Transcript: God's Refining Fire: Finding Strength in Correction [Isaiah 48:1-11]

Hello my dear brothers and sisters, Christ the Lord and a warm welcome to one and all of you. Once again we are here in this short series or short discussions where we are consistently reviewing various topics from the Bible that leads us towards clarity. If you are a person who is interested in detailed Bible teaching, yes they are available in splendid measures in the channel and we request you to subscribe the reason is why because you will keep receiving the notifications as we release the videos alright now the very reason for the short sessions are because we could we will be able to cover you know there will be versatility in coverage and also we would be able to you know get closer to the concepts much quicker and faster because I understand many of us are really busy with work and all that but But these kind of things, you know, will give you a kind of a sneak peek, an overview and therefore you can, you know, do your Bible readings offline as well. Today yet another topic from the book of Isaiah chapter 48 verses 1 to 11. This topic is much needed for every Christian. It's much needed for every believer. It's much needed for every mankind. And it is all about refinement. Refinement. Refinement is a concept many many people think that it's applicable to only gold. Gold goes through the refining process. Have anyone here listening to me seen this gold and ore? It will be even worse than a garbage. And such a garbage when it goes through the refinement, there are lot of chemical process and treatments. You will see that glittering at the end of the you know the treatment it will you will see that glittering as that You know that necklace or that earring or that you know that ring that you wear in your fingers and all that right or Anklet and nose rings and all that beautiful things that you will find in the jewelry shop But then if they were if they were to kind of rewind the tape putting together all the you know that gold Which is glittering in that shop? It will be like tons and tons of of, you know, ore, which is like a garbage. But after refinement, they glitter like, they not glitter like gold, gold glitters. Similarly, the same concept is applicable to every one of us. It's applicable to mankind, not only to Christians, but Bible strongly recommends this as a principle, this as a concept, not traditionally, but even for a practical person, A person who is, you know, very practical. Tell me some, you know, talk to me practically from the Bible. Yes, this is a practical teaching, right? You have to go through the refinement. Because why? That's when the garbage that is inside of us, it could be your habitual practices. It could be you were negatively influenced by someone. It could be that you were walking in deception. It could be that you were blindfolded. It could be that you were not aware. It could be that you are from a non-Christian background that you did not even touch Bible. A lot of possibilities. Therefore, this kind of refinement is the one which will help you to understand that there is a lot of garbage in us. There are a lot of shortcomings in us. There are a lot of weaknesses in us. And nothing wrong to go through the correction, right? Go through the course correction. And that process is definitely going to help you. At the end of the process, you will glitter like gold. Correct? but many of us are stiff necked, many of us are really stubborn. No, no, no, my forefathers tradition really matters to me and I am very, very happy in what I am doing. I am very, very happy remaining as a nominal Christian, remaining as an atheist or this and that. Obviously, the garbage inside you also remains as it is. Why? Because you have never allowed the word of God. The word of God is the cleansing instrument. It really refreshes a person, rejuvenates a person. It renews a person. Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 if you take can read let there be renewal of mind present your body as living sacrifice and may the good God lead you and bring that transformation in your spirit correct that what Bible says Isaiah 48 is I have just been stuck to the title right And Isaiah 48 1 to 11 God talks to Israel about the refinement process that they have to go through to bring that glory to God. At the end of the day, my dear beloved sister and brother, listening to me, when you go through this refining process, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you, John 14, 26, John 14, 23, if you take and read, John 14, 16, you take and read. Our Holy Spirit is our helper who will guide us through the scriptures where Jesus spoke and taught. That is exactly the definition, right? And ultimately, when you allow the Holy Spirit to have his work in you, you're going to bring that glory to God through your lifestyle, through the changes, through that rejuvenation, right? That's very important. And God is giving, leaving that as an instruction, not only to the people of Israel, but the instruction is applicable to you and me, to all of us. And verse number 1, Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and make mention the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness. Talking about any Christian, nominal Christian, C.S.I., Pentecost, all the people. You have so much of garbage in you. Matthew 23, if you take and read, Jesus would have yelled at Pharisees why? because they were practicing hypocrisy they were acting before