Be Like Isaiah

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 15:1 The burden against Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste And destroyed, Because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste And destroyed, 2 He has gone up to the temple and Dibon, To the high places to weep. Moab will wail over Nebo and over Medeba; On all their heads will be baldness, And every beard cut off. 3 In their streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth; On the tops of their houses And in their streets Everyone will wail, weeping bitterly. 4 Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, Their voice shall be heard as far as Jahaz; Therefore the armed soldiers of Moab will cry out; His life will be burdensome to him. 5 "My heart will cry out for Moab; His fugitives shall flee to Zoar, Like a three-year-old heifer. For by the Ascent of Luhith They will go up with weeping; For in the way of Horonaim They will raise up a cry of destruction,

 

These next two chapters of Isaiah deal with the prophecy against Moab. Within three years they would be overrun by the Assyrians. It won’t be pretty, God’s judgement never is. Two specific cities mentioned here that will be taken in a single night.

 

Note the despair of the Moabites well! Words like weep, wail, shaved heads (a sign of mourning) sackcloth, wail, weeping bitterly, crying out so loud, a neighboring city can hear it. Soldiers crying out, despairing of their very lives, and more weeping in verse 5!

 

And one more episode of crying that needs to be noted. That of the prophet Isaiah, “My heart will cry out for Moab!” (Verse 5)

 

The Moabites were heathen, praying to other gods, but that doesn’t stop Isaiah for wailing on their behalf. The lesson for us is never let your heart become hardened to human misery wherever and whenever it befalls. Wail for the victims, believers or not! Put yourself in their shoes, because there but by the grace of God go you and I!

 

There is no shortage of misery in our world today. Wars continue. Cities are destroyed. Lives are lost, and some left wounded. The threat of sudden violence and destruction is ever present. And when it happens, be like Isaiah and wail and mourn the victims. Seek to console and help as best you can.

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

We Win!

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 14:28 This is the burden which came in the year that King Ahaz died. 29 "Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent's roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent. 30 The firstborn of the poor will feed, And the needy will lie down in safety; I will kill your roots with famine, And it will slay your remnant. 31 Wail, O gate! Cry, O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north, And no one will be alone in his appointed times." 32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the poor of His people shall take refuge in it.

 

With the death of the ungodly king Ahaz, Philistia will now get their comeuppance. The rod that had struck them (Judah) was broken for a time under King Ahaz, but God would now raise up a godly king (Hezekiah) and the people under Hezekiah will once again be blessed with sustenance and safety. (The firstborn of the poor will feed, And the needy will lie down in safety)

 

Not so for Philistia. Famine will come upon the land. War will come from the north, through the well organized and swarming Assyrian army, and the proud nation of Philistia will be dissolved.

 

Death will come to the land. Safety in numbers will not matter (no one will be alone in his appointed times) and what will be the answer to the demise of Philistia? How could this happen to a nation with such fortified cities? And the answer is God has founded Zion (dare we say the church!) and the humble will receive refuge in it. The church of Jesus Christ! The forever refuge of the humble.

 

Take heart from this judgement against Philistia because though evil may seem to be winning in our world today, in the end God dissolves all evil and the church wins!

 

Jesus made that same promise when He was speaking to Peter in Mt 16:18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (on Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Violence in the Land

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

We are outraged. We are deeply saddened. We are frightened. I know some things need to be said, and certainly some things need to be done to address the horrific events at Robb Elementary School in Texas where 21 innocent elementary students and teachers lost their lives.

 

Many people have spoken out in recent days against a congress that due to partisan politics have dragged their feet in coming up with solutions to help put an end to these senseless acts of violence.

 

It’s time for the church to remind our government officials that they have a God-appointed responsibility to protect the governed from evil.

 

Ro 13:4 For he (the government) is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

 

As far as what that looks like concerning legislation, I don’t know. I just know that it’s time to stop bickering and time to look out for the good of the people rather than their own good! And so I plead to our legislators…..get on it! Get on with your God-given responsibility!

 

We in the church also have a responsibility in this matter! We are battling the forces of unspeakable evil here, and for that we need the help of Almighty God. We need humble prayer.

 

I have heard it repeated many times in the last couple of days that “we’ve tried prayer, and it’s not working.” That would appear to be the case, but maybe we ought to be asking, “Have we tried repentance?

 

What makes us think that we are different than the people of Solomon’s day? When the Lord said, 2Ch 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

 

Heartfelt repentance opens the ears of God! And sets His healing into motion. Isa 66:2 promises us: "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

 

A little trembling at the Word of God would go a long way in straightening out the moral compass of the land and it starts in the church!

