In Isaiah 23, God describes the judgement that will come against Tyre and Sidon. It's a harsh one! These two cities were port cities of the country of Phoenicia, and in this judgement the cities will be torn down, the trade will cease, and the economy of that whole area (including the surrounding nations) will be affected by this.
In verse 8, the question is asked, "Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?"
Why has this been allowed? Tyre and Sidon were wealthy cities. Having business there could make you rich like a prince. This was a great city. But not anymore.
God answers the question in verse 9, "The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, to dishonor all the honored of the earth."
God is showing that He's the one who should be honored, He's the one who should receive glory.
It reminds me a bit of 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh might boast in the presence of God."
God is showing them that He is the one to receive glory. Him, and Him alone.
But what did Tyre and Sidon do to deserve such harsh judgment? Is God being mean?
The answer is no. If you read Ezekiel 26:2, you'll get a fuller picture of what's going on.
"Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, "Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished now that she is laid waste."
So Tyre and Sidon were watching the judgement that was coming against Israel by Assyria, and they were looking at it as an opportunity to get some extra cash. They were waiting for Assyria to clear out, so that they could move in and take whatever was left. God wasn't okay with that.
"I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
-Genesis 12:3
God made this promise to Abraham, and it includes his offspring, Israel. Blessings will come to those who bless Israel, God's punishment will come against those who set themselves against her.
I'm encouraged by this, because it shows that God keeps His Word.
God made a promise to Abraham that He is still keeping today. That encourages me because that means that God will keep the promises that He's made to us too!
To name a few:
He'll be with us. Matthew 28:20
He's given us His Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17
He's called us. Ephesians 1:4
Nothing can separate us from His love. Romans 8:35-39
He's coming back for us. John 14:3
Monday, February 23, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Getting What You Asked For
In Isaiah 21, God gives Isaiah a prophecy of Babylon's fall.
Babylon was Israel's enemy, and this would seem to come as good news. Babylon will be dealt with by the Medes. Specifically Darius. (Check out Daniel 5)
But it's interesting, in the middle of the prophecy, we see verse 4.
"My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling."
In the middle of Isaiah's prophecy, Isaiah realizes what this will mean for Babylon. They're going to be wiped out. A lot of people will die not knowing God.
Isaiah had looked forward to God's judgement against wicked Babylon, but when he saw what that actually meant for them, it turned into horror. He realized that God's judgement would be horrible, and he didn't want anyone to face this.
He was finally getting what he wanted, and he realized that it wasn't what he wanted at all.
So what do we get out of this? As Christians, we are called to love our enemies. We are called by God to bring His message of grace and truth to everyone. Even if we think that they don't deserve it. Because, Guess what?
You don't deserve God's grace either. That's the point!
An easy way to think of grace is
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
Grace is getting what Jesus deserved, because He took what we deserved. That's amazing! So we should share this message with everyone, because just like them, we didn't deserve it. But someone loved you enough to share God's truth with you, and it changed your life. Most of us probably remember who that person was. For me, it was my mom when I was 4 years old. She's awesome!
As Christians, it's our God given duty to love others. How can we not do everything in our power to keep them from going to Hell? We should make it as difficult as possible for them to stay away from God. We should be praying for them every day. Giving every opportunity to show His love, and to share His truth. Because, you might be that person for someone else.
"You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven..."
-Matthew 5:43-45a
Jesus told us that loving our enemies is following God's example, because He loved us when we were His enemies. So now it's your turn.
Babylon was Israel's enemy, and this would seem to come as good news. Babylon will be dealt with by the Medes. Specifically Darius. (Check out Daniel 5)
But it's interesting, in the middle of the prophecy, we see verse 4.
"My heart staggers; horror has appalled me; the twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling."
In the middle of Isaiah's prophecy, Isaiah realizes what this will mean for Babylon. They're going to be wiped out. A lot of people will die not knowing God.
Isaiah had looked forward to God's judgement against wicked Babylon, but when he saw what that actually meant for them, it turned into horror. He realized that God's judgement would be horrible, and he didn't want anyone to face this.
He was finally getting what he wanted, and he realized that it wasn't what he wanted at all.
So what do we get out of this? As Christians, we are called to love our enemies. We are called by God to bring His message of grace and truth to everyone. Even if we think that they don't deserve it. Because, Guess what?
You don't deserve God's grace either. That's the point!
An easy way to think of grace is
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
Grace is getting what Jesus deserved, because He took what we deserved. That's amazing! So we should share this message with everyone, because just like them, we didn't deserve it. But someone loved you enough to share God's truth with you, and it changed your life. Most of us probably remember who that person was. For me, it was my mom when I was 4 years old. She's awesome!
As Christians, it's our God given duty to love others. How can we not do everything in our power to keep them from going to Hell? We should make it as difficult as possible for them to stay away from God. We should be praying for them every day. Giving every opportunity to show His love, and to share His truth. Because, you might be that person for someone else.
"You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven..."
-Matthew 5:43-45a
Jesus told us that loving our enemies is following God's example, because He loved us when we were His enemies. So now it's your turn.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
You want me to do what?!
In Isaiah 20, God uses Isaiah as an example to the nation of Israel.
"At that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your ways and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot."
-Isaiah 20:2
This got weird, FAST. It starts out like a normal call from God, "Isaiah, I want you to go." I often wonder reading this, did God pause? Was Isaiah like, "Okay, God! Where do you want me to go?" Then God continues... "Go get naked... no, not the juice. I want you to take off all of your clothes and walk around like that for three years."
Side note: The juice "Naked" could make a fortune with a slogan like "Get Naked." and if they ever use it, I thought of it first.
I'm going to be real for a second here... I would have trouble with that calling. That's... different.
Sometimes God calls us to do things that will make us uncomfortable. Maybe He's not telling us to become a nudist for three years, maybe He is! I know for me, the uncomfortable ministry has been when God says, "Go, talk to that person that you don't know. Tell them that I love them."
It's interesting, we don't see Isaiah argue with God about this new calling. He went and did it! Isaiah faithfully obeyed when God told him to do something crazy, but I have trouble when God tells me to do something that should be normal for me.
I'll tell God, "But God, I don't know them. That would be weird. What if they think of me differently? What if they think I'm weird?" and God is quick to answer me, "Like you said, they don't know you! They won't think differently of you. I don't care if they think you're weird."
I've realized that if I go and tell them that Jesus loves them, and He died to save them from their sins, and He's alive and wants a relationship with them, they might think I'm weird. But if I don't tell them that, they might go to Hell.
I should be willing to sacrifice my "coolness" for someone's eternity. If Isaiah could give up clothes for three years, I can give up my fear of them not liking me.
If you continue the chapter, God tells Isaiah why he had to do this.
"Then the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the couchette exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt."
-Isaiah 20:3-4
Isaiah walked naked for three years as a sign. God was using him to show Israel what was going to happen to Egypt.
If you've been reading along, you'll remember that Israel was worried about being attacked by Assyria. They were trying to trust Egypt and Cush to save them. God is telling them not to! Egypt and Cush will be judged by Assyria.
The chapter finishes off with Israel realizing that their hope in Egypt was putting them in trouble. They don't know what they'll do. They think they're stuck. If only they had read Psalms!
"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."
-Psalms 118:8-9
They had the answer in front of them. What they needed to do was turn to God!
Maybe you're feeling stuck and you're seeing the walls close in. You've turned to different options, and it feels like none of them are working, that's because they're empty. Turn to God! He loves you, and He has not given up on you. He is for you, not against you. The best option is always to take refuge in Him.
"At that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your ways and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot."
-Isaiah 20:2
This got weird, FAST. It starts out like a normal call from God, "Isaiah, I want you to go." I often wonder reading this, did God pause? Was Isaiah like, "Okay, God! Where do you want me to go?" Then God continues... "Go get naked... no, not the juice. I want you to take off all of your clothes and walk around like that for three years."
Side note: The juice "Naked" could make a fortune with a slogan like "Get Naked." and if they ever use it, I thought of it first.
I'm going to be real for a second here... I would have trouble with that calling. That's... different.
Sometimes God calls us to do things that will make us uncomfortable. Maybe He's not telling us to become a nudist for three years, maybe He is! I know for me, the uncomfortable ministry has been when God says, "Go, talk to that person that you don't know. Tell them that I love them."
It's interesting, we don't see Isaiah argue with God about this new calling. He went and did it! Isaiah faithfully obeyed when God told him to do something crazy, but I have trouble when God tells me to do something that should be normal for me.
I'll tell God, "But God, I don't know them. That would be weird. What if they think of me differently? What if they think I'm weird?" and God is quick to answer me, "Like you said, they don't know you! They won't think differently of you. I don't care if they think you're weird."
I've realized that if I go and tell them that Jesus loves them, and He died to save them from their sins, and He's alive and wants a relationship with them, they might think I'm weird. But if I don't tell them that, they might go to Hell.
I should be willing to sacrifice my "coolness" for someone's eternity. If Isaiah could give up clothes for three years, I can give up my fear of them not liking me.
If you continue the chapter, God tells Isaiah why he had to do this.
"Then the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the couchette exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt."
-Isaiah 20:3-4
Isaiah walked naked for three years as a sign. God was using him to show Israel what was going to happen to Egypt.
If you've been reading along, you'll remember that Israel was worried about being attacked by Assyria. They were trying to trust Egypt and Cush to save them. God is telling them not to! Egypt and Cush will be judged by Assyria.
The chapter finishes off with Israel realizing that their hope in Egypt was putting them in trouble. They don't know what they'll do. They think they're stuck. If only they had read Psalms!
"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes."
-Psalms 118:8-9
They had the answer in front of them. What they needed to do was turn to God!
Maybe you're feeling stuck and you're seeing the walls close in. You've turned to different options, and it feels like none of them are working, that's because they're empty. Turn to God! He loves you, and He has not given up on you. He is for you, not against you. The best option is always to take refuge in Him.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Egypt
Isaiah 19 paints a picture of judgement against Egypt. If you remember from the previous chapters, Assyria is closing in on Israel, and they are worried. They want to seek help from Egypt, but God warns them that Egypt won't be able to save them because they'll be facing their own judgement!
Isaiah 19:1-15 "Judgement of Egypt"
Isaiah 19:16-25 "Blessings and Unity"
So first, we have this judgement against Egypt. God is dealing with their sin and their idolatry. The first verse says
"the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence."
I think that God is trying to get a point across. The idols that Egypt worships are just blocks of wood or stone. They have no power to save at all. God wants Egypt to see their error. In verse 4, He promises
"I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them"
This happened in 671 BC, when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, invaded and took over Egypt. Another part of their judgement will be a curse against the Nile. Verse 5 tells us,
"And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the rivers will be dry and parched,"
The Egyptians depended on the Nile. Their fields needed it's water for crops. Their fisherman needed it's fish. All of Egypt's economy depended on the fruitfulness of this river. God is removing their ability to help themselves. He goes on and says that they will look for wisdom from their counselors, but the counsel that they receive won't help them at all.
The problem with their counselors is that they are in the world. They don't know God, so they can't offer Godly counsel.
How many of us have been in situations like this? We have no ability to save ourselves, and we're stuck. We've looked for help from everyone, and nobody has been able to do anything.
God has removed all of Egypt's options. The only option left is for them to turn to Him.
In the second half of this chapter, we're looking at the Millennial Kingdom again. Israel will be recognized as a powerful nation, and Egypt will fear the Lord!
Often times in the Bible, Egypt is a picture of the world. After the Israelites left Egypt and fled into the wilderness, they wanted to go back to Egypt, because it had been more comfortable there. But they were warned not to turn back, just like as Christians, we can't go back to where we came from.
But this passage says that Egypt (picture of the world) will worship God!
"It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a Savior and defender, and deliver them."
Isaiah 19:20
God will deliver the world through a Savior! We now know that Savior to be Jesus. When there was no other way, when our options were exhausted, God Himself came as a man. He took our place on the cross so we could have His place in God's family.
Isaiah 19:1-15 "Judgement of Egypt"
Isaiah 19:16-25 "Blessings and Unity"
So first, we have this judgement against Egypt. God is dealing with their sin and their idolatry. The first verse says
"the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence."
I think that God is trying to get a point across. The idols that Egypt worships are just blocks of wood or stone. They have no power to save at all. God wants Egypt to see their error. In verse 4, He promises
"I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them"
This happened in 671 BC, when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, invaded and took over Egypt. Another part of their judgement will be a curse against the Nile. Verse 5 tells us,
"And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the rivers will be dry and parched,"
The Egyptians depended on the Nile. Their fields needed it's water for crops. Their fisherman needed it's fish. All of Egypt's economy depended on the fruitfulness of this river. God is removing their ability to help themselves. He goes on and says that they will look for wisdom from their counselors, but the counsel that they receive won't help them at all.
The problem with their counselors is that they are in the world. They don't know God, so they can't offer Godly counsel.
How many of us have been in situations like this? We have no ability to save ourselves, and we're stuck. We've looked for help from everyone, and nobody has been able to do anything.
God has removed all of Egypt's options. The only option left is for them to turn to Him.
In the second half of this chapter, we're looking at the Millennial Kingdom again. Israel will be recognized as a powerful nation, and Egypt will fear the Lord!
Often times in the Bible, Egypt is a picture of the world. After the Israelites left Egypt and fled into the wilderness, they wanted to go back to Egypt, because it had been more comfortable there. But they were warned not to turn back, just like as Christians, we can't go back to where we came from.
But this passage says that Egypt (picture of the world) will worship God!
"It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a Savior and defender, and deliver them."
Isaiah 19:20
God will deliver the world through a Savior! We now know that Savior to be Jesus. When there was no other way, when our options were exhausted, God Himself came as a man. He took our place on the cross so we could have His place in God's family.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Revival or Ruin
Isaiah 18 is considered one of the most obscure passages in Isaiah. It describes a prophecy of messengers coming to Israel from the land of Cush, which is modern day Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia region. God tells them not to trust in what the people from Cush will offer, but to watch God handle the problem instead.
If you look at Israel's history, in this time they were surrounded by three superpower nations. Assyria,to the north, Babylon to the east, and Cush to the south. All three of these nations traded places as the highest power, and the biggest threat to Israel.
At the time of this prophecy (Estimated 714 BC), Assyria was dangerous. In fact, in only 12 years or so, Assyria would come in and attack Israel. Cush was going to offer an alliance with Israel, but God tells them to ignore it. God tells them (verses 3-6) to just watch Him take care of it. God promises to handle Assyria when the time comes, and that in the end, the people of Cush will worship God too!
You might be thinking, "What does this have to do with me today? I didn't sign up for a history lesson!" Well, fair enough. I'll tell you what it has to do with you and I today.
We live in very uncertain times. There are diseases, economic uncertainty, wars, terrorism, ISIS, all kinds of things that threaten us. It's very easy to look to the world for these solutions. We can put our trust in our government, or in our military. But God challenged Israel and He challenges us today. Put your trust in Him! He'll come through for us!
If you look at our world, it's pretty easy to see that one of two things could happen. 1. We could go down. We could be attacked, or wiped out by disease, or see another economic collapse, and that would be it. Anarchy would arise. The other option is revival. We could see our nation turn back to God, and see His Word and His truth sweep across this nation!
Which one it will be for our nation is hard to say at this time, and it might seem like we can't do very much about it, but we can. You can decide for yourself. A nation sees revival when individual people take stand for God's truth. You can be that individual person that decides not to look to the world for solutions, but to look to God. I think Joshua summed it up the best when he was talking to Israel.
"Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it's evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
-Joshua 24:14-15
Joshua told them that if they wanted to serve the idols that had proven to be useless, they could. But he was deciding to follow God.
We are all facing this choice, as a nation, and individually. Revival or ruin. Which one will you choose?
If you look at Israel's history, in this time they were surrounded by three superpower nations. Assyria,to the north, Babylon to the east, and Cush to the south. All three of these nations traded places as the highest power, and the biggest threat to Israel.
At the time of this prophecy (Estimated 714 BC), Assyria was dangerous. In fact, in only 12 years or so, Assyria would come in and attack Israel. Cush was going to offer an alliance with Israel, but God tells them to ignore it. God tells them (verses 3-6) to just watch Him take care of it. God promises to handle Assyria when the time comes, and that in the end, the people of Cush will worship God too!
You might be thinking, "What does this have to do with me today? I didn't sign up for a history lesson!" Well, fair enough. I'll tell you what it has to do with you and I today.
We live in very uncertain times. There are diseases, economic uncertainty, wars, terrorism, ISIS, all kinds of things that threaten us. It's very easy to look to the world for these solutions. We can put our trust in our government, or in our military. But God challenged Israel and He challenges us today. Put your trust in Him! He'll come through for us!
If you look at our world, it's pretty easy to see that one of two things could happen. 1. We could go down. We could be attacked, or wiped out by disease, or see another economic collapse, and that would be it. Anarchy would arise. The other option is revival. We could see our nation turn back to God, and see His Word and His truth sweep across this nation!
Which one it will be for our nation is hard to say at this time, and it might seem like we can't do very much about it, but we can. You can decide for yourself. A nation sees revival when individual people take stand for God's truth. You can be that individual person that decides not to look to the world for solutions, but to look to God. I think Joshua summed it up the best when he was talking to Israel.
"Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it's evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
-Joshua 24:14-15
Joshua told them that if they wanted to serve the idols that had proven to be useless, they could. But he was deciding to follow God.
We are all facing this choice, as a nation, and individually. Revival or ruin. Which one will you choose?
Monday, February 16, 2015
Not Finished Yet
Isaiah 17 contains an account of God's judgement against Assyria, specifically against Damascus. Verse 1 declares,
"An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins."
This is a particularly interesting prophecy, because it hasn't been fulfilled... YET. Damascus is still an inhabited city, but we can see a possibility of the stage being set for their destruction. Assyria continues to set themselves against Israel, and as they attack, Israel fights back. It wouldn't be unthinkable for Israel to wipe them out in self defense of their own people and their own nation. We'll have to wait and see.
We can have two responses to this prophecy. We can choose to say that it must be incorrect, because it hasn't happened yet. Which is a silly response, because God has always fulfilled His Word. Even after almost 2000 years, Israel became a nation again on May 14th, 1948. God is faithful to His Word.
Or, we can be encouraged, that God isn't done yet. Not everything in the Bible has been fulfilled. I find this incredibly encouraging, because if God hasn't finished with the prophecies in His Word yet, then I'm confident that He hasn't finished with me yet.
God is still working on you. God hasn't given up on you. This is good news for us! One day, we'll go home to be with the Lord face to face, but until then, He's molding us into His image. He's slowly refining us. Polishing away the blemishes, and sometimes more violently cutting off the parts that don't belong.
So when things get hard, and life is tough, remember that God isn't done with you. Remember that God will fulfill His Word to bring you home to Himself. So what do we do while we wait for Him to come back, while we wait for Him to finish with us?
I believe that Paul gives us the answer to this question in 2 Corinthians 5.
"Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:8-9
Paul acknowledges that we'd rather be in Heaven! We'd rather be done with this world, and the pain and sorrow and suffering. Being with Jesus sounds way better to me too.
But he says that while we're here, while we're away from Heaven, we make it our aim to please Him. We put our efforts, and our energies, and our focus into pleasing the One who died for us. That means that we follow His Word. That means that we live as He's called us to. We make it our aim to be like Him.
"An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins."
This is a particularly interesting prophecy, because it hasn't been fulfilled... YET. Damascus is still an inhabited city, but we can see a possibility of the stage being set for their destruction. Assyria continues to set themselves against Israel, and as they attack, Israel fights back. It wouldn't be unthinkable for Israel to wipe them out in self defense of their own people and their own nation. We'll have to wait and see.
We can have two responses to this prophecy. We can choose to say that it must be incorrect, because it hasn't happened yet. Which is a silly response, because God has always fulfilled His Word. Even after almost 2000 years, Israel became a nation again on May 14th, 1948. God is faithful to His Word.
Or, we can be encouraged, that God isn't done yet. Not everything in the Bible has been fulfilled. I find this incredibly encouraging, because if God hasn't finished with the prophecies in His Word yet, then I'm confident that He hasn't finished with me yet.
God is still working on you. God hasn't given up on you. This is good news for us! One day, we'll go home to be with the Lord face to face, but until then, He's molding us into His image. He's slowly refining us. Polishing away the blemishes, and sometimes more violently cutting off the parts that don't belong.
So when things get hard, and life is tough, remember that God isn't done with you. Remember that God will fulfill His Word to bring you home to Himself. So what do we do while we wait for Him to come back, while we wait for Him to finish with us?
I believe that Paul gives us the answer to this question in 2 Corinthians 5.
"Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:8-9
Paul acknowledges that we'd rather be in Heaven! We'd rather be done with this world, and the pain and sorrow and suffering. Being with Jesus sounds way better to me too.
But he says that while we're here, while we're away from Heaven, we make it our aim to please Him. We put our efforts, and our energies, and our focus into pleasing the One who died for us. That means that we follow His Word. That means that we live as He's called us to. We make it our aim to be like Him.
Friday, February 13, 2015
The Outsiders
"Give counsel; grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; shelter the outcasts; do not reveal the fugitive; let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer..."
-Isaiah 16:3-4a
If you read the blog from yesterday, and look at Isaiah 15, you'll see an account of the judgement against Moab. It continues in Isaiah 16, but verses 3-4 are different. In Isaiah 16:3-4, God addresses Israel's response to the judgement, and we can learn a lot of God's heart, and the way that He wants us to respond in these circumstances.
God calls Israel to shelter the outcasts, and to be a shelter for them. As the church, we're called to be a refuge for the hurting and the broken. We're called to be a refuge for the lost, and the outcasts. Basically, the people who feel like they can't be accepted anywhere, and that they are complete social outcasts should feel welcomed as they walk through the doors of a church. It always saddens me to hear of people who attended churches, and left because they didn't feel welcomed. As the church, we're called to be the most loving, most welcoming people out there, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the brokenness that people bring. Our church is called by God to be a refuge for the broken.
This is something that makes me proud to be a part of our church, Calvary Chapel of Wilmington. We've heard testimony after testimony of people who have come to our church, and seen God move in their lives as our congregation showed Jesus' love to them. I can even think of a few times where someone was recommended to our church, because they knew that we would love them as they walked through the things that they were dealing with.
Church, this is what we're called to. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Jesus didn't say that we would be known by our bumper stickers, or our Bible verses on Facebook. He didn't say that people would be able to identify us as His disciples when they saw how much we highlighted our Bibles, or when they heard how many verses we could quote. He said that the thing that would set us apart from the rest of the world was the way that we loved.
That means that no matter who God puts in front of you, and no matter how many problems they are dealing with, we're called to bring them in. We're called to welcome them with open arms.
I can remember when I was in high school. My dad was a police chaplain, and through this he was introduced to a homeless woman. She was in her 80s, and she lived out of her car. My parents prayed about it for a few days, then we brought her into our home for the winter. She lived with us for several months. I didn't understand it completely. I thought it was weird, and she was crazy. It wasn't always fun. It was very often inconvenient. But we showed her Jesus' love, just like He told us to.
Church, this world is full of people that aren't accepted. Pretty much every stereotype is rejected by someone. We're called to be the ones who will accept everyone. Regardless of their background, regardless of how messy their life is. Regardless of the struggles that they bring with them.
And I'll tell you why. We're called to this, because more often than not, nobody else will. Nobody else will be a refuge and a safe haven for the broken and the hurting.
If I still haven't convinced you, think of this. You were sinning against God. You had set your life against Him. Ephesians 2 says that you were even His enemy. But even then, God accepted you. GOD ACCEPTED YOU. If a holy and perfect God can accept us, it's time for us to start accepting others. I'm sick of hearing stories of the church telling women that God hates them because they had an abortion. I'm sick of seeing posters that say "God hates fags" If you're doing that, either stop doing, or stop associating yourself with Jesus. That isn't His heart! Jesus loves the broken! Remember, He's telling Israel to love the same people that He is judging. You see, God will deal with sin, but this isn't from hate. It's because a standard has been broken and repercussions must follow. We're not God. We're not called to judge people for breaking His standards. He'll deal with that. We're called to love them through the hard times, and show them His heart for them. He wants them to return to Him.
If you're one of those, sick and broken, hurting and lost, down and out, if you feel like you're an outsider, I need you to know that Jesus loves you, and because of that, I love you too. You're welcome here.
-Isaiah 16:3-4a
If you read the blog from yesterday, and look at Isaiah 15, you'll see an account of the judgement against Moab. It continues in Isaiah 16, but verses 3-4 are different. In Isaiah 16:3-4, God addresses Israel's response to the judgement, and we can learn a lot of God's heart, and the way that He wants us to respond in these circumstances.
