Isaiah 53
We see here a clear presentation of the Gospel, even way back in Isaiah’s time. In this short chapter we see a certain progression that is important in the understanding of the sacrificial death of our Lord. The narrative begins with his life before Calvary; it "peaks" in v. vs. 7-9, and then reigns victoriously toward the close of the chapter. The Gospel is clearly seen in these verses.
We have first: the people whom the Lord is seeking, (v. 1):
The obscurity of the “seeker”, (v. 2): The rejection of His deity by men (v. 3):
The prophetic message of the Messiah, (v. 4):
The message of the sacrificial Lamb for all mankind, (v. 5):
The wretchedness of man and his need for redemption, (v. 6):
The suffering, death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf (vs. 7-9):
The invitation to man (v. 10):
The victory of the Savior and man over sin, (v. 11):
And the will of God completed to His own glory, (v. 12)
What a blessed and prophetic chapter that speaks of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Internet
I had a very scary thought early this morning:
What one thing ties the world together today? The internet.
Who controls the internet? Many say that no one person or body can control it, but what if one person does? What if one man could take control of the internet, and have all that is in it at his discretion? He would have the power of complete censorship; he would literally come into nearly every home in America, and be able to obtain valuable information about any one of us; private, personal, and vital information that could ruin us, or promote us, whichever he desired! Think of the power he would have in the mere knowledge of our business activities, our beliefs, our very heart and souls!
Perhaps you are saying “It will never happen, no one person can control the internet”, but a few years ago men thought that something like the internet itself would be an impossibility! Who would have thought that one man would discover something so widespread and so prominent as the internet? Yet one man did, and look at it now! Some could hardly get along a few days without it!
Think about it: if the internet became under the control of Muslims, all Christian sites could be shut down. (Already it is possible to shut down certain sites, as many of us have seen). If it came under the control of any man or group, we would be at their mercy for the most part, at least under their watchful eye. “Big Brother“ is watching already to some extent; if you do not believe that, try posting a lot of illegal stuff and see what happens to you! I have no qualms with the law regulating the internet, it needs to be checked, but, what if the ant-Christ had control of such a powerful tool? We put too much vital information on the net.
My point is that we need to wean ourselves from the net, and spend less time revealing our personal lives through even “friendly” sites; others who are enemies of good and righteousness also have access to these sites. Let us hope that it is not too late already. Does this sound rather fanatical to you? Does it sound so far-fetched that you laugh at the thought of it? If so, you may be the net’s greatest victim. The possibility has already been proven; many have hacked into computers of banks, financial institutions, and even stole identities of past veterans that served our country, and all through the internet! That which we all thought to be good can turn out to be very evil. Already it has been reported that perverts are watching, and gathering information about our children and they are able to discern where we live, and how many are in the family, etc., because we have surrendered that information on the net for all to see. One cannot protect themselves enough, there is always someone that can break through passwords, and firewalls, and phsishing nets, and filters, etc., and steal our identities.
What one thing ties the world together today? The internet.
Who controls the internet? Many say that no one person or body can control it, but what if one person does? What if one man could take control of the internet, and have all that is in it at his discretion? He would have the power of complete censorship; he would literally come into nearly every home in America, and be able to obtain valuable information about any one of us; private, personal, and vital information that could ruin us, or promote us, whichever he desired! Think of the power he would have in the mere knowledge of our business activities, our beliefs, our very heart and souls!
Perhaps you are saying “It will never happen, no one person can control the internet”, but a few years ago men thought that something like the internet itself would be an impossibility! Who would have thought that one man would discover something so widespread and so prominent as the internet? Yet one man did, and look at it now! Some could hardly get along a few days without it!
Think about it: if the internet became under the control of Muslims, all Christian sites could be shut down. (Already it is possible to shut down certain sites, as many of us have seen). If it came under the control of any man or group, we would be at their mercy for the most part, at least under their watchful eye. “Big Brother“ is watching already to some extent; if you do not believe that, try posting a lot of illegal stuff and see what happens to you! I have no qualms with the law regulating the internet, it needs to be checked, but, what if the ant-Christ had control of such a powerful tool? We put too much vital information on the net.
