"WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT"

“WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT”
ISAIAH 57

In Isaiah 55:1, God gives an invitation to “every one that thirsteth,” to come and drink from the waters of eternal life. He invites every one to be filled with glorious joy and great strength, and it is all free.
In Isaiah 55:7, God gives an invitation to the wicked to repent and “return unto the Lord.” He promises to graciously show mercy.
In Isaiah 56:1, God gives an invitation to His children to study His word, so with the Savior appeared, they would recognize Him.
But, sadly, they did not study and when Jesus Christ came into the world, they did not recognize Him.
The rest of Isaiah 56 tells us, because Jesus was forsaken, God’s House of worship was forfeited and God’s day of worship was forgotten.
In Isaiah 56:9-12, he reveals that the watchman, who represented the politicians, priests and the prophets of Israel, no longer could see right from wrong. Isaiah compared them to dumb dogs. He said they were blind and ignorant. Rather than giving their life to the things of God, they mainly lived for pleasure and prosperity.
Within 100 years, Judah was taken captive by Babylon and over the next few hundred years the nation of Israel was scattered across the earth.
When Jesus came, He prophesied that Israel would once again be a nation, though many doubted that would or could ever happen. Over 1900 years later it did happen. In 1948

Israel became a nation again.
What happened to Israel over 2,000 years ago has happened to Christian America over the past 200 years later.
The Biblical principles of God’s Word which once governed our homes, our hearts and our homeland are no longer used as the measuring stick by which most Americans and Christians live.
God’s Word is no longer used to form policies in our government and sadly, it is no longer used in forming policies in most churches and homes.

Isaiah 56 introduced us to the Place of Prayer.
Isaiah 57 will introduce us to the Place of Peace.
Isaiah 58 will introduce us to the Place of Power.

Having said all of this, we can now look at Isaiah 57 and understand that Isaiah is speaking of what will mainly transpire in the Last Days, though evidence of this is everywhere today.

I – THE WAYWARD MAN
1 – The Righteous (v 1a)
57:1, The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Because of the waywardness of man’s heart, nations forget God, and reject the righteous man. Why are those who stand for righteousness rejected? Jesus said, “Men loved darkness more then light…” Why? Jesus said because, “…their deeds are evil” (John 3:19).
Jesus was “the light of the world.” He said to those who follow Him, “Ye are the light of the world.”
Without light, rain won’t fall and the water cycle of life will stop. Without light, crops won’t grow and the food chain will die. Without light, men will stumble and sin prevails. In time, everything in darkness dies.
Growing up on a farm, I saw this truth quite often. When I picked up a board or a bucket that had been laying in the field for a short time, the grass underneath it was dead. Oh, it rained, the ground was moist, but the grass was dead, for it received no light.
Sadly, what Isaiah says in verse one this: In the last days, as the men who stand for righteousness slowly die and move off the scene, few will take there place and nobody will really care.

a. A note on the Politicians: There was a day when we had statesmen, like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and others like them in government, who based their lives and beliefs on God’s Holy Word.
Today, we have politicians, who can be bought for a few dollars. We have politicians who totally reject the light of truth and righteousness. They have removed the Christian pillars that this nation once stood on and have placed this nation on sinking sand.

b. A note on the Preachers: There was a day, when preachers in America were righteous. It did not matter if a preacher was a Methodist or Baptist or Presbyterian, the preachers preached the whole Bible as the inspired Word of God.
One of the greatest evangelists in America was Charles Finney. He was Presbyterian, but He had the powerful touch of God on Him. Great revivals were stirred across America by his uncompromising preaching.
There was Bob Jones I. He was Methodist. He had preached to over 15 million people before he was 40 years old.
Then there was the famous, Billy Sunday. Baseball player converted to God. He was a Baptist. He preached to 40 million people and preached the same truth that Finney and Jones preached, and I quote, “Conversion is a complete surrender to Jesus. It's a willingness to do what he wants you to do. Unless you have made a complete surrender and are doing his will it will avail you nothing. If you have reformed a thousand times and have your name on fifty church records it is to no avail.”
Sadly, today, too many preachers are like those Isaiah described in Isaiah 56:9-12. They preached a social gospel; they were concerned with the environment and the poor and the cold, but ceased preaching salvation and repentance.
Today it is the same. Many preachers are afraid to preach the whole Bible. They won’t bark at sin and the world is becoming darker and darker. They can not see that we are living in the last days. Many Christian nations, like Scotland and England have not heeded to the cries of Isaiah’s warning and today, these nations have less than 3% that attend Church. America is on the same road.
Notice the last part of Isaiah 57:1. It hints of the Rapture.

