Podcasts about as isaiah

Readings: Isaiah 35:4–7 Psalm 146:7–10 James 2:1–5 Mark 7:31–37 The incident in today's Gospel is recorded only by Mark. The key line is what the crowd says at the end: “He has done all things well.” In the Greek, this echoes the creation story, recalling that God saw all the things He had done and declared them good (see Genesis 1:31). Mark also deliberately evokes Isaiah's promise, which we hear in today's First Reading, that God will make the deaf hear and the mute speak. He even uses a Greek word to describe the man's condition (mogilalon = “speech impediment”) that's only found in one other place in the Bible—in the Greek translation of today's Isaiah passage, where the prophet describes the “dumb” singing. The crowd recognizes that Jesus is doing what the prophet had foretold. But Mark wants us to see something far greater—that, to use the words from today's First Reading: “Here is your God.” Notice how personal and physical the drama is in the Gospel. Our focus is drawn to a hand, a finger, ears, a tongue, spitting. In Jesus, Mark shows us, God has truly come in the flesh. What He has done is to make all things new, a new creation (see Revelation 21:1–5). As Isaiah promised, He has made the living waters of Baptism flow in the desert of the world. He has set captives free from their sins, as we sing in today's Psalm. He has come that rich and poor might dine together in the Eucharistic feast, as James tells us in today's Epistle. He has done for each of us what He did for that deaf mute. He has opened our ears to hear the Word of God and loosed our tongues that we might sing praises to Him. Let us then give thanks to our glorious Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Let us say with Isaiah, “Here is our God, He comes to save us.” Let us be rich in faith, that we might inherit the kingdom promised to those who love Him.

Still being home on quarantine last night, I did not have an opportunity to deliver the second sermon I prepared for the Preaching & Teaching class at Summitview Community Church, though I did prepare a sermon. However, being home as we were yesterday morning, I did preach both the first and second sermons for class to my wife and children over breakfast, and it is a funny thing to realize that even preaching to your own family can induce feelings of nervousness. To hear the first sermon, you can go back to the episode I recorded last week titled 'The Breath of God' concerning 2 Timothy 3:16-17. But in this episode, I would like to share with you the second sermon concerning 2 Timothy 2:14-15. Here Paul tells Timothy, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Feeling convicted as I did after teaching my children and wife such yesterday morning, I went back and listened to my episode from yesterday with fresh ears, and I heard myself saying some things which I was not convinced could be called "rightly handling the word of truth." So I went back and edited the audio to remove the offending part. If we are servants of God, we are not to be quarrelsome, about words or any other thing. Nor are we to embrace "irreverent babble" as Paul calls it in 2 Timothy 2:16. Rather, we are to avoid such, even as we strive to rightly handle truth and present ourselves to God as approved workers who have no need to be ashamed. That said, some of us say things which are not good in other ways. And just because I sometimes offend in saying things which are true but delivered too harshly, and I need to get better at that, the mainstay issue confronting many American Christians today is an undue deference to claims and practices which God's Word says are false and evil. As Isaiah 5:20 puts it, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" And let it not be said of us that we do any such thing ever, whoever we might offend, and whatever temporary benefits or security we might desire by flattering. We must not confuse flattery for gentleness, or ambiguity for humility. Rather, we must be bold in telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable," therefore we must "do [our] best to present ourselves to God as workers who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/support

Welcome to Saturday, August 14th! Today's episode of The Cross Talk Daily Devotional is titled: Be Patient For 5 Minutes! Thanks for listening! If you desire further information, you may request it from wordgiver@gmail.com. Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995} * * * * * *   "Be Patient For Five Minutes!" "I have been patient for five minutes!" my granddaughter informed me. While sitting on my lap waiting for her mother to cut her brother's birthday cake, she complained that her mother was so slow. I told her to "Be patient for five minutes!" A few minutes later, she continued with, "You know, it's been much longer than five minutes!" I laughed. Charlotte didn't think it was funny. She thought I was making fun of her. Actually, I was laughing because it sounds just like us at times. Most of us have very little patience. Why is that? For one thing, we live in the microwave age. Food can be cooked or warmed up in minutes. Think of what it took to make popcorn years ago. Making popcorn was a big production when I was little. You put the corn popper on the stove, heated it, put in some oil and popcorn, put on the lid, and then turned the crank until all the kernels popped. The whole process took at least ten minutes. Now, what do we do? We take the popcorn bag out of the plastic wrapper and place it in the microwave. Our biggest decision is whether to put the bag seam up or seam down. In just a couple of minutes, we're eating popcorn! How does this affect our spiritual lives? We fall into the trap of thinking that God does not hear our prayers or understand the matter's urgency. We also equate today's prayer to an answer tomorrow. Listen to the words of: Isaiah 40:31 NAS95 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. As Isaiah wrote these words, the Israelites were facing many decades of sadness and struggle. Judah would gradually fall into great sin over the next decades resulting in the Babylonian Captivity for 70 years. The Israelites needed to be encouraged. Those who honored the Lord were to live in hope. However, at the moment, they not only wondered but accused God of forgetting them. This verse encouraged them to wait patiently. The believer who truly places his hope in the Lord will renew his strength, exchange his weaknesses for the Lord's strength. Sadly, we sometimes lose our patience with God. That sounds terrible when I say that! Our lack of patience sometimes shows when we are at the end of our rope and barely hanging on. We wonder why our prayers seemingly go unanswered. We wonder why we don't see His hand at work in our lives. In Psalm 27, David prays as his enemies surround him. After expressing concern over his situation in: Psalms 27:9 NAS95 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! David concludes in the last verse of the chapter: Psalms 27:14 NAS95 Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Just like I encouraged my granddaughter, God tells us to be patient. Though we sometimes cannot see how God is working out the needs of our lives, He is doing precisely that. As a child of God, He is Your Heavenly Father and always operates as such. Let's Pray, Gracious Heavenly Father, Help us to trust that You are always working all things out for our good. May we never doubt Your presence in our lives. Strengthen our walk with You this day. In the Name of Jesus, Amen!            

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. ~ Isaiah 40:28 (NLT) This passage of Scripture is so packed with quality theology that it's hard for me to narrow down our devotional topic this morning. So, perhaps I'll just break it down exegetically (That is a big, fancy word which means “To go word by word, piece by piece.”) “The Lord is the everlasting God.” Ponder that one for a moment. Within this one phrase, the prophet Isaiah captures so much. God is “the Lord,” which means that He is over us. He is the ruler of His kingdom, this kingdom. And it is everlasting, so it will never fall. He's the One calling the shots. Why? Because He is “the Creator of all the earth.” He created His kingdom – not just the mountains, oceans, plants, birds, and animals, but every one of us. In addition, He created the entire universe so that life could exist on Earth. The sun, moon, and stars all serve a singular purpose: to allow you and me to exist. So, our Lord, our King, is a loving King. Additionally, “He never grows weak or weary.” Let that one sink in. Perhaps you've had a long day at work or school, the kids are driving you nuts, or you ran a marathon. You will definitely sleep well that night. Why? Because you are exhausted! Sometimes life just takes it out of you. But, God isn't like us. He doesn't ever get exhausted, worn out. He perseveres no matter what is going on day or night. He is always watching over us, guiding us, loving us. Even as He works to get us out of our despair, He never gets tired of it. He never gets tired of us. He is always on point, 100 percent of the time. And, God is flawless. His wisdom, His knowledge is unlike any other in the universe. As Isaiah puts it, “No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” We can trust in His decisions because they are correct all the time. He's never wrong. We don't need to second guess God. He is perfect in His knowledge of the universe, humanity, and each one of us. So, there you have it. We have a King, our King, who loves us dearly and can create something out of nothing. He never grows tired of us, or His work. His wisdom, which He imparts to us, is perfect. How great is our God?!

Redeemed Blessings finds its way to this episode of Isaiah's Prophetic Book part 92. It is not a stretch to say the prophetic linkage to the #Messiah #Yeshua, #JesusChrist our #Lord is found in the phrase #Redeemed #Blessings. Isaiah has been giving his #prophecies to the #Houses of #Israel. Here #Judah and the threat to its existence is the same type of #Idolatry that took the #HouseofIsrael before Judah's fall and captivity. As Isaiah makes his way to declare "thus saith the Lord", we find an interlude of #blessings in chapter 35. In many ways these Redeemed Blessings only fall on those who truly #repent and turn to the #Lord. Also, many passages remind us of the #Millennium and the reign of the greater #SonofDavid, #Yeshua. Howbeit, the chapter itself addresses the hand of #God in the affairs of nations and of men. For societies living in our modern world, we do not accept God's interference willingly. Because most of society see it as that. To this God, the true and living God; are as is written "the #gods of the #nations are but #idols." More info Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wibr-visions/support

Redeemed Blessings is a phrase that reminds us of all those who have been blessing and kept in their own faith as they walk before the Lord. This section in Isaiah is part of the greater picture. Both for Judah and those Lost tribes of Israel, so called because the House of Israel was carried away captive. Yet, prophecy and the scripture given by the Apostles unite to remind us; as Paul said, "God has not forsaken Israel." We are living in a time of miracles, signs, and the fulfillment of Prophecy. It is the time of the end. The coming of the Lord may be drawing nigh, but many things in Prophecy must be fulfilled. Yet these portions of Isaiah reveal to us the hand of God in the affairs of men. Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info Redeemed Blessings finds its way to this episode of Isaiah's Prophetic Book part 92.  It is not a stretch to say the prophetic linkage to the #Messiah #Yeshua, #JesusChrist our #Lord is found in the phrase #Redeemed #Blessings. Isaiah has been giving his #prophecies to the #Houses of #Israel. Here #Judah and the threat to its existence is the same type of #Idolatry that took the #HouseofIsrael before Judah's fall and captivity. As Isaiah makes his way to declare "thus saith the Lord", we find an interlude of #blessings in chapter 35. In many ways these Redeemed Blessings only fall on those who truly #repent and turn to the #Lord.  Also, many passages remind us of the #Millennium and the reign of the greater #SonofDavid, #Yeshua. Howbeit, the chapter itself addresses the hand of #God in the affairs of nations and of men.  

Redeemed Blessings is a phrase that reminds us of all those who have been blessing and kept in their own faith as they walk before the Lord. This section in Isaiah is part of the greater picture. Both for Judah and those Lost tribes of Israel, so called because the House of Israel was carried away captive. Yet, prophecy and the scripture given by the Apostles unite to remind us; as Paul said, "God has not forsaken Israel." We are living in a time of miracles, signs, and the fulfillment of Prophecy. It is the time of the end. The coming of the Lord may be drawing nigh, but many things in Prophecy must be fulfilled. Yet these portions of Isaiah reveal to us the hand of God in the affairs of men. Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info Redeemed Blessings finds its way to this episode of Isaiah's Prophetic Book part 92.  It is not a stretch to say the prophetic linkage to the #Messiah #Yeshua, #JesusChrist our #Lord is found in the phrase #Redeemed #Blessings. Isaiah has been giving his #prophecies to the #Houses of #Israel. Here #Judah and the threat to its existence is the same type of #Idolatry that took the #HouseofIsrael before Judah's fall and captivity. As Isaiah makes his way to declare "thus saith the Lord", we find an interlude of #blessings in chapter 35. In many ways these Redeemed Blessings only fall on those who truly #repent and turn to the #Lord.  Also, many passages remind us of the #Millennium and the reign of the greater #SonofDavid, #Yeshua. Howbeit, the chapter itself addresses the hand of #God in the affairs of nations and of men.  