God calls Israel to shelter the outcasts, and to be a shelter for them. As the church, we're called to be a refuge for the hurting and the broken. We're called to be a refuge for the lost, and the outcasts. Basically, the people who feel like they can't be accepted anywhere, and that they are complete social outcasts should feel welcomed as they walk through the doors of a church. It always saddens me to hear of people who attended churches, and left because they didn't feel welcomed. As the church, we're called to be the most loving, most welcoming people out there, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the brokenness that people bring. Our church is called by God to be a refuge for the broken.
This is something that makes me proud to be a part of our church, Calvary Chapel of Wilmington. We've heard testimony after testimony of people who have come to our church, and seen God move in their lives as our congregation showed Jesus' love to them. I can even think of a few times where someone was recommended to our church, because they knew that we would love them as they walked through the things that they were dealing with.
Church, this is what we're called to. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Jesus didn't say that we would be known by our bumper stickers, or our Bible verses on Facebook. He didn't say that people would be able to identify us as His disciples when they saw how much we highlighted our Bibles, or when they heard how many verses we could quote. He said that the thing that would set us apart from the rest of the world was the way that we loved.
That means that no matter who God puts in front of you, and no matter how many problems they are dealing with, we're called to bring them in. We're called to welcome them with open arms.
I can remember when I was in high school. My dad was a police chaplain, and through this he was introduced to a homeless woman. She was in her 80s, and she lived out of her car. My parents prayed about it for a few days, then we brought her into our home for the winter. She lived with us for several months. I didn't understand it completely. I thought it was weird, and she was crazy. It wasn't always fun. It was very often inconvenient. But we showed her Jesus' love, just like He told us to.
Church, this world is full of people that aren't accepted. Pretty much every stereotype is rejected by someone. We're called to be the ones who will accept everyone. Regardless of their background, regardless of how messy their life is. Regardless of the struggles that they bring with them.
And I'll tell you why. We're called to this, because more often than not, nobody else will. Nobody else will be a refuge and a safe haven for the broken and the hurting.
If I still haven't convinced you, think of this. You were sinning against God. You had set your life against Him. Ephesians 2 says that you were even His enemy. But even then, God accepted you. GOD ACCEPTED YOU. If a holy and perfect God can accept us, it's time for us to start accepting others. I'm sick of hearing stories of the church telling women that God hates them because they had an abortion. I'm sick of seeing posters that say "God hates fags" If you're doing that, either stop doing, or stop associating yourself with Jesus. That isn't His heart! Jesus loves the broken! Remember, He's telling Israel to love the same people that He is judging. You see, God will deal with sin, but this isn't from hate. It's because a standard has been broken and repercussions must follow. We're not God. We're not called to judge people for breaking His standards. He'll deal with that. We're called to love them through the hard times, and show them His heart for them. He wants them to return to Him.
If you're one of those, sick and broken, hurting and lost, down and out, if you feel like you're an outsider, I need you to know that Jesus loves you, and because of that, I love you too. You're welcome here.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Undone
In Isaiah 15, Isaiah proclaims a judgement against Moab.
"Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone;
because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone;"
-Isaiah 15:1
The chapter goes on to describe Moab grieving over the destruction, and turning to their gods who can't do anything. But I want to stop and look at verse 1 here.
The two phrases are almost identical, only the name of the city changes. Moab is undone because of the destruction. It instantly reminded me of Isaiah 6, when Isaiah is given a vision of God sitting upon His throne in the temple. Isaiah's response matched Moab's response in some ways.
"and I said: "Woe is me! For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
-Isaiah 6:5
So Isaiah and Moab are experiencing something similar. Isaiah sees God's glory in the temple, as the seraphim are worshiping. Moab sees God's glory through His power to judge and destroy.
While both Moab and Isaiah had similar responses to God's glory, the result of this response ended drastically differently! Moab was judged. Isaiah was cleansed, and commissioned in God's service!
I believe that this comes down to the type of sorrow that they had. I know you're thinking, "There is more than one kind of sorrow?" Well there is, check out what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:10
"For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death."
It's pretty easy to figure out which type of sorrow Isaiah had, and which type Moab had. Just look at the result of their sorrow. Isaiah was cleansed and commissioned, while Moab was defeated.
If you look back at Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah's reason for being undone was seeing his sin. He said "Woe is me! ... for I am a man of unclean lips;"
Isaiah knew that his sin meant he was unable to stand before God. God's glory led to him seeing his sinful state. This might catch you off guard, but Moab could have had the same response. Moab could have turned to God, and been saved instead of judged. But they didn't. Nobody chose for them. They chose their own sin, over a loving and forgiving God.
We can see this in Isaiah 15. Moab saw God's glory through the power of His wrath (Yes, that is still God's glory). Their response wasn't an acknowledgement of their sin, or a repentance. There was no revival when this happened.
Moab did two things. First, they turned to their idols. Isaiah 15:2a, "He has gone up to the temple, and to Dibon, to the high places to weep;" The high places were places that pagans worshiped their gods. They thought high places would make them closer to their god. Second, Moab got really upset. There was a lot of emotions, and a lot of crying, and weeping, and mourning. But it didn't help them.
It didn't help them because they were mourning over their judgement, not over their sin. I'll put it this way, Moab wasn't upset that they did that bad stuff, they were upset that they got caught.
God promises to honor sorrow that leads to repentance, true sorrow that acknowledges the wrongdoing on our part for our sin, and turns from that sin to God. When we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus, just as it happened for Isaiah, He promises to cleanse us, and to commission us.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
-Ephesians 2:8-10
"Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone;
because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone;"
-Isaiah 15:1
The chapter goes on to describe Moab grieving over the destruction, and turning to their gods who can't do anything. But I want to stop and look at verse 1 here.
The two phrases are almost identical, only the name of the city changes. Moab is undone because of the destruction. It instantly reminded me of Isaiah 6, when Isaiah is given a vision of God sitting upon His throne in the temple. Isaiah's response matched Moab's response in some ways.
"and I said: "Woe is me! For I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
-Isaiah 6:5
So Isaiah and Moab are experiencing something similar. Isaiah sees God's glory in the temple, as the seraphim are worshiping. Moab sees God's glory through His power to judge and destroy.
While both Moab and Isaiah had similar responses to God's glory, the result of this response ended drastically differently! Moab was judged. Isaiah was cleansed, and commissioned in God's service!
I believe that this comes down to the type of sorrow that they had. I know you're thinking, "There is more than one kind of sorrow?" Well there is, check out what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:10
"For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death."
It's pretty easy to figure out which type of sorrow Isaiah had, and which type Moab had. Just look at the result of their sorrow. Isaiah was cleansed and commissioned, while Moab was defeated.
If you look back at Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah's reason for being undone was seeing his sin. He said "Woe is me! ... for I am a man of unclean lips;"
Isaiah knew that his sin meant he was unable to stand before God. God's glory led to him seeing his sinful state. This might catch you off guard, but Moab could have had the same response. Moab could have turned to God, and been saved instead of judged. But they didn't. Nobody chose for them. They chose their own sin, over a loving and forgiving God.
We can see this in Isaiah 15. Moab saw God's glory through the power of His wrath (Yes, that is still God's glory). Their response wasn't an acknowledgement of their sin, or a repentance. There was no revival when this happened.
Moab did two things. First, they turned to their idols. Isaiah 15:2a, "He has gone up to the temple, and to Dibon, to the high places to weep;" The high places were places that pagans worshiped their gods. They thought high places would make them closer to their god. Second, Moab got really upset. There was a lot of emotions, and a lot of crying, and weeping, and mourning. But it didn't help them.
It didn't help them because they were mourning over their judgement, not over their sin. I'll put it this way, Moab wasn't upset that they did that bad stuff, they were upset that they got caught.
God promises to honor sorrow that leads to repentance, true sorrow that acknowledges the wrongdoing on our part for our sin, and turns from that sin to God. When we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus, just as it happened for Isaiah, He promises to cleanse us, and to commission us.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
-Ephesians 2:8-10
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Dangerous
In Isaiah 14, we're given a picture of the fall of a few nations.
Babylon, Assyria, and Philistia.
In verses 12-14, we're also given a picture of the fall of satan. (lower case s on purpose)
"How you are fallen from Heaven, O Day Star, son of dawn! How you are cut to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to Heaven above the stars of God;
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.'"
-Isaiah 14:12-14
This is an account of the things running through satan's mind as he fell. satan decided that he wanted to be lifted up, and that he should be worshiped like God. This resulted in him being cast from his position, and will ultimately result in him being cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). satan's fall gives us a picture of some dangerous thoughts, and some warnings for us today. there is a lot that we can learn from the motives behind his actions.
He decided that he wanted to be lifted up. If you look at these statements, you'll notice the amount of "I's". satan's entire focus was on himself. The easiest way to end up far away from God, is to only look at yourself. When we put all of the focus on us, and what we think we have to offer, we are trying to steal the glory from God, and that only belongs to Him. Ultimately, this is pride. The solution? Humility.
I think that C.S. Lewis said it best, "humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."
"But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
-James 4:8
The key to us avoiding this dangerous way of thinking, is to keep ourselves humble. The more we look at how big God is, and how much greater than us He is, the more we'll realize that He's the one to follow and worship. His agenda always trumps mine.
That last statement that satan made is almost chilling. "I will make myself like the Most High." This isn't a statement of adoration. What he's NOT saying is, "God is so great, and I love Him so much that I just want to model my life after Him." satan is thinking that he will make himself equal with God. Rather than everyone worshiping God, they'll look at him, and elevate him. Rather than following God, they'll follow him. he's saying, "God isn't THAT great... I could do His job. I'm just as important."
Maybe we have never actively, intentionally tried to usurp God's throne. But we can all be guilty of this sin. "How?!" you ask. Well let me give you a thought. Whenever we intentionally go against what the Bible says, we are elevating ourselves to God's position.
God's Word lays out the course that our lives should follow, and the standard by which we should live. It's His standard, it's where He has set the bar. When we determine to follow a different standard, we claim that we have a better way of living. We claim that our standard is more important than God's.
Basically, when we choose to sin, we are telling God that we know better than He does.
He's laid it out for us, and even came and died on the cross so that we could have fellowship with Him, and live by the power of His Spirit. He's the One who made it possible for us to live by His standard. It's dangerous for us to choose a different course of action. It's dangerous when we think we know better than God. It caused satan to fall from his position, and the end of that road is the lake of fire. Just like satan, when we elevate our own opinions over God's Word, we set ourselves on a course for the lake of fire. So the ball is in your court. The choice is yours. But keep in mind with the decisions you make, every time you choose your own path over God's Word, you're lining your choices up with satan. We can see where he ends up, and I'm confident that none of us want to end up there.
Babylon, Assyria, and Philistia.
In verses 12-14, we're also given a picture of the fall of satan. (lower case s on purpose)
"How you are fallen from Heaven, O Day Star, son of dawn! How you are cut to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to Heaven above the stars of God;
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.'"
-Isaiah 14:12-14
This is an account of the things running through satan's mind as he fell. satan decided that he wanted to be lifted up, and that he should be worshiped like God. This resulted in him being cast from his position, and will ultimately result in him being cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). satan's fall gives us a picture of some dangerous thoughts, and some warnings for us today. there is a lot that we can learn from the motives behind his actions.
He decided that he wanted to be lifted up. If you look at these statements, you'll notice the amount of "I's". satan's entire focus was on himself. The easiest way to end up far away from God, is to only look at yourself. When we put all of the focus on us, and what we think we have to offer, we are trying to steal the glory from God, and that only belongs to Him. Ultimately, this is pride. The solution? Humility.
I think that C.S. Lewis said it best, "humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."
"But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
-James 4:8
The key to us avoiding this dangerous way of thinking, is to keep ourselves humble. The more we look at how big God is, and how much greater than us He is, the more we'll realize that He's the one to follow and worship. His agenda always trumps mine.
That last statement that satan made is almost chilling. "I will make myself like the Most High." This isn't a statement of adoration. What he's NOT saying is, "God is so great, and I love Him so much that I just want to model my life after Him." satan is thinking that he will make himself equal with God. Rather than everyone worshiping God, they'll look at him, and elevate him. Rather than following God, they'll follow him. he's saying, "God isn't THAT great... I could do His job. I'm just as important."
Maybe we have never actively, intentionally tried to usurp God's throne. But we can all be guilty of this sin. "How?!" you ask. Well let me give you a thought. Whenever we intentionally go against what the Bible says, we are elevating ourselves to God's position.
God's Word lays out the course that our lives should follow, and the standard by which we should live. It's His standard, it's where He has set the bar. When we determine to follow a different standard, we claim that we have a better way of living. We claim that our standard is more important than God's.
