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Go To Meeting
Albert Jones—December 15, 2022
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As we go through the week, week after week, after the Feast of Tabernacles it kind of concludes the Holy Day season until next spring when we have the spring Holy Days.
In that time, we think about a lot of things in regard to our relationship with God. As we are growing in that relationship I think it's becoming clearer week by week for us in God's Church that these are times that we need to be drawing close to God. Drawing close to God right now is probably more critical in our spiritual lives—it's always been critical for us—but of course, as the time draws near we need to watch out and be watchful.
We need to take heed of the things that are occurring around us, which want to draw us away from God. It is important for us to allow God to work in our lives.
- Are we allowing God to rule in our life?
- Will we allow Him to rule in our life?
That's a serious question for us as is it's very evident in the world that they've made a decision. To those who don't know God, it is somewhat irrelevant from their perspective, and to those who say that they know God, do not demonstrate that they're allowing God to rule in their lives. They put stipulations and they create walls around themselves, kind of buffering themselves from the Truth, even though they say that they're seeking Truth.
But for us, those whom God has called and given His Spirit to understand the Truth… and I say that with every confidence of heart that we have a calling from the One God.
Allowing God to rule in our life, God tells us very clearly why this is important to us. If we are going to allow Him to rule in our life, this is why it's important:
Deuteronomy 30:19: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death…"
These words were given to a people whom God had called to Himself, a physical people whom He had made a covenant with, a commitment to, promises to. No different than each and every one of us in His Church. So, in saying these words, He made it clear: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death…"
This is real life, and the death that is referred to here is not just dying in the flesh, this is the death! He set before us life and death. This physical life:
- a true life
- a life worth living
- a life that is lived in joy and peace
- a life that is lived in confidence with Him and Christ
Death of the physical type, knowing that we all die, but those who die in Christ, the promise of life! So, God has set before us those choices,
"…blessing and cursing…." (v 19).
The same principle applies here, that those who aspire to and ascribe to God, who are yielding to Him, have access to blessings. Those blessings are a result of a right life, righteous living, walking in the righteousness of Christ and the instructions of God.
Then cursings, which are not God's wrath hammered upon the people because they didn't obey, necessarily. He will do that from time to time to get our attention if necessary. But cursings come as a natural result of law-breaking. Laws are given to us to keep us on a path that leads to a good life, and curses come when we deviate from that path that God has laid before us. So, we have that understanding as God's Church.
God tells us why this is important. He makes it clear Who He is. He says this is why:
Verse 20: "That you may love the LORD your God, and may obey His voice, and may cleave to Him… [none other] …for He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land, which the LORD swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give it to them."
We, too, seek a place with God, to dwell with God, as well.
Leviticus 18:1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses… [these are the words of God] …saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them… [He makes very clear Who He is, and there is only one God] …"I am the LORD your God. As they do in the land of Egypt where you dwelt, you shall not do. And you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Neither shall you walk in their ordinances"'" (vs 1-3).
It's very clear that the people of the land were not ascribing to the ways of God. God was taking that from them because of their sins.
Verse 4: "You shall do My judgments…" These are the judgments of God that we should be seeking and inquiring about, to ask the question of ourselves:
- What is it that God expects?
- What is it that God desires?
- What is it that He wants us to do?
"…and keep My ordinances, and walk in them…." (v 4). That is a way of life! That is us walking in His ordinances.
"…I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am the LORD" (vs 4-5).
So, when we think about the God that we worship. He is very clear in making known to Himself to us so that we have no doubt.
He is our God! He tells us why it's vital to us as His begotten sons and daughters to live and walk in His ways. God tells us that He is our God; He says, 'I am your God!' in so doing, He will not force anyone to chose Him; we choose to follow Him or not! That's the choice we have before us.
If God is God—and He is—why would we look to anything other than Him. To turn from God, to turn from God's rule in our life is to reject all that is good and righteous from God. He has given us all that we need to be with Him, because He desires to give to us blessings. He desires to lead us to the Kingdom! It's His good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. God is perfect in every way! He wants that perfection to be manifested in us. God is doing the work; we are the product of that work!
Psalm 18:30: "As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is tried…."
He is the God of all wisdom, perfect wisdom and all understanding. This is the God Who made us, called us and we worship.
"…He is a shield to all those who take refuge in Him, for who is God besides the LORD? Or, who is a Rock except our God? The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect, Who makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me on my high places. He trains my hands for battle…" (vs 31-34).
Today that is the spiritual battle that we are in with the sin that's in this world, all the trappings of Satan the devil as he has laid them out there.
"…so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation…" (vs 34-35).
