Who Is Your God? (Isaiah 40:1-11; 12-26; 27-31)

Who Is Your God? (Isaiah 40:1-11; 12-26; 27-31) [Nov 2016]

1. The God of Comfort (1-11).
2. The Incomparable God (12-26).
3. The God Who Makes Man Fly (27-31).

Most scholars agree that ch. 40–55 were written to the Babylonian exiles after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (Some, doubt Isaiah wrote this ~150 years in advance, and say an anonymous prophet, a devotee of Isaiah, wrote it in 550 B.C. The book makes no reference to this.)

Theme:

1. Chs.1-39 is Trust: the Basis of Servanthood.
2. Chs. 40–55 is Grace: the Motive and Means for Servanthood, for trusting God.
1. Ch. 40 is the intro; 
2. ch. 41–48 is part A, Motive; 
3. ch. 49– 55 is part B, Means.

1. (40:1–2) What attitude/emotion requires encouragement? Why would the exiles be experiencing this? Why was God punishing them? What questions might they be asking? What encouragement does Isaiah offer here? How would these be encouraging? [Comfort" is not a good translation. The idea is to encourage, strengthen.]
2. (40:3-5) How might 40:3 apply to John the Baptist (Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4)? How does that fulfill these promises? Compare to the promise of 7:14. What do these verses say about Yahweh's desire to deliver?
3. (40:6–8) If the goal here is encouragement, how could 40:6–8 be understood as encouragement? Compare the final clause of 40:5 with the final clause of 40:8. What is the point of this repetition (Isa 45:23; 46:11b; 55:10-11)?
4. (40:9-11) Zion and Judah have been destroyed (9). How can they be the heralds of deliverance (10)? What is the good news (11)? What are the two different uses of "arm"? How do they relate to the message of good news? See shepherd in the OT (Ps 23:1; 78:52; Jer 23:2-3; Eze 34:1-31; Mic 2:12). How does Jesus exemplify this (Jn 10:1-18)?
5. (40:12–26) What is the expected answer to the rhetorical questions in 12–14? What is the point? [In the myths the gods were always taking counsel with one another to decide what to do (40:13–14).] Relate 40:15–17 to the points made in chs. 13–23.
6. Why do people constantly seek out idols as objects of worship (18–20; 46:1–7)? How do they compare to Yahweh (21–24)? How is he different? How do 40:18-28 stress the uniqueness of Israel's God?
7. Who is Yahweh being compared to (25–26)? [In paganism the stars are considered to be the visible representation of the gods. "The Host of Heaven" is an expression for "the gods."] What do 40:12–26 say about Yahweh's ability to deliver?
8. (40:27–31) What are the people's complaint (27)? What are they forgetting (28)? Who gets tired (30)? Who gains strength (29)? How can any person "fly" (31)?

When Overcome by Sin and Guilt (Psalm 38)

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When You are Overcome by Your Sin and Guilt:

1. How does David describe his suffering (Ps 38:1; 6:1)?
• Is he asking not to be rebuked or disciplined?
• Who does God discipline (Heb 12:6)? Why (Heb 12:10)?
• How does he feel (Ps 38:2)?
2. What does David connect his suffering with (Ps 38:3, 5)? How did his sin and guilt affect him (Ps 38:4, 6-8)? How does your sin affect you?
• Does God discipline severely (Ac 5:5, 10; 1 Cor 11:29-30)?
• What kind of suffering have you experienced in your life?
• What do you think caused your suffering?
3. What does David know about God's knowledge of him (Ps 38:9; 139:1, 5, 7, 23-24; Gen 16:13)? How is he different from Adam (Gen 3:10)? How devastated is he (Ps 38:10, 17)?
4. How does David's friends react to him (Ps 38:11-12)? Why (Ps 38:16, 19-20)? How did he respond to their criticism and opposition (Ps 38:13-14; 46:10; Eccl 5:2; Isa 53:7; Mt 27:14)?
5. After expressing great suffering what did David do (Ps 38:15; 39:7; 42:5, 11)? Is it easy for you to just wait on God without any time schedule (Job 13:15) What if you do (Isa 40:31)?
6. Is it easy to honesty confess your sins (Ps 38:18)? What if you don't (Ps 32:3-4)? What if you do (Ps 32:5; 1 Jn 1:9)?
7. Do you long to be near God more than with someone else (Ps 38:21)? How earnestly do you affirm your need for help (Ps 38:22)?
• Was his suffering relieved at the end of this Psalm? Is there a high point in this Psalm?
• How could David be so bold to appeal to God for mercy, being the guilty sinner that he was (Ps 51:3-4)?

• How might affliction, anguish, adversity and anxiety help a Christian more than comfort and convenience, safety and security (Ps 119:67, 71, 75, 92)?

