Last SD for 2013 "The Blessing of a New Creation PT-2" (Isaiah 65:8-25)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/31/2013 9:12 PM

My Worship Time                                                    Focus:  The Blessing of a New Creation PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Isaiah 65:8-25

            Message of the verses:  It was because the children of Israel turned down what the Lord had to offer them as far as salvation, He turned to the Gentiles which we talked about in our last SD.  Next God describes the sins of His people that kept Him from answering their prayers to Him which are covered in verses 8-25.

            “8 Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ’Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it,’ So I will act on behalf of My servants In order not to destroy all of them. 9 “I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, And an heir of My mountains from Judah; Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants will dwell there. 10 “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks, And the valley of Achor a resting place for herds, For My people who seek Me.

    “11"But you who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who set a table for Fortune, And who fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny, 12 I will destine you for the sword, And all of you will bow down to the slaughter. Because I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not hear. And you did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight." 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. Behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. 14 “Behold, My servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart, But you will cry out with a heavy heart, And you will wail with a broken spirit. 15 “You will leave your name for a curse to My chosen ones, And the Lord GOD will slay you. But My servants will be called by another name. 16 “Because he who is blessed in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight!

    “17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. 20  "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. 21  "They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 “They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. 23 “They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them. 24 “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD.”

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “They resisted His grace and His loving appeals, though He held out His arms to them and spoke to them through His Word (Romans 10:21).  They went their own way (Isaiah 53:6) and provoked Him with their evil worship of false gods, getting involved with the occult and demons.  They ate food that was unclean and openly worshiped idols in the high places.  And yet these rebellious people considered themselves to be better than others!  ‘I am holier than thou!’”

            In verses 65:8-16 God explains that He had to judge the nation for hers sins as He called the Babylonians to be His instrument for punishing them.  Israel did learn while they were punished in Babylon that they should not worship idols any more, but other sins they would commit as seen when the Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth in Israel, for after all the killed the King of Glory an awful sin that they are still paying for. 

            Verse 65:10 speaks of the valley of Achor and this is where Achan was stoned to death as described in Joshua chapter seven.  Achan was stoned for disobeying the Lord as he committed the sin of covetousness and stealing.  In Hosea 2:15 we read “"Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.”  This verse also speaks of the valley of Achor in the distant future from Hosea’s writings. 

            As we look at verses 11-16 we see that Isaiah writes of two different kinds of people in the land, first those who forsake the Lord, and next those who serve the Lord as spoken of by the term “My Servant.” 

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “God saves the best for the last:  His description of ‘the new heavens and new earth’ (the millennial kingdom” in 65:17-66:24.”  This is different from what John describes in Revelations 21:1ff, and the reason we know this is because the characteristics Isaiah gives do not fit the eternal state which John describes.

            Dr. Wiersbe finishes his commentary on this section with these words:  “Jerusalem will be a source of joy, not only to the Lord but to the whole earth.  It will be a city of holiness, harmony, and happiness.  During the millennial kingdom, people will work, and God will bless their labors.  People will pray, and God will answer (v.24).  Nations will be at peace (vs. 25) because the curse will be lifted.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  We can see a pattern in this section that kind of goes along with what is still going on in the lives of the children of Israel, something that Christ also went through and that is first the suffering and then the glory.  We also see something that Dr. Wiersbe has pointed out through a quote from an old Scottish preacher who said “the successful Christian life is a series of new beginnings.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  As the year 2013 draws to a close I am thankful that we are one more year closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the clouds above the earth where He will take His bride back to heaven to be with Him and then return with Him at the end of the tribulation period.  I surely look forward to that day, hoping that 2014 will be the year that this happens.

Answer to our last Bible Question:  “Hannah” (1 Samuel 1:27).

Today’s Bible Question:  “Where did Amalek fight with Israel?”  

Answer in our next SD.

12/31/2013 9:46 PM 

The Blessing of a New Creation PT-1 (Isaiah 65:1-7)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/29/2013 7:53 AM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus: The Blessing of a New Creation PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Isaiah 65:1-7

            Message of the verses:  “  1 ¶  "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me;I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ’Here am I, here am I,’ To a nation which did not call on My name. 2  "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, 3  A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; 4  Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. 5  "Who say, ’Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. 6  "Behold, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom, 7  Both their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together," says the LORD. "Because they have burned incense on the mountains And scorned Me on the hills, Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.’”

            “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom (Isa. 65:6).  God now replies”  (Warren Wiersbe)  This is how Dr. Wiersbe begins this next to last main point in this final chapter of his book “Be Comforted” his commentary on the book of Isaiah.  We began the study of Isaiah on the second of July of this year and have been working on it most every day with the exceptions of looking at different chapters of Daniel and a couple of days I actually missed doing a Spiritual Diary.  It is my desire to finish Isaiah in the next three days so that we can begin the new year looking at the 11^th chapter of the book of Daniel, and then proceed to the beginning of Jeremiah, as that will be the next book we study, along with finishing Daniel sometime in February.  I am not sure which book we will begin looking at on a chapter a month schedule beginning in March.  My thoughts are Zechariah which would take fourteen months to complete.

