General Deborah Green
PRAISE GOD. Welcome to Battle Cry Sounding; what a privilege it is to be serving, to be living for, to be following the One true God. You know, so often we forget that our God is alive. So often, we forget that He’s omnipresent; so often we forget that He knows everything that we do, everything that we don’t do; He knows our attitudes, He knows our feelings, He knows our disposition, and He knows everything about us, so we cannot hide from God.
So, we have to realize that in order to be found in the presence of God, WE NEED TO DO THINGS GOD’S WAY, NOT OUR WAY. Because all of us have an independent mind whereby we can calculatingly figure out why God is wrong and we are right. But, that’s nothing but the mind of darkness, it’s the mind of rebellion, and it’s the mind of our own damnation.
Now, today we’re going to be in Isaiah chapter 59, and we are continuing in the REPENTANCE REVOLUTION that God has called us unto at this time, and at this season. And the name of this message is, “Your Iniquities, Your Sins.”
So, is God just pointing the finger at you? No, He’s pointing the finger at His people—in plurality—because His people had failed Him; they had committed iniquity, they had sinned, they had lived in darkness, they had chosen other gods above Him, and they had done a multitude of things that were erroneous that brought the battle cry pounding upon them. In other words, the cry to battle against the very forces of Hell that were damning their souls.
And, you know, God is giving forth that same cry right now. Because He is calling, and crying out for people to join in the repentance revolution whereby we REVOLT AGAINST SIN, whereby we REVOLT AGAINST INIQUITY, whereby we REVOLT AGAINST REBELLION on God. And we do that, and continue to do that, not only in repentance prayers, but in our deeds, we prove that we believe in what God wants, and what God desires, rather than the ragings, and the rantings of our own carnality, fed and fueled by demon forces.
You know, too often we prefer to voice what we want, what we believe, and what we think; and we don’t even say what God wants, we don’t even say what God has told us, what His desire is, or what His purpose is. We just are centered upon S-E-L-F which is nothing but the course of DAMNATION. And then we think God’s supposed to hear us, God’s supposed to give to us, God’s supposed to do this, God’s supposed to do that, and we’re not even doing our duty.
Right now, the Lord has COMMANDED THIS BODY OF BELIEVERS, that we are to enter into and remain in Repentance Revolution. That is, we are meant to be repenting for sin that God shows us in our own lives.
You don’t have to be a whore-monger, cigarette-sucking, whiskey-drinking fool to be guilty of sin. You can have bad attitudes, you can want to undermine, and undercut your brother, or your sister, and you can always want to be the big IT, the big I AM, the loudmouth, the showoff. Because you want the attention instead of God.
See, we can have a lot of things that are sin before God, that are not just the OBVIOUS sins. We can have ALLEGIANCE WITH THE WORLD; whereby we would rather be in the world than be in the old, dull, boring way of God. In other words, we don’t want the straight and narrow way, we want the broad way—so we can damn our own soul. That’s sin in the eyes of God.
So, we have to be respective of the fact that when God calls us to Repentance Revolution that yes, WE CAN REPENT TOO. It’s not just Joe down the street; it’s not just the homosexuals that need repentance. Because we can have pride, and that’s an abomination unto God, just like homosexuality IS an ABOMINATION unto God.
So, we need to be respecting God—in that when He says it’s time for Repentance Revolution, that we need to enter into that with all of our strength.
Now, He said here in this 59th chapter of Isaiah, “Your iniquities and your sins have brought the separation between you and God.” So, let’s go here to Isaiah 59, beginning in verse 1, and it says, “BEHOLD, THE Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.”
Now, one of the indictments that God gives continually in here is against the dull, the thick, the dumb. So, God’s saying, “Hey babes, I’m not dull, I’m not thick, I’m not dumb, and I’m not deaf; I hear. I hear.” So that means, dear ones, when God tells us to cry out in repentance, He hears. HE HEARS.
And, if we say, “Well, God won’t even hear, and everything’s going to go on like it was, and what’s the use of it all?” do you know what we’re doing? We’re accusing God, we’re living in unbelief, we’re giving way to doubt, and we’re setting ourselves up to judge God. And, we’re saying that God is deaf, we’re saying that God is dull, and we’re saying that God is thick, and He cannot hear. GOD HEARS.
So, that’s what it’s emphasizing here, is “Hey, don’t put your qualifications on God. If this is where you’re at, if this is your profile, don’t put it on God.” You know what? *General Deborah speaks in tongues* When you’re lazy, when you’re slothful, when you want the easy way out, when you just want to kick back and just say, “Well, God’s going to do what He’s going to do,” what you’re actually doing is putting God to be the same slob you are. God’s ready to move, God is ever alert, God is ever active, and God is ever present. If we will cry out unto God, He says He’ll hear, He’ll give the ear, He’s not deaf, and He’s not dull.
See, but what happens people? We want to put OUR attributes on God. Now, what does the Bible tell us? What did Jesus say? “According to YOUR faith, so be it done unto you” (Matt. 9:29). So, He’s saying basically, “Hey, you’re coming to me for healing, you’re coming to me for deliverance, you’re coming to me for help, you’re coming to me because you can’t take care of your own affairs, then don’t put your unbelief on me, because according to YOUR FAITH, so is it going to be done unto you. So is it going to be done to you.”
In other words, “I’m going to give you as much as you can believe for.” If I have a terrible wound, and it’s bleeding profusely, and all I pray to God is, “Stop the bleeding,” then that’s what God will do for me. But, if I say, “God, stop the bleeding and heal this wound,” then God is able to do that too.
But, we are the ones that put limitations on God. He was telling us this morning, “Don’t limit me. Don’t limit me by your unbelief.” So, God wants us to know, understand, and realize that when He calls us to Repentance Revolution, we should let that thing go as DEEP into us as we possibly, possibly can. In other words, abandon all shut-outs to God.
How many of you know you love to keep little closets, and drawers, and hidden places that God’s not allowed in? It could even be just a little box you won’t let Him in. But, the thing is, we stop God from coming in to possess all of us. We don’t want to be His possession, because we want to be able to say, “I don’t believe that. I don’t think He’s going to move like that. I think this, I think that.” Why? Because we want to be God.
Hey folks, we’re not God. I’m not God, you’re not God—He’s God! And the sooner we get the reverence for Him, and the lack of reverence for self, the more that we can cooperate with God. Like I said, why don’t we just adhere to our duty in gladness, without giving God all these poo-pas, whining, complaining mutterings, moanings, that just slow down the progress of what God wants to do?
It’s like when you have a room full of children, say like a Kindergarten class, and each one just wants to putter, and you’re trying to get them, you know, so you can take them on a field trip, or take them on a walk, or whatever, and each one’s got their own little special whine, their own little special complaint, their own little special muttering, and maybe sniveling, and bawling, and on and on, and they won’t move—because each one has to put on their show.
Finally, you get fed up and you just say, “Ok, if you guys don’t hurry up, we’re not even going to go!” You’d be surprised how quickly I can drop all that. Well, that’s how God feels. He says, “Hurry up, or we’re not going to go.” In other words, “Get in line, get in your duty, and do what you’re meant to do, with gladness and rejoicing.”
Now, we shouldn’t have to be admonished in here to do what we’re supposed to do—in the right attitude. We should just be doing it.
Ok, so it says here that He’s not dumb; so don’t put it on God; He’s not deaf. Then He goes down to the real cause, the real issue, and He says, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
So, what do we see here? We see that there is an active demonstration of the will of God against you because of your iniquities, and your sins. It says “because of those things that you have done, He will not hear you.”
It’s not because He’s deaf, it’s not because He’s dull, and it’s not because He’s thick and dumb. It’s because YOU HAVE DONE THE THINGS OUT OF YOUR WILL, honey, out of you will—choosing iniquity, choosing sin, choosing pride, choosing unbelief, which is sin, and He says He won’t hear you. He wills Himself in His will to NOT HEAR YOU if you continue in your iniquity, and your sin.
“Well, I prayed and it just don’t seem like the Lord hears me.” Well, of course not, you whining, self-pitying, sniveling, sot! You’re wanting to be the center of attention, you’re wanting God to think you are worthy of so much, and you are not even ceasing your sin—in your attitude.
“Well, sister Deborah, I think you’re just mean; because I’m pretty pathetic.” No, you’re pretty repulsive; because you want me to focus on you, and I’d rather focus on God.
So, he’s saying there that it’s your doing that causes God to will His will against you. So, if you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere in the Repentance Revolution, guess what? You’re not repenting enough—of YOUR sins and iniquities.
Because, you know, when you really get serious and ask God to show you, and so what if it’s just attitude, so what if it’s unbelief, so what if it’s doubt, or accusation against God, REPENT OVER IT; and then God will take you on to repent for the sins of the so-called Christians, and repent for the sins of the nation.
But, we must be willing to ENTER INTO, AND REMAIN IN THAT REPENTANCE REVOLUTION; because that’s God’s call right now. We can’t say, “Well, I’m going to go back and entertain myself and put on a show of Azusa street.” Did you know that that Seymour, who was the black brother who prayed for that Azusa street revival, did you know he prayed for 7 years—before anything ever happened that was visible? 7 years! “Well, I’ve been praying for about 3 days!” You big fake.
