POPULARITY
6 episodes with isaiahs
67 episodes with isaiahs
60 episodes with isaiahs
3 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
4 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
3 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
18 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
2 episodes with isaiahs
9 episodes with isaiahs
4 episodes with isaiahs
Introduction (Bruce Almighty movie clip) It is possible that you are here today and are wondering how and why it is that a good God would allow some of the hard things you were forced to experience so far. Maybe you have said or identify with Bruces description of his own experience with God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, buthe'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm. If God is good, and if he is infinitely and perfectly sovereign how and why does He allow so much suffering in the world? How is it that He allows so much evil when he is the measure of all that is holy and good? There seems to be a great divide between the God we read about in our Bibles and the world we live in. What are we supposed to do with the confusion, disappointment, anger, evil, and suffering God has allowed into our lives? Is it okay to be angry with God when we suffer? I plan to answer the above questions, but we must start with the nature and character of God as He revealed Himself to Moses after 40 years in the desert as a fugitive of Egypt after he murdered one of Pharoahs guards. Moses Encounter with a Holy God Here is what you need to know about what led up to Moses experience with the burning bush. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and then to Jacob that their children would become His people; the promise was threefold and included the promise of land, the increase of their people, and that their people would eventually be a blessing to the nations. However, God also promised that they would spend years in a land where they would be afflicted (see Gen. 15:13; Exod. 12:40-41). When Moses was born, the Hebrew people had spent centuries living in Egypt. The Hebrew people were first welcomed as honored guests under Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) who was second to Pharaoh, but as the years past, so did the memory of Joseph. The Hebrews eventually became the slaves of another Pharaoh; he was so threatened by the birth rate of the Hebrews, that he implemented infanticide as the law of the land and wrote into law that every Hebrew son born was to be thrown into the Nile. Moses mother refused to murder her baby, so she kept his birth a secret until she could not do so any longer; she put baby Moses in a basket covered with tar and pitch, put him in it, and floated it down the Nile where Pharaohs daughter eventually found the basket with baby Moses whom she raised as her own. Moses grew up in Pharaohs house, but he was also aware of his roots as a Hebrew man. We know that Moses had a temper, and on two occasions, it cost him much. On one such occasion, after seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (see Exod. 2:11-12). When Moses learned that others knew that he killed the Egyptian, he fled and hid in the land of Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years of his life in Median, got married, and worked for his father-in-law Jethro. What We Learn About God Through Moses Encounter Before we can answer where or not it is okay to be angry with God, we need to consider the God who found Moses in Midian; against the backdrop of Josephs 13 years of suffering, the generations of slavery the Hebrews suffered in Egypt, and Moses 40 years in Midian. God is Holy: He is not like us. Moses approached the burning bush not only because it was weird, but because God called to him, from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! Moses response was simple: Here I am. Notice that as Moses got closer to the burning bush, God said to him, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his timeless and classic book, The Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart.[1] Now, just so that you are aware, it is not only Moses, a mere mortal human, who must remove his sandals in the presence of holiness. The seraphim whose sole purpose is worship above the throne of God are not exempt from the kind of respect and reverence that was expected of Moses in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah was invited into the throne room of Almighty God, and this is what he saw: In the year of King Uzziahs death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isa. 6:14) The great Seraphim must cover their face and their feet in the presence of a Holy God even though they have not been stained by sin, but because they, like us, are creatures and God is the Creator. Isaiahs response before the Holy One was appropriate: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Moses response was not only to remove his sandals, but to hide his face, for he was afraid to look at God (v. 6). Why? Because God is holy, and we are not. God is not like us. God is Omniscient: He sees the big picture. When we come to verse 6, God let Moses who it was that was speaking to him: I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And just as God was intimately acquainted with the lives of Moses forefathers, He was aware of the suffering of Moses kinsmen in Egypt: I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings (v. 7). When the Hebrews entered into Egypt, they were the size of a small clan, but after hundreds of years in Egypt, they had become the size of a small nation. When Moses fled to Midian, he was a 40-year-old used to royalty; the Moses who stood before the burning bush was any eighty-year-old shepherd. What the Hebrews did not understand, and what Moses could not have fathomed was that God was using the ugly, the hard, and the pain for something far greater than they could have imagined. God was aware of their suffering all along, and now in that moment was the right time to, rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... (v. 8) just as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. So, God said to Moses: And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt (v. 10). To which, Moses appropriately responded: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that the Hebrews could see was their slavery and suffering; all that Moses could see was his failures and incompetence. What God saw was that He alone can use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31). What God saw was that His timing was infinitely better because He saw the big picture. God is Faithful: He keeps His promises. Remember that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were surrounded by an Egyptian culture that worshiped Egyptian gods who were not gods, but demons (see Deut. 32:17). Moses questioned what name he was to give to the Hebrew slaves if they were to ask Who it was that sent Moses to deliver them (v. 13). Here is Gods answer: And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you (v. 14). Then God continued: This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me (v. 15). In other words, God told Moses: You tell them that Yahweh sent you! At the heart of Gods answer are four facts about His nature for why the Israelites should believe the He could and would deliver them: Yahweh is self-existent and not dependent. God was unlike the Egyptian gods who were created by their own culture. Yahweh is the Elohim over elohims. The great I AM was bigger than the plight of the Israelites as He is greater than any trouble in our own lives. Yahweh is creator and sustainer. Who wrote the Law of Thermodynamics? Who governs the laws of gravity?Who grants the Sun permission to get up in the morning? Who gave the song for the birds to sing? Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Who brings men into power, raises nations into prominence and then brings them to naught? Is it not the great I AM who keeps His covenant promises. Yahweh is unchanging. Yahweh is the great I AM whose personality does not change. He does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder. He does not change with the ideas of his devotees. He is unmovable because He does not change. Because Yahweh is unchanging, He is constant unlike the gods of the Egyptians or whatever idol we may have set up in our own heart. Yahweh is eternal. Because He is the great I AM, Yahweh will never have a beginning nor will he ever have an end. Even though the fool has said there is no God, Yahweh is absolute reality with nothing before or after Him. The great I AM does not sleep, slumber, slack off, or slip into a daydream stupor. What God told Moses is this: Moses, you tell My people that the Covenant Keeper who promised their forefathers that He would make them into a great nation, would give them land as a nation, and would make them a blessing to the nations... you tell them the Faithful and Living One sent you! God keeps His promises because He alone is faithful even when we are not. Conclusion So, the question you may still be asking is whether it is or is not okay to be angry with God? Is it okay to be angry with He who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the One who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with the One who keeps His covenant promises because He is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? As you know, God did use Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of slavery from Egypt, and He did it miraculously and profoundly. Yet, even after God delivered them, Moses found himself shepherding and leading a people who demonstrated over and over again just how faithless they really were. After their grievous sin of idolatry with the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for mercy for His people who sinned, and God granted it. In Exodus 33:17-34:9 we are given a glimpse into Moses heart as a shepherd absolutely in love with Yahweh, and in that exchange asked to see God. God told Moses that he could not see His face and live, but this is what God did say He would do: I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion (Exod. 33:19). When God did pass, He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and allowed His goodness to pass by him and when it did, Moses heard God proclaim of His goodness: The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations (Exod. 34:67). So, what does Gods goodness include? It includes His mercy, patience, faithfulness, truth, and grace. But it also includes His justice and wrath in response to sin. So, again I ask you: Is it okay to be angry with the God who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the God who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with a holy God who is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? Let me reframe the question for you: If God is infinitely good and we are the ones who need to improve upon being good, do we have any right to be angry with God? Now, think about the effects anger has on a relationship. When you are angry with someone because you believe you have been wronged by that person, it interferes with communication. Anger towards a friend or a member of your family often drives a wedge between you and that person. Anger typically results in the one offended distancing himself/herself from the person who wronged them. If there is no need for God to improve, especially in being good, then to suggest that it is okay to be angry with Him is to suggest that it is okay to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to visit while suffering or confused why God would allow you to suffer; verses 8-9 say the following: The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. Again in Psalm 145:17-18, The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. I have head Christians and Pastors console the suffering and confused: It is okay to be angry with God. To which I ask, How is it okay to be angry with He who is infinitely holy, how is it okay to be angry with Him who sees all while my vision is limited, how is it okay to be angry with the Almighty whose faithfulness has been proven time and time again while my faithfulness has been found wanting more than I count? Listen dear friend, not only are we not given permission in all of Scripture to be angry with God, but we also have no right to be angry with Him. Here is what is permitted and even expected by God: We can be confused, frustrated, and even hurt emotionally. If God is infinitely good, which He is, then we can run to Him with our confusion, we can run to Him with our frustration, and we can run to Him with our wounded and bleeding hearts knowing that even though we cant see His goodness in and through our pain, we can trust that He is still good and will turn it around in His way and in His time for His glory and our good! After Moses experienced the goodness of God when His glory passed by while he was in the cleft of the rock, Moses responded on behalf of the sins of Israel: If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession (Exod. 34:9). Dear brothers and sisters, if your faith and trust is in Jesus as proof of Gods infinite goodness, then my plea to you is not to run from Him in anger but to him with all your pain, confusion, and frustration. Run to the God of Romans 8:28-32, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? [1] Sproul, R.C., The Holiness of God (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 1998), 39.
Introduction (Bruce Almighty movie clip) It is possible that you are here today and are wondering how and why it is that a good God would allow some of the hard things you were forced to experience so far. Maybe you have said or identify with Bruces description of his own experience with God: God is a mean kid sitting on an anthill with a magnifying glass, and I'm the ant. He could fix my life in five minutes if He wanted to, buthe'd rather burn off my feelers and watch me squirm. If God is good, and if he is infinitely and perfectly sovereign how and why does He allow so much suffering in the world? How is it that He allows so much evil when he is the measure of all that is holy and good? There seems to be a great divide between the God we read about in our Bibles and the world we live in. What are we supposed to do with the confusion, disappointment, anger, evil, and suffering God has allowed into our lives? Is it okay to be angry with God when we suffer? I plan to answer the above questions, but we must start with the nature and character of God as He revealed Himself to Moses after 40 years in the desert as a fugitive of Egypt after he murdered one of Pharoahs guards. Moses Encounter with a Holy God Here is what you need to know about what led up to Moses experience with the burning bush. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and then to Jacob that their children would become His people; the promise was threefold and included the promise of land, the increase of their people, and that their people would eventually be a blessing to the nations. However, God also promised that they would spend years in a land where they would be afflicted (see Gen. 15:13; Exod. 12:40-41). When Moses was born, the Hebrew people had spent centuries living in Egypt. The Hebrew people were first welcomed as honored guests under Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) who was second to Pharaoh, but as the years past, so did the memory of Joseph. The Hebrews eventually became the slaves of another Pharaoh; he was so threatened by the birth rate of the Hebrews, that he implemented infanticide as the law of the land and wrote into law that every Hebrew son born was to be thrown into the Nile. Moses mother refused to murder her baby, so she kept his birth a secret until she could not do so any longer; she put baby Moses in a basket covered with tar and pitch, put him in it, and floated it down the Nile where Pharaohs daughter eventually found the basket with baby Moses whom she raised as her own. Moses grew up in Pharaohs house, but he was also aware of his roots as a Hebrew man. We know that Moses had a temper, and on two occasions, it cost him much. On one such occasion, after seeing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand (see Exod. 2:11-12). When Moses learned that others knew that he killed the Egyptian, he fled and hid in the land of Midian. Moses spent the next 40 years of his life in Median, got married, and worked for his father-in-law Jethro. What We Learn About God Through Moses Encounter Before we can answer where or not it is okay to be angry with God, we need to consider the God who found Moses in Midian; against the backdrop of Josephs 13 years of suffering, the generations of slavery the Hebrews suffered in Egypt, and Moses 40 years in Midian. God is Holy: He is not like us. Moses approached the burning bush not only because it was weird, but because God called to him, from the midst of the bush and said, Moses! Moses! Moses response was simple: Here I am. Notice that as Moses got closer to the burning bush, God said to him, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. What made the ground holy? The presence of God made it holy. As R.C. Sproul wrote in his timeless and classic book, The Holiness of God: God alone is holy in Himself. Only God can sanctify something else. Only God can give the touch that changes it from the commonplace to something special, different, and apart.[1] Now, just so that you are aware, it is not only Moses, a mere mortal human, who must remove his sandals in the presence of holiness. The seraphim whose sole purpose is worship above the throne of God are not exempt from the kind of respect and reverence that was expected of Moses in the presence of the Holy One. Isaiah was invited into the throne room of Almighty God, and this is what he saw: In the year of King Uzziahs death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isa. 6:14) The great Seraphim must cover their face and their feet in the presence of a Holy God even though they have not been stained by sin, but because they, like us, are creatures and God is the Creator. Isaiahs response before the Holy One was appropriate: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Moses response was not only to remove his sandals, but to hide his face, for he was afraid to look at God (v. 6). Why? Because God is holy, and we are not. God is not like us. God is Omniscient: He sees the big picture. When we come to verse 6, God let Moses who it was that was speaking to him: I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And just as God was intimately acquainted with the lives of Moses forefathers, He was aware of the suffering of Moses kinsmen in Egypt: I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings (v. 7). When the Hebrews entered into Egypt, they were the size of a small clan, but after hundreds of years in Egypt, they had become the size of a small nation. When Moses fled to Midian, he was a 40-year-old used to royalty; the Moses who stood before the burning bush was any eighty-year-old shepherd. What the Hebrews did not understand, and what Moses could not have fathomed was that God was using the ugly, the hard, and the pain for something far greater than they could have imagined. God was aware of their suffering all along, and now in that moment was the right time to, rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... (v. 8) just as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. So, God said to Moses: And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt (v. 10). To which, Moses appropriately responded: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? All that the Hebrews could see was their slavery and suffering; all that Moses could see was his failures and incompetence. What God saw was that He alone can use the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31). What God saw was that His timing was infinitely better because He saw the big picture. God is Faithful: He keeps His promises. Remember that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were surrounded by an Egyptian culture that worshiped Egyptian gods who were not gods, but demons (see Deut. 32:17). Moses questioned what name he was to give to the Hebrew slaves if they were to ask Who it was that sent Moses to deliver them (v. 13). Here is Gods answer: And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: I AM has sent me to you (v. 14). Then God continued: This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me (v. 15). In other words, God told Moses: You tell them that Yahweh sent you! At the heart of Gods answer are four facts about His nature for why the Israelites should believe the He could and would deliver them: Yahweh is self-existent and not dependent. God was unlike the Egyptian gods who were created by their own culture. Yahweh is the Elohim over elohims. The great I AM was bigger than the plight of the Israelites as He is greater than any trouble in our own lives. Yahweh is creator and sustainer. Who wrote the Law of Thermodynamics? Who governs the laws of gravity?Who grants the Sun permission to get up in the morning? Who gave the song for the birds to sing? Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? Who brings men into power, raises nations into prominence and then brings them to naught? Is it not the great I AM who keeps His covenant promises. Yahweh is unchanging. Yahweh is the great I AM whose personality does not change. He does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder. He does not change with the ideas of his devotees. He is unmovable because He does not change. Because Yahweh is unchanging, He is constant unlike the gods of the Egyptians or whatever idol we may have set up in our own heart. Yahweh is eternal. Because He is the great I AM, Yahweh will never have a beginning nor will he ever have an end. Even though the fool has said there is no God, Yahweh is absolute reality with nothing before or after Him. The great I AM does not sleep, slumber, slack off, or slip into a daydream stupor. What God told Moses is this: Moses, you tell My people that the Covenant Keeper who promised their forefathers that He would make them into a great nation, would give them land as a nation, and would make them a blessing to the nations... you tell them the Faithful and Living One sent you! God keeps His promises because He alone is faithful even when we are not. Conclusion So, the question you may still be asking is whether it is or is not okay to be angry with God? Is it okay to be angry with He who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the One who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with the One who keeps His covenant promises because He is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? As you know, God did use Moses to lead the Hebrews out of the bondage of slavery from Egypt, and He did it miraculously and profoundly. Yet, even after God delivered them, Moses found himself shepherding and leading a people who demonstrated over and over again just how faithless they really were. After their grievous sin of idolatry with the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God for mercy for His people who sinned, and God granted it. In Exodus 33:17-34:9 we are given a glimpse into Moses heart as a shepherd absolutely in love with Yahweh, and in that exchange asked to see God. God told Moses that he could not see His face and live, but this is what God did say He would do: I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion (Exod. 33:19). When God did pass, He hid Moses in the cleft of a rock, and allowed His goodness to pass by him and when it did, Moses heard God proclaim of His goodness: The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations (Exod. 34:67). So, what does Gods goodness include? It includes His mercy, patience, faithfulness, truth, and grace. But it also includes His justice and wrath in response to sin. So, again I ask you: Is it okay to be angry with the God who is Holy and infinitely unlike us creatures? Is it okay to be angry with the God who sees and knows all things perfectly? Is it okay to be angry with a holy God who is faithful while we are faithless time and time again? Is it okay to be angry with Yahweh who is Almighty God? Let me reframe the question for you: If God is infinitely good and we are the ones who need to improve upon being good, do we have any right to be angry with God? Now, think about the effects anger has on a relationship. When you are angry with someone because you believe you have been wronged by that person, it interferes with communication. Anger towards a friend or a member of your family often drives a wedge between you and that person. Anger typically results in the one offended distancing himself/herself from the person who wronged them. If there is no need for God to improve, especially in being good, then to suggest that it is okay to be angry with Him is to suggest that it is okay to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to visit while suffering or confused why God would allow you to suffer; verses 8-9 say the following: The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. Again in Psalm 145:17-18, The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. I have head Christians and Pastors console the suffering and confused: It is okay to be angry with God. To which I ask, How is it okay to be angry with He who is infinitely holy, how is it okay to be angry with Him who sees all while my vision is limited, how is it okay to be angry with the Almighty whose faithfulness has been proven time and time again while my faithfulness has been found wanting more than I count? Listen dear friend, not only are we not given permission in all of Scripture to be angry with God, but we also have no right to be angry with Him. Here is what is permitted and even expected by God: We can be confused, frustrated, and even hurt emotionally. If God is infinitely good, which He is, then we can run to Him with our confusion, we can run to Him with our frustration, and we can run to Him with our wounded and bleeding hearts knowing that even though we cant see His goodness in and through our pain, we can trust that He is still good and will turn it around in His way and in His time for His glory and our good! After Moses experienced the goodness of God when His glory passed by while he was in the cleft of the rock, Moses responded on behalf of the sins of Israel: If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession (Exod. 34:9). Dear brothers and sisters, if your faith and trust is in Jesus as proof of Gods infinite goodness, then my plea to you is not to run from Him in anger but to him with all your pain, confusion, and frustration. Run to the God of Romans 8:28-32, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? [1] Sproul, R.C., The Holiness of God (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers; 1998), 39.
Jim, Francey and Kathy are joined by Larry Lowe and Natalie Mason - parents of Missing Young Adult, Isaiah Lowe, 21 years old. Please get the word out and if you hear or see him or his car please call 911. Here is a link to Isaiahs missing persons Instagram for more information: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFVpvsLOFs8/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
True peace is not obtained simply in the absence of conflict. Pastor Sean continues our advent series as we discover what Isaiahs prophetic words meant in chapter 9 verse 6 calling Jesus the "Prince of Peace"In this we explore three types of peace—upward (with God), inward (within ourselves), and outward (with others)—this message encourages us to actively pursue peace during the Advent season through prayer, reflection, and reconciliation.
The birth of a child is a story of new beginnings. Not only for the baby born but also for the family unit. (A new start how exciting!) Similarly, the prophet Isaiah foretells the birth of a child who will usher in a new day of peace, hope and salvation. It will be a day of new beginnings where war, hatred and oppression will be overcome and a pure day of joy, hope and reconciliation will be established through the efforts of the Royal King. Later we hear from Matthew the exciting news that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiahs vision. Indeed, Jesus becomes the Prince of Peace for both the greater world and our personal human journey.
This week we are once again joined by "The Phenomenal One," Isaiahs! We were originally going to check out Okada vs Omega II, but were short on time so we called an audible to Lesnar/Styles from that same year. And with it being so close to Survivor Series, this felt like a good option! We also get into some of the latest WWE, NJPW, and AEW news. Hope you enjoy! Chapters: Intro: 00:00 Some news: 05:17 Lesnar vs Styles: 26:45 Some other wrestling topics: 49:11 Links: Wrasslin Junts (Isaiahs): https://www.instagram.com/wrasslinjunts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suplexstudies Twitter/X: https://x.com/suplexstudies Eric's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/croyts.wrath
Whoa! Another Isaiah! This week on the Third Hour Podcast, we discuss Trito-Isaiah in some depth, including the textual clues that have led most scholars to conclude that it was written by a different author than those who wrote the first two Isaiahs, the way its author's understanding of the covenant differs from his predecessors, and the milieu that influenced his work.
Gator and Eric are joined once again this week by Mr. Wrasslin Junts, Isaiahs! Our feature match of the week is a tag team spectacle from NJPW's Strong Style Evolved 2018 show. The Young Bucks took on the duo of Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi, The Golden Lovers. We also cover some recent wrestling news accross AEW, WWE, and TNA! Intro: 00:00 Corrections/Follow Up: 08:00 Bucks vs Golden Lovers: 26:15 News: 01:18:15 Isaiahs's wrestling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrasslinjunts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suplexstudies X/Twitter: https://x.com/suplexstudies
My sermon today is meant to be both helpful and hopeful. What we read in verses 7-10 is encouraging to you if your faith and trust is in Jesus Christ as the only One qualified to atone for all of your sins as the Lion and the Lamb. These verses are encouraging if you believe that Jesus while fully divine was also fully human for the purpose of living the life you could not live to die upon the cross for your sins while He was perfectly sinless, and that all the wrath of a Holy God fell upon Him in your place. If you are a Christian, you are no longer in darkness, but because of nothing you have done and everything He has done... you are light in the Lord and now able to walk as children of light. Because you are a Christian, you know Him and long for His appearing in the same manner the apostle Peter described: ...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pet. 3:8). It is because you are a Christian that there is coming a day when you also will be able to face death with the same confidence the apostle Paul did while facing death: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:7-8). This is why we can sing songs like He Who is to Come with hope and confidence: There is a day coming When the old will pass away Every wrong will be made right No darkness no night The Son will light the way There is a king coming The one who conquered death and grave No more pain and no more sorrow This hope for tomorrow Is our hope for today He who is to come Christ the Son of man Riding on the clouds with a crown upon His head Every eye will see Him With the nail scars in His hands[1] If you are a Christian, you belong to God as His beloved child (5:1) because He chose you before the foundation of the earth (1:4), He forgave and redeemed you through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus (1:7), and have been adopted as a child of God according to the good pleasure of His will (1:5). If you are a Christian, you are now alive with Jesus (2:4-5), and because you are alive with Christ, you are Gods, workmanship [poiēma], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). You Were Saved from the Wrath of God If you are a Christian, you have been saved from the wrath of an infinitely holy God! You who were once dead in your offenses and sins, walked according to the course of this world, lived in the lusts and desires of your flesh and mind, and were by nature a child of the wrath of God, stand before God as one who has been fully pardoned, forgiven, and loved because the wrath you deserved, Jesus willingly endured. This is why Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:6-7, See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. When I preached on verses 1-6, I spent a considerable amount of time explaining that these things in verse 6 include sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. Sexual immorality is any perversion of sex that has not been sanctioned to be enjoyed between a husband and a wife within the bounds of the covenant of marriage. Impurity includes any sexual sin but is not limited to sexual sins. Greed is any form of covetousness which also includes the taking of a person for sexual pleasure who does not belong to you because you are not married to that person, and this can be done physically as well as mentally. It is because of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed that the wrath of God comes. However, it is not only because of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed that the wrath of God is coming; the wrath of God comes also because of filthiness, foolish talk, and vulgar joking. Jesus said of that what comes out of your mouth is a symptom of what is in your heart: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart (Luke 6:45). In short, the wrath of God comes because of sin. In Revelation 1:18 we are told: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. What is wrath? Well, according to the dictionary, it is strong, stern, or fierce anger. Gods strong, stern, and fierce anger is provoked over sin, and we are warned about His fierce anger over sin both in the Old Testament and New Testament. For you to understand and appreciate the mercy, love, and grace of God, you must understand that sin is serious and Gods anger over sin is white hot against those guilty of it! We do not have the time for me to get exhaustive regarding the wrath of God over sin but permit me to offer you some glimpse into the explanation Gods word gives us for why He takes sin so seriously. For starters, there is only one attribute that is repeated not twice, but three times, and that attribute is the holiness of God. In Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 we encounter the holiness of God expressed in a way that no other attribute of God is expressed: And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. (Isa. 6:3) And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. (Rev. 4:8) Regarding the holiness of God, the sinless Seraphim a specific type of angel commissioned and designed for the throne room of God attribute the Almighty with a literary device by repeating three words to emphasize the holiness of God, in Scripture it is called the three-times-holy. Even the Seraphim, before the presence of God, must cover their eyes and their feet (Isa. 6:2), and Isaiahs response before the presence of the Holy One was one of cursing upon himself: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of armies (Isa. 6:5). It is of this God that the prophet Habakkuk said: Are You not from time everlasting, Lord, my God, my Holy One? Your eyes are too pure to look at evil... (Hab. 1:12a, 13a). In Nahum we are told that God is a jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies (Nah. 1:2). And when it comes to the sinfulness of the nations, we are told that all of the wicked must drink the cup of His wrath: For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; certainly all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink its dregs (Ps. 75:8). The cup of Gods wrath reserved for the wicked is the cup Jesus drank. The Son of God, the perfect sinless lamb, the Groom of the Church drank the cup of Gods wrath! The only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.... Who, for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man[2] was born to die for sinful man! In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed about the cup reserved for the wicked: And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will. He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done. (Matt. 26:39, 42). Jesus drank the cup of Gods wrath for our redemption, and He drank every last drop on the cross by becoming curse in our place: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree (Gal. 3:13). This is why Jesus said of Himself: The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things to His hand. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:35-36). Hell is how the wrath of God will be carried out, and Jesus described it as a place, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished (Mark 9:48). You Are Redeemed to Live as Children of Light However, if you are a Christian, you who were once a child of wrath are now a child of mercy, and thereby an adopted child of the Living God through the price Jesus paid by His blood. R.C. Sproul wrote of the salvation of sinners, The glory of the gospel is this: The one from whom we need to be saved is the one who has saved us. In his magnum opus, The Cross of Christ, John Stott described Christs sacrifice for our salvation this way: Divine love triumphed over divine wrath by divine self-sacrifice.[3] If you are confused as to how seriously God takes sin or how offended by your sin He was, you need not look beyond the cross on which Jesus died! The cross is the place where our redeemer bore a holy and justified wrath on our behalf where He received the ax of Gods justice in our place! Upon the cross, where Jesus was cursed in our place, He was pierced for our offenses and was crushed for our wrongdoings (Isa. 53:5). We who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ are no longer children of wrath, and because we are no longer children of wrath, we are not to become partners with those who continue to practice the very thing that the wrath of God is reserved for. Christian, you who were once darkness are a child of light. As children of light, we are to live out our new life in Christ in the following four ways: We are to walk as children of light by not partnering with the sons of disobedience (v. 7). The Greek word for partner is symmetochos which can also be translated sharer or partaker. Paul uses the same word in Ephesians 3:6 to describe how we, Gentiles, share, partake, and participate in the promise of Christ as the body of Christ. We who once were satisfied by the broken cisterns of this world, now find our satisfaction in Jesus as the Living Water (John 7:37-39). We are to walk as children of light by displaying the light of Christ (v. 8). If you are a Christian, you are no longer darkness, but sons and daughters, Light of Life (John 12:36). Jesus said of all who belong to Him: You are the light of the world.... Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:14, 16). We are to walk as children of light by displaying the fruit of our identity and union in Christ (v. 9). By walking with Christ, we will display the goodness, righteousness, and truth of Jesus for the glory of God and the good of those around us. Our life is in Jesus, and the evidence that we belong to Him is that His life will shine through our lives. Tony Merida, in his commentary on Ephesians, said it this way: Those who walk in light do good works (2:10), they live righteously (4:24), and they speak truthfully (4:15).[4] We are to walk as children of light by living lives that are pleasing to the Lord (v. 10). Our lives are not set apart to please people, but to please the One who purchased us with His blood. This is why the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body. So, whats the point? The point is simply this: You, Christian, are a child of a Holy God who poured out His wrath upon His Son so that you would not be consumed by His justice but be overwhelmed by His kindness, grace, love, and mercy through Jesus! Because you are no longer dead in your offenses and sins (2:1), you walk as one who is alive in Christ. Walk as one who has been called, out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Walk as the forgiven because, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Walk in light of your new identity because God has declared by the authority of His word: if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Cor. 5:17). You who was once dead in your sins and once walked in darkness, are awake and alive not because of anything you have done but because of everything Christ has accomplished! This is why we sing, O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be Let Thy grace Lord like a fetter Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee Prone to wander Lord I feel it Prone to leave the God I love Here's my heart Lord take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above.[5] [1] [Passion] by Cody Carnes, Kristian Stanfill, and Sean Curran [2] From the Nicene Creed [3] John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 15. [4] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 126. [5] Come Thou Fount, [Shane and Shane] by Robert Robinson and John Wyeth
