The Way-An in-depth study of God's Word with Paul Orr

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This week, we continue to look at the absolute absurdity and foolishness of idols and those who make them. Isaiah, as he presents to us God's view of idolatry, does so with sharp sarcasm. There is no respect given to idols whatsoever. His warning against them and how not to get caught up in idolatry is crystal clear.

We wrapped up the study with a look at the incredibly clear, precise fulfillment of Cyrus being raised up and anointed by God to deliver His people, Israel, from their Babylonian captivity. This prophesy was both stunning and accurate. Yet, what was the response of Israel. Only a remnant chose to return to Jerusalem in obedience to rebuild the temple and the city. Why?

The people fell in love with the ways of Babylon. They enjoyed the comfort, familiarity and luxury such as it was. Have we as the church today fallen into the same trap. The influence of Babylon is all over our society. Have we allowed ourselves to be woven into the fabric of this evil society. Have we allowed the comfort and luxury of our society to fill us with complacency and compromise?

If so, then what must we do? We must remember all that God has done for us. We must return to God, and we must repent. We are living in days such as the world has never known. Like the Babylonian captives, we are living in days of fulfilled prophesy. Yet what good does it do us to have all the knowledge of God's fulfilled prophesy and yet live exactly like those around us. 

We are living in incredible days. The rapture of the church is imminent. The judgment of God is ready to fall at any moment. The return of Christ to set up His millennial kingdom is at hand. Does this not cause us to live sold our lives to Jesus Christ and His word? If ever there was a time to live for Jesus, now, today is the time! 

Maranatha!

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As we ended our last study, we ended with a warning of judgment from God. But now through Isaiah, God declares to Israel, "Yet hear Me now". It is an urgent call for Israel to listen as God proclaims the wonderful blessing He will pour out on them. Yes they are backsliders and have drifted into apostasy, but they are God's chosen children. They continue to be the object of God's unmerited favor, His amazing grace.

Fear not continues to be a theme. As children of God we are to walk by faith not by sight. Walking by sight will cause us to immediately walk by fear. As followers of Jesus Christ, the only thing we are to fear is God. When we fear God, we will fear nothing else in this world.

Finally, it is emphasized that the LORD alone is God. There are no others besides Him. He lays out in strong wonderful terms the absurdity of idolatry. He addresses both the foolishness of those who make them and the foolishness of those who worship them.

Fear not, we serve an awesome God.

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In this passage, we have set before us the fact that Israel was and continues to be God's witness to the world. What God has done for Israel and through Israel in the past; what God continues to for Israel today; what God will do in and through Israel in the days before us declares definitively that Israel is God's witness to the world.

While God had done and was doing wonderful things for Israel, miraculous things, full of love, grace and mercy; Israel had grown weary of God. How could this be? How could Israel grow weary of God in light of all the wonderful promises, the wonderful provision and the wonderful protection that God had placed upon them. How can you and I ever grow weary of God when we consider all that He has done for us through His Son Christ Jesus?

David Guzik says the following, "When we feel like this, it is certain evidence that we are not in step with Jesus, and the true nature of Jesus. He said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30. If following God always seems like a great burden-then you really aren't following Him.

Israel, God's chosen people, transgressed greatly against Him. The LORD indeed would forgive them greatly yet there would be consequences for their forgiven sin. We do live under grace, but there are consequences for forgiven sin. God would chastise His people through His chosen instrument, Babylon. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

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Beginning Sunday May 5th, we have changed locations and will meet on Sundays at 10 am. If you are interested in joining us either live or on Zoom, please contact us at the above email address.

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Our passage begins with, "But now". Israel did not know, nor did they take to heart the loving chastisement of God. In spite of their obstinance, God would graciously continue to work through Israel demonstrating to the whole world that He alone is God. 

But now is followed by thus says the LORD. The answer will always be found in the word of God. Every work of God begins with His word, continues with His word and will come to full completion according to His word. God's word in the life of a believer is critical beyond our understanding. One cannot be a man of God apart from the word of God.

As God speaks to Israel, He twice tells them to "Fear not". This oft repeated command is always coupled with a promise from God. Obedience to this command is an absolute in the life of a believer. Recent history has shown us how destructive fear is when we give in to it. Obedience to this great loving command will provide the only refuge available in this sin infested world that is rapidly deteriorating. 

There are many in the church today who look around and are discouraged by all they see. They see the horror of the unfolding prophesies before us; they see the rise of evil all around us and are overcome by it. But a day is rapidly approaching when all who have given their lives to Jesus, past, present and future will be gathered together as Jesus returns and establishes His eternal kingdom. The days in front of us are brutal but the glory that lies beyond cannot be described. This present suffering will soon be past as Jesus returns and establishes His eternal kingdom.

Maranatha!

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Israel would experience great and inexplicable deliverance from the LORD. The only response to God when He performs great acts of deliverance in our lives is that we would sing a new song. Israel sang the song of Moses when God delivered them through the Red Sea. In heaven there will be new songs being sung. And when Jesus Christ returns, defeats all His enemies and establishes His eternal kingdom, the response of all will be to sing a new song.

For us today, God is constantly working on our behalf. We would not survive a second without God. All we have been delivered from, all we are today and all we will ever be is because of God. Our justification, sanctification and glorification are all by the grace of God. It is all of grace.

