Ineffective Witness

“Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.” (Isa 42:20 AV)

This had been a problem with Israel for centuries.  Right up to and including the time of Christ.  Jesus addressed it with the Pharisees.  Paul addressed it in the book of Romans with Israel.  They taught the law as tradition, yet the seldom followed it themselves.  As long as it was passed down from one generation to another, regardless of how faithfully they followed it, it became acceptable.  This resulted in the non-Jewish world observing the hypocrisy of the Hebrews, rejecting their God in the process.  I fear our present church age has accomplished the same thing.

A few decades ago, the LORD gave me the opportunity to serve as a hospital chaplain.  One of the perks was the free use of the cardio work-out room.  Treadmills, rowing machines, stationary bikes, and free weights were available with no charge.  They even provided a trainer who would guide us through the process of improving our health.  There were times that I used this facility after hours.  After my rounds were complete, down to the exercise room I would go.  It was nice.  No one there.  I could watch what I wanted to watch while rowing to nowhere.  I could listen to the right kind of music while lifting a mountain twenty pounds at a time.  What struck me as ironically humorous though, was seeing the health care providers on a smoke break.  They would come out the back door and light up for twenty minutes.  These were the same professionals that cared for the sick.  These were the same professionals that would chasten the sick for their poor lifestyles which would result in a hospital stay.  These were the same people who gave advice and often the needed discipline to assist in the patience improved health all the while sucking in cancer causing smoke.  How ironically sad.

But you know?  This is the same thing we do when we share our faith with others all the while living in unconfessed sin.  We hold up the righteousness of Jesus Christ as our standard (as we should) without striving for it.  We preach and teach godly behavior as profitable for a blessed life, yet ignore it in our own personal choices.  When the people of God (or, so called) are living in sin, filing for divorce, enjoying alcohol, falling to drug use, or taking their own lives at the same rate the non-churched are, it is telling.  We preach one thing, but in our actions, reveal just what we are.  No better than the nation of Israel that treated their faith as a tradition and not as the manner and way of life.

Joy in Moderation

“And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.” (Isa 39:2 AV)

One has to be careful that in moderation, blessings are enjoyed.  I used to see this as Hezekiah being prideful, laying claim to the success that brought all his wealth.  However, it might simply be a case of his joy getting the better of him.  It could be that he was so blessed by the additional years and an heir to the throne that his allowed his guard to slip.  Perhaps the LORD had blessed him to the point that he couldn’t see a potential threat that he otherwise would have seen.  When Babylon came, the came to spy out the land on the pretext of a state visit.  They brought gifts to Hezekiah because they heard he had been cured of a terminal illness.  It was a hospital call.  But it was one that had an ulterior motive.  They were looking to see if Jerusalem was worth going to war over.  Hezekiah, because he was so beside himself with joy, didn’t see the potential, and eventual, threat.

Children are not the only ones prone to allowing their excitement to get the better of them.  Remember those Christmas morning when a young child is so excited at the gift he wanted the most, wisdom when right out the door?  Perhaps he is jumping up and down celebrating that new toy and doesn’t notice is he going for a tumble over all the wrappings and packages on the floor.  Or, as Ralphie experienced, he took his new Red Rider BB gun into the back yard and fired a shot that knocked his glasses from his face.  We can be so overjoyed at the forgiveness of our worst of sins that we neglect to watch for others that are right around the corner.

In our pure elation, we can become very foolish.  Or, when a trial of faith has had its perfect work, we can let our guard down and fail in a completely different area because we are so relieved at the work of the Lord’s hand.  We can finally breathe a little better, but we forget that there are other situations that need diligent attention.  There is a caution for those who come into a great windfall.  It may answer a lot of challenges in the present, but with that blessing comes additional consequences that we had better consider.  Let us rejoice evermore.  The Bible instructs us to.  But let us also consider that life still goes on and there is still potential trouble right around the corner.

