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.