My sermon today is meant to be both helpful and hopeful. What we read in verses 7-10 is encouraging to you if your faith and trust is in Jesus Christ as the only One qualified to atone for all of your sins as the Lion and the Lamb. These verses are encouraging if you believe that Jesus while fully divine was also fully human for the purpose of living the life you could not live to die upon the cross for your sins while He was perfectly sinless, and that all the wrath of a Holy God fell upon Him in your place. If you are a Christian, you are no longer in darkness, but because of nothing you have done and everything He has done... you are light in the Lord and now able to walk as children of light. Because you are a Christian, you know Him and long for His appearing in the same manner the apostle Peter described: ...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pet. 3:8). It is because you are a Christian that there is coming a day when you also will be able to face death with the same confidence the apostle Paul did while facing death: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:7-8). This is why we can sing songs like He Who is to Come with hope and confidence: There is a day coming When the old will pass away Every wrong will be made right No darkness no night The Son will light the way There is a king coming The one who conquered death and grave No more pain and no more sorrow This hope for tomorrow Is our hope for today He who is to come Christ the Son of man Riding on the clouds with a crown upon His head Every eye will see Him With the nail scars in His hands[1] If you are a Christian, you belong to God as His beloved child (5:1) because He chose you before the foundation of the earth (1:4), He forgave and redeemed you through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus (1:7), and have been adopted as a child of God according to the good pleasure of His will (1:5). If you are a Christian, you are now alive with Jesus (2:4-5), and because you are alive with Christ, you are Gods, workmanship [poiēma], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). You Were Saved from the Wrath of God If you are a Christian, you have been saved from the wrath of an infinitely holy God! You who were once dead in your offenses and sins, walked according to the course of this world, lived in the lusts and desires of your flesh and mind, and were by nature a child of the wrath of God, stand before God as one who has been fully pardoned, forgiven, and loved because the wrath you deserved, Jesus willingly endured. This is why Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:6-7, See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. When I preached on verses 1-6, I spent a considerable amount of time explaining that these things in verse 6 include sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. Sexual immorality is any perversion of sex that has not been sanctioned to be enjoyed between a husband and a wife within the bounds of the covenant of marriage. Impurity includes any sexual sin but is not limited to sexual sins. Greed is any form of covetousness which also includes the taking of a person for sexual pleasure who does not belong to you because you are not married to that person, and this can be done physically as well as mentally. It is because of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed that the wrath of God comes. However, it is not only because of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed that the wrath of God is coming; the wrath of God comes also because of filthiness, foolish talk, and vulgar joking. Jesus said of that what comes out of your mouth is a symptom of what is in your heart: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart (Luke 6:45). In short, the wrath of God comes because of sin. In Revelation 1:18 we are told: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. What is wrath? Well, according to the dictionary, it is strong, stern, or fierce anger. Gods strong, stern, and fierce anger is provoked over sin, and we are warned about His fierce anger over sin both in the Old Testament and New Testament. For you to understand and appreciate the mercy, love, and grace of God, you must understand that sin is serious and Gods anger over sin is white hot against those guilty of it! We do not have the time for me to get exhaustive regarding the wrath of God over sin but permit me to offer you some glimpse into the explanation Gods word gives us for why He takes sin so seriously. For starters, there is only one attribute that is repeated not twice, but three times, and that attribute is the holiness of God. In Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 we encounter the holiness of God expressed in a way that no other attribute of God is expressed: And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies. The whole earth is full of His glory. (Isa. 6:3) And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. (Rev. 4:8) Regarding the holiness of God, the sinless Seraphim a specific type of angel commissioned and designed for the throne room of God attribute the Almighty with a literary device by repeating three words to emphasize the holiness of God, in Scripture it is called the three-times-holy. Even the Seraphim, before the presence of God, must cover their eyes and their feet (Isa. 6:2), and Isaiahs response before the presence of the Holy One was one of cursing upon himself: Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of armies (Isa. 6:5). It is of this God that the prophet Habakkuk said: Are You not from time everlasting, Lord, my God, my Holy One? Your eyes are too pure to look at evil... (Hab. 1:12a, 13a). In Nahum we are told that God is a jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies (Nah. 1:2). And when it comes to the sinfulness of the nations, we are told that all of the wicked must drink the cup of His wrath: For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; certainly all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink its dregs (Ps. 75:8). The cup of Gods wrath reserved for the wicked is the cup Jesus drank. The Son of God, the perfect sinless lamb, the Groom of the Church drank the cup of Gods wrath! The only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.... Who, for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man[2] was born to die for sinful man! In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed about the cup reserved for the wicked: And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will. He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done. (Matt. 26:39, 42). Jesus drank the cup of Gods wrath for our redemption, and He drank every last drop on the cross by becoming curse in our place: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for usfor it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a Tree (Gal. 3:13). This is why Jesus said of Himself: The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all things to His hand. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:35-36). Hell is how the wrath of God will be carried out, and Jesus described it as a place, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished (Mark 9:48). You Are Redeemed to Live as Children of Light However, if you are a Christian, you who were once a child of wrath are now a child of mercy, and thereby an adopted child of the Living God through the price Jesus paid by His blood. R.C. Sproul wrote of the salvation of sinners, The glory of the gospel is this: The one from whom we need to be saved is the one who has saved us. In his magnum opus, The Cross of Christ, John Stott described Christs sacrifice for our salvation this way: Divine love triumphed over divine wrath by divine self-sacrifice.[3] If you are confused as to how seriously God takes sin or how offended by your sin He was, you need not look beyond the cross on which Jesus died! The cross is the place where our redeemer bore a holy and justified wrath on our behalf where He received the ax of Gods justice in our place! Upon the cross, where Jesus was cursed in our place, He was pierced for our offenses and was crushed for our wrongdoings (Isa. 53:5). We who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ are no longer children of wrath, and because we are no longer children of wrath, we are not to become partners with those who continue to practice the very thing that the wrath of God is reserved for. Christian, you who were once darkness are a child of light. As children of light, we are to live out our new life in Christ in the following four ways: We are to walk as children of light by not partnering with the sons of disobedience (v. 7). The Greek word for partner is symmetochos which can also be translated sharer or partaker. Paul uses the same word in Ephesians 3:6 to describe how we, Gentiles, share, partake, and participate in the promise of Christ as the body of Christ. We who once were satisfied by the broken cisterns of this world, now find our satisfaction in Jesus as the Living Water (John 7:37-39). We are to walk as children of light by displaying the light of Christ (v. 8). If you are a Christian, you are no longer darkness, but sons and daughters, Light of Life (John 12:36). Jesus said of all who belong to Him: You are the light of the world.... Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:14, 16). We are to walk as children of light by displaying the fruit of our identity and union in Christ (v. 9). By walking with Christ, we will display the goodness, righteousness, and truth of Jesus for the glory of God and the good of those around us. Our life is in Jesus, and the evidence that we belong to Him is that His life will shine through our lives. Tony Merida, in his commentary on Ephesians, said it this way: Those who walk in light do good works (2:10), they live righteously (4:24), and they speak truthfully (4:15).[4] We are to walk as children of light by living lives that are pleasing to the Lord (v. 10). Our lives are not set apart to please people, but to please the One who purchased us with His blood. This is why the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body. So, whats the point? The point is simply this: You, Christian, are a child of a Holy God who poured out His wrath upon His Son so that you would not be consumed by His justice but be overwhelmed by His kindness, grace, love, and mercy through Jesus! Because you are no longer dead in your offenses and sins (2:1), you walk as one who is alive in Christ. Walk as one who has been called, out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Walk as the forgiven because, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Walk in light of your new identity because God has declared by the authority of His word: if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Cor. 5:17). You who was once dead in your sins and once walked in darkness, are awake and alive not because of anything you have done but because of everything Christ has accomplished! This is why we sing, O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be Let Thy grace Lord like a fetter Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee Prone to wander Lord I feel it Prone to leave the God I love Here's my heart Lord take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above.[5] [1] [Passion] by Cody Carnes, Kristian Stanfill, and Sean Curran [2] From the Nicene Creed [3] John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 15. [4] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 126. [5] Come Thou Fount, [Shane and Shane] by Robert Robinson and John Wyeth
The scripture reference in "One Thousand and One Isaiahs" is Isaiah 6:1-8.
At the end of Isaiah 59, God promises to put the Spirit that's on Isaiah into a generation of his people. Isaiah lived by the Spirit in his day, so what does it look like to live by the Spirit in our day. In this sermon, we look at questions we should ask of a prophetic, Spirit-empowered generation.
At the end of Isaiah 59, God promises to put the Spirit that's on Isaiah into a generation of his people. Isaiah lived by the Spirit in his day, so what does it look like to live by the Spirit in our day. In this sermon, we look at questions we should ask of a prophetic, Spirit-empowered generation.
At the end of Isaiah 59, God promises to put the Spirit that's on Isaiah intro a generation of his people. Isaiah lived by the Spirit in his day, so what does it look like to live by the Spirit in our day. In this sermon we look at questions we should ask of a prophetic, Spirit-empowered generation.
At the end of Isaiah 59, God promises to put the Spirit that's on Isaiah intro a generation of his people. Isaiah lived by the Spirit in his day, so what does it look like to live by the Spirit in our day. In this sermon we look at questions we should ask of a prophetic, Spirit-empowered generation.
Everlasting Light shines forth into #planetearth upon the #nationsofmen. Here the #fruits and the #deeds are plain before the #Lord. It is time for the #Sons and #Daughters of #men-to-awaken from the #darkness and come into the #Light of the #GloryofGod. For the #Father sent His #only-begotten-Son, #Yeshua, #JesusChrist to #provideatonement for all people. Today, this same Jesus as the #Apostles saw Him go is #comingagain in the clouds. He will with fury crush the #adversaries of the #LordGod and #establishrighteousness in the #earth. For it is here that the "Lord shall be thine everlasting light" see Isaiah Sixty, verses Eighteen through twenty for context of this excerpt. #EverlastingLight
Saviour Redeemer also brings to the table important #prophetic #truths. Judgment is not what many believe for it was the very route of #judgment that #Judah although #affliction and troubles pursued her, it led to restoration with the #GodofIsrael. Herein we find #joy, #gladness, and of the voice of the #bridegroom, and of the #bride. We find that the #Lord is #merciful, and that mercy is extended through the #generationsofman. The voice of #praise and not sorrow, the #voiceofhappiness and #blessing replaces the #wilderness of #Godswrath and #judgment. The word here is #Restoration. Thus, #Isaiah says "thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob" - Isaiah 60:16. #SaviourRedeemer,#Saviour, #Redeemer, LORD
"There is a Remnant there that you know nothing about. They are obscure, unorganized, inarticulate, each one rubbing along as best he can. They need to be encouraged and braced up because when everything has gone completely to the dogs, they are the ones who will come back and build up a new society; and meanwhile, your preaching will reassure them and keep them hanging on. Your job is to take care of the Remnant, so be off now and set about it." ~ Albert Jay Nock In this reboot episode, we revisit the profound insights of the article "Isaiah's Job," exploring the timeless messages delivered by the prophet Isaiah over his fifty-year ministry to the southern kingdom of Judah. Against the backdrop of political turmoil and societal sins mirroring those of ancient times, Isaiah emerges as a unique figure, his words resonating with a powerful truth: if His chosen people won't be His, they will be no people at all. Isaiah's teachings remain relevant, urging reflection on ethical conduct, justice, and the consequences of straying from unwavering principles. His call for obedience to God's laws resonates, emphasizing the enduring importance of spiritual values and moral accountability in modern society. Check out the original article at Isaiah's Job. (Link: http://tinyurl.com/yt2dry6k) Host Links Guy on Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/yc376bff) Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann) Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible) Check out our awesome sponsors! Get 9% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE (Link: bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard) Swan: The best way to buy, learn, and earn #Bitcoin (Link: https://swanbitcoin.com) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bitcoinaudible/message
"There is a Remnant there that you know nothing about. They are obscure, unorganized, inarticulate, each one rubbing along as best he can. They need to be encouraged and braced up because when everything has gone completely to the dogs, they are the ones who will come back and build up a new society; and meanwhile, your preaching will reassure them and keep them hanging on. Your job is to take care of the Remnant, so be off now and set about it." ~ Albert Jay Nock In this reboot episode, we revisit the profound insights of the article "Isaiah's Job," exploring the timeless messages delivered by the prophet Isaiah over his fifty-year ministry to the southern kingdom of Judah. Against the backdrop of political turmoil and societal sins mirroring those of ancient times, Isaiah emerges as a unique figure, his words resonating with a powerful truth: if His chosen people won't be His, they will be no people at all. Isaiah's teachings remain relevant, urging reflection on ethical conduct, justice, and the consequences of straying from unwavering principles. His call for obedience to God's laws resonates, emphasizing the enduring importance of spiritual values and moral accountability in modern society. Check out the original article at Isaiah's Job. (Link: http://tinyurl.com/yt2dry6k) Host Links Guy on Nostr (Link: https://tinyurl.com/yc376bff) Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann) Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible) Check out our awesome sponsors! Get 9% off the COLDCARD with code BITCOINAUDIBLE (Link: bitcoinaudible.com/coldcard) Swan: The best way to buy, learn, and earn #Bitcoin (Link: https://swanbitcoin.com) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bitcoinaudible/message
City of the #LORD known also as #Zion; more specifically the Zion of the Holy One of Israel as the prophet writes in chapter sixty and verse fourteen. The city where #tribulation found its place, persecution, and many other troubles. Also related to New Jerusalem. Here the melting of the #prophecies of Israel and of the #NewJerusalem along with God's calling of the #Gentiles through the #atonement of the #Messiah #Yeshua, #JesusChrist. Herein, the enemies of the Lord are the same ones who spent their lives afflicting Israel and the Sons of God. As such we find those that "afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet" - Isaiah 60:14. Here we find that the rule of wickedness ends, the established #KingdomofourLord and God is the hope and rule of the day. The enemies of God defeated, and the #servants of the #Lord rewarded. These #SonsofGod are in that day and age of the redeeming grace and the city of the Lord, the New Jerusalem. #CityoftheLord, #NewJerusalem, #Zion, #HolyOneofIsrael
#Judgment and #Justice #Isaiahs #Prophetic Book Pt198 Battle Lines Judgment and Justice calls into the #globalnations of men as a warning. For all that they do shall be examined under the #fire of the #LordGod on that #Burning #examination when the #Lord comes. The fuel of the nations could not quench the #heat, #fire, and #wrath upon the #wicked who #refuseGod. For #theirworks shall be #burnedup with heat. Yet, despite this judgment, there are #multitudes who #servetheLord and on that #greatday, the vision of the horizon will reveal those coming with gifts to present to our #God and #King. Today the nations of men do not understand this, instead they pursue their #hatred of the #LordGod and #hischosen. The earth and the heavens will not constrain the purposes of the Lord nor his works. Neither will those #evildoers get out of their #appointment on that #greatdayofJudgment. Yet the #righteousGod shall celebrate and reward His own who will bring the #glory of the #nations unto him. #JudgmentandJustice.
