If God Gives You A Sign We Better Take Heed

IF GOD GIVES US A SIGN WE BETTER TAKE HEED

Isaiah 7:9-13

Charles e. Whisnant, Pastor/Teacher

Generally speaking many people believe in obeying the laws of the land and to live their lives orderly.  They prefer these things, but do not want to give God credit.  Christians say, “It was the Lord that enabled us to have these things.” The unbeliever will say, “God had nothing to do with anything, we were the ones who accomplished what we have done.” “We can do good without believing in God.”  By the way this is the attitude of most of the world today.

There are people in the world who are worldly , who want to be known as believers, but intent to do nothing about it. It is sanctimoniousness rather than real spiritual interest.

ISAIAH 7:9  ‘IF YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE, SURELY YOU WILL NOT BE ESTABLISHED.”

Belief requires faith.  Faith is a divine word.  Only divine faith will bring about a human sense of hope and belief.  And only faith can quiet the restless of the spirit.  Our hope is build on nothing less than the righteousness of Jesus Christ, all other is on sinking sand.

STABILITY THROUGH FAITH:

God’s promises are not at all times easily steadily and firmly believed.

God’s Word cannot profit unless it be mixed with faith in those who hear it.

Faith is a biblical principle. Faith brings God and places Him before us.

Faith appropriates:  i.e. enables us to rejoice when we are in any circumstances.

God deserves to be believed: Why?

1.      He is God and being God He cannot lie

2.      His Word always has been true.

3.      He has no motive for being untrue.

4.      The honour of God is involved in His genuineness.

5.       

SOME ARE YET NOT WILLING TO BELIEVE GOD: Rather

1.      They believe other things.

2.      They believe in themselves

3.      They are stubbornly fitted on themselves

4.      They demand this and that of God.

WHAT IS THE FAITH?

1.      A fair index of the heart.

2.      A sure proof of a change of mind.

3.      Faith inaugurates purity of life.

4.      It is faith that leads to prayer, that’s the very breath of God in man.

5.      Faith is that which will give credit to God for all things.

WITHOUT FAITH YOU WILL

1.      Miss the comfort.

2.      Never two days alike.

3.      Confused in conduct.

4.      Hope never.

5.      Lack of spiritual vigor and strength.

MOST PEOPLE

1.      Do not want to ask God for an indication that he is God.

2.      The other half do not believe in God.

3.      And others simply refuse to believe anyone who will give them a Word from God.

ISAIAH WAS A PROPHET OF GOD WHO SPOKE FOR GOD

Don’t refuse the advice of God, by those whom God has chosen.  Isaiah asked?  “No!” said Ahaz.

GOD’S SIGN TO AHAZ: HE REFUSED TO BELIEVE: Isaiah 7:14

WHO DOES THE TEXT REFER TO?

1.      First: Isaiah son. Isaiah 8:18.  Maher shal al hash baz. A sign of present deliverance for Israel.

2.      Secondly: The Messiah who would be born 700 years later.

A SIGN WAS GIVEN: We need a sign to believe.

Refers to something addressed to the sense to attest the existence of divine power. To assure faith or to demonstrate authority.

Ahah had a crisis in his spiritual life: didn’t have one

1.      Getting  entangled in idolatrous ways.

2.      Involved in disloyal relations.

3.      Compromised himself in dealing with the Temple treasure.

Lumberjack Charles Update

 January 17 2013 Update: In the center of the photo is a white pole that is the bottom of the hill where I have ended my clearing out.

 To give some perspective as how far down this goes

 I am standing beside the while pole in the ground.

 Charity took this photo from our window in the back of the house.

 January 19 2013 the before photo today.

 Today an after photo of clearing some old trees and limbs.

 Today: There is still a lot of work still to do to clear the ground of 30 years of trash that has been thrown down the hill.

 This was a before photo of the hill today.

This was the after photo after I cleared out some more limbs .

Luke 2 Preparation Time for Jesus

How To Stay Calm and Cool In Life

God told Isaiah to go meet Ahaz and give him this message: vs. 4

‘Take Heed, and Be Quiet”

Isaiah 7:1-9

Charles e Whisnant, Pastor/Teacher/Counselor

January 02, 2013  # 27

Be on guard and rest: Good thought, right?  Matthew 11:28-30.  This is the right attitude to take in life:

            On one hand: vigilance, determination, earnestness.