2 – The Rapture (1b) “...none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.”
Because there was so few living righteously in Judah’s day, the threat of destruction was upon them. Soon Nebuchadnezzar would take them away, but nobody was concerned.
In like manner one day soon God’s children will be taken away as well, but it will be the Lord who will call us home.
How can it be that when God’s children are taken out of this world, no one will really care or take notice?

Two reasons:
1) The lost world will be glad that the Christians are gone.
2) With the increase in the Muslim population and the humanistic teachings of America’s education system and media, to have fewer children in a few years our children will awaken to be run by a Muslim world.
The demographics of the world reveal some shocking news:
There was a day when Americans families had many children. It wasn’t uncommon to have 6 and 8 children and more.
Most of us, the past two generations were told lies, like, you can’t afford to raise them, education is to costly, you won’t have any thing in life and so, most of America have quit having children. That will be a terrible tragedy for the world.
Look at these stats:
History has proven for a culture to continue, it requires a fertility rate of 2.11 children per family.
Historically a culture that dropped to 1.9 has never turned around, though it is possible, it would take 80 to 100 years to turn the culture back.
A culture that dropped to 1.3 makes it impossible to ever reverse. It will die off and another culture will take over.

With that in mind look at these stats about the fertility rate of Europe:
France = 1.8 England = 1.6 Greece = 1.3
Germany = 1.3 Italy = 1.2 Spain = 1.1
The 31 countries in Europe have a 1.38 fertility rate.
The Muslim’s fertility rate is 8.1.

30% of the children in Europe younger than 21 are Muslims.
In 39 years France will be a Muslim country.
In England the Muslim rate has grown so fast, that within 20 years it too will be a Muslim country.
By the year 2025, half of Europe’s children will be Muslim.

Gaddafi said, “We don’t need terrorist or homicide bombers. The 50 million Muslims in Europe will turn it into a Muslim country with a few decades.”

Canada has a 1.6% fertility rate from 2001-2006.
The U.S. from 2001-2006 had a 1.6 fertility rate. With the Latino immigration it was 2.11. In 1970 there were 100,000 Muslims in the U.S. Today there are 9,000,000. In 30 years there will be 50 million Muslims in the United States of America.
This is my prediction to why the world won’t care when the Christians are raptured out. With so many Muslims who want to take over and control the world, and with many governments fighting against the Muslim take over, terrorism with grow tremendously across the world.
Just as the plot on September 11, 2009 was to hit numerous cities throughout America, (it failed), a plot far greater will take place in the near future and it will succeed. Possibly 1,000’s of bombs all over the U.S. and world will take out planes, buses, trains, buildings and even cities. It may even included nuclear weapons.
Now think! If when the rapture takes place, cars crash, planes fall from the sky and chaos reigns across the world, it could easily be blamed on terrorism. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and maybe more will die, and most people wouldn’t care if all the Christians were gone, for they hated righteousness anyway.
Now, for you who know the book of Revelation and Biblical prophecy, what happens after the Church of Jesus Christ is raptured out? The first thing is the antichrist, the man of peace, will come on the scene.
Now, look at Isaiah 57:2, He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

In Revelation 6:2, the first horseman of the apocalyptic rides the white horse of peace, deceiving the world into believing everything is alright, as each person walks in his own uprightness. Note, this is not God’s righteousness but man’s prideful and arrogant way. It is an uprightness that calls evil good and good evil.
That is what people are doing today. From our President and to Supreme Court to our elected officials; liberal politicians, liberal journalist and liberal preachers are walking in their arrogant and prideful uprightness to the damnation of our country.
They believe as they continue to throw out the light of God’s Word and trample under food Godly principles and truths that they will bring peace to this world. How wrong they are.

Paul wrote in First Thessalonians 5:3-5, 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Now, after the Church is removed from this world and the devil takes over, Isaiah hints to a few frightening and amazing happenings that will transpire in this world in verses 3-12.
Understand, when the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, he gave more indebt details. But, it is clear that Isaiah saw, in visions given to him by God, the future events of the tribulation.

