22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
23 From new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the Lord.
These are the last words of Isaiah. He ends with words of promise and with a future prediction. The prediction is that there will be captivity and much trouble and death, but there will be survivors and those survivors will go to the nations and proclaim the good news.
Then he says that they will bring "all your brothers from all the nations". If you don't understand Israelite history and culture you don't understand this. The other nations were not family. They were enemies. To "bring all your brothers" from the nations wouldn't even be thought of. Yet, what God is telling us through Isaiah is that brothers and sisters in Christ have nothing to do with blood relation. God can make brothers and sisters from enemies. He can take people from the ends of the earth who have never heard of his goodness and grace and make them into priests (pastors) and Levites (church workers).
He has most definitely done this! He has taken people from all over the earth and made them His children. He has taken many of his children and made them his workers in the church! He has taken people from countries that had heard the good news and sent them to countries and to people who haven't heard the good news so that they would (missionaries).
Praise the Lord that He always keeps His promises. Praise the Lord that His good and perfect will is always done! Praise the Lord that He sent someone to your ancestors, who told your grandparents, who told your parents, who told you! Praise the Lord that God sent someone directly to you so that you would hear the good news. And praise the Lord that He will send you to someone so that you may give them the good news!
Prayer: I thank you that I am a survivor and that you have sent me to bring more brothers and sisters to you. Amen.
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Where was Ezekiel exiled (deported) when Babylon took all the Israelites into captivity? (One more day)
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50 The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes; he does not keep silence;[a]
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge! Selah
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[b]
and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
The world is in chaos, but God is o n his throne? Saying this would make it seem like God is causing all this trouble. A second glance would make it seem like he is sitting on his throne and laughing at us all.
These two things couldn't be further from the truth. The real truth is that we caused the chaos. The world was perfect till Adam and Eve sinned, and ever since things have been falling apart. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all sin and since all sin, all die, for the ages of sin is death.
But God isn't just sitting back laughing and saying, "I told you so", or "You're getting what you deserve." For "God wants all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Instead, he gives us the law to show us our sinfulness, to keep us from destroying ourselves, completely, and for giving us rules to live by, and he gives us His Son, Jesus, to save us from this cruel and chaotic world.
We can call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us! We can go to Him when we are weary and burdened and he will give us rest for our souls. We can confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
These catastrophes, like the flooding that is happening right now and has already devastated Louisiana, or the random shooting of Immanuel Lutheran, Joplin's church van in which four people and two comfort dogs were shot, or the wildfires that continue to blaze in Montana, or the riots in Milwaukee, ARE NOT GOD'S FAULT! It is all man's fault! It is our fault.... mine and yours. Repent and turn to God for mercy and grace for yourself and then proclaim the good news of salvation from this world to all who believe!
Prayer: Lord, we tend to blame you, or wonder why you are allowing these things to happen. Help us to repent of this false thinking and know that it is always because of sin in the world and sin with us that this is a fallen world. Then help us to turn to you, the only hope for true comfort and grace. Amen.
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Zedekiah?
From Pat King:
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50 The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes; he does not keep silence;[a]
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge! Selah
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[b]
and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
The world is in chaos, but God is o n his throne? Saying this would make it seem like God is causing all this trouble. A second glance would make it seem like he is sitting on his throne and laughing at us all.
These two things couldn't be further from the truth. The real truth is that we caused the chaos. The world was perfect till Adam and Eve sinned, and ever since things have been falling apart. Since Adam and Eve sinned, all sin and since all sin, all die, for the ages of sin is death.
But God isn't just sitting back laughing and saying, "I told you so", or "You're getting what you deserve." For "God wants all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Instead, he gives us the law to show us our sinfulness, to keep us from destroying ourselves, completely, and for giving us rules to live by, and he gives us His Son, Jesus, to save us from this cruel and chaotic world.
We can call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us! We can go to Him when we are weary and burdened and he will give us rest for our souls. We can confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
These catastrophes, like the flooding that is happening right now and has already devastated Louisiana, or the random shooting of Immanuel Lutheran, Joplin's church van in which four people and two comfort dogs were shot, or the wildfires that continue to blaze in Montana, or the riots in Milwaukee, ARE NOT GOD'S FAULT! It is all man's fault! It is our fault.... mine and yours. Repent and turn to God for mercy and grace for yourself and then proclaim the good news of salvation from this world to all who believe!
Prayer: Lord, we tend to blame you, or wonder why you are allowing these things to happen. Help us to repent of this false thinking and know that it is always because of sin in the world and sin with us that this is a fallen world. Then help us to turn to you, the only hope for true comfort and grace. Amen.
________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Zedekiah?
From Pat King:
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"Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith" 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.(Note: Since I was gone Wednesday, I am using Sunday's Epistle lesson for today's devotion. This lesson is also the basis for the sermon this weekend.) When you spend time with someone who is a great witness to Christ, and who seems to have a strong faith, what is it that sticks out to you about that person? Is it the words they say? Is it their demeanor? Is it the peace that they seem to have despite their circumstances? Or is it just the way they live life in general? The people in our Epistle reading for today all are examples of great witnesses. They are witnesses, not because they were anything great in and of themselves, but because God gave them the strength they needed when times got tough. You have the same opportunity to be an example of a great witness. To be that witness do what the writer of Hebrews says. lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely and run with endurance the race that is set before you LOOKING TO JESUS! Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to lay aside and throw off the sin that is clinging so closely to us so that we can run with perseverance and endurance the race marked out for us. Most importantly make us fix our eyes on you, the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen. |
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Zedekiah? (no one answered yesterday so I'll leave it up for the weekend.)
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