            In Isaiah 65:1 we read part of the reply that God gives and that is that He will go to the Gentiles.  Paul applies this verse to the Gentiles in Romans 10:19-20, “19  But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, "I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU." 20  And Isaiah is very bold and says, "I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.’”  This is also seen, that is God going to the Gentiles in several other passages like Luke 14:16-24 and 21:10, also Acts 28:23-31 as this divine principle is given.  We know that God did go to the Gentiles and that is what the Church Age is all about, as few Jewish people have been saved during this age.  God is making the Jewish people jealous by going to the Gentiles, and God did this because of the rebellion of the Jews.  Paul writes in Romans that the Gentiles were a wild olive branch that God grafted into the Olive tree of Israel, but then he goes on to say that if He only grafted them into this tree that if they did not follow Him faithfully He could remove them just as easily.  The Church Age will end at the Rapture of the Church and then God will again deal with the nation of Israel in the last seven years of life on planet earth as we know it.  After that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth with His bride, the Church and begin to rule from Jerusalem for 1000 years.  Before He returns, and in the tribulation period Paul writes that a time will come when all Israel will be saved.

            In verses 2-7 the Lord will describe the sins of His people that kept Him from answering their prayers, something we looked at in an earlier SD.  The sins of Israel are well documented in different sections of the OT, and I am referring to the sins that caused them to be taken out of their land and taken into the land of Babylon.  Both Daniel and Nehemiah listed these sins, confessing them to the Lord in Nehemiah nine and Daniel nine.  We also see them listed in this section of Isaiah.  I for one would not like to have my sins listed in the Word of God, but God did this to show us things that we should not do.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Learn from the sins that Israel committed so I don’t do the same, and learn from the sins I commit so that I don’t do them again. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Sin is very serious so take it that way.

Answer in our last SD.  “Shepherds and wise men.”  Both of these people are seen during the early life of our Lord, but the wise men did not come until He was about two years old, and then after that they left for Egypt to get away from Herod.

Today’s Bible Question:  “Who said, ‘For the child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition?’”

Answer in our next SD.

12/29/2013 8:24 AM

The Announcing of a New Victory PT-2 (Isaiah 63:15-64:12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/28/2013 11:14 AM

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  The Announcing of a New Victory PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                         Reference:  Isaiah 63:15-64:12

            Message of the verses:  We will try and look at the remaining verses in this fourth main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s outline

            The Prophet Looks Up & Calls on God to Bare His arm & Display His Power (Isaiah 63:15-64:12):  “15 Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation; Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds? The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me. 16 For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name. 17 Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. 18 Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, Our adversaries have trodden it down. 19 We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, Like those who were not called by Your name.

    “1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence- 2 As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! 3 When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. 4 For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. 5 You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; And shall we be saved?

    “6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And wind, our iniquities, like the take us away. 7 There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. 8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever; Behold, look now, all of us are Your people. 10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and beautiful house, Where our fathers praised You, Has been burned by fire; And all our precious things have become a ruin. 12 Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?”

            I see some similarities in this section and the prayer that is found in Daniel chapter nine as both Isaiah and Daniel appeal to the Lord using words that show what the Lord has done for them in times past, yet they confess the sinfulness of what Israel has committed against their Holy God. I know that when I read this that I was convicted over sins that I have committed against our Holly God, feeling very badly as I thought about the things that I have done in the past that were sinful.  I keep going back to the quote that Dr. Wiersbe has in several of his commentaries from an old Scottish Pastor who said that the successful Christian life is a series of new beginnings.  I also think of the times that I have heard from different preachers who said the we, as believers are to keep a short list with God.  John writes the following in 1 John 1:8-10 “8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

            Isaiah wants the Lord to come down to earth in a similar manner that He did when He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but if we look at other passages from Isaiah we see that He tells us that the Son of God would come to earth, be born of a virgin, and then would be killed for our sins, so Isaiah did know that He would come to earth.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “He asks God to ‘look down’ (63:15 and to ‘come down’ (64:1).  This is one of the greatest ‘revival prayers’ found in Scripture.  Jesus as God came down in fire at Sinai (Ex. 19:16-19(, so let Him come down again and reveal His awesome power to the nations.  They trust in dead idols, so let them see what the living God of Israel can do!”

            The reason that God was not working in their lives was because of their sin, and this is a lesson for all of us to remember.  If a person has accepted the salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ and then continues to sin without confessing it then God will not work in their lives.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Yes, because God is a forgiving Father and a patient Potter (Jer. 18).  He can cleanse us and make us anew if we will let Him have His way.”

            This is how Isaiah ends this section (with a question) “Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Since this is one of the greatest sections of Scripture on revival, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will work a revival in my life and that it will spread to others and continue to grow all around this world.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  That the Holy Spirit will have His way in my life today and every day.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “His own blood” (Hebrews 13:12).

Today’s Bible Question:  “What two groups of men worshiped the baby Jesus?”  I will say at this time that the answer that will be given to this question will not be correct.  I will give the correct answer in our next SD and explain why I believe it is right.  Remember these questions are coming from a Bible Trivia game that I have, and there are some of the answers that I do not agree with, and when this happens then I will let you know why I disagree with them.

