Spiritual Training

Spiritual Training X2

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July 22 - Morning

"This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,

'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.'

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord."

- Isaiah 2:1-5

Follow the Lord Today. All the World Will Follow Him in the Future!


Isaiah appeals to unfaithful Israel of his day in verse 2:5 saying,
“Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

He says this after having presented them the prophetic logic found in verses 2:1-4. The Lord their God is the one to follow today because he will eventually be the one the whole world seeks when all has been revealed in the end and his kingdom is established.

Isaiah proclaims these things about the future age called “the last days” which is literally “in the afterward of these days.” In the mind of the modern Western man we view time future as being before us. We walk into the future with our backs to the past. The Hebrew mind visualized time in the opposite way. They saw themselves as always facing the past (since they could actually see or know the past) and walking backward into the future with the backs towards the future (since it was unknown and unseen). “In the last days” is used as a technical term for the days at the end of time in Jeremiah 48:47; 49:39; Ezekiel 38:16; Daniel 10:14 and Hosea 3:5.

In those future days Isaiah says it will be clear that YHWH was the true God and his ways were the right ways. Isaiah says:

Mount Moriah with the Temple of the Lord standing on it will be
  • Established as the highest mountain
  • Exalted above the hills

This seems to speak of a literal change in the topography (Zechariah 14:10; Ezekiel 40:2), but is also an indication that all the other religious systems and philosophies have been defeated and proven inadequate.

After it has been made clear that the Lord is the Way, the Truth and the Life, all nations will come to him seeking his teaching and his instruction so they can prosper and succeed as he has.

From Zion (Mount Moriah or the Temple Mount) the Word of the Lord will go out into the world. The nations will come to the Lord’s presence in Jerusalem for resolution of international conflicts. The wisdom in the Lord’s international advice and legal decisions will be so successful that nations will convert their weaponry into agricultural equipment to be used for production rather than destruction.

Isaiah’s point to the people of his generation is simple and clear. If this is the power of the Lord’s presence, wisdom, and counsel in the future we should pay attention to it today! Since God has already revealed himself to Israel, should we not follow him? Why do we rebel against the one who will be sought by the world when he reveals himself to them? Israel has a great opportunity to have a head start, but instead they are choosing to forsake the Lord and instead follow the worthless and empty gods of the pagan world.
Sod (Hb) - secret (Eng) - The Hebrew word sod appears 21x (5x in Proverbs, 6x in Psalms, 4x in Jeremiah, etc.)
-
Psalm 25:14
-
Amos 3:7
Sod is used to refer to the Lords heavenly council (
sod) and eternal plans (sod) as in Psalm 82:1. Jeremiah claims that a prophet must have stood in the sod, “council” of Yahweh.” (Jer. 23:18, 22)
I will not be deceived by the philosophies of the world or the ways of religions, but will seek the council of the one True God, the Wise Creator!



Bible Reading Descriptions Here

Narrative

Complete Text

General Text




Personal

Medicare

Church

Prayer
USA and Israel relationship
Italy



Pool of Bethesda on the outside the Temple Mount on the north side.
(Details)
A model of the southwest corner of the Temple Mount with labels.
(More details:
Robinson's Arch
Western Wall
Western Wall Street
Western Wall Shops
Wilson's Arch
Fort Antonia
South Side of Temple




Someone to Quote

"The heretics stitch together a multitude of lies and figments so that they might appear to be acting in accordance with reason in their not accepting the Scriptures."
- Clement of Alexandria,
195 AD

Something to Ponder

Tertullian said this in 207 AD:
"In Greek, the root meaning of 'repentance' is not the 'confession of a sin' - but a 'change of mind.' "

Here’s a Fact

The darkness over the land at the time of Jesus' death described in Luke 23:44-46 is preserved in historical writings of the pagan world from that time. Writing in 221 AD, Julius Africanus refers to the words of Thallus from 52 AD when Thallus wrote his book “History”:

“On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down.  This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun."

(Details)

Proverb

"The sluggard says,
'There is a lion outside!'
or,
'I will be murdered in the streets!' "
- Proverbs 22:13

Coach’s Corner

Personal growth increases your personal potential. The failure to learn and the refusal to change is the rejection of increasing your opportunity for success.

1 Chronicles 26 New International Version (NIV)
The Gatekeepers
26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:
From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
Meshelemiah had sons:
Zechariah the firstborn,
Jediael the second,
Zebadiah the third,
Jathniel the fourth,
Elam the fifth,
Jehohanan the sixth
and Eliehoenai the seventh.
Obed-Edom also had sons:
Shemaiah the firstborn,
Jehozabad the second,
Joah the third,
Sakar the fourth,
Nethanel the fifth,
Ammiel the sixth,
Issachar the seventh
and Peullethai the eighth.
(For God had blessed Obed-Edom.)
Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father’s family because they were very capable men. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work—descendants of Obed-Edom, 62 in all.
Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, who were able men—18 in all.
10 Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all.
12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their leaders, had duties for ministering in the temple of the Lord, just as their relatives had. 13 Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.
14 The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. 15 The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. 16 The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.
Guard was alongside of guard:
17 There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. 18 As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself.
19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.
The Treasurers and Other Officials
20 Their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.
21 The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli, 22 the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the temple of the Lord.
23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites:
24 Shubael, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the official in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zikri his son and Shelomith his son. 26 Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders. 27 Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the Lord. 28 And everything dedicated by Samuel the seer and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah, and all the other dedicated things were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.
29 From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges over Israel.
30 From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives—seventeen hundred able men—were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the king’s service. 31 As for the Hebronites, Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth year of David’s reign a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead. 32 Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.
Jeremiah 30 New International Version (NIV)
Restoration of Israel
30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.”
These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Cries of fear are heard—     terror, not peace.

