Thurs.’s Devo - Arise and Shine!

Read: Isaiah 60:1-62:5; Philippians 1:27-2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 24:11-17 In the time when Jerusalem was not honoring God, God had Isaiah prophecy their glorious future. In the midst of their darkest time, God would bring His light and it would be so bright that might kings would come to see it. God would bring their sons and daughters home to them. Their sorrow would be taken away and joy would replace it. Business would once again thrive in the streets of Jerusalem. They would offer sacrifices that God would accept. All the exiles would return. They would bring gold and silver with them. Foreigners would rebuild their cities and the wealth of nations would come to them. Violence, desolation and destruction of war would end and be replaced with joy and singing. Their light would not just be the sun and the moon. It would pail in comparison to the light that the Lord would shine through them. The people would be righteous and possess the land. Chapter 61 is a Messianic prophecy. It is the very words that Jesus read from his synagogue in his home town found in Luke 4:18. Jesus stopped before he got to the part that said, “the vengeance of the Lord,” because it wasn’t time for that. God would restore Jerusalem to be a place of worship, prosperity and righteousness. Isaiah lived in a time when justice was perverted and there were no good leaders. God spoke of a time of complete reversal where justice and righteousness would rule. Her title would change from “The Forsaken City” to “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God..” God would rejoice over her as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. Jerusalem is a picture of his Church globally. This is how God feels about his Church and his promise to restore her to her complete beauty before he comes for her. Paul admonished the Philippians to walk in a way that was worthy of the Good News. They were not to be intimidated by their enemies. Their confidence in the Lord would be a sign to the unbeliever that they would one day be destroyed if they don’t repent. Be humble and consider one another’s needs. Jesus didn’t use his position with God to gloat over man but to the humble position as a slave to humanity, dying a criminal’s death for our sins. God exalted him in heaven and gave him the name above all names that by it we might all be saved. One day everyone will bow to the name of Christ. Every tongue will proclaim his name. Last of all, Paul told them to do everything without complaining or arguing. He wanted them to receive the reward of a life well lived. Lord, we want to receive the reward of a life well lived also. May all glory and honor go to You who are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Response

Read: Isaiah 57:15-59:21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10 God told his people that he would not always be angry with them and fight against them. If he did, he would have no people on the earth because they would all be dead. He would forgive and heal them and cause they to have peace. He called them to repentance. They were fasting but their fasting was just an outward show of repentance when their lifestyle didn’t change. They still oppressed their slaves, refused to have pity on the poor and continued to fight and quarrel among themselves. God told them to humble themselves, free the imprisoned, let the oppressed free and feed the hungry giving them shelter and clothing. These are all signs of a repentant heart. When they truly repented, God would rebuild their cities, send rain on their crops in the right season, and guide them continually. They would be used to help rebuild the ruins and restore people’s homes. God told them to honor and keep the Sabbath as a holy day unto the Lord, doing what delighted Him. God wanted to be their delight. Their sins had separated them from the Lord. They were guilty of murder, rebellion, lying, libel, deceit and evil deeds. Violence was their trade mark and all they could think about was sinning. They had no idea how to find peace or what it meant to be just and good. Isaiah responded for the people saying: there was no justice among us and we know nothing about right living. We are blind even in the light. We look for justice and deliverance but it never comes. Our sins have piled up before God and they testify against us. He admitted to everything God has said about them. It was all true. His last statement was: truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. That sounds like today! God was displeased that there was no justice and no one to step in to save them so God would. He would come wearing righteousness as his armor and salvation as his helmet. He would be wearing the robe of vengeance and divine passion. He would repay his enemies for their evil and his fury will fall on them. In the west, people would respect the name of the Lord; in the east, they would glorify him. The Redeemer would come back to Jerusalem and buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins. Glory! Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from his prison in Rome to thank them or the financial support they had sent to him through Epaphroditus. Paul admonished them to have unity and to be steadfast in their faith. He warned them against dangerous heresies that were threatening the church and society (probably Judaism and Gnosticism). Judaism tried to get the to go back to rituals to please God and Gnoticism taught they could do anything and then repent. Verses 9-11 are a great prayer to pray over your children and the body of Christ. Paul had a great desire to die and go to his reward in heaven but for the sake of his people, he wanted to stay alive and continue encouraging them to walk blameless before Christ. Lord, may our lives encourage others to walk blameless before Christ in love. Lord, please come and bring salvation to our nation and the world.

Tues.’s Devo -A Call to Repentance

Read: Isaiah 54:1-57:14; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8 If I am reading the first verse right, there will be many orphaned children. The second verse sounds like a call to take these children in. God sees them as seed to be planted in the earth and grow. This seed would take over or take in the Gentiles and bring life to the uninhabited places. Their shame would be lifted and they would not be forsaken anymore. God was speaking of a complete reversal. The children would be taught of the Lord and have great peace, instead of abused and sacrificed. God was the one who had destroyed them in the past but he was also the one who would now stand against any weapon that was formed against them. Isaiah 55 was a call to come back to the Lord. He had everything they needed. He asked them why did they spent their money on things that didn’t prosper their soul. The things of God are higher than the things of this earth. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. His word is power and truth and what he has said will happen. If we choose Him, you will have joy and peace. All nature will respond to our praises. All of our curses will turn to blessings. In Isaiah 56, God encourages them to keep doing the things that are right. Though they had not received the blessing promised of salvation, it was coming. Even the eunuch and the outcast that believed till the end would be blessed with an everlasting name. This name would be even better than sons and daughters. This name would be the greatest inheritance a person could have. God rebuked the watchmen (prophets) and the shepherds (pastors) that should have watched over the people. They had become spiritually blind and ignorant of the things of God and his Word. They were greedy of people’s money and selfish. They were drunkards. The righteous were dying and no one was caring. The merciful were taken away from the evil to come. They would lie in the grave in peace and rest. The sons of the sorceress, adulterer and whore loved their idols and slayed the children for their sacrifices. They chose the smooth stones of their idols and set them behind their doors, the place where God had told them to write his laws. God had thought that his long silence and their long-suffering would bring them to repentance but instead it caused them to forget Him. Those who didn’t forget him would inherit the land and God’s holy mountain. In Ephesians, Paul continued his sermon on submission. Children should obey and honor their parents, fathers should lovingly bring up their children to love God. Masters or business leaders should treat their employees with respect. All should be strong in the Lord and the power of his might, not in their worldly position. Our war is not with flesh and blood but with powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. We have been given spiritual armor to protect us. Truth shields our inmost parts, righteousness guards our heart, faith is the shield agains the fiery darts of temptation and adversity. Salvation guards our minds and the Word of God is our weapon. Prayer is our communication with God. Paul’s gift was to boldly proclaim the mysteries of the gospel. Lord, may we wear your armor with your power and might. May we not tolerate evil or sin.

Mon.’s Devo - The Faithfulness of God

Read: Isaiah 51:1-53:12; Ephesians 5:1-33; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 24:7 God reminded the people of Israel of their roots in Abraham. Abraham was just one man when God called him and made a great nation of his descendants. God will never forsake his people. Before disaster had happened, God spoke of comfort so they would have hope through their slavery and hard times. Prosperity and joy awaited them. Mercy and justice was coming along with salvation. He told them that the righteous never need to be afraid because God knows who they are and promises to preserve them in times of trouble. Those who are afraid of the evil oppressors have forgotten their Creator. Their oppressors are just mere humans that are here for a moment and die. He assured them that soon they would be released and set free. Imprisonment, starvation, and death would not be their fate. God judged Jerusalem with his fury because of their rebellion. They were made to drink from the cup of God’s fury and were faced with desolation and destruction, famine and war. God was going to turn that wrath on their oppressors who boasted they would trample them into the dust. Twice, God told them to wake up from their spiritual slumber. Jerusalem had no leaders. God told them again to wake up and put on holy garments. God wanted them to loose the bands of wickedness from their necks. They had been taken captive by Egypt where they had to listen to God’s name being blasphemed every day. God declared their celebration day of deliverance. He would send his servant and son, Jesus. He would be both exalted and extolled, and his appearance marred worse than any man. He would grow up among them and no one would have guessed who he really was. He would be despised, rejected, and a man of grief. He would be bruised for our transgressions and iniquities even though he was sinless. And his blood would bring our healing. We are all like sheep and have gone our own ways so God laid on his son our sin. He became the final sacrifice. It pleased the Lord to give his only son for us because of his great love for us. Jesus would see the reward of his suffering and be satisfied because it would bring many to salvation. He lives to make intercession for us. Paul admonished the Ephesians to walk in the light as children of the light just as Jesus did. He told them to not live like heathens or to be deceived by their vain words. We are to walk in the light, not as fools but as the wise. We are to redeem the time we spent away from Christ by making the most of what we have left. We are to submit to one another and honor one another, especially wives to their husbands as this represents Christ’s relationship with his Bride. Lord, may we live our lives to honor you and show our gratitude for our salvation that came through suffering and sacrifice. Thank you for the free gift of salvation.