12/28/2013 12:52 PM

            

The Announcing of a New Victory (Isaiah 63:1-64:12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/27/2013 7:34 AM

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  The Announcing of a New Victory PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Isaiah 63:1-14

            Message of the verses:  We will be looking at the first part of the fourth main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s outline in today’s SD.  It actually covers all of chapters 63& 64 of Isaiah, but we will only look at the first fourteen verses of chapter 63 in today’s SD.

            The Prophet Looks Ahead (Isaiah 63:1-6):  “1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength?”It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. 4 “For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. 5 "I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. 6 "I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.’”

            As we look at these six verses we first look at Edom who was the descendants of Esau, the first son of Isaac and Rebecca. They are the represent all the nations who have been cruel to the nation of Israel.  Edom means red and Bozrah was one of its main cities.  What we see in this section is something that the Lord Jesus Christ will do as soon as He returns to planet earth at the height of the battle of Armageddon.  Let’s look at Revelations 19:11-21 “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”  It surely seems that what Isaiah wrote in verses one through six are fulfilled in this passage in Revelations 19:11-21.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “The ancient winepress was a large, hollowed rock into which the grapes were put for the people to tread on them.  The juice ran out a hole in the rock and was caught in vessels.  As the people crushed the grapes, some of the juice would splash on their garments.  Our Lord’s garments were dyed with blood as the result of the great victory over His enemies (Rev. 19:13).

            “When Jesus came to earth the first time, it was to inaugurate ‘the acceptable year of the Lord’ (Isaiah 61:2; Luke 4:19).  When He comes the second time, it will be to climax ‘the day of vengeance of our God’ (Isaiah 63:4; 61:2).  The enemy will be crushed like grapes and forced to drink their own blood from the cup of God’s wrath (51:17; Jer. 25:15-16).  These images may not appeal to sophisticated people today, but the Jews in that day fully understood them.”

            The Prophet Looks Back (Isaiah 63:7-14):  “7 I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses. 8 For He said, "Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. 10 But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them. 11 Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, 12 Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, 13 Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; 14 As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So You led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name.”

            Now the prophet looks back at what the Lord did for Israel and he praises the Lord for the things that He did for the people of Israel.  We have seen many of the attributes of God in these first fourteen verses of Isaiah 63, things like the wrath of God, the justice of God, the love and lovingkindness of God, all these attributes are a part of who our God is.  First of all God is holy and that word means that He is separate from everyone and everything, and then there are other attributes that also show us who it is that we worship.  When we look at the sum total of His attributes, which makes up the character of God it is no wonder that we want to worship Him.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  One of God’s attributes that I did not mention that is seen here is His forgiveness, and that forgiveness is possible because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross to provide salvation to all that are called by God through His Holy Spirit.  I will spend eternity praising the Lord for His forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:   Proverbs 3:5-6.

Answer to our last Bible Question:  “Baal Worship” (2Kings 10:28).

Today’s Bible Question “With what will Jesus sanctify the people?

Answer in our next SD.

12/27/2013 8:10 AM

Christmas Message from the Old Testament

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/25/2013 11:28 PM

            This SD is about Christmas and what I want to do is go over some of the OT prophecies about the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ to show that when Jesus was born that it was all according to the plan of God that is revealed in the Old Testament.

            Genesis 3:15:  “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.’”  This is the first prophecy concerning the coming of Messiah and in it we can see that the Messiah will be the “seed” of the woman, the only time this term is mentioned in the Bible.  This prophecy speaks of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

            Hal Lindsey writes concerning this verse under the heading of “The Lineage of the Promised ‘Seed.’”Once God made this commitment to send someone into the world to destroy Satan and thus undo his work in the lives of men, a highway was prepared in future history for the steps of the Promised One.  It first began with God singling out one man, Abraham, and his descendants, and making a covenant with him that ‘in his seed’ all the nations of the earth would eventually be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).  So the first prerequisite of the coming deliverere was that he would have to be a descendant of Abraham.”  “1 ¶  Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2  And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3  And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’”

            When we look at Genesis 49 we will see that the Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah, as Jacob states just before he died.  “10  "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples (Genesis 49:10).”

            Next we see that the Messiah will come from the line of David as we read 1 Chronicles 17:11-15.  “11  "When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 “He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13  "I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 “But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."’" 15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”

            In Deuteronomy 18:19-19 we will see that the Messiah will be a prophet like Moses, “18  ’I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19  ’It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.”  Jesus says the following in John 5:45-47 “45  "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. 46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?’”

            Isaiah writes that the Messiah will be born of a virgin:  “14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)” Isaiah also states in 9:6-7 “6  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

            The prophet Micah writes that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem “2  "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.’”

            There are many more prophecies concerning the Messiah’s first coming that we will not take the time to go over, but it is needless to say that the odds of someone making all of the prophecies about the first coming of the Messiah that came true, and all of them did that we surely believe the prophecies that He will come again and will rule over the world from Jerusalem for 1000 years.

12/25/2013 11:50 PM

The Bestowing of a New Name (Isaiah 62:1-12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/24/2013 10:11 AM

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  The Bestowing of a New Name

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Isaiah 62:1-12

            Message of the verses:  We will try to look at the two sub-points under this main point of Dr. Wiersbe’s outline.

            God will not hold His peace (Isaiah 62:1-5):  “1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning. 2 The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate. 3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4  It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.”