Ask and see:     Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man     with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,     every face turned deathly pale?

How awful that day will be!     No other will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,     but he will be saved out of it.

“‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,     ‘I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds;     no longer will foreigners enslave them.

Instead, they will serve the Lord their God     and David their king,     whom I will raise up for them.
10 
“‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;     do not be dismayed, Israel,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,     your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security,     and no one will make him afraid.
11 
I am with you and will save you,’     declares the Lord. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations     among which I scatter you,     I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure;     I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’
12 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘Your wound is incurable,     your injury beyond healing.
13 
There is no one to plead your cause,     no remedy for your sore,     no healing for you.
14 
All your allies have forgotten you;     they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would     and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great     and your sins so many.
15 
Why do you cry out over your wound,     your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins     I have done these things to you.
16 
“‘But all who devour you will be devoured;     all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered;     all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17 
But I will restore you to health     and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast,     Zion for whom no one cares.’
18 “This is what the Lord says:
“‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents     and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,     and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19 
From them will come songs of thanksgiving     and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers,     and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor,     and they will not be disdained.
20 
Their children will be as in days of old,     and their community will be established before me;     I will punish all who oppress them.
21 
Their leader will be one of their own;     their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me—     for who is he who will devote himself     to be close to me?’ declares the Lord.
22 
“‘So you will be my people,     and I will be your God.’”
23 
See, the storm of the Lord     will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down     on the heads of the wicked.
24 
The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back     until he fully accomplishes     the purposes of his heart. In days to come     you will understand this.
Isaiah 28-29New International Version (NIV)
Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah
28 
Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,     to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley—     to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!

See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong.     Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour,     he will throw it forcefully to the ground.

That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards,     will be trampled underfoot.

That fading flower, his glorious beauty,     set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like figs ripe before harvest—     as soon as people see them and take them in hand,     they swallow them.

In that day the Lord Almighty     will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath     for the remnant of his people.

He will be a spirit of justice     to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength     to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

And these also stagger from wine     and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer     and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer,     they stagger when seeing visions,     they stumble when rendering decisions.

All the tables are covered with vomit     and there is not a spot without filth.

“Who is it he is trying to teach?     To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk,     to those just taken from the breast?
10 
For it is:     Do this, do that,     a rule for this, a rule for that;     a little here, a little there.”
11 
Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues     God will speak to this people,
12 
to whom he said,     “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”—     but they would not listen.
13 
So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:     Do this, do that,     a rule for this, a rule for that;     a little here, a little there— so that as they go they will fall backward;     they will be injured and snared and captured.
14 
Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers     who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15 
You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,     with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,     it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge     and falsehood our hiding place.”
16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,     a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it     will never be stricken with panic.
17 
I will make justice the measuring line     and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,     and water will overflow your hiding place.
18 
Your covenant with death will be annulled;     your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,     you will be beaten down by it.
19 
As often as it comes it will carry you away;     morning after morning, by day and by night,     it will sweep through.”
The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.
20 
The bed is too short to stretch out on,     the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
21 
The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,     he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon— to do his work, his strange work,     and perform his task, his alien task.
22 
Now stop your mocking,     or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me     of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
23 
Listen and hear my voice;     pay attention and hear what I say.
24 
When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?     Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
25 
When he has leveled the surface,     does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place,     barley in its plot,     and spelt in its field?
26 
His God instructs him     and teaches him the right way.
27 
Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,     nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod,     and cumin with a stick.
28 
Grain must be ground to make bread;     so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,     but one does not use horses to grind grain.
29 
All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,     whose plan is wonderful,     whose wisdom is magnificent.
Woe to David’s City
29 
Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel,     the city where David settled! Add year to year     and let your cycle of festivals go on.

Yet I will besiege Ariel;     she will mourn and lament,     she will be to me like an altar hearth.

I will encamp against you on all sides;     I will encircle you with towers     and set up my siege works against you.

Brought low, you will speak from the ground;     your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth;     out of the dust your speech will whisper.

But your many enemies will become like fine dust,     the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant,

    the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise,     with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.

Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel,     that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream,     with a vision in the night—

as when a hungry person dreams of eating,     but awakens hungry still; as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,     but awakens faint and thirsty still. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations     that fight against Mount Zion.

Be stunned and amazed,     blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine,     stagger, but not from beer.
10 
The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:     He has sealed your eyes (the prophets);     he has covered your heads (the seers).
11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”
13 The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth     and honor me with their lips,     but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me     is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
14 
Therefore once more I will astound these people     with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish,     the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
15 
Woe to those who go to great depths     to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think,     “Who sees us? Who will know?”
16 
You turn things upside down,     as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,     “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter,     “You know nothing”?
17 
In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field     and the fertile field seem like a forest?
18 
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,     and out of gloom and darkness     the eyes of the blind will see.
19 
Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;     the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 
The ruthless will vanish,     the mockers will disappear,     and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—
21 
those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,     who ensnare the defender in court     and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.
22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:
“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;     no longer will their faces grow pale.
23 
When they see among them their children,     the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy;     they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,     and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 
Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;     those who complain will accept instruction.”


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