Read: Isaiah 60:1-62:5; Philippians 1:27-2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 24:11-12
Isaiah gives us so much hope of restoration and redemption. I especially like verse 10 of Chapter 60 that says, “foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you.” To us this is saying that Satan’s kingdom will one day serve us. God is doing this very thing right now on the earth as the kingdoms of the world are becoming the kingdoms of our God. Every thing is flipping and we are becoming the head and not the tail. Instead of shame, we are going to receive a double portion and rejoice in our inheritance. The Lord will take delight in us and our God will rejoice over us.
Paul speaks of a day when the Church will stand as one and put the enemy to flight. He encourages us not to give us in doing good especially to others and to esteem others higher than ourselves.
Our Psalms has to do with the dispensation we just entered into. It is like we crossed over from David’s reign to Solomon’s reign.
Lord, thank you for all the good and precious promises you have given us. May we know how to walk in this new era.
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Sat.’s Devo - Bring Justice Back to the Earth
Read: Isaiah 57:14:59-21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10
God promised that he would not always contend and find fault with man even though his ways were bent on evil. He promised to heal, restore and comfort him and give him a reason to praise and be happy.
The wicked wanted to know what God said and went through the religious rituals for the wrong reasons. They fasted only to get God to do what they wanted him to do and when he didn’t answer their prayer, God told them why.
Fasting is not about getting our prayers answered, it is about humbling ourselves before God and helping others get free from their bondages. It is about seeing the needs of others and helping them. When we do that then our prayers will get answered quickly. We have to stop pointing our finger and judging the sins of others. We are to rebuild what has been torn down in people’s lives and help them restore their faith. This life is not about getting what we want or what we think is due us but helping God bring his kingdom down to earth so this earth looks more like heaven than it looks like hell. God wants to bring his justice to the earth.
God saw, in Israel, that there was no justice, so he wrapped himself in humanity and came down to show them what justice was suppose to look like. He did this in the face of Jesus Christ.
Paul encouraged the Christians in Philippi that our goal is to be able to discern what is best so that our decisions will be pure and blameless. He realized that the reason he was in prison was to have a platform to preach the gospel. He was an example to them of the Christian life. It didn’t matter the state of his circumstances - God can use everything we go through for his glory. God chooses how he can best be shown to the world. We are the clay in his hands. In the middle of his imprisonment, Paul found joy. In the middle of our trials we can find joy too.
Lord, help us to see through your eyes and help you bring your kingdom down to earth. Help us to work with you to bring justice to the earth.
God promised that he would not always contend and find fault with man even though his ways were bent on evil. He promised to heal, restore and comfort him and give him a reason to praise and be happy.
The wicked wanted to know what God said and went through the religious rituals for the wrong reasons. They fasted only to get God to do what they wanted him to do and when he didn’t answer their prayer, God told them why.
Fasting is not about getting our prayers answered, it is about humbling ourselves before God and helping others get free from their bondages. It is about seeing the needs of others and helping them. When we do that then our prayers will get answered quickly. We have to stop pointing our finger and judging the sins of others. We are to rebuild what has been torn down in people’s lives and help them restore their faith. This life is not about getting what we want or what we think is due us but helping God bring his kingdom down to earth so this earth looks more like heaven than it looks like hell. God wants to bring his justice to the earth.
God saw, in Israel, that there was no justice, so he wrapped himself in humanity and came down to show them what justice was suppose to look like. He did this in the face of Jesus Christ.
Paul encouraged the Christians in Philippi that our goal is to be able to discern what is best so that our decisions will be pure and blameless. He realized that the reason he was in prison was to have a platform to preach the gospel. He was an example to them of the Christian life. It didn’t matter the state of his circumstances - God can use everything we go through for his glory. God chooses how he can best be shown to the world. We are the clay in his hands. In the middle of his imprisonment, Paul found joy. In the middle of our trials we can find joy too.