Redemptive Signs, directly speaking in this context is not about your initial "being #saved by #Jesus". The #RedemptiveSigns are those heralding in the coming of our #Lord #JesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach. No doubt the world goes busily on with business and the day approaches quickly to which many #believers look forward too. Every place on this globe, #nations and #peoples are facing trouble. Many people facing #extreme #persecution, #troubles, and #death. The ongoing climate of trouble seems to never take a break. In our world today, many want peace. They long for #truelove. While others try to find some assurance of #salvation or redemption. Today, as never before the #Christian #message and the #hope of #redemption are the true answer to what ails mankind. As Isaiah said, "The #curse has #devoured the #earth", yet Yeshua; Jesus Christ has defeated this curse and brought a #cure through the #crossofChrist. More info Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wibr-visions/support

Redemptive Signs today brings an in-depth look at the current global situation for Christian believers. It also reminds us of the reality of unsaved people, unregenerated people, and those who need Christ. In the middle of all this are many Christians that have come to faith from other religions. Many have had visions, or other miraculous experience. Experiences they cannot deny. Experiences that lead to a saving grace through Christ. Today we will look at Turkey, North Korea, Miraculous testimony, Persecution of believers in Uganda, and other stories as well. Do not miss this episode of @WarnRadio.    Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info. Redemptive Signs, directly speaking in this context is not about your initial "being #saved by #Jesus". The #RedemptiveSigns are those heralding in the coming of our #Lord #JesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach.  No doubt the world goes busily on with business and the day approaches quickly to which many #believers look forward too. Every place on this globe, #nations and #peoples are facing trouble. Many people facing #extreme #persecution, #troubles, and #death. The ongoing climate of trouble seems to never take a break. In our world today, many want peace. They long for #truelove. While others try to find some assurance of #salvation or redemption. Today, as never before the #Christian #message and the #hope of #redemption are the true answer to what ails mankind. As Isaiah said, "The #curse has #devoured the #earth", yet Yeshua; Jesus Christ has defeated this curse and brought a #cure through the #crossofChrist. Listen to this Show now! Share this post! To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com

Redemptive Signs today brings an in-depth look at the current global situation for Christian believers. It also reminds us of the reality of unsaved people, unregenerated people, and those who need Christ. In the middle of all this are many Christians that have come to faith from other religions. Many have had visions, or other miraculous experience. Experiences they cannot deny. Experiences that lead to a saving grace through Christ. Today we will look at Turkey, North Korea, Miraculous testimony, Persecution of believers in Uganda, and other stories as well. Do not miss this episode of @WarnRadio.    Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info. Redemptive Signs, directly speaking in this context is not about your initial "being #saved by #Jesus". The #RedemptiveSigns are those heralding in the coming of our #Lord #JesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach.  No doubt the world goes busily on with business and the day approaches quickly to which many #believers look forward too. Every place on this globe, #nations and #peoples are facing trouble. Many people facing #extreme #persecution, #troubles, and #death. The ongoing climate of trouble seems to never take a break. In our world today, many want peace. They long for #truelove. While others try to find some assurance of #salvation or redemption. Today, as never before the #Christian #message and the #hope of #redemption are the true answer to what ails mankind. As Isaiah said, "The #curse has #devoured the #earth", yet Yeshua; Jesus Christ has defeated this curse and brought a #cure through the #crossofChrist. Listen to this Show now! Share this post! To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com

In this discussion, Pastor Miller opens by explaining the major division of the book of Isaiah between chapter 39 and 40. As Isaiah prophesies about the exile of Israel it echoed the theme of exile that began with the story of Adam and Eve and later characters like Moses. Some of the questions asked about 30 minutes in lead to an explanation of why our church practices “separation.”To read along with us please get a copy of the reading plan athttps://faithlife.com/oregon-trail-baptist-church/reader?readingPlanId=797f96db58c749f5bf6fe19f53b94983For more information, please visit www.OTBChurch.com

Subscribe To Our Weekly Email INTRODUCING ISAIAH HOPKINS: I have a lot of favorite businesses that I profile on the Off-Farm Income Podcast, and the business we will profile today is quickly becoming my favorite for FFA students. I have talked many times over the years about how I think the development of a lawn care business in the FFA can lead a student to unbelievable entrepreneurial success.  I have gone as far as to say that in the same way that the dry cleaning business was called the "future millionaire-maker" back in the 1980s and 1990s, I think the lawn care business takes its place as the "future millionaire-maker" of today.  Well, over time I have come to learn that there is an even more basic first step to this business, but it is a very important one.  That is the repair and maintenance of small engines. In today's episode, I am interviewing Isaiah Hopkins.  Isaiah has a vision for a future of business endeavors.  He is a junior in high school, and he is just getting started recognizing the possibilities by fixing up broken-down motorcycles and lawn equipment and then reselling them at a profit.  This is a natural lead-in to the lawn care business because small engine repair and a mechanical aptitude are so important there.  Also, the ability to find old equipment, sometimes for free, fix it up, and use it to make money with the best definition of "bootstrapping" I have ever heard! As Isaiah gets more experience with his business, record keeping, and insuring a profit he is expanding into lawn care.  He sees this as the conduit that can help him make the money that will allow him to go into other entrepreneurial ventures like rental houses and storage units.  I believe he has an excellent plan, and the only thing that can stop him will be if he changes his mind! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE:  Dirtbike Refurbishing & Landscape Management HIGH SCHOOL: Tunstall High School, Dry Fork, Virginia MASCOT: Trojans FFA ADVISOR: Jessica Jones CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ISAIAH HOPKINS: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Tunstall High School website: Isaiah's FFA Advisors' Email Address: jessica.jones@pcs.k12.va.us Tunstall High School's Telephone Number: (434) 724-7111 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA  Donate to FFA - FFA students can start small businesses through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% and the rest of the world.  FFA provides the needed education, training, and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and ensure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers, and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the food search is as simple as going to the grocery store: “The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue   More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:  

Philippians 2:12-13 ESV 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. GOD WORKS IN AND WE WORK OUT. Today, we will learn that the principle in Christian living is ‘in and out' not ‘up and down'. God is working in us so that we can work out the life we received from Him. Firstly, our salvation can't be worked for. “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.”[Eph 2:8,9] Definitely, Jesus [ and His work] is a gift and thus He must be received by faith alone. Have you received Him as yet. [John 1:12] Should Christians have the life, they should express it as a muscle builder displaying his muscles. Working out in the gyms doesn't produce muscles, does it? In the first place, they had the muscles. It is basically enhancing their muscles so that they will become evident. Similarly, Paul had encourage us to demonstrate our salvation. In what ways? By our good works where we live, work and play. We are saved to do good works, are we not?[Eph 2:10] But, it isn't from our power. We do good because of Him who “works in” us. Can we pump out something we don't have? God had deposited in us all that pertain to life and godliness. [2 Pet 1:1-3] Thus, living the Christian life is possible. Let's not forget that God had created His own for His pleasure and glory. As Isaiah had said; “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”[Isa 43:7] As Martin Luther had articulated, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” James said, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”[Jas 2:18b] Christianity is far from being passive. As the Spirit is working within, we do work our attitudes and actions out. Thus, our attitudes then aren't ours but by the Spirit's working. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”[Gal 5:22,23] ------------------------- Visit our website and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube and Facebook.

What’s so amazing about grace? The unmerited favor of God’s love is the key to discovering our identity as children of God. As Isaiah is pronounced “clean” by the Lord he accepts that he is who the Lord says he is, an important step toward the abundant life we seek. Discover why it is essential that we focus on God’s grace. Episode 5 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brilliant.gaze.5 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brilliantgazepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brilliantgaze

