Another good word from Wally Fry on the Church of Ephesus, and their not loving Jesus.
Month: September 2019
Shall Not Be Ashamed
“Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of Mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify My name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.’ ” Isaiah 29:22-24 (KJB)
For further thought see Romans 1:16; and Romans 9 – 11.
Faithfulness and Truth
“O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1 (KJB)
The prophet Isaiah has warned the Judah and Israel of the coming Babylonian invasion, and the judgment God will not only bring on His own people, but that which will come on Babylon as well.
Isaiah knows that the word of the Lord GOD is being spoken. He exalts the LORD in these words, and the following as well.
May we, the followers of Christ Jesus, in 2019 rejoice in God our Savior who does judge all sin; rejoicing in His faithfulness and His Truth. His counsels of old, His plans and purposes planned long ago are faithful and true. Since that be so. Since that be true; then so it is for today as well.
Remember, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13). Call on the name of the One who bled and died on the cross for our redemption, was buried, and rose again. His name is Jesus the Christ – Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11).
Have a Blessed Lord’s Day.
The Coming Judgment
I know people do not like hearing it; but the word of the LORD is working, His word will be hastened, and His judgment is coming. Hear the word of the Lord.
“When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, as the shaking of an olive tree, as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of Hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” Isaiah 24:13-23 (KJB)
The only hope for Adam’s race, otherwise known as humankind, is Jesus Christ who is the Living Son of God, God the Living Son, who gave His own life for our redemption, was buried carrying away all our sin, condemnation, guilt, and shame, leaving that in the grave, and He arose victorious and because He lives we will live with Him forever. Believe Him. It is coming to pass just as it has been said.
Egypt, Assyria, and Israel as One Nation
“In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of Hosts, which He shaketh over it. And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of Hosts, which He hath determined against it.
In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of Hosts; one shall be called, ‘The city of destruction.’
In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a Saviour, and a Great One, and He shall deliver them. And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform. And the LORD shall smite Egypt: He shall smite and heal, and they shall return to the LORD, and He shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them.
In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the LORD of Hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance.’ ” Isaiah 19:16-25 (KJB)
A Man Shall Look to His Maker
“Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel. At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.” Isaiah 17:6-8 (KJB)
God has spoken of the judgment upon Damascus; and also Ephraim (the northern kingdom also called Israel), and Syria. The word of this text is to Judah.
Christians can, and need to learn much from the discipline of God upon His people of the Old Testament. One is that He will not allow His children to continue living in sin without some form of discipline, even judgment of our sin, to turn our hearts back to Him. Remember what the writer of Hebrews has written,
“…If you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards (or illegitimate), and not sons” Hebrews 12:8
Commentary for Isaiah 17:6-8…
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary on verse 6 – 8…
“in it — that is, in the land of Israel.
two or three … in the top — A few poor inhabitants shall be left in Israel, like the two or three olive berries left on the topmost boughs, which it is not worth while taking the trouble to try to reach.”
Verse 7 – “look to his Maker — instead of trusting in their fortresses – (Isa_17:3; Mic_7:7).”
Verse 8 – “groves — A symbolical tree is often found in Assyrian inscriptions, representing the hosts of heaven (“Saba”), answering to Ashteroth or Astarte, the queen of heaven, as Baal or Bel is the king. Hence the expression, “image of the grove,” is explained (2Ki_21:7).
images — literally, “images to the sun,” that is, to Baal, who answers to the sun, as Astarte to the hosts of heaven (2Ki_23:5; Job_31:26).”
Look to your Maker today. He is the One who died on the cross for you, was buried, and He rose again. He is the soon returning King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God, God the Living Son.
The Thoughts and Purposes of the LORD
“The LORD of Hosts hath sworn, saying, ‘Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. ‘
This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul, and His hand stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Isaiah 14:24-27 (KJB)
Many times my thoughts are not what they ought to be; neither are the things which I purpose to do. It is, I am fairly certain, that way with every living member of Adam’s race; and that is all of us living on planet earth.
We see dreams, and even plans for our day come and go without completion. We get discouraged, fearful, and doubtful. I will share with you that there is only one who gets accomplished everything He sets out to do.
That One is GOD, the LORD of Hosts of the text above. Though the words of Isaiah 14:24-27 are written with Babylon’s judgment in mind verses 24, and 27 are true and powerful in any day, age, or time; even 2019.
If God has thought it, it will come to pass. If He has purposed it, it shall stand – it will also come to pass just as He purposed it. Nothing He has thought or purposed or spoken shall be left undone.
For the Christian of today we find great blessing, peace, rest, and comfort in these words when we are faithfully walking with Him. If we have backsliden, and out of fellowship with Him we will find these words convicting, uncomfortable, and even miserable until we get alongside our Lord, and agree with Him.
For the unbelieving sinner these words should bring you to realize that God is true, the Almighty; that He does love you. The gift of His Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world is the only means of salvation (John 14:6). He said it. It is best to believe it and receive it, or you will perish in fire for eternity. GOD’S word is sure and fast it shall stand.
I will leave you today with a verse from the prophet Daniel…
“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, ‘What doest thou?’ ” Daniel 4:35
The Light of Israel
“And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; and shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.” Isaiah 10:17-19 (KJB)
In this reading I want us to remember that the Light of the world is Jesus Christ the Son of God and God the Son,
These words of Isaiah were spoken by God to him of the judgment God was bringing on the nation He was using to judge His own people because they had turned from the LORD God. This judgment is against Assyria whose ruler thought he was in charge, he was no one’s servant, that he was so powerful he had done all the conquering on his own. God was set to show him other wise.
The judgment of God is always for the cleansing of His people.