            As we look at this passage we must remember that it is the Lord who is the One who is speaking for in verse six the word “I” is used indicating that it is the Lord who is speaking.  We must also remember how special Israel is to the Lord, and that the people of Israel were married to the Lord, as the ceremony happened on Mt. Sinai, but as we read through the OT we see that Israel was not faithful to the Lord and therefore the Lord had to discipline Israel on many occasions.  When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and tore down the temple along with the city then many though that this was the end of the relationship that the Lord had with Israel, but that is not the case.  “1 Thus says the LORD, "Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away. 2 “Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst. 3 “I clothe the heavens with blackness And make sackcloth their covering’ (Isaiah 50:1-3).”  This section shows that the Lord did not divorce Israel and so even though He sent them into captivity He is not done with them, nor will He ever be done with them. 

            The wording in the KJV of verse four is a bit different than in the NASB “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”  Dr. Wiersbe explains:  “Her trials will all be forgotten when she receives the new name, ‘Hephzibah,’ which means ‘my delight in her.’  God delights in His people and enjoys giving them His best.  The old name ‘Desolate’ will be replaced by ‘Beulah,’ which means ‘married’ (see also 54:1).  When a bride marries, she receives a new name.  In the case of Israel, she is already married to Jehovah, but she will get a new name when she is reconciled to Him.”

            When we look at the first part of this passage we see that Israel will be a blessing to the Gentiles, and although we know that through the Lord Jesus Christ Israel has already a blessing to the Gentiles, that in the kingdom age Israel will fulfill this ministry even more to the Gentiles.

            The watchmen, must not hold their peace (Isaiah 62:5-12):  “6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, 7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast labored: 9  But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.  10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. 11  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 12  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.”  (KJV) 

            “6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; 7 And give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 8 The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, "I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored." 9 But those who garner it will eat it and praise the LORD; And those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.  10 Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples. 11 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, "Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." 12 And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD"; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken.’”  (NAS95) 

            In Psalm 122:6 we read “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.”  We know how important Jerusalem is to the Lord, for when we get to the last book of the Bible we read about a New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven which will be the place where believers will dwell in the eternal kingdom.  The name, according to the Heb/English dictionary on my online Bible program says Jerusalem mean “teaching of peace.” When we pray according to Ps. 122:6 we are actually praying for the kingdom of God to come for there will be no peace in Jerusalem until the Prince of Peace comes. 

            I want to make another point from verse eight which speaks about the arm of the Lord, and the arm of the Lord speaks of His omnipotence (being all powerful), but when we look at Ps 8:3  “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained.”  God’s fingers made the universe, but He uses His arm to say that He will never again give the grain of Israel to their enemies. God is promising Israel that their grain will remain with them.  When we read the story of Gibeon we see an example of the enemies of Israel stealing their grain for Gibeon was sifting his grain in a place where the enemies would not find him, for if they did then they would steal it. All of this will happen in the Millennial Kingdom and we can get a picture of how this is going to happen when we read Ezekiel 40-48.  During that time there will be a Millennial Temple as Ezekiel explains in those chapters.  The problem now is that the spiritual eyes of the Jewish people are veiled.  “14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:14-18).”

            We have mentioned the word “highway” is seen in Isaiah on different occasions, and we see it here in Isaiah 62:10.  “There is an urgency about these words” writes Dr. Wiersbe.  “The Lord is about to arrive, and the people must get the road ready!  When the work is completed, they must lift a banner to signal they are ready.”  Look at verse 11b (NIV) “‘See, your Saviour comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” 

            Dr. Wiersbe completes his commentary on this section with these words:  “God will have no rest till He accomplishes His purposes for His people, and the world will move no peace till He succeeds.  He asks us to ‘give Him no rest’ (v.7) but to intercede for Israel and Jerusalem, for the prayers of His people are an important part of the program of God.”  When we were studying the 9^th chapter of Daniel we saw that Daniel was praying about something that he knew was going to happen, that is that the Lord would allow His people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and the temple.  Jeremiah wrote that Israel would spend 70 years in Babylon before Cyrus would allow them to return to Israel, yet Daniel prayed this would happen.  In the same sense we know that the Lord will return someday to set up His kingdom in Israel, reigning from Jerusalem but we are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem knowing that it will not happen until He returns.  Keep praying!

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  God has many promises in His Word, and I am to pray for these promises to happen, not only for my life but for the lives of others.  I have begun to pray for the leader of Israel that God would empower Him to understand what He wants him to do.  I believe that God desires all believers to pray for Israel.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Memory verses for the week:  2 Cor. 6:19-20 “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “The Lord’s Grace.”

Today’s Bible Question:  “What kind of worship did Jehu destroy in Israel?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/24/2013 11:17 AM

The Beginning of a New Life (Isaiah 61:1-11)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/23/2013 7:49 AM

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  The Beginning of a New Life

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Isaiah 61:1-11

            Message of verses:  We will try to look at the two sub-points that are under this second main point in Dr. Wiersbe’s outline.

            The Lord Speaks (Isaiah 61:1-9):  “1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2  To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3  To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

    “4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. 6 But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Then their offspring will be known among the nations, And their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them Because they are the offspring whom the LORD has blessed.”

