A WOW Moment with Vicki, Mercedes and Pastor Josiah (Date: November 12th 2020)

Hey guys I'm always positive until she asked me and then I'm not positive Because I have been on their own one. Everybody. You did it was that loud. Good evening everyone and welcome to our Bible study.

We're gonna try to get started Kind of on time today or tonight because I know there's an important football game coming on soon. Oh, is there. I had no idea. Oh. So anyways tonight. By the way, I'm Vicki.

Everyone has Mercedes and I think everyone should know. Pastor Josiah ship. Pastor Josiah simply.

Um, let's see, I'll check that the door we've had this happen before.

I'm gonna go check the door right quick. Cuz it's ringing dingin. Anyways, so we're going to have a great night tonight and it's gonna be fun because it's always fun with pastor Josiah. You know something else.

While he's gone. He hasn't mentioned us doing another Saturday. Great. You know, he's probably might go back and rewatch this. No, it's fun, I would be okay doing it again, yeah. It's a friend. Yes, we are love.

Everybody this is Ricky. Hey, are you beautiful? Honey. I love you all. Anyway, so we are so happy to have Pastor Shipley with us this evening. Yeah I'm good with that. I have to get out of the habit.

I'm just calling you Josiah. That's fine, too. But anyways. By the way, I'm it it just thrills me to know in that you have Decided to listen and take it on the path that I feel like the Lord has put you on.

It really does warm my heart. Deeply because I saw it in you many years ago, and you were like I'm teaching Spanish. But you know. See there you go, that's why I love you. Oh. So tonight We're gonna be in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 46:1-4 and the Contrast Between Idols and the God Who Carries Us

What verse of what verses or what?

We are in chapter 46 verses 1 through 4. If we feel like we'll skip on down further, but specifically chapter 46 verse 1 through 4 1 through 6. All right Mercedes. Okay.

Bell crouches. Nebo cowers their idols were consigned to beast and cattle. The images you carry are loaded as a burden for the weary animal. The gods coward they crouch together. They are not able to rescue the burden, but they themselves go into captivity.

Listen to me. House of Jacob all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been sustained from the womb. Carried along since birth. I will be the same until your old age and I will bear you up when you turn gray.

I have made you and I will carry you. I will bury bear and save you. Okay, so pastor. Why did you choose this first? Let's see.

Meditating on from the encouragement from I'm laying in our church to meditate on the same passage every day for a week. And what we have here is a comparison of the idols the would-be. Kind of wild.

So no bows down. It's not the same as bail. Nebo stoops. Their idols are in beast and livestock, right? So their images of their gods right they have to play. Obviously they can't move right there wouldn't stone.

They place them on animals to be carrying them, right? Yeah, and it says these things you carry are born as burdens on weary beasts. Your your would-be gods have to be carried. And these are even gods the gods people sometimes from time to time turn to.

Yeah, so in a literal sense the burden of the weight is heavy because it's a big rock or carved wood. And and they're having to put on their animals or carry it themselves and they're having to carry it around right this.

Supposedly powerful being right? Yes, which is a perfect right you look at verse two. They stoop. They bow down together. They cannot save the burden, but they themselves going to captivity verse three for those you jump it on Isaiah 46.

I'm in verse 3. Listen to me a house of Jacob all the remnant of Israel. Who have been? In ESV it says who have been instead of sustained who have been born by me. Since before your birth. I want you to hear that sentence again.

You have been born by me since before your birth. Carried from the moon. Even to your old age. I am he and to the gray hairs. I will carry you. I have made you. I will bear you. I will carry you and I will save you.

We have these would-be gods being carried. But if you notice our God carries us listen to comparison between Yahweh. Yahweh our God. That's his personal name right like Jehovah Yahweh, right? Listen to me a house of Jacob.

So these are what your would-be gods they have to be placed on the animals to be able to move, right? But listen to me a house of Jacob all the remnant of Israel. You have been born by me since before your birth.

Just stop and think about it for a minute just that one sentence you've been born by me since before your birth. Pastor Jeff often says. You have been born by me Vicki why do we love God? Because what?

