Calvary Chapel of Joplin

John 20-1-31--Believe-

Over - over again God proves the reliability of His word. In so doing it comforts - encourages His people. Strengthens - fortiBies the faith of His people. - Often the way God-proves the reliability of His word is by informing us of things we would not know, in fact could not know if He hadn't told us. -We call it prophecy-.

Paul wrote to Timothy, -Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.-1 There is a sense in which Isaiah 45 is saying-showing in historical narrative form, what Paul summed up in a single sentence in 1 Tim 1-17.

I'm just going to trust that the book of Isaiah has brought both blessing, - times of refreshing to your spirit. - -God's word is always right on time. It has this way -proverbially-speaking- of lifting us up by our lapels, slapping us around a little bit, -or splashing some -proverbial- cold water right in our faces- - snapping us back into reality.

Last week's word ended w-a warning of judgment. The principle in play was essentially this, -Do not be deceived, God is not mocked- for whatever a man sows, that he-will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,-1 Israel, refusing to turn back to the Lord, to repent of their sin -their idolatry- - trust in the Lord, only the curse - reproach remains.

In Isa 42, two servants come into focus. Both called-commissioned by God. One successful, the other unsuccessful. One fruitful - faithful, the other failed being unfaithful. One exalted to the highest prominence, the other punished. The curtain closed on Ch 41 proclaiming the fact that idols are nothing. It draws back on Ch 42 w-God's Servant, who is everything.

We left off last week on a wonderful litany of promises from God. We were isolating the horrible atrocity, the sinful nature of fear - anxiety. Though, I would say that if we were to be transparent w-one another, those are things that we all struggle with from time to time - in various-sundry situations.

Isaiah 41 is all about the comfort of our Creator. If we take a moment to -zoom out-, we remind ourselves that Isaiah is speaking -in this section- to future generations of God's people.