House of My Glory spans a look over the plenty and the #pastoral scene of what lay ahead for #Israel. It also must bring in the #Gentiles. We see the #camels and the #flocks, along with the #Rams. Emphasis is seen here as to the #quality and where these animals come from. In #captivity, you do not gather crops. You work for your master to keep their flocks. Herein, Israel is finding the #promises as are the gentiles as to the #mercy of the #Lord towards both Israel and nations of gentiles. We also see many #sons and #daughters coming into the picture, along with gold and silver. We see #Jerusalem being rebuilt. Now this is after Cyrus delivered Israel from Babylon. In the future of Israel, however we see a complete image of the #fullnessoftheGentiles and their #redemption through the #Branch and Israel as well as she is brought nigh unto the #Lord in this #newness. It speaks of Pastoral scenes, flocks, green grasses, and a time of #newness and #plenty. The exact place where #fulness and the #JoyoftheLord abounds. These last chapters bring us into the very end of days. #HouseofMyGlory
#Gentiles shall Come #Isaiahs #Prophetic #Book Pt196 Battle Lines Gentiles shall Come is a #promise found through the many associated passages in the #OldTestament. It is further fulfilled by the #NewTestament and coming of the #MessiahJesus, #Yeshua. This particular phrase is found in #Isaiah chapter sixty and verse five, which states in the last portion of the sentence saying, " because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces [Great resources, riches, substance] of the #Gentilesshallcome unto thee." This week when looking at Isaiah and the promises given to #Israel, we find #redemptive #prophecy that mentions the Gentiles coming with the #wealth of the #nationsofmen to be used for the #glory of #God. We have other #scriptures that follow up on this which will indeed bring the #Jews, #Zion, and #Jerusalem together. Here along with the "#Nations of them that are redeemed" pour into the #Glory of the #cityofGod, Zion. #GentilesShallCome
#His #Glory Upon You #Isaiahs #Prophetic #Book Pt195 Battle Lines His Glory Upon You! Today we see that the #darknessofevil and #rebellion are upon the earth. However, one comes who shall arise upon all those who are His. The #Glory of the Lord shall then be seen upon thee. Flowing out of the #Lion of the #TribeofJudah came a #savior, #ChristJesus; #Yeshua #HaMassiach, #IESOUS #Christos; who shall bring in the #KingdomofGod to fullness. Although #grossdarkness fell upon the world and the nations of men, many have seen the #Light, for the Lord has arisen upon His people. Herein is #Hope, Health, #Healing, and the completion of our journey. This has now taken us into the very presence of the #Lord and #HisKingdom of #Righteousness and #Truth. We take a journey through #Isaiahs #Propheticbook as the #planofGod is revealed and #darkness is dispelled from among the people. #HisGloryUponYou
Redeemer Redemption Comes and with it the #Light, #Glory, and #Power of the Almighty. Here so mentioned in #Revelation chapter one, calling #Yeshua the #Almighty. The #Light of the #everlastingFather shining through the redeemer #JesusChrist as the #Resurrection and the #Life flows in power as the #Word rides through #eternity and into the world in #glory and #power. We find the connection as well to #Zion, which #Godloves and has set it as the center of prophecy with #Israel in the middle of it all. We flow through the #prophecy and the announcement finding the #Light of #redemption. #RedeemerRedemption
Our anger at situations in our world often leads us to wish for retribution. Does the gospel's call to “love our enemies” require us to look at things differently? In Luke 4, Jesus quotes most of Isaiahs prophecy from chapter 61, announcing that the year of the Lords favour has been fulfilled in him which is good news for everyone, even Israels enemies. What makes Jesus' statement interesting is what he leaves out.
Righteous Salvation is the discussion herein as the #plightofmen and nations lay in the fact, they cannot #redeem themselves. So it was with #Judah, not to forget the #tennortherntribes. Man was incapable of being #righteous without the #LordGod. It was the Lord who brought #redemption and with-it #salvation. Man could not create it, sustain it, or deliver it. It was an operation of the Lord God where #Hisrighteousness sustained him in this push to redeem the #unredeemable, for without the LORD no one could bring enough righteousness to be justified before God. It was God's work and his alone. Later in the #NewCovenant, the #armoftheLord, #Jesus #Yeshua was the #Messiah to bring this work to fullness.
Judgment and Justice bring us to part One hundred and ninety-two on this week's Isaiah' Prophetic Book. We are finding this week that a nation and its people to not bring a nation to the true judgment and justice which God requires. As Isaiah chapter fifty-nine and verse fourteen says: "And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." Surely today many nations have fallen short of any true justice or godliness. Yet there cometh one who will bring salvation to men. Join us as we delve into the end of days on Isaiah and what the book says. To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com Judgment and Justice bring a nation and a people to the #morality and truth of all who live within a nation. Whether they be saint or sinner, the #TruthofJustice lay in the Judgment of the Almighty one. This #Almighty is #Jesus, #YeshuaHaMassiach the #SonofGod, who calls himself the #Almighty in #Revelation chapter one. Herein lay the scope of #mankind, the nations of men, and the #souls thereof. Today we see #nationsofmen, as well as groups who testify to their own truth and #righteousness; yet the truth is, they lie and do not know the #truth. Corruption, Murder, and more are met head on by the #Judgment and #Justice of the #Lord #JesusChrist who will overturn #evil and establish His #Kingdom. #JudgmentandJustice
Fruits of Transgressions are not the #fruit you want in your life, your city, or nation. Herein lay the #root and #stem of the trouble. You spend your days and night #departing from the #LivingGod. To deny it, you spend your days continuing in #transgressions. But your transgressions mount up with no solution. Your #sins are #testifying against you while you know about the #iniquities you walk in as does your nation. No matter what you do, there is #nopeace with your #God. In this situation, you walk about as if you're blind. #IgnoringyourGod and #Hiswarnings to you. The fact that the #prophet uses phrases like "we grope for the wall like the blind" and "grope as if we had no eyes"; "stumble at noonday as in the night" while finally describing it finishing up with "we are in #desolateplaces as #deadmen" puts the reality on the situation. Thus, the Prophet spoke long ago and even today is relevant to the modern nations. #FruitsofTransgressions
Francis Schaeffers book, How Should We Then Live, was published in 1975. Francis Schaeffer was a theologian, philosopher, and a highly respected evangelical thinker in his day. In his book, Schaeffer shows how the decline of a society from the fall of Rome up through the twentieth century begins when that society shifts from Gods design for humans, and the rest of creation. Towards the end of his book, Schaeffer lists five attributes of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire that is true of any culture in decline; according to Schaeffer these are five signs of a society that is about to break down: A mounting love for affluence. A widening gap between the very rich and very poor with little to no middle class. An obsession with sex. Freakishness in the arts. An increased desire to live off the state. Out of our love for affluence, we as a nation are now 48.9 trillion dollars in debt with the average household debt owing to $14,241 in credit card debt, $58,112 in student loan debt, $31,142 in automobile loans, and $202,454 in mortgage debt. The middle class in America is shrinking, for it used to be that 61% of Americans made up the middle class, but that percentage has shrunk to 50% and looks as though it will continue to shrink. When it comes to an obsession with sex, very little needs to be said with the ever-increasing list of types of sexualities a person can identify with, the oversexualization of our youth, and gender reassignment. Now, in the arts, anything deviant can be passed off as art to the point where you can have Sam Smith dress up as Satan with his dancers performing promiscuous acts as part of an intentional satanic chorographic ritual for a song titled, Unholy. Sam Smiths performance was not the only deviant performance either. So, what does all of this have to do with Malachi 2:1-9? Without a right and proper fear of God, the heart becomes an idol factor that does not lead to life, but death. This is the human condition that has been our problem since Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit. The root cause for Adam and Eves rebellion was the same for the Priests Malachi addresses in 2:1-9, and it is the same for us today: The root cause for mankinds rebellion is the absence of a right and proper fear of God. The Fear of the Lord Remember how Malachi 1:6 begins: A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. The priests did not honor or fear God, and the evidence for their lack of honor and fear for God was seen in how they worshiped Him. To fully grasp just how serious the lack of fear and honor the priests had for God was, we need to understand the type of fear and honor the priests lacked. The kind of fear for God that is expected from His people is not a fear that is contrary or at odds with genuine love. A biblical fear of God is not at odds with a love for God. We do not love God in the same way you love a sunset, nor is it the same kind of love that you have for your dog. To fear God is to love and enjoy God for all that He is. It is a love that truly appreciates and honors God as infinitely perfect and overwhelmingly beautiful in his holiness, righteousness, graciousness, justice, mercy, love, and majesty. In the words of Michael Reeves: In a sense, then, the trembling fear of God is a way of speaking about the intensity of the saints love for and enjoyment of all that God is.[1] Reeves points out in his book, Rejoice Tremble, that the fear of God, is not at all what we, with our cultures allergic reaction to the very concept of fear, might expect. Instead, we can say with Spurgeon that this is the sort of fear which has in it the very essence of love, and without which there would be no joy even in the presence of God.[2] Of the fear of God, Charles Spurgeon said, It is not because we are afraid of him, but because we delight in him, that we fear before him.[3] So that you can see what I just said from the Bible, consider the following scripture passages on the fear of the Lord: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (Prov. 9:10) And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 10:12) Then you have this promise from the prophet Jeremiah concerning a New Covenant when God would address the problem with mans heart: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jer. 32:38-40) What is it that would encourage the Priests to offer sacrifices before the Lord that he said he would never delight in? How on earth could they ever consider service to Yahweh as a burden? Why would they not listen to Gods word or give honor to His name? It is because they did not fear Him. What it Means to Delight in the Lord The presence of a right fear of God and a genuine love for God is to delight in God. This is what the priests of Malachis day did not do, and it is the absence of such delight in the true God for why cultures, nations, kingdoms, and empires crumble. It is a system failure in that the One, we live and move and exist (Acts. 17:28), is not delighted in because He is ignored. In ignoring Him, we live in a society that is drinking from the broken cisterns of affluence, sex, and self-assigned identity, be it sexual or national. Because our world is fallen, it is understandable that those who do not yet know God, do not delight in Him. But it is a great evil to know who God is and chose something or someone else to take His place. Of the people that should have known the joy of what it means to delight in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it was the priests. The purpose of the priests was that they served to mediate between the people and God just as Aaron did as he walked alongside Moses. In contrast to Malachis contemporaries, God said of Levi: My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name (v. 5). Who was Levi? Levi is the ancestor of Levites from whom all the priests came. You could not serve as a priest unless you belonged to the tribe of Levi. From Levi is a history of godly men who feared God more than they feared people and were known for speaking on behalf of God to the people. Concerning those who served God out of fear and love, God said, True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity (v. 6). The priests were known for guarding knowledge and the people at one point in time knew that they could seek the priests for guidance because it was clear that the priest was a messenger of God almighty (v. 7). Why? Because the legacy of Levi was that he delighted in the Lord! The relationship Levi had with Yahweh was one where he rightly feared and loved God while he stood in awe of His name. He stood in awe of the name of God! What does it mean to stand in awe of the name of almighty God? It is a type of fear that includes reverence, pleasure, joy, and a filial fear. Filial fear is the kind of fear experienced by a son for his father as they enjoy a healthy relationship with one another without the son confusing who it is that is in authority. In many ways, I had that kind of relationship with my father; I understood that although we were very close and that I could trust him, I also understood that I could not talk back or disrespect him. The line between father and son was always clear. God is all-powerful. God is all-knowing. God is all-present. God is just, He is wise, He is love, He is so much more, and He is holy. He is the One from whom heaven and earth recoil at His presence (Rev. 20:11), and before whom the prophet Isaiah heard the angels proclaim: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! and in response to the majesty of the Almighty, Isaiah responded: Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isa. 6:3-5). Isaiahs response is what it looks like to stand in awe of God. To stand in awe of God is to understand who you are in light of who He is: Tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chron. 16:30-34) This is what the priests in Malachis day lacked, but of all the people in Jerusalem, the priests should have known better.What was true of Levis legacy was the antithesis of priests addressed here, for they were living in disobedience of the Lord. Instead of guiding the people of Israel, they were causing them to sin against the Lord. Instead of embracing the promises of God, they openly and defiantly violated the covenant of Levi. Instead of deciding cases with godly wisdom and impartiality, they showed favoritism and were unjust. Gods response to the priests disregard for His name is staggering: If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it (Malachi 2:23). The curse that God warned would come upon the priests are the curses God warned would come upon His people if they turned from Him in disobedience (see Deut. 28). The dung of the sacrifice was to be burned outside the camp of Gods people. With the threat of God to spread dung on the faces of the priests, was to say that their behavior was so repulsive to God, that they would remain ceremonially unclean and indefinitely unqualified to serve as priests. To spread dung on their faces was to cover the priests in their own shame for all to see, so God concludes: But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction (Malachi 2:89). What God wanted was the hearts of His priests, he did not need their worship. This is why His response to their lackadaisical and half-hearted worship in Malachi 1:10, Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand (Malachi 1:10). What the priests lacked was the kind of awe we read about in Isaiah 66:1-2, Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Conclusion So, what does any of this have to do with you Christian? We have a better Priest than Levi! Levi mediated the Old Covenant, but Jesus is not just any PriestHe is the High Priest of a better covenant: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Heb. 9:1114) If you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the One whom God, made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21; NASB), you are a Christian. If you are a Christian, then what is written in 1 Peter 2:9-10 is true of you: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are Gods people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:910). Jesus is our High Priest, but He is so much more! He is the Almighty and the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13). He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). Jesus is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), He is the Christ (Col. 3:15), and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26). He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11). He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the True Vine (John 15:1), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), He is the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), and He is the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1), He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, He is the Savior (Luke 2:11), and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). If Jesus is who He says He is, and you say that He is the sum of all that He is to you, then how are you living in light of His Lordship over your life? In this very moment, can you hear the Savior ask the following question directed at your heart? Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not what I tell you (Luke 6:46)? You, who are a priest before Jesus, are you listening to His words? Are you taking His life to heart? Do you stand before the Father and the Son with awe? Is your life motivated by a right fear and genuine love for the One who ransomed your soul and made you a son or a daughter? As His priests, we should be known as men and women whose lips, guard knowledge? Are you in a place in your relationship with Jesus that people are able to seek instruction from your mouth? Of those who know you, can it be said that you are a messenger of the Lord of hosts? In conclusion I leave you with two appeals from the Bible, the one is from Jesus and the other is about Jesus: From Jesus: Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. (Matthew 7:2123) From the Psalmist: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:1112) Amen. Discussion Questions: Read Malachi 2:1-9 and Deuteronomy 28 as a group. In what ways is Deuteronomy 28 similar to Malachi 2:1-9? What does it mean to delight in the Lord? Pastor Keith said in his sermon on Sunday: To fear God is to love and enjoy God for all that He is. It is a love that truly appreciates and honors God as infinitely perfect and overwhelmingly beautiful in his holiness, righteousness, graciousness, justice, mercy, love, and majesty. How is this kind of fear different than the kind fear one might experience when facing their abuser? Based on what you know so far about the priests Malachi 2:1-9 addresses, do you think the above fear was missing in their worship? God said of Levi, that he feared me. He stood in awe of my name (v. 5). What does it mean to stand in awe of Gods name (hint: Read 1 Chron. 16:30-34)? In what ways can our worship reveal how highly or lowly we esteem Gods name? According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, the Christian is a priest as representative of Jesus Christ; in what ways does Malachi 2:1-9 challenge you in light of what you read in 1 Peter 2:9-10? How does Jesus as our High Priest (Heb. 9:11-14) encourage you as you strive to follow Him? Pastor Keith listed the following names and titles of Jesus (read them to the group): Jesus is our High Priest, but He is so much more! He is the Almighty and the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13). He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). Jesus is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), He is the Christ (Col. 3:15), and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26). He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11). He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the True Vine (John 15:1), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), He is the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), and He is the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1), He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, He is the Savior (Luke 2:11), and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). In light of the above, read Luke 6:46-49. In what ways do you find Jesus words in Luke 6 challenging, frightening, or encouraging? In what ways do you believe God is challenging you so far in this Malachi series? Conclude with a time of prayer with your LIFE Group. [1] Michael Reeves, Rejoice Tremble (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2021); p. 52. [2] Ibid, p. 50. [3] Ibid.
Francis Schaeffers book, How Should We Then Live, was published in 1975. Francis Schaeffer was a theologian, philosopher, and a highly respected evangelical thinker in his day. In his book, Schaeffer shows how the decline of a society from the fall of Rome up through the twentieth century begins when that society shifts from Gods design for humans, and the rest of creation. Towards the end of his book, Schaeffer lists five attributes of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire that is true of any culture in decline; according to Schaeffer these are five signs of a society that is about to break down: A mounting love for affluence. A widening gap between the very rich and very poor with little to no middle class. An obsession with sex. Freakishness in the arts. An increased desire to live off the state. Out of our love for affluence, we as a nation are now 48.9 trillion dollars in debt with the average household debt owing to $14,241 in credit card debt, $58,112 in student loan debt, $31,142 in automobile loans, and $202,454 in mortgage debt. The middle class in America is shrinking, for it used to be that 61% of Americans made up the middle class, but that percentage has shrunk to 50% and looks as though it will continue to shrink. When it comes to an obsession with sex, very little needs to be said with the ever-increasing list of types of sexualities a person can identify with, the oversexualization of our youth, and gender reassignment. Now, in the arts, anything deviant can be passed off as art to the point where you can have Sam Smith dress up as Satan with his dancers performing promiscuous acts as part of an intentional satanic chorographic ritual for a song titled, Unholy. Sam Smiths performance was not the only deviant performance either. So, what does all of this have to do with Malachi 2:1-9? Without a right and proper fear of God, the heart becomes an idol factor that does not lead to life, but death. This is the human condition that has been our problem since Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit. The root cause for Adam and Eves rebellion was the same for the Priests Malachi addresses in 2:1-9, and it is the same for us today: The root cause for mankinds rebellion is the absence of a right and proper fear of God. The Fear of the Lord Remember how Malachi 1:6 begins: A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. The priests did not honor or fear God, and the evidence for their lack of honor and fear for God was seen in how they worshiped Him. To fully grasp just how serious the lack of fear and honor the priests had for God was, we need to understand the type of fear and honor the priests lacked. The kind of fear for God that is expected from His people is not a fear that is contrary or at odds with genuine love. A biblical fear of God is not at odds with a love for God. We do not love God in the same way you love a sunset, nor is it the same kind of love that you have for your dog. To fear God is to love and enjoy God for all that He is. It is a love that truly appreciates and honors God as infinitely perfect and overwhelmingly beautiful in his holiness, righteousness, graciousness, justice, mercy, love, and majesty. In the words of Michael Reeves: In a sense, then, the trembling fear of God is a way of speaking about the intensity of the saints love for and enjoyment of all that God is.[1] Reeves points out in his book, Rejoice Tremble, that the fear of God, is not at all what we, with our cultures allergic reaction to the very concept of fear, might expect. Instead, we can say with Spurgeon that this is the sort of fear which has in it the very essence of love, and without which there would be no joy even in the presence of God.[2] Of the fear of God, Charles Spurgeon said, It is not because we are afraid of him, but because we delight in him, that we fear before him.[3] So that you can see what I just said from the Bible, consider the following scripture passages on the fear of the Lord: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (Prov. 9:10) And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 10:12) Then you have this promise from the prophet Jeremiah concerning a New Covenant when God would address the problem with mans heart: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jer. 32:38-40) What is it that would encourage the Priests to offer sacrifices before the Lord that he said he would never delight in? How on earth could they ever consider service to Yahweh as a burden? Why would they not listen to Gods word or give honor to His name? It is because they did not fear Him. What it Means to Delight in the Lord The presence of a right fear of God and a genuine love for God is to delight in God. This is what the priests of Malachis day did not do, and it is the absence of such delight in the true God for why cultures, nations, kingdoms, and empires crumble. It is a system failure in that the One, we live and move and exist (Acts. 17:28), is not delighted in because He is ignored. In ignoring Him, we live in a society that is drinking from the broken cisterns of affluence, sex, and self-assigned identity, be it sexual or national. Because our world is fallen, it is understandable that those who do not yet know God, do not delight in Him. But it is a great evil to know who God is and chose something or someone else to take His place. Of the people that should have known the joy of what it means to delight in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it was the priests. The purpose of the priests was that they served to mediate between the people and God just as Aaron did as he walked alongside Moses. In contrast to Malachis contemporaries, God said of Levi: My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name (v. 5). Who was Levi? Levi is the ancestor of Levites from whom all the priests came. You could not serve as a priest unless you belonged to the tribe of Levi. From Levi is a history of godly men who feared God more than they feared people and were known for speaking on behalf of God to the people. Concerning those who served God out of fear and love, God said, True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity (v. 6). The priests were known for guarding knowledge and the people at one point in time knew that they could seek the priests for guidance because it was clear that the priest was a messenger of God almighty (v. 7). Why? Because the legacy of Levi was that he delighted in the Lord! The relationship Levi had with Yahweh was one where he rightly feared and loved God while he stood in awe of His name. He stood in awe of the name of God! What does it mean to stand in awe of the name of almighty God? It is a type of fear that includes reverence, pleasure, joy, and a filial fear. Filial fear is the kind of fear experienced by a son for his father as they enjoy a healthy relationship with one another without the son confusing who it is that is in authority. In many ways, I had that kind of relationship with my father; I understood that although we were very close and that I could trust him, I also understood that I could not talk back or disrespect him. The line between father and son was always clear. God is all-powerful. God is all-knowing. God is all-present. God is just, He is wise, He is love, He is so much more, and He is holy. He is the One from whom heaven and earth recoil at His presence (Rev. 20:11), and before whom the prophet Isaiah heard the angels proclaim: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! and in response to the majesty of the Almighty, Isaiah responded: Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isa. 6:3-5). Isaiahs response is what it looks like to stand in awe of God. To stand in awe of God is to understand who you are in light of who He is: Tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chron. 16:30-34) This is what the priests in Malachis day lacked, but of all the people in Jerusalem, the priests should have known better.What was true of Levis legacy was the antithesis of priests addressed here, for they were living in disobedience of the Lord. Instead of guiding the people of Israel, they were causing them to sin against the Lord. Instead of embracing the promises of God, they openly and defiantly violated the covenant of Levi. Instead of deciding cases with godly wisdom and impartiality, they showed favoritism and were unjust. Gods response to the priests disregard for His name is staggering: If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it (Malachi 2:23). The curse that God warned would come upon the priests are the curses God warned would come upon His people if they turned from Him in disobedience (see Deut. 28). The dung of the sacrifice was to be burned outside the camp of Gods people. With the threat of God to spread dung on the faces of the priests, was to say that their behavior was so repulsive to God, that they would remain ceremonially unclean and indefinitely unqualified to serve as priests. To spread dung on their faces was to cover the priests in their own shame for all to see, so God concludes: But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction (Malachi 2:89). What God wanted was the hearts of His priests, he did not need their worship. This is why His response to their lackadaisical and half-hearted worship in Malachi 1:10, Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand (Malachi 1:10). What the priests lacked was the kind of awe we read about in Isaiah 66:1-2, Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Conclusion So, what does any of this have to do with you Christian? We have a better Priest than Levi! Levi mediated the Old Covenant, but Jesus is not just any PriestHe is the High Priest of a better covenant: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Heb. 9:1114) If you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the One whom God, made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21; NASB), you are a Christian. If you are a Christian, then what is written in 1 Peter 2:9-10 is true of you: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are Gods people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:910). Jesus is our High Priest, but He is so much more! He is the Almighty and the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13). He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). Jesus is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), He is the Christ (Col. 3:15), and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26). He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11). He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the True Vine (John 15:1), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), He is the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), and He is the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1), He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, He is the Savior (Luke 2:11), and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). If Jesus is who He says He is, and you say that He is the sum of all that He is to you, then how are you living in light of His Lordship over your life? In this very moment, can you hear the Savior ask the following question directed at your heart? Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not what I tell you (Luke 6:46)? You, who are a priest before Jesus, are you listening to His words? Are you taking His life to heart? Do you stand before the Father and the Son with awe? Is your life motivated by a right fear and genuine love for the One who ransomed your soul and made you a son or a daughter? As His priests, we should be known as men and women whose lips, guard knowledge? Are you in a place in your relationship with Jesus that people are able to seek instruction from your mouth? Of those who know you, can it be said that you are a messenger of the Lord of hosts? In conclusion I leave you with two appeals from the Bible, the one is from Jesus and the other is about Jesus: From Jesus: Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. (Matthew 7:2123) From the Psalmist: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:1112) Amen. Discussion Questions: Read Malachi 2:1-9 and Deuteronomy 28 as a group. In what ways is Deuteronomy 28 similar to Malachi 2:1-9? What does it mean to delight in the Lord? Pastor Keith said in his sermon on Sunday: To fear God is to love and enjoy God for all that He is. It is a love that truly appreciates and honors God as infinitely perfect and overwhelmingly beautiful in his holiness, righteousness, graciousness, justice, mercy, love, and majesty. How is this kind of fear different than the kind fear one might experience when facing their abuser? Based on what you know so far about the priests Malachi 2:1-9 addresses, do you think the above fear was missing in their worship? God said of Levi, that he feared me. He stood in awe of my name (v. 5). What does it mean to stand in awe of Gods name (hint: Read 1 Chron. 16:30-34)? In what ways can our worship reveal how highly or lowly we esteem Gods name? According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, the Christian is a priest as representative of Jesus Christ; in what ways does Malachi 2:1-9 challenge you in light of what you read in 1 Peter 2:9-10? How does Jesus as our High Priest (Heb. 9:11-14) encourage you as you strive to follow Him? Pastor Keith listed the following names and titles of Jesus (read them to the group): Jesus is our High Priest, but He is so much more! He is the Almighty and the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:12-13). He is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15). Jesus is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:32), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), He is the Christ (Col. 3:15), and He is the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26). He is the Good Shepherd of the 23rd Psalm (John 10:11). He is the rightful Heir of All Things (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14), the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69), and the Great I Am (John 8:58-59). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12), the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the True Vine (John 15:1), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)! Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), He is the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), and He is the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1), He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, He is the Savior (Luke 2:11), and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). In light of the above, read Luke 6:46-49. In what ways do you find Jesus words in Luke 6 challenging, frightening, or encouraging? In what ways do you believe God is challenging you so far in this Malachi series? Conclude with a time of prayer with your LIFE Group. [1] Michael Reeves, Rejoice Tremble (Wheaton, IL: Crossway; 2021); p. 52. [2] Ibid, p. 50. [3] Ibid.
