OUR FATHER WHO SHINES FORTH
From Psalm 50;
The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
Summons the heavens and the earth
From the rising of the sun
To where it sets again He says;
Gather to me this consecrated people
Who made a covenant with Me by my sacrifice
Giving offerings of thanks honors Me
And the blameless I will show my salvation
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OUR FATHER WHO IS GREAT IN ZION
From Psalm 99;
The Lord reigns
Let the nations quake
He sits enthroned between the cherubim
Let the whole earth shake
Great is the One in Zion
Holy is the Lord
Let's worship at His holy mountain
Exalt our awesome God
See the great King He is mighty
In Him alone we trust
For the Lord our God He is holy
And All His ways are just
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OUR FATHER WHO QUESTIONS CREATING AND PROMOTING THE USE OF IDOLS
The book of Isaiah chapter 44 verses 9 - 10 says this;
All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.
Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?
The Lord, in this passage, puts the idol making industry to shame.
Those who make idols, as they try to confer value on the idols they make, are themselves rendered valueless. They try to cherish worthless things and then try to induce other people to value the things that are valueless.
Even the people who promote the adoption of these idols are blind and ignorant and bear their responsibility for doing so.
The question posed by the Lord is, who, in their right mind would engage in such an enterprise which profits nothing?
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHOSE WORD DOES NOT RETURN TO HIM VOID
The book of Isaiah chapter 55 verses 10 - 11 says this;
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
A word that is uttered by God purposefully goes out to achieve His will and intention.
In the same way that rain falls from heaven and waters the earth and facilitates life to flourish and new seeds to be created and food for people to eat before evaporating back to heaven, the word of God goes forth to cause life to spring forth in dry hearts and to be planted as seeds in the hearts of men to germinate in due time and to be bread as food for the souls of men.
The word of the Lord does not return to Him void but every place the word reaches, it fulfils its function and returns to the Lord.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHOSE PEOPLE WILL BE PERSECUTED FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE
The book of Isaiah chapter 66 verses 5 -6 says this;
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word:
“Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame.
This verse echoes the words of the Lord Jesus where He says in Matthew chapter 10 verse 22;
You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
In Isaiah, the people who are persecuting God's people believe they are serving God by persecuting them. These, as the scripture says, will be put to shame.
Then, as verse 6 says, they will face judgement from the Lord;
Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord repaying his enemies all they deserve.
Those who fought the Lord's people will face the anger of God as He metes out the judgement on those who persecuted His people and they will be put them to shame.
Have mercy on us O Lord.
Amen.
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OUR FATHER WHO CLEANSES HIS PEOPLE AND THEN PLACES THEM UNDER HIS PROTECTION
The book of Isaiah chapter 4 verse 4, from the Amplified version, says this;
When the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion and has cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,
The verse then continues into verse 5 saying this;
then the LORD will create over the entire site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory and brilliance will be a canopy [a defense, a covering of His divine love and protection].
At the time when the Lord cleanses the people of Zion from their immorality and their bloodshed with a fiery judgement, He will create a system of protection like the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that went ahead of the people of Israel as they left the bondage of Egypt behind and travelled to the promised land.
The people of God who are admitted into the kingdom of Zion will reside on mount Zion and there, the Lord will make a protective shield so that they are secure forever dwelling on Mount Zion the mountain of God.
Psalm chapter 15 lists the type of people who will be able to live on the holy mountain of God.
It reads this way;
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose
1- walk is blameless
2- who does what is righteous,
3- who speaks the truth from their heart;
4- whose tongue utters no slander,
5- who does no wrong to a neighbor, and
6- casts no slur on others;
7- who despises a vile person
8-but honors those who fear the Lord;
9-who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind;
10-who lends money to the poor without interest;
11-who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Amen.
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