We go to the experts and ask advice, we get some training, we practice new skills, we change the old habits to gain better skills, we get retrained, we google it!!! How is it that when we are unlearned in any field or challenge this is waht we do? All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Thats just me and I cant help it!" And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. For many, the crooked path is a religious or works path, even Christians. And bread to the eater, Quoted in John Philip Lange, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Mark-Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, n.d.), vol. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. What the Bible says about Preparing the Way for Christ F Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why have you despised the word of theLord,to do what is evil in his sight? I am not going to write more about repentance here. ForI was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, andhere also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Make the Crooked Places Straight - BEING IN THE LIGHT I heard it in the context of, once again, being accused and condemned by satan for what I did or said in my past life. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. They shall be greatly ashamed, The conversion of Egypt is mentioned first (Isa. In an introduction to eighteenth-century Scottish pastor and theologian Thomas Bostons bookThe Crook in the Lot, J. I. Packer describes a crook this way: But in Thomas Bostons usage thecrook is the crooked, that is the uncomfortable, discontenting aspects of a persons life, the things that the Puritans called losses and crosses, and that we speak of as the stones in our shoe, the thorns in our bed, the burrs under the saddle, and the complaints we have to live with; and the lot is the providentially appointed path that God sets each of his servants to travel. Nothing can make crooked things straight. Conclusion: everyone of these problems took time to straighten out. Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. A. Alexander, The Prophecy of Isaiah (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1978 reprint of 1875 edition), vol. Old Testament History, If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Am the God of Israel.' They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. But two chapters later the situation has changed. ISAIAH 45:2 KJV "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places Gods ways are higher than our ways. Now Is The Time - Sermon Central So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, Cornelius. And he stared at him in terror and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. God Makes Crooked Things Straight - Bible Believers Baptist Church The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. 1701 Rand Morgan Rd.Corpus Christi, TX 78410(361) 241-6100, Sunday School 10AMSunday Preaching 11AMSunday Evening 6PMWednesday Evening 7PMWednesday Bible Club 7PM, 2011-2021 Bible Believers Baptist Church, All Rights Reserved. the indicators that sound off inside like impressions, feelings, sensations and maybe our little voice, the advisor telling us, that we need to change this behaviour or we are headed for trouble when we go this way or react that way. Prayer is a means to receive the guidance of the Spirit Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. In the Progamming World that we live in where binary machine code governs the known universe, all is not infallible and the best laid plan can go awry. He has given us the example and teachings of the Messiah. Johnson refers to the mysterious call emanating from Isaiah 40:3. THis episode is to encourage you who are going through the fire. 5. " I am making crooked places straight". Renew their strength In truth, the words I heard when I was praying were, behold, I make crookedpathsstraight. The Isaiah texts speak of God making crookedplacesstraight, not crooked paths. In an introduction to eighteenth-century Scottish pastor and theologian Thomas Boston's book The Crook in the Lot, J. I. Packer describes a "crook" this way: Internal motivations and thought patterns are just that, part of who we are type of thing going off there, inside. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. God took this man that many Israelites would have thought was unworthy of the Lord's blessings (because of what he was) and made him a world leader. Ecclesiastes 7:29 tells us that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. When we translate that into the imagery of paths, roads, and highways, we arrive at Isaiahs indictment of man: The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace (Isa. M Give him time to get this done. I Will Go Before Thee Sermon by Richard Reid, Isaiah 45:2-3, Isaiah 45: He is also an accomplished musician and composer. It can also be a twisted place, like the coils of a serpent. 1,908 likes, 110 comments - On And Off The Runway - Joyce Williams (@onandofftherunway) on Instagram on September 28, 2020: "The last few months I decided that I . Walk as children of light, But Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.. 2, p. 96. Gods word is not void but prospers when it is planted and permitted to grow in our lives. Everyone of these looked hopeless. The Crooked Shall Be Made Straight - Chalcedon A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Edward J. Going astray doesnt always happen overnight, at the beginning of a journey all seems pretty much aligned together at the starting point. Something must be out of alignment and whacky in our decision making processes for us to be persuaded to take off down a wrong track. Satan makes the crooked path look good. There is meant to be some challenges in life which are all part of the learning curve, that is fine and dandy for healthy development, so yes we can have some crashes on the way and that can be just how things are meant to be with the growing, learning and gaining new experiences in life. The crooked place is a place of deceit, a perverse and wicked place. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. Ultimately, he was called out of prison to interpret Pharaohs dream and give him counsel concerning the coming years of plenty and drought. On the flip side, the sins of my past life have been used by God to teach me important lessons about His grace and mercy, and how to extend compassion to others. Jesus makes the crooked straight through regeneration. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. Submit yourselves therefore to God. I . Biblical Law, Isaiah 55:10,11 - All of this past, present, and future is accomplished through His power and my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 3, p. 28. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. On You I wait all the day Encouragement | Isaiah 45:2 - Hope Reflected 9 likes, 0 comments - Donald Cox (@bigtimercox) on Instagram: "Good Morning Big Timer ( " THIS YEAR: May everything God has proposed for you, according to his . He said this regarding things he will do when he returns to earth at his Second Advent. . Mankinds first encounter with satan in Scripture was in the Garden of Eden, where satan made the straight paths of Adam and Eve crooked by using deceit and wickedness, with their permission. At the beginning and most of the time when we choose a pathway, all appears to be the right way for us; we do our sums and sometimes we even have a real emotional fuzzy to say all is well, so off we go! Lets do this! W Christians do not need to fear the crooks God allows in their lives but can instead rest in Gods faithfulness. They Mount up on Wings of Eagles And to those who have no might He increases strength. It's an encouragement to know that we serve a God Who will make the crooked places straight, make the rough places smooth, level the exalted places, and level the mountains. And then He can cleanse and heal their life from the damaging and defiling effects of the addictions. Allowing an image carved by the craftiness of an evil, humanistic philosophy to imprint your thinking is trusting in an idol, which like an obsession, holds you to wrong beliefs and trusting in ways that are not from God, so we can become blind and deaf to the truth and we then need to turn around from the lost pathway of our wilderness. It is a path and a life marked by deceit, fraud, fear (a lot of fear), and wickedness. God wants us to actively participate in trusting Him to make the crooked straight, and we all can expect to be a part of His process. you can say to this mountain throw yourself into the sea and it will be done (Matthew 21: 21 NIV). The crooked will be made straight and the rough places made smooth. The Greek word for crooked isskoliosmeaning perverse, wicked, or curved. Just allow God to adjust your vision, look to Him when you are limited by your thinking to see a way out and begin to be a person of faith. Isaiah 45:2 - Bible Gateway 10, Section 2, p. 66. His water is living and changes the landscape of our parched soul to a place of vitality, that will bring forth a bud, we will see life coming forth where there was once barrenness. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. What did God mean when He spoke to me about making the crooked straight? He was telling me that in the moment when I felt ashamed and not good enough, somewhat lonely and sad, I was being deceived in that moment satan was trying to drag me, emotionally and spiritually so to speak, into a crooked place of condemnation. I Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? American Standard Version I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron; Berean Study Bible The peoples labor for nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire., Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. That it may give seed to the sower They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: Thus says the Lord of hosts: The broad wall of Babylon shall be leveled to the ground, and her high gates shall be burned with fire. 16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; We are not machines that can be simply switched off and overwritten without some effect, there is adjustment in change, so become part of the process that God has for you in the recovery program. The Egyptians build an altar and pillar to the Lord. The mountain that was a massive oppressive blockade will be removed in Jesus Name. The straight path can be straight either because the mountain is removed altogether or God leads us through the mountain and out the other side. GOD CAN MAKE THE CROOKED STRAIGHT - I-Bible We see a parrellal in this verse, to reinforce the point, that even if you are the most difficult case, nothing is impossible with God. And it is sad, but true, that there are some people who dont want to be straight they like to live on the crooked path; they dont want to live in the light, they prefer the darkness. n God will be nobody's co-pilot. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Who trust in carved images, They were in bondage in Babylon. Even in old testament times before Christ came to this earth to make the sacrifice that made this freedom all possible, there were men and women who had the might of God upon them to shake nations. 35:8). But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. each new version has its improvements yes, but new bugs are still found and will take effect and haunt its success and so the cycle goes on. There is no change in the things themselves, but in our views of and feelings towards them. Peace be upon Israel! When we are bumping around making gross mistakes and yes even outright bad choices, is the best time for us to reach out to Him while He may be found, we must give up our stubborn harmful ways, as the further we go down the beaten track, the deeper the hole. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? Ecclesiastes 7:13. But still, sometimes the enemy sneaks up on me in those early morning moments and speaks the ancient words of accusation, You are a rotten person. When we entered this world, we took on some inherited corrupt code if you like from the program DNA and yes; although we are not machines, we can take Your support of Chalcedon allows us to continue to equip Christians to advance the Kingdom of Christ. When God makes the crooked places straight, He forgives our sins, redeems our lives, and restores our hearts back to the condition of the human heart in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eves hearts became crooked through deceit and wickedness. God will fight for you. Nevertheless, the Lord, in his mercy, gave David and Bathsheba more sons, one of whom was Solomon. 36:26). Change is on the way. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. He gives strength to the weary and power to the weak. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. God will break into pieces the gates that hold us back from our destiny. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them (Isaiah 42: 16 NKJV). We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Jesus restores and redeems He makes crooked paths straight. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. We enter the straight path through the narrow gate that leads to life. In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! Verse 21 speaks of God knowing Egypt, and the Egyptians knowing the Lord, Whom they perform sacrifice and oblation to, vowing vows to Him and performing them. See the new person He designed you to be, in some ways we can rewrite our code by declaring the good things for our lives, that we have seen and received from God in vision and prophetic messages for our future. The point is, that is how it is! 