January 31, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed in his mission.” (Isaiah 48.14-15)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

The Lord’s “chosen” ally is Cyrus. The fulfillment of prophecies concerning the end of the Babylonian rule and their part in enacting God’s spiritual justice on the disobedient Israel will be made known in lifting up another “outsider” to restore Israel back to her rightful place before God. In all of this, God is demonstrating sovereign control of Israel and the world. The rise and fall of many comes, without question, by the exercise of free will. Humanity versus humanity has been the story of their existence from the beginning. How much violence and tragedy would be avoided if we only understood the truth of collaboration, cooperation, compassion and compliance between ourselves and God? There is good reason why the precursor to the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, was the Shema. The alignment of “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” with “Love your neighbor as yourself are loved by God” is the appropriate and authentic spectrum of divine and human interactions. Jesus is the greatest example of this and therefore is evidenced by it when He teaches the disciples “I AM the way, the truth and the life by which the Father is gained; there is no other.” Sadly, the temptation elicited by the enemy of God and humanity proposes the opposite. Therefore, it is easy to see the vices of the enemy used to disrupt the balance and create a schism between humanity and God. Ultimately, I suppose we can say, there is an alternate universe in which humanity can exist by giving up their freedom to choose wisely. There is the Kingdom of God which exists in the midst of us even here on earth as we live in the “already but not yet.” There is Hell. It is a kingdom that is ruled by God. Yes, Satan does not even rule there but is allowed to persist in that false belief. Further, the entanglement of lost souls is enhanced by the belief that they are in control as well. What is that saying about “too many chiefs and not enough Indians,” let me be politically correct- “Native Americans.” I believe you see the danger in that thinking. When everyone believes they are in control, over whom are they in control? There must be a higher authority and an ultimate one and “we are not it.”

What are we, mighty ones of God in Jesus Christ? We are God’s chosen “allies.” We are called by Him to accomplish His work and His will for Israel and as Israel. I am speaking of the Israel as God had first called them to be and to do as His “chosen people.” We, as members of the body of Christ, can no longer live in the shadow of doubt on this point. We must remember: first, God has not forsaken Israel even if Israel has forsaken its first love of God. I do not doubt that Israel believes in God. I do not have the statistics about that numbers of believers and practitioners of Judaism, but I would venture a guess that it parallels in great part the same as Protestants in America. Many say they belief in God but are not specific in how they believe and what they belief about God. Regardless of the relationship of Jews toward God, we are assured as we see it in Isaiah and other prophets, God is in relationship with them. He is working for their good in spite of efforts to the contrary. We might say the same about any of the world’s religions as it relates to their understanding of YHWH as God (not one of many gods). God has a desire to be in relationship, for the good, with all people. I would dare say, I would make the same assertion (not assumption) for His desire for the “Cast Out” Lucifer. God has not “given up” on Lucifer, now called Satan, yet. Even knowing the outcome doesn’t stop God from “working all things together for good.”

We must remember, second, that we not only have a ministry to Israel and all Jews for the support and for their reconciliation with their “first love,” we must adopt their calling by God to be “salt and light” to the entire world. We are not proselytizing and promoting Judaism. We are discipling and witnessing the life of righteous whose root understanding and central focus is the relationship with God. We are at a benefit because Jesus is our Lord and God’s Son. From Him we can see the evangelistic paradigm clearly and fully at work, empowered by the Holy Spirit in and through the disciples in the first century as it is to be in the twenty-first century. We are not taking the place of the Jews but going forth as “those called by God according to His purposes on the earth.” We should be collaborating together looking to strengthen the call of God on us both for the sake of the whole world. The day will come, as we know, “when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That the Jews do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was or is the Messiah is critical to the understanding of completing the mission given in the first place which is to spiritual subdue the earth and bring it in the spiritual prosperity. The outcome of such commitment and efforts becomes evident in the “state of the world” as we oppose the true enemy of God and humanity who is Satan. It is not about making the world Jewish or Christian but godly and Christ-like. Have we forgotten our first and best calling? Dare I use the phrase asked by John the Baptizer of Jesus of Nazareth but change the application to the “people” connotations (Jew and Christian) where he declared “Are you the one or shall we expect another?” Will there be a “third” people? If there is, it can only be the “reconciled people of God” regardless of denomination or religious affiliation. There will only be one people and they are those who are committed and faithful to the charge given to be “like Christ.”

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness which we know is folly but righteous works which declare Your glory and further witness the truth that can set all who believe free from death. So may we live by the name of Jesus our Christ. AMEN.