You want this first, right? We love him because he first loved. Oh, I could go. Okay fair enough I was quoting first. Look you have been born by me since before your birth and not just born by me. Carried from the womb.

Even to your old age. I am he. Even to the gray hairs. I'll carry you. I've made you. I will save you. I'll carry you. You know think about that for a minute. Yahweh just means I am right like he told Moses I Am that I am right?

I am tell them I am. I said Yahweh. I am that's what Yahweh means. Okay, and so thank you for saying that. What did Jesus say in John 8 58 as Mercedes quoted? Jesus said before Abraham was in John 8 58.

I am. Look at this again Yahweh says even to your old age. So not only did I. Were you born by me from before your physical birth? Right, you were you were born by me from where the physical birth? He's telling all of Israel and the individual members of the house of Israel.

You're born by me from your own birth. Not just that though. Just like God didn't just create the world and see what happens. He didn't just create you and see what happened you have been sustained and carried even to your old age and your gray hairs and.

Then Jesus when he said before Abraham was. I am listen that again even to your old age. I am he in Greek a go on me, which is exactly what Jesus said in John 8 a go I me even to your old age. I am. Exactly as Jesus said because before Abraham ever was.

Holman says I will be the same until your old age. I like to because God never changes. Yeah, never.

Yeah, I Will be the same. It's the same yesterday.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday. That's right. Hey, I hate that. I can't remember where stuff is. What are you looking for?

Jesus in the Gospels, it's a Matthew, but I don't know the chapter. This is let me teach you something. This is when you can use your phone and cheat. All you have to do is get your phone out. My yoke is easy.

Use the reference. That's what you don't keep reading. Answer that in your phone. I Embarrassed myself. I got to well one time. I was looking for my sunglasses and they were up. Yeah, that's not the worst one.

Worst one. Was you ready for this? Hey, sweetheart. I call you back. I can't find my phone.

Yeah, I've lost my phone in the couch for hours. I was like, I'll just call it. Oh.

Yeah, it was bad.

That was a rough day wasn't it? Yeah. Bless your heart Telling me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. All of you take up my yoke and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart.

For my yoke is easy. My burden is light. When it was talking about The burden that the animals had to carry While they were carrying those statues of those God those gods that my brain went to that.

Whereas that's great, this is it no, this isn't. That's really good. That's fantastic. Yeah. He goes on. I'm still in Isaiah 46 verse 5. To whom will you liken me and make me equal. Compare me that we may be alike.

Those who lavish gold from the purse and weigh out silver on their scales the higher goldsmith and make them into a god. And then fall down and worship. Yeah, so you've got to go get all this gold. You got to work for this gold.

Yeah, then you got to weigh it melt it down. Make it into something you fall down and worship something you paid for you work for. You did all this right. Verse 7. They lift it to your shoulders. They carry it set it in place and it stands there.

It can't move from its place. If one cries to it, it doesn't have an answer. It can save them in trouble. Verse 8. Remember this and stand in front of a car. We're called to mind you transgressors. Now.

This is the part I think we have all read before in here. I think I was here first not. All I'd ever say is do a job.

Remember what happened long ago. For I am God and there is no other I am God and no one is like me. You know I declared the end from the beginning and from long ago. What is not yet done saying My plan will take place and I will do all.

Yes, that that's that I need to write that down.

So I'm gonna say remember remember this and stand firm. Recall it to mind you transgressors. One of the ways that you can stand firm is remembering what God has done in the past. Yes. Remember the former things of old.

Okay. Now he's speaking to the Israelites now. This is in Isaiah 46. Remember what I did for Moses and bringing you out of Egypt, right? Remember we're bringing you into the promised land. Remember King David.

Remember it right. Remember the things of old how I sustained you like I told you I would for I am God and there is no Other. Hey, your other would be gods. I am God. There's no other I am God and there was no one like me.

I Declare the end from the beginning. That sentence right there should bring us so much. Peace. Yeah, I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet seen or not yet done. Saying my counsel will stand and I will accomplish accomplish all.