men and God they were actually not even knowing that they were acting they think, they strongly believed that what they were doing is right and that's where Jesus really got irritated hey, you are the ones who are teaching Bible and there isn't anyone who are well versed in the Bible and the laws and commandments you know by heart top to bottom, bottom to top and how is it you people are not able to realize that you are practicing hypocrisy. John chapter 3, if you take and read, Jesus makes the same statement again to Nicodemus. And how are you able to teach while you don't even know the answer for a basic question you are asking me? Are you kidding me that a person who has grown like six foot tall can enter into his mother's womb? Don't you know it's impossible? It's not about the physical, you know, kind of rebirth, but it's kind of a spiritual rebirth where you have to get into the, you know, the stage of, you know, spiritual eternity or the spiritual immortality about which we are preaching in a different series. Don't miss on those. Okay. Now, this is where Jesus was questioning and questioning to the people. Some people don't know really, right? But some people, they knew that there is no truth in them. They are definitely fooling God. And they also make God their partner to all the malpractices they do. For example, they take bribe and 50% I will give it to God only as tithe and all that. No, sorry, that's money blood. God doesn't need that. There is no truth. There is no righteousness in you. And God doesn't need that kind of money. And anyway, it is his money, right? It's not your money. It's God's money. He gives it to you and me and he is putting our faith to test. He is putting our attitude to test. He is putting our habit to test. That's all it is. And those who have understood this are the ones who will always remain humble and simple. I'm telling you the truth. Verse number 2. For they call themselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel, the Lord of hosts in his name have declared the former things from the beginning. They went forth from my mouth and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did. I did them and they came to pass because I knew that you were obstinate and your neck was an iron sinew and your brow bronze. What God is trying to say here is, you had been leaning on the walls. You had been going to the holy city. You had been going to the church. You had been fasting and praying. You go, you don't miss every, any of these Sunday services. 52 weeks, 52 Sundays, always full attendance. What is the use? Why? Because you are so stubborn. You are so stiff-knit. You are having that kind of you know pride in your heart and your stout heart And why Because you think that all that you are doing is right and there is no blemish in me Such a person can never, you know, see the presence of God. And why? Because he is calling himself a liar. He is calling God a liar too. 1 John chapter 1 verses 7 to 10 you read. You will understand what I am saying. Isaiah chapter 48 verse number 5. Even from the beginning I have declared it to you. before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you lest you should say my idol has done them and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them and you have heard and you have heard see all of this and you will declare of it and I have made you hear new things from this time even hidden things that you do not know them They are created now and not from the beginning. And before this day you have heard them, lest you should say, of course I knew them. Surely you did not hear. Surely you did not know. Surely from long ago your ear was not open. For I knew that you would not deal very treacherously and were called a transgressor from the womb. I will stop here. What God is trying to say here is, it was a long passage. I had to read it. Only then it is easy to explain. what God is saying is you are a traditional Christian you are going and bow for example nominal Christian, Catholic Christian they go and bow before the carved images and they praise Mary which is not in the Bible and again I don't want to hurt anybody but I am talking from the Bible and there are Pentecost Christians you know they get too much into the realm of the spirit related matters and they are deviating from the Bible clap your hands really fast and talk in tongues it's not a language that you can learn It's given to you as a gift from above. 1 Corinthians 14, you have completely violated. Some people speak in tongues, but they cannot interpret it. Any tongues that you talk cannot be interpreted. You better not talk because it's not from God. 1 Corinthians 14 says. So I'm covering all categories of people, all congregations and denominations. But my fight is not against you. My fight is against the powers of darknesses who have brought in this kind of delusions and perplexions and confusions. That's the reason our heart is far away from God. Our practices are really far away from the guidelines, the checklist, the laws and commandments that has been given to you and me. That is the reason we are always living in this kind of this dual mindset or some people are double-tongued or double-minded. You understand what I'm saying? Such people can never ever, you know, understand who this real God is and they will be never ever able to enjoy the goodness from God and his, you know, his divine will and plan will never be fulfilled in their lives. It's not a curse. It's not a curse. But