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

A Sexual Rut (Pun Intended)

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

I don’t think I need to tell you that we live in a sex-crazed culture. I don’t need to fill in all the details of how far we have strayed from God’s plan for sexual activity designed to be played out in marriage between a man and a woman.

 

This cultural fixation on sex that surrounds us is nothing new. It was a problem in the days of the prophet Jeremiah, and we read about it in Jer 5:7-9, "How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.  8 They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. 9 Shall I not punish them for these things?" says the LORD. "And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

 

“Like well fed lusty stallions,” don’t sugar coat it Jeremiah! Our culture, right now is in a sexual “rut.” (pun intended) The only way out is repentance and a return to the truths of God’s Word, and it starts with each one of us individually.

 

Be a truth seeker! Seek out God’s plan for sexual activity as clearly spelled out in His Word. Proclaim His truth! Teach His truth! Live His truth! Truth is where God camps out! Jer 5:1-3 says,  "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her. 2 Though they say, 'As the LORD lives,' Surely they swear falsely." 3 O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth?

God looks upon truth with favor, may we be found living in it!

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Assemble Yourselves!

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

As I trudge my way through the Scriptures chapter by chapter, I found myself in Jeremiah chapter 4 and I am led to share portions of it with you today. As a little backdrop, Jeremiah has been charged with giving warning to Judah for God’s impending judgment on them for their turning away from the Lord. One thing God consistently does in Scripture is warn of impending judgment! Let’s pick it up in Jeremiah 4:1:

 

Jer 4:1 "If you will return, O Israel," says the LORD, "Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved. 2 And you shall swear, 'The LORD lives,' In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory."

 

In these first two verses He calls His people to repentance.

 

Then in verses 3 and 4, He says, “Let  My Word, plow deep into your heart! Let My Law break up the hardness of your heart and prepare it for the seed of the gospel! Do not sow among thorns.” In other words, come out of the world don’t let the cares and concerns of this world choke out my Word!

 

3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings."

 

And finally, as HE warned His OT church then, He warns us now in similar fashion! He says:

 

 5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: "Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry, 'Gather together,' And say, 'Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.' 6 Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction."

 

This portion of Jeremiah, speaks directly to His church in Jeremiah’s day, it should remind us of God’s similar warning to the church today found in Heb 10:24,25!

 

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

 

Friend, the Day is approaching, observe the cold-hearted acts of men we read of every day, and note what Jesus said about the last days: Mt 24:12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

 

This call to the assembly is not about attending a worship service…it’s more than that. It’s a faithful proclamation of the Law and Gospel in the assembly, and a continual call to come out of the ways of the world, and a challenge to spur one another on to acts of love and good works for one another.

 

Time is running out. There is a world of lawlessness out there. People are dying and hellbound and looking for answers. Let us show them the way with the faithful proclamation of the truth of the Scriptures, and a genuine love for each other. Jesus didn’t say the world will know we are His disciples by our church attendance, He said the world will know we are His disciples by our love for one another! (Joh 13:35)

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Tremble At God's Word

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 66:2b  "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

 

By now, we should all know that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Prov 3:34, James 4:6, 1 Pet 5:5)

 

His grace is the starting point of our very salvation! Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Sufficiently humbled by an awareness of our sin and God’s willingness to forgive us through faith in Jesus, we are told here in Isaiah that God’s favor is bestowed on those who “tremble” at His Word! We don’t like to use words like “tremble,” when we talk about God. Let’s receive His forgiveness, punch our ticket to heaven and leave it at that!

 

But hold on! What does it say here? Tremble at the Word of God! It is ALL God-breathed!  2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

It really boils down to two camps. It’s the “Thus saith the Lord” camp vs the “did God really say” camp. Where are you camping out these days? If you want God’s favor, then stake it on God’s Word. His Word is truth (Jn 17:17 and it will stand forever! (Mt 24:35) That in itself ought to provoke us to a trembling awe, that leads to trust and a desire to obey!

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

My Body, My Choice?

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 65:5 Who say, 'Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.

 

Have you ever felt the sting of acrid smoke in your nostrils? It’s irritating and annoying, but for the most part a temporary annoyance. But in this passage from Isaiah 65, we are reminded of the lingering sting filling the nostrils of God for those who live by the creed of “My body, my choice.”

 

Reading in Isaiah this morning and I couldn’t help but think of that pro-choice mantra that has resurfaced lately due to the possible overturning of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.   

 

Here in Isaiah, the Lord is talking about those who openly rebel against Him, They say, “Keep to Yourself God! Do not come near me, for I am holier than You!”