My purpose that that that right that right there. Eases my Soul. Yes so much because. Where the my plan will take place? Yeah, and I will do all my.

Beautiful. You can just go. I mean it's it this chapter one of my favorite chapters. The sovereignty of God laid out right? He's he's in total control. Whatever other God whatever the I know whatever the thing we're trusting in.

We're having to work for it, you know, whether that be. Whatever it is attention. We're having to work for it, we're wavering over it we're staying up at night. Oh, we're working for it and just like with these gods. We're doing all the work.

Nothing in return. Yeah, and then still longing after these things. Exactly. But our God we have been born by him since before birth carried from the land even to your old age even to your gray hairs.

I've carried you and you know sit here it. There's so much that I've sat back and looked at and wondered well before I Would sit back and wonder. I don't know make it through all that. I think I really do that, but I didn't do that.

It wasn't me at all I was just.

God’s Sovereignty, Human Idols, and the Call to Remember

Follow. Is it safe to say that?

The description of all the labor that they had to put into. With weighing up getting the gold and weighing it all out and all that. Would that be more of like a works-based?

Oh, of course, I mean, yeah exactly with these would-be gods, you know, it's like we've said before Christianity Is the reverse of all the would-be Religions. The others are about man climbing the ladder to get the God piling.

Rodney Zacharias Who's in glory now said it this way. He said every other Religion if you will, even though religion is not the term we prefer Is about piling up merit to climb it to reach God. You got to pile it up.

Christianity is a story where God came down to man. You look at this verse six. You lavish gold from the perch way out the so on the skills you hire a goldsmith. He makes it into a god. Then you fall down and worship it.

And then they lift it to your shoulders. You carry it set in place. It stands there and it doesn't move. It cries out you crowd for help and it doesn't save you from trouble. So it absolutely works.

We were separated completely from God. There would be nothing for us to climb. In order to reach him, right? He had to reach down for us first. Yes. Exactly, that's why the whole thing goes. The whole that's why people tell you all the time you can witness the people.

But you don't lead anybody to Christ. The Holy Spirit does that work and all we're to do is to plant the seed because it's his will.

Yeah, we're shining a light or planting a seed. Those are the terms that we do, right? We're not we're not taking someone by the hand and carrying them to the cross, right? We're just Showing them this.

Is that right? So it's not. None of it's us. We're not the ones carrying and sustaining. Yeah. That's what? You read my mind.

Like These these statues that are made by these people they will be tear Deteriorate. Good graces. Sorry. Over time with weather and Everything else now something else like Right, right, right. And then that one's probably the next one's probably not gonna look just like the other one did.

Have some sort of difference and I think in our modern context every one of us could Replace this bail and Nebo with some of the God or I don't we have in our life. That's exactly what I was I mean. Every one of us either have or currently have something like that.

I'm sorry I said that backwards either had or currently have something like this in our life. Yeah, and it's happy and we certainly do this. We work for it we pay for it whether it's with our sweat with them.

Or whatever and then we expect it to work for us, right? That's exactly what happens whether that's acceptance.

Yeah, and it will cause you to have the gray hair. I Think I have a new favorite. Now I declare the end from the beginning. What is not yet done saying my plan will take place and I will do. All. Speak to Mary telling her about she was going to be pregnant with Jesus and he was gonna be the Savior of men and it happened and then.

There was prophecies and the Old Testament of his death on the cross and then that happened and then. I mean. It's undeniable truth. What has not yet been done, let me let me ask you do you think which.

I know that you don't like to try to think. Yeah. Anyways, so are we going because we're we are studying revelation. Good job. Did you hear the. Just thinking. So in revelation and what we've been studying I know that we've gotten to the.

People are gonna be lifted. Okay, so. Hey, Janine. Work for you. Oh, hi work friend. So do you think that? We're gonna. Okay. We're gonna meet each other, right? Because that's that's his that's his will.

Yeah.

Yeah. So that's gonna be something that's good. Okay, you mean when he calls his church home from all the earth, yeah all believers will meet him in the air. Yeah, he'll be like, okay, let's let's grab the Russians let's grab the Australians they met yes and we'll all be in the air.

