“PROGNOSTICATORS” OR “A MORE SURE WORD”
Suggested Reading: Isaiah 47-48
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
A young man embraces God's Word while standing in front of the Colosseum in Rome. Over and over in recent readings, the words, "Thus says the Lord," appear. God desires to communicate with His human family. Romans 10:17 tells us that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Isaiah 48:17-18
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
Who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you by the way you should go.
Oh, that you had heeded My commandments!
Then your peace would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea…”
Chapter 47 prophesies the fall and humiliation of Babylon years before it became a world power. The polar opposites of God’s Prophetic Word and the efforts of astrologers, stargazers, and monthly prognosticators are seen here (47:13). The horoscopes in our newspapers contain clever generalities, as does the slip of paper inside a fortune cookie, but, as Isaiah points out, these things cannot “stand up and save you.” Babylon’s eventual destruction is inevitable as prophesied by Isaiah.
Chapter 48 prophesies that God, who has allowed His people to go through the “furnace of affliction” in order to refine them, will not forsake them. When these prophesied events come to pass, as they did, God’s people will know that their God is the “First” and the “Last” and is the One and Only God!! Isaiah 48:16 gives us a glimpse into the nature of God, One God in three Persons, “Lord God” (the Father), “His Spirit,” and “Me” (the One sent by God, God the Son). The Hebrew scholars point out that the singular verb, “Have sent,” is used with the plural subject. Is this a mistake in grammar or is this the verbal inspiration of the Word of God pointing to the Trinity? We see this in other places in the Hebrew Scriptures. For example, in Genesis 1:1, God, (Elohim, a plural word) “created” (a verb which is singular). Isaiah says that “The Lord your God”…”teaches” and “leads.” We should experience the result, “peace… like a river” and “righteousness like the waves of the sea.”
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Again today, Lord God, I ask for continued effectiveness in doing as Isaiah 48:20 urges me to “declare, proclaim…With the voice of singing,” and to “utter it to the end of the earth.” I pray that this blog, along with a multitude of other ministries, will be more and more effective than ever in convincing people everywhere that You exist and that You “are a Rewarder of them that diligently seek” You (Hebrews 11:6). I ask for these opportunities in the Name of the One Who has fully communicated Who You are, Father God, Your Son and my Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Last week Norma-Jean and I had dinner at a Chinese food buffet restaurant in Brantford, Ontario. It is called “The Great Wall.” I opened the fortune cookie and discovered a generality on the paper inside which could apply to anyone. I would meet someone, it said, that would change my life for the better. Actually that has happened many times during my 77 years on earth, but the most far-reaching and forever change happened when I met Jesus Christ through believing His Word (John 6:37-40), and my life was forever and ever altered! When I saw the word “prognosticator” in today’s reading, I thought of that cookie. I also thought of what the Apostle Peter has written to us in 1 Peter 1:15-21. He declares, “We also have the prophetic word made more sure!”
Yours for reading, underlining, understanding, digesting and then with the spiritual energy derived from all this, proclaiming God’s message to the “end of the earth,”
David
P.S. For some reason I’ve been picking on the great and numerous Chinese people today. Over 25 years ago, Crossroads began working with a group of Toronto Pastors from Chinese language churches. We produced, financed, and released weekly telecasts on Toronto’s multilingual TV station. After about two years, we encouraged the pastors to incorporate, raise their own finances from the Chinese churches, and strike out on their own, with God’s enablement. Today, this television ministry, called “Showers of Blessing Evangelistc Ministry” (SOBEM), is reaching multiplied millions all over the world, providing a mighty utterance to “the end of the earth” to all those who understand the languages of China. At the 20th anniversary of that great ministry, I was given the plaque pictured below. Here is a musical sample of this ministry. The song is called “There is a God!” With the official atheism of the People’s Republic of China, this message is so very powerful! (click here).
Click on photo to enlarge.
Challenges which will affront us can in part be anticipated and planned for, but it sure makes a difference having faith to see us through! Faith which helps us to see in our minds eye, any given situation and believe we will come through according to Your plan. Faith to tame our emotions as peace like a river, flowing streadilly and purposefully along lifes course. Faith which leads us in the way we should go, and allows us to profit from the experience. To reflect back and say, “Wow, for a time there I didn’t know how we were going to get through it!” To realize deep down inside, God saw us through! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness which provides us hope from which we can proceed. Blessings and His strength, to all!
I agree David. I think if we all stop to think, we can all remember a time when God sent His peace and saw us through a trial in our lives. My family experienced that over the last couple of years and while we felt helpless at times we knew we were in the mighty hands of a loving and merciful God who never left us alone for a minute and as we look back we see HIM at work. Thank you Father for propping us up.
Thank you too Pastor David for your unfailing faithfulness to our bog, which builds us up each day.
Thank you again David for the Isaiah reading explanation.
A young Chinese lady has died in our beautiful Alberta from the terrible H5N1 virus. I pray that she had used her free will to serve our Father in heaven. I like to believe that the Chinese immigrate to our fabulous country so that they may worship freely and openly as Christians.
It’s so nice to see Reynold’s pictures at the beginning and the ending of your daily blogs. Blessings on you all:-)
As some of you might recall before I came to Christ I was deeply involved with the occult– such as fortune telling. I suffered from anxiety and somehow believing I could know what was going to happen before it did gave me a false sense of well being and control.
The biggest challenge the Lord had with me once I was His was replacing my need to know as means to calm myself, with faith. Learning to trust God is on my side and everything would work because God would be in control not me was difficult. It has been years and sometimes I am still tempted to ask God what is going to happen, or tell me what to do so the circumstance I want to happen happens. He allows me to ask, but the answer is the same– “Trust me.”
Learning to let go for me was like giving my anxiety permission to go hog wild in my life, but actually the opposite is true– only when I truly trust the outcome to be in God’s hands and willingly accept any or all consequences as part of His plan, the less anxious I become. I relied heavily on His promise that ” a bruised reed he will not bend”, so knowing He will never allow anything to happen to me that He will not give me the Grace and the Faith to cope with as He works His plan to fruition is touchstone to remember my comfort is in Him, not in knowing what will be.
Thankyou Pastor David for SOBEM. I have watched many of their programs and I know many had came to faith through their telecast here in Canada, Hong Kong and in many other countries. Thankyou for your love and vision for the Chinese people. You were an important part when they began the ministry Showers of Blessings! Praise God! May God bless you with good health and inner strength as you continue to minister to many of us and to many all around the world! Thankyou for your love and faithfulness!
Very encouraged by these devotionals. Very thankful for them! Love the worship songs in mandarin!
Thank you David for your great teaching and helping me to read and understand the word of God.
Amen to all the ones who replied to your blog.
May God bless you all with whatever you may be needing today.
Thank you David and Renold
Lianne
Thank you for the video link David M. What a beautiful piece!
Thank you Rev. David Mainse for the information about the Chinese Christian TV and the picture Plague and Song! One of my Daughter’s-in-love was born in China,
their language is “Mandarin” so I don’t know if it is the same as that of this song, but I’m pleased for the English words that go with it.
I have forwarded this blog to her and pray that she and my two Grandchildren will listen to it, and receive its truth!!
God Bless you for your faithfulness and commitment to this Blog
Irene
My Daughter-in-love’s name is Bin and my granddaughter’s name is “Annabelle MeiMei” and my grandson’s name is “Nichollas Shawhu”