This is the Messiah

This Is the Christ

Book of John Chapter 7

The Feast of the Tabernacles was the fourth of the annual feast of the Jews. It was also called the Feast of the In-gathering, The Feast to the Lord, and sometimes it was just called "The Feast" because it was so well known.

The Jews would build a temporary structure called "booths", that they would live in for a week.

This booth was not to be an image of misery from the days of the 40-year trek through the wilderness but was to be an image protection, preservation, and shelter from the heat and the storms.

Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Psa 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

This feast is thought by many to be the greatest of the Hebrew Feasts.

It is on the last day of this feast that we find the Lord Jesus Christ and He will say:

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

He will also say:

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

We should also understand that the Pharisees and the High Priest had been actively hunting for Jesus, so they could put Him to death.

Jesus had moved His ministry to Galilee which was occupied in majority by the Gentiles and also was not under the jurisdiction of Herod at this time.

Now we do not have to think that Jesus was afraid of being caught or captured because this was not true. It is just the fact that the Scriptures had to be fulfilled just as they were written!

This is where we will pick-up our Scripture:

*****Joh 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

On each of the 7 days of this festival a priest would take a golden pitcher and lead the people to the Pool of Siloam.

On their return the people would sing out the Psalms of Hillel which were the Psalms 113-118 which are also the Psalms of Praise.

Asa Christians we do not need some festival to praise the Lord, He is to be praised everyday!

On the return to the Temple as they passed through what was called the "Water Gate" these people would repeat Isaiah 12:3.

Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

We can just imagine as this was being repeated the Lord Jesus Christ stood up and shouted "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water".

When that priest reached the Altar where sacrifices had already been offered, this water was also poured out over the Altar as an offering to God, while palm branches were being waved and Psalm 118:25 was being sung out.

Psa 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

The Lord is waiting on all of us to repeat these words. "Save Me Oh Lord".

For the Jews this was a dramatic way to thank God for the rain.

Remember there is no rain in Israel during the Summer Season but as the Fall Season arrives, so would the rains return!

There can be no doubt that Jesus can meet our Spiritual needs, but the same Jesus can also meet our physical needs!

Without a doubt it is these two things that most people have a craving for!

It is only "Living Water" that can quench the thirst of these things!

Most people recognize their "Spiritual Thirst" but they try to quench this thirst with the things of this world which will only make matters worse!

Many then get frustrated and give up on everything including life itself.

When we meet Jesus the "Fountain of Living Waters" that thirst will disappear!

What we must understand is that this "Living Water" was not available, in this maner, until after the death of Christ.

Remember the time of Moses?

Exo 17:5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

Exo 17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

We must also understand that this is where Moses made a terrible mistake:

Num 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

Num 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Num 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Num 20:13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.

The Lord will only go to the Cross one time not two!

The bottom line is that without the Lord Jesus Christ we cannot be washed in the water of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit was not given in this manner until after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ back to His throne in Heaven.

*****Joh 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

You see it is not some temporary tabernacle we must build but it is the permanent Tabernacle that Christ must build!

Jesus Christ died to pay the sin debt of this entire world and became the source of "Living Water".

Because Jesus gave up His life He was able to take up His life again.

Jesus was able to conquer all sin He took from us and His death to bring forth eternal life from the abundance of God meaning there would always be enough to go around!

It is only by our "Faith" that we can partake of this "Living Water"!

Rivers of "Living Waters" speak of the Holy Spirit who could not come to each of us until Jesus returned to Heaven in His "Glorified Body"!

We must clearly understand that the deity of the Holy Spirit is bound up in the Triune God.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit does many things, but maybe the most important was to inspire all the writers of the Scriptures to guarantee that the Scriptures contained no errors. Of course this refers to the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures.

It is man who must make an honest copy of those original text in the many different languages.

The Lord Jesus promised us another helper so what does this mean?

Jesus said another helper because He Himself is the first "Comforter"!

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Holy Spirit would be that other "Comforter"!

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Just as Jesus was sent of the Father, then the Holy Spirit was sent of the Father and again we can see that the Trinity of God is not only involved in our salvation but also in keeping us saved which means we cannot lose our salvation under any condition.

This made so much sense to those that could hear Jesus that they admitted that Jesus Himself was definitely inspired of God the Holy Spirit and could truly be the Messiah, but they made a huge error.

They put man-made text before the Word of God just as many do today!

They had been listening to false statements made by their leaders.

