Call upon the Lord !

[SANTOSO]

For we heard:
“But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have consumed us because of our iniquities.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, let us stir ourselves to take hold of the Lord by calling on His name.

 

[SANTOSO]

Dear one,
there are some who call on the name of the Lord, and yet the Lord didn’t answer.

This is what we have heard:
““Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.””
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:28-33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear one, our Lord our God has made clear those who called on His name, and He didn’t answer them because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. So those who truly love the knowledge of the Lord and choose the fear of the Lord are the ones whom our Lord our God answer when they called on His name.

For those who love the knowledge of the Lord and choose to fear of the Lord are the ones who truly listen to Him.

So dear ones, let us be those call upon the name of the Lord, who listen to the knowledge of the Lord and have chosen the fear of the Lord, and we will dwell safely, and we will be secure without fear of evil.

 

[Mr. M]

So dear ones, let us be those call upon the name of the Lord, who listen to the knowledge of the Lord and have chosen the fear of the Lord, and we will dwell safely, and we will be secure without fear of evil.

Hosea 5:15 I will return again to My place until they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face. In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

 

[SANTOSO]

Dear one,
Are you still concerned that the Lord didn’t answer you when you call upon His name?

This is what we have heard:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one,
Are you longing the Lord to save you ? Don’t you long for the Lord to hear you ?
Dear ones,
Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Seek the Lord wholeheartedly and you shall find Him.

For we heard:
“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one,
Are you concerned that you have no knowledge of the Lord and have not been living in the fear of the Lord?

Dear one, humble yourself and pray:

“I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one,
yes, let us acknowledge our sins daily to the Lord. Dear one, don’t hide any sin that you remember. When you recall or come to your remembrance, just confess your transgressions before the Lord. And trust that He forgave your sins. For we have heard:

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, for us to be godly, we need to confess our transgressions. If we say that we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, as we heard in 1 John 1:8. That is why we acknowledge our sin because we believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is good, ready to forgive us and that He is our Lord who is abundant in mercy to us who call upon His name.

Then, dear one, pray that you may be found in the love of our Heavenly Father.

For we heard:
““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, don’t have anything against anyone; just daily release forgiveness to those who wronged you. Seek our Lord’s strength to release forgiveness to those who mistreated you. Then you will be found in the love of our Heavenly Father.

Dear one,
Have you heard what is written:

“I called on Your name, O Lord,
From the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice:
“Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help.”
You drew near on the day
I called on You,
And said, “Do not fear!””
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:55-57‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In His grace, our Lord answered us, even in the lowest pit; For He called on us ,”Do not fear.” Dear one, pray a short prayer when you are in the lowest pit.

Lord Jesus Christ, I call upon Your name.
Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help.
Thank You that You drew near me on the day I call You.
I believe that You said to,”Don’t fear”.
So Lord, I believe that You gave me the strength not to fear; For You are with me.
Amen

Dear one, let us love His mercy and faithfulness all the days of our lives.

To God be all glory and thanksgiving. Amen.

 

[SANTOSO]

Dear one,
consider what we have heard:
““Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:28-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, don’t be dishearten when you hear this rebuke.

For we also heard :
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.””
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is because our Heavenly Father loves us. That is why He rebuked us.

How then, we can have His counsel on what He has said in Proverbs 1:28-29.

Dear one, if God rebuked as sons! Won’t He counsel as sons, too ? Let us not forget the exhortation which speaks to us as sons through faith in Christ Jesus.

For we heard :
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. -1 John 3:1

Dear one, let us acknowledge the love of our Heavenly Father, that has been given to us through His Holy Spirit, that we should be called children of God. Remember dear one, God is love. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God. So dear one, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him/her, and your Heavenly Father will forgive your trespasses.

Dear one, have we not trespassed when we hated the knowledge of the Lord and have not chosen the fear of the Lord ? So dear one, ask the Lord Jesus to grant you the strength every day to release forgiveness to those who wronged you.

For we heard:
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:15-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, our Lord sympathies with our weaknesses and was in all points tempted as we are. So dear one, let us come boldly to our Lord Jesus Christ who is our High Priest who is seated on the throne of grace. Let us seek and obtain His mercy. Let us be found in His grace in time of our needs.

So dear one, let us release forgiveness to those who wronged us everyday, so that we remain in the our Heavenly Father’s grace.

Dear one, what counsel and rebuke of God, we can receive regarding the knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

This is what we have heard:
“Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:20-27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, is it not wisdom who calls out aloud to us ? Yes, dear one. Though we were the simple or the scorned or the fools or all, let us turn at wisdom’s rebuke. Let us remember surely wisdom will pour His Spirit on us.

Also, we have heard:
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1:30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Yes, let us remember surely Christ Jesus, wisdom from God will pour His Spirit on us. For this is His grace towards us, that we will call on the Lord, our Heavenly Father and He will answer us because we have love the knowledge of the Lord and the fear of the Lord.

As apostle James have said:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:5-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear one, let us ask of God, let us ask of His wisdom, that is Christ Jesus. Let us ask in faith, without doubting, but believe that we will receive from the Lord in regard to the counsel and rebuke that in the past we have not loved knowledge and fear of the Lord so that we may call on the Lord, and He will answer us.

