The day with dianne Louise

Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy. Isaiah 30:18 I remember when I was 19 and had born again Christian friends were asking me to go to youth with them and praying for me. I was blind and anxious about my life. God was wooing me and wanting to bless me with peace, yet I could not see or hear. I was running around in the darkness trying to sort out my life, yet God was patient. Now, as a born again Christian myself I am sharing my faith and praying for those He has given me to reach. They are running around in darkness and they cannot see, but they will. God is still patient. I need to be patient, as patient as He is, because His plans will come to pass as I wait for Him, and wait for Him, and wait for Him. Amen!  God's ways are much higher than my ways, His thoughts much greater than mine. Every now and then I sit back and watch people, knowing that this same God ...

For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: "You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in confidence. But you are not willing." You say, "No! We will escape on horses"- therefore you will escape!- and "We will ride on fast horses"- but those who pursue you will be faster. One thousand will flee at the threat of five you will flee, until you alone remain like a solitary pole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill. Isaiah 30:15-17 At times we can be so determined and yet so wrong. I watch a friend who constantly gets involved in administration, yet when she does she seems to strive and get sick. I have been in this place. You can be so determined to push through but you are pushing against God's will for you and there is no peace. All winter I got up early and went swimming, training to swim 2km in an open water race. I broke a rib getting out of the pool and I then I injured shoulders, knees, wrists, calves, only to ...

Isn't it true that in just a little while Lebanon will become an orchid, and the orchid will seem like a forest? On that day the deaf will hear the words of the document, and out of deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The humbles will have joy after joy in he Lord, and the poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:17-19 A day when wickedness is no more! How good is that? Lebanon was known for its cedar forests and cedar was a symbol of power and arrogance. Therefore for the hills of Lebanon to be transformed into an orchid, where fruit is grown, when fruit is a symbol of servanthood. The deaf will hear and the blind will see. I remember when I was born again it was as if I had scales on my eyes before and after all I could say was: "I can see, I can see!" I am sure there are those who would say the same about their ears. Tonight I took my mum and aunt to see a play called Sunset Boulevade. Basically it was a story about a once famous actress ...

Woe to those who go to great lengths to hide their plans from the Lord. They do their works in darkness, and say, " Who sees us?" You have turned things around, as if the potter were the same as the clay.  How can what is made, say about it's maker, "He doesn't understand what He is doing?" Isaiah 29:15,16 The apostle Paul takes up this theme, the potter and the clay, in Romans 9:20. In chapter 9 of Romans Paul brings out the teaching on election. God chose Israel to be His people but they rejected Him. The Jews claim they have rights because of Abraham but Paul is saying the real relationship is through Issac. Issac was the child of promise. It is not the children of physical decent who are God's children but the children of the promise. Issac was the child of promise and so was Jacob. God chose Jacob over Esau, not because of anything Esau had done, He chose Jacod before they were born. Paul goes on the discuss the justice of this selection and eventua...

The Lord said: " because these people approach Me with their mouths, to honour Me with lip service- yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote- therefore I will again confound these people with wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden. Isaiah 29:13,14 Jesus repeated this scripture when dealing with the Pharisees in Matthew 15:8,9. If there was one group of people that made His blood boil it was the Pharisees. This tells me, He hates religion, it binds us up. Ritual gives us something to do but gets us into a prison, not freedom, not holiness, not righteousness. When we become religious we become fools, we think we are wise, but we are fools, deceived by the enemy of our souls. Religion creeps in, we gradually are seduced into thinking self-effort is righteous, yet we turn around one day and see bars. Religion binds, traps,  and robs us of joy, life, free...

Does the ploughman plow every day to plant seed? Does he continuously cultivate the soil? When he has levelled its surface, does he not then scatter black cumin and sow cummin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, with spelt at the boarder. His God teaches him order: He instructs Him. Surely black cummin is not threshed with a threshing board, and a cart wheel is not rolled over the cummin. But black cummin is beaten out with a stick, and cummin wih a rod. Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly. Though the wheel of the farmer's cart rumbles, his horses do not crush it. This also comes from the Lord of Hosts. He gives wonderful advice: He gives great wisdom. Isaiah 28:24-29 Cummin, apparently originated in Egypt, it is used widely in cooking for flavour and also helps with the health of the stomach. I read a gardner's guide and would you believe they need to be harvested as soon as one seed pods begins to open and they ripen independently. To obtain the se...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Isaiah 43:20 (1 Peter 2:9) I am digressing, sort of. This morning I found myself in 1Peter 2 and enjoyed the scripture there so much, I have lingered a while. We, the Gentiles, are those called out of darkness to see a great light, praise God! We were once, not a people, and now are His people because of new birth in Christ. Once, we, the Gentiles could only look on a wistfully enjoy God from afar, now we are grafted in, a part of His family. We have received mercy through Christ, we are forgiven, cleansed, made right with Him. Praise God! Isaiah constantly brought Christ near and the New Life and New Way He would bring, but here, Peter gives testimony about what has happ...