Sun.’s Devo - God Will Respond

Read: Isaiah 48:12-50:11; Ephesians 4:17-32; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 24:5-6 God had explained yesterday that he had declared all the things from the past from the beginning of time. Now he was going to do something he had never done before and no one would be able to figure it out because they had never seen anything like it before. No one could say, I told you it would happen like this. God was going to release them from Babylon. God called Israel from their conception and declared that they would bring him glory. They would do more than just restore Israel back to Him, they would be a light to the Gentiles and bring salvation to the whole earth. God would exalt them and even kings would honor Israel. At just the right time, God would respond and help them. God would once again be their Shepherd and lead them beside still waters and restore their souls. He will comfort his people and have compassion on their suffering. God would bring them back from the corners of the earth to live in their own land, their own nation. God will demand that tyrants let his captives go. They will come back with their own wealth returned to them. Isaiah was a type of Israel. His face was set like a flint to see what God saw and declare it and act on it. Israel would be the same. They will see that the Lord was on their side and what he declared would happen. They were to trust in the Lord and rely on him as their God. We are living in days similar to theirs. We have been held hostage to an evil slavery system ruled by servants of Satan. God is going to deliver us out of this system and bring change to the whole earth in the political, economic, educational, entertainment, business and medical world. He is going to do something he has never done before and we can not predict it. We have no grid to see it because it will be something new. God will do it at just the right time and we will be the head and not the tail anymore as Christians. It will be glorious! In Ephesians, Paul described the life of the lost. Their minds were full of darkness because they had closed their minds and hardened their hearts abasing him. They had no sense of shame and lived for lustful pleasure. Paul told the Christians to not live like they did but to put on Christ and his nature. He listed things to stop doing: lying, anger, stealing, and using foul and abusive language. Instead they should speak the truth, forgive, use their hand for good, give generously to those in need and let every thing that came out of their mouths edify the hearer. Bring joy to the Holy Spirit by the way you live. Lord, we look expectantly for You to move in our world. We know that You will and that it will be glorious. While we are waiting may we put on Christ and walk in power and authority as your children.

Sat.’s Devo -Promises to God’s People

Read: Isaiah 45:11-48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4 God would institute his plan through Cyrus who would be the king of Persia. God would guide his actions and he would restore Jerusalem and free the Jews to go home. God gives a prophecy to Jerusalem while it was in ruins that the day was coming when the Ethiopians and the Sabeans would come to her with their merchandise and it would all be hers. They will bow before the people of Israel and proclaim that God is with them. The makers of idols will be humiliated but God will save his people with eternal salvation. God made the earth to be lived in, not to be a place of chaos. God declares who he is and to remember the things he had done for them in the past. He was going to do something for them again. God spoke to Babylon and told them that they only got to rule over his people because He was using them to punish his people. Babylon showed them no mercy and even oppressed the elderly. They thought they would always be on top but God told them that calamity would come upon them in spite of their witchcraft and magic. They won’t be able to buy their way out of the calamity that was about to hit them. This is what God is saying to the Deep State in America. They won’t be able to stand against God. All the tricks they used in the past will be useless. God gave a stern rebuke to Judah. God was going to save her but it was not because of her righteousness, it was because God didn’t want to tarnish his own reputation. Judah was stubborn and obstinate and refused to give God credit for what he was doing. God was going to tell his prophets something totally new so they couldn’t say that their idols delivered them. God was going to preserve a remnant of them for his own name’s sake. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians begged them to lead a life worthy of their calling in Christ. He encouraged them to be one and love one another, overlooking each others short comings. When Christ died, he first descended to hell to preach captivity captive and bring the ones of faith out. He then ascended to heave to be the first fruit to rise from the dead. He gave gifts to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and to build up the church. They are to make converts become disciples. When everyone is doing their part, they fit together like a glove. Lord, may we find our place and do our gifting to bring life to the Church those around us.

Fri.’s Devo - Alpha and Omega

Read: Isaiah 43:14-45:10; Ephesians 3:1-21; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 24:1-2 God warned that He would send his army against Babylon which would force them to flee in the ships they were so proud of. He would destroy them just like he did the army of Egypt when he set his people free through Moses. This time he would do a new thing. Instead of drying the sea and making a path through the sea, he would do the opposite. He would make a path through the wilderness and create rivers in the dry wasteland. These waters would be refreshment to the people and the wild animals in the forests. One day, Israel would honor him but at the time both Israel and Judah had given up on their God. Judah had stopped doing sacrifices or celebrating the feasts. Chapter 44 calls Jacob and Israel to listen. They are both the same person only Jacob was his first name that means “deceiver” and Israel was his God-given name which means “he will rule as God.” God described Jacob as his servant and Israel as the one he chose. We have two names also. One is the one we had at birth and the other is the name we got when we were saved. God knows that name. God tells them both that He is going to pour out his Spirit on their descendants and write the Lord’s name on their hands and they will take the name of Israel as their own (not Jacob). God tells them who he is: the Alpha and Omega. There is no other God but him. He explained the stupidity of worshiping idols made by mere human hands. Everyone who worships these idols and the ones who made them will be disgraced. God was going to bring his deliverance through Cyrus, the king of Persia. He would be a man who did not know God but God would anoint him and empower him to bring down the Assyrians and the Egyptians and all of God’s enemies. He would level the mountains (the ones who had power) and smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. In other words. He would be able to bring down structures that had been set up for ages. Nothing would be able to stand before him. God would give him treasures hidden in the darkness - secrets to success. President Trump is a modern-day Cyrus sent to take down the deep state of idolatry and witchcraft. God has not finished with him and he will accomplish what he has been sent to do. Isaiah declared that the heavens would open up and righteousness would rain down on the earth. Salvation and righteousness would sprout up together. People would be saved and purified. Many would question then how God did it and many question now how he is doing it but God is God and he has a plan that will work. In Ephesians, God’s plan was to use the church to display his wisdom to all the demons and angels of darkness and to all the host of heaven. He did this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul’s prayer was that the Church would make Jesus a home in their hearts so He could empower them with inner strength through his Spirit. That we would grasp how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love is for us. All glory to you, Lord who is able through your mighty power that is at work in us to accomplish more than we might ask or thing. Thank you that your plan is always the best even though we cannot completely conceive it at the time. We know it is the best.

