freedomriverchurch

The book of Isaiah tells the story of how God’s people forfeited His protection and blessings when they spurned His direction and went their own way. As Israel struggled in the midst of His discipline, God’s desire and ultimate plan to restore His people back to Himself never diminished. Seven-hundred years before Christ was born, Isaiah prophesied the arrival of a Messiah who would make a way in the wilderness and bring a dry, barren, and desolate land back to life again. Jesus, of course, is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies about the coming Messiah; and, because we have placed our hope and trust in Jesus, He transforms our wilderness into a lush garden overflowing with abundance. There are four benefits that the Messiah brings with Him in order to provide us this way in the wilderness: strength, signs, streams, and streets. This message focuses on the final of these four benefits, which we will simply label as STREETS. The highway of holiness is our new pathway through the wilderness!

Isaiah 35 is a Messianic chapter. This chapter tells us much about what life will be like when the Messiah comes. Many of the descriptions we understand about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus do not come from New Testament Scripture, but were actually written 700 years before by God’s Prophet, Isaiah. Last week we learned that the first benefit we receive from our Messiah, Jesus, is STRENGTH to provide for us a way in the wilderness. This message focuses on the second of these four benefits, which we will simply label as SIGNS. In your wilderness, God is going to work signs and wonders in order to accomplish His purpose in your life and, quite possibly, the world.

The book of Isaiah tells the story of how God’s people forfeited His protection and blessings when they spurned His direction and went their own way. As Israel struggled in the midst of His discipline, God’s desire and ultimate plan to restore His people back to Himself never diminished. Seven-hundred years before Christ was born, Isaiah prophesied the arrival of a Messiah who would make a way in the wilderness and bring a dry, barren, and desolate land back to life again. Jesus, of course, is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies about the coming Messiah; and, because we have placed our hope and trust in Jesus, He transforms our wilderness into a lush garden overflowing with abundance. There are four benefits that the Messiah brings with Him in order to provide us this way in the wilderness: strength, signs, streams, and streets. This message focuses on the first of these four benefits’ attributes, which we will simply label as strength. In your wilderness, God is going to strengthen your weak hands, feeble knees, and fearful heart (vs 3-4).

Adam and Eve lived with God in the garden of Eden, and they saw Him face to face every day. They walked and talked with Him in perfect intimacy and ease. The relationship didn’t have the unique significance we would now appreciate, because they didn’t have any frame of reference. They had never lived without Him; so, they didn’t appreciate it as they should have. Adam and Eve obviously didn’t treasure this wonderful opportunity, because they traded it for a false promise reflected in a piece of forbidden fruit. When Jesus returns for us, we will get that incredible intimacy with God back!

Six-thousand years ago, Adam and Eve got kicked out of the house! They broke the rules; they sinned. I know this may sound strange; but, because of that, you have never REALLY been home! When you leave this service, and you go to that place that you call home; it’s not really home. It’s temporary housing! Your true home is in Heaven with God. God wanted to live with mankind, so He created us and placed us in a garden of paradise. The reason we know He wanted to live with us is simple to see. When He created Adam and Eve, He lived with them! When we go to Heaven, we’re going to live with Jesus forever. God wants to live with us in paradise, but we have lost our housing privileges! When Jesus comes with our redeemed housing arrangements, He’s going to take us home for real!

Adam and Eve were created by God and were given absolute authority over this world. They were to dominate anything that would come against God’s will. When they sinned, they turned over that authority to Satan. Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection purchased back dominion of the earth. As Christians, we currently have spiritual authority through our relationship with Christ, but when Jesus returns He will restore TOTAL authority to us. God created us to rule on this earth as a chosen generation of royal priests.

God created mankind in Pleasureville! It was in the Garden of Eden that God shaped the dust of the ground and formed man. From that day until this, you cannot even calculate the amount of physical, emotional, and mental pain that has been experienced by mankind. All of this is due to a decision to rebel against God! But here’s the good news! On the day that Jesus returns and throughout eternity, you will never experience pain again. We get our pleasure back!

The best day you will ever have is going to happen when Jesus comes back to get you! Jesus says in Luke 21:28, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Jesus is telling us that it is time to focus on God. If you know anything about prophecy, you are aware that all of those actions the Bible says will happen in the lead-up to end time events are happening right before our eyes. It is empirical, provable, and measurable. So, we can never say we haven’t been warned. The bestselling book in the world (The Bible) has been telling people for centuries that these things were happening and would only get worse as the Day approached. Jesus also warns that when you see these things begin to happen, completion will move quickly; therefore, you must focus on eternal things. Don’t get dragged down to things of the earth and get discouraged and distracted. Focus on the things of God, because your redemption will soon arrive. To redeem means to buy back (purchase again). If it wasn’t yours at one time, you can’t redeem it. Adam and Eve were born with complete perfection, but they lost everything when they sinned. Not only did they lose everything, but all their offspring also lost everything. YIKES, that’s us! Jesus died to pay for our sins. He bought us back from the penalty of sin with His blood on the cross. We now live in a down payment (foreshadowing) of the redemption that has been promised us. When Jesus comes and gets us, we get EVERYTHING back!

What Time is It? Approximately 30% of the Bible is prophecy, and most of it is end time prophecy. There has never been a time in history that has received as much prophetic attention. What does that say to us? It tells us that God wants us to know what is going on. What are the implications of the fulfilment of clear Biblical prophecy?

Are We There Yet? Prophecy is writing history before it happens. Aren’t you glad that in these days of social unrest, economic and political upheaval, climate change hoaxes, Covid-19, and all the rest – that God cares enough to tell us what is going to happen. There are four prophetic signposts of the last days that point us to the conclusion that God’s timeclock is ticking and the end is near!