Kinda Makes You Wanna Hug A Tree

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 14:7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing.

 8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, 'Since you were cut down, No woodsman has come up against us.'

 

Isaiah paints a beautiful picture for us as to what the new heavens and earth will look like. The devil, his evil demons, and all unbelievers assigned permanently to hell , where they can never disturb the earth again. “The whole earth will be at rest and quiet!”

 

Set free, all of creation including you and I, who have been groaning and longing for this day ever since Eve took of the fruit) breaks out in singing! Oh the joy! This yearning is what we read of in Ro 8:19-23! “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

 

 And when that day arrives, the Psalmist tells us: Ps 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together  9 before the LORD,  For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.

 

And later in Isaiah we read, “ Isa 55:12 "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

 

As we look forward to that day, it kinda makes you wanna hug a tree doesn’t it? At least it ought to move us to pray with John….”Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

His Day Is Coming

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 14:5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers; 6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders.

 

Short term effect of this prophecy is comfort for God’s people. Babylon will get their come-uppance! Those cruel rulers who struck the Israelites in continual wrathful, ill treatment will themselves be persecuted relentlessly.

 

What a good word for the oppressed throughout all of history. The oppressors will get theirs! There is hope that the love and justice of God will prevail!

 

The long-term effect of this prophecy is the chief of all despots, the devil will get his! He will relentlessly be persecuted by God Almighty in the fires of eternal hell.

 

The devil, aptly described here as one who is continually angry and seeks to inflict as much pain as possible as he seeks to separate men from the love of God!

 

Re 12:12 "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

But his end is in sight as we read in Re 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

 

His lot at the hands of God, is unhindered persecution, (let’s call it persecution forever and ever and ever.) Take heart from this prophecy in Isaiah and these words from Revelation, and endure whatever may come your way, knowing that God’s justice and love will prevail!

 

The despots, (and all despots) days are numbered.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Do You Still Want the Holy Spirit?

 

 

Good Day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word

 

Do you really want the Holy Spirit to come? Because when He arrives on the scene He will: “convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (Jn 16:8)

 

I have a long list of people that I pray for daily. They are lost, and I pray that they will come to repentance and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It’s kind of a pristine and sanitized prayer where I am basically praying for a transition from unbelief to belief so that I will see them in heaven one day.

 

But I think I am giving the Holy Spirit short shrift in that prayer because when He comes, it’s almost fearful to watch Him convert a sinner! (The kingdom of heaven is taken with violence, Mt 11:12) In His fullness He will break you to the point of wailing, as He opens your eyes to your sins! He will cut you to the heart!

Then as He convicts you of righteousness, He will set you on a path of restitution and right living as you seek to repair the damage your sins have caused others!

And finally, He will convince you of the coming judgment and suddenly you will become a zealous evangelist, not willing that any should perish.

 

So do you still want the Holy Spirit to come? It will be messy and it ought to be a little frightening, but so worth it!

Come Holy Spirit!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Do They See Jesus In Me

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 14:2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the LORD; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors. 3 It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: "How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!

 

The immediate effect of this prophecy was an encouragement to the house of Israel. The Babylonian captivity would one day come to an end and they will return to their land. They will no longer be burdened with sorrow, fear, and bondage from their captors.

 

The long term effect of this prophecy is meant to be a picture of the gospel age of the church, the Messianic age in which we now live, where the former enemies of the Jews will be united in service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The gospel setting all men free from the burden of sin, the fear of judgment, and the bondage of the evil one.

 

Zechariah speaks of this age as follows: "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"(Zech 8:23)

 

It’s an echo of the words of Ruth  who told Naomi, “For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. (Ruth 1:16b)

 

I wonder, do the unbelievers in my life see that God is “with me” in my daily living? Am I making an impression on them, that creates a hunger for God in their lives?   Do they see Jesus in me?

 

Lord, use me to be a light in this world. Help my through word and deed to point the way to Jesus.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Sovereignty of God

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob.

 

The immediate fulfillment of this prophecy was the return of the Jews to their homeland which occurred under the reign of Cyrus. We read about it in Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.

 

What makes the actions of Cyrus astounding is that God mentioned him by name 150 years before he was born!

Isa 45:1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:

 2 'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.

 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.

 4 For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

Not only named by God, but Isaiah tells us how God will use him!

 

Isa 44:28 Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid."'

 

These verse ought to give us peace as we contemplate the sovereignty of God. He’s in charge! He’s got a plan! And though we may not understand it, in the end the plan is good. Ro 8:28 says: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

May that truth help you through whatever you may face today.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

One of the Greatest Prophecies In Scripture

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there. 22 The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged."