• How does Psalm 38 point to Christ (Ps 22:1; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34)?

Suscipe of St. Ignatius of Loyola

The word "suscipe" is Latin for "receive."

The Suscipe is a Catholic prayer written by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It is a surrender to God. It is in his Spiritual Exercises, 1st published in the 16th century. The prayer goes back to monastic profession and reciting Psalm 119. The prayer is: 

• "Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own".
• "You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it".
• "Everything is yours; do with it what you will".
• "Give me only your love and your grace".

Learn How to Suffer Well (Job 1:1-22)

* Learn from Job how to suffer well.

* Don't think that you did something wrong [even if you did] (Jn 9:1-3).

* Own your suffering (Job 1:20-21). Accept your situation/suffering. 

* The ultimate value and purpose of our suffering (Rom 8:28-29).

* No need to know why except that God is good in all that he does.

How You Know If You Truly Believe

Is something wrong with me if I don’t feel God’s presence in my suffering?

Affliction, Adversity, Anxiety and Anguish is Good for Me (9/25/23)

• "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word" (Ps 119:67).
• "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Ps 119:71).
• "I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me" (Ps 119:75).
• "If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" (Ps 119:92).
• "My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?" (Ps 6:3).
• "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" (Ps 22:1).
• "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins" (Ps 25:16-18).
• "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." "My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak" (Ps 31:7, 10).
• "I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart" (Ps 38:8).
• "My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me" (Ps 55:4).
• "Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities" (Ps 107:17).
• "The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow" (Ps 116:3).
• "If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales!" (Job 6:2).
• "Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul" (Job 7:11).
• "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up" (Prov 12:25).
• "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit" (Prov 15:13).
• "Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them" (Isa 30:20).
• "But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul." "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back" (Isa 38:15, 17).
  
• "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction" (Isa 48:10).
• "In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old" (Lam 1:7a).
• "Look, Lord, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed" (Lam 1:9b).
• "I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the Lord's wrath" (Lam 3:1).
• "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall" (Lam 3:19).
• "For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone" (Lam 3:33).
• "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Rom 12:2).

 

Simultaneously Both at All Times

Simultaneously, at all times, I am both:

1. Righteous and Wicked
2. Innocent and Guilty
3. Holy and Unholy
4. Godly and Ungodly
5. Spiritual and Unspiritual
6. Pure and Impure
7. Humble and Arrogant
8. Believing and Unbelieving
9. Faithful and Unfaithful
10. Obedient and Disobedient
11. Trusting and Doubting
12. Blessed and Cursed
13. Healed and Wounded
14. Joyful and Sorrowful
15. Rewarded and Punished
16. Rich and Poor
17. Strong and Weak
18. Protected and Helpless
19. Helped and Abandoned
20. Light and Darkness
21. Living and Dying
22. Content and Crushed
23. Peaceful and Distressed
24. Acquitted and Condemned
25. Exalted and Humiliated
26. Consoled and Anguished
27. Exonerated and Accused
28. Confident and Scared
29. Courageous and Fearful
30. At Rest and Restless
31. In Control and Not in Control.
32. Full of Hope and Despair
33. Lifted Up and Brought Low
34. Gaining Everything and Losing Everything
35. Like Christ and Like the Devil

Affliction (God’s Medicine) by J.C. Ryle

"Affliction is one of God's medicines. By it He often teaches lessons which would be learned in no other way. By it He often draws souls away from sin and the world, which would otherwise have perished everlastingly.

Health is a great blessing, but sanctified disease is a greater blessing. Prosperity and worldly comfort are what all naturally desire; but losses and crosses are far better for us, if they lead us to Christ. Thousands on the last day, will testify with David, 'It is good for me that I have been afflicted' (Psalm. 119:71)."

If You Are Seeking God

Is God Someone You Understand?

Faith - Flannery O'Connor

Faith is not just a matter of intellectual assent, but also a matter of lived experience.

My faith comes and goes. It rises and falls. It lives and seemingly dies or disappears and vanishes. It encourages me and also leads to despair and depression. My faith often feels like it is faltering. Is it even there or am I just imagining that I have faith?

Preach by the Way You Live

Suffering Produces Angels

7 Deadly Sins

The 7 Deadly Sins is a subject of contemplation and moral reflection for centuries. These sins, aka the capital vices, are behaviors and attitudes particularly destructive to the human soul and society. They are moral pitfalls that we all must be vigilant against.

Pride is surely the deadliest, because self is placed above all else. It is the root of all sin, and it blinds us to our own sins. It breeds arrogance, judgmentalism, and failure to recognize our dependence on God. Indeed, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov 16:18).

Envy resents others' good fortune or possessions. It's a poison that eats away at our happiness and relationships. Instead of celebrating others' success, envy makes us bitter and discontented. In contrast, be grateful for what we have and work on self-improvement rather than comparing ourselves to others.

