Free Grace

igracemusic has some wonderful hymns and praise songs. Here's a demo I picked: Free Grace

And on that "note," by God's grace we have baby number five on the way! Here's to a full quiver...

Ordination

I just wanted to mention that there will be a special ordination service for Mike and two other men at church this Sunday night as they are ordained into ministry. We are so thankful for this opportunity. It will be something to remember as part of building a heritage of faith by the grace and mercy of our Lord.

If you would like to view the service, it should broadcast online at 5:55pm on Sunday, November 22. Here is a link to view it here.
If you have trouble, try this and click the box at the bottom right hand corner. You do have to sign up for LIVE viewing access.

Blessings to you and thanks for you prayers!

Selfish Sacrifice

Naaman was man whom God chose to redeem. He was a valiant warrior, a highly respected army captain, and a leper. He was also an Aramean and an enemy of Israel and God. His physical brokenness led him to seek the prophet Elisha. When this commander of the army finally humbled himself to obey Elisha’s unusual command, “his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:14) Namaan’s brokenness in body directed him toward humility of spirit, which, in turn, brought him to restoration of body and soul. He said to Elisha, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel…” (v. 15)

Elisha refused any gifts from Namaan, but rather sent him on his way. Elisha’s servant Gehazi, however, decided that Naaman was indebted to Elisha. Gehazi’s heart was hardened, and the lies of pride and deception directed him to dishonor his master. He went out to Namaan and lied to him about needing some of the gifts that he had offered earlier. Gehazi thought he was doing what was best for Elisha, his master, but he was actually only seeking to serve himself. He wanted the goods, not Elisha. Because of his disobedience, Gehazi and his descendents took on the leprosy of Namaan forever. Broken because of pride. In my estimation, he is better off to be humbled and cursed for the rest of his earthly life than to live pridefully and separated from God for eternity.

In Matthew 9, Jesus said, “But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (v. 13) “Sacrifice” in this respect refers to good work which would ultimately serve oneself. The “righteous” refers to the prideful. These words of the Lord originate in 1 Samuel 15 when He directs Saul to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites and all their possessions. “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” (v. 9) Notice that Saul was not willing to obey God. He also excused his disobedience by sacrificing to the Lord from the choicest of spoils taken from the Amalekites. This is the crux of the problem of pride, and it grieves God. He spoke through the prophet Samuel in verses 22-23, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”

“Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12

Changes

A change in the weather has coincided with a change in our lives. Mike started a new job as Associate Pastor of Stewardship and Administration at our church, First Baptist North Spartanburg. We are excited about the possibilities in ministry.

Now that hubs is not working at home anymore, we have a vacant seat on the "Cool Bus." Anyone??

Justice Personified

We cannot understand the fullness of Grace without first knowing Justice. Picture Justice as the balance that holds the Law. When the measure of a man's heart is placed in the other side, the weight of sin nearly unhinges fair Justice. There is absolutely nothing that any man can do to level the scales. Many attempts were made to set the balance in order with the blood sacrifice of animals, but this merely set Justice to rocking. Then Grace came. Unmerited favor. For those of us that have been or will be called, God's Grace flows freely upon the scales of Justice in the form of Christ's blood. Astoundingly, the balance levels itself.

"For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound..." Romans 7:5,6

I was listening to the following hymn, when I was struck by the "smiling Justice" that prompted me to write this post. With flowing tears, I must have played the song three more times after that. Read it for yourself...

Let us love and sing and wonder
Let us praise the Savior's name
He has hushed the law's loud thunder
He has quenched Mt. Sinai's flame

Let us love the Lord who bought us
Pitied us when enemies
Called us by His grace and taught us
Gave us ears and gave us eyes

He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He presents our souls to God

Let us wonder grace and justice
Join and point to mercy's store
When through grace in Christ our trust is
Justice smiles and asks no more

He who washed us with his blood
He who washed us with his blood
He who washed us with his blood
Has secured our way to God

Let us praise and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high
Here they trusted him before us
Now their praises fill the sky

He has washed us with his blood
He has washed us with his blood
He has washed us with his blood
He has washed us with his blood
He will bring us home to God

Based on a hymn by John Newton (1725-1807)

Trust and Obey

While talking to my little one yesterday about why she must take a nap, I realized that when she disobeys my simple command to "go to bed," she is showing a lack of faith. When she finds some excuse to not do as she is told, then she is showing that she does not trust her provider (me.) As I shared this knowledge with her, I was struck by the weight of it. So many times truths do not become real to us until we can vocalize them.