Basically, when we choose to sin, we are telling God that we know better than He does.
He's laid it out for us, and even came and died on the cross so that we could have fellowship with Him, and live by the power of His Spirit. He's the One who made it possible for us to live by His standard. It's dangerous for us to choose a different course of action. It's dangerous when we think we know better than God. It caused satan to fall from his position, and the end of that road is the lake of fire. Just like satan, when we elevate our own opinions over God's Word, we set ourselves on a course for the lake of fire. So the ball is in your court. The choice is yours. But keep in mind with the decisions you make, every time you choose your own path over God's Word, you're lining your choices up with satan. We can see where he ends up, and I'm confident that none of us want to end up there.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Where the World Is Going
In Isaiah 13, God describes the way that He will judge Babylon, for their sin.
"The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of Hosts is mustering a host for battle. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land."
-Isaiah 13:4-5
God's weapon of choice for dealing with Babylon is identified,
"Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold."
-Isaiah 13:17
In 539 BC, the Medes and the Persians will come in to Babylon, and take over. You can read about it in Daniel 5. It's a pretty cool one!
But Isaiah is writing about this 150-200 years before this will happen! That's a pretty awesome prophecy, and it's part of what proves our Bible as accurate. No other religious document contains fulfilled prophecy like the Bible does.
So what does this mean for us today?
1. We can trust the Bible. It's been proven!
This means that we should trust the Bible. God has proven that it is His Word, and not just some nice ideas. Since His Word has proven itself, we should base our lives off of it's contents.
2. We can trust God!
Think about this with me. If God knew 150 years before it happened that He would use the Medo-Persian empire to judge Babylon, doesn't that mean that He knows what will happen in your life as well. He knows the circumstances that you will face, He knows the trials that will come your way, and He knows exactly what you will need to get through them.
This is encouraging, because if you check out the blog from yesterday, God has everything to help you through these things! He is enough. So not only does God know what's going on in your life, but He's able to work through it.
Another question is brought up in this chapter. God is judging a nation for their sin. This prophecy actually has a dual fulfillment. Part of it was fulfilled in 539, when Babylon was overthrown, but some of it refers to at the end of the world, in the Great Tribulation, when God will judge the nations.
"I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless."
-Isaiah 13:11
God promises to judge sin.
There are two responses that we can have to this fact, and they are both hinged on the status of our relationship with God.
If you're a child of God, this should come as a comfort, to know that justice will prevail. God isn't letting anyone "get away with it". He'll meticulously deal with each of their sins, because their sins are against Him and His standard.
It should also give us a sense of urgency, because we know that the only way to escape this judgement is by putting your faith in Jesus, and the work that He did for us on the cross. The world is going to judgement. Anyone who hasn't given their life to Christ will face His wrath on their own for their sin. There is a world full of people that are sprinting towards judgement. We have the answer that they need, which means that we are the ones responsible to bring the news to them.
The gospel is called "Good News". This good news is that we can avoid judgement! Our sin can be paid for another way!
If you're not a Christian, I'm a little surprised that you read this far, honestly. But I'm glad that you did!! This idea of judgement probably seems silly to you. You're laughing to yourself, thinking, "Oh, those Christians! They're off their rocker with this whole "end of the world" "judgement" thing."
Remember what we talked about earlier. God's Word has proven itself. The Babylonians weren't too concerned with this prophecy either... and now they've been hit with it. Because they didn't change, they aren't here anymore.
So judgement is coming. That's a bit scary. I'd love to offer you an alternative. It's the same alternative that God has offered to each one of us.
God knew we were on our way to judgement unless He intervened. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place. Jesus paid the price that our sin required, so that instead of judgement, we could be brought into God's family by faith.
Picture yourself sitting in a small room waiting to be given a lethal injection. It's a scary thought! You're just waiting for the final paper from the judge that gives them the go ahead to end your life. A man walks in with a piece of paper. You're sweating, guessing what that paper says. The man walks into your room, and shows you the paper. Instead of authorizing a lethal injection, the judge has decided to adopt you as his own child.
That would blow your mind. You'd say, "why me?! I don't deserve that!" And you'd be right. But the judge loves you. Just as God loves you so much that He made a way for you to escape this judgement, through His family. Will you give your life to Him today?
"The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of Hosts is mustering a host for battle. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land."
-Isaiah 13:4-5
God's weapon of choice for dealing with Babylon is identified,
"Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold."
-Isaiah 13:17
In 539 BC, the Medes and the Persians will come in to Babylon, and take over. You can read about it in Daniel 5. It's a pretty cool one!
But Isaiah is writing about this 150-200 years before this will happen! That's a pretty awesome prophecy, and it's part of what proves our Bible as accurate. No other religious document contains fulfilled prophecy like the Bible does.
So what does this mean for us today?
1. We can trust the Bible. It's been proven!
This means that we should trust the Bible. God has proven that it is His Word, and not just some nice ideas. Since His Word has proven itself, we should base our lives off of it's contents.
2. We can trust God!
Think about this with me. If God knew 150 years before it happened that He would use the Medo-Persian empire to judge Babylon, doesn't that mean that He knows what will happen in your life as well. He knows the circumstances that you will face, He knows the trials that will come your way, and He knows exactly what you will need to get through them.
This is encouraging, because if you check out the blog from yesterday, God has everything to help you through these things! He is enough. So not only does God know what's going on in your life, but He's able to work through it.
Another question is brought up in this chapter. God is judging a nation for their sin. This prophecy actually has a dual fulfillment. Part of it was fulfilled in 539, when Babylon was overthrown, but some of it refers to at the end of the world, in the Great Tribulation, when God will judge the nations.
"I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless."
-Isaiah 13:11
God promises to judge sin.
There are two responses that we can have to this fact, and they are both hinged on the status of our relationship with God.
If you're a child of God, this should come as a comfort, to know that justice will prevail. God isn't letting anyone "get away with it". He'll meticulously deal with each of their sins, because their sins are against Him and His standard.
It should also give us a sense of urgency, because we know that the only way to escape this judgement is by putting your faith in Jesus, and the work that He did for us on the cross. The world is going to judgement. Anyone who hasn't given their life to Christ will face His wrath on their own for their sin. There is a world full of people that are sprinting towards judgement. We have the answer that they need, which means that we are the ones responsible to bring the news to them.
The gospel is called "Good News". This good news is that we can avoid judgement! Our sin can be paid for another way!
If you're not a Christian, I'm a little surprised that you read this far, honestly. But I'm glad that you did!! This idea of judgement probably seems silly to you. You're laughing to yourself, thinking, "Oh, those Christians! They're off their rocker with this whole "end of the world" "judgement" thing."
Remember what we talked about earlier. God's Word has proven itself. The Babylonians weren't too concerned with this prophecy either... and now they've been hit with it. Because they didn't change, they aren't here anymore.
So judgement is coming. That's a bit scary. I'd love to offer you an alternative. It's the same alternative that God has offered to each one of us.
God knew we were on our way to judgement unless He intervened. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in our place. Jesus paid the price that our sin required, so that instead of judgement, we could be brought into God's family by faith.
Picture yourself sitting in a small room waiting to be given a lethal injection. It's a scary thought! You're just waiting for the final paper from the judge that gives them the go ahead to end your life. A man walks in with a piece of paper. You're sweating, guessing what that paper says. The man walks into your room, and shows you the paper. Instead of authorizing a lethal injection, the judge has decided to adopt you as his own child.
That would blow your mind. You'd say, "why me?! I don't deserve that!" And you'd be right. But the judge loves you. Just as God loves you so much that He made a way for you to escape this judgement, through His family. Will you give your life to Him today?
Monday, February 9, 2015
Jesus Knows
You may have noticed that my blog was quiet for the majority of the past week. My apologies to any of you who missed it. I've been in and out of the dentist, dealing with a lot of pain. They're doing a root canal tomorrow morning, which I'm actually excited about. Tooth pain isn't fun. ANYWAY!
Today's reading with our church was Isaiah 11-12. These are some awesome chapters!
Right off the bat, we're given a prophecy of the Messiah, as "a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots..."
This is saying that the Messiah will come from the offspring of David.
If you remember, in 2 Samuel 7:16, God promised David, "and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever."
This was a promise to David that the Messiah would be one of his descendants. Isaiah confirms that, and then we see the fulfillment of it in Matthew 1:1-16, and Luke 3:23-38.
Isaiah 11:2-5 describes what this Messiah's ministry will look like.
"And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins."
This description gives us a beautiful picture of Jesus. Notice what it says about Him in verse 2.
He'll have the Spirit of the Lord upon Him. This means He'll have
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Might
Knowledge
and the fear of the Lord
These are great things for Him to have, because it means that Jesus has everything that we need. No matter what circumstance you're facing, no matter what issue arises, Jesus can help.
Maybe you need wisdom to make a decision, Jesus has that wisdom. Maybe you need strength to get through something, God is the supplier of that strength! Maybe you're going through something that is just rough to go through. Find comfort in the fact that Jesus understands your pain. Jesus knows what you're going through.
I find it one of the most comforting facts, that God is not ignorant of my struggles.
In verses 3-4, we see that Jesus will bring justice. This speaks not only of when He came and died in our place, but of His second coming as well.
There is an easy distinction to pick up in these verses, between two groups of people.
The first group is identified as poor, and meek. The second, as wicked.
If you read, you'll notice that there is a different outcome for these groups. The poor and meek are judged with righteousness, and the wicked are destroyed.
This reminds me of something that Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 5:3-5.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
If you keep reading in Isaiah 11, you'll see some pretty awesome stuff! Wolfs and sheep will live together, without the wolf getting lamb chops for dinner! Baby cows and lions will dwell together, and all of them will be led by little kids!
There is a beautiful picture of peace across the planet. A peace that even extends to the animal kingdom. This will be a glorious day that we'll get to see during the millennial reign of Christ. The key to it all working is found in the end of verse 9.
"For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."
This speaks beyond information. This is more than saying that everyone will have heard of God. What Isaiah is writing here, is claiming that in that day, all of creation will be lined up with God's will, and with God's heart.
Jesus will reign in Jerusalem, and all of the nations will be blessed by Him. All of the nations includes you!
In the rest of this chapter, a sign is given that we will be able to observe, as the world leads up to these things.
The sign that God gives of everything moving in this direction is the regathering of Israel.
You might be reading this and thinking, "... but Pastor Wes, that's happening now!"
You're right! It is!! On May 14th, 1948, Israel was declared a nation again. It's population at that time was around 800,000. As of 2014, there are over six million Jews in Israel! That's over 40% of the Jews in the world!
So what does this mean? Israel is being regathered. They are back in the land. They are one of the most fruitful nations, which fulfills prophecy from Ezekiel 36:24-36. God is moving!
"...and those who harass Judah shall be cut off;" -Isaiah 11:13b
So... Israel is being regathered. If we keep reading, one of the next things that we see is their enemies being dealt with. Don't you think it's interesting that almost the whole world hates Israel. Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey, but every other country over in that area wants to get rid of it. The muslim states repeatedly declare that their goal is to wipe out Israel entirely.
To learn more about the middle eastern conflict, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--R3E-nFTes
But why do I bring all of this up? Because the Bible says that these enemies of Israel are going to be dealt with.
This is pretty awesome. I stand with Israel, because God stands with Israel.
A few things to take away from our reading today...
1: God can deal with your problems. In Jesus is everything that you need.
2: God still stands with Israel. As Christians, we should too!
3: Prophecy is happening before our very eyes. Pay attention, because Jesus is coming back soon.
Today's reading with our church was Isaiah 11-12. These are some awesome chapters!
Right off the bat, we're given a prophecy of the Messiah, as "a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots..."
This is saying that the Messiah will come from the offspring of David.
If you remember, in 2 Samuel 7:16, God promised David, "and your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever."
This was a promise to David that the Messiah would be one of his descendants. Isaiah confirms that, and then we see the fulfillment of it in Matthew 1:1-16, and Luke 3:23-38.
Isaiah 11:2-5 describes what this Messiah's ministry will look like.
"And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins."
This description gives us a beautiful picture of Jesus. Notice what it says about Him in verse 2.
He'll have the Spirit of the Lord upon Him. This means He'll have
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Might
Knowledge
and the fear of the Lord
These are great things for Him to have, because it means that Jesus has everything that we need. No matter what circumstance you're facing, no matter what issue arises, Jesus can help.