Because They Cannot Tell the Difference

“But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?” (Isa 36:7 AV)

This goes to show you just how much the world thinks it knows about the bible, God, or truth.  The above statement is from Rabshakeh, the representative of the king of Assyria, Sennacherib upon their arrival to invade Judah and Jerusalem.  Rabshakeh assumed the unbiblical high places and altars were legitimate manifestations of true worship and assumed that if Hezekiah had removed them, the nation of Judah had severed their relationship with their God.  Little did he know the removal of these unauthorized altars and high places was the beginning of revival under this godly king.  Rabshakeh was a self-proclaimed expert in the religion of the Jews without knowing a thing.  His reference point was the backslidden ten tribes of the north who had recently been taken away to Assyria.  They saw the backslidden state of Israel’s worship and assumed it was the purest form of Jewish worship.  The world doesn’t have a clue because the people of God are backslidden.

Not everything that calls itself Christian, is Christian.  Not everything that calls itself biblical, is biblical.  In fact, like the ten northern tribes of Israel, the vast majority of what is called Christian and/or Biblical are neither.  Those denominations that teach works-based salvation are not Christian, no matter how much they center their worship on Him.  Those groups that pass off biblical worship and nothing more than an emotional experience manipulated by music instead of truth and obedience to the word of God are not biblical works.  The vast majority in today’s world that passes itself off as Christian and biblical are neither.  What is truly sad is the world does not know the difference.  When it sees the failure of unbiblical works, it assumes our God is dead.  When it sees ‘Christian’ celebrities with failed lives, they assume all are the same.  Testimony matters.  It effects the perception of those who are on the outside looking in.

Some ask me why I am an Independent Baptist.  This would be one of the reasons.  I do not wish to be defined by a group because eventually, the group will cease to have a definition I can accept.  Eventually, all alliances, denominations, conferences, etc., will go the way of the northern ten tribes of Israel.  Eventually, the world will categorize all who belong to a group as the same regardless of the reality of it.  But there is another application here.  It matters what we do, say, believe, and worship.  We have a corporate responsibility to the name of Christ.  What and who we are affects the perception of those who do not know Christ and effects our ability to reach them.

Fear of Great Price

“The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.” (Isa 33:5-6 AV)

In times past, the LORD has impressed upon my heart that wisdom and knowledge shall by my stability.  That is so true.  The worst of all fears I have is the unknown.  I can deal with all sorts of bad news or unfortunate projections.  The worst, however, is what I do not know.  But the truest sense of the above phrase is knowledge and wisdom in the LORD and His law.  What the LORD has impressed me with this morning is the underlying phrase, “…the fear of the LORD is his treasure.”  Think on that for a moment.  It is a treasure to fear the LORD.  It is a trove of wealth of blessing to fear God.  I thought we were not supposed to fear God. (I’m being facetious, of course) Or, anything for that matter.  How can the fear of the LORD be a wonderful thing?

Natural law teaches us that a healthy respect for those things which can harm us is a good thing.  It keeps us from harm, but at the same time, affords us the experience of enjoying it.  My wife loves the zoo.  Me, not so much.  It is ok.  But not my most favorite place to visit.  However, there is something about the zoo that strikes me as amusing, yet profound.  Those who have designed the exhibits organize them around a theme of where these animals are naturally found.  This forces predator and prey to be within eyesight of one another.  The lions are less than 100 yards from the zebras.  The hyenas are only a pebble’s cast from the gazelle.  The bear are next door neighbors to the elk.  I have in my mind what might be going through the minds of those animals being so close to one another.  However, in between predator and prey there is a great gulf fixed so that no one can pass from one to the other.  This allows the predator to lay in the grass without any concern for the prey and the prey are gleefully grazing on their field.  Neither is even this slightest bit aware of the other.  The fear, represented in the great gulf fixed is what gives these animals a huge sense peace.  A barrier is the tool of fear that domesticates even the wildest of creatures.

The fear of God is not intended to unnecessarily add anxiety to our souls.  In fact, just the opposite.  If we submit to and live within the confines of the fear of God, there is absences of anxiety.  It truly is a treasure.  If only the world could see this.  If only they would humble themselves under the absolute authority of the LORD, they would see how much better life truly can be.  His fear is not a tyrannical one.  His fear is a profitable one.  A fear that disciplines the soul that it might receive untold blessing from a grateful God.