            Our Lord quoted verse one a part of verse two in the synagogue in His home town of Nazareth, to which He applied this Scripture to Himself.  All three persons of the trinity are mentioned in this verse.  Jesus did not quote “and the day of vengeance of our God” because that will not take place until later on.  Jesus’ first visit to planet earth was to die for the sins of those who would accept His forgiveness.  When He comes again it will be to separate that sheep from the goats and to establish His kingdom on earth headed up from Jerusalem which will last for one thousand years.

            In his commentary on this section Dr. Wiersbe writes that this section is speaking of “The Year of Jubilee, which is described in Leviticus 25:7 and following.  The Year of Jubilee took place every fifty years as there would be seven Sabbatical years, which totals 49 years and then the 50^th year is the Year of Jubilee.  It was in that year that all the lands would go back to the original owner and all debts would be set free.  God did this in order to give everyone a chance at a new beginning.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you are living today in a spiritual ‘Year of Jubilee.’  You have been set free from bondage; your spiritual debt to the Lord has been paid; you are living in ‘the acceptable year of the Lord.’  Instead of the ashes of mourning, you have a crown on your head, for He has made you a king (Rev. 1:6).  You have been anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and you wear a garment of righteousness (Isa. 61:3; 10).”

            This section speaks of Israel returning to rebuild their ancient ruins (v.4) and this is speaking of the millennial kingdom, which I believe is pictured when the Jews went back to Israel to rebuild their city and temple.  It will be during this time of the millennial kingdom that Israel will be living in “The Year of Jubilee,” for they will have a new beginning and will continue to flourish during those 1000 years.  The Gentiles will be tending their flocks and herds for Israel will be priests and ministers during this time.  Exodus 4:22 speaks of Israel being God’s firstborn and so they will be during this kingdom age. 

            In Jeremiah 31:31-37 the new covenant is written about, this is also repeated in the book of Hebrews, and Isaiah speaks of it in verse eight of our text.  In verse nine Isaiah speaks of the Jews “descendants” which are the children given to the those who came out of the Great Tribulation and were brought into the Kingdom age.  There is no mention of death during this time for believers so we can assume that all those coming out of the tribulation will live for 1000 years longer.

            The prophet speaks (Isaiah 61:10-11):  “10 I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11  For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.”

            Dr. Wiersbe writes:  “Isaiah is speaking on behalf of the remnant who are praising God for all He has done.  They rejoice that He has cleansed them and clothed them and turned their desert into a fruitful garden (55:10).  They have gone from a funeral to a wedding!”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  A quote that Dr. Wiersbe uses in many of his commentaries comes from an old Scottish preacher who said “The successful Christian life is a series of new beginnings,” and that is exactly what the Year of Jubilee is all about, and that is also what salvation is all about, a new beginning in Christ who died for my sins, who paid the penalty for my sins and given me a new life in Him.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Showing thanks for the new birth that was given to me through Christ.

Memory verses for the week:  1 Cor. 6: 19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Answer to our last Bible Question:  “Balaam” (Numbers 22:28-30).

Today’s Bible Question:  “The Lord assured Paul that his thorn would not be removed, but that what would be sufficient for him?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/23/2013 9:01 AM

            

The Dawning of a New Day PT-2 (Isaiah 60:15-22)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/21/2013 9:00 AM

My Worship Time                                                          Focus:  The Dawning of a New Day PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Isaiah 60:15-22

            Message of the verses:  We will continue to look at Isaiah 60 in today’s SD, looking at last eight verses of the chapter.

            Isaiah 60:15-22:  “15 "Whereas you have been forsaken and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride, A joy from generation to generation. 16 “You will also suck the milk of nations And suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And I will make peace your administrators And righteousness your overseers. 18 “Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. 19 "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. 20 “Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over. 21 “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. 22 “The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.’”

            We see in this section some of the joys that Israel will experience in the Kingdom Age with Messiah Jesus ruling from Jerusalem.  The Gentile nations will no longer fight against them but will be used of God to bless them.  Their days will be like when Solomon ruled and made silver not worth much for all had gold.  Isaiah has much to say in his book about the Kingdom age, and as mentioned before it is hard at times to distinguish between when he is speaking about it for there are times when he is referring to the times he lived in, but it also points to this promised kingdom that will take place at the end of the tribulation period.

            Dr. Wiersbe concluded this section by talking about how John the Apostle used some of these words to describe the eternal kingdom: “John used some of the characteristics of the millennial Jerusalem when he described the Holy City (Rev. 21-22):  The sun never sets; there is no sorrow; the gates never close; etc.  But the city Isaiah describes is the capital city of the restored Jewish nation, and Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of David and judge righteously.  The Jewish ‘remnant’ will increase and fill the land (Isaiah 60:22; 51:2; 54:3).”