 

This word against the magnificent city of Babylon is one of the greatest prophecies in Scripture. This city was a shining example of what man can do. It was home of the hanging gardens of Babylon which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its walls were wide enough for a two lane highway.

 

But you know what? Today there is virtually nothing left of this city, and the hanging gardens have never been found. In my opinion, if you want to find Babylon, look for the bones of owls, ostriches, wild goats, and hyenas!

 

Babylon, the glory of earthly kingdoms has been laid as bare as Sodom and Gomorrah. Though its destruction was not as sudden, it was just as complete.

 

Jeremiah affirms this prophecy in Jer 51:41, "Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!

And in Jer 51:29 “And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.”

 

The destruction of this ancient wonder of the world is meant to be a picture for us of the final sudden judgement against a world infatuated with hedonism rather than infatuated with Jesus.

 

Re 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

 3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

 4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

 5 "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

 6 "Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.

 7 "In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'

 8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

 9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,

 10 "standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

 

Don’t miss the warning set forth in verse 4: 4 "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

 

Let go of your man-made kingdoms and seek first the kingdom of God, it’s the only thing that will last! Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Who Will Speak Up For the Little Ones

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:16 Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. 17 "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children.

 

Let me ask you something. What are your thoughts as you hear or read these words from Isaiah? What do you think when you read Ps 137:9 Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

 

Are you repulsed by such vivid language in the Word of God? Do you want to just skip this portion because the word picture used is too much?  Defenseless infants dashed against rocks ought to leave a horrific image on our mind.

So let’s ignore the reality here and move onto something else right? Well the reality of the matter is that in the United States alone, since the legalization of abortion in 1973, over 63 million defenseless unborn children have been dashed into pieces against the rocks of the Roe V Wade decision legalizing abortion.

 

Do these images bother you enough to do something about it? Will you take a stand for life? Will you support crisis pregnancy centers and ministries financially or with your time and talents? Will you educate others on God’s view of life? Will you vote for candidates who unwaveringly hold to standing up for the rights of unborn children? Will you minister to those who have had abortions and are now overwhelmed by guilt?

 

Will you do something to show you cherish life from conception to grave? Will you as Phil Keaggy has sung, “speak up for the little ones/” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNCiLhoS6eQ

 

Pr 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.  12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not  render to each man according to his deeds?

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Wrath of God As Pictured Against Babylon

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. 16 Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. 17 "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children.

 

Sin will have its day. Continued rebellion against God will one day face the consequences of God’s wrath. The “it” in verse 14 here is Babylon and Babylon personifies those who rebel against God. Their day is coming and it won’t be very pretty.

 

The events here in Isaiah are very real and unpleasant to read about., but they really happened! Babylon fell to the Medes under Cyrus in 539 B,C,

 

Note the word pictures used here to describe Babylonians as they face this judgment from God through His instrument named Cyrus.

 

Babylon, like a frightened hunted gazelle, an abandoned sheep. The citizens trying to get out of the country and return to their own land, because anyone left behind is “thrust through.” Even the women and children are ravished and dashed to pieces.

 

The judgement of the Medes cannot be waylaid with gold and silver. The Babylonians won’t be able to buy their way out of this one. And then again we read of the young men being dashed to pieces and the enemy having no regard for the fruit of the womb….human life.

 

These word pictures help us to see the harsh realities of wars on earth, and wars on earth are meant to portray  the eventual and final wrath of God being poured out against the rebels. (Those who have rejected Christ.)

 

Abject fear will grip the rebel on that Day. He will face his judgment as the lone responsible party, like the lonely sheep. He won’t be able to bargain with the Lord on the last Day. There is no escape! Note the repetition of the word “everyone” in verse 15. “Everyone thrust through, everyone falls by the sword.”

 

These word pictures are very graphic and repulsive. How can God allow such things? He allows them so we will perhaps grasp the seriousness of His wrath against sin which is coming. Woe to those who leave this earth without Christ as their Lord and Savior.

 

Silver and gold cannot buy your way out of your sin dilemma, but repentance and belief in the gospel will.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Jesus, Please Get Out of the Car

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. 11 "I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.

“In the Day of His fierce anger…..”Judgment Day!” No one escapes except those found in Jesus. When He returns and re-enters our universe with the dearly departed saints, those who are alive will rise up and meet him in the air. Good thing too, because you don’t want to be hanging around the earth when the stars start tumbling down.

 

Isaiah’s words here are echoed in   Re 6:12-16, “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.

 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!

