Category Archives: REvival

A Hindrance To Revival??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #332

24 Monday Mar 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Renewing or Reviewing, REvival, Revival or Recycle?, Revive us O God!, Speaking The Truth In Love, Tuned In, Tuned In To Jesus, Turn to God's Word, Uncertainty--God HAS the answer

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A Hindrance To Revival???    A Word from THE WORD!!! #332

“Wilt thou not revive us again:

that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD,

and grant us thy salvation.

8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak:

for he will speak peace unto his people,

and to his saints:

but let them not turn again to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him;

that glory may dwell in our land.”  Psalm 85:6-9

I have prayed a long time to see a true revival in the midst of God’s people.  A heart stirring, conviction producing, altar-praying, tearful repentance of God’s own; the kind of revivals I saw and experienced as a child and a young adult.  Oh, dear Father—please revive us again!  But then I ask myself, am I being a hindrance to revival? Is my heart willing to hear that voice of conviction from the Holy Spirit; am I willing to turn from my pet sins, my selfish longings and desires, my misuse of God’s gifts?  May we simply lay ourselves before The Lord God Almighty, and our precious Lord and Savior Jesus, and yield to the work of His Spirit within me and you who belong to Him.

It’s so easy to be distracted, and I am chief of the distracted sometimes; yet I long to be all that God wants me to be; to be humble, obedient and willing to go or stay—to go forward or to wait on The Lord!  Let’s consider some truth from scripture that we might ponder, consider and willingly look into that mirror of the soul—God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.  It’s so much easier to flip on the TV, scroll through hours of social media dribble, or watch every sport known to man!  What is your go to escape?  Are we trying to escape form our King?  Or have we just become so accustomed to going our own way, and being more influenced by the world than our Lord?  Oh, Jesus, revive my soul!  May we return to the time when the church led your people instead of the popular call from the world?  Have we allowed our heart to become divided?  Heal my heart oh Lord.  Help me to stop living a life of “long-division” and start living in submission to you, my Lord—adding and multiplying grace and obedience.

“But king Solomon loved many strange women, …

…2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel,

 Ye shall not go in to them,

neither shall they come in unto you:

for surely they will turn away your heart

after their gods:

Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses,

and three hundred concubines:

and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old,

that his wives turned away his heart

after other gods:

and his heart was not perfect

with the LORD his God, …

…6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD,

and went not fully after the LORD,

as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh,

the abomination of Moab,

…and for Molech,

the abomination of the children of Ammon.

 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives,

which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon,

because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel,

which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him

concerning this thing,

that he should not go after other gods:

but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.”   1 Kings 11:1-10

Solomon let his heart be compromised (divided)—this wise man—this man to whom God appeared and gave him an amazing gift of greatness; but he was drawn away from his God by worldly compromise!  What are we allowing to draw our heart away from God?  It’s usually the most innocent-seeming things that Satan will use to draw us away; sometimes the busy-ness of doing churchy things gets in the way of obeying our Lord.  Sometimes He leads us aside, when we want to be in the limelight?  Sometimes He calls on us to be quiet, when we want to speak.  Sometimes He calls us to leave our comfort-zone to go to and do the uncomfortable.  Sometimes He convicts us to give up things that we have allowed to become “foreign wives” to us—have I allowed worldly pleasures to come between me and my LORD?  Have we allowed something—anything—to divide our heart like Solomon’s?  Is Jesus on the throne of our heart or something—anything—else?

What comes out of my mouth?  What goes into my eyes?  My ears?  What do I allow that I once wouldn’t?  I’m not going to post a list—ask God and He will reveal truth, if/when we are willing to receive it.

“Search me, O God,

and know my heart:

try me,

and know my thoughts:

24 And see if there be any wicked way

in me,

and lead me

in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23-24

James got pretty blunt in his letter to believers who were living a life of division.  May we heed his word today—for it’s God’s Word to us as well.