A Sermon for Sexagesima 2 Corinthians 11:19-31 & St. Luke 8:4-15 by William Klock The highest military honour that ancient Rome could bestow was the corona muralis, the “walled crown”.  It was a crown designed to look like a city or a castle wall.  It was awarded for bravery and to earn it you did, indeed, have to be very brave.  It was given to the solider who, during a siege or attack on a city or fortress, was the first to make it over the enemy wall to plant Rome’s standard.  You can imagine just how brave a man had to be to earn the corona muralis.  The usual way to the top of a wall was by ladder and on a ladder a soldier was a sitting duck.  The enemy forces could push the ladder over and you’d probably die from the fall.  Anyone on a ladder was an easy target for archers and their arrows.  They were also easy targets for everything from rocks to boiling oil, pitch, or tar.  Lots of men died trying to scale the walls of a city, so to win the corona muralis was a great honour—not only were you lucky, but you were very, very brave. Of course lots of soldiers were happy to claim the honour of being the first one over the wall during the siege, and so the Roman authorities only awarded the crown after a thorough investigation and only after the man to whom it was being awarded made a solemn vow before the gods that he really had been the first one over the wall.  You’d better be careful before boasting about having been the brave first man over! Romans liked to boast.  Like most ancient peoples, the Greco-Romans had an honour-based culture.  Your place in society was granted mostly by your birth, but inasmuch as people could move up in the Roman hierarchy, it was through their political and military accomplishments.  A young Roman who aspired to be a consul, the highest office in the Republic, had to serve in a series of military and political offices first and that sequence was called the “course of honour”.  And so by a time a man made it into the upper ranks he’d have a long list of accomplishments—not just under his belt, as we would say, but that would also be carved on all sorts of monuments and announced at all sorts of events. The young Church wasn’t immune from this achievement and honour-based way of thinking.  In the letters St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth we see him rebuking and trying to correct them for being taken in by teachers who claimed long lists of achievements and honours.  Even in their own ranks, many of the Corinthian Christians had stopped showing honour to each other and had stopped functioning as a healthy body, with all the parts serving each other and working for one goal, and instead were competing with each other.  People with certain miraculous gifts were claiming special status just as some Christians today claim that speaking in tongues is the sign that one has been baptised in the Holy Spirit.  Many of the Corinthians Christians were boasting in themselves and what they had done—just as the people in the world around them did. But this is not the way of grace.  As we prepare for the season of Lent our lessons remind us that as Jesus’ people we stand in grace.  Last week our Gospel warned us not to think like the men who worked all day for a denarius and who were then upset when others who worked for only an hour also received a denarius.  God’s kingdom is about grace and Jesus reminds us that grace, at its very core, is unmerited favour.  It’s not something we can earn, not if we work an hour or the whole day.  In Jesus God has given us his all and in response and out of gratitude, we give him our all for as long as we are able.  Jesus also reminds us that it is he who calls us in the first place, and so we have nothing to boast of ourselves. Now, today, we’re reminded of grace again.  The Corinthians were boasting in good Greco-Roman fashion, but that’s no way to build Jesus’ Church and so, in our Epistle from 2 Corinthians 11, St. Paul responds with his own list of achievements—and he ends with his own corona muralis.  I’m going to read from a paraphrase called The Kingdom New Testament, because sometimes with our formal translations it’s easy to misunderstand that what Paul’s saying here, he’s saying sarcastically.  I’ll start with verse 18: Plenty of people are boasting in human terms, after all, so why shouldn’t I boast as well?  After all, you put up with fools readily enough, since you are so wise yourselves.  You put up with it if someone makes you their slave, or if they eat up your property, or overpower you, or give themselves airs, or slap you in the face. (2 Corinthians 11:18-20) Here’s what Paul is addressing: Teachers came to Corinth and wowed the church members with their achievements.  Not only that, but seeing these achievements the Corinthians let these people walk all over them.  Paul knows better, but he can play that game too—so let’s see who plays it best!  And he launches into his own list of achievements, his own “course of honour”: Whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I’m talking nonsense, remember), I’ll boast as well.  Are they Hebrews?  So am I.  Are they Israelites?  So am I.  Are they the seed of Abraham?  So am I.  Are they servants of the Messiah?—I’m talking like a raving madman—I’m a better one. (2 Corinthians 11:21b-23a) Paul starts out much like the others would have.  As a Hebrew—a faithful Jew—no one can beat Paul.  Remember, after all, he was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin.  Paul had been at the top.  These teachers the Corinthians were bowing to couldn’t claim that kind of honour.  And then he says, “And you want to talk about being servants of the Messiah.  I’m the best he’s got!  Let me tell you about it.”  And at this point those other teachers would have launched into long list of all the places they’d preached, all the important people they’d baptised, all the miracles they’d performed, all the accolades they’d received from people here and there—just as someone running for office in Rome would have listed all his military and political achievements.  But look at how Paul describes being a servant of Jesus: I’ve worked harder, been in prison more often, been beaten more times than I can count, and I’ve often been close to death.  Five times I’ve had the Jewish beating, forty lashes less one.  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; I was adrift in the sea for a night and a day.  I’ve been constantly traveling, facing dangers from rivers, dangers from brigands, dangers from my own people, dangers from foreigners, dangers in the town, dangers in the countryside, dangers at sea, dangers from false believers.  I’ve toiled and labored; I’ve burned the candle at both ends; I’ve been hungry and thirsty; I’ve often gone without food altogether; I’ve been cold and naked.  Quite apart from all that, I have this daily pressure on me, my care for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23b-28) As I read that I can’t help thinking of today’s prosperity preachers and faith healers who stand before crowds and whose preaching consists of little more than lists of all the material possessions they have and all the phony miracles they’ve performed while demanding money from the poor.  The Corinthians had been similarly bamboozled.  In contrast, Paul earned his living making tents so that he could preach the Good News without taking a salary.  He laboured for the Gospel and instead of having fancy clothes, a private yacht, or a fleet of purebred camels to show for it he had scars and bruises and broken bones.  He had calloused knees from spending so much time in prayer for these very people who gave him no respect.  And yet Paul is willing to accept that.  He’s not out for their respect.  He’s out for them and that’s the problem.  The fact that they value achievements the way the Romans did and the fact that they see nothing of value in Paul’s ministry highlights that they don’t truly understand the nature of grace—and that raises a major concern: if you don’t understand the nature of grace, how can you understand Jesus himself?  If you don’t understand grace, how can you understand the Cross?  If you don’t understand grace, how can you understand the kingdom of God?  No.  Paul goes on after all this asking, “Who is weak and I am not weak?” (11:29).  But that’s just it.  This is just the point they need to get through their heads.  They’ve allowed the values of the present age—love of money, love of status, love of power, love of things—they’ve allowed all this to shape their hearts and minds and it’s dragging them away from the kingdom, from Jesus, from the Holy Spirit and the transforming work he’s done in them.  And so he declares: If I must boast, I will boast of my weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 11:30) From the standpoint of the world and of the culture that surrounded these people this was crazy talk.  No one boasted about his weaknesses.  That was a perfect way to get precisely nowhere in life.  But this is Paul’s boast.  And he’s not finished.  Remember the corona muralis—the award for bravery given to the first soldier over the wall.  Now that was something to boast about and so many men did boast about it without having accomplished it that the authorities would only give out the crown after the claimant swore a solemn oath before the gods that he was telling the truth.  This is the background for what Paul tells them here and they certainly would have been thinking about the corona muralis, this highest military honour for bravery, as they read what Paul writes here in his letter to them.  He says: If I must boast, I will boast of my weaknesses.  The God and father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I’m not lying: in Damascus, King Aretas, the local ruler, was guarding the city of Damascus so that he could capture me, but I was let down in a basket through a window and over the wall, and I escaped his clutches. (2 Corinthians 11:30-33) Paul won his own corona muralis and he swears before God, the Father of the Lord Jesus, that this is true.  (Acts 9 tells this story in detail.)  While these other teachers were boasting of the accolades they received for preaching Jesus, Paul explains how, just after his conversion in Damascus, the Jews were so angered by his preaching that they sought to have him killed.  They even got the authorities in Damascus to watch the gates for him and so Paul went over the wall—not like a brave soldier storming the castle and planting a flag, but quietly and under cover of night, humiliated and in a basket.  And then he ran away.  Those are Paul’s credentials.  He preached Jesus Christ with boldness and nobody gave him money or fancy things, no one praised him.  No.  They tried to kill him and he had to be smuggled out of the city in a basket. Paul brings to mind Jesus, who was humiliated and marched out of the city walls to be shamefully crucified.  In a similar way Paul was lowered over the wall of Damascus, out of the city and ran away.  From a worldly standpoint there was nothing to boast of in that, just as there was nothing for Jesus to boast of in dying the humiliating death of a criminal.  Other people, Jews and pagans alike, would hear the story of Jesus and of the cross and tried to stay as far away from that “shameful nonsense” as they could.  A man who claimed to be the Messiah and was then crucified by the Romans?  Worldly wisdom said that the gods were not on his side.  Ditto for Paul.  The gods were on the side of the preachers in fancy clothes, with lots of money, and getting all the praise. The gods were with the crazy brave man who scaled the ladder and made it first over the wall of the city.  But a man who was beaten and scarred and run out of town for his message, the way Paul was—no—that was someone the gods were against and it was best to stay away from him.  And yet the Gospel teaches something very different—something the Corinthians were missing, something the prosperity preachers, the faith healers, and the other proud and vain teachers and preachers of our age are missing.  It’s about grace.  And grace teaches us to boast in our weakness, because as Jesus noted in last week’s Gospel parable, the denarius earned labouring in the fields in the end turned out not to be wages earned, but a gift of grace—the same gift given to the man who worked only an hour and to the man who worked all day under the hot sun.  Each of us has gifts to share with others, each of us has a message—a life-changing and world-changing proclamation—to make, but those gifts and that Good News are not ours, we have no claim on them.  No, just the opposite in fact.  They have claim on us, because whatever is accomplished through our work and our proclamation comes only because of Jesus, who is at the heart of the message, and by the Holy Spirit who empowers us and who changes the hearts and minds of the people around us. It’s easy to forget that it’s Jesus who makes all the difference and when we forget we start thinking that we’ve done it on our own.  Jesus reminds us of this in the Gospel.  The parable of the Sower is the history of Israel in a nutshell.  In 8:4-8 Luke write: And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.  And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.”  As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”   And, of course, no one had ears to hear.  They heard, alright, but they didn’t understand—not even the disciples.  And so Jesus explains: “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.  The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.  And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.  And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.  As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.  (Luke 8:11-15) It was the prophet Isaiah who likened the Word of God to a seed and God had been sowing that seed in Israel for generation upon generation, but if the devil didn’t snatch it away, either the trials of life or the pursuit of riches and pleasure would choke it out.  Isaiah writes in 6:9-10: “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;          keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull,          and their ears heavy,          and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes,          and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts,          and turn and be healed.”   For more than a thousand years the Word was sowed in Israel, but she refused to hear it.  He rescued her from Egypt and he gave her his law at Sinai, but it was choked out in the wilderness.  He went before her to conquer Canaan, but she lost interest and left the land half-conquered.  He dwelt in a temple in her midst, but she found pagan idols more enticing.  He sent her into exile and for a time she repented and was restored to the land, but again her zeal died or was captured by other things.  And yet a remnant held to the Lord’s Word and hoped.  As Isaiah spoke of the Word as seed, so he also spoke of the harvest and banquet to come when that seed finally sprouted and bore fruit.  In Isaiah 55 we read: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven          and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,          giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;          it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,          and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11) These words were fulfilled in Jesus.  In him and as he sent the Holy Spirit to indwell his people the Word finally took root and bore the great and long-awaited harvest.  And so we see that it is by grace and grace alone that the seed takes root, it’s by grace that the seed grows, and it is by grace that the seed bears fruit.  Ultimately, it is by grace alone that kingdom comes and you and I have a share in it. Brothers and Sisters, may we never forget.  Jesus himself was crowned, not with the corona muralis, but with the corona spinea, the crown of thorns, and we follow in his footsteps.  Daily we take up our crosses and follow him in the way of grace, to carry the good news of the kingdom to the lost sheep of our own world.  May we never forget the humbling lesson of grace and may we always rest in God’s grace knowing that doing so manifests his strength and brings glory to him. Let us pray: Gracious Father, in the Collect this morning we prayed that we would never put our trust in the things we do.  We ask this again: remind us not to trust in our own effort or works or accomplishments.  Remind us that whatever we have done that has value has been done only because of the grace you have poured into us.  May we never seek to honour ourselves, but in everything, to give honour to you, to your Son, and to your Spirit, who have redeemed us from sin and given us life.  And let us respond to your grace with gratitude, giving our all and our everything to you as you have given your all for us.  We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ash dives into 1 John where the love of God is revealed to us throughout the scriptures. In the same way that God displayed His love to us, we are called to do the same to the people around us. The love of God cannot be confined by us, it's meant to be given away and poured out freely. As Isaiah cries out, “Lord, here I am, send me.”, may that also become the cry of our hearts. His love is for the world.

THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY III - TUESDAYLESSON: GALATIANS 2:11-16We hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. Romans 3:28You see how the example of the leper (Matthew 8:1-4) supports faith against works. For, just as Christ helped this leper out of pure grace through faith without any works or merits on his part, so He helps all men. He also wants men to regard Him as such a helper, and to expect help from Him on this basis.Had the leper come to Christ with all sorts of claims declaring, “See here, Lord, I have prayed and fasted so and so much. Please take note of all this, and make me clean accordingly,” Christ would never have cleansed him had he been so minded. Such a person does not rely on God's grace, but on his own merits. In such a case, God's grace is not praised, loved or desired, but personal works claim all the honor, and God is robbed of His due honor. As Isaiah declares, “They bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made,” Isaiah 2:8, that is, they put their confidence in their own works, and confer on their own works the honor belonging to God's grace alone.SL.XI.480,5AE 76,252PRAYER: Lord, preserve us from that presumption which urges us to trust in our own works to the rejection of the grace, help and salvation which you are always ready and willing to bestow on us freely in and through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

As Isaiah continues to address the situation of God's people exiled in Babylon, he addresses the fear that will certainly threaten them, especially when Persia overtakes Babylon (41:10). Not only does Isaiah call the exiles not to fear, He offers them solid truth that speaks to their (and our) fear. When fear threatens to control us, God assures us with these truths...

