Read the Bible in a Year (29JUL19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, July 29’s Bible reading is Isaiah 5-8.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, July 30’s Bible reading is Isaiah 9-12. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD. 

ISAIAH MOMENT – (29JUL19) Israel had totally displeased God. He referred to them as a failed planted vineyard that produced no crop. He asked, “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?” (Isaiah 5:4). Can you imagine the grief that must have been in God’s heart to see His chosen people have no regard for Him. He asked what more could He have done that He had not already done. He freed them from slavery, took care of them in the wilderness, gave them land and plunder from other nations, protected them from their enemies, and more. Yet, they were unfaithful to Him and regardless of how much He did for them, they refused to repent and turn from their wicked ways. Therefore, God gave them six woes of warning that were going to come to them as a result of their insolence towards Him.

Woe to those who are constantly building (Isaiah 6:8). The Children of Israel were ignoring the prophets who warned them concerning their wicked ways. They kept on with business as usual just as many in today’s time are doing. They were building houses, planting vineyards, and living the life, but their day of destruction was coming where all of the material things that they had sewn would come to nothing. Jesus gave this warning concerning His return: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man’ (Matthew 24:37-39). Just as Israel ignored the warnings of destruction, people today are ignoring the warnings of Jesus’ soon return. 

Woe to those who are drunk and have no regard for God (Isaiah 6:11). The Israelites were busy drinking their wine, partying, and had no respect for God’s handywork. God vowed that they would go into exile from the least to the greatest. The jaws of Death would be upon them and everyone who exalted themselves would be brought down low. The Bible says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4). When we have the fear of the Lord, we will not live selfishly for our own benefit, but we will seek to help others because this pleases the Lord.

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deception (Isaiah 6:18). Israel was so full of sin that they were dragging carts of it behind them. They mocked the judgments that the prophets proclaimed were coming to them. They felt that God would never allow horrible judgments to be done to them in the manner that the prophets like Isaiah foretold. Unfortunately, people can be so full of sin that they become blind to its stain on their lives even when warnings are flashing all around them. As a result, God will turn them over to a reprobate mind and allow for them to be deceived because they rejected truth. The Bible says, “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:28-32).

 

Woe to those who call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 6:20). Israel did not know God because they chose not to have a relationship with Him. The results of this was manifested when the prophets told them to return to the ways of the Lord to avoid disaster, but they considered them as being conspiratorial. In today’s time, when we have Christians who go along with sin for the sake of political correctness, it is an abomination before the Lord. We as Christians are to love everyone, but love does not mean that we fail to speak what “Thus saith the Lord.” The Bible says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God” (John 3:19-21).

Woe to those who are clever in their own eyes (Isaiah 6:21). The Bible warns about those who think that they are wise when they are fools because wisdom comes from the Lord. The Bible says, “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,  and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom  your days will be many,  and years will be added to your life.  If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer” (Proverbs 9:9-12). Israel rejected the wisdom of the Lord that was sent through His prophets. They thought that they knew what was best for their nation, and disregarded wisdom. Therefore, they became fools because even though the ordinances of God were before them, so that they could have a life of peace, prosperity, and joy, they foolishly relied on their man-made idols and continued in their idolatrous ways. Many people today think that they know more than God, can outsmart God, and be their own god. Many in science think that they can get all the answers to God even though they deny His existence through their CERN machines and other scientific discoveries. Yet, no one is able to comprehend the mind of God, but Satan has made man foolish enough to try.

Woe to those who drink and mix wines as they deny justice and accept bribes (Isaiah 6:22). The justice system of Israel was anything but just. The judges accepted bribes, denied taking up the cause of the innocent, and set the guilty free. Does that sound familiar to what’s going on today? Do we have a justice system that renders justice for all, or do we have a system that if you have the right name, proper connections, large bank account, and secrets for blackmail, that you can get off before you even get a trial date? God despised this in Israel and still does today. He is a God of justice and on God’s scales, there will be no kickbacks. The Bible says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Let us be careful not to fall into any of these woes. As Christians, we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice unto the Lord and do what is pleasing in His sight. Just as Isaiah, we must sound the alarm to our lost family, friends, loved ones, associates, coworkers, and strangers. We must tell them that Jesus is coming again and that we must all get our houses in order because we do not want to be left out of the ark. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (29JUL19) “When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? (Isaiah 8:19). Have you ever seen infomercials on television from psychic hotlines? Do you know of some people, including self-professed Christians, who are into checking their horoscopes? Have you been guilty of referring to yourself as a zodiac sign such as an Aquarius, Gemini, Leo, Taurus, etc.? Many people are knowingly and unknowingly participating in witchcraft. Although everyone does not go to tarot card readers, many people are using various forms of witchcraft which God detests. Rather a person plays with a Ouija Board, consult a hypnotherapist, practice yoga, arrange furniture in Feng Shui, or paying for prophecies, these things are displeasing to the Lord. 

