Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday May 29TH 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

Last #SundayScripture I began transcribing one of my recent sermons that I preached to my church family at the end of February – “Stones & Stumbles”. It’s the follow-up to “Holy & Redeemed” which I presented on here in December and January. “Stones & Stumbles” covers 1 Peter 1:23-2:9.

Here’s Part 2 of my sermon:

Isaiah has more types and shadows and associations and correlations with the New Testament than any other book of the Old Testament. Even today’s modern preachers who solely or mostly preach out of the New Testament often cite Isaiah from the Old Testament – sometimes without even realizing it. What’s concealed in the Old is revealed in the New.

But Isaiah really does more revealing than concealing. He tells us all about the God he knows. He told us all about the coming of the Messiah.

From Isaiah Chapter 40 – Verses 6 to 8:

A voice said – “Shout !” I asked – “What should I shout ?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

That Scripture looks familiar. (Back to the previous slide – and there’s Peter – referring to the Scriptures – with the same words – as told by Isaiah – on this slide.)

The prophet Isaiah was preaching about a messenger – clearing the way through the wilderness for the LORD. We would later find out that the messenger – is John The Baptist – introduced in Matthew’s Gospel – the 40TH book of the Bible – and that’s from Isaiah 40. See what I mean ? More to come.

We are mortal. We – are – mortal. We are earthly. Our God is not. We are short-lived here on Earth. Our God is not. Our God is almighty. Our God is eternal. Our God’s plans never waver and always succeed. That’s our God. As the Bible says:

“It will happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided. (Isaiah 14:24b)

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts” – says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

That’s our God right there. That’s why I trust Him over everyone else. He knows the way. He is the way.

So jumping back to First Peter and the start of the 2ND chapter:

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. (1 Peter 2:1)

You know some modern preachers don’t like to preach on that verse right there. They will quietly skip over it, and preach on the other 24 verses of First Peter Chapter 2. I am not one of those modern preachers. I’m “old school”. I’m traditional. I believe that every verse in the Bible represents God’s voice. Every verse in the Bible is intentional. It is not there by accident. It is not filler material.

That’s one of those verses right there where the Bible tells us to not do something. Stop doing it ! And some people in the church (the church in general) don’t like to hear verses in the Bible that tell them to stop doing something. They don’t want to hear preachers telling them to stop doing something.

I know this is gonna sound hard to believe, but do you know that I am guilty of all of those things ? That’s right. Evil behavior – guilty. Deceit – guilty. Hypocrisy – guilty. Jealousy – guilty. Unkind speech – guilty. I’m probably the only one in here who’s guilty of all of these things – right ?

You know what ? I am forgiven. We are forgiven. We don’t intend to do those evil things, but we are mortal. We are earthly. When we realize that we’ve done those things – we must confess – we must pray – we must repent, so that we may be forgiven. And our God. He wipes our sins away. That is who He is.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.