Is that not what drives us even to death, that there is a life described by the Apostle Paul (1-Cor. 15). This is the work that God is doing in us. He gives us the shield of salvation, that thing to hide behind, to hold onto.
"…and Your right hand has held me up… [that's the strong side of God] …and Your gentleness has made me great. You have broadened the path beneath me, so that my ankles have not turned" (vs 35-36)—haven't become lame and pulled aside!
- this is God shoring us up
- this is God working in our lives as He desires to do so
Yes, His ways are perfect, and those are the ways that God has called us to. His Law is perfect!
Psalm 19:7: "The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…"
That is if a man should walk in God's perfect Law his soul is strengthened. It isn't filled with the disappointment of sin. The agony of defeat, if you want to describe it that way. Every time we sin this incredible horrible feeling comes over us. Our conscious is pricked to the point of recognizing that something is not right in this relationship. So, we cry out to God Who strengthens us, who restores the soul.
"…the testimony of the LORD is sure…" (v 7).
- IF God says it, it will be
- IF God spoke it, it is
We walk today by utterances that God has given, preserved by His prophets and apostles. Our foundation of faith comes from those words being spoken in the Gospel, in prophecy, in writings, the oracles of God.
"…making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandments of the LORD are pure, enlightening the eyes" (vs 7-8).
I'm describing for you all the things that God has laid out for us, to ensure that we know where He is, and how to get to Him. What we should be doing, He has given us instructions to follow so that we can be on the right track with Him. He desires to give us those things.
- What else does God give us?
- What does God make possible for us in His way?
- He has Truth
- He leads us to Life
- His ways are the ways of righteousness
In Him is peace, quietness and confidence! We need some peace, brethren! We need this space of quietness in this crazy world. When we come into the Sabbath, we truly are blessed to have this time to commune with God, to fellowship with one another. This is precious for us, and we should avail ourselves to every aspect of it.
What else does God give us? He pours out from His very throne His grace, which includes:
- His Holy Spirit
- a promise of sonship
- glory
- the covenants
- knowledge of these things
- the promises that He has given
- Godliness
He is creating within us Godliness! There is nothing in this world that can come even close to it.
Why would someone desire something other than God? There is nothing in this world worth having! This world is on the brink of annihilation and God is going to do away with it. There is no part of it that He would want to bring into His Kingdom. God is perfect, and we must keep ourselves in His perfection and His way, in His light. We must keep ourselves in the life that is in God.
1-Corinthians 12:31: "But earnestly desire the more edifying gifts; and yet, I show you a way far surpassing all these."
We can talk about everything that was leading up to that verse, all the things that God speaks about.
Verse 28: "And God Himself has placed certain ones in the Church: first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers; then miracles; then gifts of healings; helps; governments; various languages. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all perform miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in different languages? Do all interpret?" (vs 28-30)—no we don't!
Each part within the Body of Christ has a function, and God is orchestrating the perfection. Each of our gifts, as they are, are designed for us to help lift each other up.
1-Cor. 13 is a more passive way that Paul talks about this:
I Corinthians 13:1: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge… [there are no end of books] …and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing" (vs 1-2).
Paul goes on to express that, the power of love and what it means in God's construct for His Family; the Family that we are a part of! God is love, and His Family is based on love. We are instructed by God to love one another. His Church is to even love our enemies.
It says that we are to love our neighbor's as ourselves. God is love. So, this is the place where we dwell. We have been called to develop the Holy perfect character of God.
Matthew 5:48: "Therefore, you shall be perfect, even as your Father Who is in heaven is perfect."
To put on Christ, let's see what Gal. 3 says.
Galatians 3:26: "Because you are all sons of God…"
That's who we are as a Church; we are begotten not yet born, but God sees us as the end product. He sees in us the end product.
Verse 26: "Because you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (vs 26-28).
God is telling us that we are a Family, part of His Body! His love permeates throughout the Body of Christ. There is no part more important than the other, even though it may have a different function, placement or even honor in some instances. We are very important to God!
Verse 29: "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
This is very clear in terms of all the way from His visit with Abraham in the tent to this message I'm giving, all the way through to the return of Christ into the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment. We are children of faith!
We're going to preach that message to those who come to Christ in that day. This is why it's an important thing to dwell on. For as many of us who have been baptized into Christ did put on Christ!
This was the commitment we made at baptism! We made that commitment, brethren, and you know how important it was for you at that time. It is still important for you. Remember we were counseled to count the cost! You're not to be looking back wondering what it is that you have done. You know what you have done. You've made a commitment to God!
Colossians 3:14: "And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."