you take and read Deuteronomy chapter 28 verses 14 onwards. You will understand the curses that would be lingering onto a person who is not abiding in the word of God. And that is what God is trying to mention here. verse number 9 to 11 for my name's sake i will differ sorry my anger and for my praise i will restrain it from you that i do not cut you off behold i have refined you but not uh not not as a silver i have tested you in the furnace of affliction for my own sake for my own sake i will do it for how should my name be profane and i will not give my glory to another god is saying not as a silver, you know, just as a silver, but I have refined you in that hot furnace. This simply means God is the one who really loves us and he chastises us. But then if you don't welcome him, if you despise him, despising means pushing him back. God, please, I'm not able to bear this chastisement. It's too hard for me. It's too rash for me. You know, Cain made that statement in Genesis chapter 4. This is too much for me and all that, you know, that is old covenant. But the new covenant is you should welcome Even in the old covenant also I can show verses Proverbs 3 11 12 proverbs 6 23 it talking about chastisement as when if a father loves his son he will chastise him and he will bring through bring him through course corrections if our father god is not doing the same with us that means his love is fake and god is not fake god he's a real god he's true god he's loving god he's compassionate god and therefore he's going to chastise but if you would despise him. If you would push him aside, he's not going to trouble you. He's going to walk away from your life. I never ever come into the imagination that he will be always holding his patience. Even if some people don't push him, but some people don't listen to him either. They'll say that I'm sorry, Lord, you are trying to correct me, but what to do? I'm not able to overcome this weakness and this and that. It's one and the same. You all belong to the same university at the end of the day but you know our god has limits too right bible says in psalms 103 verse number 9 that you know he will not hold his anger forever neither will he strive with the spirit of man forever which simply means god would set a limit because why he will keep testing you he will keep you know helping you admonishing you or exerting you or even punishing you but then you are not going to listen why because you love devil more than god god is not and the devil is also not going to spare you, right? He's going to go and accuse the brethren day and night Bible says in Revelation 12, 10. And he's going to tell God, God, why are you troubling this guy? He loves me more than you. And God would say, fine, take him. You are the owner of his life. And obviously, you have reserved a spot in the lake of fire, simply, you know, in the day of judgment, you won't be able to settle your accounts. My dear beloved brother, sister, you don't have to burn in eternity, but You have to enjoy the glory of God and the presence of God in eternity. Your destiny is not lake of fire. Your destiny is definitely the kingdom of heaven. But it's because of these wrong choices, the bad decisions that you take to whatever reasons. I've been blindfolded. I've been fooled. Oh, this guy deceived me and this and that. Why did you get deceived? The Bible is given to you and me, you know. And same claim, you know, Adam and Eve would have made. But they would have made a statement, oh, I didn't have Bible. But they had God himself with them. Isn't it? The God, the father who wrote the Bible, himself was available in front of them. He himself is the living Bible. And God taught them a lot of knowledge and wisdom. But they never paid attention. And you know what big the consequence was. And even to this day, we are battling the Adamic sin in our carnal flesh. So, you got to really be serious about the consequences. And never ever refraining from reading the word of God. never ever refrain from meditating never ever refrain from fasting and prayer certain things you know certain stronghold the devil might have taken control over your lives if you want to fight it out certain spirits can be you know kind of confronted you know no other methods are there other than fasting and prayer the confrontation only can happen through this method called as fasting and prayer Jesus left behind a doctrine right in Ephesians 6 12 our fight is not with blood and flesh, but with the principalities and powers of darknesses. So, considering all of this, put together a good fight against the powers of darknesses, but not without reverence, not without holy deeds, not without meditation, not without being the doer of the word, not just reader and, you know, the listener of the word. James 4.8 says that all this, you know, you know, the checklist rules, people, you know, comfortably they compromise and they blame God. how many times I have to pray how many years I have to wait and all that you can wait for a trillion years nothing is going to change why because you have violated all the rules you have been a defaulter alright today's session I believe that it was useful please subscribe to our channel get access to all our playlists and that's when you will get the automatic notification also therefore you are not missing anything and every single video that we release is going to be useful for you. God bless you. Continue to remember us and our ministries in your prayers. Take care. Bye.