Read the Bible in a Year (31JUL19)`

DAILY REMINDER – Today, July 31’s Bible reading is Isaiah 13-17.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, August 1’s Bible reading is Isaiah 18-22. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

ISAIAH MOMENT – (31JUL19) “Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon: ‘Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty. I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task. Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger, and they will rejoice when I am exalted’ ”  (Isaiah 13:1-3). Babylon was a nation that was feared amongst the other nations of the world. They were powerful and for a long time, they submitted to no one. Yet, God was going to bring them down as a nation because of their pride and arrogance. They had been a tool that He used to punish the nation of Israel because of their disobedience, but Babylon was about to suffer a judgment themselves as the Medes and Persians would be used as a tool by God to overthrow the Babylonian Empire, and free His people from their captivity.

Similarly, Babylon, of the modern day (America) will fall and suffer a similar fate as the Babylon of old. The Bible says, “After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. He gave a mighty shout: ‘Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal. For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich’ ” (Revelation 18:1-3). Many people have wondered where America is represented in Bible prophecy. Well, she is spoken of as Mystery Babylon in the book of Revelation. We will be revisiting this in later chapters and books in the Bible as we go along. For now, the Babylon that Isaiah foretold of was concerning both the physical Babylon of that time and the judgments of Mystery Babylon during the last days.

Babylon was prideful, haughty, sinful and wicked. She had no respect for God nor honored Him as her maker. In addition to giving Babylon’s prophecy, Isaiah prophesied of the day of the Lord where His wrath would come down in fierce anger against the wicked. The stars would not shine, the sun will be darkened, and the moon would not give its light on the day of the Lord. God is going to judge the entire world for its wickedness. The Bible says, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12,15). One day, those who defy God and have not repented of their ways will have a fiery end. It will not be because God did not love them, but it will be by their own choosing. Babylon had been given a chance to turn to God, but they rejected Him. Therefore, the Babylon of old was destroyed. Similarly, America has been given time to repent, but she continues in her idolatrous ways. There is no political solution for a sin problem, and America definitely has a sin problem. We must submit to God fully or we too will suffer for the choices that we have made. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (31JUL19) Have you ever had the privilege of being in the company of a boastful person? For most, it leaves a nasty taste in your mouth. You may have wanted to invite them to have a slice of Humble Pie. Well, Lucifer became prideful and boastful in Heaven. He said, “I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13b). He thought that he could do a better job at running things than his Creator. He plotted to place his throne above God and to make himself like the Creator. How dumb was he to think that he was a match for the One who made him? He found out, however, that his plan was not going to work and was kicked out of his once heavenly position. Now, he is no longer Lucifer, but Satan who seeks to kill, steal and destroy.

Satan has caused all the chaos that we see being displayed today, and what we have read about in the past. This earth is nothing like what God intended it to be, and never will be again until He creates it all anew. The Bible says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea” (Revelation 21:1). Isn’t it going to be great that we will one day have everything new? Pride will no longer pop out its ugly head, for it will be a thing of the past. Satan will no longer be able to destroy us through sickness, sadness, disease, heartache, grief, and death. There will be no more hunger, homelessness, loneliness, murder, hatred, racism, and anger. All that he encompasses, along with his demonic host, will be done away with. Praise God for that day when it finally comes. Something to ponder….

ISAIAH MOMENT – (31JUL19) “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins” (Isaiah 17:1b). The Prophet Isaiah not only told prophecies for the time of his era, but he also foretold things that we are seeing take place today. Some scholars believe that this prophecy took place during the 8^th century when Assyria came up against Syria and cripple the city. Yet, the prophecy is clear that Damascus will no longer exist once this prophecy is actually fulfilled. As we know, Damascus still exists as a city that exists today, but we are often hearing on the news where it is being bombed. One day, the city will be completely wiped off the map in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy over 2,000 years ago.

Many prophecies took years, decades and even centuries to be fulfilled. This caused some of the Israelites, who did not want to believe them anyway, to consider such prophets as Isaiah to be false. Yet, they did not have the spiritual discernment to understand that prophecies are fulfilled in God’s timing and not our own. The Bible says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3). It is the same way when we are waiting for God to fulfill His promises in our lives. Days, weeks, months, and years may pass by, but God is not a God who will not keep His word. Rather it is a prophecy of warning or a promise He made for our lives, God will do everything that He has promised He will do. His checks to us never bounce, for what He deposits into our lives, is guaranteed to be good. Something to ponder….

