Tag: Isaiah

Isaiah 66:3 (KJV)
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

How often, I wonder, do we even consider the man to whom God will look?^[1] We have been conditioned, and we like it this way, to think that if we are not ok, that’s ok. We’ve come to accept our sin, willfulness, ungodliness, and disobedience. We are thankful for the mercy of God. We are more than happy to live upon it and coast carelessly with our relationship with the Lord.

I notice that God sees things a bit differently.

• He is not interested in our offerings and sacrifices.
• He is not interested in our buildings in His name.
• He is not interested in our production for His cause
• He looks for poverty, contriteness, and trembling at His Word
• He looks for the one who will choose God’s way over his own

Some will argue that this is Old Testament and applies only to the Jews. I will return that God changes not. I, too, am grateful for the mercy of God. I am thankful that I am hidden in the righteousness of Christ. But I recognize the character of God and the desire of His heart. And I know that if we would but apply ourselves to obey Him, His grace would make us much more Christlike than we are today.

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^[1] Isaiah 66:2 (KJV)
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 66:3 God’s Way Over Our Own

Isaiah 62:1 (KJV)
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

One of the most damaging things I think that has happened in modern fundamentalist Christianity is the concept that our sole mission is to win people to Christ. That, coupled with the ubiquitous doctrine of the universal church, has left preachers nearly powerless to preach any depth of doctrine and correction of error among believers. If we feel like the preacher just won’t hold his peace on issues we are uncomfortable with, we are free to move to another church of like or similar faith and find ourselves at ease there.

The preacher’s work, his charge, the thing God has committed to him, is that he will not hold his peace, he will not rest, he will cry aloud until those whose souls he is to watch for go forth as brightness and as a lamp that burneth.

Your pastor’s holy task is to not let up on you until you get it. Your church’s job is to hold you to what your pastor is preaching.^[1]

So, long as it is the word of God, you really do right only when you submit to it.^[2]

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^[1] Ephesians 4:16 (KJV)
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

^[2] Hebrews 13:17 (KJV)
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 62:1 Don’t Let Up

Isaiah 60:1-2 (KJV)
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

The time of the passage is prophetic of the latter days. I imagine the best place to set it would be in the Tribulation. The subject is Israel. Though all the world will be covered in gross darkness, the object of the Tribulation is the redemption of Israel. The glory of God will come to shine finally in the conversion of Israel to Christ.

I would like to entertain the thought that a secondary application may be made to any believer or any particular church and in such a day as we live. Though not compared to the darkness of the Tribulation, we often find ourselves in what we might think is gross darkness. We see the world around us lost and hopelessly without Christ. We are overwhelmed and have trouble seeing our way out. Darkness, it seems has covered the earth.

It is amid this darkness the Lord promises to arise upon us and allow His glory to shine out a path.

I’ve learned that few professing Christians are willing to follow the light of this glory. But for those who do, God not only lights our path but allows us to be the light for some other’s path. Perhaps a neighbor or a friend from work. Maybe our children and grandchildren.

I pray God that I am faithful to HIS light to help another out of the gross darkness.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 60:1-2 Glory in Darkness

Isaiah 59:2 (KJV)
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

This chapter provides another evidence of how few professing Christians even really believe the Bible.

Pastors get challenged all the time, at least I do, things like:

• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• If God is so powerful, why doesn’t he stop wars?
• I have prayed and God does not answer. Why?

This entire chapter is taken up with the answer. Verse one says, Isaiah 59:1 (KJV)
Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

God is absolutely capable of hearing our prayers and answering them. The problem, according to this chapter, is on our side. He is not shortened but our sins have hidden His face from us.

• We don’t like that answer.
• We don’t believe that answer.
• We won’t accept that answer.

And that is our problem. Any time we will humble ourselves, surrender our will and call out to God, He is there to lift us and help us. Too often even in that, He answers and helps in a way we are not satisfied with, revealing that we never truly surrendered the rule of our lives.

He can.

We’ve stopped Him.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 59:2 Quit Blaming God

Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

These are some of my favorite verses in the Old Testament. No doubt I am not alone in that. If only we could get hold of this. Our reason, our logic, the arguments for and against the decisions we make, and the directions we travel are opposite to and even contrary to the thoughts and ways of God. His way, His thoughts are higher, better than our own. Most people I know would say amen to this – until His thoughts and ways get in the way of our own.

The Lord pointed out today that these verses are not in a vacuum. They belong in the context of the chapter beginning with,
Isaiah 55:1-2 (KJV)
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Here’s the thing, we dedicate our lives and spend our money on things of no substance. We buy bread that is not bread. We work for things that have no satisfaction.