Wrath or anger, can consume us. It leads to rash words, decisions and actions that we later regret. We must control our anger and seek peaceful resolutions to conflicts. "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (Eph 4:26).

Sloth is the sin of laziness or apathy. [Acedia comes from Greek, and means “a lack of care.” It sounds a little like today's sloth, and acedia is indeed considered a precursor to today's sin of laziness. To Christian monks in the fourth century, however, acedia was more than just laziness or apathy. Synonyms: idleness, inactivity, indolence, inertia, laxness, lethargy, listlessness, slackness. slothfulness, slowness, sluggishness.] It neglects responsibility and in reaching our potential. Strive to be diligent and purposeful in life, using our time and talents wisely. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (Col 3:23). Sloth is defined as a spiritual apathy or lack of concern for oneself and others. It is a failure to do things that one should do, or a lack of motivation to work, though the understanding of the sin in antiquity was that this laziness or lack of work was simply a symptom of the vice of apathy or indifference, particularly an apathy or boredom with God. Sloth can manifest in a number of ways, including:

• Physical inactivity
• Neglecting what God has said
• Wasting resources
• Not helping those in need
• Carelessness about God's commands and priorities
• Lack of love for God

Greed, an insatiable desire for money and possessions, leads to unethical behavior and exploitation. Instead, seek contentment and be generous with what you have. Jesus warned, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Lk 12:15).

Lust, an intense desire for physical pleasure, disregards moral and ethical boundaries. It harms relationships and objectifies others. We must strive for purity and respect of others. Jesus said, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28).

Gluttony, the excessive consumption of food, drink, indulgences, leads to physical and spiritual harm. We should practice moderation and self-control in all things. "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony" (Prov 23:1-2).

The 7 Deadly Sins should help us recognize and overcome destructive behaviors in our lives. We must strive for humility, contentment, self-control and love for our neighbors. This leads to more fulfilling and virtuous lives. It sbuild a better society based on love, compassion, and moral integrity. Reflect on these 7 sins, apply them to ourselves, and seek the path of holiness, righteousness and spiritual growth.

3 Stages of the Converted. 7 Deadly Sins

"There are in truth three states of the converted: the beginning, the middle, and the perfection. In the beginning they experience the charms of sweetness;  in the middle the contests of temptation; and  in the end the fullness of perfection."–Pope St. Gregory the Great. The 7 Deadly Sins Lust Gluttony Greed Sloth Wrath Envy Pride

Right Away was not right now, but Stretched out for a Long Time. Augustine.

"I was sure that it was better for me to give myself up to your love than to give in to my own desires. However, although the one way appealed to me and was gaining mastery, the other still afforded me pleasure and kept me victim. I had no answer to give to you when you said to me, 'Rise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you.' When on all sides you showed me that your words were true, and I was overcome by your truth, I had no answer whatsoever to make, but only those slow and drowsy words, 'Right away. Yes, right away.' 'Let me be for a little while.' But 'Right away—right away' was never right now, and 'Let me be for a little while' stretched out for a long time."—St. Augustine. On delaying repentance more fully/procrastination.

A Mother's Prayer and Tears: "And Thou sent Thine hand from above, and drew my soul out of that profound darkness, my mother, Thy faithful one, weeping to Thee for me, more than mothers weep the bodily deaths of their children. For she, by that faith and spirit which she had from Thee, discerned the death wherein I lay, and Thou heard her, O Lord; Thou heard her, and despised not her tears, when streaming down, they watered the ground under her eyes in every place where she prayed; yea Thou heard her."–St. Augustine in The Confessions.

"O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams."–St. Augustine. “There are two loves, the love of God and the love of the world. If the love of the world takes possession of you, there is no way for the love of God to enter into you. Let the love of the world take the second place, and let the love of God dwell in you. Let the better love take over.”—St. Augustine.

 

I Abandon Myself into Your Hands

Charles de Foucauld's Prayer of Abandonment:

Father, I abandon myself into your hands,

do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you;

I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.

I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;

I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,

for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,

to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,

and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.

There is No Such Thing as New Truth, Frederick Douglas

"There is no such thing as new truth; error might be old or new, but truth is as old as the universe." Frederick Douglas, from his lecture "Popular Error and Unpopular Truth," 1863.

"God reigns in eternity, and that whatever delays, whatever disappointments and discouragements may come, truth, justice, liberty and humanity will ultimately prevail." 

The Vulgar, Profane and Dishonorable

Though I enthusiastically espouse such epithets, how effective am I at embracing and embodying it?

Embrace Silence

When an Armor becomes a Straightjacket

"The culture is put on as though it were armor against self-doubt, but it becomes a mental straitjacket which cleaves to the flesh and can never be removed except through comprehensive faith in the saving work of Christ."  Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of the Spiritual Life.

