King James Bible Study – “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.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2020
Chapters: Isaiah 58-62
Message: They Need A Preacher
Hello My Friend,
I have come to the conclusion, and have known this for years, but since this pandemic hit I have really come to know this, that spending time with God is the only way you go anywhere in this life we are give. What I mean by that is, that one on one time you have with Him the first thing in the morning or before you go to bed. It is not the same a saying prayers throughout the day, or asking Him to give us the things we need, or forgive our sin. And by the way, He loves to spend time with us, in fact, He longs for it, and delights in it. How amazing is it that with all the saved, born again Christians in the world, that He takes the time to focus directly on you the second you call His name? [Romans 10:12-14 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?]
People worship, pray, and fast every day in an attempt to reach God, but let me tell you, He will not hear them because He does not know them. Can I tell you that the majority of people who pray and fast do it for the wrong reasons, and God knows this, He knows exactly what they are doing, and why they are seeking Him, and it has nothing to do with spending time with Him. Through Isaiah, God calls out those who pray and fast in error.
[Isaiah 58:1-5,7,9 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. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 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? 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;]
[say they, and thou seest not?] I have seen people fast for all sorts of reasons, and even I have fasted in an attempt to lose weight. Let me tell you, unless you are saved, unless you come to Him sincerely, and unless you come to Him for the right reason, He is not going accept your fasting. We are holy people, fasting is a time solely for God, it is used for deep communication with Him, to seek His help in removing burdens, pain, oppression, and sorrows of life. It is not used to inflict harm on others or for our own selfish reasons. When we take the time to spend with God we will learn that He knows all our needs and will take care of even our sincere requests as we become obedient to His commands. While our salvation is not based upon our obedience to God’s commands apart from receiving Christ as our Saviour, our obedience to Him comes as we spend more time with Him and realize how much sin has separated us from Him. However, a sad majority of those whom have called on Christ to save them are living lives of sin, with no repentance, and are wondering why God is not helping them. Through Isaiah, God reminds those who take Christ’s gift for granted that their iniquities have separated them from Him.
[Isaiah 59:1-4,7-9 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. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 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. 9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.]
[But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,] Well, this is our state before we are saved, but even when we are saved, if we have sin in our lives, and I mean prominent sin, then it does separate us from God. While He never leaves nor forsakes us, He will not watch us living in sin, unless we call out to Him in repentance. [and there is no judgment in their goings:] Let me tell you, we need some discipline in life, we need to be in God’s Word daily to know what is acceptable to Him. Remember, our thoughts and ways are not as His. And this is why God will place affliction in our lives, to teach us His ways are the only ways while we remain here. We must understand that while affliction will always be in our lives to keep us faithful to God, there will come a day when there will be no more. 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 60:1-5,9-10 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. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 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. 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.]
[and his glory shall be seen upon thee.] What an incredible day it will be when we all gather together in the LIGHT of Christ, to live with Him for eternity. If you believe in the LORD, Jesus Christ, and asked Him to save you, then You will inherit the land His promised, and it will be yours forever. Amen! Through Isaiah, God continues to explain this further, including the day in which vengeance will come, and all evil will be destroyed.
[Isaiah 61:1-6 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; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 4 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.]
[anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;] Of course, this is Jesus speaking again, He is always talking, but only the meek, the ones who are humble, and not so full of the pride that they suffocate in it, are the ones who hear Him. Since the world, and most religion, does not know the truth, we, who are the faithful, saved, born again Christians, are to preach those same good tidings to all because God’s judgment is coming upon the entire earth. And it will be far more terrible than the judgment we receive. And through Isaiah, God goes on to tell us who will be saved from this.
[Isaiah 62:1-4,8-10 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. 8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: 9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. 10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.]
[but thou shalt be called Hephzibah,] Hephzibah; My delight in her. God delights in those who receive His Son, and as much as we deserve it if Christ left us, He never does. Beulah; To marry, to unite with God forever. Beulah land is the name which the land of Israel is to bear when “the land shall be married.” to God. What this means is, God would have dominion over the land, and we would live with Him there forever. [cast up the highway; gather out the stones;] Does this sound familiar? Jesus has said this another time, [Matthew 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.] It is important that we preach the Gospel to the lost, there will come a time when Jesus will come for His bride, and the door will be shut.
[Matthew 25:10-13 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.]
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 God, for seeing something in me that is of good use to you, thank you for your grace and mercy and for never giving up on me. Lord, as I humble myself before You, be merciful to me, a sinner, lead me and guide me, help me to never lose sight of Christ in me. 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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