I am going to close with the words of the Matthew Henry Commentary…
“How this destruction is represented. It shall be, First, As a consumption of the body by a disease: The Lord shall send leanness among his fatnesses, or his fat ones. His numerous army, that was like a body covered with fatness, shall be diminished, and waste away, and become like a skeleton. Secondly, As a consumption of buildings, or trees and bushes, by fire: Under his glory, that very thing which he glories in, he will kindle a burning, as the burning of a fire, which shall lay his army in ruins as suddenly as a raging fire lays a stately house in ashes. Some make it an allusion to the fire kindled under the sacrifices; for proud sinners fall as sacrifices to divine justice. Observe, 1. How this fire shall be kindled, Isa_10:17. The same God that is a rejoicing light to those that serve him faithfully will be a consuming fire to those that trifle with him or rebel against him. The light of Israel shall be for a fire to the Assyrians, as the same pillar of cloud was a light to the Israelites and a terror to the Egyptians in the Red Sea. What can oppose, what can extinguish, such a fire? 2. What desolation it shall make: it shall burn and devour its thorns and briers, his officers and soldiers, which are of little worth, and vexations to God’s Israel, as thorns and briers, whose end is to be burned, and which are easily and quickly consumed by a devouring fire. “Who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? They would be so far from stopping the fire that they would inflame it.
I would go through them and burn them together (Isa_27:4); they shall be devoured in one day, all cut off in an instant.” When they cried not only Peace and safety, but Victory and triumph, then sudden destruction came; it came surprisingly, and was completed in a little time. “Even the glory of his forest (Isa_10:18), the choice troops of his army, the veterans, the troops of the household, the bravest regiments he had, that he was most proud of and depended most upon, that he valued as men do their timber-trees (the glory of their forest) or their fruit-trees (the glory of the Carmel), shall be put as briers and thorns before the fire; they shall be consumed both soul and body, entirely consumed, not only a limb burned, but life taken away.” Note, God is able to destroy both soul and body, and therefore we should fear him more than man, who can but kill the body. Great armies before him are but as great woods, which he can fell or fire when he pleases.
[3.] What would be the effect of this great slaughter. The prophet tells us, First, That the army would hereby be reduced to a very small number: The rest of the trees of his forest shall be few; very few shall escape the sword of the destroying angel, so few that th ere needs no artist, no muster-master or secretary of war, to take an account of them, for even a child may soon reckon the numbers of them, and write the names of them. Secondly, That those few who remained should be quite dispirited: They shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. When he either falls or flees, and his colours are taken by the enemy, this discourages the whole army, and puts them all into confusion. Upon the whole matter we must say, Who is able to stand before this great and holy Lord God?” MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY
Turn to Jesus Christ the Light of the world. Without Him there is no light. He died for you, He was buried, and He rose again; and He forever lives and hears us when we pray trusting Him.
BREAKING: Firefight erupts on Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah terror leader vows war with Israel is “inevitable.” Here are 7 things you should know.
(Jerusalem, Israel) — A fire-fight opened up today on Israel’s northern border.
The Iranian-backed terror group known as Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at a clearly-marked ambulance on an Israeli army base.
No one was hurt, thank God, but Israel retaliated with some 100 bombs and missiles at Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, Israeli media reported.
The attack comes amidst rising concerns that Hezbollah is preparing for a much larger war with Israel, possibly soon.
1. In January, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to “invade the Galilee,” The group has been building terror tunnels along the Lebanon border, some of which Israel still may not have found. They also have an estimated 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel.
2. In July, Nasrallah repeated the threat, saying, “We are prepared to invade the Galilee.”
3. In late August, Israel struck military sites in Syria and foiled an imminent Iranian drone attack…
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The Law and The Testimony
“And when they shall say unto you, ‘Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter:’ should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead?
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.” Isaiah 8:19-22 (KJB)
Rather than writing more on these verses follow the following links to previous post I have shared…
Seek GOD and His Word
In Darkness; There is Light
Undone
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, ‘Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.’” Isaiah 6:1-5 (KJB)
I read these words again this morning and I will share something with you which I wrote and posted here about 10 years ago. The following is written as though the prophet Isaiah was speaking the words…
Prophet’s Possible Perspective
The king Uzziah had died, and I had gone to the temple to pray and seek the Holy One of Israel. My heart was broken, and I grieved over my kings death. I must have needed to know that this was not the end. I needed to know there is my God who is holy, sovereign, and has everything under control.
My, what a sight to behold. The temple lit up in the most glorious light. That is what God’s presence will do. Seraphims; servants of the most High’s presence; had appeared and announced the thrice holy GOD. “Holy, holy, holy”, they had declared “is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory”. The most wondrous and powerful decree any servant of GOD could ever declare. I was awed by His Presence.
“And the posts of the door was shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.’ So I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have see the King, the LORD of hosts.’” Isaiah 6:4-5 (NKJV).
I am learning that when God shows up things can and are often shaken up a bit. The shaking really begins in our own hearts. My heart and life has definitely been shaken a bit. I must say that I needed to see that the true King is the LORD of hosts. My how much more assurance does a man need than that.
This presence of the LORD was much needed. I learned by this that when you are in the presence of genuine holiness, that of GOD, that you see yourself as you truly are. There are woes that need to be announced against an ungodly people, but I see that I am ungodly; I am undone; I am a man of unclean lips; I am dwelling with people of unclean lips. We are an unclean people.
The best part of this is that though I am undone and unclean the most High revealed Himself to me. What a wonderful, holy, holy, holy LORD.
“And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” Hebrews 12:27 (KJV).
The Fire and Hammer 