 

What’s going on here? I’ll tell you what’s going on here! The holy Lord Jesus Christ will “re-enter” our world, our universe if you will, and these heavenly bodies will be like Isaiah was when he was ushered into the presence of God…..he became undone and that’s what’s happening to all these celestial lights!

 

They have no choice in the presence of the Holy Son of God. Remember that song, “Jesus Take the Wheel?” If we really understood the holiness of Jesus we would change that to “Jesus, Please Get out of the Car!”  It’s what Peter did when He realized he was in the presence of Jesus. Lu 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

 

Oh the mercy of God! I am such a sinner, yet I can be in the presence of Jesus on that Last Day and forever beyond because of what He did for me on Calvary!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Thank God For My Broken Rib

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man's heart will melt,  8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it.

 

Isaiah continues painting a picture of Judgment Day! Every unbeliever will be filled with terror! Knees, heart, and limbs turned into quivering jelly! Guys who reject Christ, will finally be able to share the experience of the pain of childbirth, only this time there will be no deliverance, just continual labor pains in the bowels of hell.

 

As I write this, I am recovering from a broken rib, and I have a better understanding of “pangs and sorrows” that won’t let go.  For me, right now, every breath is pang filled and I can’t imagine this kind of sharp pain that will never go away.

 

The normal glow of my face is darkened with a continual pained expression as my body reacts to the trauma of the broken rib. And on that day people will look at all who are left behind, and be amazed as all they see is one pained expression after another. Everyone experiencing the same kind of pain.

 

Maybe I should be thanking God for my broken rib, because it is giving me a glimpse of what those who reject Jesus will be experiencing for eternity! Maybe this will give me a higher sense of urgency in living out my faith and sharing the gospel with others.

 

God’s fierce anger will be released on all who trampled on His Son and ignored His grace.

 

Some will say, I don’t or I won’t believe in a God who would inflict such cruel wrath and anger on people. Well, would you believe in a God who chose to pour out that same wrath on His only Son on a hill outside Jerusalem?

 

Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

WE WIN!

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 2 "Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger-Those who rejoice in My exaltation." 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle. 5 They come from a far country, From the end of heaven-The LORD and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land.

 6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

 

A burden is something you need to unload. Here, Isaiah cannot help but speak what the Lord has shown him, and He has shown him the “day of the Lord.”

 

Bad news for Babylon! Babylon is a real city of course, but it is meant to symbolize all those who have rebelled against God and rejected Christ. In the Book of Revelation Babylon is portrayed as the mother of all harlots and all abominations committed on the earth!  Re 17:5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Isaiah is painting a picture of the final battle when God’s angels (mighty ones) and saints (sanctified ones) utterly defeat the devil, his demons, and those who have rejected Christ.  Re 18:21 tells us: Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

 

This scenario is what we find in  1Th 4:16 -18, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

Isaiah is talking about something every Christian knows…..in the end, we win! God is victorious. Take comfort from his words, and for those who reject Christ to the end….be prepared for an eternity of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

When You're A Quart Low On Joy

  

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 12:1 And in that day you will say: "O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'" 3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say: "Praise the LORD, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!"

 

I think one word sums up this entire chapter of Isaiah, and that word is “jubilation.”  This chapter is jammed full of words describing the reaction of those who will put their trust in Jesus!

 

He says, “in that day,” again, he is talking about the Messianic age, the time in which you and I are now living and will  live until Jesus returns! Jubilation! Praise the Lord!! Joy drawn freely from the well of salvation! Praise the Lord! Declare what He has done for you through Jesus Christ. Exalt His name! Cry and shout, “great are You Lord!

 

This would be a great chapter to highlight in your Bible for those times when we are a quart low on joy! Go to Isaiah 12 and fill er up as you contemplate your great deliverance. God is no longer angry with you! He has forgiven you of all your sins through Jesus!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Baptism as Part of the Highway

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 11:16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah continues his description of “in that day,” (The Messianic age in which we are living now.) Here he speaks of a highway and likens it to the time the Israelites left Egypt via the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.

 

A couple of things ought to come to mind here. First of all, the prophecy concerning John the Baptist who would pave the way for Jesus with his message of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  John was, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. (Isa 40:3)

 

John was the initial voice of this message and Peter followed with, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

 

And of course, this message is the great commission that Jesus has given to His church in Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

I think the importance of baptism in the construction of this highway to Jesus is often overlooked. We understand repentance. We can see it with our eyes when people do a 180 in the way they are living, but we have a hard time believing that the application of water and the words of Jesus can be a part of our safe passage to the Promised Land.

