Tag: cleansing
Response to a revelation of God’s holiness
Scripture reading for July 17th: Isaiah 5-8
In the presence of the Lord there is an awesome awareness of God’s holiness and glory and of our sinfulness and need of cleansing. The stories of encounters with the Lord in Scripture record humbling effects on those so blessed to experience a personal visitation. It is always by God’s initiative that He reveals Himself to a man or woman. We can’t command a visitation although we can ask humbly. Job asked to have an audience with His maker and found himself unable to answer and repented following the encounter. (Job 42:2-6) Isaiah had a visitation and confessed his sin quickly.
During Isaiah’s encounter, he beheld the Lord on a throne with His robe filling the temple. Above and around Him were heavenly being called seraphs, or “burning ones”. They had six wings and used these to fly and cover their faces and feet. They were calling to each other “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) When they spoke, their voices shook the doorposts and thresholds of the temple and smoke filled the house. This ‘smoke’ was the tangible glory of God!
Isaiah himself began to cry out in terror of judgment in the presence of this Holy One and His burning angels! He immediately knew his sin would bring judgment and death. He understood that all people among whom he lived were also sinful and were in danger of judgment! Seeing God’s great white throne would spell disaster! (Revelation 20:11-14) God saw his heart and repentance and heard his confession. He sent one of the seraph’s with a burning coal from the altar and applied it to the prophet’s mouth. His sin was taken away and atoned for.
After cleansing, Isaiah heard the Lord’s personal call: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for Me?” Isaiah quickly responded with “Here am I, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) God told Isaiah that He was sending him to a people whose hearts were calloused and their ears were dull. They had become hardened and would become harder as they refused to listen to God’s prophet! (Isaiah 6:9-10) Jesus quoted these verses as He spoke to the religious people of His day. (Matthew 13:13-15)
In summary, the open heaven Isaiah experienced brought revelation of God’s glory. This led to awareness and confession of his sinfulness and cleansing by God’s grace through fire from the altar. After cleansing he heard God’s call and obeyed! Why not ask God for a fresh revelation of His holiness and glory?
Come, let us reason together!
Scripture reading for July 16: Isaiah 1-4
The book of Isaiah is a rich resource of prophesy and New Testament truth. Jesus Christ said of Isaiah that he “saw my glory and spoke about it.” (John 12:41) Jesus began His ministry quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2 as recorded in Luke 4:18-19. Isaiah was a faithful prophet of the Lord during over 50 years of ministry under four different kings of Judah. His book is considered by some to be a miniature of the Bible as a whole. The first 39 chapters record Isaiah’s messages of judgment on the sins of a backslidden and lost people. The last 27 chapters contain a message of hope and consolation to those God has disciplined.
The first chapter contains a pattern of preaching that many of the prophets used and one that Isaiah adopted. He used a four-point sermon outline: (A) calling out sins, (B) threats of coming judgment, (C) call to repent and return to God, and (D) promises of healing and restoration if they repented.
The charges against Judah sound familiar! The people of Judah were raised and delivered by God Himself, but they willfully chose not know God or do His will. They turned their backs on God and rebelled against their own Maker! (Isaiah 1:2-9) The results were sores and infection, a land under judgment, drought, and cities burned with fire! God likened them to Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities He had destroyed by fire because of their gross wickedness.
Because His people had provoked God in their rebellion and He called for judgment! He was sick of their hollow religious meetings and meaningless offerings. He hated their festivals and hypocrisy. He promised to hide His face from them and would not respond to their prayers. (Isaiah 1:10-15)
In mercy God asked them to turn from their sins while He waited. Their hands were full of innocent blood and their land full of idols. He called to them to seek justice and righteousness and begin to encourage the oppressed and help the fatherless and widow. God was concerned with social justice and particularly with the needy and weak who were being exploited. (Isaiah 1:16-17) He tried to reason with them about the stain of their sins. As red blood stains a white garment and is difficult to remove, God promised to blot out the stain of their sin and make them white as snow or white like a clean wool garment! (Isaiah 1:18-19) Repentance would bring healing, cleansing and blessing.
Take time to examine your own life in light of God’s mercy and grace he has extended to you. Do you have stains from sin, neglect of God, or putting on a religious show? God is listening for your call and ready to heal, cleanse and restore His blessings.
Times of refreshing!
Scripture reading for May 8th: 2nd Kings 10-12, Acts 3
Key Scriptures: Acts 3:19-21 “”Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago.””
Peter called on the Jews to repent and turn to Jesus Christ, the One spoken of by the prophets. Jesus, alone could restore all things and bring times of refreshing that would follow repentance and turning of hearts to Him.
2nd Kings 12:4-6 “Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, . . .and the money that a man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord, . .and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.”. . . “But by the 23rd year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house (of the Lord).”
Prayer: Lord, my heart is moved to see Your Holy Temple restored and cleansed. Cleanse me and Your Church and bring times of refreshing as we obey You. Amen.
Calling of sinners!
Scripture reading for February 9th: Leviticus 12-15, Mark 2
Key Scriptures: Mark 2:15-17 “And as He reclined at table in His house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and His disciples, for there were many who followed Him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus chose to invite sinners to have fellowship with Him. He ate with them and even invited Matthew, a despised tax collector, to follow Him. The religious leaders questioned how Jesus could be willing to be with ‘sinners and tax collectors’ and Jesus spoke plainly to them. He had come to minister to those who were in need of healing, not those who did not need it. God taught His people in the Old Testament to minister to the unclean, lepers, and bring restoration.
Leviticus 14:1-3 “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This is the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of the leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds. . . “
Prayer: Holy Father, thank You for caring for the sinner and the hurting. May your compassion fill my heart today to bring healing, encouragement and hope. Amen.
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday September 7th, 2014
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ! He loves us and has demonstrated that love by giving His life on the cross and shedding His life-blood that those who would look to Him would have cleansing and eternal life! We celebrate His resurrection and victory over death and Hell as we gather today! What amazing love God has poured out on us! We remember Christ’s death until He comes again to receive us into glory!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary