Isaiah 9

Woven into the seemingly random points the prophet makes in this chapter is one of the most remarkable prophecies of Christ in the entire Old Testament. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a GREAT LIGHT.” That Great Light of course is Christ Jesus.

On my one and only trip to the Holy Land, I was having breakfast in a hotel in Tiberias overlooking the Sea of Galilee. I was reading Matt. 4 where the author quoted Isaiah 9. He referred to the very passage that identified Christ Jesus as that Great Light. As I read the passage, the morning sun was rising from the east side of the Sea. I was sitting in the very part of the world referred to in Isaiah’s prophecy. I had walked where Jesus walked. I was gazing upon the body of water that Jesus frequented. It was a surreal moment.

God’s Word is TRUE.

Isaiah 8

Isaiah wrote, “You are to regard only the Lord of Hosts as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be held in awe.” [Is. 8:13 HCSB] When you fear God alone, you don’t need to fear man.

One of my former students, Adrian Tice, was listed in a lawsuit in Chicago because the church where he is an assistant Pastor refused to withhold meeting during the Covid quarantine. Being from Romania, he had firsthand experience with the subjugation tactics of the Romanian Communist regime. Praise the Lord, the litigation against him was dropped. Because he and the Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church leadership feared God, they didn’t need to fear the corrupt Chicago political machine.

Isaiah 7

The prophet was instructed to go to King Ahaz and challenge him to stand firm in his faith when Israel was threatened by two allied enemy armies. He was to rely on his confidence in God rather than succumb to the appearance of tragedy playing out before him.

Life can similarly threaten us. We have an assurance of victory through Christ Jesus. We need to stand firm and trust God for the win.

Isaiah 6

As Isaiah approached the Lord in His Temple, he became acutely aware of how unclean and unholy he was. This happens when we truly come into God’s presence and live there. Worshipers are humble because they, like Isaiah, are UNDONE. There’s no arrogance in the Holy Place. All of humanity must bow and come under God’s glory.

A worshipper is a broken person. They are sensitive to the needs of those around them. They want to give more than receive. They want to pray about everything and get God’s help. They would rather be in God’s presence than anywhere else.

We are in the world but not OF IT. The Lord sends us out as lambs among wolves. He, however, is our protector and provider. He is our ALL IN ALL.

Isaiah 5

The prophet tells of a vineyard which was initially planted with the highest quality vine, yet yielded bad grapes even after the best of care. He likened it to God’s people who forsook His Ways and had no regard for Him. Their end was tragedy.

We have a choice on how we live. We’ve been given a great start, but how we end depends upon our response to the Lord.

For He says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. [2 Cor. 6:2]

Isaiah 3, 4

In chapter four, God declares that He will be a shelter and a canopy for us, shielding us from harsh weather. How much more do we need His relief from the pains and harshness of life. Christ Jesus IS our shelter.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. [1 Peter 5:7]

Isaiah 2

The prophet seems to switch back and forth between millennial scenes and present challenges, but he makes it clear … when God’s judgements are in the earth, silver and gold can’t help you.

Some people think their money controls life’s impact upon them. They feel insulated from pain and tragedy just because they have beaucoup wealth in their bank and investments. Not so.

In spite of his immeasurable financial wealth, Howard Hughes spent his final days both mentally and physically incarcerated by his own contamination terrors and elaborate cleaning rituals. He was SICK. All his money and intelligence did nothing to help him.

Isaiah 1

The prophet Isaiah issued some of the most frightful warnings, but also some of the most encouraging prophesies of the Messiah’s redemptive mission. We are catapulted from sinful despair to eternal bliss because of Christ’s sacrificial life, death and resurrection.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.
¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient,
    you will eat the good things of the land;
²⁰ but if you resist and rebel,
    you will be devoured by the sword.” [Is. 1:18-20]

Rev. 22

These are Christ’s last words to us. We are wise to live with an urgency to please Him and be obedient to His commands.

He also said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [Matt. 28:18-20]

Rev. 21

Nothing impure will be found in the New Jerusalem, the City of God coming down out of Heaven.

Purity is a Godly quality. It means the absence of sin, corruption, dross, alloy, falseness etc.

Bill Gothard once said, “Don’t strive to make your churches big, strive to make them pure.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” [Matt. 5:8]