- peace is one of God's blessings:
- the fruit of His Spirit
- a product of grace that we stand in
Verse 15: "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called into one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (vs 15-17).
This is the God that we worship! God speaks to us! He literally speaks to us through the Prophets and the Apostles, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah as we have entered into this covenant with God.
Let's see what He says to us in Isa. 5. All the words in Isaiah are important for us, but let's focus here for a moment:
Isaiah 5:1: " Now, I will sing to my Beloved a song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard…. [we are God's vineyard] …My Beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. And He dug it up, and cleared it of stones… [great attention in preparing this vineyard] …and planted it with choice vines, and built a tower in its midst, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and He looked for it to produce grapes. But it produced worthless fruits" (vs 1-2). This is the disconnect occurs if we're not close to God!
Verse 3—God speaking: "And now, O people of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Who knows? I looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard; I will take away its hedge, and it shall be consumed; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down; and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor dug… [that attention brought to by the Husbandman] …but briers and thorns shall come up. And I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" (vs 3-6).
This is a bad condition! You don't have the life-giving elements of care from God. The water, symbolized by the Holy Spirit, being available to you. Life-giving substance for you to produce and thrive and be.
Those who turn from God are in this condition! Why would anyone even think or contemplate such and idea? That they would turn from the Living God!
Verse 7: "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress! Woe to those who join house to house, that lay field to field, until there is no place left, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land! The LORD of hosts swore in my ears, 'Truly, many houses shall be deserted, even great and fair, without inhabitant'" (vs 7-9).
This proclamation was to the nation of Israel in those times, in terms of them turning from the true God. Let those things not even come near us, though they may be in the land. It may be the condition of things in America or the world where people have turned from God. God is going to come back and get the attention not just to the nation of Israel, but He is coming back to get attention to the world. That time is near!
Verse 13 "Therefore, My people are gone into exile because they have no knowledge, and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is dried up with thirst."
We have a warning from God as well as an admonition to get it together. As many of you were baptized into Christ and have put on Christ. This is what God is telling us to do.
Let's think about, for a moment, the commitment that we made at baptism.
- What did we say to God?
- What was the question that you were asked in the baptismal pool?
Some of you may have been baptized in one of the other Churches of God many years ago. But this is the statement that is asked of that newly called member of God's Family, one who is committed and ready for baptism to shed the old man and put on the new. The question you are asked is:
- Have you repented of your sins? And we get an affirmation of 'yes'!
- Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior? And we get an affirmation of 'yes'!
It is not a light question. It is question of truth!
- What is it that you are embarking upon?
- What is it that you are getting ready to commit to?
- What is your faith based on?
- Is it this world?
- Is it some idea of allegiance?
- Was it to the one God, the God Who sent His Son to be our Savior?
- What is it that we are affirming there in that relationship?
If we allow God to rule in our lives by yielding ourselves to Him, that affirmation is the foundational piece of it; yielding ourselves to Him, humbling ourselves before Him!
Isa. 37—this is what we have committed to; this is the relationship that we are in. This is the example of King Hezekiah:
Isaiah 37:1: "And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD."
This is a man recognizing that when the time of trouble comes you retreat to the Lord. But what we need to realize also is that prior to trouble coming, we need to be retreating to the Lord. We need to be with the Lord every day.
- our allegiance is to Him
- we walk in Him
- we hope in Him
- we trust in Him
- we get up with Him
- we go to bed before Him and asking His hand of protection through the night and the next day
Everything that we are is wrapped up in our relationship with God. Not like this world. It's every single day of the week! We rely upon God for everything that we have.
Verse 2: "And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, 'Thus says Hezekiah, "This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy! For the children have come to the birth, but there is no strength to bring forth"'" (vs 2-3).
That's a feeling that was being experienced there pretty vividly.
Verse 4: "It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the chief field commander, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left."
Verse 5: "So, the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, 'Thus you shall say to your master, "Thus says the LORD, 'Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me'"'" (vs 5-6).
That representative of the king of Assyria was defiling the name of the God of Israel. He spoke boldly against the God of Israel, challenging, taunting!
Verse 7: "Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."
Not in the same bravado that he was speaking against God, but God simple said through the Prophet Isaiah that 'you don't have to worry about this little man.'
Verse 8: "So, the chief field commander returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. And he heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, 'He has come out to war against you.' And he heard and sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, "Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, saying, 'Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria'"'" (vs 8-10).
Once again, I read these verses and I say, truly, these people were ignorant of the God of Israel. Truly, they did not know the God of Israel or comprehend that the One Who made the heavens and the Earth, otherwise they would not have been saying these things.
