The Wall Of Salvation

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King James Bible Study[Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]

Date: Sunday, July 31, 2022
Chapters: Isaiah Chapters 58-62
Study: The Wall Of Salvation

Hello My Friend,

Every now and then I start doing what is called intermittent fasting, it is when you go anywhere from twelve to twenty-four hours without eating food, and only drinking water, black coffee, or tea. Some people take it to the extreme and go two and three days without eating, all in an attempt to lose weight. Jesus said this when the disciples could not cast a demon out if a child, [Matthew 17:17,20-21  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.  21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.]

Now, I know that fasting is good for you, but if done for the wrong reason it can backfire, and it always happens to me if I am not careful. You see, God, has set rules for fasting, and apart from some medical need, if we are doing it for any other reason than to reach out to Him, we can be sure that He will take notice. As we continue in the reading of Isaiah, God addresses the issue of prayer and fasting, apparently, the Jews were fasting and praying to God Himself, but they were angry because He was not answering them.

[Isaiah 58:1-4  Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.  2  Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.  3  Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.  4  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.]

[and thou takest no knowledge?] Apparently, they were fasting and praying for things that were for their own pleasure. The majority of people who fast do it for the wrong reasons. Those who follow false religion pray and fast from specific things at specific times of the year in an attempt to make an atonement for their sins from that year. Extremist, will pray and fast from food and water in an attempt to see people killed. Through Isaiah, God goes on to explain that fasting is not for our own flesh, but to actually help others.

[Isaiah 58:6-9,11  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?  8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.  9  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.]

[And the LORD shall guide thee continually,] Honestly, I am not very good at intermittent fasting in trying to losing weight, I can go hours without eating, but all I end up doing is gaining weight. While we do not need to fast to get God’s attention, when we do it for Him, it does bring us to a deeper level of communicating with Him as we take our minds off our flesh for a while to literally afflict our body and soul as the focus of our attention is on something else other than our flesh. Jesus, also explains fasting, [Matthew 6:16-18  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;  18  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.]

Now, the very first thing that we need to be doing in order for God to hear our prayers and see our fasting is to make sure that we are saved to begin with. Religion does not save us nor does ignorance. As God continues to address this issue, He points out that their sin has blocked His ears from hearing their prayers.

[Isaiah 59:1-3,7-8  Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.  3  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 7  Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.  8  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.]

[But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,] This is the Gospel in a nutshell, God, will not hear the prayers of those who are not saved, period, unless those first words upon our faith in Christ include, “God, I admit that I am a sinner and believe that Jesus died a sinless death to save me from hell.”, [Romans 10:9-10  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.]

Yes, without Christ, there is no salvation, no matter how much prayer or other works that we do to get His attention. Jews have no excuse as to why they refuse to accept that Christ is the Messiah. Through Isaiah, God continues to address this.

[Isaiah 59:15-20  Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.  16  And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.  17  For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.  18  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.  19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.  20  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.]

[and wondered that there was no intercessor:] No one can go directly to God without an intercessor because we are covered in sin. Before Jesus became our intercessor, God used priests or prophets, but they too had to be consecrated in order to stand before Him on their behalf. The Law, while it gives us a guide, is not perfect as we are naturally born sinners and God knew this from the start.

[Hebrews 7:19,22-25  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 22  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.  23  And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:  24  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.  25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.]

I know the first thing I do when it seems like God is not answering my prayers is check to see if I have done something that He is not pleased with. It is a painful life to live in sin being saved, but God’s mercy endures. We are reminded of this through Isaiah, and that one day all this will be over, we who are saved and have endured the judgments in this world will join Christ in His Kingdom.

[Isaiah 60:1-3  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.  2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.]

[And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,] This includes both Jews and Gentiles who believe in and accept Christ as their Saviour. In fact, as you read into the chapter something else is revealed about the birth of Christ.

[Isaiah 60:57  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. 7  All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.]

[they shall bring gold and incense;] Kings and wise men from all over the world followed the star that led them straight to Jesus. Many say that they found Jesus at His actual birth, but this is incorrect, the wise men actually found him about two years later in Egypt, [Matthew 2:10-11  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  11  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.]

All who receive Christ as their Saviour receive God’s holy, and living Spirit inside of them, and that means that they become the seed of God. That means we are His children, and He gives us the power to speak the same Gospel as Jesus did. Through Isaiah, we are given the same assurance that one day, after we have endured the judgments we will join Christ in His Kingdom, a day when there the glory of the LORD will shine so bright we will not even need the sun.

[Isaiah 60:11-13,18-19,21  Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.  12  For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.  13  The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 18  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.  19  The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 21  Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.]

[but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.] The walls shall be called Salvation because every saved, born again Christian shall be safe behind the wall of the blood of Jesus. The gates shall be called Praise because after the thousand years that Christ will reign upon the earth, shortly after, the new earth will just appear, and that is where we will live forever, [Revelation 21:22-25  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.  23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.  24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.  25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.]

Is it required to live in obedience to God for our salvation? No, but if we want to be blessed beyond salvation it would be wise to do so. Why? Simply put, in doing so, we bring others to Christ. When we are obedient to the Law we open the gate for the lost to come in and receive Christ themselves. As much as we think we are ready and prepared for the day that Christ returns, none of us are. And while we may be eager for His return, we must understand that it is going to get a lot worse before He does. Through Isaiah, we get a glimpse of what it will be like when Christ returns and His saints actually reign the earth with Him.

[Isaiah 61:4-9  And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.  5  And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.  6  But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.  7  For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.  8  For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.  9  And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.]

[But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD:] In the beginning when God addressed believers He intended all who worshiped Him to be priests, meaning that they could have direct, one on one communication with God. All that changed during the Exodus when God appointed Aaron and his sons as priests, and that remained until Christ’s passion, [Exodus 28:1  And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.]

Those who have this notion that religion, race, or their own righteousness can save them, will have a huge awakening upon their death when they see Jesus and find out that He really was their only way to their salvation. All who receive Him will become His bride and forever be joined with Him. Through Isaiah, we see what type of marriage God will have with His bride.

[Isaiah 62:1-4,6-7  For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.  2  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.  3  Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.  4  Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. 6  I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,  7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.]

[but thou shalt be called Hephzibah,] [Hephzibah; My delight is in her. Beulah; to marry, rule over, possess, own.] Beulah is Israel’s future name when she is restored to her divine Husband, the Lord, Jesus Christ Himself. God delights in those who receive His Son, and as much as we deserve for Christ to leave us, He will never forsake us, [Hebrews 13:5-6  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.]

[I have set watchmen upon thy walls,] Until Jesus returns, we who are saved are His watchmen to lead others to Him while we still have that opportunity. We are going to face suffering, chastening, and affliction, but in doing so, we are the ones who will receive the greatest reward ever, Christ Himself.

[Romans 8:29-30,37-39  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.]

Today’s Prayer: God, I cannot fathom the amazing grace that You gave me and still give me. To take a life that was a complete mess and turn it into one that has meaning is truly a miracle that only You can produce. Thank You, for seeing something in me that is of good use to you, thank You, for your grace and mercy and for Your promise to never leave nor forsake me. Lord, as I humble myself before You, be merciful to me, lead me and guide me, help me to never lose the Light of Christ in me and keep it shining that I might guide the lost to Your and receive Your glory even before I see You face to face. I love You Lord and ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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