Thurs.’s Devo - God Is With Us

Read: Isaiah 41:17-43:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 23:29-35 God promised that when his children got thirsty that he would supernaturally give them water. He would turn the desert into a a fruitful land. God sent out a challenge to the people who worshipped idols. He asked them what about the future did their idols tell them. He challenged them to do something miraculous if they could. He proved that they had no power. God would sir up a leader who would come from the north and call on his name. God would give him power to subdue the other nations. He reminded them that none of their idols predicted this. He was speaking of Cyrus that would appear on the scene in 150 years. God would put His Spirit on him and he would bring justice to the nations. He would not stop fighting until he had accomplished his task. He would be a fight to God’s people as a symbol of His covenant with them. Trump was a modern day Cyrus that God raised up to defend God’s people both in the US and in Israel. God told his people to sing a new song, not one of sorrow and mourning but of praises and joy. Our praises precede God’s hand. Then God would march for like a mighty hero and a warrior full of fury. He would shout his battle cry and crush his enemies. He would lead Israel down a new path back home. His people who had been slaves to other nations would once again come back to Jerusalem. God gives us this promise: when we go through deep waters, God will be with us. When we go through rivers of difficulty, we will not down. When we walk through the fire of oppression, we will not be burned up. God predicted their escape from bondage and none of their idols told them it would happen. God was trying to let them know that he was all they needed. He was their Saviour. Paul tried to tell them the same thing. He names the idols of the Old Testament as all being under Satan. He is the commanders of the powers in the unseen world, they spirit at work in the hearts of the unbelievers. We were his followers by nature, but we have been redeemed by God’s rich mercy to follow Christ and be seated with him in the heavenly realms. God saved us by his grace and has good things for us to do that he planned long ago. God brought the Jew and the Gentile together as one people. We as Gentiles are now a part of God’s covenant promises to the Jews. We are one body.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Holy Inheritance

Read: Isaiah 39:1-41:16; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 23:25-28 When Hezekiah recovered from his near death illness, the king of Babylon, Merodach-baladan sent a gift and his best wishes to Hezekiah. Merodach-Baladan means “Baal is lord.” His father’s name meant “not a lord.” When Hezekiah entertained his officers, he showed them everything in his treasury and his kingdom. After they had left, Isaiah came to visit Hezekiah and asked him who had come to see him and what he had showed them. Hezekiah told him the truth. Isaiah said that the day was coming when everything he showed them including his own sons would be taken to Babylon. His son would be made eunuchs to serve in the palace of Babylon’s king. Hezekiah was just glad it would not happen in his lifetime. (Sad.) Chapter 40 is a song from God for what was going to happen to Jerusalem. After all that Jerusalem would suffer, God wanted her to know that good days were in her future. A prophet would arise called John the Baptist and he would make a highway for the Messiah to walk down. The people would be told he was coming so they could prepare their hearts to receive him. God declares his own might and majesty so all will hope in him and find comfort. The ones who trust in the Lord, will find new strength. They will not faint. God would call his people back to Jerusalem from the ends of the earth. All who opposed them would die. Their attackers would be gone. God would help them and they would rejoice in their God. Paul wrote Ephesians while he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul had received the revelation that Christ’s body, his Church was God’s instrument to confound and overthrow evil powers. He wrote Ephesians to equip, empower, and mature them to do this till the end of time. In Ephesians we hear the same call of God to return but this time it is not only to the Jew but to the Gentiles also. God’s plan is to bring everything under the authority of Christ in heaven and on the earth. Paul prayed that they would be given a spirit of wisdom to grow in their knowledge of God and that their hearts would be flooded with light so they could understand the hope He had given them. He also prayed that they would understand God’s incredible power that raised Christ from the dead and sat him at his right hand in heaven. He has now been made our head and we are his body. We are made complete in Him. We are his holy inheritance. Lord, may we as the body do only what the head says. May we walk in the power of the resurrection.

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Deliverance

Read: Isaiah 37:1-38:22; Galatians 6:1-18; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 23:24 When Hezekiah heard the report from the wall and all the intimidating remarks of the Assyrians he tore his clothes and put on burlap. He sent Eliakim, Shebna and the leading priests to Isaiah with a message of despair. Isaiah sent word back to Hezekiah not to worry because God was going to move against the Assyrians. They would get a message and return home where the king would be killed with a sword. That is exactly what happened. The king of Assyrian received word that the Ethiopians were attacking him back home and was needed there. He told the Israelites that he would be back. He told them that God had not done this for them. Then he bragged of all the countries they had destroyed, so Israel’s God would not be able to save them. Hezekiah took his word that had been written on paper and spread it on the floor of the Temple. He prayed to God to help them. Isaiah sent word to Hezekiah that God laughed at Assyria’s threats against Him. God declared his own majesty then he told Hezekiah that the proof would be that they would eat from that years harvest for two years then they would plant their own gardens and eat from them in the third year. About Assyria, God said that they would not set foot in Jerusalem. That night the army of God slew 185,000 Assyrians in their sleep. When the King woke up their were dead men all around him. He returned to his capital of Nineveh and was killed by his two sons while he was worshipping his god, Nisroch. Nishroch was the Assyrian demon of agriculture. At the same time, God sent word to Hezekiah to put his affairs in order because he was about to die. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord and plead for his life. He reminded God of all the good things he had done. God sent him another word that He would give him 15 years to live. He told him what to do to be healed. Isiah gave Hezekiah a sign to prove that what he had said would happen. He asked Hezekiah whether he wanted the shadow to go forward or backward ten steps. He chose for it to go backwards and it did. In Galatians, Paul admonishes the Church to bear one another’s burdens and help those who have fallen into sin. He warns us of comparing others to ourselves because we never know when we might be weak and need help. It is not the outward acts that we do that matter, it is the heart that matters. Lord, help us to keep our hearts clean before you and live our lives for You. May we be humble and forgiving. God, you are our deliverer and defender.

Mon.’s Devo - God’s Consuming Fire

Read: Isaiah 33:10-36:22; Galatians 5:13-26; Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 23:23 God stood up to the Assyrians. He told them that they produce nothing but death and their own breath would turn to fire that consumes them. They would be consumed by fire, the fire of God. They had conquered the world and now they would face God’s army and lose. The only one who would be able to live through God’s consuming fire would be the ones who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud and who stay away from bribes; those who refuse to listen to those who plot murder and who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong. To the ones who dwell on high: the rocks would be their fortress and food and water would be supplied to them. They would no longer see the Assyrians but they would see Jerusalem as a secure and quiet city where they can worship the Lord in safety. The treasure of Assyria would be divided among the people of God. God always fights his war first in the heavens and then in the earth. (Isaiah 34:5) God then came down and judged Edom, Jacob’s twin brother who was cursed because he despised God’s calling on his life and the people of God. The land of Edom would fall to chaos and destruction. It would become a desert place given to the wild animals. The desert and wilderness would blossom with flowers and singing. This has happened in Israel today. Isaiah gave the promise of the Messiah who would come and open the blind eyes and the deaf ears. The lame will leap like a deer and those who cannot speak will sing for joy. The land would be filled with water and vegetation. God will make a way called the Highway of Holiness for these to come to salvation. In the 14th year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the towns of Judah and conquered them. Then he came to Jerusalem to meet with the leaders of the city. They gave Jerusalem the chance to surrender promising them 2,000 horses to ride on to Assyria. They used intimidation and fear, telling them that Egypt would not come and help them. They spoke to them loudly in Hebrew so all their men could hear their threats. When the leaders asked them to not talk where the men could hear they laughed because that was exactly what they were trying to do. If they could weaken the soldiers with fear, they would have the city. The Assyrian officers told the soldiers of Jerusalem that their God would never help them. They said that their God was mad at them because they had torn down the altars in other cities and only let the people worship him in Jerusalem. They didn’t care that the altars Hezekiah had broken down were altars to false gods. The soldiers didn’t answer the Assyrian officers because they had been instructed to stay silent. The officers of Jerusalem despaired and went to tell Hezekiah what was going on at the wall. In Galatians, Paul explained why they had been made free. They were free to serve one another in love. They were free from their sinful nature and a whole list of vices. They were free to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those who are Christ’s have nailed their passions and desires to his cross and crucified them there. They are free to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of their lives. Lord, may we live by the Spirit and produce the fruit the Spirit gives us.

