Book of Isaiah, Chapter 51

 Chapter 51

The Lord's Comfort for Zion

1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,

    you who seek the Lord:

look to the rock from which you were hewn,

    and to the quarry from which you were dug.

2 Look to Abraham your father

    and to Sarah who bore you;

for he was but one when I called him,

    that I might bless him and multiply him.

3 For the Lord comforts Zion;

    he comforts all her waste places

and makes her wilderness like Eden,

    her desert like the garden of the Lord;

joy and gladness will be found in her,

    thanksgiving and the voice of song.

4 “Give attention to me, my people,

    and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

    and I will set my justice for a light to the people.

5 My righteousness draws near,

    my salvation has gone out,

    and my arms will judge the peoples;

the coastlands hope for me,

    and for my arm they wait.

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

    and look at the earth beneath;

for the heavens vanish like smoke,

    the earth will wear out like a garment,

    and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;

but my salvation will be forever,

    and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,

    the people in whose heart is my law;

fear not the reproach of man,

    nor be dismayed at their revilings.

8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,

    and the worm will eat them like wool,

but my righteousness will be forever,

    and my salvation to all generations.”

9 Awake, awake, put on strength,

    O arm of the Lord;

awake, as in days of old,

    the generations of long ago.

Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,

    who pierced the dragon?

10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,

    the waters of the great deep,

who made the depths of the sea a way

    for the redeemed to pass over?

11 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return

    and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

    they shall obtain gladness and joy,

    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

12 “I, I am he who comforts you;

    who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,

    of the son of man who is made like grass,

13 and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,

    who stretched out the heavens

    and laid the foundations of the earth,

and you fear continually all the day

    because of the wrath of the oppressor,

when he sets himself to destroy?

    And where is the wrath of the oppressor?

14 He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;

    he shall not die and go down to the pit,

    neither shall his bread be lacking.

15 I am the Lord your God,

    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

    the Lord of hosts is his name.

16 And I have put my words in your mouth

    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,

establishing the heavens

    and laying the foundations of the earth,

    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

17 Wake yourself, wake yourself,

    stand up, O Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord

    the cup of his wrath,

who have drunk to the dregs

    the bowl, the cup of staggering.

18 There is none to guide her

    among all the sons she has borne;

there is none to take her by the hand

    among all the sons she has brought up.

19 These two things have happened to you—

    who will console you?—

devastation and destruction, famine and sword;

    who will comfort you?

20 Your sons have fainted;

    they lie at the head of every street

    like an antelope in a net;

they are full of the wrath of the Lord,

    the rebuke of your God.

21 Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,

    who are drunk, but not with wine:

22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord,

    your God who pleads the cause of his people:

“Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;

the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more;

23 and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,

    who have said to you,

    ‘Bow down, that we may pass over’;

and you have made your back like the ground

    and like the street for them to pass over.”

Merry Christmas 2021

                           Merry Christmas To You and Yours

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." Luke 2:1-14 

May you all have a very Merry Christmas, and always remember, there is nothing wrong with lights on the Tree, nor Presents under it, as long as you never forget, the reason for the season is the Gift God gave to all mankind. Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Be Blessed, Be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord.

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 50

 Chapter 50

Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience

1 Thus says the Lord:

“Where is your mother's certificate of divorce,

    with which I sent her away?

Or which of my creditors is it

    to whom I have sold you?

Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,

    and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

2 Why, when I came, was there no man;

    why, when I called, was there no one to answer?

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

    Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,

    I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink for lack of water

    and die of thirst.

3 I clothe the heavens with blackness

    and make sackcloth their covering.”

4 The Lord God has given me

    the tongue of those who are taught,

that I may know how to sustain with a word

    him who is weary.

Morning by morning he awakens;

    he awakens my ear

    to hear as those who are taught.

5 The Lord God has opened my ear,

    and I was not rebellious;

    I turned not backward.

6 I gave my back to those who strike,

    and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;

I hid not my face

    from disgrace and spitting.

7 But the Lord God helps me;

    therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like a flint,

    and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

8     He who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?

    Let us stand up together.

Who is my adversary?

    Let him come near to me.

9 Behold, the Lord God helps me;

    who will declare me guilty?

Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;

    the moth will eat them up.

10 Who among you fears the Lord

    and obeys the voice of his servant?

Let him who walks in darkness

    and has no light

trust in the name of the Lord

    and rely on his God.

11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire,

    who equip yourselves with burning torches!

Walk by the light of your fire,

    and by the torches that you have kindled!

This you have from my hand:

    you shall lie down in torment.

Gifts from God, Spirit

 Holy Spirit

We have been talking about the gifts that we receive from God when we first become a child of His. He gives us "Eyes to see" and "Ears to hear," so that we may be able to hear and see His words and His will for our lives. How does He do this? By giving us the greatest gift we could ever receive. "The Spirit to receive." The "Spirit of Life." The Holy Spirit. To fully understand how this works, you must first understand, who the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit, in some translations, the Holy Ghost, is not a spook. He is not a concept. Nor an idea. The Holy Spirit is a very real Person.

You accept Jesus's sacrifice for you. His blood for your blood. His suffering for your suffering. His death, that you may live. Then the Holy Spirit comes and adopts you into the Family of God. Jesus said.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 14: 15-17

He said we should not mourn Him not being with us, or long for Him to be with us, because He will ALWAYS be with us. In the very next verse, Jesus said this.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:18-21

Now even some standing there, listening to Jesus tell us this, did not fully understand. Read on. Verse 22.

"Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." John 14: 22-24

You really need to understand what Jesus is actually saying here. Read on some more starting at verse 25

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

Who will teach us the things of God, and bring to our remembrance the Words Jesus has taught us? The Holy Spirit. However, to fully understand the reality, you must fully understand who the Holy Spirit actually is.

Genesis 1:1

'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

In the beginning God. God was in the beginning. Next verse.

"The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

When there was yet nothing, The Holy Spirit was there. Do you see that? Then a little bit later in Genesis.

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26-27

In the original language, the word "our" means three or more. We are created in the image of God. We have our brain. or mind. Our knowledge and wisdom, will and emotions. Fashioned after God the Father. Our body. Fashioned after the flesh of God, Jesus, Our spirit. Who we really are, the thing that lives on. Fashioned after the Holy Spirit. We are three, yet one.

But wait, Where does it say Jesus was there?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1: 1

A little bit later.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

God, The Word, {Which became Flesh, Jesus} and the Spirit was there in the beginning and have always been. Then to fully understand who the Holy Spirit is, we need to go back to John 14.

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

He said "I" shall come to you. He is already there? Of course. So what He is telling them, is that the Holy Spirit is Him, He is God. Three yet one. That when the flesh dies, and He goes to be with the Father, the Spirit, who never dies, will come and dwell in us.

"Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. "

Again, "I" in you. Not some spook. "I." Jesus. The Holy Spirit is equal to Jesus. He IS Jesus. Jesus IS God. Are you following?

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

Read that again. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and WE will come to him and make OUR home with him." What is He saying? Remember, OUR means three or more. Jesus said WE will make OUR abode with him. The very real person Jesus, the very real person the Holy Spirit, and even God Himself will live IN us.

Now perhaps you can fully appreciate this passage.

"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."1 John 4: 4

Once you say the Prayer of Salvation, once you ask God to set you free from the laws of sin and death, the old you, the flesh dies. You are dead. You are then transformed into a new creature where the real you, the Spirit you, is now in total control. Second, The Holy Spirit comes down from heaven and dwells in you, with you. You now have the power of faith. You are now going to live on long after the body dies. Who is the Holy Spirit?? Think about that. The Creator of all that is was or ever will be is now living in you. This is why you can hear and see. This is why you can receive the things of God when the rest of the world cannot. They do not have the greatest gift. They do not have the Holy Spirit.

We all have that little voice in our heads. Most of us anyway. We know right from wrong. We know when we should or should not do, this or that. Some call it a conscience. As a child of God, you can call it the Holy Spirit. You could, and you would be accurate, call it God Himself.

If we have God Himself, the alpha and omega, The beginning and the end, the Creator of all that is, was and ever will be, living inside of us, He knows better than we. Does He not?