“Ye ask, and receive not,

because ye ask amiss,

 that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses,

know ye not that the friendship of the world

is enmity with God?

whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world

is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands,

 ye sinners;

and purify your hearts,

 ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:

 let your laughter be turned to mourning,

and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”  James 4:3-10

May we learn to practice humility before God, holiness by God’s grace, His Word and being devoted to our King, hungering for God’s friendship not the world’s?  I pray that we will be the conduit for true revival not the hindrance.  Let’s keep our hearts pure before God, no matter what others may think or do.

“O generation of vipers,

how can ye, being evil, speak good things?

for out of the abundance of the heart

the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart

bringeth forth good things:

and an evil man out of the evil treasure

 bringeth forth evil things.”  Matthew 12:34-35

May our hearts be right before our God!  He knows, no matter what others may think; and we can only fake it for so long, the truth will come out!  Oh, Lord please open our eyes and convict our hearts to truly “Draw nigh to God” that He “will draw nigh to you.”  Please revive us again, oh Lord?

Amen and Amen!!!

What IF? A Good Question??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #266

29 Sunday Sep 2024

Posted by in Humility, If not now? When?, PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!, Prayer, Repentance, REvival, Revival or Recycle?, Revive us O God!, Salvation, Seek ye first The Kingdom of God, Turn to God's Word, Well Done Thou good and faithful servant!

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What IF?  A Good Question???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #266

I am among those who are earnestly praying for revival, and I know only God can send it.  Yet God set out some parameters for restoration, forgiveness and healing.  And I’d like to share a few brief thoughts on this very thing from a verse that many know, and hopefully I can shed some light on it that we may consider the truth of where we really are and what we need to do!

IF: a supposition; uncertain possibility… a condition, requirement, or stipulation…

Keep this in mind as we consider God’s promise to Solomon.

“Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD,

and the king’s house:

and all that came into Solomon’s heart

to make in the house of the LORD,

and in his own house,

he prosperously effected.

12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night,

and said unto him,

I have heard thy prayer,

and have chosen this place to myself

for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven

that there be no rain,

or if I command the locusts

to devour the land,

or if I send pestilence

among my people;

14 If

my people,

which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves,

and pray,

and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin,

and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:11-14

I want to simply make a few comments on things that we so often miss in this passage, and may we draw near to God, willing to do the things that will lead us to real revival from God.

First and foremost is that great big “if”!  This is a term of condition—God is saying that there are some things that are expected from “my people”, those who are “called by my name”!  God isn’t talking to the world, but to those who claim His name and are truly His children.  As I so often remind us, Jesus told us in Matthew 7 that in the day of judgment there will be those who “say Lord, Lord”, yet He will tell them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  So, it seems to me that God is talking about those who have truly been born again, by responding to Him in repentance and faith in Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—your sin and mine!

God goes on to tell us what it is that His people need to do.

Humble themselves—

to bow before God to ask Him as thePsalmist prayed, “search me O God…know my heart…. try me…see if there be any wicked way in me…lead me..”  Recognize that God is right, and I need to adjust to His way, not the other way around.

       Pray—

to truly pursue intimate, concerted, conversation with God.  Not just a check-off list, but truly an earnest and open communion with God The Father, and Jesus The Son, seeking His will for me, my family, and the culture in which I live.

       Seek MY Face—

to keep our eyes on Jesus, and desire toknow Him better through His Word—the love letter that God has written that we might be “approved unto God…rightly dividing the word of truth…”!  The Word of God is to be our daily bread, that as Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”  Job 23:12

As we take these things into our heart and mind, may we will be able, ready and willing to complete this quartet from God’s Word.

Turn from their wicked ways—

even we who are God’s Own, often fail and fall for the lies of the devil.  We live in a culture that not only fails to keep God’s commands and His Word, but is blatantly guilty of doing as Isaiah said,

“Woe unto them that call evil

good,

and good

evil;

that put darkness

for light,

 and light

for darkness;

that put bitter

for sweet,

and sweet

for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise

in their own eyes,

and prudent

in their own sight!”  Isaiah 5:20-21

Only when we understand and are willing to hear God’s truth and yield to His demands, will we have any hope of seeing revival.  May we truly humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our own sin!  Oh, Father, hear our prayer and bring us to repentance that we might see you revive and heal our land.