Blessed Quietness

“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.” (Isa 30:15 AV)

When one looks at what the LORD encourages, there has to be an amazement that anyone would turn it down.  Returning and rest.  Quietness and confidence.  Who wouldn’t what those things?  Who wouldn’t want to return to a place of contentment and joy?  Who wouldn’t want rest from internal toil and agitation?  Who wouldn’t want quietness of mind and heart?  Who wouldn’t want the absence of fear?  I certainly would!

I have realized the older one gets, the more one values the above conditions of life.  One of the things that I enjoy about hunting is not the success of taking game.  Rather, I enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.  The LORD has blessed me with many places that have brought such a peace.  Vast areas where little to no modern human contact can be seen or heard.  Sure, we bump into other hunters from time to time, but rarely are the sounds of cars, planes, plants, etc.  The last place that I hunted was a vast property in the rolling hills of Kentucky.  The only foreign noise was cattlemen driving their livestock.  Other than that, there were no man-made noises.  There is something about sitting atop a tree when the fog lifts and there isn’t another sight but the woods and wildlife.  One can empty one’s thoughts and anxieties into the vastness of God’s creation.  It is like letting out the flood gates of one’s soul into a land that can swallow it whole without ever really changing.

What the LORD offers is immensely more blessed.  He states above that if we return to His presence and rest in Him, we are saved from all the anxieties of life.  Our fears and troubles rest with Him.  We are saved from the cares of life if we simply learn to be quiet.  If we stop the pursuit of ungratifying selfish desires and learn to quiet the flesh, then we are saved from far more than we will ever realize.  In short, if we would simply learn to be content in the presence of God, living in obedience and faith to and in His word, our lives would be far better and more blessed than we could ever realize.  Paul tells his convert to study to be quiet.  That is great advice.

Salvation From Self

“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isa 25:9 AV)

The previous verse speaks of the removal of the rebuke of Israel.  In context, the LORD is speaking of the regathering of Israel.  Of removing their rebuke in the form of their captivity.  Of reversing the chastening hand of God and placing them in the land of blessing.  There is only one point which we wish to observe and upon which we need to meditate.  The prophet, rightly so, categorizes our LORD as the God of our salvation.  That from which He saves us is rebuke.  Rebuke comes because we are wicked people.  Herein is the application.  Salvation in Christ does not instantaneously make us practically perfect.  We are still tempted from the old man.  Sin is still and issue.  We must still face the battle against wickedness.  THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING BETWEEN THE LOST AND THE SAVED IS THE SAVED ADMIT AND ATTEMPT TO DEAL WITH THEIR SIN.  But they are not necessarily all that more practically righteous than some of the lost.  We covet salvation from ourselves!  That is what we desire the most.

Jesus had many battles with the Pharisees.  The Pharisees could not see themselves as fallen and in need of a Savior.  They condemned the perverse.  What they could not see was their own need.  Christ said, “…They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mr 2:17 AV) The problem was, the Pharisee was not whole.  He was as much in need of a physician as those that were sick.  They simply could not see themselves as sick.  The Bible clearly declares that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  The difference is, the saint sees his sin as in need of rebuke.  He understands that his wickedness demands God’s judgment.  He knows that he deserves the fires of a Devil’s hell.  He is embarrassed at the choices he continues to make when he knows they are wrong.  He doesn’t hate the world for condemning his sin because he knows that he is guilty of it.

This is why our God is our God of salvation.  We need to be saved from ourselves.  The old man needs to be destroyed.  It needs to rot in the grave.  We cannot do this.  Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  There is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to right the wrongs committed in this flesh.  We need a Savior who will pay the price for our sin and redeem us unto glory and perfection.  We need the rebuke of our evil to be destroyed because we are without strength.  Oh, what glory that will be when the vail of this life is torn away and a new life is complete in Christ!  Take away the rebuke, dear Father!  Take it away!

