Today’s Reading: Isa 20:1–22:25, Luke 7:36–8:15, Job 5:8–16

Today’s Theme: See & Hear Parables

Today’s theme is about us seeing and hearing the parables of Jesus and the parable like prophecies and warnings in the old testament.

Parables are narratives with a meaning in that the saying or story seeks to drive home a point the speaker wants to emphasise by illustrating it from familiar things from everyday life. In biblical contexts these are used by Jesus to reveal and illustrate the kingdom of God.

A parable can be defined as an extended metaphor or simile often told as a brief narrative. In Greek, the noun parabolē meant “juxtaposition, comparison, illustration, to lay one thing beside another”

I remember in Sunday School over twenty years ago our teacher sister Denise taught us that Parables are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.

Isaiah 20:1–22:25

A walking parable

at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Isaiah 20:2 (ESV)

What! Walk around naked! Well this is what God told Isaiah to do, although it is very likely that a loin cloth remained for ethical reasons.

As strange as this sounds it is known as prophetic symbolic action (prophetic symbolism) which are like the parables of Jesus in that they point to a parallel message or reality. This was a shocking sign to those who would humble their hearts to hear it’s message.

In the original context it concerns Egypt and Ethiopia, whose people will be carried off as prisoners by the king of Assyria. It warns that the rebellion committed by Egypt will lead to disaster and serves as a warning to Judah against joining and trusting in a coalition with them.

Our actions are messages that can speak louder than any words in telling God’s story, so be a walking parable like Isaiah (but fully clothed of course).

Lets commit to having humble hearts to hear what God says prophetically through symbols and actions today.

Fallen, fallen is the city of human pride

And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!” And he answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.” Isaiah 21:9 (ESV)

This is a prophecy with more than one meaning like a parable. The declaration was not about the physical city Babylon as we see the same prophecy in Revelation 18:2 “And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.”

The prophecy could read fallen, fallen is London, Paris or Washington because the spiritual babylon has gone far beyond the physical territory (Iraq).

Babylon with it’s vast array of idols which speak of man’s desire for his own glory through worshiping what he should use while using the one (God) he should worship, was a city that epitomised human pride.

Human pride is fallen, is fallen. Don’t rebuild the ruins.

We bow ourselves to hear the narrative of the king and his kingdom’s victory over the kingdoms of men and devils today.

Hear God

In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; Isaiah 22:12 (ESV)

God called for mourning and weeping but the people were not listening and did their own thing which was opposite to what God desired.

Isaiah’s weeping for the people shows the softness of his heart, we should have soft hearts.

Here is a note from Pastor I found in my bible this morning “Though you may agree that God’s judgment is always right, pray that your heart will always remain soft so that when God’s people are disciplined, you will respond with intercession rather than indifference – Dennis Greenidge”.

Our ears must be turned towards God, to hear what he has to say and respond in the way he requires today.

We should pray that God gives use the hearts we need to hear what he says, it is not just a given that we will hear we need ears (hearts) that actually hear.

Eliakim , a shadow of Jesus

And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:22 (ESV)

Eliakim was a shadow of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Revelation 3:7 tells us that the one Eliakim pointed to was Jesus “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

The amazing reality is that Jesus, the one who has the keys to the kingdom to open and close access to the kings presence, gives us the keys to the kingdom in prayer. Our wonderful saviour said in Matthew 16:19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

We have been given a great responsibility like Eliakim to use the keys of the kingdom justly. The principles of the parables helps give us vision and clarity as we pray, while we stand on the earth lets use the keys of the kingdom in prayer today to the glory of God.

Luke 7:36–8:15

Humble, grateful love

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47 (ESV)

This was an actual event in the life of Jesus which he uses a parable to enlighten us to the example (parable) the woman’s actions are to all of us.

The woman’s actions were not to receive forgiveness but because she had received it. Forgiveness was present and this produced love. Notice Jesus used the present tense, he said “are forgiven”

Forgiveness has three essential (1) the offer, (2) the acceptance and (3) the confirmation. God makes the offer of forgiveness to us as sinners if we in humility receive the forgiveness offered we will see confirmation of this in our lives through grateful acts of love.

Darrell Brock says “God’s kindness has produced a response of humble, loving gratitude from the woman, rather than self-exaltation like the Pharisee”

Be humble, know you need God’s forgiveness, receive it and respond to it with love, Love is the evidence of true forgiveness. Don’t be like the Pharisee who did not see his need for God or much forgiveness, we all desperately need God’s grace.

God assures us today that our trust in his offer means we are forgiven and the fruit is there for the world to see, our lives are changed, we walk in love.