Amen and Amen!!!

The IF Of Revival??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #244

28 Sunday Jul 2024

Posted by in Choices And Consequences, Confidence, Faithful is He that has Promised!, If I be lifted up---, If not now? When?, IN HIS TIME!, IN Jesus!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Persecution, Perseverance, PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!, Prayer, Prayer or Panic?, Preaching truth about SIN, REvival, Revival or Recycle?, SIN, Sin IS the issue, The Blood Cleanseth us from all Sin, The Word

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The IF Of Revival???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #244

“And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night,

and said unto him,

I have heard thy prayer,

and have chosen this place to myself

for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven

that there be no rain,

or if I command the locusts

to devour the land,

or if I send pestilence

among my people;

14 If my people,

which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves,

and pray,

and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin,

and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:12-14

God is calling us to Himself just as He answered Solomon’s prayer for His hand to move upon the people when they sinned and turned away from God (not if but when); and when they would see their sin, repent and turn back to God, His Word and His ways, Solomon asked for God’s touch to restore them, even bringing them back from captivity.  And while we don’t have the Temple, we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit of God/Jesus, and when we stumble, turn away from the light, or fall for the lies of the Devil, we can call upon God to restore us to fellowship and intimacy with Him. But we must be willing to hear the voice of our Lord, turn from our sin, and follow the instructions that God laid out to Solomon:

first and foremost the preface=IF!

A conditional term, referring to our willingness to hear and yield to the work of God in our lives.

       — humble themselves

              Recognize our own sin as sin:

“If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us

our sins,

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.”  1 John 1:9-10

“Humble yourselves

in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”

       — pray

              Know that God is our first source and provision in all:

“I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me ye can do nothing.”  John 15:5   

  “Pray without ceasing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:17

“For we have not an high priest

which cannot be touched

with the feeling of our infirmities;

but was in all points tempted

like as we are,

yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly

unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help

in time of need.”   Hebrews 4:15-16

       — seek my face

              Turn to God for salvation, restoration, and deliverance:

“Seek ye the LORD

while he may be found,

call ye upon him

while he is near:

7 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.”  Isaiah 55:6-9

       — turn from their wicked ways

              Repentance is the IF:

“I tell you, Nay:

but, except ye repent,

ye shall all likewise perish…

…5 I tell you, Nay:

but, except ye repent,

ye shall all likewise perish.”   Luke 13:3 & 5

Jesus makes it clear that repentance is necessary for us to be born again, as well as to keep our intimate relationship with our God growing and productive.  It’s the same message that God gave to Solomon at the dedication of the temple.  Are we dedicated to keeping short accounts of sin between us and our God?  Are we committed to knowing our Lord through His Word and growing in grace by our obedience.  James gives us some other instructions about living holy and not yielding to the world’s way!

“Love not the world,

neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world,

the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh,

and the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life,

is not of the Father,

but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away,

and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God

abideth for ever…

…3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father

hath bestowed upon us,

that we should be called the sons of God:

therefore the world knoweth us not,

because it knew him not.”  1 John 2:15-17 and 3:1

Jeremiah, much like what Jesus told us to expect, may give you a perspective that you haven’t considered.  Jeremiah spoke the truth and wept over the hardness of his people; yet few believed his message, even to the point of persecuting and trying to harm him, we should expect no less.  Jesus told us the same thing.

“Be not afraid of their faces:

for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

9 Then the LORD put forth his hand,

and touched my mouth.

And the LORD said unto me,

Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

10 See, I have this day set thee

over the nations

and over the kingdoms,

to root out,

and to pull down,

and to destroy,

and to throw down,

to build,

and to plant…

… 17 Thou therefore

gird up thy loins,

and arise,

and speak unto them

all that I command thee:

be not dismayed at their faces,

lest I confound thee before them.

