Feel Good Preachers

Date: Saturday, August 01, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 30-34
Message Title: Feel Good Preachers

Hello My Friend,

Feel good preachers they are called, they spout amazing messages of hope in a loving God and Father, but fail to mention the consequences of living in sin, in fact, they do not mention sin at all. Oh, they mention that you need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that He died, was buried, and resurrected for our sins, but fail to mention that the punishment for sin is death and hell, and that you need to actually ask Him to save you. Feel good preachers look helpful and caring, but they are only after one thing, money, and will do anything to get it, even if that means sending millions of unsaved souls to hell because they rather them feel good than know the truth. “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.” - Mark 13:22.

There are two types of people who fall into the trap of feel good preachers, the first are those who have been through so much that they feed off the wonders they provide. The second are those who want God in their lives and the world also, they feel that their being saved justifies their actions. Being saved saves us from ending up in hell for our sins, being saved does not justify our actions. Through Isaiah, God has something to say to those who ignore His Word for the sake of their sin.

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.” - Isaiah 30:1,8-13.

Sin upon sin, God is not talking to those who walk daily with Christ and just mess up sometimes, because we are all sinners and a work in progress. God is talking to those who deliberately defy His commands, using their salvation as a means to do as they please without suffering any consequences. God's mercy keeps Him from stripping us of our salvation for rebelling against Him, it does not keep Him from placing adversity in our lives to get us to repent. “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” - Isaiah 30:18-21.

There is no escaping the judgments of God, but He does protect His children, even if they have gotten away from Him. The truth is, no amount of good saves us from death and hell, it is only by our trusting Jesus Christ as our Saviour that we are saved, but He does help us endure all suffering until Jesus comes to get us. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-13.

Trusting God's Word is the key to trusting God Himself, and not falling into the trap of feel good preachers. After all Israel went through to be free from Egypt, they chose their help instead of God's. God reproves them for trusting them over Him. “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.” - Isaiah 31:1-4.

Egypt is a picture of the world, which also includes worldly churches led by these feel good preachers. Yes, God will send strangers and all sorts of miraculous things to give us hope and show His love, but He does not send those who take us away from the truth, including repentance of sins. Jesus does not just save us from hell, He saves us from our sins when we trust Him, and truly have a personal relationship with Him. He literally changes our lives to remove all the horrible things of our past, yet gives us hope for the future. “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” - 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.

We must realize that God truly does love us and is our hope, that hope includes some chastening from as a just judge. Through Isaiah, we are reminded of the hope and just judgment that He brings, and will bring when He reigns as King. “Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.” - Isaiah 33:20-22.

We may fall from Christ, but Christ never falls from us, He is always there for us when we call Him. However, if we never do anything the repent of our known sins, it's going to be a rough life. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:6-10.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, Barely a day goes by that I do not think about where I would have been if You had not found me in the pit I was in. I was saved, but I was still lost, and You were the only one who could find me and set me free from my sins. When life gets hard, and things look bleak I forget all You have brought me through, and I am sorry for letting my circumstances control me rather than trust You. Thank You for loving me and never leaving me, and thank You for having patience with me to I come to my senses. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power and strength to serve You, let me be a witness to all You put on my heart, and help me to keep my eyes on You and not my circumstances. In Your name Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.

Truths Or Half Truths

Date: Friday, July 31, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 26-29
Message Title: Truths Or Half Truths

Hello My Friend,

Thousands of people preach or teach about God's Word daily, I am one of them, the sad thing is that the majority have no clue as to what they are teaching, and they have lots of believers as well. Now, I am not perfect, and I do not always understand everything I read, but we all learn God's Word at different levels as the Holy Spirit directs us and should come in the middle at some point. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” - 2 Timothy 2:15,16,18,19.

There is not one faithful child of God that does not look at what is happening in their nation and feel some sort of grief over it's state. Through Isaiah, God encourages Judah and all people to enter the gates of His righteous nation. “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” - Isaiah 26:1-4,20,21.

God is calling all people to get into His chambers and close themselves in until His anger subsides, those who do not will be punished for their sin. Jesus is the chamber, He is the only one who can pardon us from this punishment. Those who get in the chamber and stay in it, meaning do not go out into the world will be safe from all the horrible things that are happening in the world. “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” - John 10:9-11,27-29.

Those who distort the Word of God are usually that way due to either pride or rebellion, maybe even both. God explains this further through Isaiah. “The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet: And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up. In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.” - Isaiah 28:3-8.

It is only through Jesus Christ that we can even communicate with God, the only way to Jesus is by believing in Him, confessing that you are a sinner, and asking Him to save you. Those who alter the Word of God by being drunk with false doctrines not only are blind to the truth, they lead many others with them, and God will take care oe every one of them. “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” - Matthew 15:13,14.

Now, anyone can quote Scripture and do it in a way to prove their point. For those who only hear what the blind leader has to say and never get in the Word of God to figure it out themselves, they too have a rude awakening. Through Isaiah God warns Jerusalem and Judah about the rod that would be placed upon them for ignoring the true Word of God and listening to those who claim to know it. “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” - Isaiah 29:11-14,18,19.

The Bible is a sealed book to everyone, saved or unsaved, until they begin to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, which only comes when we surrender to the Holy Spirit. Many can read the Bible, and act like they know what God is saying, but God is not going to trust His precious Word to just anyone. One must believe in and follow every word to receive that honor. “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” - 1 Corinthians 3:18-20.

Today's Prayer: God, Your judgment is true and righteous, Your mercy and grace are endless, there is nothing that Your children cannot do to lose their salvation. What we can do is forget that there is a hell, that people die and go there every day, and that we may be the only hope that a person has. Lord, give us Your power to be a witness, help us to be bold to speak the truth to all You lay upon our heart, and let us not be ashamed of it or afraid to teach the truth. Lead us and guide us in Your will and truths. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.

Live Life For Today

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 21-25
Message Title: Live Life For Today

Hello My Friend,

With all the crazy things going on around the world, it can be pretty scary to even go out into the world. Even in our very own country it's no longer safe to go to the movies or church without the fear that it may be our last day. When you think about it, we really have no guarantee of tomorrow, all we have is today, and while the world falls apart, we who are saved need to live our lives in a way that brings others closer to Christ. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” - James 4:14,15.

Do you ever wonder why God gives us so many warnings, and some centuries ahead of time, even when nothing is going on? It's to get as many people to repent as possible before Christ does return. Through Isaiah, God foretells the destruction of Babylon during a time when they were very prosperous. Known as, “the desert of the sea,” it will be completely destroyed by the Medes and Persians, after the seventy years of the Jews captivity. “A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” - Isaiah 21:2-6.

Isaiah is overwhelmed by all that God was showing him, one nation after another being completely destroyed. It is very frightening to see glimpses of these things happening and what is to come of everything we worked so hard to achieve. We must remember that everything here on earth is temporary, everything of Christ is eternal. Of course, we must live and be the watchman, meaning tell others about Christ before He returns, but what we have waiting for us beyond this world is far more vaulable than anything we possess. “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:20,21.

Now, while God does want us to live, He does not want us to live as the world, so many people go crazy at the thought of death that they do every immoral thing possible to say they live. This is where a lot of Christians fall into the world also. This is why we need a Saviour, our flesh is too weak to handle the pressures of life if we are not constantly at Jesus feet. Through Isaiah, God shows us that we need a Saviour all throughout His Word.

“And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.” - Isaiah 22:12-14,22-25.

Our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ is as a nail in a sure place. The soul that is bought by the blood shed upon the cross He bore cannot die. He will set before the believer an open door, one in which no man can shut, and bring both body and soul to eternal glory. Those who reject Him will find that when He shuts the door none can open it and it will be shut forever. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” - Luke 13:24-27.

While the destruction of the world is inevitable, we must not let it consume us, God has us here for one reason and one reason only, to further His Kingdom, as long as we are here, we are being used for that purpose. One day, all of this will be over and we will not have to fear anything, and we will thank God for all that He has done, including the chastening that we got once in a while.

“O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” - Isaiah 25:1-4,8,9.

