There’s something more than this.

See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you (Isaiah 42:9). There's something more than this. That's the testimony of the Old Testament prophets. Did they have a clear understanding of what they were looking forward to? Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of …

The coming Saviour and the coming Kingdom

Isaiah 10 speaks of a divine judgment, in which the only “survivors” will be those who “depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 10:20). Isaiah 11 contains a Messianic prophecy. These are words, which point forward to our Saviour, Jesus Christ. They are words of the coming Kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-10). Isaiah 12 …

Saved by the Lord, we are to give ourselves to Him in worship.

Isaiah 38:1-40:31; Galatians 2:11-3:9; Psalm 107:33-43 “The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Temple of the Lord” (Isaiah 38:20). Saved by the Lord, we are to give ourselves to Him in worship. This worship is to be in the Spirit (Galatians 3:3). …

God is great – great in love and power, great in holiness, faithfulness and glory.

The greatness of God * He is great in Himself. Before the world was created, God is great: “In the beginning, God....” (Genesis 1:1). * He is great for us. This is the great message that comes to us from Isaiah 40:28-31. God is great in love. God is great in power. God is great …

Here, on earth, we have a foretaste of glory divine. In heaven, it will be the real thing.

Through Jesus Christ, God’s Servant, God’s Son, our Saviour, God calls us to be saved by Him and to become His servants. We’re to be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). All the glory belongs to Him (Isaiah 42:8). He will lead us forward into great blessing: “new events” (Isaiah 42:9). This directs our …

The Lord Is Reaching Out To Us – In Love.

Much of what we read in Isaiah 16–18 concerns divine judgment on the disobedient – Moab – chapter 16, Damascus and Israel – chapter 17, Sudan – chapter 18. In the face of God’s holy judgment upon sin, we must never forget that “He is the God of our salvation, our Rock, our Stronghold” (Isaiah …

Let’s set our feet firmly on the Rock of ages – our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 41:1-42:25; Galatians 3:10-25; Proverbs 22:28-23:9 The Old Testament looks forward to the coming of Christ – “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 to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1). He is the fulfilment of the Old …

The Lord is calling His people to holiness.

Isaiah 3:1-5:7; 2 Corinthians 6:3-7:1; Psalm 105:12-22 “Those who are left … will be called holy” (Isaiah 4:3). “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). The Lord is calling His people to holiness. They are not to be in bondage to the world and its way of living. Even though the Lord’s …

Called to be holy

"Be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). The call to holiness - where does it come from? Does it come from the church? Does it come from the preachers? or Are we to look beyond the church and the preachers? Are we to look to the God of perfect holiness? God calls us to …

There is only one Foundation for our faith.

Isaiah 28:1–22 There is only one Foundation for our faith - Jesus Christ. Build your life on Christ, the solid Rock. Jesus Christ is 'the precious Cornerstone'. He is 'the sure Foundation' (16). Jesus is the Name of our salvation - 'Salvation is found in no-one else...there is no other name...by which we must be …

Were we there when they crucified our Lord? – Yes. He died for our sins.

Were we there when they crucified our Lord? – Yes. He died for our sins. In this remarkable prophecy, we see Jesus Christ, crucified for us - ‘the Lord has laid all our sins on Him’ - and risen from the dead - ‘After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of …

Lift Up Your Eyes!

Isaiah 26:1-4 "Trust in the Lord forever .... the Lord is an everlasting rock!" (Isaiah 26:4). Forever, everlasting - We must never lose sight of this eternal perspective.

We need more than faithful teaching from God’s Word…

God’s servants, appointed by Him to serve the people in His Name, play a significant part in leading the people to a deeper knowledge of God. They bring the Word of God to the people. That is what they have been called to do. It is good to have faithful teaching from God’s Word. There …

Responding to God’s Word (20): To God be the glory!

Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness, you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1). See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other”: This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Israel (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians 4:25-26; Galatians …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other” – This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Israel (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians …

A remnant: The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

"For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this" (Isaiah 37:32). A remnant - When Isaiah was called by God to the prophetic  ministry, he was given a warning. He was told that only a small minority of his hearers would respond …

More love, more prayer, more power, more peace, more joy

"Love one another" (John 13:34); "Pray for each other" (James 5:16). Jesus loves us. Jesus prays for us. If we are to follow Jesus, we will love one another and pray for one another. May the love of Jesus fill our hearts will love for one another. May the prayers of Jesus for us encourage …

Good News: Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20

Isaiah 53:1-12; Mark 15:33-16:20 The story of Jesus didn't end with His death. Beyond His death, there is His resurrection. The risen Lord says, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Gospel means Good News: The Good News which comes to us from God the Father, the Good …

Jesus is our Saviour and Lord. Let us worship Him.

Isaiah 46-49 46:1-47:15 ‘I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me… I am bringing My righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed’ (46:9,13). God does not keep His distance from us. He comes near to us: ‘The Word is …

Jesus Christ gives us the blessings of God’s salvation.

Isaiah 28-30 Isaiah speaks words of prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the “Rock of our salvation”, the “precious Cornerstone”, the “solid Foundation” (Isaiah 28:16). Jesus Christ gives us the blessings of God’s salvation - “the deaf will hear the words, written in the book. The blind will see out of their gloom and darkness. Humble people …

Arise, Shine.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). * Let the light of Christ shine. * Let the words of Scripture lead to thoughts of the Saviour. * In Christ, we are called to salvation, sanctification and service. * Be wise – worship the Saviour. …

Everlasting love

Isaiah 51:17-54:17; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 109:21-31 ’“With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:8). “In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:5). This loving kindness has its origin in the heart of the eternal God. It continues for all …

Your sins are forgiven.

The angels worship the God of perfect holiness (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah catches a glimpse of this heavenly worship, and he becomes deeply aware of his sinfulness. Even, as a prophet of God, Isaiah had to live with his own sinfulness, but he also had the great joy of hearing these wonderful words: "Your sins are …

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 15 or Isaiah 55:1-5; Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21

Receiving Strength From The Lord At the place called Peniel, Jacob ‘saw God face to face’ (Genesis 32:30). We see ‘the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Jacob wrestled with God and became an overcomer (Genesis 32:28). Christ wrestled with the powers of evil, and has won a mighty victory …

Lovely, beautiful – what do these words mean?

"How lovely is Your dwelling-place, Lord Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1); "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news" (Isaiah 52:7). Lovely, beautiful - what do these words mean? Where God is, there is love. When He comes into our hearts, He comes in His love - and we, sinners, become …

Our understanding of God’s Word and the strengthening of our faith

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Those who hope in (or wait on) the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given …

“He will swallow up death in victory.”

“The Lord will save us” (Isaiah 25:9). This is our hope, as we await the “Day” of the Lord. This our cause for joy and gladness. Death shall not triumph over us. Our hope is in the Lord – “He will swallow up death in victory” (Isaiah 25:8). The message of the Gospel comes to …

Waiting on the Lord, witnessing for Him and winning others for Him

Isaiah50:1-51:8  –  ‘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’ (50:4). We are to listen to God. We are to speak …

The miracle of the new birth

Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 8:18). Here, we read about “signs and wonders” (Amplified Bible). Our thoughts turn to the spectacular. Thinking about eye-catching events, events that grab our attention, events that make us sit up and take notice, there is something that we …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other” – This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Isaiah (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians …

Finding Christ in the Old Testament

At the heart of the Old Testament, there's a remarkable prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, our Saviour. It's found in Isaiah 53. When we read these words of Isaiah, it almost seems to us that these words were written after the death and resurrection of Christ. The remarkable thing about Isaiah's words is this: they were …

The light of God’s holiness, and the light of his love

Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord (Isaiah 2:5). When the light of the Lord shines into our hearts and upon our lives, it shows us our sin and it shows us our Saviour. The light of God's holiness shows us that we are sinners who need to be saved. The light …

A river that never runs dry

In Isaiah 46-48, we read about Israel's conflict with Babylon and God's verdict on Babylon. We also have the precious promise which God gave to His people: "Our Defender is the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 47:4). Along with the divine promise, there is also the divine call to obedience. God sees that His redeemed …

Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Isaiah 55:1-13   The Word of God is spoken - ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found...’ (Isaiah 55:6-7). No one seems to be listening. What are we to do? We must remember God’s promise: ‘My Word will not return to Me empty’ (Isaiah 55:11). We do not see all that God is doing. He …

You get nothing for nothing?

