Day 195 of the 2nd Bible Study Journey - 15 July 2022 reflections
Day 196, 15 July 2022
1) Isaiah 24-27,29
Isaiah 24
Judgment on the Earth
1 Now the Lord makes the earth empty,
and makes it waste,
and turns it upside down,
and scatters its inhabitants abroad.
2 (Hos 4:9; Eze 7:12-13) It shall be:
as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 (Isa 6:11; 24:1) The land shall be utterly emptied,
and utterly despoiled,
for the Lord has spoken this word.
4 (Isa 33:9; Hos 4:3) The earth mourns and fades away,
the world languishes and fades away,
the haughty people of the earth languish.
5 The earth also is defiled by its inhabitants
because they have transgressed the laws,
violated the ordinances,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6 (Zec 5:3-4 ) Therefore, the curse devours the earth,
and those who dwell in it are held guilty.
Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned,
and few men are left.
7 (Isa 16:10; 16:8) The new wine fails, the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 (Hos 2:11; Jer 7:34) The joy of tambourines ceases,
the noise of those who rejoice ends,
the joy of the harp ceases.
9 (Ecc 9:7; Isa 5:22) They shall not drink wine with song;
strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down;
every house is shut up so that no one may come in.
11 There is an outcry for wine in the streets,
all joy is turned to gloom,
the joyfulness of the earth is gone.
12 Desolation is left in the city,
and the gate is battered to destruction.
13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
among the peoples,
as the shaking of an olive tree,
and as the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
14 (Isa 54:1) They lift up their voices; they sing for the majesty of the Lord;
they cry aloud from the west.
15 (Mal 1:11; Isa 42:4) Therefore glorify the Lord in the east,
even the name of the Lord God of Israel
in the coastlands of the sea.
16 (Isa 21:2; 33:1) From the uttermost part of the earth we hear songs,
that is, "Glory to the Righteous One."
But I say, Woe to me! Woe to me!
Alas for me!
The treacherous deal treacherously;
indeed, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
17 (Jer 48:43-44) Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you,
O inhabitant of the earth.
18 (Ge 7:11; Ps 18:7) He who flees from the report of disaster
shall fall into the pit,
and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit
shall be taken in the snare.
For the windows from on high are open,
and the foundations of the earth shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down,
the earth is split through,
the earth is shaken violently.
20 (Isa 19:14; 29:9) The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard,
and it totters like a shack,
and its transgression is heavy upon it,
and it shall fall, never to rise again.
21 (Ps 76:12; Isa 10:12) In that day the Lord shall punish
the host of heaven on high
and the kings of the earth on the earth.
22 (Zec 9:11) They shall be gathered together,
as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon,
and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days they shall be punished.
23 (Isa 13:10; 60:19) Then the moon shall be humiliated and the sun ashamed,
when the Lord of Hosts reigns
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and His glory shall be before His elders.
Isaiah 24
[1] Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and
turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
[2] And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the
servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with
the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as
with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
[3] The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD
hath spoken this word.
[4] The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth
away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
[5] The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they
have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant.
[6] Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein
are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men
left.
[7] The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do
sigh.
[8] The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the
joy of the harp ceaseth.
[9] They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to
them that drink it.
[10] The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no
man may come in.
[11] There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the
mirth of the land is gone.
[12] In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with
destruction.
[13] When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there
shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when
the vintage is done.
[14] They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the
LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
[15] Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD
God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
[16] From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to
the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the
treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers
have dealt very treacherously.
[17] Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the
earth.
[18] And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the
fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the
pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and
the foundations of the earth do shake.
[19] The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the
earth is moved exceedingly.
[20] The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed
like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it
shall fall, and not rise again.
[21] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the
host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the
earth.
[22] And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the
pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be
visited.
[23] Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD
of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his
ancients gloriously.
Isaiah 25
Praise to the Lord
1 (Ex 15:2; Ps 98:1) O Lord, You are my God.
I will exalt You, I will praise Your name,
for You have done wonderful things;
Your plans formed of old
are faithfulness and truth.
2 (Isa 17:1; 13:22) For You have made a city into a heap,
a fortified city into a ruin;
a palace of strangers is a city no longer;
it shall never be built.
3 Therefore a strong people shall glorify You;
cities of ruthless nations shall fear You.
4 (Isa 14:32; 32:2) For You have been a defense to the poor,
a defense to the needy in his distress,
a refuge from the storm,
a shadow from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless ones
is as a storm against the wall.
5 You bring down the noise of strangers,
as heat in drought;
as the heat by the shadow of a cloud,
the song of the ruthless ones shall be brought low.
6 (Isa 2:2-3; Ps 63:5) In this mountain the Lord of Hosts shall prepare
for all people a lavish feast,
a feast of aged wines,
choice pieces full of marrow, and refined, aged wines.
7 (Eph 4:18) He will destroy in this mountain
the covering which is over all peoples,
even the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 (Rev 21:4; Hos 13:14; 1Co 15:54) He will swallow up death for all time,
and the Lord God will wipe away tears
from all faces;
and the reproach of His people He shall take away
from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken it.
9 (Ps 20:5; Ge 49:18) It shall be said in that day:
Look, this is our God
for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
10 (Isa 25:6; Jer 48:2) For in this mountain the hand of the Lord shall rest,
and Moab shall be trodden down in his place
as straw is trodden down in the water for the manure pile.
11 (Isa 5:25; 14:26) He shall spread out his hands in the midst of it,
as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim,
yet the Lord shall bring down his pride
together with the trickery of his hands.
12 (Isa 26:5) The unassailable fortresses of your walls
He shall bring down, lay low,
and bring to the ground,
even to the dust.
Isaiah 25
[1] O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for
thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and
truth.
[2] For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a
palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
[3] Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible
nations shall fear thee.
[4] For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in
his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the
blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
[5] Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry
place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible
ones shall be brought low.
[6] And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a
feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of
marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
[7] And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over
all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
[8] He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away
tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away
from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
[9] And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited
for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we
will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
[10] For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be
trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
[11] And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that
swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their
pride together with the spoils of their hands.
[12] And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay
low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.
Isaiah 26
A Song of Victory
1 (Isa 60:18; 12:1) In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
He appoints walls
and bulwarks for security.
2 (Ps 118:20; Isa 60:11) Open the gates,
that the righteous nation may enter,
the one who remains faithful.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
4 (Isa 12:2; 50:10) Trust in the Lord forever,
for in God the Lord we have an everlasting rock.