            Some may wonder where the Church will be at when the Millennia Kingdom happens.  I have mentioned that it is my belief that the Church age will end at what is called “The Rapture of the Church” which is described in a number of places in the NT, but 1 Thes. 4:13-18 gives one of the best descriptions of this event. 1 Cor. 15:51-58 gives another description of this event, and the Apostle Paul speaks of it as a “mystery” a word used to describe something new in the NT which was not revealed in the OT.  So if we who are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of our lives believing He died in our place to take away our sins, where will we be during the tribulation period and then the Millennial Kingdom age.  I believe that the Church will be in heaven during the tribulation period and one of the things that will happen while there is the Supper of the Lamb and also the judgment seat of Christ where believers from the Church age will receive their rewards for service done while on earth.  Revelations chapter nineteen speaks of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to end the battle of Armageddon:  “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty (Rev. 19:11-16).”  Jesus mentioned in what is called “The Olivet Discourse” that if He did not return when He did that the entire earth would be destroyed, and so He returns to end this battle, to judge the nations, to separate the sheep from the goats, and with Him, I believe will be the Church as described in the 14^th verse.  We will rule and reign with Him during the Millennial Kingdom.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In the second letter Peter wrote he mentions what will happen at the end of the Millennial Kingdom for after it the entire universe will be destroyed by fire as God will actually un-create what He created as described in Genesis chapter one.  Peter goes on to say that if all this is going to happen what kind of people should we be and how should we be living our lives. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Live my life in a way that I will be serving the Lord and not myself.

Memory verse for the week:  1 Cor. 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “A white horse” (Rev. 19:11).

Today’s Bible Question: “Who had a conversation with a donkey?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/21/2013 10:22 AM

The Dawning of a New Day PT-1 (Isaiah 60:1-14)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/20/2013 8:36 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  The Dawning of a New Day PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Isaiah 60:1-14

            Message of the verses:  We begin the last chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of Isaiah which he entitles “Be Comforted.”  The thirteenth and last chapter he entitles “The Kingdom and The Glory.”  He begins his commentary on this chapter with these words, and we must remember that in his introductory comments we see a clue as to how we will approach this chapter, a chapter that will cover six chapters in the book of Isaiah.  “Grace is but glory begun,’ said Jonathan Edwards, ‘and glory is but grace perfected.’  Whatever begins with God’s grace will lead to God’s glory (1 Peter 5:10), and that includes the nation of Israel.

            “Isaiah began his “Book of Consolations’ (chapters 40-66) by promising that ‘the glory of the Lord shall be revealed’ (40:5).  Now he concludes by describing the glory of us.  In these seven chapters, he used the word ‘glory’ in one form or another at least twenty-three times.  When God’s glory is on the scene, everything becomes new.”

            The Dawning of a New Day (Isa. 60:1-22):  “1 "Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. 3 “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes roundabout and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms. 5 “Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you. 6 “A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD. 7 “All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house. 8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud And like the doves to their lattices?

    “9  "Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you. 10 “Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you. 11 "Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession. 12 “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined. 13  "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious. 14 "The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”

            We will begin by looking at the first fourteen verses of Isaiah 60.  Let us first look at a brief history of God’s glory and the children of Israel.  We begin with Exodus 40:34-38 to see that God’s glory filled the tabernacle:  “34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36  Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; 37  but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. 38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.”  (These are the last verses in the book of Exodus.)  In 1 Samuel 4:21 we see the glory of the Lord leave the tabernacle:  “And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.”  The word “Ichabod” means no glory, “a son of Phinehas, so named because of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines.”  (English/Hebrew Dictionary)  It was David’s idea to build a temple for the Lord, but God chose his son Solomon to build the temple.  When the temple was finished and was dedicated by Solomon the glory of the Lord filled the temple (1 Kings 8:11).  We then see the nation turning to idols, even with Solomon, and so we read in the book of the prophet Ezekiel that the glory of the Lord departed out of the temple (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22-23).  We next read of the glory of the Lord in the gospel of John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  What did Israel do to this Glory that was sent by the Father?  They nailed Him to a cross!  Where is the glory of the Lord resting today?  Let’s look at Ephesians 2:19-22, “19  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21  in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22  in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”  We see in these verses that God’s Spirit dwells in the Church, and it is the believers who make up the Church.  Paul’s writing to the Corinthian Church tells us more about this, “19  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).”  We believe that when the rapture of the Church comes that it will come before the tribulation period which lasts for seven years, so at that time the glory of the Lord in the form that it is in today, in the believers who make up the Church will be gone, but we know that the glory of the Lord will be seen in the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth as He rules and reigns from Jerusalem.  There will be a new temple built in Jerusalem at this time.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “but one day His glory will be revealed to the earth when He answers His people’s prayer “Thy Kingdom Come.”

            We know that the Babylonian Captivity had been the darkest hour for the Jewish people, but we have to remember that first comes the darkness, and then the glory will come.  When we look at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and how dark that was for Him, and then we look at the resurrection and we see the glory.  We have been looking at the book of Daniel earlier this week and we saw and will continue to see that the nation of Israel will continue to go through dark times all the way up until the Lord Jesus returns to the earth as described in Revelations chapter nineteen.  Moses wrote about this before Israel even entered into the Promised Land in the 28^th chapter of Deuteronomy. 

            As we look at chapter 60 we see the words shine and darkness at the beginning, and I believe that Isaiah is speaking of the time in the Kingdom age where the nations will come to Jerusalem to receive the light, for their darkness will then be over and they will do the job that the Lord had in mind for them to do since He called Abram.  The Kingdom age is promised to the nation of Israel and it will happen.  These fourteen verses speak of that time, and it will bring glory to the Lord when Israel begins to minister to those in the world. 

