Friday, January 19, 2018

“FATHER”

Today’s 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 missionary 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. 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

9 thoughts on “Friday, January 19, 2018

  1. Amen to the heritage of the Mainse family–deeply rooted in prayer, scripture and God’s conviction for a better world–here on earth, as it is in heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your loving sacrifice for us. Wishing all saints a blessed day in the Lord

    For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
    Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

    What Mercy Did For Me [feat. Crystal Yates Micah Tyler Joshua Sherman]
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GRU5K3UFmE

    • I have always been so thankful for Ephesians 2:8-9……if it had been my job to save myself I would never have known when enough is enough….I would always be trying and get very frustrated……BUT GOD…..knew all these things and He made the decision to save us by sacrificing His Son…WOW! it’s so hard to grasp what all that means…..it gives me goose bumps……at the end of it all I can only say Thank you Lord God for blotting all my sins; making me as white as snow; and each day is a new day, yesterday is forgiven and forgotten! WOW!

  2. Powerful photo of the wine vat…thank you Reynold for sharing it with us…thank you Ron and David for posting it!!
    What powerful scripture!! THANK YOU JESUS, YOU DID IT ALL FOR US!!! AMEN and AMEN!!

  3. I said both prayers in each book Mathew, and Luke twice even before
    looked at what Pastor David wrote down. Thank you Ron,Ann and Renold for
    continuing with our blog.
    Lianne Hogg

  4. please pray for Lucille, she lost her husband yesterday. I met them last fall at a study on Prayer! It was evident that they loved each other very much…..she contacted me in regards to the mental illness and offered prayer and understanding which I really appreciated….so, we ask that The Lord will now lead Lucille to make the right decisions, to take time if need be, she is with her family right now, maybe will sell her home in my town and move closer to family, I pray God will guide her to do His Will..
    prayers for a young man who did not want to live any longer with a very severe medical condition, pray that God knows what is happening and will comfort the family as they gather to mourn his passing….
    pray for swim exercises to be fun and that the one problem keep their mouth shut and speak only kind words, no negative talk, thankful for the instructors who teach water exercises
    In Jesus Name we Pray amen

  5. We will sing with the spirit, and we will also sing with the understanding. We praise You Lord God, our King of Kings. Blessings upon fellow saints, today.

    You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 NIV

    Psalm 63 – Better Than Life – Shane & Shane
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlWLvJB1Q58

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