5 (Job 40:11-13) For He brings down those who dwell on high,
the lofty city; He lays it low; He lays it low,
even to the ground;
He brings it even to the dust.
6 The foot shall tread it down,
even the feet of the poor
and the steps of the needy.
7 The way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 In the way of Your judgments, O Lord,
we have waited for You eagerly;
the desire of our souls is Your name,
even Your memory.
9 (Ps 63:1; Mt 6:33 ) With my soul I have desired You in the night;
my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
for when Your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 (Hos 11:7; Jn 5:37-38) Though favor is shown to the wicked,
yet he will not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals unjustly
and does not perceive the majesty of the Lord.
11 (Isa 5:24; Mic 5:9) Lord, Your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.
They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
the fire of Your enemies shall devour them.
12 Lord, You will ordain peace for us,
for You also have done all our works for us.
13 (Isa 2:8) O Lord our God, other lords besides You have had dominion over us,
but through You alone we confess Your name.
14 (Isa 8:19) The dead shall not live;
the departed spirits shall not rise.
Therefore, You have punished and destroyed them
and made all remembrance of them to perish.
15 (Isa 9:3) You have increased the nation, O Lord,
You have increased the nation;
You are glorified;
You have extended all the borders of the land.
16 (Hos 5:15) Lord, in trouble they have sought You;
they poured out a prayer
when Your chastening was on them.
17 (Isa 13:8; Jn 16:21) Like a woman with child,
who is in pain and cries out in her pangs
when she draws near the time of her delivery,
so have we been in Your sight, O Lord.
18 (Ps 17:14) We have been with child, we have been in pain,
we have, as it were, brought forth wind;
we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth,
nor were the inhabitants of the world born.
19 (Isa 25:8; Da 12:2) Your dead shall live,
their corpses shall arise.
Awake and sing,
you who dwell in dust,
for your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
and the earth shall give birth to the departed spirits.
20 (Ps 30:5; 91:4) Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide for a little while
until the indignation is over.
21 (Job 16:18) For the Lord comes out of His place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
the earth also shall disclose her bloodshed
and shall cover her slain no more.
Isaiah 26
[1] In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a
strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
[2] Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may
enter in.
[3] Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.
[4] Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting
strength:
[5] For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth
it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the
dust.
[6] The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps
of the needy.
[7] The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the
path of the just.
[8] Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the
desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
[9] With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit
within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
[10] Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn
righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will
not behold the majesty of the LORD.
[11] LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall
see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine
enemies shall devour them.
[12] LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our
works in us.
[13] O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but
by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
[14] They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not
rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their
memory to perish.
[15] Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation:
thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the
earth.
[16] LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when
thy chastening was upon them.
[17] Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery,
is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O
LORD.
[18] We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were
brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth;
neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
[19] Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,
and the earth shall cast out the dead.
[20] Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about
thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be
overpast.
[21] For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood,
and shall no more cover her slain.
Isaiah 27
The Deliverance of Israel
1 (Ps 104:26; Isa 51:9) In that day
the Lord with His fierce and great
and strong sword shall punish
Leviathan the fleeing serpent,
even Leviathan the twisted serpent;
and He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
2 (Jer 2:21) In that day:
Sing of it! A vineyard of red wine.
3 (Isa 58:11; 1Sa 2:9) I, the Lord, am its keeper;
I water it every moment;
lest anyone damage it,
I protect it night and day.
4 (Isa 10:17; Mt 3:12) I have no fury.
Should someone give Me briers and thorns in battle,
then I would step on them,
I would burn them fully.
5 (Job 22:21; Isa 25:4) Or let him rely on My strength;
let him make peace with Me;
let him make peace with Me.
6 (Isa 37:31; Hos 14:5-6) In the days to come Jacob shall take root;
Israel shall blossom and bud
and shall fill the whole world with fruit.
7 (Isa 37:36-38) Has He struck them,
as He struck those who struck them?
Or like the slaughter of His slain,
have they been slain?
8 (Jer 4:11; 10:24) You fought with them by banishing them,
by driving them away.
He has expelled them
on the day of the east wind with His fierce wind.
9 (Isa 17:8; 48:10) Through this, therefore,
the iniquity of Jacob shall be forgiven,
and this will be the full price of the removal of his sin:
when he makes all the stones of the altar
as chalkstones that are pulverized,
when the groves and incense altars
shall not stand.
10 (Isa 17:2; 17:9) For the fortified city shall be desolate,
a homestead forlorn and forsaken like a wilderness;
there the calf shall graze,
and there it shall lie down
and eat its branches.
11 (Isa 1:3; 43:1) When its boughs are withered, they are broken off;
the women come and make a fire with them,
for they are not a people of understanding;
therefore, their Maker will not have mercy on them,
and their Creator will show them no grace.
12 (Ge 15:18; Dt 30:3-4) In that day the Lord shall thresh
from the channel of the RiverEuphrates River. to the stream of Egypt,
and you shall be gathered one by one, O sons of Israel.
13 (Lev 25:9; Mt 24:31) And in that day the great trumpet shall be blown,
and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcasts
in the land of Egypt shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 27
[1] In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall
punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent;
and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
[2] In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
[3] I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I
will keep it night and day.
[4] Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in
battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
[5] Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and
he shall make peace with me.
[6] He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall
blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.
[7] Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain
according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?
[8] In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth
his rough wind in the day of the east wind.
[9] By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all
the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar
as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not
stand up.
[10] Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken,
and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he
lie down, and consume the branches thereof.
[11] When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the
women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding:
therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed
them will shew them no favour.
[12] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off
from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be
gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
[13] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be
blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of
Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD
in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28
Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah
1 (Hos 7:5; Isa 28:3-4) Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
which is at the head of the fertile valley
of those who are overcome with wine!
2 (Isa 30:30; Eze 13:11) See, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
as a flood of mighty overflowing waters,
He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.
3 (Isa 26:6) The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim
is trodden under foot;
4 (Mic 7:1; Na 3:12) and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
which is at the head of the fertile valley,
shall be like a first-ripe fig before the summer,
which when one sees, while it is yet in his hand,
he eats it up.
5 (Isa 62:3; 41:16) In that day the Lord of Hosts
shall become a crown of glory
and a diadem of beauty
to the remnant of His people,
6 (1Ki 3:28; Jn 5:30) a spirit of justice
for him who sits in judgment,
and strength
to those who turn away the battle at the gate.
7 (Ps 107:27; Pr 20:1) But they also have erred through wine
and stagger from strong drink;
the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink,
they are confused by wine,
they stagger from strong drink;
they err while having visions,
they stumble when rendering judgment.
