Zero Knowledge of God!
Isaiah 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.
Sub headings:
ZERO AUDIENCE
ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
ZERO BLESSINGS
Zero audience: The book of Isaiah starts with a bang - ‘the vision of Isaiah’, the entire 66 chapters of this book is based on this one line of God’s vision to Isaiah which he was supposed to say to the people at a time when the people had already turned away from God. None are ready to hear out the visions given by God to Isaiah; therefore, prophet Isaiah cried out ‘Listen O heaven and hear O earth’ now with no audience to hear him, he cried out to heaven and earth. Do you have an experience of having something awesome in your hand given by God Himself which would bring healing, blessings and deliverance but none are ready to receive it, though. That’s the picture here!
Friend, aren’t we in a situation like that today? In the midst of this pandemic situation when the corona virus had not yet gone away and not been eradicated, while the world is waiting for vaccine, people have already gone back to normal life: building houses, marriages, dating, vacationing, shopping, dining, cinemas and what not –God is last in their agenda or never at all. Talk shows have taken to zoom, reality shows of guffawing for nonsense has started, none are ready to hear the voice of God but Isaiah was none going to be hushed or shut, he would prophesy anyway. Say Amen.
If God has given you a burden to start a prayer cell in your office, early morning prayer, team prayer, Bible study, worship session, tuition classes, whatever, don’t quit because you do not have an audience. Obey, start, do your part of the job and wait for God to do His work, which He would do, say Amen. In the year 2011, September 11, we had taken an independent house on rent, made a banner that said’ Abide School’ and we had the opening prayer. The next day I took the keys and went alone to open the door of the school (I called it) expecting children to come in the queue to join because it was free; however, there was no noise. I had to sit there not for one day but for several days wondering what I am supposed to do. We then printed pamphlets and distributed, after which 4 children joined, we got to be ready to stand firm and steady when you have NOTHING in front of you. Today it is a full-fledged, English medium school, recognized by the Government of Telangana catering to the poor and orphaned children of our community. Stay immovable!
B)ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF GOD: Isaiah 1:3 "An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand."
The ox and the ass are probably selected as the least intelligent of domesticated animals, have we not heard phrases like” don’t be an ass, don’t stand like a cow”, alas, even these dumb animals recognize their master but the people of God do not understand and know their GOD. We can see the frustration and almost literally feel the tears of God. Can you? As a principal running a free school for the poor in our community in Hyderabad, I have watched the tears of many parents who had invested their all for their children but only to find them wicked and careless. The children of God and the Christian community is nothing better today, they want money, house, marriage, children, fridge, AC, good night sleep but do not want to lift little finger for God. Shame! I write this portion after preaching at our zoom night prayer, which had very scanty crowd, the Christians had gone to sleep after eating chicken curry, because God had protected them from Corona virus. How grateful are they for the goodness they received from Christ?'
Apostle Paul said: Colossians 1:10”That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God..” In the above scripture we see Apostle Paul praying one of his wonderful prayers for the believers to: a) walk worthy of the Lord, b) please Him in all our ways, c) being fruitful in every good work and d) increasing in the knowledge of God. Observe the words of Paul, he does not say, ‘grow in the knowledge of the Lord’, but he prays, ‘increasing in the knowledge of God.’ This should surely wake us!
There are Christians who read the Bible from morning to evening, yet, their knowledge of God and His ways are very little. We would not be fighting, quarreling, cheating, gossiping, scheming evil plan against each other if we have knowledge of God who said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”(John 13:34)
We would not be jumping in and out of affairs, groping in the dark for the will of God for our future, daringly getting into atrocious sins and still feel good about ourselves. The Lord says, Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. “
ZERO BLESSINGS:
Is it any wonder that we have zero blessings? What else can we expect when we show no interest in God nor are we ready to grow in Him? We feel ‘night prayer, fasting prayer, Bible study, 5 am prayer are not for you but for crazy Christians who would separate time for God during the week. Hey Christian, you separate time for ‘friends- get-together, night fun, hang out, fun time and what not but you give ZERO time for God?????? Huh? God is watching! How you treat God is the way how He would treat you!
The person who knows his identification in Christ, will live a higher life and not live a nmundane life, their walk and talk would be different. Say Amen. John was daring enough to say several times that he was a disciple LOVED BY JESUS, imagine! It is one thing to say, ‘I love Jesus’ but it needs real guts to say, ‘I am loved by Jesus’, agree? Look at the number of times John said that:
John 21:20 :Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
John 13:23 There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
John 19:26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
John 20:2 So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
Your identity in Christ and your vast knowledge of God through His Word gives you:
Confidence – example Daniel
Courage – example Joshua
Wisdom- example Joseph
Power and authority- example Moses
MY DAD IS THE KING OF KINGS & CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND UNIVERSE:
Can a worship song change a person’s life dramatically? Yes, it did for me, when I went for a camp meeting, the preacher was a prophet and also a singer, he would preach and sing as well. The lyrics of one particular song was like this,” your God is your Dad”, he sang the lyrics several times that went deep into my heart. I came home sobbed my heart out that night and God delivered me from many childhood hurts, wounds, bruises and pain. Jesus was no more a God in heaven but He became personal for me, He became my Daddy. So the realization comes from the work of the Holy Spirit inside our hearts; now, how did I get changed so dramatically after just a single meeting? That’s because the preacher and prophet was a ‘HOLY SPIRIT FILLED ANOINTED MAN OF GOD’. You cannot understand God through flesh only the Holy Spirit can reveal it to us, let us ask God to do it for us.
Many Christians fail to know God, despite church attendance week after week, the Chief priests and scribes called Jesus a DECEIVER, Mathew 27:63” "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I am to rise again.' They saw the miracles of Jesus and all the wonders, yet did not want to acknowledge Him as God. We have enormous number of people who do not know who is God. People who know God should go and spread the Gospel! We have not got revelation of who our God is not to bottle it but to go reveal it to the world! GO!
One particular sister told me, ‘ I cannot be without attending my church, I will not move to any other area’, that same mouth told me when I asked her ‘how much she has grown in Christ, that ‘she was not able to understand God because of certain calamities that happened in her life.’ Did you see that?
God looks at such people and says, “their lips praise me but their hearts are far away from me.”
Isaiah 29:13”The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