Sun.’s Devo - Judgement is Coming

Read: Isaiah 30:12-33:9; Galatians 5:1-12; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 23:22 God was speaking to the Jewish ambassadors who had left to go to Egypt to pay them to fight with them against the coming Assyrians. God forbade them to seek foreign help. He was their help. He told them the only way they would be saved would be to return to Him and rest in Him. But, they wouldn’t have it. The had said that Egypt would give them swift horses but the only swiftness they were going to see was the swiftness of their enemies chasing them. God waited for them to ask him for His help. Wanted to be gracious and help them. One day they would want teachers to teach them the way to go and then they would throw away their idols. Then they would be blessed. As for Egypt, God said that they horses were puny not mighty spirits. The Egyptians were mere humans, not God. The Egyptians will not be a help but God will come and he will defend the city and rescue it. God saw the day when they will repent and throw down their idols. The assyrians would be destroyed by the sword of God. At the time that Isaiah told them all this that was going to happen, nothing had happened yet. The women still enjoyed their leisure lifestyles, but God said they had a little over a year to live that way and then they would start caring. Their crops would fail and their harvest would not take place. They will have to take off their fancy dresses and put on sackcloth. The palace and the city would be destroyed and the busy towns would be empty. Wild animals would walk the streets. The wilderness would become a fertile field. The Lord then turned his attention to the destroyers, the Assyrians. They had never been destroyed by another nation before but they were going to be betrayed and destroyed. The Lord would be merciful to his people and they would trust him day by day. Jerusalem would become God’s home again. The warrior and ambassadors would weep and be bitterly disappointed because their plans failed. The Assyrians didn’t keep their treaties they had signed. They destroyed everything in their path. Paul talked to the people in Corinth about their habit of returning to the law. Some thought that to be circumcised got them favor with God. Grace redeemed them from works. Now we live by the Spirit. That pleases God. This false teaching of pleasing God through works was like a little yeast that will spread through their hearts and produce religion and false teaching. Lord, may we live by Your Spirit and please you with the faith in our hearts.

Sat.’s Devo - A Sure Foundation

Read: Isaiah 28:14-30:11; Galatians 3:23-4:31; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 23:19-21 The people of Ephraim and Jerusalem despised Isaiah’s prophecies and accused him of talking gibberish to them. God told them that he would send them a nation that would speak to them in another language and it would sound like gibberish to them. These people would be the Assyrians. Paul used this same scripture in 1 Corinthians 14:21 when talking about speaking in tongues and interpretation. He said it was a sign to the unbelievers. What he meant by unbelievers were the people in the church who were mocking the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He gave them the gifts of tongues and interpretation to warn them to stop mocking his gifts just because they didn’t understand them and couldn’t control them. The people of Ephraim and Jerusalem had made a covenant with the Assyrians to protect them but then had broken that covenant and stopped paying them tribute. The Assyrians were coming to get their payment with interest. God had given them David and his line as the people’s ‘sure foundation’ of a Messiah to come through that lineage. Their ‘sure foundation’ at that time was Hezekiah who was a type of Christ - the ultimate ‘sure foundation.’ God brought the Assyrians against Ephraim to punish them but like a farmer threshing his field, God knew how to do it so it would produce a better crop. God spoke to Jerusalem and reminded her of her other name, Ariel which means “an altar covered in blood.” The Assyrians would come to attack her, but God would do something suddenly and rescue her. Her attackers will vanish like a vapor. The people didn’t believe what Isaiah told them because they were spiritually blind and deaf. They had no faith. Their future events were sealed from their understanding much like Revelation is sealed from ours, though it is becoming more and more open as time progresses. People in Jerusalem had lost their fear of the Lord so they did their sins thinking he couldn’t see them. God did see. A time was coming when the spiritually deaf and blind would hear and see again. The humble would have joy once again. Those who plotted evil, perverted judgment, told lies to destroy the innocent, and gave false testimony would be killed. God’s people would no longer be ashamed but would see the blessings of the Lord. Those who repent would be changed. But, the rebellious went down to Egypt to ask for help to fight the Assyrians instead of relying on the Lord. They paid Egypt, but Egypt disgraced them by not showing up. Isaiah told them all these things before they happened which just made the people mad at him. They wanted him to prophecy good things, not things of judgment. But, Isaiah didn’t care what they said, he cared about what God said. In Galatians, Paul explained that the law was our guardian to keep us protected by telling us how to live to please God. When Jesus came, we no longer needed the law as our guardian, we have the Holy Spirit. We put on Christ like our new clothes making us all the same. We are all children of Abraham and heirs to God’s promises to Abraham. Under Abraham they had the promise but it was not inherited until Jesus came. Gentiles were slaves to gods that didn’t even exist until they met Jesus and were adopted into his family. Paul rebuked both the Jews and the Gentiles Christians for wanting to go back to obeying the rules and rituals of their past. Paul admonishes them to live free from all those laws. False teachers had enticed them to do this. Paul told the story of Issac and Ishmael. Ishmael was the son of slavery to the law while Isaac was the son of promise. Ishmael was born of man’s own effort and lack of faith. Isaac was born of God’s seed and promise. Ishmael stood for the people under the law while Isaac stood for the people living under grace. Paul wanted them to live under grace. Lord, help us to remember that we are free from our own efforts and live for you. We put on Christ as our clothes.

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Promise

Read: Isaiah 25:1-28:13; Galatians 3:10-22; Palm 61:1-8; Proverbs 23:17-18 These verses read like today’s newspaper from God to us. Chapter 25 is giving thanksgiving for the overthrow of the apostate government. It is a decree to the glory of God and what he is doing to the wicked in the nations. God will turn the arrogant cities into ruins and be a tower of refuge to the poor. God will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world and remove gloom and the shadow of death that hangs over them. He will swallow up death forever! He will remove the mockery and insults against his land and his people. God bless America and his nations of the earth! The people will proclaim that the Lord is their God. Jerusalem and God’s people (that includes us) will be blessed. The wicked which are called Moab here will be deposed and demolished. Everyone in the land of Judah (which stands for the godly of the earth) will sing for joy because they were protected in God’s walls of salvation. God smooths out our path and leads us in the middle of war. It even says that God will make our nation great again. MAGA! They humbled themselves and repented of their sins and God restored them. God will do that for us. In 26:20 it says to go home and lock your doors and hide for a little while until God has punished the sinners of the nation. God will no longer hide those who have been killed but expose what they did for all to see. This reminds me of what happened in the nursing homes in New York and other cities. Then, God will punish the spirit, Leviathan, who was behind all that went on on the earth. His followers will have a chance to repent or be judged. God doesn’t punish his people like he punishes Satan’s. They are destroyed but God’s people are sent in exile to be punished for a while. Then he brings them back and restores them and blesses them. God has a lot to say about Samaria, capital of Israel. He calls it the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. They will be trampled beneath its enemies’ feet. Instead of drink being Israel’s crown, God’s army will be its glorious crown. God only breaks down to heal. In Galatians, Paul explains why following the law will not make you saved. The law says that you will be cursed if you don’t follow it to the letter. So one mistake causes you to be cursed, unsaved. It is impossible to be saved by the law. Christ rescued us from this curse. He took our curse with him on the cross. God gave a promise of salvation to Abraham and now we see that promise and have it available to us. Abraham’s promise was given before the law so why did we need the law? The law showed us our sins and was only designed to last until the promise came. The promise came in Jesus. We are a prisoner to sin until we receive God’s promise by faith. Lord, your salvation is truly the promise! Thank you for becoming our curse that we might be free to serve you out of love. Thank you that you will restore our nation back to you.

Thurs.’s Devo - Yesterday, Today and Forever

Read: Isaiah 22:1-24:23; Galatians 2:17-3:9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16 Prophecy in the Bible always speaks of the time of the present but it speaks again and again later in the future generations also. In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign in Judah, Sennacherib came to attack. Hezekiah had a wall built around the water supply that flowed outside of his city. The second wall kept the enemy from being able to have access to water. Hezekiah was able to settle with Sennecherib without a fight though it cost them dearly. But, later during the reign of Zedekiah, the Babylonians came and many of Judah died in the siege through famine and disease. The rest of the chapter has to do with this attack. They were being punished because they hadn’t repented when Sennacherib came. They never asked the Lord for help when God asked them to repent and mourn for their sins. Instead they had partied and feasted. Shebna was Hezekiah’s treasurer and governor of the palace. He was about to lose his job and be exiled. Eliakim would be put in his place. He will be a father to the people and be given the key to the house of David. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. God would bring honor to his family. God gave a word to Tyre, the trading hub of the world. God was going to destroy it. It will lie in ruins for 70 years then be rebuilt. It will return to its sins but in the end her profits will be given to the Lord and he will use its wealth to provide good food and fine clothing for the Lord’s priests which are the faithful ones. Chapters 24-27 are one long prophecy but we are only reading chapter 24 today. The first 12 verses tell of the calamity of the Jews. The whole earth suffers for the sins of God’s people. So true! We are the ones that determine the way the world goes. This is the saddest picture of what happens with the Church is not walking in righteousness and truth. Verses 17-23 are the judgements on the enemies of the Church. The gods of the nations and the proud rulers of the nations will be rounded up and put in prison and finally punished. In Galatians, Paul is rebuking them for thinking that going back to trying to fulfill the law would make them righteous. He died to following the law to live a life through the spirit of God which was his new covenant. Trying to be perfect puts all the attention on ourselves but living in the Spirit puts all the attention on the Spirit. That is our goal. We did, he lives in us. He gets the glory.