8 (Jer 48:26) For all the tables are full of vomit
and filthiness so that there is no clean place.
9 (Ps 131:2; Jer 6:10) "To whom shall He teach knowledge,
and to whom shall He interpret the message?
Those just weaned from the milk
and drawn from the breasts?
10 For He says,
'Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.’'"
11 (1Co 14:21) For with stammering lips and foreign tongue
He will speak to this people,
12 (Mt 11:28-29; Isa 30:15) He who said to them,
"This is the rest. Give rest to the weary,"
and, "This is repose,"
yet they would not listen.
13 (Mt 21:44) So the word of the Lord will be to them,
"Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little,"
that they might go and fall backward,
be broken, snared, and taken captive.
14 (Isa 1:10; 28:22) Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, Oscoffers,
who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 (Isa 8:7-8; Da 11:22) because you have said,
"We have made a covenant with death,
and with hell we are in agreement.
The overflowing scourge shall not come to us
when it passes through,
for we have made lies our refuge
and under falsehood we have hid ourselves."
A Cornerstone in Zion
16 (Ps 118:22; Mt 21:42; Ro 9:33) Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
See, I lay in Zion a stone,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, firmly placed;
he who believes shall not act hastily.
17 (2Ki 21:13; Isa 28:2) I shall make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plummet;
then the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies
and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 (Isa 7:7; 28:15) Your covenant with death shall be annulled,
and your agreement with hell shall not stand;
when the overflowing scourge passes through,
then you shall be trodden down by it.
19 As often as it passes through, it shall seize you;
for morning by morning it shall pass through,
anytime by day or night.
It shall be terror only
to understand the report.
20 The bed is too short to stretch out,
and the covering is too small to wrap oneself in it.
21 (Jos 10:10; 10:12) For the Lord shall rise up as at Mount Perazim,
He shall be wrathful as in the Valley of Gibeon
to do His work, His unusual work,
and bring to pass His task, His exceptional task.
22 (Isa 10:22-23 ) Now therefore, do not continue as mockers,
lest your bonds be made stronger;
for I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts
of determined destruction upon the whole earth.
23 Give ear and hear my voice;
listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman plow all day to sow?
Does he continually turn and break the clods of his ground?
25 Does he not level its surface
and sow dill and scatter the cumin
and plant wheat in rows,
barley in its place
and the rye within its area?
26 For his God instructs
and teaches him appropriately.
27 (Am 1:3) For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument,
nor is a cartwheel driven over the cumin;
but the dill is beaten out with a staff,
and the cumin with a rod.
28 Grain for bread is crushed;
so he does not continue to thresh it forever,
nor break it with the wheel of his cart,
nor crush it with his horsemen.
29 (Isa 9:6; Ro 11:33) This also comes from the Lord of Hosts,
who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
Isaiah 29
[1] Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year;
let them kill sacrifices.
[2] Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and
it shall be unto me as Ariel.
[3] And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against
thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
[4] And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and
thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one
that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper
out of the dust.
[5] Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and
the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea,
it shall be at an instant suddenly.
[6] Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with
earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of
devouring fire.
[7] And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all
that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as
a dream of a night vision.
[8] It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth;
but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth,
and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his
soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight
against mount Zion.
[9] Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but
not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
[10] For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and
hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he
covered.
[11] And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is
sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray
thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
[12] And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read
this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
[13] Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart
far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
[14] Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this
people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise
men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
[15] Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and
their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
[16] Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the
potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?
or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no
understanding?
[17] Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a
fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
[18] And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes
of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
[19] The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among
men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
[20] For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed,
and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
[21] That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that
reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
[22] Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the
house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now
wax pale.
[23] But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of
him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and
shall fear the God of Israel.
[24] They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they
that murmured shall learn doctrine.
2) Our Daily Bread for 15 July 2022
https://odb.org/CA/2022/07/15/the-whole-house
Entitled The Whole House
Acts 16:22-34
The Reply of the Council
22 (1Th 2:2; 2Co 6:5) The crowd rose up together against them.
And the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them.
23 After they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison,
commanding the jailer to guard them securely.
24 (Job 13:27; 33:11) Having received such an order, he threw them into
the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 (Job 35:10; Ps 42:8) At midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 (Ac 4:31; 12:7) Suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.
And immediately all the doors were opened
and everyone's shackles were loosened.
27 (Ac 12:19) When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open,
he drew his sword and would have killed himself,
supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul shouted, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
29 He called for lights and rushed in, trembling,
and fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 (Ac 2:37; 22:10) He then led them out and asked,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 (Mk 16:16; Jn 1:12) They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you and your household will be saved."
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all who were in his household.
33 (Ac 16:15; 16:25) In that hour of the night he took them
and washed their wounds. And immediately he and his entire household
were baptized.
34 (Ac 2:46) Then he brought them up to his house and set food before them.
And he rejoiced with his entire household believing in God.
[22] And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates
rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
[23] And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into
prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
[24] Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison,
and made their feet fast in the stocks.
[25] And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and
the prisoners heard them.
[26] And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of
the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every
one's bands were loosed.
[27] And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the
prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself,
supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
[28] But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we
are all here.
[29] Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell
down before Paul and Silas,
[30] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
[31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house.
[32] And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in
his house.
[33] And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes;
and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
[34] And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them,
and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Wearing his striped jumpsuit, James walked across the steamy jail gym
and climbed into the portable pool where he was baptised by the prison
chaplain. James' joy multiplied, however, when he heard that his daughter
Brittany-also an inmate-had been baptised that same day . . . in the same
water! When they realized what had happened, even the staff got emotional.
"There wasn't a dry eye," the chaplain said. In and out of jail for years,
Brittany and her dad both wanted God's forgiveness. And together, God gave
them new life.
Scripture describes another prison encounter-this time with a jailer-where
Jesus' love transformed an entire family. After a "violent earthquake" shook
the prison and "the prison doors flew open," Paul and Silas didn't run but
remained in their cell (Acts 16:26–28). The jailer, overcome with gratitude
that they didn't flee, took them to his house and eventually asked that
life-changing question: "What must I do to be saved?" (v. 30)
"Believe in the Lord Jesus," they answered, "you and your household" (v. 31).
The response reveals God's desire to pour out mercy on not only individuals
but also entire families. Encountering God's love, they all came "to believe
in God-[the jailer] and his whole household" (v. 34). Though we’re often eager
for the salvation of those we love, we can trust that God loves them even
more than we do. He desires to renew all of us, our whole house.