But it says in the blink of an eye No, they're not.

You know because you see all these pictures of people like. Maybe like that. But that too is his will. Yes, so.

It will happen and.

Then in that seven years There's going to be a lot of people crawling to Christ. Yeah, and Just to leave room. Yes. Do you think that I mean. I know that it's all part of his will but my thing is and this is what kind of strikes Me with with that one passage right there in 10.

Is it. You know, it would really be cool to see all that but I don't want to. Does that make sense? Yes. So the ones that are going to be left here If everybody goes then who's gonna be left here to To do that to leave people Christ during that seven years.

So is it gonna be gonna have to like start from scratch.

Yes. Well kind of but remember. Okay, first off just to make sure I'm being fair to everybody there are pretty believers even in this church who hold to more of a mid. But since I'll share my bias I tend to believe free so I do believe there'll be seven not three and a half years after that so yeah.

So I could totally be wrong. But at any rate, that's not the point of the question. One of the question is if When the Lord calls his church home? Yes. Okay a few things first off. The day of Pentecost.

3 ,000 people came. The Holy Spirit salvation is of God. God saves. Right, not me. Yeah. No. God saves. Yes also. You know, it even says you will be taught by God. Keep in mind this that Abraham did not have a pastor right neither did Moses right.

The Lord can teach everyone's if the Lord. Right now it is the Lord's will That pastors shepherd his flaw. Gotcha, even though Jesus is the great shepherd, right? But the Lord. There are nothing more than a tool for God to use for that purpose.

God told Moses.

Explained the creation the beginning so that he could record it. What's up? Yeah, so yeah, that makes sense.

Keep in mind even though It'll be wished away by many people. I think there'll be plenty of people get saved in that time. And once the Holy Spirit someone. James 1 5 and if you're listening out there in your New Christian, you're not a Christian or you just don't know where to start with memorizing scripture I always encourage everybody the first verse.

I think everyone should memorize is James 1 5. James 1 5 or But James 1 5. James 1 5 says If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. He gives to all generously and without criticism if you trust and believe that verse.

If any of you lack wisdom, I'm asking God or gifts all just don't happen. Also, I just looked for my phone's about the night this Quinn made a comment. There's a lot of people with head knowledge of Jesus right now, but no heart knowledge.

Well the next day that heart knowledge. Activate that see right now. They have their trichotomy backwards of what's in charge, right?

And that that's what I was gonna be saying. What's fun for me with James 1 5 is I didn't even know that was a verse and I did that. Yes, as soon as I opened my Bible back up after I said, amen. And I didn't even know that was a verse in Scripture I've shared.

Your stories of sanctification of you growing of your salvation before Mercedes. Okay Mercedes is reading the Bible as an unbeliever. This was some years ago. So let's say I'm just gonna make up a number three years ago, right?

Four years ago five years ago, whatever, right? She was reading it some years ago last year. Okay. So, okay last year as an unbeliever Mercedes is reading. I think it was Ephesians 1. Yeah, cuz I'm gonna do that one and she's.

I don't understand it now. That has nothing to do with head knowledge. She understands every word that's on the page. She knows what it prays. But God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, she knows what those words mean.

You don't need a dictionary. Right. She knows what the name showed me. Mercedes gets saved in the next month goes back and reads that understands that now what happened in those two or three months. Did Mercedes go to college?

Did Mercedes get a tutor didn't Mercedes take a speed reading program? None of those things because it had nothing to do with a head knowledge had to do with a heart. Now don't get me wrong. There are genuine things that God has ordained that we can learn to help us read the Bible they're called hermeneutics.

Yeah, okay, and it's a process by what you read the Bible and helping those can help us understand some very difficult passages but at the core of it is a spirit-led thing and that's not a Supernatural.

Set the lighting just right make sure the worship music's on in the background. And I mean those things can help the focus, but you don't need to create an ambience. It's about a Contraint and humble heart.

Okay. And me and Vicki I'm talking about it like that was I think the point of my conversion.

