Honest God Truth

Isaiah 25:8-9 “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. 9It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Learning about the Lord God Isaiah tells us he is jealous about his glory and punishes nations who do not honor him. God is also a merciful God who provides salvation for those who know him and repent of their prideful ways.  When nations fight against nations it is the Lord who determines the outcome. Leaders and individuals receive their strength from the Lord and he should be praised.  Jesus came to save us from our deserved punishment and gives us victory over death. We as believers must praise Jesus our Lord for in his mercy and grace has prepared a place for us with him where death is no...

Isaiah 24: 21-23 “On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. 22They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. 23Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.” Punishment is not a very popular idea in our age, in the church or in society. It often seems, barbaric and hazardous to our actions. But we must not be mistaken for the Bible often speaks of punishment as an appropriate response to evil ways.  Evil means anything that is not God honoring. Anything from idol worship to selfish ignorance in praising the Lord, is evil in God’s eyes. Punishment is the just response to evil and must be administered either by God or his representative for justice.  Nations are judged and God punishes them. We as believers must be aware of...

Isaiah 23: 9-11 “The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory, to dishonor all the honored of the earth. 10Cross over your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint anymore. 11He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the LORD has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds.” Who is in charge of the nations? The Lord of Host is his name.  Who is the Lord of Host? Jesus the Messiah is his name.  Who is Jesus Christ?  He is Lord, Savior, Shepherd, Bright Morning Star, and the only Son of God who takes away our sin and shame. We who believe on Jesus must learn that He is Lord of the world and to put our hope in him and not in our own understanding.  Trust him for he controls everything today and forever. Thank you Jesus. Amen

Isaiah 22:12-14 “In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; 13and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 14The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts. When we celebrate we must thank the Lord God for our blessings.  If we ignore the grace of Jesus’ love for us we are in danger of his discipline that often is severe. We ask why bad things happen to good people when we need to ask have I taken the gifts of God for granted? Jesus in his great love for us will not allow us to walk the wide path that leads to destruction and loss our faith in him.  His discipline is for our turning to him and praising him for his forgiveness of sin and his joy that lasts forever.  Thank you Jesus for loving us so much that you won’t le...

Isaiah 21:8-9 “Then he who saw cried out: “Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord, continually by day, and at my post I am stationed whole nights. 9And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!” And he answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.” God hates false gods. People build their on alters to worship for they desire to be in charge. Satan wanted to be his own god and was sent out of heaven. We have to realize that our nature is to do what we want not what others want us to do because we want to be in control of our life.  That is why Jesus said that you must have faith like a child to get into heaven. The good news is that we are not god and Jesus is and he knows our heart and given us a new life in him. Yes, we are not god but God lives in us and we can humbly follow him and know that his way is correct and full of love. Lord Jesus help us to know that we are not in control but you are and your joy may be with...

Isaiah 20:3-6 “Then the LORD said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’” Cush their hope and Egypt their boast!  God hates when we put our trust in anything else than him.  The Lord God is the creator and sustainer of all things!  He shows mercy and love to those who trust and obey him. If we turn to trust in other things, money, luck, knowledge of man, then we rob God of his glory.  Fear God not ...

Isaiah 19:21-22 “And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. 22And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.” Once again Isaiah tells us that the Lord will do this thing and the people of Egypt will listen and obey.  The Lord punishes and blesses people for his glory and it often takes hardships to get the people’s attention.  Our sinfulness leaves God out of our hearts and desires. When life goes the way we like we often forget the Lord. That is a cause for great concern. Jesus loves his people and if they find there satisfaction in anything but him then they are not choosing what is best for them and it dishonors the Lord. He will not let his children stray to far away without discipline so we turn back to him.  Lord...

Isaiah 18:4-7 “For thus the LORD said to me: “I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 5For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away. 6They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them. 7At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah reminds us that the Lord is near us and cares about our circumstances.  He is not a God who does not know or does not care.  He is intimately involved with people and nations. And over and...