18 For, behold,

I have made thee this day

a defenced city,

and an iron pillar,

and brasen walls

against the whole land,

against the kings of Judah,

against the princes thereof,

against the priests thereof,

and against the people of the land. 

19 And they shall fight against thee;

but they shall not prevail against thee;

for I am with thee,

saith the LORD,

to deliver thee.”  Portions of Jeremiah 1:8-19

So I’ll close with our Lord’s own words, and you decide if you will heed the “IF” or ignore the voice of our Lord speaking to your heart and mine?

“If the world hate you,

ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world,

the world would love his own:

but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you out of the world,

therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you;

if they have kept my saying,

they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you

for my name’s sake,

because they know not him

that sent me.”  John 16:18-21

Don’t expect God’s provision and blessing when we are not willing to consider the “IF”!  May we bring glory to God and make a difference wherever God has placed us!  Remember:

“If my people,

which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves,

and pray,

and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin,

and will heal their land.”

May we be humble, praying, God-seeking, repenting children of God, that He may hear, forgive and heal our land….  Even so Lord Jesus!

Amen and Amen!!!

Hindering Revival??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #224

26 Sunday May 2024

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Form of godliness?, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Choices And Consequences, Choose Gratitude and show it!, Choose Wisely, Choose You This Day!, Choosing Jesus or The World?, Christ IN YOU, Confidence or Presumption?, Conformed or Transformed?, Conformed to HIS image, Fickle or Faithful, REvival, Revival or Recycle?, Righteousness exalts a nation, Transformation, Transformed life, Trendy Or Truth

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Hindering Revival??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #224

“Wilt thou not revive us again:

that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD,

and grant us thy salvation.

8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak:

for he will speak peace unto his people,

and to his saints:

but let them not turn again

to folly.

9 Surely his salvation

is nigh them that fear him;

that glory may dwell in our land.”  Psalm 85:6-9

So what is revival?  Revival is a renewal of the living, not a raising of the dead (in other words a renewing and restoring of God’s own people, not the saving of the lost; but by the same token when God’s own get right with HIM, great and mighty things will draw the lost to The Living God!). We seem to have skewed what revival truly is; we have quoted parts of 2 Chronicles 7:14 so often, yet more often than not we leave out much of the important part.  We want God to heal our land, but we don’t really want Him to change us, or draw a line against our “pet sin”!  I’d like to simply share some things for us to consider in our desire for true revival:

       Are we willing to abandon our pride?

       Are we willing to draw near to God rather than self?

       Are we willing to submit to/obey God and His Word?

              (popular or not…and it won’t be!)

       Do we see our sin as sin?

       Are we mourning over our sin/the sin of our nation?

       Are we equipped to resist the devil?

              (in other words do we know the Word of God, so that

                we can recognize the devil, his wiles and temptation?)

       Do you prefer to laugh at sin, or have a burden over it?

Peruse what James has to say to us, and may we truly hear the voice of God (via the Holy Spirit) speaking to our heart and respond accordingly.  Our life choices matter not only to us, but also to others watching to see if we live what we say we believe.

“But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands,

 ye sinners;

and purify your hearts,

ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn,

and weep:

let your laughter be turned to mourning,

and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”  James 4:8-10

God’s message to Solomon is so important, but we often want to pick and choose the parts we want to accept, pursue, and obey.

“And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night,

and said unto him,

I have heard thy prayer,

and have chosen this place to myself

for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain,

or if I command the locusts to devour the land,

or if I send pestilence among my people…”

God heard Solomon’s request for His provision and acceptance of this house which he had built, and God told him that he would accept the Temple, but He also told Solomon that He would still judge sin, and if He chose to discipline His people there was a remedy.  Oh, that America would realize that we have abandoned God Almighty and His Son, Jesus, by our choices, our behavior, and our negligence of His Word and prayer, and then wonder why we are reaping the present “perilous times”.  May we heed the remedy that God gave to Solomon—all of it. (See 2 Tim. 3:1-5)

“…14 If

my people,

which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves,

and pray,

and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I

hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin,

and will heal their land.

15 Now mine eyes shall be open,

and mine ears attent

unto the prayer that is made

in this place.”  2 Chronicles 7:12-15

Jesus gave us the most important parameters of prayer, that so many miss today; knowing that our place is “in Jesus” not a building!

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:9-10

Jesus instructs us to be focused on God’s will, God’s kingdom—hence we need to study God’s Word as Paul instructs as as well.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God,

a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

Why study God’s Word?  It is our plumbline of truth, for sure, not the world!

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable   for doctrine,

for reproof,

for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect,

throughly furnished

unto all good works.”   2 Timothy 3:16-17

Boiled down, Paul is saying God’s Word IS God’s Word; it is profitable for—what we know to be truth—reproving (revealing to us) us when we err—correcting us back to the right—and teaching us how to avoid temptation.  The result is, we will be able to behave with spiritual maturity, equipped unto “all good works” which (as Paul says in Eph. 2:8-10) “God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Do we have a heart for the spiritual things of God, or have we binged on the junk food of the world so much, that we have no appetite for God?  Have we dulled our appetites for God’s things inadvertently, or by neglect?  As Jesus mentions in Matthew chapter 7, are we choosing the “straight gate” or the “broad way”?  It’s your choice but choose wisely, there is a test.  As for revival, I think scripture teaches us that unless we are willing to see ourselves as we really are, humbling ourselves before God, and seeking the change that only His Holy Spirit can achieve, it’s not near.  As James teaches us, being a successful child of God takes some effort—in fact a lot of effort!  And while I’ve only included part of the chapter, I encourage you to spend some time in the book of James this week.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:

for when he is tried,

he shall receive the crown of life,

which the Lord hath promised

to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted,

I am tempted of God:

for God cannot be tempted with evil,

neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted,

when he is drawn away of his own lust,

and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived,

it bringeth forth sin:

and sin, when it is finished,

bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren…

…22 But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,

he is like unto a man beholding his natural face

in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself,

and goeth his way,

and straightway forgetteth

what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,

and continueth therein,

he being not a forgetful hearer,

but a doer of the work,

this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious,

and bridleth not his tongue,

but deceiveth his own heart,

this man’s religion is vain.

27 Pure religion

and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless

and widows in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”                           Portions of James 1:12-27

We could call this a prescription for preparing for true revival!  Are we caring for those in need—widows and orphans—AND keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world”!  Let’s not be leopard Christians, but faithful servants of our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ!  I’m praying for you and for revival.  May God hear our cry and see the earnestness of our heart.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me,

to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself more highly

than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God hath dealt to every man

the measure of faith.”  Romans 12:1-3

Amen and Amen!!!

Do You Not See? Not Hear??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #204

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Father's Love, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Do you not hear?, Do you not see?, God Who Sees, God's Call, God's glory NOT mine!, God's Judgment, Hear ye HIM!, Hearing God, Independence, Iron Sharpens Iron, Isaiah, It's All About The Cross, It's Your Choice, Jesus Is Coming Again., Jesus Is Coming!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Renewing or Reviewing, Repentance, Responding Rightly, Resting Or Wrestling?, REvival, Revival or Recycle?, Righteousness exalts a nation, Seeing Truth, Servanthood, Serving God or Using God?, When Is True NOT?, Who are YOU following?, Who are you listening to?, Who's Listening Anyway?, Who's Listening?, Witness

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Do You Not See? Not Hear??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #204

I don’t know why this particular passage was laid upon my heart, but as it was, I want to share as simply and humbly as I know how the truth that God keeps bringing to my heart.  We are in a difficult place, and I don’t see a lot of people ready to truly come to God The Father, Jesus Christ The Son, through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, in true, honest, repentance and longing for the fire of revival to start in “me”!  May we truly come to the feet of Jesus for the touch of The Master’s hand to cleanse and make us usable, even as Isaiah did.  Lord please open our eyes to see you as YOU are, not as we have tried to conform you to.  When Isaiah saw you, he was humble and open to your will—may I be so!