            At this time I wish to give a few quotes from the MacArthur Study Bible.  The first quote will have to do with 60:1-2, “Addressing Zion (59:20; 60:14), Isaiah told the city and thus the nation Israel that her light has come, putting her in contrast with the rest of the darkened world.  This expressed the glory of Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom.”

            Note from verse 60:3, “Jerusalem’s light will attract other nations seeking relief from their darkness (2:3).  Only believing Jews and Gentiles will enter the earthly kingdom after the Day of the Lord, but as the 1000 years goes along children will be born and nations will become populated by those who reject Jesus Christ.  The glory of the King in Jerusalem, and His mighty power will draw those Gentiles to His light.”

            Note from 60:10 concerning the building up of their walls, “The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, helped by Persian kings, was merely a foretaste of the final rebuilding of the city assisted by Gentiles when Christ returns to earth.  In My wrath…In My favor.  God’s past dealings with Israel have been largely wrath, but His future merciful work will demonstrate His favor.”

            Last note will be from verse 60:14 “Nations which formerly were oppressed of Israel will acknowledge Zion’s supremacy as the city that belongs to the Lord.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can see in these verses that God is in control and that He always has and will be in control.  I can also see that when times get difficult that there is coming a day when the glory will be seen, for we learned at the beginning of this SD ““Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected.”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to work out the details of things that are going on around our home today.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “Jesus” (Matthew 13:57).

Today’s Bible Question:  “In Revelations 19:11, the one called Faithful and true sat upon what?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/20/2013 9:57 AM

Interlude in Daniel between chapters 10-12

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/19/2013 9:38 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Interlude in Daniel

            Today’s SD will be a different format that what we have been doing as we will look at what Dr. Wiersbe entitles “Interlude” which is a section between the end of the tenth chapter and the last two chapters of the book of Daniel.  Chapter ten was the introduction to this great prophecy that the angel Gabriel will give to Daniel before he returns to help Michal in the upcoming invisible battles that are still going on today.  The prophecies in the book of Daniel are primarily for the nation of Israel even though there are Gentile nations involved in them, but Daniel’s prayer is for the nation of Israel and God has answered his prayers and gave him in detail the things that will happen to the nation of Israel, and many of the things that Daniel learns are not good, and they are extremely hard on him as a person.  I am reminded of the Apostle John who wrote the book of the Revelations of Jesus Christ, and in one section of this book John is told to take a little book from the hand of  an angel and to eat the book, which will be sweet in his mouth, but will make his stomach sour.  “Re 10:9 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." Re 10:10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.”  Daniel has gone through the same reactions when he receives the prophecies that he has received.  I am also reminded of what Dr. Wiersbe has written about prophecy stating that when we learn of the prophecies that are in the Bible we are to be humble in knowing what the Lord has planned for His people, and we are not to brag about every new thing that we learn.  Yes prophecy is sweet when we learn it, but then when we think about all of the people who are involved in the prophecies we learn about and how miserable their lives are going to be that is when it makes our stomachs bitter and our hearts aches for them.  One can see the reactions that Daniel has when he has received the prophecies and one can see the reaction of when John received the book of revelations, and in a short time, Lord willing, we will see the many tears that Jeremiah will shed over the sinfulness of the nation of Israel (the Southern Tribes).  We will not look at the Interlude that Dr. Wiersbe wrote:

Interlude

            “The prophecy given in chapters 11 and 12 is long and complex.  The first thirty-five verses of Daniel 11 were prophecy in Daniel’s day but are now history.  They deal with important but, for the most part, forgotten historical characters with difficult names and complicated relationships.  The chapters may be outlined as follows:

I.                    Prophecies already fulfilled (11:1-35)

a.        About Persia –11:1-2

b.      About Greece—11:3-4

c.       About Egypt and Syria—11:5-20

d.      About Antiochus Epiphanes and Syria –11:21-35

II.                 Prophecies yet to be fulfilled (11:36-12:3)

a.       About the Tribulation and Antichrist –11:36-12:1

b.      About the promised kingdom –12:3-3

c.       Final intrusions to Daniel (12:4-13)

These prophecies fill the details of previous prophecies the Lord had given to Daniel and were the answer to his prayer for greater understanding of God’s plans for Israel.  The focus is on Israel in the last days.”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “A.D. 30”  I have also read that Christ died in A. D. 29.

Today’s Bible Question:  “Who said “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/19/2013 10:04 AM 

Daniel's Involvement in "The Invisible War!" (Daniel 10:10-21)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/18/2013 9:14 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  An Invisible War

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Daniel 10:10-21

            Message of the verses:  “10 Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13  "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14  "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future." 15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, "O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17 “For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me." 18 Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 19 He said, "O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!" Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, "May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me." 20 Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 21 “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.”