Isaiah 17:10-11 “For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger, 11though you make them grow on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain.” Oh how important not to forget to ask and thank the Lord for all things. God is a jealous God who wants our focus and our desires.  He knows that what is best for us and that is him.  As believers in Jesus we must live in him and for him.  Our sinfulness desires independence but that always leads to pride.  God hates pride, it robs him of his glory.  We were made to reflect his glory and that means to praise him and thank him for all things. Lord Jesus help us to have eyes of faith so we may trust you, love you and glorify your name today.  Thank you Jesus. Amen

Isaiah 15: 2-3 On every head is baldness; every beard is shorn; 3in the streets they wear sackcloth; on the housetops and in the squares everyone wails and melts in tears.” There has been suffering and pain throughout history and God was there involved in it all.  Some people would say that God is not loving for he could have stopped the difficulty.  But we as his children must take God’s blessings with his discipline for we must trust him that his plan and purposes are ultimately for our good.  When we thank him for all things we show that he is more valuable to us than our circumstances.  That gives him great glory and allows us to know that we are his children. Thank you Jesus for your never failing love.  Amen

Isaiah 14:1-2 “1For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD’s land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.” The Lord has the determinative say in all of life’s events. This is comforting because we know the Lord Jesus who is faithful and trustworthy to do righteousness and give mercy on those he chooses.  May we live our lives with confidence and hope in the future for our God is a consuming fire that comes down and walks with us through all of our struggles and cares.  He will never leave us as we learn to trust and obey him each day.  Thank you Jesus. Amen

Isaiah 12 “You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” 3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. 5“Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. 6Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” When God disciples his people it is a different time.  It is for our ultimate good but it still is troubling because experiencing God’s love during difficult times is not easy. But when we humble ourselves in his presence he joyfully pours out his blessings.  May we lea...

Isaiah 11:1-3 “1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.” This description of someone, probably Jesus, is full of the Holy Spirit.  He has God’s wisdom, understanding, peacemaking, power, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. These qualities Jesus possessed and are blessed that he came and showed us the way to live. When Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave for our justification we too can live like he did. The Holy Spirit lives in us and delights in glorifying God through us.  We have so much as believers in the Lord Jesus if we will trust him. Jesus said he would send us a helper that will never leave us.  We need to understand and believe that we by faith are children of God and ...

Isaiah 10:12-15 “When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes. 13For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. 14My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped.” 15Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! These verses tell us directly that God is in control of all situations. When your enemy is winning, God is in control, we may not know why this is happening but the Bible ove...

Isaiah 9:2-7 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD o...

Isaiah 8:11-14 “11For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This theme is through out the Bible.  God wants us to love him, trust him and obey him.  When we do we realize he is our Rick and our savior.  Thank you Jesus for all you are for us.  Amen

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭43:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬ True believers in God go through times of doubt and loneliness. But like David we must talk to our heart (soul) and reaffirm the truth about Jesus.  He is with us always and we can praise and worship him right now.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  He sent his Spirit to live in us.  We know he loves us now and he cannot love us any more then now!  Yes soul, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!

Isaiah 7:14-15 “14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.” Isaiah was told to go to the king of Judah and tell him not to worry about the coming war.  God said his enemies would not win.  And God gave them a remarkable sign.  We know it was telling them about the birth of Jesus almost 1000 years later.  The sign was amazing, virgin birth, God with us in human flesh, will learn good from evil, and real person and God together.  Wow! If they believed it their fear would end and turn to praise to God. That is what it should do for us. God is with us, loves us, saved us, and we will live with him forever.  What should cause us fear?  Nothing!! Thank you Jesus.  Amen

Isaiah 6:8-10 “8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing,d but do not perceive.’ 10Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” God does punish his people for disobeying him. In God’s plan he shows that there are times of discipline that is needed to grow trust in him. When trials and tribulations come our way we must understand that the Lord is not asleep or does not care or cannot help us.  He is controlling all things and we must see that even though others may be blind to his presence we must be witnesses to his plan and purpose of giving God glory and making us in his image so we have the great joy of reflecting that glory.  Trust in ...

“But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The most scary words Jesus could ever say to anyone, I do not know you!  How can this be if Jesus is God he knows everyone? It must be in a different way.  Jesus is calling us into his family, to have an intimate relationship with him that is full of his love.  This relationship cost him his life and it was for his families sins.  Do we really know who Jesus really is and have a relationship with him that he will say when we see him face to face, come to the wedding feast, it is prepared for you!  Lord may it be so!  Amen

Isaiah 5:15-16 “15Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughtyi are brought low. 16But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. Isaiah is back to God’s judgement on Israel and Judah. They became prideful in their own eyes and turned from seeking the Lord, they lived in ways that pleased themselves. This pattern is how sinful humans always live if they are not constantly getting their food from God and his word.  Therefore out of God’s love and anger he humbles us and makes us to take our eyes off any treasure that does not get its value from and/or in the Lord. It would seem that God’s chosen people would know what is just and holy and righteous. But God’s word repeatedly tells us that on our own we can’t please God.  We need him everyday if we want to stay on the narrow path toward heaven.  Thank you Jesus for being the way, the truth and the life.  No one can get to heaven but throu...