Therefore the Lord God said: "Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable. And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the Mason's level." Isaiah 28:16,17 Up to this point God had been speaking against bad leaders and now God gives His best, His Son is coming. A tested, precious stone. A corner stone is important in building, not getting this right, we get it all wrong, and the whole thing falls down. I must build with the right cornerstone. He must be in the right place in all I do, He must dictate the line and height of the building. I am not a master builder and struggle at times, this is when I run into Him, "how would You have me do it?" In 1 Peter 2 Peter is dealing with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. He tells us to desire the pure spiritual milk so that we may grow by it for salvation. In connect group we are watching 'The Bait of S...

On that day the Lord of Hosts will become a crown of beauty and a diadem of splendour to the remnant of His people, a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgement, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. Isaiah 28:5,6 What beautiful word pictures Isaiah uses. I am used by God in prophesy and at times I am able to capture the language of God, He says things so much better than I can. I love the last phrase, 'and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.' Those who stop the enemy are His delight, be it the critical spirit that we tear down, the malicious spirit we hinder, the gossip we defuse, the hatred we stop in its track, the bitterness at we confront, the warrior defeats all of these, first in themselves, then in others. The victorious receive a crown and here we see the crown of beauty and diadem of splendour- all represented by the spirit of God. This morning I was awake early seeking the Lord for new authority and earnestly pressed ...

On that day the Lord will thresh the grain from the Euphrates River as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and you Israelites will be gathered one by one. On that day a trumpet will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the Land of Egypt; and they will worship the Lord at Jerusalem on the holy mountain. Isaiah 27:12,13 These rivers are part of the northern and southern boundaries. That God would bring back people 'one by one,' shows their importance to Him. The One is important. Many will look over the One and pass them by, but not a God. On Saturday I had to visit such a One. In an obscure little town, a man people forgot, God remembered. He sent me to that One. The joy I experienced visiting that One and the joy he experienced having such a visitor when he thought all had forgotten. If you, today, think you have been forgotten, think again. God does not forget and today a new thing will spring forth, something that has not happened bef...

On that day sing about a desirable vineyard. I, Yahweh, watch over it, I water it regularly. I guard it night and day so that no one disturbs it. I am not angry, but of it produces thorns and briers for Me, I will fight against it, trample it and burn it to the ground. Or let it take hold of My strength; let it make peace with Me- make peace with Me. Isaiah 27:2-5 This passage is full of imagery, how passionate is our God! He tenderly watches over His people, guards them, waters them but He looks for fruit. That last verse, 'make peace with Me-make peace with Me.' He wants us to take hold of His strength not our own, or someone else's, but His. God knows He is capable of protecting and providing for us, all we have to do is take our strength from Him. Amen!

On that day the Lord with His harsh, great, and strong sword, will bring judgement on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent- Leviathan the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea. Isaiah 27:1 Leviathan was a well known ancient sea monster from Cannanite mythology, representing, here, all chaos and evil. For me as a Christian, who well knows the serpent represents Satan, I love the word picture. Satan will be judged and in the book of Revelation he is there depicted as the serpent who is thrown into the pit. In Chalter 20 of Revelation, Satan is bound for 1,000 years in the abyss and at the end of that time, released for a short time. Satan then rounds up and deceives many to come and fight against the saints, Gog and Magog and people from the four corners of the earth come to fight but God sends fire from heaven to consume them and once again, the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet are. Once again, the language,...

The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous. Yes, Yahweh, we wait for You in the path of Your judgements. Our desire is for your name and renown. I long for You in the night; yes my spirit within me diligently seeks You, For when Your judgements are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:7-9 Another weekend closes and the week opens. The weekend has been eventful- I love the Lord's plans, they are good! Sharing Christ is always fun! All that I needed to accomplish, I have done and now this week will be a new adventure. What has the Lord in store for me? The Lord's paths are good, His judgements perfect. I love the words: 'I long for you in the night; my spirit within me diligently seeks You.' In our younger years we long for a mate, but ah! The best is yet to come! The Lord is definitely the best lover by far. Amen! Lord, I pray that tomorrow I see You in the land. Amen!

