Date: Sunday August 05, 2012
Today's Chapters: Isaiah 58-62
Message Title:

Hello My Friend,

We all want God's blessing and favor on our lives, everyone does, whether we admit it or not, we seek the hand of God when no other hand can be found. The problem is not everyone seeks the blessing and favor from the Almighty Himself, they just think they are. Thanks to false religion and people changing the Word of God every day, many people are serving a man made god and wondering where God's blessing and favor really are. “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.” - 1 Corinthians 8:5-7.

Sometimes the blessing and favor of God are gotten by doing extra special things to get His attention, on of them is spiritual fasting. Spiritual fasting is abstaining from food for a period of time in an attempt to take time away from ones self and focus on God. Through Isaiah, God exposes those trying to seek His attention and blessings through vain fasting. “Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 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. 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? 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? And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 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.” - Isaiah 58:4,5,7,10,11.

Spiritual fasting is the most unselfish act a person can do and one that does get God's attention when it is done for the right reasons. Fasting is a time to afflict the soul, to think less of ourselves and more of others, to earnestly ask God for the things we need, and to spend the day doing normal things with the expectation that God will do great and miraculous things for all the world to know the glory of God. “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. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 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.” - Matthew 6:16-18.

Sometimes the blessing and favor of God are gotten by removing known sin from our lives. Every person here on earth is capable of doing some evil, no matter how good we try to be our sin nature makes us capable of corruption and this is why we can never do enough good to measure up to God's standard and why He sent Jesus to give us a chance to be saved from judgment. Through Isaiah, God reminds Israel that He knows their sins and they will suffer for them, but if there is hope for them, the Redeemer. “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.” - Isaiah 59:1,2,12,13,18,20.

So many people get caught up in false religion, they pray, create, and serve a god they do not know so they can live in sin and be justified for it. Ignorance, repentance, or good works cannot justify a person for their past or present actions, God knows everything we have done, even the things we forgot about when we were ten years old. There is only one way to be justified, to be redeemed of all our transgressions, and that is through the Redeemer. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” - Titus 2:11-14.

Israel is not the only nation under judgment, every nation is under the same judgment, and every nation will get a chance to know Christ. Through Isaiah, we get a glimpse of the glorious Kingdom that all who know Christ will inhabit. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 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. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 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. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. 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.” - Isaiah 60:1-3,11,12,15,19.

God continues to give us a glimpse of the glorious Kingdom awaiting believers and the fate of those who will not believe, just as the Jews will no longer be despised by the world, the Gentiles will no longer be despised by the Jews. “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. 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. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 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: 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.” - Isaiah 62:1-3,8,9.

The greatest blessing and favor we can ever receive for God is eternal life, God gives all a chance to get saved, once we die physically that's it, no more chances. Sadly, there are a lot of people, who were religious as could be, suffering in hell today because they did not do that one thing that could have saved their lives. I know so many religions who praise Jesus, but they do not know Him personally. It is not enough to know who Jesus is we bust believe in and receive Him to be saved. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” - Romans 5:8-10.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank you for the Light to enable me to come out from under the darkness. Lord, You picked me up, dusted me off, and gave me a reason to live. No other life has more meaning that one with Your Son, thank You for sending Him, for giving me hope and peace through the endless trials that come and go in my life. Thank You for the assurance of everlasting life as I put my faith and trust in Your Son. Lord, lead me and guide me to the Light, never let me be darkened again from the pains and sorrows of life and let me see the blessings in store as I seek to follow Your will and ways. I love You, Lord and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

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