"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. " Isaiah 30: 20-21

God will never leave you nor forsake you. He is with you always. Unless YOU chose to walk away. Unless YOU chose not to listen. Unless YOU chose to put the cares of this world over His Will. His plan and purpose for your life. He is with you always. Be with Him always. Trust in Him to know better than you. Learn to listen to that voice. Understand what that voice is. Who that voice is. He is there for you.

Hope you all have a VERY MERRY Christmas. If you have not said the "Prayer of salvation" yet, you can today. This very day. At this very time. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 49

 Chapter 49

The Servant of the Lord

1 Listen to me, O coastlands,

    and give attention, you peoples from afar.

The Lord called me from the womb,

    from the body of my mother he named my name.

2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;

    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow;

    in his quiver he hid me away.

3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,

    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;

    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my right is with the Lord,

    and my recompense with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says,

    he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him;

    and that Israel might be gathered to him—

for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,

    and my God has become my strength—

6 he says:

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

    to raise up the tribes of Jacob

    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;

I will make you as a light for the nations,

    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says the Lord,

    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,

    the servant of rulers:

“Kings shall see and arise;

    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

The Restoration of Israel

8 Thus says the Lord:

“In a time of favor I have answered you;

    in a day of salvation I have helped you;

I will keep you and give you

    as a covenant to the people,

to establish the land,

    to apportion the desolate heritages,

9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’

    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’

They shall feed along the ways;

    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;

10 they shall not hunger or thirst,

    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,

for he who has pity on them will lead them,

    and by springs of water will guide them.

11 And I will make all my mountains a road,

    and my highways shall be raised up.

12 Behold, these shall come from afar,

    and behold, these from the north and from the west,

    and these from the land of Syene.”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

    break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted his people

    and will have compassion on his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;

    my Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,

    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget,

    yet I will not forget you.

16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

    your walls are continually before me.

17 Your builders make haste;

    your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.

18 Lift up your eyes around and see;

    they all gather, they come to you.

As I live, declares the Lord,

    you shall put them all on as an ornament;

    you shall bind them on as a bride does.

19 “Surely your waste and your desolate places

    and your devastated land—

surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,

    and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 The children of your bereavement

    will yet say in your ears:

‘The place is too narrow for me;

    make room for me to dwell in.’

21 Then you will say in your heart:

    ‘Who has borne me these?

I was bereaved and barren,

    exiled and put away,

    but who has brought up these?

Behold, I was left alone;

    from where have these come?’”

22 Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,

    and raise my signal to the peoples;

and they shall bring your sons in their arms,

    and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,

    and their queens your nursing mothers.

With their faces to the ground, they shall bow down to you,

    and lick the dust of your feet.

Then you will know that I am the Lord;

    those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

24 Can the prey be taken from the mighty,

    or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?

25 For thus says the Lord:

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,

    and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,

for I will contend with those who contend with you,

    and I will save your children.

26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,

    and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.

Then all flesh shall know

    that I am the Lord your Savior,

    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Gifts from God, Ears

 Ears to hear.

As we enter the Holiday Season, we are discussing some very important gifts we receive from our Father. No. I'm not talking about the new gaming console or the newest must-have gift of the year. No. We are talking about gifts that we receive from God, that He only gives to His children so that they may grow closer to Him and become wise in His ways to do His works here on earth. Without these gifts, it would be impossible to even get to know God or any of His ways. We read this in His Word.

“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not." Jeremiah 5:21

Jesus explain that this is why He spoke to people in parables.

“To you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears, they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Matthew 13:11-17

Last time we talked about the gift of "Eyes to see" Today we will be discussing "Ears to hear." We know that the Word declares that faith comes by what?

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17

Remember, Jesus was talking to the religious leaders of the day when He made these statements.

"Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word." John 8:43

Why? He goes on to make it even more clear. Well, after He calls them the children of satan. He said this.

"Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." John 8:47

God is the only one that can open your ears to hear His Word and His voice.

"The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both." Proverbs 20:12

Hearing God is not a natural state of man. We are not able to hear anything that is of God if we are not of God. It is impossible. Only by God calling us out, giving us "Eyes to see, ears to hear, and a spirit to understand," we cannot even hear the words that are spoken.

