Praise the Lord, Grace & Peace great people of our “Great God” …JESUS!

During this time of epic proportion and serious isolation, many of us have had the time to reflect on things that we have not been cognizant of in the past. Many of which have proven to be essential to our spiritual and mental well being. Those who have been privileged to be filled with the Holy Spirit can hear the Lord speaking clearly, due to the atrocities brought about by COVID-19, and other scripturally fulfilled disasters that have been prophesied. Such things have most definitely enhanced our appreciation extensively, because we know; that we are secure in Christ Jesus. Hence for this Golden Nugget I would like to provoke the thought “ Our Pandemia Has Drawn Us To the Throne and the Altar” The following scriptures will be used for my premise to provoke further gospel provocation.

Isa 6:1-8“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

In the body of these powerful Scriptures, there are two prominent objects that stand out; the THRONE and the ALTAR!

“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.” This had to be a glorious sight. It is obvious the prophet Isaiah viewed himself as an undone wretched sinner standing before the throne of God. This glorious light that protruded from the throne of God, revealed to Isaiah his true condition. And what was that light? It was the manifestation revealing the glory of Jesus Christ, that we read about in the Gospel of John 12:41“These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him.” Jesus Christ will always be the perfect standard by which everyone must be measured. It is no need to take a comparative analysis of each other! The bottom line is how are we viewed in the presence of Christ.

The light that shined from the Altar was a true representation of the light that shined from Jesus Christ in every way, when He came earth to walk in a dark world! His glorious light revealed to all that came in contact with Him, the hidden reins and chambers in the heart which revealed the secrets and real condition thereof. Jesus Christ was the divine purity that was expressed by the seraphim, when it cried out, “Holy, holy, Holy!” from the throne of God!

This is why, when Isaiah saw himself in the light of His glory, he cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone!” Please notice my brothers and sisters he does not say, “Woe is me! I am not what I ought to be.” He was given a deeper revelation than that, Isaiah had never before seen himself in such a glorious light, because that standard of  measurement had never been revealed to him. This scene shows him standing in the presence of God’s throne without any ability to meet the standard of that throne. He saw God sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. Hence, he saw himself as an helpless, ruined, guilty sinner at an immeasurable distance from the throne God. He heard the cry of the seraphim, “Holy, holy, holy”; and the only response that he could offer from the depths of his broken and contrite spirit was, “Unclean, unclean, unclean.” Isaiah beheld a gulf of guilt and uncleanness that separated him from God, which without a mediator, could never be bridged.

My brothers and sisters Isaiah confession “Woe is me” acknowledged his utter ruin. He knew he was a lost man, without comparing himself to any others, who may have been perceived worse than him! Hence, he confesses “I am undone.” This reminds me of when the Apostle Paul acknowledged his wretchedness in Rom. 7:14-24 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

It is imperative to note that when this prophet was under the convicting glory of the Throne of God, he was not occupied with what he had done or what he had left undone. It was not a question of whether he had done evil or good; because it was much deeper than that! Isaiah was not concerned with his acts, but with his condition! GOLDEN NUGGET!

This same condition was handed down from our federal head Adam, which causes us to experience the hidden roots of this nature we inherited by birth. Hence we acknowledge this irremediable ruin that is in our flesh, until the Last Adam, Jesus Christ gives us a glorified body! Hence, this is why we have done that which we ought not to have done, and left undone that which we ought to have done. So given these facts, we know that this is not contingent upon our conduct being defective, but our nature being undone. This is why we all should cry out “Woe is Me” if we don’t have Jesus!

So, we see in this scene Isaiah standing before the throne of God. Wow, what a place for a sinner to stand in! There are no excuses here, no palliating circumstances here, no qualifying clauses here, no blaming anything on men, or women here. Only thing Isaiah could see here was guilt, wretchedness, and ruin. Isaiah’s objective was focused on self, and the answer was “undone”

We all have cried “I am undone!” if we have experienced the glory which shines from this Throne, it will evoke a cry from the very depths of our soul! It is because of this, we are allowed to experience the Grace of the Altar.

My brothers and sisters, it is imperative that we understand that these two things invariably go together. In this Dispensation of Grace, the Throne and the Altar are mutually inclusive; but during the judgment at”the great white throne” there will not be an Altar; nor will there be any grace or remedy, only JUDGMENT.

It is only when we acknowledge our short comings, such as Isaiah did, will the Lord introduce His divine provision at His Altar as noted; “Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”

Saints it is at the Throne where guilt is detected, and it is at the Altar were guilt is removed! Please note again the Throne reveals our ruin, our guilt, and how undone we are; but it is also at the Altar that we see the full sufficiency of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Word states in Rom. 5:1-9 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

It is because of this, reaches the full extent of the ruin; for it is the same glorious light that reveals the guilt and the removal. For we can see prophetically that Isaiah was speaking only of Jesus Christ when it is stated “This has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Isaiah was brought into personal contact with the ultimate sacrifice; and the immediate result was the complete removal of allhis iniquity, representing the perfect purgation of allhis sin because of Jesus Christ! GOLDEN NUGGET!

