Isaiah 29:13

Isaiah 29:13 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


13 The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men. [a]

Today in Starbucks over white chocolate mochas with whipped cream...
Still in Isaiah.
These verses popped out.
The one above with the footnote of:
The people proclaimed to be close to God but they
were disobedient and merely went through the motions;
therefore God would bring judgment upon them.

And Isaiah 30:10
Isaiah 30:10 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


10 They say to the seers,
"See no more visions!"
and to the prophets,
"Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.

OUCH!
Just last week or a couple weeks ago I was telling Rudy that
I didn't want to "hear that!" and he should be "kind" because
he was making me feel "uncomfortable" when of course
I really needed to hear what he had to say regarding God's word.

The footnote to Isaiah 30:10 says:
Do not settle for something that makes you feel comfortable but is not true.
For so many years I was trained through churches of all sorts of denominations
to be comfortable and have a "kind" message taught so as not to offend...
it's sickening to me, actually thinking about it all... the entertainment
value of what church has become when there are so many who are "comfortable"
but not obedient. Who do not deal with the cries of the hungry or the oppressed
justly. May preach it but don't do it... May hear it but don't do it... May see it but turn away...
May be so comfortable as to not even know.
I remember at a couple churches ago a man saying to me, "homeless people? in santa rosa? c'mon on, are there
homeless people in santa rosa? there couldn't be that many?!"
Mercy.

And, Isaiah 30:18:Isaiah 30:18 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

Great word for those who on this day need to find comfort in the hope that
the LORD has for each of us. Wait upon the LORD through difficulty!
Amen.
Good word to share tonight, today, tomorrow at outreach or in our families.
Wait upon the LORD.
He is full of justice and compassion!
hallelujah.

And Isaiah 32:6-7

Isaiah 32:6-8 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


6 For the fool speaks folly,
his mind is busy with evil:
He practices ungodliness
and spreads error concerning the LORD;
the hungry he leaves empty
and from the thirsty he withholds water.

7 The scoundrel's methods are wicked,
he makes up evil schemes
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.

Lots of times we've been told that we are "enabling" people by feeding them
or giving homeless guys socks or
bringing toys to widows and orphans...
lots of times...
people actually have said that...
emailed it...
blah blah blah...
this scripture reminds me of such times as to the "enabling" comments.

And Isaiah 32:9-13Isaiah 32:9-13 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


The Women of Jerusalem

9 You women who are so complacent,
rise up and listen to me;
you daughters who feel secure,
hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,
and the harvest of fruit will not come.

11 Tremble, you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your clothes,
put sackcloth around your waists.

12 Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines

13 and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers—
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.

The last few lines really remind me of Kayla Bohn,
Pastor Troy's teenager daughter who was weeping,
literally weeping for the sin and city of revelry aka
New Orleans while ministering on the streets at
Mardi Gras. It's such a powerful testimony to me~
It also reminds me of my daughter Maddie who
was just in utter shock listening to a grandmother
in Santa Rosa say she was an atheist and Maddie
dumbfounded as to how she could even live, LIVE
without the Lord?

And for my own testimony after going to Katrina weeks
after the storm and then six months later and coming back
here to Santa Rosa... I feel like shouting this to the
women in my county...
LISTEN! Get right with GOD! Be obedient followers of Christ!
Do justly to the oppressed! Don't merely walk through
the rituals of worship and call it church! Do not
listen to illusions and those that call feeding the hungry
enabling! Lies! Do not be complacent nor feel secure
in "comfortable disobedience!"
Mourn for the houses of merriment and those that have
fallen away from doing what is right and just!


What a morning.

A prayer for your children and mine:

Here my cries dear God, be near JESUS, amen.
Open the eyes of my children dear GOD that they would
not listen to the tricks of those who are comfortable in
entertainment and tell lies of the poor~
that they would never shudder at the thought of helping another
in need and surrender their hearts and minds to YOU oh God!
Let them find true worship with their lifestyles, their servants heart,
in all their gifts and talents YOU alone have bestowed upon them,
Dear God hear my cries!
Let my children not fall away from doing what is right and just in your eyes!
Let them wait upon YOU to find comfort and hope through times of difficulty~
through adversity~ and not be tricked by what the world has to offer.
In JESUS name, I pray, AMEN.