You will keep the mind that is dependant on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Isaiah 26:3 When facing a test, an exam, a trial I have to cling closer to the Lord. I am facing such a test. I have an audit in another week's time. Being compliant in the financial industry is high as we are under tremendous scrutiny. This past year there have been many changes and making sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed is important. Last night I had a troubled sleep and had to seek the Lord, there were procedures that were troubling me. I asked for help and He gave me a strategy. I know I need His strategy as in myself I think I am imperfect. I am grateful He is God, and I am not. When I rely on Him and seek His way then I can be sure I am compliant. His peace is best, His ways are best, His thoughts are best. Amen!

Yahweh, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will praise Your name, for you have accomplished wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. Isaiah 25:1 Today I took my mum to Bingara, NSW, Australia to visit my aunt who is 87. Mum turns 84 this coming week and longed to see my aunt who has gone into a nursing home after a heart attack, her third. We drove 150kms for a hour's visit and then had lunch and headed home. Whilst visiting my aunt her daughter came. Both are my Facebook friends. When I saw them scrolling down Facebook and the daughter said, "There is Di!" I had posted something or other. It made me realise they read my posts and my posts are invariably inspiration quotes or something uplifting. Heading home we travelled 50kms and I knew I was tired. We stopped for coffee. We found, in a little obscure town, the best coffee shop in the whole region, when most coffee shops are shut on a Saturday afternoon, they were open. I had a determination to go to ...

The Lord God will wipe away tears from every face and remove His people's disgrace from the whole earth, so the Lord has spoken. On that day it will be said, "Look, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation". Isaiah 25:8,9 There are people waiting to hear the good news. Today there are souls He has prepared for salvation. We must go and give them the good news and set them free. I have been awake since 4 praying. Today I go to see people in the town of my birth. I carry good news, the gospel is alive in me and I am compelled to share it. This life is not about my ease or my dear. This life is about Christ and the saving of souls for the kingdom. On the way home I want to call into another town, where the priest who defended me to my father resides. He is very old and I want him to hear my confession of faith. This poor man endures hearing the sins o f his parishioners...

On this mountain He will destroy the burial shroud, the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering all the nations; He will destroy death forever. Isaiah 25:7,8a On the mountain of Golgotta Jesus defeated death, by Himself dying and rising to life. Prior eternal death was a very real possibility. In His death He destroyed the power of Satan over us, He bought us back.  Prior to Christ mankind lived under judgement, Jesus said of Himself:" I am the door, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me. "When Jesus left the earth He said to His disciples: "all authority has been given to Me, in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20 Before Christ we had no power, after Christ we had authority and powe...

On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of earth below. They will b gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished. The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Hosts will reign as King on amount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His glory in the presence of His elders. Isaiah 24:21-23 We must remember judgement day is coming, God's hand is not short that He cannot save. We are still in the time of harvest, souls matter to God. Jesus will reign as King from Jerusalem and great will be His reign. No deception will take hold in His kingdom, yes men will hide from Him but those who come into the light will know He is God. Grace and mercy are still extended. Our God loves and is calling in the harvest. We His people are the harvesters. The harvest is plentiful. It is not a time for us to take our ease and neglect souls, souls matter. Amen!

The Lord God of Hosts said:" Go to Shebna, that steward who is in charge of the palace, and say to Him: "What are you doing here? Who authorised you to carve out a tomb for yourself here, carving your tomb on the height and cutting a crypt for yourself out of rock? Look, you strong man! The Lord is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, wind you up into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will be- a disgrace to the house of your lord. I will remove you from your office; you will be ousted from your position. On that day I will call for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority into his hand, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open. I will drive him, lik...

Therefore I said, "Look away from me! Let me weep bitterly! Do not try to comfort me about the destruction of my dear people." For the Lord God of Hosts had a day of tumult, trampling, and confusion in the Valley of Vision- Isaiah 22:4,5 Disaster in the valley of vision is difficult to bear. Vision lifts and drives forward but when disaster comes against vision, it hurts. Why does it come? For me, when it comes, it is a test. The methods of carrying out the vision need testing. Are the best? Are they right for others? Am I compromising integrity? Will my methods hurt those God loves? Am I blinded by vision to the point of convenient compromise? When the test is over, I am better for it, the vision is purer and I am wiser. Therefore, although the test hurts, it is good. Isaiah is weeping bitterly for God's people. Although he was the deliverer of the message of judgement, he still loved them deeply. When we see those we care about going through the test and in it being exp...

On that day the Lord God of Hosts called for weeping and wailing and shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth. But look: Joy and gladness, butchering of cattle, slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat, and drinking of wine- "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" Isaiah 22:12,13 Isn't it interesting that way back when people were saying this, they still say this, in foolish moments. In the New Testament the Ephesians said this, instead of repenting. It is like saying, "well the worst is over, for now! Sure God is not happy and more is to come, but, who cares, let's get drunk!" Not clever! Repentance can release grace and mercy. Who agrees we need a lot of this? When I humble myself and am repentant I am confident in asking for grace and mercy, I know I don't deserve it, because I am not good, but He is. Today I had the opposite happen. I have been struggling to bring support together to develop a new skate park for my city and had a meeting with...

