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Jeremiah 7. Jeremiah was sent to stand at the gates of the temple and give this message. To the people going in and out of the Temple God was offering permanent lodging. They thought that attendance and the forms of worship were enough to get God on their side. Or maybe it was enough to be enlisted on His side. (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt.) "Wear the uniform and we'll be part of His army."

God is trying to correct their faulty outlook on life. True religion is more than form. There has to be substance.

They knew they were special. God had told them so many times. He performed mighty miracles to preserve them and establish them here in this particular spot. His Temple was here, after all. Surely we are safe by standing so close to it. "The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord."

But surely, as modern Christians, having been taught by the Holy Spirit, and having received new hearts, would never do this. Would we? Have you ever heard someone say, "but I am an American!"

Being American doesn't mean you are a Christian. Neither does going to church, tithing, reading your bible, or teaching Sunday School. Our actions do not define who we are. They never really have, although we have allowed them to. Our actions flow out of who we are. Attending church, praying, and reading the bible should happen because I can't really help myself. It is in my nature to do these things.

I believe that by offering to open up the Temple as a permanent residence, God was offering to change who they were, but they did not see it. God offers the same to us today.

God is still trying to change me a little bit more every day. And I think dwelling forever in His Temple sounds wonderful.

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Jeremiah 6.29-30. "The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, but the wicked are not separated. They call them rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them." Amazing, isn't it. God is trying to refine the people, make them pure. The fire is hot enough, but instead of purifying, the fire destroys. "The wicked are not separated."

And, notice this too. "They call them rejected silver." Who is 'they'? I don't know, but what God calls lead they call silver. "Look at us, at our value. Our abilities and talents, and God won't use us. We have been rejected." God sees lead, and they see silver. Quite a difference in value. A difference in vision. People usually see themselves as having more value than they really do. And then get upset when God doesn't use them in the manner they feel they deserve.

Lead or silver. Do I recognize my value? I know God does, but I need to ask Him where I am needed. Maybe I am neither.

Jesus told us to take our seat lower down, and wait for the Host to exalt us. The Host knows who we are, and were we deserve to be seated. Being humble is a whole lot better than being humiliated. These people were about to be humiliated because they set up their own value system, and rated themsleves very high.

This is a mistake. Instead of silver, God saw lead. Useless lead because it could not be refined.

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