November 30, 2017 Thursday

A Message for Rebellious Judah 2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!  This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master.  My people don’t recognize my care for them.” 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt.   They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.  Isaiah 1:2-4 NLT

            Our Sunday school class is studying the book Christmas from the Backside by J. Ellsworth Kalas who tries to help us look at Christmas from a different view.  Kalas reminds us that one reason we don’t understand Christmas is that we start with the Light and totally miss what I call the bad news about the Good News.

            As people we can see Jesus coming as something we are due and miss the love and grace of God.  Isaiah begins his book showing how we must begin our preparation for the coming of Jesus which is so clearly told in the book of Isaiah.

            We like Judah were and are rebellious, didn’t know our Master, were blind to God’s concern and care, sinful, loaded down with guilt, evil, corrupt, rejected God, despised God and have turned our backs on God!

            WOW!  What a list of infamy and evil!  Read the verses over and you will see that even the list above is nicer than God’s full condemnation!  We are undeserving and unable to ever be worth the First Gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ!

            In Advent discover the wonder of Christmas as you discover the depth of the darkness the Light of this Little One overcame and opened our eyes to our sin and to the undeserved Love of God!!!

            Vance Woodward came by for a great visit and brought some books about the Civil War and some water which e hopes will help me.  As we talked I was struck by the thought that so many do not truly accept the power of prayer and of God’s activity in our world today.  It seems as though the Church in America tries to limit God into a comfortable being that we can control and not fear.  So sad.

            Bonnie took Mom to the doctor and they will run some more tests but she seems to be doing better.