Sorrow...why would you choose the "Road to Sorrow? Gleanings from Isaiah 5:8-17

As this chapter in Isaiah progresses, it becomes evident we all carry a similar "gene": it's called the "stupid gene"..and it is still being passed on even today....Gleanings from Isaiah 5:8-17...Here are two ways to obtain sorrow...God will have 4 more to choose from by the time this chapter is done...

 "What sorrow is in store for you...buying up homes from those who have suffered through a terrible economy...an economy designed by you, thinking of yourself  so clever at buying the homes of the poor for "dirt prices", hoping they would move out so you could foreclose and seize the property...only to rent them back to those who are hurting in these economic times at exhorbrantly high prices.
 Yet, I know of the Lord and what He says about all this. He declares: "Let's see how far this takes them...for I will cause all their rent-houses to be abandoned...even the fancy mansions they live in for themselves...look through the windows...nobody there!
 And their "Master plan for Success" they carry around and promote for themselves...here..use this equation in your formula: how about 10 acres of your finest vineyard, able to produce maybe 6 gallons of wine...max. That's not enough wine for even one of your "all-night" parties you brag about! Here is another equation to consider: 10 large bushels of your finest seed for grain yielding maybe one full bucket of grain. Not Good! And you brought this all on yourselves!"

Here is something else. What a sad mess they have created for themselves...these rich and selfish "fat cats", waking up "to the sound" of one thing and one thing alone: "Where's the booze?" These idiots are getting "tanked up" before breakfast is over...and then party on!!...clear into the night.
 Oh, they make sure their parties are well supplied; got the DJ's, booze everywhere, you know...get the place "rockin"!
 They don't even give the Lord the "time of day"...He is the farthest thing from their minds.

  But...there will be a day...they will! Trust me.

 In fact, all my people who have chosen to numb their brains in alcohol...are so far gone at this point they don't even realize they are being carted off into captivity...soon to become slaves..to serve alcohol..but no longer allowed to pass between their lips. All this because they refuse and reject Me, the One who loves them deeply. Now look, all their "high and mighties" starve and the common man...parched with thirst.
 Look at the world of the dead, the very grave itself...now that is an estactic place at the moment! This place fully anticipates the soon arrival of all these drunken idiots...they already have opened the doors to "welcome them through".  Everyone among them is about to be destroyed. The day fast approaches when even the arrogant ones will lower their eyes in humiliation.

 But as for you who put their trust in the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, I am with you and you shall find favor and relief even during this horrendous time. For when My name is exalted for True Justice...then I will display My Justice...to you! For I am Holy, and I make myself Holy before all!

 As for those who choose not My ways, lambs will feed among their ruins...look there is a goat...eating on their dining table...this table made of the finest wood and trimmed in gold...all for a goat to stand and eat upon."

The Song of the Vineyard...Gleanings from Isaiah 5:1-7

Sometimes the bigger challenge in our lives is not believing God to answer our prayers, rather, it is how we react when God does answer prayer and blesses us with His overwhelming mercy. For there lies the secret as to why we are blessed....to bless others!
                     
                      "The Song of the Vineyard"

 " I will sing to you a ballad of sorts, a tender ballad concerning His vineyard and the people He loves!
 It begins here: I give My love to the Owner of the Vineyard, for He has made a beautiful and rich vineyard, nestled on a fertile hill.
 This vineyard has been created and built with the very Heart of the One who loves us, meticulous in detail, preparing the soil and giving the vines a place to have a fertile root.
 For He had dug and trenched the ground carefully, and gathered from its soil stones and rocks that were in the way and now gives the soil a rich vitality, a place where the choicest of vines could grow, finding root deep within the soil, able to thrive and become the very best of vines.
 In the middle of this beautiful vineyard, my Friend carved out a wine press, made from the very rocks He had cleared from this vineyard, a vineyard of sheer beauty and appeasing to the eye.

 And then He patiently waited...to see the vintage yield of grapes to come forth from all the preparation He had given!
 But, as the season wore on, a terrible thing occurred! Instead of luscious and sweet grapes that He had fully expected and "pictured" in His mind....this beautiful vineyard brought forth...wild grapes! These grapes are full of bitterness to the taste...not fit for the wine press! This grapes are unable to produce sweet and rich wine...for any harvest!
 Then, my Friend asks...He asks all of you who live in Jerusalem...and all of you who abide in Judea: "What more could I have done for My beloved vineyard?...that I had not already done?"

 Now then, what am I to do with this well-prepared and fertile vineyard I have created with My own two hands?  First, it must be tore down!...the hedges I lovingly built around its perimeters, I must rip out so it can be burned. I will then take the " Entrance Gate" I carefully designed, and break it down...to the ground. There it can be used to walk on amidst the destruction of this place.
 This fertile field will return to its natural surroundings, a wild place where the grapevines are not pruned and the ground is not cultivated. This once fertile field will now be run over with briers and wild thorns. I will then speak to the clouds...who offer life-support through her gentle yielding of the rains...but to these clouds I speak: " Do not come near this field...let not one drop of water find its home in this soil!"

 For here then lies the moral of the story, the ballad of the "Song of the Vineyard".

 It is you!...O Israel...you are that vineyard...created by the Lord of the Heaven's Armies! The very people of Judah were to be the luscious and sweet grapes of this once beautiful and fertile vineyard.
 I was expecting to have crops with the fruit of Compassion and Justice for the needy, but instead, I see and witness with My own eyes the mis-used power and a people that are "weighed-down" both physically and emotionally...because of the very oppression you cause!
 I looked for Mercy and Humility, helping and guiding others to live in Peace among themselves, but instead I hear the cries...the "Cry of Violence" among your poor, who moan and find themselves in much distress for your misuse of power!" 

Gleanings from Isaiah 4...a short chapter in words...but not in His Power!

 When Isaiah was proclaiming God's message, Jerusalem had been decimated through war, famine, and disease. At this point, men were few and the leadership roles were at very low levels.
 What made it worse?... conditions were not to get better as the war with Israel and her new alliance Syria were on the near horizon, eventually culminating in the fall and conquest of the mighty Jerusalem!
 Isaiah truly prophesies by faith!...promising a cleansing and restoration of God's people. The use of the word "branch" would suggest a new beginning that would arise after the "Great Exile" to Babylon. Those who survive the "Great Exile" will turn to Him, and truly be His people.

 Just a thought! Do you think your country is "too far gone?" No hope left? Or...is there still time...time to see people give their lives...to Him?
 In the gospel of John 15:5, it reads: "Yes, I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit, for apart from Me...you can do nothing." (Living Translation)
                              Gleanings from Isaiah 4

 "In that day, so few men will be left that 7 women will fight for 1 man. They will say to the man: " Let us marry you! We will provide for ourselves...both in food and clothing. We just ask that we can carry your name...and have children...don't let us be disgraced by being called "old maids".

 But, this won't always be so. The time will come when the branch of the Lord will bud and be in full beauty, glorious to behold and admired.
 Even the fruit of the land will be one of beauty, marked with the pride and joy that can only come from having His Blessings in our lives. The "Remnant Branches" will be strong and their hearts given to the Lord.
 Everyone who has their home in Jerusalem, those who had faced rejection, ridicule, and were "written off" as "good as dead", will find their lives restored and strong..by the Hand of the Lord! He will count them as precious in His sight!

 Even the "Daughters of Zion", who had drenched themselves in narcissism and embraced all types of moral filth....will now find themselves made clean...and purified...their hearts returning and be given to Him!
 Then, the Lord will bring back the "Ancient Pillar", a cloud to give His people shade by day, and a flaming fire by night. The "Ancient Pillar" will serve as protection as well, and be a sign of His love to His people.
 God will have a pavilion as well, right in Jerusalem, a place His own can find refuge from any violent storms or heavy rains, a sanctuary from the heat of the day!

Comfort is a Powerful Word!...Gleanings from Isaiah 40:1-2

As I have been starting on my studies of Isaiah, I am reading of the ramifications of choosing to enjoy the "sinful lifestyle" rather than choosing the lifestyle God has made for me.
 That can be a whole subject in itself, and Isaiah gives his first 39 chapters to the results of making choices that does not welcome Christ to be a part of my own daily life, choosing instead to do things that may eventually harm me...but at the moment seem all well and good.
 Then in chapter 40, Isaiah begins to turn the whole message around, showing the side of God who is tender and caring...Here is my Gleaning of Isaiah 40:1-2...

 " Comfort...and I really emphasize this!...Comfort...My people...for it is I who would speak this!
 Speak tenderly from your heart..allow your deep emotions to surface, and your passion to really express My love for them...those whose hearts are given to Jerusalem.

 Tell her this: The pains and misfortunes of your lives that have dealt you harshly, and your sins that have separated us...are over. For it is I who have taken your sins, all the terrible wrongs and atrocities you have done to Me, and have paid for them...in full.
 Your sins are now forgiven you...and your comfort has now come!"

 The word comfort here is used twice in almost every translation, which means God is really serious and concerned about this, and the word comfort here is to mean: with deep emotion and passion, offering encouragement (in order to offer encouragement there must be a plan or a way out).