 

There is an interesting portion of Scripture in light of this found in 1Co 10:2 “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

 

This trek through the Red Sea was meant to be a type of New Testament baptism

And before we relegate baptism to a lesser status, let’s ask ourselves, “Was God the power behind the parting of the Sea?” Yes He was. “Who made it safely to the other side?” Was it not those who passed through the waters?

 

Baptism matters, and we ought to treat it as such. How did Jesus put it? "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mk 16:16)

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

The Euphrates Drying Up: The Final Push of False Doctrine

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 11:15b With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod

Isaiah continues his description of “in that day,” (The Messianic age) and this isn’t good news for the “tongue of the sea of Egypt,” or “the River,” and its “seven streams.”

 

What can we make of this?

 

The River (capital “R”) is the Euphrates River. It is the alpha and omega of rivers in the Bible. It’s first mention is in Gen 2:14 and the last in Rev. 16:12, and guess what? According to news reports from last year, the Euphrates is drying up! Isn’t that interesting in the light of end times!

 

Let’s look at that last mention of the Euphrates and see what we may learn!

 

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

 

This is the final push of false doctrine accompanied by signs and wonders. This is what Paul was talking about in  2Th 2:9-11, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

 

The great apostasy, the rejection of God’s truth will pave the way  for unrighteous deception!

 

In the Bible, the Euphrates has always been a barrier. It kept the ungodly Assyrians and Babylonians from carrying off Israel. In this vial in revelation,  God will dry up all barriers to lies and heresies. All checks will be removed from the public square. By choice, godly influence will be removed from secular society. Do you want false doctrine.....you’ll get it! Do you want empty world philosophies...here they come.

 

The ultimate lie is that man will find happiness and security and fulfillment in himself. It is the lie that man can do just fine without the grace of God. The frogs are used as they expand their throats announcing the new springtime of mankind. They back it up with signs and wonders. A new age, perhaps some new scientific breakthroughs against diseases, the elusive fountain of youth, or new religious breakthrough unifying all of mankind.

 

At any rate things are looking real good for mankind. It’s no wonder then that  Jesus warns us in  Mt 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

 

And in Rev 16:15, He gives us this warning: “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

 

 

 

He says, “here’s your sign children, you won’t know when I’m coming for this final battle, so keep vigilant, watch over the faith I have given you. Keep your garment of righteousness that I have given you through faith in Me. It’s salvation by faith and covering of My blood alone! My merit, not the merit of the world.

 

Don’t be looking after signs! Do not be deceived! Remain loyal to Christ and His Word!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

False teaching In the Last Days

  

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 11:15 The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod

Isaiah continues his description of “in that day,” (The Messianic age) and this isn’t good news for the “tongue of the sea of Egypt,” or “the River,” and its “seven streams.”

 

What can we make of this?

 

Better theologians have wrestled with these pictures than yours truly! But I will share my take and hope it will be helpful. First of all the “tongue of the sea of Egypt.”   

 

If you look at a map of the Exodus, you can see that the geography around the Red Sea looks like a tongue, and personally, I don’t think the use of that description is an accident. Egypt is referred to in several places as a personification of sin and certainly a place of demonic influence. And the “tongue” of Egypt is meant to call our attention to the lies and false teaching that is related to the devil and his demons whose mantra has always been, “Did God really say?”

 

Isa 19:3a speaks to this false teaching aspect of Egypt, where the Lord tells Isaiah “The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel,

 

This false teaching will be overwhelming in the Last Days of the Messianic period. 1Ti 4:1 tells us: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”

 

But even as false teaching will increase, the end is in sight for the devil and his henchmen:

 

Re 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

 

Let this passage in Isaiah serve as a warning to beware of false teaching. It will intensify in the last days. The good news is the source of all false teaching, (the devil) will be utterly destroyed, and in the meantime, with the help of the Holy Spirit ,let us  remain steadfast in the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let our mantra be: YES, GOD REALLY DID SAY!”

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.

Every Knee Shall Bow

  

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 11:14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them.

 

In that day, (Messianic age) the gospel will go forth and conquer heathen lands. East to West and everything in between, and when this gospel is preached, the table will be set for the second coming of Christ. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 24:14)

 

And when the end comes, knees that refused to bow to Christ through the preaching of the gospel, will hit the dirt!

 

Isa 60:14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you Shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

And:

 Isa 45:23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

And

 Php 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

 

Just another way God’s seeks to get our attention. The necessity of bowing to Jesus now, while you still have breath  is placed before you again. Heb 9:27 reminds us: And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

 

In a sense we are all like those two thieves on the cross. Death ever a possibility. Which one fared better in judgement? The one who received Jesus as Lord or the one who rejected Him?

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.