The Lord isn't Always Pleased

The Lord isn’t always pleased with those who claim his name—Christians.

Instead of living by his word, many who carry the name of Christ go chasing after other gods, until they’re caught up in the ways of the world instead of the will of God.

We are learning that the word of the Lord given to the prophet Isaiah is as true today as it was when he first spoke them:

“And he said, ‘Go and say to this people:

Keep listening, but do not comprehend,

keep looking, but do not understand.’” (6:9)

We can become blinded by our politics, by the culture, by our lifestyle, by our greed, by our anger, and, sometimes, by our theological beliefs.

We can fail to hear and understand because we are so tuned in to the noise of the world that we fail to hear the word of the Lord.

False prophets, charlatans, come to us in sheep’s clothing with words that sound so good to our ears that we fall into their snares without thinking about their deceit. If they say words that resonate with our thinking, we stop listening and start saying, “Amen!”

The time is coming the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy—is that time already here—when some will have “itching ears,” and “They will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (See 2 Timothy 4:3-4)

“Turn away from listening to the truth…”

The prophet Amos had a word from the Lord for the religious folks:

“Take away from me the noise of your songs;

I will not listen to the melody of your harps.” (5:23)

Those who claimed to be the people of the Lord were singing hymns, but the hymns had turned into just a noise, because they were failing to do what the Lord called on them to do, and to live as the Lord taught them to live. The beautiful chords of their harps had turned into off key discords because the people had turned away from the ways of the Lord while still trying to play songs of praise to him.

Amos continued:

“But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (5:24)

If we look at the world and fail to see the injustices, we are, as Isaiah said, looking but not understanding. There is the injustice of greed that takes advantage of others, and the injustice of self-absorption that walks over others, and the injustice of deception that leads people into a trap of lies.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said. A serious look around, and some honest listening, will show us and reveal to us how true the words of Jesus are.

There’s more to being a Christian than saying, “Lord, Lord.” Jesus goes on to say we must do the will of the Father in heaven. It should weigh heavy on us that Jesus said, “On that day many (note the word—“many”) will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name?’” The preaching is good. There are many good works done. So why did Jesus give this warning: “Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers?’” (See Matthew 7:21-23)

But one day, one day, God’s justice will be done. That day is not on our human calendars; it is only on God’s calendar. While he has given us the task of working for justice in the world, and doing the great work of the kingdom of God here and now, the Day of God’s justice will come…in his time…not ours.

When John received the Revelation, he saw a door open in heaven, and in his vision he was invited to come and “see what must take place after this.”

In the “right hand” of the One seated on the throne in heaven, John saw, “a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.” (Revelation 5:1)

The scroll was full; no one could add to it.

The scroll was sealed; no one could take from it.

God’s justice will be done.

The chaos of today will come to an end.

The horrors and evils of today will be judged.

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne…” (Revelation 20:12)

John, separated from those he loved, including the beloved seven churches on the mainland, was feeling despondent when the Revelation was given to him. So when he saw, in his vision (Revelation) the scroll with all the writing, he wanted to know what was in it; what was going to happen. He heard a “mighty angel” asks, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” Good question! John became even more despondent, and broke into tears when, “No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.” (The vision [Revelation] of the scroll is found in Revelation 5.) John wept bitter tears because he hoped the contents of the sealed scroll would give him hope in the midst of despair.

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” The elders words, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” seem to indicate power and strength—a lion.

But God’s ways are not always our ways. We deceive ourselves when we think we know all the ways and will of the Almighty. We must be careful when we hear someone who claims to have God figured out.

Who better to break the seals on the scroll of God than a mighty Lion?

And then…

“Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

The Lion has become a Lamb, and not just any lamb, but a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered.

Lest we forget, Isaiah told us long before Jesus was born:

“But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Real strength comes through weakness. Sin is conquered, evil is overcome, not by strength, but by sacrifice.

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Including yours.