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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
<a href="tel:253-517-9195" target="_blank">253-517-9195</a> - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/" target="_blank">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">January 13, 2013</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
<br></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
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</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>AUG
13 - JEREMIAH 52 - JERUSALEM OVERTHROWN</b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b>1.
52:4 (52:1-11, ESV) ZEDEKIAH, JUDAH AND JERUSALEM OVERTHROWN. <font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“And
in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day
of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army
against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks
all around it.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">How
faithful is Your Word, O Father! You pronounced this judgment to
Josiah years before hand because of the sins of Manasseh. What went
forth from Your mouth, You fulfilled! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Hallowed
be your :name!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">2.
52:13-14 (52:12-14) JERUSALEM DESTROYED. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“And
he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house and all the
houses of Jerusalem; </span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">e</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">very
great house he burned down. </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">14
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">And
all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the
guard, broke down all the wall around Jerusalem.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Sentiment
does not bind You Father, when the fire of Your wrath is kindled! O
may Your fear sink deep into our hearts! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Your
:kingdom come!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">3.
52:16 (52:15-16) THE CAPTIVITY. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“But
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the
land to be vinedressers and plowmen.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">How
compassionate, long-suffering and full of pity You are, O Father! We
throw ourselves upon You, the God of all mercies. Our trust in You is
complete! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Your
:will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">4.
52:17 (52:17-23) TEMPLE RICHES TAKEN. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">And
the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the
stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the
Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.”
</span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">How
complete are Your judgments, O Father! How awesome Your ways! How
fearful Your acts! O teach us wisdom and instruct us with Your eye in
their light! Humble our hearts! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Our
:daily :bread Give us this day.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">5.
52:27 (52:24-27) EXECUTION OF PRIESTS AND PRINCES. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“And
the king of Babylon struck them down, and put them to death at Riblah
in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of the
land.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Your
judgments are terrible and complete, O Father. Your Word is very
sure. Yet in wrath You remember mercy. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
forgive us our :debt, as we also have forgiven our :debtors.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">6.
52:28-30 THREE DEPORTATIONS. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“This
is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive:
in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans; </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">29
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">in the
eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from
Jerusalem 832 persons; </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">30
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">in the
twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the
guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the
persons were 4,600.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
we see the thoroughness of Your ways. Nothing escapes Your eye. We
lean hard upon You in Jesus! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
bring us not into temptation!</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">7.
52:31 (52:31-34) EVIL-MERODACH’S KINDNESS TO JEHOIACHI</span><span style="text-decoration:none">N</span><span style="text-decoration:none">.
</span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">And
in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah,
i</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">n </span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">the
twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach
king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, graciously freed
Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Praise
be unto Your great and worthy Name, O Jehovah Father! What mercy in
the midst of judgment! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">But
deliver us from the evil </span></i><span style="text-decoration:none">one!</span></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>:
C.H. Spurgeon Quotes: </b></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">So,
being himself a waiting God, he loves a waiting people; he loves a
man who can take the promise, and say, “I believe it; it may never
be fulfilled to me in this life, but I do not want that it should be.
I am perfectly willing that it should be fulfilled when God intends
that it should be.”</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">Our
Psalm for the Day: 43:3-5 (43) SEND OUT YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH.
</span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“Send out
your light and your truth: let them lead me; let them bring me to
your holy hill and to your dwelling; </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">4
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Then I
will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will
praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. </span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none">5
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Why
are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
</span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Father,
one thing we desire of You, O great Jehovah: grant unto us a heart
after You as David had. Then can we cry unto You and know You in the
secret place. Your fiery trials will cleanse us from all defilement
of flesh and spirit. Praise be unto Your Holy Name!</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Subject:
On account of the similarity of the structure of this Psalm to that
of Psalm 42, it has been supposed to be a fragment wrongly separated
form the preceding song; but it is always dangerous to allow these
theories of error in Holy Scripture and in this instance it would be
very difficult to show just cause for such an admission.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">43:1.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Judge me, O
God. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">I
can laugh at human misrepresentation if my conscience knows that You
are on my side. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
plead my cause against an ungodly nation. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">When
people are ungodly, no wonder that they are unjust; those who are not
true to God Himself cannot be expected to deal rightly with His
people. Hating the King, they will not love His subjects. Popular
opinion weighs with many, but divine opinion is far more weighty with
the gracious few. One good word from God outweighs ten thousand
railing speeches of men. He bears a brazen shield before him whose
reliance in all things is upon his God; the arrows of calumny fall
harmlessly from such a buckler.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">43:2.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Why do You
cast me off? </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">There
are many reasons why the Lord might cast us off, but no reason shall
prevail to make Him do so. He has not cast off His people, though He
for awhile treats them as cast-offs. Learn from this question that it
is well to inquire into dark providences, but we must inquire of God,
not of our own fears. He Who is the Author of a mysterious trial can
best expound it to us.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">43:3.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Let them
lead me.</span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
Be these my star to guide me to my rest. Be these my Alpine guides
to conduct me over mountains and precipices to the abodes of grace.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Let them
bring me unto Your holy hill, and to Your tabernacles. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">We
</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">s</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">eek
not light to sin by nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may
become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God.</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">43:4.
</span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Unto God my
exceeding joy. </span></i></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">It
was not the altar as such that the Psalmist cared for; he was no
believer in the heathenism of ritualism: his soul desire</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">d</span></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">
spiritual fellowship, fellowship with God Himself in very deed. What
are all the rites of worship unless the Lord be in them; what,
indeed, but empty shells and dry husks? </span></span><b><span style="text-decoration:none">(From
“The Treasury of David” by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O.
Fuller)</span></b></font></font></p>
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