One Year Bible - September 23

Isaiah 41:17 - 43:13                                                                                                          
CYRUS: The son of a Mede father and a Persian mother, leader of the Medo-Persian army that would conquer Babylon and send the REMNANT back to Israel, paying for it and protecting them.   Isaiah even gave his name in Isa 44:28, 170+ years before Cyrus came into power!

JESUS, THE "IDEAL SERVANT" (and to His image-bearers): Matt 12:17-21says that Jesus is the fulfillment of this passage.  Tho He was the Son, He took the form of a servant.   His coming will take place in obscurity.   He will encourage the least bit of faith in people without compromising Who He is.  He will persevere in establishing justice.   Be encouraged, image-bearers, God holds our hand.   God gives His glory to MAN - "not to another" (not to any other thing, or species.  Man carries His image and must not even bow to angels!

A NEW SONG FOR A NEW THING:  God "shall go forth as a Mighty Man; He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war..."  "Jealousy" is "love stirred to action by opposition."  God tolerates no unfaithfulness in the object of His love, and flames up against all opposition to His love-interest.  He will prevail against His enemies - "world-spirit, flesh, devil."  The "new thing"? (43:21)  "a people formed for Himself " - 2 Pet 2:9-10.

WE BECOME LIKE THE OBJECT OF OUR WORSHIP: Those who worship blind and dumb idols will themselves be blind and dumb.  They remain ignorant of God.  Why would God allow us to be plundered?  Because of own own sin in "forgetting" God and not walking in His ways or obeying His laws.    Even though Isaiah told them the consequences of sin, they still didn't get it!  (Knowing there are consequences to our behavior is what it means to "fear God". 

IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE:   If we are redeemed, called, and owned by God, it would be reasonable to assume we won't have troubles like everyone else. But no! Jesus said that in the world we will have tribulation (Jo 16:33) ("pressure, affliction, trouble")  From reading the Bible, it is safe to assume that we will have affliction, trouble, trials, and suffering.   It doesn't say "IF you pass thru the waters". It says, "WHEN...."  Let's put this into God's perspective: It rained on the day I got married.   On my way to the church to get married, I did not CRY because of the rain!   It was nothing compared to the "glory about to be revealed" (Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:17**).

FEAR - A MAJOR PROBLEM IN TIMES OF TROUBLE:  Seven times, in these chapters, God tells us not to be afraid.  Then He gives us 10 promises so we won't be fearful in times of trouble.   Even if the trouble is brought on because of our unbelief or disobedience, God is unchanging in His love and mercy.   Your troubles will not destroy you if you cling to God.

(1)  "I have redeemed you." God gave His Son, Who gave His Blood and GRACE.
(2) "I have called you by name." God called and chose me in particular (Jo 15:16).
(3) "You are Mine!" We are His property, so we are under His protection and provision.
(4) "I will be with you." We are not alone. God is with us.
(5) "I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel". He is our faithful God of Covenant.
(6) "You are precious in My sight." He redeemed the whole earth to get me (Mat 13:44).
(7) "You have been honorable." God is proud of us and shows us off. (Ezek 16:14)
(8) "I have loved you." This is individual, hot, jealous, protective love.
(9) "I have created you for My glory!" He shows forth His glory in us.

RESPONSE:   I don't know why I am afraid of anything!  Things look pretty desperate sometimes and I wonder if God will really intervene.  You would think I would realize by now that only God's purposes and plans that stand firm.  I don't really want something that isn't in the plan of God for me.  I constantly have to instruct my heart to be quiet and trust God.   It is safe to trust God to work things out.  He is faithful and He is reliable.   Just like He said.   I won't be plundered unless I walk away from God and from His law (love).   I can face anything, because I know God is with me.   He said He is.