Reading in Hebrews later that night, I discovered in 3:18,19, "And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief." The context here is in reference to the Israelites in the wilderness, and that they did not enter His rest (the security of the promised land) because of their unbelief. But notice that these two verses are parallel statements, thereby making disobedience and unbelief interchangeable. Therefore, we must understand in our hearts that we cannot have one without the other.

We, also, are like little children desiring to choose our own path as if we know what is best. We say we are people of faith, but there is no fruit of submission, no turning away from our own interests, no trusting the Provider. Jesus Christ is our Sabbath rest; without Him we will surely labor in vain.

"And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Romans 4:3

"For as through the one man's [Adam] disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One [Jesus] the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19

Belief=Obedience=Righteousness

"There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience." Hebrews 4:9-11

Another Birthday

My Bella's birthday just happens to fall... on the first day of fall-- or Autumn Equinox, if you prefer. No matter what you call it, it is so good to move in to fall. Who among us in the South isn't ready to cool off? Not only that, but fall colors are just around the corner for us. Apple orchards, mountain drives, pumpkins, and my husband's personal favorite of fall--football. Bella Grace, who just turned five, started getting excited about the approaching football season back in August because she knew that her birthday was in its midst. Therefore, she associates football with her birthday. Imagine that.

I tend to feel overwhelmed at birthday time, but I have begun to realize that we should take nothing for granted but rather give praise to the One who has numbered our days. Many thank yous from Bella to those who made this week special!

First Days

Some good
and not so good moments of homeschooling.

Ants Update

I tried grits which worked for a few days, but the ants are back. They have completely infiltrated the dog food.

No worries, though, my kids are happy to have an ant farm...

Ants...and Love

What do you know about ants?

Well, some are big and some are small. They may be red or black or reddish black or blackish red. They may build hills, trails, or hang out in trees. They may bite like a madman or just leave you with a creepy tickle. Then, there are the ones that come into your house...

It was rather funny, if you can call it that, to see my laundry room clothes heap swarming with ants. Several squeals from my kids alerted me to the fact that they had also paid a visit to the dog bowl. With unity of mind, the critters had formed a healthy regiment from somewhere around the dishwasher and continued along the floorboards, behind the refrigerator, and around the corner into the laundry room. In the midst of contemplating a solution to this year's Third Annual Ant Infestation, my focus gave way to a softer, deeper understanding of the plight of the ant.

"Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

It is true that ants' ways provide an example of focus and hard work, but what I like even more are the selfless acts they pursue. For a believer and follower of Christ, we must be willing to give up our own selfish desires and allow God to lead, yes, but we also must be willing to give up our own selfish desires about the church and allow the Holy Spirit to unify our hearts to one another. Philippians 2 must resound in the hearts of all those who profess Christ as He has spoken to His church:

"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." Philippians 2:1,2

And then in verses 3 and 4:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Does this remind you of my determined visitors? They are diligently working, but for the purpose of something much greater than a single ant. Honestly, if they were just in it for themselves there would probably be no need for them to work so hard, and they for sure wouldn't thrive the way they do. So then, we see the need for unity of believers. Not that we should let down our guard lest the wolves come in to devour our fellowship, but that we seek to edify our brothers and sisters and help them carry their load-- whether that be physical or spiritual.

The defining characteristic that we share with the Father, but not with the ant is love:

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1

The quality that we do not share with God, but rather with the ant is this:

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

Chapter Three: The Broken Heart

“He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Just as a farmer must break up the hard ground before planting, our hearts must be prepared before the Holy Spirit of God can do a work in us. The term “broken heart” is often used in literature to describe unrequited love. In actuality, a broken heart is absolutely necessary to acknowledge the sin of pride in our lives and humble ourselves in order that we might receive Love. God has already made atonement for our transgressions, but without our understanding that we are literally dead in our sin, much like the farmer’s fallow field, we have no hope for new life.

