Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday): Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66

Isaiah 50:4-7: Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66 Listening to God and speaking for Him ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught’ …

Jesus Christ – God’s beloved Son

Monday in Holy Week: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11 Jesus Christ is God’s beloved Son - the Saviour sent to us by the God of love. ‘Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice …

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124 or Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

Redeemed by the Lord, we are to be consecrated to Him. Things were difficult for Israel yet ‘the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied’ (Exodus 1:12). Difficult times can be the making of God’s people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (Exodus 1:15-16; John 10:10). God is …

Meeting with God and being blessed by him

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope (Psalm 130:5). As we read these words of the Psalmist, we start thinking about ourselves. How do we come to the house of the Lord, when we come to worship him? Do we come with eagerness? Do we come with expectation? …

Before our love for God, there is His love for us.

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19 or Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-15; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46 Before our love for God, there is His love for us. God does not want to see sin in us (Exodus 20:20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. …

Receiving strength from the Spirit of God

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 or Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14 Receiving strength from the Spirit of God ‘Called’ by God and ‘filled’ with His Spirit (Exodus 31:1-3), Bezalel had the support of Oholiab and ‘all able men’ (Exodus 31:6). Few may be called and equipped to lead, …

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133 or Isaiah 56:1, 6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

We gather together to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In the reunion of Joseph with his brothers, there is a great testimony to the God of grace: ‘Do not be distressed... because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life... God sent me before you to preserve for you …

The true God and false gods

There is a great contrast between the true God and false gods (Isaiah 31). God brings great blessing into our lives. He does this through the gift of the Holy spirit – “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high” (Isaiah 32:14). In Him, we receive “peace” (Isaiah 32:18). In Him, we receive “the …

When the Word of the Lord is spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit

"I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8). As we commit ourselves to serving the Lord, we must pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon us with power. How can we serve the Lord effectively if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit? By themselves, our …

A promise from God, and a warning from him

"Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the commandment of men,  14 therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a …

How, Lord, Do You Strengthen Us?

‘I am the Lord... I will strengthen you’ (Isaiah 45:5). How, Lord, do You strengthen us? You strengthen us with salvation. You come to us as our ‘God and Saviour’.  You call us to come to You and receive salvation: ‘Turn to Me and be saved...’. Through faith in Christ, we are ‘saved by the …

How can I get the most out of life?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; …

Is there any hope?

Isaiah 17:1-19:25; 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; Psalm 106:16-31 Much of the “oracle concerning Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1) speaks of the negative aspects which are associated with the nation of Egypt. Nevertheless, there is a Word of hope at the end of this oracle (Isaiah 19:18-25). In 2 Corinthians 10:15-16, Paul expresses the hope that “our area of activity …

Words – spoken by God, spoken to God, spoken for God

In 1 Samuel 3 and Isaiah 6, we read about words that were spoken by God, words that were spoken to God and words that were spoken for God. In 1 Samuel 3, we begin with a young boy. He hears the Word of the Lord. The Lord is calling out to Samuel. Samuel did …

The renewal of our lives

Isaiah 1:1-2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2; Psalm 105:1-11 The ministry of Isaiah calls for reality, for transformed lives. This renewal of our lives can only be achieved through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t have the power to change ourselves. It is in Christ that we become “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This …

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Isaiah 58:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16

"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer ... He will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:9) God’s Word invites us to ‘call upon the Name of the Lord and be saved’ (Acts 2:21). To each and every one of us, the call of God comes. He's calling us to come to Him. This …

Learning from all that Isaiah has to say to us (Travelling Through God’s Word: Isaiah).

Many years ago, I led a weekly midweek Bible study in the home of one of our church members. When we were coming to the end of a series of Bible studies, I asked the group if anyone had any ideas about what we should study next. The lady, whose house we were in, suggested …

The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me.

"The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me     because the Lord has anointed me         to deliver good news to humble people.     He has sent me         to heal those who are brokenhearted,         to announce that captives will be set free             and prisoners will be released" (Isaiah 61:1). These words were spoken by Isaiah. They were …

God comforts the downcast.

Isaiah 5:8-8:10; 2 Corinthians 7:2-16; Psalm 105:23-36 “The holy seed will be the stump in the land” (Isaiah 6:13). God preserves the faithful remnant, the remnant of faith. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all”(Isaiah 7:9). What or who can keep us firm in the faith? – …

Responding to Jesus Christ

Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm / Passion): Entry into Jerusalem – Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Passion – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 (or Matthew 27:11-54)    PALM SUNDAY Our response to Christ - Discipleship, Depth, Devotion Four times, Jesus is called ‘the Son of David’ (Matthew 20:30-31; 21:9,15). Christ is greater than …

“Today, salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:10).

