O To The Beautiful Beautiful is the mountain which my feet stands firmly upon. Beautiful is the grace which shines way beyond. Beautiful is the sun as it rises and sets each day. Beautiful is the sky which touches the entire world, all in the same way. Beautiful is the peace which I seek and pray for each day. Beautiful is the tranquility I ask to fall upon us all, in a mighty way. Beautiful is to me the freedom which our country was founded upon. Beautiful is to me the flag that signifies who we have become. Beautiful, the beautiful, I watch and wait to see, just how long it will take before all come to their knees. Beautiful the beautiful you have given to us all. It is written in your Word for everyone to read. Beautiful O Beautiful have mercy on us all, for it is written, “every knee in all the world shall bow to me, and every tongue shall swear allegiance to my name.” Beautiful O Beautiful, my heart grieves for all the world to see, before you allow tragedies and destruction to fall upon every knee that walks in disobedience. Beautiful O Beautiful I pray for your all, for you are the one and only God, the power above all powers, the source above all sources. Beautiful, O My Beautiful God, you are to me. There is no other life, then your life, that lives within me. jgp7/4 Isaiah 52:1-12 The Lord will bring his people home Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem, and clothe yourselves with strength [from God]. Put on your beautiful clothes, O Zion, Holy City; for sinners-those who turn from God-will no longer enter your gates. 2Rise from the dust, Jerusalem; take off the slave bands from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3For the Lord says, When I sold you into exile I ask no fee from your oppressors; now I can take you back again and owe them not a cent! 4My people were tyrannized without cause by Egypt and Assyria, and I delivered them. 5And now, what is this? asks the Lord. Why are my people enslaved again, and oppressed without excuse? Therefore I will reveal my name to my people and they shall know the power in that name. Then at last they will recognize that it is I, yes, I, who speaks to them. 7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring the happy news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns. 8The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for right before their eyes they see the Lord God brings his people home again. 9Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyous song, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all nations; the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11 Go now, leave your bonds and slavery. Put Babylon and all it represents far behind you- it is unclean to you. You are the holy people of the Lord; purify yourselves, all you who carry home vessels of the Lord. 12You shall not leave in haste, running for your lives; for the Lord will go ahead of you, and he, the God of Israel, will protect you from behind. Isaiah 52:13-15 God’s servant will be despised 13See, my Servant shall prosper; he shall be highly exalted. 14, 15Yet many shall be amazed when they see him-yes, even far-off foreign nations and their kings; they shall stand dumbfounded, speechless in his presence. For they shall see and understand what they has not been told before. They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall he cleanse many nations. Notes(52:15 So shall he cleanse many nations, or, “So shall he startle many nations.” The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain.) 51:17-52:10 Jerusalem was God’s holy city, the city with God’s Temple. But the people of Judah experienced desolation instead of prosperity, destruction instead of liberty. Because of their sins, the people suffered. But God promised to restore Jerusalem as a holy city where sinners cannot enter. God reigns. He is in control. 52:12 The people did not leave in fearful haste because Cyrus, God’s anointed (45:1), decreed that the Jewish exiles could return safely to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). They had the king’s approval, his guaranteed protection. God was protecting them. 52:13 The Servant of the Lord. as the term is used here, is the Messiah, our Lord Jesus. He would be highly exalted because of sacrifice, described in chapter 53. 1 Peter 1:2 The hope of eternal life 2Dear friends, God the Father chose you long ago and knew you would become his children. And the Holy Spirit has been at work in your hearts, cleansing you with the blood of Jesus Christ and making you to please him. May God bless you richly and grant you increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear. Life Application Bible The Living Bible John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 1 John 5:4-5: 4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? We are world overcomers. Our Father never planned for us to have to overcome anything by ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:14-18: 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from amoung them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. John 14:16-18 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you [orphans]: I will come to you. God planned it this way from the beginning. Even before the foundation of the world. He’s right there. He’s always doing His part. Closing prayer, lets us pray together. Ephesians 3:14-20 14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant [your name], according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in [your name] heart by faith; that [your name], being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that [your name] might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. King James Version