Deserved Darkness

“There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.” (Isa 24:11-12 AV)

How sad things have to get that bad.  Reading portions of the prophets can become bleak.  As a saint of God, we know we will not have to endure that which the rebellious must face.  Reading of it, however, can become a little dark.  Keep in mind, though, the LORD has every right, and is required to, bring upon man that which is described above.  The world has rejected the grace of God time and again.  When Christ returns, He must rain upon mankind judgement for their rejection of His grace.  There really is no other option.  His honor and glory must be asserted.  God will not give His glory to another nor will He allow His creation to disrespect Him.  What moves me this morning is the lack of awareness which the world has as to what is coming.

A cursory reading of the coming judgment pales in comparison to taking the time and using one’s imagination.  If we were to meditate just on what these judgments mean for mankind, we will quickly realize there has been nothing that comes close to what will be unleashed upon the world.  One could make the case we are not too far from the reality of the above description today.  Joy and mirth are gone.  Today, we are preoccupied with agitation and discontent.  Life is seen not as a blessing, but rather, a trial by fire.  Life is seen as something to get through for as long as one can.  There were days of old when people laughed.  They enjoyed life.  Never before has the world been so blessed with the blessings of life, yet we are ready to tear it apart.  It used to be comedians would tell jokes about life that were applicable throughout different cultures and situations.  It didn’t matter what group one belonged to.  Today, most humor is snarky, mean, and political commentary.  We ceased to laugh at ourselves, choosing rather, to mock someone with whom we have a great disdain.  Joy has vanished.  It is never enough.  These are symptoms of a culture that has long past given up on God.

The good news is, Christ will come back.  The joy and mirth will return.  God’s people will have a bright tomorrow.  There will be joy in the morning.  These days of increasing darkness will come to an end.  There is hope for the child of God.  We may be in the storm, but the clouds will break.  There may be thunder and lighting, but the rainbow will follow.  There may be sorrow and pain now, but that too shall pass.  It is very sad the world cannot see what it cannot see.  If it would simply turn to Christ, the joy and mirth would return.   But alas, they will not.  And misery will continue.

Declare what You See

“For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” (Isa 21:6 AV)

The LORD has instructed the prophet to set a watchman.  This watchman’s sole responsibility is toe declare what he sees.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  The watchman is a reporter.  He is not the interpreter of what he sees.  Just the source of declaration of the facts.  If he does not, the whole city will suffer.  There will be no forewarning.  No preparations made.  What comes will come without hesitation.  What comes will come without and regard of the condition of those upon whom they will come.  The watchman cannot force the city to act.  His responsibility is not to devise a plan.  His job is to merely state the facts.  So, too, is the job of the saint.  We are to declare the facts of eternal damnation and eternal life.  We are to state the facts of the plan of salvation. We are to declare what we see.  But declare we must.

Several years ago, I was helping my son and his wife load up their truck as they moved away to another state.  We were rather busy and the sun was beginning to set.  My daughter-in-law knows how to clean glass.  She can get a window pain so clean that it doesn’t even reflect back.  Such was the case with her front door.  The storm door was so clean and the sun was recently set that one could not see any reflection in that glass at all.  Back lit from inside, it appeared as though the door wasn’t even there.  No paying attention, I walked into that door at a normal pace.  The only time I have ever done that.  Never before in my life had I walked into a closed door.  It hurt!  I thought I had broken my nose.  Praise the LORD the glass was super thick and did not shatter.  After her laughter finally died down, she said, “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about that front door.  It happens all the time.  Someone is always running into that door.”  A lousy watchman she was!

As believers, our job is simple.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict the sinner and encourage their repentance.  Ours is the declare what we see.  As preachers, our job is simple.  It is to declare what we see.  It is to state what the gift of discernment requires.  When we see a saint going down the road of poor choices, we are to declare what we see.  When we see God’s hand on a person, we are to declare what we see.  When we see the future direction of the work of God, we are to declare what we see.  We fail for a lack of declaration.  Not for the lack of seeing.

