Date: Sunday July 29, 2012
Today's Chapters: Isaiah 34-36
Message Title: Bought With A Price

Hello My Friend,

Jesus Christ came to earth not only to make a way for the sinner to be saved from hell and His judgment, He also came here to show man that they can still live in the world and remain godly. While our works do not save us, our works do help us receive God's blessings, the more we live like Jesus the more blessings we receive, not only in heaven, but here on earth as well. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:15-24.

Salvation is not just for certain people, races, or creeds, it is given freely to all who ask Christ for it, while God chose the Jews as the people who would represent Him He still assures all who come to Him that I am the God of all. Through Isaiah, God calls all nations attention and warns them of His judgment upon all. “Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter...For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.” - Isaiah 34:1,2,5,8,16,17.

The day of the Lord is coming and no person or nation will be exempt from Judgment Day. It is Christ who will come in the clouds of heaven to execute vengeance, His sword is the Word of God, all He will do is speak the Word and the war upon all nations will begin. Those who make the Book of the Lord their meditation and rule of life will have complete deliverance from the coming judgment. Idumea illustrates nations at enmity with the church, known as the kingdom of antichrist. They along with Satan and every person that has not asked Jesus to save them will receive the ultimate judgment of eternal death. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10,12,15.

Although God did order judgment upon Israel, which included Judah being brought into captivity to Babylon for seventy years and all of God's people to be scattered all over the world in distress, God did promise that the destruction and suffering would not last forever. Through Isaiah, God foretells of the return of His people and the glorious days in which the preserved join Him in His new Kingdom. “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” - Isaiah 35:3-5,9,10.

Salvation although free for us, came with a price, Jesus paid the ransom for our souls by dying for us, He didn't die some normal death, He was beaten and crucified so we can come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy in His Kingdom. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.

The enemies of God’s people are forever trying to frighten them from their confidence in God, during the time that Isaiah prophesied in Jerusalem it was when Hezekiah reigned as king. Hezekiah was a godly man, he was also the last godly king to reign before Jerusalem was completely taken over. Hezekiah would not bow down to Assyrian threats and because of this the Assyrian's caused a lot of friction. “And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field. Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.” - Isaiah 36:-4,7,8.

Rabshakeh later on saw first hand that Hezekiah's living God was able to deliver them from their threats. Those who do not know the living God have no idea what the difference is between God and some man made god. Therefore, they see all gods as the same, worthless and unable to deliver. Those who put their trust in these false gods will never see the power of God nor will they ever see

Him produce the miracles that only the true Almighty God can make. The only defense against those who try to corrupt God's people is God's Word and standing by it. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” - 1 John 2:3-6.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for taking my place on the cross and for dying for the sins that I committed. While I should be the one crucified, You loved me so much that You gave Your life for me so I can not only be redeemed, but spend my life with You in Your Kingdom. It is a good thing that I do not have to work to keep my salvation because I would never measure up to You, but I do want to live my life with You in it so I can live the best life I can here on earth. Lead me and guide me, give me Your strength to endure all my trials and seek to be more like You in all that I do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? Visit: God's Price
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Subscribe To This Devotional: Subscribe
Unsubscribe From This Devotional: Unsubscribe

©2012 I'm Following Jesus