QT 30 Jul 15, Trust requires believing he knows what is best

Isa 30:15-16 (ESV) For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,

"In returning and rest you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."

But you were unwilling, 16 and you said,

"No! We will flee upon horses";

therefore you shall flee away;

and, "We will ride upon swift steeds";

NOTE: It seems easy to return and rest, to seek quietness and to trust, but the reality is that we want to do something. We want to have some part that is tangible and reflects on something that we can control. We don't like giving the control over to another, even if the results are good and peaceable. And the reason is that we don't trust the other person to deliver. We are just not sure. And that is how we treat God, we treat him as if he was another sinful human being. We think he might fail us. And we do have reason, since his wisdom is so much greater than ours, how can we know if there is a greater thing that can be gained by not coming through when we need it? We then experience short-term pain even though there is great long-term gain. And that is the rub, even if there is great long-term gain, we don’t want to go through short-term pain. We want it all now and are not patient to wait on God or to trust God for something better.

QT 27 Jul 15, Isa 29:15-16, Truth is independent of what we desire it to be

Isa 29:15-16 (ESV) Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,

whose deeds are in the dark,

and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?"

16  You turn things upside down!

Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,

that the thing made should say of its maker,

"He did not make me";

or the thing formed say of him who formed it,

"He has no understanding"?

NOTE: We can deny who our creator is or deny his existence or His knowledge, laws, plans, and activities. But denial does not change truth, and denial will not improve a person's destiny. Satan is in a battle that he cannot win and he seems to have convinced many that he can win. Or that by denying the existence of the battle, it will disappear or just not ever exist. But what we want to be true is not true no matter how hard we desire it (unless it is true because God has deemed it true). Truth exists independent of belief or desire or even popular opinion. Truth just is, and it is defined by God. And we should fear what we deny when what we deny is from God himself. God has promised to send his son back and to execute judgment upon the earth. It is coming. We don't know when, much as Israel did not known when he would send his son the first time. But I doubt it would matter anyway, because even if we knew the time, we would deny the truth to our own shame. Lord open our eyes to understand that our beliefs do not create truth.

QT 23 Jul 15, Isa 26:3, 21, Judgment is very close

Isa 26:3, 21 (ESV)  You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,

because he trusts in you.

…

21  For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place

to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,

and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,

and will no more cover its slain

2 Peter 2:6-10 (ESV) … if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

NOTE: The chapter in Isaiah refers to the end times, the judgment and the resulting millennial kingdom. God is coming to judge this world's sins. His righteousness will prevail upon the earth. His holiness will be revealed. And we will be destroyed as a people. We deserve it, as does every single nation on the earth. The nations will survive but only as remnants of their original size and glory. And all the nations will head to Jerusalem to serve a new king who will reign with peace and true justice. Then we will have what verse 3 promises, perfect peace. No matter how bad things are or are getting, God is coming to judge the world and to make it the way he had always planned. The time is coming--it is not far off. The gospel has reached almost the entire world and the world has rejected its' savior. The church is engaged in apostasy and has lost its' witness. The time is very ripe.

Lot let himself get trapped in the culture of his time. He made bad choices. It says that his soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. That is where the true Christian is today. Our hearts hurt as we look over a world dedicated to destroying itself. When will we wake up? When will we open our eyes? When will we repent?

QT 22 Jul 15, Isa 25:7-8, Our faith is logical and is based on the evidence of the resurrection

Isa 25:7-8 (ESV) And he will swallow up on this mountain

the covering that is cast over all peoples,

 the veil that is spread over all nations.

8  He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,

 for the Lord has spoken.

NOTE:  This is our hope and a picture of the future. Death will be destroyed. We won't age or grow old. We won't suffer from disease. We won't lose loved family members and friends to death. The tears will be wiped away. We won't be laughed at because of our belief, rather we will be vindicated. We have a blessed future and a hope that the world does not have. The world replies that ours does not exist, that it is a figment of our imagination--that we want to believe in something that does not exist. There are two responses, 1) they have no future or hope in what they believe and 2) the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the proof that our hope is not in vain. The miracles stand out in history and are incomparable with any other historical figure. The proofs of the resurrection have to be ignored (by faith) by those who don't believe. And so they fall into the same trap they claim Christians live in, they are choosing to believe something (Christ did not resurrect) because they want to believe he did not exist or the resurrection did not take place. They don't want to put their faith in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, and so they must, by faith, believe that he did not rise again, and that the attesting miracles never happened. They must argue against evidence. And so who is the illogical one?

QT 20 Jul 15, Isa 24:1,4-7, The Earth will warm some day

Isa 24:1, 4-7 (ESV)

Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate,

and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

…

4  The earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and withers;

the highest people of the earth languish.

5 The earth lies defiled

under its inhabitants;

for they have transgressed the laws,

violated the statutes,

broken the everlasting covenant.

6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,

and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;

therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,

and few men are left.

7  The wine mourns,

the vine languishes,

all the merry-hearted sigh.

