A Nation Not Repented

Study: # 754 – Church in the Houses From: December 25 – 31, 2012 TOPIC: "A Nation Not Repented" Isaiah 66:1-4

There are things in life that have to be done and are not, later there is lament. They are those things that God has moved us to do, which could have been done well and we did not have a holy heart to do them. Later, when time has passed, we could feel a lament, but there is something that God has always wanted from us and that is a contrite heart (one of repentance, of remorse, of contrition, of pain for having offended God for whom He is, not by fear because of the punishment). God takes into account when He sees in us that there is so much pain in the heart for having failed Him and see that we do not ever want to be rebellious towards Him. The word says in Acts 7:51 that Stephen would tell the Jewish people of his times: "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Those who cannot listen to God will never have a solution for their life. That is to resist the Holy Spirit always. In God and for God what really is useful is the good disposition of the heart. We cannot please God without repentance. We could never do anything for God if we’re not capable of changing in our inner-self. God cannot work in a person where there is some kind of evilness. We pretend and think that we can construct something or do something for God without having a contrite heart. We can’t sing or praise, or do absolutely anything if we are not poor and humble in our spirit. Isaiah 66:2 "Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Isaiah 57:15 Isaiah 66:1 "This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” He is the creator and owner of the whole universe. The Lord is throned in the highest Heavens and the earth down here is at the dais of his feet. In spite of all this greatness what God seeks of men is their heart, your heart. He created you, He has cared for you, He called you; He sent Jesus to die for you on the cross to save you. And even so, you allow other things to be deposited in your heart that do not come from God. Search today what is in your heart to see if it is clean from filth and full of purity, of intentions and purposes for God. Would it be that you arrive at church to worship Him or is it that you want Him to resolve your problems and circumstances? What is in the heart? That is what God is interested in. He wants to dwell in the life of those who are humble and fear the Word of God. But, the problem is that we are obstinate; we do not want to yield before Him. To bend the neck is to surrender to God and His will, it is to abandon our arrogant and proud attitude before Him. When men’s neck is lifted and assumes a posture of rebelliousness, then he let’s other see that he’s conceited, that he becomes haughty, that he is arrogant, he exalts himself, he is proud and vain. Like this, who can raise a temple to worship God? Absolutely no one! No one with these characteristics can raise anything for God; nothing pleasant to His eyes can be done unless there is a humble spirit. Who can deceive the owner of the universe, the owner and Lord of everything? God's glance is not looking at the practices of the external rituals of men. HE IS LOOKING AT

THE HEART! It is as if he was saying: "But I will look at those who are poor and humble in the spirit, I will take note and attend their prayers." We clearly know that the people of Israel presented themselves before God through sacrifices. But, what God was seeking was for them to do it in a clean, holy and humble way, to arrive in affliction before the Creator, as the main and greatest of all that exists. But, they did not carry out the sacrifices and worship in this way. Let us clearly understand that there isn’t an act or ritual that substitutes morality. As a sinner, no one can perform a ritual to be accepted by God, nothing can be done with our garments stained with sin. Isaiah 52:11 says: "... Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the Lord." They, the people of Israel, raised a house for God to worship and serve with sacrifice and praise just as instructed by Moses. A ritual is a prescribed formality for a religious ceremony; they clearly understood how they were going to approach God. All of us who want to worship and honor the Lord have to be clear of how and in which way we approach God. And above all, which should be the attitude and disposition of the heart to sanctify His name and be agreeable. What is your ritual? Do you give the Lord today your best praise? Do you present yourself before Him with reverence to listen His Word, etc.? When things are done with a life full of pride and with “a cold shoulder” the word or the music for God is not heard; you can only hear the loud noises of the hidden sin. Isaiah 66:3 "But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol.” When those Israelites approached God with their impure conditions and with arrogance and sacrificed an ox, for God it was like they were killing another human; if they sacrificed a sheep it was for Him like sacrificing a dog. A hog is filthy in sacrifices; that is how God saw it when those men came before Him with their arrogance and sin. There was nothing pure when they approached God. Then, what should have been seen as pure was seen by God as filthy, because of a haughty heart without repentance. What does your soul love? God? Or the abominable of this world? The impenitent, those who cannot abandon a habit or custom that can cause them danger and great problems, offend God with their impure religious practices. When there is no faith and sanctity the practice of sacrifices and offerings are abominable before God. The paths of the hypocrites can be chosen but the consequences will come, the deeds and the unclean rituals will be punished by God. God is the one who will bring the payment, bad consequences will come when rejecting His call to repentance and when one is capable to walk down paths that He dislikes. Those who do will prove His anger. Deliver yourself from the wrath of the Holy God. Love Him and honor Him with purity and holiness, with a meek and humble heart, with a clean and pleasing disposition towards your God. Amen.