3 – The Rebellion (3-12)
Isaiah is going to reveal vital truths we need to know:
A - We need to quit trying to be politically correct:
Isaiah 57:3, But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
We live in a day in America where we are told to make sure our speech is politically correct. We are told don’t say anything negative about religion or another who may not have the same life style as you.
There is a two-fold hypocrisy about this statement.
1) I find it funny, that, this is not the standard God goes by.
2) I also found out the devil crowd doesn’t live by this standard either. They tell you one thing, but do just the opposite. They can have their freedom of speech and say anything negative or racist or evil about God’s crowd, but let God’s preachers declare that abortion, homosexuality, voter fraud and sin to their attention and they cry “politically incorrect.”
Friend, God calls black, black and He calls white, white. He calls sin, sin and He calls righteousness, righteousness. God doesn’t play by Satan’s rules.
Anyone who knows prophecy knows that in the last days the religions of the world will become so corrupt that they will welcome the devil in their pulpit. God, in His righteousness calls this wicked religion, “the whore.”
Turn to Revelation 17:1-2, And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Most of you know that today, 2009, all the nations of the world have become Babylonian. They have removed God from their culture, creed and constitution.
The “One World Religion” will commit fornication with the “One World Government” in the tribulation time. They will be in bed together. Why? The light of the world was raptured out and there is now, nothing to stop the wickedness of man.
The only thing that prevents this world from erupting into greater sin is the light of the righteous.
B - We need to know that the media in America hates Jesus Christ. 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
Let me say sadly, this was the heart of Israel when Isaiah preached.
Today, in rebellion, the world, through the media and politics and education has lifted up their voices against God, Christianity and righteousness.
Most people have been brained washed by the media. They tell you to be politically correct. They tell you drugs, drunkenness, sex outside the bonds of marriage is OK and at the same time they mock anything righteous and Christian.
I’ll let you in on a small detail of the Nazi annihilation of six million Jews and eight million Gentiles. Most of the preachers in Germany tried to be politically correct to the demise of their country.
I’ll tell you another secret. When God calls for a nation to repent, His preachers, preached to those who were suppose to know God, not the lost.
To preachers who are blind and ignorant, who won’t preach against sin or stand for righteousness I say, “You are doing a great disfavor to the Holy God I serve.” You are destroying the next generation by only preaching half the Bible. Preachers like Joel Osteen and Rick Warren, who speak against sin, they are destroying Christianity. They have accepted the political correct agenda, to the death of Christianity.
It is entertaining for the media, talk show host and comedians to mock and make fun of Christians, whether they have fallen or whether they do right. For example, look at how the media and the liberals used their wide mouth and evil tongues to maliciously attempt to destroy the Christian and moral life of Sarah Palin, in the last election.

C – We must know that most worship in America is a false worship. Isaiah 57:5-7 - 5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
We would think Isaiah was writing today about sins of America and the world as he describes man’s silly worship of idols and the killing of the unborn, yet there are religious denominations that tell their pastors not to preach on controversial issues like abortion.
In verse five, the taking of the children’s lives were done in secret. How hideous it was. But far worse, today, the taking of the unborn has been justified by the Supreme Court of the United States and is not inn public medical centers, doctor’s offices and hospitals.
How evil the minds of men have become, and yet many churches will never cry from their pulpits that abortion is murder.

In verse six, those guilty of such crime, go back to worship God as if they have done nothing wrong…
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Do you see what they are doing? They are giving to God worship.
God in amazement says, “Should I receive comfort in these?” God says, “You mock my word, you mock my principles, you maliciously destroy my people, you kill the innocent and you go to worship me and you think I am going to accept your worship?” How blinded man has become.

God mocks man in verse 7 by revealing his proud and haughty heart.

7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
Isaiah 57:7 reveals that in the last days, man in his pride will live in all types of sin, yet will continue to go through the act of worship, thinking he is OK. How can man do this? He doesn’t know the Word of God.

D – As true preaches continue to preach truth, many will leave that church and look for a church where they can live in drunkenness, adultery, and all types of sin and feel comfortable.
8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered (revealed) thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
Isaiah says to those who should have been God’s people, you left me. You crawled in bed with them. You love their bed not my bed.
God’s intimate bed is one of worship and holiness, righteousness and truth. The bed of false worship brings the world into it. Anything goes and everything is OK in this bed. In this bed man can live as he pleases and do whatever his heart desires. But judgment day is coming. (v 9)

E – Isaiah tells us in the Last Days, the thinking of the political and religious system will be one and the same.
9 “And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes…” but sadly the outcome for both will be hell. Look at the rest of verse 9. “…and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.”
10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
Though the wicked, acts as if he is enjoying the evil of this life, in the Last Days, he will realizes he has gone to far and now there is “no hope.”
But, the wicked are so full of pride and self, they won’t even care.

