Year End Report 2015– Reformed Faith Mission Community Church
Dear brothers
Grace to you and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ. We continue to give thanks to God for all of you and am always aware of your prayers for us.
This has been a year filled with challenges and great excitement for what the Lord chose to do through the ministry of Reformed Faith Mission Community Church. We stand in awe of the Lord and am continually confounded that the Lord would use worms like us. Truly, we are as grasshoppers in our own eyes, but our Creator who is also the Maker of Giants, the sovereign Lord who has 
all power in His hands has chosen to use grasshoppers to bring about His intended purposes, so that it will be known by all that God has done it. All glory to our God!!
A brief summary
We started the year with great expectation and excitement for what the Lord would accomplish as His providence carries us through the year. We have our plans, but we are always aware that our plans are not always in line with God’s purposes – thank God, His purposes always prevail over our plans.
January – February
January month was a busy month as we were preparing for the first Pastor’s Seminar of 2015. Our theme was “The Biblical Standard for Leadership” with Rev. Gideon Beukes as speaker. One of the highlights of this seminar was the Q & A session.
Questions that came from the floor was:
What are the qualifications for elders/pastors?
When is an elder/pastor disqualified to lead and for how long will he remain disqualified?
Are women allowed to preach in the church and to be appointed as elders/pastors?
What about men that has been divorced?
When would it be right to leave a church?
What are the qualifications for apostles and should we still appoint apostles?
Is it possible to have such a powerful “worship” experience that we do not need to preach the Word?
These questions are the issues that the Pentecostal churches are confronted with and it was a huge blessing to see them ask these questions themselves. God used Gideon in an amazing way as he pointed people to the scriptures in a humble and gracious way. We’ve also had two of the Pentecostal brothers that regularly attend these seminars enter into further studies at BISA. (In October both these brothers left their Pentecostal churches. One of them has joined us).
We are also confronted with all sorts of heresies as pastors who once preached against sin now embraced the teachings of the Emergent movement. This is of great concern to us as we saw prominent Pentecostal pastors in our community preaching the heretical doctrine of universalism at funerals and on the street. Statements like, “Christian living is not important, as long as you have a connection with God” or “Your sin don’t matter. Because Jesus already died for it. You must just believe” or “Sin is Adam’s fault, why would God hold it against you”. According to these guys the gospel is that you should just believe that Jesus died for your sins and you’re in. This type of preaching teaches those who sells drugs and do prostitution and gangsterism that they
don’t need to change, they must only believe.
February – April
In the midst of all this the Lord opened a door for us when a woman who sold her daughters into prostitution fell sick with cancer and called us to pray with her. This was truly a grace-given sickness. This woman used to hate us because we tried to get her youngest daughters out of prostitution. What was amazing to us is that she could have called the charismatic pastor from the “church” that her eldest daughter attends to pray for her, but she didn’t. She was looking for people who really feared the Lord. We praise the Lord for the testimony that our ministry has in the community.
We had several services at her home with her whole family in attendance. The prostitution and drug sales that happened from her house came to an end. We had the privilege to disciple her and am convinced that the Lord saved her. Her whole family witnessed the change that took place in her life. The daughters that she once sold into prostitution now had to daily read the Bible for her, as she was too weak to do anything for herself.
We served her for three months before she passed on. What an amazing story of God’s grace to a woman who sold her kids to prostitution and then like the thief that hung next to Jesus she obtained “like precious faith”. This opened opportunities to preach the Gospel at the night vigils and the funeral service. The funeral service was packed with all sorts of sinners from rastas to drug
dealers and gangsters and pimps under one roof to hear the powerful preaching of the gospel.
We have since preached at several funerals and were even nick named “The Funeral Preachers”; a name we wear with honour as it gave us the opportunity to refute the false gospels and present to people Christ crucified and the implication of their rejection of Him.
April – May
It has become a trend for some of the Pentecostal pastors to visit our Sunday services on their weekend off. Their reason is that they know they will get fed when they visit us and they just need to get away from the noise for a while.
We also get invited to preach at Pentecostal churches. We were so encouraged when at one of these opportunities, after Quinton preached a so-called “apostle” started repenting publicly about his pride and how he needs to make right with God. This is a huge deal for us and a foreign thing to come from these “high profiled” leaders. This is why we have Pastor’s Seminars and why we content earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We thank the Lord for showing us that He is at work and that our labour in Christ is not in vain – knowing how weak our faith are, we thank God for every green leaf of hope.