The Patient Silence of God

“For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” (Isa 18:4 AV)

A clear heat is a heat with no wind.  A cloud of dew is a fog.  Still as the night.  The LORD is expressing His plans for the near future.  He will be undetectable to the busied eye.  Those who are busy in their inventions of wickedness will not be able to detect the LORD.  It will be as though He is not even there.  The LORD will allow the works of the wicked to go on without interference.  At least for the short term.  This really explains what we are seeing in today’s world.

If the believer looks upon the landscape of the world’s culture and direction, he may question the LORD’s commitment to righteousness.  He does not see much judgment upon the world or none at all.  How could a God who loves righteousness permit the abortion of countless unborn human beings?  This is genocide on the grandest of scales.  How could a God who has declared His love for righteousness permit the most carnal and deviant of our world to pursue their perversion without and consequences?  Does He no longer believe that same-gender relations are an abomination?  How could a God who declares His command for holiness do nothing as the church goes the way of the world, pleasing ‘self’ more than pleasing God?  Why is it that we see drug dealers, Hollywood types, beer makers, and other providers of vice prosper, yet the people of God are brought under persecution?  If God is the God of righteousness, then why is He not doing anything about it?

The above verse gives us a clue.  Years ago, a co-worker decided that on his eightieth birthday, he was going to have the time of his life.  My boss took him to a bar for their celebration.  Several hours later, then came back from their evening and there sat this co-worker in the ally, puking his guts out.  He sat there in his own vomit.  I was so angry with my boss because of what he did to my friend.  I was angry up until I found out that this happened with his father’s blessing.   I learned that my friend had a bit of an attitude and wanted to grow up way too soon.  This young man’s father was not a drunk.  He did not even drink.  But he knew the only way to cure his son of the arrogance of his heart was to allow him to have his way and learn of the consequences of his choices.  It could very well be the LORD doesn’t immediately deal with sin because there is a greater lesson to be learned.  The world will learn rebellion does not pay.  They will have to learn this lesson only once.  But it requires they have a full stomach of it before God deals with it completely.

Incomprehensible Sovereignty

“The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:” (Isa 14:24 AV)

No doubt this verse has been written about more than many others.  No doubt it has been used in many a debate.  There are confrontations over the extent of the ability of man to determine his own choices in the light of God’s absolute sovereignty.  Much is made about it because, quite frankly, man believes he can understand something which he cannot understand.  Let us not waste any more space to debate something that cannot be understood and simply accept what is so plainly stated above.  What God has promised and thought will surely come to pass.  What He has determined will be, will be.  We do not have to understand the intricacies of how it all works to accept that it works.  This is faith.  Faith based on reasonable reason and not blind faith.  Faith that understands its limits but has faith anyway.

Lack of knowledge is my greatest contributor to fear.  If I know things, even if I cannot control them, puts my mind at ease.  I do not fear the known.  I fear the unknown.  A little while back, we had some work done on our heating system.  It is an older boiler style heating system with radiators.  The technician had to rebuilt a few things and as he was, I was asking him questions. I wanted to know how the system worked and what safety features were installed.  Back flow valves, high pressure release valves, etc.  I asked because I wanted to put my mind at ease to a possible hazardous failure in the system.  The more I knew, the more comfortable I became.  I may not know how to build or maintain and heating system, but I know the basic principles behind it.  I may not know how to sweat joints, how to measure pressures, or how the low current signals from the thermostat to the control system works that calls for the burner to fire.  I may not know how the basic principles of physics are specifically applied.  But I do not have to.  The furnace will work whether I understand all of it in detail, or I do not.

Our God is far and away more complicated than anything man can build, including a boiler.  I can only understand so much.  At some point, He will be much greater than my finite mind can comprehend.  At that point, I must accept what is clearly stated.  God is in control and there is nothing mankind can do to stop that which God has purposed.  He may choose, but the LORD has already incorporated those choices as part of His plan.  He is in control whether I understand it or not.  I don’t have to understand it.  I cannot understand it.  I merely have to accept it.

