Sat.’s Devo - The Glory of Our Future

Read: Isaiah 60:1-62:5; Philippians 1:27-2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 24:11-12 Isaiah saw forward to the day that Jerusalem would once again become the light of the world. God’s glory will shine from her. All the other nations will be black compared to her. They will all come and visit her to see her treasures. Israel’s children will come back home to live in Jerusalem. The wealth of other nations will be brought to Jerusalem which is a picture of the whole body of Christ. *** Isaiah saw ships coming from distant lands that trusted in the Lord. They were loaded with people and gold and silver. Foreigners will come and rebuild Israel’s towns and their kings will serve Israel’s king. This is the mercy and grace of God. Israel’s gates will stay open to receive the wealth of many lands. The evil kings will be led as captives to Jerusalem. The nations that refuse to serve Israel will be destroyed. *** Lebanon was where Solomon got cedar to build the Temple the first time. Now, all of those trees will be theirs to use as they need to rebuild the Temple. The offspring of the ones who tormented them will bow before them and those who despised you will kiss your feet. What a turn of events. Israel who was once avoided will become the place attended to. All their needs will be supplied by the most powerful nations. They will be given a ruler who is righteous and peace will return to them. All their needs will be met in God. *** All of the people will be righteous! What? This sounds too good to be true, but every Word will be fulfilled on the earth. Our families will increase to be mighty nations. *** Chapter 61 is a transition into Isaiah’s commission. Jesus quoted this chapter as his commission and it is also our commission. Jesus stopped in the middle of verse 2 and didn’t proclaim the day of vengeance because that day was not here yet. But, now that day has come. God is declaring war against his enemies. *** The rest of the chapter is glorious as it describes the rebirth of the world under his righteous rule. God will reward his faithful ones and they will realized that they are truly blessed. Never again will we feel like we have been forsaken by the Lord. We will be called the Lord’s Bride, a city not forsaken. *** Israel and America are synonymous in the Bible. They were both nations built by God for his purpose to spread His name through the earth. We can take the promises of Israel for America. *** Paul reminds us that though we live on earth, we are citizens of heaven. We are not a part of this system of the world. We are not to be intimidated in any way by the world because they ware going to be destroyed but we are going to be saved. He instructs them how to live among God’s kingdom which is to live in love and humility with each other. We stand up to the world but we serve one another in the community of Christ. *** Lord, help us to navigate through these trying times. May we be bold as lions against your enemies yet harmless as doves to your chosen. May we work with your army to fight evil. Let your kingdom come!

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Fast

Read: Isaiah 57:15-59:21; Philippians 1:1-16; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10 God comforts the remnant who are having to go through his punishment on their nations. He promised to restore their spirit if their hearts were repentant. He would not stay angry or none of them would live. He would heal them and comfort them causing them to praise him. But those who still reject him will have no peace. They will continually cause chaos and trouble. God wanted Isaiah to trumpet the people’s sins so they could see them and repent. They lived a very hypocritical life without even realizing how bad they were. They went to church and acted like they were a righteous nation who knew God. They fasted and wondered why God didn’t notice and wasn’t impressed enough to move in their behalf. They went through the religious motions but their hearts were far from the Lord. They oppressed their workers under them and continued fighting among themselves. *** God described the kind of fast that would impress him and get his attention. It was one where they freed those wrongfully accused, they lightened the heavy yoke of work they put on their workers, they removed the chains that bound the people like taxes and interest rates and give food and clothes to the hungry and shelter to the homeless. It was also to not hide from relatives that needed help. *** Then God’s salvation would come and heal their wounds. They would go forth in godliness and the glory of the Lord would protect them. They would pray and God would quickly reply. *** God told them to remove the heavy yoke of oppression and the accusations and rumors they were spreading. Instead, they should be feeding the hungry and helping those in trouble, then their light would shine in the darkness. God would lead them, restoring their strength and making them a spiritual fountain with enough of God’s spirit to give out to others. *** They were told to keep the Sabbath day and make it a day of doing the Lord’s desires. If they honored him on that day and he would honor them. *** In Chapter 59, Isaiah continues to let them know what has kept them from hearing God’s voice and seeing his hand of deliverance. It is because of their sins. With their hands, they numbered, their lips spoke lies and corruption. No one cared about justice anymore and they lied in court. They were unproductive and violence was their trademark. They ran to do evil and rushed to commit murder. They stirred up chaos and lived in it. They didn’t have a moment of peace. *** Because the people lived in sin, they were blind, hungry, unsatisfied, and unjustified. There was no one to rescue them. They knew they had turned from God and they knew their sins but to renounce their evil would cause them to be attacked by others. (Sounds like America today.) *** There is hope! Jesus, their Redeemer was coming. He would save them and sustain them with his justice. He would put on his armor of righteousness and salvation. This he did when he came the first time but in the last days, he will clothe himself with vengeance and divine passion. He will repay his enemies for their evil and his fury will flow to the ends of the earth. People from the west and the east will glorify him. He will come to Jerusalem and buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins. This is happening in our day. *** Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippians was one of joy and tender love to a people who walked in the Spirit of Jesus. This church was known for their brotherly love for one another and Christ. Revelation 3:7-13 describes the church at Philippi. God gives them the key of David to open doors that no one can shut and to shut doors that no one can open. They had kept His word and not denied the name of Jesus. God promised to keep them from the time of testing and promised to come for them quickly. He told them to hold fast and not let any one take their crown. The overcomers would be made a pillar in the temple of God, They would have God’s name written on them and the name of Jerusalem. They will also have written on them God’s new name. *** Lord, we pray that our love will overflow more and more and that you would keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. May we live pure and blameless lives until the day of Chris’t return.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Word Will Stand

Read: Isaiah 54:1-57:14; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8 God compares Israel as an unfaithful wife who has returned home. The barren wife is Israel when she went to Babylon as a captive. She could no longer worship the Lord according to his law. She was destitute of spiritual children. She is not bearing children now because she is still displaced with no temple. The Gentile church has more spiritual children than them. The Jews can rejoice that in their future where their seed will inherit the Gentiles. They will be restored to the family of God. They will not always be in shame but God, their Redeemer and husband will gather her and have mercy on her. *** God tells them to plan for expansion because God is going to bless them when the time comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt and their children will be taught of the Lord. They will live in peace and if anyone tries to fight them it will not be because the Lord who sent them. They will not succeed. No weapon they built will be able to penetrate Israel. Everyone who accused Israel will be silenced. God will vindicate them. *** In that day, Israel will be fed spiritual food. It will be available to the rich and the poor. Jesus came to the meek and lowly and also to the high and mighty. He fed his people spiritual meat and bread. Many nations will come to Israel to obey their God. *** Isaiah told the people of his day to seek the Lord now while he was letting himself be found. His call to them was to repent because God would forgive them. He told them that God’s thoughts are not theirs and his ways are not theirs. They are higher. God sees from a much higher vantage point. He sees the past, present and future all in one glance. We can only see our present and remember our past. *** God’s Word is like seed that is sent forth and watered by the water from heaven. God’s Word always bears fruit and accomplishes what he wants accomplished on the earth. He plans to replace the thorns and nettles with fruitful trees. God’s people will be the fruitful trees. *** In Chapter 56 God tells them how to live. They must be just and fair to everyone. He speaks to the ones who have been transgendered and will never have any children of their own. He tells them that they will have a memorial and a name much greater than their children could ever give them. This will be exciting to see how this plays out. Remember Daniel and his friends fell in this category. *** Gentiles who choose God as their God will be blessed and be treated just like the Jew. God will receive their sacrifices and offerings. God’s Temple will be called a house of prayer. *** God calls for the wild animals to come and feast on the corpses of the wicked. The good people who are collateral damage do not go unnoticed by God. He is saving them from the evil day and they will rest in peace. *** Isaiah calls out the children of witches and offspring of adulterers and prostitutes. They mock, lie and sin. They worship pagan idols with great passion and sacrifice their own children to Molech. Their Satanic symbols are everywhere and their so called good deeds will be exposed. Nothing they did or can do will save them. They will perish with their gods, but the righteous will possess the land. *** In Ephesians, Paul addressed the children to obey their parents. He told the fathers to not provoke their children to anger by the way they treated them. He told the slaves to have deep respect for their boss and to work like they were working for the Lord. He admonished the masters to treat their workers like they would want God their master to treat them. *** Lastly, Paul reminded them that our battle is not with flesh and blood but with evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, again mighty powers in the dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. When we put on God’s armor we can resist the enemy. His armor is truth, peace, faith, salvation and his Word which is our weapon. *** Lord, we trust in your Word that will not return to you void but accomplish what it is set out to do.

Wed.’s Devo - Wake up!