When you read the Word and you see Jesus telling a parable, sometimes, you may even think that the people Jesus is talking to are stupid. It may be clear to you what He is talking about, however, to those He is talking to, it is far from clear. They are not stupid people. These were the rulers of the synagogues and the "experts" in the Bible. The Torah or the Law. They could quote it word for word, yet? Jesus called them the children of the devil and said they can not hear Him because they are not of God.

This is why some people seem to fail to understand you when you try to share the Word with them. I remember thinking to myself a few times, how can that person not understand these simple things I'm trying to share. It is not because they are stupid. It is because they are not physically capable of hearing what you are saying. It would be like someone coming to me and speaking Japanese to me. I will not understand what they are saying. Moreover, I will not even understand the words themselves. Why? I'm not Japanese.

When God calls us out of the world, we become His children. We become citizens of heaven. We can now understand heavenly language and we can now speak heavenly language as well. We can hear the wisdom of God that the world sees as foolishness.

"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”" 1 Corinthians 3:18-19

God gifts us this very important and very precious gift of having ears to hear.

"For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

We are His children. Adopted into the Family of God. He gives us good gifts. He wants to have a relationship with us. He hears us. He wants us to have the ability to hear Him. The only way this is possible is that He opens our ears.

How do we receive these eyes to see, and ears to hear? It comes with the Spirit to receive. The Spirit of adoption. The Spirit of life. The Holy Spirit. More on this next time. Do you have ears to hear? Eyes to see? Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He has risen from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 48

 Chapter 48

Israel Refined for God's Glory

1 Hear this, O house of Jacob,

    who are called by the name of Israel,

    and who came from the waters of Judah,

who swear by the name of the Lord

    and confess the God of Israel,

    but not in truth or right.

2 For they call themselves after the holy city,

    and stay themselves on the God of Israel;

    the Lord of hosts is his name.

3 “The former things I declared of old;

    they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;

    then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

4 Because I know that you are obstinate,

    and your neck is an iron sinew

    and your forehead brass,

5 I declared them to you from of old,

    before they came to pass I announced them to you,

lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,

    my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

6 “You have heard; now see all this;

    and will you not declare it?

From this time forth I announce to you new things,

    hidden things that you have not known.

7 They are created now, not long ago;

    before today you have never heard of them,

    lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

8 You have never heard, you have never known,

    from of old your ear has not been opened.

For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,

    and that from before birth you were called a rebel.

9 “For my name's sake I defer my anger;

    for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,

    that I may not cut you off.

10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;

    I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,

    for how should my name be profaned?

    My glory I will not give to another.

The Lord's Call to Israel

12 “Listen to me, O Jacob,

    and Israel, whom I called!

I am he; I am the first,

    and I am the last.

13 My hand laid the foundation of the earth,

    and my right hand spread out the heavens;

when I call to them,

    they stand forth together.

14 “Assemble, all of you, and listen!

    Who among them has declared these things?

The Lord loves him;

    he shall perform his purpose on Babylon,

    and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.

15 I, even I, have spoken and called him;

    I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way.

16 Draw near to me, hear this:

    from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,

    from the time it came to be I have been there.”

And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.

17 Thus says the Lord,

    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“I am the Lord your God,

    who teaches you to profit,

    who leads you in the way you should go.

18 Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!

    Then your peace would have been like a river,

    and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

19 your offspring would have been like the sand,

    and your descendants like its grains;

their name would never be cut off

    or destroyed from before me.”

20 Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea,

    declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it,

send it out to the end of the earth;

    say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!”

21 They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;

    he made water flow for them from the rock;

    he split the rock and the water gushed out.

22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”

Gifts From God, Eyes

 Eyes to see

As we enter the Holiday season, we here at TAG did a sermon series entitled "The Gift." We have done this for the past few years. I encourage you to check it out if you wish in the archives. However, this year we are going to do things a little differently. This year we are going to talk about some of the, oh so many gifts, that we receive from God when we receive the Spirit of adoption.

Of course, the greatest gift we could ever receive is Jesus. Is salvation. Is the very Christmas story. With that though, comes many gifts and some, are of the uttermost importance for a child of God. As a matter of fact, the world cannot even receive these gifts.

Jesus tells us this.

He said, “To you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others, they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’" Luke 8:10

Jesus was referring to Isaiah 6:9

And He replied: "Go and tell this people, 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

We also read this in Jeremiah 5:21

"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear."