"There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none but me. “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:21-22). Many people say, "There is a God", but they never get beyond this, and say, "Jesus …

What God must do for us – Salvation: What we must do for God – Service

* What God must do for us - He must save : "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save …

Are we only to pray to the Lord when things are going badly?

Isaiah 33:1-24  ‘O Lord...Be our strength every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble’ (Isaiah 33:2). We are not to pray to the Lord only ‘in the time of trouble’. We are to pray to Him ‘every morning’. We are not to keep God at a distance, calling on Him only when things are …

Wait On The Lord, Witness For Him, Win Others For Him.

‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught’ (Isaiah 50:4). Help us, Lord, to listen to You. Help us to speak …

Isaiah

ISAIAH 1:1-31  -  God invites us to ‘come’ to Him and receive salvation - ‘though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’. He also warns us - there will be judgment ‘if you refuse and rebel’ (18-20). God speaks to us of His great purpose of salvation: ‘God did not …

Making Choices

Isaiah 1:16-20 Each of us must make choices - not just, Which suit, shirt and tie will I put on? Will I worship the Lord? or Will I stay at home? What attitude will I bring with me to church? - ‘This is just a religious habit” or “This a meeting with God. It will …

Human comfort helps us so much – but it can only take us so far.

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" (Isaiah 40:1). We are comforted by the words and actions of good friends. We know the truth of the saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." Human comfort helps us so much - but it can only take us so far. We need more than human …

In Christ, we have the victory: ‘they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb.’

ISAIAH 14:1-23  –  We look beyond ‘the king of Babylon’ (4). We see Satan, full of pride – ‘I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High’ – , fallen  – ‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer…’ – , and  brought to nothing – ‘you will be brought down …

Alive In Our Worship, Involved In Our Community

Isaiah 61:1-3; John 21:1-17; Revelation 5:11-14 When our service of worship ends, our service in the world begins. God is calling us to be alive in our worship, and He’s calling us to be involved in our community. Worshipping the Lord and serving Him - we need both, not one without the other. We are …

A famine in the land, a famine of hearing the words of the Lord

"Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe." (Genesis 12:10). Later on, in the time of Joseph, we read about Egypt being a place of refuge in a time of famine. This story is told in Genesis 41-50. …

By the power of the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 10:20-13:22; 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5; Psalm 105:37-45 Jesus Christ was filled with “the Spirit of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are to live for Christ. As we give ourselves to the Lord in service, our first priority is “to honour the Lord Himself.” We do this …

A tremendous and fascinating mystery

Rudolf Otto spoke about a "tremendous and fascinating mystery." In a great song of praise to the Lord, Mark Altrogge speaks of the greatness of God in a most thought-provoking way: "You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard." In God, we see holiness …

Jesus loved them – and he loves us.

"Jesus ... saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). There were so many people - and Jesus loved every one of them. He loved them, he prayed for them - and he gave himself, …

Let us ‘press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’

ISAIAH 4:1-5:17  –  ‘Those who are left… will be called holy’ (4:3). The world speaks of God’s people with contempt – ‘the holy people who need to learn to live in the real world’. When God calls His people ‘holy’, He speaks in a very different way. He speaks with affection. He looks upon us …

Serving the Lord arises out of worshipping Him.

Isaiah 6:1-13 Serving the Lord arises out of worshipping Him.  * We proclaim His holiness: "Holy, holy, holy... " (Isaiah 6:3).  * We confess our sin: "Woe is me" (Isaiah 6:5) - a personal confession. Before we can speak the words, "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8), we must hear the words, "Your sin …

When ‘the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, the wilderness becomes a fruitful field.’

ISAIAH 32:1-20  –  ‘Abandoned… deserted… a wasteland…’ (14). Can such a desperate situation be turned around? Yes! When ‘the Spirit is poured upon us from on high… the wilderness becomes a fruitful field’ (15). We must not lose heart. We must keep on calling upon the Lord. We must believe that God is able to …

Comfort and compassion

What "joy" there is in the Lord's "comfort" and "compassion" (Isaiah 49:13). He reaches out to us in compassion. He reaches out to us with His comfort. We rejoice in Him - the God of compassion, the God of comfort. "The Almighty Lord helps me" (Isaiah 50:7,9). What help there is in the Lord! The …

A New Name

God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 62:2; Philippians 2:9-11).