This is what we have heard:
“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will UNDERSTAND the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭2:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear one, the counsel and rebuke of our Lord that which speaks to us as sons, leads to receiving His words and treasure His commandments so that our ear be given wisdom and our heart will be able to apply the understanding given to us in regard to the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God.

To God be all glory and thanksgiving. Amen.

 

[SANTOSO]

Dear ones,
Let us consider AGAIN what we have heard:
““Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated KNOWLEDGE And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:28-30‬ ‭NKJV

For we heard:

• And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. -Mark 4:24 ESV

So let us pay attention to what we heard from the Lord and let still more will be added to us, that is, to perceive and understand what He said to us.

Dear ones, what KNOWLEDGE, was being said then when they will call on the Lord, but He will not answer;they will seek the Lord diligently, but they will not find Him; Because they hated KNOWLEDGE And did not choose the fear of the Lord.

Dear ones, this is also what we have heard:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to KNOWLEDGE.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear ones, is it not also our hearts’ desire and prayer to God for Christians in all nations from all denominations and non denominations is that they may be saved. Do we not bear witness that some have a zeal for God but not according to KNOWLEDGE.

What KNOWLEDGE, do God speak of ? This is what we have heard what apostle Paul said, that followed :

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”
But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:3-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear ones, many christians are ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

So when they seek to establish their own self righteousness, that means that they have not submitted to the righteousness of God. In that manner, they have hated the knowledge of the Lord and have not chosen the fear of God.

So dear ones, the KNOWLEDGE that God have spoken of in Proverbs 1:29 is His righteousness through faith in Christ Jesus,the righteousness which is from God by faith.

So dear ones, let us listen to our Lord’s counsel and rebuke, not seeking to establish our own self righteousness but submit ourselves to the righteousness of God, that is, the righteousness of faith in Christ Jesus.

So dear ones, let us listen to His counsel and rebuke which speaks to us as sons. Didn’t His counsel and rebuke chasten us ? Let us remember He chastened us whom He loves. Let us endure the chastening as sons, so that when we will call upon Him, and He will answer us.

For we heard:

“and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭7:56-59‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear ones,
Let us call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

To God be all glory and thanksgiving.
Amen.

 

[SANTOSO]

Dear ones,
Let us consider AGAIN what we have heard:
““Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose THE FEAR OF THE LORD,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:28-30‬ ‭NKJV

For we heard:

• Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away." -Luke 8:18

So let us pay attention to how we heard from the Lord and let still more will be added to us, that is, to perceive and understand what He said to us.

Dear one, let listen to counsel and rebuke of God which speaks to us as sons about THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

This is what we have heard:
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭7:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear ones, let us perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord that we may call upon the name of the Lord and He will answer us because we have chosen the fear of the Lord.

So dear ones, what promises that are said 2 Corinthians 7:1, that we have that we heard :

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭6:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭6:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear ones,
This promises that was written in 2 Corinthians 6:2 came from the Lord who spoke to prophet Isaiah, have also the promises written in the book of Isaiah 49:8, that said :

“Thus says the Lord:
“In an acceptable time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear ones, our Heavenly Father, the Lord have heard His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord for help and our Heavenly Father has heard and said in the day of salvation, He has helped our Lord Jesus Christ to raise Him from the dead.

This is what we have heard:
“who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His GODLY FEAR,
though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:7-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Since our Lord Jesus Christ became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek. This is what our Heavenly Father said that He will preserve Christ Jesus our Lord and give Christ as a covenant to us, His people, to restore the earth, to cause us to inherit the desolate heritages which God promised to Christ Jesus.

So dear ones, what we heard in Isaiah 49:8 is the grace of God toward our Lord Jesus Christ and also toward us, His people. So dear ones, let us not take in vain the grace of God that raised our Jesus Christ from the dead.

For we heard :
“who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear one, let us imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, as we heard:
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬





Apostle Paul gave us affirmation when he said, Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.”

 

[SANTOSO]

Dear ones, what we can understand from our Lord Jesus of His godly fear, that we heard in Hebrews 5:7 ?

This is what we have heard:
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear ones, our Lord Jesus’s godly fear is because the Spirit of the fear of the Lord rested on Him.

That is why we heard John bore witness :
“John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear ones, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of fear of the Lord.

Dear ones, we have heard:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So dear ones, having baptized in the the Holy Spirit is the beginning of knowledge, NOT being ignorant of God’s righteousness and NOT seeking to establish our own righteousness but submitting ourselves to God’s righteousness.

For the Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of wisdom and He will give us the instructions from the Father and the Son.

As apostle Paul have told us in the faith and love that is in Christ Jesus, he said :

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Dear ones, let us listen to apostle’s counsel, that we perceive ourselves as those walk wisely, redeeming the time, understand the will of the Lord to be filled with the Spirit, that includes the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.

So dear ones, to choose the fear of the Lord, that we heard in Proverbs 1:29 is to choose to baptized in the Holy Spirit and continue to walk in the Spirit of the Lord, walking wisely in the instructions of the Father and the Son.

To God be all glory and thanksgiving.
Hallelujah.
Amen.