Good morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
This morning, I read a very powerful statement which stunned me! It has caused me to pause and deeply reflect on what I have seen in my world all my life and what I know to be true. The statement, written 2700 years ago by a Jewish prophet named Isaiah, is found in Isaiah 64:4 in the Bible: “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides YOU, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” (Is.64:4)
In a world of more than 1 Billion Muslims, many of whom are radical, declaring anyone other than Muslim to be an infidel, especially if they are Jewish or Christian, and deserving of death; and nearly 1 Billion Hindus; nearly 1 Billion people who claim to be associated with some group of “Christians”; and more than 3 Billion other people who claim no religious affiliation at all, how does our world view this radical, exclusive statement made by Isaiah? How can it be verified as true?
Now please remember Isaiah also give us this very specific declaration from God Himself: “This is what the LORD says: He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth…He did not create it to be empty but formed it to be inhabited and He says: ‘I am the LORD and there is no other…I the LORD speak the TRUTH, I declare what is RIGHT…” (Is. 45:18,19) The singular, uniqueness of God as claimed in both Is. 64:4 & 45:18,19 is unquestionable and undeniable, and it comes with a very clear qualifier: The God who meets the criteria for these statements must be the one and only Creator of our universe, including planet earth, AND all that lives on planet earth including humans.
There is no room for any ambiguity is there? And if that wasn’t enough, God then adds this further self-defining declaration: “There is no God apart from Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.” (Is. 45:21b,22)
Clearly God describes Himself as Holy (Righteous) and the ONLY God able to deliver any one person and the entire human race, from the suffocating and inescapable bondage of evil and wickedness in our world. Now it should not be difficult to extract from these bold statements the very clear specifics, the criteria, which anything or anyone demanding the allegiance due only to God, must meet. I think we should pause for a few seconds, and I urge you to take a piece of paper and extract the criteria required to qualify as God in those Biblical statements.
But wait, God brings this series of profound self-describing declarations to a powerful conclusion with one more: “By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: ‘Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength.” (Is. 45:23,24)
Like a musical crescendo, like a wave which we watch from far out to sea as it rolls toward the shoreline, these declarations from God grow more and more powerful, more significant, more profound and more exclusive with each additional word. Finally comes this last statement of justice & judgment: “All who have raged against the LORD will come to Him and be put to shame.” (Is. 45:24b)
Ok all mankind, in every people group of the world, every nation it’s time for a thoughtful, courageous response from EACH and EVERY person alive in our world today! Bring forth your god, whatever or whomever it is that you worship as god, and let’s see if your god satisfies the criteria, the necessary qualifications put forth by Isaiah for your god to be globally honored as the one, true, ONLY, God?
1. Is your god Creator of the universe and did your god create the universe from NOTHING? If so, when and how? If not, already your god is disqualified from being considered the one, true, living, all powerful God.
2. Did your god create all the animals and vegetation on planet earth and design it all to sustain human life? If so when and how, if not, your god is disqualified from being considered the one, true, living, life giving and life sustaining God! (Col. 1:15,16 & Gen.1)
3. Is your god able to control Satan and his demons and the life destroying work of the dark kingdom in our world? Jesus did while He was here on earth as He bound and cast demons out from people whom they held in their stranglehold. (Mark 1:21-27; 5:1-20) Jesus said He watched as God demoted Lucifer (Satan) and threw that rebellious angel out of heaven. (Luke 10:18) If your god is not more powerful than Satan and evil and wickedness, then your god cannot deliver anyone out of the stranglehold of Satan’s evil and wickedness and therefore your god does not qualify to be the one, true, almighty, holy, living God.
4. Is your god able to create human life and sustain the life of that person every moment for a lifetime? If so, how did your god create you and how is your god sustaining your life? If not, your god is disqualified from consideration as God. (Psalm 139)
5. What provision has your god made for life after death or is death the end, according to your god? Of course, the one true God created human life to be immortal and here on “Walking with Jesus” we often look at what the Bible teaches us is God’s design for eternal life after death and how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection has made it possible for any person to gain eternal life in heaven with God! (John 3:16; 5:24)
Now that’s only 5 god identifying questions, and of course there are thousands, aren’t there? So… what is your response to those questions my friend? And what is the Muslim response and the Hindu response and the Communist response and the Atheist response and the purely secular person’s response who cares nothing about the God who made them?
Isaiah’s message boldly challenges and invites the world to God and His truth: “There is no God apart from Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.” (Is. 45:21b,22)
I hope you’ll take time to deeply reflect today on these powerful, exclusive statements from the only, true, living, Almighty, Holy God. Personalize them and God’s reach to you…and I urge you to take time right now and talk with God about them. And here’s a worship song to help you reflect on the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and Almighty God…
Today’s Scripture: Is.64:4.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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