 

The Lord tasked Isaiah with being a prophet to warn the Children of Israel concerning their wicked ways. This was not a call, however, that would be well-received by the people because their hearts were not for God. They enjoyed living in sin and following the ways of their heathen neighbors. They consulted witches and mediums to tell them their fortunes although they knew that God despised this practice. The Bible says, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers(spiritists); do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31). God hated the practice of witchcraft so much that He told the Children of Israel to stone those who practiced dark magic, interpreted omens, and consulted with the dead, throughout their history. Yet, they defied Him by doing the opposite of His commands. Therefore, they were going to suffer for their rebellious ways. The Bible says, “Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn” (Isaiah 8:20). God is clear that if we want to know something, we are to go to Him, and/or a TRUE prophet/prophetess of God. 

 

God’s true prophets will not have websites with prophecies for payment. This would make them no different than the psychic hotlines where they charge for a slot of time. Yet, it is biblical that a person who receives a word from a prophet can give them a gift or a seed. The Bible says, “But the servant said, ‘I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.’  ^‘But we don’t have anything to offer him,’ Saul replied. ‘Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.’

‘Well,’ the servant said, ‘I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!’ (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, ‘Let’s go and ask the seer’ for prophets used to be called seers)” (1 Samuel 9:6-9). This was a conversation between Saul and his servant, prior to him becoming king, who wanted to inquire of the Prophet Samuel. 

If you noticed, they did not say that the prophet had a fee that he charged. They came up with what they could give to him on their own and rendered it to him. This is how blessing a prophet is supposed to be. A prophet is not supposed to set a fee for God’s word, but they are to accept what a person can give to them should God lay it on that person’s heart to give. Another thing that you will notice from the above text, everything that the prophet says MUST come to pass if it is a Word from the Lord. With God, there are no hits and misses. 

Unfortunately, when Saul became king and rebelled against God, he resorted to going to a medium. He wanted to know if he would win a battle against the Philistines, and although the spirit that came up gave him truth concerning his fate, God did not endorse King Saul consulting with a witch. We as Christians are never to participate in any type of witchcraft or sorcery. When we truly seek the face of God, He will give us the answers to all that concerns us in due time. God talks to us in various ways such as through His written Word, dreams and visions, in your thoughts and spirit, audibly, and through another person. The Apostle James wrote that whenever we need wisdom, we can ask God and He gives it to us generously without holding any fault against us (James 1:5). We just have to learn how to recognize His voice. Something to ponder….

ISAIAH MOMENT – (29JUL19) “ ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty’ ” (Isaiah 6:5). The Lord had shown Isaiah a vision where He was seated on His throne and the train of His garment filled the temple. Isaiah saw seraphim (angels) who had six wings each. Two of their wings covered their faces because they did not look upon the Lord, two other wings covered their feet as a sign of humility before Him, and the other wo wings enabled them to fly as they did the service of the Lord. They sang to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.” Upon seeing this, Isaiah was humbled in almost a state of fear because he did not think of himself as being suitable for seeing the glory of the Lord, for he knew that no one could see God and live. 

Isaiah did not try to hide the fact that he was a sinful man living amongst a sinful nation who had rejected God. But one of the seraphim took a live coal from the altar with a tong and flew over to Isaiah touching his mouth with it. After which, the seraphim told Isaiah that his guilt and sins had been taken away. He was then consecrated for the service of the Lord because God is a consuming fire. The Bible says, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24). The Lord purifies us and makes us ready for service when we answer His call as Isaiah did. The Bible says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ ” (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah willingly accepted the call for ministry and God used him as an alarm to warn the Children of Israel of the destruction that was coming their way if they failed to repent and turn from their wicked ways. 

 

Has God called you to service? Of course, He has. The Bible says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). After Jesus left, the disciples and those with them, on the day of Pentecost, received the power of the Holy Spirit in what appeared to them as tongues of fire resting upon them. They were baptized in the Holy Spirit to do the work of evangelism and to perform sign and wonders. The Lord is still calling for His followers to be ready for service. The Day of Pentecost was not a one-time phenomenon. The Lord will give His Spirit to anyone who receives Jesus into their heart. The choice is up to us as to if we will accept His invite. Jesus is Heaven’s Human Resource Center and we have been offered a great job with outstanding benefits. For all who accept the offer, our contracts will not be cancelled unless we cancel them ourselves. Something to ponder….