Also, numerous translations read this part of the verse: "they have received double for their sins".
Often times I got the impression that: "Ok, I messed up my life...made a "ton" of wrong decisions which has caused me to sin against God, but now He is here to comfort and forgive me...and to give me a '"double blessing" for what I went through.
 But, as I got more into these 2 verses, I have come to realize that is not what God is really talking about here, it's much deeper in its meaning. 

 In ancient times, like the time of Isaiah, if you happen to be in debt to another for a loan, or perhaps borrowed money and are unable to pay it back...you basically had 2 choices. You either pay back what you owe, or you become a slave to the one you owe money until the debt is paid in full.
 There was one other solution, but was not often done. If a person would come along beside you, and have nothing more than sheer mercy for you, this person would take the invoice showing what you owed, and then fold it in half, which was called "doubling it". Then, this person who has mercy on you would sign this payment you owed and pay for it themselves...in full! You were then free of this debt and the person who paid off your debt would not hold it against you.
 This is what is meant you have "received double for your sins".
And, of course, this is exactly what the Lord Jesus has done for us!

One more thought. Christ Jesus has paid the full price of our sins...that I am totally convinced of. He also confirmed the message in Isaiah by declaring in Matthew 5: 4: "Blessed are those who mourn, that is those who recognize sin in their lives and have a "hole in their own heart" that separates them from the love God has for them, for they shall be comforted, that is they will receive from Him and from the very depth of His own heart the encouragement needed to find a way through and have a complete healing of the emptiness felt within."
 That was kind of a longer Gleaning of that verse I know...but for myself it adds a much deeper meaning to what Christ was saying when He gave this at the Sermon on the Mount.

And...one more thing. Sometimes it is not always sin that causes us to hunger for real comfort from a real God. Just remember, God's idea of comfort is deep, it comes from His very own heart, and the encouragement He gives has a "way out" of anything in life we may encounter.
 As we just learn to let down "our guards" to Him, open up our hearts...and sometimes that is like taking a bandage off a really ugly wound..but..if you take the chance, choosing not to blame Him for an event that happen...He will be there...to bind...to heal...and to comfort!
 Sometimes life just doesn't make sense...a tragic accident...a factory closing down...a life threatening illness..."tore-up" relationships...or a death of a loved one.
 Even in those "darkest of times"...you still got to take the chance...to let Him sort it out for you...and comfort you..from the depths of His heart. He knows what it is to suffer...and He knows exactly how to comfort ....you!

How to create your own Horror movie...Gleanings from Isaiah 3:13-26

God is fair, He always has been. He considers men and women as equals...but that can go 2 ways. He is faithful when we put our trust in Him...regardless of gender...and He also judges our actions...regardless of gender.
 Gleanings from Isaiah 3:13-26...

 "The Lord Himself has entered the courtroom, He calls for order and announces the atrocities of both the leaders and elders of Israel, and the women of Israel as well...the very Daughters of Zion.
 He speaks:
 "You who are My leaders, My elders, who have been appointed to lead and guide My beloved vineyard Israel.. you have ruined her and her ability to produce long-lasting fruit...fruit that reaches out to others...to comfort, to strengthen, and to restore.
 Instead of leading them in the way of integrity, of true justice, and benevolent welfare, both you as leaders and you as elders played a different roll in guiding My beloved Israel. You have chosen to be selfish, caring for no one but yourselves, rejecting the ways of humility and embracing anything that would benefit you. Your very homes are filled with gain that were designated for the poor, and you found particular enjoyment in having all this power...crushing My people and grinding the face of the poor into the dirt.

 And women will also face judgment for the evil they have caused. These "Daughters of Zion" have become so full of themselves, haughty toward anyone who passes by....having deaf ears to the "Cry of the Poor"...for their thoughts are drenched in themselves.
 They walk throughout the city gates...showing off their bodies, flirting with their eyes, alluring anyone who might look their way. They wear their jewelry to show how much they are "worshipped", seeking new "converts" to adore them each day.
 The Lord has seen enough...and will allow terrible things happen to these narcissitic women of Israel....they very soon will be adorned with a disease upon their very heads instead of the latest hairstyle...it will cause their hair to fall out...and scabs appear.
 When Israel falls, these women will be held captive..and suffer the indignity of having to strip naked...before their captor's very eyes.
 Her fragrance will no longer be of elegant and exotic perfumes...rather it will be of cabbage...rotting cabbage. Ropes will now be her necklace, and burlap will make up her gowns, her beauty being replaced with shame.

 The men of the city, who once flirted with these fine "Ladies of Charm", will be killed by the sword, and the warriors she embraced and made love to...are now dead in battle.
 The entire city will be in deep mourning, loaded down with the weight of their many losses, now, lay low in the dirt...empty of its people."

Do You Really Think This is a Good Idea?...Gleanings from Isaiah 3: 1-12

When a person tries to justify sin and daily behaviors that accompany all that, it just gets worse...check out Jerusalem if you don't believe me...Gleanings from Isaiah 3:1-12
The Lord would say this:
 " Jerusalem...you are on your last leg! The God-of-the-Angel -Armies is about to let your "barrel run dry"....your days are numbered!
 You see, all of the things Jerusalem depends on; her necessities to sustain herself, her economy, and all the "props" she tries to generate to hold her up...are now empty...gone...depleted!
 Let's start with the basics: how about bread and water. Without these two primary staples, people get "touchy" you might say... in fact outright mean. And, it has a domino effect. Look, the soldiers are leaving, all the mighty warriors and heroes...pretty simple equation: No water=No heroes. Look again!...police protection...no where in sight! All your judges and court system...no where to be found...there is that equation again: No bread=No protection! It looks like a mass exodus at the Jerusalem gates.
 And, it doesn't stop there! Hey...how are you going to know what to do...all your fortune tellers are leaving! Even your false prophets, elders and "make-believe" pastors...they didn't see this one coming! You better get some advice...like real quick!...oh no...don't tell Me all your "official advisers" have left!? Is there anyone left...how about an elderly person?...there is a guy with a skilled trade...maybe he has "skill" on what is going on now! Wait...I got it! I almost forgot! Your astrologers...of course....seek help from one of your phony astrologers!! Oh..they have left too?

 Well, it seems you are in a "real pickle." I guess little boys and girls will have to assume the roles of leaders...can you handle getting orders from kids who don't have a clue what they are saying?
 This could get out of hand you know and cause people to be at each other's throats. I mean what I see in all this is people stabbing one another in the back and everyone turning each other in to whatever local authority that might be around...for things that are so trivial..quite stupid actually!
 You will hear young people insulting and having no respect for the elderly...brace yourself!...that includes you! These young people will be hurling insults and vulgarities...I mean...this really could get ugly!

Personally, I think in these kind of times if you happen to see someone with a cloak...you know..a robe, ask him to be your Leader! Just say, "Hey, you have a robe...you be the judge and ruler! This place has become a mess...you got to do something...there is trash...everywhere!"
 Oh, you soon found the guy wasn't interested? The guy with the robe said what?...he didn't want any part of it...he has his own problems...he said he wasn't "no miracle worker" and has no clue how to "bind up any wounds"? This guy with the robe has no desire to be the "ruler of a mob"...really?...is that what he called all this stuff happening here? 

Jerusalem will fall, Judah will fail...ruined...all because their words and their deeds were totally against Me, the Lord God and the way of life I have commanded for you to follow...you would not even follow suggestions I made.
 These people even had the audacity to try and get in "My Face"...provoke a fight!....you really got to be kidding...right?..but no...these people were serious!
 Now look...look at their faces...they look really weird...spooky...maybe you should change your name to: "Zombie Land".
 What makes this whole situation entirely stupid is the fact the people of Jerusalem actually flaunt the depravity of the sins they carry. Honestly, they remind me of the citizens of Sodom instead of the citizens of Jerusalem. They don't even know what the word "embarrassment" means....you know..We Are..."Jerusalem Nation"...and all that garbage.
 The sad Truth is: it's over...done...like the saying goes: "Your goose has been cooked".

 One favor I ask of you...Will you reassure those who kept My Commandments...they are called "the Godly"...that everything will be fine for them! I appreciate the fact they upheld My Commandments and stood up to all you "clowns". I am sending them great benefits for both them and their families. If you would let them know...I would appreciate it!

Now, back to you and all those who chose rebellion and turning to wickedness as a way of life. All of you can simply ...forget it! It is officially...over! I have only one word that needs to "sink in" among you: DISASTER!....did you get that: DISASTER!
 In fact, I was thinking...you know all those billboards out there that say: Got Milk? How about changing them a little and replace milk with...you got it! DISASTER! So, then it reads: Got DISASTER? I think that might bring My point across.

 You are left with these childish and skinny little "leaders" that bark out nothing but empty threats to My True People. And your women too!...who have now taken over with no regards to being fair and just...if I were you..I would not listen to any of that stuff! They are leading everyone including themselves down a dark...blind...alley! And right there is where they will meet that guy I was telling you about: "DISASTER"...and he is not nice...and that is saying it mildly.
      Wait.....
 There is another...who has defeated DISASTER...he calls himself REPENTANCE......."

