Unbolt The Door To Your Heart

Tag: change

  • Isaiah 6

    Isaiah Six is a very powerful chapter on the transformation of the prophet Isaiah and the same transformation that must take place in every believer.

    Isaiah starts by seeing and experiencing the Holiness of God. The Lord is seated on the throne in the temple. The train of His robe fills the whole temple.  This is symbolic of the Lord’s infinite majesty, supreme authority and is showing that God’s glory is greater than any earthly king and it leaves no room for anyone else to rule in the temple or the universe.

    Above the Lord were seraphs and they were constantly praising God with song and voices. Verse three tells us what they were saying and verse four tells us how they were proclaiming the Holiness of God.

    The sound of their voices shook the doorposts and thresholds of the temple.  Oh, what a worship service and witness it would be if your praise at church shook the ground for the neighborhood to hear, see, and feel what God is doing for You.

    Immediately in verse 5 Isaiah recognizes his sinful condition and that he is not worthy of standing in the temple or the vicinity of God. When we realize the holiness and greatness of God and His presence, the more we realize our sinful condition. God’s absolute purity acts like a bright light that exposes even the smallest flaws in our hearts.

    “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Luke 5:8 NIV

    Isaiah realizes that he has no right to be in the presence of such holiness and purity. He shouts out in fear of being put to death, for he has experienced the presence of the Lord.

    “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6: 6-7 NIV

    This is where the transformation starts.  You realize your sinfulness and impurity. You humble yourself before the Great “I AM”.  God’s presence in your life brings about complete surrender and humility. You realize that there is nothing you are going to do to become clean.  You cannot wash yourself.  No amount of working at scrubbing is going to get you ready for the presence of God.

    Immediately upon being touched by the coal Isaiah is clean. “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7 NIV

    The coal was radiant white with heat from being in the altar before God.  That whiteness of that heat brought complete forgiveness and atonement to Isaiah. God accepts the Purity  of His Son to bring Purity to you and me.

    This cleanliness changed Isaiah. He immediately hears the voice of God asking, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah 6:8 NIV

    This is such an important part in the transformation of a person from believing that they are worthless to being forgiven clothed in the white robe of Jesus. Don’t underestimate this part of the transformation. 

    The change is once he hears God’s calling to witness unto others, to take the message to others. Isaiah stands up and starts shouting “Here I am, Send Me”. Isaiah 6:8 NIV 

    This is how it should be in everyone that has accepted the saving grace of God.  You should immediately be so excited to share this wonderful message with all. You have been forgiven and cleansed and you cannot wait to share it with everyone. It is shown in your personality, the glow on your face and the love in your eyes for everyone. In your daily interactions in person or on social media. There is no more negativity or condemnation in anything you do. You did not deserve to be touched by the hot coal and forgiven. God saved you because He loves you. No act like it and live a life worthy of what God has done for you.

    “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes”. Romans 1:16 NIV

    God then tells Isaiah to go and tell but gives a warning. In verse nine and ten God explains that most people will not listen because their ears will not understand because their hearts have become calloused. They only want to hear what tickles their ears and gladdens their hearts.

    This is the problem with believers.  They hear the saving words, but it does not change them. They are believers that hear the word, the seed, that the workers have cast upon the ground.  They hear and sprout up only to die when the heat hits because they did not change their behavior and put down a foundation deep into Jesus. It was just a surface religion.

    Isaiah asks how long he should continue to spread the good news of salvation. God’s response is until the end of time. 

    God then gave some good news.  He has reserved a tenth of the population that has never bowed down a knee to the world and its ways. Those people shall be the holy seed that goes forward in the name of the Lord.

    What a wonderful promise of eternity is in this chapter for those that accept the saving grace of God the Father and accept the changes that this brings. They allow this saving Grace to change their behavior, words and actions.

    Read this chapter every morning.  Let it sink deep within and let the Holy Spirit transform you. Surrender all to Him and go forth today in a manner that brings glory to God.

    Remember it is not a religion it is a relationship.

    Prayers and Love for all.

    Larry

  • By Beholding We Become Changed

    You cannot feast your mind on Netflix, Hollywood, TV News, sitcoms, movies and programs and have a spiritual character.

    It is simply not possible.

    Why, because by beholding we become changed. 

    This works both ways.  By Beholding and Spending time with God you will become changed. So, then it stands to reason that by beholding and spending time in the world you will change. You cannot spend time in worldly entertainment and not become changed.

    Do you spend more minutes or hours watching worldly productions than you spend in the word of God?

    Do you spend more time on social media than you spend in the word of God?

    The Things of this world cannot satisfy you.

    By watching any news program, you start to lose love for all mankind. You start to think differently about people just because they are of a different political belief, a different race, a different social status, because they live a different way than you do, they are portrayed as the enemy.  Then it is very easy to fall into the mindset of the world and forget God told you to Love your enemy and all mankind.

    “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. John 13:35 NIV

    Just look at how the moral and ethical standards have changed over the years.  What do you see in tv programs and movies now versus a few years ago?  You are being led to accept behavior of all types. Satan knows exactly which programs will affect you in a manner that you do not realize they are affecting you and then you start to put God’s ways aside.

    On Social media you soon find yourself posting a post that points out why one political party is better than another political party. Why one line of worldly thought is better than another. Why credit for something that you believe is good, should go to a man or political party. Why a person that believes differently than you is just plain wrong.

    You will quickly forget that God is not American. God is not republican or a Democrat. God is not liberal or conservative. God does not have a political party better aligned with His way. You soon believe that you are doing God’s will by condemning other people’s views and that if they just saw it your way, the world would be better off.

    You need to remember that 100% of politicians are an early version of the antichrist.  They are great at persuading people to believe that they have a better way of doing things. They promise peace and a better America.  They promise a better way. They will tell you that the way to a better nation is to vote for them.  Yet we are told that no man can bring about peace and a better way.  It can only be done through Jesus.

    What is happening is that you are slowly being led to a position where you will not be able to identify the true antichrist when he comes.  Because, you have been following what sounds good to you and it tickles your ears.

    You are being led to put your faith in man and not God.

    “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps”. Jeremiah 10:23 NIV

    God just told you in this verse that you cannot trust yourself to guide your own steps. Then why would you trust any man to guide you?

    When you turn to any man to guide you, your church, your family you are leaving God’s will and following man’s will.

    The world or nation will not be a better place because you believe in or following a certain man or political party.  People will not be better if you post the ten commandments on every wall in a classroom. 

    God reminds you that His word needs to be written in your heart.  The only way to do that is to shut off the world and spend more time with Him.

    Where is your Garden of Gethsemane?

    You need a garden of Gethsemane in your daily life.

    Having a “Gethsemane” in daily life means carving out a quiet, honest space to surrender heavy burdens, process deep emotional pain, and align personal will with a higher purpose. Just as Jesus sought solitude at the foot of the Mount of Olives to pray through His deepest anguish and to be in His Father’s presence.

    “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly”. Matthew 6:6 NIV

    Spend more time alone in the garden with God than in the world with man.

    Shut off the world and stop putting faith in a man or mankind to make the world or nation better. You are dishonoring God when you do.

    Remember it is not a religion, it is a relationship.

    Prayers and Love for all.

    Larry