Chris Enloe at The Blaze reports 'House Democrat ends prayer with 'amen and a-woman,' gets destroyed when Ben Shapiro explains the meaning of 'amen'. Spoiler alert: the root word of 'amen' is not 'men.' Also, what is behind Hollywood releasing a spate of awfully feminist movies? Wonder Woman 1984, The Croods: A New Age, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker? Filmmakers just can't seem to get enough of injecting raw, undiluted women's empowerment into stories, even at the expense of displacing necessary and indispensable elements. As Isaiah 3:12 says, "My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths." We're there, folks. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/support

2 Sam 12:24-25 ESV 24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him 25 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord. JEDIDIAH Both David and Bathsheba were comforted that God gave them another son. They called him Solomon, which means ‘man of peace.' David had been in turmoil and must had a high hope that the future of his son would be the opposite. Solomon will be a catalyst of peace. Amazingly, the Lord loved him. As Nathan knew it from God, he named David and Bathsheba's son, Jedidiah, which means “beloved or darling of Yah.” God had expressed displeasure to David for his double sin of adultery and murder. But apparently, after David's confession, His anger was replaced with mercy. As Psalm 103:8-11: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; No mistake needs be final. Thus, we don't need to be stuck in the past. As our covenant keeping God, He does give us a new start so that we may not be defined by our blunders in the past. Like David, the righteous may fall seven times but he could rise again. [Prov 24:16] Who among us is isn't tossed and hurt by the crisis? As we crossed the 365 dateline we reached 2021. As ship cruising in treacherous 2020 waters , we traversed with our sails are torn perhaps. Nevertheless, God had enabled to usher ourselves to 2021 and began a new journey. But this time, we do have had precious lessons learned, don't we? Like David and Bathsheba, let's forget the past and build up from the ashes. Let's focus unto the future and embrace the challenges ahead. Let's continue our journey having been assured of the unfailing love of God, abounding with hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”[Rom 15:13] Our God is the God of the second chances. God anticipates that we fail. But, He doesn't want us to live in failure. We could fail. But, we should not call ourselves failures, should we? We may climb the tallest mountains on earth. But, let's not forget that our feet are made of clay. And this should cause us to be humble always. Our failure needs not be final. For God can create beauty for ashes. As Isaiah encouraged the dispersed Jews, that is, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”[Isa 61:3]

“Holy, Holy, Holy”(Isa. 6:1–4)Notice what was happening here in the first four verses of Isaiah 6.The king dies during great political turmoil (the Assyrians are on thewarpath). For Isaiah, it could have been a fearful time when he was notsure who was in control.And then—what happens? While taken in vision, Isaiah gazed uponthe blazing glory of God upon His throne, heard the antiphony of shin-ing seraphim (“burning ones”) calling out the words “holy, holy, holy,”felt the resultant seismic shaking of the floor beneath him, and peeredthrough swirling smoke as it filled the temple. It must have been a stun-ning experience for the prophet. For sure, Isaiah now knew who was incontrol, despite outward events.Where is the Lord in this vision? (See Isa. 6:1.) Why would the Lordmake an appearance to Isaiah here, as opposed to anywhere else?(See Exod. 25:8, Exod. 40:34–38.)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ezekiel, Daniel, and John were in exile when they received their visionsin Ezekiel 1; Daniel 7:9, 10; and Revelation 4, 5. Like Isaiah, they neededspecial comfort and encouragement that God was still in charge, eventhough their world was falling apart. (Daniel and Ezekiel were captives ina pagan nation that had destroyed their own, and John had been exiled to alonely island by a hostile political power.) No doubt, these visions helpedgive them what they needed to stay faithful, even during a crisis situation.“As Isaiah beheld this revelation of the glory and majesty of his Lord,he was overwhelmed with a sense of the purity and holiness of God. Howsharp the contrast between the matchless perfection of his Creator, and thesinful course of those who, with himself, had long been numbered amongthe chosen people of Israel and Judah!”—Ellen G. White, Prophets andKings, p. 307.The transcendent holiness of God, emphasized in Isaiah’s vision, is abasic aspect of his message. God is a holy God, and He demands holinessfrom His people, a holiness He will give to them if only they will repent,turn from their evil ways, and submit to Him in faith and obedience.All of us have been in discouraging situations, where from out-ward appearances all seemed lost. And even if you didn’t get avision of the “glory of the Lord,” as did Isaiah here, recount theways in which the Lord was able to sustain you and your faithduring these crises. What have you learned from these experi-ences that you could share with others?

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ADVENT WEEK THREEDecember 13, 2020Joy to the COVID WorldIsaiah 6:1-4, 8-11“Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.” Isaiah 6:9bJoy tends to be defined with deep spiritual meaning, and happiness tends to be defined with the temporal and fleeting. I wonder: is this distinction between joy and happiness splitting strands of hair, or is it the split ends of a single strand of hair? I think Isaiah experienced joy and happiness as a single, illusive strand that he desperately longed to know as a unity in the presence of God. As Isaiah considered the social and political realities of his day, he faced a dream deferred by the death of King Uzziah.To be in the presence of the Lord fills many believers with thoughts of joy. Who among the faithful would not be filled with joy by seeing and hearing the Holy One? Unfortunately, the words spoken to Isaiah were not words that inspired joy or happiness within Isaiah. And the words God instructed Isaiah to speak also did not inspire joy among the people. “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.” For Isaiah, God appeared in the time of trouble, but God’s joy is declared after the struggle.This has been a year of profound trouble and struggle as millions have been victimized and more than one million have died worldwide from Coronavirus. As we seek God’s face this Advent, our hearts long for the experience of joy in the COVID world. Yet God’s word to Isaiah instructs us to not overlook the desolation wrought by coronavirus. Despite the devastation and death, we are in the presence of our Holy God; and it is only by turning from conventional wisdom that we will be restored to life.Dr. Lee H. Butler, Jr.Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Academic DeanWilliam Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions and Africana Pastoral Theology See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Isaiah 2:1-5. The prophet Isaiah is sometimes called “The Fifth Evangelist” because of his beautifully clear pictures of Jesus’ saving ministry. As Isaiah preached to the rebellious people of Judah and Jerusalem, he called them to repentance for their gross sin and idolatry, all the while showing them glorious pictures of the forgiveness found in the Gospel. In this text, the picture is the mountain of the LORD being raised higher than all others. This happens in the latter days when Christ is crucified and raised, when the Church proclaims the Gospel, and when Christ returns again in glory. People from all nations will stream to this mountain as the LORD’s saving Word flows forth from it. As the LORD delivers His justice, the tragedy of Cain and Abel is reversed and brother no longer will turn his hand against his brother, a reality that is fully realized only on the Last Day. The people of God are called to live and walk in this reality that the light of the Gospel shines into the world. “Advent with the Prophets” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Old Testament readings appointed for the season of Advent. This holy season of repentance focuses our attention on Christ’s coming. As we spend time hearing the words of the prophets, the saints who waited patiently in the years before Christ’s coming in the flesh at Christmas, we too are prepared to receive Christ now in His Word and Sacrament, even as we wait for Him to come again in glory.

As Isaiah approaches the throne room of God, he agrees to take on a task that God needs someone to fulfill. This brings about images of the divine council worldview of the Bible. But what is a human doing there? We talk more about that in this message.

Today we get a glimpse of what it looks like to draw close to God. As Isaiah accepts his call and Jesus shows his disciples how he cares for them, these are not the activities of every believer. These are times when God did something extraordinary to show how extraordinary he truly is.

[The seraphim] were calling ceaselessly to one another, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. (Isaiah 6:3 NEB) Reverent The seraphim ceaselessly worship God the Father in His presence. These angelic beings proclaim God's holiness to all creation. As Isaiah sees this glimpse of Heaven, he sees their reverent worship. "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; yet with these eyes I have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts," he cries out in despair (Isaiah 6:5). When we come into worship, we must remember that we are coming into the presence of the LORD of Hosts, God Almighty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As we come into His presence, we should enter with the respect due the Creator and Redeemer we are worshipping. In olden days, people came into the sanctuary in silent meditation to prepare their minds and hearts for worship. Now, there is much visiting even as the service is beginning. As you come into the LORD's sanctuary this week, think of the respect, honor and reverence with which you should enter His presence. Amen.

Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28 Most of us are the foreigners, the non-Israelites, about whom today’s First Reading prophesies. Coming to worship the God of Israel, we stand in the line of faith epitomized by the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel. Calling to Jesus as Lord and Son of David, this foreigner shows her great faith in God’s covenant with Israel. Jesus tests her faith three times. He refuses to answer her cry. Then, He tells her His mission is only to Israelites. Finally, He uses “dog,” an epithet used to disparage non-Israelites (see Matthew 7:6). Yet she persists, believing that He alone offers salvation. In this family drama, we see fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and the promise we sing of in today’s Psalm. In Jesus, God makes known among all the nations His way and His salvation (see John 14:6). At the start of salvation history, God called Abraham (see Genesis 12:2). He chose his offspring, Israel, from all the nations on the face of the earth to build His covenant kingdom (see Deuteronomy 7:6–8; Isaiah 41:8). In God’s plan, Abraham was to be the father of many nations (see Romans 4:16–17). Israel was to be the firstborn of a worldwide family of God, made up of all who believe what the Canaanite professes—that Jesus is Lord (see Exodus 4:22–23; Romans 5:13–24). Jesus came first to restore the kingdom to Israel (see Acts 1:6; 13:46). But His ultimate mission was the reconciliation of the world, as Paul declares in today’s Epistle. In the Mass we join all peoples in doing Him homage. As Isaiah foretold, we come to His holy mountain, the heavenly Jerusalem, to offer sacrifice at His altar (see Hebrews 12:22–24, 28). With the Canaanite, we take our place at the Master’s table to be fed as His children.