This year we also had our first “Missions High Tea”. In our community “High Teas” are considered special events for women. It is usually well attended, as the women sees it as an opportunity to dress up and have fellowship with sisters from other churches. The themes for High Teas would usually be around different cultures, but never have any spiritual significance. We decided that we use the High Tea as a platform to introduce believers in our community to the persecuted church. We had eight tables with ten people around each table. Each table received a prayer card with information on an unreached people group and prayer points. We also made prayer book marks for each person to take home. It was beautiful to hear the hall buzz with prayers going up for the salvation of the unreached. We also used the opportunity to share the gospel at this event.
While preparing for our next Pastor’s Seminar in May we decided to have only one session and have the seminar in the form of a worship service and thereafter we’ll have time to reflect and repent and have a love-fellowship lunch. The message was “Back to the Bible, a Holy life and Repentance”. The message was a rebuke and a call to repentance and holiness and a commitment to the Gospel. The easy believism that they preach is a violation of the Gospel message and is directly responsible for fuelling the spread of drug abuse, prostitution, HIV, domestic violence, crime, etc. in our communities. The Gospel is the only answer for all our social and spiritual problems! (Mario’s sermon notes – at bottom). After the preaching of the Word we spend much time in prayer. My heart was moved to hear men and women repent and pledging to turn back to God and His Word. We could experience an attitude of openness and trust between the men and women as they talked about the challenges they face in their ministry and personal lives during our time of fellowship. There are some of the pastors that are not happy with these seminars. The main reason
would be pride and simply the fact that we or shall I say the Scriptures challenges many of the traditions and teachings that they hold to. They are also very upset that we don’t give them a platform to preach or promote their ministries. This impacts on the attendance to the seminar as these men would encourage other pastors not to attend. We do not promote any denomination or church at these seminars. We only promote the Word of God.
June – September
In July we had our third pastor’s seminar for the year. We decided to continue with a Gospel theme to combat the series of damnable heresies being preached in our communities. The theme for this seminar was “The Gospel alone is God’s power for salvation”. We had three, 1 hour sessions.
Session 1: What does it mean to preach the Gospel? (Japie van Kampen)
Session 2: What is the content of the Gospel? (Japie van Kampen)
Session 3: The impact of the Gospel on the pastor’s life. (Quinton Maneville)
We had nineteen people in attendance of which fourteen were pastors (give or take an apostle or prophet).
During our fellowship time after the sessions, two pastors confessed that they never really knew what the Gospel was. Another pastor told us that he now only understand the gospel and why people are leaving the church who “gave their hearts to Jesus”. He confessed, “It was because I never preached the true Gospel!” Another pastor also said that he realises now that those who went before them never taught them what the Gospel is, only what the Gospel can give you. Praise God for the impact that these seminars has on these pastors.
About a month after the seminar one of the pastors approached us to let us know that his elders called him to a meeting to find out why his preaching has changed. They wanted to know by him whether it is the seminars that he attends with us that has changed him. His reply to them was that the seminars is only teaching him to go back to the Bible and that he wants to be Christ centred in his preaching not man-centred. He said his answer satisfied the other elders. He asked us if we can’t have a seminar for all the congregations of the pastors that attend, so that their people can also be exposed to rich biblical teaching.
It was a tremendous blessing and highlight for me to meet one of my heroes in the faith at the Sola 5 conference. It was Conrad who directed me to Sola 5 in 2012. As a charismatic preacher I started listening to sermons from Conrad Mbewe and Paul Washer in 2005. God used these men in a special way in my life. It was great to expose some of our church members to the bigger family 
of God at the Sola 5 conference as we often feel isolated and alone a midst a flood of Pentecostals and charismatics – Like the apostle Paul we sometimes feel “as one untimely born”.
September – November
I was privileged to preach at Goodwood Baptist Church. The message I preached was titled, “Phinehas, a man full of zeal for his God.” The message can be downloaded from their website. We are so grateful for the blessing the elders has been to us over the past two years. We have regular fellowship and prayer with the elders and are able to share our challenges and ministry endeavours with mature brothers that can hold us accountable. We treasure this relationship.
I also had the opportunity to preach at Germiston Baptist Church and was hosted by Peter Sammons and his kind wife for the weekend, before we left for the Spurgeon’s Fraternal on UJ Island. What an amazing time we had listening to the different eschatological views of brothers who love each other although they differ and who are united in their cause of the Gospel. We were so blessed by the fellowship and prayers.