For the Lord said to me, " Go post a lookout; let him report what he sees. When he sees riders- pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, riders on camels- he must pay close attention". Isaiah 21:6,7 When the Lord says look, we must look, when He says taste and see, then we must taste and see. Here in this scripture the Lord is saying to look for a sign, when the sign comes the end of that period of time has come. Here it represented the fall of Babylon. As Christians we are told to observe the times. When God says something will happen, it will. When God promises restoration, it will come, wait for it, it will surely come. Psalm 34:8 says: taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! My God is my refuge and strength, what can man do to me! Amen! Stand, trust and be strong in the Lord.

On that day Egypt will be like women. She will tremble with fear because of the threatening hand of the Lord of Hosts when he raises it against her. The land of Judah will terrify Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble because of what the Lord of Hosts has planned against it. On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Caanan and swear loyalty to the Lord of Hosts. One of the cities will be called the City of the Sun. On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the centre of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her boarder. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a saviour and leader, and he will rescue them. The Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the Lord on that day. Isaiah 19:16-21 How good is this? The very nation that oppressed God's people will themselves be oppressed and cry out to t...

Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyed nations, you have been cut down to the ground. You said to yourself: " I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods' assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit. Those who see you will stare at you; they will look closely at you: " is this the man who caused the earth to tremble, who shook the kingdom's, who turned the world into a wilderness, who destroyed its cities and would not release the prisoners to return home?" Isaiah 14:12-17 Whist this has been used to describe the heart of Satan by Christians, here it is part of a song Isaiah told the people of Israel that they would sing when the Lord gave them rest from their pain. The song is  a song of contempt aime...

On that Day you will say: " I will praise You, Lord, although You were angry with me. Your anger has turned away, and You have had compassion on me. Indeed God is my salvation; I will trust Him and not be afraid, for Yah, the lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.  You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation. Isaiah 12:1-3  Yah is an abbreviated form of Yahweh. This is the first time I have seen that. How good to know my a God has a nick name. We we come into salvation we have a well of living water welling up inside. The joy of the Lord becomes our strength. We can live out of the stream of living water. Joyfully we draw experience with our God from this spring. 'Ah taste and see that the Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever!" Amen and amen! Even when I am tired or perplexed I can draw from this well, the water is always pure and refreshing. Amen!

On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover- from Aassyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Harmath, and the costs and islands of the west- the remnant of His people who survive. He will lift up a banner for the nations and gather the dispersed of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:1,12 The Lord has already brought His people home in the last century and made them a people, in their own land again. There are still Israelites in the other parts of the world, I wonder if they all go home before the day of the Lord? Yet what I am looking for is that they all come to recognise their saviour as the One whom they crucified. That day, will be the day for them. Being made a nation is one thing but being brought home to God's heart is another. What a glorious day! For us Gentiles, we can only look on at God's people with respect and amazement. Yet we can also love the saviour that came from them and be ...

On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people's. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 Now Jesus is the root of Jesse. Yet, naturally speaking he was born from the line of David, Jesse's son but Jesse and David came from Him, He started the whole thing. I am born naturally to a couple called 'Little,' but I am born spiritually into the house and the family of God. He saw me before I was in my mother's womb and purposed that I would be doing, pretty much what I am doing right now. Today, after church and after lunch I took my mum for a drive to Nundle, 50kms away. It was great to drive through the countryside. When we made it home I took her to Catholic mass because that is where she goes. I am grateful that after being born again my God called me into Pentecost and another church. At first it was hard, I did like the bells and smells. Today I no longer long for the form of religion, I now have relations...

On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people's. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 We live in this day. Many are coming to Christ, He is our peace, our rest. Jesus Himself said, "take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29, 30 If our religious practice is heavy and exacting then perhaps we need an encounter with Jesus, He does not burden us down with rules and regulations. Today is Sunday and many will go to church or watch church on-line, being there is better by the way, nothing like being in the company of believers and in the presence of God. Do you feel going to church a burden? Perhaps you are looking at it wrongly. You shower every day and always are refreshed. There are times you don't feel like making the effort but when you do, you smell better and have more cl...

He will strike the land with discipline from his mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips. Righteousness will be a belt around His loins; faithfulness will be a belt around His waist. The wolf will love with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, young lion, and the falling will be together, and a child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. Isaiah 11:4b-7 Verse 4-16 speaks of a ruling Messianic King, the type the Jews were expecting, the type the disciples were expecting, the One we His people are waiting to see. Verse 9 says: 'none will harm or destroy another on My entire holy mountain, for the land will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water.' This is a time to long for, having such a good ruler. Wow! The above scripture speak of peace and divine authority. We can trust the Lord! He is good! Amen!

