Wednesday, June 25,
2014, 10:27 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “He Reached Down.” Speak, Lord, your
words to my heart. I read Isaiah 1
(NIV).
Persisting In
Rebellion
The children of God have rebelled against him. They lack
understanding. They are a sinful lot. They are given to corruption. They have
forsaken their Lord, and have turned their backs on him. Although God knows the
answer to this question, he is asking “Why?” “Why do you persist in rebellion?”
He wants his children to examine their hearts. He wants them to look deep
inside and to ask themselves the question, “Why?” Most probably already know
the answer. Many are self-deceived, though, and they believe their own lies.
The
Lord says, “The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me? I have more
than enough… I have no pleasure in” (them). “When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing
meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me… I cannot bear your
worthless assemblies… They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing
them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even
when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.” ~ Is. 1:11-15
God is not interested in what WE are willing to do for him,
i.e. in what we have self-determined is what is required of us, or what seems to
be reasonable or customary religious activity in order to demonstrate our
service to the Lord. If we go to a worship service, sing or play in the praise
team, serve on a committee, organize a bazaar, teach VBS, give our tithe, go on
a mission trip, lead a small group, host social gatherings, serve in the
nursery, and/or volunteer at a shelter, etc., but we hold on to our own lives,
and we pick and choose what we will give to the Lord and what we won’t; and we
follow a sinful course, even though we know it is wrong, and even though God
has spoken to us about it time and time again, God is not pleased! Our
sacrifices are meaningless! He doesn’t want our sacrifices apart from
repentance, obedience and surrender to Him and to His will for our lives.
Willing and Obedient
Wash
and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
Learn
to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take
up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
“Come
now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though
your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though
they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
If
you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
but
if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For
the mouth of the Lord has spoken. ~ Is. 1:16-20
He is calling out to his rebellious children to repent of
(turn away from) their sins of rebellion. He is asking that they remove their
evil deeds from his sight, i.e. that they not just play church, pray
insincerely, go through the motions of a relationship with him, and/or give lip
service only to him, but then willingly keep doing what they know is wrong, and
with no sense of conscience at all. He is asking that they repent of their sins
and stop doing wrong and to learn to do what is right by following him and his
word in obedience. He is asking that they come to him and settle this matter of
their rebellion and their sinful deeds.
Although, as God’s true children, we have been cleansed from
our sins, and we have been made righteous through the blood of Christ shed for
us on the cross for our sins, the Bible speaks much on the subject of our
Christian walks as a process of sanctification whereby we continually confess
our sins to God and we are daily cleansed and purified (See 2 Co. 7:1; 1 Jn.
3:3; 1 Pet. 1:22; Heb. 12:1; Eph. 4:31; Jas. 1:21; & Ro. 8:12-13, etc.). It
is essential to our walks of faith that we consistently resist Satan, flee
temptation and draw near to God. We can’t drink from the cup of demons and the
cup of the Lord, too. We need to continue to be willing and obedient in doing
what our Lord requires of us in thought, word and deed and in following him
wherever he leads us, instead of going our own way and us just giving him our
leftovers. He doesn’t want our sacrifices, i.e. of our own choosing. He wants US
as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, set apart from the world of
sin, and set apart to him and to his service (See Ro. 12:1-2). With this he is
pleased.
Afterward
I
will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.
I
will restore your leaders as in days of old,
your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward
you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City.”
Zion
will be delivered with justice,
her penitent ones with righteousness.
But
rebels and sinners will both be broken,
and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
~ Is. 1:25-28
We read both in the prophets of old and in the New Testament
that God will judge his adulterous church in the last days before the return of
Christ. I believe that time is not far away from the church here in America. So
much of today’s church has adopted the ways of humans over the ways of God; the
teachings of mankind over the teachings of Christ; the sinful practices of the
world over the holiness of God. It is hardly distinguishable between the church
and the world anymore. We are supposed to come out from the world of sin and be
different, not become one with the world, and not adopt the world’s
philosophies, culture, values and practices. We are supposed to be lights for
the gospel to the world around us, not enter into their darkness with them in
order to “reach” them.
So, a time is coming when God will purge his church of her
impurities, and afterward she will be called the Faithful City of God. Those
who are repentant will be delivered from their sinful rebellion against God,
will be restored and renewed in the Spirit of God, and the church will be
revived! Hallelujah! Those who persist in rebellion against God will be broken,
and those who forsake the Lord will perish, the word says. So, if you have been
playing church, willfully sinning against God, just going through the motions
of a relationship with Jesus Christ, but you have not surrendered your all to
him, I pray you will do so today.
He Reached Down /
An Original Work / February 3, 2014
Based off Psalm 18
How I love You, Lord,
My Rock and my
strength.
My God is my fortress;
I hide in Him.
He is my shield and
the horn of
My salvation, whom I
praise.
I have found my refuge
in Him.
He reached down from
heaven
And rescued me;
Drew me out of waters
So deep, I’d sink.
He delivered me from
Satan
And my slavery to sin;
Gave me hope of heaven
with Him.
My God turned my
darkness
Into His light;
Opened up my blinded
eyes;
Gave me sight.
As for God, his way is
perfect.
He gives strength to
stand secure.
I have found my
vict’ry in Him.
My Lord lives!
Praise be to my Savior
God,
Jesus Christ, who died
On a cruel cross.
He is my Rock and the
source
Of my salvation, whom
I trust.
I will give praise
always to Him.
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