Episode 7
KNOWING THE TRUTH WITHCHYME IMMANUEL
Topic: IT IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK.
Bible text- Isaiah 53:1-6
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I thank you for the gift of your Word. Open thou the eyes of my understanding that I may see you clearly.
Amen
Teaching(Knowing the truth)
IT IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK
Some years ago, during one of my birthdays, a friend of mine came and brought me two gifts. One was well wrapped and the other wasn't. I was so eager to know what was inside the wrapped gift that I asked her if I could open it and she said "open it".So with so much excitement, I started unwrapping this gift. From one wrap, I entered another and another, then finally gbam, there it was. As I saw what was inside those wraps, my face changed, my excitements gone and I was like "What the Hello?".
Oh, I can't stop remembering how she was laughing at me. She laughed so hard that others had to come to see what's going on. Guess what? They joined her also after she told them the story.
I'm sure you too want to know what I found right? What I found inside the wrappers was on leg of an old, very terrible looking female shoe with spiders and cobwebs.
She laughed because of how I didn't appreciate the other gift that she brought because I knew what it was, but I was so anxious to go for the one wrapped.
Prophet Isaiah also saw the same thing as he prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. The Children of Israel had at this time (like they mostly do) turn away from God and God in turn has handed them over to the hands of strong enemies to oppress them. And by the reason of their taskmasters, they cried unto God for deliverance - they prayed and asked God for a Messiah (a Savior).
God went ahead of the people to assure them that their prayers have been answered and the Messiah would come.
But come with me to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah for a moment.
"Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God ’s saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him— our sins ! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.
Isaiah in his introduction to this chapter began with a question
"Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God ’s saving power would look like this?"
I believe that for Isaiah to ask this question, he must be have seen something unbelievable, something strange, permit me to say he saw something weird and too common to be God. But yet, it was his duty to communicate this to the people because, it is NOT just a part of God's saving power, but it is THE saving power (Arm) of God.
How can something be so wrong, yet right? How can something so common be spectacular? How can beauty come from Ashes? How do you communicate to God's people (Church people) that this weird thing/person/idea is God's saving power? How?
Just like Isaiah, a lot of us are afraid, we are sure that the Lord is asking us to do something, but it looks weird. We are so afraid to step on it because it "looks" wrong. And you don't want to share it with anyone because they would crucify you for it.
And for some, we've criticized and judged others because they looked, spoke, dressed, acted strange. We say things like
"This CANNOT be God. God doesn't work like this. Check the records...".
Which record should Prophet Isaiah consult? Where has it been written that a Messiah would come dying?
The idea of a Messiah is usually the idea of a conquering Messiah but yet what Isaiah is seeing totally different. How can a king come with no royalty? Kings come on the back of chariots and horses, yet this king was to ride on donkey. And you tell me that this is God's saving Power?
In a bid to conclude, I would want us to note this God is GOD. By this statement, I mean he doesn't need the track record or permission of anyone to do what he wants to do. He can come in the Fire like in the cases of Moses and the three Hebrew boys, He can come in the clouds. He can appear as a stranger like in the case of Abraham or He can come in human form - Jesus. For you to say that because he came the other time in the fire, He only comes or answers by fire, then you're WRONG. He decides the form in which he would move and you cannot do anything about it. And yes He enjoys it most at the weirdest.
Please let's keep the criticism and judgement down. That it is strange doesn't mean that it is NOT from God. That it doesn't look spiritual doesn't mean it isn't.
Lastly, God's saving arm (power) doesn't come shouting. Most times it comes quiet, too simple and easily to be walked over.
Remember that we Live (walk) by faith and not by Sight 2 Corin. 5:7
Grace to You!
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About CHYME NWA-IMMANUEL
Chimeremeze Nwaorisah Immanuel also known as Chyme Nwa-Immanuel who hails from Nkwerre in Imo State is not only a passionate Worshipper and a song writer; but He is also Pastor who would stop at nothing to see Jesus exalted and glorified.
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