That was when it started that was it. Let me tell you why I agree and I'm not you. In other words, I can't tell you this for sure because you don't mean you. Let me tell you why I agree. We see that in scripture all the time.

Where the Holy Spirit? Enters in the son of life and their salvation and they can find me understand the things of God. And I think you're probably right. I think that moment that day May have been that moment for you.

It's just a beautiful thing to see. I love using that example. Because so often we let our head knowledge or human knowledge get in the way of God.

Yeah, well, I like you say we're saying what we go. We you know. You can't dim the lights and light your incense or light your candle and turn your worship music on. I found some of my best study time was when My husband was in the recliner passed out.

And I was stressed out to no end and all I could do was say God Show me teach me. What am I doing? And why am I doing it and show me what you want me to do? And how I'm to do it and It just went from there.

It's like when you keep hearing one specific verse over and over throughout a period of like a week and you're like, all right. All right. Let me go look at yeah, and they go. Well, what I what I would have to do is I would just have to sit there quietly.

Because the kids but by this time we're in bed, but like I said, he was passed smooth out and I would just pray Show me now today What I am to learn and what I am to see. And I will just open my Bible and start reading and there would be I mean I kid you not it would be and I started doing this at least three nights a week when the night would go in such a manner as I've already spoken out of which was Seven days a week, but seven days a week.

I didn't have the time to sit and do that. So I tried to do it at least three nights a week, but in the chaos Of my life at that time is when he spoke to me the loudest. I Just had to be still. I Said it can be done.

Yes. You just have to take that minute. You just have to take that In in I'll tell you once I got started and my eyes were being open more and more and things were getting clearer. And I was going well, I've just been messing everything up because I Was like well, I need to be doing this and it's on me to do this and it's and there was so much of Cleansing I had to do myself.

Martin Luther Said the more holy a man becomes. So we would say the more sanctified man becomes the more disgusted. He is with the sin that remains. Because now he's more aware of it than he's ever been right?

Yeah.

You look back because before I just known then what I know now. Right, it would have been so much easier. Yeah, exactly, but you wouldn't be where you're at now if you hadn't gone through what you went through.

Or if he hadn't gotten you what you went through this. Yeah, I think so. I Was actually talking to a young lady at work today and She was having some issues because she does some leadership, she has some leadership role in her church and I Was trying to help her With applying scripture.

I said, I don't don't give him thoughts. Give him truth. It's not what you're thinking. It's what he says. So It's what he says. How far apart are. Because Isaiah wrote Isaiah. So how far apart are David and Isaiah?

Isaiah wrote Isaiah as best we can tell 700 maybe 650 years before Jesus David became King. A Thousand thousand fifty years so roughly. So roughly three hundred and three hundred fifty years.

So David before Isaiah. David before Isaiah about three centuries. Yeah, David. And Psalm. Psalm 33 311 says the council of the Lord stands forever plans of his heart from generation to generation. Yep.

Watch this. Yeah.

And then watch this the council so it says the same thing right and the point being of course is that This is why we always say We believe that the Bible is the Word of God Written by 40 some different people over a period of 1500 years, but also is the same thing Nebuchadnezzar who Learned Learned who the real God was said this something very similar to Daniel 4.

I just read this somewhere. I don't know where Daniel 4. All right, so you just read Psalm 33, right?

The council of the Lord stands forever the plans of his heart from generation to generation.

At the end of the days I never can as a little eyes to heaven my reason returned to me. I bless the most high and praise and honor him in this forever. For his dominion is an everlasting and dominion his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing. He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the heavens of the earth. No one can stay as hand or say to him. What have you done?

And then over here in 4613 I am bringing my justice near if it's not far away. My salvation will not delay. I will put salvation in Zion my splendor in Israel. I love being able to find parallel passages.

Exponential amount of years in between them because it proves it's unchanging. Yeah, it's consistent. Yeah, I mean.

You know. This is Isaiah 52, right. It says behold my servant this God speaking of Jesus will act wisely He will be high and lifted up and exalted. Jesus says unless the son of man lifted up Right and withdraw all men to himself He recognized.