This means that we often use our cultural identity as a form of protection or defense mechanism, but it can also limit us and restrict our ability to grow and change.

Jesus’s teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people

"Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did." Tim Keller, The Prodigal God.

Can You Learn, Unlearn and Relearn from the "Inerrant and Infallible" Bible?

Learn, Unlearn, Relearn. The "conservative" Pharisees believed that Moses, their Torah and the Prophets (the Old Testament) were inerrant and infallible (Ps 18:30; 19:7; 119:89; Prov 30:5; Dt 8:3). It thus formed, framed and fixed their thoughts, consciousness and even their unconscious such that it could never change for any reason, not even upon seeing supernatural miracles (Jn 14:11). In order to learn they needed to unlearn and relearn their very own Scriptures. The problem was that they used their faith in their Scriptures to justify being closed, fixed, rigid, inflexible and not being pliable and open. They couldn't accept the welcoming and forgiveness of "horrible sinners" (Lk 15:1-2). They were "old wine skins" (Mt 9:16-17; Mk 2:22; Lk 5:37-38) stubbornly unwilling to be "born again" (Jn 3:3, 5; 1 Pet 1:23). Thus, they could not learn, unlearn or relearn anything from the Bible they claimed to believe in.

Learning Requires Unlearning

This profound quote by Australian missiologist and theologian Alan Hirsh explains why we Christians might get severely stuck--like the Pharisees. But this quote may be quite uncomfortable, unnerving, disconcerting and disagreeable to some (Disciples are learners and learning requires unleaning):

"In the NT the disciples of Jesus are called "learners" (matheiteis). A disciple can therefore never leave learning behind, and consequently can also never leave unlearning behind. No one can learn, who is not prepared to unlearn. (Learning) is gained only by those who break out of boundaries that have been set, who venture out of fixed paths into the unknown, and who do not let their heart and head be stunted by routine. ...only by what we can unlearn do we show whether and to what extent we are capable of learning."

Theme of Salvation: Acts 1-28

"For my eyes have seen your salvation" (Lk 2:30). "...which you have prepared in the sight of all people: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel" (Lk 2:31-32).

• Salvation is [entirely] what God does for you + [it is expressed by] what you do [i.e. how you live] that reflects your salvation (Phil 2:12-13).
• Salvation is not "going to heaven after you die," but it is your life while you are still alive existentially speaking.
• Salvation in Scripture is communicated not just for the individual but for the entire community/nation (Exo 19:5-6).

AI for Academics: Four Great Tools You Can Use Now

How Inclusive and/or Exclusive Are You?

The Jesus of the Gospels is offensive because of how inclusive He is.

The Jesus of the Gospels is offensive because of how exclusive He is.

The church is offended by His inclusivity, and the world is offended by His exclusivity.

Judging Others Makes Us Blind (Bonhoeffer)

"Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are." Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Trials, Tests, Tribulations

John Bevere

It All Ends in Praise - Psalm 150 Meditation by Tim Keller

Where should God be praised? Everywhere.

Why should we praise God? For everything.

How should we praise Him? In every way.

Who should praise Him? Everyone.

Faith Quotes

1. "Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation." - D. Elton Trueblood
2. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King Jr.
3. "Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods." - C.S. Lewis
4. "Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times." - Martin Luther
   
5. "Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into." - Mahatma Gandhi
6. "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." - Saint Augustine
7. "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore
8. "Faith is not a power which you possess to create your own future. Faith is a gift from God." - John Ortberg
9. "Faith is not a feeling, nor a sentiment, but a will act." - J.H. Newman
10. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1 (Bible verse)
11. "Faith is not a belief that God will do what you want. It is a belief that God will do what is right." - Max Lucado
12. "Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right." - Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
13. "Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light." - Helen Keller
14. "Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof." - Kahlil Gibran
15. 
    

The 12 Principles of AA

1. Honesty.
2. Hope.
3. Surrender.
4. Courage.
5. Integrity.
6. Willingness.
7. Humility.
8. Love.
9. Responsibility.
10. Discipline.
11. Awareness.
12. Service,

Hudson Taylor in his Old Age

In his old age, he lost his health and became very weak. He wrote a letter to a friend that said "I am so weak I can no longer work. I am so weak I can no longer study. I am so weak I can no longer read my Bible. I can't even pray. I can only lie still in the arms of God like a little child in trust."

It's OK when God Withholds and Things Don't Go the Way You Want

God would give you everything you ask for if you knew everything that God knows.

If we have the perspective that God has, if we can see the end at the beginning, if we could see all hearts, if we knew everything that is to know and all the contingencies, then what God gives us is what we would ask for. Thus, God will always answer your prayers if you know everything that God knows.