Pretty much the same as “My body, my choice,” wouldn’t you say?

 

Of course the problem with that argument is we are not our own! We were bought at a great price on a cross outside Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. Joh 3:16 reminds us "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

Jesus paid the purchase price for all and everlasting life is promised to all who believe in Him!

 

And the Holy Spirit reminds us in 1Co 6:19,20 that as believers, we are not our own!

 

 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

 

And in 1Co 6:13 we read, “Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

 

Ending an unborn child’s life is not a glorifying act of one’s body. That little child growing in the womb also belongs to God as He fearfully and wonderfully crafts each and every unique human being.

 

His desire is to have fellowship with each one of us, and so He offers forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus. Remember, there is no sin Jesus did not pay for on the cross. Receive Him as Lord and Savior and replace that annoying, irritating  acrid smell of rebellion in the nostrils of God with the sweet fragrance of Christ!

 

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I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Absence of Reason

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Ro 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

 

 This is what happens when God is removed from our thoughts.

 

As the rhetoric heats up concerning the possibility of overturning the Supreme Court decision that legalized the killing of unborn children, I am amazed at how quickly the science of the starting point of a unique child is brushed aside. It’s biology 101.  Life begins at conception!

 

Not only science, but professing Christians brush aside biblical truth concerning God’s gift of children.

 

Foolish hearts are darkened.

 

It’s like the human faculty for reasoning has been checked at the door, all for the sake of sexual freedom with no regard for the possible consequences of engaging in the sex act.  “You mean a child could actually come from this?”

 

This lack of the presence of sound reasoning should cause believers everywhere to humbly pray that this blindness be removed. Listen to the words of this hymn written in the 18^th century and then pray!

 

How Helpless Guilty Nature Lies

 

1 How helpless guilty nature lies,
Unconscious of its load!
The heart unchanged can never rise
To happiness and God.

2 Can aught beneath a power divine
The stubborn will subdue?
’Tis Thine, Almighty Saviour, Thine,
To form the heart anew.

3 ’Tis Thine the passions to recall,
And upwards bid them rise;
And make the scales of error fall
From reason’s darkened eyes.

4 To chase the shades of death away,
And bid the sinner live,
A beam of heaven, a vital ray,
’Tis Thine alone to give.

5 O change these wretched hearts of ours,
And give them life divine!
Then shall our passions and our powers,
Almighty Lord, be Thine.

Amen.

 

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The "Leak"

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Social media and news networks are buzzing like never before on the heels of the leaking of the Supreme Court decision concerning the overturning of the Roe vs Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized the murder of unborn children in 1973. Since then over 63 million unborn children have lost their lives to legalized killing clinics across the nation.

 

This premature release of the court’s decision has fanned the flames of the pro choice rhetoric, and I would caution us all not to be taken in by it. In the days ahead they will drag out every celebrity, every famous spokesperson they can come up with to champion the right to kill an unborn children, so society can continue to enjoy sex without responsibility. Their ultimate goal in these rantings is to silence those who stand for truth. It will be as Isaiah said in Isa 51:23, 'Lie down, that we may walk over you.”'

 

First of all, let me say this. I’ll believe that Roe V Wade is overturned when I see it in black and white, and we’ll have to wait until the end of June for the official decision. In the meantime, don’t be taken in by their twisting of the facts concerning when a life begins. Follow the science, and as a Christian follow the Bible.

 

Life begins at conception, only a desperate fool, trying to justify a murder  would deny that. If that is not a living, growing human being in the womb, why do you have to violently remove it?

 

From the biblical standpoint we are told that we are all conceived in sin, Ps 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

What is the wage of sin? Is it not death? Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

How can that wage be paid, how can death possibly come to something that is not first alive? We all are sinners from conception on and we all need God’s saving grace from that moment!

 

All the poisonous pro choice rhetoric is designed to divert the attention from that living child in the womb. Our job is to keep the focus on that child before and after birth.  

 

When someone insists that legalized abortion is a fundamental right, take them to the Declaration of Independence and the “self-evident truth, that people first and foremost have the “right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Without the first of these three, the rest don’t matter!

 

Ask them to name the crime of that child growing in the womb of the mother. Name the sin! What have they done to have their life snuffed out?

 

Did the unborn child rape? Did the unborn child commit incest? Did the unborn child engage in the sex act? Show me the crime, show me the sin and then let us talk punishment!

 

Finally, let me remind you of God’s gospel of grace. If you have been a participant in the act of aborting a child. Remember, there is no sin that Jesus didn’t pay for on the cross. We have this sure promise from God’s Word in that regard:

 

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.