It's not just us our church Brothers and sisters and fathers for many years are recognized that the Old Testament prophesies about our Lord 700 years before he was ever born on this planet.

What a night God carrying us and sustaining us from birth. So we are he said he. He intervenes and protects us from things that we don't even see we needed protection from. Therefore from the time we were before we were born that protection was there because we were already chosen.

That's my bully. That's there gonna be things. Or I'll be able to look back and see oh. That's why you did that.

Because Yeah for me sometimes this is going down there like the other night last Saturday night we were out. There's a long story. We were out having to handle some some family issues and We're coming down the interstate.

It's pitch dark and there is a car flipped over upside down. And another car off in the ditch. The people were safe. They were fine. But had we been just a few minutes sooner You know, my brain went that could have been us.

Could have been you run late in traffic or you run late to work. She gets type of traffic search about accident. But if you were on time You could have been in that accident, right? Like that's just how my brain was like.

It's not. Yeah, don't run people over. Don't create that. I can't tell you how many times I've said I said that myself. I'll put it to you this way. I was in Little Rock, Arkansas back in my him holidays and I Was in a Corvette With three people in it.

Okay Corvettes are two seizures, right? And the driver says how did I end up on this? How did I end up going the wrong way on this one-way street? And I was like, oh. There was one time me and Justin were on the going the wrong way in a one-way and I went.

Oh, I don't think the street signs should be backwards.

He's like, oh crap. I did it once downtown. I immediately put the thing in reverse Into a Traffic light. No, I didn't back into a crossway. What am I trying to say? Intersection. Goodness gracious. Yeah.

Where it is legitimately a one-way right in that one little area. I had no clues. One way I was in a little panic attack because I was trying to go take my state board test For my massage license and all of a sudden I see cars coming at me and I was like, this isn't good.

This isn't good. This isn't good.

Why are all these people going the wrong way.

Three-week by like I miss it by like five points. I took it again three weeks later and upped it by like 70 points.

Because if you upped it by 70, that means the first time.

Is one of those tests where you can only miss so many before it's an automatic failure. There is a whole lot of question on that test. Yeah, it was like a two or three hour test understood. It's okay.

Oh. Let me ask you a question real quick that is James and not Jane James. No, I'm just I think I'm careful with my essence. Is it song or songs. Psalms. What verse was that again.

James no and songs 33 She read 11 and 12 11 12. Sorry.

Thank you. I like to take notes of what we Cover. Well in the midst of the we actually went all the way to.

46 yeah. Yeah. Well, she finished reading it actually, so we really.

Okay, 46 1 through 10, but I did end up hitting on 13 a little bit. I've been in 13. I just like it was it was spoken about either way. Gotcha. All right, and one more question, you know. Is it job or job?

Well in English its job, but as far as we can tell his name would be pronounced job perfect and there's no.

No, okay. Hey, we're doing good, but there isn't as long. It's not yeah, because that Wednesday night he said we're gonna be an axe and I said, where's the act and you slap. Did you always give me on this.

I don't think I've called you. Anyways, thank you so much for coming tonight and I will be. I have to be honest before when you went out to check the Door.

What did we do. What did you take.

Take anything and I didn't do anything. But I told Mercedes I said, you know the last time he was on he wanted us to do a question and answer with him. And we promised that that question. So, let's just not even mention it but then I started feeling convicted about it because it's something that we agree.

It was fun. When you get back because I know you're about to be out for a bit when you get back just like I think it's a.

22nd I get back Friday night, and I'm doing it 2 p .m. Live. So Saturday 2 p .m. Love.

Saturday I'll check. There's not a calendar here, but we'll get with you.

22nd I Said here we go. 21st Saturday the 21st and 2 p .m. 21st of 2 p .m. Saturday the 21st of 2 p .m.

Thanks for coming with us tonight and I hope y 'all enjoyed this as much as I do. I. I love sitting with this young man and talking to him about just about anything. And I just love hanging out with Mercedes so.

But the two of them together, it's a blast. It really is. Just say hey You.