July 23, 2006

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  Pastor Don taught Bible study on Friday. It was a continuation of this Bible Study and as always, very much a blessing.

  
  

  Pastor Don reminded us that in the last days, people would not want to hear sound doctrine. The Prophesies in this passage of Isaiah were written about 143 years before they happened, and God named names. It was so specific to be amazing. We have to remember that because the prophesies in the Bible have come true, those few remaining to happen will happen.

  
  

  God gave Isaiah a word of knowledge, an accurate prophesy. When the events in the prophesy happened, Isaiah was long dead. Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, you Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.”

  
  

  Redeemer means one who buys back, gets back, savior who will promise he will buy you back, ransom, redeem from doubt, unbelief. God is not permissive of sin, but he will redeem us. It is important to remember that the redeemer will only redeem the one who repents. We have free will to repent or not, God will not force anyone to come to Him.

  
  

  Pastor Don pointed out that the concept of stretching out the heavens was written at a time where there was no Hubble telescope that showed the rapidly expanding universe. Our forefathers thought that the earth was the center of the universe and all the planets and sun revolved around the earth. Later, even in our school days, we thought that the sun was the center and the earth and all planets revolved around the sun. Now we know that the whole galaxy is moving – sun too. And we are also aware that, like when you spin a top at first it spins beautifully, then it slows down, wobbles and topples. Our universe is slowing down.

  
  

  It is just incredible that Isaiah was given this image of the earth before the science of his day could have discovered this.

  
  

  Verse 25: Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, and drives diviners mad; who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolishness; who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited’, to the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ And I will raise up her waste places. Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers;’

  
  

  Pastor Don asked us if we remembered Jeanne Dixon, the so-called psychic. She used to make predictions at the New Year. Each year, she would have a whole list published. Pastor Don said that she should have at least had a 50-50 (mere chance) accuracy. Instead, if you tracked her predictions (which no one seemed to do) she averaged 30%.

  
  

  The prophets in Isaiah’s time were accurate 100% of the time. They had to be, (Heather’s note) false prophets were stoned to death. Wonder what would happen if prophets today were held to the same standard of accountability.

  
  

  Verse 28: Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”

  
  

  This is a powerful prophesy – God named names 143 years before Cyrus came. Cyrus wasn’t even born yet. Being a shepherd makes him a sort of Christ figure. This is a powerful proof of God’s prophetic ability. Cyrus was not even a Jew, he was from the Medes and Persians, and he would allow the Israelites to go back to their homeland, and pay for the rebuilding. This is an example of God’s powerful provision.

  
  

  Chapter 45:1-4 Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held–to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut. I will go before you and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you (Cyrus) the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places. That you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant’s sake. And Israel My elect, I have even called you by  your name. I have named you, though you have not known Me.

  
  

  This is a powerful example of how God can use anything for His purpose and will.  The North, Israel, will turn to Idolatry and soon be no more, The South – Judah, will remain faithful to God for a longer period of time. Sometimes things that seem awful are part of God’s plan to rebuild and refurbish.

  
  

  Isaiah 45:5-7 I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I the LORD, do all these things.

  
  

  God allows calamity. God calls us by name even though we do not know him by name. God knows what we need to change our lives, to bring us the ultimate happiness and joy.

  
  

  The calamity of God differs from that caused by satan. Satan seeks to cause confusion, to exploit, to pull us away from the truth. God’s calamity helps to straighten our paths, to give us a wake-up call, to shake us up when we get stagnant, too comfortable in our situation, or when we have something we need to repent from.

  
  

  9-11 was a wake-up call for our country, and we didn’t listen for long. The tsunamis, Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes are all there to get us to reorganize our priorities. We need to listen, we need to pray for our country, to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

  
  

  Verse 8: Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together, I, the LORD, have created it.

  
  

  Salvation and righteousness go hand in hand. God created all in righteousness, we sold ourselves short to satan, now God is reclaiming.

  
  

  Verse 9-10 Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands”? Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’

  
  

  Potsherds are pieces of broken pottery. When we get too puffed up about ourselves, we have to remember that we are clay, made from the dust of the ground. God breathed life into us. We were probably made from red clay because red clay contains all the colors, black, white, and in between that make the colors of the nations.

  
  

  God is speaking in this passage, and he is so far above us, that we pale to insignificance in His presence. Clay yields itself to the hand of the maker. We can say whatever we want to, but pride and ego will take us places we don’t want to go. When we turn to God we will be brought to a wonderful place. God increases pressure on us if we do not yield. If we are prideful, God will release pressure and leave us to sink or swim. God gives us the means to enjoy, and God wants us to be happy.

