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Isaiah One: A Message for the Church Today

Isaiah One: A Message for the Church Today

Isaiah is called the gospel prophet, the prophet who brings the good news. It’s in the book of Isaiah that we find the beautiful description of the coming Messiah, who becomes a real human:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end (9:6, 7 NIV84).

In Isaiah 53, we find the powerful prophetic description of Jesus’ mission to take upon Himself our sin-sick condition, to suffer and die to procure the remedy to sin. We read that by “his stripes we are healed”—yet that we would miss the truth that Jesus was suffering to cure the sin condition and heal humankind and, instead, draw the false conclusion that it was God who was punishing Him:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted (53:4 NIV84).

Oh, how Christians have misunderstood! We have failed to fully realize what it means that God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. It was the Father’s will to send Jesus to fulfill Their joint purpose of destroying the devil and his power (Hebrews 2:14), annihilating death (2 Timothy 1:10), and restoring humankind to sinless perfection (1 John 3:8; Hebrews 5:9, 8:10; Ephesians 2:15). They accomplished this through Jesus becoming a real human, taking the sin condition upon Himself, being tempted in every way like us (Hebrews 4:15), and overcoming. It was the Father’s will and the Son’s will for Jesus to be crushed by our sin-sick condition in order to overcome and cure the condition and thereby provide remedy to all who trust Him. Just as Paul wrote:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21, 22 NIV84).

And God, seeing the saving result of the suffering of Jesus, was satisfied with the result (Isaiah 53:11): humankind saved and restored to eternal life!

Yes, Isaiah proclaimed the gospel—the good news about God’s character of love and the promised Messiah to provide remedy to our terminal sin condition, so that by faith in Him we may be healed. Praise God!

But I wonder, if Isaiah came to us, to our Christian churches today, and spoke to us the way he spoke to Israel, what would be our response? Would we rejoice? Would we recognize his words as a message from God, or would we become angry and deny the message was from God?

Imagine sitting in your church pew when a man, claiming to be a messenger from God, speaks the following, adapted from chapter 1 of Isaiah, to your church. How would you react? .

  1. Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth!
    For the Lord has spoken:
    “I reared children and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled against me.
  2. The ox knows his master,
    the donkey his owner’s manger,
    but [Christians do] not know,
    my people do not understand.”
  3. Ah, sinful [church],
    a people loaded with guilt,
    a brood of evildoers,
    children given to corruption!
    [You] have forsaken the Lord;
    [You] have spurned the Holy One of Israel
    and turned [your] backs on him.
  4. Why should you be beaten anymore?
    Why do you persist in rebellion?
    Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart afflicted.
  5. From the [bottom] of your foot to the top of your head
    [nothing is healthy]—
    only wounds and welts
    and open sores
    [that are not cleaned and] bandaged
    or soothed with [ointment].
  6. Your countries are [decaying],
    your cities [are burned with fire and looted];
    [your business are being ruined]
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
  7. The [Bride of Christ] is left
    like a [open store in a riot],
    like a [unlocked car during a crime spree],
    like a city under siege.
  8. Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,
    we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.
  9. Hear the word of the Lord,
    you [church-leaders] of Sodom;
    listen to the law of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!
  10. “The multitude of your [rituals]—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
    “I have more than enough [baptisms],
    [ordinations] and [foot washing services];
    I have no pleasure
    in [your praise bands or communion services].
  11. When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,
    this trampling of my courts?
  12. Stop [preaching] meaningless [sermons]!
    Your [prayers] are detestable to me.
    [Sundays], Sabbaths and [camp meetings]—
    I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
  13. Your [Christian concerts] and your [worship services]
    my soul hates.
    They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
  14. When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
    even if you offer many prayers,
    I will not listen.
    Your hands are full of blood;
  15. wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds
    out of my sight!
    Stop doing wrong,
  16. learn to do right!
    Seek justice,
    encourage the oppressed.
    Defend the cause of the fatherless,
    plead the case of the widow.
  17. “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 as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.
  18. If you are willing and obedient,
    you will eat the best from the land;
  19. but if you resist and rebel,
    you will be devoured by the sword.”
    For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

I pray that as we start this new year, we will embrace the words of Isaiah and Come and Reason together with God—that His truth will set us free and that His love will heal our hearts, and though we have histories filled with the dark stains of sin, through Jesus, we are washed clean, reborn with new hearts and right spirits, and made pure.

So, Come and Reason together with us in 2021 as we work together to advance God’s kingdom of love!


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Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

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I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

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Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

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I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

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I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

H. Miller, Centereach, NY

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Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

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I’ve been reading the bible and walking with Jesus since I was around 16. I’m 42 now. I’ve mostly been alone in my walk although I went to several churches in different denominations. For the past 3 years God has been showing me His character of agape. It’s been a blessing and changed how I view God and my walk with Jesus. About a year ago I came across the power of love and the principles of design law. These teachings changed how I read scripture and have been such a beautiful blessing. I’m very excited and grateful for these truths. We share these truths of agape, design law and the reality of the principles of the two trees in the garden of Eden with people on Facebook and YouTube. People all over are learning to trust God and His agape design law which makes life possible. Thank you for everything you shared with me. May God continue to bless your ministry and lives.

Bradley M., Hinsdale, NY, USA

 

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We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

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I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

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Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

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