My point is that we need to wean ourselves from the net, and spend less time revealing our personal lives through even “friendly” sites; others who are enemies of good and righteousness also have access to these sites. Let us hope that it is not too late already. Does this sound rather fanatical to you? Does it sound so far-fetched that you laugh at the thought of it? If so, you may be the net’s greatest victim. The possibility has already been proven; many have hacked into computers of banks, financial institutions, and even stole identities of past veterans that served our country, and all through the internet! That which we all thought to be good can turn out to be very evil. Already it has been reported that perverts are watching, and gathering information about our children and they are able to discern where we live, and how many are in the family, etc., because we have surrendered that information on the net for all to see. One cannot protect themselves enough, there is always someone that can break through passwords, and firewalls, and phsishing nets, and filters, etc., and steal our identities.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A long hard struggle
A long hard struggle
It’s a long, hard struggle through life, but the Lord makes it a lot more pleasant. Oh, it isn’t easy for anyone, but admittedly, some have it much worse than others. We suffer many things in this life; sickness, deaths, persecutions, mockeries, even beatings for some, but the Lord sees us through if we will just hang on. Each moment seems to hold a blessing or a curse for us; every step we take can bring about a new disaster, or a new blessing, but the Lord is there with us through it all; He is there to guide us through, and to make the path easier to tread, and He does that well. No matter oh Christian friend, how hard your plight, it would be worse without Jesus. Jesus never fails; He suffers long, and is kind; He envieth not; is never puffed up; He does not behave Himself unseemly, and seeketh not His own; is not easily provoked, and thinks no evil at all. He rejoices in the truth, bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things for us, and endures all things for us; He is charity manifest in the flesh, and we would be very wise to walk close to him through this life. He has overcome the world with its maladies and temptations, and knows the paths of Truth; yea, we would be wise to follow Him, even unto the end.
It’s a long, hard struggle through life, but the Lord makes it a lot more pleasant. Oh, it isn’t easy for anyone, but admittedly, some have it much worse than others. We suffer many things in this life; sickness, deaths, persecutions, mockeries, even beatings for some, but the Lord sees us through if we will just hang on. Each moment seems to hold a blessing or a curse for us; every step we take can bring about a new disaster, or a new blessing, but the Lord is there with us through it all; He is there to guide us through, and to make the path easier to tread, and He does that well. No matter oh Christian friend, how hard your plight, it would be worse without Jesus. Jesus never fails; He suffers long, and is kind; He envieth not; is never puffed up; He does not behave Himself unseemly, and seeketh not His own; is not easily provoked, and thinks no evil at all. He rejoices in the truth, bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things for us, and endures all things for us; He is charity manifest in the flesh, and we would be very wise to walk close to him through this life. He has overcome the world with its maladies and temptations, and knows the paths of Truth; yea, we would be wise to follow Him, even unto the end.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sunny Days
Sunny Days
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” (Rev. 21:25)
There is no gloomy day in eternity. The Son always shines, and the days are always “good days”. The gates need not be shut, for the safety of all is assured; there is no darkness in eternity.
Darkness is a cloak for evil; an evil doer can “hide” in darkness, even right out in the open, but, friends, there are sunny days ahead! I can’t imagine a place where it never rains! I cannot fathom having light continually, and never having to sleep or flee from the evils of night. What a wonderfully glorious place Heaven will be! The brightness of the glory of God will be sufficient to lighten all of heaven, and we will find comfort in the solace of His grace. Another verse in the Revelation takes it a step further:
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 22:5)
“The Lord giveth them light”. All light is of the Lord, and it is good, and His light is everlasting. We have a hidden teaching here--that is that the Lord gives enlightenment forever! When the “light comes on” and we “see the light” in our lives, it is an everlasting light, even as the salvation it brings with it! Are your days clouded by sin? Are you enjoying the Sunshine of grace? It doesn’t have to be that way, we all have a choice in the matter. If you prefer to live in darkness the rest of your life, you may also spend eternity in the darkness of hell; that is up to you, my friend. The Light has been provided, as well as the Life, and it is ours for the taking. Trust the Lord today, and forever hereafter.