NOTE: So, I will never be accused of being an advocate for global warming, although I do accept the obvious impact of anthropogenic warming. This would include parking lots, buildings, automobile engines, factories, etc. All of these things, created by humans, do warm things near them. Where I differ is that even with 5 billion plus people, I don't think the affect is as great as some scientists argue. I think the greater driver in global warming would be the Sun's activities (notwithstanding the last dozen years, there has be an episodic increasing of temperatures). In this passage, God hints at some pretty disastrous effects to the earth in the last days. Verse one suggests massive structural changes through earthquakes and tsunamis. The verses that follow could refer to the same time period or a period preceding the end. The passage does talk about a warming that God brings (allows) upon the inhabitants of the earth because of their sin (which would include greed). The earth is scorched and even the fabled vines for making wine wither. The real vehicle for the change is not specified here (ie., the result of sinful man's actions or God's specific judgement because of man's sin), nor is the timeframe clear, although the first verses and the context of this part of the book all point to a time of God's judgment on man and on the nations. Are we in that time now? Are we close? We don't know and can't say for sure. But the day does grow closer. And the cultural changes and the speed of the cultural changes suggest that the time must be very short indeed.

QT 15 Jul 15, Isa 23:7-9, God hates pride

Isa 23:7-9 (ESV)

7 Is this your exultant city

 whose origin is from days of old,

whose feet carried her

to settle far away?

8 Who has purposed this

against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,

whose merchants were princes,

whose traders were the honored of the earth?

9 The Lord of hosts has purposed it,

 to defile the pompous pride of all glory,

to dishonor all the honored of the earth.

NOTE: The question of sovereignty is really one of purpose. If it does not fit into God's purpose, he can intervene to thwart or to change. But normally, "he does not" is my contention. And it is supported by the text which says that Tyre is the bestower of crowns. And now, because of Tyre's and the world's arrogance, God is carrying away Tyre. He is tired of pompous pride and he is going to dishonor those who are honored. One of my struggles in life is pompous pride. Well, maybe not pompous, but subtle and sly pride. But it is pompous because it is obvious to me if it is not to others. I need to let God honor me in his time and way, and not seek to honor myself before others. Father, forgive me for my pride. Today I have an opportunity to choose between pompous pride or quiet humility, especially later in the day. Help me to live in humility.

QT 14 Jul 15, Isa 21:9, The end has been decreed

Isa 21:9 (ESV) And behold, here come riders,

horsemen in pairs!"

 And he answered,

 "Fallen, fallen is Babylon;

 and all the carved images of her gods

he has shattered to the ground."

NOTE: If I remember correctly, this verse fits in Revelation in the sense that while the Antichrist is attacking Israel to deliver the final end of the Jewish problem, he receives word, via horse (indicating some communication problems in the last days of the tribulation), that his city has been destroyed literally. Another chapter in Revelation deals with the figurative destruction of Babylon, which is the destruction of the worldview that our culture possess today. The destruction of the city is only a few days before the destruction of the Antichrist forces and the return of the Messiah of Israel. And so while it may seem that the world is falling apart morally today, it will be falling apart in much worse ways in the days to come. Come Lord Jesus, come.

QT 9 Jul 15, Isa 20: 3-4, Believers are without excuse

Isa 20:3-4 (ESV) Then the Lord said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,  4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.

NOTE: The Hebrew text is not as clear as the English text makes it appear. The three years is placed such that it could refer to Isaiah's action, or to coming portent against Egypt and Cush (within 3 years). Or both, as Isaiah could walk that way until the three years have passed and the even comes to fruition. It certainly would force everyone to remember the prophecy and it's fulfillment. But whatever it is, it is a prophecy that sees fulfillment and legitimizes Isaiah's claim to be a prophet of God. I think it would have been difficult understand the true prophet from the false prophet back then. Today, we have no such problem as the Lord has legitimized the entire scripture by his life and his resurrection. So we really are without excuse.

QT 7 Jul 15, Isa 19:24-25, Our hope is not far away

Isa 19:24-25 (ESV) In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance."

NOTE: I believe this verse is a millennial kingdom prophecy and in it we see that both Assyria (Iraq, at least northern) and Egypt will survive as nations in the new kingdom. There will be a road between them going through Israel--I'm sure it already exists as it has in the past, but the difference is that it will be unhindered passage between the three nations. God calls Egypt, my people, which would mean they are believers. Israel has always been God's, and Iran is apparently a work of God, probably in the tribulation period. If the Antichrist does set up a kingdom in a new Babylon, there may be people who see through the falseness of his rule and turn to Christ during those days. But whatever happens, Iran will be a work of God in the last days. That day is coming and as the world continues to spin out of control, we must remember that we have a PROMISED future and a hope.

QT 6 Jul 15, Isa 17:7,8, Deluded by ourselves

Isa 17:7-8 (ESV) In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. 8  He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.

NOTE: Today, at least in modern society, our altars are much more subtle, but they are still altars nonetheless. We still look to the work of our hands, and relatedly the work of our minds. We think we are smarter than the generations in the past and we do certainly know a lot. Although I would question our ability to logically argue as well as in the past. We refuse to acknowledge God and have even convinced ourselves that there is no God. And while we may pile a lot of data together to convince us of that fact, there is even more data in the other pile than ever before … but that is "inconvenient." When it all does come crumbling down, it will be too late to acknowledge the savior. O Lord, help us as believers to share your truth intelligently, respectfully, and gently.