Woe is me!

From Woe to Joy!

“So I said: "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 my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."

Isaiah 6:5

Reading the first five chapters of Isaiah, you find this great prophet proclaiming woes on backslidden people. His heart was greived. He had seen those who should walk up-rightly, turning away from the One who delivered them from bondage. Like today, any heart that longs for the Lord, cannot helpsee the same thing happening in what is called the church. Arrogance has become the norm. Men full of pride, lift their voice within the sanctuary, and they are honored for it. All that we should be leaving behind, we are being drawn to, and we tag it, the blessings of God:

"So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt God and go free." Malachi 3:15

As I travel overseas, I see this spirit of greed spreading like a wild fire. It knows no borders. Many church doors are open to this dragon of deception. One cannot help understanding the cry of the prophet Isaiah. However, something happened to this prophet that changed his life dramatically. He had a close encounter with the living God. Isaiah came to the end of himself. No longer was it, "woe onto you", but "woe onto me"! This is the drastic change in the life of those who see the Lord in His fullness, and glory. The word, undone, in Hebrew means: cut off. Not only did Isaiah realize that the people around him were cut off, so was he. Isaiah experienced that in the presence of the living God, no one could stand. It took the power of the living God to cleanse Isaiah, from this woe.

"Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." (Isaiah 6:6-7

The altar from which the hot coal came from, is the altar of Christ. The throne of grace, the way of the cross, brought Isaiah to the end of himself. Isaiah's life truly became born again. His whole direction changed. His message burned as hot as the coal that cleansed his life, his lips, his heart. He had been to the cross:

"These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him." (John 12:41

We say there is four gospel accounts. However, the book of Isaiah truly is a wonderful gospel account of the life of Christ, His sacrifice, resurrection, and His soon return. When I think of the gospels I think of Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Even Jesus, when He entered the temple read from the prophet Isaiah: "And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." (Luke 4:17-19

Isaiah was commissioned that day forward to go forth with his new life, to proclaim that which transformed him at the throne of God. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

"Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." (Isaiah 6:8

The message of heaven truly became the message of Isaiah. He had seen the Lamb of God. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Isaiah when he penned out the prophecy of the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 53. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he had seen what the hands of wicked men would do to the Son of God. The lash of the whips, the crown of thorns, the nails, the blood, the cross was laid before the eyes and soul of Isaiah. Isaiah understood the price that was going to be paid, for it burned within. He had been purchased with this same price, this altar of sacrifice, this wondrous work of grace.

"Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. (Isaiah 53:4-7

As Isaiah we are to make readily the way of the Lord. If we have been to the cross, then we must take the cross to the people that are in darkness. It is easy to see, and say: "woe onto you". However, our life will never know the burning coals of God's grace, never proclaim in power and might the wonders of the living God, till we like Isaiah have a close encounter with the mighty throne of God, in which we proclaim: "Woe onto me"! How can we prepare the way of the Lord, if we have not been undone?

"For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"

The church needs the burning coal from the altar of the Lord. I need that coal. To be cleansed of all that I am, so that I would know all that He would have of me. To not point my finger in self-righteous proclamation, to be humbled and broken, that I too will share the grace of the living God, with the power on high that Isaiah came to know. "that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

"Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (John 12:38

Many in these days will turn away from truth; hearts are waxing colder. This should never be the way of the saint. Our heart, life, and spirit should be filled with the Lord's mercy. Knowing what great judgment is soon to come onto those who reject so great a salvation, we should have the passion within, to proclaim without, the way of life. People need Jesus. They do not need us, our denominations, or our so called spirit filled experiences. All this pride falls at the feet of the cross, when we cry out: "Woe is me, I am undone". When we are cut off, then He is exalted! It is Christ alone that changed the life of Isaiah. Though this prophet seen the woes on the world, He did not understand the hope till He had been to the cross. This also burned in the life of Paul, for he knew there was no redemption outside of Christ alone. There is not a formula, tradition, ritual or prayer that will raise you beyond this earth atmosphere, except for the grace, and the power of the redemptive work of the cross.

"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14

Passion within will shine without, when we are cut off, and His living water is allowed to flow freely. There is a woe coming on this earth, however until that final judgment the throne of grace sets the captives free. We need to go forth crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the soon return of our King, the good news our message, servant hood our heart, counting all as loss for Christ our testimony. Let this be the driving force within. Don't shout at the darkness. Light it up with the wonders of His mercy. Run well the race set before you. Truly people need the Lord! Let the burning coal of heaven undo you, so that Christ will renew you:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:1-4

Taking The Word To The hearts Of Men: Acts 1:8

Thomas M Faunce
C/O/ Frontline Outreach
PO Box 618 Hillman MI 49746-
989-255-0889

"I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things." Isaiah 45:6-7