God vs gods.

“For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but Me. Let all the world look to me for salvation.” ­– Isaiah 45:21-22 NLT

There is only one God, and He makes that fact very clear to the people of Judah and Israel. He lets them know that He is not just one of many options. He is not just another deity from which to choose. He alone is God and there are no competitors. He alone created the universe. He is all-powerful and one-of-a-kind. He not only made every individual Israelite, He chose them to be His people. He even uses those who don’t know Him or believe in Him as His tools to accomplish His will. Yet since the fall, mankind has found it necessary to make their own gods as replacements or substitutes for the one true God. These man-made deities are deaf, dumb, blind and powerless to offer any support whatsoever to the very ones who made them. “Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble” (Isaiah 46:6-7 NLT).

Idle idols. Powerless gods. Pseudo saviors. How ridiculous it sounds to place your trust in them when you consider the God of the universe is offering you a chance to have a relationship with Him. But how easy it is to turn to someone or something else besides God when we’re in need or trouble. How quick we are to find substitutes for God when we need direction or comfort. Of course, our gods are more sophisticated than wooden totems or golden statues that sit on a mantle in the living room. Our gods are more subtle. They take the forms of stock portfolios or resumes, plasma screen high-definition TVs, alcohol or drugs, sex and success. We worship everything from movie stars and musicians, politicians and pastors, to materialism and patriotism. We worship our success, significance, self-autonomy, cars, clothes, kids, money, health, houses, popularity, power, and possessions.

But let’s just say we don’t struggle with the worship of things other than God. What if idols are not our problem? Isaiah goes on to mention another problem we might suffer from: “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’” (Isaiah 45:9 NLT). Questioning God. How many times have each and every one of us been guilty of that one? We question God about all kinds of things, from the shape of our bodies to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We encounter a rough spot in life and immediately start demanding that God explain Himself. We want answers. We want changes and we want them NOW! We give Him our demands and our preferred list of solutions, then impatiently wait for Him to do what we want done. But God says, “Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command” (Isaiah 45:11-12 NLT).

Who are we to question God? What right do we have to give God advice? Where do we get the idea that we, the created, can tell the creator what’s best? There’s only one thing worse than making a god of our own choosing. It’s trying to make God conform to our choices. Demanding that God operate according to your standards is no less offensive than making your own god. Because that is exactly what you are attempting to do. But our God doesn’t work that way. He will not conform. He will not be controlled, cajoled, conscripted or coerced into doing OUR will. He is God and He alone knows what is best. We don’t get to make God. He made us and He has a plan for us. “I will be your God throughout your lifetime — until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you” (Isaiah 46:4 NLT).

Father, You are not only my creator, You are my redeemer and sustainer. You are one-of-a-kind and will not be forced into a mold. You do not need my input or list of demands. You know what is best for me. You have a plan in place for me. There is nothing about me that escapes Your notice or falls outside Your control. I need to learn to trust You. I need to learn to submit to You. Your will regarding me is perfect. Forgive me for the many times I have questioned You. Who am I to doubt You? Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Chosen By God To Know Him.

“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be.” ­– Isaiah 43:10 NLT

Over in the first chapter of the book of Acts we are given a recounting of Jesus’ last days on earth before His ascension. He meets with His disciples one last time and gives them instructions. He tells them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT). The Greek word translated “witnesses” here is martys, from which we get our word martyr. It meant someone who had personally seen, heard, or witnessed something and was able to recount it. It referred to one who was a spectator of an event. Jesus tells His disciples that they are to be His witnesses, telling people about Him everywhere. They are to speak about what they have seen. They are to tell what they have heard. They are to give first-hand testimony about the truth of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection power. Theirs was not to be an academic recounting, a mere statement of the facts. It was to be personal and experiential. This was exactly what God was saying to the people of Judah through Isaiah the prophet. They have been chosen by God to be His witnesses. They had been chosen by God to know Him, believe in Him, and understand that He alone was God. They were to tell the nations around them of their personal experiences with the almighty God of the universe. They had had personal experience with Him. They had first-hand experience with His power, provision, protection, and even His loving punishment.

