The allegiance of Ahaz given to the Assyrian power [instead of the Lord GOD] came at a terrible cost and brought no benefit.
Read MoreEven as the world falls deeper into confusion, Jesus and His faithful ones continue the divine rescue mission. It is often frustrating not to know how long it will go on. Jesus emphasized that we can know when the time is near . . . .
Read MoreYet God continues to save people individually. The desire of His great heart is not to destroy, but to save eternally. Some people respond positively to His appeals while others become firmer in their resistance.
Read MoreIn the sanctuary, the main purpose in taking a coal from the altar was to light incense. But here, the seraph applies the coal to Isaiah rather than to incense.
Read MoreIt was by God’s design that Isaiah’s view should be broadened beyond and above the unsettling earthly events around him.
Read MoreThis shocking turn of events hinged upon the pride and presumption of Uzziah. He had deemed himself qualified to reach beyond a boundary set by God.
Read MoreJesus spoke the parable of the vineyard to religious leaders present during His earthly ministry. As in Isaiah, the parable draws the listeners into the story and calls upon them to make a judgement. The judgement they render is against themselves . . .
Read MoreAs Creator, our Lord initiated the giving of every good thing for His elect. His vision for them, that they would show to the world the amazing riches of His goodness – was for the benefit of all who are lost and searching.
Read MoreGod’s people were not being instructed to earn their salvation by their obedience, for they were already saved by the forgiveness that He had provided. The real question was this: would they choose to live as a saved people?
Read MoreIn the latter days, many will come to the Lord in earnest, ready to receive any and all instructions from the One who is able to make His people holy – fit for heavenly perfections.
Read MoreThe Creator desires to cleanse and restore His people—recreating their hearts—all the way to the state of purity and righteousness befitting of those He created in His image. Like Moses, Isaiah makes it clear that there is no “middle ground” or compromise.
Read MoreThe promise of God for the repentant sinner is really too wonderful to comprehend. Skeptics say such promises are “too good to be true” – but in actuality, they are far greater than we can imagine.
Read MoreAnyone not personally yielded to the divine work of the Lord — transformation into His likeness — is, by default, handing Satan free reign to mold and shape as his perverted mind sees fit. Who are you coming to resemble as time passes?
Read MoreIsaiah, in being faithful to God’s call, was obliged to point out sin among his people. In helping them to gain awareness of their sin, he was also offering a wonderful message of hope: God’s invitation to come to Him in repentance. Instead of looking around to others, Isaiah is telling the people to look up!
Read MoreThe ability to make proper distinctions and judgements should become second nature to all who belong to Christ. If ever there is a question to be cleared up, His Word provides unmistakably clear answers. And for every fact presented by the Omniscient One, we should come to expect that the evil one will introduce at least one counterfeit.
Read MoreMany Bible students call Isaiah the Messianic prophet, for his writings reveal his understanding of the greatness and the holiness of God alongside an understanding of the person and mission of Christ. These understandings brought into clear focus the glorious purpose in the mind of God for His people.
Read MoreBut instead of extinguishing the gospel, Luther’s enemies were bewildered by a steady flow of tangible evidence that he was alive. Tract after tract came into circulation proclaiming the gospel and rebuking errors and superstitions promoted by the Roman Church and the sin that resulted from believing them.
Read MoreThe spiritual illumination of so many minds across Europe had a very unsettling effect in Rome. It had been only a year since Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. During this brief time, the coffers in Rome had not been filled up as before. . . .
Read MoreThe occasion of Luther’s trial had been a successful arena for the manifestation of two opposing spirits. And how marked was the contrast! Men could judge for themselves between the two . . . .
Read MoreLuther had developed the habit of testing every claim by the word of God, that two-edged sword. The lifting up of God’s word, as it fell upon receptive ears, cut its way directly into the hearts of thousands.
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