by our own patterns of behavior.

We clutter our lives with things that make it hard for us to see God and feel His presence. We stuff our schedules with busyness, pursuing a dozen earthly priorities with greater energy than we pursue God. Or we invite sin to take up residence in our hearts, minds, and lives, separating us from our God Who is holy, holy, holy. These things make it difficult to see, feel, and know God. Nonetheless, God is always right there, wherever and whenever you earnestly seek Him.

God will patiently wait for you to decide that you want Him more than you want those other things. Once you do, He’s always right there (and He always has been). If you haven’t yet found God, make that the fervent desire of your heart. Make that the priority of your life. Renounce any sin that’s at work in your life. Trust, or renew your trust, in Jesus as your Lord. Clear your daily calendar to make space for prayer and to read and meditate on Scripture. Prioritize gathering with other Christians weekly to worship God and live life together.

Seriously desire to know God, to know Him better, and to experience Him more fully. Make this the focus of your life and you WILL find Him through Jesus. #FollowJesus

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
– Jeremiah 17:7-8

To truly trust in the Lord is to be rooted in the source of all life and nourishment. To trust in God is to fully ground your life and identity in His person, His power, His presence, and His provision. It’s about building your life on obedience to God, worship of God, growth in God, and the experience of God in you through faith in Jesus Christ. Trusting in God goes beyond being faithful in attendance at church or serving well in ministry. Trusting in God is about choosing to build your life and your sense of being on the foundation of God and His love for you through Jesus Christ rather than on the foundation of career, money, relationship, family, or self. Those can all be good things, but they aren’t guaranteed to last forever. God will last forever and so will His steadfast, loyal, loving faithfulness toward you.

Hard times are inevitable in life. The dry season will come. Droughts will come. Storms will come. Illnesses. Accidents. Injustices. Disasters. Bankruptcies. Deaths. Failures. Betrayals. When you fully trust in God, you don’t need to fear these things. They may well happen and they will certainly be painful, but you will endure in the love of God. You will persevere in the strength of God. You will flourish and bear fruit in the presence of God. Why? Because you know that your worth is found in God, your purpose is found in God, and your strength to endure and obey comes from God. He will provide!

So, have you trusted in God? Really trusted in Him, not just liked Him? Is He the source of your identity or is that something else in your life? Is He the source of your security or is that something else in your life? Is He the source of your joy and peace or is that something else in your life? Is He where you find your sense of meaning and purpose or is it found somewhere else? If you haven’t already, spend time in prayer today to commit your life completely into the hands of God. Claim the promise of these verses for your life and commit to trust in God through radical obedience to Jesus Christ. #FollowJesus

“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” – Revelation 3:16

How do you REALLY feel about Jesus? Think carefully before you answer… Ask God to speak to you before you answer… Do you like Jesus or do you LOVE Him? Are you a fan of Jesus or are you truly a FOLLOWER? Do you like His ideas and stories about Him or do you do your Spirit-filled best to obey EVERYTHING He commanded? Do you like His teachings or embrace His commands? Is Jesus just your buddy or is He also the absolute Lord of your life?

Across twenty centuries, many Christians have been lukewarm toward Jesus. They want the benefits of knowing Jesus but not the costs. They want comfort, peace, and eternal life but never really submit to His absolute Lordship. They want to feel good through Jesus but don’t want to become unpopular or despised by their family, friends, and neighbors because of Jesus. That’s what it means to be lukewarm… To like Jesus but not order your life in obedience to Him. To support Jesus but not be willing to sacrifice for Him.

Don’t be lukewarm! Lukewarm isn’t an acceptable response to the grace of God and sacrifice of Jesus. Lukewarm isn’t genuine, saving faith. So carefully consider your time, talents, and treasure…. Are they devoted to Jesus or primarily toward your own comfort? Review your calendar and your financial statements. Who, or what, is the dominant priority of your life? Jesus? Yourself? Your family? Your career?

Choose Jesus! ALWAYS! Don’t be lukewarm. Fully commit to Jesus. Commit to obeying Him. Commit to losing friends, family, comfort, and status for Him if you must. Commit to follow Jesus fully and experience the joy of His Lordship and ongoing presence in your life. #FollowJesus