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: Saturday, July 30, 2022
Chapters: ISAIAH 54-57
Study: Your Account Is Settled
Hello My Friend,
The other day I received this notice that my payment was due, and I knew that was incorrect because I had made sure to make that payment well before it was due. Then I noticed the late fee charge and was about to call them and complain when I looked at the account and noticed that I had selected an old account that had no money in it to transfer the money to. Well, needless to say, this taught me a lesson that only God can teach, without Jesus, our own account has so many charges that it can never be settled, we must come to Him if we want our account settled, [John 14:6-7 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.]
We really do not need to look very far in order to see Jesus as He is everywhere, a cool breeze on day so hot that you cannot breathe, a tap of your shoulders telling you not to go that way, a hug that you did not even know you needed. We who are saved do ourselves a disservice when we work so hard at trying to keep our accounts from current when Jesus is right there to pick up the tab. As we continue in the reading of Isaiah, we are getting more wisdom from God Himself as He describes His very Son whom He sent to pick up that tab.
[Isaiah 54:1-5 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.]
[For thy Maker is thine husband;] God, is our husbandman, which is another name for a farmer, cultivator or tiller of the ground, and it also means, the master of a family. Now, think about that for a second, since we are made from the earth that He created, it is fitting that He, who is the master over His entire family, would cultivate us as He sees fit for whatever purpose He has created us for, [John 15:1-4 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.]
And I did not even need to add a passage to this, it is right here in the chapter, since God is our husbandman, naturally we can expect Him to prune us so to speak, and how He does that is through the afflictions we face. My pastor even talked about this on Wednesday night, He might send adversity, but it is only for a moment, that is as long as we trust Him, otherwise, we prolong it more than God intended for it to be.
[Isaiah 54:7-10,13-14 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.]
[In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment;] While it may seem as though God has forsaken us or that He has hid His face from us, it is during these times that He purges us, cuts off all the dark spots and dead leaves that keep us from growing, and makes us fruitful, [2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.]
Last night I was talking with a couple of my co-workers, whom I have become quite friendly with, we were discussing how monotonous our job is having nothing else to work for as we have been given the highest amount of training that there is to get from our position. On top of that, there are so many restrictions that one wrong move and you are done. I understand that we need some rules in order to keep us accountable, but I am sure glad that God does not count my strikes every time I get below a certain number or stumble over a word. I tell you what, there is a very good reason why these earthly jobs are so monotonous, they are not eternal. We strive so hard to make the money that we need just to get by in this life that we often forfeit what is actually God’s will for us in order to keep the bills paid. Well, God has something to say to us about that.
[Isaiah 55:1-6 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:]
[buy wine and milk without money and without price.] How is this even possible? Well, Jesus said it this way, [Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.] When we put our focus on the eternal things, Jesus, will take care of the rest.
[Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,] We cannot live this life just getting by, we need Jesus, and there will come a time when people are going to be searching for Him and He will be nowhere to be found. God’s mercies and grace are endless for those who are saved, but for the rest of the world, He has His limits, and through Isaiah, He goes on to remind us of that.
[Isaiah 55:7-11 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.]
[So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:] Who are we to question God and wonder why He sends the rain for the just and unjust, but I will tell you this. Well, Jesus will actually, [Matthew 5:44-48 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.]
Can you understand why God does give the lost what seems to be ample mercies? We who are saved have so much more awaiting us, we have nothing to worry about. And while none of us really want this to be our last day on earth, even death cannot hurt us because we will be with Jesus.
[Isaiah 56:1-5 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.]
[Behold, I am a dry tree.] Do you know that a eunuch is? It is someone who has no ability to produce children. Do you realize that before Jesus came into your life you were a dry tree? Your soul was dead and no matter what you did, it produced nothing. As soon as you accepted Chris as Your Saviour, His blood came into Your soul, YOU WERE GIVEN LIFE, you are no longer a dead, dry tree, only good for firewood, YOU ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST, [John 5:24-25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.]
I tell you what, I am in tears as I am writing this, and I will tell you something else, I have not even read today’s chapters through yet. I am just letting God direct every word, and it is actually saving me a lot of time having to erase things that I have written that did not fit in with the Scripture. And let me tell you something else, there are a lot of people who are content to just sit around like a dead dry tree, but it is in not in our human nature to do that, our bodies were made to move. Through Isaiah, God warns what will happen to those who are content to stay here on this earth without seeking Christ.
[Isaiah 56:7-11 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. 9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.]
[The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel] In case you have not notices, true Christians are outcasts and stick out like sore thumbs because we actually do work. God bless those who are wheelchair bound because they actually have more drive than those who can walk freely. God, does not limit us, we are capable of doing so much more than we think we can, and it time that we stop limiting Him. There will come a day when all Christians will come together and we will have rest, but until then, we have work to do, [Hebrews 4:10-12 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.]
[they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark;] I do not know about you, but I do not want to leave this earth and give an account to Jesus as to why I was being a dumb dog that did not bark and let the world know of the dangers to come. I mean, look at all those fools trying to save it be eliminating fuel, coal, and cows, the very things that we need to sustain life. And what exactly has God to say about all this? Remember, what we are seeing today, God, has already seen before, I always say the difference between now and then is technology. Through Isaiah, God explains exactly what will happen to these fools.
[Isaiah 57:1-5,11-12 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. 3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, 5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? 12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.]
[none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil] Those precious babies that die in the hands of the ones God trusted them with. Those precious people that die in the hands of the thugs. We may not understand death, but sometimes God uses it to keep His people from being caught up in something that is much worse to come. We might get weary, and we might get tired in this life, but never give up hope, one day, all of this will be over and we will be forever with Jesus. He will take us away from every bit of evil, even death.
[Revelation 21:4,7-8 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. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.]
[and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.] It does not matter if you are the president, the pope, the wealthiest person on the planet or the poorest person, Christ sees everyone as the same, a soul that needs to be saved, and no amount of these dead works will save a soul bound for hell. We will all stand before Jesus and give an account for what we have done either having not received Him or after having received Him.
[Isaiah 57:15-16,19-21 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. 19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.]
[whose name is Holy;] While the saved will not suffer the second death as the unsaved will, they will stand before Him nonetheless and have to explain to Him why we did not do anything to further His Kingdom.
[Revelation 20:6,11-14 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, It is comforting and sometimes quite overwhelming to comprehend Your love for us, no matter how many times we mess up, how many times our faith lacks, or we want to give up on this life. You settled our debt at the cross, and promise to never leave nor forsake us. You do not limit Your love to just a few, You call everyone, but only accept those who believe in Your sinless death, burial, and resurrection as the only way to be redeemed and know Your Father as our own. Lord, since we are all work in progress, lead us and guide us, keep us close to You so we can endure every trial that comes our way. Let us trust in You alone and not our circumstances, trusting that Your ways are much higher than our own. And let us be the very example that You need us to be the show the world that You are here. I love You Jesus and pray this in Your name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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