Read: Isaiah 51:1-53:12; Ephesians 5:1-33; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 24:7 It is exciting to realize that many of the really good things Isaiah prophesied have happened. A lot of Israel’s desert has blossomed like a rose. God’s law and justice become a light to the nations when Jesus came and proclaimed to be the light of the world. He brought mercy, justice and salvation which continues from generation to generation. *** Isaiah tried to wake the Lord up to fight for them like he did in Moses’ day when he slew Egypt. He sees the day that the ransomed of the Lord will return with singing and joy. *** God responds with a word of comfort. He asks them why they are afraid of mere humans who are here today and gone tomorrow. Have they forgotten who their God is? He tells Israel to wake up. They have lost a generation to desolation and destruction, famine and war. This cup of God’s wrath is over and it is time for it to pass this cup of wrath to their enemies. God tells the remnant to wake up and put on strength instead of despair. *** Israel had chosen to live in bondage in Egypt in their past and now they are in the same place with the Assyrians. God wanted to know why they are enslaved again. They live among people who blaspheme his name all day long. (That is where we are in America. You can hardly watch a program on TV who doesn’t blaspheme God. We have gotten so used to it we don’t even notice.) That is how Israel was, but God was going to show them who he was. *** The prophets would see the good news of the gospel coming and sing for joy. John the Baptist saw it and proclaimed it. Isaiah proclaimed that Jerusalem will sing and the people will rejoice because of the redemption God brings. *** Isaiah tells the people to leave their captivity where everything they touch is unholy. He speaks of the day that they will return with all the holy objects of the Temple and they will not leave in haste but God will go ahead of them and protect them. *** This happened when Cyrus came to rule and proclaimed the Jews could choose to return to Jerusalem and build a Temple to their God. This happened in our day when President Trump became president and had Israel’s embassy moved to Jerusalem. Cyrus gave them all the sacred objects for the Temple that Babylon had stolen. We are about to get back all that Satan has stolen from us. *** Isaiah gave a complete description of Jesus, who would come in his humanity and become the sacrificial lamb for us. He was crushed and totally misunderstood by the people. He came to save, yet he did it without a word of complaint. He had no descendants on earth yet he had millions in his death. He made it possible for us to be counted righteous. He will be rewarded as a victorious soldier! *** Paul admonishes the believers to wake up and let Christ give them light. This light is to expose those in darkness. If we live like they do in their sin then they will not be able to see the light so they can come to it. We are to be the light to the world as Jesus was because he is in us. We live with purpose and joy. We demonstrate God’s love by the way we submit to one another in love and honor. *** Lord, may we wake up in our own lives and be about your business. May we be awake to what you are doing on the earth, in our nation and in our own families. May we see with our eyes the wonderful deliverance you are bringing. We wait for your salvation to come.

Tues.’s Devo - Be Ye Holy, As I Am Holy

Read: Isaiah 48:12-50:11; Ephesians 4:17-32; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverb 24:5-6 God establishes the fact that He is the creator of heaven and earth. *** In the NLT version that I use it names Cyrus by name. God chose him to be his ally in taking down the empire of the Babylonians. God promised that he would help Cyrus succeed. Cyrus was a type of Trump we have established. To take down the Deep State is his commission and God will help him succeed. *** If only they had been faithful to God and his commandments, then they wouldn’t have had to go into captivity. They could have lived a blessed life but even in their captivity, God blessed them just like he did when they went through the desert in Moses’ day. They were never thirsty, in the middle of the desert. He gave them water out of the rock. God has been with us during these centuries of being oppressed by an evil empire. *** Chapter 29 gives us a look into Jesus’ commission and his humanity. Even Jesus felt his work seemed useless and had no purpose because he didn’t seem to get the results he thought he would. He concluded that he would leave it in God’s hands. He knew his commission was to bring Israel back to the Lord and to be a light to the Gentiles and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. He was then despised and rejected by the nations and a servant to the rulers, but one day the kings would stand at attention when he passed by and princes would bow. *** Verses 8-13 gives us a view into our future when it is the day of salvation. That day is coming very soon. God will come and help us. Our nations will be reestablished under Christ and rulership will be given back to the people. Many innocent will be released from prison and many who can’t see now will be awakened. Prosperity and blessing will return to the land. The time of oppression will be and it will be a time of refreshing. God’s ways will be exalted above the world’s ways. Godliness will return to the land and people will come out of hiding places and return because it is safe to live here. *** At the time, they felt abandoned by God and forgotten as many do in America right now, but there is no way God has forgotten us. He has written our names on the palms of his hands. We are always on his mind. All of our enemies will go away and our children will come back to us. The prodigals will return to be our pride and joy. *** The evil elites will be far away, probably in Gitmo. The children born in exile will be released out of their prisons and need a place to stay. (This makes me think of children who were literally born in the tunnels under the earth.) The nations that were used by the enemy against Israel will bring their sons and daughters back to them. Kings and queens of other nations will bow down to Israel, the nation everyone hated. When we see this we will know that God is the Lord and that he never puts to shame those who trust in him. *** All the spoils of war will be given to God’s children. The enemy will no longer feast on the blood of our children but will be given their own children to eat. (This sounds so awful but they have been literally eating children they snatched from us.) *** God reminded them that they found themselves in the state they were in because of their sins not because he didn’t have the power to save them. They chose to be in that state of oppression and judgment. Isaiah warns them to trust in the Lord and rely on him. If they depend on their own strength, it will work against them and they will fail. *** Paul gives us an accurate description of the people who walk in darkness. They are hopelessly confused. They have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against the Lord. They have no sense of shame and live for lustful pleasure. They eagerly practice every kind of impurity. That sums up the evil people of today. *** We as Christians have been called out of that lifestyle and are exhorted to let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes. We are to put on our new nature, created to be like God which is truly righteous and holy. *** Paul told them to stop lying, being controlled by anger, stealing, or using foul and abusive language, but to let their conversation be edifying and encouraging. *** Lord, help us to be tenderhearted, forgiving, and loving as you are. Thank you for giving us a new nature that we can be righteous and holy.

Mon.’s Devo -God’s Flip-Flop

Read: Isaiah 45:11-48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4 Isaiah continues his answer to those who question him about what he does on the earth. He is the one who made it so he gets to decide why he made it and what to do with it. He created people to live on his earth and stretched out the heavens. All the stars obey him. *** On the earth, he will raise up Cyrus to fulfill his righteous purpose. God will guide his actions. He will restore God’s city and free God’s captive people without looking for any reward. (That is a perfect description of what Trump is doing for the world right now.) *** Isaiah is shown a total flip of power where the Egyptians, Ethiopians and Sabeans will give all their wealth to the godly. They will become the prisoners in chains and fall in front of the righteous and declare that God is the only God and there is no other. This is a huge thing that will happen. We are under such an Anti-Christ regime and have been for years. They have worshipped Satan in secret but now are openly worshipping him. The day is coming very soon where they will be shown without a doubt that Satan is no match for the King of kings and Lord of lords. *** God created the heavens and the earth, not to be destroyed by an Anti-Christ who is powerful only in his lies, but God created the earth to be lived in. He did not create it for chaos which our enemies love. *** God challenges those who worshipped idols and calls them to his courtroom. He asks them what idol ever told them the future. Only God can do that. He is the founder and giver of Salvation and there is no other. Every knee will bow to Jesus and declare allegiance to him. Those who were angry with him will be ashamed. All the generations of Israel will at last be justified and boast in what He has done. *** The gods of Babylon, Baal and Nebo will bow to Jesus. God declares the end from the beginning. He has said he would do this for generations and his word still stands. This is still the plan. *** The plans of Babylon and the Anti-Christ system will be exposed like they are being right now. We know they planned all the wars, all the diseases and all the chaos to expand their control and their resources. They have plundered the land and God’s people but it is about to be over for them. *** To punish them for their sorceries and enchantments they will experience the loss of their children and the loss of their men. It will happen suddenly as in a moment. They trusted in their wickedness and perversion so it will come upon them. It is them that will be burned by the fire with no one to save them. *** In Chapter 48, God speaks encouragement to his people. God proclaimed their deliverance from the beginning of time even though they were stubborn and didn’t believe God would save them. God had already told them he would do and now he would prove his word. For his name’s sake he will defer his anger toward his people, but refine them through the furnace of affliction. *** God called Israel and made her way prosperous. He led her and taught her how to profit through obeying his Word. If they had obeyed them he could have led her through peace not affliction. *** God told his people to come out of Babylon singing about their redeemer. He is the one who led them through the desert and gave them water out of the rock. But there will be no peace for the wicked. *** In Ephesians, Paul continues to encourage them to walk in love and forbearance with one another. We have all been given gifts from Jesus to live in his love. When Jesus died, he descended to the place of the dead and many of them rose with him when he rose from the dead. *** Paul lists the gifts Christ gives us for the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. They are given to perfect the Church, to minister and to edify the body of Christ until we all come into the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man that looks like Christ. Then we will no longer be like children carried about by every wind of doctrine, conceived by crafty men whose desire is to deceive. Instead, we will speak the truth with love and grow up in Christ. Then the body will work together to help one another grow in love. *** God you are too good to us! We are so honored and blessed to be your children. Thank you for your wonderful promises that you have given us to. We put all our trust in You and Your plan.