Maybe you need wisdom to make a decision, Jesus has that wisdom. Maybe you need strength to get through something, God is the supplier of that strength! Maybe you're going through something that is just rough to go through. Find comfort in the fact that Jesus understands your pain. Jesus knows what you're going through.
I find it one of the most comforting facts, that God is not ignorant of my struggles.
In verses 3-4, we see that Jesus will bring justice. This speaks not only of when He came and died in our place, but of His second coming as well.
There is an easy distinction to pick up in these verses, between two groups of people.
The first group is identified as poor, and meek. The second, as wicked.
If you read, you'll notice that there is a different outcome for these groups. The poor and meek are judged with righteousness, and the wicked are destroyed.
This reminds me of something that Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 5:3-5.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
If you keep reading in Isaiah 11, you'll see some pretty awesome stuff! Wolfs and sheep will live together, without the wolf getting lamb chops for dinner! Baby cows and lions will dwell together, and all of them will be led by little kids!
There is a beautiful picture of peace across the planet. A peace that even extends to the animal kingdom. This will be a glorious day that we'll get to see during the millennial reign of Christ. The key to it all working is found in the end of verse 9.
"For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."
This speaks beyond information. This is more than saying that everyone will have heard of God. What Isaiah is writing here, is claiming that in that day, all of creation will be lined up with God's will, and with God's heart.
Jesus will reign in Jerusalem, and all of the nations will be blessed by Him. All of the nations includes you!
In the rest of this chapter, a sign is given that we will be able to observe, as the world leads up to these things.
The sign that God gives of everything moving in this direction is the regathering of Israel.
You might be reading this and thinking, "... but Pastor Wes, that's happening now!"
You're right! It is!! On May 14th, 1948, Israel was declared a nation again. It's population at that time was around 800,000. As of 2014, there are over six million Jews in Israel! That's over 40% of the Jews in the world!
So what does this mean? Israel is being regathered. They are back in the land. They are one of the most fruitful nations, which fulfills prophecy from Ezekiel 36:24-36. God is moving!
"...and those who harass Judah shall be cut off;" -Isaiah 11:13b
So... Israel is being regathered. If we keep reading, one of the next things that we see is their enemies being dealt with. Don't you think it's interesting that almost the whole world hates Israel. Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey, but every other country over in that area wants to get rid of it. The muslim states repeatedly declare that their goal is to wipe out Israel entirely.
To learn more about the middle eastern conflict, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--R3E-nFTes
But why do I bring all of this up? Because the Bible says that these enemies of Israel are going to be dealt with.
This is pretty awesome. I stand with Israel, because God stands with Israel.
A few things to take away from our reading today...
1: God can deal with your problems. In Jesus is everything that you need.
2: God still stands with Israel. As Christians, we should too!
3: Prophecy is happening before our very eyes. Pay attention, because Jesus is coming back soon.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Be Careful. Be Quiet. Do Not Fear
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
-Ephesians 6:10-13
In Isaiah 7, King Ahaz is presented with an issue. Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the king of Israel have decided to form an alliance against Judah, and to attack it.
This is about as bad as it could be. Not only is Syria attacking, but Israel has joined in against them now too!
As Christians, we will face Spiritual warfare. This is a reality that we must be aware of.
We have an enemy.
"Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
- 1 Peter 5:8
We must be on guard! But we don't need to fear.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
-John 16:33
King Ahaz and the people needed to be reminded not to fear.
Isaiah 7:2 says that "the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind."
They were freaking out. This looked bad. This looked like it would be the end of life as they knew it. But God sent Isaiah.
I love what Isaiah said to King Ahaz.
"Be careful, be quiet, do not fear."
-Isaiah 7:4a
What great advice when we face warfare!
Be careful. Pay attention! The easiest way to get picked off is to not be paying attention.
1 Peter said that our enemy prowls like a lion. This makes me think of those Animal Planet shows, where the lion stalks it's prey. SO COOL!
If you watch, the gazelle are oblivious to the lion. They're just going about their business, eating, drinking, having a good time.
THEN BAM! The lion strikes. The gazelle didn't know what hit him.
To stay in the fight, you must know that you are in a fight.
Be quiet. Stop griping about the problem! Apparently, Ahaz was a talker. He knew they were doomed and he was making it known. Maybe he was just talking to himself. Telling himself how much trouble they were in. It could have gone something like this.
"Rezin and Pekah are coming... They will overthrow Jerusalem, and they'll get rid of the king. But, I'm the king.. That means they'll kill me. I'm going to die. They have bigger armies, they have more people. We're in trouble. We don't have a chance."
We can do the same thing with our problems, can't we? Does this sound familiar?
"But how will I pay my bills? What if it doesn't work? What if I'm wrong? I'm going to go to work tomorrow, and my boss will be mad about something and I'll get fired, then how will I live? My wife will be mad at me, then I'll be in trouble."
I didn't have to read your mind to know that you worry about things. We all do. But God's answer for this is simple.
Shut up!
Stop telling yourself the lies that satan poisons us with.
Do you remember in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, when the steward of Gondor sees all of the armies around the city? He runs out of his palace telling everyone to flee, to run away. This is not the correct course of action! Gandalf hits him, and tells everyone to get ready to fight!
There has been enough talk about the problem. More words won't help. By all means, pray! But we can talk ourselves into more fear than is really there.
Do not fear. Was their enemy real? Yes. They were facing real opposition, just like we do. But just like them, we don't need to fear. Because we have God on our side.
Remember these things when fear tempts you, when attacks come.
Be careful. Be quiet. Do not fear.
-Ephesians 6:10-13
In Isaiah 7, King Ahaz is presented with an issue. Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the king of Israel have decided to form an alliance against Judah, and to attack it.
This is about as bad as it could be. Not only is Syria attacking, but Israel has joined in against them now too!
As Christians, we will face Spiritual warfare. This is a reality that we must be aware of.
We have an enemy.
"Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
- 1 Peter 5:8
We must be on guard! But we don't need to fear.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
-John 16:33
King Ahaz and the people needed to be reminded not to fear.
Isaiah 7:2 says that "the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind."
They were freaking out. This looked bad. This looked like it would be the end of life as they knew it. But God sent Isaiah.
I love what Isaiah said to King Ahaz.
"Be careful, be quiet, do not fear."
-Isaiah 7:4a
What great advice when we face warfare!
Be careful. Pay attention! The easiest way to get picked off is to not be paying attention.
1 Peter said that our enemy prowls like a lion. This makes me think of those Animal Planet shows, where the lion stalks it's prey. SO COOL!
If you watch, the gazelle are oblivious to the lion. They're just going about their business, eating, drinking, having a good time.
THEN BAM! The lion strikes. The gazelle didn't know what hit him.
To stay in the fight, you must know that you are in a fight.
Be quiet. Stop griping about the problem! Apparently, Ahaz was a talker. He knew they were doomed and he was making it known. Maybe he was just talking to himself. Telling himself how much trouble they were in. It could have gone something like this.
"Rezin and Pekah are coming... They will overthrow Jerusalem, and they'll get rid of the king. But, I'm the king.. That means they'll kill me. I'm going to die. They have bigger armies, they have more people. We're in trouble. We don't have a chance."
We can do the same thing with our problems, can't we? Does this sound familiar?
"But how will I pay my bills? What if it doesn't work? What if I'm wrong? I'm going to go to work tomorrow, and my boss will be mad about something and I'll get fired, then how will I live? My wife will be mad at me, then I'll be in trouble."
I didn't have to read your mind to know that you worry about things. We all do. But God's answer for this is simple.
Shut up!
Stop telling yourself the lies that satan poisons us with.
Do you remember in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, when the steward of Gondor sees all of the armies around the city? He runs out of his palace telling everyone to flee, to run away. This is not the correct course of action! Gandalf hits him, and tells everyone to get ready to fight!
There has been enough talk about the problem. More words won't help. By all means, pray! But we can talk ourselves into more fear than is really there.
Do not fear. Was their enemy real? Yes. They were facing real opposition, just like we do. But just like them, we don't need to fear. Because we have God on our side.
Remember these things when fear tempts you, when attacks come.
Be careful. Be quiet. Do not fear.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Whoa, or Woe?
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah is given a vision of the Lord.
"... I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke."
-Isaiah 6:1b-4
Whoa! This is an intense scene. Isaiah notes three things about God in this vision.
He is sitting upon His throne.
God is still reigning. Even when His people are in terrible sin, and have turned their backs on Him, God still reigns. Nobody can remove Him from this throne. Find encouragement in that today. No matter how bad it looks, God will reign.
He is high and lifted up.
God is, and will be exalted. This gives us hope as well. As we look around at a world that has turned it's back on God entirely, we can find comfort in the fact that God is exalted in Heaven, and He will be exalted on earth.
"And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father."
-Philippians 2:8-11
God will be exalted. Every knee will bow.
Lastly, Isaiah notes that the train of God's robe fills the temple.
What glory this speaks of! He is the most elevated royalty that there is. The King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
Isaiah also sees some creatures that our Bibles translate "Seraphim". This is literally, "burning ones". The number of them isn't recorded. But they are majestic creatures, here proclaiming the holiness of God.
This whole scene blows my mind. What a picture of God being worshiped. We can sit here and read about it, and just whoa. Whoa! This is incredible.
But Isaiah doesn't say "whoa". Isaiah says "woe"
"And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
-Isaiah 6:5
"Woe is me"
The word "woe" can be translated, "Destruction is certain."
Isaiah sees God in His glory, and his response is, "I'm in trouble."
For the past 5 chapters, Isaiah has been declaring that destruction was coming to Israel, but here in chapter 6, that changes. All of a sudden, Isaiah has included himself under that judgement.
Seeing God made Isaiah realize that he didn't meet God's holiness. He couldn't even come before God. Isaiah wasn't fit to declare Israel's sin to them, because he had his own sin. He was just as guilty.
1 John 1 says that God is light. As we draw near to God, He will reveal our darkness. Our sin becomes exposed by His presence. The areas of our life where we are struggling with sin are simply areas that we aren't taking near Jesus.
Darkness and light cannot coexist.
God's love is shown in this chapter as well. Now that Isaiah has seen his sin for what it is, God sends one of the seraphim to him, to purify him.
"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is take away, and your sin is atoned for."
-Isaiah 6:6-7
Isaiah's sin has now been dealt with. He has been made clean by God. This cleansing results in a calling.
God's cleansing results in God's calling.
Now that Isaiah is cleansed, he is ready to be used by God. He wants to be a part of showing the nation of Israel how great their God is.
God says in verse 8, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
Isaiah is eager to respond, "Here I am! Send me."
Now that Isaiah has been cleansed of his sin, he is a fitting vessel to carry a message to Israel.
Before you can be used as a part of God's plan, you have to go through His cleansing. We enter God's Kingdom through the blood of His Son.
Isaiah's message isn't a fun one... God tells him to go and preach to the people, even though they won't listen, and even though they'll ignore him.
It looks so bleak that Isaiah asks God, "How long am I supposed to preach without them listening?" and God tells him, until the judgement has come. God knows that Israel won't turn, but being a fair and just God, He uses Isaiah to give them a final warning. This is their chance to turn.
Isaiah goes, and we'll see that in the rest of this book. Isaiah has seen the Lord. He has been cleansed by the coal from the altar. He is sold out for God, even though the job doesn't look fun, there is no turning back. His life was changed the day that he saw God, and it resulted in "woe".
When we realize that entering God's presence will mean having our sin dealt with, we'll see revival in this nation.
We all want to go before God, and say "whoa". We all want the experience of His glorious presence. But how many of us are willing to fall on our faces before God, and say "woe is me".
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
-1 John 1:9
"... I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke."
-Isaiah 6:1b-4
Whoa! This is an intense scene. Isaiah notes three things about God in this vision.
He is sitting upon His throne.
God is still reigning. Even when His people are in terrible sin, and have turned their backs on Him, God still reigns. Nobody can remove Him from this throne. Find encouragement in that today. No matter how bad it looks, God will reign.
He is high and lifted up.
God is, and will be exalted. This gives us hope as well. As we look around at a world that has turned it's back on God entirely, we can find comfort in the fact that God is exalted in Heaven, and He will be exalted on earth.
"And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father."
-Philippians 2:8-11
God will be exalted. Every knee will bow.
Lastly, Isaiah notes that the train of God's robe fills the temple.
What glory this speaks of! He is the most elevated royalty that there is. The King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
Isaiah also sees some creatures that our Bibles translate "Seraphim". This is literally, "burning ones". The number of them isn't recorded. But they are majestic creatures, here proclaiming the holiness of God.