A Day of Reckoning...Gleanings from Isaiah 2:10-22

It is never a good idea to put all your confidence in only yourself. It may motivate you and help you to "climb a little higher" in life..but the cost can be high as well.
 Put your trust in Him, and let Him exalt you in due time...it is so much more meaningful and the cost...to only love Him with all your heart!   Gleanings from Isaiah 2:10-22...

 " If you were one of those who had joined in the chorus, "We are free! We are free! Free from following the Ways of the Lord!" and so on and so on...only to find out later that "tune" didn't work out so well...here is what I would do.
 I would go hide under the first rock I could find...and if you find one someone there already hiding, go find another one...fast!  Why you ask?
 For the Glory of the Lord...in all His splendor and great majesty...is about to arrive!

 The ones who chose to live in their own arrogance, full of their own self-pride, are about to see and feel the results of that type of thinking.
 For the day is coming when the Lord shall be exalted...Our Great King...and He alone!
Remember this: the Lord of Heaven's Army...always has His Day of Reckoning!

 When he comes on that day, the proud and the conceited will be brought low. Even the earth will bow low before Him! The tall trees of Lebanon and the mighty oaks of Bashan will tremble before Him!
 All the great mountains...the Alps...the Andes...the Rockies...and Mount Everest herself will be no match for our Great King of all the earth and the heavens!
 The makings of mere man...great buildings and tall stone statues and monuments...even the greatest of fortified walls of the most powerful cities...will be but a feather to the King of the Ages!
 The great ships of the vast seas: the wartime vessels and the luxury liners...nothing more than play toys in a bubble bath...in the Eyes of the Lord!

 Make no mistake of this: self-pride will be brought down, and the arrogant...humiliated. Imagine, they actually thought they could stand up to our great King!
 All those hand-made "sticks and stones" that were called "gods"...the idols that were held in such high regard...will simply vanish! Gone!...and gone forever!
 When the Great Day arrives, and the earth begins to shake...all the enemies of our God will be looking for cover...in a hole...in a cave...anywhere...to hide from the Majestic One!

 For the Day of Judgment will surely arrive, and the idols of "sticks and stones", adorned with a your silver and your gold...will only be left for the rats to feast on, abandoned by the ones who made them with their own hands.
 And you will see those running for safety...crawling into caverns and hiding between the jagged rocks. Why? For the Glory of the Lord has come! His Majestic Presence is about to be made known...to all!

 Don't continue putting your trust in man...he is weak at his best, he is frail when he is in his prime, and he always dies. All men must die...so why would you put all your trust in a mere man...on matters of Eternal Life?"

There is Only One Mountain!...Gleanings from Isaiah 2: 1-9

Things do change...even in our daily lives...don't think for a moment the Lord is sitting in the background somewhere while we are forced to "squirm out some menial, meaningless life".
Go to the Mountain...and learn of Him! Gleaning from Isaiah 2:1-9...

 " This is a vision, a message that Isaiah the son of Amoz actually saw and heard...concerning the land of Judah and her prized possession...Jerusalem!

 In the future, in the last days, there will be a mountain that is the dwelling place of the Lord God. This will be the mountain many will choose to come and climb.
 You see, all nations have this idea their no-name gods live in mountains, but now reality has set in. There is only One God...One Mountain...and their no-name gods are not it! There is only One True God who lives in the mountain...Mount Zion...the home of our God!
 This mountain of the True God towers above all others, those no-name gods who live in "puny hills" are nothing compared to His Majesty! At that time you will hear the people all over the world say; " Let's go to the True Mountain, the Mountain of the Lord God...the God of the house of Jacob! It is at that Mountain we can learn of His Ways, follow His Path, adhere to His Mighty Commands, and obey His Words....and it all comes through His beloved city: Jerusalem!"

 The Lord Himself will be the Mediator and make things right between the nations. International disputes will find solutions...because they seek the counsel of the "Ever-Wise One!"
 Then, these nations who had been at severe odds will do a peculiar thing: they will take hammers and transform their swords which were at one time raised against one another, and make them into...plowshares!...giving food to the poor and feeding all those less fortunate!
 Even their spears will be made into pruning hooks and hoes, providing fertile crops...for anyone in need!
 Nations will cease to rise up against one another, the "Declaration of War" announcements will be a thing of the past. Nations will no longer train their sons in the Act of War.

 And you of the House of Jacob, come and let us walk together...in My Home..the Home of your True Lord and King!
 Although I did reject you, because of all your enticement and the filling of your land with the practices of the East...sorcerers and fortune tellers and the like, mimicking others and their ways of "worship", I now open my doors to you, and say "Welcome!"
 Look at the Philistines, the "sailors of the sea"...they listened to every "new idea" on the latest "god" that a ship would bring into their own harbors.

 And Israel, they got so wrapped up in these "new-found no-name gods",they even made alliances and pacts of "honor" with these pagans and their evil rituals.
 And then, Israel thinking and saying: "Look, have we not become wealthy since forming these new alliances? We are "rolling" in silver and gold...our National Treasury has no end! We now have war horses...and look at all our chariots...you can't even count how many we have...we don't have numbers that go that high!"
 And their idols! Their land is full of stench from these numerous idols spread all over their land. You want to know what makes this idol worship Israel is so proud of...entirely stupid? They made these no-name god trinkets with their own hands!...and then worship them!

 Now, Israel seeks forgiveness...the common man has been brought lower than the idol he worships, the great leaders of the land now admitting the shame and disgrace of the chosen course they followed. I say, leave them go O Lord...let Israel not be raised again!

Gleanings from Isaiah 1:15-31

In the rest of this chapter, the Lord speaks through Isaiah about the choices His people make...and the results of the choices they make...

 The Lord continues...

 "When you lift up your hands to Me in act of prayer, it is hard for Me to look and to watch at what you are attempting to do...why?...because your hands are covered in blood. The blood which cover your very hands that you lift up in a ritual, is the blood of innocent victims you have hurt...maimed. and tried to destroy.

 Here is what I want you to do: First, go and wash yourselves clean... wash all the blood off of you from the wickedness of your ways. Confess your sin, change your mind on all these matters of daily life you now practice, and turn to Me.
 Learn the right way to live... by My way...by My Commandments...follow My direction! Begin to practice how you can help those who are bent beneath their load, learn to defend the cause of the orphans, assist those who are homeless, stand up for those who are defenseless, come to the aid of the widow, and say "no" to evil practices you have engrafted into your very lives.
 Come to Me, sit and let's put a plan together...a plan that will change you and help change the lives of those around you. Your sins are dark and bold as the color scarlet when it is in the brightness of the sun,...but I can make you white...like the fresh fallen snow!
 Your sins are deep and bruised like crimson...but I can make you clean and soft like wool about to be spun!

 Yet I would also make you aware: If you refuse to listen to Me, ignore Me, and walk away from Me...you will die!...like a wild dog roaming in the streets. You will be hunted down and cut...to your very death by the sword. Trust Me...it will happen...I put My own Name on it!

 Jerusalem, My faithful bride, has changed her clothing...and now enjoys being in prostitution! My Jerusalem...is now a whore!
 At one time, she was known for her kindness, her gentle touch to others when they came to her for help..for justice and mercy. Now, those very same hands will cut the throats of anyone who dares come near her.
 Once, she was regarded as beautiful as silver, now, her beauty is less than the dross that is skimmed off, when silver is purified.
 Once, she was compared to the finest of the rich wines, now, she is diluted and tasteless...nothing but "rotgut" to any who would take a sip from her.

 As far as her choice of leaders:...they are nothing more than "low-life" rebels..and their companions?...thieves and crooks.
 Their idea of justice is taking bribes and demanding pay-offs. Consider the cry of the orphans, or the plight of the widows?...they are not even given a thought.

 Therefore, the Lord of Heaven's Army would say this to you: It is time I must "vent"..and let out some of the penned-up emotion I have carried within Me. And, it is you who I will "vent upon...you...who have given no mercy...you who have shared no kindness...you who have left the innocent to die...payback has arrived! Justice demands it! The Blood of the Innocent cries out!

 You have never seen My Hand...clenched tight in a fist...until now! My fist is coming at...You! You will be in terror and fright as it comes toward you, and you will faint and melt before I am able to even give a first blow. I will skim off the ground what is left of you...all the evil impurities you once held in high esteem, and throw it all in a barrel marked "Toxic"..where it belongs.
 Then, I will restore My once faithful bride with good advisers, good judges who will rule with true justice, honesty, and integrity. Counsellors will be nearby you to give sound advice, and you will once again be known as the "Refuge of the Unfortunate"...and you will return to Me...my faithful bride once again!
 Zion will have her day of restoration...I put My Name on that as well, and you will repent of your evil and dark ways, and be resurrected...by Me!
 Anyone left who still remain rebels, or are part of the "Proud to be Sinners" crowd..will be gone...never to be heard from again. And those who insist on going their "merry way", following their own paths...won't get very far. They will soon run into someone who calls himself: "The End"...and all those who have deserted Me...will be no more.

