Isaiah 1-4

The late David Wilkerson once said, “If God doesn’t judge New York City, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah .”

Isaiah saw a day where the wrongs would be made right; corrupt leaders exposed, gross immortality chastened, pride and arrogance humbled etc.

This reckoning is yet to happen. We still have time and space to get our lives in order. Call upon the Name of the Lord.

Isaiah 1

The prophet here expresses God’s frustration with the insincere and hypocritical offerings and religious traditions of His people, the Jews. He points to the coming Kingdom of the Messiah, Who will Himself become the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of His people.

It’s ALL in Jesus, the Messiah. Know Him, love Him, serve Him, live IN Him.

Isaiah 1:18

“Tho’ your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

Christ’s blood sacrifice at His death upon a Roman cross made provision for the cleansing of our sins. Our sin can be washed away. This will be especially important when we stand before the Lord at the final trumpet.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. “[1 Jn. 1:9]

Ecc. 10

Solomon seems to favor fewer rather than more words. Those words should express wisdom, not folly.

Some presumptive people think they can do miracles with their words. (Many are in sales) You buy their product just to shut them up.

We had a teacher once who talked WAY too much. She thought, “With my lips, I will prevail.” She was wrong.

Integrity seems to be found in fewer, higher quality words. Build (don’t destroy) with your words.

Ecc. 9:9

… with your wife – so says Solomon in this passage. Funny thing – he had hundreds of wives and concubines.

Patty and I have been married for nearly 56 years. We are together most of the time. Our greatest enjoyment comes when we are together WITH members of our family … such as last Saturday when we all watched the Ohio State Buckeyes play football.

Family, food, football. Life is GOOD.

(My Buckeyes won the game)

Ecc. 6:11; 7:1

I tend to use too many words, and some of them seem borderline inappropriate. I don’t mean them to be that. My filter must need a tune-up.

My daughter had a “talk” with me about it. She doesn’t want my name to lose any integrity. It was a supreme gesture of her love for me.

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head. [Ps. 141:5]

Ecc. 6

Solomon implied that the ability to enjoy prosperity is a gift from God.

If you have done any traveling in the Third World (non industrialized) nations, you soon realize that the poorest in our nation actually have it pretty good.

We take it for granted to enjoy a good night’s sleep or unspoiled food. Let’s all be grateful for our many blessings.

Ecc. 4

“Gain is not godliness, but godliness with contentment IS great gain.” [1 Tim. 6:5,6]

What is the goal of our labor? Those who labor to become rich will never find true contentment.

The greatest riches we can experience come thru seeing our loved ones be fulfilled.

No amount of money can soothe the pain of losing a loved one such as did parents of the Minneapolis shooting tragedy yesterday. So sad.

Ecclesiastes 3

… will be judged”

It’s actually beneficial when our misdeeds are judged here and now. It gives us a chance to make them right.

There’s no sin Christ’s blood can’t cleanse when it’s confessed and repented of.

“Thank you, Jesus, for the Blood applied.” -Charity Gayle. (My favorite song right now)

Pr. 31

King Lemuel recorded the things his mother taught him in this Proverb.

Until a child grows up and leaves the nest, a mother is continually preparing her offspring for their adulthood. Their life becomes her report card. No wonder a mother grieves when they mess up their lives.

Their success is her crowning achievement.