This whole scene blows my mind. What a picture of God being worshiped. We can sit here and read about it, and just whoa. Whoa! This is incredible.
But Isaiah doesn't say "whoa". Isaiah says "woe"
"And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
-Isaiah 6:5
"Woe is me"
The word "woe" can be translated, "Destruction is certain."
Isaiah sees God in His glory, and his response is, "I'm in trouble."
For the past 5 chapters, Isaiah has been declaring that destruction was coming to Israel, but here in chapter 6, that changes. All of a sudden, Isaiah has included himself under that judgement.
Seeing God made Isaiah realize that he didn't meet God's holiness. He couldn't even come before God. Isaiah wasn't fit to declare Israel's sin to them, because he had his own sin. He was just as guilty.
1 John 1 says that God is light. As we draw near to God, He will reveal our darkness. Our sin becomes exposed by His presence. The areas of our life where we are struggling with sin are simply areas that we aren't taking near Jesus.
Darkness and light cannot coexist.
God's love is shown in this chapter as well. Now that Isaiah has seen his sin for what it is, God sends one of the seraphim to him, to purify him.
"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is take away, and your sin is atoned for."
-Isaiah 6:6-7
Isaiah's sin has now been dealt with. He has been made clean by God. This cleansing results in a calling.
God's cleansing results in God's calling.
Now that Isaiah is cleansed, he is ready to be used by God. He wants to be a part of showing the nation of Israel how great their God is.
God says in verse 8, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
Isaiah is eager to respond, "Here I am! Send me."
Now that Isaiah has been cleansed of his sin, he is a fitting vessel to carry a message to Israel.
Before you can be used as a part of God's plan, you have to go through His cleansing. We enter God's Kingdom through the blood of His Son.
Isaiah's message isn't a fun one... God tells him to go and preach to the people, even though they won't listen, and even though they'll ignore him.
It looks so bleak that Isaiah asks God, "How long am I supposed to preach without them listening?" and God tells him, until the judgement has come. God knows that Israel won't turn, but being a fair and just God, He uses Isaiah to give them a final warning. This is their chance to turn.
Isaiah goes, and we'll see that in the rest of this book. Isaiah has seen the Lord. He has been cleansed by the coal from the altar. He is sold out for God, even though the job doesn't look fun, there is no turning back. His life was changed the day that he saw God, and it resulted in "woe".
When we realize that entering God's presence will mean having our sin dealt with, we'll see revival in this nation.
We all want to go before God, and say "whoa". We all want the experience of His glorious presence. But how many of us are willing to fall on our faces before God, and say "woe is me".
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
-1 John 1:9
Friday, January 30, 2015
Guilty As Charged
ISAIAH 5 is titled in my Bible "The Vineyard of the LORD destroyed"
A tragic picture of Judah's decline, and God's response is painted through this chapter.
The chapter starts out with God speaking of how He set Israel up for success.
In verse 2, we see all that God did for the vineyard, Israel.
He dug it (preparing the soil to be fertile)
He cleared the stones (removing obstacles)
He planted it with the best seed (setting them up to be successful)
He built a watchtower (Keeping them safe)
He hewed out a wine vat (preparing them to be effective)
He looked for it to yield grapes (waiting for an expected harvest)
As you can easily see, God did all of the work for them.
God gave them every blessing that He could, so that they could be fruitful.
In verse 4, He even challenges Judah, saying "What more what there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done it?"
But at the end of verse 2, and the end of verse 4, it says, "it yielded wild grapes."
The fruit that came from Judah was contrary to the seed that God planted.
God set it up for them to have it made. They had protection, they had provision, they had the blessing of God's hand on them. But they chose to walk a different path.
In the rest of the chapter, God describes what the "wild grapes" looked like, and what the consequences will be for Israel's choice.
Verse 5, God says that He will remove it's hedge. The first thing that happens when a nation turns from God is He removes His protection.
When you decide to walk outside of God's will for your life, you're leaving His hand of protection, and walking in your own strength, not God's.
In verse 6, God says that He will command the clouds to withhold their rain from Israel, fulfilling His promise from Deuteronomy 28:22-24, that if they turn from God, He will turn the rain from them.
The result of Israel's sin is judgment.
Isaiah 5:16, "But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness."
This is something that we miss a lot. We talk a lot about how God is glorified in saving sinners, but we don't often talk about this...
God is just as glorified in judging sin as He is in saving sinners.
When God judges sin, He is glorified in justice, holiness, and righteousness. When he saves sinners, He is glorified in love and grace.
So Israel will be judged. God is laying out for them ahead of time the charges that He has against them, and what the judgement will look like.
The charges and their consequences are as follows:
Verse 8: They are putting their trust in their wealth.
They are expanding their houses, and expanding their fields without any thought of God. Their wallet has become their god.
The Consequence: God will remove their wealth from them.
In verses 9-10, God promises that their houses and fields will be made desolate. Their wealth will be taken.
Verses 11-12: They chase after pleasure instead of God.
They run after strong drink. Their wine enflames them. They've replaced God with earthly pleasure.
This is a dangerous thing for all of us. Proverbs 31:4, "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink." The consequence of these choices clarifies the danger in them.
The Consequence: They have forgotten God, and their ignorance will lead them into exile.
They will die of hunger and thirst, they will die because of their ignorance of God and His works.
Verse 20: They call evil good, and good evil.
The standard of Israel has become warped. They no longer understand God's standard. It sounds a lot like our nation today. We've turned from what Biblical marriage is. We commit millions of infant sacrifices to the god of convenience, justified with the term "abortion" instead of murder.
Verse 21: They are wise in their own eyes.
The reason that they have lost their perspective of God's standard is because they have elevated their wisdom over God's. They are convinced that they know better than God.
Verse 22: They are heroes and valiant men at drinking wine and mixing strong drink.
The thing that they pride themselves in is their ability to consume alcohol.
It is a dangerous thing to take pride in ability to sin. I've heard people brag about how many shots they can do, or how many women they've slept with. It breaks my heart. They take pride in how far from God they have become.
Verse 23: They don't understand justice.
"They acquit the guilty, and they deprive the innocent of his right"
Their idea of what justice looks like has become perverted.
The Consequence: God will show them what justice looks like.
Their actions will receive swift judgement from God, as He uses the nations around them to humble them, and remove the blessings that they have received.
Why would God do that? Why wouldn't He just "smite" them with bolts of lightning without warning?
God's warning in Isaiah 5 is a call to repentance. He tells them of these charges against them, and warns them of the consequences that will follow to give them a chance to turn back to Him before the consequences arrive.
So today, if you find yourself in one of these places, set against God, and His standard. Turn back to Him today! Don't wait for the judgement to arrive, don't wait for your sin to catch up with you. Repent. Turn around and run back to God.
This is why Jesus came, so that we could have an escape from our sin, and have an alternative direction to turn. We can come to God, because He came to us.
A tragic picture of Judah's decline, and God's response is painted through this chapter.
The chapter starts out with God speaking of how He set Israel up for success.
In verse 2, we see all that God did for the vineyard, Israel.
He dug it (preparing the soil to be fertile)
He cleared the stones (removing obstacles)
He planted it with the best seed (setting them up to be successful)
He built a watchtower (Keeping them safe)
He hewed out a wine vat (preparing them to be effective)
He looked for it to yield grapes (waiting for an expected harvest)
As you can easily see, God did all of the work for them.
God gave them every blessing that He could, so that they could be fruitful.
In verse 4, He even challenges Judah, saying "What more what there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done it?"
But at the end of verse 2, and the end of verse 4, it says, "it yielded wild grapes."
The fruit that came from Judah was contrary to the seed that God planted.
God set it up for them to have it made. They had protection, they had provision, they had the blessing of God's hand on them. But they chose to walk a different path.
In the rest of the chapter, God describes what the "wild grapes" looked like, and what the consequences will be for Israel's choice.
Verse 5, God says that He will remove it's hedge. The first thing that happens when a nation turns from God is He removes His protection.
When you decide to walk outside of God's will for your life, you're leaving His hand of protection, and walking in your own strength, not God's.
In verse 6, God says that He will command the clouds to withhold their rain from Israel, fulfilling His promise from Deuteronomy 28:22-24, that if they turn from God, He will turn the rain from them.
The result of Israel's sin is judgment.
Isaiah 5:16, "But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness."
This is something that we miss a lot. We talk a lot about how God is glorified in saving sinners, but we don't often talk about this...
God is just as glorified in judging sin as He is in saving sinners.
When God judges sin, He is glorified in justice, holiness, and righteousness. When he saves sinners, He is glorified in love and grace.
So Israel will be judged. God is laying out for them ahead of time the charges that He has against them, and what the judgement will look like.
The charges and their consequences are as follows:
Verse 8: They are putting their trust in their wealth.
They are expanding their houses, and expanding their fields without any thought of God. Their wallet has become their god.
The Consequence: God will remove their wealth from them.
In verses 9-10, God promises that their houses and fields will be made desolate. Their wealth will be taken.
Verses 11-12: They chase after pleasure instead of God.
They run after strong drink. Their wine enflames them. They've replaced God with earthly pleasure.
This is a dangerous thing for all of us. Proverbs 31:4, "It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink." The consequence of these choices clarifies the danger in them.
The Consequence: They have forgotten God, and their ignorance will lead them into exile.
They will die of hunger and thirst, they will die because of their ignorance of God and His works.
Verse 20: They call evil good, and good evil.
The standard of Israel has become warped. They no longer understand God's standard. It sounds a lot like our nation today. We've turned from what Biblical marriage is. We commit millions of infant sacrifices to the god of convenience, justified with the term "abortion" instead of murder.
Verse 21: They are wise in their own eyes.
The reason that they have lost their perspective of God's standard is because they have elevated their wisdom over God's. They are convinced that they know better than God.
Verse 22: They are heroes and valiant men at drinking wine and mixing strong drink.
The thing that they pride themselves in is their ability to consume alcohol.
It is a dangerous thing to take pride in ability to sin. I've heard people brag about how many shots they can do, or how many women they've slept with. It breaks my heart. They take pride in how far from God they have become.
Verse 23: They don't understand justice.
"They acquit the guilty, and they deprive the innocent of his right"
Their idea of what justice looks like has become perverted.
The Consequence: God will show them what justice looks like.
Their actions will receive swift judgement from God, as He uses the nations around them to humble them, and remove the blessings that they have received.
Why would God do that? Why wouldn't He just "smite" them with bolts of lightning without warning?
God's warning in Isaiah 5 is a call to repentance. He tells them of these charges against them, and warns them of the consequences that will follow to give them a chance to turn back to Him before the consequences arrive.
So today, if you find yourself in one of these places, set against God, and His standard. Turn back to Him today! Don't wait for the judgement to arrive, don't wait for your sin to catch up with you. Repent. Turn around and run back to God.
This is why Jesus came, so that we could have an escape from our sin, and have an alternative direction to turn. We can come to God, because He came to us.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Going Home
In Isaiah 4, God gives us a picture of His Millennial Reign in Jerusalem.
"... the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel." - Isaiah 4:2b
There will be a lot of fruit in Israel in the last days, and it will be their pride and joy.
Have you been to Israel? Did you know that they are one of the chief exporters of fruit in the world?!
This has been prophesied about in multiple places in the Old Testament, and now it's coming to pass! We're seeing this happen before our very eyes. The time is short!
In that Millennial Reign, Jerusalem will be filled with believers of Christ.
"And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem." - Isaiah 4:3
Everyone who has been recorded for life. Revelation 20 talks about a book of life. Everyone who has put their faith in Jesus is recorded in this book. In that Millennial Reign, those will be the people filling Jerusalem. What a glorious day that will be!
God will wipe away all of the sin, and His glory will fill the city! There will be a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, reminding us of God's glory and His presence covering us. He will be a refuge for His people!
Wow! That's all I can say when I look ahead to this day. What a glorious day that will be.
As Christians, this is what we look forward to. We anticipate being evicted from our tent to join God in Heaven. We're in transit, just waiting to be relocated!
"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14
As Paul said, we press on, seeking to draw closer to God, anticipating the day where we will be called upward to God, to receive our inheritance, our prize of eternal life in God's presence.
If you're feeling down, if you're struggling, if you feel as if you've lost hope, remember this!
This is not our home! We are on our way to be with God! I remember the words of a song by Building 429,
"All I know is I'm not home yet, this is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong."
We're going to be with Him one day!
But look at verse 4 of Isaiah 4 with me.
"when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and a by a spirit of burning."