F – Isaiah reveals the great sin of Israel and the world.
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
God’s people did not fear God. They lived by their own righteousness standard. One day, the books will be opened. There will be no profit, no spiritual gain, only lost. Man will lose his life and soul for eternity.

II – THE WISE MAN
During the last days, there will be many that will still preach truth. Even in the dark days of the Tribulation when people will be tossed about with every wind and doctrine, God will ordain 144,000 to preach truth.
Notice two things about the wise man:

A – His Choice: In the last days the cry of the religious world is change, change, change.
13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
Back in 1963 Bob Dylan wrote the song, “Blowing in the Wind.” It was a song of rebellion against the America culture, against the government, against the war. It was about leaving the old principles of truth and making changes. Over the past forty years there have been many changes in America but sadly, most of them have not been for our good.

God’s principles don’t blow in the wind. They have always been true. For the man who places his trust in the Lord, God will give to him a home in heaven for all eternity.
The wise man will stand for truth and the Bible declares that God does not change.

B – His Concern – The wise man’s concern is to lift up Christ.
He cries as Isaiah did in verse 14, And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.
This verse is saying to exalt Jesus Christ. It is saying to all of Israel and all the world who looked upon Jesus as a stumbling block to open their eyes and realizes He is not the stumbling block but the solid rock. He is the corner stone to eternal life. He is the corner stone to our church, our homes and our hearts.
III – THE WORSHIPFUL GOD
Look at verse 15: 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
a. Contrite Heart: To worship God He wants us to come with a contrite heart. That means to have a repentant and humble heart.
The key to getting out of trouble, to having our burdens lifted and to finding victory is to have a contrite heart.
Then God promises to lift us up on high with Him. The wise man will have a contrite heart and will exalt the high and lofty One, which is our Lord Jesus Christ.

b. Comfort - 18-19:
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
These verses reveal that those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ and worship the Lord will find comfort or peace in their soul.
God wants to and desires to show mercy and compassion and forgiveness upon His rebellious people and upon a rebellious nation. God wants man to know His comfort and peace.
The man that comes to the Lord in repentance and faith will have peace.
One person said this about peace: “To have peace, find something bigger than yourself to believe in.”
Another fact says, “Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.”
“Peace is not in something you can hold or touch or see. It is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ that transcends anything in life.”
In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was a Bishop of the Roman Church and spoke with great anger against the Protestants and stood for the infallibility of the Pope.
But, like Saul, Ridley had a supernatural conversion. He then saw the fallacy of religion and lived his life to preach Jesus Christ as the way to heaven.
He was arrested for his witness for Christ and put in prison to away his death by being burned at the stake. On the night before Ridley’s execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort.
Nicholas declined the offer of his brother and told him, “I mean to go to bed and sleep peacefully, because I know the peace of God, I can rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of the Lord!
Isaiah ends on a negative note. He speaks of the wicked man.
IV – THE WICKED MAN
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
The wicked man is both restless and regretful.
Look in verse 2. There we see a false peace. In this verse a man who has his health and wealth walks in his own integrity and not the Lords.
Look in verse 19 we find true peace. God offers rest and comfort to any one who places their trust in Jesus Christ.

Lastly, in verse 21, the prophet cries, “No peace… to the wicked.”

An old book entitled, “Voices from the Edge of Eternity” by John Miles contains death bed accounts of many who saw into eternity moments before they died.
One account was of an unbeliever. A preacher friend (Rev. C.A. Balch) who had invited him to church and tried to share Christ with him, went to sit with this man in his dying days.
On one occasion the man said, “Warn the world not to live as I have lived and escape my woe.”
Another time when visited by the doctor, the man was groaning and writhing in agony. The doctor said to the man, “Why do you groan so, your disease is not painful?” The man replied it is not my body but my soul that troubles me.”
On the evening of the man’s death, the preacher entered the room. He said there was an awful presence in the room as if we were near the region of the damned.
The dying man cried out, “Oh, God! Deliver me from this awful pit!” The man was not penitent. His word were simply the wailing of a lost soul.
About 11:45 PM, the man cried, “I am in the flames, pull me out, pull me out!” He kept repeating this again and again, as his words became more faint.
At about midnight, the preacher sat next to the man and lean over to hear his dying words. They were, “Pull me out! Pull me out!”
The preacher said, “That experience made such an impression on me, that I will never forget, nor do I wish to ever witness such a sight again.”
The preacher said, “Till this day, I remember those last terrible words, “I am in the flames, pull me out, pull me out.”