RTW 2023

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!”

Isaiah 58:1

Warren Wiersbe calls it the constant battle between ritual vs reality.

God will do all He can to expose that which has become ritual in our life. However, ritual can become reality. If not exposed, ritual-reality replaces the real faith and the things of God.

God called His people out:

• they acted so pious!
• seem delighted to learn all about me.
• acted like a righteous nation
• acted like they would never abandon the laws of its God
• pretended they want to be near me.
• went through the motions of penance.

“How can any nation pretend to fast or worship God at all, or dare to profess that they believe in the existence of such a Being, while they carry on the slave trade, and traffic in the souls, blood, and bodies of men! O ye most [criminal] of knaves, and worst of hypocrites, cast off at once the mask of your religion; and deepen not your endless perdition by professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, while ye continue in this traffic!” – Adam Clarke, writing in 1823

Would God say that I am

• acted pious?
• seem delighted to learn all about me?
• act like a righteous person?
• act like I would never abandon the laws of God?
• pretend I want to be near Him?
• going through the motions of penance?

Exposure of our ritual turned reality won’t be comfortable.
Transformation from ritual to real with God faith won’t be comfortable.
The process will be worth the uncomfortable, I promise.

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This is motive of God’s heart, and has been since Exodus.

You will know at last that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
Isaiah 60:16b

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Don’t just go through the motions, Wendy. Be all in.