Verse 11: "Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by completely destroying them. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed: Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?" (vs 11-13).
Verse 14: "And Hezekiah received the letter from the courier's hand, and read it. And Hezekiah went up… [yes, this is the proper move] …into the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD."
Hezekiah didn't stand there 'spit for spit' if you will, going back and forth man to man. Hezekiah knew where His strength resided. He went to seek it! He knew the God of Israel! We know the God of Israel for He is our God! This is the God Whom we serve.
Verse 15: "And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying, 'O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. Bow down Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib which he has sent to mock the living God…. [He is praying to God, the God, the one God] …Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire… [that's because they're not gods] …for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; so they have destroyed them" (vs 15-19).
Everything in the world that we see that people lift up as being something big, something important, something to be feared—whether power, money or their ability to do something—it is nothing! It's worse than stones, indeed it's worse than the chaff from wheat over a fire. It's nothing!
Verse 20: "And now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone."
Verse 21: "And Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria."'"
He had to step forward and act on his faith, and he went and petitioned God, which is what we do. This is how we live our lives. Nothing is going to turn us from that relationship that we have with God.
God stands for His people! He is the same God Who answered the prayer that King Solomon prayed when the temple was erected. Solomon's prayer was strong! It was a prayer that I refer to often. It was a prayer that reaches beyond the nation of Israel alone. It's a prayer, as we read it today, we see the wisdom of God, the hope that God wanted to have for all of us.
So, if will humble ourselves and turn to God with prayer, fasting and true repentance, in the same way that you see King Hezekiah did with his issue with Sennacherib the king of Assyria, He will do that! He understood that this was the fact that it is God Who raises up kings and gives power, and He can tear them down. Let's look at a manifestation of that same faith.
Hannah prayed from the heart, believing and trusting God; her faith was in Him! She didn't turn from God, she held fast no matter the mocking, no matter the persecution.
I Samuel 2:1: "And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.'"
There is that shield of salvation, that hope that out in front of us!
- God saves
- God intervenes
- God will save
- God will intervene
Verse 2: "There is none Holy as the LORD, for there is none beside You. Neither is there any rock like our God."
This House, this Church, this Body is being erected off of that perfect Corner Stone! That reference point is what the House of God is being built upon. So, every time there's something, you refer back to that Rock! Is there any Rock like our God?
Verse 3: "Talk no more so very proudly. Remove arrogance out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry have ceased to hunger; yea, while even the barren has borne seven, and she who had many sons has languished" (vs 3-5).
Verse 6: "The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD takes away, and He gives riches; He brings low; yea, He lifts up high. He raises up the poor out of the dust; He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among princes; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor, for to the LORD belong the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world upon them. He keeps the feet of His saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail" (vs 6-9).
- I don't care how strong you are
- I don't care how many missiles you have
- I don't' care how many battleships you have
- I don't care how many aircraft carriers you have
You can have the net worth of trillions, but the strength that saves is in God! We have a direct relationship with Him as His sons and daughters. This is the God Whom we worship!
Let's read another inspiring summary of this God that we serve:
Psalm 20:1: "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob set you on high, may He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion. May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah" (vs 1-3).
- repentance
- change
- overcoming
- putting behind the things of this world
- prayer
- fasting
- hope
- belief
- trust
- walking before God
- doing those things that God has called you to as His servant
- Think on that!
- Think about the commitment you made at baptism!
- Go back and re-commit yourself in prayer!
Ask God to renew within you that first love and the strength you had at that time!
Verse 4: "May He grant you according to your own heart and fulfill all your plans. We will shout for joy in your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up banners. May the LORD fulfill all your prayers" (vs 4-5).
- Who is doing the work here?
- Where is the hope?
It's in God and His Son Jesus Christ! That's what we're rejoicing in, not our strength, not our power. We stand in this gracious relationship with God that is going to give us Life!
Christ wants us to understand a very, very important thing:
Romans 1:17: "For therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith unto faith, according as it is written: 'The just shall live by faith.'"
- our walk is a walk of faith
- our hope is in God, not our own strength
- our faith is in His commitment, His love and concern for us
Verse 18: "Indeed, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness…"
Anything that comes against us and all the ungodliness in this world, God will take care of it!
"…and unrighteousness of men who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness" (v 18).
That is what is occurring in this world! But we have God at our side. He is our strength! We are the begotten of God; we are to put our confidence in God the Father and in Jesus Christ. We're to rejoice in the Lord. We're to:
- trust in Him
- hope in Him
- look to Him
As it says, the Rock of our salvation!