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Plan

Read: Isaiah 43:14-45:10; Ephesians 3:1-21; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 24:1-2 God begins by reminding them all the miracles he did for them in the past and then tells them that they haven’t seen anything yet. He is going to do something new that they have never seen - pathways in the wilderness for them to travel, and rivers in the dry wastelands for refreshing. Israel will one day honor God as their God. To Judah, they stopped worshipping him the way they were commanded to in the law. They had stopped asking God for help but had gotten tired of waiting for him to move, and instead began living in sin. God was going blot out their sins and forget about them. From the beginning, they had sinned against God and broke his laws. To remedy their hard hearts, God was going to pour out his Spirit like rivers on their children and descendants. They will thrive and proudly claim God as their God. *** God challenges any other god to stand up to Him. He is the only God. The people foolishly carved gods out of wood found in the forests. They burned half of it and made a god to worship out of the rest. He wants them to reason how foolish this is. They trusted in something that has no power to help him. *** God reminded them that he made them and paid the price to set them free. He would expose the false prophets as liars and makes fools of fortune-tellers. God’s plan is to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. He chose Cyrus to do this. *** God anointed Cyrus to bring down the mighty kings and open their gates. He was commanded to level the mountains which stood for the elite leaders. He was promised hidden wealth that was secret from the world. Cyrus didn’t know the Lord, yet God chose to use him to do these things. He did this for the sake of His chosen people. We could say all this about President Trump. *** He issues a woe to those who argue with God about who he uses to do his work. I think of all the religious people who have arguments about Trump and why God would use him. God says that it is none of our business who he chooses to use. It is our duty to see it and trust in His plan. *** In Galatians, Paul explains that God commissioned him to bring the good news of Christ and salvation to the Gentile. Now they equally can enjoy God’s promises with the Jews and what was promised to them is now promised to the Gentile. God’s purpose for the church was to use them to display his wisdom to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly place. (This reminds me of how God used Job to show Satan how one of his chosen vessels would stay faithful to him.) *** We pray along with Paul that from Your unlimited resources You will empower us with inner strength through Your Spirit. Make your home in our hearts and may we have the power to understand how wide, how long, how high and how deep your love is. All glory to you who are able to accomplish through us more than we might ask or think.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Refreshing

Read: Isaiah 41:17-43:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 23:29-35 Prophecy can be taken literally and spiritually. Isaiah prophecies of a time when the poor and needy have no water and they cry out to God for help. He will bring rivers to them in impossible places like high plateaus and deserts. Water will flow over parched land and they will be able to plant trees in the desert. It will be a miracle. *** This also refers to their dry hearts that have not heard from God for a long time. God will bless them with a flood of his presence and blessing so that they will grow and prosper in their hearts and minds. *** God sends out a challenge to the idols they worship. He challenges them to explain the ancient past and the future, but they can’t do it. They can’t do anything because they are not powerful like they claim them to be. *** God will bring a leader from the north and the east. He will call on His name and God will cause him to trample over kings and princes both physical and spiritual. He was Cyrus in their day, Trump in our day which are both a type of Christ Jesus. This man will bring justice to the nations and all who have been wronged. He will not give up or lose heart but will fight until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands will wait for his instruction. *** God who has waited silently will arise and level the ones on the top of society and in leadership. He will lead his people down a new path that is unfamiliar but will be made clear and smooth. His people will not be forsaken but those who trusted in idols will end in shame. *** Isaiah laments that the people he prophesied to were spiritually blind and could not understand or believe what he was telling them would happen. They knew what he said was right but refused to act on it. Israel had been robbed, plundered, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped with no one to protect them. God allowed this to happen because they refused to walk with the Lord. But God was calling them to now listen to what he says about them. He has ransomed their freedom and will now walk with them, not against them. He will gather them back to Israel and challenge the idol worshippers. His chosen people will be His witness to the world of who he is. He is the only God! No one can snatch anyone out of his hand and no one can undo what he has done. *** Paul explains salvation. It is not a reward for the good things we have don. It is all God’s doing,. In salvation he creates us anew so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. We do everything through Christ who lives in us. Jews and Gentiles are brought together under Christ. *** Lord, thank you that you respond to our cry for help and you bring salvation. We patiently await your salvation.

Fri.’s Devo - The Good News! We Win!

Read: Isiah 39:1-41:16; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 23:25-28 Hezekiah was deathly sick when the king of Babylon sent him a gift and his blessings on his health. Hezekiah showed off all his riches to the Babylonian ambassadors. When they had gone back to Babylon, God sent Isaiah to Hezekiah to ask him what he showed them. Hezekiah admitted showing them all their treasure. Isaiah told him that the day was coming when they would take it all and even his sons to Babylon where they would be made eunuchs (another name for transgendered.) That was what happened to Daniel, Meshech, Sadrach and Abendigo. *** Hezekiah was just glad it wasn’t going to happen in his day. (How selfish. I wonder what would have happened if he had repented and prayed.) *** I think it is very strategic that right after such a terrifying prophecy that God would give Isaiah a wonderful word about comfort and good news. We can take this one to the bank. This is a message for us in our day. *** The first thing God does is speak comfort and tenderness to his people. He hears the voice of John the Baptist who cried to the people to prepare their hearts to receive the lamb of God. God is crying out to us to prepare our hearts to receive the Lion of God. The glory of God will be revealed on the earth. *** God rules the earth and judges the great people of the earth who think they are invincible. God will bring them to nothing. How can we say that God doesn’t see our trouble and ignores our rights? He empowers the weak and strengthens the powerless. If we wait on the Lord, he will give us new strength. We will sour with Him on high like eagles and be renewed in our strength and in our walk. *** God gets his side ready for war while the enemy encourage their side which are in total fear. God encourages his people that he is on their side and he will help them to victory. Their enemies will end up confused and humiliated. All who oppose God’s people will die and come to nothing. This is God’s word to us right now in history. Do not be afraid. God is with us to help us win and not be taken over by a one world government. In the end we will win and rejoice! *** Paul had lived in Ephesians for three years and knew these people intimately. He wrote to them while he was in prison in Rome. He calls us God’s holy people who are faithful followers of Christ. He prays God would give us grace and peace and reminds us that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. God chose us and loved us from the beginning of time and decided then to adopt us into his family. We have always been in God’s plan. God’s glorious plan is to bring everything together under the authority of Christ - on earth and in heaven. This is not what the rapture gospel says. *** God saved the Jew first and then the Gentile was brought in under Christ. He gave his Holy Spirit as a seal that we are His. *** Like Paul, we pray that our hearts will be flooded with light so we can understand the hope your have given us. We pray that we will understand the greatness of Your power for us who believe in You. We as your body are made full and complete in Christ who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Thurs.’s Devo -God’s Deliverance

Thurs.’s Devo -God’s Deliverance 9-21-23 Read: Isaiah 37:1-38:22; Galatians 6:1-18; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 23:24 We read yesterday that when Eliakim and Shebna heard the report from the Assyrians of what they were threatening to do to them, they tore their clothes and took the message to the king. When King Hezekiah heard the message he tore his clothes and went to the King of Kings. He sent Eliakim and Shebna to the prophet Isiah to let him know what was happening so he could guide them in what to do. *** Isaiah told them not to be discouraged by their blasphemous words against the Lord. The Assyrian king would receive a message that he is needed at home and return home and be killed. That is exactly what happened. He received the word and went home but before he left the told the Israelites not to think their God had delivered them because he was coming back and he was going to do to them what he had done to all the other nations. *** Hezekiah knew that what they said was true. They had destroyed other nations and thrown their gods into the fire, but Hezekiah told God that he knew He was not made of wood and stone and He could not be thrown away and gotten rid of. *** God answered Hezekiah and told him that the king of Assyria would go home and never return. He would defend the city of Jerusalem. God did. He sent his army and killed 185,000 Assyrians who had been camping around Jerusalem waiting for their king to come back and lead the attack. King Sennacherib returned to Assyria and was killed in his temple to his god, Nisroch by his own sons. *** Hezekiah became fatally ill and thought he would die. Isaiah sent a message telling Hezekiah to set his affairs in order because he would not recover. Before Isaiah could make it out of the palace, Hezekiah had cried out to the Lord reminding him of all he had done for him and begging him for more time. God sent Isaiah back in to see Hezekiah and tell him that he would live 15 more years. He told him to take some figs and make a salve and put it on his wound. As a sign that he would do what he said, he told him that the shadow on the sun dial would move back ten steps. *** Paul urged them to care for one another in love. If they knew someone who had fallen into sin and needed help getting out, then they should help them, not condemn them. Everyone was responsible for their own conduct. When they had special teachers come in they should provide for them. How and what you plant will determine how and what you reap. *** Last of all, it is not circumcision that counts but whether you have been transformed into a new creation. The people who live in God’s peace and mercy are the new people of God. *** Lord, may we walk in your peace and mercy. May we tend to others in love and also tend our own gardens. We give ourselves as an offering to You today.

Wed.’s Devo - The Righteous Will be Saved!

Read: Isaiah 33:10-36:22; Galatians 5:13-26; Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 23:23 The Lord stands up because the end is here - the end to the wicked Assyrians. God was going to do to them what they threatened to do to Jerusalem. He was going to burn them with fire and destroy them. The survivors of God’s judgment fire will be the righteous who were honest and fair and refused to take bribes. They will become the rulers. They will live in fortified houses where food will be supplied to them. They will have water in abundance. (Reminds me of Goshen where Joseph’s family lived when they came to Egypt. They ate from the king’s table in a time of famine.) *** The rulers of Assyria who were oppressive and violent will be seen no more. Jerusalem will be a city of peace and protection. They will celebrate God’s holy festivals. God will be like a wide river that no one can cross to get to them for harm. God is their judge, lawyer and king. He will care for them and save them. The wealth of the wicked will be divided among the people of God. God will forgive Israel’s sins. This is our promise today! *** God’s enemies will be completely destroyed and the dead left unburied causing a stink on the land. The kingdoms of this world will melt away and disappear, the world’s stars will fall to the ground. The gods of the heathen will lose any power they had to deceive. *** Next, God will judge Edom. God will take out his revenge on all they did to Israel. Edom will burn forever and its judgment will never end. It will lie deserted from generations generation and no one will live there again. It will be known as the Land of Nothing. It will be deeded over to the wild animals. *** God’s glory will be displayed in the desert. It will bloom with flowers and productivity. Isaiah told the people to let this good news strengthen their hearts and make them happy and hopeful. God will make a road across the desert which will be named the Highway of Holiness and only those who walk in God’s ways will be able to travel it. They will enter Jerusalem with joy and singing. *** In the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyrian came to attack Judah. He sent his messengers with words of intimidation and fear. They were to weaken the warriors making it easier to take the city. They told the soldiers on the wall not to listen to Hezekiah because God had sent them to take their city. God was not on Hezekiah’s side because he had gotten rid of all God’s shrines. (How deceived he was) *** This tactic of intimidation is still going on today. We call it the main stream media. It hounds us with bad news and chaos to control and keep us in the state of fear. I would recommend not listening to it at all. I never listen to the news. I listen to Elijah Streams and the prophets. They have the good news. *** Hezekiah had Jehovah God on his side. He had gotten rid of all the pagan shrines that the Assyrians trusted in. All of their threats were lies and deception. But, even the leader so Judah were weakened when they heard their threats. They tore their clothes in despair and took the bad news to Hezekiah. *** In Galatians, Paul explains the freedom they have in Christ. It is not freedom to sin but freedom to serve one another in love. If we walk in the Spirit we won’t have a desire to sin. God’s Spirit produces in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul encourages us not to become conceited or jealous of one another. Lord, help us to walk in the fruit of your Spirit. Help us to listen to your voice and not the voice of the accuser who wants to put us in fear and intimidate us. We are the ones you gave dominion over the earth. May we rise up and take our position to watch over your creation and your people.