See, we just don’t give enough of ourselves to God. And God wants all of us. Now, is it true? We are meant to be His possession. That means that if He owns us, He’s the boss. He can tell us what to do, how to do, when to do, and why to do; or He doesn’t even have to do any of that, He can just say, “Do,” and we’re supposed to obey Him. Amen.
Ok, going on it says, “For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.” How many give way to cursing when you could just say, “Thank you Jesus?” And instead, you want to show how MANLY you are, and so you say, “dammit!” Damn what? And then that’s not good enough, then you’ve got to slip in other little, “ass!” because that’s in the Bible: “dammit ass!” Then you gotta say, “Hell!” because you can get by with that one, “dammit ass Hell!” Wow!
Why don’t we just say, “Thank you Jesus, praise you Lord! I know you’re going to prevail! I know you are the omnipresent! I know you have all this prepared, and that you will bring victory!” Your lips want to mutter, your tongue wants to mutter wickedness.
Says, “None sues or calls in righteousness [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage]; no one goes to law honestly and pleads [his case] in truth; they trust in emptiness, worthlessness and futility, and speaking lies! They conceive mischief and bring forth evil! They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; he who eats of their eggs dies, and [from an egg] which is crushed a viper breaks out [for their nature is ruinous, deadly, evil].”
So, it’s saying that all these things are multiplied—all the works of darkness, all the works of iniquity are multiplied when you give way to those things. Then it says, going on, “Their webs will not serve as clothing, nor will they cover themselves with what they make; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths and highways. The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice or right in their goings. They have made them into crooked paths; whoever goes in them does not know peace.”
Then it says, “Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us.” We are meant to be OVERTAKEN BY RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SALVATION. We are meant to be ruled by that. We are meant to be in line with that. We are meant to be seeking for that. We’re not supposed to be conceiving iniquity, bearing sinfulness.
You know, we’re supposed to be realizing that WE BELONG TO GOD. God doesn’t care what you want; He cares what He wants. God is our divine dictator. “Well sister Deborah, I don’t believe that, because ain’t no man going to tell me what to do.”
Well, have you forgotten, know it all, independence, and 4th of July flag, that JESUS CAME AS A MAN? “Oh. Well, I don’t care, I’m just going to be serving the Lord only; and Him ONLY will I serve. I will not be told what to do by any man.”
I told you, Jesus came as a man, what are you going to do with that one? Why did God allow Him to come in a human form? Think about it. “Well, I’ll just go to God myself.”
Oh, the God of your own invention; not the God of the Bible, but the re-imaged God who says, “Oh, yes Petunia, continue in sin. You’re so cute when you do that adultery, and you’re absolutely darling when you thieve, and lie, and scheme against your neighbor. And you know what, you’re just so precious when you commit burglary, and you’re absolutely lovely when you steal cars. Petunia, keep it up.”
Now, is that the God of the Bible, or is that Petunia’s invented God. “Well, Petunia, I think by your smell, you may be going to Hell, but you’re doing fine honey.” Why? Because Petunia resists God’s divine dictatorship. You know, American people hate to hear the word “dictator;” and now they’ve got one!
They just think they’re so far above that, and their great freedoms that have given freedom to let every demon out of Hell out of the closet, and let them come crawling to devour their kids, but they hate the word “dictatorship” and “dictator;” and they’re totally under it right now—where the dictator, the emperor, is dictating the most wicked, vile corruptions, and making them LAWS that you have to adhere to. So, are you free? No, you’re nothing but a dupe for the dictator.
So, why not come under God’s dictatorship? Why not let God rule our life? Why not let God dictate to us what is right and what is wrong, what we should and what we shouldn’t do? AND WHY NOT REPENT OF OUR FALSE FREEDOM? Why not repent of it—because it’s only a delusion anyway.
And what do we have freedom for? Freedom from God, in order to sin? You don’t get by with sin; it’s a lie, it’s a deception, and it’s conceived in Hell. Like it says, it only multiplies when you believe this stuff of darkness.
Then it says, “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their paths and highways. The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice or right in their goings. They have made them into crooked paths; whoever goes in them does not know peace. Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us. We expectantly wait for light, but [only] see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity and gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind, yes, we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the twilight; in dark places and among those who are full of life and vigor, we are as dead men. We all groan and growl like bears and moan plaintively like doves. We look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord], and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know and recognize them [as]:” then it goes into what they are.
Now look, what is it saying? First of all, it’s God saying, “Look, it’s what you guys are doing; it’s what you guys are doing that keeps me far away. It’s the iniquities, it’s the sins that have brought the separation, it is your refusal to walk uprightly, it is your conceiving iniquity, it is your living in lies, and it is your doing the things that I have forbidden!” And then finally, the people are saying, “Ok, we are it. We are it.” And what is the “it?” It is all these SINS that they are going to make confession of here.