Read the Bible in a Year (30JUL19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, July 30’s Bible reading is Isaiah 9-12.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, July 31’s Bible reading is Isaiah 13-17. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

ISAIAH MOMENT – (30JUL19) “…In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan” (Isaiah 9:1b). The northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to suffer at the hands of the Assyrians upon their invasion. Those days were the beginning of gloom and sorrow for the nation of Israel who was once a blessed nation. But the Great Light would shine in the darkness, for He was coming to Galilee and would open the way for not only the Jews but the Gentiles to receive salvation. God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of many nations, but to the physical Israel would be added the adopted heirs of Christ. The Bible says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Jesus came to remove the yoke of slavery from Israel where they would never be oppressed again. Although they were looking for a freedom from their oppressors in the natural, the Messiah was coming to free them in the spiritual. Jesus was to bear the weight of the world upon His shoulders. He would be called a Mighty Counselor because in Him, we may get wisdom and knowledge. The Bible says, “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). He would be called Mighty God because no one can match His great and endless wonders. The Bible says, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalms 24:8). Jesus would be called Everlasting Father because we are His sons and daughters, and were not left as orphans. “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6). He would be called the Prince of Peace because there would be no peace until He returns regardless of the peace treaties, handshakes, and oral agreements that would be made. “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and His kingdom will never end. He will reign with righteousness and justice. He will rule over the nations where all will be subject to Him. There will be no Democrats or Republicans, Libertarians or Independents. There will be no Marxism or monarchies – injustice or bribes. There will only be King Jesus who will sit on His throne forever more ruling in TRUTH. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (30JUL19) Have you ever had someone to take the credit for something that you put your hard work in? If so, what was your response? Did you smile as if nothing happened, or did you address the person regarding their deception? The Lord’s anger was upon Israel, for even when He allowed nations to tear down their walls, they were so defiant that they paid no mind, and decided to rebuild it with cheaper materials. When their trees were cut, they did not humble themselves, but planted different kinds. Therefore, because Israel refused to return to the Lord, He strengthened their enemies against them and allowed for them to overtake Israel. He blamed not only the people, but their leaders who were supposed to guide them. The Bible says, “So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail…the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray” (Isaiah 9:14-16). God was in total disgust over Israel’s leaders and false prophets, so He used the king of Assyria to punish them by taking their land, plundering their possessions, and trampling over them. Yet, God was going to pass judgment on them as well because of their pride.

The King of Assyria did not give God glory for his conquests. He became prideful and wanted to conquer the world because he accredited his victories to himself and his mighty army. The Lord, however, asked this question, “Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it?” (Isaiah 10:15a). God used this analogy to say that the Assyrian army was only a tool used to accomplish a goal, and that was to teach Israel a lesson. They considered themselves as gods unto themselves, but the God of Heaven was going to teach them a humbling lesson. The remnant of Israel, who survived the invasion, would one day see their enemies be judged in return for their arrogance and prideful ways just as they had been. This was a teaching moment to both Israel and Assyria.

God does not like when we credit ourselves for the things that He has done in our lives. We are to always give Him the glory because if it had not been for Him simply waking us up in the morning, we would not be able to do anything from beyond the grave. The Bible says, “The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. But we can praise the Lord both now and forever! Praise the Lord!” (Psalms 115:17-18). Let us be mindful that whenever God blesses us, does a work in our lives, and give us favor, He wants to hear us tell of HIS greatness and not our own. Pride comes before the fall, so whatever and whoever God elevates, He can also dethrone. Something to ponder….

ISAIAH MOMENT – (30JUL19) “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth…” (Isaiah 11:3b-4a). The Prophet Isaiah gave a prophecy about the coming Messiah and how His kingdom would reign forever. Israel had a history of having corrupt leaders, priests, and prophets, but the Messiah would one day bring all of that to an end. He would not judge as man judges, but His judgment would be based on righteousness as worn like a belt and faithfulness like a sash around His waist. There would be no corruption or compromise regarding His decisions, for His mouth would speak truth and He would give the wicked their sentence for all eternity.

Jesus would have the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. When God told Moses to tell the Children of Israel that I AM sent him, God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) encompasses everything that we will ever need. If we need wisdom, we can seek the Lord just as Solomon did (2 Chronicles 1:11). When we need understanding, we can ask for Him to explain things to us just as He did with Samson’s parents concerning his birth (Judges 13). If we need counsel regarding matters in life, we can ask the Lord just as Hannah did regarding her barrenness (1 Samuel 1). Because we need the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in the Spirit and not our flesh, we can learn how to do so from the writings of the Apostle Paul as He was led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:13-26). When we walk in the Spirit, we have the fear of the Lord because it is the beginning of wisdom, which is one of the Spirits (Proverbs 9:10).

Isaiah’s prophecy gives us foresight into how Heaven will be as the wolf will live with the lamb and the leopard will lie down with the goat. Sorry to all carnivores, but there will be no Bar-be-ques in Heaven – strictly vegan. Even the animals will not eat one another, but will lie in peace together. A child will be able to play with a viper and no harm will be done to him. Some biblical scholars believe that Isaiah 11 tells of a future return to Israel by the twelve tribes that are scattered across the earth. They hold the view that there will be a literal drying up of the Euphrates River for those tribes to make their return. Rather this is literal or symbolic, the Lord is going to gather His remnant from all four corners of the earth where there will never be any more illness, pain, misery, death or war. He will raise up His banner where the enemies of the Lord will never be able to harm His children ever again. Those who are His will enjoy the rewards that He has for them if they endure to the end. The Bible says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Something to ponder….