A Rebellious Nation

Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 7:31 a.m. – The song, “Muted Trumpet,” was playing in my mind when I came out to the office this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Isaiah 1 (NIV ’84). As I was reading this passage this morning, I became ever so aware of the timelessness of this message, and how most of it is still applicable to our lives today. God was writing this to his chosen people, Israel, and to them as a nation.

His chosen people Israel today are true Israel; spiritual Israel, i.e. his true church. The nation would be thus whatever nation in which they dwell. I live in the United States of America. I believe with all my heart that God is speaking this message to America and to the church in America today, so I feel led of the Spirit of God to paraphrase this for us today. May the Lord Jesus, our Savior, use this to speak to each one of our hearts.

Note: This does not apply to every individual, but I do believe it applies to the church in the U.S.A. and to our nation overall. We must each, individually, go before God in prayer to see where this applies to our own hearts and lives, if we so choose to do so.

To My Children and to the nation in which they live –

I brought you up and reared you as my children, but you have rebelled against me. You do not know me, your master. You lack spiritual understanding and insight into the things of God. You are a sinful people; a sinful nation – a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! You, for the most part, have forsaken the LORD, though not all of you have. You have spurned (rejected; snubbed; slighted; despised) the Holy One of Israel, your Lord God, Jesus Christ, who bought you with his blood. You have turned your backs on him and forgotten that you have been cleansed of your sins.

Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole being is afflicted, in particular your heart. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no spiritual soundness – only sinful wounds from unconfessed sin; not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with the oil of gladness characteristic of a repentant sinner who has been set free from bondage to sin and moral decay. The judgment of God is already coming against you. Your capital cities are being stripped by foreigners, right before your eyes (the Occupy Wall Street “protests”). They are being laid waste and overthrown by strangers (the New Global Order consuming the world). The true church of Jesus Christ is under siege (a military or police operation in which troops or the police surround a place and cut off all outside access to force surrender – Encarta). Unless the Lord leaves you some survivors, you will become like Sodom and Gomorrah.

In fact, your rulers are like the rulers of Sodom, and your people (a high percentage of them) are like the people of Gomorrah. I am not interested in your multiplied offerings and sacrifices of your own flesh nature in which you go through religious ritual and you honor me with your lips only, but your hearts are far from me. I take no pleasure in what you feel you are doing for God if you are not walking in obedience and surrender to me and to my will for your lives. When you appear before me in public meetings (worship services), Bible studies, prayer meetings or during your own personal quiet times with God in the study of his word and in prayer, who has asked of you that you should trample (showing insult and contempt) on my grace, my love for you, and the sacrifice I paid for your sins with my own blood, by your not being willing to obey what I show you, and what truth I reveal to you through my word? Stop bringing me meaningless offerings! I cannot bear your sacred assemblies. Your appointed feasts (such as Thanksgiving) and festivals my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

So, when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen, because you are not willing to listen to me and to heed my counsel. Your hands are full of the blood of the innocent; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of those without true spiritual leadership and guidance. Plead the case of those without true spiritual leadership, because the shepherds have abandoned the sheep and have gone after their own selfish desires.

Come on now, let us be reasonable here. Though your sins are many and even though they are piled high against me, if you would just humble yourselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from your wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive your sins and I will bless you with much spiritual healing. If you are willing and obedient… let me repeat that, because this is a critical factor here in your healing… IF you are willing and obedient, you will be blessed by my Father in heaven with the riches of his grace and love lavished (piled high) upon you. But, IF you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

See how the faithful city; the city on a hill; the city of the living God; the New Jerusalem; God’s holy people; his chosen ones; his church, and/or your capital city on a hill, has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her – but now murderers! Your silver (money) has become dross (worthless or of a low standard – Encarta). Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of those without father or spiritual leader in the family. They do not consider the case of the wife without husband to lead her spiritually. Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel (Israel - the church), declares:

“I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross (low standards) and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” In other words, I am going to bring my righteous right hand against you in judgment, but its purpose is to save you from yourselves and to bring you back into a right relationship with your God. I will redeem you with justice and your penitent ones with righteousness, so be earnest and repent of your sins and turn back to your God in true faithfulness and righteousness. Rebels and sinners will be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.

When this happens, you will be ashamed of your idolatry and how you have run after so many other gods which are not God, but in which you have delighted yourselves. You will be disgraced because of the many idols you have chosen over and above me. Your works of the flesh and your many idols will become like tinder for a fire and will be burned up, with no one to quench the fire. So, be earnest and repent, and obey God!

Lovingly,

Your God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit, the Faithful One; the Amen!

Muted Trumpet / An Original Work / October 14, 2011

Softly He speaks gently to us,
Giving us His messages, and
He waits patiently for us to
Respond to His words.
Will you listen to Him speaking?
Will you waken from your sleeping?
He is calling; hear Him whisper
His truth unto you.

Jesus speaks His words unto us,
So that He might live out through us,
Giving light to all who need Him,
So they can obey.
He gave His life to die for us,
So that from sin He would free us
To walk humbly in obedience
Unto Him each day.

Hear the trumpet clearly calling.
He died to keep us from falling.
Won’t you listen; heed His call to
Turn to Him today?
Hasten to Him calling to you.
Turn from sin and follow Jesus.
He loves you so much He gave you
Life eternally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0iizyIw0KM

Isaiah 1 (NIV 1984):
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201&version=NIV1984