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, City Church Lagos on Instagram: " A royal figure does not arrive at a He desires to save everyone, but we must: 1) accept Him as the Lord of our life through faith in Him by grace and the power of His Holy Spirit and 2) repent of our sins. There are no doors that can hinder me from my destiny. In fact, Gods Word goes further: it commands us to make straight paths. H Butstretch out your hand andtouch all that he has, and he willcurse youto your face. (Job 1:8-11; see also 1 Pet. The promises of this word are presented as a visual representation of a truth and why is it important to use a presentation like that? You are our gods. Joseph had cause to be prideful when he was young because his father favored him, and dreams indicated that his brothers would bow down to him (Gen. 37:1-11). 40:3), our taking that command seriously leads to the result that the crooked shall be made straight (Isa. 19 Bible verses about Straight Paths - Knowing Jesus But God was able to bring good out of bad. You come to rest in His very Presence that fills your life up and goes deep into the dark places of the crookedness of the soul, there you will receive a new strength that you did not have before, on the straight Highway of life. 154 likes, 0 comments - City Church Lagos (@citychurchlagos) on Instagram on January 16, 2023: " A royal figure does not arrive at a place alone, in fact, a forerunner goes ahead to prepar." City Church Lagos on Instagram: " A royal figure does not arrive at a place alone, in fact, a forerunner goes ahead to prepare for their coming. The Israelites had been taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. NASB 1995 Our soul is a complex creature and an integral piece of our personality, although you cant say that we are a machine, or behave like one, you can say that I have repented and am now a much different (and better) person than I was in that past life, thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. While we will not always know why God has made a crook in our lot, we can always trust that he is using it for good and his glory in the lives of his beloved children. Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. The way can be straight, not because of my efforts and power, but because of His. But he said to me,My grace is sufficient for you, formy power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so thatthe power of Christ may rest upon me. In Isaiah 19, the conversion of the Gentile nations is symbolized by the conversion of Egypt and Assyria. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. All Rights Reserved. V Read them, accept His words, and repent. 4:12). Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? God, as only God can do, made these crooked things straight. How do you know who is of God? For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. there are indicators, kind of internal dials, warning messages, alerts that sound off inside. Now if we are blind, we do not see the right place to be and cannot see the right path to take. He redeemed my relationship with Himover my entire lifeand healed my heart. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? Then they [Josephs brothers] said to one another,In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. If He does this, He will always be near and He will give the strength to endure). The Crooked places are made straight. Psalm 25:4,5 - I know better I have been forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Jesus shed for me on the cross. 18 Hear, you deaf; 2 (Luke), p. 60. I will lead them in paths they have not known. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight(Proverbs 3: 5, 6 NIV). Like when we are restricted by bars of iron, it is like an imprisonment, we are caged in and our movement is blocked. After Moses struck the rock at Meribah to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as God commanded him to do, God did not allow Moses or Aaron to enter the promised land (Num. What does crooked represent but something out of alignment, not straight obviously and bent away from the best possibilities. O And in the American culture today, if Jesus was physically alive, and He spoke these words, and CNN got a hold of them, He would be crucified all over again. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; 2I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the Read Isaiah (YLT) Read Isaiah 40:4 (YLT) in Parallel. And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But back to the text. Have you not heard? Young's Literal Translation for Isaiah 40:4. I knew they were from Scripture, but not from any passage I was studying. Proverbs 4:26-27 Watch the path of your feet (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) How does Jesus set us free? Government, But God intervened. Then there are gates, not just any little wooden gate, but a huge metal gate, it is formidable and imposing, designed to stop us getting through. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. - Isaiah 45:2 'I will go before you and make the crooked places straight' (KJV) 2. That will teach you!!!" It appears we need to adjust our limited ways of seeing the problems of life and see the possibilities of hope, even when we need a total miracle which seems impossible to the natural mind. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. C They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. Q Isaiah 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: Isaiah 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. God hates sin! He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Labs I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron . Read Isaiah (WEB) Read Isaiah 42:16 (WEB) in Parallel. Satan, who is wily and slippery, was trying to discourage, depress, and even defeat me. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? . 20:12). If we lose our vehicle, we could be in a wilderness with no easy way out, restricted on foot, miles from anywhere, definitely on the rough and the hard road without means to get to our proper destination. In other words, He has somehow redeemed those situations and circumstances in the past where I was deceitful, fraudulent, and even wicked. Many times in counseling, you will hear " I'm looking for direction in my life" - The fact is you will never get direction . Please come into my life and make me a new creation make my crooked paths straight.. 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