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him- a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, He will not execute justice by what He hears with His ears, but He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. Isaiah 11:1-4a The fact that a shoot will grow from the stump seems to indicate that He will go back to the beginning, the link with David, he will not build on corruption but on a heart that desired God. Here we see Jesus again, but more a ruling Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, in wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. When Jesus was baptised the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. This same Spirit is given to us who believe, we can walk ...

On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who struck them (Assyria), but they will faithfully depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 10:20 In fear we can run to what we see or what we believe is big enough to protect and save us. Yet there is only One, true saviour and Lord. Again and again the Lord has taken me to a place where I had to choose who I would trust and now I must say, Him alone. He has shown me, again and again, how flawed mankind is and how prone to selfish acts when agains the wall. There is no one I can trust like Him, He is totally faithful! Amen! I want Him to be my provider, my supply. I love is supply best of all. He does not boast about how He saves me, He just does it. Mankind loves to boast and lord it over others. He has every right but doesn't. Thanks Lord! Amen! We are at another weekend and already He has gone before me and is preparing my next week. How good is He? This weekend...

Does an ax exalt itself above the one who chops with it? Does a saw magnify itself above the one who saws with it? It would be like a staff waving the one who lifts it! It would be like a rod lifting up a man who isn't wood. Isaiah 10:19 God was going to use Assyria to deal with His people but the Assyrians we're proud in themselves thinking they were great and God was also going to deal with them. Verse 5 says: woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger- the staff in the hands of my wrath. Verse 7 tells us: but this is not what he intends; this is not what he plans. It is his intent to destroy and to cut off many nations. We are really tools in Gods hands and to think we are the success, or we are the reason things are happening is pride. Yet we are God's chosen vessels and we are sent to do a task. Keeping perspective is important. It is good for God to praise us, speak over us but good for us to stay humble and allow Him to exalt us. Jesus Himself told parables around this them...

Woe to those enacting crooked statutes and writing oppressive laws to keep the poor from getting a fair trial and to deprive the afflicted among my people of justice, so that widows can be their spoil and they can plunder the fatherless. What will you do on the day of punishment when devastation comes from far away? Who will you run to for help? Where will you leave your wealth? There will be nothing to do except crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. Isaiah 10:1-4 We know there are those who do these things. John Newton was a slave trader and Jesus called Him. He lived the remainder of his days humbled by God's grace. He wrote the song: 'Amazing Grace.'The apostle Paul was killing the Christians when Jesus called him. He spent the rest of his days serving Christ and the body of Christ, forever convicted of God's grace. He wrote most of the epistles that we enjoy. You might be fa...

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoiced at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For You have shattered their oppressive yolk and the rod of their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian. For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and it's prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The Zeal of the Lord of Host will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:2-7 I love it w...

Here am I with the children the Lord has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwell on mount Zion. When they say to you, " consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who chirp and mutter," should a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word there is no dawn for them. They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their King and their God. They will look to the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness. Isaiah 8:18-22 Man without God is dead! Ephesians 2:1 says: we were once dead in our trespasses and sin. Futility awaits all those who refuse to acknowledge God, yet many do, to what end? Why reject hope, life and deliverance? It is pure stupidity to keep doing the sa...

For this is what the Lord said to me wih great power, to keep me from going the way of this people: 'Do not call everything an alliance these people say is an alliance. Do not fear what they fear, do not be terrified. You are to regard only the Lord of Hosts as holy. Only He should be feared, only He should be held in awe. He will be a sanctuary, but for the two houses of Israel, He will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, And a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many will stumble over these, they will fall and be broken; They will be snared and captured. Bind up the testimony. Seal up the instruction among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will wait for Him. Isaiah 8:11-17 Today there is much to fear, if that is what our eyes are on. Yet the Lord has continually said to me: "Watch me!" Even in prayer for others, if my gaze is on the problem I am overcome but if I fix my eyes on Jesus I...

Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz: "Ask the Lord for a sign from the Lord your God- from the depths of Sheol to the heights of heaven." But Ahaz replied, "I will not ask, I will not test the Lord." Isaiah said, "Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating butter and honey. For before he boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned." Isaiah 7:10-16 Who has failed in their faith? Who has not believed the word of the Lord? Who has questioned prophesy? I have to confess I have. Not all at the same time but I am guilty just as this king was guilty. Oh how good it is to have a saviour. In the above scripture it talks of Immanuel,...

