We are ready for the sun to break through overcast skies. In Colorado we are use to over 300 days of sun each year. This morning, I conducted the chapel services at Morning Star Assisted Living, as Debbie headed off to a day of on call responsibilities. Later this afternoon I did get to the fitness center. I finally made a week of four workouts. I just need to keep up that routine.<\/p>\n
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…<\/strong> \u201cWhat are all your sacrifices to Me?\u201d <\/span>asks the Lord<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cI have had enough of burnt offerings and rams <\/span>and the fat of well-fed cattle; <\/span>I have no desire for the blood of bulls, <\/span>lambs, or male goats.<\/span> When you come to appear before Me, <\/span>who requires this from you\u2014<\/span>this trampling of My courts?\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Stop bringing useless offerings…When you lift up your hands in prayer,<\/span> I will refuse to look at you;<\/span> even if you offer countless prayers,<\/span><\/em> Isaiah prophesies during a time of escalating sin and rebellion in Judah. His ministry does last until the days of righteous King Hezekiah, when a time of revival and a true return to the Lord and His ways takes place. But as his prophecy begins, we see a description of God’s “children in rebellion.” \u201cI have raised children and brought them up, <\/span><\/em>but they have rebelled against Me.”<\/em> (Isaiah 1:2 HCSB)<\/span><\/p>\n The results of their rebellion against the Lord is impacting all aspects of their life. They had lost their way. In modern vernacular, “they had fallen and couldn’t get back up.” Perhaps more accurately they refused to get back up. Their rebellion was seen in poor crops, a curse on the land and a curse on the people. Even their attempted sacrificial rituals were nauseating to the Lord.<\/p>\n Paul writes to Timothy about those in the last days who will, “have a form of godliness, but deny its power.”<\/em> (2 Timothy 3:5) That is where God’s people were at in Isaiah’s day. They were good on ritual, but poor on righteousness. They felt they were doing their duty going “through the motions” but they really didn’t want to change or truly obey the Lord.<\/p>\n As a result, the Lord said, “stop bringing useless sacrifices.” They were only fooling themselves, not God. The Lord was not even impressed with their prayers and lifting up of their hands. The problem with God’s people was their hearts and their actions. Richard Halverson, Chaplain of the US Senate once spoke of “practical atheism.” He explained as “believing there is God, but living as though He doesn’t exist.” That’s what God’s people were doing.<\/p>\n In the midst of the devastation the people were experiencing due to their sin and rebellion, we see the Lord calling them back to Himself and offering hope for the future. But it required a willingness for them to change their ways.<\/p>\n \u201cWash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. <\/span>Remove your evil deeds from My sight. <\/span>Stop doing evil.<\/span> Learn to do what is good. <\/span>Seek justice. <\/span>Correct the oppressor. <\/span>Defend the rights of the fatherless. <\/span>Plead the widow\u2019s cause.”\u00a0<\/span><\/em> (Isaiah 1:16,17 HCSB) God’s people had become unaware of their need to change their actions, for there to be a change in their condition. David prayed and declared, “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. <\/span>God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.”<\/span> <\/em>(Psalm 51:17 HCSB)<\/p>\n Then the Lord calls them to consider there ways and to seize the opportunity for a life different than what they were experiencing. \u201cCome, let us discuss this,\u201d <\/span><\/span>says the Lord<\/span>. <\/span><\/em>\u201cThough your sins are like scarlet,<\/em> <\/span>they will be as white as snow; <\/span>though they are as red as crimson, <\/span>they will be like wool.”<\/span> <\/em>(Isaiah 1:18 HCSB)<\/p>\n The Lord presents the possibility of true change and a new life. In working with those struggling with addictions, one of the greatest motivations to recovery is understanding and accepting the fact that, my life as I am experiencing now, can be different. I don’t have to be forever caught in this bondage of addiction. That is what the Lord was communicating to His people. Regardless of what is happening, there is hope. That is a message of good news!<\/p>\n The Lord clearly shows the two options before His people, “If you are willing<\/strong> and obedient, <\/span>you will eat the good things of the land.\u00a0<\/span>But if you refuse<\/strong> and rebel, <\/span>you will be devoured by the sword.\u201d <\/span>For the mouth of the Lord<\/span> has spoken.”<\/span><\/em> (Isaiah 1:19,20 HCSB)<\/p>\n “If<\/strong> you are willing and obedient.”\u00a0<\/em>I am thankful that if we are “willing” the Lord will give us the strength to “be obedient.” David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation,<\/span> and make me willing to obey you.”<\/span><\/span> <\/em>(Psalm 51:12 NLT)<\/p>\n Once again, we see the promise of blessing from following the Lord and the warning of hardship by rejecting His ways. The profession of our lips, must match the dedication of our lives. When those two align, we place ourselves in a position of favor and blessing from the Lord.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We are ready for the sun to break through overcast skies. In Colorado we are use to over 300 days of sun each year. This morning, I conducted the chapel services at Morning Star Assisted Living, as Debbie headed off to a day of on call responsibilities. Later this afternoon I did get to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3091"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3092,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3091\/revisions\/3092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kensummers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI will not listen.”<\/em>\u00a0<\/span> Isaiah 1:11-13,15 HCSB<\/span><\/p>\n