But they were deaf and blind. They wouldn’t listen and they refused to see. “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the Lord You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen” (Isaiah 42:18-20 NLT). What good is a deaf and blind witness? These people had been chosen by God to experience the power and the blessings of God, but they acted as if they were blind. They could see, but refused to do what was right. They could hear, but refused to do what they were told.

Over in the book of Luke we have recorded Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem right before His betrayal, trials, and death. The people cry out, “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” (Luke 19:38 NLT). The Pharisees demand that Jesus rebuke His followers for what they were saying. Jesus simply responds, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40 NIV). The very stones themselves would witness to the glory of God. Deaf, dumb, and blind stones would do what men were chosen and created to do. We have chosen by God to be eye-witnesses of His power. We have been chosen by God to personally know Him and tell what we know about Him to everyone we meet. We have a job to do. We have a responsibility to keep. The Psalmist put it this way: “We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation – GOD’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done” (Psalm 78:4 MSG). But what is it we are going to pass along? Sunday School stories? Moral lessons and impersonal recollections of days gone by? We are to be witnesses. We are to have personal stories of the marvelous things He has done in our lives. Our personal testimonies are not merely to be recountings of how we came to faith, but up-to-date reports on the power and presence of God in our lives SINCE we came to faith. We are to talk about what He is doing in our lives on a daily basis. We are to give witness to His love, mercy, grace, power, provision, protection, goodness, kindness, and the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. But we can’t tell what we don’t know. We can’t describe what we can’t see. We have been chosen to know Him and see Him. Look for Him today. Watch out for His presence in Your life. He will be at work in and around Your life. Will you see Him? Will you be able to tell others about Him? You are His witness.

Father, I want to be a witness of Your power each and every day. You are working in and around my life. You never fail to do so. I just fail to see it, recognize it and praise You for it. Open my eyes that I might see You at work and tell others about Your marvelous deeds in my life. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

The Nature of God.

“Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? GOD doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.” ­– Isaiah 40:28 MSG

Ultimately, the entire Bible is a book about God. It is not a collection of stories or moral lessons. It is not the road map for life. It is not a blue print for living. It is the revelation of God about … God. From cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation, it reveals the character and the nature of God. The stories it tells, the histories it reveals, the characters it introduces, are all there for one purpose and one purpose only… to give us a greater understanding of who God is and what man’s relationship with Him should be. His very creation shouts out His glory and claims His very existence. The wonders of the natural world give evidence of the creator. The universe is proof of His power and reveals the immensity of His essence. And in the middle of Isaiah’s prophetic words to the people of Judah warning them of God’s coming judgment, he reminds them of God’s future deliverance. And it is a primer on the very character of God. Through the lips of Isaiah, God teaches them about His nature. He instructs them about His unequaled, incomparable character.

God is eternal – “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” – Isaiah 40:8 NLT

God is powerful – “Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm.” – Isaiah 40:10 NLT

God is loving – “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.” – Isaiah 40:11 NLT

God is without equal – “Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?” – Isaiah 40:12 NLT

God is all-knowing – “Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?” – Isaiah 40:13 NLT

God is incomparable – “To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him?” – Isaiah 40:18 NLT

God is transcendent – “God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.” – Isaiah 40:22 NLT

God is judge – “He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing.” – Isaiah 40:23 NLT

God is creator – “Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.” – Isaiah 40:26 NLT

God is sustainer – “Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.” – Isaiah 40:26 NLT

God is all-seeing – “O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?” – Isaiah 40:27 NLT

God is tireless – “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary.” – Isaiah 40:28 NLT

God is generous – “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” – Isaiah 40:29 NLT

God is merciful and kind – “Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.” – Isaiah 40:30 NLT

God is a restorer – “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 NLT

God is faithful – “I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.” – Isaiah 41:9 NLT

God is trustworthy – “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 NLT

God is our helper – “For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.'” – Isaiah 41:12 NLT

God is our redeemer – “Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.” – Isaiah 41:14 NLT

God is our provider – “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.” – Isaiah 41:17 NLT

God is our rescuer – “I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.” – Isaiah 41:18 NLT

What an amazing God we have! He is incomparable and at times, incomprehensible. He is beyond our understanding, but never out of the reach of our voices. He hears us, sees us, listens to us, cares for us and wants to have a relationship with us. Amazing isn’t it?