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.” (Rev. 21:25)
There is no gloomy day in eternity. The Son always shines, and the days are always “good days”. The gates need not be shut, for the safety of all is assured; there is no darkness in eternity.
Darkness is a cloak for evil; an evil doer can “hide” in darkness, even right out in the open, but, friends, there are sunny days ahead! I can’t imagine a place where it never rains! I cannot fathom having light continually, and never having to sleep or flee from the evils of night. What a wonderfully glorious place Heaven will be! The brightness of the glory of God will be sufficient to lighten all of heaven, and we will find comfort in the solace of His grace. Another verse in the Revelation takes it a step further:
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 22:5)
“The Lord giveth them light”. All light is of the Lord, and it is good, and His light is everlasting. We have a hidden teaching here--that is that the Lord gives enlightenment forever! When the “light comes on” and we “see the light” in our lives, it is an everlasting light, even as the salvation it brings with it! Are your days clouded by sin? Are you enjoying the Sunshine of grace? It doesn’t have to be that way, we all have a choice in the matter. If you prefer to live in darkness the rest of your life, you may also spend eternity in the darkness of hell; that is up to you, my friend. The Light has been provided, as well as the Life, and it is ours for the taking. Trust the Lord today, and forever hereafter.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Defying Nature-In Birth
Defying Nature
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Mt 1:18)
One of the great things about Jesus was that He was often found to defy nature. Here, we have a woman who “Had never known a man” (Lk. 1: 34) and yet, she became the mother of our Lord! Her reputation was at stake, but she seemed willing to honor the Father, and be used to bring the Savior into the world. Mary was, no doubt, ostracized by her peers because everyone knows that a woman cannot be “with child” unless something unscrupulous had taken place! She bore the pain of rejection; she submitted to the Holy Spirit of God, not refusing to suffer the expected shame and reproach; Mary was quite a woman, but the main point is that God is quite a God! He defied nature several times in scripture, and blessed His children as a result of it.
Sarai, Abraham’s wife, was over ninety years old when she bore a child! It was unheard of in those days, and still is today that a woman of that age should give birth, and yet, God defied nature, and she had Isaac.
Hannah, a woman who was barren for many years, bore Samuel in her old age, and he became a mighty prophet and judge.
Elisabeth, a woman also of great age, childless throughout her marriage, was called “barren” though she longed for a child. God defied nature again! Elisabeth conceived and bore the greatest of the prophets, John the baptist. God is a God of miracles, but Lo! and behold! He performed a greater miracle in me; He gave me a new heart! He took a barren soul and gave it life! He took a wayward young man and made him into a useful vessel, and what an amazing feat that was! He defied nature again--in me! He took a natural man, and changed him so that he became supernatural, and was “born again”. I became a new creature in Him, and wonder of wonders, I still am! He continues to defy nature to this day, over and over again in providing for wandering souls a second chance--in giving them a new birth too! What an awesome and amazing God!
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Mt 1:18)
One of the great things about Jesus was that He was often found to defy nature. Here, we have a woman who “Had never known a man” (Lk. 1: 34) and yet, she became the mother of our Lord! Her reputation was at stake, but she seemed willing to honor the Father, and be used to bring the Savior into the world. Mary was, no doubt, ostracized by her peers because everyone knows that a woman cannot be “with child” unless something unscrupulous had taken place! She bore the pain of rejection; she submitted to the Holy Spirit of God, not refusing to suffer the expected shame and reproach; Mary was quite a woman, but the main point is that God is quite a God! He defied nature several times in scripture, and blessed His children as a result of it.
Sarai, Abraham’s wife, was over ninety years old when she bore a child! It was unheard of in those days, and still is today that a woman of that age should give birth, and yet, God defied nature, and she had Isaac.
Hannah, a woman who was barren for many years, bore Samuel in her old age, and he became a mighty prophet and judge.
