Isaiah 1:24-31 KJV
24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Christ coming would be a time of correction. Most time we do not view Christ's ministry as one of judgment but it actually clearly points the way of righteousness and obedience to God the Father. The falling away of Israel was great in the land at the time of King Ahaz. Israel and Judah was at a place in history of turning from God without hope of returning. Yet God promised that there would be a day of his people return to faith, and purity. A place of home for the remnant of people of faith.

Today is black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Everyone hears the announcement of black Friday sales and we get hopeful of finding that bargain we long for and hope for. If the sale day produces no products we desire our hope continues into the following year. Knowing if we live to see it, Black friday will come again, and if not Black friday, maybe a spring sale. Our hope resting in the right price for that special product we ourselves long for, not just the products our friends and family long for. Sometimes the product is worth the full price instead of waiting fo a sale. The buy one get one free, to the mark downs beyond what most would consider common sense if they were the retail giant.

The remnant is waiting for the day of evil's death, for the time of return of faith, the return of hope for a brighter living without evil being next door to our communities, and in our streets. Remnant watch in America as the fire of another shooter kills a few dozen people. The high crime without merit or hope of lessening because of people income, and drugs. Sin and crime on the rise with no regard to human life. If you think about do Democrats or Republicans regard human life even with hearing the cries in the last ten years in the street. Who knows how much we are hearing through media sources around our nation, that this is maybe more common then thought, becuase of delays in media to record to deliver the story as it occuring or finished. The ability to read thousands of papers at the push of a button has changed how our nation views our world. People in their small communities feel safe until it happens right at their back door.

As we approach season of gift giving and season of love, hope, joy and peace, may we consider how we approach our own personal faith. Of how we respond to the evil in our land. What we choose to do and not do to help make our world a safer place. The one thing that will help is to see the lost saved. To give them a purpose of living a life of purity and not a life filled with destruction. Our world is no different then ancient times of people corruption causing the world harm. It not about killing or destroying evil people, but about bring evil people hope from afar. Bring people hope of a better life if they will receive the word of hope and promise.

Does it take sin of our world for God to light a spark in our life to move in the direction of teaching love, hope, peace and so forth. Does it take God to take the remnant of the people to begin a new work in the next generation life. It probably so. Has the faithful die off they know it is the next generation of people that must be taught about faith. About the work of Christ in the lives of the people that destroys the heart of evil and gives man a new heart of love and eternal life. There are garden to choose and which do you choose one of destruction or one of love, hope and peace or one of destruction and the wrath of God. Every Christmas the light of Christ is given to the world and each year people see it and put the light away after Christmas. Are we waiting for the sale, to the price not to be so high to receive Christ. What price am I talking about the Publican obeyed all the laws, but could not give all he had to the poor. He walked away sad. Christ is only asking us to give of our heart and our life to him. He not saying we can not have beautiful things in this world, he saying these things we buy can not be controller of our heart. The desire that produces greed and anger can not reign in our life. Evil can not rule our land forever before God causes his destruction in our land. God's people have hope of one day not having to deal with the things in our world that is evil. That is our hope, because the garden we choose in the garden of hope and faith in Christ Jesus. The garden where God is the light to new world along with his Son.

Dear Heavenly Father, remind your people of your hope in their life, that Christmas only a spark of hope to the believer with the coming of Christ, that his death and resurrection brough eternal life to all that would believe and receive the hope of faith. In Jesus precious name.

Continual Scripture Study: Luke 18:18-23 KJV
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.