Secrets of the kingdom

he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Luke 8:10 (ESV)

The secrets of the kingdom are given in parables so that they serve to enlighten the elect and pass judgement on those who hear but don’t understand because of the hardness of their hearts.

God has chosen to speak in a way with stories which means he needs to open the ears of the hearers himself, the message without the Spirit to open hearts is of no use.

God has encrypted the message in plain sight as it were by using parables and the simpleness of proclaiming the story of the good news, this way even the conversion of sinners cannot be down to our cleverness, God has the encryption key, it is his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit opens ears and eyes to see the truth in the message.

Tell God’s story today, but do it with the Spirit so hearts are unlocked so hears will receive and respond to the Spirit’s call.

The parable of the Soils

As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:15 (ESV)

This parable is often referred to as the parable of the sower and the seed which is unfortunate because it misses the main point. The seed is always the same, it is the word of God and the sower is the one who share the word of God. The thing that is different each time is the soils, this should be more appropriately be called the parables of the soils.

This parable is the key that helps open all parables and points to our last point, The word of God will only be understood if the soil of our heart is already in a place to receive it.

There are essentially just two soils, good and bad. Our hearts must not be easily distracted (the way side), hard and shallow (the rocks) or given over to the things of this world (the thorns). Our hearts should be in a place to hold fast to God’s word in faith, and be honest as the word challenges and calls us.

So faith and honesty is what we need to receive the word of God well and be fruitful. Ask God to help your heart to see and hear everyday.

Job 5:8–16

Injustice shuts her mouth

So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth. Job 5:16 (ESV)

We pray this today, we have the keys of the kingdom lets pray the poor would have hope through our acts of love as God’s ambassadors and that injustice will be silenced in the light of God’s grace.

Today’s Reading:  Isa 17:1–19:25, Luke 7:1–35, Job 5:1–7

Today’s Theme: God’s Global Mission

Today’s theme is about God’s global mission to save the nations, to bring healing and glorify his name.

Isaiah 17:1–19:25

God of all nations

In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” Isaiah 19:24–25 (ESV)

Today we read a lengthy passage where God declares his victory over the idols, his judgement of the nations and now we end with the salvation of the nations.

When God called Abraham and made covenant with him it was so that all families or nations of the earth would be blessed, he was blessed to be a blessing, Genesis 12:3.

God’s global purpose has always been the salvation of the nations. God is not a racist.

God declares that Egypt are his people, Assyria the work of his hands and Israel his inheritance. This reminds us that all mankind has been created in the image of God and God desires to save people from all nations.

This should have served as encouragement for Israel to be the light of the world pointing the nations to God and not compromising by trussing in the nations.

The great commission is global in its scope, Jesus told us to go to all nations, Matthew 28:19-20. We must continue to work and pray that the mission will be finished because Jesus also told us that this Gospel must be preached to all nations (ethnic groups) and then the end will come, Matthew 24:14.

Keep an eye on the Joshua Project where you can find out about unreached people groups and how you can work and pray to see them receive the gospel.

Luke 7:1–35

Faith from all peoples

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Luke 7:9 (ESV)

Here we see Jesus express genuine human emotion, he marvelled or was amazed by this Gentile’s faith. The faith he was amazed by was the centurions recognition of Jesus authority and the power of his words to bring healing without the need to physically be there.

Jesus response to the man’s faith and his action of turning and addressing the crowd should be taken in the context that Jesus is saying learn from this mans faith, I am pleased with it and it is the faith I want you to have.

We should trust in God’s ability to speak a word for our healing and to meet our needs knowing that God has Angels under his authority that go and do his will.

This passage is one of the key scriptures in the narratives about the life and ministry of Jesus that points to our theme which is that God’s desire is that all nations (people groups) would be saved.

Many of us reading this today are Gentiles like the centurion, thank God for his magnanimity and mercy in saving us for his glory.

Job 5:1–7

Turn to God

“Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? Job 5:1 (ESV)

Yes, God will answer. We do not turn to saint, angels or Mary, the only one we turn to is God.

All nations can today turn to God in response to the Gospel, and cry out to God who answers our prayers wain in the name of Jesus.

Today’s Reading:  Isa 14:24–16:14, Luke 6:1–49, Job 4:12–21

Today’s Theme: God’s Decrees and Commands

Today’s theme looks at God’s decreed will and his commanded will. Each of these are quite different, the decreed will of God is that which absolutely will come to pass and no one can stop it. Whereas the commanded will of God are the things God desires but does not force, with this will our compliance is required.

Isaiah 14:24–16:14

The unstoppable God

For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? Isaiah 14:27 (ESV)

When God decides to do something no one can stop him. God is unstoppable.