Father, Your character and nature is so huge, it takes an entire book to even begin to touch the surface. You are complex and yet knowable. You are beyond the grasp of our finite understandings, and yet You make yourself known to us. May we never tire of looking for You in Your Word and seeing You in Your creation. Give us a growing understanding of just who You are. May we increase daily in our knowledge and appreciation of You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Seeing Is Believing.

“But now step in, O GOD, our God. Save us from him. Let all the kingdoms of earth know that you and you alone are GOD.” ­– Isaiah 37:22 MSG

The Assyrian army is at the door. They have threatened to destroy Judah just like they have every other nation they have come up against – unless the people of Judah surrender. King Sennacherib has sent one final message to King Hezekiah, warning him not to trust in God, because it won’t do him any good. No gods have ever been able to stand up against the mighty Assyrian army. “You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have completely destroyed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different?” (Isaiah 37:11 NLT). Hezekiah took this letter from Sennacherib and went straight to the Temple where he spread it out before God. He called out to God in prayer, asking Him to intervene in this difficult situation. “Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God” (Isaiah 37:17 NLT). Hezekiah took his problem to God. In faith, he called out to the only one who he believed could do anything about his difficult circumstance. He asks God to rescue the nation of Judah. He appeals to God to intervene, show His power, and reveal to all the nations of the world that He alone is God.

As a result of his prayer, God answers and tells Hezekiah that He will take care of the Assyrian problem. And He does. That very night an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 of the enemy right in their camp while they slept. As a result, the survivors broke camp the next morning and returned home. Not long after that, Sennacherib was worshiping his god in his temple, when two of his own sons came in and killed him. This prideful, arrogant man who had threatened to destroy the people of God and who had ridiculed the power of God, was destroyed by God. And Hezekiah was able to see the power of God with his own eyes. His faith resulted in reality. Not long after this, Hezekiah became ill and was facing death. Again, he called out to God in faith, asking for healing. God answered and extended his life. Hezekiah was able to see the power of God in action. One day he was mourning his own coming death. The next he was rejoicing in the healing power of God. God wants to reveal His power in our lives. He wants to put His power to work in our lives. It is not a concept, but a reality. His power is real and He wants us to experience it daily. Our faith in God should result in our getting to see the power of God. We trust. He acts. We call out. He answers. We rely. He responds. And we believe.

Father, I want to see Your power in my life. Sometimes You allow events to reach a point where I no longer have any answers. You cause circumstances to reach the point where I have to turn to You because I have no other options. But when I do, You respond. You long to reveal Your power in the lives of Your people. You want to show Your strength in the midst of my weakness. And when You do, my faith grows even stronger. Thank You for being there for me so often. Help me to trust You more. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Who Will You Believe?

“Don’t listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.” ­– Isaiah 36:16-17 NLT

Hezekiah has been warning the people that destruction is on its way. Their sin against God has finally resulted in consequences, and now the Assyrians are literally at the gate. Their armies are camped just outside the city. They have left a wake of destruction in their path and now they are threatening to bring Jerusalem down as well. They demand surrender. They taunt the people, warning them to reject the words of Hezekiah and listen to their offer of peace. They paint an idyllic picture of prosperity and peace – if they will only compromise their convictions and surrender. All they have to do is open up the gates and give up.