Wed.’s Devo - The Fate of Egypt

Read: Isaiah 19:1-27:17; Galatians 2:1-16; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 23:13-14 Today we read what God said about the future of Egypt. The present looked bleak but their future is amazing. God brought his army to fight the gods of Egypt. He brought the Assyrians to fight the people. There are always two war fronts: the one in the spiritual realm which is fought first and then the one in the physical realm. The battle on the earth was one of complete confusion as they ended up fighting themselves. God gave them over to a cruel task master, Nebuchadnezzar. Egypt that prided itself in its knowledge of wisdom and science would be humbled. “In that day” is used four times but it is not necessarily talking of the same time. The first one happened then but the last three have yet to happen. There will come a time when all of them will happen at the same time. Egypt will be humbled and Jews will stream to Egypt to live. There will be so many Jews that the language will become Hebrew. Prophetically, this means that they will speak the language of salvation and hope in the same God - Jehovah. The Assyrians will also become a godly nation and join with Egypt in their worship of God. Israel, Egypt and Assyria will become godly nations. In Chapter 20, Assyria attacked the Philistine city of Ashdod. Ashdod was the first of five Philistine cities on the way to Egypt. When it fell, Egypt started trembling. God spoke to Isaiah and told him to take off his sandals and his burlap and walk around naked. He did this for three years to warn the people that this would be their fate. They would be captured by the Assyrians and taken naked to Babylon as prisoners. In Chapter 21, Isaiah saw the future of Babylon. They would be taken over by the Persians. It would be on a day that they prepared a great feast and everyone was eating and drinking. He was referent to the day that Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall and the Persians took the kingdom that night. While Babylon felt totally secure and safe within their thick walls, the Persians had dammed up the water and were able to march under the gates and easily take the city. In verse 13, God spoke to the Arabians in the dessert to have mercy on the refugees and give them water and food. In Galatians, Paul called out the “church plants”. These were people who had been planted in the church to stir up trouble and try to get them to go back to following the law. They wanted to get back control over the people. Paul also called out Peter who was acting hypocritically. He ate with the Gentiles until some of his Jewish friends came to town, then he refused to eat with the Gentiles as it didn’t please the Jewish law. Paul called him out in front of the whole church for this. Paul defended the freedom of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, help us to stand for truth like Paul and not be afraid of man. We pray for truth and justice for our nation and the world.

Tues.’s Devo - Judgment of the Nations

Read: Isaiah 15:1-18:7; Galatians 1:1-24; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 23:12 God gave Isaiah prophecies about many nations. Today we read of three. He started with Moab. The Moabites lived right outside of the promised land. The king of Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel and they remained enemies throughout their history. God was speaking their destruction. Their god was Chemosh, a fish-god who they claimed had given them victory over Israel. Their end was near in fact in the next three years they would be destroyed. I wonder what would have happened if they had repented like Nineveh. The next on God’s list was Damascus which was the capital of Syria. Syria had been Israel’s enemy for the most part although they did join with Israel against Judah in the days of the kings. When the time came for Damascus to be destroyed, Israel would also grow weak and become desolate. A small remnant would remain in Israel and they would turn to the Lord. They would put away their idols and seek the Lord. They would live in a deserted and desolate land and reap grief and unrelieved pain. Their armies that came against them would not go unpunished. They would be silenced and run away and die. Ethiopia was next on the list. Ethiopia was the land of the ‘burnt faces’ or the negro. The Greeks described them as tall, smooth and the handsomest of all. They lived south of Egypt in Africa by the Nile. They were the leaders of commerce since they had the Nile to ship their goods through. They were known for their conquests and destruction. God said that their armies would be quickly left dead in the fields and then be eaten by vultures and wild animals. The remnant would bring gifts to Jerusalem to the host of God’s armies. Paul wrote this letter to the Church at Galatia. This would include the people of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. There were legalists in their church that were called Judaizers that taught against Paul’s message of grace and taught that they had to adhere to the law in order to be saved. Paul defended himself and his teaching by reminding them that he was a devout Jew who followed all of the law but this did not give him life. Following the law was not the way to salvation, believing in Jesus and accepting his atonement for our sins does. Lord, may we not be tempted to believe another gospel than what you teach.

Mon.’s Devo - The Good News and the Bad

Read: Isaiah 12:1-14:32; 2 Corinthians 13:1-14; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 23:9-11 In Chapter 12, Isaiah continues to tell the good news of their distant future when they will sing of the goodness of God. It is the victory song to be sung when all the discipline and destruction is over. Chapter 13 tells of the destruction of Babylon. It was a foretaste of the end of times when judgment will come upon the whole earth. The people were paralyzed with fear as they heard the horse hoofs of the Assyrian army coming. So many were killed that Isaiah said people were scarcer than gold. Everything on earth and in heaven was shaken. There was no mercy given. Babylon had been the most glorious kingdom and now was destroyed, never to be inhabited again. Chapter 14 gives us the good news once again. It is the story of redemption and restoration after the war. The nations of the world will help Israel return to their own nation and the ones who come with them will serve them. Their captors will be captured and Israel will rule over its enemies. Isaiah gives a word about the king of Babylon and what will be said about his kingdom. When he is killed and goes to his eternal dwelling the spirits of world leaders that have been long dead will stand to see him. They will cry out that now he is as weak as they are. The king of Babylon is personified as Lucifer, the son of the morning. He said he would ascend to heaven and set his throne among the stars, but he was brought low under the earth instead. In the pit he will be mocked and laughed at. In the same year that the king of Babylon died, King Ahaz of Judah died. Isaiah warned the Philistines not to be happy to see King Ahaz die because God would raise up a king even more powerful than Ahaz. He was referring to Hezekiah. Paul gives the Corinthians plenty of warning that he is coming so they can get their lives ready and cleaned up. He told them to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine and test themselves. Their faith should tell them that Jesus Christ is still with them and in them. If not, then their faith is useless. Lord, may our faith be full of power because we kn

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Rod

Read: Isaiah 10:1-11:16; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21; Psalm 56:1-13; Proverbs 23:6-8 The people in political offices and who sit in the Supreme Court in our land need to read the first few verses of Isiah 10. If they are unjust and make unfair laws that tax the poor; if their laws don’t give justice to the poor; if they prey on widows and take advantage of orphans they should be trembling. God will not let it continue. Judah and Israel had the same problems we are having in our nation. They thought their reign would never end but God planned to use Assyria to be his rod of discipline. Assyria thought that they were the powerful ones and that they conquered the world by their own power. Little did they know that they were on the list of destruction when their part was done. When Assyria had taken the world, God would cause a plague to kill them in a single night. He would consume their glory quickly. But, a remnant of God’s people would remain and return to Him. From David’s family, God would grow a new Branch that would bear fruit from the family of Abraham. It would start with Jesus and branch out to many descendants. This branch of people would be filled with The Spirit of the Lord: widsom and understanding, counsel and might and knowledge and the fear of the Lord. These are the seven Spirits of God. This people would delight in obeying the Lord. They will want justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. They will destroy the wicked and wear the belt of righteousness and truth. When the righteous come to power, which is beginning to happen in our land as we weed out the evil, then the wolf and the lamb will live together…etc. I used to think this pertained to the millennium but it is also talking about a time when the world is at peace again like when Solomon ruled. Enemies become friends, even in the animal kingdom. Even Israel and Judah will reconcile. During this time the Lord will reach out his hand and bring his remnant back to him. All in exile will come home. I see this happen in this next revival that has been prophesied for years - a billion soul harvest. The ones in darkness will see the light. Then it says that they will join forces and fight Philistia on the east and they will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab and Ammon will obey them. These were age old principalities that had been their enemies forever. Philistia means “wallowing” which makes me think of shame and condemnation. Edom is another name for Esau who despised God’s future for him. Moab was the son of Lot, the result of incest. Both had children who hated Israel and God’s people. These three nations stand for principalities that fight against God’s people. The last things Isaiah saw was God making a path through the Euphrates River like he did with the Red Sea. This would be for his people to leave Assyria and come home. Paul wrote to the Corinthians a third letter to tell them that he was coming but he was not coming on their expense. They had accused him of using trickery to take their money and he wanted them to know that was not his intention. He wanted their hearts not their money. The super apostles had slandered Paul’s name and caused the people to have doubts about him. Paul was trying to bring truth to them. Paul was afraid that when he got there he was not going to find them in the spiritual condition they needed to be. Lord, when you come for us, I pray that you will find us spiritually alive and in love with you and your son, Jesus. Thank you for your disciplines and your love. May we love your Word and walk in your ways.