*****Joh 7:40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

Joh 7:41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

What Prophet? The Prophet promised by Moses.

Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

Many before this time had insisted that John the Baptist was this Prophet, but he insisted that he was not and he was not.

Jesus was certainly the Messiah, but the confusion came because of a lack to study the Scriptures and forgetting their heritage.

What had Moses actually said?

Act 3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Act 3:24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Act 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

When we stand before the Lord we may have to answer for our lack of knowing more of the Holy Scriptures!

Had any investigation been made, these people would have known themselves that Christ Jesus had both the lineage and the birth place which was required of the true Messiah.

This is another reason that when we teach we do not deviate from the Scriptures in any form of fashion!

It may not take much ignorance to keep someone from being saved.

*****Joh 7:42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

Why are there so many so-called denominations today? Because those who say they are Christian either add to or take away from the truth of the Scriptures when we are to accept those true Scriptures and believe them for what they say, rightly divided!

The truth is this is why Jesus left us the Comforter to begin with!

Joh 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Joh 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

When we do not allow the Holy Spirit to complete His work within us, we are setting ourselves up for division and for error!

*****Joh 7:43 So there was a division among the people because of him.

It amazes me that when the topic of Jesus Christ comes up division and slander begins when the Lord is all about salvation but Christ Jesus already knew all these things.

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

The truth is, sin is such a fixed unyielding power that it takes an overwhelming power to overcome it and this is Christianity!

Everyone who meets Jesus Christ will change in some way. Some to the good but more to the bad as they choose to confront the Lord rather than accept Him.

We are not to run from these things, but we are to be a part of these things!

Luk 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Luk 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Luk 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Luk 12:52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

Luk 12:53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

This does not in any way change the fact that we are to be witnesses for Christ, but we should be aware that Satan's army will resist the truth and only those who accept Gods call will reap the rewards.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

*****Joh 7:44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

Joh 7:45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

We must also understand that as long as we tell the truth, we do not have to lie. The truth will win in the end!

Those who reject Christianity believe that everyone that lives, have some dirty rotten sin in their past that they can be controlled by. We must not all forgiven sin to weigh us down!

Even today, many see Jesus as a great man but still only a man and they totally reject Jesus is the Son of God or God in the flesh.

Even today most of this world would wish that Jesus would just go away but this is not going to happen.

There is no man-made thing that can stop Christianity!

Those that want nothing to do with Jesus will make their choice and they will reap what they sow, and this is why they have so much hatred toward the Christian.

Sinners do not want anyone to tell them they cannot enter into God's Heaven because they have made themselves to be little gods in control of their own destiny, but this is simply not the truth.

Jesus spoke with such an authority that not one man would risk laying their hands upon Him.

Even the Temple police would not dare touch the Lord on this day.

What are the facts? Even on the last day of the Feast of the Tabernacles, the greatest day of this feast, the High Priest and those he controlled, maybe even the entire Sanhedrin Court, were waiting on the Temple police to bring Jesus to them.

They were immediately hostile toward those who had failed them.

They had planned on humiliating the Lord on this day by taking Him off to prison but the Majesty of the Lord had won again this time because it was not the right time.

So they answered:

*****Joh 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

It was not the great crowd that had kept these men from doing their job, it was the words that the Lord spoke to the crowd that had kept them from laying their hands upon the Lord.

It was still 6 months before Jesus would be crucified and the hatred of Him had grown.

The High Priest and his cronies could not stand to listen to the people as they talked about the Lord and the things that He had already done.

This was the second time this same day that someone had been sent to arrest Jesus and again they had failed.

It is a fact that no one upon the face of this earth has ever had a message like that of the Lord Jesus Christ!

These men could have used most any excuse that would have sounded more reasonable, but they told the truth. When the Lord speaks things happen and this will never change.

This answer which was true did not sit well with the Temple rulers.

*****Joh 7:47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

Joh 7:48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

Joh 7:49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

These rulers were arrogant enough to place themselves above anything associated with Christ!

By this time the Sadducee and the Pharisees had linked together even though they were enemies in trying to rid that world of Jesus Christ.

The message of Jesus Christ was never about deception, it was always about the truth!

To these rulers anyone who had a favorable impression of Jesus had to be mentally ill.

They had to be slow witted and easily duped and manipulated but this had never been true.

This is the exact way the Christian is seen today.

One lady said we were deplorable which in reality means we are all to stupid to know what we need.

Satan will try anything to intimidate us and cause us to trip in our faith.

These foolish men had not even realized that there were some among them that had a much higher opinion of Christ Jesus than they showed.

Among them Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethia.

Our previous government said we are unable to judge ourselves.

Our previous government said we are unable to decide right and wrong for our children.

Our previous government said we are unable to choose what we should learn or not learn.

Why does the world want to get rid of Jesus? Because since Jesus came, the world has no place to hide its sin.

Joh_15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

Truth always has a way of catching up to the liar!

But the liar on the other hand will cling to his lies with everything he has, just so he can continue in his sin!

This is the same way most Christians are looked upon today.

In fact the Word of God is looked upon by many as being hate speech when the Word of God is all the truth.

The world denies it's own truth and the lessons from history!

Today the Lord is our example, our measuring stick to see how we measure up.

These Pharisees and Sadducee had made themselves to be the measuring stick for godly living so it was they who were the deceivers.

Today we have some men and women who we believe to be Christians in our own government but if they refuse to vote for Jesus even one time they are not worthy to hold their positions.

Today we hear an awful lot about holding to the rule of law from people who have very little concern about keeping the laws of our land.

Nicodemus pointed out to those in session that they were already judging a man contrary to the Laws of Moses who they claimed.

It was 6 months till Jesus would be crucified and these men had already judged Him to be guilty and worthy of capital punishment according to Roman law because Jewish law could not get a death penalty for the Lord Jesus.

*****Joh 7:50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

Joh 7:51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

Something our own government needs to realize is just because they write the laws, this does not give them the right to break those laws.

Another thing is once a law has been approved and voted on, it does not give others the right to falsely interpret those laws.

The one true thing we can agree on is you cannot get a houseful of lawyers to agree on anything!

Nicodemus had just as much right to speak up as anyone that was present that day, yet he was cutoff immediately.

*****Joh 7:52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

Joh 7:53 And every man went unto his own house.

Nicodemus was cut-off with an outright lie.

Jesus was not from Galilee, He was born in Bethlehem of Judea and they all knew this.

There were many prophets from Galilee: Deborah in the time of the Judges, Anna, Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, Elijah the Tishbite, Elisha, and maybe others.

We can be sure that these so-called heads of the Sanhedrin and the High Priest had already made up their mind and they intended that there be no more discussion.

The title of our lesson is "This is the Christ".

The more Jesus proved He was the Messiah, the more He was hated by these who would attempt to kill God!

We must remember that an attack on the deity of Jesus Christ is an attack on Christianity.

If Jesus is not who He said He was then He could not have died to save our souls, but He died for all the world, even for those who doubt Him!

It is only by Jesus Christ that we can be reconciled to God!

This is the truth of the Scriptures and this is what we base our salvation upon!

Amen

Let's Pray!

The Work of the Returning Messiah

The Work of the Coming Messiah

Book of Isaiah Chapter 61

Most of this entire world will not be saved because they will fail to believe in the work of the Messiah.

The Hebrew word "Mashiach" (Messiah) is used 39 times in the Old Testament and every time it means "anointed".

As Christians, we use it in the New Testament to refer to our Holy Savior but we have good reason because the Word of God says so!

The Messiah is the anointed One of God!

Psa 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: "therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows".

If God says the Messiah is God then that is good enough for me!

Jesus is said to be the Messiah in the New testament:

Joh 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, "We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ".

The Woman at the well with Jesus is very aware of the Messiah and Jesus responds:

Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ": when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Joh 4:26 "Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he".

Christ is not the last name of Jesus, it is who He is, "Jesus the Messiah"!

In Prophecy, the word Messiah is only used twice and both times it refers to the anointed One of God.

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah "be cut off", but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Dan 9:27 And "he shall" confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week "he shall" cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations "he shall" make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

The first great promise of the Messiah comes from the first book of the Bible:

Gen 3:15 And "I will put enmity between thee and the woman", and between thy seed and her seed; "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". (enmity being the friendship of the world)

We do not need to wonder about the meaning of these things because Jesus the Messiah (the Christ) used this Chapter in the Book of Isaiah to claim He was this Messiah and even refers to His First and Second coming by His actions, which was missed by the Jews.

*****Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

For all those that have a head knowledge of God as Holy and Divine and do not accept that God took on the ministry to provide salvation to all His creation, then their head knowledge is useless!

We will never know the truth of God until we realize and accept the ministry of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in relationship to our eternal salvation!

It is the Messiah Himself, that announces His mission at His First Coming and at His Second coming!

How do we know this? Listen to the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.

Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

Notice how He stops before He says, "the day of vengeance of our God" because this describes His actions at His Second Coming!

It should be obvious that there must be "an acceptable year of the Lord"!

The term year in this passage does not mean "one Year" as our calendar states but a certain age with a beginning and an ending.

We call it the "Church Age"!

All the work of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ did, did not take place because of the "superhuman qualities" of His person but in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Without the work of the Father, the Son (the Messiah), and the Holy Spirit, there could be no one be saved!

God is Spirit!

Joh_4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

All true ministry is always inspired by the Spirit of God.

The only message to this lost world by the Holy Spirit is the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"

Joh_15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, "he shall testify of me":

None of these things are confusing because the truth is never confusing!

It is the lies of the world that causes confusion because Satan is the master of deception!

Isaiah, by the Holy Spirit, laid all these things out about 700 years before the Messiah first came!

The Lord Jesus Christ said Himself that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy and His ministry and His actions proved this to be true!

Jesus Christ preached the "Good News"!

Even today the "Good News" is tossed aside because people just love "bad news".

More riches come by "bad news" than any other thing in all this world!

The real "bad news" is that all sinners are Satan's captives!

The "Good News" is that the Messiah came to deliver all those captives from Satan's bondage!

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

The Lord Jesus just ask us all to consider these words He is saying and surely, we can understand the truth.

Every word and every action of the ministry of Christ Jesus proved He is the Messiah!

God provides us with a choice: acceptance of His truth or vengeance if His truth is rejected.

Acceptance is being "justified" by the work of the Lord.

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Vengeance, is not speaking of revenge for making the wrong choice but only answering to the "judgment of God".

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;

Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

God provides us a method to escape this death!

Eze 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

From experience, I can tell you that once I realized I had sinned against our Holy God, I began to mourn for what I had done to Him and I still do at times!

We must never forget that each one of us that now know the Lord Jesus as our Savior were once caught up in Satan's prison!

1Co_6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Not only that but we will mourn for our children, our friends, and our acquaintances who have not yet come to the Lord.

We will mourn for this sinful world!

If we are part of the Church then we need to mourn for those who are not part of the Church!

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

When the Jews would mourn in shame they would sometimes cover themselves with ashes but "salvation will replace ashes with beauty".

Salvation will replace that mourning with the "oil of joy".

Salvation will replace "heaviness" with the praise of God.

We will become trees planted in the Garden of God's "righteousness" to glorify God!

Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Jer 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Psa_1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

*****Isa 61:4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

We already know that Isaiah was preaching to the Jewish captives in Babylon and his message was that Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the Temple.

This message extends far beyond this time, to the time of the Millennial Kingdom when this entire world will be transformed into a world such as the Garden of Eden.

But even greater than this, is the message of that wasted place of that lost soul where there is no sense of right and wrong!

Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

All those captives who have been made free.

All those trees planted by God's river.

All those who have now called on the Lord will be employed in the building of the Church!

It had been the job of the Jews to spread the Word of God but that job has now been given to the Church and it seems we have forgotten that we have this job. (Shame on the modern-day Church)

Israel***Exo 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

The Church***1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

There have still been desolations for many generations that still go unrepaired!

Many in this world will certainly come face to face with their sin one day soon and "the message of God must be ready for them"!

*****Isa 61:5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

The message of Isaiah to the Jew was if they would repent and return to the Lord they could then assume the duties of taking the Word of God to the Gentiles, which they hated and rejected. Only in this sense, the Gentile would have been subordinate to the Jew.

Since this job now belongs to the Church, we are all on even ground. (We all stand on even ground at the Cross)

Gal_3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

In the time of the Millennial Kingdom, The Nation of Israel will be restored and there will be a restoration of many nations of this world.

Positions of authority will be given to those of the Church that were called out (the Rapture) along with whatever God had promised to King David.

People from all nations will be doing the day by day work to carry out God's economy!

There will be no such name as foreigner or alien or immigrant and no one will oppress Israel or Jerusalem!

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

*****Isa 61:6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

The Church having returned with the Lord for positions of authority and many other things, these Jews will once again be named the priests of the Lord to carry out what God had intended to begin with Israel.

It will also be these Jews who will minister in the Newly rebuilt Temple.

The Church has never been a part of the Jewish Temple, we are in ourselves a Holy Temple of God!

It had been the Gentiles that had gotten the glory on the Temple mount for many years but this would now be reversed and the things of God's Temple will have all the glory in Jerusalem!

*****Isa 61:7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

Shame comes to those who live in the captivity of sin!

Those Jews who felt great shame because the nation they knew had been humbled and were now in captivity.

It was not the captivity itself that brought that shame it was the sin of being disobedient to the Word of God and rebellion against Jehovah that had brought that shame!

My greatest shame comes from knowing that I allowed foolish sin to take control of my actions!

Sin will dominate your life if you allow it and in the end, it will take the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ to remove that sin!

What did God promise to Israel. The glory days for Israel as a nation had been the days of King Solomon. Great things are happening in Israel today but there is not much glory shown to them from this world! God has promised they would have double the glory of that time of King Solomon. Since we know that this has not yet taken place then it must be in the future and we as Christians should know this will take place during the time of the Millennial Kingdom of the Lord when King Jesus will sit on the throne of David as did his son Solomon!

It seems that besides the true Church, no one else in this world has any respect for the true Jew but honor and respect is still in the future for this great nation!

It is a fact that Israel as a nation do not understand the wrath of this world today. They certainly understand the wrath of the Muslim world because that has been a like a family feud since the time of Abraham and Isaac and Ishmael and Sarah and Keturah.

They do not understand the rest of the world that ignores the truth and condemns the innocent!

God says these things will end with that little Jewish nation on top.

Shame will be replaced with double honor.

Confusion and reproach will be replaced with double joy and double blessings.

Rebellion will be replaced with a double portion of the Holy Spirit.

Rejection will be replaced with a double portion of "Grace"!

Even the land they had in the time of Solomon will double in size.

This nation that has been in captivity for so long will then know double the freedom and the ending of all captivity. There will be a national "Jubilee" in Israel.

Lev_25:9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

Lev_25:13 In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.

Not just double the joy "but everlasting joy" will return to this people!

Why? Because the Lord loves to make wrong become right!

*****Isa 61:8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Judgment is the act of determining the truth from falsehood!

God, by His own words, loves to do this!

God loves those who do right!

With sin in our lives we do not know right from wrong so God gave us His technical manual (the Bible) on the truth of right and wrong, with examples to teach us the truth of righteousness!

God loves "justice"!

God loves "justice" in Himself!

God loves all those who make a practice of "justice".

Robbery then, is all things gotten by injustice!

Robbery then, is all things practiced with injustice even when that thing is offered to God for a personal sacrifice!

Jer 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

Jer 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

God has much patience and He has no problem in teaching us the truth, even when this world denies His truth!

Psa 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

Psa 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Psa 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

The one thing that God insists on is that once we know the truth then we are to abide in that truth!

Jer 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

One day this world will realize that it is the family of God who are truly blessed!

*****Isa 61:9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.

We should understand that to be adopted into the family of God places a marker on each of us.

When you call yourself a Christian the entire world will look at you and the things you do, to see if you match up to what they think a Christian should be.

Remember it is not what "they think" it is what "we know" but we should still be an example of Christ and it noticeable

They will test you many times.

They will try to take advantage of your commitment at times.

Those neighbors will see if you regular in your Church attendance.

They will also watch the activities that go on around your home.

If we are truly a Christian, (like Christ Jesus) it will be noticeable.

It is a fact that a Christian should be noticeable in a crowd, in a good way!

God has said many times that the little nation of Israel is His chosen people but in truth it is those who are Christian who are God's chosen people!

Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Gal 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Today the Christian may be looked at as being a bunch of "do gooders" but one day soon God's people will be honored!

All the world will honor the blessings of Israel!

Zec 8:13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.

All the world will honor the blessings of the Church!

Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

These are not just things God says, these are things that God promises, this is His covenant!

All people in this world will acknowledge the blessings that God has bestowed upon His people!

We do not have to wait to rejoice at that time, we can rejoice now!

*****Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

We have already seen that we are in a war and we must be dressed prepared for war!

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The day is soon coming when we can exchange our garments of war.

We will wear salvation as a garment! Remember our salvation comes by the "blood of our Savior!

We will wear righeousness as a robe! Remember we had no righeousness of our own, we wear the righteousness of our Savior!

The Bridegroom in this Scripture is the Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.

The Bride of course is the Church, the Spouse to her wonderful Husband!

The Apostle Paul wrote these words:

2Co_11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

We do not have anything to do under our own power, except to believe.

We do not have anything to purchase for our salvation.

We not have any work to do before our salvation, but plenty afterwards!

All these things are in the power of the Lord to accomplish!

*****Isa 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

It is the Word of God that is the seed that will spring up to new life in the garden of salvation.

It is mankind that is the soil where God's Word must be sown.

It is the Church God has chosen to be the "sower" of His seed.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the arm of the sower.

It is the Holy Spirit that is the power of salvation and eternal life!

Just as sure as His seed germinates, God will bring "redemption" to those who grow in the Lord!

Psa 85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Psa 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Psa 85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Psa 85:12 Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

Psa 85:13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

God has given us only one job to do and then we are to enjoy His blessings until we reach our Heavenly home!

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

When the Messiah returns, for He has certainly come to spring forth His salvation message, He will bring great blessings to those who love Him!

Amen!

Let's Pray!

Trusting in the Soon Coming Messiah

The Peace and Strength of Trusting the Messiah

Book of Isaiah 26

We, by now, should have noticed the two main concepts of all the prophets of God.

1) The Lord, the Messiah, will return for a Second Time and His glorious reign on this earth!

2) The repentance and the return of Israel to the Lord with His forgiveness and His restoration.

We can be certain that this final focus does not rest on Israel, this final focus will be on the absolute "Glory of God"!

Eze 43:1  Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 

Eze 43:2  And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 

Eze 43:3  And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 

Eze 43:4  And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 

Eze 43:5  So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. 

When the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, walks through that Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, and into that rebuilt Temple, the entire world will see the "Glory of God".

My pastor has preached many times that when the Antichrist tries to sit on the throne of David in the rebuilt Temple, that the Jews may not know who the Messiah is, but they certainly know who he is not, and he is not the Antichrist and the Jews will then rebel against him.

The Jews will see the truth and it is the truth that makes them to be free! That's what truth does!

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

When we know the truth it will put a song in our heart!

*****Isa 26:1  In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 

Isa 26:2  Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. 

"The Song of the Redeemed"

And what day?

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

And what is the purpose of the Messiah?

The Messiah will certainly fulfill the promises He made to Israel but His true purpose is to restore all things to the time of Adam before Adam's sin!

Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 

Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 

Act 3:21  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 

And what does God say? Open the gates to the nation that has now become righteous, God's people Israel and as always, there will be some strangers that have chosen to abide with Israel.

The Jews will join the Church:

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

And like the Church, these people of God can then have the peace of God:

*****Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Perfect peace is when we come to know the Messiah as our Savior, we will then have peace with God in all ages.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Once we have peace with God, we can then have the peace of God in all ages.

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This is the peace that the world has no understanding of because it is perfect peace! 

The only minds that can be at peace are those that remain on the Lord. A mind that trust in it's own methods, it's own works, in it's own righteousness, or it's own riches, will never find perfect peace! There can be no peace to those who have rejected the Lord!

Isa 48:22  There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. 

Our faith cannot be a one time thing, we must trust in the Lord forever!

*****Isa 26:4  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: 

Isa 26:5  For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. 

We must trust in the Lord at all times.

We must trust in the Lord in every condition.

We must trust in the Lord even in our times of affliction, in times of temptation, and in periods of darkness.

To be in harmony with God, is to trust Him in good times and in bad times.

We can be at peace in every situation that we face, when we trust in the Lord.

"Trust" in the Old Testament is the same as "Faith" in the New Testament!

That trust must be in the Lord! The Lord Jehovah!

For those who are still confused, God put it like this to Moses:

Exo 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 

Exo 3:15  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. 

There is only one "I Am" and He is also the Messiah who will return.

The LORD is the "Rock of all the Ages"!

Psa 18:1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 

Psa 18:3  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 

The truth is, in His own good time, on a day that only He knows, the LORD will bring down all those who have exalted themselves against Him!

God will humble the proud and bring down all the arrogant cites of this world.

For those who remember the sad days of the twin towers of New York City, these will be but an example of how the mighty cities of this world will crumble an fall.

Now I am not saying Jehovah brought down those two buildings. We know who caused these things to happen. I am only making a comparison.

God will bring every high and lofty city down in dust!

The proud will be destroyed and the poor and needy will be exalted.

Remember the Church will already be in Heaven, so this is referring to to those who come to trust the Lord during the Tribulation Period of seven years which is mainly the Jews, God's chosen people.

*****Isa 26:6  The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. 

Isa 26:7  The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

In other words, God levels the path. We all stand on level ground at the cross!

Christians since the beginning of the Church have faced criticisms and obstacles that many have never had to face.

