"Ponder!"

 "And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground." (John 8:8 KJV)

  ""Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!"" (Isaiah 1:18-20 NLT)

 Good to know! That's pretty much the results of what we come away with; and then we place it on a shelf, saving it for some other time! James shares the reality of what this looks like, saying:

  "So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:21-25 NLT) 

 To the message about Isaiah 18:1, most of us know this verse very well, but the next two verses really don't get focused upon as much. It might not sink in right away, but God will almost always show us the blessings first, and then give us the alternate version of what happens if we don't want to get blessed! Like, who doesn't want to receive a blessing? Weird point of view, don't you think? 

 Just so you know, I borrowed "Come Then" from Matthew Henry, as he was showing how Christ threw their judgment right back at them, saying, "Come then," saith Christ, "according to your own tradition will I judge you; if you are without sin, stand to the charge, and let the adulteress be executed; but if not, though she be guilty, while you that present her are equally so, according to your own rule she shall be free."

 As we enter into this upcoming week, I pray that we are paying attention to the meaning of what Easter represents, because it's not about the bunny that somehow lays eggs! It is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave! Because He lives, we get to resurrect also, into eternal life...

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son."" (John 3:16-18 NLT)