This took place during the reign of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah King of Judah.m Rezin King of Aram, along with Pekah, son of Remaliah, King of Israel, waged war against Jerusalem, but he could not succeed. When it became known to the house of David that Aram had occupied Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind. Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to the Fuller's Field. Say to him, "Calm down and be quiet. Don't be afraid or cowardly because of these two smouldering firebrands, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah. This is what the Lord God says: " it will not happen, it will not occur. Isaiah 7:1-4;8 I love God's prescision. He tells Isaiah exactly where to meet Ahaz. I love God's view. The enemy was causing the people to fear, they saw them as mighty but Go...

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: "Who should I send? Who will go for us?" I said: "Here I am. Send me." Isaiah 6:8 I love this scripture. God needs someone to go. He asks a question in Isaiah's hearing. Who would say Isaiah was invited to the Lord's throne room because God knew how He would respond? How awesome to be thought of like that. Have you ever thought: ' I'll  invite Bill or Jane because they will say yes to the project, the idea, the plan? Of course you have, so does God. But isn't it fascinating that God thinks like that? Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into all the world, teaching all men the gospel. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, He planned the works that we would do. He is asking, "Who will go?" Let our answer be, "Send me!" There is a mission with our name on it, waiting, waiting, waiting for us to go. Scripture says: all the earth wait in eager longing for the revealing of the...

The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and becaus my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: "Now this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed and you sin around for." Isaiah 6:5-7 Isaiah knew he was a sinner and knew he could not be in God's presence in his present state. He had insight into his own condition. Insight is good. Even though Isaiah was a man of God he did not deem himself to be righteous, he knew he was still a sinner. Doing church does not make me righteous, living a good life does not make us righteous. Romans tells us: all have sinned and fallen away. Paul wrote this and goes on to say what a sinner he himself...

In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robes filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him: each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. Isaiah 6:1-3 The actual text says the seam of His robe, not His robe. That is huge! The fact that this telling of what he saw is more factual than emotional surprises. The telling bears no surprise, exclamation. Perhaps this is more like when you receive an email, you interpret it in the way you would have sent it and sometimes you and I are very wrong in the interpretation. Later in verse 4 there is language of expression and emotion, maybe he was having a delayed reaction. I do these well, or I should say, at times I do these well, sometimes not. The Seraphim covering their faces and feet seem to indicate veneration and submission. I ...

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and are fearless at mixing beer, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice. Isaiah 5:22,23 Alcohol deprives us of commonsense let alone wisdom. Alcohol makes people lazy, careless, greedy, lustful. Alcohol releases all the flesh. We say and do things that restraint would prevent us from doing. To be able to drink in moderation requires restraint and self-control. Yet even the prudent speak more loosely under the influence of wine. Have you ever been the non-drinker and been surprised at the behaviour of those who are drinking? Put yourself in the picture and decide if this is how you want to be seen. Wine cheats the innocent of justice, under the influence flattery seeks an avenue to bring about an end not good for others. Who is in charge? I see youth boasting about mixing drinks and ability to drink excessive amounts and this is only foolishness. Who are they impressing? What is important to the Lord? What woul...

Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight. Isaiah 5:21 This would be the epitome of deception. We have really been deceived when we buy this lie.  Whenever I receive a notice from Twitter: so and so are following you, I am not perturbed, I would rather receive notice that the Lord has come to dinner. Flattery will not work for me. I would rather receive a message from the Lord: 'Good and faithful servant!' When He speaks, I want to listen, when He shows up I want to be by myself and give undivided attention. Why? Giving undivided attention is the time you discover something you did not know before, experience a place you have not been before. This is to me better than any holiday. I love finding Him in scripture, sitting with Him as the sun sets, (what glory!)climbing my mountain and singing all the way down, seeing His handiwork in the grasses, the hills, the flowers, the trees. My own opinion is no good, unless it comes from my spirit and is...

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20 Our enemy is wicked and when he can capture lives to work for him they are cruel, vicious, nasty and evil. We know he is at work in the world by all the manslaughter and wickedness we see. But, there is One who in a moment of time can change even the most vile of hearts. We are seeing this as well. We are seeing ISIS fighters meeting Christ and repenting of their deeds. Paul the apostle was one such man. What then should we do? Pray! Pray! Pray! Let our voices be used for prayer and praise not bitterness and complaining. Scripture tells us that the prayer of the righteous man available much. Now if scripture tells us this, we must believe it and pray.( James 5:13-18) Do I live for my fleshly appetites or the kingdom of God? One requires me to pray and praise the other requires me to complain and whine. One bring life,...

Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and pull sins along with cart ropes, to those who say: " let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it? Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can know it!" Isaiah 5:18,19 The people here are cynical, proud and arrogant and are defying the Lord because He has delayed His judgement. Sound familiar? Yet when things go wrong they vent against the Lord with: " how dare God not support us!" The sin is so heavy that cords are required to sag it along. How sad! How different things are when we come into relationship with the Lord and get to know Him. How wonderful to have these cords broken and to be set free from deceit. The bars of the prisons are harsh, the burn and scorch the skin. The guards laugh and screech vile blasphemy at the captives on one side and on another they lure them with lusts for fleshly desires that do not fulfill. Yet, when free, we lay back in still cool wat...

Woe ti those who rise early in the morning in the pursuit of beer, who linger in the evening, inflamed by wine. At their feasts they have the lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the Lord's actions, they do not see the work of His hands. Isaiah 5:11,12 Beer and wine are a different spirit, an earthly spirit. The people in these scriptures are choosing an earthly remedy instead of a Godly remedy. Both make us feel good but only one is a divine relationship. Choosing God and His Holy Spirit's presence above reaching for a bottle takes a decision and a determination. Who will I choose? My grandmother was disappointed by her husband's decision to sell their house and buy farmland. This meant  she had to live with an oppressive mother in law. She turned to drink as she felt helpless to change her lot in life. She died at 52 a diabetic and a very sick woman. My dad struggled with fear all his life and chose alcohol to make him brave, he died from cancer. ...

Woe to those who add house to house and join the field to field until there is no room and you alone are left in the land. I heard the Lord of Hosts say: Indeed many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants. Isaiah 5:8-10 During the time of Moses God gave instruction about distribution of land, He wanted everyone to be able to have land but here we see greed consuming up the land and casting out the little people. God hates injustice and sends a word of judgement. Many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants. Injustice sows seeds of destruction, we may think we win and it seems we do, but the tide will turn and we lose. God loves it when we work for justice, driven by compassion. God's people should be the most compassionate people around. Today I had VW call again and follow up the recent check I had with the local service centre. Because I am willing to work with them to resolve my cars issues they are grateful. My conc...

Therefore this is what the Lord God says: My servants will eat, But you will go hungry; My servants will drink, But you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, But you will be put to shame. My servants will shout for joy from a glad heart, But you will cry out from an anguished heart, And you will lament with a broken spirit. You will leave your name behind as a curse for My chosen ones, But He will give His servants another name. Whoever is blessed in the land will be blessed by the God of truth, And whoever swears in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former things will be hidden from My sight, Isaiah 65:13-16 This morning I found myself in a different place in Isaiah, perhaps because I was trowling through it last night looking for references to Jesus, and here I find another. Whilst God's people are being rebuked and told that only those who seek God will be blessed, out pops the promise in: but He will give His servants another name. There is Jesus again! Over...

I will song about the one I love, A song about my loved one's vineyard: The one I love has a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, And planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even dug out a wine press there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes. Isaiah 5:1,2 What an opening! This is how I feel towards the Lord: He is the One I love and I feel the hurt His creation does to Him through selfishness. Yet, He had a plan right back when this was written, Jesus was the tread woven through the verses and pages, building to a crescendo in Chapter 9, then dipping down again and going under cover to emerge again in Chapter 42, 49, 53, 61. I love to sew, darn socks, mend tears and try and be clever with thread. The challenge is always to mend in such a way that you cannot see the thread. However, the thread is here plainly seen, yet I wonder, do the eyes see, do the ears hear? Jesus is the...

On that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious....Isaiah 4:1 I defy the status quo, the appearance of things and speak to the dust: rise up bride, rise up church, wash you clothes and come to the One who saved you. Shine like you were meant to shine, give light and hope to the lost. I pray the fire, all consuming fire, of God upon you that the dross would be burned up and you would rise up in the destiny meant for you. You are called, saved, cleansed washed by the blood at was spilt. He went through so much for you, gave His life for you, that you would rise and be His bride. Spirit of the living God come upon my land. Bring conviction of sin and need for repentance. Pour our the gift of repentance on the land. The blood was poured out for this people, this land. I claim it, claim it from the enemy. This land and this people will come to the living stone, glorious and beautiful. Fire of God, ignite the dry tinder, run with the wind, burn up the rubbish, may way for t...

The Lord also says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty; Walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, Going along with prancing steps, Jingling their ankle bracelets, The Lord will put scabs on the heads of the daughters of Zion,  And the Lord will shave their foreheads bare. Isaiah 3:16,17 I am very amused with this picture, I can't explain why but that I must have a warped sense of humour. I can see it, the proud and haughty suddenly losing their hair. The hair is the glory of a woman. It reminds me that we can be so caught up in image, especially when we are young teenagers. A label can mean so much, when in reality in means little. Our God, and knowing Him personally is more important, yet somehow image is not cool with a God picture. I remember battling with my children and them wanting something because of a label. At times I creatively refused and others bluntly refused. Occasionally I might give a label item as a surprise. I am more than what I wear. In eternity l...

