Some scripture to think on... Monday, April 20, 2009

Hey there!

I've gotten a new bible recently -- parallel bible with NJKV, contemporary, message and reference/study notes. I LOVE IT! Anywho, I've been reading Isaiah and came upon this...Isaiah 1 in the NJKV verses 10-20...

¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
¹¹ “ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the LORD.

“ I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
¹² “ When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
¹³ Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
¹⁴ Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
¹⁶ “ Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
¹⁷ Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;^]">[a]
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
¹⁸ “ Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,

“ Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

So we've all read theses scriptures. They are beautiful and powerful. We've seen them over and over. Sung them in song after song. But what I thought very interesting was the Message translation of the same scriptures. Read this from the Message....

¹⁰"Listen to my Message,
you Sodom-schooled leaders.
Receive God's revelation,
you Gomorrah-schooled people.

^11-12"Why this frenzy of sacrifices?"
God's asking.
"Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices,
rams and plump grain-fed calves?
Don't you think I've had my fill
of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats?
When you come before me,
whoever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that—
all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?

^13-17"Quit your worship charades.
I can't stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You've worn me out!
I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
I'll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I'll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you've been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don't have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.

Let's Argue This Out

^18-20"Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out."
This is God's Message:
"If your sins are blood-red,
they'll be snow-white.
If they're red like crimson,
they'll be like wool.
If you'll willingly obey,
you'll feast like kings.
But if you're willful and stubborn,
you'll die like dogs."
That's right. God says so.

MY! MY ! MY! What an eye opener! I have been feeling like this for years -- especially verses 13-17. Why can't we just let go and let GOD? Why do we have to do it the same old rote way? Why? Over, over and over, and things never change. Hearts and lives remain the same. There's no real repentance. No real accountability. No real change.

Only God knows hearts, only God knows the depths that will allow Him to move and change us. Time, as they say, will tell if there was true change. Are we to judge others? No. Do we continue to allow the sin? No. How do we not judge others, but still not tolerate the sin? See Matthew 18 and I'll add to that by removing ourselves from the place where the sin is allowed to continue.

Format, schedules and the such have become such a burden to me. It grieves the heart of the Lord when we don't just allow Him to move. Is it sinful when we follow OUR will and not His? Yes. Is it sin when we have an agenda and try to fit Him in it? Yes. If our will is outside of God's will -- we have to lay our self down to allow Him to have His way. If we don't, and we continue to move in what we think should be the agenda -- it's sin. It's God way -- or it's not. It's black or it's white. No fence sitters. It's repentance and change or it's sin. Plain and simple.

We are going to be worshiping the Lord forever -- shouldn't we just step back from our desires, designs and thoughts of how things should be done and just practice worshiping Him the way He wants to be worshiped?

There was a point a few months back before finding this scripture that I was saying, God why is it that programs and formats bother me so? I began to feel guilty judging my own motive. Was I being not submissive? Was I seeking my own agenda? Was I putting my opinion above others? It was after much prayer I decided no -- it's not any of those.

It's as if a feeling of grief that has been put upon me. It's a matter for prayer. It's because the Heart of the Father is grieved that we cannot just step out of the way and lay our ideas down. He is grieved when He is ready to come and manifest Himself mightily and we decide to take the offering and listen to the announcements. He is grieved when we shut Him down just to do meet and greet time.

He is holding miracles in His hand, yet we don't allow Him give Him the time he created for us. What was the first thing God sanctified? Time. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. How important is time? Did He create it? Is all of it His already? Who are we to even attempt to stop the moving the Spirit?

God is looking for true and life changing repentance. He is looking for an honest, holy, repentant people who are ready to lay down their own will that His may be done to His glory.

Hugggz,

Kristy~!