Asa vorbeste Domnul, Dumnezeul tau!

Isaia 43:1 "Acum, aşa vorbeşte Domnul, care te-a făcut, Iacove, şi Cel ce te-a întocmit, Israele!" Nu te teme de nimic, căci Eu te izbăvesc, te chem pe nume: eşti al Meu."

Isaia 43:5 Nu te teme de nimic, căci Eu sunt cu tine,

Isaia 43

10 "Voi sunteţi martorii Mei - ,zice Domnul, - voi şi Robul Meu pe care L-am ales, ca să ştiţi, ca să Mă credeţi şi să înţelegeţi că Eu sunt: înainte de Mine n-a fost făcut nici un Dumnezeu, şi după Mine nu va fi,

11 Eu, Eu sunt Domnul, şi afară de Mine nu este nici un Mântuitor!

12 Eu am vestit, am mântuit, am prorocit, nu sunt străin între voi; voi Îmi sunteţi martori - ,zice Domnul, - că Eu sunt Dumnezeu.

13 Eu sunt de la început, şi nimeni nu izbăveşte din mâna Mea; când lucrez Eu, cine se poate împotrivi?"

Isaia 43

15 Eu sunt Domnul, Sfântul vostru, Făcătorul lui Israel, Împăratul vostru."

16 Aşa vorbeşte Domnul, care a croit un drum pe mare, şi o cărare pe apele cele puternice,

17 care a scos care şi cai, o oştire şi războinici viteji, culcaţi deodată împreună, ca să nu se mai scoale, nimiciţi, şi stinşi ca un muc de lumânare:

18 "Nu vă mai gândiţi la ce a fost mai înainte, şi nu vă mai uitaţi la cele vechi!

19 Iată, voi face ceva nou, şi-i gata să se întâmple: să nu-l cunoaşteţi voi oare? Voi face un drum prin pustie, şi râuri în locuri secetoase.

20 Fiarele câmpului Mă vor slăvi, şacalii şi struţii, pentru că voi da ape în pustie, şi râuri în locuri secetoase, ca să adap pe poporul Meu, pe poporul Meu cel ales,

21 poporul pe care Mi l-am alcătuit, ca să vestească laudele Mele."

Isaia 41

8 Dar tu, Israele, robul Meu, Iacove, pe care te-am ales, sămânţa lui Avraam, prietenul Meu,

9 tu, pe care te-am luat de la marginile pământului, şi pe care te-am chemat dintr-o ţară depărtată, căruia ţi-am zis: "Tu eşti robul Meu, te aleg, şi nu te lepăd!"

10 nu te teme, căci Eu sunt cu tine; nu te uita cu îngrijorare, căci Eu sunt Dumnezeul tău; Eu te întăresc, tot Eu îţi vin în ajutor. Eu te sprijinesc cu dreapta Mea biruitoare.

11 Iată, înfruntaţi, şi acoperiţi de ruşine, vor fi toţi cei ce sunt mâniaţi pe tine; vor fi nimiciţi şi vor pieri, cei ce ţi se împotrivesc.

12 Îi vei căuta, şi nu-i vei mai găsi, pe cei ce se certau cu tine; vor fi nimiciţi, vor fi pierduţi cei ce se războiau cu tine.

13 Căci Eu sunt Domnul, Dumnezeul tău, care te iau de mâna dreaptă şi-ţi zic: "Nu te teme de nimic, Eu îţi vin în ajutor!

14 Nu te teme de nimic, viermele lui Iacov, şi rămăşiţă slabă a lui Israel; căci Eu îţi vin în ajutor, - zice Domnul, - şi Sfântul lui Israel este Mântuitorul tău.

Dumnezeu

Isaia 40:

27 "Pentru ce zici tu, Iacove, pentru ce zici tu, Israele: ,Soarta mea este ascunsă dinaintea Domnului, şi dreptul meu este trecut cu vederea înaintea Dumnezeului meu?'

28 Nu ştii? N-ai auzit? Dumnezeul cel veşnic, Domnul a făcut marginile pământului. El nu oboseşte, nici nu osteneşte; priceperea Lui nu poate fi pătrunsă.

29 El dă tărie celui obosit, şi măreşte puterea celui ce cade în leşin.

30 Flăcăii obosesc şi ostenesc, chiar tinerii se clatină;

31 dar cei ce se încred în Domnul îşi înnoiesc puterea, ei zboară ca vulturii; aleargă şi nu obosesc, umblă, şi nu ostenesc."

What Jesus Did! - Sinners

I will tell you something. Go and learn what it means: 'I don't want animal sacrifices; I want you to show kindness to people.' I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners." - Matthew 9:13 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

God has never wanted to condemn. That has never been his purpose. His Old Testament Laws were meant to distinguish the Israelites as his people and preserve them from spiritual and physical harm.

When people rebel, rather than looking forward to punishing them for their sin, God grieves over the rebellious child. He yearns to bring restoration. When Jesus comes as Immanuel, he teaches and shows that God seriously cares about reaching and redeeming rebellious sinners.

Incredibly, both Jesus and John the Baptist have more success with those who are in outright rebellion than with those who have been inoculated by their legalistic religious debates. Jesus came to the lost, the broken and the least, to save, mend, and make first.

PRAYER:

Loving and merciful Heavenly Father, give me a heart of concern for those who around me are lost. I am convicted today of your gracious love and sacrificial concern for those who are caught in sin. Please use me as an instrument to give them hope and bring them to you. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."- Matt. 1:20-21

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.- 1 Tim. 1:15-16

Why? Because I want faithful love, not sacrifice, {I want people} to know God, not {to bring} burnt offerings. - Hosea 6:6

What Jesus Did! - Dinner with Sinners

Jesus ate dinner at Matthew's house. Many tax collectors and other bad people came and ate with Jesus and his followers. The Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with these people. The Pharisees asked Jesus' followers, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and other bad people?" Jesus heard the Pharisees say this. So Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Healthy people don't need a doctor. It is the sick people that need a doctor.
- Matthew 9:10-12 (ERV)

THOUGHT:

It's one thing to minister to the outcasts and sinners in public preaching; it's quite another to go to their parties. Jesus did both. It made everyone in the religious power structure very nervous, and eventually, very beligerent. But Jesus came to earth on a mission. A little disapproval from some religious snobs didn't slow him down any.

Jesus' purpose, however, was not to cause controversy but to share salvation and fellowship with his new disciple and his friends. To this day, the best way for people to come to Christ is through a friend who has recently become a Christian. True friendship always shares our fellowship with our friends and Jesus!

PRAYER:

Father, thank you that Jesus had his mission so clearly in mind when he served here. Thank you that criticism would not derail him from this ministry. And Father, I ask for eyes to see and ears to hear so that I might minister to others who are seeking for the answers only you provide. In the grace and the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach those people to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world." - Matthew 28:19-20

{Why do I say people are like that?} Because John came, and he did not eat {like other people} or drink wine. And people say, 'He has a demon inside him.' The Son of Man came eating {like other people} and drinking wine, and people say, 'Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He is a friend of tax collectors and other bad people.' But wisdom is shown to be right by the things it does." - Matthew 11:18-19