Judgment and Hope
1 This is what the LORD says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?”
declares the LORD.
“This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull
is like one who kills a man,
and whoever offers a lamb,
like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig’s blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense,
like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,
and their souls delight in their abominations;
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”
5 Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy!’
Yet they will be put to shame.
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the LORD
repaying his enemies all they deserve.
7 “Before she goes into labor,
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth
and not give delivery?” says the LORD.
“Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn over her.
11 For you will nurse and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance.”
12 For this is what the LORD says:
“I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like grass;
the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants,
but his fury will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his chariots are like a whirlwind;
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For with fire and with his sword
the LORD will execute judgment upon all men,
and many will be those slain by the LORD.
My Understanding: Stephen, in Acts 7, in his speech prior to him being stoned to death as a martyr for his faith in Jesus Christ, quoted this passage of scripture from Isaiah 66:1-2 in saying to his listeners, “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men.” I believe the point of what God is saying here is that we cannot contain God or think we can build something with our own human hands that would contain the whole of God within its walls or borders. We are not more powerful than God to think God needs us to build a house for him. He created all things, and God cannot be enclosed by human knowledge, wisdom or the works of man, for he created our knowledge, wisdom, and hands, too.
So, we should not take pride in our edifices, as though God needs them or as though they are somehow holy or sacred, because, as Stephen said, God does not live in houses made by men. Paul also stated, in the book of Acts, that God no longer dwells in buildings. God dwells in heaven and he dwells in human hearts of those who have come to him in repentance and faith (obedience) by his grace.
No building is a “church.” And, no human sanctuary is the sanctuary of God, and church buildings are not God’s house where he dwells. When we enter a building, we are not entering into the presence of a holy God. We, the people of God, are his temple and he lives within us and that is where his sanctuary resides, i.e. the holy of holies is now within us, and that is where we go to meet with God in our times of prayer, communion and fellowship with him daily in the reading of his word, in hearing his voice speak to our hearts and then in walking in obedience to what he teaches us each day as we lay our lives on the altar as living sacrifices no longer conformed to the pattern of this world, but in being transformed in the renewing of our minds so that we can live lives pleasing to God.
God said the one he esteems is the one who is humble and contrite (repentant) in spirit and who trembles (has respect, awe, and seriousness of heart and mind) at his word, to obey it. He is not impressed by outward shows of piety and religious activity. He is not impressed by our buildings, programs, and/or performances. He is not moved in spirit by how many books we have read or how much theology we know and can pontificate. He is not even captivated by our church attendance or our “good deeds” and church ministries if they are done in the flesh and/or we are choosing how we want to serve God without inquiring of him as to what he desires from us, thinking that we are somehow pleasing him because of what we do for him with little actual regard for him, for his ways, his thoughts, and for spending time listening to him and obeying him. He doesn’t want what we can do for him. He wants us as living sacrifices, repentant, obedient and submissive and loving servants who will do what he says and who will take pleasure in doing what pleases him.
God is against all those, even those who profess his name, who are idolaters and who follow after “other gods” of fame, fortune, reputation, entertainment, careers, sports, hobbies, personal success and achievements, education, etc. with the enthusiasm, heart devotion and sacrifice of time and energies that should be given to God first and foremost. If we have made man, man-made things, personal achievement, careers, and entertainment, et al, our “gods,” signified by the time, energies, thoughts, devotion, emotion, passion, etc. that we give to men or man-made things or activities over and above time, energy, emotion, devotion, allegiance and obedience to Jesus Christ, then my prayer is that we would do a heart examination before Almighty God, seeking his face in humility and repentance, inquiring of him as to what pleases or displeases him, and then that we would choose to get rid of anything out of our lives that is taking the place of God or that is getting top billing over and above God in our hearts and/or that is contrary to his nature and teachings. And, I pray that we, instead, would begin to seek God with all our hearts, minds, and emotion and that we would get passionate about serving him and about obeying what he teaches us.
God is still calling out to his children to hear his voice speaking to their hearts, to repent of their sins, and to walk humbly and obedient before him as his servants, living to please their Master, Jesus Christ. Yet, many are closing their ears to his voice so that, although he is calling, they are not answering his call, and although he is speaking, they are not listening to what he is saying, because they have chosen their own path and have chosen to go their own way and think that they can give lip service to God and can acknowledge him outwardly while denying him inwardly by how they live their lives each and every day. Many of these who give lip service only hate their brothers and sisters who are humble and repentant in spirit, excluding them from fellowship and service within the body of Christ, even, because they, the humble and contrite, perhaps, serve as a threat to the false security that is being taught in many of our churches via false (watered down) gospel messages. Yet, God has planned a day of judgment for all who give lip service only but whose hearts are far from God and for those who reject and mistreat his true servants, too.
Yet, I believe that God will bring revival out of judgment and that a time is coming when we will see a massive outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit once again on the church and that from that revival the true gospel of Jesus Christ will go throughout the world and that we will have so many “fish” that our “boats” (facilities) will not be able to contain them all. Jesus Christ will make his bride ready for his return and for her marriage with her husband. God will restore his people to a right relationship with him, and they will be comforted once again by his love as a child is comforted by the nurturing and love of a mother (or grandmother). And, even though there will be great distress in judgment and much sorrow over the devastation and loss of life that will ensue, God will comfort our hearts and we will be comforted in seeing revival and the salvations of souls take place. We will rejoice in changed lives and new believers in Jesus Christ and the increase of God’s true church. God will be gracious to those who are his true servants, i.e. to those who listen to him and who obey what he says.
The call of God, I believe, to the church today, is in asking us the same questions that Jesus Christ asked Peter. Peter had denied Christ Jesus three times at Jesus’ arrest and subsequent crucifixion. Jesus had predicted this, but Peter did not think he would ever deny Christ, yet he did, and when he realized what he had done, he was sorrowful and repentant. Jesus Christ forgave him and he restored him, and part of that restoration was to ask Peter if he truly loved the Lord. Jesus was asking Peter if he loved him with a god-like (agape) love, yet Peter responded each time that he loved Jesus with a friendship love. On the third time, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him with a friendship love. Peter reaffirmed his love for Christ three times as he had denied him three times previously. Jesus’ response, then, to Peter’s reaffirming of his love for the Lord was to tell him that if he loved him, he was to feed his sheep. The words “I love you” can be cheap if we do not follow them through with action as God desires of us, and he desires that we obey him and that we serve him.
If You Love Me / An Original Work / May 6, 2011
If you love Me, why not serve Me?
If you love Me, why not serve Me?
If you love Me, why not serve Me?
Won’t you feed My sheep?
Tell the world that Jesus loves them.
He died for their sins.
If you love Me, why not trust Me?
If you love Me, why not trust Me?
If you love Me, why not trust Me
To do what I say?
Give your lives to Jesus only.
Serve Him as your King.
If you love Me, I will bless you.
If you love Me, I will bless you.
If you love Me, I will bless you.
I’ll give you a crown.
When I come I will receive you
As My very own.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
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