            On the other hand: silence, resignation and hope.

            Here we find balance between the passive and active aspects of life.  Herein we find rest in our heart. 

            (my message from Matthew 11:25-30: Jesus’ invitation to us to “rest.”)

1A       All True Life is a Listening:  “Be attentive, alert and take heed.”

            1B        Light doesn’t come into careless, inattentive souls.

            2B        A prayer attitude must be to think on these things.

            3B        Revelation comes to those listening. God’s voice is lost because men come with souls full of noises.

(God’s voice is heard through the Holy Spirit in our spirit, and comes as we pray and read the Scripture and listen to the preaching of the Word of God)

            4B        Our personal life, history: is a revelation of the mind of God, but we often miss the instructions.

5B        Give full place to observation and reflection: “Be Quiet” and you will find plenty of light and you will have no room in your heart for anxiety, unbelief, and despair.

2A       All True Life is a Watching:  Be caution, vigilant, circumspect.

1B        There is no room in life for presumption. When earnest prayer has been cultivated into a habit of prayerful watchfulness.  Let us be quiet.

2B        Most feel the need of

1.      Walking softly

2.      Being on the alert

3.      Soul is full of sober caution

But they never know: how to combine with this, that strong confidence in God which brings the sensitive heart’s assurance and peace.

            3B        All True Life is a Striving:

1C       Life must be full of:

1.      Effort,

2.      Aspiration,

3.      Strenuousness,

4.      Perseverance.

                        2C       Life calls for us:

1.      To Consider.

2.      To Discriminate.

3.      To Decide.

4.      To Act.

3C       Yet We are to be “Quiet”

1.      Calm amid tumult.

2.      Tranquil in severest effort.

3.      Full of peace

4.      Full of confidence, when life is most difficult and denying.

4C       In our Earthly life:

1.      It is not a life to be lazy.

2.      It calls for us to be:

A.     Earnest

B.     Discreet

C.     Economical

D.     Prudent

E.      Pains-taking

Then we are to be “Quiet: which means: ‘No painful, misgiving thoughts of word.

5C       In our Christian life:

1.      Never to dream ourselves into, but seek:

A.     Spiritual knowledge

B.     Strength

C.     Beauty

D.     Completeness

2.      When we have given ourselves to God’s service and glory. With a single, purposeful heart. Let us for the rest be quiet.

3.      Investigate, with caution, patient and hopeful.

4.      Life has many puzzling avengers. Life presents things that are of confusions and contradictions.

5.      Reading the Word of God: Its content speaks clearly, to the glory of God. We are not to glide over such pages and loosely think over them.

6.      Our life at times may be going very smoothly – health good, business good.

7.      Other times life circumstances change: our health fails, creditors’ call, popularity falls

A.     Then we are staggered and ask skeptical questions.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO WHEN WE ENCOUNTER CHANGE!!!!!

B.     BE QUIET

1.Proceed with caution. Look before you leap. Think before you act.

2.Do nothing before you have thought it over and prayed about it

C.     TAKE HEED:

1.Worldliness is gradually creeping in.

2.Doctrine of all sorts is at a discount.

3. 

D.     SIT TIGHT:  FEAR NOT:

1.Self-control in the time of stress and storm. The world says: “How can they do that?  What is the secret of that wonderful composure? GOD.

2.Too often we believe the worst is going to happen. We are afraid of the outcome so much that we don’t do anything.

3.Fears, yes. Don’t cherish them.

4.Have patience: see the end of this trouble.

5.Fear not Tomorrow, God is already there.

E.     CAUTION WITH CONFIDENCE:

1.Life is danger. We are walking in jeopardy every hour.

F.      VIGILANCE AND GLADNESS:

1.Be like the birds, they sit and look around.

G.    STILLNESS OF SPIRIT

1.Allow the Holy Spirit to draw His various graces upon you.

H.    CHRISTIAN SERENITY:

1.The child of God should live above the world, moving through it as a star, quietly moving – clear, serene and still.