“FATHER”
Suggested Reading: Isaiah 63-64
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
A several hundred year-old wine vat the size of a van can still be seen in Meteora, Greece, at the Varlaam monastery. In Isaiah 63:3 we read, "I have trodden the winepress alone," and "I have stained all my robes." God's mercy and judgment could only be accomplished by Jesus alone. Like the one who walks barefoot in the winepress has his clothes stained red, so Jesus' garments were stained with blood.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
Today’s reading begins with a word picture of the judgment of God as a winepress. Jesus prayed just before His arrest and crucifixion, “O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). What was in that cup? “The wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation” (Revelation 14:10). As the wine vat pictured above provided storage, so the wrath of God was stored up since the sin of our first parents. Jesus drank all the wrath of God against sin for all who believe in Him. And because of this, all who call on Him, believing in Him in this age of God’s mercy are saved from the end-time judgment! Not so with God’s judgment on the ungodly world of the antichrist (Read Revelation 14:9-11).
Chapter 64 is the great prayer of Isaiah. He states the case that we are all sinners (64:6) who need to be saved. Then Isaiah writes, “But now O Lord, You are our Father.” This would be a good time to say the prayer Jesus taught, “Our Father…” (Matthew 6:9-13) or (Luke 11:1-4). Jesus taught essentially the same prayer on two different occasions.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father, I am praying the words You taught Your followers to pray. You are my Father God! I hallow (honour as holy) Your Name! To make sure I’m covering all the points in that prayer, I’m praying both Matthew’s words and Luke’s words. I believe that this is one prayer which You will always answer with a “Yes!” as long as it is prayed with repentance and faith, and not just a recitation in the mindless way of a religious exercise. In the Name of the One Who taught us TO PRAY (actually do it…not just talk about it), Jesus Christ. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a boy I had a friend who could rattle off the “Our Father” five times in one minute. He was simply getting through what he was told to do as he confessed his sins to his priest. About 15 years later, a wonderful move of God came to his church. It was known as the “Charismatic Renewal.” Many began to confess that they were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. I heard them pray as Paul wrote, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding” (read 1 Corinthians 14:14-19).
When my father arrived home from a six-year absence (forced on him by WW2), I have such powerful memories as an 8 year old. Three times a day after our meals, we would kneel around the table at our chairs and Dad would often pray parts of the Isaiah 64 prayer of Isaiah. He would lift his voice and sometimes weep as he prayed, “Oh, that You would rend the Heavens! That You would come down!” One time he explained to me that the church of Egypt (where he served as a missionary) was alive and growing in the things of God and in numbers too. He wanted me to know that in comparison, the Church in Canada was in need of a great revival, and I was not to judge the whole Church by its lack of fire and growth as we saw here. I’ve lived to see God come down in mighty power on the Canadian Church as He has consistently done in other parts of the world.
Yours for strong prayer such as Isaiah and my Dad prayed,
David
At times it can be a struggle to pray, especially to remain focussed. Sometimes I pray about a certain matter and then drift to an entirely different subject. Then I will come back to the subject. It then occurs to me to remain silent and listen to my thoughts, acknowledge them and let them go. Coming back to the moment, my attention is drawn upon God and the acknowledgement, “we are the clay and our Father is the potter.” He hears every disorganized thought and knows what is on my heart. Arriving back, I remember an acronym which helps in prayer, A.C.T.S. :
Adoration – Sending our praise and adoration
Confession – Confessing our sin
Thanksgiving – Thanking God about all we are thankful for
Supplication – Supplicating and interceding for others
Of course there are many ways to pray and meditate. Prayer can have the “butterfly effect” in our world. As the butterfly flaps it’s wings in one place, the effect is increased to extreme measure around the world!!
Thank you Lord for the love, strength and endurance given to each of us in all aspects of this blog. Thank you Rev. David Mainse for your dedication and incredible committment to share and give light to Gods Holy Word!
Amen, David! Bless you!
Thank you David for insight into Isaiah 64 , thank you Lord Jesus for taking the cup of Gods wrath for us or we would have no hope ,
And as we pray the prayer that Jesus our saviour taught us may His will be done in all of our lives , Oh how we long for the return of Jesus the Messiah the son of the living God , We praise God for his Love to us and He isnt mad at us and there is nothing we can do
For the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin Amen
God bless all you blog buddiesand may God grant you floods of favor you are blessed going out and coming in your lives are blessed you children are blessed your grandchildren are blessed and your great grandchildren are blessed in Jesus name Amen !!!!!!! 😉
Amen, sister Brenda!!!
Since the ancient times no one has heard,
No ear has perceived,
No eye has seen any God besides you,
Who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
Who remember your ways. Isa 64:4-5a
Falling in adoration with Isaiah’s words as the scriptures come alive and speak to us through faith hope and love. Rekindled with the joy of being blessed with freedom and opportunity to read God’s Word, speak openly about our love for our Lord and praise our Risen King with celebration in our great country of Canada. What a wonderful day, indeed!
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.
Clinging to the power of prayer as we cling to the cloak of Jesus. Thank You, dear Lord, for loving us so, that You would grant us the gift of prayer to remain ever closer to You, and one another.
Wishing all saints a blessed day!
Such an inspiration, Beverlee!! Amen to all the comments shared!!
The Lord’s Prayer brings back such loving memories of my youth and how we used to go to church each Sunday with my dear parents and rattle off The Lord’s Prayer even w/o my understanding of a lot of it. It certainly has changed in wording since I was a young person but, I’m certain, for the betterment of everyone so that it is more easily understood.
May our heavenly Father smile upon you today and always, amen.
Amen! I am in agreement with the comments this morning.
Have a great Lord’s day blog-buddies!
amen to your comments and very inspirational Beverlee
Amen to all the comments of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Dear rev. David M
Thank you for bringing such clarity to God’s Word.
Blessed day everyone,
xxx Carole
Amen, David and blog buddies. All very rich and inspirational and I am very grateful for this blog. Thank you, David for you commitment.
The blessings received in this blog cannot be measured.
Thank you or all the inspiring words today and once again to you Pastor David for your faithfulness in getting it out to us each day.
Like David, sometimes I have to just be still, as my ramblings seem pointless in prayer, but to know The Spirit groans for me when I cannot seem to find the right words, is comforting. Thank you Lord that you understand.
Amen, Catherine–your words are so beautiful!
Dear David
I could not read ‘100 words’ yesterday, and so I read two today.
Thank you for your insight and leadership and help with scripture.
Thank you for including Rev Jim’s interview with his dad, Rev Homer Cantelon. I listened with rapt interest, laughing and nearly crying at some points. What a blessing this dear man was!
I see why he was such a mentor to you.
Please accept my deep sympathy on the loss of your dear friend.
What a joy you must have had, sharing a life with him.
Beverley