Sat.’s Devo - 9-11

Read: Isaiah 8:1-9:21; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 23:4-5 What a reading for 9-11! Remember Isaiah’s prophecy about a son that would be born and his name would be called Emanuel, God is with us? Today we read about the fulfillment of that word in their lives. The Lord told Isaiah to make a huge sign and write the name Maher-shalal-has-baz which means “quickly the spoil, hasting the prey”. Then he went and slept with his wife and she became pregnant with a son they would name this. Before the baby could talk, the king of Assyria would carry the riches of Samaria away. (Samaria is the capital of Israel.) God explained that he wanted to send his love to them but they rejected it so now a flood will come upon them. This flood will not be water, but the Assyrian army. God spoke explicitly to Isaiah and told him that he couldn’t think like everyone else did. He told Isaiah not to be afraid but to make the Lord holy in his life because He is the one to fear. God told Isaiah that the children he had given Isaiah and his wife would be signs and warnings to Israel. Yesterday we read that Isaiah’s first son’s name meant a remnant will return and this son’s name meant that the prey would come quickly and devour the spoil. The people weren’t listening or even perceiving God’s signs he had given. They were seeking mediums and false prophets. The good news was that this time of darkness would not last forever. God was already looking into a great future when the Gentiles would come to this very place and they would bring light. Then God spoke of the coming of Jesus who would be our wonderful counselor, our mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. His government would never end. But, for then, the armies of Syria and Remalia would only be a threat, the real enemy would be the Assyrians. In a day, the Assyrians would take down the leaders and the lying prophets. The leaders had led them to destruction and the prophets were hypocrites. The people of Ephraim and Manasseh (brothers) would devour each other. How does all this pertain to our 9-11. This is my opinion. Our 9-11 had to do with our wicked leaders. Our financial system was going to reset that day and the evil bankers were going to be stopped. The wealth of the wicked was going to be put into the hands of the righteous and many wicked leaders would be exposed. Instead, they bombed our Trade Center so that that would not happen. They blamed Iraq when it was clearly an inside job and Bush Sr. was the mastermind. In a day, our land was changed. What could happen this 9-11: a complete reversal! I am praying that the false leaders (Biden and Harris) will be brought down and the false prophets - the media. In a day! God is walking our land and He will bring justice - I pray it is today. Paul continues to testify on his own behalf. He is trying to show them the difference between him and the false apostles they were being enticed to follow. He shared with them his experiences with the Lord and his struggles and weaknesses. He was showing his transparency so that they would see that he was only a man but his power came from God. His confidence is in God alone. Lord, may you bring a reversal in our nation. Forgive us of our sins. Help us to fight for the lives of the unborn and win their freedom. May we fight for our Constitution and may it become the law of the land once again. Return justice to the courts, righteous government and godly leaders to our nation once again. May we be the light on the hill that is Your light. May we be a prosperous, humble and generous nation once again that can help other nations return freedom to their nations also. Thank you for hope, freedom and life.

Fri.’s Devo - God Is With Us

Read: Isaiah 6:1-7:25; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 23:1-3 Uzziah had been a good king in a wicked nation. When he died Isaiah had an encounter with the Lord where he saw the Lord in his holiness on his throne. It totally undid him as he realized how unholy he was. He also realized how sinful his people were. God asked who would go back to the people with his message and Isaiah volunteered. God said that they would hear but not understand, see it but not learn from it, harden their hearts plug their ears and shut their eyes. They wouldn’t turn to the Lord for healing. Even the remnant will be burned but God would leave a holy seed, a stump. God told Isaiah to take his son, Shear-jashub which means “a remnant shall return” and go out and meet the new King Ahaz. Ahaz was worrying about the imminent attack of Assyria and Remalia. They were planning to displace him with Tabeal which means “good for nothing.” God’s message was that the invasion would never happen. Neither of them were strong enough to defend themselves and neither was Israel. Israel would fall in 65 years. Unless Judah’s faith was firm, it would not stand either. Later, God sent Isaiah to Ahaz to tell him to ask God for a sign so he could prove himself to Ahaz and make his faith stronger. Ahaz blew him off saying he wouldn’t test the Lord. Isaiah was irritated that he wouldn’t do what God had told him to do by asking for a sign so he told him he would give him one anyway. The sign was that the virgin would have a child and he would be called Emanuel which means “God is with us.” By the time the child was old enough to choose right from wrong, he would be eating yogurt and honey. And, before the child was old, the lands of the two kings that he feared so much would both be deserted. We know that this was a Messianic prophecy that had to do with Mary having Jesus but it also had to do with Judah right then. A virgin means a young girl and Isaiah had married a young girl who became pregnant and they had a son. The yogurt and honey referred to Syria and Remalia. In his lifetime, they would be deserted. After that, God was bringing destruction to Israel and Judah like they had never seen before. It would come through the Assyrians. There would be very little left in the land but the ones left would have milk, yogurt and honey. The land would become deserted and overgrown with thorns. In Corinthians, Paul is justifying himself. He is angry with the people because they followed men who put them in bondage, devoured them, took from them. and exalted themselves at the believer’s expense. This sounds like what our government is doing to us. Paul then went on a rampage talking about his sufferings that he had endured. He is making the point that it is wrong to take slavery sitting down. They should be standing up for themselves to these so called leaders and not be so afraid to suffer a little for their rights. This is where we are in our nation. We are so afraid to lose our jobs, be persecuted, thrown in prison, be killed or have our families threatened so we lie down, let them stick us with who knows what so we can have a moment of freedom. But then we find that that freedom we sought was very short lived and wasn’t really freedom… just more control. Let us remember that “We overcome by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and that WE LOVE NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO DEATH.” We were born to die. Our hope is not in this world, but in the world to come. We live our lives to give the next generation a better one. Lord, may we have great courage to fight the satanic forces that would enslave us with fear and cause us to bow. We will not bow to anyone but You. May Your name be glorified on the earth.