The Lord has open some doors for us to preach at the homes of drug dealers and Lollie lounges (tik houses). We have a standing arrangement to have a service once a month at one of the notorious lollie lounges in Bellville South. This place has been in operation for more than 20 years and is responsible for many deaths, drug addictions, prostitution, robberies, house break-ins, teenage pregnancies, HIV… and the list goes on. It used to be a drug lab where tik was manufactured. There is about 40 people that stays in this small municipal flat – all on drugs. We thank the Lord that we can reach out to them. This house is a cancer in our community and God has opened the door for us to preach the only cure – The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
We also preached at another drug dealer’s home and while Quinton was preaching the wife and daughter of the drug dealer started crying. After the service my wife had a private time with the daughter. We urged them to seek the Lord and to repent and to believe the Gospel. The husband didn’t seem to open when we asked him if we could have another service there at another occasion, but we trust God to keep that door open for us.
We decided to target all the drug dealers in our community and will bring the Gospel right into their homes from where they sell their drugs. May the Lord grant us favour.
General
From the beginning of the year we joined Jimmy Meyer from Kraaifontein Baptist with an outreach to Lindenhoff farm in Paarl, about 35km from Bellville South. Jimmy and his family has been reaching out to the people on this farm for many years. On our very first outreach with them we felt we wanted to get involved with this work. The people on the farm are probably 95% from a cult called “The Old Apostolic Church”. We deal with them in Bellville South also and have some knowledge about how they function and how they view God. We have had some house services at their houses and do street evangelism while Jimmy them have Bible study with the children and some of the parents. We trust the Lord to draw His sheep to Him and to break these people free from the bondage of this cult.
We are conducting house services at several open doors in our community and have seen a number of people visiting our church because of these services in the community. We’ve had one profession of faith of a lady that has been visiting our church from the beginning of the year. One of the brothers that has been part of the pastor’s seminar has also joined us. We’ve seen very
encouraging growth in his life since he and his family started fellowshipping with us. Another lady who is also a professing Christian has also been visiting our church and has indicated that she would like to become a member. We are very careful about membership, but we thank God that He knows who belong to Him.
Please pray for Reformed Faith Mission. We are weak and small and need much grace from the Lord.
Pray that the Lord grant us a zeal and boldness for Him
Pray that we will not bring shame to the name of the Lord
Pray that the Lord will open doors for us as we approach drug dealers and tavern owners
Pray that the Lord will give us a permanent place of worship that can be utilised 7 days a week.
Pray for God’s protection over us and for His hand over our wives that are constantly plagued with sickness
This report does not do justice to all that the Lord is accomplishing through his local church in Bellville South. We are encouraged to see how the Lord uses a small and weak church such as us to accomplish His purposes.
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” – Rev. 3:8
Soli Deo Gloria
Mario F. Maneville
Reformed Faith Mission Community Church
Pastor’s Seminar – Back to the Bible, a Holy life & Repentance 23/05/2015 [Sermon notes]
Jeremiah 1: 1-19 & Jeremiah 2:1-25 (I will read both chapters)
Introduction
Brothers and sisters my heart is grieved at the state of what is called evangelicalism today. We look at our social troubles and blame drugs, prostitution, gangsterism and domestic violence. Yes… all of these are serious concerns! But… I am convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only solution to all our social problems.
Some of you sitting here today were drug addicts and alcoholics, perhaps even murderers… until the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is “the power of God unto salvation to them that believe” pulled you out of that way of destruction! And now society is rid of another gangster and alcoholic, because Christ saved you through the preaching of the Gospel!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important message and it’s the only message that will save and transform a sinner’s life. This message has been entrusted to us… pastors! And if we were entrusted with such a great message than we need to walk worthy of such a high calling!
An essential part of the message of the Gospel is the call to repent! To turn away from your sin towards God.
This call for repentance is not just for those who don’t know Christ but also for us who claim to be born again.
The evidence that you are saved is that you constantly turn away from sin!
The evidence that you are probably not saved is that you cling to your sin and love it… and no one is going to tell you what to do! Unfortunately, there are many pastors that are not saved.
They are hirelings and not shepherds
They are wolves in sheep clothing
They walk like the world, they talk like the world
There is nothing Christ-like in them.
I am hoping that as we look at Jeremiah that the Lord would be merciful to us and grant us a godly sorrow that produces a genuine repentance (This is not an exegetical exposition, but I am hoping that we can draw some practical application from the first two chapters of Jeremiah)
Let us look at a few verses in Jeremiah.
The Prophet Is Called 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 5 ” Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then said I: ” Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me: ” Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: ” Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
We see in the first instance in verse 4 “Then the word of the LORD came to me”
It was not the word from a man
It was not a word that came out of his imagination
It was the word of the Lord! We have too many pastors that preached TBN sermons and that want to come up with some “new revelation” or “new season” nonsense.