“But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭40:16-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The Lord wants us to seek him and find our peace and joy in him.  If you are happy praise him if you are lowly in spirit know that he know your needs and trust him.  All his saints must draw near to Jesus and serve him with gladness.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen

Isaiah 2:8-11 “8Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. 9So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them! 10Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty. 11The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah proclaims that the Lord and he alone must be worshipped. We have hearts that tend to love what we make. We become proud of what we can do and forget that God is the foundation of all things. He alone deserves praise and he wants that from us. Why is he so jealous of our praise? It is for our good. He made us to worship him and when we do our joy is complete and he gets the glory.  Our sinfulness leads us to desire other things.  That does two things it dishonors God and brings his wrath upon us.  We sho...

Isaiah 1:18-20 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah was speaking of the empty way Israel was worshiping the Lord.  They go through the motions but there heart was full of sin. Then the Lord said come let us reason together.  I know your heart and you need a cleansing.  Before obedience there has to be a willingness to obey from a clean heart.  God wants us to admit our sins and be made clean.  Jesus was the cleaner and God had a plan from the beginning of time To take care of evil in the heart.  His promise of obedience is full of goodness to those who are cleansed and willing obey.  We much reason with God daily and see if...

Colossians 4:5-6 “5Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Paul gives us a missionary call in these two verses. Walk and talk in a certain way to make the best use of our time.  These directions don’t mention Jesus but are full of him. Wisdom knows that outsiders need to know the gospel and we know, now is the time for salvation, not tomorrow like some want to say.  Knowing that they need to know the gospel Paul says to speak graciously when they ask you questions.  That means your words will be a gift from God, when you share your experiences with Jesus. How much he loves you and gives you joy and peace in your heart, which is satisfying like salt. God can use your words to open their hearts to see and desire Jesus.  So we should pray to Jesus everyday to use us to share his good news in us to others.  When we do he wil...

Colossians 4:2-4 “2Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Prayer is very important for it is communication with God.  Therefore we must take it seriously and be aware of what we are saying and why we are saying it. Yes, we should pray without stopping but remember our best friend is God himself.  Fear, awe, love, reverence are all part of our praying that should lead to Jesus being glorified and we receiving joy.  Speaking about Jesus and to Jesus is our goal in life.  Jesus help us to share your good news everyday in a loving, clear way to everyone we interact with today, even you.  Amen

“My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭34:2, 18‬ ‭ESV‬‬ When we are doing well we boast in the Lord and not ourselves.  This is a sign of a humble heart.  When we are down and doing poorly we have confidence that the Lord is near and trust in him. This also is a humble heart for it does not demand his rights.  God loves a humble heart for it glorified the Lord in all things.  Thank you a Jesus.  Amen

Colossians 3:18-25 “18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,f not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” These are familiar verses that people like to quote when they want someone to act a certain way because there actions are bothering them.  This is not why Paul wrote these verses.  He wants to encourage and motivate all of us that it is the Lord Jesus we are serving,...

Colossians 3:14-15 “14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” There are many moral rules that Paul wants us to obey as chosen believers. When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us it looks like love.  We don’t need to spend time with a check list of what we should or shouldn’t do, we must ask ourselves is this a loving attitude and action or is it a fearful, selfish one. When we live by love God’s peace will fill our heart and that brings great joy.  So this is how Jesus gets glory by trusting his word and living in a loving way which produces the peace that passes all understanding.  Glory to Jesus and joy to us.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen

Colossians 3:12-13 “12Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” When we realize we are chosen by God it changes everything. He made us and chose us.  This makes us unique because not everyone is holy and beloved.  We are not because of what we have done but because God made us to become holy and loved by him. Therefore because of what he has done in us we can put on loving characteristics that demonstrate who we are in him. Our chose is to decide to obey him each day.  When we do his power flows through us and we can do everything God wants us to do.  In this act of deciding to obey all of God’s kingdom is glorified for we show that we are a child of God who trusts him and loves him. Even our obedience is a gift from God.  All of this i...