ISAIAH & JEREMIAH

Today, I'm leaving California and flying to Chicago.  Tomorrow, my wife and I will see our youngest son graduate college.  Mrs. Vicky is flying out of Portland this morning with Jeremiah and Rachel Glosser.  Jeremiah will be getting a master's degree for his internship here at Grand View Baptist Church.  It should be a fast, but exciting trip.  I am in Isaiah and Jeremiah, and these are long chapters usually and a bit more difficult reading that other places in the Bible.  Of the Major prophets, Isaiah is my favorite.  Here are a few things of note: 1) KNOW GOD--KNOW PEACE; NO GOD--NO PEACE.  Isaiah 57:21 says: "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."  And yet to the Christian, Christ is our peace!  We have peace because we trust in Him as our Savior.  Is it any wonder that those who do not know Jesus are in this world with messed up lives?  The sad thing is that God's Word tells us that He will keep us in perfect peace because our minds are stayed on Him.  So, when we are not experiencing peace, it shows us too often we are acting like the wicked by not trusting God.  The wicked are not the wicked just because of their actions, but there lack of faith and trust in Christ.   2) THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD- When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He started by going into the synagogue and quoting Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; .."   Over and over when Jesus spoke, He referred to Scripture in the Old Testament.  WE too need to be a people of the Word! 3) TO THIS MAN- God is looking to bless us, but He is looking for a particular type of man to bless in a special way.  Isaiah 66:2 tells us: "... but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."  We need a poor and contrite spirit and we need that holy reverence for the Word of the Living God.  This will get you God's attention every time. I love verses like this.  It tells me what kind of man I need to be.  It shows me where I fail, and where I need to put forth more effort to be the man of God He wants me to be. 4) WHY ARE CHURCHES CHANGING?  Jeremiah asks in Jer. 2:36  "Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way?"  If God used Church to change our nation, and win souls the first two hundred years of America, why would we want to change what has worked.  Also, why would we want to adopt the worldly ways, when God is against worldliness?  God is for righteousness, and His Word tells us to "come out from among them saith the LORD, and be ye separate."  Don't change your good Bible preaching, teaching, singing, praying, soul-winning church!! 5) WHERE IS OUR FEAR?  In Jer. 5:22, God asks a question:  "Fear ye not me?  saith the LORD:  will ye not tremble at my presence,..."  Even as Christian, we need to regain a holy fear of the LORD.  We cannot toy with His grace and expect that He will not deal with our sins in chastisement.  Whom He loveth, He chasteneth!  We need to respect the LORD enough to obey Him and His Word!   Well, so much for today!  Have a blessed day in the Lord, and blog at you tomorrow! Pastor Mike Mutchler