In That Day Even the Light Will Be Darkened by the Clouds

Isaiah 5:18-30

In That Day Even the Light Will Be Darkened by the CloudsWoe to those who drag sin along with ropes of deceit. Isaiah 5:18

Woe to those who mock God by saying, “Let God hurry. Let him hasten his work so we may see for ourselves.” Isaiah 5:19

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call darkness light and light darkness. Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who are clever in their own eyes. Isaiah 5:21

Woe to those who are heroes of drinking wine and champions of mixing drinks. Isaiah 5:22

Woe to you who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Isaiah 5:23

Woe to those who rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One. Isaiah 5:24

In that day if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress. Even the light will be darkened by the clouds. Isaiah 5:30

Have we come to the point where God can withdraw his blessing from us without our trust in him being affected? – Oswald Chambers

Keep Away From Every Brother Who Does Not Live According to the Teaching You Received From Us

2 Thessalonians 3

Keep Away From Every Brother Who Does Not Live According to the Teaching You Received From UsIn the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idol and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.  2 Thessalonians 3:6

Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy. Only warn him as a brother. 2 Thessalonians 3:14

May the Lord himself give you peace at all times and in every way. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Impulsiveness is always a trait of the natural flesh. Watch how the Spirit of God gives us a sense of restraint to impulsiveness. Impulsiveness instantly wants to vindicate. An impulsiveness adult is always a spoiled person. – Oswald Chambers

 

A Man Planted a Vineyard on a Fertile Hillside

Isaiah 5:1-17

A Man Planted a Vineyard on a Fertile HillsideA man planted a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He cleared it of stones. He planted choice vines. He built a watchtower to guard it. He cut out a winepress for his vineyard. He sought and expected a good crop of grapes, but his vineyard only produced bad grapes. Isaiah 5:1

The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is Israel (and now also his Church.) God looked for “mishpat” (justice) but he saw “mispah” (bloodshed). God looked for “sedaqah” (righteousness), but he heard cries of “se’aqah” (distress). Isaiah 5:7

Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. Isaiah 5:8

Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. Isaiah 5:9

10 acres of vineyard will produce 6 gallons of wine. 6 bushels of seed only 22 litters of grain. Isaiah 5:10

You have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but you have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands. Isaiah 5:12

Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding. Isaiah 5:13

Stop the disrespectfulness of debating with God. If you are debating as to whether or not God can deliver from sin, then either let Him do it or tell Him that He cannot. Do not quote this or that person to Him. Simply obey. – Oswald Chambers

Hold to the Teachings and Traditions We Passed on to You

2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:5

Hold to the Teachings and Traditions We Passed on to YouFrom the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13

Hold to the teachings and traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 2 Thessalonians 2:15

Lord, by your grace give me eternal encouragement, good hope, encourage my heart, and strengthen me in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Lord, pray for me that your message may spread rapidly and be honored. Lord I pray that I and all my family and friends may be delivered from wicked and evil men and women. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2

Lord, you are faithful. You will strengthen and protect me from the Evil One. May you direct my heart into your love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

God’s holiness is based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him. – Oswald Chambers

 

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2

The Man of LawlessnessDo not let anyone deceive you. 2 Thessalonians 2:3

The Man of Lawlessness will be revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped. He will set himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

You know the power that is holding back the Man of Lawlessness. 2 Thessalonians 2:6

The secret power of lawlessness is already at work, but the One who now holds it back will continue to do so till He is taken away. 2 Thessalonians 2:7

The coming of the Man of Lawlessness will be in accordance with the work of Satan. The Man of Lawlessness will work all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders. He will display every sort of evil. He will deceive those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. All who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness will be condemned. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others. This time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens.- Oswald Chambers

Whatever Robs You of Joy Is Your God

2 Thessalonians 1

Whatever robs you of joy is your god.We boast about your:
* Perseverance in persecution
* Faith in trials
* Endurance that produces evidence that God’s judgement is right
* Great worth in suffering for Christ 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. God will give relief to you who are troubled. This relief will come at the day of our Lord’s appearing. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7

God will punish those who do not know him and do not obey the words of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord. 2 Thessalonians 1:9

The key to the missionary’s task is prayer. Oswald Chambers

Our work, common sense, medicine, culture, education, even efforts to evangelize is not the key to our task. From the perspective of Christ, there are no nations, only the world. The harvest of Christ is produced through distress and conviction of sin. Pray for laborers to be sent out with the good news of Christ. Do not waste your time on activities, programs, small group studies, or sermons that focus on anything other than the good news of Christ, his words and actions. Pray that Christ will engineer your circumstances so that you can be sent into the field where the abundant harvest awaits. Then go and be Christ to the lost. (adapted from Oswald Chambers)

Read This Letter Before Your Congregation

1 Thessalonians 5

Read This Letter Before Your Congregation* Pray always.
* Give thanks in all circumstances.
*
Repeat. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

* Do not put out the Spirit’s fire. 
* Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 
* Do not tolerate any wickedness. 
* Test everything, every spirit.
* Hold on to whatever is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-22

May God himself change you through and through into the likeness of his son. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Keep your spirit, soul, and body blameless. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:25

Read this letter before your congregation. 1 Thessalonians 5:27

The missionary’s message is the limitless importance of Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, and a missionary is someone who is immersed in the truth of that revelation. A missionary is someone who is bound by marriage to the stated mission and purpose of his Lord and Master. He is not to proclaim his own point of view, but is only to proclaim that Christ takes away the sin of the world!” Oswald Chambers

Repentance and remission of sins should be preached . . . to all nations.” (Luke 24:47).