Romans 10 teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, requires us to respond in faith to receive salvation. Once we respond in faith, we have a responsibility to share that good news. As Isaiah 52:7 proclaims, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Sabbath is the key to understanding real joy and rest. But what does that actually mean for those who follow Jesus? Join us for the last message and most important message in our Staycation series. Series: Staycation, Speaker: Pastor Don Dodge, Scripture: Genesis 1, Genesis 2:2, Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-20, Matthew 11:28-30, Video: https://www.facebook.com/avalonchurch/videos/694949671351531/, Sermon page: https://www.avalonchurch.org/sermons/staycation-sabbath-story-of-gods-promise-part-4/, Sermon Notes: 2020-07-12_staycation-part-4_sermon-notes.pdf, Discussion Questions: 2020-07-12_staycation-part-4_discussion-questions.pdf, Notes: INTRO When I was a teenager, I had a friend who couldn’t hang out on Sundays. He couldn’t wash his car. He couldn’t play video games. Nothing. Why? His mom said that there was no work on the Sabbath. I was kinda glad my parents didn’t read that part of the Bible. :) We (tension) But so it has been for the Jews for 3000 years! Even today in Israel, Friday afternoons are a madhouse ...of last minute shopping and hurrying to make preparations for Shabat,   ...the Hebrew word for Sabbath which begins at sunset. Families come from wherever they are to gather around the dinner table   ...for prayers and reading the Scriptures if they’re religious, ...followed by a good meal, laughing, talking. It’s a beautiful tradition. The next morning, many wake and go to synagogue, Then spend the rest of the day with family and neighbors. Sabbath often ends with a celebratory meal ...Welcoming the 8th day, The first day of the new week. God Story I want to tell a story that most of you already know. ...not just “A” bible story, ...but “THE” Bible story. ...how things begin. ...and how they end. But I’m going to share the story through a very different lens, ...a Jewish lens ...that may just reveal why ...You feel that your faith may be missing something. The story begins in Genesis 1. In the beginning, God began to create;   ...Bringing light and order out of darkness and disorder. ...For 6 days. Each ending with the statement “And there was evening and morning.” Finally, on the 7th day, God was finished and he rested. He Shabat, the Hebrew word for stop or cease. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [Shabbat] from all his work. – Gen 2 (NIV) It never says there was evening and morning. The 7th day was to be a day with no end. The work was done. Life was now full and complete. God’s presence now filled his creation. Every need taken care of; As God appointed people to join him In take care of the creation. God dwelling with humanity, forever. This is God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. ...When all is right between God and people, ...And people with each other. In the Jewish mind, this is what the # 7 represented. The 7th day of God’s fullness and completion and rest. But human beings were deceived by a dark power and ended up forfeiting the 7th day of rest. We call this the Fall. ...When Adam and Eve decided they no longer wanted to submit. They wanted to rule under their own authority They wanted to be God. And this story is perpetuated every time we put ourselves first. Every time we choose our story as the main story. That’s what sin is. I’m more important than you... or even God. And as a result of their sin, The 7th day came to a close. ...they were exiled into the wilderness. ...Condemned to work as slaves to the land. Separated from God and alienated from each other. That was never God’s design. Yet, in the midst of their rebellion,   ...God continued to love people and dwell with them. ...And always intended to restore humanity ...back to the 7th day rest. And you see, that’s the story from Genesis chapter 4 Repeated over and over through the end in Revelation. God chooses a people, the family of Israel, ...offering an opportunity to walk with God into 7th day rest, ...so they can share it with others. God rescues them from the darkness of slavery in Egypt, ...And walks the long journey with them, Through the wilderness. Every journey on this side of Eden is the hard journey through the wilderness. And like all of us, they continually chose their own way. And God never stopped inviting them and re-inviting them ...to start living as if they were already in the promised land. That was the blessing of the Sabbath. Every 7th day they are to stop working, To Shabat. To rest. You’ve done good work all week. It is time to rest in the Lord; ...To enjoy God’s good world together with God and his people; ...To take a whole day to live as if ultimate rest has already come. And it didn’t stop there. The weekly Sabbath is just one of 7 festivals that Israel practiced throughout the year. Like Passover Pentecost. The Day of Atonement. Each festival anticipating the future return Of God’s ultimate 7th day of rest. But there’s more. In addition to the weekly Sabbath, And 7 annual festivals, Every 7th year was called the “Sabbath Year.” ...where the land was to remain at rest, ...the poor could eat freely from what grows naturally. It was a year where, ...forgiveness  was to be extended, ...and servants released from their obligations. A year where they experienced his kingdom come On earth as it is in heaven. But wait, there’s more! :) Every seven times seven years, Every 49 years, Was the Year of Jubilee, ...where every debt was cancelled. ...Every slave was freed. ...And all land was returned to the original owner. Everything was restored. Jubilee was the ultimate Sabbath expression ...of living out God’s promised rest, ...while you were still living in the wilderness. But like we all do, They forgot their God, And they continued to live in oppression, And eventually, They even lost the Promised Land. And though it looked impossible, The prophets kept promising God would restore the 7th day. Isaiah prophesied, The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor... –Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV) God is going to send someone Who will usher In the Year of the Lord’s favor. He’s talking about the eternal 7th Day, ...When God’s kingdom is reestablished on earth as it is in heaven, Where brokenness is restored And people are made whole And for 500 years the people waited. No rest. No Jubilee. Just these promises that were Drifting further into the past. As empire after empire continually oppressed them. It’s at this dark point in the story Where Jesus appears, And he launched his public ministry on the Sabbath Reading from that ancient prophet, Isaiah. 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” – Luke 4 (NIV) 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” –Luke 4 (NIV) And then he dropped the mic.  That 7th day Sabbath rest; The ultimate Jubilee, He was sitting in front of them. And immediately, ...Jesus left that synagogue and to confront disorder and darkness in all its forms. He freed people from sickness, sin, even death itself. As Isaiah prophesied, In Jesus, Everything broken is made right; ...And everyone, regardless of their sin, Is invited into the 7th day. Jesus’ entire ministry pointed to that day. But then Jesus died. And it seemed that the darkness had won. ...So it seemed. Yet, Jesus’ death took place at the end of the week. What was his body doing on the Sabbath? On Saturday? It was Resting. It was shabatting. And then what happened on Day 8? The first day of a new week? Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection was like the first day of a “new creation.” God’s light had broken into the darkness. Death was defeated. The power of sin had been broken, ...and its debt paid. Yet, as Jesus walked through the wilderness, So still, do we. We still struggle. We still experience pain. But Jesus invites us to experience a taste of real rest As we follow him. Jesus said, 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) Jesus gives rest. Sabbath. And what was so beautiful and life-giving, Had become such a burden. Rabbi’s and religious leaders argued about Sabbath And created rules for Sabbath ...that became a list of checkboxes that few could do. This is the exact opposite of Sabbath. So Jesus was redefining Sabbath back to its original meaning. Stopping to rest in the Lord. Sabbath pointed to a day when God’s mercy would fall like rain on a parched land. ...And in Jesus, that day had come. And in this wilderness as we walk with Jesus, ...Waiting expectantly for the day when his kingdom is fully realized. Until then, We take a break from the broken rhythms of hurry And create moments to recognize that he is Lord, ...And we are his family. We discipline ourselves to disconnect And experience his presence, ...And to extend his rest and invitation to the world around us. You (Application. So What?) So what does this mean for us today? One thing is for sure, ...it’s not creating a bunch of new rules For how we spend our weekends. No, Sabbath rest is an invitation to practice for eternity. It’s the discipline of stopping and resting, ...so we can experience God’s presence, And make room for him to take up residence in our lives, Like running a marathon, ...Sabbath is not natural. It’s a discipline. It takes practice. Sabbath is living the reality That the world doesn’t revolve around me. That God is my provider, And that I trust him, That this is God’s world, And God’s story, A story in which he has invited us to participate! Dallas Willard, one of the great spiritual writers of our time, Once said Hurry is “the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” --Dallas Willard Hurry is not compatible with meaningful relationships. Loving someone And caring for them, And being interested in them ...is extremely time-consuming. Every parent and every lover know that’s true. It takes an enormous amount of time to love well. All of my worst moments as a father and husband, ...can be associated with hurry. God walks slowly with us because love is slow. ...Love is patient. ...Love pays attention. ...Love appreciates this moment, right here, right now. This is how we choose joy in the everyday; ...making time for regular, rhythmic periods ...Where we are quiet. Where the tv and phone are off And we can reflect. And everyone should also create regular, rhythmic periods Where you spend time with others, ...eating, ...laughing, ...and just enjoying each other’s company, Just fully in the moment ...knowing that God is in your midst. This is the discipline of Sabbath. This is Shalom; God’s peace, God’s rest, God’s fullness... experienced. ...Living as the anticipation of God’s kingdom coming. Do you have regular, rhythmic periods like this? We (Closing and Challenge) Jesus is inviting you to come. He gives rest to the weary and burdened. For some, it’s time to make Jesus Lord. His story is rest, and joy, and peace. Our story is wilderness, and hurry, and angst. So live your life trusting that this is his story, ...his story is better. Maybe it’s just beginning to discipline yourself to STOP. Take 5 minutes a day to just be quiet. To observe and listen. And just breath. You may be shocked at how long 5 minutes is. But soon, you’ll crave even more. Maybe you’d like some practice. There’s a great 5-day YouVersion devotion called AvalonChurch.org/HurryDevo I went through this twice before writing today’s message. And maybe you’d like to find out more about Sabbath. BibleProject.com/explore/what-is-the-sabbath The Bible Project has a great video along with study materials. May we grow to be a people that live as the anticipation of God’s Eternal 7th Day. (Pray)

Proverbs 20:24 A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way? Something about this verse makes me want to smile. I think part of it is acknowledging the sovereignty of God. It just does something for my heart knowing the Creator of all things loves me so much and cares to be involved in each step I take. And another reason I like this verse is because there’s a mystery here… Today's devotion is my pondering a small part of the journey. Please double check my musings. Why does God intervene in the oh so small steps that man takes from day to day? Actually, I think that if we acquaint ourselves with Gods word we can know what he’s doing our life… at least generally; but specifically well, not so much… It seems to me that Solomon is saying… The reason our plans in this world don’t always go the way we hope is because God channels our steps. I mean… at the time of trouble does anyone know the real reason why we experience hardships like a loss of job or 1001 other trials? And so we fight against the brokenness that has touched our life… We may plan to take college courses to begin a specific job… but that falls through because of money or time constraints… or sickness or 100 different reasons… ... We ask “Is God for me or against me?” One path just closes off and we have to go a different way time and time again. Yet all these things… not only those we consider bad… but those at the time we count as good… somehow work towards the same end. The details and complexity and vastness of the answer may last throughout our life… I believe one of the reasons for the why is that God is educating us in the ways that he knows is best. He may transport us where we were not planning on going… other times he may let us go the way our wayward heart wants to go, and then other times he may carry us exactly where we want to go as we love following him. In all these things God is directing… pushing, prodding and channeling our steps… even when we follow our wayward heart it may be that we need to hit the end of our rope before we call out to the Lord. I think Romans 11:36 is a key to understanding today's proverb and the course of our lives. Romans 11:36 says: For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. So in today's proverb it is not our steps that are in question… Solomon is clear that they are from the Lord… but it is our way that we do not understand. In other words why does God order troubles, trials and even physical blessings in our life? We might even ask why did God break the world and the Universe in the first place. I believe all this brokenness is to remind us that we are broken because of sin… we are not glorious no one is good and we all need a glorious savior… the promised one from Genesis 3. You see, everything is for the glory of God… and as we see his glory… it becomes for our good. You know, even when God planned our first step as he placed us in the families we were born into and in the nations he chose… even in the time period of history which we live he did so for our good and his glory. Speaking of God Acts 17:26-27 says: 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. … I think it’s impossible for us to fully and specifically understand how all of the ways in which the Lord orders our steps can be seen as being for our good and for Gods glory. As Isaiah 55:9 ... But you know it’s really a good thing to be able to trust God for the directing of our steps because left to ones self we would blindly follow the devil off a cliff into the pit of hell. Right before Jeremiah ask the Lord for correction he says this in Jeremiah 10:23: I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

Next to the Psalms, the book of Isaiah is the most referenced Old Testament book in the Old Testament.  Many of Isaiah's prophecies find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As Isaiah 52 closes, we are met with a call to, "behold my servant." A direct reference to Messiah, the Lord says of His servant that He, "will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted."  But what is shocking is the means through which Messiah will be exalted.  For we will learn that He will be marred beyond recognition such that many will be shocked and repulsed by his appearance. But how can the servant both suffer such anguish and yet be considered exalted and lifted up?  In today's lesson we are reminded again of the things that had to be according to God's plan of redemption for His creation. May you be blesses as you listen to today's teaching.