The first half of that verse is great! Our sins will be washed away. We'll be made white as snow! But when we read the second half, it doesn't seem as pleasant.
A spirit of judgement, and a spirit of fire...
God will deal with our sin, and make us more like Him, but it often takes burning away the parts of us that don't belong any more.
"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." - Hebrews 12:6
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11
God will allow fire to try us, to burn parts of us that don't belong. God will turn up the heat to make us more like Him.
Consider the analogy that's made in a few different places in Scripture. We're like gold being refined.
When gold is refined, the heat is turned up. As the gold gets hotter and melts, any impurities rise to the surface, and the refiner is able to remove them.
The refiner knows that the gold is pure when he can see his reflection in it.
We are gold being refined.
God turns up the heat so that He can remove our impurities, and He will keep going until we resemble Him. Until He sees His reflection in us.
So next time you feel it getting hot around you, don't complain. Remember that the purpose is to make you more like Jesus. This is part of your journey to being face to face with your Creator.
"... the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel." - Isaiah 4:2b
There will be a lot of fruit in Israel in the last days, and it will be their pride and joy.
Have you been to Israel? Did you know that they are one of the chief exporters of fruit in the world?!
This has been prophesied about in multiple places in the Old Testament, and now it's coming to pass! We're seeing this happen before our very eyes. The time is short!
In that Millennial Reign, Jerusalem will be filled with believers of Christ.
"And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem." - Isaiah 4:3
Everyone who has been recorded for life. Revelation 20 talks about a book of life. Everyone who has put their faith in Jesus is recorded in this book. In that Millennial Reign, those will be the people filling Jerusalem. What a glorious day that will be!
God will wipe away all of the sin, and His glory will fill the city! There will be a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, reminding us of God's glory and His presence covering us. He will be a refuge for His people!
Wow! That's all I can say when I look ahead to this day. What a glorious day that will be.
As Christians, this is what we look forward to. We anticipate being evicted from our tent to join God in Heaven. We're in transit, just waiting to be relocated!
"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14
As Paul said, we press on, seeking to draw closer to God, anticipating the day where we will be called upward to God, to receive our inheritance, our prize of eternal life in God's presence.
If you're feeling down, if you're struggling, if you feel as if you've lost hope, remember this!
This is not our home! We are on our way to be with God! I remember the words of a song by Building 429,
"All I know is I'm not home yet, this is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong."
We're going to be with Him one day!
But look at verse 4 of Isaiah 4 with me.
"when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and a by a spirit of burning."
The first half of that verse is great! Our sins will be washed away. We'll be made white as snow! But when we read the second half, it doesn't seem as pleasant.
A spirit of judgement, and a spirit of fire...
God will deal with our sin, and make us more like Him, but it often takes burning away the parts of us that don't belong any more.
"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." - Hebrews 12:6
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11
God will allow fire to try us, to burn parts of us that don't belong. God will turn up the heat to make us more like Him.
Consider the analogy that's made in a few different places in Scripture. We're like gold being refined.
When gold is refined, the heat is turned up. As the gold gets hotter and melts, any impurities rise to the surface, and the refiner is able to remove them.
The refiner knows that the gold is pure when he can see his reflection in it.
We are gold being refined.
God turns up the heat so that He can remove our impurities, and He will keep going until we resemble Him. Until He sees His reflection in us.
So next time you feel it getting hot around you, don't complain. Remember that the purpose is to make you more like Jesus. This is part of your journey to being face to face with your Creator.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Which road are you on?
In Isaiah 3, God begins to describe what the judgment against Israel will look like.
Their basic needs won't be provided for (verse 1)
They will be ruled over (verses 2-4, 12)
The people will stand against each other (verses 5-7)
They will lose their possessions (verses 18-23)
Their blessings will be revoked (verse 24)
Their armies will be destroyed (verse 25)
Now, why did all of this happen? Did God have a bad day? Was it just a rough day in Heaven, and God had to blow off some steam?
NO!
God is full of grace and truth. He will be entirely just, but He also gives grace to those who ask for it, and repent of their sin.
The key to understanding this judgement is found in verses 8, and 10.
Isaiah 3:8, "For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying His glorious presence."
Isaiah 3:10, "Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds."
When we look at these verses, we see the reason that God judged Israel. They chose to defy God in their words, and in their actions.
Picture two roads in your mind.
One leads you closer to God, and as you get closer there are more and more blessings. God's Spirit will begin to work in your life more and more, and make you more like Jesus every day.
The other road takes you farther and farther from God. As you distance yourself from His presence, you'll become less like Him, and see less of the fruit. You're setting yourself up for failure if you keep going on this road.
Verse 10 summed it up perfectly. "They shall eat the fruit of their deeds."
Galatians 6:7-8 says it this way, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
Israel chose the path that led away from God. That meant leaving His provision, leaving His direction, leaving His blessings, and leaving His protection behind them.
If you read Deuteronomy 28, you'll see where God lays out all of the results of the path that they choose. If they follow Him, blessings. If they decide to turn away from Him, curses. The choice was theirs.
So it's the same for us today. Which path have we chosen? Are we drawing closer to God, or are we fleeing His presence?
Maybe you want to walk towards God, but you feel like you don't know how. I want to challenge you today. Maybe you can only take baby steps, but take those baby steps!! Give your life to Jesus today. Ask Him to save you, to cleanse you of all sin, and to make you new. Get plugged in to your local church. Begin to read your Bible, and pray every day! God will draw you closer.
James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you..."
You just have to take the first step.
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Continue on the path that leads you toward God. Even when it gets hard, it's worth it!
Their basic needs won't be provided for (verse 1)
They will be ruled over (verses 2-4, 12)
The people will stand against each other (verses 5-7)
They will lose their possessions (verses 18-23)
Their blessings will be revoked (verse 24)
Their armies will be destroyed (verse 25)
Now, why did all of this happen? Did God have a bad day? Was it just a rough day in Heaven, and God had to blow off some steam?
NO!
God is full of grace and truth. He will be entirely just, but He also gives grace to those who ask for it, and repent of their sin.
The key to understanding this judgement is found in verses 8, and 10.
Isaiah 3:8, "For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying His glorious presence."
Isaiah 3:10, "Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds."
When we look at these verses, we see the reason that God judged Israel. They chose to defy God in their words, and in their actions.
Picture two roads in your mind.
One leads you closer to God, and as you get closer there are more and more blessings. God's Spirit will begin to work in your life more and more, and make you more like Jesus every day.
The other road takes you farther and farther from God. As you distance yourself from His presence, you'll become less like Him, and see less of the fruit. You're setting yourself up for failure if you keep going on this road.
Verse 10 summed it up perfectly. "They shall eat the fruit of their deeds."
Galatians 6:7-8 says it this way, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
Israel chose the path that led away from God. That meant leaving His provision, leaving His direction, leaving His blessings, and leaving His protection behind them.
If you read Deuteronomy 28, you'll see where God lays out all of the results of the path that they choose. If they follow Him, blessings. If they decide to turn away from Him, curses. The choice was theirs.
So it's the same for us today. Which path have we chosen? Are we drawing closer to God, or are we fleeing His presence?
Maybe you want to walk towards God, but you feel like you don't know how. I want to challenge you today. Maybe you can only take baby steps, but take those baby steps!! Give your life to Jesus today. Ask Him to save you, to cleanse you of all sin, and to make you new. Get plugged in to your local church. Begin to read your Bible, and pray every day! God will draw you closer.
James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you..."
You just have to take the first step.
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Continue on the path that leads you toward God. Even when it gets hard, it's worth it!
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
The Day Is Coming
As I've mentioned previously, I'm reading through Isaiah, 5 chapters a week with my church (Calvary Chapel of Wilmington - CalvaryofWilmington.org)
Today is chapter two.
Chapter two is an interesting chapter. It can be broken into two sections.
Verses 1-5 describe the Millennial Reign of Christ (See Revelation 20:1-6)
Verses 6-22 describe what it will take for that Millennial Reign to arrive.
Let's take a look.
The Millennial Reign of Christ will be a beautiful time. Satan will be bound and in the bottomless pit. For 1,000 years, his authority and power will be gone. What a beautiful day that will be!
The mountain of the house of the Lord will be established and lifted up. This refers to Jerusalem. People will flock to Jerusalem from every corner of the world to seek God. Wow, that sounds very different to what is happening today.
While we're on the subject of Israel, In Genesis 12:3, God promised to bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. As more and more of the world decides to stand against Israel, we've seen God protect her. Nobody has been able to wipe them out, and nobody will be, because their God protects them.
Throughout the Old Testament, there are numerous prophecies of Israel being back in the land, and bearing fruit. (for one of my favorites, read Ezekiel 36:24-36) This has happened! God has fulfilled this prophecy. He still cares for Israel.
So in that Millennial Reign, the nations will seek God. That will be a beautiful day! They determine to follow Him, and to learn His ways.
Verse 4 adds that they will turn all of their weapons into farming tools. There will be no more war. Global peace will finally arrive, when the Prince of Peace finally arrives.
Verse 6 takes a drastic turn though. We begin to see what must happen before that glorious day.
Because of idolatry, because of the sin in their hearts, God will reject His people.
Israel's problem was that they had everything they needed. They had gold, they had silver, they had horses, they had chariots, and they decided that they had done it all themselves. They decided that they didn't really need God. They began to worship idols. They began to worship something that they made for themselves.
Psalms 115 says that we become like what we worship.
These idols had eyes, but couldn't see. They had ears, but they couldn't hear. They were unable to save.
In worshiping these idols, they became prideful, they became dull of hearing, and blind to what was happening around them.
Because of their pride, judgement was necessary.
Verse 12 of Isaiah 2 says "For the Lord of Hosts has a day against all that is proud... and it shall be brought low."
God will deal with the pride and sin in all of us. Verse 22 says that this is what it will take for them to realize that their idols can't save them.
Before the day where Jesus reigns, there is a day where God will judge the earth. This isn't something that we like to talk about. This is something that many people will brush past. We don't like the idea of judgement. But check this out - God is just, He is righteous. His standard is perfection. Because of His nature, and because He is a just and fair judge, He has to judge sin. It is below His standard.
So how do we escape that day of judgement? Jump back to verse 5.
"O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the light of the LORD."
Here is our key! The way that we escape judgement is by walking in God's light.
1 John 1:5 says that God is light, and if we want to have fellowship with Him, we have to walk in that light with Him. Light and darkness can't coexist. That means the closer that you get to Jesus, the more of your sin He'll deal with. The key to following God is staying in the light.
I'll end this post with a passage from Romans 13 that seems fitting...
Romans 13:11-14
"Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cat off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
Today is chapter two.
Chapter two is an interesting chapter. It can be broken into two sections.
Verses 1-5 describe the Millennial Reign of Christ (See Revelation 20:1-6)
Verses 6-22 describe what it will take for that Millennial Reign to arrive.
Let's take a look.
The Millennial Reign of Christ will be a beautiful time. Satan will be bound and in the bottomless pit. For 1,000 years, his authority and power will be gone. What a beautiful day that will be!
The mountain of the house of the Lord will be established and lifted up. This refers to Jerusalem. People will flock to Jerusalem from every corner of the world to seek God. Wow, that sounds very different to what is happening today.
While we're on the subject of Israel, In Genesis 12:3, God promised to bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel. As more and more of the world decides to stand against Israel, we've seen God protect her. Nobody has been able to wipe them out, and nobody will be, because their God protects them.
Throughout the Old Testament, there are numerous prophecies of Israel being back in the land, and bearing fruit. (for one of my favorites, read Ezekiel 36:24-36) This has happened! God has fulfilled this prophecy. He still cares for Israel.
So in that Millennial Reign, the nations will seek God. That will be a beautiful day! They determine to follow Him, and to learn His ways.
Verse 4 adds that they will turn all of their weapons into farming tools. There will be no more war. Global peace will finally arrive, when the Prince of Peace finally arrives.
Verse 6 takes a drastic turn though. We begin to see what must happen before that glorious day.
Because of idolatry, because of the sin in their hearts, God will reject His people.
Israel's problem was that they had everything they needed. They had gold, they had silver, they had horses, they had chariots, and they decided that they had done it all themselves. They decided that they didn't really need God. They began to worship idols. They began to worship something that they made for themselves.
Psalms 115 says that we become like what we worship.
These idols had eyes, but couldn't see. They had ears, but they couldn't hear. They were unable to save.
In worshiping these idols, they became prideful, they became dull of hearing, and blind to what was happening around them.
Because of their pride, judgement was necessary.