  
  

  Verse 11: Thus says the LORD,” The Holy One of Israel and his Maker; “Ask me of things to come concerning My sons; and concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.”

  
  

  We spent a long time on this verse because it contains an important principle. What does it mean, ask me? In The Old King James Version, it says “Command ye me.” Does it mean we can order God around? Not precisely. We cannot give a command until we get our instructions. God tells us that He will give us the desires of our heart. (If you think about it, He puts the desires into our hearts in the first place, and then gives them to us). Because of the prophetic gift of God, we have the Holy Spirit within us. In the Old Testament, not everyone had the Holy Spirit within them, they depended on prophets and priests and kings to hear from God through the Holy Spirit, and then relay the message, just like Isaiah did to the people of Israel.

  
  

  Since Christ came, we have been given the Holy Spirit within us, and can hear directly from God. God gives us revelation in dreams, visions, words of knowledge, His Word, tongues, interpretation of tongues. Right now, if we listen, we can hear what “Thus says the Lord.”

  
  

  Pastor Don spent some time talking about the prophetic gift in the church, how it is done in order. That someone will speak a word in tongues, and we wait to interpret the message. Sometimes the tongues and messages are for us alone, sometimes for the whole congregation. It is up to the pastors and elders to judge the message to make sure it is accurate. If it is an accurate prophetic interpretation, the messages will all fit together. If all are messages of love – and one person talks about God’s wrath- you can be pretty sure that the lone message is not accurately heard for the congregation (but may be pertinent to the message bringer). Sometimes we do not speak out what we are feeling God is saying to us and the congregation because of pride – we are afraid of being wrong. God will correct us when we are wrong, it is better to share what we honestly feel God is saying.

  
  

  One other thing that Pastor Don stated about God’s prophesies is that the prophets in the Bible spoke over a period of about 3,500 years, and there is just about 1,500 pages of prophesy written in that time. God is not verbose. If someone is giving a message, usually the first sentence or the last sentence is the real message, the rest is the person elaborating on the message. We do not do God justice if we speak more than God directs us to speak. We can kill the message by trying in our power to explain it.

  
  

  Verse 13: I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city, and let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward; Says the LORD of hosts.

  
  

  This is what God is going to do. God is powerful, he can take someone who does not know him, doesn’t even know God made him, and use him as God’s man. PROVIDENCE, ultimate sovereignty, use power and might to bring about what God wants. God’s Providence may not be in vogue theologically right now, but it is a practical reality.

  
  

  God will direct our efforts. The only time He won’t is if we refuse His guidance. Most people pray that they will see God’s face, they do not feel that His hands are enough. His hands are operating 24/7. Don’t reject God’s offering, working out a beautiful life for you.  God wants to meet all our needs in Jesus Christ. He wants to bring us to places we can’t get to on our own. God can’t separate His benevolence from His Glory. Seek God, read His Word, find out His provisions and promises and purpose for our lives. Don’t go off into a ministry until you fast and pray and make sure it is God’s will for you. Nothing God loves stays stagnant. When you find God’s purpose for you life (REMEMBER GOD’S PURPOSE, not your desire) then you command God to do it. But that is commanding God to do what He wants you to do. Remember, Adam gave over the title deed to Earth to satan. God needs us to ask Him to intervene for us, He cannot force Himself on us or on the earth at this time.

  
  

  Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

  
  

  God plants the desire of our heart, we then pray, “Lord, I receive by faith, and expect (remember faith is expectation) you to do it, send angels, ministering angels, people into my path to help me to do your will.” This is based on a covenant with Adam, where God gave man dominion.

  
  

  Remember that Jonathan Edwards had a man who would go into a town a month before Jonathan Edwards came to the town. This man would intercede for the town and for a powerful revival to occur. When Jonathan Edwards came, he would call down the revival, and it would happen, because of the prayers, and the fact that it was God’s desire to have revival.

  
  

  Moses interceded for his people, reminding God what the Egyptians would say if God slayed the Israelites for their disobedience. God wanted Moses to intercede, to talk with Him about the situation.

  
  

  We serve a powerful God. Pastor Don always ends Bible study with the following affirmation:

  
  

  “Greater is He who is in me, than He who is in the world. I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. God is Love, God is Love, God is Love.”

  
  

  May you have a blessed day.

  
  

  Heather

  • 12:01 am
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