 As you renew your very hearts in embracing My Ways, and living a lifestyle that honors Me, all the shrines in the hills you erected to your no-name gods...the ones you called upon in the "sacred gardens", will no longer be a part of your daily lives.
 You will be embarrassed and ashamed to hear of any "god and goddess" tales, or to hear of any talk concerning the no-name gods you had greatly admired.

 Anyone who follows the "fables of the hills"...drawing strength from such myths, and claiming to be "strong and sturdy" as an oak tree from the time spent in the "sacred gardens" have only fooled themselves.
 They may appear to have the strength of an Oak...only to find no leaves on its branches, and its limbs already dead....brown and brittle! A closer look reveals its bark is dead and brown, and soon this "mighty oak" falls...nothing more than broken twigs and wood that is dry and seasoned...to be burned! The evil and godless stories that have been told in the hills will be the very fuel to light these dead oaks, and then the "sacred garden" is nothing more than a scorched piece of land..left desolate and deserted. Everything will go up in smoke...and no one can stop this thirst quenching fire!"

Message of Judgment...not a popular one I am quite sure!

These are the Gleanings from Isaiah 1: 1-14:

 " This is a vision from the prophet Isaiah. The vision is concerning Judah and its capital city, Jerusalem. This vision is particularly directed about the days when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were all kings of Judah.

 I call upon the heavens and the earth themselves to serve as a witness to what the Lord Himself is about to say: " I have nourished and brought up sons and daughters, I have cared for them, and I have caused them to be great and exalted among the nations. Yet, these very sons and daughters I have raised now make this choice: To rebel from Me, to "break away" and be "free", to "explore" other ways, other lifestyles, and to see the "beauty" in all manners of life.

 Even a dumb animal has better sense than that. Look at the ox, he is able to recognize it's owner, or the donkey, he is aware who feeds him. But, My people.....I'm afraid they don't know their head from their #@*%.
 It's really sad...and stupid...and shameful! My own people are loaded down with guilt...from all the iniquity that stems from their own hearts. Now, because of all that, they deal corruptly with one another, and show contempt...in fact they despise...Me!
 They have totally walked away from Me...all I see are their backs...fading away in the distance.

 I the Lord must ask: Are you simply gluttons for punishment? Perhaps you have injured yourself...maybe you have really injured your head(this time)...your brain is not operating at full capacity? Have you just become weak...too much junk food?

I mean...look at you! You look like "death warmed over"...you are a mess! You have wounds, bruises, and cuts all over you. The medicines and ointments you have been prescribed...not doing much are they? Maybe its some new strain of disease you have caught?...just no apparent cure for the moment....maybe that's it!

 And now look, foreigners are plundering all the places you live. Your country is in ruins. These foreigners are stripping your fields, destroying everything they can get their hands on!
 Look at "beautiful Jerusalem"...it kind of reminds Me of one of those lean-to huts you build while you are out harvesting a crop. Honestly, Jerusalem looks totally helpless...completely under siege.

 In fact, here is the real truth: if the Lord had not shown His kind mercy and spared some of you, the "Story of Judah" would have ended right here! It would be like "Sodom and Gomorrah...part 2". Close the book! Turn out the lights! It's over!

 So, I would say this to all you "fine leaders of Sodom": I have something I would like to convey to you! Shut down all your "Gomorrah classes"...you know, all that stuff where you hold hands and accept each other for who you are...there are many ways to God...in fact, there may be many gods to choose from....shut it all down...and listen up!
 Allow me to teach you something that really has value...believe Me, this is worth your time and effort to learn about this.

 First, let's look at what has happened. In fact, I will start off with a question: Whose idea was it to do a "frenzy of sacrifices" to Me, suggesting this is what I want from you?
 Ok, Clue #1: Don't you think I have had my fill of your "empty" burnt offerings? Do you actually think just because you have culled out some rams with no blemish, or calves that are well-fed and plump...that would be some "magical cure" to all that ails you? Have you heard the phrase; "Put your heart into it"?....that part seems to missing in all these sacrifices...and that is the first thing I look for!

 In fact, sometimes I feel like you think of me as some sort of vampire...that I thirst for the blood of bulls..or lambs..or goats. Tell Me, where did you ever come up with ideas like this?...Clue#2: Isn't that kind of what your "pagan friends" do and think?

 So, here you are...running like "chickens with their heads cut off", trying this "potion" or that "magical recipe" that might cause Me to grant a blessing your way....Are you serious? I taught you from the very start...our relationship is rooted in the heart...Clue#3:  I want you...not all your theatrics and drama!

 And then, you think if you can produce some sweet aroma that will reach My nostrils, somehow that may appease Me...and I will "Bless you my child" thing....I don't care about your aromas or your "Yankee Candles"...Clue#4: I want what is in you...your hearts!

 One more thing....all these "holy days" and "fasts" you honestly think will impress Me....don't, just don't. All this amounts to is avoiding the inevitable..and that brings Me to the the final Clue: Return to Me..with all your hearts!

Charades are over! No more religious trivia games (who cares where your lineage traces back to...I would be more concerned where YOU trace to...and that is IN ME).
 No more reports on the progress you are making in your monthly conference meetings...oh, and please...back off all these meetings, meetings, and more meetings!
 I am actually staring to get nauseated thinking about this:

 Don't you get it? I want you....My love is in knowing You......

Isaiah...Can God really rescue us from the problems we face....and fear?

Isaiah, a prophet of old who faced a "whole lot of problems" in reference to God's people keeping their hearts, their minds, and their lifestyles focused on Him.
 The name Isaiah itself means: "God Saves!".

 A little background before I look at the chapters in this book called: "Isaiah".

After King Uzziah's death of Judah in 740 B.C., Judah now was faced with a major crisis, particularly in the southern kingdom.
 The Empire of Assyria, which had been rather "quiet" for over 50 years, was now stirring and on the move to conquer more lands. Assyria was focused on both Israel and Judah, in fact it had already taken Galilee and much of the territory east of the Jordan River.
 While King Uzziah was alive, Judah was strong and its army as well. Uzziah had been a good and effective King, and had kept the Assyrians at bay. But, the Kings of Judah that followed Uzziah...they were not good...and that was the beginning of many heartfelt problems for the citizens of Judah.

 Thus...enter Isaiah!

 Isaiah comes to announce to Judah the importance of turning and trusting in the Lord, and to have lifestyles that were pleasing to Him.
 In 734 B.C., Israel formed an alliance with Syria to stand against Assyria. King Ahaz, of Judah refused to join the alliance, which was a good thing because God had already warned through Isaiah not to trust in anyone or anything but Him.
 So, both Syria and Israel attacked Judah!....trying to force King Ahaz to join them.

 Ok, here is a bad move on the part of King Ahaz of Judah. He decides to seek help from somewhere else, instead of turning to the Lord and putting his trust in Him.
  King Ahaz then decides to make an alliance with...Assyria! Not Good! These "guys" really wanted Judah anyway...but this is what King Ahaz decides to do.
 As a result, Assyria did come and aid Judah, defeating both Israel and Syria, but there was a cost..a heavy cost to Judah for Assyria's help. After this all happened, Judah was then forced by Assyria to pay heavy taxes (depleting the economy of Judah) for their aid. Judah was almost a "slave state" to the Assyrians.

 In 722 B.C., Assyria attacks Israel again....and sends most of the Israelites "packing"...right into exile...slaves to the Assyrians. I don't think Assyria asked for Judah's aid ( I say this in jest)..their alliance was "long gone", I don't think Assyria really cared what happened to Judah, in fact, if Judah even "opened their mouth"....they would end up like Israel. 
 Then, it happens! In 701 B.C., Assyria decides they need more slaves, and Judah is their prime target. Fortunately for Judah, King Hezekiah was at reign, and because of his heart and lifestyle more pleasing to the Lord, Judah was able to hold off the Assyrians from conquering them.
 Then, around 605 to 586 B.C., Judah once more turned their hearts away from following after the ways of the Lord, choosing more "appeasing" lifestyles that pagans adhered to...and the results...again...not good!

 There was a "new Sheriff in town", her name: Babylon! Babylon had defeated the once mighty Assyria and decided Judah was a target they needed to conquer. And they did! Judah was annihilated, and her people were now sent in exile to Babylon...as slaves. Yet, even in all this God would save a remnant of the people of Judah who would eventually return to their homeland.

 And, 70 years later..it happened! The people of Judah had been through much suffering, had been exposed to a lot of pagan influence, and almost two generations of people had lived in Babylon...many not knowing the "Ways of their Homeland".
 And, while Judah had been given to drifters and other tribes, pagan influences had been established....even in Judah. As Judah returned from exile, poor choices were made...part of it being from all the pagan influence they were and had been exposed to.

 Meanwhile, Isaiah had proclaimed throughout his lifetime the importance of returning to and following the ways of the Lord...the true King of Judah. This "Lion of Judah" demanded their trust and total devotion.

 Isaiah is a powerful book...of all the scriptures. Some have referred to it as the "mini-bible" of the entire Bible.
  There are more references and overtones in the New Testament given to Isaiah than to any other book in the entire Bible.

 Isaiah was true to God and faced many of the perils of pagan lifestyles, choosing to proclaim the lifestyle of following after the Lord instead!