By: Winn Collier
Reflect & Pray
What difference does it make to consider how God reaches out to whole
families? How can you trust God's mercy for your family?
Dear God, please reveal Yourself to my whole family.
3) From The Billy Graham Evangelical Ministry Association
Words in Season - Scripture Memory Tools
Week 3 - Saved Now and forever Day 6 - Eternal Life, Beginning now
John 10:28 - I give them eternal life. They shall never perish,
nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand.
28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
In C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, one of the Spirits in heaven, identifying
himself as George MacDonald, makes some startling statements on the nature of
eternal life. Depending upon the individual's choice for or against Christ,
MacDonald says, everything in life takes on the character of haven or hell.
"At the end of ALL THINGS, when the sun rises here (in heaven) and the twilight
turns to blackness down there, the Blessed will say, 'We have never lived
anywhere except in Heaven,' and the Lost, 'We were always in Hell.'
And both will speak truly" - From the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.
Lewis was not trying to make a theological case, but to demonstrate
a principle: eternal life begins now.
The choices that we make for or against obedience to God, the life we live,
the patterns we establish, all move us in one direction of the other.
And when we have decided to choose obedience to God (the forsakeness of sin),
when we give ourselves fully into his hands, he is able to take the worst of
circumstances and redeem them for our good, use them to mature us in his image.
Again Jesus says in John 10:28
"I give them eternal life. They shall never perish,
nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand. "
In Christ is a very secure place to be. No experience is lost, no pain is
wasted. Everything in our lives is redeemed by God for our benefit.
Application
a) How have I experienced the truth that "eternal life begins now"?
b) How can this verse help me put life in perspective during times
of stress and anxiety?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
2 Cor 9:6
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are Worried Over Money
1 Tim 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain
that we can carry nothing out.
8 If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with these things.
9 But those who desire
to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish
and harmful lusts, which drown men in ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil.
While coveting after money, some have strayed from the faith
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain
we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will
be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2022 edition?)
Where do Muslims live?
Canada is a land of immigrants. And Muslims are coming in increasing numbers
to our shores. Where do they live? How can we pray for these areas? Use this as
your more effectively for Muslims in Canada.
Data for those population figures is extrapolated for the 2011 National
Household Survey and population growth projections by Pew Forum. These have
also been adjusted by +40% as reliable sources state that on 60% of Muslims
self-identify on government surveys and forms. These estimates are still on
the conservative end of the spectrum. Percentages represent that of the total
Canadian population, not provincial
BC - 136493 - 7.5%
AB - 195240 - 11%
SK - 17279 - 1%
MB - 21349 - 1.2%
ON - 1001542 - 55%
QC - 418946 - 23%
NB - 4543 - 0.003%
NS - 14629 - 0.1%
PEI - 1127 - 0.0006%
NFLD - 2065 - 0.001%
Yukon - 69 - 0.00004%
NWT - 473 - 0.0003%
NU - 86 - 0.00005%
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
And
Thank you for praying through the
5 Days of Prayer for Sikhs.
"My name is Kam. I'm 29 years of age, and I grew up Sikh. As a teenager,
I struggled with depression, brokenness, and addiction to
cannabis. I didn't know how to stop or how to get help.
Then a friend invited me to church. As I spent time with Christians
and heard the message of the Gospel, I experienced the
love of Jesus Christ, and it was like nothing I'd known before.
One night I had a dream where I saw Him - a figure surrounded by
light who I knew was Jesus, the light of the world.
As I began to understand the gospel message, I encountered a reassuring and
confident solution to the problem of sin. I knew that I needed a solution
to my sin problem, and I gave my life to Christ.
Slowly, God began to heal my broken heart and my addiction.
Nine years have passed, and I am a devoted husband and a father
to two beautiful boys. I grow deeper in love with Jesus each day.
I ask you to continue praying with me, and others around the world, for Sikhs.
God is the only one who can draw people to Himself. He works in and through
the prayers of His people. I want Sikhs to know the freedom
and healing that is only available through Jesus Christ."
13 (Ro 14:17; 12:12) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
[13] Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that
ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
ROMANS 15:13
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
15th Day of the Month
a) Pray for the Lord to convict all Canadians of His Righteous
standards of living (John 16: 8 - 11
8 "When He comes, He will convict the world of sin
and of righteousness and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I am going to My Father,
and you will see Me no more;
11 and of judgment, because the ruler of this world stands condemned."
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
)
b) Pray for the province of Nova Scotia
I) Pray for the leaders of Nova Scotia, that God's Spirit would influence
them to act justly, serve with integrity and honour high moral standards.
( 1 Tim 2:1 - 4
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone,
2 (Ezr 6:10) for kings and for all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty,
3(1Ti 1:1; Lk 1:47) for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior,
4 (Eze 18:23; 18:32)
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and and praise Him for He is your victory.
Pray to the Lord: "Dear God, please reveal Yourself to my whole family."
Pray to the Lord and remember eternity is a chice that starts now.
Pray to the Lord and pray to reap bountifully.
Pray to the Lord and pray to faithful and a good mananger over money.
Pray for Muslims in Canada to know Jesus as Saviour.
Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
Pray for the Lord to convict all Canadians of His Righteous
standards of living
Pray for all who risk their lives distributing Bibles and Christian
literature in Turkmenistan.
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.
1) Isaiah 24-27,29
Isaiah 24
Judgment on the Earth
1 Now the Lord makes the earth empty,
and makes it waste,
and turns it upside down,
and scatters its inhabitants abroad.
2 (Hos 4:9; Eze 7:12-13) It shall be:
as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 (Isa 6:11; 24:1) The land shall be utterly emptied,
and utterly despoiled,
for the Lord has spoken this word.
4 (Isa 33:9; Hos 4:3) The earth mourns and fades away,
the world languishes and fades away,
the haughty people of the earth languish.
5 The earth also is defiled by its inhabitants
because they have transgressed the laws,
violated the ordinances,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6 (Zec 5:3-4 ) Therefore, the curse devours the earth,
and those who dwell in it are held guilty.
Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned,
and few men are left.
7 (Isa 16:10; 16:8) The new wine fails, the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 (Hos 2:11; Jer 7:34) The joy of tambourines ceases,
the noise of those who rejoice ends,
the joy of the harp ceases.
9 (Ecc 9:7; Isa 5:22) They shall not drink wine with song;
strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down;
every house is shut up so that no one may come in.
11 There is an outcry for wine in the streets,
all joy is turned to gloom,
the joyfulness of the earth is gone.