No Justice No Peace directly reflects the lack of #benefits for #servingtheLord with all your #heart, your mind, your #soul, and #. There is a difference between #good and #evil, that which is good and right in the sight of the #Lord. There is no quicker way to lose favor and your #redemption than to walk out of the #lightoftheLord and do your own thing. There lay in the opportunity for #delusion, #deceit, and increased #lawlessness against the Lord. Through #Jesus, #Yeshua; the #Christ we obtain #grace, #favor, and the #power through the #SpiritofGod to #walkinthelight as he our Lord and #Savior #JesusChrist walks in the Light. We also can obtain #forgiveness if we do slip up. However, to deliberately walk in ill-favor and rebellion against the Lord will merit the reward many today receive. If you fail to heed, then your heart can become #hardened to the truth. Yet today as we look at #Isaiah, there are many truths and lessons to apply here. Listen well, Learn from it, and walk in the #Truth of #GodsWord. To get the Books from the Watchman Dana G Smith go to his website http://www.DanaGlennSmith.com More info Go https://linktr.ee/warnradio more info
Heritage of Jacob brings #Judah to the realization of the #blessing or the #cursing. Depending on your #choices and behavior. Here, though we are leading into the fifty-nineth chapter of #Isaiah. With a nation that is having troubles with #iniquity, #sin, and the fruits of darkness, the #judgment of #God is not far off. Yet here we find that the #Lord is showing Judah that if she #repents the fruits of that will bring many #blessings upon them. No matter whether you are Judah or the Northern Tribes aka #Israel aka the Lost Tribes of Israel; the choice of blessing or cursing stands. The choice is clear but will Judah make the correct choice? 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/shop | #HeritageofJacob, #IHaveChosen, #BreakEveryYoke, #NoPeace, #Wicked, #Repentance, #GodourFather, #LordJesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach, #Almighty, #Faith --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wibr-visions/support
I Have Chosen is a phrase which #Isaiah declares of the #Lord that the #truefast for the people is to be. Not just an exercise in futility, but a #workofrighteousness. The fast, the #humbling of the #soul through #abstinence of #food is not just what the Lord wanted. It was to be a true work of righteousness as opposed to #hypocriticalfasting and being seen of men. This section is famous in Isaiah for revealing the true fasting to break the #yokeofwickedness. It is the righteous releasing the #powerofGod through #fasting to undo heavy burdens, allowing the #oppressed to go free. It is taking care of, seeing to the work of the #ministry of #kindness and #deliverance to those #Jews around them who are #suffering. | #IHaveChosen, #BreakEveryYoke, #NoPeace, #Wicked, #Repentance, #GodourFather, #LordJesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach, #Almighty, #Faith 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/shop --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wibr-visions/support
I Have Chosen is a phrase which #Isaiah declares of the #Lord that the #truefast for the people is to be. Not just an exercise in futility, but a #workofrighteousness. The fast, the #humbling of the #soul through #abstinence of #food is not just what the Lord wanted. It was to be a true work of righteousness as opposed to #hypocriticalfasting and being seen of men. This section is famous in Isaiah for revealing the true fasting to break the #yokeofwickedness. It is the righteous releasing the #powerofGod through #fasting to undo heavy burdens, allowing the #oppressed to go free. It is taking care of, seeing to the work of the #ministry of #kindness and #deliverance to those #Jews around them who are #suffering. | #IHaveChosen, #BreakEveryYoke, #NoPeace, #Wicked, #Repentance, #GodourFather, #LordJesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach, #Almighty, #Faith 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/shop
Break #Every #Yoke #Isaiahs #Prophetic #Book Pt184 Battle Lines Break Every Yoke takes us back into Isaiah's day and time when the Lord dealt with Israel over many things. Here we look at fasting and the difference between just a simple adherence verses the truth. Nothing was as it seemed. The whole purpose was not simply to go without food, fasting; especially for to be seen of men. Even in the day when Yeshua, #JesusChrist walked the earth the #deliverance, #power, and the #kingdomofGod were visible wherever #Jesus went. The #yoke that #binds men can be broken through Fasting and #Prayer. #Isaiah long before #Jesus was #crucified on the #cross bringing our #Atonement dealt with the misuse of #Fasting by #Israel. 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/shop
Break Every Yoke takes us back into Isaiah's day and time when the Lord dealt with Israel over many things. Here we look at fasting and the difference between just a simple adherence verses the truth. Nothing was as it seemed. The whole purpose was not simply to go without food, fasting; especially for to be seen of men. Even in the day when Yeshua, #JesusChrist walked the earth the #deliverance, #power, and the #kingdomofGod were visible wherever #Jesus went. The #yoke that #binds men can be broken through Fasting and #Prayer. #Isaiah long before #Jesus was #crucified on the #cross bringing our #Atonement dealt with the misuse of #Fasting by #Israel. | #BreakEveryYoke, #NoPeace, #Wicked, #Repentance, #GodourFather, #LordJesusChrist, #YeshuaHaMassiach, #Almighty, #Faith 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/shop --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wibr-visions/support
#Transgressions #Isaiahs #Prophetic #Book Pt182 @WarnRadio Battle Lines Transgressions are always there. Humans since their fall have had a #curse, a mark, and found themselves on planet earth. Since that time, we have followed our own paths, which the #Lord has given to man to do. Here meaning we have a #choice of what to do, who to follow, and whether we will believe in the #True and #LivingGod. Yet today through #JesusChrist, #Yeshua our #salvation is given to us. The choice again is ours, but if we be #repentant and seek His face, we can find #redemption and #restoration. In #IsaiahsProphetic book we follow #Judah and the #prophetIsaiah who has laid out the things to come for the people. Then there will be #Jeremiah the prophet who will be there directly to #warnJudah who does not listen. Herein we find lessons for the rest of mankind to learn from. 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/shop
Transgressions are always there. Humans since their fall have had a #curse, a mark, and found themselves on planet earth. Since that time, we have followed our own paths, which the #Lord has given to man to do. Here meaning we have a #choice of what to do, who to follow, and whether we will believe in the #True and #LivingGod. Yet today through #JesusChrist, #Yeshua our #salvation is given to us. The choice again is ours, but if we be #repentant and seek His face, we can find #redemption and #restoration. In #IsaiahsProphetic book we follow #Judah and the #prophetIsaiah who has laid out the things to come for the people. Then there will be #Jeremiah the prophet who will be there directly to #warnJudah who does not listen. Herein we find lessons for the rest of mankind to learn from. | #Transgressions, #IWillRestore, #YeshuaHaMassiach, #Faith, #Isaiah, #Prophecy, #Grace, #Time, #House-of-Jacob, #Christian-Faith 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/shop --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wibr-visions/support
Prophetic News-Where are the Prophets? Where are the Nathans, the Jeremiahs, the Isaiahs? Cry Aloud and Spare Not!
Isaiah 63:15-65:18 When Isaiah was written, Israel as a nation was split into two kingdoms: The north was known as Israel, while the south was known as Judah. Isaiah witnessed the discipline of God when he used the Assyrian empire to level the northern kingdom of Israel; and because Judah was guilty of some of the same sins Israel was guilty of, he pleaded that the people repent. In this passage, Isaiah is longing and pleading for revival in the midst of Israels lowest point spiritually, emotionally, and physically. They have experienced the judgement of God and are living in the midst of judgment as a consequence of their idolatry and rebellion. Isaiah is not only praying for revival, but he is also providing a model for Israel to pray, as well as a model for our own prayers. Here are the five things we learn about God that should shape our prayers as well as our lives. God is a Loving Father Isaiahs prayer begins: Look down from heaven and see What does Isaiah want God to see? He wants him to see the people whose ancestors God swore to bless through Abraham (see Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-20). However, Isaiah acknowledges at the beginning of his prayer that God is not only aware of Israels situation, but that he has deep feelings for them. God deeply feels for his people, and this is why Isaiah continues: For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name (v. 16). As a loving Father, God, by his very nature, redeems those who are lost. God not only redeems his children, but he is deeply concerned that we become what we were meant to become. Isaiah continues in his prayer in 64:8, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. It was hard for Israel to see God as a loving Father, because they were actively experiencing his discipline because of their sins; God warned his people over and over again that if they ever decided to worship other gods or habitually violate his commands that they would be disciplined like a father disciplines a child. Isaiah prays to God: Look down from heaven and see as if God wasnt watching. Later, Isaiah prays: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down as if he were far off. But when you come to Isaiah 65:1, we learn that God never left, but has been seeking his wayward children: I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name. We behave the same way. How many times have you questioned where God wandered off to in the pilgrimage of your life? Have you ever stopped to ask during those seasons in your life if it was you who wandered off? The reality is that we have a God who is greater than our rebellion and both seeks and saves the lost, regardless of the fact that it is we who have wandered away. God is a Great Father Israel should have known, based upon their countless experiences of a God who relentlessly pursues those whom he deeply loves, that he is faithful, even when his people are faithless (2 Tim. 2:13). Now, understand that Gods faithfulness is not a license to sin. Gods faithfulness is the place to put our confidence and hope in, as Isaiah did when he prayed: Though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name (63:16). In other words, Because we have wandered away, and compared to Abraham and Isaacs (Israels) faithfulness, if they were to visit us today, they wouldnt recognize us; however, God will not forsake us. Where did Isaiah get his confidence in God? Isaiah remembered how God miraculously delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of Egypt, and he remembered Exodus 15 and the power of God displayed with the parting of the read sea: In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them. You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. (Exodus 15:710) Gods parting of the Red Sea was great, but not the greatest thing He ever did. God formed mankind from the dust of the earth. God flooded the earth, cleansing it from the blood-stained soil caused by violent men. God birthed a nation through Abraham and Sarah. Over and over again we read of the great acts of a sovereign and awesome God. And if that were not enough, we have Hebrews 11:3, By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible (Hebrews 11:3). God is a great father who is deeply concerned about his people. God is a Patient Father The reason for Isaiahs prayer in the first place is because the people of Judah sinned and continued to sin. The prophet witnessed how God disciplined the northern kingdom of Israel after hundreds of years of idolatry and rebellion, and throughout those years God sent the people his prophets to appeal to them to repent, so that they could experience redemption, forgiveness, and wholeness as the people of God. There comes a point with every generation that if they ignore God long enough, God will hand them fully over to what they long for. This was the fear of Isaiah and the reason why he asked in his prayer: O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Your holy people held possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name (Isaiah 63:1719). Because Isaiah remembered how God showed up in powerful ways not just in his lifetime, but throughout the history of the Hebrew people, he asked that God show up powerfully again to bring revival to his people. Judah had continued in her sin long enough. The spiritual and moral climate of a nation that once prided itself in holiness and fidelity to the Word of God, had wandered away from God: We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities (Isaiah 64:67). The sad fact is that Judah did not listen to Isaiahs pleas and although pockets of revival did come under the ministries of Josiah (2 Ki. 22:1-23:35), Ezra, and Nehemiah, Judah never recovered from her idolatry and rebellion against God. After Gods patience eventually ran out after more than 400 years, Judah was leveled. For 414 years, God gave his people every opportunity to turn from their sins, but they refused him: I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices (Isaiah 65:12). God is a patient Father. Think about the ways God has been patient with you. How long will it be for God to have all of your heart? God is not interested in playing second fiddle in your life and he will either hand you over to your sins or he will deliver you from your idols. God is a Redeeming Father I love the irony of Isaiah 64:1-2 compared to Isaiah 65:1: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down Gods answer to Isaiah 64, was: I was ready to be sought by those who did not aske for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name. The point is that in the midst of our rebellion, God pursues us for the purpose of redeeming us. This is the great theme of the Bible: God seeks and saves the lost. All throughout these verses God reminds us of who he is regardless of our faithlessness: Isaiah 63:16. For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. (Isaiah 63:16) Isaiah 64:8. But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8) Isaiah 65:8-9. Thus says the Lord: As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, so I will do for my servants sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isaiah 65:89) What we learn from these verses is that Gods grace and love is infinitely bigger than our sins and failures. If we read between the lines of these verses, we read that God is good and we are not; this my dear brothers and sisters is the point of Romans 2:4, Do you suppose, O manyou who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourselfthat you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that Gods kindness is meant to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:34)? Our redemption is meant for the glory of God and the good of the nations: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:1, 4). Why did God do it? He did it because of Ephesians 2:10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. God is a Re-Creating Father The good news of Isaiah is found in 65:17! For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. In other words, the end of Israel and Judahs story as a divided nation is not destruction but new creation! I have said it before, and it is not original to me, but is what I read in every verse of the Bible: God loves you too much to leave you as you are! What our world needs most is not a cleaver church, great programs, functioning systems, captivating sermons, or trendy worship music. What our world needs is a Re-creating God who makes something new out of the ashes of our sin-begotten lives. What the world needs is a people redeemed to be the Bride of Christ who shouts from the roof tops and mountain peaks If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). The story of the Bible is the song of our Redeemer: Behold, I am making all things new (Rev. 20:5). Application Men, if you want to be better fathers, then take your cues from our Heavenly Father. Learn from him and lean into him as the only One who can satisfy the hearts of our children. May they hear how much you love them through your words and your deeds as often as possible. When they break the rules, may your discipline be seasoned with truth, grace, and mercy. When your child is broken, look for ways to build them up and push them to be better. When they are heartbroken over their sin, remind them that tomorrow is a new day by pointing them to our Great Redeemer Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 63:15-65:18 When Isaiah was written, Israel as a nation was split into two kingdoms: The north was known as Israel, while the south was known as Judah. Isaiah witnessed the discipline of God when he used the Assyrian empire to level the northern kingdom of Israel; and because Judah was guilty of some of the same sins Israel was guilty of, he pleaded that the people repent. In this passage, Isaiah is longing and pleading for revival in the midst of Israels lowest point spiritually, emotionally, and physically. They have experienced the judgement of God and are living in the midst of judgment as a consequence of their idolatry and rebellion. Isaiah is not only praying for revival, but he is also providing a model for Israel to pray, as well as a model for our own prayers. Here are the five things we learn about God that should shape our