A very gentle man...John the Baptizer

I have often portrayed in my own mind that John the Baptist (or Baptizer as I like to call him) was this kind of "wild and crazy" looking guy that went around warning people "The End is Soon". Certainly some of you have seen these type of guys...on a street corner with a sign up in the air, looking like someone who just came out of the "Ice Age".
 Yet, as I continue to prepare for the season of Lent (probably some might be getting tired of me preparing for Lent stuff...sorry...I need a lot of "prep" I guess), I am focused at the moment on John the Baptizer...and am learning from what I read and study about him, he was a "far cry" from being "wild and crazy" or a "little whacked out" if you know what I am meaning.

 700 years before John even arrived on the scene, Isaiah was making mention of him through a prophecy. It is in Isaiah 40:3 and I will write this in a "gleaning form", meaning I gather various scripture and other resources available and put it in my own words somewhat so it can make sense, at least to me, of what the Lord might be trying to convey in thought...of His Written Word.
 So, here is a Gleaning from Isaiah 40:3: "Listen!...There is a thunder in the desert!...What is that?...and I can hear a Voice...Someone is calling!
 This Voice is announcing something...I can hear it: it is saying: "Clear a path...through all your wilderness! Clear out all your obstacles!...make this path as smooth and straight as you possible can. Fill in any valleys, level any hills, get some stone and fill in the ruts, and remove any large rocks! It's Him!,,,it's really Him! He is on His way...and He is coming right through the path we clear...into all our  waste land and all our wilderness. Prepare yourselves!...He is coming...to be among us!" 

 John the Baptizer! This is the very guy Isaiah was referring to. So, I have decided it would be good for me to take a good look at John, and find out for myself what he was really like.
 John was born of Jewish parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth. This couple was kind of like Abraham and Sarah, they were beyond their years to have a baby, yet God thought it to be the perfect time. Zechariah was of the Jewish priestly order of Abijah, while Elizabeth's lineage could be traced to the House of Aaron...and they were "good people". It turns out Jesus Himself was a relative of John, through Elizabeth and Mary, who were blood relatives.
 John himself was about 6 months older than Jesus, and even his name John was foretold by an angel, and John's name itself means "Jehovah is gracious".
 The scriptures also explains how John would be filled with the Spirit of God and would walk in the way of a Nazirite, as defined in Numbers 6: 1-21. The basics of a Nazirite was he was to drink no alcohol, including wine. In fact, a Nazirite couldn't even eat fresh grapes or raisins. A Nazirite would not be allowed to cut his hair, and the "big one"...never go around a dead person...even if it was their own mother or father. The chapter in Numbers goes into detail as to what all that may involve for a Nazirite.
 The scriptures are silent as to what happened to Zechariah and Elisabeth, John's parents, although legend insists Zachariah was slain by Herod the Great and Elizabeth had to flee with John when he was quite young into the wilderness of Judea..but I don't know if any of that is true.
 At any rate, John enters this "picture"...to prepare those for who is coming...the Messiah!

                          Lent can be a journey, accompanied by Christ Jesus... to the Cross.

Job has "a little to say"...about Lent! Gleanings from Job 42:1-10

The book of Job is a fascinating story, and from it can come a multitude of lessons to learn from in relation to real life...today!
 As I think about prayer, and how to go about it, Job has an interesting insight. In Job 42, the whole ordeal that Job had gone through...losing everything he had in life, frustration from all of that, and wondering about who this God is he was given to serving...that is until God kind of "woke him up" a bit. His 3 "buds" weren't much help to him either, leaving Job have to defend himself for what he was going through, let alone all the pain and grief he had to have been feeling while going through it.
 Sometimes I find the Lord has to do that kind of thing...we get so focused on the sufferings we face in life, we lose sight of the One we put our hope and trust in. Suffering is a like a bad word we hear when we see and know of the pains in life people face. Books and books and more books have been written on how to deal with the various forms of suffering we face, and I readily admit there is no clear answer at times as to why it happens.
 One thing I have learned not to do...over time, I refuse to blame God for bad things that happen. I also keep away from thoughts like; God is trying to teach me a lesson, or He is paying me back for what I did (wrong).
 Suffering is a part of life, and we all experience in one form or another. It's really tough at times, and there are times you feel like someone has just cut your heart out, but if you can...and I know from experience that is not always the easy choice...but if you can...look up and say, "I still put all my trust in You...it hurts right now...it hurts real bad, and I am so confused, and so ravished from this personal violation in my own life...yet, I know if I don't trust You now...I won't  ever have this deep wound healed."
 That is why I think Lent can play an important part of our "seasons in life". Praying for others who not only need Christ Jesus, but are just flat hurting... backing off giving advice or direction, but just making a conscious effort to pray for others, I do think the power starts in prayer.

                  Gleanings from Job 42:1-10

 " Job responded to the Lord, "I am totally aware You can do all things, Your thoughts and purposes for us cannot be restrained. For You have asked me this question O Mighty One: "Who is this who darkens and obscures My Wisdom from rescue because of the ignorance you choose to think and believe?"
 I admit my God: "It is me. I was the one speaking of things I know absolutely nothing about. I continued to spout off things about life when in truth I am in way over my head...and things that can be too wonderful to me are so far away from my own thoughts and understanding, it is impossible for me to even comprehend."
 Then, You spoke once more and said, "How about Me asking some questions and you providing the answers?"
 It was then I came to realize; I have lived my life entirely on the "hear say" of what others have said about You, not really taking the time to inquire of You on my own...until...
                                     my very own eyes have seen You...now I see clearly
                                     who You are and all You stand for.
 Therefore, for all I have ever thought of You previously, for all the vain babbling I have spoken about You....forgive me. In a public and visual manner, I now choose to repent of all those things...covered in dust and ashes.

 When the Lord had finished speaking to Job, He then turned His attention to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your 2 friends...you haven't said anything to Job that was even close to the truth...the truth of who I really am. Job is an honest man, and has spoke from his heart...something all 3 of you would be wise to learn from him.
 So, take 7 bulls and 7 rams as well, go to Job, and offer up...and do this for your own selves...a burnt offering. I will have Job with you, and he will pray for you, for it will be his prayer for all of you that I will accept. I will not treat the 3 of you the way you should be treated, even though you treated Job wrong...and said lies about Me.

 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Suhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did exactly as the Lord instructed, and the Lord was true to His word and accepted Job's prayer.
 In fact, when Job prayed for his 3 friends, the Lord restored his fortunes...and did He ever! Job received twice what he had before this whole thing had erupted!" 

                              Lent can be a journey, accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.

Consider this....Gleanings from Mark 8: 34-38

I am still in the "info-gathering" mode on preparing my own heart for Lent. I really don't have a set or systematic approach to this, because I wouldn't know how to really put one together anyway.
 I can honestly say I am just going through different scripture as I am "tugged on the inside", and really try my best to get out of the way and let God put this thing together. I guess it is kind of like "connecting the dots"...all I have to do is draw the line to the next dot...I will let Him put the dots where He thinks best...and then when it is complete, all the dots connected will form something...or someone....hopefully it is Jesus!...that would be cool!
 Anyway, I am being drawn (doesn't that sound spiritual? lol) to the Transfiguration in Mark, but before I really get going in that, in St. Mark 8, there were some interesting things Christ Jesus said in this section of scripture:
                
                                        Gleanings from St. Mark 8: 34-38

 " Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, motioned for everyone to come in a little closer. (Note: I wonder if the Pharisees were there as well...I bet there were some there and they were probably "eatin' this moment up"...thinking they might get some hard core evidence to use against Christ Jesus...I can really visualize these guys leaning forward, eyes totally focused, ready to jump and twist any word that would come out of Christ's mouth.)
 He then says to all who had gathered: " It is a good thing you inquire to want to learn to live as I do...but you must realize...you will no longer be able to live... the way you do.
 If you truly intend to "Follow Me", to really come after Me, than here is what you have to do: you have to begin to "lose sight of yourself" and let go of your own interests as the primary thing in your lives now. In fact, it may require you to completely ignore and even disown anything that has "me "stamped on it. You will learn soon enough the requirement of "taking up your cross" (Note: imagine, when the people heard this the idea of taking up the cross, it was the Roman way a criminal would be forced to carry his own cross, to his very death... on the cross that he was "forced to lug on his own"....as would the Lord Jesus demonstrate to all of us a little later in St. Mark, but at this juncture...Christ and the Cross had not yet happened...let alone be understood...even His own disciples had not grasped this one at that point). You will give yourself entirely up.....for Me.
 Why?...you ask. It is because I have something better...for you! If you really hunger for Eternal Life and the kind of lifestyle it offers...and you believe I am the way to Eternal Life, then it is of absolute necessity you give up "your old way of life" because it does nothing but deteriorate a little more each day and in the end...you have nothing.
 You must embrace a new life...I am that Life...and you will instead grow more each day and in the end...it will be only the Beginning...to an Eternal Life...with Me!