Lord, help us to see through your eyes and help you bring your kingdom down to earth. Help us to work with you to bring justice to the earth.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Fri.’s Devo - Hope
Read: Isaiah 54:1-57:13; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8
Today is a day of hope for us. This is what God is saying right now to the Body of Christ. He is calling out to all who have felt unfruitful in their efforts or insignificant and he says to expand your vision and your dreams because he is about to change everything. God is about to build his body up with so much strength and provision that they are going to see that the enemy can’t make a weapon that can hurt us. All his lies are going to fall to the ground and God’s plans and God’s thoughts are going to be put on the earth. Everything the Lord has promised would happen will happen. Everyone who feels there is no hope for them or it is too late, God is going to give them a memorial and a name and they will be filled with joy. It is a good day for the Body of Christ!
To the enemies of God who trust in sorcery and their own way, they will not succeed and their secret deeds of darkness will be judged. They will be exposed and brought down. It will be the righteous that will possess the land.
In Ephesians, God gives us ways to prosper. One of them is by obeying our parents. Our parents are not just our natural parents but the ones God has given us as spiritual and ancestral parents. Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David just to name a few are all our spiritual fathers. Our pastors and teachers are also spiritual parents. If we honor them then God will give us prosperous and many days on the earth to be affective for him.
Paul also tells us that if we are leaders or spiritual parents or physical parents then we need to be examples to them of godliness and honor. We are the picture of God to them and that is a big responsibility.
We can be everything Jesus was on earth but we need to be clothed with the armor of God. Our struggle is never with people, but with spiritual powers that are in the heavenly realms. Our weapons are truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God and spirit-led prayer.
We join in Paul in praying that when we open our mouths our words would make known the mystery of the gospel.
Today is a day of hope for us. This is what God is saying right now to the Body of Christ. He is calling out to all who have felt unfruitful in their efforts or insignificant and he says to expand your vision and your dreams because he is about to change everything. God is about to build his body up with so much strength and provision that they are going to see that the enemy can’t make a weapon that can hurt us. All his lies are going to fall to the ground and God’s plans and God’s thoughts are going to be put on the earth. Everything the Lord has promised would happen will happen. Everyone who feels there is no hope for them or it is too late, God is going to give them a memorial and a name and they will be filled with joy. It is a good day for the Body of Christ!
To the enemies of God who trust in sorcery and their own way, they will not succeed and their secret deeds of darkness will be judged. They will be exposed and brought down. It will be the righteous that will possess the land.
In Ephesians, God gives us ways to prosper. One of them is by obeying our parents. Our parents are not just our natural parents but the ones God has given us as spiritual and ancestral parents. Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David just to name a few are all our spiritual fathers. Our pastors and teachers are also spiritual parents. If we honor them then God will give us prosperous and many days on the earth to be affective for him.
Paul also tells us that if we are leaders or spiritual parents or physical parents then we need to be examples to them of godliness and honor. We are the picture of God to them and that is a big responsibility.
We can be everything Jesus was on earth but we need to be clothed with the armor of God. Our struggle is never with people, but with spiritual powers that are in the heavenly realms. Our weapons are truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God and spirit-led prayer.
We join in Paul in praying that when we open our mouths our words would make known the mystery of the gospel.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Thurs.’s Devo -The Covenant
Read: Isaiah 51:1-53:12; Ephesians 5:1-33; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 24:7
Isaiah spoke to the remnant of Israel and told them to pursue righteousness and seek the Lord. He reminded them of their roots in Abraham who started as one person and grew into a mighty nation because God said he would. He told them that salvation and help was on the way. They were not to fear the insults and opinions of men who would try to terrorize and intimidate them. He called them to wake up and be strong. One day they would come with joy and singing back to Jerusalem and the Lord would redeem his people.
Isaiah gave a description of their savior. He would be disfigured beyond that of any man, be dispised and rejected by men. But, he would take the infirmities and sorrow and sin of man and through his suffering we would be healed. Through his death we would live.
Paul, then tells us to imitate Jesus and his sacrifice to God. Our suffering is not on a wooden cross on Calvary, but on the cross our affections. He told his people that they shouldn’t have a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed. All of these things require a dying to our old nature that is bent toward sin. Instead, we are to live like children of the light which will produce the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth. We are to be submissive to everyone, honoring them above ourselves. Jesus came to be a servant to man and we are to imitate him.