Tues.’s Devo - Victory in Jesus

Read: Isaiah 30:12-33:9; Galatians 5:1-12; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 23:22 The Israelites heard that the Assyrians were coming and panicked. Instead of asking God, they looked to Egypt for help. They tried to pay the Egyptians to come and defend them. Isaiah told them that the only way they were going to be saved was in returning to the Lord and resting in him. Since they wouldn’t do that, what they feared would happen came upon them. God would wait for them to come to him. *** Our enemies are planning another pandemic and are going to try to shut down the nation again. Are we going to listen to their lies or are we going to trust God this time and not comply to their lies? I hope we are. We choose how our nation will go because we are God’s children. He will listen to us (30:19). *** Isaiah tells them that when the people turn to the Lord, he will bless them and give them abundant harvests. God will sift out the proud nations and lead them away to ruin but His people will sing for joy. God will destroy the enemy with flood, thunderstorms and huge hailstones. Fire will burn them, but God’s people will rejoice. *** Those who trusted in Egypt will be greatly disappointed. But, God will protect Jerusalem and guard it as a shepherd. Though his people are stubborn and rebellious now, Isaiah sees ahead to the day they will do away with their idols and trust in Him. *** God will defeat the Assyrians, not man. A righteous king is coming who will have princes who will rule with integrity. They will be shelters for the people. They will be shadows of the great rock. *** Jesus is the righteous king and his believers are the prince’s. They will be a shadow of Jesus and walk in his authority. Then, those who have eyes to see and ears to hear will understand what is going on. They will speak out. The ungodly leaders will be exposed as fools and lose their reputations. They have not given to the poor but devised wicked schemes to convict the poor and just. *** This is happening in our day as “whistleblowers” are coming out of the woodwork to expose the wickedness of our leaders. God is bringing justice to our land. *** God has a word for women who live in ease and think it won’t affect them. It will affect them when it affects their pocketbook and they can’t buy the things they once could. This is not a time to ignore what is going on but to repent and get involved in helping in some way. They were going to be going into captivity and the land was going to enjoy its Sabbaths and it would rejoice. Nature would be preparing for the day God’s people would return,. *** No matter what happened to the land of Israel, God would bring his people back and they would live in safety and peace. Everything they do would be blessed. *** The evil Assyrians would experience everything they had dished out on others. The tables would be turned and God would avenge his people. *** At the time of chapter 33, the Assyrians had broken their treaty with Israel and had attacked and taken many prisoners and killed others. Isaiah cried out for God to be merciful to them and help them. *** Paul is very concerned that the people have been listening to a false teacher who taught that they please God by what they do and not by whose they are. His teachings are powerless because there is no way to win or overcome. God wants us to be overcomes and powerful warriors in his army. We do that by putting our sins behind us and trusting in Jesus who took them away. We no longer walk in sin but in power and righteousness. We may stumble, but God helps us back up. We may be oppressed by the enemy, but we know who our God is and that we have already won this fight because God says so. We fight with weapons of our arsenal that are not physical but powerful to the bringing down of strongholds. We are a huge threat to the enemy. *** Lord, help us to walk in power and authority. Jesus lead us to battle and be our Commander in Chief. May we hear your whispers telling us which way to walk.

Mon.’s Devo - The End to Our Enemies and Freedom for God’s People

Read: Isaiah 28:14-30:11; Galatians 3:23-4:31; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 23:19-21 This might as well read: “Listen you scoffing leaders of America. You have struck a deal with Satan to clone yourselves so you won’t die. You have made a deal to sell out the nations so that you can live forever and not die but your plans were built on lies and deception. Only God can give you eternal life.” *** The foundation stone is Christ and on him alone can eternal life be found. Our enemies have plans to destroy the earth while they go under ground in tunnels. They have enough food and supplies to stay there for years while the earth is under radiation and destruction. In hundreds of years, they plan to resurface and rebuilt. What idiots! They think they will get away with it. *** God says that he will destroy their refuge with a hailstorm and a flood will sweep it away. God will cancel their bargain they made to bypass death and the grave. God will send a flood that will carry them away. *** God gave them two points of reference to describe how he was going to defeat the enemy. The first was like he did at Mt. Perazim. David described it as a breach of waters which is like a flood. The other example he gave was against the Amorites at Gibeon. God threw down hailstones on the Amorites while the sun stood still so that Joshua and the Israelites could avenge themselves upon their enemies. God will again do something he has never done before just like he did in the past. *** God will destroy Jerusalem and then turn and attack its enemies. They will be gone quickly. The people didn’t believe Isaiah but he told them that they had been given a spirit of deep sleep and their eyes and ears had been closed to the truth of what the prophets were telling them. *** They couldn’t understand the prophecies of the prophets because their eyes were blind. They claimed to know the Lord, but their hearts were far from him. They planned evil in secret but it was no secret to the Lord. *** Isaiah saw ahead to the day when the deaf would hear God’s word and the blind would see through all the smokescreen of bad, to the place of peace prepared by the Lord for them. The evil judges and the false accusers will be gone. When the people of Israel see God’s goodness and blessings fall on them they will stand in awe of God. *** But, God’s children who look to other sources other than God for help will be put to shame. Those who paid great amount of money for help from Egypt will lose their money and get no help. To us that translates as those who looked to the CDC and the WHO for answers and their help will be greatly ashamed. Those who look to the government and our broken system of justice will be disappointed. They are the ones who don’t want to hear the truth and don’t want to change and hear what God says. *** Paul describes the law as our “protective custody” to preserve us until grace arrived. But now, grace has arrived so we don’t need the protective custody of the law, we have a new covenant of freedom and grace. We are now all a member of God’s family whether we are Jews or Gentiles, slave or free, male or female. We are all his heir to freedom, salvation, righteousness, power and authority. *** Paul tried to expose the hypocrisy of their false teachers who tried to buy their loyalty with fake kindness and slandering Paul and his message. *** Paul compared what was happening to the sons of Abraham. Ishmael was born out of man’s way to bring about God’s fulfillment. But, Isaac was the embodiment of God’s fulfillment. Hagar was the picture of the law given at Mt. Sinai and Sarah was the picture of heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman and their spiritual mother. *** He compared the persecution of their teachers to Ishmael who persecuted Isaac who was born by the power of the Spirit. They need to do what Abraham did. He got rid of Hagar and Ishmael and sent them away. They need to do the same to the false teachers and walk in freedom. *** This battle between self-righteousness and walking in the Spirit is still being battled in our churches today. It is disguised by “self-help” and “you are a sinner, saved by grace” teachings. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus put on this earth to do the same works of Jesus and greater. We do all this by the power Jesus gave us. *** Lord, help us to walk in the grace and authority you have given us. You are our rock and our fortress. We look to you as our Source.

Sun.’s Devo - The Good News

Read: Isaiah 25:1-28:13; Galatians 3:10-22; Psalm 61:1-8: Proverbs 23:17-18 What the Lord is doing right now in our world has been planned long ago. Like in the days of Isaiah, our big cities are being turned into heaps of ruins and the walls turned to rubble. Maui was attacked by energy weapons all in the name of “smart cities” which they plan to set up. The elite’s land was untouched while the poor’s land was devastated and there is no relief. Their insurance policies won’t pay and the government refused to allow aid to be brought in. The wicked people have no mercy; they are ruthless. *** But God is still our tower of refuge from the storm and heat. He will prepare a table for us in the midst of our enemies. The Lord will remove the cloud of gloom and the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever and wipe away all tears. This is not talking about heaven but here on the earth. We have entered the Kingdom Age and first we have to get rid of the giants in the land who have ruled us like evil taskmasters. *** God will bless his people and punish his enemies. He will put an end to the pride and all their evil works. God’s people will sing that we are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation. We will have perfect peace if we put our trust in you and fix our thoughts on God. Our way ahead of us will not be steep and rough but God will smooth it out for us. *** In 26:12-15, Isaiah sees the day when God grants them peace and though others had ruled them, they will now worship the Lord alone. The ones they used to see are dead and their departed spirits will never return. God made their nations great again. This is our promise for America. *** Isaiah tells the people to hid in their homes for a little while longer while the Lord is punishing the wicked but they will not be able to keep hidden all who have been killed. They will be brought out of all to see. *** This makes me think of all the people who have already died and they have covered up their deaths with doubles and clones. One day it will all be shown to the world. *** Then, God will punish Leviathan who is Satan disguised as a reptilian. The earth will once again become his garden like in Eden. He will water it and watch over it. If he finds briers or thorns he will attack them and burn them up unless they turn to him and repent. All pagan altars will be destroyed. The people of Israel that turned from the Lord will be led into exile for a season but they will return when God blows his trumpet. They will return to Jerusalem and worship the Lord. *** Samaria, the proud capital of Israel and the center of ungodly kings will be brought down. God will become Israel’s crown and glory. Their judges will rule with justice and their soldiers will be given courage to guard the gates. *** At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, things were terrible. The nation was run by drunks. That included the priests and the prophets. God could only talk to them a little at a time because they couldn’t keep it in their minds. God sent prophet after prophet all saying the same thing…repent! *** Paul made the argument that the promise given to Abraham and Christ was given 430 years before the law was given. The promise was to make Abraham’s descendants great on the earth and they would be a blessing to all the earth. They would bring salvation and life. The law was given after the promise to point out their sin. It was to be done away with once the fulfillment of the law came which was Christ. We are no longer a slave to sin. Our curse of sin was nailed to the cross once and forever. We now walk in freedom, power, deliverance, and authority just like Christ did because He is now in us. *** Lord, may we walk in the same Spirit that raised you from the dead! May we see with your eyes what you are doing on the earth and be courageous. We trust in You, alone.