 Tell me, what value is it to hang on and even clutch to your way of life you have even now, along with all its way of thought on what constitutes peace of mind and happiness?
 Look, do you not base life's daily decisions on selfish motives, and will you not do anything to avoid any type of suffering...even at the cost of others suffering so you won't?
 What is the real value even if you were to gain everything in this life you could ever imagine...yet you did so by putting "you" in front of everyone and everything else, not even caring what harm it may do to others or to the entire world around you. Is it worth the forfeit of Eternal Life?...rejecting the Kingdom of God lifestyle that has been given to you to avoid such a bitter end?
 Let Me ask you this then, " What good is it to gain all these things in this life through selfish motives and means...and then try to find anything good in your "successes" that you could possibly give in exchange for Eternal Life?"

Let Me make this perfectly clear to you: If any of you are embarrassed or perhaps ashamed of Me or in the way I choose to lead you...if My Words offend you...or your so-called "friends"...the ones who are unfaithful, fickle, and have the word "whore" written on their hearts...then consider this. What embarrassment and shame is in store for them when the Son of Man arrives in all His Splendor and Majesty of God the Father...with all the myriads of His holy angels standing before Him?

                    "Lent can be a journey accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross."
    

Returning to My First Love...Gleanings from Revelation 2:1-7 Part 2

The Church of Ephesus was, if not founded, certainly heavily influenced by the beloved Apostle Paul. Paul had written a letter to the Ephesians a few years before this church was brought up in Revelation, and had instructed them and encouraged them on a number of issues in relation to Christ's love and love for one another.
 Paul, as in Revelation commends the Ephesian church for their stand on Christ Jesus, and in chapters 2 and 3 of Ephesians he stresses the importance of unity, Christ's peace, and accepting one another regardless of their backgrounds. He later in his letter to them writes of love in the home as well as love within the church.
 So, what happened that Christ would bring this charge to the church in Revelation 2? Here then is a Gleaning from Revelation 2:1-7 

 " I know the hard work you have already done; your labors, toils and troubles, and your patient endurance.You are persistent in the Doctrine of Faith, and I love the fact you do not tolerate the teachings or even the advice from workers of evil, examining all who call themselves "special messengers of Christ"...only to find them in reality nothing more than impostors and liars.
 You have had to put up with much, for My Sake, and yet you have not gotten tired or exhausted from all the things others "throw" at you...simply refusing to become weary.

 Yet, with all that, I do bring a serious charge against you: in the process of standing up against so many things...You lost Me....You lost the real reason we came together in the very first place...you have left the most important part of the "equation of Life"...the very thing that makes us one....you have lost your love for Me.
 You have fallen from great heights in regards to loving Me and loving one another. It is of utmost necessity you return...to Me. Stir up those things in your hearts that remind you when you first met Me, the gentle words and kind thoughts we shared with one another.
 For if you choose to "take this road" of hardness, having perhaps all the right doctrine, yet not having a relationship with Me....it will amount to nothing! I will come and extinguish the light you now have...it won't work your way....only being sound in what you say, in what you do, and in what you believe...if there is no love between us.
 I do appreciate your stand and take notice of how you reject and abhor the teachings of the Nicolaitans...I hate that as well!
 But you must understand it is of supreme importance you concentrate on Love....love for Me and for one another. Hear what I am saying...you must overcome and be victorious in this...this is the very Life of the church....this is the Life for which you uphold...that is to Love...with all your hearts!"

 As I give thought to this warning given by Christ Jesus, this can be as a "wake-up" call. As I prepare for Lent, this one thing becomes more obvious and important to me: people everywhere are starving...starving for love...not an "eros" love as in romance, not even a "phileo" love as in brotherly love....it is the Agape love.....God's love in each individual heart.
 Agape love can not be given by simply preaching, or studying, or defending something you know is right...Agape love is only received by taking time to be with Christ Jesus...in prayer, or in devotion, or just being in His Presence, and allowing Him to fill you with His "agape" love.

 Have you ever been around or seen a movie where there is a good family....no divorce, parents seem to get along, kids are nice and obedient...yet there seems to be something missing? The family is very "religious" in nature, and there is a seemingly perfect, systematic order to what they do....yet...something isn't quite right? In fact, you feel that way to the point you would never really want to be a part of that family?
 A little further investigation reveals things, things like: a coldness the father has toward his own son or daughter, a mother who is so devoted to her husband she does whatever he says...like sending a child to bed because it is time to go to bed...and ignoring the tears coming from the child's eyes because of an incident that had happened earlier that day, or everyone getting ready to go to church because "you must honor the Lord"....yet the heart of a child already building up a bitterness within because he/she hates the thought of even doing so....and nobody taking the time to find out or explain what or why those feelings are there.
 I think that is why Christ Jesus put this charge against the church of Ephesus....without His love as our main motivator to sharing the Good News....it is useless.

      Lent can be a journey accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.

Returning to My First Love...Gleanings from Revelation 2:1-7

I have often heard this part of scripture spoken in a variety of ways and uses in my own lifetime: "Return (or Go Back) to your first love".  For example, as St. Valentine's Day approaches, many lovers will recant this partial verse to emphasize their want to keep a relationship on "fire"....., while others have quoted this text to reinforce a cause....giving to the needy for example.
 It's a popular phrase that has been quoted, misquoted, and quite frankly, used in ways I don't think it was originally intended.

 I seem to hear things like that quite often....you know, things like "Money is the root of all evil...it says that in the Bible you know!"  No, that is not what the Bible says...it says: "the love of money is the root of all evil". Or I hear stuff that is not even in the Bible but people say it is, like: "Godliness is next to cleanliness". I think people who hear or read words that end in "iness"...think it must be from the Bible, that's my guess anyway.

Revelation 2:1-7 is one full of impact to anyone who has made the decision to follow Him. The book itself, Revelation is an amazing collection of a vision given to John (many deem this to be the Apostle John), and has always been one of the books of the Bible that grabs the world's interest as to it's meaning and what lays hold for the future of mankind. The word Armageddon alone has almost become a generic word....just the other day at work a guy seemed a little down, I happened to walk by and say, "Hey..you doin' alright? (I happen to know his wife as well)...he said, "Well, not really...work is fine..but home...it's Armageddon."

 Now in chapter 2 of Revelation, Christ Jesus makes an amazing statement. He puts a charge to the Church of Ephesus saying: "I have this against you, you have lost your First Love." Christ went on to say that if they don't find a way to return to their "First Love", He will be forced to remove the "Light" from the church itself.
 Ok, that is heavy! That is something none of us would want Him to do....to any believer. So, that being said, I would have to conclude He definitely got our attention!

 So, my first thought is: "What's up with Ephesus?" John himself when writing this letter was on the island of Patmos, a place with a whole lot of rocks and not much plant life. It is an island approximately 8 miles long and 5 miles wide. It is located about 40 miles off the mainland of Asia and was about 65 miles from Ephesus (if there were a straight road by today's standard...about an hour's drive).
 It isn't exactly clear as to how John ended up there, nor is it a 100% certain he was a prisoner. What is clear is the fact one of the rulers of the Asian province had sent John there, so most likely John had said some things (speaking of our freedom in Christ Jesus) that "rubbed" people the wrong way...and so he was sent to a "vacation spot" on the island of Patmos.
 It is here he wrote the letter to the "7 churches", beginning with Ephesus.

 Ephesus...during the era John lived...this was a "real happening place". The impression I get from reading on the history of Ephesus, it would be like planning a trip to "Vegas".
 From a worldly view, this place was "alive"....with plenty to enjoy in reference to getting drunk or having sex. In fact, Ephesus had made a religion that encouraged those of that faith to have sex (with Priestesses at the Temple of Diana or she went by another title: goddess of Artemis), which by the way traces back to the land of Canaan...the one Israel was suppose to destroy when they entered the Promised Land, but didn't...probably for similar reasons the people of Ephesus had her in high esteem as well.

 Ephesus! What a city! It is thought around 250,000 called this place their home. Ephesus was a harbor city, in fact, the largest in Asia at the time of John's writing. Basically, anyone travelling from Asia to Rome... went through Ephesus.
 Now, as far as the worship of Diana... this was the "in-thing" to do at Ephesus! The temple of Diana was one of the 7 wonders of the world!!...at the time.
 Here is where you would always take something home with you when you came to Ephesus and visited the Temple of Diana.
  It was like when you plan a vacation, and you pick up all the "trinkets" that shows you were there. Here, in the area where I live in Ohio for example, Cedar Point is a popular place to go....it is the "Roller Coaster Amusement Park" of the world! I have magnetic stuff on my refrigerator that spells out "Cedar Point", hats that say "Cedar Point"...and of course T-shirts...what would we do without our advertised T-shirts? 
 Well, Ephesus wasn't any different. At that time, having little silver models of the Temple of Diana was the hot commodity!....how do we know? Because there was a guy named Paul, a believer in Christ Jesus who lived in Ephesus for a time and when he preached the Good News of Jesus...sales of the model shrines plummeted. Needless to say, those who refused to accept the Gospel which Paul proclaimed...didn't have any "love in the house" for Paul.
 Ephesus did not stop there...there were other attractions you could see and visit! They had temples to emperors, who were considered gods...like Claudius and the infamous Nero. And, if you were concerned about your life and it's future: sorcery, magic, and fortune-telling were readily available!
 Yet, in all the "plagues of sin" that were upon Ephesus...there was a church...a church that proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and King......