“A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

Why does God love a broken and contrite heart? Because it is a field fit for planting. A hard heart nullifies the cross of Christ and putrifies the powerful promises of God. This is the same stuff that brought a holy angel of God to be wholly wicked. It took a “good” creation and made it bad. It caused the first woman to desire to rule over her husband, and every woman after her. Call it what you want. I call it pride.

Pride leads us into believing the lies of Satan. It brought him down from his lofty position of servitude to God. He was not content with the place of honor that God had given him. He wanted more. This is where we come in. God created a “good” world. But because of the disobedience of Eve and, ultimately, Adam, sin was brought into the world and made it evil. Sin is a sickness leading to death. Not simply death of the body, but an eternal death. Pride is at the root of all sin. The same pride that brought down Satan also deceived Eve into thinking she could be like God. Had she even considered that all her needs were met and that she lived in a perfect world? She then persuaded her husband to follow. In their disobedience, they discovered that they were naked, their sickness exposed. The only way sin could be forgiven was through blood sacrifice, so God killed animals to cover Adam and Eve and their sin. This is the first death. Many rams, sheep and birds were offered upon the altar, thereafter, but none could atone for all the sins of mankind. The offerings fell short, until God himself came to the world as a man and paid the penalty of sin.

Without a broken heart, we are unable to see our sin for what it really is. It is the very thing that keeps us out of communion with our Creator. When we understand the truth about our filthy hearts, we can appreciate the grace by which God came to save us. He chose to die that we might obtain the free gift of eternal salvation and glory and communion with Him!

Entertaining Strangers

If you want to hear from God, just listen. Sometimes He speaks in more than a whisper, but we are making too much noise to hear what He says.

"For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; while it is said, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me [in the wilderness].'" Hebrews 3:14,15

As we headed down I-85 Sunday night after church, Mike and I were contemplating the possibility of moving to China. We had just been speaking to a missionary to China that Mike knew from his past trips. She was at home for a visit, and we met with her at church. Being at an occupational crossroads ourselves, we have been discussing many options along the way. This was one of those such conversations.

On approaching our exit, we spotted a carload in distress. The sight of people with car trouble is not all that uncommon, but as I watched some ladies hauling out luggage and setting it in the grass, I knew this group could use a hand. In a moment of spiritual discernment, Mike agreed and began to slowly roll the van back along the edge of the road to meet them. Selfishly, I hoped we could share our faith with the threesome as we left the running van full of kids. I must confess it has been a while since I shared with a stranger.

I was immediately struck by the irony of the situation as I saw the stranded strangers appeared to be Chinese. My thoughts were confirmed by their accents and, of course, in asking if they were from China. Divine appointment. They were headed back home to Houston, Texas. In fact, they weren't headed anywhere at the moment. The car had taken a blow to the median wall as the driver had been spooked by someone in the next lane. Both left tires were damaged. Thankfully, Mike got the front flat changed, and the car just managed to make it into our neighborhood a couple of miles away. I tell you, I am not making this up.

"For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in..." Matthew 25:35

I make no claims to storytelling, so I intend to keep this brief. It is not the details, but the heart of this circumstance that makes it significant. Over the next few hours that night, I experienced the most spontaneous form of hospitality that I am sure I have ever been a part of. My next door neighbor, Kim, who has a Chinese-Cambodian background herself, prepared a most wonderful meal for our guests (her family just happened to be eating very late that night.) She and her husband also welcomed one of our new friends to stay the night. The other two stayed with us.

That night, we had the car towed to another neighbor's service garage. The next day, the car was left behind, not worth the time and repairs that were needed, and Mike took our three friends to the airport for a rental car to drive home. But the time in between made all the difference. Mike and I were both able to plant seeds of hope within the hearts of our gracious guests. I pray the Holy Spirit would make Himself evident to them that they would come to know the Truth and be set free.

At the same time, I cannot speak enough of what a blessing these people were to us. And what a gift to share such a unique experience with my dear neighbors. My whole family was sad to see them go, but I also felt blessed to be able to live out the lesson that Mike Stiles taught on Sunday morning from James 2. "You see that faith was working with his [Abraham's] works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected..." (James 2:22) God will provide the opportunity for us to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) But without His salvation all our works are as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

Surely, God has spoken to us through this experience, whether it was to bless us with more Chinese friends in the States, or to lead us overseas in ministry, we do not know. What I do know is that I need to listen more closely and expect Him to speak.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

No Looking Back

It's easy to fall into the trap of looking back. The only benefit I receive from neck-craning is humility. To see how God has brought me from my ways (a deceitful and wicked path) to His ways (faith and righteousness) brings joy to my broken heart. That's humility. Without it, there can be no repentance.