It Will Stop

“For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.” (Isa 10:25 AV)

The context here is the LORD’s using of Assyria to be the arm of His chastisement against the ten norther tribes of Israel.  The ‘…their…’ is Assyria.  The indignation is the chastisement Assyria brings to Israel.  In other words, the chastisement of which Assyria brings will cease and the anger which the LORD feels regarding the sin of Israel and the warfare of Assyria will be satisfied upon Assyria.  God may have used their invasion and carrying away of Israel as the means of correction for His chosen people, but that does not mean He has lost His sense of justice.  He has feelings about those who would abuse His people as well.

As God’s people, we avoid confessing to a fact that we all know.  If we are a child of God, He does chasten us.  Sometimes, rather severely.  In our pride, we are too slow to admit that we have failed and God must correct us.  Sometimes these corrections are obvious and embarrassing.  To pass them off as something other than the chastening of God is to make the effect of them less than intended.  Admitting to the nature and cause of the event helps in the conversion process.  What is particularly encouraging is two little words above.  “…shall cease…”!  I can testify to this.  There were several times the LORD sent His severe chastening into my life.  I didn’t think I was going to survive.  The thing is, I deserved a whole lot worse.  Why He puts up with us I will never understand.  I will not say that God could have sent even more, but what I can say is that He sent all that I can handle.  The wonderful and glorious chastening hand of God was almost impossible to bear.  However, I am so grateful He sent it.  His chastening hand is the most precious extension of His love outside of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary’s cross.  His chastening hand is the obvious statement of His endearing love for His children.

What we want to see is that the indignation shall cease.  There will come a time when His chastening has accomplished that for which it was intended.  God will relax that hand for a time.  The quicker we learn and conform, the quicker it is over with.  The more we are humbled, the less the degree of the severity.  Let me say this as well.  The holiness of which His hand of correction produces is a beautiful thing.  The child of God who loves the LORD and His righteousness wants more and more of this correction.  No matter how severe it has to be, he or she can see the beauty of holiness and wants more of it no matter how much it might hurt.  Be encouraged fellow saints.  This indignation shall cease.  It will be over.  Then the beauty of Christlikeness will take its place.

Peace Through Strength

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isa 9:7 AV)

There was a bumper sticker that was common in the cars of saints not too long ago.  It read, “know God, Know Peace.  No God, No Peace.”  How true is that?  Today, our world is in mob mode.  It is escalating at an alarming rate.  If there isn’t a riot someplace, then there will be soon.  We clamor for peace, but do just the opposite.  I for one am all for peace!  However, the only way true and lasting peace will come is under the rule of God himself.  When Christ comes back, He will establish His kingdom in lasting peace.

There is a principle here of a more local and personal one.  There is a principle that can be applied in a much smaller scale.  When Christ rules, there is peace.  Whether it is in the vastness of the world, or the smallness of the heart of the individual, when Christ rules, there is peace.  We live in a state of constant agitation.  The world has designed itself to make the individual feel as though he or she is never living a good life.  No matter the circumstances, something is always wrong and things could always be better.  There is truth to that.  The problem is, the world and the flesh try to convince the heart and mind that the temporal things of life are the key to soundness and peace.  They are not.  We will always suffer physical challenges.  We will never have everything we could ever want.  Our families will never be perfect.  The boss will never be totally gracious and accommodating.  There is no such thing as a replicator.  No matter how much science fiction dreams of a toil free life, it will never happen.  This does not mean we much suffer a life void of mental and emotional peace.  The key is to surrender the will and allow Christ to rule in the heart.

Homes are in disarray because Christ does not rule there.  Each has their own set of dreams and agenda that competes against others.  Constant friction in the home because Christ does not rule.  Our churches are magnets of strife because Christ does not rule there.  Church government is no longer ordered in a biblical manner.  It has become a democracy.  Or, should I say, a mobocracy.  The Bible is not our rule book.  The pastor is no longer our leader.  We strive because Christ and His word do not rule there.  Our communities are up in arms one against another.  There is no peace because Jesus Christ as been removed from our schools, government, and communities.  The Atheist utopia is a farce.  Look what happens when God is removed.  Less peace.  Not more.  If we want lasting peace, Jesus Christ must rule.  We don’t have to wait for His return.  It can begin right now.