prayers as well as our lives. God is a Loving Father Isaiahs prayer begins: Look down from heaven and see What does Isaiah want God to see? He wants him to see the people whose ancestors God swore to bless through Abraham (see Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-20). However, Isaiah acknowledges at the beginning of his prayer that God is not only aware of Israels situation, but that he has deep feelings for them. God deeply feels for his people, and this is why Isaiah continues: For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name (v. 16). As a loving Father, God, by his very nature, redeems those who are lost. God not only redeems his children, but he is deeply concerned that we become what we were meant to become. Isaiah continues in his prayer in 64:8, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. It was hard for Israel to see God as a loving Father, because they were actively experiencing his discipline because of their sins; God warned his people over and over again that if they ever decided to worship other gods or habitually violate his commands that they would be disciplined like a father disciplines a child. Isaiah prays to God: Look down from heaven and see as if God wasnt watching. Later, Isaiah prays: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down as if he were far off. But when you come to Isaiah 65:1, we learn that God never left, but has been seeking his wayward children: I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name. We behave the same way. How many times have you questioned where God wandered off to in the pilgrimage of your life? Have you ever stopped to ask during those seasons in your life if it was you who wandered off? The reality is that we have a God who is greater than our rebellion and both seeks and saves the lost, regardless of the fact that it is we who have wandered away. God is a Great Father Israel should have known, based upon their countless experiences of a God who relentlessly pursues those whom he deeply loves, that he is faithful, even when his people are faithless (2 Tim. 2:13). Now, understand that Gods faithfulness is not a license to sin. Gods faithfulness is the place to put our confidence and hope in, as Isaiah did when he prayed: Though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name (63:16). In other words, Because we have wandered away, and compared to Abraham and Isaacs (Israels) faithfulness, if they were to visit us today, they wouldnt recognize us; however, God will not forsake us. Where did Isaiah get his confidence in God? Isaiah remembered how God miraculously delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of Egypt, and he remembered Exodus 15 and the power of God displayed with the parting of the read sea: In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them. You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. (Exodus 15:710) Gods parting of the Red Sea was great, but not the greatest thing He ever did. God formed mankind from the dust of the earth. God flooded the earth, cleansing it from the blood-stained soil caused by violent men. God birthed a nation through Abraham and Sarah. Over and over again we read of the great acts of a sovereign and awesome God. And if that were not enough, we have Hebrews 11:3, By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible (Hebrews 11:3). God is a great father who is deeply concerned about his people. God is a Patient Father The reason for Isaiahs prayer in the first place is because the people of Judah sinned and continued to sin. The prophet witnessed how God disciplined the northern kingdom of Israel after hundreds of years of idolatry and rebellion, and throughout those years God sent the people his prophets to appeal to them to repent, so that they could experience redemption, forgiveness, and wholeness as the people of God. There comes a point with every generation that if they ignore God long enough, God will hand them fully over to what they long for. This was the fear of Isaiah and the reason why he asked in his prayer: O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Your holy people held possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name (Isaiah 63:1719). Because Isaiah remembered how God showed up in powerful ways not just in his lifetime, but throughout the history of the Hebrew people, he asked that God show up powerfully again to bring revival to his people. Judah had continued in her sin long enough. The spiritual and moral climate of a nation that once prided itself in holiness and fidelity to the Word of God, had wandered away from God: We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities (Isaiah 64:67). The sad fact is that Judah did not listen to Isaiahs pleas and although pockets of revival did come under the ministries of Josiah (2 Ki. 22:1-23:35), Ezra, and Nehemiah, Judah never recovered from her idolatry and rebellion against God. After Gods patience eventually ran out after more than 400 years, Judah was leveled. For 414 years, God gave his people every opportunity to turn from their sins, but they refused him: I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices (Isaiah 65:12). God is a patient Father. Think about the ways God has been patient with you. How long will it be for God to have all of your heart? God is not interested in playing second fiddle in your life and he will either hand you over to your sins or he will deliver you from your idols. God is a Redeeming Father I love the irony of Isaiah 64:1-2 compared to Isaiah 65:1: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down Gods answer to Isaiah 64, was: I was ready to be sought by those who did not aske for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, Here I am, here I am, to a nation that was not called by my name. The point is that in the midst of our rebellion, God pursues us for the purpose of redeeming us. This is the great theme of the Bible: God seeks and saves the lost. All throughout these verses God reminds us of who he is regardless of our faithlessness: Isaiah 63:16. For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. (Isaiah 63:16) Isaiah 64:8. But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8) Isaiah 65:8-9. Thus says the Lord: As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it, so I will do for my servants sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isaiah 65:89) What we learn from these verses is that Gods grace and love is infinitely bigger than our sins and failures. If we read between the lines of these verses, we read that God is good and we are not; this my dear brothers and sisters is the point of Romans 2:4, Do you suppose, O manyou who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourselfthat you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that Gods kindness is meant to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:34)? Our redemption is meant for the glory of God and the good of the nations: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:1, 4). Why did God do it? He did it because of Ephesians 2:10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. God is a Re-Creating Father The good news of Isaiah is found in 65:17! For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. In other words, the end of Israel and Judahs story as a divided nation is not destruction but new creation! I have said it before, and it is not original to me, but is what I read in every verse of the Bible: God loves you too much to leave you as you are! What our world needs most is not a cleaver church, great programs, functioning systems, captivating sermons, or trendy worship music. What our world needs is a Re-creating God who makes something new out of the ashes of our sin-begotten lives. What the world needs is a people redeemed to be the Bride of Christ who shouts from the roof tops and mountain peaks If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). The story of the Bible is the song of our Redeemer: Behold, I am making all things new (Rev. 20:5). Application Men, if you want to be better fathers, then take your cues from our Heavenly Father. Learn from him and lean into him as the only One who can satisfy the hearts of our children. May they hear how much you love them through your words and your deeds as often as possible. When they break the rules, may your discipline be seasoned with truth, grace, and mercy. When your child is broken, look for ways to build them up and push them to be better. When they are heartbroken over their sin, remind them that tomorrow is a new day by pointing them to our Great Redeemer Jesus Christ.
Gifts of Christmas4. Gold: The Gift of a King Dan Bidwell, Senior Pastor Christmas Week 2022 All this December we have been thinking about the gifts of Christmas. It got me thinking about some of the best gifts Ive received over the years.- Walkie talkies- Skateboards- Body boards (Christmas is in summertime in Australia, and we lived near the beach!) In fact lots of surf wear, swimsuits, towels, snorkels, fins etc. Water babies! My kids are 20 and 18 now, and of course Christmas gifts change as kids get older. The value of the gifts goes up, and usually were told what to buy (and what not to buy). I love the idea of surprising the kids, or my wife, with an outrageous gift. Have you seen those holiday ads from car dealers, the ones where a couple will surprise one another with a brand new car, without ever telling the other person. Has anybody ever had that happen to them? Perhaps my most valuable Christmas gift ever was finding out that my wife, Joanna, was pregnant with our first child. Such an exciting Christmas gift! Jo remembers the gift of morning sickness As I said, all through December weve been thinking about the Gifts of Christmas, particularly the gift that the wise men brought to the baby Jesus. Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gifts that were of great value. But also gifts that had spiritual significance. They each point to a deeper truth about Jesus which would be revealed as he grew from Jesus the baby into Jesus the savior. And today we come to our last gift the gift of Gold. So why dont we ask God to speak to us and teach us as we open the Bible over the next few minutes. Heavenly Father, as we open your Bible today/tonight, will you teach us about who Jesus is? Will you reveal him to us, as you revealed him to the wise men on that first Christmas? Will you show us Jesus the king, and will you help us to respond to him in worship? We pray this in Jesus mighty name. Amen 1. Revealing The King As you may have guessed, I was not born in the US. I was born in Australia, and one of the stranger things about Australia is that we still belong to the British Commonwealth. So we still technically have the King of England as our head of state. (Feels strange to say The King after saying The Queen all my life!). One of the big questions as the Queen got older and older was, who would become the next King of England? Prince Charles was always the number 1 in line for the throne, but some people wondered if he would accept the role. Next in line is Prince William, who for a long time was one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet. When I became a school teacher in 1998, Prince Wills (as he was known) was 18, and I remember the girls hoping they would meet him and fall in love and marry a prince (because thats the dream, right?). Its also a regular theme in Christmas Hallmark movies Why the lesson about the British royal family? This year with the passing of the Queen, a new king was revealed King Charles III. And the coronation was this spectacle to behold uniforms and pageantry and ceremony and horses and chariots and crowds of people lining the streets, as the new King took the throne. Because thats what we expect when the new king is revealed. And thats why the story of Jesus birth is so unusual, so unexpected, so unceremonious. Rather than a royal birth in a palace, surrounded by attendants and servants, instead Jesus is born in a stable, surrounded by animals. In fact it probably wasnt even a stable or a barn, but a cave where the animals sheltered. Jesus wasnt dressed in royal robes and laid in an ornate cradle instead he was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a manger, a feeding trough for cattle and donkeys. There was nothing to say that this birth was special if anything it looks the opposite. A desperate young mother and her husband with no family support, maybe because theyd heard that the baby wasnt Josephs. I suspect thats what the scene looked like to the innkeeper who let them stay in his barn. But thats not how God saw the birth of Jesus. He sends a legion of angels who fill the skies, singing Glory To God in the Highest. He places a star in the sky over Bethlehem, a sign to those who recognize it, a neon light to say here is the king! Its funny who recognized the star, and what it meant. Gods people had been waiting for hundreds of years for their king to be born. The one we read about in Isaiahs prophecy from 700 years before: 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) (BTW did you know if you go to In N Out burger, and you look under the bottom of the soda cups, this verse reference is written there Isaiah 9:6!!) Gods people were waiting for this Prince. But even those who studied the Scriptures faithfully didnt recognize what was happening in Bethlehem. Probably because it didnt look like what they thought it would look like. They wanted a royal birth, and a royal announcement, and a royal family, and instead Jesus was born to a carpenter and his virgin bride But the Wise Men, they recognized what was happening. I said a few weeks ago that we dont know much about the wise men. They were from the east, probably Persia, certainly from a different religious background than Jesus we believe they were astrologers who worshiped the stars as well as studied them. But from hundreds of miles away, from a different culture, from a different religion, they followed the star and came to understand that it revealed the birth of a king. When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and said, Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2 (CEV I love the wise men. Because they remind me that you dont have to grow up with a Christian background to be able to see the truth about Jesus. Somehow God made it clear to them that Jesus is very special. Dont be fooled by the manger. Dont be fooled by the humble circumstances. Jesus is quite extraordinary. He is a king like no other. So what should you do when you meet the king? 2. Responding to the King A few years ago back in Sydney, I took the family to the Broadway musical of The Lion King. Who has seen it? Ill never forget the opening scene. Its sunrise on the African savannah and as the light slowly fills the room, animals appear on stage (well, actors dressed in animal costumes). There are bird puppets flying overhead inside the theater, and then giraffes walk down through the audience onto stage actors on stilts standing 15 feet tall. I actually got a bit emotional when we saw it, because it is so visually overwhelming But then the focus switches to Pride Rock, where the baby lion Simba is revealed, the baby who will one day become king. And thats when the iconic scene happens - Rafiki the baboon holds Simba up, presenting him to all the animals. (Sing?) All the animals hoot and holler and then one by one, they bend their knees, and kneel down to honor their future king Thats what the Wise Men did to Jesus. Did you see it there in Matthew 2:2? They asked: Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.. And this is where our third gift comes in. Gold. Gold is a gift fit for a king. And even though Jesus is born in a manger, the Wise Men recognize him for who he is. A King who deserves our worship. A King who deserves our best. A King who deserves our honor and our praise and our allegiance. Look at what God says about Jesus. (Turn to the back page of your handout) In Ephesians 2, it says this about Jesus: 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything elsenot only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things Ephesians 1:21-22 (NLT) If you believe what the Bible says about Jesus, he is not some historical figure from 2000 years ago. One day Jesus will be revealed as the King over every other power and authority in the universe. Far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else. Not only in this world, bit the world to come. Because God has put all things under the authority of Christ. Make no mistake. One day we will all see Jesus revealed like this. The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. In majesty and power and authority. Not a Christmas tradition, but the living and reigning ruler of all. The ruler of you, and me. And on that day, something else will be revealed. Where you stand with the King. Or more to the point, whether you have bowed down before the King. Whether you have worshiped him. Whether you have given him your best Philippians 2:9-10 says: Then God gave Christ the highest placeand honored his name above all others.10 So at the name of Jesus everyone will bow down,those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Philippians 2:9-10 (CEV) I love Christmas, and I love the decorating and the gifts, and the family traditions. But dont let that get in the way of the real reason for celebrating this year. Jesus, the King has been born. Jesus, who brings forgiveness, and healing into our lives. Jesus who brings the end of hostility between us and God. Jesus who makes an end to suffering and death. Jesus who can bring us into eternal life and happiness. That is the gift in the manger. The gold of Christmas is Jesus the King. And he deserves your worship. Your very best. Not just in the holiday season, but every day. I know we already sung O Holy Night, but I just love that line: Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices. This Christmas, will you fall on your knees for Jesus? Will you worship him and honor him with all that you are and all that you have? Shall we pray?
