ISAIAH

Today is Saturday.  I had our Men's Prayer Breakfast this morning, and I really enjoyed sharing a truth from Isaiah with the men.  Our prayer time and fellowship over breakfast was sweet.  What a blessing!  I read in Isaiah before the breakfast, but didn't have time to blog.  So.... here are a few thoughts I want to share: 1) TRUTH WORTH REPEATING FROM ISAIAH- Now all truth is worth repeating, but these truths are found in one verse and repeated in the New Testament, so they are certainly truths worth repeating.  They are found in Isaiah 25:8  "He will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth:  for the LORD hath spoken it."  Now, here are where those same truths are repeated:  1 Corinthians 15:54  "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."  and:  Revelation 21:4  "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."  So you can see where these truths were repeated by the Holy Spirit to let us know just how important they really are! 2) MAN'S ATTEMPTS FALL SHORT- In Isaiah 28: 20, God is contrasting how God takes care of His people with how Israel themselves are able to take care of themselves.  He says: "For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it:  and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."  It means that when man attempts to meet his own needs..... he falls short.  It just does not work out like man planned.  It is like a bed too short or a blanket to small to cover.  It seems like it would work out...... but it doesn't!  This is why we must always put our trust in the LORD and not in ourselves. 3) THE PROBLEM- In Isaiah 29:13, we see an insightful look at man's problem.  Isaiah 29:13  "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"  God is telling them that they speak a good game, but their heart is far from Him.  And then the insight:  "and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."  Here is the reality.  You can be taught about God, but you will never know God, by what others teach you!  You must sit at the feet of God yourself and learn!  Jesus said:  "Learn of me..."  not "Learn about me..."  I'm afraid that we are raising up generations that learn about God.... but don't know God!  How important it is to sit at the feet of Jesus ourselves!  4) ADDING SIN TO SIN- Isaiah 30:1 "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:"  The sin to sin is because not only did they not look to the LORD for counsel or covering, but they went to substitutes!  They were trying other options!  That was not God's plan for them.  Let us not add sin to sin ourselves. 5) LIBERALS- Isaiah 32:8 says:  "But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand."  Liberal people are liberal and we should expect them to act liberal, but we as Bible believing people should be conservative in our living, thinking, and beliefs.  Well, so much for today!  Hope you have a blessed day, and a great day on Sunday!  Pastor Mike Mutchler