Preach Until There's No One Left

“Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.” (Isa 6:11-12 AV)

This is the only question Isaiah had when the LORD called him to preach.  The only objection was understandable.  His own iniquity was his biggest road block and that was taken care of with a coal placed on his lips.  The question above was not an objection.  It was a clarification.  It was Isaiah’s way of trying to understand the scope of his responsibilities.  The response is the same command given to the church today.  The same directive given to all who profess Christ.  Preach until there is no one left.

The context is the eventual carrying away of Judah into Babylon.  Isaiah was a later time prophet.  He was the preacher to those who had finally and thoroughly rejected the LORD’s correction.  This generation was not going to turn back to the LORD no matter what Isaiah preached.  Therefore, he was not to preach for result’s sake.  There wouldn’t be any.  His calling was not contingent upon the success in converting the soul.  There would be no great revival.  There would be no great following.  There would be no great turning.  There would be no great growth in attendance at the temple.  His preaching would fall upon the ears of those who were steadfast in their rebellion.  What he may not have realized is the preaching would have fruit.  It would take root in the ground of affliction.  Captivity would germinate the seed of God’s word and work towards lamentation.  This lamentation would then grow in the hearts of a new generation who would learn from the mistakes of their forefathers.  They would see what their forefathers rejected.  They would return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.  They would turn their hearts towards their home.

The point here is, preach until there is no one left to preach to.  As long as there are living, breathing souls in whom we come in contact, we are to share our faith in Christ.  This morning, I read of the fear of the results of intimidation.  Intimidation by those who wish to concentrate power in under their ideological flag.  The writer was concerned those on his side would succumb to fear and allow those who intimidate to control.  This is impossible.  They cannot force control.  Those who are the targets of intimidation have control.  It is only emotional.  The same is true with the gospel.  It goes forth freely!   There are no sets of laws that can stop the gospel.  Persecution could not stop it in the first century and beyond.  Preach the word as long as there are people!  Never stop.  That is our directive.

Harmony in Him

“And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.” (Isa 2:17 AV)

That will be a good day!  Not just because those who exalt themselves against the LORD and His Anointed, but because we will be what we should be.  We will be humbled before the LORD as it should be.  But even more so, because of that universal humility, our existence will be far more peaceful and harmonious because of it.  Humility is a good thing.  It is an awesome thing.  The absence of haughtiness is the absence of all self-importance, personal agenda, and self-interest.  All will be focused, together, upon Christ and him alone.  It will be a beautiful thing.

Coming from such a large family, it was extremely rare to experience total peace among all the siblings.  There was always some contest of the wills being waged somewhere.  Very rare was the day or moment when we were all together and none had in their mind and heart any self-interest.  More were the times we drove one another and our parents to the verge of madness because we could not stop the bickering.  On one such time, my Mom was exasperated and threw a kitchen implement at me in frustration over my bickering with a younger sibling.  But there were those rare occasions when the family all pulled together and followed my father’s leadership.  Not because we had to.  But because we wanted to.  Usually around some deep need, tragic event like the passing of his father, or a mutual interest like a family vacation.  In those times there was no fighting.  There was no contest.  There was no struggle.  One such event was in the enjoyment of music.  My father required that we all learned to play an instrument.  Most of us learned the guitar.  One learned the banjo, another the bass, and still another some percussion.  On Christmas eve, we would grab our gear and celebrate the coming holiday by playing and singing Christmas carols and hymns.  What a time.  All following.  Only one leading.

This will be the experience of the millennial reign of Christ.  Too foreign to our minds to completely imagine.  It will be harmony and peace like no other.  His reign will be all about Him!  No need for human government or intervention.  He controls it all.  No self-interest because worship of the Lamb will be the only interest we will have.  No personal agenda because we will all be serving the Master.  What a day that will be!  Glory be to God and the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world.