The world cannot see the things we can see. Jesus put it this way.

"For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Matthew 13:17

We read this in 2 Thessalonians.

"And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

Paul spells out how the world would become in Romans 1. He talks about God giving the people up to their own desires and lusts. All because they can not see, hear, or understand, the ways of God. But this is not you. No no no. This is not you anymore.

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1:17-23

Without God, without Jesus, without the Holy Spirit, we can never see the things of God. Well, we can see them, but we cannot perceive them. We cannot understand them. We cannot accept them. Take the crucifixion of Christ itself. The Cross.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

We see the cross as our salvation. A new beginning. The world sees the cross as an end. The death of Jesus. We have been giving the gift to see Jesus rise from the dead. We see Jesus at the right hand of God. We see Jesus getting ready to return. The world cannot see Him. They cannot accept Him. They cannot believe in a God that would do such things as these.

We are given eyes to see God's hand in all things. We can see God move in situations where the world may call coincidence, happenstance, or even just plain luck. Jesus even told us that this gift, our eyes to see, will be given to us, so that we may be His witnesses.

"He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Acts 1:7-11

We are given eyes to see. So that we may share. For the? The glory of God. Yes, we have a great commission. We are to spread the gospel. We are to share the Word. We are to give God praise and glory.

Did you know many people have read the Bible? It's true. Number one bestseller in history. Many people over the years have read it. Some feel it is nonsense. Some feel it is filled with contradictions. Some feel it is just another "religious book," written by man, most likely to attempt to control the masses.

However, when you, with the Spirit of God, read the Word, you see it for what it is. It is the living word of God. It is an owner's manual for this journey called life. It is salvation. It is the absolute and final truth in all things. We have eyes to see Jesus in all the old testament. We have eyes to see God speak directly to us, as we go through the Word. Make no mistake about it. "Eyes to see" is a great gift from God that we should all be so very thankful to have received. As Jesus told us.

"For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Matthew 13:17

We are truly blessed to have eyes to see. Do you? Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 47

 Chapter 47,

The Humiliation of Babylon

1 Come down and sit in the dust,

    O virgin daughter of Babylon;

sit on the ground without a throne,

    O daughter of the Chaldeans!

For you shall no more be called

    tender and delicate.

2 Take the millstones and grind flour,

    put off your veil,

strip off your robe, uncover your legs,

    pass through the rivers.

3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered,

    and your disgrace shall be seen.

I will take vengeance,

    and I will spare no one.

4 Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—

    is the Holy One of Israel.

5 Sit in silence, and go into darkness,

    O daughter of the Chaldeans;

for you shall no more be called

    the mistress of kingdoms.

6 I was angry with my people;

    I profaned my heritage;

I gave them into your hand;

    you showed them no mercy;

on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.

7 You said, “I shall be mistress forever,”

    so that you did not lay these things to heart

    or remember their end.

8 Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,

    who sit securely,

who say in your heart,

    “I am, and there is no one besides me;

I shall not sit as a widow

    or know the loss of children”:

9 These two things shall come to you

    in a moment, in one day;

the loss of children and widowhood

    shall come upon you in full measure,

in spite of your many sorceries

    and the great power of your enchantments.

10 You felt secure in your wickedness;

    you said, “No one sees me”;

your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,

and you said in your heart,

    “I am, and there is no one besides me.”

11 But evil shall come upon you,

    which you will not know how to charm away;

disaster shall fall upon you,

    for which you will not be able to atone;

and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,

    of which you know nothing.

12 Stand fast in your enchantments

    and your many sorceries,

    with which you have labored from your youth;

perhaps you may be able to succeed;

    perhaps you may inspire terror.

13 You are wearied with your many counsels;

    let them stand forth and save you,

those who divide the heavens,

    who gaze at the stars,

who at the new moons make known

    what shall come upon you.

14 Behold, they are like stubble;

    the fire consumes them;

they cannot deliver themselves

    from the power of the flame.

No coal for warming oneself is this,

    no fire to sit before!

15 Such to you are those with whom you have labored,

    who have done business with you from your youth;

they wander about, each in his own direction;

    there is no one to save you.