Not a single spot remained. He could now stand in the glorious light of that Throne as expressed in the 5th chapter of Romans, for it detected and exposed his uncleanness. Glory, that’s right, the  very same glorious light which manifested his sin, manifested also the purging efficacy of the blood of Christ Jesus!

Wow, what a precious and beautiful connection between the Throne and the Altar, for this connection can easily be traced through the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation, and through the history of God’s plan of redemption from Adam down to this present age. All who have been really brought to Jesus, have experienced the convicting glorious light of the Throne, and the peace giving virtues of the Altar.

My brothers and sisters, God’s work is perfect. There is nothing superficial when He carries on such a mighty work. The divine application of the blood of Jesus Christ, does not leave the stain of sin upon the conscience of those who came to experience the power of His blood!

Isaiah stated, “Then flew one of the seraphim to me.” In this expression, you can tell it was a very rapid movement, which speaks volumes. It tells us distinctly of Heaven’s intense desire to tranquilize his convicted conscience, bind up his broken heart, and heal his wounded spirit. For the Lord exercised His love, showing the swiftness of the seraphic messenger that He sent from the Throne, upon Isaiah’s confession that he was “undone.”

My brothers and sisters, this confession reminded me of king Hezekiah’s intercession for the people of Israel in 2Ch. 30:15-22 “Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD. And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.”

Isaiah truly experienced the glory of God, for he saw the angelic seraphim that veiled its face standing before the Throne of God crying, “Holy, holy, holy,” passing from that Throne to the Altar, and from the Altar to the deep depths of a convicted sinner’s heart, to apply the virtues of a divine sacrifice. Wow, I can see this figuratively! As the arrow from the Throne wounded the heart, the seraph from the Altar flew to heal the wound…Glory! For the word of God validates how the wounds have been healed… 1Jn 3:1-3 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. As my sainted grandmother Sarah B. Coats would often say, “Who wouldn’t serve a God like this!”

My beloved brothers and sister, are you in earnest desire for the welfare of your immortal soul, permit me to ask you if you have experienced the action of this glorious Throne and the Altar? Have you ever took time to refrain from all the false light which Satan brings to you, which prevents you from getting true insight concerning your spiritual needs? Have you ever stood where Isaiah found himself when he cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone”? Have you ever become cognizant of your own behavior, and confessed “I have sinned” as Job confessed in Job chapter 33? If so, we all have the privilege to enjoy all the riches Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us by way of the cross!

I can truly believe this today, because we are under a better covenant in God, we do not need to see the same vision that Isaiah saw; nor do we need to see a Throne, an Altar, or a flying Seraph. Why? Because now we have the Word of God to assure us as noted in 1 Pet. 3:18 “Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” and in Acts 13:19 “all that believe are justified from all things.”

Isaiah believed that his “iniquity was taken away, and his sin purged,” when the angelic messenger told him so. And, hence we believe that Jesus died for us, because the Word of God tells us so in Heb 2:7-9 “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Maybe there is someone reading this might say, “How can I know that Jesus died for me?”My reply has to be, the same way that anyone knows it; simply by the Word of God. There is no other way of knowing it. For it is through the Word of God that we all see our state, our character, and our condition. The Word of God shows us our photograph with divine precision, upon these pages of divine inspiration, and the glorious light that extends from it; which make all things manifest.

My brothers and sisters, we were all sinners saved by grace, who were deeply ruined! But Jesus Christ death applied itself so perfectly to you and I, just as that “live coal” did to Isaiah when the seraph declared to him, “This has touched thy lips.” We were “undone,” and, as such, had to stand still and see the salvation of God, a salvation which is the foundation wrought through the cross of Christ, a salvation which the Holy Spirit reveals with authority; and validates that the Word of God is settled forever in Heaven, which God has exalted in the name of Jesus Christ! Oh, how I trust that Name! It is through His name that our “iniquity is taken away, and our sin purged”!

Saints because the Lord has done so much for us concerning our salvation, we must have an earnest to serve and want to do a work for Him. Isaiah rendered a whole hearted consecration to the service of God. Isaiah knew it was by God’s mercy and grace that salvation was presented to him, he knew he had nothing to do with his sin being purged, but he could do plenty concerning his servitude to the One who had purged them. Isaiah willingly expresses to the Lord ultimate appreciation and obedience to Him when he exclaimed, “Here am I; send me.” I am convinced that no one can be anointed to do a work for the Lord, until they have experienced, in some degree, the action of the “Throne” and the “Altar.” The glory of the former must show one what they are, and the provisions made available of the latter, must show them who Christ truly is in His glory; before they can say, “Here am I; send me.” GOLDEN NUGGET!

I truly believed that this truth has been settled in the universe! Hence, it should be illustrated in the biography of every Saint of God who is or have been, true servants of Jesus Christ throughout the ages, regardless of the condition presented! For we all have been brought to see our ruinin the GLORIOUS light of the Throne, and are blessed to see the remedy that isin the provision of God’s Altar! Hence, the results should be a life of practical devoutness,  because “ Our Pandemia Has Drawn Us To the Throne and the Altar” God Bless You, and strive to have a “JESUS DAY”