Gifts of Christmas1. The Gift of Preparation Dan Bidwell, Senior PastorIsaiah 40:3-5; Mark 1:1-8, 14-15 Tuesday 29 November, 2022 How many observe Christs birthday! How few, His precepts! O! tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.- Benjamin Franklin - If we get too caught up in the traditions, expectations, gifts and good cheer of Christmas, we could well be missing the reason for the season and begin to worship the very things that point towards Christ, not Christ himself- Illuminate Advent - I want to start the sermon today by saying that Ive had a breakthrough this year. An achievement in my level of adulting. I confessed in my Christmas eve sermon last year that I had not done any Christmas shopping until a few days before Christmas. This year there will be no confession. I started my Christmas shopping early! There are two kinds of Christmas shoppers, according to statistics. There are those who start early. 28.8% of Americans start their Christmas shopping in November. (Im proud to say that was me this year Courtesy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I bought one gift for one of my children. It arrived and hopefully come Christmas well remember that we purchased this little gift!) So 28% of us start our Christmas shopping in November. And then there are those of us who leave our Christmas shopping until the week before Christmas. Can you guess how many Americans leave their shopping until the last minute? 62% of us! (Im sure thats when Ill end up doing the rest of my shopping) And then there are the brave 7% who wait until Christmas Eve. ~ Christmas is one of those times of the year that takes lots of preparation. Aside from the gift shopping, theres the Christmas tree, and the decorations, maybe the Christmas lights on your house. And then there are the family logistics. Where are you spending Christmas day? Who is cooking? What are you cooking? Perhaps the kids are flying in from interstate. Or your parents. Then you have to work out whos staying at your house. Do you have enough towels, and sheets? There can so much to prepare! But thats the nature of the season. Thats advent for you. Advent is the season of getting ready, the season of waiting. A season that is focused on the arrival of that special day, the arrival of your guests, the arrival of your family, the arrival of a time of celebration. And so today, I want to focus on the gift of preparation. The gift of getting yourself ready for the special season thats coming. And not just the gift of preparing for your family celebration, but the gift of preparing for the arrival of Jesus. Because (of course) there is no Christmas without Jesus. So why dont we pray that God would help us to be prepared for everything that advent brings? Our heavenly Father, will you speak to us today as we open the Bible? Will you teach our hearts to be prepared for the arrival of Jesus? Will you open us up to his presence in our lives, and will you help us to make room for Jesus this Christmas? Speak to us now, in Jesus name. Amen Well, I can hardly believe its December already. But I am excited. The Board and I have spent months planning and praying and preparing all of the events that we have on the church calendar this holiday season! We want Christmas to be a time of celebration for us as a church, a time of celebrating Jesus and the gift he is to us. But we also want our friends and neighbors to join the celebration. And so weve carefully curated our Christmas program so that youll feel confident to invite your loved ones to any of the events on offer, as well as any of our regular Sunday services. Our mission as a church is to share the hope of Jesus in the Napa Valley and beyond. So thanks for being part of the mission I love what God is doing already through you and your prayers. So keep praying, keep inviting, and well trust God with the rest! Now lets get into the Bible. December is traditionally known as advent. The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are all about getting ready for the advent, or the arrival of Jesus. And to help us get ready this year, well be thinking about four different Gifts of Christmas. Thats what were calling our Advent series Gifts of Christmas. Gifts that will keep our focus on the reason for the season. Gifts that will point us to Jesus. And todays gift is The Gift of Preparation. 1. Preparing for glory Before I went into the ministry, I was a school teacher for a number of years. And I remember one year we got news that the school would receive a very important visitor the Governor General, who is the most senior government officer, even above the Prime Minister. The GG is the Queens representative in the Australian parliament. Anyway the Governor General was scheduled to visit our school to present a prestigious award to a student. It was only a 15 minute visit, but the protocol for those 15 minutes amounted to almost three months of work for the staff member who coordinated the visit. She had to provide plans and drawings and maps that showed where the town car would park, where the exits and fire escapes were situated. She had to measure the number of steps the GG would take from his car to the Theatre where the presentation would take place. She had to provide guest lists and seating charts and the names of dignitaries for the reception line. The school had to provide round the clock extra security in the days leading up to the visit, and then we had federal agents on site sweeping the buildings and grounds. We were all ready and then at the last minute the GG got called away to State business, and somebody far less recognizable came to do the job. It was months of preparation for the arrival of a dignitary. For Gods people, it was years of preparation, years of waiting for the arrival of not just a human dignitary, but one shrouded in the glory of the Lord himself. Look at Isaiah 40 with me: 3 A voice of one calling:In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 40:3-5) Isaiah was writing some 700 years before the birth of Jesus, at a time when half of Gods people were in exile. Sent out of the promised land because of their sinful disregard for the Lord. But even in the midst of their sin, God sent the prophet Isaiah to speak these words of comfort to his people in their distress. (v3) Prepare the way for the Lord. Make a highway in the desert because the king is coming. You can imagine what it would have been like when the Assyrian armies had turned up to capture the northern tribes of Israel. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers marching in step through the desert, the clouds of dust rising as the columns advanced, their footsteps the rhythmical drumbeat of impending doom.Those ancient armies were terrifying. But this prophecy speaks of an even greater king, an even greater victory to come. So earth-shattering that the landscape is literally rearranged, with the mountains sinking and the valleys rising so that all the earth becomes like a plain. And (v5) that is when the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all the people will see it together. Can you imagine how good it must have been to hear that prophecy while Gods people were still in exile? This wont last forever, is what it promises. Prepare the way for the king. Prepare for the day he returns. Prepare for his glorious return. A day when all the people, everyone in the whole world, will see the King unveiled in glory and power and majesty Are you good at waiting? Im not very good at waiting. When I was a kid, I was always the one who would lift up the gifts under the Christmas tree, and shake them and try to guess what they were. When I was about 10, I actually woke up in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve and snuck downstairs and unwrapped one of my presents. I remember it was a tennis racket and I probably could have guessed what it was just from the shape. But you dont think about that when youre 10. Waiting for Christmas is not that hard, because you can count down the days. But what about waiting when you dont know the end date? For Gods people, they had these words of Isaiah with them for almost 700 years before they came to fulfilment. And those 700 years werent always easy. More armies came, more people were taken into exile, the temple was destroyed and then the voice of God was silent for almost 400 years You might be going through a period of waiting right now, and you dont know when it will end. Perhaps youre waiting for God to show up but you havent heard his voice. Perhaps youre waiting for his glory to be revealed but right now all you see is immoveable mountains and the deepest of valleys Part of preparing is waiting. But when God speaks, he will always do what he said he was going to do. Even if it feels like youve been waiting forever Gods glory will appear. 2. Prepare your hearts At the start of 2015 I ran the furthest I have ever run. Just over 21km, 13.1 miles, the same distance as a half marathon. You might guess from my physique that I am not naturally gifted for running. Im gifted at eating, but running I have to work at that. Anyway I ran those 13.1 miles as part of my training for a half Ironman triathlon just a few weeks later, when I would have to run the same distance after a 1.2mi swim and 56mi bike ride. The race was great I finished, I didnt set any records but it was a good personal achievement. And I even did a bit better the next year. But so much of triathlon is about preparing your heart. You spend months working on the capacity of your heart to pump blood around the body. If you havent trained enough, on race day you are found out. There is nowhere to hide when you have to keep pushing for hours and hours. The state of your heart is revealed when race day arrives. And the same will happen on the day the glory of the Lord appears for all to see. The state of our hearts will be revealed on that day, and there will be nowhere to hide. So lets go back 2000 years, to the voice of one calling in the wilderness. Another prophet, this time the cousin of Jesus himself. Born just months apart, their mothers had both been visited by angels who told them about the role they would play in fulfilling Isaiahs prophecies. John the Baptist would become the voice calling in the wilderness, the messenger announcing the arrival of Lord The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way3 a voice of one calling in the wilderness,Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Mark 1:1-5) Johns ministry was not about preparing a highway for the Lord. It was about preparing hearts for the Lord. His whole message was about checking the state of your heart. You see, the arrival of the glory of the Lord means we need to get our hearts right. [PAUSE] No sinful heart can stand before the holiness of the Lord. We must check our hearts before we meet God. (And Im going to talk more about how Jesus helps with that when we open next weeks gift) But for now, look at Johns preaching. He preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance. The key to repentance is turning our hearts back to God. The trajectory of sin leads us away from God, but repentance leads us back to him. And we see that repentance in the people who flocked to John the Baptist (v5). People from all over Judea and Jerusalem went out to John, confessing their sins, and getting baptized this symbol of being cleansed, and reborn, and rededicating their lives to God. John was asking people to prepare their hearts for the glory that was to be revealed And he speaks the same message to us today. Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Jesus too, theyre all speaking the same message to us today. Listen to Jesus first sermon, in Mark 1:14-15 (on your handout) 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:14-15) Jesus wants us to prepare our hearts, because the kingdom of God is near. He wants us to repent, to turn back to God. And I love how Jesus finishes. Its not just repent. Its not just fire and brimstone. Jesus says you can believe the good news, which is that when you repent, God will bring forgiveness into your life. God will make your heart ready for his kingdom. This is good news for everybody who believes it. Do you believe it? Have you had that John the Baptist moment where you. Confessed your sins, and repented and dedicated your life to God. Perhaps it was the day you were baptized, maybe youve never been baptized. We would love to help you make that public commitment, if its something that the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. Perhaps a small step is to take communion today, maybe for the first time. A little step to say, Jesus I want to trust in you, I want to eat at your table in the kingdom, I want you to deal with my sin. Perhaps youre not ready for that I encourage you to stay on the journey. Come and get a coffee with me and tell me your concerns. Or sign up for our 3 week course in January called Explore. A place to keep thinking through what this good news of Jesus is all about. You can find more information on our website under Ministries and Explore Groups. But we all need to prepare our hearts for God. 3. Let every heart prepare him room At my house weve been listening to Christmas music since October. And one of my favorite songs is Joy To The World. (Great new version by Phil Wickham well be singing next week in church). The line that sticks with me from Joy To The World is there on your sheets: Joy to the world, the Lord is comeLet Earth receive her KingLet every heart prepare Him room Let every heart prepare him room. I love that idea of making space for Jesus in our hearts. Its such a practical image. Preparing room for Jesus is like preparing for the arrival of a special guest. We get things ready, and we tidy up for them, just like we do at Christmas for our families and friends. How much more should we get ready for Jesus! Let every heart prepare him room. So here are my three practical tips for making room for Jesus in your heart this holiday season. 1. Make room for Jesus during the preparation. As you think about all the things you need to prepare for the holidays, put Jesus on the list. Literally, if youre a list person, put him on the list, so that you deliberately plan to give thought to Jesus this month. Its so easy to let Jesus slip off the radar when youre busy shopping and cleaning, so youll need to be deliberate. - You could look for an advent devotional. There are some great books you can buy, or devotionals you can read online. Ive just finished one called Illuminate Advent it was 10 days about making sure your Christmas shines a light on Jesus, not just on the festivities. - You could buy or make an advent calendar, with a Bible verse a day. - You could read all the nativity stories in the Bible again. Whatever you do, the idea is to be deliberate. You literally have to make room for Jesus in your mental preparation, otherwise it will never happen. And that would be a missed opportunity. 2. Make room for Jesus during the busy season December is one of the busiest months in the calendar for most of us. And we often find ourselves pushed and pulled with all the demands on our time and attention. And again, it can be easy to say: Ill get back to Jesus when the craziness of Christmas dies down. Ill have more time for him in the New Year. Do you know what? In reality it never gets less busy. There will always be demands on our time and attention, and so we need to be deliberate every day to make room for Jesus. And this season of all seasons this holiday that is all about the birth of the king and the arrival of Gods glory, this should be the one that makes us focus on the reason for the busyness. So how do we make room for Jesus during the busy season? I think we need to make a commitment to continuing the spiritual practices that we do throughout the year. Keep coming to church. Keep reading your Bible in the morning. Dont let Jesus get pushed out by other demands. 3. The hardest one of all: make room for Jesus in your family traditions. I want to say this carefully, because I know from personal experience how hard it can be to be a Christian when your extended family doesnt share the same understanding of faith. It is difficult, and I get that. But heres what Id like to challenge you with. Id encourage you to consider how you can gently and respectfully make room for Jesus in your family traditions. Because when you gently and respectfully bring it up with your family, youll be making a powerful statement about your own hearts conviction, and the importance of Jesus in your life. How might that conversation go? - Maybe its asking if it would be alright to say grace at the Christmas table. Broach it with your kids, or your parents before the day, so that they are prepared. And if you get to pray, keep it short and sweet and filled with love and grace and mercy. - What about going to church at Christmas? Mom and I would love for you to come to church with us at Christmas, but we understand if youre not comfortable with that. But were planning to go, and the service is only an hour, so we hope you can respect our wishes. - And if they dont want to pray or come to church, then you should respect their wishes also. That shouldnt stop you praying for them privately, that maybe next year they would be more open At the end of the day, we do all this because we know that one day Jesus will return. Hell come back in person. Because Jesus is not just a story or a tradition. Hes a king who will bring Gods kingdom on the day when his glory appears. And you dont want to be caught unprepared
Isaiahs speaks God's word of hope and the new life that is coming; Advent says, "Become a part of that!" Listen and learn! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/support
Many modern scholars today hold to a 2-3 person authorship due to the literary forms. They would say that Isaiah (“proto-Isaiah”) wrote chapters 1–39, an anonymous author living during the exile (“deutero-Isaiah”) wrote 40–55, and another anonymous author living after the exile (“trito-Isaiah”) wrote 56–66. On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Boyce will explain these different views and why he believes these "discrepancies" can be reconciled with a proper understanding of the themes, history, layout, and framework of the original writer. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stephen623/support
In this class video Kerry briefly discusses the notion of a “Third Isaiah” and covers the first 8 verses of Isaiah 56 and how they teach us about God gathering the outcast and making everyone part of His family.Our gratitude to our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and to Alexia Muhlestein for editing this episode, and to Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.
Shout! A football podcast on the Buffalo Bills with Matt Parrino and Ryan Talbot
Matt Parrino and Ryan Talbot break down everything from Saturday Bills training camp where the team went full pads for the first time since camp started. Hear about the big fight, who stood out on both sides of the ball, and much more. Sign up for the NYUP Bills newsletter! Don't miss all the Bills coverage. Head over to www.Syracuse.com/newsletters to start getting your Bills stories and the podcast delivered right to your inbox SHOUT!" Buffalo Bills football podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to podcasts Follow @MattParrino (https://twitter.com/MattParrino) and @RyanTalbotBills (https://twitter.com/RyanTalbotBills) on Twitter Find our Bills coverage wherever you like to consume social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buffalobill... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buffalobills... Twitter: https://twitter.com/billsupdate For all your Bills coverage head to https://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffal... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Isaiah erlebte eine ausführliche Nahtoderfahrung nach einem schweren Autounfall. Die NTE enthält nahezu alle Elemente, die eine klassischen NTE beschreiben. Isaiahs NTE zum Nachlesen Wenn Du auch eine NTE erlebt hast und davon erzählen willst, jemanden kennst, der eine hatte, oder mir einfach Feedback hinterlassen möchtest, dann schicke eine Mail an info@nte-podcast.de. Ich freue mich über Post! Folge mir auf Instagram und Facebook und besuche meine Homepage https://www.nte-podcast.de Möchtest Du mit mir an Deinen Ängsten und Blockaden arbeiten? https://www.ineslahoda.com Hier gehts zum YouTube Kanal --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nte-podast/message
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