Now many people struggle in life and there are many who struggle to meet their own needs but many Christians struggle and die just because they have chosen to follow in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ and for no other reason other than that daily battle with their own sin.

God will level that path and clear those obstacles out of the way of the righteous, those who just want to do things right. Things that are done right are all those things that are done according to the Word of God. After all to be a Christian is to be like Christ!

When the Lord builds that new highway to His New City, we can be sure that the Messiah will also remove anything that could hinder the travel of His people!

Who are those who are righteous?

1) Those who obey the laws of God.

2) Those who wait patiently on the Lord.

3) Those who have diligently sought to glorify the Lord

4) Those who are yearning to be with the Lord.

Psa 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 

When God has provided for safe passage of those who are now seeking Him, His judgments will fall on those who continue to reject Him!

The inhabitants of this world will begin to see what righteousness really looks like!

*****Isa 26:10  Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. 

Isa 26:11  LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. 

1) God has provided the majesty of His creation to show that our world had a Creator.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

2) God has provided the truth of the Word of God.

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

3) God has provided His Words of Providence.

Isa 40:22  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: 

Isa 40:23  That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 

Isa 40:24  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. 

Isa 40:25  To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. 

Isa 40:26  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.

The Lord has a specific purpose for all these things. It is so this ungodly world will understand righteousness!

Disaster, has a way of opening the eyes of people who are high and mighty and it is then that many will turn to the Lord.

The Lord hears the wicked when they cry for help but He will not answer their prayers until they repent!

We must remember the Lord already provides for the ungodly but they ignore God's kindness and give credit to themselves or to some false idol or some other human.

For those who finally realize that things do not happen by accident but still continue to live as they have in sin, God says that more "Judgment" is required!

God first warns of this and then God then follows through with that "Judgment" after His warning.

People may not realize that God knows those who will never accept Him, just as He did the Canaanites that dwelled in the Promised Land.

Notice that word fire.

Mal 4:1  For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 

The ungodly have no spiritual understanding of the Word of God.

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 

In fact they have become dull of hearing what God has to say. This is surely true in America and even becoming that way in the Bible Belt of America.

But in these end days it is that same Word of God that offers strength and peace to the Christian!

*****Isa 26:12  LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 

Isa 26:13  O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 

The first thing that comes with peace, is that human lives are not required, as in war. War is unfriendly to humanity.

In fact as we see in Syria, human lives seem to have no value to anyone, as atrocities have continued year after year and politicians just talk with very little action.

This is war at it's nastiest!

We must understand that peace in our world today is not always a blessing. The cause of the righteous does not always prevail!

When the Lord brings peace to this world, the cause of right will have prevailed to a lasting peace!

God will cause peace to happen because God has ordained peace for all His people!

The Messiah will return and cause these things to happen!

Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 

The truth is when we do not accept the Lord as our Lord, then we will always have others who will rule over us!

The greatest truth is, if the Lord is not your Master, then you belong to Satan!

*****Isa 26:13  O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 

Isa 26:14  They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. 

As Isaiah glances back over the history of Israel, many other nations had dominated them and that held true until May 14, 1948.

Only in the early days before we fought for freedom from England, was America ruled by some foreign power and if we would return to the Lord, that may hold true until the return of Christ. America is so high and mighty now that the Lord could knock the wind out of her sails at anytime.

Because of the sins of Israel, the Lord had to deliver them over and over again.

Those that cling to Judaism still make mention of the Lords name but they do still have a lack of "Faith".

Just as Isaiah has said, all those old rulers and many of those old nations that had invaded and conquered Israel, no longer even exist.

During their time of captivity, Israel had bowed the knee to many false deities and it taken many years for idolatry to cease out of that land.

It is a fact that what ever people love the most will eventually be their lord and god.

There is the god of their belly.

There is the a god of power.

There is the god of ambition.

There is the god of riches.

There is the god of pleasure.

These are all the god of sin (covetousness) ruling in their hearts!

All sin boils down to wanting something other than the truth of God!

There is coming the day, when all people who are left on this earth will simply want a personal relationship with the Lord above all other things!

There is coming a day, when the works of Satan will no longer exist and those that die that day will never live again in this world.

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Only those who know the Lord will awake to everlasting life!

When God wipes away all our tears, all memories we have of those we knew who had rejected the Lord will perish!

Israel will ne exalted above all other nations!

*****Isa 26:15  Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

The world seems to forget that when Jacob took his 72 member family into Egypt, during that time, there were good times and then the bad times but when they left, there were over 600,000 men not counting women and children. They went in Jacob and came out Israel.