Other than that, looking back is useless. Hope lies in what is ahead. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God. This may not be our definition of "good," however, but God's definition trumps our definition every time. Suffering, sickness, yes, even death, are good when they fall under the plans and purposes God has to bring glory to Himself. I would assume that none of these things would fall under our definition of "good." Goodness to us is bound by time. God's goodness is eternal. If we struggle with this, we must consider our worldview. Are we willing to sacrifice our comfort, possessions, and life to follow the will of Him who created it all?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21

The Kuckel family reunion this past weekend has given me hope. Just as I now know there was hope for me, a slave to works and pride saved by grace, I see hope in the lives of these precious family members. My prayer is that we would be humbled by our past and broken before God, knowing that He has served a purpose in the past in order that we be united to Christ in His sufferings on the cross. And, at this point, that we would completely surrender our life to Christ and the power of His resurrection. Without the resurrection, there would be no new life, but death only.

Complete surrender means submitting our will to God. It means believing that His ways are higher than ours in all things. It means having a heart of repentance, knowing that we will fall, but being willing to confess our sins and accept discipline, if need be. Then we press on boldly, read the Word daily (we cannot live by the words of any other man if we do not first live by the Word of God, the Bread of Life), and live faithfully with hope for what is to come!

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

A Special Day

My twin sons, Benjamin and Joseph, celebrated their 8th birthday yesterday. I made a special Lego Luke Skywalker cake, and we had family come visit. I have to say, I have never in all my life seen so many Legos!

"Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths, when you walk, your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble." Proverbs 4:10-12

Throw Off the Old Coat...

I don't know about you, but every time I think I have everything figured out (life, husband, kids, people in general), the rug is yanked out from under me, and, falling to the ground, I think to myself, "How did I get into this mess?"

Such is the way of the last few days as I have tried with all my might to solve my "problem." Don't ask me what my problem is because I don't know. I have just been carrying on as if I have a problem for a long enough period of time to be annoying. Being the theological giant that I am, I have determined to give my problem a name--sin.

All of us fall into the trap of sin, and it can be very subtle. This is the old coat, the one we received through Adam which has been passed down for generations. Generations of people who thought they had it figured out, but held tightly to the rag of iniquity.

On our class blog (livingpr00f), Mike posted an excerpt from an article by Andree Seu as taken from World Magazine. I like what he posted, but I wanted to add one sentence that spoke to me. Seu writes, "I discovered that discouragement is a choice I make and not something that happens to me." We make the choice to sin, and we have a choice to be forgiven in the new coat of the cross of Christ. If you know in your very heart that you are forgiven--repent and rejoice! I had to be reminded to let the cross be my place of security, not my sin.

If you find yourself discouraged, dissatisfied, discontent or depressed, acknowledge it for what it is--sin. These things come out of making ourselves our idol. Don't stumble, as Israel did, over the purpose of the cross.

'"...but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."' (Romans 9:31-33)

Excerpt from Chapter Two: The Needy Heart

“…the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” Genesis 8:21

No one is good enough to gain eternal life. All of us have sinned, and all of us fall short of God’s glory. The Law of Moses was set up so that we can see clearly just how short we fall! Who can keep all the commandments in his own power and strength?

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James 2:10

Even if one was able to keep the whole law every moment of every day, he would become a slave to it and the freedom that comes through faith would be nullified. Would being a slave to the Law be any better than being a slave to sin? The actions may change, but the heart remains needy. Freedom from sin, as well as Law, means becoming a slave to righteousness (Romans 6).

A young man approached Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life. After telling Jesus that he had kept the Commandments from his youth, Jesus asked him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. The young man went away sad because he was very rich. Was it his wealth that prevented him from entering the kingdom of God? Surely not. The fact is he physically had everything he needed and yet his heart was needy. We all have needy hearts. Because we are unable to make the sacrifice on our own, Jesus had to make it for us. His shed blood covers all our sin.