Sat.’s Devo - God’s Restructuring

Read: Isaiah 22:1-24:23; Galatians 2:17-3:9; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 23:15-16 Isaiah is given a terrifying prophecy concerning Jerusalem, the Valley of the Vision, the city of the prophets. He sees the city racked by poverty and disease. Some of the people were mourning and sad while others were recklessly partying as their means of escape. *** The people didn’t understand that it was the Lord who was doing all this. He was fighting against them using foreign armies and kings. Instead of crying out to Him, the only one who could stop it, some sought to self-medicate while others sought to defend themselves. None seemed to chose to repent. *** In verse 19 he tells king Jehoahaz that he would be removed from office, after only reigning for three months and replaced by Jehoiakim. He would wear his royal robe and have his title and authority. He would be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. To him, God would give the key to the house of David. He would be able to open doors that no man would shut and shut doors that no-one would be able to open. He would bring honor to his family name. His father was Josiah. He began as a good king but like the nail that fell to the ground in verse 25, Jehoiakim was taken to Babylon and then returned to rule. When he returned he did not follow the Lord, but worshipped idols and led the nation to sin. He ruled 10 years and ended in a very violent death. He was replaced by Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Jehoiachin. *** God has a message for Tyre. Tyre was a very wealthy city on the coast. Old Tyre was on the coastland and New Tyre was on an island out from the shore of Old Tyre. New Tyre survived Old Tyre about five years and then was also destroyed. They were the marketplace of the world until God destroyed its harbors. *** Tyre would be forgotten for 70 years then she would revive and be as evil as she was before. But, in the end, she would be given to the Lord. Her wealth would not be hoarded anymore, but given to the priests to provide good food and fine clothing. *** The earth would be completely emptied and looted. This is the result of the sins of the people who twisted God’s instructions and violated his laws. The earth had to pay the price for they sins. Their joy will be turned to gloom and joy into sorrow. *** Isaiah heard songs of joy being sang in the eastern lands as the people gave glory to the Lord. They were the songs of the exiled who returned to their God. He sees the earth is being destroy with earthquakes, fires and volcanoes. The gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the earth will all be rounded up and put in prison. They will finally be punished. Then the glory of the Lord will rule in Jerusalem in the sight of all the leaders of his people. *** I feel that we are right here in history. We are at the place where fires, earthquakes and all sorts of crazy things are happening to destroy the earth. God is cleansing and destroying principalities and strongholds of the enemy. The ones that got away with murder and all sorts of evil will finally be rounded up and thrown in prison. Hallelujah! *** Paul is arguing his case for grace. If they received the Holy Spirit by faith then why were they trying to do everything else by the law. Paul explained that we are crucified with Christ and he now lives in us. Christ was sinless and singleminded toward God. That is the power we have in us. We can too be sinless and singleminded toward God if we let Christ rule in us. *** God’s promise to Abraham was to bless the world. It was always God’s plan to include the Gentiles and the whole earth. He set the Jews up to be an example to the world of what God would do for his family. Jesus, our mediator made a way to come to God and be a part of his family. *** Praise be to God! Thank you for welcoming us into your family. Thank you for being a good and loving Father. Be with our nation and the other nations as we go through this cleansing and restructuring. Help us to hold on and not get weary or afraid. Thank you for being with us and never forsaking us

Fri.’s Devo - Egypt’s Future

Read: Isaiah 19:1-21:17; Galatians 2:1-16; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 23:13-14 God had a message for Egypt. God was coming for Egypt. The people and their gods will tremble as he draws near. There will be internal fighting and none of their gods will be able to help. God would turn them over to an evil task master to rule over them (probably Nebuchadnezzar). *** God would cause the waters of the Nile to not rise sufficiently to water their crops creating a famine. It would affect every business as all their business was dependent on the Nile. *** The advisors to the king would be given the spirit of stupid which would lead to Egypt’s downfall. The fear of the Lord would cause five of their cities to follow Him. They would even begin to speak Hebrew. One of these cities would be Heliopolis. *** An altar would arise in the heart of Egypt where God would be worshiped. The Lord would strike Egypt, but the people would look to him and He would heal them. *** Egypt and Assyria would be connected by a highway and they would both worship God. Israel would also join them in their worship of God. This is yet to happened which tells us things are not over yet. *** The year that Assyria captured the Philistine city of Ashdod, God told Isaiah to walk around barefoot and naked. He did this for three years, then God had him explain to the people that he did this to show them as a symbol of the terrible times that were coming. The Assyrians would attack them and cause them to walk naked and barefoot to their shame. *** The Philistines panicked when Ashdod was taken. They had thought the Egyptians would protect them from the Assyrians. *** God had a message for Babylon. Disaster was coming to them from the desert. It was so devastating that Isaiah was afraid to look at it. He saw in his spirit, the people of Babylon preparing a great feast when all of a sudden they were attacked. He warned Babylon to post watchmen to watch for an approaching army but all they saw was a man in a chariot with a pair of horses. The next thing the watchmen are saying is that Babylon was fallen. It was sudden and unexpected. *** What happened was that Cyrus opened the dykes and confined the Euphrates into one channel. It caused the water to overflow in Babylon and they entered through the river channel under the gates. They were in the midst of the city without the watchmen on the towers seeing them. The king of Babylon was preparing a great feast and oblivious to what was happening. The takeover was swift and took them by total surprise. *** The people of Edom who were greatly affected by the battles between Egypt and Assyria asked how long would this continue. Isaiah told them they would stop temporarily and then resume. He could ask him again then. *** Arabia was right in the line of march of the Assyrians and the Egyptians. They offered food and water to the refugees but within a year, only a few of their warriors survived. *** Paul went back to Jerusalem after being away for 14 years. He wanted to make sure they were walking in grace and not law. He was unimpressed with the reputation of their great leaders because he understood that God has no favorites. He was pleased to see that they accepted the fact that Paul was called to the Gentiles and Peter was called to the Jews. He was glad to find them walking in grace and their welcome and acceptance was refreshing. *** In Antioch, Paul had to rebuke Peter for his hypocrisy with the Gentiles. He was one way with them and another when Jews were around. Paul put the Jews and the Gentiles on the same level playing field. They are both reconciled to God by their faith, not their works. *** Lord, may our faith please you. Thank you for all you have done for us, all you do for us daily and all you have promised to do for us in the future. May we bless you back with our praise, thanksgiving and obedient love.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Determined Judgment on Moab

Read: Isaiah 15:1-18:7; Galatians 1:1-24; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 23:12 It is believed that Chapter 15 and 16 was a prophecy Isaiah delivered in the first years of Hezekiah's reign and was fulfilled in the fourth when Shalmaneser, on his way to invade Israel, may have attacked and defeated the strongholds of Moab. Moab probably had made an alliance with Israel and Syria in a league against Assyria, incurring the vengeance of Assyria. *** When God determines judgment it is swift and thorough. His judgment was a direct assault against their gods and those who worshipped them. Nebo was the place where the temple to the god Chemosh was worshiped. Chemosh is another name for Asherah. This is the wife of Baal who taught her followers to transgender all babies as an act of worship to her. She is being worshipped all over America today. *** God had determined their total destruction and nothing would be able to stop it. All the crying out to their gods would do nothing. When God finishes his attack on them, he will set up one of David’s descendants as their king. He will rule with mercy and truth and do what is right and just. *** This is a picture of what is happening in our day. Ungodly nations are coming down to be turned over to righteous government under Christ’s ambassador. *** God gave them three years before the complete destruction of Moab would take place. He always gives a time for the people to repent. But, only a few would survive. Even less of the leaders would survive. Then, the people would look to God, their creator, the Holy One of Israel. They would no longer look to their idols for help or bow down to Asherah. *** They could plant all they wanted now but they would never reap a harvest of anything but grief and unrelieved pain. *** Ethiopia would plan an attack but be cut off by the Lord before they could launch them. They will end up bringing gifts to the Lord in Jerusalem. *** Paul wrote to the church at Galatia rebuking them for turning from grace back to law. Grace includes the death and resurrection of Christ; the reconciliation of our selves to God. It says that we are no longer sinners but the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. They were teaching that you had to get yourself perfect by obeying the law to please God. We know that our faith pleases God and anything other than that is self-righteousness. Paul reminded them of what he did when he tried to do what the law said. He persecuted Christians all in the name of righteousness and obeying the law. But when Christ was revealed to him in person, he began to proclaim the Good News of grace and freedom in Christ, the resurrected one. Paul stayed with Peter for three years being discipled in the law of love through Christ. He now preached the very faith he tried so hard to destroy. He didn’t want them to be guilty of what he did. *** Lord, may we be able to discern the difference between law and grace, life and death, bondage and freedom because though they are very opposite, Satan clothes the false in light. May we see through his smoke screen and choose life.