It’s so easy to forget.

It's so easy to forget the Lord. Even when we forget Him, He does not forget us. ------------------ Isaiah 30:18-31:9 'Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are strong, but do not look to the …

God is our Father – holy and loving

In Isaiah 6, we read of God's holiness - and we, also, read of his love. Perhaps, when we think of Isaiah 6, we think, first, of the words of verse 3 - "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty." If, however, we were to stop there, we would miss something very important: the love of God. …

The Word of God will stand for ever.

In Isaiah 40:8, we learn that "the Word of our God will stand for ever". Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Mark 13:31). The Word which Jesus Christ speaks to us now is nothing less than the Word of God. We are born again through His Word (1 …

The forgiveness of our sins

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is …

The Time Of Opportunity

‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Isaiah 61:1-2). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus has fulfilled these words (Luke 4:18-21). Jesus has come, ‘proclaiming the Good News of God’. He tells us that ‘the time has come’. This is the time of opportunity, the …

Good News of great joy

ISAIAH 9:1-10:4  –  The prophecy has been spoken – ‘To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given…’. The prophecy has been fulfilled – ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord’. Jesus Christ is our great Saviour. He is our ‘Wonderful …

Love lifted me!

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2). In these verses, we have the truth concerning ourselves: "your iniquities have separated you from …

God’s salvation is always greater than our praise.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As …

Our strength comes from our Saviour.

"Clothe yourself with strength" (Isaiah 52:1). Our strength comes from our Saviour. In ourselves, there is sin. In Him, there is salvation (Isaiah 53:6,10-12). We look to our Saviour's sacrifice for our sin. From the Cross, we hear His Word of love: "My kindness will never depart from you. My promise of peace will never …

Isaiah 6 And The Problem Of Evil

In Isaiah 6, we have a tremendous sense of God's holiness - "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (v.3) - and a deep awareness of our own sinfulness - "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people …

Something we always need to hear

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more" (Isaiah 43:25). From the heart of the Old Testament - a wonderful verse about the forgiveness of sins! Is this just what you need at this time? Let your heart be lifted up to the …

From a bad place to a good place

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will …

‘Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help.’

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord" (Isaiah 31:1). "Egypt" had been, for God's people, the place of oppression. …

Streams in the desert

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion" (Psalm 84:5-7). Often, our life seems like a …

High points and low points

When we look back over the events of our life, we say, "This was a high point" and "That was a low point." How do we decide that this was a high point, and that was a low point? It depends very much on how we look at life. Is it a high point when …

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1).

We read, in the Scriptures, of times when God was powerfully present among his people - but we, also, read of times when his people wondered, "Where is God in all of this that's happening to us?" What are we to say about this? There are times when it seems like the sunshine of God's …

How, Lord, Are We To Listen To Your Word?

‘Hear the Word of the Lord’. How, Lord, are we to listen to Your Word? We are to ‘tremble at Your Word’. We are to ‘drink deeply with delight’ (Isaiah 66:5,10-11). There is to be the fear of the Lord. There is to be joy in the Lord. These are not opposites. They belong together …

Come now, let us settle the matter.

“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" (Isaiah 1:18). When they hear the Word of God preached, some people say, "You've certainly given us somnething to think about." Something …

Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God.

"Say to the faint-hearted: 'Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God" (Isaiah 35:4). What encouragement there is for us in the Word of the Lord. Our encouragement comes from the Lord. It is He who speaks to us His words of encouragement.

This is the Lord, working in our hearts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earthand making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish …

When other helpers fail

"The Sovereign Lord helps me" (Isaiah 50:7). The Lord is our Helper. Can it get any better than this? Can anyone else help us the way the Lord can? "When other helpers fail and comforts  flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me."  This is the prayer that we bring to the Lord. How does …

The Lord Almighty – wonderful and magnificent

Isaiah 27:1-28:29; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 106:40-48 Isaiah 28:29 contains a great description of God - “The Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.” Paul speaks, in 2 Corinthians 12:7, of “surpassingly great revelations.”  Whenever God reveals an increased measure of His wonderful counsel and magnificent wisdom, He wants us to remain humble, resting only in …