Isaiah 47 In Isaiah 47, Isaiah depicts an incredible fall from when he declares God's judgement against Babylon's pride. As Isaiah prophesies, Babylon's pride ultimately results in vulnerability and shame. John Banman describes the escape route we can take from our own pride and arrogance and the redemption we can seek in Christ. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." - Proverbs 16:18 Sermon from April 27, 2020.To learn more about Renaissance Christian Church, visit http://ren.church/.Support the show (https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/1701382)

Today, you’re going to hear the story of Midshipman Isaiah Walker, he’s a senior in the ROTC program at Ole Miss who has struggled with isolation and the challenges of integrating faith and profession. I first heard about Isaiah from Lt Col Tom Falconer, USAF (Ret.). Tom’s a longtime OCF member, and he’s also a local leader and area coordinator in the Colorado Springs area.  What caught my attention about Isaiah’s story is how he found out about OCF in the first place—it was through this podcast. A key takeaway from Isaiah’s story comes from his struggle to integrate faith and profession, which largely is a result of isolation and feeling alone. As Isaiah shares his story, you’ll hear how important community is in the life of the Christian serving in the military. And if you find yourself relating to Isaiah in this regard, then I hope you’ll be encouraged by his story. If you’re in need of community with other Christians serving in the military, check out the OCF Directory to see if there’s a group near you, or contact me directly at podcast@ocfusa.org.  This episode also includes a special appearance by CPT Lindsey Bowen, USA, who was my guest in episode 54, along with her husband, CPT Joshua Bowen, USA. There are also references to three previous Crosspoint podcasts: Episode 54: The Importance of Small Group Fellowship Episode 5: Thriving in the Unbalance Episode 2: Navigating the Storms of Life   // Quotes from this episode: “I probably took ROTC a little too seriously the first three years—freshman, sophomore, junior year—you know, prepping for officer candidate school that we go to after our junior year. And I can count on one hand how many times that I went out and hung out with friends during those three years” (Isaiah Walker on neglecting community).   “You know, my church friends, they understood my spiritual life, what's going on there and everything. But anytime I tried to bring up the military, they had no idea what was going on. They didn't know how to address it or anything like that” (Isaiah Walker on the struggle of finding indigenous fellowship).   “I can say the support I've received from OCF has been absolutely insane. Ever since I kind of listed myself as the local leader/member [at Ole Miss], I've gotten email after email, phone call after phone call, and meeting after meeting from the OCF community and OCF members. You just really find out how tight knit a community it is” (Isaiah Walker on finding fellowship within OCF).   “God wants to be involved in every single aspect of your military career because he is the reason you're there and he's the reason you're serving. So in everything you do, whether it's leading an infantry unit in combat or it's waking up and going over logistics for a mission to come about or getting up and going to PT, you know, God wants to be there. He wants you to acknowledge him. So I would just say to anyone listening—ROTC or officer Corps or military period—make sure you're including Christ and every ounce of your military specialty” (Isaiah Walker’s key takeaway from the conversation). “When a new person shows up to your group, it may be such a big leap for them to show up or to have even come at all to even contacted you. So be there for them. Take interest in them as much as you can with how many people you're already taken care of. When people feel that you care about them, that's when they'll continue to show up for you” (Lindsey Bowen on making new people feel welcome to your small group).

As Isaiah approaches the presence of God his inadequacy and sin begin to manifest in an overwhelming way. We learn about how God responds to us when we retreat from his presence. We see how God has a strong desire to cleanse us and make us feel worthy to be in his presence.

Medicine for the Weary Soul - Isaiah 40:26-31 Eric Price What is the medicine for a weary soul? As Isaiah reminds us to "lift our eyes" he is encouraging a discouraged and worn out people where to look for renewed strength to keep doing the good work of ministry.

As Isaiah brings hope after judgment, he gives us great information on God's character and Jesus' second coming. Isaiah 40:1-17,18-31;Isa 41:1-16 enduringword.com, Henry Morris. Biblical Basis for Modern Science, Baker Book House, 1985, p. 73,blb.org #everydaychristians

Isaiah 42:1–4, 6–7 Psalm 29:1–4, 9–10 Acts 10:34–38 Matthew 3:13–17 Jesus presents himself for baptism in today’s Gospel not because He is a sinner, but to fulfill the word of God proclaimed by His prophets. He must be baptized to reveal that He is the Christ (“anointed one”)—the Spirit-endowed Servant promised by Isaiah in today’s First Reading. His baptism marks the start of a new world, a new creation. As Isaiah prophesied, the Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove—as the Spirit hovered over the face of the deep in the beginning (see Genesis 1:2). As it was in the beginning, at the Jordan also the majestic voice of the Lord thunders above the waters. The Father opens the heavens and declares Jesus to be His “beloved son.” God had long prepared the Israelites for His coming, as Peter preaches in today’s Second Reading. Jesus was anticipated in the “beloved son” given to Abraham (see Genesis 22:2, 12, 26), and in the calling of Israel as His “first-born son” (see Exodus 4:22–23). Jesus is the divine son begotten by God, the everlasting heir promised to King David (see Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14). He is “a covenant of the people [Israel]” and “a light to the nations,” Isaiah says. By the new covenant made in His blood (see 1 Corinthians 11:25), God has gathered the lost sheep of Israel together with whoever fears Him in every nation. Christ has become the source from which God pours out His Spirit on Israelites and Gentiles alike (see Acts 10:45). In Baptism, all are anointed with that same Spirit, made beloved sons and daughters of God. Indeed, we are Christians—literally “anointed ones.” We are the “sons of God” in today’s Psalm—called to give glory to His name in His temple. Let us pray that we remain faithful to our calling as His children, that our Father might call us what he calls His Son—“my beloved . . . in whom I am well pleased.”

In Isaiah 49, Isaiah focuses on the weapon of the Servant, which is His Word. Cyrus conquered with the sword, while the Servant will conquer with His Word. As Isaiah looks toward the Messianic age, he focuses not on earthly things, but spiritual things, namely salvation from spiritual bondage, not just physical oppression. The ends of the earth shall find eternal hope in the Word of the Servant.

As Isaiah prophesies beyond the 8th Century, he looks to a time when the people of Israel will need comfort, truth, and justice. Israel failed mightily as the servant of God, which is why they need another. Isaiah 42 looks to the Servant who will rule the whole world with justice and equity. He will not be like other kings who rule with violence and arrogance, but will rule with gentleness and humility. Jesus Christ is the just servant who is given to the covenant people and is a light to the Gentiles.

Tabernacles is the theological and cultural setting of the incarnation of Jesus, the eternal Son of the eternal God. He came by way of a supernatural miraculous conception and very humble birth. As Isaiah prophesied, He would be born of a virgin and be known as Immanuel – God with us! As glorious and exciting as this was, it spelled trouble for the young woman named Miriam (Mary), who was a virgin betrothed to Joseph. In this short teaching we will take a closer look into Miriam’s (Mary’s) calling to conceive and bear the eternal Son of the eternal God.

Archives Listen to the Prayer Audio:PRAYER FOCUS: CROSSING THE BRIDGE FROM IMPURITY TO PURITY BY DECREEING AND DECLARING THAT THE BLOOD OF YESHUAH HAS CLEANSED AND PURIFIED US!Heavenly Father,Under Your Protective Love we come as Your warriors to do battle to spread Your Kingdom here in the United States of America and throughout the earth! Through the Protection of Your Heavenly Host keep us off the enemy’s radar and scramble all of his frequencies and his attempts to interfere in our sacred time together.  Let all confusion, rebellion, iniquity and chaos and sin remain in his camp as we are followers of Your Son, Yeshuah our Messiah and Lord. We know we are purified and made worthy to worship and give you glory because of the Blood that has made atonement for us and made us a new creation to fulfill Your Plans for us to be Your Family as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever!Father, as we meditate and consume Your Word we are in a time of Visitation with You!  That Your Joy is to be one with us as You are with Your Son and because of Him we are now assured of Your everlasting Love for us.  You cherish each of us a special treasure that You have created in earthen vessels and You hold us in the Palm of Your Hands.  We are so grateful that You have called us and made us for such a time as this. We are grateful for pour past and our heritage of Faith that has been passed on to us by the generations who have sacrificed to pass on to us this great nation under You as the only and true God we worship.  No other false god or religious ideas matter to us but You, O Lord!   Forgive us for foolishly allowing other religions and ideals creep into put us in the turmoil we endure in our day.  Lord we say Enough.  The United States of America is Yours and we look to You O Lord to make us one nation under You with Liberty and Justice for all!Father, we repent on behalf of ourselves and any who have foolishly spoke words of mockery, insult and slander against the anointed You have given to lead us during these days of change and return to what America was established to be and do!  Lord we intercede for President Trump, his wife and family and all who are aligned with him in his administration and all elected officials who in righteousness walk with him to push forward Your Plan for us and the generations to follow!  As Isaiah the prophet has send: here I am Lord send me!We are here to speak and defend the Truth and to support all that is Just and True.  Yes, Lord give President Trump the Wisdom he needs to stop the enemy’s forces among us.  That those who have been treasonous and stood for betrayal and have taken the bribe continue to be exposed and brought to Justice, no matter who they are or what political affiliation or for that matter what religious affiliation they have.  From the White House to our house we want our land purified of the filth that has been accumulated and brought about by all those who hate instead of love the Gift You have given us.O Lord we intercede for all the children, women and men who have been victims of sex trafficking and the abuse and molestation of their innocence.  Father we repent on behalf of all that they have suffered and we seek total restoration for them and a healing of all their memories and experiences so that they will feel Your Love has restored their innocence and that they are a new creation in Christ Jesus! Lord, continue to give strength and courage to all the men and women who are making a difference in these hurt ones lives by their rescuing and saving them from the clutches of these evil ones.  May the Hammer of Justice continue to smash the likes of these perverts and their lusts of the flesh which You abhor!  O Lord let Justice prevail and all those who have had any part of this on the earth receive the punishment they deserve now!  As You place before us; Choose what You want Life or Death. Goodness or Evil,

In the 18th century, Naturalists referred to beauty as that which was functional.  The 19th century Romantics said it was the sublime. Many 20th century artists just resorted to shocking people in the name of art and beauty. Art conferences and critics in the late 20th  century have shown a renewed interest in the concept of why beauty matters, increasingly using the word "beauty" again. But, the concept appears to have lost some of its meaning. What do we mean by beauty? Could the answer lay in how beauty relates to our brokenness and need for restoration? As Isaiah 61:3 says, "He gave me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning …" Download the slides: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1s0Rs8bFHJSaTwYqyXQd_0776z8kYCviJ

