One Year Bible - October 1, 2010

ISAIAH 62:6 - 65:25                                                                                                            
God's purpose for the Church and for individual believers in the Church to be an expression of God's glory.

ISA 60: NEW LIGHT

ISA 61: NEW PRIESTHOOD

ISA 62: NEW HUSBAND/NEW NAME: To finish from yesterday: that New Name is "the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord."

ISA 63: NEW MERCY: Our "husband" is a warrior!  Jesus, by Himself, purchased a full victory over sin, sickness, fear, death, poverty, Satan, and hell.  God has bestowed "mercy" and "great goodness" on us.   The "day of vengeance" is to release us from the captivity of the world-spirit.   Judgment and redemption are synonymous.   "The Angel of His Presence" has led us from the bondage of sin and death, all the way into our Rest of faith in Jesus.  IF we "rebel", then the Holy Spirit becomes our enemy and fights against us! (v.10)   Eph 4:30 says we can "grieve" (distress) the Spirit.   This passage calls it "vex". (cause pain, anger, displease, grieve)   When we grieve or vex the Holy Spirit, His enablement leaves us and we feel wretched.  It is not good to have unresolved issues with the Spirit of God.

ISA 64: NEW LIFE OF PRAYER: The veil is rent; we can live in His Presence as we practice communicating with God 24/7.   All our "spiritual efforts" go into staying in God's Presence, abiding in Him, living from Him as our Life Source.   Not content with just God's favor, we want His manifest presence.   We don't just know God's ways, we want to walk in them.   Uncleanness (v.5-6), unconcern(v.7), and unyieldedness(v.8) are repented of as we acknowledge that we need Him.

ISA 65: NEW HEAVENS & NEW EARTH: (V.1-7) The way things WERE when we were still unconcerned, unclean and unyielded - - - and in captivity to sinning.  (V.8-10) God still has a REMNANT, a people He formed for Himself.   (V.11-16) Those He called and they didn't answer will NOT make it thru the sifting process.   The remnant will eat, but the rebellious will be hungry.  The remnant will drink, but the idolatrous will be thirsty.  In other words, we will all go thru the same process, but those who persist in their substitutes and counterfeits will suffer, but the remnant will be led out of their difficulties and into their inheritance.

THE NEW ORDER: (New Heaven & New Earth): ("The new wine is found in the cluster.") - corporate blessing.   New Names for the elected are listed in Isa 65: "new wine, cluster, seed, inheritor, elect, chosen, Jerusalem, My people, tree, blessed, holy mountain."  V.17-25 quoted in NT as happening in the Kingdom of God now. NOTE: Isa shows women having babies (being married? certainly!), and shows other people dying; so we know this isn't prophesying Rev 21. 

Interpretation:  The NEW CREATION and NEW ORDER OF THINGS began when the OLD ORDER was destroyed: (Mat 24:3; 24:29 - when Jesus was here).  Heaven and earth have merged in the Kingdom of God.  Only the veil separates us.

Daniel 2:44 shows us that the only kingdom still to come is God's. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."   Jesus declared that His Kingdom has come (Mat 4:17; 10:7) and is extended as the Church "goes into all the world".

God's Kingdom is characterized by joy, long life, freedom, order, and rest.  John 8:51 says that those who believe in Jesus do not die. 1 Jo 5:13 says we have "eternal life".  God is with us NOW.  Things initiated in the New Kingdom are fruitful and lasting because it is initiated by the Spirit of God.   Newness comes through death and resurrection.  As we grow in God, old things die off, replaced by the new Life of God in us.   The Life substance of God that is in us can change the world!

RESPONSE: What are we waiting for?  Real faith believes NOW.  Real faith produces obedience NOW.  God is in us, on us, with us, working through us.  How can He get any closer or more "with us" than that?  We are blessed with all spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3), we have been given everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3), all grace abounds to us (2 Cor 9:8), and I could go on and on......what are we waiting for?  Obey God now!

PHILIPPIANS 2:19 - 3:4                                                                                                
"BEWARE OF DOGS!": Dogs are the kind of people who are out to get you if you don't agree with their doctrine.   What they don't tell you is that if you give 'way to one little thing, they will pile on all the rest.   This is because OT circumcision obligates you to keep the whole law. CONCISION was how they punished sex offenders - by dismembering them.  It was a mutilation.  What Law does is mutilate your spirit so you are incapable of loving or enjoying God.  LESSON?  Law won't cut away flesh; it will mutilate it.

RESPONSE: I can remember when I was so caught up in trying to "get something" out of worship, that it wasn't enjoyable at all!  I am a perfectionist by nature, and I tried to do everything just right so that I would "get something" during worship, and it just never happened.  I would be sitting right beside someone who acted like Jesus had just sat down in her lap, and I was dry and disappointed.  I did everything they told me to!  What was wrong?   I had gotten so involved with externals and wasn't even giving God a thought, except for wanting Him to "zap" me!   I didn't love God.   I didn't know how!   For real intimacy with God, we must become vulnerable.   We open our hearts and satisfy HIS heart first.    Forget the "rules".   He wants our hearts.  When we give Him what He wants, He multiplies it, and gives it back!  Some of Jesus' last words from the cross were, "I thirst."

PSALM 73:1-28                                                                                                              
Psalm 73-89 are the "Leviticus" section of Psalm, and involve themselves with WORSHIP.   Whereas in Exodus, God's people are called OUT, in these Psalms, we are called IN.   We are told over and over again to worship God and give Him thanks.   This section of Scripture gives the DETAILS!   It shows how we must begin by leaving all distractions behind and pursue God.   73-83 were written by Asaph, the Temple worship leader.

WHY SHOULD GOOD MEN SUFFER AND THE GODLESS PROSPER?   God asks us right back, why would anyone be envious of the foolish? Just because he appears to have a trouble-free life doesn't make it so.  My real problem is that I am attracted to the image of power that the godless project.  When we are in leadership (and all of us are, because SOMEONE or SOMETHING are watching us), our responses matter!

When I don't understanding something, or see contradictions, what must I do?
(v.15-16) If I utter my doubts or speak out of a discouraged, envious heart, I will put a stumbling block in someone's path.  Rather than spread my unbelief, I need to keep my mouth shut!

(v.17)  The natural mind is always centered on me, and that narrows my vision.  I must go into the Presence of God to get perspective, and to shift my thinking from natural or spiritual.  Understand life.  

(v.18-20) I understand the finish-line of the ungodly - the bottom line is they have nothing to hold onto (slippery);  they are plagued by fears;  and they leave no lasting legacy.

(v.21-22)  When I re-evaluate myself, I am assessing how I ended up in unbelief:  I was stupid (self-induced),   ignorant of my own need and of how God works His plan,  and I was reacting by animal instinct, loving to be petted, but not disciplined or taught.

(v.23-24) Notwithstanding my doubts, God still loves me and has not cast me aside.  I find that, in God, I have forgiveness, His restraining hand by which He always draws me back, and God has and will guide me all the way.   In contrast to the final end of the godless, my end is glorious.

(v.25-26) Key: GOD IS ALL I NEED. Nothing else is adequate to my need.

(v.27-28) God keeps His Word and I can take anything life throws at me.

PROVERBS 24:13-14                                                                                                          
If you have ever really asked God for wisdom concerning something, you know how sweet it is when it comes! 

RESPONSE: We don't need to stuff down our negative thoughts about our circumstances.  We go to God and ask, then give thanks and praise for what He has already done.  As we get things into perspective, our questions become irrelevant.  We are created and provision made for a specific assignment.  That's all we need to know.