“In the year that king Uzziah died

I saw also the Lord

sitting upon a throne,

high and lifted up,

and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims:

each one had six wings;

with twain he covered his face,

and with twain he covered his feet,

and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said,

Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:

the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved

at the voice of him that cried,

and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I,

Woe is me! for I am undone;

because I am a man of unclean lips,

and I dwell in the midst of a people

of unclean lips:

for mine eyes have seen the King,

the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me,

having a live coal in his hand,

which he had taken with the tongs

from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said,

Lo, this hath touched thy lips;

and thine iniquity is taken away,

and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

Then said I,

Here am I; send me.

9 And he said,

Go, and tell this people,

Hear ye indeed,

but understand not;

and see ye indeed,

but perceive not.”  Isaiah 6:1-9

Isaiah was brought to see his sin and the sin of his people, he realized that he was unsuitable to serve God, “but God”—oh, that is one of my favorite phrases in all of scripture, “but God”!  I am so glad that God has a plan, and if we will but humble ourselves and turn from our own way, He will send the fire of salvation to our soul.  While the “but God” isn’t specifically in this passage the principle is—as Isaiah saw his own condition before God and then the “but God” principle changed him; and God will change us if and when we let go of our own pride, self-will, and independence and fall on our faces before His holy presence and the convicting power of The Holy Spirit!  We are transformed into the “sent” to share His glory with a lost and dying world—but notice the message isn’t one that most want to hear; and it’s not the only time that Isaiah was compelled by God to speak this message.  Paul’s challenge to us reminds me that we are called today to share the same message of the finished work of Jesus Christ our Lord—the Risen LORD!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me,

to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself more highly

than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God hath dealt

to every man the measure of faith.”  Romans 12:1-3

And as we ask God to touch our own hearts, may we hear another of Isaiah’s messages, and lay ourselves open before God, truly seeking conviction to the revival of the saved, conviction of sin, unto repentance for the lost, yielding a great harvest from God not our own hands!  Unlike many preach and teach today, it’s not about being “happy”—God is calling us to holiness; and I think God is often offended by what we have tried to make holy for our own convenience; have we become those who hear with our hears but don’t understand, and see with our eyes yet don’t perceive what God is asking from us or even doing around us?  And while Isaiah’s message is a lengthy one, I think it valuable for our consideration.

“To whom then will ye liken God?

or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

19 The workman melteth a graven image,

and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold,

and casteth silver chains.

20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation

chooseth a tree that will not rot;

he seeketh unto him a cunning workman

to prepare a graven image,

that shall not be moved.

21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard?

hath it not been told you

from the beginning?

have ye not understood

from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,

and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;

that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,

and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

23 That bringeth the princes to nothing;

he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

24 Yea, they shall not be planted;

yea, they shall not be sown: yea,

their stock shall not take root in the earth:

and he shall also blow upon them,

and they shall wither,

and the whirlwind shall take them away

as stubble.

25 To whom then will ye liken me,

or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high,

and behold who hath created these things,

that bringeth out their host by number:

he calleth them all by names

by the greatness of his might,

for that he is strong in power;

not one faileth.

27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob,

and speakest, O Israel,

My way is hid from the LORD,

and my judgment is passed over from my God?

28 Hast thou not known?

hast thou not heard,

that the everlasting God,

the LORD,

the Creator of the ends of the earth,

fainteth not,

neither is weary?

there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power

to the faint;

and to them that have no might

he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths

shall faint and be weary,

and the young men

shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:18-31

Oh, to be one that waits “upon the LORD”, that is the desire of my heart; and there have been times that I have waited patiently, other times that I waited but not very patiently, but oh my friends, the victory that God will bring is so much more than “worth it”!  Jesus is coming again—hold fast, my friends—our redemption “draweth nigh”; so don’t put off what God is calling you to do!  Will you hear?  Will you see?  It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test!

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming

in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up,

 and lift up your heads;

for your redemption draweth nigh.”   Luke 21:27-28.

Amen and Amen!!!