134 Shepherd the Flock of God A Guided Christian Meditaiton on 1 Peter 5:1-4 I’m Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God. By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes. Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Peter 5: ESV 1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. KJV 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Meditation: In scripture the church is referred to as a flock very often. There is reason for this. Sheep need to be led or they fall into danger. As Isaiah said, all we like sheep have gone astray, every one to his own way. Contemporary language uses terms like “live in your truth.” Sadly this misses the greater nuance that the Truth of God is not subjective. Our flawed understanding of eternal truth does not create a new form of truth. In isolation our ideas and morals can become based more on convenience than on eternal truth. Similarly and equally important, us humans are social creatures. Even people with introverted tendencies like myself are designed to live in communion with others. If we isolate ourselves from the flock of God we may soon find ourselves lost in diverse theology or depressed without meaningful spiritual connections to help us overcome. A coal separated from the fire soon cools. Another aspect of being part of the flock of God is that we may end up being an example and help shepherd others. We should not have the expectation that Christianity can be a vague preference or an exclusively internal experience. That is not how Jesus taught the Kingdom of God. He meant it to be a life transforming dedication. We partake of the Glory of God as we strengthen others in their walk with Christ. The truth is, we all need all the help we can get. Others need your help and you need help from others. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire f rom Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Updates: Final Question: How can you seek help as both a sheep and a shepherd? Final Thought: There is a spiritual importance with genuine human connection and we should engage in the church as much as humanly possible. If you find yourself without a solid connection to a local church you can start a search. Let God’s spirit guide you. There is profound benefits in finding wise, compassionate, and spirit filled leadership and community. Attendance at church is not the criteria that will determine entrance into heaven but there is a reason why the New Testament focuses so much on church and community building. We have so much to gain from each other, and from the wisdom of others. FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod        

Isaiah 1:1-4 As Isaiah drew closer to God, he became aware of sin, both his own and that of his people. He prophesied for decades while his country went through huge political and economic changes (e.g. Isaiah 1:7 to 2:7). Isaiah mentions many different types of sins, including: 1. Greedy leaders (56:10-11) 2. Violence (59:6-7) 3. Hypocrisy (66:3) 4. Rejecting God’s prophets (30:10-11) 5. Refusing to trust God (30:1-2) 6. Arrogance (3:9, 16) 7. Drunkenness (28:7-8) 8. Unclean speech (59:3, 13) 9. Dismissing God (17:10; 57:11) 10. Rebellion against God (22:12-13) 11. Injustice (3:14-15) 12. Idolatry (57:5-6) Isaiah 59:1-4, 7-11, 14-15 This description pulls together many threads of the people’s sin into a striking tapestry. Isaiah 1:11-15 Even amid all this sinning, the people continued with their religious duties. Isaiah 1:16-20 God appeals to His people to come and reason together. He yearns to show them favor (30:18) and to cleanse them.

In this episode, Isaiah talks about education, relocation, finance assistance/GI Bill, and transitioning out of the Navy in June. As Isaiah transitions out of the military, listen to find out where his next steps will take him. Continue Reading A Mother’s Conversation With Her Military Son

Man has always had a unique ability to fabricate his own gods. Ever since the fall, humanity has made a habit out of creating false gods to replace the one true God. Yet, as Isaiah 13:10-16 will reveal, the day is coming when God will eliminate all the false gods from the face of the earth and judge all those who have chosen to replace Him with the lifeless products of their sinful imaginations. As Isaiah continues to discuss “that day” – the coming day of God’s judgment upon the world for their rejection of Him, he paints a rather bleak picture of the consequences of that judgment. God will deal harshly, but also justly. He will simply mete out the punishment rebellious mankind deserves. No one will be able to argue with Him or deny their guilt. His judgment will be just and sure. And while we may find the descriptions of this day disturbing and difficult to reconcile with our concept of an all-loving God, it is essential that we not diminish or downplay God’s hatred for sin and His righteous obligation to deal with those who have chosen to reject His rightful place as their God.

In this episode, Brett, Brian, and Jason continue their examination of the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer by doing a Bible Study on Isaiah 6:1-8.  We should not be clamoring to be in God’s presence unless we are clamoring to be forgiven.  As Isaiah enters into God’s presence, he cries out, “Woe is me!”  When God hides himself in human flesh, he redeems us.  The reason why we are not consumed by God’s holiness now is because of the blood of the Lamb.

We’re continuing our series in the Sermon on the Mount.  I’ve spent a lot of time in fear, trepidation, and prayer over these last two messages.  Last week we talked about lust and adultery, and that was really easy, so we decided to build on that and now we’re going to talk about divorce, remarriage, and oaths.  Did you come to hear from the Lord today?  I hope you did, because as much as I’ve wrestled with this passage, I feel like there’s freedom that Jesus wants to bring.  As Isaiah (50:4) said, my prayer has been along that I’d have the tongue of one instructed that I might have a word for the wounded today.  That’s my heartbeat.  Jesus, would you help us as we wrestle with your Scripture and your words.  Lord, I pray against the enemy’s voice of condemnation in the hearts and minds of your people here today.  God, may they not confuse condemnation with the conviction that your Spirit wants to bring because of your kindness that leads to repentance and to life.  Lord, let us not confuse the enemy’s condemnation with your conviction.  We want your words over our hearts and our lives that we might walk in your life and in your freedom.  And all God’s people said. . . . Amen. The year was 1773.  There were boats sitting in the Boston’s harbor, Griffin’s Wharf, just waiting to bring in 342 chests of British tea.  You know the story?  Where roughly a hundred colonists jumped on those boats and they unloaded, over the next three hours, 90,000 pounds of tea into the Boston harbor.  It was the first act of defiance that the American colonists perpetrated against the motherland of Great Britain.  It effectively began the Revolutionary War.  That war commenced a year later, but it was that act of ‘we don’t want any taxation without representation so we’re going to throw your tea into the ocean,’ it was THAT act, that began that war that we celebrated the victory of on the Fourth of July.  We celebrated by blowing stuff up, to the glory of God, didn’t we?  Nothing quite says we love our freedom like lighting stuff on fire and blowing it up...

The book of Nehemiah begins with a fair amount of presumed knowledge. This message sets the historical context for the book and then explores the hope-filled reality of serving a God who loves doing new things! As Isaiah 43:19 says “BEHOLD, I AM DOING A NEW THING”. What new thing is God doing in your […] The post Take Courage – Nehemiah 1:1-11 appeared first on Northern Life Baptist Church.

Don't miss part 4 of our series of studies entitled 'Divine Encounters'. In this message we come to the scene of 'Isaiah In The Throne Room', depicted in Isaiah 6:1-9. As Isaiah sees the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, he comes under conviction, finds cleansing, and hears the call of God upon his life. His encounter with God changed him forever, and prepared him for ministry - and so could yours! Join us for Part 4 of this series, available at https://www.preachtheword.com now in MP3 audio and text formats...

The church’s mission picks up where Jesus left off. As Isaiah 61 puts it, the church is, “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion” (v. 2-3a). But how we can proclaim this gospel in such a way that people break down and get right with God, if we haven’t gone through that process of repentance ourselves? This consideration […]

Thunderstruck. Isaiah the prophet received a vision of God that forever changed his life. As Isaiah was given a glimpse into the unseen world, he gives us a picture of its reality and importance. Isaiah 6:1-8

As Isaiah 55 ends, the image of juniper replacing thorns is a window into a much larger picture of God's nature of restoration.

In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, we see a massive promise being fulfilled by God. God had promised throughout the Old Testament to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. During His ministry, Jesus taught about the coming Holy Spirit and made the same promise again in Acts chapter 1. The Holy Spirit was present even in the Old Testament, but His work took on a wonderful new tone under the terms of the New Covenant. This message begin an exploration of the events of Pentecost, and their implications for us who lives under the New Covenant. Unfortunately, the last 13 minutes of this sermon did not record, and during that time, we were challenged to remember that during the visions of Himself that God granted a vision of His glory to, it was not His military power, nor His physical strength, nor any other characteristic that we would figure important that drove the observers to their knees. It was His excellence of Spirit, His moral power, His holiness. As Isaiah reflected in his vision, compared to God, he was a man of unclean lips that lived with a people of unclean lips. We were also challenged to remember that we to, as followers of Jesus, and the abode of the Holy Spirit, that we too should be compelled to excellence of Spirit, and moral power, to be motivated for, and empowered to, the works that God has for us to accomplish in His authority.

The message in today's Gospel is that the Lord is so kind and so merciful, our God Is filled with compassion and forgives us for our sins. What matters to the Lord is not the past or even the future success you will have in the world, what matters to God is right now! Why did the owner of the vineyard go back to the market to hire workers? He went back because even as the sun was setting there is much work to be done. Even as your life is coming to an end, God has much work for you to do. It’s never too late to receive the reward of heaven. God is calling on each of us to work in the vineyard. There is much work to be done. Let us come to this table and seek the Lord while He may be found, And call upon him while He is still near. Let us take advantage of the Graced moment that we are about to have here at this altar. Because what we are about to receive is one of the greatest gifts that Jesus can give to us. The gift of his very self. As Isaiah concludes: “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." So trust in God and put your hope in a God who loves you greater and more profound than anything we can ever understand or fathom. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad Gods ways are not like my ways.

As Isaiah 55 progresses, we are reminded that there is both urgency and certainty in turning (for the first time) as well as returning to the Lord.

One of the most familiar stories from the life of Jesus. One of 2 miracles recorded in all four Gospels - the feeding of the 5000-the resurrection is the other miracle recorded in all four-.----The thousands come to Jesus, He doesn-t scold them or send them away. Literally, v34, His heart went out to them - He was moved in His inner being. As Isaiah wrote in chapter 53, verse 4 - Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.----Jesus teaches them. Then He feeds them. He is the Good Shepherd.