NOW, IN ORDER FOR US TO TRULY REPENT— NOW ARE YOU LISTENING?—WE NEED TO FIRST OF ALL ACCEPT WHAT GOD SHOWS US ABOUT OURSELVES. You know, in all these years I’ve worked with people, I’ve noticed that some people have a real thick wall that they keep between them and God. They have this really thick wall, and they cannot let that wall come down because then they have to face the fact that they’re the rat, they have to face the fact that they’re guilty before God, and they have to face the fact that they’re not perfect as they thought they were. So, they’ll keep up this wall of delusion, and when God will say, “Ok, sinners repent.” “Of course, that’s the guys in the bars, that’s the guys that go to the whorehouses, that’s the fag prostitutes, that’s this, that’s that, it’s NOT ME.”
Who did God go after, and who did Jesus Christ come proclaiming the truth unto? Honey, it was not the heathen. GOD WAS ALWAYS SENDING HIS PROPHETS TO GO AFTER HIS OWN PEOPLE. Jesus Christ came preaching repentance to who? “Well, it was the Gentiles round about.” Can you show me that in the Scripture? Can you prove it to me that Jesus came to get the heathen sinners to repent? NO! JESUS CAME PREACHING REPENTANCE TO HIS OWN.
And then, in the summation of it all, it says, “He came unto His own, but His own received Him not” (John 1:11). Why didn’t they receive Him? Because they were self-righteous, because they were full of pride, because they were rebellious, because they had shut their ears off to what it was that God had to say; they had closed their eyes, and they groped as the blind. It was God’s own people.
So, if God says: “It’s time for Repentance Revolution,” where’s it going to begin? It’s going to begin in the HOUSE OF GOD, it’s going to begin with GOD’S OWN PEOPLE. And why doesn’t it get off the ground? Why doesn’t it go like wildfire, why doesn’t it go like Holy Ghost fire? Because people are too proud in this generation, too rebellious, I’m talking about the ones calling themselves “Christian,” to admit they have sinned, to admit they’ve failed God, to admit they’re full of iniquity, and transgression.
Hey, why don’t we admit it? Why don’t we get down funky-monkey with it and get real with repentance? Why don’t we say that, “I’m the fool”? Why don’t we say that, “I’m the transgressor”? Why don’t we say that, “I’m the spiritual adulterer”? Why don’t we say that, “I’m the evil heart of unbelief”? Why don’t we say that, “I’m the one that accuses you”? Because we don’t want to face it; we don’t want to look at our own ugliness.
But, God sees it every day. Who are we hiding from? Who are you putting on the show for? Do you think God doesn’t see what you are? HE SEES WHAT I AM. HE SEES WHAT YOU ARE!!! “Well, I got a thicker wall than you, old Deborah.” Well, good, keep your wall; your wall’s going to crush you. It will crush the very life out of you, and you’ll end in Hell.
God gives us a season to repent, and we’re supposed to take full advantage of that season. And then we can’t get mad at the wretched, the lost, the dying, the perishing if we won’t repent. “Well, those people are so hard, those people are so proud, and those people are so rebellious” WELL, SO ARE YOU.
And it begins with you. It begins with me. It begins with us humbling ourselves to God. Now, what does it say here? It says, “For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord], and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us.” Why? Because they haven’t repented. They haven’t repented. And it says, “and as for our iniquities, we know and recognize them [as]: Rebelling against and denying the Lord.”
“Well, that was just those old stupid Israelites.” That’s just old stupid YOU, and ME—WHEN WE DON’T HEAR THE LORD. “Rebelling against and denying the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and muttering and moaning from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) stands far off; for truth has fallen in the street (the city’s forum), and uprightness cannot enter [the courts of justice].”
Now, doesn’t that sound like America right now—truth has fallen, and they’re calling evil good and good evil; there’s no such thing as righteousness in the courts of justice, and there’s not even any justice. Why? BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF GOD’S PEOPLE TO REPENT.
We can blame Obama, we can blame the homosexual agenda, we can blame the Muslims, we can blame the Red Chinese, we can blame the Russians, and we can blame everybody we can possibly point at, but the blame is on God’s own people. God’s own people have invited in the sin, have invited in the iniquity—because of their transgressions—because they have not repented unto God.
It says “Judgment begins at the house of God.” Let us let God judge us, let Him show us our sins, and repent from those sins, turn from those sins, abandon those sins, and go forward in the newness of life.
Then it says here in verse 15, “Yes, truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.”
So, does God get displeased with men when they are in evil, and iniquity, and darkness, and when a man who departs from evil is considered a criminal—rather than a just man? Yes, God is grieved; God is displeased, but the only thing that we can do at this time is REPENT AND CRY OUT FOR GOD’S MERCY. AMEN.