Thur.’s Devo - Discernment

Read: Isaiah 3:1-5:30; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15; Psalm 53:1-6; Proverbs 22:28-29 Isaiah pronounces a terrible curse on Judah and Jerusalem. They will loose everything they had and they will turn on each other. They will be desperate for leaders but find none. But for the godly, all will go well for them and they will enjoy the reward they earned. The wicked will get what they deserve. The Lord calls them to court and tells them what his decision is and what it is based on. They ruined Israel by stealing from the poor for their own pleasure. They crushed God’s people, so their judgment will reflect their sin. God speaks of what will happen to the wicked in the final judgment and they will be stripped of all their ornaments and be clothed in sackcloth and shame. They will weep and mourn huddled on the ground. But God’s holy branch, the Church will be beautiful and glorious. They will wash the filth of the ungodly from the land. Like in the days of Moses, they will be covered with a cloud by day and fire by night. In Chapter five, God had planted a vineyard he called Israel and a garden he called Judah. He had expected to find a crop of justice and right living but instead found a nation of oppression and violence. People lived only for their own pleasure and didn’t even think about the Lord. They called evil, good and good, evil. They mocked God telling Him to do something about their state of affairs instead of repenting. So, the Lord had to tear down the walls of protection and let the vineyard and the garden be destroyed. Animals trampled it while it became overgrown with vines and thorns. God was going to whistle for other nations to come and destroy Jerusalem. They would come with their terrible armies and chariots and attack them. Many would be carted off to foreign nations where they would live as exiles. No one would be there to rescue them. God was telling them their future in hopes that they would repent and mourn for their state of affairs but they didn’t. God always warns us first of judgment and gives us ample time to repent. He desires mercy over judgment but he has to protect his Word. In Corinthians, Paul warns them of the men he calls “super apostles.” They were polished speakers who preached Jesus as being someone different than the Jesus Paul taught them. Paul explained how Satan deceived Eve by appearing as a beautiful serpent. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light so it was no wonder that he didn’t disguise himself as a servant of righteousness. In the end, these false prophets would reap what they sowed. Lord, help us to not be deceived by Satan’s deceptions. Keep our minds and spirits discerning and awake. May we know what is true and right in Your eyes.

Wed.’s Devo - A Call to Repentance

Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27 Isaiah prophesied through the reign of four kings of Judah. The first king was Uzziah who started out as a good king but over the years his pride got in his way. He thought he could enter the temple and offer incense on the altar like the priests. The power of God struck him with leprosy which he had till he died. Uzziah’s son, Jotham was a good king who trusted in God but the people in the kingdom were corrupt. Jotham’s son Ahaz became king and he didn’t follow the Lord but sacrificed to idols and God handed Judah over to the Syrians who took many of them captive, and to the king of Israel who killed 120,000 of them. Hezekiah inherited Ahaz’s mess and did what was right in God’s eyes. He restored worship in Jerusalem and drained the swamp. Isaiah begins his book during Uzziah’s reign. His cry was against the people. They had forgotten who their father was. They had turned from God thus inviting punishment. They were reaping the results of their sowing. Their country lay in ruins and their towns were burned. Foreigners plundered their fields and destroyed everything they saw. Their capital, Jerusalem stood abandoned. God was no longer impressed at their acts of religion; in fact he hated them because they were not done with pure hearts. He told them what they needed to do: seek justice, help the oppressed, defend the cause of orphans and fight for the rights of widow. Our loving, forgiving and merciful God called them to the negotiating table and wanted to reason with them. He told them that even though their sins are many, he could make them white as snow. All they needed to do was to repent. Then he would bless them and give them what they needed. He would defend them and the oppressed, remove their sins, give them good judges and wise counselors like they used to have. This couldn’t describe America and what is happening right now any clearer. In chapter 2, Isaiah saw the last days concerning Israel and Judah. The Lord’s house will be the most important place on the earth and people from all over the world will stream to worship there. They will long to be taught God’s ways. There will be no more wars and God will have the final say. It will be a day of reckoning for the wicked and they will be punished. Everything that man made out of his pride and arrogance will be brought down and only the Lord will be exalted. The wicked will try to escape in fear but there will be no where to hide. In Corinthians, Paul teaches them that our weapons are not carnal and physical weapons the world uses. Our weapons are mighty and they bring down strongholds and principalities. They demolish human reasoning that doesn’t line up with God’s thoughts and desires. Those who don’t repent will be punished. Apparently Paul was being accused of writing too much about our authority in Christ but he defended his teaching in sayin that he didn’t teach this to boast but to build them up. They said that Paul was bold in his letters but when he comes, he won’t be so bold. Paul assured them that he would be just as bold in his preaching as in his letters. Paul told them stories of his life and what God was doing to encourage them to do the same. Lord, may our lives encourage others to be bold. We pray for our nation that we would stop playing church and start being the church. We pray for a cleansing of our government and a return to truth and justice for all.

Tues.’s Devo - The Mature Church

Read: Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-5-15; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 22:24-25 The young man enters his garden but his bride is asleep and doesn’t want to be inconvenienced. This reminds me of Jesus’ night at Gethsemene when he was in deep travail and wanted his disciples to pray with him. They could not stay awake though they wanted to. When Jesus died, they longed for him to be with them. They were as devastated as the woman in Song of Solomon. When she finally finds her lover, he is not mad at her but only has kind loving words for her, much like Jesus’ words to Peter after he denied him three times. How often does the Holy Spirit call us to come and spend time with him and we are in a stupor of spiritual slumber. We don’t have the time or want to make the time. Yet, when we do, we don’t get condemnation we get acceptance and grace. In chapter seven, he describes the healthy on-fire Church. Everything about her is beautiful and developed to perfection. We satisfy Jesus. In chapter eight, the bride comes from the desert leaning on her lover and she is unrecognizable because of the change that has happened in her. This is the end-time church. She knows who she is and she knows that when her lover looks at her he is pleased. She knows her place and what is legally hers. She is not a tenant farmer who rents from God, she has received her full inheritance and it is hers. She is an example to others. In Second Corinthians, Paul brags on the church there because they have always been givers that have been examples to other churches. He encourages them to have their gift ready and to give generously as they have been blessed. In giving, they will be given more seed to produce more to give. Lord, help us to be spiritually awake and alive. May all that we have be yours to use however you want.

Mon.’s Devo - The Love of Christ

Read: Song of Solomon1:1-4:16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 22:22-23 Song of Solomon can be taken as a love story showing true covenant love between a man and wife or as an allegory of God’s covenant people and their history in the Promised Land. The latter is how I choose to write about. The main character is not the bride but the bridegroom who is Christ. He shows his love or his bride, his Church and his covenant people, the Jews. Aaron represented Him as priest; Moses, as prophet; David, as a suffering king; Solomon, as the triumphant prince of peace. The camp in the wilderness represents the Church in the world. The peaceful reign of Solomon, after all enemies had been subdued, represents the Church in heaven. This is what Song of Solomon is giving us a foretaste of. It is heaven on earth. The Shulamite woman represents Israel, God’s promised bride. We have to remember that Israel includes all who would love God and love his son. The story opens with the Shulamite enjoying the covenant love of her lover. She says, “No wonder all the young virgins love you.” Virgins have to do with the pure in heart. We don’t come to God because we had a desire for him, He called us and chose us and gave us a heart to want him. He called us first and we have the choice to respond. She has been brought to the throne room of God and the first thing she feels is unworthiness because of her sin. He tells her how he sees her which is not through her sin. The more he affirms his love for her, the more she believes it. He comes to invite her to go away with him and abandon all for their love. He tells her where he is hiding and waiting for her to come to him. The women of Jerusalem, the counselors, warn her to catch all the foxes that would ruin her from pursuing his love. In this book the woman seems to be very fickle as she longs for her lover then is not with him. She sleeps and wakes up to long for him. It is so like the story of Israel who yo-yoed back and forth with their commitment to the Lord. It reminds me of myself - hot than cold. Then we read chapter four and we see that Jesus never criticizes us when we come back to him but only encourages and lifts us up with his words of love and acceptance. He meticulously describes every part of her and finds nothing about her that he doesn’t adore. What a picture of grace and love. This is how God sees us. Paul writes the people in the church at Corinth that he is sending Titus back to them. Titus would be accompanied by another Christian brother. They will be on their way to Jerusalem to take an offering to aid the church in Jerusalem. He encourages the church to show them brotherly love and prove that all Paul said about them was true. Paul is like God the Father. He loves his churches like a father loves his family and is proud of what they have become. God is like that with us. How much more power we have when we see ourselves as God sees us. He sees Jesus in us doing what Jesus did on the earth. Lord, may we step aside and let Christ live through us. Thank you that you see us through eyes of love and not condemnation. May we walk in Your power.