Wed.’s Devo - The Battle is On

Read: Isaiah 12:14-32; 2 Corinthians 13:1-14; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 23:9-11 This is a now word for America. God is not angry with us anymore. Now he is coming to fight for us and bring comfort and restoration. God will make known his praise around the world and we who fear the Lord will all shout for joy. *** The army of God and his saints are being called to the battle against the Babylonian system. God is calling his warriors from the distant countries to the nearest countries to join in his battle against the enemy. The earth will be punished for its wickedness and pride. The earth and the heavens will be shaken but we have to remember that we are of a kingdom that can not be shaken. The wicked will become the hunted. Babylon will fall like Sodom and Gomorrah and will not be rebuilt. *** God will have mercy on his people, those who are called by his name. The nations will unite together to help Israel be restored and its people return to their homeland. The earth will finally be able to rest and sing again. *** In Hades, or Hell, the spirits who have died will stand to meet this great Spirit of Babylon. They will taunt him because he had thought he would descend to heaven and set his throne above God’s. He had thought he would rule the gods and be like the Most High God. Instead, he was defeated to the place of the dead. They will wonder that he was the one who was so great on the earth, or thought he was. On earth, his death will not be honored or esteemed. He will be not even be given a proper burial but be dumped into a mass grave with others who are killed in the battle. *** In Isaiah’s time it was the Assyrians who were their worst enemies, it our day it is the Luciferian cabal, the Deep State, the World Economic Forum… whatever you want to call them. They all fall under the Spirit of Anti-Christ. They are about to be raptured out of here and we will inherit the earth. *** Just a personal note. Our enemies have been planning to do another Covid-like pandemic. They are planning to say it came from Canada. Their plans are to spray this virus through the chem trails of planes and into the water system. Walgreens is already redoing their spots on the floor for the six foot separation. We must not comply! We must not put on masks but insist on not shutting down the nation. We must not let them have their way. We must rebel and fight back. Pray about how you can do that in your life. I refused to wear a mask the first time and I refuse to do it again. If we don’t comply, it won’t work and they will have to back down. They are more afraid of us than we know. Greater is in us than he who is in the world. *** Paul was coming to visit the church in Corinth for the third time and warned them that this time he was coming to do business. He had pointed out their sins the last time and given them time to repent and change. He tells them to examine their own hearts and see if Jesus is their main focus. If not then their faith is not genuine. Paul and his men were coming with apostolic authority and hopes that he won’t have to use it. He has to stand for the truth. He is hoping that he will find them repented, living in harmony and love and strong in their faith. That is exactly Christ’s prayer for us. He is warning us ahead of time of what is coming so we can prepare our hearts to stand and be bold. We are at the very end of this war and we can not give up now. We are about to win it all! *** Lord, may we stand in the power of your might. May we have courage to take a stand against injustice and lies and make truth our banner. Thank you for your mighty army that goes before us.

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Revenge

Read: Isaiah 10:1-11:16; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21; Psalm 56:1-13; Proverbs 23:6-8 God rebukes the injustice in their “justice” system. Just like today, the widows and orphans are denied their rights. God would send his punishment by the hands of the Assyrians and then turn and plunder them. God will use the king of Assyria like a tool in His hand, but he will not understand that. His pride will be dealt with by God. God will send a plague to kill the proud army of Assyria and only a few will survive. *** The remnant left in Israel will trust in the Lord and return to Him. Out of all the destruction will grow a new root. This branch shall be the Christ. God’s Spirit will rest on him. He will have the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, and Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord and see as God sees, not as man does. He will give justice to the poor and judge fairly. The earth will obey his word and he will destroy the wicked with his breath. He will be clothed in righteousness and truth. Nature will be at peace with itself and the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. This is our heritage and this is what we will see in our day! *** God will gather Israel together and bring them back to their land. Israel and Judah will no longer be enemies but will be unified against their enemies. They will plunder Philistia, Edom, Moab and Ammon. The Euphrates River will be divided into seven streams and be easily crossed on foot. A highway will be made for the remnant of his people coming out of bondage. It will be just like it was in Moses’ day. God will bring his people out of slavery and into their promised land. *** In Corinthians, Paul sarcastically apologizes for not charging them for his services like the “super apostles” were doing. Paul is about to visit them for the third time and he makes it clear that he is not coming for what they have, but for them. He is like their father, and like a father, he wants to provide for them and not vice versa. *** Paul laments that he afraid that he is going to come and find them fighting among themselves and still participating in sexual sins. *** Lord, may You arise and your enemies be scattered.

Mon.’s Devo - Our Strength is in the Lord

Read: Isaiah 8:1-9:21; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 55:1-23; Provers 23:4-5 God told Isaiah to make a big sign with the name Maher-shalalhash-baz on is which means “quickly the spoil, hasting the prey”. Isaiah obeyed, asking honest men to witness what he wrote. *** Then, Isaiah and his wife conceived a son and named him this name and Isaiah prophesied that before his son would be able to say “papa” or “mama” the Assyrians would quickly take the spoil of Damascus and of Samaria. *** When the people heard what was Isaiah said was going to happen to Damascus and Samaria, they rejoiced and the Lord rebuked them. He said that because they rejoiced at their doom, the king of Assyria would also prey on Judah. All of their armies and strategy will not be able to save them. *** God told Isaiah not to be afraid of what made everyone else was afraid of. The only thing they should fear would be the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He had the power to take them or protect them. To Israel and Judah, God would be a stone that makes them stumble and a rock of offense. Isaiah proclaims that he will put his hope in God. *** All of Isaiah’s children were named as signs to the people of Israel of God’s warnings to them. Many would want to ask their mediums and spirits of the dead about the future, but why would they ask the dead about life? Only God has the light on what will happen. He is the only one who can see. Those who look elsewhere will be in the dark. *** One day they will come out of their darkness and be humbled. The land of Galilee would be filled with glory. These people who walk in the dark will see a great light and rejoicing and joy will return to the people of Israel. *** A child will be born and the government of the people will rest on him. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and peace will never end. His government will be one of peace justice and love. As for now, God has proclaimed judgment on Israel and Judah. God’s army will bring the Assyrians from the east and the Philistines from the west to attack Israel and Judah. When they still don’t repent, he will destroy the leaders and the lying prophets in a single day. God will have no mercy on the great or the small because they all rejected him as their God. *** Paul had been giving them his credentials to persuade them to listen to him and not the false teachers they had in abundance. He tells them of the time he was caught up to the third heaven and the wonderful things he saw…things he was not able to repeat. But instead of boasting in his experiences, he wants to boast in his weakness because in his weakness, God is very strong though him. He was given a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming proud. When he asked God to take it away, God had told him that his grace was all he needed. His power works best in our weaknesses. *** Lord, thank you that you can do through us what we are unable to do in our own self. It is your grace that leads us and sustains us. Help us to rise up to be mighty warriors in this day of battle. Your grace is sufficient for us.

Sun.’s Devo - The Sovereign God

Read: Isaiah 6:1-7:25; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 23:1-3 The people had made Uzziah king after his father, Zechariah had died. He was a strong king who ruled for 52 years. During his reign, Judah enjoyed prosperity and peace. He began his reign relying on the Lord but in the end his pride led him to offer incense in the Temple. He was struck by leprosy and had to live apart from the palace in a separate building. When he died, Isaiah had a vision of an open heaven where he saw God on his throne. He say the mighty seraphim attending God and proclaiming his holiness and glory. Their voices shook the Temple on earth and it was filled with smoke. *** Isaiah thought the world had come to an end and God was coming to judge the earth. One of the angels touched Isaiah’s mouth with a coal from the altar of heaven and removed all the sin and guilt from Isaiah. When he asked who would go as their messenger, Isaiah volunteered. The seraphim explained that the people’s hearts would be hardened and they wouldn’t listen or comprehend what he was telling them. The land would become a waste land and everyone would be exiled away except a small remnant. The people left would be God’s holy seed. *** Chapter seven moves ahead years. Uzziah’s grandson, Ahaz is king of Judah. He had received news that King Rezin of Syria and Pekah the king of Israel were going to ally to attack Jerusalem. He and the people were shaking in fear but God sent Isaiah and his son, Shear-jashub to give King Ahaz a message. He told him where he would find Ahaz and tell him that the invasion would never happen. (Shear-Jashub means “a remnant will return.”) *** Later, God sent Isaiah to Ahaz to ask God for a sign that he would do these things. Ahaz refused to give a sign which infuriated God. He told him if Ahaz wouldn’t come up with a sign of confirmation, then he would. The young woman would have a son and his name would be Immanuel and by the time he was old enough to eat honey and yogurt the lands of Syria and Israel would be deserted. Then the Lord will bring the Assyrians and the Egyptians against them. Their land will become desolate and shorn. So few people will be left that it will only take a few animals to maintain their existence. *** Isaiah was prophesying into the time of Christ but also into his own time. His wife did have a child and when the child was weaned all this happened. *** Paul argues his case to the Corinthians. Apparently the false teachers had defended their positions with their credentials so Paul gives his. His credentials came through pain and suffering - blood, sweat, and tears. He has given his life for the Gospel and that is his defense. *** Lord, may we boldly proclaim God’s message to our generation. May we bring hope and salvation to the lost and weary. Thank you that you always save a remnant of believers to carry on your work. May we be that remnant.