Isn’t that just like the enemy. Of course, I’m talking about Satan, not the king of Assyria. Our great adversary, Satan, uses the same exact tactics with us each and every day. He taunts us. He gets us to question the faithfulness and effectiveness of God, asking, “So what makes you think the Lord can rescue you?” He tries to get us to doubt the Word of God and question the servants of God. “Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you!” (Isaiah 36:14 NLT). “Don’t listen to Hezekiah!” (Isaiah 36:16 NLT). “Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you!” (Isaiah 36:18 NLT). If he can get us to doubt God then we are more apt to listen to his lies. And what he has to say to us is always a lie! Satan never tells us the truth. He misleads and misrepresents. He makes false promises and speaks in appealing half truths that cater to our fears and desires. The king of Assyria offers the people of God prosperity and peace. He offers to give them a land just like the one they are in. He promises them a land flowing with grain, new wine, bread and vineyards. He essentially offers them another land of promise other than the one God had given them. He offers a substitute to God’s plan. And that is just what Satan does. It is what Satan did with Adam and Eve. It was what Satan did with Jesus during His temptation in the wilderness. Satan always offers us an alternative to God’s plan. He presents us with a compelling alternative that comes with shortcuts and requires compromises. But if we do it his way, he promises it will be easier.

But who are we going to believe – the enemy or God? Whose word are we going to take? Whose promise are we going to believe? Every day we are given opportunities to trust God or listen to the lies of the enemy. He is the master deceiver. He is a pro at twisting the truth and making disobedience to God sound like good judgment and wise decision-making. He appeals to our self-interest. He plays with our emotions and preys on our fears. He knows we want peace at any price and desire pleasure above anything else. So he promises to give us what we want – if we’ll just give up – open up the gates and let him in. In other words, surrender. And if we leave God out of the picture, that is exactly what we will end up doing. So who will you believe today? When the enemy comes to you with his lies and half-truths, will you listen to him? Or will you take God at His word and rely on His promises? It’s a choice. It’s a daily decision. It’s faith on display.

Father, I want to believe You and not the enemy. Give me discernment to see through his lies. Open my eyes to see truth and not buy into the fiction he offers up as reality. Don’t let fear drive my decisions and desire for peace cloud my decision-making. I want to trust You. I want to listen to You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

He’s On His Way!

“Courage! Take heart! GOD is here, right here, on his way to put things right And redress all wrongs. He’s on his way! He’ll save you!” ­– Isaiah 35:4 MSG

For 34 chapters we have read about God’s coming judgment on His rebellious people and the nations that surround them. His holiness and justice demand that He deal with sin. He cannot turn a blind eye and act as if it does not exist. He is patient, but He is not passive. He is tolerant, but He will not tolerate the sin of His people forever. And while there have been messages of hope and deliverance woven into the warnings of pending judgment, the overall message has been less than uplifting. Then we come to chapter 35. In it we find a beautiful picture of hope based on God’s future restoration of His land and of His people. God will balance His judgment with mercy. His moral perfection requires that He deal justly with sin. His love requires that He show mercy and grace to those who have sinned. And He done just that through His Son Jesus Christ. All those who accept Him as Savior will experience the blessings of God and enjoy not only a restored, renewed earth but a restored relationship with God Himself.

So Isaiah is to use this news to “strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees” (Isaiah 35:3 NLT). In the midst of all the bad news, Isaiah is to share the good news of God’s future restoration of His land and His people. Imagery of restoration and renewal is all throughout this chapter: Flowers blooming, deserts bursting with plants, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, springs gushing in the wilderness, and streams in the wastelands. Parched land will become filled with pools of water. And a road will be built that leads straight to the city of God – the new Jerusalem where Christ will reign in righteousness. That road will be called the Highway of Holiness because on it only the righteous will travel as they make their way to worship God in His restored city. This road will be for the redeemed – those who “walk in God’s ways” (Isaiah 35:8 NLT). “Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way.  They will enter Zion with a happy shout. Unending joy will crown them,  happiness and joy will overwhelm  them; grief and suffering will disappear” (Isaiah 35:10 NET).

This is a message of hope. Not just for the people in Isaiah’s day, but for all of us who worship God and place our hope in the future return of His Son. He is coming. He will one day return to set all things right. He will restore the earth to its original splendor and glory. He will reestablish Jerusalem as the city of God. He will redeem His people Israel from their captivity to sin and return them to their land. He will do away with all sin and sorrow. Righteousness will be the order of the day. Sorrow and mourning will be replaced with joy and gladness. So be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming – He is coming to save you!