Elisabeth, a woman also of great age, childless throughout her marriage, was called “barren” though she longed for a child. God defied nature again! Elisabeth conceived and bore the greatest of the prophets, John the baptist. God is a God of miracles, but Lo! and behold! He performed a greater miracle in me; He gave me a new heart! He took a barren soul and gave it life! He took a wayward young man and made him into a useful vessel, and what an amazing feat that was! He defied nature again--in me! He took a natural man, and changed him so that he became supernatural, and was “born again”. I became a new creature in Him, and wonder of wonders, I still am! He continues to defy nature to this day, over and over again in providing for wandering souls a second chance--in giving them a new birth too! What an awesome and amazing God!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Babes
Aren’t newly-born babies quite cute? They may not actually be too cute at the very first, but most will agree that babies are really cute up to and about the age of two and a half or three; then, they begin to be kids! I wonder if the Lord sees us that way. I wonder if we aren’t quite lovely at first, until we begin to grow toward adulthood. The road to adulthood is a long, winding path, and full of many pitfalls; how do these affect our lives, and our walk with the Lord? Oh for the innocence of the child; the loyalty and the unfeigned love that they have toward others is soon lost and replaced with…life in this world. 1 Peter 2:2 says: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” perhaps the Lord would prefer us to remain in the same state of mind that we were as a young child of God—as a babe in Christ. Oh, He wants us to grow, and to learn more about Him and His great love for us; He wants us to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of Truth, but in effigy, I can’t help but think that perhaps He would like us as sweet and as cuddly as the very young infant, before the indoctrination and the problems of the world sets in, and totally dependent on Him! I believe He wants us to grow in the Word, but to remain as babes in practice, depending totally on Him for all our needs. Remember this the next time you hold a precious little bundle in your hands, and try to see yourself as you see that sweet little baby.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
My Dad
My dad wasn’t a bad man, as far as the flesh is concerned; he did his best to raise his children in the bewilderment of a rapidly changing world. He never did tell me that he loved me; I never heard him praise me for well doing, but I know that “in his own way” he loved me, and I grew up with the hope that I had pleased him and become someone he could be proud of. It didn’t work out that way, unfortunately. He passed away many years ago at the ripe old age of sixty-four; he left little behind for us in the way of preparing us for the world and its wiles, whether monetarily or in the framework of wisdom. My dad, as far as I know, was never saved.
My God? He is everything my dad was not! He is loving, and kind, and full of compassion for His own, as well as for strangers. I love my God with all my heart--but I never really learned how to love my dad in the same way; I never seemed to live up to his expectations. Not that I live up to the Lord’s expectations, not by a long shot, but my Lord treats me better in spite of myself. Even when I fail Him, he is there to carry me through; oh, He punishes when necessary, but then He gently leads me out of mischief, and into a cradle of grace. My earthly dad never knew what grace was, at least he never let us know if he knew! I thank my God for being what I need Him to be; I thank Him greatly, and praise Him for being a Father unto me. Please do not think badly of my earthly father, he did not know any better--he did what he felt was best, but my Heavenly Father, He always does what is best, whether I think it good or not! He knows what’s best.
If your dad did not live up to your expectations of what a father should be, The Lord will, guaranteed! Make God your Father, and see what being a father is all about. With Christ as my friend, and God as my Father, I cannot go wrong (though I do many times!).
My God? He is everything my dad was not! He is loving, and kind, and full of compassion for His own, as well as for strangers. I love my God with all my heart--but I never really learned how to love my dad in the same way; I never seemed to live up to his expectations. Not that I live up to the Lord’s expectations, not by a long shot, but my Lord treats me better in spite of myself. Even when I fail Him, he is there to carry me through; oh, He punishes when necessary, but then He gently leads me out of mischief, and into a cradle of grace. My earthly dad never knew what grace was, at least he never let us know if he knew! I thank my God for being what I need Him to be; I thank Him greatly, and praise Him for being a Father unto me. Please do not think badly of my earthly father, he did not know any better--he did what he felt was best, but my Heavenly Father, He always does what is best, whether I think it good or not! He knows what’s best.
If your dad did not live up to your expectations of what a father should be, The Lord will, guaranteed! Make God your Father, and see what being a father is all about. With Christ as my friend, and God as my Father, I cannot go wrong (though I do many times!).
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