Isaiah 65:1-7 -- The Lord will punish the guilty

As I read this passage I'm reminded of people who aren't in relationship with the Lord 24/7.  It's reminding me of the concept of giving everything to Christ...and this story in from My Heart Christ's Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKlF6WbWBMg

Father, please forgive us for taking You and our need for You for granted.  Lord, You know how much I need You today.  Fill me with Your Spirit and help the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart to be acceptable in Your sight oh Lord.

Isaiah 64:9-12 -- Father, forgive Your people

I find this prayer significant.  It's highlighting that God (not satan) is responsible for the devastation hitting God's chosen people and it's suggesting that it's because God is mad at His people.  I can remember the day, as a teenager, when I finally woke up to the fact that my parents had feelings too!  They had always taken care of me and God started to reveal to me how I was taking them for granted.  I think this is true with God too.  If we think we're so smart that we can carry on without Him..after all we can now clone animals so do we really need Him?... then He says, fine...just do it without me...but use your own sheep and your own soil, don't use Mine! (I'm quoting an Alpha joke)

...and now Isaiah pleads to His compassion

"Don't be so furious or keep our sins in your thoughts forever!  Remember that all of us are Your people!" Isaiah 64:9

Lord, as the Salvation Army High Council meets today would You forgive the sins of the Salvation Army.  Pride, jealousy, envy, malicious,... and would You move in such a way that Your leaders would recognize that they need You now more than ever before.  Would you humble them and help each person who needs to turn from their wicked ways to have the courage to confess what needs to be confessed and give them the strength to turn from their wicked ways so that You will "answer their prayers, forgive them, and bring healing to their lands" 2 Chronicles 7:14b

Lord, we need you now; in my neighbourhood too.  Guide me today as I determine what Your will is for our prayer meeting tonight.

Isaiah 63:15 - 64:8 -- Father, You are the potter and we are the clay.

Father, thank you for stopping the rain for us for the party yesterday and thank you for our God connections. Thank you too for my time together with Henri and Monika.  Father, we remembered the good times we had with You but now we're asking You to come again.  I know You don't want to because of the sins of this world; pride, unbelief, jealousy, envy, malice...yet Lord, we need You and we need You now.  This world needs to see that You rule so Lord, have Your own way in us.  You are the potter and we are the clay.  Would you mold us and use us just now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9R5bQhxnTM

Isaiah 63:10-14 -- Remember when

If you read Isaiah 63:11-14 you'll see tremendous testimonies of remembering when the Holy Spirit really worked in the lives of the Jewish people so the question is:

 "What went wrong?"

...and the answer is found in verse 10 "The Lord's people turned against Him and made his Holy Spirit sad.  So he became their enemy and attacked them."

Have you ever had a tremendous experience with God working and then everything seemed to go wrong? In Job's case it seemed that God allowed satan to test Job to show satan what Job was really made of but in today's reading it implies that sometimes things go wrong because we turn against God.  This begs the question:

"What does it mean to turn against God?"

• Are we jealous or envious of how God is working in someone else's life?
• Are we no longer dependent on God?
• Are we taking the credit for the work of the Holy Spirit?
• Are we freaking out because God is working in ways that we no longer have any control over?
• Are we too proud to admit that we were wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kuo3lg-LBU

Isaiah 63:1-9 -- God steps in

I can imagine God trying to explain His amazing ways and plans to us.  As a powerful King we fear Him. Through words we don't really get it...especially since His ways seem completely opposite to ours, so what is the best way to teach us?

I just love God's brilliance.  He chooses to come as an approachable baby!  It reminds me of this story:

http://holytrinitynewrochelle.org/yourti82598.html

He chose to walk the walk and show us how to live and then ultimately He fought for us so that we can be saved.

• "It troubled the Lord to see them in trouble and his angel saved them."
• "The Lord was truly merciful, so he rescued his people."
• "He took them in his arms and carried them all those years." 

"I HAVE WON THE BATTLE" 

says the Lord.  

And it was with great cost.

"For food in a world where many walk in hunger

For faith in a world where many walk in fear

For friends in a world where many walk alone

We give You humble thanks dear Lord"

Isaiah 62:10-12 -- Do the possible

We must do the possible and leave the rest in God's hands.  It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking it's just about prayer but the reality is we must "repair the roads and clear the stones"...and God will reward us with a place that is known as a good place to live and a city full of people that God has rescued.

Thank You Lord for keeping my country, Canada, "glorious and free" all of these years.  You have given us a good economy and a peaceful nation.  Now Lord, will You help us to bring You to the younger generation and will You help us to not take You for granted.

Isaiah 62:6-9 -- Never again...with thankful hearts

"Never again will I give to your enemies the grain and grapes for which you struggled" God

Wow!   You did all the hard work and someone else got the credit for it?  I've heard it said that life isn't fair and it's true; there is always someone better off and worse off than me.  

God's promise to me this morning is a grateful heart...I'm not so sure about my wine in my temple but if that means apple juice then let's do it!