EPHESIANS 2:1-22                                                                                                      
I WAS DEAD:  A dead man can't respond to anything - he is powerless and he begins to stink immediately because he is decaying (corrupt).   And so, as "dead men" we trespassed and sinned (violated Truth) because we were powerless to do anything else.  We THOUGHT we were "free", but the truth is we were "under the influence" of the "course of this world"  (the temporary order ("cosmos") of where you live at the time) - and the "cosmos"  is ruled by the WORLD-SPIRIT, the "prince of the power of the air" - the spiritual atmosphere of the place.  And so James 4:4 says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity (hatred against) with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."   And this makes us "children of wrath".   As a result, we live, "in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind..."   We weren't free at all!   We were slaves of SELF!   This means that in my immaturity, I was selfish, self-serving, self-interested, self-centered, self-preserving, and all the other hyphenated "self- " things.

"BUT GOD....." "Who is rich in mercy and because of His great love for us...."   "Made us alive with Christ",  "raised us up with Christ", and then "seated us with Christ".   This is because we are joined to Him as ONE - whether it is one Body, one Vine and branches, One marriage, One temple, etc.   When we were born again, we became "IN CHRIST" (one Spirit with Him, identified with Him)  - our condition was dramatically altered in that we became intermingled with God.   We are not any more just "in Adam" - a plain, old human being.  We have been CHANGED.   It is a "metamorphosis" (Rom 12:1 - "transformed") - not an "alteration".   We weren't just "fixed".   We resurrected "in Christ" - now we have wings and even change how we eat!   By the way, the reason I can read Scripture and it feels contemporary and like it is happened to me, is because I am seated with Jesus in the heavens, and time is immaterial with spiritual things.

I'M ON DISPLAY:  I am God's "masterpiece".  Oh yes!  Just look at me.  I was a self-serving, self-centered goner.  Everything I produced was touched with corruption and decay.   But God intervened in my life with "the riches of His grace" and made me WHOLE (nothing missing, nothing broken).  Knowing the end from the beginning, God had a place and an assignment for me before He formed me.  He proudly and lovingly points me out to those in "heavenly places".

DRAWN CLOSE TO GOD: At one time, God was distant, external and impersonal. Now He is close, nearby, internal, and very, very personal.

ONE NEW MAN:  Not only am I close to God, but I am close to you if you are born again.  There are NO "dividing walls" between us anymore.  We don't MAKE peace, we protect the peace that Jesus made. The secret of that peace?   Jesus IS peace - when we get Jesus, we get peace. He is permanent, satisfying peace. Peace is not freedom from conflict - it is the results of righteousness.   Sometimes that means we have to make war on unrighteousness first.  You have can have conflict and still be at peace.

I AM INCLUDED:  No one wants to be excluded or rejected.  God includes me.   I am part of His family now.   And I am part of a superstructure called "the holy temple in the Lord".   The foundations of the superstructure are:  doctrine, authority, structure, and strategy.   We are solid and God has a plan.

RESPONSE:   What God is doing with us HAS SUBSTANCE.  This is NOT just some "fly-by-night", and "hit-or-miss" bunch of people who all love Jesus.  NO.  We have structure and we have a strategy that gives God pleasure.   And furthermore, He had all this in mind before He even created the world, or formed any of us!

PSALM 67:1-7                                                                                                              
GOD GOVERNS THE NATIONS:  People rule or get removed at God's pleasure.  Everything is about God and His plan.  God's will is the most powerful thing in the universe.

PROVERBS 23:29-35                                                                                                 
"BITE LIKE A SNAKE":  Drunks and "riotous eaters of flesh" are in the same condition: out of control. (in bondage).  When we become subject to addictions, we do stupid things, we spend money we shouldn't, we end up with sorrow, woe, strife, unnecessary wounds, perverse speech, and a life of slavery.

RESPONSE:   About Proverbs - - - Been there.  Done that.  Don't want to go there ever again. Be quick to repent when God shows you pockets of resistance.   When we come up with REACTIONS to anything, that constitutes resistance.  We should RESPOND with God's permission and God's compassion and God's wisdom.   I want to live "on purpose" and "with purpose."