In the 40 years they traveled in the wilderness all those that were over the age of 20 died and were replaced and Joshua had the same size force to take into the Promised Land.

So we see that during the times of trouble, Israel as a nation always seems to grow larger in population.

Isaiah is saying the same thing that Jeremiah is saying about these people.

Jer 30:18  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. 

Jer 30:19  And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: "and I will multiply them", and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. 

These things will certainly hold true in the time of the Millennial Kingdom. There will be a population explosion!

The Church has continued to grow from the days of Abraham and God has not lost a single one!

So these things also relate to the Church that God has built upon during the time of the tribulation!

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 

Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

Knowing these things we can better relate to the following Scriptures:

*****Isa 26:16  LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 

Isa 26:17  Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. 

Isa 26:18  We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 

Isa 26:19  Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 

It is a fact that in times of adversity the Church grows! The Church never grows smaller!

Certainly the amount of Christians can decrease on the face of this earth at any time but they just go home to an ever increasing number in Heaven. This is God's plan!

During the 7 years of Tribulation those that then turn to God will have suffered greater than at any other time in history.

It is a fact that God has been chastening His people, Israel.

No doubt they have suffered more that any other people for more than 2000 years.

It could be said, that the agony of Israel can be compared to a mother in labor, with great pain and anxiety for that young life within her.

Knowing all these things these people could not grasp the deliverance that God had promised to them.

But they had forgotten what else God had promised them.

Hos 13:13  The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. 

Many will say that God has been to harsh on this people but it is the ways of God that will lead to such a great salvation!

What is the truth of salvation? Dead men shall live!

The wages of sin are still death even in the Tribulation Period.

Not all murders become martyrs but is a fact that all martyrs have been murdered and murdered for only one reason, they have given themselves to the Lord and to teach His message.

The "dew" in this passage is the work of the Holy Spirit!

Again I must mention the fact the "Rapture of the Church" has already taken place and the Church has been with the Lord all this time.

These Scriptures refer to those saved during the Tribulation Period, the time of Jacob's Trouble, and most of these people are Jews but also many from other nations.

The same truth holds true for both the Church and these:

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

Isaiah speaks of those during the time of Jacob's Trouble.

The Lord Jesus speaks of those of the Church:

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 

The Church is called out at the end of the Church Age!

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 

Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

It is also true that the earth will cast out all the dead.

Daniel said:

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Dan 12:3  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 

Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 

Even Jesus said this was true:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation

This time is still in our future, for we are still in that time of mankind running to and fro and knowledge is increasing but this knowledge is not the knowledge of God!

Notice even Isaiah knows these thing will not happen in his lifetime, He speaks of the future!

But it is always time to get closer to the Lord!

As we have witnessed recently in the storms that passed through our area the smart thing to do is to find the safest place we can find in our homes or elsewhere until the storm passes by.

*****Isa 26:20  Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 

Isa 26:21  For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. 

We should clearly understand that in the greatest of all storms, the Lord is still the Master of the storm.

Nah 1:3  The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 

It is only those that know the Lord who can hear His voice when He says come!

It is only the Master of the storm who holds the power to all life!

God is like a tender Father, who sees the storm coming upon His children takes them by the hand and leads them into the closest shelter!

As Isaiah warned these Jews and also the Church, we also need to warn as many as we can that God's patience is wearing thin with the people of His creation.

We "all" always need to be prepared for these days that could happen at any time!

1) God has pointed out all the dangers of rejecting the truth of the Gospel! There will be a time of "Judgment"!

The Lord will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of earth because of our iniquity(sin)!

In other words God's people must not be participating in the wicked behavior of unbelievers at any time!

But for the "Grace" of God we would all perish!

2) God has provided His counsel.

We must be prepared because, no thing and no one will be able to hide the unbelievers from God! There will be no sin that can be concealed from the Lord! There are no secret sins that God will not know of! All sin will be exposed.

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

God says "Come".

3) God assures us His promises will be fulfilled.

God assures us that all those who have rejected the Lord and persecuted God's people will be punished!

Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

It is the right thing for God to do, no matter what the liberals say!

Rev 16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 

Rev 16:6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 

This does not mean we are all to hide physically because we can hide openly if we belong to the Lord.

It means we need to continue to warn as many as we can of this coming "judgment".

It is not our job to tell them they are lost, they already know how to be lost.

It is our job to tell them how to be saved!

Questions?

Let's Pray!