Marriage is a covenant that is to represent the way we relate to God and he relates to us. The man is a picture of God so we are to submit to our husband as a picture of the way we submit to God. The woman is the picture of the church and God loves the church. So the husband is to love us like God loves the church. We have to leave our old life when we become saved just as Jesus told the man to leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. This is the way Christ wants to unite with us - until we are one with him and we know what Jesus is thinking and how he would react to every situation. That is an easy concept to say, a harder one to live out. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us power to act it out in the flesh.
Lord, help us to submit our thoughts and will to yours and see your plan play out in our lives and our nation.
Isaiah spoke to the remnant of Israel and told them to pursue righteousness and seek the Lord. He reminded them of their roots in Abraham who started as one person and grew into a mighty nation because God said he would. He told them that salvation and help was on the way. They were not to fear the insults and opinions of men who would try to terrorize and intimidate them. He called them to wake up and be strong. One day they would come with joy and singing back to Jerusalem and the Lord would redeem his people.
Isaiah gave a description of their savior. He would be disfigured beyond that of any man, be dispised and rejected by men. But, he would take the infirmities and sorrow and sin of man and through his suffering we would be healed. Through his death we would live.
Paul, then tells us to imitate Jesus and his sacrifice to God. Our suffering is not on a wooden cross on Calvary, but on the cross our affections. He told his people that they shouldn’t have a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed. All of these things require a dying to our old nature that is bent toward sin. Instead, we are to live like children of the light which will produce the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth. We are to be submissive to everyone, honoring them above ourselves. Jesus came to be a servant to man and we are to imitate him.
Marriage is a covenant that is to represent the way we relate to God and he relates to us. The man is a picture of God so we are to submit to our husband as a picture of the way we submit to God. The woman is the picture of the church and God loves the church. So the husband is to love us like God loves the church. We have to leave our old life when we become saved just as Jesus told the man to leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. This is the way Christ wants to unite with us - until we are one with him and we know what Jesus is thinking and how he would react to every situation. That is an easy concept to say, a harder one to live out. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us power to act it out in the flesh.
Lord, help us to submit our thoughts and will to yours and see your plan play out in our lives and our nation.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Wed.’s Devo - Hope -
Read: Isaiah 48:12-50:11; Ephesians 4:17-32; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 24:5-6
God chose Cyrus as his friend to do his purpose against Babylon. He said that he would cause Cyrus to succeed in his mission.
God mourns over the response of the people. He knows what is best for them because he made them. God had wanted to give them peace and righteousness and bless them with many descendants so that their name would never be cut off. But, Israel refused to trust in the Lord. God warned them to flee Babylon and reminded them of how he had provided for his people who fled Egypt.
Isaiah gave them the testimony of his own life. God had called him to bring Israel and Jacob back to him. God would even use Isaiah to bring the Gentiles to the Lord. When God poured out his favor on the earth he was going to make his people come out of their darkness and see God. He knew that this would not happen for a time and the people would feel forgotten so he addressed that too. God said that he could never forget them because they were graven on the palm of his hand. Even though all hope will seem to be gone, God was going to come to their rescue at just the right time. He promised that those who hope in him will not be disappointed.
In Ephesians, Paul speaks of the Gentiles as a picture of the unsaved people who had given themselves over to sin. I find this funny since most of his congregation were saved Gentiles. He considers them Jews since they have now been grafted in to God’s family making everything we just read in Isaiah pertain to us, not just the Jewish people. They had been been made new creatures like God who had true righteousness and holiness. He admonished them not to sin any more giving the devil any foothold in them. Instead of negative talk, they needed to say things that were helpful for building each other up and encouraging one another.
The Holy Spirit is kind and compassionate and forgives and he is in us to do all these things through us.
Lord, help us to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us and walk in love. Thank you for your great plan for your people.