Is 58:3-10, Mt 5:13-20 The Rev. Mary Meadows preaching. It was near the end of the summer between 9th and 10th grade – between junior high and senior high. I had finished with my job teaching swimming at the local YMCA, and I wondered what I would do while waiting for school to begin. My next-door neighbor came to the rescue. “I cook for First Baptist Church at Falls Creek, a big Baptist camp. I could really use a helper. I’ll pay you – I just need you for an hour before each meal so you’ll still have time to do things with the other campers.” A paid job and I could be out of the house for a couple of weeks. Sure, why not?! I didn’t know much about Baptists at that time. I had started out life as Catholic, but my parents left the Catholic church when I was in grade school. They were frustrated with a church that did not seem to respond to the world’s needs. Then we were Unitarian for a while. But by the end of junior high, I didn’t feel I was much of anything. But this was the year when Baptists (and when I say Baptists here I am talking about Southern Baptists – there wasn’t much else in Oklahoma!) were making popular a bumper sticker exclaiming, “I found it!” a reference to finding Jesus Christ as a personal savior. My family was more likely to tout the response bumper sticker that said, “I never lost it.” Nonetheless, with not much worry and only a mild admonition from my parents to, “Have fun – but try not to get saved,” I headed off to the borderland between Oklahoma and Texas for a summer camp. Other than having to get up earlier than most of the other campers to help in the kitchen before breakfast, the camp felt mostly like camp. Well, let me clarify. It wasn’t camp like “camping” - the kind my Girl Scouts did in cabins or tents. No this was “camping” in a huge barrack-like building amid other huge barrack-like buildings owned by other large churches. And there was an awful lot of God talk. Bible studies in the morning where I learned such things as, “If you are lukewarm for God, God is going to spit you out – just like the whale spit out Jonah.” And there were the church services in the evening – a revival type feeling. But there was also lots of singing, with songs like, “Wherever he leads I’ll go” and “It only takes a spark to get the fire burning,” (when Pass It On was a relatively new song). Since I liked to sing, it was enough to carry me through most of the God-talk. That is, until someone found out I wasn’t saved. I don’t know if you have ever been witnessed to, but it is a little intimidating. Everyone suddenly wants to share with you about his or her personal relationship with Jesus Christ and how you can have that relationship to if you only give your life up to him. They can pounce on you at any moment. And it sometimes felt like an inquisition. “Do you believe in Jesus?” “Sure, I believe Jesus was a real person,” I responded (we had been Unitarian after all). “Do you believe what Jesus said?” “Probably.” “Did you know Jesus said you had to be saved?” “Show me where Jesus said it.” Well, that would send them scrambling through their Bible – apparently, they weren’t used to having to prove things, and I was safe until the next person decided to try a hand at witnessing. One memorable counselor tried a sympathetic approach. “I know it’s hard for you to understand this since Catholics are not Christian.” Let’s just call that one a complete fail. But more troubling than being witnessed to was that I just didn’t see that much of a difference in the behavior of those who were “saved” and the usual behavior of teenagers. There was still teasing, catty remarks, and judgments (like rating girls on the way to the pool – yes, boys and girls swam separately). And there didn’t seem to be any focus on changing behavior. Rather, the focus was on confessing your sins and God would forgive you. I had the sense that many assumed that since you could ask forgiveness later, it didn’t matter what you did. And that made no sense to me. Even at 15, I was pretty sure that if there was a God, your faith in that God should probably make a difference in how you lived your life. So, I was even more confused when I overheard a couple of camp leaders talking about my 7th grade Social Studies teacher. One of the leaders acknowledged, “She is such a good person.” But the other answered, “Yes, but too bad she’s not a Christian.” I found these words jarring. First, how would they know whether she was Christian, and second, wouldn’t it be better to be a good person then a person claiming to be Christian but having a faith that didn’t matter? My imponderable questions were left unanswered and I managed to escape the camp unscathed and unsaved. Yet here I am today, preaching! . . . A few things may have happened since then. And to my great joy, today we begin with the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah is speaking to a people in Exile. The City of Jerusalem is in ruins and the temple has been destroyed. The Israelites have been determined to win back God’s favor and we know from Zechariah that for 70 years following the destruction of Jerusalem the Israelites fasted on the 5th and 7th months of each year. But their ritual fast has been to no avail and so they call out to God, “Why do we fast and you do not see!” The Israelites felt abandoned by God and cannot understand how their pious behavior had not returned them to God’s favor. Isaiah, however, understands the limits of the ritual. He understands that true fasting is an attempt to align one’s priorities to the will of God. But the Israelites’s fasting aligned priorities to themselves. “We’re the victims, here. God, why have you abandoned us? Save us God. Do right by us, God!” While the people have mastered the ritual aspects of the law they have completely ignored the ethical demands of it. Isaiah reminds them of God’s true fast: Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Isaiah reminds the Israelites – reminds us, that worshiping God and being in right relationship with God requires that we give ourselves to the work of God in this world. In other words, unlike what I heard and saw at the Baptist Camp oh so many years ago, faith requires behavior that is aligned with God. Some commentators view this passage as an “if” “then” type of proposal. IF you fast in this way – THEN God will see you and answer you. But an “if” “then” proposition suggests God “rewards” our good behavior by turning God’s face to us. But I believe God is present – the issue is more about the ability to see God’s presence. An epiphany of sorts. So, I read this passage as more of a “when” “then” proposition. WHEN we are actively engaged in the social and economic reform that God calls us to – feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked – THEN our “light shall break forth like the dawn and our healing shall spring quickly. We will call and the LORD will answer. We will cry for help and God will say, `Here I am.’” In other words, it is in doing the work of God in this world that we will know and understand God’s presence. Matthew reminds us of this light imagery in the passage in this continuation of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount – you remember, the bumper sticker beatitudes Luke led us through last week. In this week’s passage, Jesus tells the people gathered that when they (and we assume also us), live in the way of those beatitudes, we are the salt of earth and light to the world. Not very glamorous, is it? After all, salt is cheap and readily available to us and enhances most of what we eat. Anyone who has been on a low-sodium diet can attest to the difference a little salt makes. And light – we live in a light-saturated if not light-polluted environment. Light is everywhere. But light and salt share a couple of characteristics. We perceive each primarily through our senses. We know salt through our sense of taste. We experience light through our sense of sight. But while we know salt and light through our senses, neither is the primary object of our perception. We don’t cook a meal of salt or eat salt on its own (although my daughter has been known to try). Instead, we use a very small amount of salt to enhance the flavor of what we are eating. Likewise, while we can see light, our purpose in turning on the light is to better see what is around us. Jesus tells us we are salt of the earth – don’t dilute the flavor we bring to the table with impurities. We are light of the world – don’t hide the light. Indeed, Jesus says the light cannot be hidden. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Jesus’s listeners, who lived in the context of Roman domination, would likely have known that Rome saw itself as the “light to the world.” By telling people a city on a hill cannot be hidden, Jesus is effectively saying that it is us, doing God’s work in this world who are the true light, not the rulers of the world who’s actions are contrary to God’s call for justice. So how are we, in this time and place, to live out this call to be salt of the earth – light of the world? Because we are all more aware of the darkness in this world than ever before. The hateful vitriol that has taken over civil and political discourse in this country has only further fed the violence in this world. In just this past week alone, six Muslims were killed and eight wounded in a Mosque in Quebec City last Sunday night – the accused a self-described ultra nationalist white supremacist. On Tuesday, the JCC/YMCA in Toledo received a bomb threat – one of 17 across the nation to JCCs. According to the Jewish Federation, over 60 bomb threats have been received by JCCs across the country since January 1. Meanwhile, children, like four-month old Fatima from Iran, may not live because they are banned from the country that could provide the life-giving surgery they desparately need. But in the midst of this hatred and violence, there is light. Last month, the police in Whitefish, Montana nailed a mezuzah on the door of the police station in a sign of solidarity with the Jewish community facing the threat of a neo-Nazi march. The Reverend John Edgerton, a UCC minister service Old South Church in Boston publically voiced his objections to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act to his senator – and was arrested. Last weekend, Sylvania UCC turned out 30 strong to work with others at Christ Presbyterian to pack meals for those who are hungry in our community. More recently, educators responding to the anxiety and concerns of their students held a One Sylvania: Rally for Refugees last Wednesday where the overwhelming message from faith and community leaders was love and welcome. Our own Pastor Luke shared his passion for the God of Abraham, the God of Jesus, who calls us to love. Pastor Sam banded with other faith leaders seeking unity in the area in response to the violence. One response of this group has come from the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo who invites all to join them at the Center for “a prayer of peace, love and serenity,” as an expression of gratitude for the outpouring of support they have received. Their invitation sends out the prayer, “May fear be replaced with faith and worries be transmuted into peace.” And the Canadian government’s response to the violence at the Mosque? Ontario has agreed to open its borders to provide life-saving surgeries for children like Fatima. The Canadian health minister noted, “I felt, particularly in light of the occurrences in the past week … in Quebec, that Canadians and Ontarians would feel comfortable and confident in expressing our openness.” How will you live out your worship as salt and life in this world? Maybe it is as simple as showing up for the Polar Bash on the 18th to show welcome to our Syrian neighbors. Maybe you participated on the March in Washington and continue to make your voice heard in Washington with phone calls to express opposition to people and laws that will oppress the most vulnerable in this world. Maybe you show up to school every day and shine God’s love through the way you value each of your students. Maybe you operate your business with integrity and respect, valuing each customer. Maybe you see your job, whether as a maintenance engineer, a doctor, a microbiologist, a lawyer, a nurse, a firefighter, a barrista, or security personnel as a way to serve God. And maybe, you who are retired, are finding new ways to engage in the world in a manner that allows you to shine God’s love. Jesus did not say you are becoming salt and light. Jesus said you ARE salt and light. Indeed, there is an implicit command in his words: BE salt of the earth. BE light of the world As Isaiah tells us, “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.” Be salt. Be light!

Can you imagine a life in which the assumptions you have always operated with no longer apply? A world where oppressive mechanisms have become so weakened that they no longer squash people. Where the tried and true approaches of using force to achieve security likewise no longer work. A world where values of love, care and compassion arbitrate outcomes! As Isaiah dreams of this world he can only express it in terms of a new heaven and a new earth! Let's dream with Isaiah...

The holiness of God leads to the believer to a right view of himself and a right view of God, that God is holy and we are wretched. As Isaiah proclaimed, "Woe is me!" May the holiness of God lead us to humility before him.

From the very beginning of time, throughout the biblical record, and on into the writing of the Early Church Fathers we encounter the idea of two ways that we can chose to live our lives. Throughout Church history this has always been the foundation of our faith. From the beginning of time, however, there has always been a counter voice, either denying or downplaying the distinction of these two ways, and in today’s world this distinction has become so blurred that to even mention it is to reap ridicule. As Isaiah prophesied, the day has come where what is good is called evil, and what is evil is called good. So what are these two ways? This is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.

After 70 years of captivity, the punishment of the Israelites had come to an end. As Isaiah had prophesied, King Cyrus was the instrument of God and commanded that the Jews return to their homeland. The Jews were to return … Continue reading → The post The Great Story – Week 19: The Return appeared first on Call Upon The Lord.

John the Baptist, the one anointed by God to be the the harbinger of the coming Messiah. As Isaiah 40.3 foretold “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”. Our Lord described John as being particularly special “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist”. Yet John was a humble man whose sole mission in life was to glorify the Coming One. May each of us live in like manner to glorify the Lord Jesus through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit. When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

As Isaiah wrote the first part of his book, disaster had not yet come to the nation. People had grown tired of Isaiah's warnings & his constant talk of their need of repentance & a return to God. But Isaiah wrote the 2nd half of his book to the people who'd be taken away to Babylon. And in captivity they would not need to hear about judgment, because they'd be living it. They would not need to be reminded of their sins; they'd be experiencing the consequences on a daily basis. There were 3 things then that Isaiah has to say to the people.

That God cares for us, even down to the simplest details of our lives, is a basic intuition of the Biblical authors. As Isaiah reminds us, we are, vis-a-vis God, like a child in the lap of a doting mother. This does not mean that our lives are without conflict, but it does mean that we are always under the watchful eye and provident direction of our God.