Video Talk

Isaiah 30:1-5,8-11 ESV

“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord,
“who carry out a plan, but not mine,
and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit,
that they may add sin to sin;
who set out to go down to Egypt,
without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh
and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,
and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
For though his officials are at Zoan
and his envoys reach Hanes,
everyone comes to shame
through a people that cannot profit them,
that brings neither help nor profit,
but shame and disgrace.”

And now, go, write it before them on a tablet
and inscribe it in a book,
that it may be for the time to come
as a witness forever.
For they are a rebellious people,
lying children,
children unwilling to hear
the instruction of the Lord;
who say to the seers, “Do not see,”
and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right;
speak to us smooth things,
prophesy illusions,
leave the way, turn aside from the path,
let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”

Although this is Old Testament, it is very applicable to Christians today. For the church, at least here in America, has largely formed an alliance not of God, and they are carrying out a plan not of God, for they have gone to their “Egypt” without asking direction from God, or without really listening to God’s answer, and they have taken refuge in the US government (the state), and they are relying on marketing books and businessmen to teach them how to grow their churches and how to attract the world to their gatherings.

So, instead of gathering together as the saints of God to encourage and exhort one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord, where the whole body can do the work of the ministry God has assigned for us to do, as his body, the gatherings have been now aimed at attracting the world and doing the kinds of things the world would want to come to. And so they have changed the whole meaning of “church,” and most are diluting the gospel message so as not to offend the people of the world with the truth.

And so they are definitely saying to us who are still teaching the whole counsel of God to stop confronting them with their sins of idolatry and adultery and sexual immorality and lying, etc. And they want us to stop calling people to repentance and to walks of obedience to our Lord. And they want us to stop exposing the lies that we are being taught in these institutional churches. And they want us to tell them things that make them feel good and which don’t offend sinners. They want to hear pleasant things. But we who belong to Jesus need to keep speaking the truth.

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The Lord’s Anointed

An Original Work / December 16, 2011
Based off Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;
Anointed to preach the Good News;
Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;
Proclaim freedom for the captives.
He sent me to preach release for pris’ners
Who are walking in sin’s darkness;
Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;
And tell them about God’s judgments;
Comfort all who mourn;
Give crowns of beauty;
Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,
A planting of our Savior, God,
For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and
They will rebuild God’s holy church.
God will renew them, and will restore them,
And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.
You will be ministers of our God, and
You will rejoice in salvation.
The Lord loves justice;
He is faithful to
Reward those who are seeking Him.

I delight greatly in the Lord;
My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.
He has clothed me with His salvation,
And in a robe of His righteousness.
He has given me priestly garments to wear,
As the bride of Jesus Christ.
As the garden of our Lord and Savior,
He causes us to grow in Him.
He makes righteousness,
Praise, and thanksgiving
Spring up before all the nations.