12 Desolation is left in the city,
and the gate is battered to destruction.
13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
among the peoples,
as the shaking of an olive tree,
and as the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
14 (Isa 54:1) They lift up their voices; they sing for the majesty of the Lord;
they cry aloud from the west.
15 (Mal 1:11; Isa 42:4) Therefore glorify the Lord in the east,
even the name of the Lord God of Israel
in the coastlands of the sea.
16 (Isa 21:2; 33:1) From the uttermost part of the earth we hear songs,
that is, "Glory to the Righteous One."
But I say, Woe to me! Woe to me!
Alas for me!
The treacherous deal treacherously;
indeed, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
17 (Jer 48:43-44) Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you,
O inhabitant of the earth.
18 (Ge 7:11; Ps 18:7) He who flees from the report of disaster
shall fall into the pit,
and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit
shall be taken in the snare.
For the windows from on high are open,
and the foundations of the earth shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down,
the earth is split through,
the earth is shaken violently.
20 (Isa 19:14; 29:9) The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard,
and it totters like a shack,
and its transgression is heavy upon it,
and it shall fall, never to rise again.
21 (Ps 76:12; Isa 10:12) In that day the Lord shall punish
the host of heaven on high
and the kings of the earth on the earth.
22 (Zec 9:11) They shall be gathered together,
as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon,
and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days they shall be punished.
23 (Isa 13:10; 60:19) Then the moon shall be humiliated and the sun ashamed,
when the Lord of Hosts reigns
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and His glory shall be before His elders.
Isaiah 24
[1] Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and
turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
[2] And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the
servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with
the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as
with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
[3] The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD
hath spoken this word.
[4] The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth
away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
[5] The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they
have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant.
[6] Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein
are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men
left.
[7] The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do
sigh.
[8] The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the
joy of the harp ceaseth.
[9] They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to
them that drink it.
[10] The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no
man may come in.
[11] There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the
mirth of the land is gone.
[12] In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with
destruction.
[13] When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there
shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when
the vintage is done.
[14] They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the
LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
[15] Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD
God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
[16] From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to
the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the
treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers
have dealt very treacherously.
[17] Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the
earth.
[18] And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the
fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the
pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and
the foundations of the earth do shake.
[19] The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the
earth is moved exceedingly.
[20] The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed
like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it
shall fall, and not rise again.
[21] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the
host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the
earth.
[22] And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the
pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be
visited.
[23] Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD
of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his
ancients gloriously.
Isaiah 25
Praise to the Lord
1 (Ex 15:2; Ps 98:1) O Lord, You are my God.
I will exalt You, I will praise Your name,
for You have done wonderful things;
Your plans formed of old
are faithfulness and truth.
2 (Isa 17:1; 13:22) For You have made a city into a heap,
a fortified city into a ruin;
a palace of strangers is a city no longer;
it shall never be built.
3 Therefore a strong people shall glorify You;
cities of ruthless nations shall fear You.
4 (Isa 14:32; 32:2) For You have been a defense to the poor,
a defense to the needy in his distress,
a refuge from the storm,
a shadow from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless ones
is as a storm against the wall.
5 You bring down the noise of strangers,
as heat in drought;
as the heat by the shadow of a cloud,
the song of the ruthless ones shall be brought low.
6 (Isa 2:2-3; Ps 63:5) In this mountain the Lord of Hosts shall prepare
for all people a lavish feast,
a feast of aged wines,
choice pieces full of marrow, and refined, aged wines.
7 (Eph 4:18) He will destroy in this mountain
the covering which is over all peoples,
even the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 (Rev 21:4; Hos 13:14; 1Co 15:54) He will swallow up death for all time,
and the Lord God will wipe away tears
from all faces;
and the reproach of His people He shall take away
from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken it.
9 (Ps 20:5; Ge 49:18) It shall be said in that day:
Look, this is our God
for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
10 (Isa 25:6; Jer 48:2) For in this mountain the hand of the Lord shall rest,
and Moab shall be trodden down in his place
as straw is trodden down in the water for the manure pile.
11 (Isa 5:25; 14:26) He shall spread out his hands in the midst of it,
as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim,
yet the Lord shall bring down his pride
together with the trickery of his hands.
12 (Isa 26:5) The unassailable fortresses of your walls
He shall bring down, lay low,
and bring to the ground,
even to the dust.
Isaiah 25
[1] O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for
thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and
truth.
[2] For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a
palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
[3] Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible
nations shall fear thee.
[4] For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in
his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the
blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
[5] Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry
place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible
ones shall be brought low.
[6] And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a
feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of
marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
[7] And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over
all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
[8] He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away
tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away
from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
[9] And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited
for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we
will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
[10] For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be
trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
[11] And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that
swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their
pride together with the spoils of their hands.
[12] And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay
low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.
Isaiah 26
A Song of Victory
1 (Isa 60:18; 12:1) In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
He appoints walls
and bulwarks for security.
2 (Ps 118:20; Isa 60:11) Open the gates,
that the righteous nation may enter,
the one who remains faithful.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
4 (Isa 12:2; 50:10) Trust in the Lord forever,
for in God the Lord we have an everlasting rock.
5 (Job 40:11-13) For He brings down those who dwell on high,
the lofty city; He lays it low; He lays it low,
even to the ground;
He brings it even to the dust.
6 The foot shall tread it down,
even the feet of the poor
and the steps of the needy.
7 The way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
8 In the way of Your judgments, O Lord,
we have waited for You eagerly;
the desire of our souls is Your name,
even Your memory.
9 (Ps 63:1; Mt 6:33 ) With my soul I have desired You in the night;
my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
for when Your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 (Hos 11:7; Jn 5:37-38) Though favor is shown to the wicked,
yet he will not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals unjustly
and does not perceive the majesty of the Lord.
11 (Isa 5:24; Mic 5:9) Lord, Your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.
They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
the fire of Your enemies shall devour them.
12 Lord, You will ordain peace for us,
for You also have done all our works for us.
13 (Isa 2:8) O Lord our God, other lords besides You have had dominion over us,
but through You alone we confess Your name.
14 (Isa 8:19) The dead shall not live;
the departed spirits shall not rise.
Therefore, You have punished and destroyed them
and made all remembrance of them to perish.
15 (Isa 9:3) You have increased the nation, O Lord,
You have increased the nation;
You are glorified;
You have extended all the borders of the land.
16 (Hos 5:15) Lord, in trouble they have sought You;
they poured out a prayer
when Your chastening was on them.