The Keepsake Letter

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” (Re 22:7 AV)

The word ‘…keepeth…’ here means to keep in in mind.  It means to keep it before the minds eye.  The word means we should not put it on the back burner thinking the LORD’s return is not as eminent as it truly could be.  The LORD’s return is always eminent.  We do not know the day nor the hour.  Therefore, it could be at any time.  To think it is still generations away is foolish.  To assume it is still far off is not reality.  The return of the LORD is quickly.  Even though this verse was penned almost two thousand years ago, the LORD is still two thousand years closer to His return.  Thus, prophecy is a blessing to learn and keep.  Knowing the LORD could return at any moment, these prophecies need be in the forefront of our minds.

It was a common practice that a bride to be would keep correspondence from her eventual husband safe from harm.  Such was the case of many war-time brides-to-be.  I was give this gorgeous hand made wooden box from a church member years ago.  It was so painstakingly hand crafted I felt my wife should have such treasure.  It was not fit for masculine hands.  It reminds me of a treasure box in which one might keep those precious love letters.  Expertly kept by date of arrival and tied ever so careful by a red ribbon, this box would be routinely visited as a reminder of the love this bride-to-be had for her beloved.  When a thought cam across her mind of the eventual reunion which they would share, she would take out that stack of letters and read.  Often starting with the first.  Never with the last.  There was no favorite letter, not because of the variety of content, rather because of the author.  The content was no doubt priceless.  But what of was far more value is the hand that wrote them.  Whether it was simple information of a routine day in the service of his country, or a letter full of terms of endearment, it mattered not to her.  All that mattered was that her beloved penned them.  As she read each one over and again, the memory of his voice, his face, his smell, his personality, all came back to her.

When we read of prophecy, it is not that we know the exact day or hour.  It is not that it may or may not come in our life time.  What matters is that He is coming back!  Not the ‘when’, but the certainty of it.  Death may indeed come before His return.  And that would be grand.  But if not, the Jesus is closer than we could ever hope.  Knowing the certainty that in life or in death, we shall see Him!  That is the hope of prophecy!  That is why we keep it.  He is coming back quickly.  This world will not continue as it is.  He will put an end to it all.  He will be glorified.  Wickedness will be defeated.  Praise be to God.

Instant Change

“For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,” (Re 18:17 AV)

The context is the destruction of Mystery Babylon the Great.  The future city of the tribulation wherein all political and economical power is vested in the AntiChrist.  This city will rival any city ever seen.  It will be, by far, the wealthiest of all cities over the entire history of mankind.  The collective wealth of the entire world will reside in this city.  It will be under the discretion and control of the AntiChrist.  It is at the end of the tribulation when the LORD destroys this city and all the wealth within it.  All gone within one hour.  The entire world will wonder after this city and lament its destruction because with its demise, their means of livelihood disappear as well.  What is astounding to the heart this morning is the swiftness by which man comes to trust can be suddenly and completely removed.

Tragedy happens all around us.  Daily we either experience or hear of dramatic events that will forever change the lives of those involved.  Mass shootings in our schools change the community on a permanent way.  September 11, 2001 was a day many will not forget.  Lives can no longer be the same.  Within minutes, mere minutes, the course of lives were altered in such a way they will never return to what was once, normal.  Our only hope in these tragic events is the LORD becomes more real to those who were touched by these horrible events.  God did not force these things.  God allows these things because mankind wants the privilege of self-determination.  We want the privilege of choice even if it means hurting someone else.  In the above event, however, God does send the judgment.  It is the destruction of Mystery Babylon.  He does so because of her hideous sin.  He does so to dislodge humanity from its comfortable place.  A place of wickedness and filth.  The desire is the same.  The LORD desire mankind to be drawn to Him.  That is our only hope.

The severity of events can have a silver lining by the changes that result.  There could be better security put in place.  The tragic loss of loved ones could result in other lives becoming more fruitful.  But the one change that could result that brings the greatest of all outcomes is that souls would turn to Christ.  The real tragedy of tragedy would be if no change was the result.  If lives went back to what they were before and the event was lost to the annuls of history.  Things can change drastically in one hour.  All that we lean upon can come to a sudden end.  Are we prepared?  Will we be a causality of the event itself?