We are to live the way God wants us to live while we are here, not out of obligation, out of respect for Christ, who took our place on the cross. In the process of living right, we may even bring a few lost souls to know Him as well, after all, that's what it's all about in the first place. When all of this is over, we will have the victory. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 15:57,58.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for giving me the victory over death when I believed in and accepted You as my Saviour. I know that the only way I am escaping hell and the destruction of the world is because of my faith in You. I don't want to be a vapor that just vanishes and has nothing to leave behind, I want to leave behind a legacy, one that proves that You change lives and can change any life that comes to You, no matter what they have done. Lord, lead me and guide me, let Your Light shine through me so that others can come to know You and not fear what's going to happen in this crazy, corrupt world. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.

Be A Witness

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 17-20
Message Title: Be A Witness

Hello My Friend,

A stumbling stone is an obstacle, God has placed a stumbling stone between Himself and man, which means He places an obstacle before all mankind that keeps them from reaching Him. That obstacle is Jesus Christ, if you get to Jesus then you get to God. Whether Jew or Gentile, the only way to get to Jesus is by believing in Him, after all, if you do not believe in Jesus than you do not believe in God. “All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.” - Luke 10:22.

God loves His people, in fact, He loves all of His creation, what He does not love is sin, and let me tell you, as wicked as the world is, there are some so called Christians that are even more wicked. It is the idleness of the faithful and the wickedness of the unfaithful that brings judgment to a nation of God, but God does not just stop with His people, all will judged, but first He begins with His people. Through Isaiah, God foretells the destruction of the cities of Syria and Israel.

“At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images. In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation. Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.” - Isaiah 17:7-11.

Every saved soul comes to a point in their lives where they question their faithfulness to God, circumstances and sin often could our faith. While a some of us will see that there is not where to turn, and they are better off with the Saviour, quite a few will forget the God of their salvation, and that is when judgment comes. Jesus is our Rock, the one and only one who can save us from judgment. Okay, so, we are all sinners saved by the grace of God, any of us can fall into sin, and if we do not want to be apart of the wrath of God we better straighten up and stop being idle about what going on in the world, or even worse, being a part of the world. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” - Matthew 12:35-37.

Every nation will be judged at one point, and while God specifically names some, all of the past and present judgments are a warning that judgment is coming to them also. He's first starting with the ones who know Him, and He has something to say to all nations. “All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.” - Isaiah 18:3-6.

The branch, we are the branches, Jesus is the vine, all who abide in the vine will not have to suffer more than what life gives them. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” - John 15:1-6.

Now, God comes to the Egypt, they judgment they will face, and strangely enough will accept and receive the Saviour. “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them.” - Isaiah 19:18-22.

Jesus Christ is the Saviour and the Great One, is the Light. Those who truly believe in the Saviour will turn to His Light and submit themselves to His authority. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:5-10.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your gift of free will, You allow us to choose what to believe, and I am certainly glad that I chose Your Son. While we can never know the time in which Jesus will return, we can be prepared for that day. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to witness to those who do not know You and give us the wisdom we need to prepare others for that day. Open the hearts of those who do not know Your Son and help them to see the truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.

Fighting The Spiritual Battle

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 12-16
Message Title: Fighting The Spiritual Battle

Hello My Friend,

There is a great battle brewing, one that we have never seen before in all the world, in fact, we are in the midst of one right now. You see, there is a ruler upon the earth, he's not very brave at all, in fact, he's a bit of a coward, he uses unbelieving, proud, arrogant, and bitter souls to do his dirty work for him. Oh, he's a wicked ruler, and his name is Satan, he can bring death, sorrow, and illness upon many, but one day his time will come to an end, and all his workers as well. Until that day comes we who are saved from being in the midst of the great battle must cover ourselves with the armor of God to fight the spiritual battle in us right now. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” - Ephesians 6:12,13.

While we all have a little bit of wickedness in us, there are some people who are just plain wicked from birth. Oh, God did not create them that way, they just become that way by wicked influences in their lives. There are many people out there who know about Christ and reject Him, there are many also, who know Him as their Saviour, and have rejected Him. Quite often, these are the ones that Satan uses to do his dirty work, oh, he cannot take their souls, but he can use them to hinder others from knowing Christ, these are the ones that God is bringing His judgment upon in hopes that they will return to Christ. Eventually every truly saved soul will return to Christ, one way or another, they will declare Him as their Saviour. “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.” - Isaiah 12:1-4.

Believe it or not, there is a sin that brings death upon a saved soul, not the second death, but the physical death. There is a billboard sign up on a busy highway with these three words, “God's Not Angry”, this alone should tell you that someone is scared, and yes, God is angry. Who's He angry with? Saved souls living wicked, sinful lives. Judgment must come from the house of God first. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” - 1 Peter 4:16-19.

The day of the Lord will be terrible with wrath and fierce anger, far beyond what the eye has ever seen. Through Isaiah, God foretells the judgment the Jews receive for not heeding His warnings, their captivity to Babylon, but also gives them hope. “For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.” - Isaiah 14:1-5.

God may get angry at His people, and He will judge them, but He's also merciful and forgiving, even in the midst of judgment. Those who are saved and have the assumption that they can live any way they like because they still get to go to heaven will suffer quite a bit before God allows them in heaven. No sin goes unpunished, we all must face the consequences for our actions, even when we are saved. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-13.

An interesting insight and revelation of Satan and sin is revealed, it gives us some insight into how sin came once into heaven and is now upon the earth. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” - Isaiah 14:12-17.

Lucifer, who did not want to live under God's authority, wanted the throne for himself, he is the source of all evil, and one day he will be thrown into the pits of hell along with all the proud, arrogant, and unbelieving. Yes, God could have destroyed Satan long ago, but if He did then billions of unsaved souls would be cast in there with him. The day that Satan dies is the day Christ will reign in New Jerusalem, and all who are saved will join Him in His Kingdom, which will be on a new earth. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” - Revelation 21:1-3.

We do not know the day that Jesus will return to claim His people and destroy Satan and all evil, but we can be prepared, the only way to be prepared is to know Christ as our Saviour and get behind Him to fight this spiritual battle. “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” - Revelation 16:15.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, thank You for choosing to become the payment to redeem me of my sins. I should be in hell for the things I have done, but You took my stripes, bore my pain, so that I do not have to. I know I have sinned after I was saved, I thank You for the chastening I got because it taught me true repentance. I know I never want to be in the mess I was in before I let You be Lord of my life, but I know I could fall if I let my flesh do the walking. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to resist Satan, help me to stay in Your Word, and to live it so that I can be armed and prepared in the midst of my spiritual battle. In Your name Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.

A Soul Preserved

Date: Monday, July 27, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 8-11
Message Title: A Soul Preserved

Hello My Friend,

There is a difference between those who live in the world and those who are saved and live in the world, those who are saved belong to Jesus. When you belong to Jesus your soul is preserved, it cannot be cast into hell when the body separates from it. A saved soul does not mean that we do not face the consequences for living in the world, and it does not mean we are not going to have problems to deal with when we are not. What it does mean is that no matter how stupid we get or even if we turn away from Christ, our soul is preserved. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Sanctified and justified, cleansed and pardoned, you see, God does not look at us through our flesh, but through Christ, if He is in us, all He sees is goodness, if He is not in us, all He sees is wickedness. Through Isaiah, God continues to tell of His Son's return, those who reject Him, and how a person with a saved soul turns from Him. “Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.” - Isaiah 8:18-22.

Jesus knows who are His, He knows who truly believe in and accept Him to save them from their sins. Those who never really believed will turn into something very dark, in fact, they will despise Christ and have a hatred for God. “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” - Jude 1:16-19.

A life with Jesus is not just a free pass to get out of hell, sure we do not need to do anything for our salvation nor to keep it, but that does not mean we have a free pass to live a wicked and immoral life here on earth. God will remove anyone who refuses to listen to His warnings. “For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” - Isaiah 9:13-17.

Those who do not know Christ personally as their Saviour walk in darkness, but when exposed to the Light become light themselves. The cleansing of the soul through Christ delivers believers from the power and bondage of sin. A Child is born, He was born for the benefit of all mankind, for all sinners, all believers, from the beginning to the end of the world. His hand is stretched out still for those who open their hearts and repent. He is the Wonderful Counselor, in fact, the mighty God Himself in the flesh. All who come to the Prince of Peace see the great light and are preserved from judgment. “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” - Ephesians 5:6-8.

Believe it or not, God is sending us warning signs, just as He did with Jerusalem, God's judgment is upon all of His people and it's coming quickly. Just before the invasion and they were taken captive to Babylon, God foretold of it and also gave some insight to His delivering them out of captivity. “Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.” - Isaiah 10:16-21.