Learning How to Speak a New Way...Gleanings from Proverbs

I have a confession to make. I have a "mouth". I have got a lot of room to grow and practice on this....I am way too "cutting" when it comes to my reaction sometimes in daily conversation.
 Just the other day, I had a situation where I did not agree with someone else on a particular matter. We are friends mind you, but in this scenario the conversation got heated...then it went a little personal. The result was, this person says, "You go your way buddy...and I will go mine."
 Of course, being the "strong" Christian I am ( I mean that sarcastically), I responded: "Sure, that won't be a problem...in my mind you no longer exist."
 Real " Kodak moment" in Christ there...(again I am being sarcastic). Anyway, I have acknowledged before God this is not an acceptable behavior, and am willing to change. I will be seeing this person again very soon, we work together, and I am making my own heart right with the Lord and get help on how to address this "situation" I have gotten myself into.

So, thank God for Proverbs...got some pretty cool stuff on how to handle situations similar to mine. I do note that as the opportunity presents itself, which could be even today, asking forgiveness is a key component to the healing process with this individual.

 In Proverbs, a few Gleanings I will be "packing" as I go to work:

The first is from Proverbs 12:18, " Words spoken recklessly and rashly, can cut and maim like the sharpness of a sword, but when you choose to speak with Wisdom, your words can bring healing."

Gleanings from Proverbs 15:4, " When you choose kind and gentle words, it's power has healing, and is likened to a strong tree in life itself, but when you willfully choose to be contrary, using cutting and even deceitful words, it can crush another...it can really hurt them."


...and Gleanings from Proverbs 4:20-22, " Pay attention, Listen to the way God speaks, and keep your heart on His words. Let them penetrate your own heart and bring life to yourself and to those around you. In fact, as you practice and apply His words in your everyday life, His words contain tremendous power...power to heal!...and bring good health to others."

Taking Lent Seriously

As I gather info and thoughts on this "Lenten Journey", I become quite aware of something...like what if God is taking me seriously about this? I know that may sound a little bizarre, but one thing I have learned since becoming a Christian....there seems to be no limit as to how far you want to go with Him...He is already there, ready and available....so when Jesus said; "Those who lose their lives (in Me)...will find it...", He was totally serious about that..right?

Ok, that puts a little different light on coming into this Season of Lent...yet here is my hunger: I want to see others around me know Jesus....I will do whatever it takes to prepare their hearts to meet Him..whether it be in prayer, grateful praise....and even fasting ( kind of new to me). That is my real motive for giving Lent some room to work in my own life.

In the Book of Numbers, Moses, the great leader of Israel was getting close to the Promised Land. He had been instructed by God to speak to a rock so water would be readily available to the people of Israel and their livestock. In chapter 7:11-12 it reads:" Then Moses raised his arm and twice he hit the rock with his stick. Plenty of water came from the rock and all of Israel and their livestock were able to drink."
 Moses had gone the journey with Israel, who had given him a hard time on numerous occasions, and this particular time Moses "lost it"...he got angry and instead of speaking to the rock he beat on it twice. It cost him....because of his disrespect to the Lord and causing the people to miss out on the real purpose of God doing this miraculous act, and as a result Moses was not able to enter the Promised Land...he got them to it, but could not enter.
 Moses totally accepted God's judgment, and followed Him right up to the end.

Then, there is Saul. In 1 Samuel 15, it describes how Saul had at first been humble and honored the Lord, but as time went on and his power grew, Saul didn't keep a dependence on the Lord as he first had.
 In this chapter, Saul had been given specific directions on how to handle the battle with the Amalekites, including killing all the Amalekites, bring back Agag the king, and destroy all the livestock.
 He did two out of three. Saul told Samuel after the Lord had given him victory over the Amalekites that they had kept the best sheep and cattle...to sacrifice to the Lord.
 Samuel sums what the Lord had spoke to him. Samuel tells Saul: "Is the Lord most pleased when people give Him offerings and sacrifices, or is the Lord pleased when people obey Him?"
 Saul said he had sinned, but unlike Moses, he had a sense of arrogance about it and expected the Lord to say it was Ok as to what Saul had done.
 Later, in verse 34 it reads: " the Lord was very sorry He had made Saul the King of Israel."

 Now, there is David. David had taken Uriah's wife from him. Even though David had numerous wives, and Uriah had one...David still wanted Uriah's wife Bathsheba. David ended up setting Uriah up in battle and having him killed..so David could have Bathsheba.
 David, unlike Saul trying to come up with excuses for why he did that, nor was it out of anger for Uriah , he just wanted Bathsheba...at any cost.
 The scriptures say David said to Nathan the prophet after the Lord spoke through Nathan and had made it clear what David had done: "Lord, I have sinned." That may sound like an obvious thing to say, but these words had much deeper impact. David was clearly saying I was entirely wrong, and what ever judgment You have for me, I know it is fair...even if it means my own death.
 In 2 Samuel 9 and 10 it describes how the Lord forgave David (because David was real and broken before God), willing to accept whatever punishment God may decide. It cost David as well...even with a heart of repentance. He lost his first child from Bathsheba, and his family lineage with heirs to the throne became increasingly difficult as years past.

What does all that have to do with Lent? First, I look again at the first saying of Jesus when He was on the Cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
 Jesus made a choice...His love for us was greater than all the pain and suffering He endured. Could it have gone either way...I personally think so,  if Christ Jesus had not prayed to the Father while dying a horrible death at the Cross..could it all of ended like Sodom and Gomorrah?...I don't know...thank God He did pray in the midst of His pain....all because He loves us so!

 I think as I begin to enter this Lenten Journey, I must be simply willing...willing to take time and listen to the Lord. I don't want to get arrogant or even self sufficient in my thoughts like Saul, and think if I change God's "rules" around a little, or if I do some nice things like giving up something or go without to show God I can do it, then I will be rewarded for my valiant effort!  I don't want to miss out on what God really wants to do in Lent....so I think a first choice for Lent is simply listening and obeying , letting God find room in my heart to direct and guide.
 I also realize that I can't focus on the results of my participation in Lent to come when I think they should come, rather, my call is to drink from the Living Water, and let God do the work as to how He wants to touch the lives of those around me. Getting impatient or giving up because things don't always happen the way I think they should...can be disheartening and sometimes even costly... like Moses choosing to strike the rock cost him dearly...imagine for a moment..what if Moses would not have struck the rock...how would his influence affected those in the Promised Land?
  And with David...it is always about the heart. No matter how bad David's situation was, either by his own actions or what others tried to do to him...he will always be known as "the man after God's own heart." True repentance can bring great mercy.  The Lent Season is a needed time for direction as well as a time to invest in others....yet it must too come by the same road David walked...dependent on His mercy.

 Lent can be a journey accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.

Introductory Thoughts on Lent

The 40 days of Lent is a traditional journey some Christians make as a way to deepen their faith in the Lord Jesus. It can be related to Genesis 12:1 where God called Abraham and Sarah and said to:" Leave your country and your people and your father's household and go to a land I will show you...".
 The word itself "journey" peneginato is a Celtic word in basic Christianity where in some circles a Celt would actually leave his loved ones and home with no specific destination in mind other than to focus him or herself on the inner journey to find or to know Christ in a deeper way...for a 40 day period.

 Today, I don't know if that is the way to do it, (but I do admire the thought of doing something like that), yet I find it important to embark on a "Journey of the Heart" and explore, revere, and contemplate the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ.
 For some Christians, Lent is not an obligation to follow, and I respect that and understand some of the nature behind that train of thought. Yet, for myself I find it a time to enrich my life in Christ, looking at the foundation as to which I have cast my faith, and continue to follow Him with a deeper and long lasting impact as the Journey allows.

 There are numerous stories and a number of Bible verses you can use to begin the Journey, and for myself, the "Last 7 Sayings of Jesus" is just too intriguing to me to not search in this particular season of Lent.
 One story I came across was that of Leonardo De Vinci, who while painting the famous "Last Supper" had some issues with a fellow painter of his time. In fact, it was somewhat serious and Leonardo had decided when he painted Judas Iscariot, he would put this fellow painter's face to Judas. There arose a problem from De Vinci when it came time to paint the face of Christ Jesus...he couldn't. Just couldn't come up with the type of face he wanted to express...until he realized he must make a reconciliation with the painter he was at odds with.
 Well, needless to say he abandoned the Judas Iscariot idea and was able to paint the face of Christ...after he had gone to his fellow painter.

 Is it true...is that what really happened?...I don't know . If it did, cool! If it did not, then maybe the lesson of it is what is to be learned. The scripture is from Matthew 5:23-24: " If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come an offer your gift."

Lent can be a journey accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.