Father, help me keep my eyes focused on the future. It is so easy to become fixated on the here and now and think that this is all there is. I can begin to believe the lie that I have to find all my joy and contentment in this life. But You have promised more. You have a future planned out that is so much better than anything I can find in this lifetime. Your Son is coming again. I need to live for that day and not this one. When my knees get weak and my heart grows feint, I need to set my sights on the reality of His return. He is coming! Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Strength For the Day!

“Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you. Give us strength each morning! Deliver us when distress comes.” ­– Isaiah 33:2 NET

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by it all? Does attempting to live the Christian life in this world ever leave you feeling discouraged, disheartened and a little bit disillusioned? Just imagine how the faithful remnant living at the time of Isaiah’s prophesies felt. There were a small number of “believing” Jews who were faithful to God and yet were having to go through the same circumstances as the rest of the unbelieving, unfaithful population. They were having to listen to the messages of warning from Isaiah. They knew that destruction was coming and fully understood why. They were appalled by the spiritual condition of their countrymen and knew that God was just in having to discipline them for their rebellion and rejection of Him. But that didn’t keep them from calling out to Him and appealing to His mercy. As we read of God’s plans for the destruction of Assyria and Edom, we run across this single verse reflecting the cries of this faithful remnant of God’s people. They call out for mercy. The Hebrew word for mercy is chanan and it means: “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior.” It is an appeal for God to show them favor, to pity them and extend undeserved kindness to them. They are waiting for Him. The Hebrew word for wait is qavah and it carries the idea of eager anticipation, hope and expectation. They knew their only hope is in God. He is the answer to all their needs. There is no need to look elsewhere, because He is their strength. The word used here is actually zerowa and it means “arm.” It is a figurative term for strength, might and power. They are waiting on the “long arm of the law” to act on their behalf. And they are very specific. They ask God to reveal His strength each and every day, because without it, they will not survive. Ultimately, they want salvation. That is really what they are waiting for. The Hebrew word for salvation is yeshuwah. It means “salvation, deliverance or victory.” Again, they want God to save them, to give them victory and provide them with deliverance from their circumstances.

So who do you wait on? Are you eagerly waiting on God? Do you look to Him as Your strength, your source of power and protection? Where will you turn for the strength you need to make it through the day? Who will you turn to when you encounter the inevitable tough times along life’s way? Why not turn to Him? Why not eagerly wait for His deliverance? Cry out for His mercy. Ask Him to reveal His power in your life. Appeal to Him for salvation in times of trouble. He is faithful. He will answer.

Father, we can count on You, even when things look bleak and hopeless. May we learn to call out to You and eagerly wait for You to act. Don’t let us lose hope. Don’t let us turn elsewhere. Keep our eyes and our hearts focused on You even on the darkest days. Because You along are our strength and salvation. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

A Righteous King Is Coming!

“Look, a righteous king is coming!” ­– Isaiah 32:1 NLT

There is a theme running through all the books of the prophets in the Old Testament. It is a theme of redemption and salvation. Yes, God will discipline, but He will also deliver. He will punish, but He will also restore. Ultimately, the message is one of hope. The holy, righteous God who is bringing destruction on His own people, will also bring salvation. And while the punishment is based on their behavior, their salvation is based solely on God’s mercy and grace. He will restore them in spite of them. The day will come when God restores His people, the people of Israel, to a right relationship with Him. So He calls them to return to Him because He wants to restore them. “Repent, return, dear Israel, to the One you so cruelly abandoned. On the day you return, you’ll throw away – every last one of you – the no-gods your sinful hands made from metal and wood” (Isaiah 31:6-7 NLT). But they will continue to live in rebellion to Him. They will continue to reject His offer of restoration for repentance. But one day, God will restore them Himself. “Until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever” (Isaiah 32:15-17 NLT).