When God decrees something it cannot be undone, he is the King and when he makes and official decree it stands forever.

One of the things that God has decreed is his choice of you as one of his elect, he decreed it before the creation of the world, with this mind you can be encouraged to persevere.

Thank God for his unstoppable decrees over your life today. 1 Corinthians 2:6

Luke 6:1–49

The call to ministry

And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Luke 6:13 (ESV)

Jesus spent all night praying and then chose twelve from his company of disciples to have a special ministry as Apostles.

These Apostles were unique in that they were the only ones to be closely discipled by Jesus as an incarnated man and were commissioned to be witnesses and authors of the writings of the new testament, no Apostle today is an apostle like this as Jesus is not here physically and the bible has already been written.

God’s call to the ministry is not a decree but a command that we need to respond to. Judas was chosen to be a minister too but he turned hs back on his office and was replaced.

If God has called you to ministry you need to chose to respond to the calling, do it and bring glory to God.

The manifesto of the kingdom

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20 (ESV)

The beatitudes contain a mixture of decree (statements of fact) and commands (things you need to chose to do).

As an exercise see if you can read through them today and identity the commands, when you do form and list and mediate on them asking God to help you obey the commands by his Holy Spirit.

For example this verse is a decree that the kingdom of god belongs to the poor where as verse 27 commands us to love our enemies.

Try to find time to hunt for these treasures today, happy hunting.

Job 4:12–21

Trust the word of God

A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. Job 4:15 (ESV)

This was a demonic encounter, perhaps the scenario is that a lying spirit was sent out to Jobs friend to feed him false perspectives and information which he would in turn regurgitate to Job which would cause Job more emotional and spiritual distress and of course disrupt Jobs purer view of God.

We must all recognise that if we have encounters like this they are mostly from demonic spirits that have an agenda to tell us lies, note the fear Eliphaz said and then the lies and blatant ill content towards both God and man (made from the dust jibe)

Today’s Reading:  Isa 13:1–14:23, Luke 5:1–39, Job 4:1–11

Today’s Theme: God’s Judgement & Mercy

Today’s theme is about God’s just judgment, focusing on the punishment God will deal out and the mercy he shows to us through Jesus. Without the coming judgement there is no backdrop for the Gospel.

Isaiah 13:1–14:23

God will punish

I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. Isaiah 13:11 (ESV)

Punishment is a word that has fallen on hard times. Often if the word is used we tend to think of remedial punishment which is not final and seeks to reform the one punished. However the scriptures clearly teach that God will justly bring final punitive judgement on the wicked leading to their final death and eternal condemnation in hell.

God promises that a day of global punishment is coming where the wicked will be judged. This is actually the backdrop to the gospel we proclaim. God has made a way of escape from the judgement to come through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God.

The word translated as punish here is the Hebrew word pāqad. While pāqad has a wide range of meaning, it basically expresses the action of overseeing an individual for a particular purpose. God who oversees us often “visits” to bring divine judgment in response to human sin. In these instances, pāqad is translated “to punish.”

The Gospel makes a way for God to pass over us when he visits to bring judgement.

God shows compassion

For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. Isaiah 14:1 (ESV)

God declares he will show compassion on his chosen people Israel, we can take comfort that God is merciful and compassionate and seeks to show us compassion.

We should not have an image of God as an angry, unapproachable, blood thirsty monarch. He is a compassionate, serving, loving creator who actively seeks to bless and restore his people.

Satan Judged

But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Isaiah 14:15 (ESV)

Jesus told us in John 16:11 “concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” when he told us about the coming go the Holy Spirit convicting the word of judgement to come.

The Devils judgement has already been declared, he is a defeated enemy.

This passage gives us unique insight to the original sin of Satan which was pride, vanity and rebellion. This insight comes from the spirit behind babylon in the passage.

Satan was so enamoured with himself that he lost sight of the basic truth that he was only a created being while God is eternal.

Satan is not even close to God in power, so it was a lost cause the moment he chose to rebel. Despite his warped desires and proud words he will brought down to the pit.

Don’t fear the devil, his judgement is set, we win!

Luke 5:1–39

Follow Jesus

And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. Luke 5:11 (ESV)

We like the first disciples must commit to follow Jesus, leaving everything else we were following or dedicated to, to live our lives in allegiance to him alone.

Jesus is the only escape from judgement, follow him to find life.

The life of Jesus

And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Luke 5:31 (ESV)

Take time to consider the life of Jesus, in v14 he shows humility, v16 show the priority of private prayer in his life, v17 shows he spent his days teaching the truth and would be used by the Lord to heal the sick, in v20 he forgives sin.