The Season of Lent

On February 22nd, Ash Wednesday will have arrived, and for myself and many others it begins the time of year we "take inventory" of ourselves, how we are doing in following our True King, the Lord Jesus.
 Although Lent is observed in various manners and ways, I have found Lent to be a good time to ask myself those "deep soul" type questions and begin to search the scriptures accordingly. Lent also has a way of getting my mind off my "personal agenda" in life and begin to focus on the needs of others...learning to spend time in prayer for strength and having Jesus make Himself known in others lives...especially those around me in everyday life.
 There are a "gazillion" ways to accompany Lent and find its true purpose and meaning in each one of us, from various fasts, prayer, sacrifices, and giving God more control of our lives.
 Questions in my life for example are: "Am I still dealing with the same vices (or sin) that I have had conflict with say 10 years ago?" Or, "What have I done in the last year to give the Lord Jesus an opportunity to use Me in a way He feels is right?"

 This year, I am starting by meditating on the "7 Last Sayings of Christ Jesus", and kind of taking it from there. My objective is to lay a time of preparation so when Ash Wednesday comes about, I have a plan that will be of benefit over the 40 days before Easter. It sounds good anyway, and I will just take a chance and see what happens!

 The first saying is from Luke 23:34. Jesus is already been nailed to the Cross, He has been flogged, mocked, beaten, and dressed up like a king with a vicious crown of thorns pushed down upon His head. He was then beaten some more, spit on, insulted, and humiliated. He was made to carry His own Cross and was executed publicly, stripped of any dignity and left naked while people stood around to watch Him die and when He might die. The soldiers were ordered to stay there until death, and they were gambling over His clothes when Jesus cries from hanging on the Cross...Luke 23:34:" Suddenly, Jesus calls to God: My Father, forgive the people who are killing Me, to whom or what possible results could come of this they are unaware of....they don't know."

 My thoughts on this is: 1) Jesus was totally human when He was going through all this...He knew of pain like we feel pain, He knew of rejection like we feel rejection, He knew of retaliation like we know retaliation, ....He was just like us. But He never gave in.....that is a "mind blower" in itself.
 2) He took the time to ask the Father to forgive them....why? Did not Jesus have the power to forgive? Then another thought occurred to me, what if Jesus had NOT asked the Father to forgive them.....what might have happened? Imagine, you as a Father watching your son or daughter be bludgeoned beyond recognition, and you have the means and power to stop it...so I wonder...was Heaven  at "full alert" that moment, and at that point..the situation could have gone either way...what stopped the Father from coming and rescuing His only Son?
 Obviously....Christ's love for us was greater than the pain He suffered...for us.
 So, as I begin this Lenten Journey, I begin to sense the Awesomeness of Christ and His love for us. I immediately realize how "shallow" my life appears without Christ Jesus in those areas I so desperately need Him. I give some time to the chapter of Isaiah, chapter 59, verses 1-12: and use this as a standard to how I think and approach daily life: Gleanings from Isaiah 59:1-12:

 " Look, God's arm is not too weak, His arm is not too short, nor has His arm been amputated...He has the power to save you!
 No, God has not lost His hearing either, He doesn't get a cold and His ears get stopped up, and He doesn't put in earplugs when you are about to speak.
 You must realize what the problem is...and it is not God...it's you! You are the problem. God is fine!

 Don't you see, its sin that has cut you off from God. Your sin acts like a roadblock, and you never arrive at God's home...you are out in the "boonies" somewhere, lost and dejected.
 Listen, it's the choices you make in the way you live and think....you don't include God in any of it...well, unless you are in trouble and call upon Him like you and He are real "good buds". You can not "use" God like that...for your own intent and purposes.
  Look at your own hands, they are defiled...blood dripping from you fingertips with iniquity. Your lips are smeared with lies, and your tongue is swollen from all the obscenities coming forth.
 You could care less about being fair and honest, just so you get what you want....you know how you go around with that stupid grin saying: "the end justifies the means"....whatever...how's that working for you now?

 Even when you go to court, it's no longer about getting down to the truth of the matter(s), now, it's simply who can lie the best!
 And new ideas you think up...yea..right...anything that has to do with sex, or horror, or violence...you are all for it!
 You look like someone who tries to eat the eggs of a deadly snake, and then leave the rest to hatch.
 Or you think it's cool to make a web, like a spider's web for others to get caught in. The victims can't use your web as a garment, they can't even use it as a shield....it is made to be a trap...and lure them into the sin....YOU PROMOTE!
 Oh, and here is something else you do...when you hear an advertisement, or see a commercial on TV, or read about some new thing about to come out...especially if it has anything to do with evil...you are off! Like a horse out of the gate, running as fast as you can and knocking down anyone in your way.
 What is a constant in your life?.....I would vote.."evil". You live and breathe it! Do you even consider the lives around you and the damage you can cause?
                         What?...What did I hear you say?....."Oh well"...."Is that what you said"

 You just want "peace". Here is a "newsflash"...you don't even know the meaning of the word!
And if you did, you really think you could find it?
 I hate to tell you this, but when justice and fairness come to mind....you certainly don't.
 Even when you are groping for light, you get a hold of more darkness. You are always looking for ways to cheer yourself up (after all..it's all about you!), but you end up embracing only more of the "gloom and doom" of life.
 You go through a variety of emotions...growling like a hungry bear...cooing like a mournful dove...but none of it is working.
 You cry out for Justice...but Justice didn't show up. Now, you need rescue...but I don't rescue people on their terms.

 You see, it is your sin...it is like a tall monument that testifies against....you!

"Oh Lord, my sin has multiplied against You, and testify as to who I am. All of my transgression and iniquity is in plain sight before You....and now, You have opened my eyes and I see the atrocities I have committed against You and my fellow man.
 The damage has been done....I have lost You, my King.

The Lenten Season is a Journey...accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.

Times and Seasons...Gleanings from Psalm 51:10-16

At my own local church, we are preparing in our Sunday School class for the "Season of Lent". I am giving time and effort to preparation for this time of year as it begins on February 22nd, better known as "Ash Wednesday".
 There are a number of things to  look at in regards to this Lenten Season including numerous scriptures. Psalm 51:10-16 is one passage that has strength and direction for those who enter this season.
 Psalm 51 is a popular Davidic psalm that was written in result to David going after Bathsheba while she was still married to Uriah. Uriah was faithful and true to King David, yet David not only went after his wife, but laid plans to have Uriah killed in battle so he (David) could have Bathsheba for himself.
 Needless to say, David had not only committed a serious crime by such action, but his relationship with God been severed..and he was left desolate.
 Psalm 51 in it's identity with us has a similar theme. We may not have had a "Uriah" killed in our life, or perhaps we haven't committed the sin of adultery. It doesn't matter...we are just like David, we have sin in our life and our only way of being made right with God is through true forgiveness...and that being for us through the acceptance of Christ Jesus taking our place on the Cross and dying for our sins...that is what Psalm 51 is all about...depending on God's mercy in our lives....we can never in our own selves make things right with God.....

 The Lent Season begins with this acknowledgement: we are sinners needing God's Amazing Grace through Jesus Christ: "Amazing Grace,...how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...".

 Gleanings from Psalm 51:10-16

 " Create in me a clean heart (a heart that only You are able to create new and clean), a pure heart O God; a heart that entertains pure thoughts that are acceptable to You. For if You grant this my King, then faithfulness can step forward in my life....because You have made it so.
 What I never want to happen...to even imagine O God...ever!...is to hear these words pass through Your lips:" Cast him from My Presence", or to hear the word "Banish" when my name is brought up in Your midst.
 For I know if a living nightmare such as that were to happen, then Your Precious Holy Spirit would have to leave me as well. To hear You speak to the Spirit to "Pull back"....it would be the very " Sentence of Death" to my own heart and life.

 Instead, I cry for mercy my King, and lay my pleadings at Your feet. Here then is my request I make to You....Restore me with the joy of knowing I am Yours....allow me to return from the Exile I am guilty of, and be with You once more. Cause Your joy to swell up within me, for there I find my strength to obey You...even obedience is dependant on You!
 I recognize sin in my life and the chaos that it has caused and completely surrounds me..even now. Yet I know You are All-Powerful, and can shape a "Genesis Week" from all the void and emptiness I live in. I throw myself before You, Mighty King, have mercy on me and grant me strength and clear direction to uphold Your Ways in life.

 For then I can turn my attention to helping others, rebels like myself, who are searching for their home in You....I can be of strength and support...helping them to go in the right way.
  For I know I am guilty and subject to death for the evil I have done, and my only hope is to seek after Your mercy, to receive Your forgiveness for the terrible wrong(s) I have done.

 If You find mercy on me from these heartfelt requests, my heart will be filled with Your strength and able to sing Your songs of justice and of forgiveness.
 Then, my King my own lips will be set free...by You, and my mouth as well, will be opened and able sing your high praises...all of this because of You and Your ability to forgive!

 What sacrifice can I do that would have the power to wipe my slate clean. Whether I am able to give You a "flawless performance" on living my life; or if I simply "go through the motions" in my life and honor you with sacrifices,...here lies the heart of the matter: not knowing whether You still love me...that is what gives me life. Nothing else really matters.

 All I know is this O Mighty King; it is not offerings or sacrifices that You really want from me, what moves Your heart is seeing me with my pride shattered and my heart dependant totally on You... these things never escape Your notice.
 Lord, my hope...my trust....is in You!"

 "In the Beginning of Lent there is an initial thought, the first being that in Lent one realizes his life can only be..what He made for him....."