When we become obtuse refusing to hear what God says and to see the way that God has set before us, God, in His love and faithfulness, will chasten us. God chastens those who He loves. All who belong to the LORD can be certain that when we refuse to hear, when we refuse to listen, that God will chasten us. The chastening of God does not seem joyful. In fact, it is painful. Yet it will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our lives. 

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We are now presented with the first of four Servant songs in Isaiah. These songs refer to God's Messiah, Jesus. 

In this first song we are first presented with the character of His Servant.  God's Servant, although powerful beyond description, he has a matchless tenderness. He displays great humility in His ministry. And finally, He is just. He possesses a righteous justice. A justice brought forth for truth. A justice that will be known and established throughout His eternal kingdom.

Once we know that character of God's servant, we are then shown how He will fulfill the ministry that He has been called to. It is all done in the power of the LORD. It is all done according to God's word.

Do we have the character of Christ? We will never be able to do the work of Christ if we do not have the character of Christ. When we have the character of Christ we know the call of God on our lives. We also know that God's call can only be accomplished God's way. Everything we do in the name of Christ must be done in obedience to His word. Furthermore, it must all be done to His praise and His glory.

May we all have the character of Christ. May we all obediently fulfill the call of God to the glory of God. 

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Beginning Sunday May 5th, we have changed locations and will meet on Sundays at 10 am. If you are interested in joining us either live or on Zoom, please contact us at the above email address.

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As we continue our study in chapter 41, we see the entire idol worshipping world standing trial before Almighty God. In the midst of this trial God takes time to comfort His people. At the heart of this encouragement from God to His children is that they would fear not. This is not just a word of comfort and encouragement it is a command from God. With this command comes the promise that God will help us, strengthen us and uphold us. When we fear God, we will fear absolutely nothing else in this world. We cannot walk by faith in God and at the same time fear the things of this world. As God's children we must obediently fear not!

The trial continues. A bar has been established in order that the false idols, the demon gods may prove that they are truly God. That standard is prophesy. The ability to fore-announce the future. 

It is crystal clear that the false gods are not able to explain the past nor foretell the future. Only God is able to do this. God's ability to do this is beyond doubt. The truth concerning God and his ability proclaim his will, His purpose and then bring it to pass in whatever future time frame He chooses is thoroughly undeniable for those who truly desire to know the truth.

The verdict is clear. All idols and the demon gods they represent are nothing. All their works are nothing. All those who worship the vile false idols are an abomination. 

The LORD is the one true God, there is none beside Him!

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Fear not. This is a great often repeated command throughout the scriptures. No where in all of scripture are we as children of God given permission to fear anything in this world. We are commanded to fear God and fear absolutely nothing else. 

Fear of anything other than God in the life of a believer will destroy our faith. When we as believers live in fear of the things of this world, our life will become faithless, loveless and fruitless. Nothing good will ever come from living in disobedience to this loving command from our heavenly Father.

God give us this command and all of His commands because He loves us. We keep God's commands because we love Him. How could we say we love God and refuse to keep His commands.

This command comes with a promise. As we keep God's command, he is our God and He is with us. God alone will strengthen us, help us and uphold us with his righteous right hand.

May we all determine now to live in obedience to all that God's word says regardless of cost or consequence. May we by faith embrace the truth of the promises found in His word until Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom.

Maranatha

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Beginning Sunday May 5th, we have changed locations and will meet on Sundays at 10 am. If you are interested in joining us either live or on Zoom, please contact us at the above email address.

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We come to the verse that so many of us are familiar with. But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

This is a verse often referred to when life gets tough, or the crisis arises in their lives. While this verse certainly applies to these great and difficult circumstances, it has a much wider and deeper application.

The true Christian journey is not a stroll in the park. While the destination of every true follower of Jesus is glorious, the path leading to that destination is the most difficult path a person can choose.

As Christians, all our hope and expectation must be in the LORD. As we rely totally on Him at all times, He will remove our weakness and clothe us in His strength. As this happens, we will mount up in the time of crisis, we will run when the challenges of life overwhelm us and we will walk steadfastly in before the LORD in the normalcy of life.

We are living in crucial times. Quite possibly the most crucial in all of human history.  Are we wisely using this time to wait upon the LORD. If we wait upon the LORD today, we will walk and not faint. If we walk and not faint today, when the next crisis comes, we will mount with wings like eagles and soar above it all in the strength of the LORD.

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Isaiah commands the people to "Behold your God".  What a great, important and critical command for all of us as true followers of Jesus Christ. To behold our God always is the key to living a mature, victorious life in Christ.

Behold your God is the lens through which we must view everything. All that we are, all that comes across our path, all that attacks and seeks to destroy us, all the good and bad that comes our way must be viewed through the lens of "Behold your God".

The condition of the world today is directly related to a lost world that refuses to behold God. The impotence of the church in the world today is directly related to the fact that the church does everything but behold God. What would the church look like, what power would the church be walking in if the entire focus of the church would be, "Behold your God"?

Warren Wiersbe says this, "When you behold the greatness of God, then you will see everything else in life in its proper perspective.

May we today, and every remaining day of our lives on this earth, behold our God with every step, with every breath, with every waking moment that God grants to us.

Contact Paul at [email protected]
Beginning Sunday May 5th, we have changed locations and will meet on Sundays at 10 am. If you are interested in joining us either live or on Zoom, please contact us at the above email address.