Romans 9:33: "Exactly as it is written: 'Behold, I place in Sion a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of offense, but everyone who believes in Him shall not be ashamed.'"
Affirmation after affirmation throughout the Bible! You can see these connectivities through the Scriptures.
Matthew 16:18: "And I say also to you that you are Peter; but upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it."
The Church is not built on the little stone of Peter; it's built upon the humongous Rock, this strong Rock that is Christ! That's where we have this faith as the begotten of God, and we are the begotten of God! He has given us a clear instruction!
I Corinthians 10:1: "Now, I do not wish you to be ignorant of this, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And they all ate the same spiritual meat. And they all drank of the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them. And that Rock was Christ" (vs 1-4). So, we see Who our strength is!
Deuteronomy 32:1: "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My teachings shall drop as the rain; my speech shall drop down as the dew, as the small rain on the tender plant, and as the showers on the grass, because I will proclaim the name of the LORD, and ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock; His work is perfect for all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness, and without iniquity; just and upright is He. They have corrupted themselves… [those in the world] …they are not His children; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation" (vs 1-5).
This entire generation of perverseness, having turned so far from God there is no light in them!
Verse 6: "Is this the way you pay back to the LORD, O foolish and unwise people?…." I look and see, and I also self-reflect:
- Am I allowing God to rule in my life?
- Is He doing the work that He desires to do in me?
or
- Am I standing there resisting Him? Fighting Him?
- What am I doing?
- Am I yielding?
- these are question that I contemplate
- these are question that I study into in God's Word
I let them correct and guide me!
"…Is He not your Father Who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?" (v 6).
Is He not the One Whom we made that covenant commitment to in the watery baptismal grave? We stood there! Don't forget, brethren, and hold onto the first love, that love where we made our commitment to God and we're walking in it. We're not going to turn from Him in any way!
Verse 7: "Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders… [the prophets and apostles] …and they will tell you."
We don't have to ask them, all we have to do is read it.
Verse 8: "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel, for the LORD'S portion is His people. Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste of a howling wilderness. He led him about, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye" (vs 8-10.
Every word that I'm reading here, God had for His physical nation is applied to us today a hundred times over. You are:
- God's begotten sons and daughters
- His elect
- His children
- His very own sons and daughters
We have access to Him as sons and daughter, and we call out to Him in a very personal way through His Son, our elder Brother and High Priest: Jesus Christ! That's where we are today!
Verse 12: "The LORD alone led him, and there was no strange god with him."
Let there be no strange gods with us. Let us hold fast; that is very important!
Psalm 4:1: "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness. You gave me relief when I was in distress; be gracious to me, and hear my prayer. O sons of men, how long will my glory be put to shame? How long will you love delusions and seek after lies? Selah" (vs 1-2). This world is filled up with lies!
Verse 3: "But know that the LORD has set apart the Godly for Himself. The LORD will hear when I call to Him." God has set apart the Godly for Himself!
Verse 4: Tremble, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Think!
Recognize the most important thing to you as a son or daughter of God. Call out to your Father and your elder Brother.
Verse 5: "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, 'Who will show us any good?' LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and their wine increased. I will both lie down in peace and sleep, for You alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety" (vs 5-8).
We are to hold on, brethren! Our salvation is soon to come! When God is done perfecting His firstfruits, we will see when the 144,000 are sealed and the great innumerable multitude as described in the book of Revelation. He will lead and deliver us!
Matthew 6:32—Jesus speaking: "For the nations seek after all these things. And your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But as for you, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall take care of the things of itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil of that day" (vs 32-34).
God is right here by our side!
- we should not turn from Him, but turn to Him
- we should allow Him to rule in our lives and nothing else
- not our stubbornness
- not our foolishness
We should turn to Him!
- His is the Kingdom
- His is the power
- His is the glory forever—Amen!
Scriptural References:
- Deuteronomy 30:19-20
- Leviticus 18:1-5
- Psalm 18:30-36
- Psalm 19:7-8
- I Corinthians 12:31, 28-30
- I Corinthians 13:1-2
- Matthew 5:48
- Galatians 3:26-29
- Colossians 3:14-17
- Isaiah 5:1-9, 13
- Isaiah 37:1-21
- I Samuel 2:1-9
- Psalm 20:1-5
- Romans 1:17-18
- Romans 9:33
- Matthew 16:18
- I Corinthians 10:1-4
- Deuteronomy 32:1-10, 12
- Psalm 4:1-8
- Matthew 6:32-34
Scripture referenced, not quoted: 1-Corintians 15
AJ:bo
Transcribed: 12/23/22
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