The higher way is to “buy” from God that for which we cannot pay. We can do that for this one reason. It has been purchased for us in the blood of His Son.

The work that satisfies serves the Lord.

Everything else is useless.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 55:8-9 That’s Not Bread

Isaiah 53:3 (KJV)
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

I was taken in this visit with God to Genesis 3:8 (KJV)
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Adam and Eve hid themselves from God because they were ashamed of their nakedness. Sin had made them self-aware. They did not want God to see them in this condition. Perhaps they were afraid^[1] of the judgment they would receive. They knew of no way to atone for the deed they had done.

Fast forward to Isaiah who was speaking even further into the future, at the crucifixion of Christ. This was God’s remedy for man’s sin. But the corruption of sin in the flesh had so progressed that by the time of the cross, instead of being ashamed of their sin and afraid of the judgment of God, they were afraid of the wrath of Rome and ashamed of the One who took upon Himself the judgment for their sin.

No one glories in what sin did to Jesus, but the soul enlightened by the Holy Spirit of God does glory that GOD provided an atonement. Through Christ there is a path of reconciliation.

Never be ashamed of that.

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^[1] Genesis 3:10 (KJV) 
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 53:3 Are You Hiding from God?

Isaiah 51:23 (KJV)
But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.

Our passage goes hand in hand with verse twenty-two,
Isaiah 51:22 (KJV)
Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God thatpleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, eventhe dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:

Everything has a season. The season today is for the followers of the Lord to bear the cup of affliction. It’s our turn today to serve the Lord in a dark and sinful place. Affliction simply accompanies this service. We are ambassadors seeking to reconcile those souls at enmity to God. It is impossible, but in this work, we often suffer the anger they have against our God.

Verse twenty-three tells us that the cup of affliction will change hands one day. Our duty before the Lord will be fulfilled. The Lord will take the cup of affliction and place it into the hand of the enemies of God

I am so glad to be a part of the first cup rather than the next.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 51:23 It’s Our Turn

Isaiah 50:11 (KJV)
Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

This verse is set in contrast with the previous. Verse ten^[1] has believers walking in a time of darkness with no light. These are people who fear the Lord and obey His voice but live in a time of hardship. What shall they do? They shall trust in the name of the Lord.

In contrast is a people who, at the same time, kindle their own fire and walk in the light they have created for themselves. Though they may feel warmed, safe, and comforted by the fire of their own making, the Word of God warns them that this will eventually bring them down to sorrow.

Oh Lord, teach us the choose the strait path that is your Word.

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^[1] Isaiah 50:10 (KJV)
Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 50:11 The Danger of Walking in Your Own Light

Isaiah 49:5 (KJV)
And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

I’ve been meditating for some years now on the concept that the man of God is to embrace the state of failure. We are not supposed to feel like successes, at least not in the common use of the term. Ours is a life of an instrument. We are to be a tool in the Lord’s hand. We are to speak not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our heart. At the end of each day, we are to say that we are unprofitable servants-we just did what we ought to have done. We are to glory in our weakness because it is in our weakness Christ is made strong.

How in the world can a person live like that?
First, by always remembering who formed us
God made us in His image and called us for His purpose.

Second, by remembering that our duty is not to “gather Israel” but to glorify the Lord
One of the great troubles of our time is assembly line Christianity. It looks and feels successful, but it is not of the Lord.

Third, by drawing strength from the Lord
This can be obtained every day, just like manna, by getting alone with God and His Word.

Fourth, by waiting for the coming day
The accounts won’t get settled until we get to heaven. A person on this earth might make himself appear successful when all he has really done is rack up a debt he can never pay. The one who lives as God has called him will have rewards abundant in glory. Think the rich man and Lazarus. I’d sure rather be Lazarus in eternity.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 49:5 A Debt He Can Never Pay

Isaiah 48:2 (KJV)
For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

Some things look impressive until a little more research is conducted. This verse appears to be a compliment to the people of the Lord.

• They call themselves of the holy city.
• They claim to belong to that place God made His own
• They stay themselves upon the God of Israel.
• They claim that their trust, faith strength come from Him
• They clarify it is the Lord of Hosts.
• They claim they worship the only true and living God.

But then we remember verse one.

Isaiah 48:1 (KJV)
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.

None of it was in truth or righteousness.

The warning here is of the deception of our heart. We can believe we have everything right with God but be as far from God as possible.

It doesn’t matter what we claim, where we frequent, or who we name. What matters is truth and righteousness and that will only be found within the pages of the Word of God.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Isaiah 48:2 Not What It Seems