Sun.’s Devo - Bits of Wisdom

Read: Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Proverbs 22:20-21 Solomon saw the foolishness of servants in places of authority and princes in places of servants. Not everyone gets the positions they deserve in this life but it is all being observed and will be different in the next life. In everything we do, there are risks and a wise man will distribute his wealth in many investments. If we wait for the perfect situation, it will never come so we have to have faith and take some risks. Solomon has a lot to say about our words. He advises to use words sparingly and with caution because you never know who might hear them. He advises the youth to enjoy their youth and be sure to do things while they can but he warns them that they will give an account to God for their actions. He also tells the youth to refuse to worry and keep your body healthy and don’t forget God. He tells the older ones to remember the Lord also because they are about to meet him. Paul bragged to the church in Corinthians about the churches in Macedonia and their generosity in times of great poverty. They gave more than material things; they ministered with them. Paul was sending Titus to share the stories of their giving so that the church in Corinth might do the same. They had gifted speakers, knowledge of the Word, faith and enthusiasm. Paul wanted them to grow in giving also. They had been the church to first give and now Paul wanted them to continue. Lord, may we be givers of our wealth and our time and energy. May we be wise in all we do.

Sat.’s Devo - We Need Change

Read: Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 22:17-19 Solomon was particularly cynical in today’s reading. He did say some things that were worth noting. A good reputation is valuable. We live to die. Wisdom and money are helpful but wisdom is the only one that can bring you life. Some of the silly things Solomon says is that if you are too righteous or too wise and it will destroy you. He finds it unfair that some wicked people die and are honored because they deceived the people by acting like they were righteous. He noticed that when wicked people are not quickly punished, they feel it is safe to do wrong because they got away with it before. He sees that good people are often punished and wicked people are often rewarded. So his remedy to all of this is to have fun; eat, drink and be happy. I think that this attitude has been our country’s downfall. We have looked at the evil and the things that are wrong and felt powerless to do anything so we just looked the other way. Or, we were so busy with our own families and making a living that we didn’t notice what was happening right under our noses. We woke up and now it seems impossible to fix, but it isn’t. We have to get involved and change things. It is not impossible to turn the Titanic but it will take unity and work. Solomon felt that everyone faces the same fate - death, but what Solomon didn’t know was that there is eternity and what we do on this earth matters. Life is our trial; heaven is our reward. This suffering is temporary but eternity is forever and there is no suffering there for the believers. Paul explains this in his third letter to the Corinthians. His second letter, which we don’t have, was a letter of severe rebuke. It was very hard for Paul to write, but he was glad he did because it resulted in a great repentance. They heeded his advise to get rid of the leader that was leading them astray and to get their own lives right. Paul sent Titus to see how they were doing and they received him with open arms. This brought Paul such delight because it proved that they had read and acted on his letter. Solomon talked like he has no hope in people changing or the world changing; Paul gave his life to changing his world - one heart at a time. Lord, help us to have hope for our country, our world and your Word. Repentance and restoration are your words. Redemption is what You do best. We put our hope in Your Word and Your power.

Fri.’s Devo - Tidbits of Wisdom

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 22:16 In all Solomon has observed about life led him to the conclusion that the most fortunate are those who have not been born yet. How sad, since God gives us life and wants us to enjoy it. Life is a gift, but how you look at life determines your ability to have joy or sadness. Solomon saw that most people were motivated to work because they envied what their neighbor had. This was meaningless. Another thing he thought meaningless was the man who had no family and yet worked hard to gain wealth. Who would he enjoy his wealth with? Solomon had learned some wise adages and here are a few: Everyone needs a friend to walk with them and three is even better. It is better to be wise and poor than rich and foolish. Don’t make rash decisions before asking God his opinion. Keep your promises. If you are wealthy, be generous. Life is short so be sure you enjoy it. To enjoy your work and your life is a gift from God. Enjoy what you have rather than wishing for what you don’t have. Accept your destiny from God and live it. Speak less and mean more. Paul adds his tidbit of wisdom: don’t team up with unbelievers. There will be no agreement or harmony if you do. There can be no union with one who worships God and one who worships idols. Paul quoted Isaiah and Jeremiah when he told them that God says to come out from among the sinners and be separate. We are not of the same kingdom as those who don’t know the Lord. Paul had traveled to Corinth and seen the apostasy taught by their leader. He had left rejected and sent them a severe letter rebuking them for what he saw. Their leader was teaching them the teaching of the Nicolatians which was that sin was not only ok but good. We don’t have a copy of the rebuking letter Paul sent to the Church in Corinth but it did get their attention and many repented. Paul was always encouraging them to turn from sin and be clean. He wanted them to know how proud he was of their change of hearts. Lord, may we live our lives to honor You and Your Name.

Thurs.’s Devo - Wisdom

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-33; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 22:15 Tradition says that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes near the end of his death. Solomon also wrote Proverbs twenty years earlier. When Solomon wrote Proverbs he was following the Lord but when he wrote Ecclesiastes he had married many foreign women and chose to worship their idols. He had lost his way with the Lord. Proverbs is the book of God’s wisdom and Ecclesiastes is the book of man’s wisdom. Solomon had been give the gift of wisdom when he began his reign but the heart determines what that wisdom looks like. In Proverbs, Solomon spoke of wisdom being the fear of the Lord and he was in awe of God and his wonderful power. In Ecclesiastes Solomon is bored with life and very cynical. His spiritual state directed his heart. He sees life as meaningless and man not receiving any reward for the work of his hands. Solomon sees history repeating itself and that we never really learn from our mistakes and there is nothing new to look forward to. How that contradicts Isaiah 43:19 that says, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Solomon says that what is crooked cannot be made straight and what is lacking cannot be numbered. But, Isaiah 40:4-5 says, “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Solomon claimed that wisdom brought grief and knowledge increases sorrow. Solomon ran after pleasure as a way to get out of his depression but couldn’t find it. Then he considered his life and decided that wisdom excelled folly and light excelled darkness. It was more wise to walk in the light than in darkness. Solomon is old and looks back at all he has achieved and is not satisfied with his life. We see Solomon going through the process of coming back to his roots. He realizes that everything has a season and that God has put eternity in everyone’s hearts. We can’t see the end from the begining like God can so we have to learn to trust God and to rejoice in Him no matter what. Solomon finds himself overwhelmed with the wickedness in the world and the only peace he finds is in knowing that God will judge the righteous and the wicked. Solomon concludes that man should rejoice in his own works. Solomon sits in the seat of luxury and wealth and is unsatisfied where Paul sits in the seat of persecution, and abuse and he is totally satisfied with his life. Paul knows from experience that God always comes to the rescue of the righteous. He doesn’t mind all the hardships he has gone through because he had a passion of spreading the gospel that was more important than his comfort. Paul’s life was well-spent and at the end of his life he could be thankful. Lord, may we live our lives for the reward awaiting us in heaven. May we see how better living for You is than having riches here on earth.

Wed.’s Devo - Restoration

Read: Job 40:1-42:17; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 22:14 After God finished speaking he asked if Job still had anything more to criticize him about. Job was so humbled he had nothing to say. God continued. He asked Job about what he had spoken of God not being just. He asked Job if he was as strong as God. God told him about Behemoth who was afraid of none of his surroundings and Leviathan that could not be caught or tamed because that was how God made them to show his own power and strength. No man can conquer these animals and especially Leviathan because God made it to be the king of the beasts. Job confessed that he had questioned God’s wisdom and he was wrong. Before, he had only heard about God, but now he had encountered him and he was completely undone and repented. God then spoke to Job’s three friends and told them that he was angry with them because they had spoken so wrongly about Him. He told them to take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a burnt offering for themselves and Job would pray for them. God would accept Job’s prayer for them and give them mercy instead of what they deserved. They obeyed and when Job prayed for them, he restored everything to Job in duplicate. He gave him back twice what he had lost and restored his family. He had lost 7 sons and 3 daughters so he got 7 sons and 3 more daughters. His daughters were the most beautiful of the land. Job lived 140 years after that long enough to see four generations of his children and grandchildren before he died. This book is so refreshing because we see that God indeed sees everything and is totally just and does discipline and judge the guilty. And he does justify the innocent and restore and reward their obedience. God does stand up for himself and his people. In Corinthians, Paul is explaining the shift he made in his thoughts about Jesus. He knew of Jesus first as a man but now he knows him as the Christ. Jesus’ goal was to reconcile people back to God and that is our goal as his ambassadors. Lord, may your love control us and may we be reconcilers to You.