Verse 12 of Isaiah 2 says "For the Lord of Hosts has a day against all that is proud... and it shall be brought low."
God will deal with the pride and sin in all of us. Verse 22 says that this is what it will take for them to realize that their idols can't save them.
Before the day where Jesus reigns, there is a day where God will judge the earth. This isn't something that we like to talk about. This is something that many people will brush past. We don't like the idea of judgement. But check this out - God is just, He is righteous. His standard is perfection. Because of His nature, and because He is a just and fair judge, He has to judge sin. It is below His standard.
So how do we escape that day of judgement? Jump back to verse 5.
"O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the light of the LORD."
Here is our key! The way that we escape judgement is by walking in God's light.
1 John 1:5 says that God is light, and if we want to have fellowship with Him, we have to walk in that light with Him. Light and darkness can't coexist. That means the closer that you get to Jesus, the more of your sin He'll deal with. The key to following God is staying in the light.
I'll end this post with a passage from Romans 13 that seems fitting...
Romans 13:11-14
"Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cat off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
Monday, January 26, 2015
The Problem With Churchianity
For the next few months, our church (Calvary Chapel of Wilmington - Calvaryofwilmington.org) is reading through the book of Isaiah. 5 chapters a week. I've decided that I'm going to blog my thoughts on these chapters as we go through. Hope you're blessed!
Go to church.
Tithe.
Read a pastor's blog and call it a quiet time.
Chapter 1:
Isaiah was written by Isaiah the prophet. Tradition says that he was the cousin of King Uzziah. He prophesied for at least 58 years (739-681 BC). Isaiah's name means, "God is Salvation" pretty fitting seeing as his ministry mainly consisted of telling Israel to turn back to God, and that they could only receive salvation from Him.
Isaiah is writing in a time when the nation of Israel is in political turmoil (in 722 Israel will go into captivity to Assyria) and in Spiritual decline. Nobody follows God anymore.
In Isaiah chapter 1, Isaiah paints a picture of Israel being God's children. He claimed them as His own and He raised them, but they have turned away.
Verse 4 says "They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged."
Israel had chosen sin over God, and it put up a barrier between them.
We can be just like Israel. Our sin will always separate us from God. That's the reason that Jesus came. He came to break down the wall of separation! But we can still try and rebuild it.
Christian, be careful. Stand firm in your faith and don't allow sin to divide you from your Creator.
God challenges Israel on this sin, He asks them why they're continuing in it. Don't they see what it's doing to them? Their country is being laid to waste because of these decisions.
They need to turn back to God, but that isn't what they do. They decide that the best course of action to fix this problem is to make a bunch of sacrifices. They're giving offerings left and right, but it isn't helping. In verses 11-15, God says that He is sick of their sacrifices. Not because the sacrifices are bad, but because their attitude is incorrect. In verse 13, God calls them "vain offerings". They aren't helping anything.
The problem that Israel has is one that we face all the time. Israel was trying to fix their problem with doing "spiritual" things. Today it might be seen in someone feeling guilty about sleeping with their girlfriend, so they go to church that week.
I've coined this "Churchianity".
We think that all of our problems will be solved if we can check everything off on our Spiritual checklist.
The problem with "Churchianity" is that it deals with the actions without dealing with the heart.
It fixes the symptoms without ever addressing the cause.
Now understand me here, I'm not saying that these are bad things to do!
The problem was not that Israel was making sacrifices. They were commanded to do that.
Israel's problem was that their heart wasn't lined up with their actions.
In verses 16-18, God shows Israel what a correct response looks like.
"Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil..."
"Cease to do evil, lear to do good;"
You see, God was going beyond Israel performing the correct actions, to them changing the way that they were living. He calls them to stop living in sin. To turn back to Him.
Verse 18 is beautiful.
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."
God's promise to Israel is that if they will turn from their sin and turn back to Him, He'll make them clean. He'll wipe their sins away.
Verse 19 adds a condition. It starts with the word "if". Israel has to do something.
"If you are willing and obedient." Not just willing, and not just obedient. You have to follow God with the right attitude.
God continues through the rest of the chapter painting a picture of what Israel's sin has done to it. God promises that their sin will be dealt with, but those who turn back to God, and repent of their sin will be redeemed.
It's the same for us today. If we look at the course of our lives, it isn't hard to see where sin took us, and (if we're saved) what God has redeemed us from.
However, there is a choice to be made. Will you follow God? Will you repent of your sin, and turn to Him with your whole heart? He wants to wash you white as snow, if you'll let Him.
If you don't want to do that, you can see how it will go for you in verse 28.
"But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed."
The choice is yours.
Monday, January 5, 2015
STORMS
The first time that we see Jonah in the Bible is in 2 Kings 14:23-25.
“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.”
Jonah was a prophet, called by God to prophecy that the Kingdom of Israel would be expanded. He lucked out! Instead of getting a depressing job, like prophesying the coming destruction of Israel, or being made an example, (like his contemporary, Hosea) Jonah got to bring good news.
People liked Jonah.
But then all of that changed in the book of Jonah.
Jonah is one of 4 prophets mentioned by name by Jesus.
Luke 11:32.
Jonah 1:1-2
“Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
Before we go any farther, notice this. “The Word of the Lord came to Jonah.”
God spoke to Jonah. God called Jonah, and gave Him a specific work to walk in.
We can read through this and glance over it without a second thought, or we can become envious of Jonah. He had it so easy. God spoke to Him. God called Him. But hold on. God has spoken to you! You have His Word more accessible than any generation before you. And to to that off, God has called you! He has a specific plan for your life, just like He did for Jonah.
Ephesians 2:10.
God told Jonah to get up and go. This plan required action. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, to call out against them. This was going to be Nineveh’s last chance to repent before God would judge them.
Assyria was Israel’s enemy. They would periodically invade Israel, killing people and taking captives. We could compare them to ISIS today.
Nineveh was a large city. It had two walls, an inner and an outer. The inner wall was 100 feet high, and 50 feet thick. There were 200 foot watchtowers every 30 feet on the wall. This was a secure city!
But there was a problem, they were steeped in idolatry! They had temples to Nabu, Asshur, Adad, and Ishtar in their city. They were given over to these pagan idols, and it showed in the way they lived. One of the ways that they were especially wicked was the way that they treated their captives. If you watch the Veggie Tales series, they tell you that the Ninevites would slap people with fishes, but it was even worse than that! They would kill people by flaying off their skin, then hang the skins on their walls. God was tired of this wickedness, so He told Jonah to go and preach to them.
This is a famous story, so you all know what happens next. Jonah didn’t go to Nineveh.
Jonah 1:3
“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”
Jonah quit serving God. He tried to run 2500 miles in the other direction. He intentionally ran away from God’s calling on his life.
Now we know you can’t outrun God; the Bible is very clear on this. God is omnipresent, which means that He’s everywhere. You can’t escape His presence. It’s like the Psalmist said in Psalms 139:7-10.
Jonah thought a relocation would solve the issue, but that rarely works, because you take your problems with you. So Jonah went down to Joppa to find a ship.
3 times in the first five verses of this book, it says that Jonah went down. Jonah went down to Joppa, he went down into the ship, and he went down into the inner part of the ship.
This isn’t the direction that you want to go! Jonah is rapidly going the wrong way.
DON’T BE JONAH.
The story of Jonah could have ended right there. That could have been it. God called Jonah, Jonah said no. Period. The end. But the story doesn’t end there, and this is such a beautiful picture of God’s grace. There’s a verse 4 for Jonah’s life. Aren’t you thankful for the verse 4s in our lives? God hasn’t given up on you!
Jonah 1:4-6
“But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.”
But the Lord. This is always how the verse 4s start in our lives. We’re going the wrong way, but the Lord.
It says that the Lord sent out a great wind. The seas are getting rough. The ship is threatening to be sunk. You know it’s getting bad when even the professional sailors are worried. They’re crying out to their gods for help. They’re throwing anything that isn’t needed overboard.
What a perfect picture of the world, they’re doing everything that they can in their own strength, and it isn’t helping at all. They’re crying out to their “gods” but it isn’t working. They’re looking for help in all the wrong places.
And while they’re fearing for their lives, where is Jonah? He’s asleep. He’s given up on serving God, and now he’s just trying to get away. What an admonishment for Christians today. We’re in a world that is taking on water, and how many of us are spiritually asleep?
Don’t be a sleeping Christian in a dying world.
So the captain comes to Jonah, and he says “what are you doing, man?! (I’m paraphrasing) Get up! Do something! Call out to your God, so that maybe He’ll save us!”
The captain tells him to wake up and seek his God. You know it’s bad when the world wants you to seek God for help. But they’ve realized that their gods aren’t doing anything.
It’s important to note. They know that God caused the storm, but they aren’t blaming God for the storm. They recognize that it’s His power at work, but they realize that it’s most likely because of something they did. We can learn a great truth from this.
Don’t blame God for your storms. Seek God in your storms.
So Jonah is awake, but no prayer is recorded. Jonah is giving God the silent treatment. He know what God will say, so he just isn’t talking to God.
Jonah 1:7
“and they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.”
They cast lots, and what do you know, it points to Jonah.
Proverbs 16:33, Hebrews 12:7-11
Jonah 1:8-10
"Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them."
They’re asking Jonah all these questions, and it’s time for Jonah to come clean. To tell them why he’s there.
Notice in verse 9, Jonah says that he fears the Lord. Wouldn’t that have been helpful to remember 8 verses ago? Maybe he wouldn’t have ended up in this spot!
He says that he worships the God who owns it all! Heaven, earth, and the sea. So they’re blown away. “What the heck, Jonah!”
- Jonah is trying to run away from the God who owns EVERYTHING. That won’t work well!
- Jonah’s words don’t line up with his actions. Why aren’t you living by the faith that you claim?
Jonah 1:11-12
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”
The sea is getting worse. The sailors know that they need to do something. Jonah’s response: “Throw me out of the boat.”
Jonah doesn’t tell them to sail to Nineveh, or to turn the boat around. He asks them to kill him by throwing him into the sea.
Most commentators agree that Jonah is saying that he would rather die than go to Nineveh. He knows that he’s in the wrong by going to Tarshish, but he’s too stubborn to go to Nineveh. Death sounds better.
It’s a sad place to be when you’d rather die than follow God.
DON’T BE JONAH.
Jonah 1:13
“Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.”
The sailors respond in a way that is typical for the world. They try to row back to shore. They’re putting in their best efforts, but it isn’t working!
Jonah 1:14-15
“Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.”
So they call out to God. Interestingly, they don’t call out to their idols. They call out to God. This experience has shown them that their idols are worthless.
They ask for forgiveness for killing Jonah. Look at this. These sailors are more concerned with the life of Jonah than Jonah was with the whole city of Nineveh.
DON’T BE JONAH.
So they throw Jonah out of the boat, and it works! The sea goes calm. Wow, God is powerful!
Remember back in verses 3-5, Jonah wanted to go down. Well, God finally let him. Down he went into the depths of the sea.
Jonah 1:16
“Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.”
The result of all of this was these sailors beginning a relationship with God! They made vows to continue to follow Him instead of their idols.
This is such a beautiful picture of God’s grace. Even while Jonah was running away from God, God used it to save a boatful of sailors.
We’ll meet these men in Heaven one day, who are there because of Jonah’s failure. Now, this is no excuse to sin, but I find this encouraging. Even when I fail, God can still work through it!
This isn’t the only storm that we see in the Bible. Another storm is recounted in Mark 4.
Mark 4:35-39
“And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
A storm came up, and Jesus was asleep. The conditions are a bit different, Jesus wasn’t running from God. He’d been ministering all day and was tired. But watch the reaction of the Apostles.
They wake Jesus up, saying to Him, “Master, don’t You care that we’re going to die?!”
They wake Jesus up, saying to Him, “Master, don’t You care that we’re going to die?!”
Jesus gets up, and with three simple words He rebukes the storm.
PEACE, BE STILL.
That was all it took for Jesus to handle the storm. 3 words.
He has the power to handle the storms in your life as well! Storms will come, and there is only one who has power over them. His name is Jesus. But for Him to handle the storms in our lives, we have to come in the same way that the Apostles did. They called Him, “Master”. You see, they gave Jesus authority over their lives.
Think of it this way. The storm wasn’t Jonah problem to deal with, because he was just a passenger. The captain held responsibility for the crew and the passengers. If you want Jesus to handle your storms, you have to give Him that position of authority. You have to make Him captain of your life.
He wants to speak, “Peace, be still” over you, but you have to let Him in to do that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)