We need to get away from the TV and get our heads in the Bible and our faces before God in prayer! Scripture teaches us that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2Tim 3:16). The Bible is the word of the Lord!
We have too many men that calls themselves pastors but they don’t study this Book.
We have so many pastors that never even read the Bible from cover to cover. We think it’s something amazing when we hear someone read the whole Bible. That’s not something amazing! This is foundational!
You are expected to know the Word of the Lord…
To love the Word of the Lord… to meditate upon it day and night (Jos. 1:8) For man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matt. 4:4)
Shame on you if you are a pastor and you have not read this whole book! You should be ashamed of yourself.
There are pastors that cannot even explain to you what the Gospel is. A pastor once asked me: “What is the Gospel to a poor person?” Now I would say that it is the same to a rich person. The message never changes [Imagine you get the recipe to make a drug that can cure AIDS immediately, but if you get the ingredients wrong it gives people cancer – this is what many do with the gospel. They add their own ingredients to it].
If the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation than we better get it right! There is only one Gospel! Whether Paul calls it “my Gospel or whether it is called the Gospel of the Kingdom or the Gospel of God.” It is all one Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
This pastor tells me that the gospel to a poor man is that he does not have to stay poor, but he can be rich.
Jesus says that we will always have the poor among us (Matt. 26:11)
There is nowhere in the Bible where you will find such a lie!
People come up with these sorts of things because they do not know the Word of the Lord! The way the Word of the Lord comes to you is through reading, studying, meditating on the Scriptures!
Verse 5 ” Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” In verse 5 we see the words sanctified and ordained. The word sanctified means to set apart as holy It means that you have been set apart to do only that which God commands you to do.
You cannot do your own thing
You are not your own master – You’re a man under authority!
You have to do whatever God commands of you and preach what He tells you to preach. (He commands and speak to us through His Word) You also have to live a holy life [you have been set apart as holy]
A life that is not contaminated by the world’s influences
A life that does not love the world or the things of the world
A life that does not act like the world (today we hear pastors cussing like the world)
A life that is separate and that only chase after God’s approval
You only live for Him! Are you a man of God or a man of the people!
The word ordained means to be appointed
It means to be legally appointed by God for what God has called you to do. It is when a holy man is appointed by God for a specific calling or ministry.
Notice in verse 5… you are first sanctified (set apart as holy) before you are ordained.
You can be ordained by man, but unless you have been sanctified by God your ordination means nothing.
The way you live is proof whether you are truly appointed by God
Are you living a God honouring life or is the name of God blasphemed because of you (Rom. 2:24)
By their fruit we shall know them. Not by your jumping and screaming and how much you can shake or your titles (Matt. 7:16)
We need men that are filled with the Holy Spirit whose lives speaks of purity and holiness.
Instead we have men with no back bone that are easily offended and who wants to play church.
If you don’t compliment them and cheer them on and shout Amen when they preach then they don’t feel appreciated. They seek the applause of people rather than God!
This calling is not for men who act like little boys who throw their toys out the cot when they don’t get attention!
Brothers… this is a high calling. The glory of God and the souls of man is at stake! [even your soul!]
Look at verse 6… 6 Then said I: ” Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
This is not because of low self-esteem!
This is because He realise how great this God is and that He can call anyone whom He likes (there were men greater than him). And he realised how enormously great the call is. – He was humbled by the call not proud!
James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” It means that God stands against those who are proud. He resists them like he resisted the devil.
Today we see pastors that are filled with pride and boasting
They set themselves up as king over the church
They are not servants; they want to be served.
When they visit your church they want to be recognised and demand respect [read Matt. 23:6-10]
Don’t you dare call them brother… you must call them “pastor”
They are boastful and loves to talk about themselves and how the Lord used them.
The apostle Paul says, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”- 2Cor. 12:9 Tell me… Do we see this behaviour in Jesus or the apostles?
Jesus said that he who wants to be great must be a servant and he who wants to be first must be slave of all. (Matt. 20:26-28)
Paul called himself least of the least of saints and less than an apostle. (1Cor. 15:9, Eph. 3:8)
Are you greater than Jesus? Are you greater than Paul?
