Isaiah 1:13-20

today i was reading about the prophet isaiah and i was reading isaiah...
said about him in my bible that he was reared from an aristocratic family
and that at the beginning of his ministry he was well liked and by the end
he wasn't because people thought his message was too difficult to hear.
hmmm...
this is the passage i was reading:

13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

15 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;

16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. [a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

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 as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.



I particularly liked the part of if you are willing and obedient...
the footnote in my bible said that if you are willing and obedient Christ
will remove our most indelible stains.
Think about that as a mom a lot.
Have you ever known your child or someone (even yourself)
to say "sorry" or "SORRY" but not really mean it?
continue to sin and not be willing or obedient?
hmmm...

another thing i've been thinking about is forgiveness...
what is required when it comes to forgiveness...
if someone does not acknowledge their wrong, repent and seek forgiveness,
it's a whole lot harder to forgive them...
and i'm not sure of my responsibility as a follower of CHRIST as to when I am to forgive...
i pray for them and that the LORD may forgive them, but i am unsure
whether or not i am commanded to forgive an "un" -repentant person.
forgive those who seek forgiveness and ask have repented, absolutely~
petition and ask the LORD to forgive those who have not repented, absolutely~
spend time to forgive the un-repented person? not sure...
pray for them... absolutely that their hearts and minds turn away from sin
and that they will seek forgiveness from the LORD and then ask me to forgiveness, yes...
then i am to forgive...
but until then?
i pray for them.

in isaiah 2:9 it says,
"so man will be brought low and mankind humbled~
do not forgive them."

hmmm...

more scriptures we went over today at starbucks over white chocolate mochas...
1 corinthians 5
9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

talking to believers who profess to be "christians."
amen...
been in churches where this is happening...
online promiscuity...
online postings... that are
not of GOD...
please pray for "christians" who don't know this scripture and are living lies...
the word says it's not okay to be sexually immoral or drunk.
period.

and 1 Corinthians 4:14-21 (New International Version)



14I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?


AMEN.
AMEN and AMEN.

most days i prefer it when i am instructed with love and a gentle spirit...
but i sure get "whipped" into shape a lot!

Will you pray with me?
Dear JESUS~
I praise YOU for your holiness!
I thank YOU for your word that I cannot get enough!
Please reveal yourself to me more and more!
LORD, I ask that my heart be made pure and things to be made more
clearly~
take away what is unclean in my life~
reveal it oh GOD that I may bring only offerings to YOU from a clean heart~
Mercy, GOD!
Help me to stop doing wrong!
Help me to seek justice and not deny the oppressed, dear GOD!
Hear my cries!
Thank YOU for your blood shed which covers my sins~
Help me to walk in a way that is pleasing in your sight
that is willing and obedient!
Help me to petition YOU and pray without ceasing for those who don't know YOU
and declare YOU LORD!
That YOU would find mercy upon them on this day, OH GOD!
Help me to see people as YOU do Father, and help my inability
to forgive an unrepentant person turn to praying for them
that YOU would be magnified in their life and that forgiveness follow~
to forgive those who have trespassed against me
and to seek forgiveness from others~
as YOU see fit~
thank YOU for putting pastors in my life whom I can be reminded
in love and with a whip to GET the word...
Help me dear GOD know YOU more and in the name of JESUS I pray,
AMEN.