OUR FATHER WHO NEUTRALIZES THE POWER OF THE ENEMY OF HIS PEOPLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 19 verses 4 - 7 says this;

I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry. The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.

The reeds and rushes will wither, also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river.

Every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away and be no more.

This passage reveals a principle of intervention that the Lord applies to the oppressors of His people to weaken their grip and force the release of their captives.

First, the Lord reserves the right to topple kings and to raise up different ones as Daniel 2 verse 21 says;

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

He uses this authority to place the oppressors into the hands of a harsh and viscous leader and under this leader, they taste the cruelty and unfairness that they inflicted on God's people.

As they grapple with this reality, their resources are deplete and their access to sustenance is severely cutailed.

• Rivers (primary economic resources) dry up
• River beds (economic systems) are parched
• Canals (distribution systems) stagnate
• Streams (investments) evaporate
• Reeds and rushes (tertiary businesses) wilt
• Sown fields (agriculture) fail

The oppressors are subjected to the shortages and economic hardship that they subjected God's people to.

Their ability to continue to enslave others is weakened.

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OUR FATHER WHO SACRIFICED HIS SON ONCE AND FOR ALL

The book of Hebrews chapter 6 verses 4 - 5 says this;

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 

This passage is a warning of the singularity of the  journey of repentance. 

After responding to the good news of salvation with repentance and belief in Jesus, the scriptures gives four categories of experience that, thereafter, a person's falling away from faith would have no remedy;

• Tasted the heavenly gift
• Shared in the Holy Spirit
• Tasted the goodness of the word of God
• Tasted of the powers of the coming age

The pathway to the ingnition of faith is passed through once. If that faith is snuffed out after having ascended into the spiritual realities of God, there is no mechanism by which re-hearing the gospel can lead a person back to repentance. Even the attempt to regain faith would be an exercise in re-crucifying Christ and subjecting Him to public shame all over again.

The passage, continuing in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 6, says it this way;

and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Have mercy on us our God.

Amen.

12

OUR FATHER WHOSE JUDGEMENT WILL SURELY FALL ON THOSE WHO DO NOT RELENT FROM EVIL

The book of Amos chapter 1 verse 3 says this;

This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent.

Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth,

This verse is the first of the judgements the Lord issues from Jerusalem. 

This judgement is against Damascus and is declared to be irrevocable because the multiple and continuous sins they committed.

Damascus would suffer destruction by fire and war. Their defensive gate would be broken and in their vulnerability, the people would then be exiled from their land.

The final straw against them was the fact that they had brought havoc on Gilead (their neighbour) using the technology of metalurgy.

Using iron spiked weapons, they brutalized the people in Gilead (the Amplified version includes the idea that these weapons crushed and shredded the people) and it was for this practice that Damascus was made to account for all their other sins and was struck with a judgement that forced them off their land and drove them into exile.

30

OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THE HEARTS OF ALL BEINGS Part 4

The book of Isaiah chapter 14 verse 16 says this;

Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,

The fall of Lucifer is witnessed by people and as they stare, they recount the terror, tumult and ruination that he inflicted on the inhabitants of the earth and who intimidated the kingdoms.

As verse 17 says;

the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

Observing the collapse of the standing of the king of Babylon, the witnesses wonder how one who held so much sway over the whole earth and who so brutally exercised power over the lives of men, could have been brought so low.

The power of the Most High God accomplished this.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THE HEARTS OF ALL BEINGS Part 3

Continuing from yesterday, having looked at the heights to which Lucifer's ambition had aimed and the methods by which he intended to achieve his plan, we come to the fulcrum of spiritual history in Isaiah chapter 14 verse 15 which says;

But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

Lucifer began executing his plan and he attempted to ascend to the heights of clouds  of heaven having secured the  loyalty of a portion the angels.

Unknown to Lucifer, God, the creator of all things including Lucifer, was aware of the inner thoughts of Lucifer's heart and contingencies had been made for his usurpation plot.

He was cast down into the realm of the dead from the heights to which he had reached and descended to the deepest pit where he was among the  worms and maggots and buried under the bodies of the slain.

4

OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THE HEARTS OF ALL BEINGS Part 2

The book of Isaiah chapter 14 verse 14 says this;

NIV :

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

NKJV:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

This verse reveals the ultimate inner intention that Lucifer harboured as he formulated His ambitious plan to gain dominance over existence.

After taking control of the realms of the stars of God, Lucifer then planned to ascend (or climb) above the highest level of heaven which is characterized as the tops of the clouds.

It is when he got to these height that he either saw himself becoming like God or he believed he had that power to make himself like the Most High God.

As Lucifer stewed in the secret inner dialogue of his own heart, he did not know that there was a logged history of all His thoughts that was available to God and that this string of thoughts was going to be revealed in the text of scripture.

Lucifer's  scheme was unearthed but he was able to take a third of the angels into his rebellion as they were rounded up and thrown out of heaven.

This ratio is derived from the book of Revelation chapter12 verses 3 - 4;

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 

Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

This text is clearly an abridged allegory of pivotal historical  events through spiritual history and, although disputed by some, the event of stars being swept by the dragon out of the sky and flung to earth, represents how Lucifer's ambition played out after his thoughts and intentions turned into action and the war in heaven began.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE BRINGS FREEDOM TO HIS PEOPLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 14 verse 4 says this;

 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!

After the Lord delivers His people from oppression and the dominion of darkness, He foretells that God's people will take up a taunt against their oppressor who is named the king of Babylon.

This taunt is an indicator that they have no fear any more and that they are confident that their oppressor has been  permanently removed from a position of power.

To take up a taunt in this case is an act of reproving the harshness that they had been subjected to and expressing their relief that their ordeal has come to an end.

Bless the Lord.

Amen

6

Apple of Your Eye

Hear me Lord

Turn your ear to Me

And hear my prayer

Show me Lord

The wonders of

Your Love and faithful care (×2)(×1)

Keep me as the apple of your eye

And hide me in the shadow of your wings (x1)(×2)