“And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died; and this commandment which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.” Romans 7:9-11

About Freedom

In a lesson entitled "Freedom is Free," Mike taught on Galatians 5:1-15 Sunday morning. He showed how the Judaizers (those so called believers that maintained that grace might be received through the Law) were teaching a different Gospel than that originally brought to the Galatians by Paul. More specifically, the Galatian church thought that circumcision might benefit their faith. Paul expresses in verse 3 that an attempt to keep part of the Law obligates a person to keep the whole Law and separates a soul from Christ (v. 4.) As we all should know, it is impossible to keep all the Law, and, even if we could, why would we want to separate ourselves from Christ?

This discussion segued into a living example of a life set free from works...me. I shared with the class how the Lord brought me from a restricted life justified by works into a life set free by grace. Prior to two years ago, my self-worth was based on doing right and being right. The key is to notice that I was actually serving myself and my pride. Unfortunately, this pattern of living is fruitless and leads to guilt and depression, as it did for me.

"For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" Romans 7:22-24

Submitting my life to Christ has meant giving up control in the most wonderful way. In turn, I have received true freedom. Freedom from guilt. Freedom to be wrong. Freedom to submit to my husband. Freedom to share my faith. Freedom to guard my words. Freedom to repent and live forgiven! It is no longer about me, but Christ living in me.

"Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:25

Spiritual Warfare

In the midst of seeking new business opportunities and, ultimately, God's will, Mike ran in to a bit of a road block yesterday. Literally.

A young man pulling out of a parking lot missed the brake and floored it into the passenger side of our van. By the grace of God, the kids and I were at home. (Notice the loaner truck.) Mike is feeling alright as far as I can tell, but I cannot help thinking that a seemingly random accident may not be so random after all.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

I have also been reminded of God's chastening of those He loves. I know that He directs our path, and when we stray off course, He is faithful to redirect us.

We shall see how all of it plays out, but in the meantime, He has redirected me in a very specific way. Originally, I began writing out of a passion to share the freedom of the Gospel. Over the course of several months, I began to feel as if I had lost my first love. My adoration of the Word had morphed into a lust for writing! Last night, He convicted me of my misguided way of allowing my writing to become an idol. I am committed to writing only after I have spent time in the Word. The correction is to me a precious gift.

"Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life." Romans 6:21-22

Riding Bikes

Both boys are now riding bikes sans training wheels. Good job Ben and Joey!

Perhaps we can all learn from these seven (almost eight!) year old boys. All of us have something we are unwilling to release. When Mike removed the training wheels, Ben ran out ready to ride like a pro. He quickly found out it was not so easy. He was defeated and refused to try again for days. Joey, on the other hand, from the start wanted nothing to do with the newly remodeled bike. But when left alone, his sense of intrigue drew him to the strange, unfamiliar beast that beckoned from the garage.

We hold on so tight to the things of this world, that when they are taken from us, we lose heart. Perhaps they are taken from us so that we can go to the next level. Let go of the training wheels!

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

Excerpt from Chapter One: The Unworthy Heart

“So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:16

If I have not been made for service, in other words, to glorify God by sharing the good news, then I have been made in vain. “For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13) So, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

Isaiah’s heart was ready to serve, but his message was difficult. He had to go and tell the people that they would not be able to receive the blessing of the Lord until all Israel was desolate and forgotten. Then, there would be nothing left but the holy seed of God which would live on through the line of king David and would one day take on His own flesh as an Israelite to deliver His people. Isaiah lived 800 years before Christ’s birth. He did not live to see the people delivered from their sins. Furthermore, the people did not want to hear what he had to say. As the Lord spoke to Isaiah in chapter 6, “Render the hearts of this people insensitive…” (v. 10) The people were physically and spiritually unable to receive the message of repentance because the Lord declared that they would have insensitive hearts, or, literally, “fat” hearts.

Our message tells the people of this age that they are not unlike the Israelites of 2800 years ago. But the difference is for what purpose we share this news. We can boldly proclaim that God came to earth in the form of a human and limited Himself as a human and died a human’s death to take on our sin. And, the most glorious part of the story, that He defeated death by rising to life again. Now and forevermore, our Savior lives!