17 (Isa 13:8; Jn 16:21) Like a woman with child,
who is in pain and cries out in her pangs
when she draws near the time of her delivery,
so have we been in Your sight, O Lord.
18 (Ps 17:14) We have been with child, we have been in pain,
we have, as it were, brought forth wind;
we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth,
nor were the inhabitants of the world born.
19 (Isa 25:8; Da 12:2) Your dead shall live,
their corpses shall arise.
Awake and sing,
you who dwell in dust,
for your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
and the earth shall give birth to the departed spirits.
20 (Ps 30:5; 91:4) Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide for a little while
until the indignation is over.
21 (Job 16:18) For the Lord comes out of His place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
the earth also shall disclose her bloodshed
and shall cover her slain no more.
Isaiah 26
[1] In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a
strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
[2] Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may
enter in.
[3] Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.
[4] Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting
strength:
[5] For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth
it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the
dust.
[6] The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps
of the needy.
[7] The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the
path of the just.
[8] Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the
desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
[9] With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit
within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
[10] Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn
righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will
not behold the majesty of the LORD.
[11] LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall
see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine
enemies shall devour them.
[12] LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our
works in us.
[13] O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but
by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
[14] They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not
rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their
memory to perish.
[15] Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation:
thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the
earth.
[16] LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when
thy chastening was upon them.
[17] Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery,
is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O
LORD.
[18] We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were
brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth;
neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
[19] Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,
and the earth shall cast out the dead.
[20] Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about
thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be
overpast.
[21] For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood,
and shall no more cover her slain.
Isaiah 27
The Deliverance of Israel
1 (Ps 104:26; Isa 51:9) In that day
the Lord with His fierce and great
and strong sword shall punish
Leviathan the fleeing serpent,
even Leviathan the twisted serpent;
and He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
2 (Jer 2:21) In that day:
Sing of it! A vineyard of red wine.
3 (Isa 58:11; 1Sa 2:9) I, the Lord, am its keeper;
I water it every moment;
lest anyone damage it,
I protect it night and day.
4 (Isa 10:17; Mt 3:12) I have no fury.
Should someone give Me briers and thorns in battle,
then I would step on them,
I would burn them fully.
5 (Job 22:21; Isa 25:4) Or let him rely on My strength;
let him make peace with Me;
let him make peace with Me.
6 (Isa 37:31; Hos 14:5-6) In the days to come Jacob shall take root;
Israel shall blossom and bud
and shall fill the whole world with fruit.
7 (Isa 37:36-38) Has He struck them,
as He struck those who struck them?
Or like the slaughter of His slain,
have they been slain?
8 (Jer 4:11; 10:24) You fought with them by banishing them,
by driving them away.
He has expelled them
on the day of the east wind with His fierce wind.
9 (Isa 17:8; 48:10) Through this, therefore,
the iniquity of Jacob shall be forgiven,
and this will be the full price of the removal of his sin:
when he makes all the stones of the altar
as chalkstones that are pulverized,
when the groves and incense altars
shall not stand.
10 (Isa 17:2; 17:9) For the fortified city shall be desolate,
a homestead forlorn and forsaken like a wilderness;
there the calf shall graze,
and there it shall lie down
and eat its branches.
11 (Isa 1:3; 43:1) When its boughs are withered, they are broken off;
the women come and make a fire with them,
for they are not a people of understanding;
therefore, their Maker will not have mercy on them,
and their Creator will show them no grace.
12 (Ge 15:18; Dt 30:3-4) In that day the Lord shall thresh
from the channel of the RiverEuphrates River. to the stream of Egypt,
and you shall be gathered one by one, O sons of Israel.
13 (Lev 25:9; Mt 24:31) And in that day the great trumpet shall be blown,
and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcasts
in the land of Egypt shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 27
[1] In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall
punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent;
and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
[2] In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
[3] I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I
will keep it night and day.
[4] Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in
battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
[5] Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and
he shall make peace with me.
[6] He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall
blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.
[7] Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain
according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?
[8] In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth
his rough wind in the day of the east wind.
[9] By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all
the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar
as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not
stand up.
[10] Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken,
and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he
lie down, and consume the branches thereof.
[11] When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the
women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding:
therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed
them will shew them no favour.
[12] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off
from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be
gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
[13] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be
blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of
Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD
in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28
Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah
1 (Hos 7:5; Isa 28:3-4) Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
which is at the head of the fertile valley
of those who are overcome with wine!
2 (Isa 30:30; Eze 13:11) See, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
as a flood of mighty overflowing waters,
He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.
3 (Isa 26:6) The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim
is trodden under foot;
4 (Mic 7:1; Na 3:12) and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
which is at the head of the fertile valley,
shall be like a first-ripe fig before the summer,
which when one sees, while it is yet in his hand,
he eats it up.
5 (Isa 62:3; 41:16) In that day the Lord of Hosts
shall become a crown of glory
and a diadem of beauty
to the remnant of His people,
6 (1Ki 3:28; Jn 5:30) a spirit of justice
for him who sits in judgment,
and strength
to those who turn away the battle at the gate.
7 (Ps 107:27; Pr 20:1) But they also have erred through wine
and stagger from strong drink;
the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink,
they are confused by wine,
they stagger from strong drink;
they err while having visions,
they stumble when rendering judgment.
8 (Jer 48:26) For all the tables are full of vomit
and filthiness so that there is no clean place.
9 (Ps 131:2; Jer 6:10) "To whom shall He teach knowledge,
and to whom shall He interpret the message?
Those just weaned from the milk
and drawn from the breasts?
10 For He says,
'Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.’'"
11 (1Co 14:21) For with stammering lips and foreign tongue
He will speak to this people,
12 (Mt 11:28-29; Isa 30:15) He who said to them,
"This is the rest. Give rest to the weary,"
and, "This is repose,"
yet they would not listen.
13 (Mt 21:44) So the word of the Lord will be to them,
"Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little,"
that they might go and fall backward,
be broken, snared, and taken captive.
14 (Isa 1:10; 28:22) Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, Oscoffers,
who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 (Isa 8:7-8; Da 11:22) because you have said,
"We have made a covenant with death,
and with hell we are in agreement.
The overflowing scourge shall not come to us
when it passes through,
for we have made lies our refuge
and under falsehood we have hid ourselves."
A Cornerstone in Zion
16 (Ps 118:22; Mt 21:42; Ro 9:33) Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
See, I lay in Zion a stone,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, firmly placed;
he who believes shall not act hastily.