Let me ask you a question: What makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? – 1Cor. 4:7
Brothers… Stop with your arrogance and humble yourself before the mighty hand of God! (1Pet. 5:6)
We need to realise that we are nothing apart from God’s grace
That we don’t know it all
That we don’t have what it takes – our sufficiency is not of ourselves 2Cor.3:5
That we are weak and sinful
That if it had not been for the grace of God you would not even be able to breathe. Isaiah 2:22 Stop trusting in man, whose life’s breath is in their nostrils. For why should they be given special consideration?
In fact you are called to deny yourself and to pick up your cross and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23)
Verse 7b And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Today we hear pastors preaching things that have nothing to do with what the Bible commands. Motivational speeches! Some of it is clever schemes to make money off of people and then there are those that preach outright lies!
We’ve heard pastors say that:
It doesn’t matter how you live as long as you believe.
God won’t send you to hell for Adam’s sin
It’s easy to be saved, just say this prayer after me.
Jesus already paid for your sin so it doesn’t matter how you live. *talk briefly on evidence of genuine conversion (1John2) & All sinned (Rom.3)
Those that preach what the world wants to hear are enemies of the cross.
Philippians 3:17-20 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame — who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Listen to what the Bible says in 1Cor 4:6 1Cor4:6 “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.”
Let’s preach the Bible not clever invented schemes to win the applause of the world! 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. – Matt 7:14 (Jesus Christ) Verse 9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: ” Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
We need men who has the hand of God upon them
Men whose mouth has been touch by God
Men that will not be afraid to speak the Word of God boldly and clearly
Men that will not be afraid to preach against sin, because God has commanded it and because they hate sin.
Men that does not seek the approval and applause of man like Pharisees! We need men with the word of God in their mouth
When they’re on the train sitting next to a stinking sweaty stranger – you have His word in your mouth
When their neighbour insults them – they have the word of God in their mouth
When your wife makes you mad – you have His word in your mouth
When you discipline your kids – you have His word in your mouth
When they rob you – you have His word in your mouth
When all else fails – you have His word in your mouth
These are the type of men you find in the Bible and in the history of the church. That’s why they were hated and persecuted! It was said of Bunyan that if you stab him he would bleed Scripture!
This is why in verse 19 God tells Jeremiah, “19They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”
You will face opposition if you preach the Truth.
Why than pastor does the world love you so much?
Have you ever suffered shame for the sake of Christ?
Why does even the lost sinner say your service was blessed and uplifting?
Let me jump to verse 17 17 ” Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.
Therefore – [because of the greatness of the call. Because of this high calling] Prepare yourself [gird up your loins. Get yourself thoroughly ready for the task at hand] It is the same word Peter uses in 1Peter 1:13 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind”
Brothers… the reason why I have notes when I preach is because I need to prepare when I stand before the people of God.
I cannot come here and tell you whatever pops up in my imagination.
I need to tell you what the Word of God says. Not my clever ideas.
I need to tell you what is written in this book and NOT go beyond what is written 1Cor4:6
I need to produce evidence from the Scriptures that what I say is in the Bible and in the right context I do it because I want to follow the biblical example of the prophets and apostles
They wrote everything down that God told them to say to the churches
Jer. 30:2 “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.”
We need to prepare before we stand before the people of God You cannot come to preach whether it be a Sunday or anywhere without having been before God in prayer and in His Word.
We still have pastors that go to church and on the parking lot they open their Bible and the verse their thumb falls on will be “the word of the Lord for the morning”.
Really… Do you do that when you need to meet with a client or does the teacher that teaches your child in high school do that? If you have to do a presentation for your boss at work, do you also do that?
How dare we treat the Word of the Lord like that!
How dare we insult the people whom Jesus died for like that!
How dare we pretend to speak for God!
We will be held accountable for every word that comes from our mouths
Don’t you fear God!
Matt. 12:36 36But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
I’m coming to a close now.
Jeremiah 2: God’s Case Against Israel 1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: ” I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown. 3 Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the LORD.’ ”
Pastor do you remember a time when all you desired was the Lord?
When you were still young in the faith
When Christ was more precious to you than anything the world could offer.
When you could pray for hours and read your Bible the whole day
When you could still sing “He walks with me and He talks with me”
You followed Him in the wilderness without complaining… it didn’t matter because all you wanted was Him.
You were holiness unto the Lord – you lived for Him alone!
What happened pastor? Have you forsaken your first love?
Revelation 2:5 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent.
Revelation 3 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Jeremiah 2:7 I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit. 9 ” Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,” says the LORD, ” And against your children’s children I will bring charges. 10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. 12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the LORD. 13 ” For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water. Oh that we would forsake our own ways and once again fear God and return to Him with broken spirits and contrite hearts!
Daniel 9 – 3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day — to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the count tries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him