Tag: Isaiah 1:18

54 days ’till Christmas… 5 days until…

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Yes, folks, it’s me again.  Mine is the voice of reason and logic for some, but the noise of insanity to others.  Of course the title of this article was just to grab your attention!  It’s what I try to do.  Now let’s be serious, just for a few minutes.

This is not that hard to understand.  The United States of America is approaching the precipice of perhaps the most monumental decision in our history.  On Tuesday, November 6th, our nation will be given once again the greatest privilege of any individual nation.  Each “citizen” of this great country is afforded the opportunity to cast your individual vote for who becomes a lawmaker for our state, and nation.  Given the controversy and divisiveness of mainstream media today, we owe it to ourselves, (not to them), to be informed and wise when we cast our votes.  So allow me just one more time, to give you some words of logic and reason.

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

This is simple right?  It’s right there from the Prophet Isaiah, none of us is perfect.  We are not voting perfect people into office, there are none on this planet.  We are not voting for who we think will make flawless choices which are right every time, that person doesn’t exist.  We are only trying hard to get it right, and allow for a scenario which gives America the chance to make less mistakes than in our past.  So how do we choose which way to cast our vote?

James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

We can’t see five minutes ahead of right now.  I’m writing this and I don’t know how it ends yet.  God does.  You’re reading this sentence, but you don’t know how it ends yet.  I only do, because I wrote it, edited it, then posted it.  But only God knows who will be affected and how.  I don’t.

We can’t see Wednesday morning, November 7th either.  So how about we spend some time between now and Tuesday praying for wisdom.  How about if we ask God to move in the hearts of those who have not gone to early voting opportunities, and ask God to give them HIS wisdom on these matters.  I know I’m a pastor/teacher and some think I’m not even supposed to be writing articles like this, that somehow this violates the “separation of church and state.”

But here’s the thing.

I’m not a pundit, I’m not representing any particular partisan cause, and I’m not saying  who you are to vote for.  I’m saying our nation’s very core fibers are at risk in these mid-term elections.  I’m saying that you have not just a “right” to vote, but a mandate to vote and have your voice count for what happens on Tuesday.  You don’t have to march on the nation’s capital to have a voice.  You don’t have to be an “activist” to have a voice.  You don’t have to become violent to have a voice.  You already have a voice, it is called a “VOTE.”  So use it.

Take the weekend, spend some time just pursuing God and His wisdom on these matters, then do the responsible thing, if you haven’t already done so.

Stand in some line that moves at a snail’s pace, even if it seems meaningless and stupid to do so, and cast your vote.  Lift your voice, by pressing a button, or filling in a box, selecting the people who in your opinion are best suited for the job.

And one last thing.  When the results are in… rest assured that the one who is placed in office during this election process, will be the person God wants there.  I know this is the hard part for some of us.  But believing in the Sovereignty of God means believing this…

Romans 13:1
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

It’s that last phrase I want you to focus on.  It means God is in charge now, just like He has been in charge since time began.  No authority exists that God hasn’t first established for His own purposes and plans.

We don’t know these plans, we don’t see these plans, but they exist, and we must trust.  So align yourself with God’s plans by seeking His wisdom when you cast your vote on Tuesday.

It really is that simple.

Come Let Us Reason

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

Blindly

anyone listening

This morning I sat staring blindly out my window.  It’s overcast.  Noise from the passing traffic on Morris, and the din from my sleep machine in the bedroom were the only sounds I heard, when I was finally aware that I was typing this article.  The reverberations of the keystrokes finally broke the silence in my head and the blindness of my eyes.  I suddenly wondered… “is anyone out there listening?”

Do you ever have those days when you “wake up” at work and don’t really know how you got there?  Obviously you made your way out of bed into the shower, stopped at Starbucks for your favorite brew, and fought the morning traffic.  You probably said hello to people when you arrived at the office, but then suddenly, you were at work.  Blindly, you went through hours of existence, without conscious thoughts beyond the mechanical processes you’ve done a hundred million times before.

It may have been this way for the thousands of people walking on the road that morning, making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover.  Scholars say that in the year Jesus was crucified, perhaps as many as one million people would travel to the center of the middle east to celebrate their heritage, make their sacrifices, and worship Yahweh.  Jesus and his disciples were among the throng who had come early, deciding to stay in the town called Bethany just a short distance from Jerusalem.  After spending the weekend with His close friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Jesus and his troop began their approach to the Holy city.

Along the way the multitude became aware of His presence, and blindly joined the choruses of those around them, like a flash-mob at the local mall, adding their own voices to the words being lifted to the heavens.

Matthew 21:8-9
Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.  The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!

The crowds that day were fulfilling the ancient prophecies regarding how the Messiah who would come into Jerusalem.

Psalm 118:21-26
I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation.  The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.  This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  O LORD, do save, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, do send prosperity!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; we have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

Looking back on this scene, through the open eyes of historical record, and the word of God, we know absolutely, these folks were not reasoning logically.  They were not believing in the revelation of Jesus as Savior.  They were blindly following the traditional belief that Jesus would come as king of the Jews, deliver them from Roman rule, and re-establish their autonomy as the nation of Israel.  They believed Jesus would sit on David’s throne, and rule till the end of time.  They blindly sang and waved their tree branches.

Yesterday in worship, I wondered how many people in the room were blindly going through the motions of expected activity for 21st-century worshipers.  Our worship team did a great job leading everyone in the room to a place where they “could” worship God in Spirit and in truth.  Yet, I found myself wondering how many were doing this.  I wasn’t distracted by someone’s pretentious acts, in fact I can honestly say I wasn’t looking around at all.  It was just a sense of contemplation, wondering how many in the room were actually present, alert, and reasoning together… and how many were blindly asleep. I pondered whether they woke up during some part of the service and thought “how did I get here?”

Now hear the words of the prophet, and wake from your sleep.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”

Jesus came to seek and to save, those who are lost.  He came to wash us clean.  He came to make us family.  He came, so we might go … and live with Him forever!

Is anyone out there listening?

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