17 (2Ki 21:13; Isa 28:2) I shall make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plummet;
then the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies
and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 (Isa 7:7; 28:15) Your covenant with death shall be annulled,
and your agreement with hell shall not stand;
when the overflowing scourge passes through,
then you shall be trodden down by it.
19 As often as it passes through, it shall seize you;
for morning by morning it shall pass through,
anytime by day or night.
It shall be terror only
to understand the report.
20 The bed is too short to stretch out,
and the covering is too small to wrap oneself in it.
21 (Jos 10:10; 10:12) For the Lord shall rise up as at Mount Perazim,
He shall be wrathful as in the Valley of Gibeon
to do His work, His unusual work,
and bring to pass His task, His exceptional task.
22 (Isa 10:22-23 ) Now therefore, do not continue as mockers,
lest your bonds be made stronger;
for I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts
of determined destruction upon the whole earth.
23 Give ear and hear my voice;
listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman plow all day to sow?
Does he continually turn and break the clods of his ground?
25 Does he not level its surface
and sow dill and scatter the cumin
and plant wheat in rows,
barley in its place
and the rye within its area?
26 For his God instructs
and teaches him appropriately.
27 (Am 1:3) For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument,
nor is a cartwheel driven over the cumin;
but the dill is beaten out with a staff,
and the cumin with a rod.
28 Grain for bread is crushed;
so he does not continue to thresh it forever,
nor break it with the wheel of his cart,
nor crush it with his horsemen.
29 (Isa 9:6; Ro 11:33) This also comes from the Lord of Hosts,
who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
Isaiah 29
[1] Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year;
let them kill sacrifices.
[2] Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and
it shall be unto me as Ariel.
[3] And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against
thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
[4] And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and
thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one
that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper
out of the dust.
[5] Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and
the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea,
it shall be at an instant suddenly.
[6] Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with
earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of
devouring fire.
[7] And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all
that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as
a dream of a night vision.
[8] It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth;
but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth,
and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his
soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight
against mount Zion.
[9] Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but
not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
[10] For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and
hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he
covered.
[11] And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is
sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray
thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
[12] And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read
this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
[13] Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart
far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
[14] Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this
people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise
men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
[15] Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and
their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
[16] Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the
potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?
or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no
understanding?
[17] Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a
fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
[18] And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes
of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
[19] The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among
men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
[20] For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed,
and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
[21] That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that
reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
[22] Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the
house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now
wax pale.
[23] But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of
him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and
shall fear the God of Israel.
[24] They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they
that murmured shall learn doctrine.
2) Our Daily Bread for 15 July 2022
https://odb.org/CA/2022/07/15/the-whole-house
Entitled The Whole House
Acts 16:22-34
The Reply of the Council
22 (1Th 2:2; 2Co 6:5) The crowd rose up together against them.
And the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them.
23 After they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison,
commanding the jailer to guard them securely.
24 (Job 13:27; 33:11) Having received such an order, he threw them into
the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 (Job 35:10; Ps 42:8) At midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 (Ac 4:31; 12:7) Suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.
And immediately all the doors were opened
and everyone's shackles were loosened.
27 (Ac 12:19) When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open,
he drew his sword and would have killed himself,
supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul shouted, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
29 He called for lights and rushed in, trembling,
and fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 (Ac 2:37; 22:10) He then led them out and asked,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 (Mk 16:16; Jn 1:12) They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you and your household will be saved."
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all who were in his household.
33 (Ac 16:15; 16:25) In that hour of the night he took them
and washed their wounds. And immediately he and his entire household
were baptized.
34 (Ac 2:46) Then he brought them up to his house and set food before them.
And he rejoiced with his entire household believing in God.
[22] And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates
rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
[23] And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into
prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
[24] Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison,
and made their feet fast in the stocks.
[25] And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and
the prisoners heard them.
[26] And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of
the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every
one's bands were loosed.
[27] And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the
prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself,
supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
[28] But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we
are all here.
[29] Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell
down before Paul and Silas,
[30] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
[31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house.
[32] And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in
his house.
[33] And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes;
and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
[34] And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them,
and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Wearing his striped jumpsuit, James walked across the steamy jail gym
and climbed into the portable pool where he was baptised by the prison
chaplain. James' joy multiplied, however, when he heard that his daughter
Brittany-also an inmate-had been baptised that same day . . . in the same
water! When they realized what had happened, even the staff got emotional.
"There wasn't a dry eye," the chaplain said. In and out of jail for years,
Brittany and her dad both wanted God's forgiveness. And together, God gave
them new life.
Scripture describes another prison encounter-this time with a jailer-where
Jesus' love transformed an entire family. After a "violent earthquake" shook
the prison and "the prison doors flew open," Paul and Silas didn't run but
remained in their cell (Acts 16:26–28). The jailer, overcome with gratitude
that they didn't flee, took them to his house and eventually asked that
life-changing question: "What must I do to be saved?" (v. 30)
"Believe in the Lord Jesus," they answered, "you and your household" (v. 31).
The response reveals God's desire to pour out mercy on not only individuals
but also entire families. Encountering God's love, they all came "to believe
in God-[the jailer] and his whole household" (v. 34). Though we’re often eager
for the salvation of those we love, we can trust that God loves them even
more than we do. He desires to renew all of us, our whole house.
By: Winn Collier
Reflect & Pray
What difference does it make to consider how God reaches out to whole
families? How can you trust God's mercy for your family?
Dear God, please reveal Yourself to my whole family.
3) From The Billy Graham Evangelical Ministry Association
Words in Season - Scripture Memory Tools
Week 3 - Saved Now and forever Day 6 - Eternal Life, Beginning now
John 10:28 - I give them eternal life. They shall never perish,
nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand.
28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
In C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, one of the Spirits in heaven, identifying
himself as George MacDonald, makes some startling statements on the nature of
eternal life. Depending upon the individual's choice for or against Christ,
MacDonald says, everything in life takes on the character of haven or hell.
"At the end of ALL THINGS, when the sun rises here (in heaven) and the twilight
turns to blackness down there, the Blessed will say, 'We have never lived
anywhere except in Heaven,' and the Lost, 'We were always in Hell.'
And both will speak truly" - From the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.
Lewis was not trying to make a theological case, but to demonstrate
a principle: eternal life begins now.
The choices that we make for or against obedience to God, the life we live,
the patterns we establish, all move us in one direction of the other.
And when we have decided to choose obedience to God (the forsakeness of sin),
when we give ourselves fully into his hands, he is able to take the worst of
circumstances and redeem them for our good, use them to mature us in his image.