Observe this: the Lord God of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and from Judah every kind of security: The entire supply of bread and water, The hero and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The fortune teller and the elder, The commander of 50 and the dignitary,  The counsellor and the cunning magician, and the necromancer, I will make youths their leaders, And the unstable will govern them. Isaiah 3:1-4 When we place our trust in anything or anyone but the Lord, He is jealous and inclined to remove them. There was a time when the Lord told me He was stripping the tree of everything that was on it and beginning again. He was talking about me. I now know how to trust in Him alone. Amen! The stripping is very painful, but very beneficial. We need to know the Lord will not forsake us. As we put Him in first place, He fills all the empty vessels with Himself and then life is good. Amen! Imagine being ruled by youths! There would be trash everywhere, lots of junk food and no r...

So human pride will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. The idols will vanish completely. Isaiah 2:17,18 Pride is devastating, it's aim is to destroy, first us then those we exalt ourselves above. We need to face it and repent and walk humbly with our God. Waht makes us proud? Is it thinking we have done something ourselves? In the humbling we realise it is God who has done the good for us and all we are doing is stealing His credit. Saturday night I  went with my son and saw The War Room. A good Christian movie about the importance of humbly walking with our God and prayer.  I really enjoyed it and was encouraged to pray. In the movie the husband had become too big for his boots ( an Aussie saying that means he had become proud). The wife learned to pray and asked God to deal with her husband and restore him. The Lord answered the prayer but first He humbled him. It was a good lesson. I am always grateful for h...

Then the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away. Isaiah 2:17,18 Two possible scenarios here: an outpouring of the Spirit and conviction of sin and forsaking of all fleshly pursuits in genuine salvation ; judgement. I prefer the former and pray to this end. To me, this is the greatest hurt I can do to the kingdom of darkness, seeing a flood of repentance on the land. Yesterday I heard a very good sermon, but it stopped one point short of the complete picture. The preacher forgot why we are here, to see souls saved. His message was about salvation and living righteously, yet this is not an end in itself but rather a product of a life linked to Christ. Jesus Himself came to seek and save the lost not to teach the Jews how to live righteously. They had had centuries of prophets, judges, teachers but none were able to sanctify completely and all failed, exce...

Their land also is full of idols: they worship work of their own hands, what their own fingers have made. Isaiah 2:8 In Mathew Henry commentary, Matthew writes that Christian lands are not full of literal idols but rather idolisazation of our own achievements. Remember the Tower of Babel? God decided to destroy the efforts of man because He could see that there was nothing the people would not be able to achieve and thus turn away from Him. Well, we are here again. The advance of knowledge has been so great in the last century that mankind is less limited in what he thinks he can achieve, and thus deifies his own ability. Yet, not matter how clever we become, we will never be able to achieve God's grace and love. Our achievements bring with them a sense of hautiness, arrogance, pride, cruelty to others, emptiness. Myself, I know I need grace. I am not so good that I don't need it. I need my God's love, because only that truely satisfies. I don't want to be an empty vess...

In the last days the mountain of the Lord's house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All the nations will stream to it, and many people will come and say, " Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways so that we may walk in His paths." For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sward against other nations, and they will never again train for war. Isaiah 2:1-4 This prophesy is a desired future outcome. Currently there are so many wars and so much offence we can only long for such a day. I can see it when the Lord returns to rule for 1,000 years, yet scripture tells us that even then people rebel against Him. Imagine no more war! Onl...

The faithful city- what an adulteress she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her- but now, murderers! Your silver has become dross,  your beer is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widows case can never come before them. Isaiah 1:21-23 God's people had forsaken righteousness. We see from these scripture what God looks for in His people. We defend the widows, abused children, abused spouses, the poor and the needy. Our attitude is not: ' Me first, me second and me third, you get scraps.' Conversely it is: 'I am the light and am here to serve, how can I help?' In all our dealings with others righteousness can prevail, we, God's people, are empowered by Him. Earlier this week I wrote to the local car dealer and VW because I have a car with a serious problem and felt that I was being told to 'put up with...

"come now, let us reason together, " says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; through they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.  If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of he Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:18-20 Outside of Christ there little hope and being devoured by the sword is a high option. However, God's people are called to live by faith. As we read the book of Acts, we know that being a Christian does not stop bad stuff from happening, but that we have a constant help in time of need, a comforter, a guide, a deliverer. We will stipll walk through the valley of Bacca but we will walk through and not be consumed. It is my faith in my God that keeps me, I still walk through, but hey! I get through. Amen! For the first time ever, my son, his wife and five children have come to visit. Accomodation is a little...