Now in this verse we see the purpose of his life was to bring sinners to repentance, this is the great mercy of God and should be our purpose too, to the glory of God.

Live like Jesus

 Job 4:1–11

God is merciful

As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. Job 4:8 (ESV)

This may be true but the absolute blanket application takes the principle out of context, making it a central controlling principle with no room for love mercy or the active personality of God.

Thankfully God is merciful and offers grace through Jesus.

Today’s Reading:  Isa 10:20–12:6, Luke 4:1–44, Job 3:17–26

Today’s Theme: God’s Anointed

Today reading is all about The Anointing that comes from God, Gods anointing comes upon us and is inside us through the word of God and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Anointed One and has anointed us for service.

Isaiah 10:20–12:6

Breaking the yoke with fatness

And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.” Isaiah 10:27 (ESV)

The word translated as fat is the hebrew word šemen which is the same word used for olive oil, olive tree, oil, fat, rich food and fertile.

The original picture given here is of Israel as an Ox, which is a beast that would be used to work hard in the fields with a yoke fastened around it’s neck to plough the fields of its master (The Assyrians). The word burden gives us the impression that the Ox has been ordered to work under obligation and not freely.

The text tells us that the neck of the ox will become so fat that the burden of the yoke will snap off and fall away from the neck of the Ox making the animal free.

God liberates us in Christ setting us free from the burden and slave master of sin, however this picture shows us that deliverance comes from within as well as from outside. Romans 6:16

The anointing God has given us is inside us and it makes us healthy from within. This growth and strength means the bondage that once held us cannot hold us anymore because we are bigger and stronger than the enemies yoke. 1 John 2:27

Greater is he who is in you than he in the world, the anointing you have is in you and teaches you all things. So continue to take in Gods word which gives you the fatness of the anointing to break the burden and bondage of sin. 1 John 4:4

The Spirit Resting

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:2 (ESV)

The prophecy of Jesus, the coming Messiah as a branch from the root of David is one of the clearest messianic prophecies so much so that Jesus quotes it himself in our new testament reading today.

Jesus was the anointed one prophesied about in this verse. This helps us understand the anointing in a practical way. For us the anointing of God comes through God’s Holy Spirit resting upon us and empowering us for service.

So we have seen so far today that the anointing is inside us through God’s Spirit and word and also comes upon us externally by God’s Holy Spirit to equip us for work in the kingdom.

Don’t attempt to do anything without God’s anointing. Anointing in he OT was used to set aside priests, kings and prophets. Now in the NT the anointing of the Holy Spirit sets us apart for God to be used as his priests, kings ambassadors and prophets in the earth.

Affirm the truth in your heart today that the Holy Spirit is resting on you, do not grieve or quench him, live with the reality of God’s anointing and calling in mind.

The victory of the Anointed

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 (ESV)

The root of Jesse is Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God. This passage is estacalogical meaning it speaks of the glorious end when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, the king will be on his throne ruling with justice and mercy and Israel will be finally gathered as promised.

We look forward to the victory of The Anointed One, The Christ, Jesus. (Christ means the anointed one).

Luke 4:1–44

Full of the Holy Spirit

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness Luke 4:1 (ESV)

We have been filled with God the Holy Spirit like Jesus. We are filled for a purpose, we are at war and need to be fat with the Spirit so the yoke the enemy tries to catch us with cannot get a hold of us.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and was led in to the wildernesses by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan.

When the temptation began, the fullness, the fatness of the anointing came out in the form of the written word

Jesus shows us how to defeat the enemy through the anointing, it is by using the written word of God in the bible while filled with the Holy Spirit, this will defeat the enemy EVERY time.

Be filled with the Spirit and be filled with the word.

The Devils anointing

When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. Luke 4:28 (ESV)

The enemy has a negative anointing too, in this case the people are filled with anger rather than being filled with the Spirit.

What will you allow yourself to be filled with and taken over by today.

We are all like the Ox we read about, we will take a yoke and have a master, but which one, Jesus said in Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Anger is hard task master causing you stress, don’t submit to that anointing, instead be filled with the Spirit.

The authority of God’s anointing

And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” Luke 4:36 (ESV)

The anointing God gives comes from the highest authority in the universe, God.

God’s anointing gives us authority and power over the enemy. We don’t need to get into a long prayer or discussion toward the enemy we just stand in the authority of the anointing / calling we have from God and command the enemy to bow to God.

The anointing makes you an ambassador for God’s kingdom in a dark world. Use the power of the anointing inside and on you today to defeat the enemy.

Job 3:17–26

Delivered from fear

For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.” Job 3:25–26 (ESV)

Jesus the Anointed One delivers us form our fears, Hallelujah!!