Jesus is gong to separate the true believers from the false, one way or another, while most of the Jews will reject Him, a small few will accept Him and be saved. Jesus leaves no one out, He came to save all, Jew and Gentile. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And 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 of the fear of the LORD; And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” - Isaiah 11:1,2,10-12.

The outcasts, those who know Christ as their Saviour, and actually walk with Him may be outcasts, but they His, they belong to Him. We cannot stop God's judgment, but we can help Jesus preserve a few more souls by living the way God wants us to live. “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.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, It still amazes me that You went through so much pain to save me and my simple faith and trust in Your finished work is all I need to be saved from my sins. When I think of the years I was caught up in false religion and where I would be if I died before I knew the truth, I cringe. Lord, I want to live my life as a godly example, one in which You shine through me every day, give me Your power, strength, and wisdom to glorify You. Use me to be a witness to the lost, and help me to be bold enough to tell all how they can know You. In Your name Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.

The Judgment Seat Of Christ

Date: Sunday, July 26, 2015
Chapters: Isaiah 4-7
Message Title: The Judgment Seat Of Christ

Hello My Friend,

Judgment Day, the day in which Jesus returns, and every person dead or alive must stand before Him to be judged. Those who know Christ as their Saviour will be judged for the things they did after they get saved, those who rejected Him will be judged for everything they did, including times they could have accepted Him. Every person alive fears Judgment Day, the world calls it the Apocalypse, or the end of the world, some try to ignore it and come up with silly plans to try and save the planet, but this is all an attempt to avoid the truth. Judgment Day is coming, the only way to be saved is Jesus Christ. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:10,17.

Zion, Jerusalem and Judah at it's worse, will one day be cleansed of all it's filth, which is all the wickedness and corruption brought on by sin. Through Isaiah we get a glimpse of what is to come when Jesus returns. “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.” - Isaiah 4:2-5.

Everyone that is written among the living, this is every single soul that believes in the branch of the Lord, Jesus Christ Himself, and has accepted Him as their Saviour. There is a book, it's called the Book of life, this book contains the names of every single soul that believes in His from Adam. Those whose name are written in this book will be saved from judgment and will join Him in His Kingdom. “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 the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15.

The second death, this goes beyond the first death, which is the death of the body, this is eternal death of the soul and body. All those whom have not received Christ before they died physically already has their soul cast into hell, only to await the day Jesus returns. Their bodies will reunite with their souls for Judgment Day, the day when body and soul will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. Through Isaiah, God warns of the rebellion that's going to take place as it gets closer to His return. “And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.” - Isaiah 5:15-20,30.

The mean man, those who deceive the lost, including false religion. There is a bit of hope for those who escape these mean men and or open their hearts to the Holy One of Israel. There is no hope for those who send billions of people to hell with their false doctrines and lies. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:7,8.

Isaiah sees a vision from God, this vision is much like the vision John had wrote about in the Book of Revelation. This amazing vision foresees the day that Jesus reigns as King, Isaiah is so overwhelmed by all this that He pleads with God to tell Him when all this will take place, and volunteers to tell how they can be saved from it. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.” - Isaiah 6:8-12.

We do not know when Jesus is returning, it could be any day, we do know that some things need to take place before He does return. Those things are mentioned here, and Jesus mentions more warnings as well. “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. And the gospel must first be published among all nations.” - Mark 13:6-8,10.

Those who know the truth, but do not want to accept do not want to hear about Christ, in fact, they do not even want to hear what God has to say. This is not something just for us to believe today, even those of the Old Testament had to believe the same thing. Isaiah foretells the amazing prophecy of how Jesus was going to come to save more than Jews. “Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.” - Isaiah 7:10-16.

Ahaz is like a lot of people who ignore the Word of God in an attempt to justify their sinful lifestyles. They have the mentality that if they do not listen to what God has to say then they will not be judged. Ignorance does not save anyone, the only way to be saved from Judgment Day is by believing in Christ, Immanuel Himself, and accepting Him as our Saviour. People of Old Testament times had to believe the same thing, proof of that is right here, and is found all throughout the Bible. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:8-10.

Today's Prayer:

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Subscribe: Daily Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.