            What we see in this section of Daniel’s writings is very special and also very informative, for in it we see something that Bible scholars call angelology, which is the study of angels.  We will not get into the prophecy until we begin to look at the eleventh chapter of Daniel, which Lord willing will be next month, but we will see in this section something that makes it clear to us that there is a constant battle going on in the invisible places around the earth.  The Apostle Paul writes about this in different places of his writings, but let us first of all look at Ephesians 6:10-20 where he describes who we war against and how we can be protected while in this war:  “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.”  Paul uses the word “stand” many times in this section showing his readers the need to stand, and not to fall down.  He speaks of the different pieces of armor that the believer needs to put on in order to be able to stand, and if you count prayer, and I think we should there are seven pieces of armor needed in our battle, a battle that it not against flesh and blood.  We can see from verse twelve that Satan has a well organized army that fights against the Lord and the people who belong to the Lord.  We can also see this in the section of Scripture we are studying for our lesson today.

            It is possible that the One whom we speculated was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ has left and Daniel is now in the presence of the angel, which was probably Gabriel, and Gabriel tells Daniel why it took him three weeks to be able to come to him with the answer to his prayers.  Daniel at this time needs the angel to minister to him in a special way and will also need it again so that Daniel will gain his strength to be able to understand the prophecy that he is about to receive.  There were two times that the angels came to minister to our Lord when He walked on this earth, one was after his forty day fast, and the other was when He was praying in the garden just before He would go to the cross to die for our sins.  The angel tells Daniel that he is loved or dearly loved and this is the second time Daniel hears these words from an angel.  Jesus heard words similar to these from His Father while He was on the earth on several occasions.

            As mentioned Daniel’s conversation with this angel reveals to us that we are in an invisible war, and prayer has much to say about the outcome.  We will speak more about this later, but I want to mention that there is a novel written by Frank Peretti entitled “This Present Darkness,” that gives a wonderful illustration of what goes on in this invisible war.  It is an older book but well worth reading or listening to.   

            There are many people today that do not believe that the devil is real, and that is a part of his plan.  I remember trying to witness to a man at work who told me that if you add an “o” to God you get “good” and if you take the “d” from devil you get “evil.” I could tell from these words that he certainly did not believe in either God or the devil.  James tells us that the demons do believe in God and they tremble when His name is mentioned.  There is a story in the book of Acts that tells of some men who were trying to cast out a demon from a person in the name of the Jesus that Paul preached and the demon said that he knew Paul and he knew Jesus but he did not know the men who were trying to cast him out and so he beat up all of these men.  (See Acts 19:13-15.) 

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “The believer’s responsibility is to put on the whole armor of God by faith and use the Word of God and believing prayer to oppose and defeat the wicked one.”  Daniel was doing this along with fasting, something else that we can do when there is something very important we need to pray about.  Daniel did not realize how much his prayers were affecting the invisible war that was going on above him while he prayed for three weeks, and we probably don’t realize it either. 

            The angel told Daniel that the “prince of Persia” was opposing him, and this was why he delayed in coming to him, something we have mentioned, but I want to quote from Dr. Wiersbe again on this subject, as it is important.  “It appears that there are specific evil angels assigned to various nations;; some students of angelology call them ‘territorial spirits.’  That’s why Paul told the Ephesian believers that the Christian’s battle was not against flesh and blood but against the demonic forces in the heavenlies that oppose the holy angels who always do God’s will.  The problems that the Jewish remnant were having in Jerusalem at that time weren’t being caused by the local officials but by Satan’s evil powers using those officials.  Christians are never to worship angels ( Col 2:18-19; Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9) or pray to angels, for our worship and prayer belong to God alone.  But when we pray, God direct the armies of heaven to fight on our behalf, even though we may know nothing about the battles that are being waged in the invisible war.”  “Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17).” 

            “The prophet Daniel realized the great significance of God’s plans for Israel, and once again he fainted and was unable to speak.  Here he had been involved in a cosmic spiritual conflict and didn’t even know it, and the Lord was using some of His highest angels to answer his prayers!  This certainly lifts prayer out of the level of a humdrum religious exercise and shows it to be one of our strongest and most important spiritual weapons.  The neglect of prayer is the reason why many churches and individual believers are so weak and defeated.  The late Peter Deyneka, a missionary to the Slavic peoples, often reminded us, ‘Much prayer, much power; no prayer, no power!’  Jesus taught His disciples that the demonic forces could not be defeated except by prayer and fasting, the very activities that Daniel had been involved in for three weeks.”  

            We see again that the angel restored Daniel’s strength in order for him to hear the prophetic message and we also see that there are two times that the angel tells Daniel “fear not” (Daniel 10:12, 19). 

            Lastly we see that the angel tells Daniel that the battle is not over as he and Michael had to continue their fight against the Persian prince and then go to the prince of Greece.  The Persian king allowed the people to return to Israel and so we can believe that this had to do with the prayers of Daniel and others. 

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes by writing “One reason why God commands His people to pray for those in authority is so that God’s will, not Satan’s plans might be fulfilled in their lives (1 Timothy 2:1-3).  The destiny of more than one nation has been changed because God’s people have fervently prayed.”  (See 2 Cor. 10:4-5).

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This has been a great reminder to me on the importance of prayer, and my need to pray more and more fervently. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Take this message to heart and pray more.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible Question:  “Foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, strivings and the law” (Titus 3:9).

Today’s Bible Question:  “What year is it believed that Jesus was crucified?” 

Answer in our next SD.

12/18/2013 10:49 AM