God chose Cyrus as his friend to do his purpose against Babylon. He said that he would cause Cyrus to succeed in his mission.
God mourns over the response of the people. He knows what is best for them because he made them. God had wanted to give them peace and righteousness and bless them with many descendants so that their name would never be cut off. But, Israel refused to trust in the Lord. God warned them to flee Babylon and reminded them of how he had provided for his people who fled Egypt.
Isaiah gave them the testimony of his own life. God had called him to bring Israel and Jacob back to him. God would even use Isaiah to bring the Gentiles to the Lord. When God poured out his favor on the earth he was going to make his people come out of their darkness and see God. He knew that this would not happen for a time and the people would feel forgotten so he addressed that too. God said that he could never forget them because they were graven on the palm of his hand. Even though all hope will seem to be gone, God was going to come to their rescue at just the right time. He promised that those who hope in him will not be disappointed.
In Ephesians, Paul speaks of the Gentiles as a picture of the unsaved people who had given themselves over to sin. I find this funny since most of his congregation were saved Gentiles. He considers them Jews since they have now been grafted in to God’s family making everything we just read in Isaiah pertain to us, not just the Jewish people. They had been been made new creatures like God who had true righteousness and holiness. He admonished them not to sin any more giving the devil any foothold in them. Instead of negative talk, they needed to say things that were helpful for building each other up and encouraging one another.
The Holy Spirit is kind and compassionate and forgives and he is in us to do all these things through us.
Lord, help us to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us and walk in love. Thank you for your great plan for your people.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Tues.’s Devo - The Turn Around
Read: Isaiah 45:11-48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4
God asks a very great question which has to do with the day we are living in. He asks us why we question him about the future and who he chooses to use. He told them that he was going to raise up a man named Cyrus and make his ways straight (meaning that his ways were crooked before). He would use this man to rebuild his city and set the exiles free. He will not do this for his own personal gain. Many of today’s prophets have likened President Trump to Cyrus.
He goes on to say that the wealth of enemy nations would come to them because they see that God is with them. Many nations who trusted in idols will come to the truth and turn to God and be saved. Every knew will bow and every tongue will witness that in the Lord alone is righteousness and strength.
God has written the end from the beginning of time and it is all hidden in the Bible.
To the heathen who refuse to bow, they will be the ones in captivity and chains. They will no longer be the leaders and the ones people idolize. In all their witchcraft and powers, they will be powerless before the Lord.
To his people, God says that he will tell us of the new and hidden things that we have not seen before. We will understand things we did not understand before.
We are living in that day!
In Ephesians, we see God’s ultimate desire is that we come together as one unit, honoring the gifts and offices each one has.
No one is more important than the other, we are all servants to one another, here to help each other come to maturity. Love is our motivation and Jesus is our head. When we have this right, the body will function as a healthy body.
Lord, help us to walk in love as servants to one another. Thank you for this new era we are living in where we bring your kingdom down to earth.
God asks a very great question which has to do with the day we are living in. He asks us why we question him about the future and who he chooses to use. He told them that he was going to raise up a man named Cyrus and make his ways straight (meaning that his ways were crooked before). He would use this man to rebuild his city and set the exiles free. He will not do this for his own personal gain. Many of today’s prophets have likened President Trump to Cyrus.
He goes on to say that the wealth of enemy nations would come to them because they see that God is with them. Many nations who trusted in idols will come to the truth and turn to God and be saved. Every knew will bow and every tongue will witness that in the Lord alone is righteousness and strength.
God has written the end from the beginning of time and it is all hidden in the Bible.
To the heathen who refuse to bow, they will be the ones in captivity and chains. They will no longer be the leaders and the ones people idolize. In all their witchcraft and powers, they will be powerless before the Lord.
To his people, God says that he will tell us of the new and hidden things that we have not seen before. We will understand things we did not understand before.
We are living in that day!
In Ephesians, we see God’s ultimate desire is that we come together as one unit, honoring the gifts and offices each one has.
No one is more important than the other, we are all servants to one another, here to help each other come to maturity. Love is our motivation and Jesus is our head. When we have this right, the body will function as a healthy body.
