Faithful People – 9

Faithful People – 9

Subject – Being Ready for What is Coming

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 55:1‑13 (NLT) 

1 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! 

2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. 

3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. 

4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. 

5 You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.” 

6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 

7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 

9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 

11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 

12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 

13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.” 

–God is calling us to be extraordinarily faithful to Him especially in these last days and He is saying to the Church “Awake and Be Ready”

What in the world is going on?

1. Planned Parenthood is battling in court to be able to continue killing babies and selling their body parts.

2. The House is trying to impeach President Trump and the US is divided once again.

3. Americans are slaughtered by drug lords in Mexico. Women and children are murdered.

4. Iran is continuing to sponsor terror all of the world and they are still developing nuclear capability. 

5. The middle east is again on the verge of being on fire and Christians are being killed and persecuted.

6. Again California is on fire and the homeless situation has become political and out of control.

–I am sure you can think of other things that are happening:

Isaiah 5:18‑23 (NIV) 

18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 

19 to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." 

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. 

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 

23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. 

–How do we deal with this kind of mess happening in our nation?  We need to spend more time repenting for the sins of our nation. Abortion, same sex marriage, and continual lying for political gain. 

–How is it when it comes to abortion they want to be pro-choice but when it has to do with homosexuality they did not have a choice...born that way! 

Isaiah 55:7 (NLT) 

7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 

–How are we to be ready in a world filled with wickedness?

1. To be faithful people and be ready in these last days we must seek God while He may be found!

Isaiah 55:6 (NLT) 

6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 

–God is crying out to His people and to the lost to come to Him and drink and to eat. Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?  What is He saying?

–Why keep going to the wells that are empty and dry?  Why continue trying to fill your emptiness with the things of this world...adultery, fornication, homosexuality, drugs...

–Why go to the world when you should come to me and find abundant life?

John 10:10 (NKJV) 

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  

–Why keep running from relationship to relationship...whether it is heterosexual or homosexual when after the infatuation is gone you are hurt and empty. 

Isaiah 55:3 (NLT) 

3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.

–Stop looking for love and fulfillment in all the wrong places. God is saying He wants to display His power thru us like He did thru David!

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) 

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  

Prophetic word - Heaven is Declaring "Awake, Awake!" The entire world is poised for swift, radical change. It is imperative that the Church embrace and fully receive a bold anointing. This anointing will aid us in formulating preparations for influencing our culture. We are to be catalysts of extreme changes. We are to function as salt and light to a sin‑darkened world. The Spirit of God is calling forth dread champions; this is not a time for passive, non‑committed Christianity. We are called to become the bold, passionate, and powerful end‑time army that confronts compromise and raises the standard ever higher. In this season, the Spirit of the Lord is releasing true confidence to stand strong. 

2. To be faithful people and be ready we must ready to be used by God in incredible ways!

Isaiah 55:5 (NLT) 

5 You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.” 

--We are in a time of swift advancement and acceleration. The Spirit of God will set things in order, bringing about divine purpose. A "fullness‑of‑time" moment has come in the Spirit realm.

--The Spirit of the Lord is calling for the Lord's army to arise, taking hold of the Kingdom with true spiritual power and force. Remember, the Lord stated that forceful saints would take the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) 

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) 

6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 

--Battles will increase; however, the victories will be overwhelming. The Body of Christ will begin to experience awesome breakthroughs in unity and restoration, resulting in displays of grace and power.

3. To be faithful people and be ready in these last days we must willing to repent of our sin!

Isaiah 55:7 (NLT) 

7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 

–I believe this is a word for the lost but also a word for those who profess to be Christians but live contrary to His Commands.

1 Corinthians 6:9‑11 (NLT) 

9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 

10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 

11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 

4. To be faithful people and be ready we must be brave and must believe that God is with us!

Isaiah 55:8‑11 (NLT) 

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 

9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 

11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 

--Now is the time for the troops of the Lord to volunteer willingly. 

Psalm 110:1-3 (NLT2)
¹  The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”
²  The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem; you will rule over your enemies.
³  When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. 

--We are to become history‑makers and world‑changers. God has determined the exact time of our births. Truly, each one of us is in the Kingdom for such a time as this.

Esther 4:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴  For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

--We must never forget that the Kingdom is in us for such a time as this. Think about it. We had absolutely nothing to do with the timing of our births. It's God's plan. 

--Looking forward to this day, He determined that we would be great tools in His hands to fashion the Kingdom of God.

–The Lord speaking to Joshua after the death of Moses:

Joshua 1:5‑9 (NLT) 

5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. 

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 

7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 

8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 

9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.