Sat.’s Devo -God’s Promises to His Faithful

Read: Isaiah 3:1-5:30; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15; Psalms 53:1-6; Proverbs 22:28-29 Isaiah sees ahead to the day when everything Israel depended on other than God would be taken from them. They went after other sources of power and it will fail them in the day they need help the most. Boys will become their leaders and spoiled babies will rule them. People will become haters of people and ridicule the wise. *** No one will want to take charge. They will stop trying to hide their sins but display their evil intents openly. (Boy, are we seeing that now!) They are doomed. *** But God had a word for the faithful…all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! The wicked who will get what they deserve. *** God will call the evil to his courtroom and declare their verdict. The elders and rulers will be judged for crushing God’s people. The haughty of Zion will be stripped of their wealth and end in poverty. Her men will be killed or exiled. The women will fight for the few men left. *** But those who endure the trial will remain and be a holy people. They will enjoy the fruit of the land. God will lead them like he led Israel through the wilderness, with a cloud by day and fire by night. *** Israel had been God’s vineyard but instead of a crop of justice and righteousness, it had become a place of oppression and violence. *** God condemned those who had bought up great amounts of land evicting those who lived on the land. They will lose that land and the money they would have made from its profits. *** Death and exile will come to humanity because they rejected the law of the Lord but his lambs will find good pastures and fattened sheep and young goats that feed among the ruins. In other words, the righteous will take the spoil when they are gone. *** The evil said that good was evil and evil was good, but they will be judged and be found guilty. Their punishment will be swift and thorough. *** This is our day! This is what we can expect to see happen in this decade. ***Paul deals with the Church at Corinth differently than he does other churches because their problems were different. They remind me of some of the mega churches of our day. They were being bombarded with false teachers wanting the wealth of the people. They had become infiltrated with teachers that taught to be blessed was to give to them. *** Paul had made it a point not to accept their money or receive offerings from them to show them the difference between the true and the false. Our churches have been infiltrated also with false teacher who profit off of their teaching and rob the people to get rich themselves. *** Lord, may we have discernment to know what is good and righteous. Deliver us from evil. Thank you for your wonderful promises. We trust in your Word.

Fri.’s Devo - The Great News!

Read: Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 52:1-9; Proverbs 22:26-27 I love Isaiah! Isaiah means “God has saved.” Isaiah tells us the good news of our salvation. Up until just this year I had a gloom and doom view of the world. I thought all this was going to end in the Anti-Christ taking over the earth and us being raptured out of here in the nick of time before the Great Tribulation came. I now see things totally different. We have been going through the Tribulation for years and we are at the part where the Anti-christ system comes down and they are taken out of this world and we set up God’s Kingdom here on earth like it is in heaven. Isaiah says it in what we read today. *** He describes the world we are living in. Israel doesn’t know its master or recognize his care for them. They don’t know who God is. I can say that is true of Israel today. They are a government but they don’t meet and cry out to God for help. They govern like politicians. They have been a hot bed of violence and war since I can remember. In Isaiah’s day, the leaders of Israel had become enemies of God like the leaders of our nation. They who were suppose to be the bearers of truth and justice had become unjust and like the leaders of Sodom. And, the people like the people of Gomorrah. (Sound familiar?) God was sick of their pretense to honor him. God tells them to wash themselves and give up their evil ways - help the oppressed, seek justice, defend the orphans and fight for the rights of the widows. *** He encourages them that if they repent, their sins that are like scarlet will be made white as snow. If they obey they will be blessed with plenty to eat but if they rebel they will die by the sword in war. *** He gives a good description of their leaders which sound just like ours. They love bribes, demand payoffs, refuse to help the orphans or widows. So, God will take revenge on them and remove them and put in good judges (Yay!) and wise counselors like we used to have. (Amen!) Then Jerusalem will be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City! (It is good for us to remember that Israel and the United States are like brothers. They mirror one another. What happens to Israel happens to the USA. We were both created to bring light and glory to the earth.) This is all great news. *** Isaiah saw the day when they would be ashamed of their idol worship. The evil leaders will burn along with their deeds and no one would be able to put the fire out. No one can stop what is coming! We are going to see this happen soon! *** Chapter two is glorious! In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all - the most important place on the earth. It will be raised above all other hills and people will stream there to worship! Talk about a revival. We have been promised a billion soul harvest and this is what it is talking about. The Lord’s Church will become the center of importance. The Lord’s teaching will go out from the Church and his Word will go out from Jerusalem. (I can’t wait!) *** The Lord will mediate between nation and settle disputes. Weapons will be laid down and instead of war, we will work to rebuild. The evil people who relied on their wealth and power will run to the caves and hide in the dust. God will be exalted in that day. He will judge! He will level all the important people who ruled in pride and arrogance. *** We will get rid of all their idols and they will hid in fear because God will shake the earth. Isaiah warns them not to put their trust in humans who can’t save them. Only God can save them. *** Paul defends himself. The Corinthians said that Paul was bold in his writing but a wimp in person. He was assuring them that he was bold in person and away, but he is hoping that he won’t have to be bold in his discipline when he comes. He explains that the way they wage war is not like the way the world fights. They use God’s mighty weapons to knock down strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false arguments. God’s weapons destroy pride that keeps people from seeing and coming to the truth. *** Paul preached much about the authority of the believer which was available to all who believed. He compared his power not to man’s but to God’s. Christ died to pass his authority on to us. It is our inheritance. He encourages us to boast in what God had done and is doing. *** Lord, may we walk in the authority of Christ, doing the works he did on the earth to help, encourage and further your Kingdom on the earth. May we be your vessels of truth, honor and power.

Thurs.’s Devo - Return to Me.

Read: Song of Songs 5:1-8:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 22:24-25 Jesus, the young man opens with proclaiming that he is going to his garden to gather spices and enjoy his honey and wine. He does this alone while Israel sleeps, She hears his call in the night but she is burdened down with life and doesn’t respond until it is too late. That was Israel’s story all throughout the Bible. God would send prophets to wake them up but they would wait until their enemies were upon them and even then, sometimes they would not return to the Lord. *** The woman who is Israel remembers who her God is and describes him in detail. She does know where to find her Savior. He is in the garden, where he never left, waiting for her to come to him. That is Jesus at the door of our heart waiting patiently for us to invite him in to speak with us and be our Savior. *** He describes his bride as a beautiful, strong woman. *** She goes to see if there is hope and is encouraged by the women of Jerusalem to return to her lover. That was the word of the prophets over and over, “Return to the Lord”. *** Once again the man comes to see his bride and observe if she is mature and ready to give him her heart. *** She knows that he claims her as his own just like Israel knows they are God’s chosen people. She is ready to give him her love. She is also ready to share his love with those coming behind her. *** In the end, Jesus says, you talk to everyone else, I long to hear you talk to me. She responds by wanting to go away with him. May that be our response also. *** Israel as a nation will one day come back to Jesus and acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah. *** Paul encourages the believers in Corinth to continue to give. They had promised to give a large amount to the churches in Jerusalem which were in great need. Paul doesn’t want them to renege on their offer. He sends some of his helpers ahead to preach about the blessing and responsibility we have to give. *** Giving is like a water wheel that keeps coming back with more water. Whatever you give gets multiplied and sent right back. *** Lord, help us to be cheerful givers.

Wed.’s Devo - Give Thanks

Read: Song of Songs 1:1-4:16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 22:22-23 Song of Solomon has to be the most confusing book in the Bible. It is the story of a young maiden in love with the prince. It is an allegory of Christ and the Church, covenant love and the love of God to Israel. I want to read it the latter way this year and see what we get from it. We have to always keep in mind that we as Gentile Christians are grafted into that family and we are now Jews in the spiritual sense but I want us to read this as the nation of Israel being the young maiden. *** It opens with her wanting to enjoy the love and embraces of her lover. She wants to run with him wherever he goes. I think of Abraham who was the Father of Israel. He left his father and mother to follow after God into a land he knew nothing about. He was told he would be a wanderer throughout the land and never own much of it. He was content to walk with God through this earth knowing that his inheritance was with God. *** The woman looks at herself and feels so lacking in what it would take to become the lover of the prince. But, she still longs to find him. Every person that God called felt unworthy of his calling. It took them a while to know that they would only be the vessel God would work through. *** Interesting how she often mentions tents. That was what they wondered in for years. The Tabernacle was a tent. *** The young woman talks about the king enchanted by the fragrance of her perfume. She is also taken up in his fragrance. That is the picture of what happens when we draw near to God and he draws near to us. We are both filled with our senses in a very pleasing way. Israel was blessed when they worshipped the Lord. The smell of their sacrifices pleased the nostrils of God. *** Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness. The hall of faith in Hebrews 11 tells us of the people mentioned whose faith was like incense to God. We are told that our prayers are like incense to the Lord. ** In Chapter 2, the young man is coming in the spring. It is the time when the flowers start to bloom and the fig trees are forming young fruit and the vineyards are blossoming. He calls his lover to come away with him. This is the time of Passover, when God rescued his people out of the slavery of Egypt and brought them away with him to worship him. Sadly, they brought the gods of Egypt with them and many continued to worship them. But, there was a remnant of priests and Levites and the people who worshiped at the Tabernacle and followed God. *** The young woman searches everywhere for her lover and finally finds him. He is more glorious than she can imagine. It was David who searched for the Lord with all his heart and God blessed him to become the king. He was the warrior king, but Solomon was his glory. Israel came to her rescued glory during the reign of Solomon. God blessed them and they rose as the light of the world in every area of society. Israel’s fragrance spread across the world. It continues to do that as many of the greatest inventions and greatest men have been Jews. *** Paul commends the Corinthians in the way that they received Titus in his place. Titus felt so well loved by them that he longed to return. Paul was going to send another person with Titus to come and minister to them again. Paul, himself was coming also. He would be bringing the gift he had collected from the other churches to help them. *** I hear God saying to us, “Help is on the way.” All of God’s angel army have been preparing for our day. A great battle is going to play out in the heavens and on the earth beginning in September. It will last until early spring. We are fighting against all the powers and principalities that have infiltrated our society and the societies of the earth. We need to be praying every day that they would be strong and courageous and that the Body of Christ would be strong and courageous. We are going to win but it is an all-hands-on-deck time. We use the weapons of our warfare which are faith, joy, love and consistent prayer. If you don’t know what to pray, open your Bible and start reading a Psalms aloud and declare that. You know you are praying in accordance to God’s will when you declare his Word. Today we read in our Psalm that giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors God. *** Lord, thank you that you are our Commander in Chief. We trust in you to lead us to victory. We are not afraid because we know you are our triumphant Savior. May your kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven.

Tues.’s Devo - Live in the Fear of the Lord

Read: Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 22:20-21 Solomon has some great nuggets for us today. He says that you can identify a fool the way they walk down the street! That has become so true in our generation as you see guys with their pants half-way down their rears and women with their head shorn and you don’t even know if they are men or women. *** Solomon talks about the little foxes that get into our lives and cause big problems. He personifies them as flies in perfume and servants surpassing princes. A city is blessed with the rulers are wise and know when to work and when to feast but their goal is not in the feasting but in growing. *** He gives the wisdom of diversifying your portfolio. That can pertain to people also. You don’t put all your time and strength into one person but you reach out to many because you never know the one who will take what you give them and run with it and the one who will not listen. *** He reminds the young person that they will one day have to give an account to God for everything they do. He warns them not to forget their Creator but to honor him in their youth. *** After all of Solomon’s observances, he returns to what he learned in his youth… the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It will benefit us to obey His commands because we will be judged for everything we do, including every secret thing in our heart. *** In Corinthians Paul gives the account of what is happening in the other churches. They are being tested greatly and are poor by the world’s standards, but are rich in joy which manifests in their great generosity. *** They gave beyond their need in their gifts and in their deeds. The church in Corinth had great speakers, great faith and enthusiasm and Paul encouraged them to be great givers also. Their generosity is a test of what is really inside of them. Jesus was generous to them to the point of giving his life for them. They started out as big givers but had lost their zeal. Paul was trying to stir up that generous spirit in them again. Now that they had much, they should give to those who don’t. The time will come when they might need help from the ones they were giving to now. We are all part of the same family so we help one another. *** Lord, may we be generous today in what you have blessed us with in our wealth and in our time and deeds.

Mon.’s Devo - Solomon’s View of Life

Read: Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; Proves 22:17-19 Solomon says some really wise statements today and then some utterly foolish ones. Solomon had married many wives and been swayed to worship their gods. In his quest for wisdom he tried all sorts of things that got him confused about truth. *** Let’s look at some of his wise statements. “A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.” “Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.” “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” “God created people to be virtuous.” “Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.” This last statement is so true. No matter what trouble you get yourself in, God does have a way of escape where there seems no way. The way to find that is through repentance and crying out to the Lord. He has saved me from so many mess ups. *** Some of his laughable statements are: “Wisdom is even better when you have money.” “Don’t be too good or too wise.” “Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one women!” “I recommend having fun.” I like that one! *** Solomon was the king, yet there was injustice going on in his kingdom and it makes me wonder why he didn’t do anything about it or what he did do about it. He make the statement that when a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. We can say “Amen” to that in America where we are suppose to be promised a speedy trial, yet we see people walk the street for decades before their trial ever makes it to court. *** He saw that the scales of justice in his day were turned upside down. The good were often treated like they were wicked and the wicked were often treated like they were good. Sounds familiar. *** Solomon also saw God’s scale of justice unfair. He saw the good and the wicked receiving the same fate. He saw death as the end, period. He saw no resurrection, no accounting of your life before God, and no reward. So why would anyone choose to do good? So, in the wisdom of Solomon, “live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of your life.” *** Paul could have told Solomon that worldly sorrow which lacks repentance results in spiritual death, but sorrow that leads to repentance results in spiritual life. Paul rebuked the people of Corinth and they responded correctly and righted their wrong. That made them eager to see him when he came again. Paul was like a father who is delighted because his children responded positively to his discipline and became responsible adults. *** Lord, may we respond to your discipline and become responsible adults in your kingdom. Thank you for resurrection power and life.

Sun.’s Devo - Meaningless!

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 22:16 Every time I read Ecclesiastes I hear Bob Dylan singing, “Ah, but I might as well try and touch the wind.” *** Today, Solomon ponders the oppressed and concludes that they are better off dead. He ponders a man without a family who works to become rich to have no one to pass it on to. Meaningless! A person who is alone is defenseless against attacks. This goes for the Christian who tries to make it through life without the help of the Body. *** Solomon advises people to speak less and listen more. When you make a promisefx to God, you need to keep it. If you love money you will never have enough and it is only temporary. So he concludes that it is better to enjoy the fruits of your labor and be content in your circumstances. *** It is sad when a father of many dies and has no one honor his life. Everything he worked for means nothing. *** It is better to enjoy what you do have than desiring what you don’t have. God besides our destiny and we would do well to be thankful and accept it and live our lives to the fullest. *** Our lives are like a shadow, who knows what will happen when we are gone. Ah, but we might as well try and catch the wind. *** In Corinthians, Paul tells his people to come out from among the heathen people and be separate. There is a difference between unsaved and evil people. He is talking about the people in the world that are bent on evil and have no remorse for what they do. Separating ourselves from them calls them to account for their lifestyle. If they are just back-slidden sinners or yet-to-be saved, they will see our lifestyle and repent. If they are not of the chosen then they will be glad we are gone and might attack us for our stand. Either way, we will be free from their defilement. *** Lord, may we walk in your wisdom, loving the destiny you have set for us and enjoying You and those you have placed in our lives. Give us discernment to navigate the times we are living in. Thank you for the wonderful promises for our future. You are our hope.

Sat.’s Devo - Ecclesiastes Vs. Proverbs

Read: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 22:15 It is important to know that Proverbs and Ecclesiastes were both written by Solomon while he was king. Proverbs was written in the beginning of his reign as king and Ecclesiastes was written in the latter days of his reign. His attitude was much different when he wrote Ecclesiastes. He had become cynical and had lost his fear of God that he thought was so important in Proverbs. Proverbs was the book of Godly wisdom and Ecclesiastes was the book of the wisdom of man. *** In that light we see that Solomon concludes that life is meaningless and the quest to acquire wisdom is like chasing after the wind. He is frustrated that he can’t manage and control everything, where in Proverbs he declares that God controls everything and all he has to do is trust in Him. *** We still find some great truths like the fact that history repeats itself and to try to find meaning in “things” and in yourself is meaningless. Solomon had all the money he could ever want and anything he could ever want was at his command and yet he was not fulfilled. The only fulfillment is in knowing God and living our lives for him. *** Solomon compartmentalized time into seasons for all of life’s changes. The good news about that is that you will not always stay in the same season forever. That can be a great encouragement when you are going through a difficult one. There are always times of refreshing and restoration. Solomon concluded with there is nothing better than enjoying what you do. *** In Corinthians Paul explains what approves a person for service. It is that they have endured many trials and been tested in every way. He reminds me of Solomon’s thoughts on life, only Paul is giving all the things that life throws at us as a way to make us worthy to serve the Lord in ministry. *** Lord, may we look at our trials as tests as a tool to bring us closer to you and more qualified to serve you on the earth. May we seek you with all our hearts.

Fri.’s Devo - Job’s Happy Ending

Read: Job 40:1-42:17; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 22:14 God asks Job if he still has an argument with him and if he still claims to have all the answers. Job is humbled and repents. He has nothing to say. (Good answer!) *** God has some questions for Job like, “Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? Are you as strong as God?” Then he challenges Job’s power to his. (I can see Job sinking further into the dust in humiliation and regret. He picked on the wrong god… being as God is the only God!) *** God points out the ways of Behemoth which was known as the Egyptian hippopotamus, they referred to as the Nile-horse. God’s uses him as an example of its power that no man can control. Then he moves to Leviathan which was a reptile like the crocodile or a large sea-monster. He can’t be caught, tamed or overcome. These are all creatures made by God to reflect his mighty power. *** Job responds in repentance. He didn’t know what he was talking about before and he takes everything back. He humbly repents. *** God then spoke to Eliphaz and told him he was angry at him and his two friends because they didn’t speak accurately about him like Job did. He tells them that if they want to be in right standing with Him then were to take seven bulls and seven rams and go to Job and offer them as a burnt offering to atone for their sins before Job. Then Job would pray for them. How humiliating was that! When Job prayed for them, God restored Job’s fortunes. He ended up twice as prosperous and got back the same number of sons and three most beautiful daughters. Job honored them as sons and lived to see 4 generations of his family before he died. *** In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul tries to explain the rebirth we have in Christ. We are no longer the same person just like the way they look at Christ now that he rose from the dead is a new way. They themselves are different, not the same person. They see things from heaven’s perspective which might make people think they are a little crazy. *** Now, their goal is to bring others to know Christ as the risen Lord and have their lives radically changed. This is our goal also! *** Lord, may we see ourselves and our Christian family as a risen-from-the-dead, new creature. May our live consistently reflect your glory and love.