Again Jesus says in John 10:28
"I give them eternal life. They shall never perish,
nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand. "
In Christ is a very secure place to be. No experience is lost, no pain is
wasted. Everything in our lives is redeemed by God for our benefit.
Application
a) How have I experienced the truth that "eternal life begins now"?
b) How can this verse help me put life in perspective during times
of stress and anxiety?
4) From Prosperity Promises - Kenneth Copeland
2 Cor 9:6
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
5) From a Book called God's Promises for you:
When you are Worried Over Money
1 Tim 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain
that we can carry nothing out.
8 If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with these things.
9 But those who desire
to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish
and harmful lusts, which drown men in ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil.
While coveting after money, some have strayed from the faith
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain
we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will
be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Remember God's promises when You pray
The Lord's prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
9 "Therefore pray in this manner:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
10 (Mt 3:2; 4:17) Your kingdom come;
Your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 (Pr 30:8; Isa 33:16) Give us this day our daily bread.
12 (Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1) And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
13 (1Co 10:13; Jn 17:15) And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
9 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6) This come from Praying for Muslims in Canada 2015 (Is there a 2022 edition?)
Where do Muslims live?
Canada is a land of immigrants. And Muslims are coming in increasing numbers
to our shores. Where do they live? How can we pray for these areas? Use this as
your more effectively for Muslims in Canada.
Data for those population figures is extrapolated for the 2011 National
Household Survey and population growth projections by Pew Forum. These have
also been adjusted by +40% as reliable sources state that on 60% of Muslims
self-identify on government surveys and forms. These estimates are still on
the conservative end of the spectrum. Percentages represent that of the total
Canadian population, not provincial
BC - 136493 - 7.5%
AB - 195240 - 11%
SK - 17279 - 1%
MB - 21349 - 1.2%
ON - 1001542 - 55%
QC - 418946 - 23%
NB - 4543 - 0.003%
NS - 14629 - 0.1%
PEI - 1127 - 0.0006%
NFLD - 2065 - 0.001%
Yukon - 69 - 0.00004%
NWT - 473 - 0.0003%
NU - 86 - 0.00005%
Adding further
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World 24 April to 23 May 2020
Under the Keep Praying page
When the new moon is sighted it marks the beginning of t he new Islamic month
and Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast", will start! After 30 days
of fasting, the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan is a joyful time that
usually lasts about 3 days. Muslims will buy new clothes, exchange gifts and,
of course, enjoy special foods. In Muslim-majority nations, the streets may be
decorated and festivals will be held.
For many Muslims, Eid-al-Fitr begins with communal prayers at daybreak and the
distribution of money (zakat) to the poor, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam.
You can greet Muslim friends during this time by saying "Eid Mubarak",
which means Blessed Eid!"
Ramadan is over for this year, but you can continue to pray for Muslims you
know, and Muslims around the world:
- Despite the unsettling developments in our world today that involve actions
in the name of Islam, there is at the same time a largely untold story about
unprecedented movement to Christ among Muslims. There have been more such
movements of thousands or more new disciples among Muslims in the last three
decades or so than in all the previous history of Christian Muslim
relationships! Pray for this momentum to continue.
Acts 2:12-17 : 17 "In the last days it shall be," says God,
"that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."[a]
Footnotes
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32.
- Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to inspire you to have god's heart for
Muslims, to see them as He does, and to be the light that then to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14-15 : 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under
a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the
house."
Ideas for prayer
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
And
Thank you for praying through the
5 Days of Prayer for Sikhs.
"My name is Kam. I'm 29 years of age, and I grew up Sikh. As a teenager,
I struggled with depression, brokenness, and addiction to
cannabis. I didn't know how to stop or how to get help.
Then a friend invited me to church. As I spent time with Christians
and heard the message of the Gospel, I experienced the
love of Jesus Christ, and it was like nothing I'd known before.
One night I had a dream where I saw Him - a figure surrounded by
light who I knew was Jesus, the light of the world.
As I began to understand the gospel message, I encountered a reassuring and
confident solution to the problem of sin. I knew that I needed a solution
to my sin problem, and I gave my life to Christ.
Slowly, God began to heal my broken heart and my addiction.
Nine years have passed, and I am a devoted husband and a father
to two beautiful boys. I grow deeper in love with Jesus each day.
I ask you to continue praying with me, and others around the world, for Sikhs.
God is the only one who can draw people to Himself. He works in and through
the prayers of His people. I want Sikhs to know the freedom
and healing that is only available through Jesus Christ."
13 (Ro 14:17; 12:12) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
[13] Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that
ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
ROMANS 15:13
My paternal side is of Muslim heritage and will offer this section to further
call for Muslim converts to Christian and any other converts to Christianity
(Hindus, Jews, aboriginals Canadian, ...) .
7) Prayers for the nation (Canada) coming from Prayer map of Canada
http://www.ehc.ca
15th Day of the Month
a) Pray for the Lord to convict all Canadians of His Righteous
standards of living (John 16: 8 - 11
8 "When He comes, He will convict the world of sin
and of righteousness and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I am going to My Father,
and you will see Me no more;
11 and of judgment, because the ruler of this world stands condemned."
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
)
b) Pray for the province of Nova Scotia
I) Pray for the leaders of Nova Scotia, that God's Spirit would influence
them to act justly, serve with integrity and honour high moral standards.
( 1 Tim 2:1 - 4
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that you make supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone,
2 (Ezr 6:10) for kings and for all who are in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty,
3(1Ti 1:1; Lk 1:47) for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior,
4 (Eze 18:23; 18:32)
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
)
Conclusion:
Pray to the Lord and and praise Him for He is your victory.
Pray to the Lord: "Dear God, please reveal Yourself to my whole family."
Pray to the Lord and remember eternity is a chice that starts now.
Pray to the Lord and pray to reap bountifully.
Pray to the Lord and pray to faithful and a good mananger over money.
Pray for Muslims in Canada to know Jesus as Saviour.
Pray for Christian workers an organisations focused on seeing effective
discipleship movements among Muslim people.
- Pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ to Muslims around you
- Pray for, and offer generous hospitality to, those you know who are serving
Christ among Muslim people -
Romans 12:13 "contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."
- When you gather with fellow believers, remember to pray for Muslims
throughout the year and encourage them to also participate in 30 Days!
Pray for the Lord to convict all Canadians of His Righteous
standards of living
Pray for all who risk their lives distributing Bibles and Christian
literature in Turkmenistan.
Pray to the Lord that to know the Holy Spirit.
and Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
Remember eternity starts now -
Pray for the direction you take to the Ever lasting loving God.