Lord, help us to walk in love as servants to one another. Thank you for this new era we are living in where we bring your kingdom down to earth.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Mon.’s Devo - Revelation
Read: Isaiah 43:-45:10; Ephesians 3:1-21; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 24:1-2
Isaiah is set up like the sum total of the whole Bible so the first 39 chapters of Isaiah represent the Old Testament and the next 27 represent the New. You can tell the shift of prophesy in Chapters 40-66. They give hope and promise of good things to come. Today we read things like, “forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” That sounds just like Paul teaching that in Christ you are a new creature. Old things are past away, behold all things have become new.
Isaiah proclaimed that God gives us water in the desert so we can proclaim his praise. God does give us his Spirit in times of our greatest need.
In 43:26, God told Israel to examine themselves and their fathers. God had to punish them because they forsook the Lord, but to the sons, God was promising to pour out his Spirit on them and bless them. But, the ones who caused Israel to fall into idolatry would be judged and brought down.
Isaiah told Israel to remember that it was God that formed them and He would blot out all their transgressions if they turned to Him.
When they did that, God promised them the secret things that he had hidden away. Verse 7 of Chapter 45 says that God forms the light and creates darkness. He makes peace, and creates evil. That word “creates” in both places means “to cut down”. So what he is really saying is that God molds the light and peace as a potter, but his cuts down the evil and darkness like a woodsman cuts wood. In the next verse, God calls the heavens to come to earth and pour down righteousness so that salvation can shoot up from the earth. But, he gives a woe to the one who resists what God is doing on the earth.
In Ephesians, Paul is bringing forth a totally new concept that has never been taught or thought of and that is that the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel. They are all one in God’s eyes. God sent Paul to the Gentiles to welcome them in. It was written in the Old Testament, but their eyes had been blinded to its meaning until now. There is so much revelation in the Bible that God opens up when it is time. Revelation is one of those books that continues to open up to the body of Christ as it is time for us to understand it.
Lord, your wisdom is unfathomable. Thank you for your revelation and your truth. Open up to us the mysteries hidden in darkness and show us who you are and what the kingdom is doing on the earth today.
Isaiah is set up like the sum total of the whole Bible so the first 39 chapters of Isaiah represent the Old Testament and the next 27 represent the New. You can tell the shift of prophesy in Chapters 40-66. They give hope and promise of good things to come. Today we read things like, “forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” That sounds just like Paul teaching that in Christ you are a new creature. Old things are past away, behold all things have become new.
Isaiah proclaimed that God gives us water in the desert so we can proclaim his praise. God does give us his Spirit in times of our greatest need.
In 43:26, God told Israel to examine themselves and their fathers. God had to punish them because they forsook the Lord, but to the sons, God was promising to pour out his Spirit on them and bless them. But, the ones who caused Israel to fall into idolatry would be judged and brought down.
Isaiah told Israel to remember that it was God that formed them and He would blot out all their transgressions if they turned to Him.
When they did that, God promised them the secret things that he had hidden away. Verse 7 of Chapter 45 says that God forms the light and creates darkness. He makes peace, and creates evil. That word “creates” in both places means “to cut down”. So what he is really saying is that God molds the light and peace as a potter, but his cuts down the evil and darkness like a woodsman cuts wood. In the next verse, God calls the heavens to come to earth and pour down righteousness so that salvation can shoot up from the earth. But, he gives a woe to the one who resists what God is doing on the earth.
In Ephesians, Paul is bringing forth a totally new concept that has never been taught or thought of and that is that the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel. They are all one in God’s eyes. God sent Paul to the Gentiles to welcome them in. It was written in the Old Testament, but their eyes had been blinded to its meaning until now. There is so much revelation in the Bible that God opens up when it is time. Revelation is one of those books that continues to open up to the body of Christ as it is time for us to understand it.
Lord, your wisdom is unfathomable. Thank you for your revelation and your truth. Open up to us the mysteries hidden in darkness and show us who you are and what the kingdom is doing on the earth today.
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