“The Lord’s hand is not Shortened”...the Wayfarer 1/17/14

“The Lord’s hand is not Shortened”

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”

(Isaiah 59:1-4)

Today, we back up a chapter from the scripture used for yesterday’s dissertation.

Whereas, we began yesterday with a promise, we begin today with the warning that was given before that promise.

Both are a necessary part of any enlightenment sought in any effort to please our God, and to comprehend the fact that there are requirements of us in order to receive any blessing, and that both must be heeded if we are to seek the kingdom that has been promised to those who believe and endure.

God still retains all power, as He always has. There has been no loss of that power, nor shall there ever be.

The ability to give, or remove any and all blessings still reside in his hand alone!

He has not become, nor shall he ever become deaf to any and all pleas that are offered by us to Him. Mercy, grace, and blessing are all still available to those who meet the requirements for them that He has set forth for us.

When those blessings, and the mercy, and the grace seem not to be available, it is not because He does not hear; it is because we have chosen to ignore the requirements given by Him to receive them.

Actions taken by any are under His constant observance, whether we consider them large or small, and in fact, the issues that are within the very heart are visible and determine whether we continue to meet that requirement.

Mankind is born a sinful creature, headstrong, constantly chafing at any attempt to keep him on the path set out for us by God, and is easily turned from that path if he allows it, denying the prerequisites given, and not even attempting to comprehend them, favoring instead the teachings of other men, who they think have the answers, instead of the teachings and laws of God, and more critically those of His Son which are a bit harder to comprehend and follow.

This is why Jesus was given us to begin with!

It is only through His commandment to love one another, and His teachings of how we are to live, that we are able to overcome the natural, animal, tendency to think that our way is the best way, and the only way… that our own existence is all that matters, and that we are each on our own when the rubber meets the road, needing to be wary of any and all others, instead of asking for needed help, and giving that help in return when it is needed.

I return to scripture used, and reused, and that will continue to be reused until its meaning is taken to heart by all who claim Christianity, and comprehension results in action, by those who still refuse to accept the totality of that scripture:

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knowerh not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go forth and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of my Father in my name, he may give it you.

These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

(John 15:7-16)

What things was Jesus speaking of when he said this?

What he was speaking of was every utterance, and teaching throughout the gospels, that he taught during His ministry!

I seem to revert regularly to the Sermon on the Mount, as found in Matthew, and do so again today because what is taught there is the essence of what Jesus taught that we are to follow.

The richness of what was taught there is often forgotten, and judgment is substituted for the love demanded of us.

This is in fact a failure to follow that single commandment given us by the Master to whom we owe our allegiance; and from whom we are to take our direction.

I also regularly return to the 25^th chapter of Matthew, again for the same reason.

The entire book is a compilation of His teachings, and,  I submit, that if you want to know those teachings, and wherein the commandments spoken of lie, you must first know those teachings in their entirety to even attempt to follow them!

We cannot parse the scripture, and force it to agree with teachings given us by denomination, or organization, if we are to be truly what Jesus wants us to be.

We cannot fail to understand that ALL men are sinners, incapable of attaining any righteousness on our own, and incapable of sinlessness so long as we remain in this corrupt body.

This means that ALL men must constantly and consistently heed the central message given us by Jesus, not just when we come for salvation, but each day of our lives to:

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

If we are to bear fruit, as is demanded of us, this requires that we expend our efforts toward bearing that fruit, instead of ignoring the needs around us, and instead proclaiming a righteousness that is not, and can never be our own.

That righteousness, if truly sought, must be the true righteousness, that belongs only to Christ Jesus and our God, and only available through them, and then only after leaving this corrupt body behind.

If we concentrate on what has been asked of us, then and only then will the promises that are given be available, and fulfilled.

This means that that point of concentration must be on our own failures and foibles, in order to fully commit to the work given us, and to the absolute requirement to share that love instead of the hatred and condemnation so common among us.

No man is perfect, no man is without sin, no man is capable of accomplishing anything without first seeking and finding the assistance of Christ Jesus in any attempt to be who and what we are supposed to be.

Any who claims otherwise would place himself as an equal to my Savior, and is a liar to be disdained, instead of followed.

As for myself, I make no claim of perfection, and know that, in this body, that perfection is unobtainable. I remain, still, yet, and always merely a poor simple sinner, saved by grace through faith in the One that is perfect, without whose mercy I should never have any hope. I also remain an imperfect, but constantly striving soldier in His service, until I reach that perfection that has been promised, and then will continue to serve far more perfectly.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer