"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.
Friday, February 13, 2015
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
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