The prophet Ezekiel gives us more details concerning this great day of redemption for the people of Israel. It has yet to happen, but it will one day take place. And it will be the work of God, not men. He will pour out His grace and mercy – totally undeserved and unearned. He will redeem and restore, bringing salvation in the midst of rebellion. Because that is the kind of God He is.

“Therefore, tell Israel, ’Message of God, the Master: I’m not doing this for you, Israel. I’m doing it for me, to save my character, my holy name, which you’ve blackened in every country where you’ve gone. I’m going to put my great and holy name on display, the name that has been ruined in so many countries, the name that you blackened wherever you went. Then the nations will realize who I really am, that I am God, when I show my holiness through you so that they can see it with their own eyes. For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land.  I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!” – Ezekiel 36:22-28 MSG

The righteous King is coming. The faithful God is going to provide salvation for His people. He will do for them what they could never have done for themselves. He will do for the people of Israel what He has done for every believer – He will save them in spite of themselves. He will provide the righteousness of Christ in place of their own unrighteousness. He will give them new hearts and a new capacity to love and serve Him. Their rebellion will be replaced with devotion. Their stubbornness will be replaced with a willingness to follow Him. He will restore them to the land and to a right relationship with Him. All because of His unchanging faithfulness.

Father, Your faith is unfathomable. Your kindness is immeasurable. Your patience is unbelievable. What You have done for me by providing Your Son as my sin substitute and Savior is mind-boggling. I didn’t deserve it. I could never have earned it. And I can never repay You for it. But You are going to do the same thing for Your chosen people – the people of Israel. Your faithfulness to them should be an encouragement to me. It should remind me of just how gracious, merciful and loving You are. You are an amazing God and worthy to be praised. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Return To Him.

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” ­– Isaiah 30:18 NLT

God is waiting. Waiting for His people to return to Him. Sometimes He uses discipline to get our attention. He allows us to go through difficulty to increase our need for Him. He lets us discover that all the other things we turn to for hope, healing, satisfaction and salvation can’t deliver. They always disappoint. But He is always there waiting. He reminds us through the prophet Isaiah, “He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes” (Isaiah 30:19-20 NLT). This promise reminds me of the words of Job that he stated at the end of his season of suffering and shame. “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” (Job 42:5 NLT). Job was a blameless and righteous man when his story begins. But suffering came his way and tested his faith and his view of God. He knew a lot about God, but his season of suffering was going to open his eyes to the reality of who God really is. Job’s suffering was not the result of rebellion or sin, but God used it in his life to bring him to a deeper understanding of Himself. Job grew closer to God through his trials than he ever would have otherwise.

God was calling the Israelites back to Himself through the prophet Isaiah. But they were stubborn. They would not listen. They refused to pay attention to what Isaiah had to say. They didn’t like his message of doom and gloom. In fact, they were telling the prophets, “Stop seeing visions! Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your Holy One of Israel!” (Isaiah 30:10-11 NLT). They didn’t want to hear the truth. They didn’t want to listen to what God had to say. They would rather be lied to as long as it was what they wanted to hear. But God reminded them, “Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me – The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do” (Isaiah 30:15 MSG). God was offering salvation, and all they had to do to receive it was return to Him. They had to turn away from their pseudo-saviors and God-replacements, and recognize that only God can truly save. He alone can rescue. And He promises to hear us when we cry. He promises to be gracious if we ask Him for help. But returning requires turning. We must walk away from our sin and all those substitutes we have made for God in our lives. We must acknowledge our need for Him. And when we return, He always responds. He is faithful.

Father, we can be just as stubborn as the people of Israel. We can be just as prone to trust in other gods and reject Your Word. We want to hear good news and don’t like to listen to anything that convicts or condemns us. We don’t like having our sins pointed out to us. And we reject suffering in our lives as unacceptable.Yet You allow us to suffer in order to make us more dependent on You. Even the suffering we see happening all around us is a reminder of just how much we need You. Open our eyes. Soften our stubborn hearts. Help us return to You for salvation and restoration. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org