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Burnsille, NC Public Art
Title:
Ann-Marie Medium: Stone and Steel Artist:
Carl Peverall
TRAC (Toe River Arts
Council) 828-682-7215
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My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings
(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)
Chastised in Fury,
Saved in Mercy, for His Glory - Isaiah 59 and 60 (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) – God is speaking through
the prophet Isaiah. Does God sill intervene in our lives? The reminder:
God still saves. He still
hears. “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; nor is
His ear heavy that it cannot hear.”
Why is God not coming to the rescue of His
people? Because of
their…iniquity. What
iniquity? Because…”their hands are defiled with blood….they
have spoken lies…perversity…no one calls for justice…nor pleads for truth…but
they trust in empty words…speak lies (X 2)…conceive evil…bring forth
iniquity…violence…evil…causing wasting…destruction…have not known the way of
peace…have made for themselves crooked paths.” Who or what
testifies against us? “Our sins,
transgressions, iniquities testify against us…in transgressing against….lying
against…departing from our God…speaking oppression…revolt…conceiving of and
uttering falsehood…justice, truth, righteousness and equity are turned back…and he who
departs from evil makes himself its prey.” The LORD intervenes into the idolatry, apostasy
and evil. God brings His own salvation,
righteousness, recompense to evil. “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the
Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him…for those…who turn
from transgression.” The promise of the LORD: “He
will put His words in His people’s mouths and His Spirit upon His people from
generation to generation – forever.”
God’s call: “Arise…shine…lift up your eyes to see…FOR
the glory of the LORD has come upon you.
In My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have mercy on you.” The enemies will be turned into His people’s
servants. Peace will reign in place of
violence and sorrow… THAT…”you shall know that I the LORD am your
Savior…your Redeemer…the Mighty One of Jacob…THAT…I may be glorified.”
Principle: Some of the
oppression we experience is the result of our sin. There will be divine consequences when His
people sin, YET He will show mercy when transgressors repent and turn from
their wickedness back to Him. This is
for His people’s good and His own glory.
Glory To God – Not to
Us – Psalm 115: 1-2 (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us...but...to
Your name give glory…because…of Your mercy…Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, ‘So where is
their God?’ But our God is in heaven; He
does whatever He pleases.” Principle: Soli Deo Gloria!
Exhortations to
Believers -Ephesians 5:17-33 - Facts: What It Says – Summarized) (From verses 15-16: “Walk
circumspectly…redeeming the time…BECAUSE…the days are evil”)….”THEREFORE…be not unwise…but…understand what
the will of the Lord is. Do not be drunk
with wine…but…be filled with the Spirit…speaking to one another in
psalms…hymns…spiritual songs…singing…making melody in your heart to the
Lord…giving thanks…always…for all things…to God the Father in the name of Jesus
Christ. “Wives submit to…respect...your
husbands since he is your head as Christ is the head of the church. Husbands love your wives (X 4)…as your own
bodies…just as…Christ loved the church…and…gave Himself...for her. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh,
but…nourishes…cherishes…it, just as the Lord does the church. FOR we are members of His body…His flesh…and
of His bones. FOR THIS REASON…a man
shall leave his father and mother…and be joined to…his wife…and the two shall
become…one flesh. This is a great
mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in
particular…so love…his own wife…as himself…and let the wife see that
she…respects…her husband.”
Principle: Those who “possess” – not just “profess” - faith will manifest that faith outwardly in behavior – in a circumspect, sober,
Spirit-filled life of constant gratitude to God. Particularly, this proven faith will manifest
itself in a Christian marriage that emulates Christ's love for the church, where the husband so loves his wife that he
would gladly give his life for her, and where the wife will submit to and respect her
husband.
My Lessons and
Applications: It is a somewhat
acerbic joke among many that if you have ever attended a Baptist church you
have already heard the one sermon: “Wives,
be submissive to your husbands and tithe ten
percent.” I heard the “Wives, submit to
your husband” sermon so often growing up, that I found myself just skimming
over the more lengthy following commands to the husband. One of the most memorable sermons I heard on
this passage was in a very strict Bible church (with a staff of well-educated,
seminary professors and pastors and where only men were allowed to speak in
church.) The “preaching elder” said that
if the exhortation to the husband to love his wife were followed and lived day-by-day, there
would be no concern about the wife submitting to or respecting her husband. This same patriarchal church said that in the 40 or 50 years of their own
marital counseling and study, a very great majority of marital problems (they
actually gave a percentage that was about 90%) stemmed from the husband – not
the wife – contrary to what many of us have been led to believe in pulpit sermons on this passage. Just thought I would give voice to “the rest
of the story” that we rarely hear preached!
My application here is the importance of my knowing the Bible in its
entirety – not just sitting under the Ministry of the Word, as important as
that is. I must allow the Holy Spirit to
speak to me, listen to what He has to say to me about my particular
situation. I must have a personal
relationship with God, not just an hour spent on Sunday listening to someone
else tell me what God is saying. As in
Isaiah, I must know when the Holy Spirit is convicting me – when my sins speak
against me. I must confess and turn from
wickedness in order to maintain my close walk with God. One of the lessons that has most struck me
this year in the reading through the Bible is the immense importance of my
praise to God…of having a thankful heart and voicing that to Him
often…regardless of the circumstances…of just being alone with Him, loving
Him…enjoying Him…glorifying Him now and forever!
Arise,
Shine. Isaiah 60:1 “Arise from
the dead.” Ephesians 5:14
When the Spirit
of God comes in and says, in effect, ‘Buck up,’ we find that the initiative is
inspired. It comes with such miraculous
power that we are able to arise from the dead and do the impossible thing. The remarkable thing about spiritual
initiative is the life comes after we do the “bucking up.” Our Lord said to the man with the withered
hand – ‘Stretch forth thy hand,’ and as soon as the man did so, his hand was
healed, but he had to take the initiative.
If we will do the overcoming, we shall find we are inspired of God
because He gives life immediately. We
must do the thing and not lie like a log.
If we will arise and shine, drudgery becomes divinely transfigured. When the Lord does a thing through us, He always
transfigures it. Our Lord took on Him
our human flesh and transfigured it, and it has become for every saint the
temple of the Holy Ghost. Oswald Chambers, My
Utmost for His Highest
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