"You get nothing for nothing. You only get what you pay for." Is this cynicism - or realism? Let's think together about something else - something that lifts us above all of this - the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of God, the peace of God, the …

When the enemy shall come in like a flood

1 Kings 16:29-18:16 Things were getting desperate: ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him’ (1 Kings 16:33). What did God do about this? How did He respond to this situation? God sent His prophet, a man who would stand …

Make Sure That You Belong To Christ.

Praying through God's Word: Isaiah 65:13-66:4 Help us, Lord, to see clearly the great contrast between those who belong to Christ - ‘My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts’ - and those who have refused to come to Christ for salvation - ‘You will cry out from anguish of heart and …

Giving glory to the Lord …

"Let them give glory to the Lord" (Isaiah 42:12). Giving glory to the Lord - this is what life is all about. If we fail to see this, we have missed the point of life. How are we to give glory to him? Is this just about singing songs of praise to him? No! It's more …

Teach Us, Lord, To Pray For Revival In This Generation.

‘Awake, awake!... O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days gone by... The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them... I am the Lord your God... I have put My words in your mouth...’ (Isaiah 51:9,11,15-16). Teach …

Living water

"You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11). These words of Isaiah point us to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jesus says to us,"Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water that I give them will become in them a spring of …

The glorious hope of being with the Lord forevermore

See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create (Isaiah 65:17-18). We cannot take it all in. This is beyond us, but it's not beyond God. What he will do will …

God with us – Is there anything more important than this?

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9). Success - many people make a 'god' out of success. We must ask the question, "Is success the only thing that matters?" Are "successful" people always happy people? or Does "success" have a way of turning out …

I am here.

"Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, 'I am here'" (Isaiah 58:9). When Isaiah wrote about "Immanuel" - God with us (Isaiah 7:14), there was a longing for the presence of God. When Jesus was born, God came to us - to be "with us" (Matthew 1:23).

Who is Jesus Christ? What has He done for us?

Isaiah 8:11-10:19; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Proverbs 21:27-22:6 Who is Jesus Christ? What has He done for us? God’s answer to these questions is found in Isaiah 9:6 – “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” and 2 Corinthians 8:9 – “our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, yet for your sakes, He became poor, …

Full salvation

Gen 3:10–15, Isa 64:6, Rom 10:11, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 John 1:9 Through Christ's Death On The Cross, God Has Provided For Us A Full Salvation! Having chosen the way of sin, we are ‘naked’ and ashamed (Genesis 3:10). The Gospel teaches us that ‘there’s a way back to God from the dark paths of …

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 33:12-23; Psalm 99 or Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13); 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22

God is holy. God is love. Let us come to Him with our prayers. In Moses, we see the holiness and love of God: a deep hatred of sin (Exodus 32:19), an intense longing for sinners to be forgiven (Exodus 32:32). Filled with ‘the fear of the Lord’, Moses was fearless before men. God’s Word …

Isaiah 64-66

God is “our Father” (Isaiah 64:8). He says to us, “Here I am” (Isaiah 65:2). He waits, in love, for us to come to Him and receive the blessing He has promised: “Whoever asks for a blessing in the land will be blessed by the God of Truth” (Isaiah 65:16). He sets before us this …

Isaiah 61-63

In the Lord, we have joy - the joy of His salvation: “I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). This joy of salvation comes to us through our Saviour, …

Isaiah 58-60

“Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the foundations of past generations. You will be called the Rebuilder of Broken Walls and the Restorer of Streets where people live” (Isaiah 58:12). How important it is that we build on a solid foundation, and not shifting sand. We are to build on Christ, who …

Isaiah 52-54

"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 49-51

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 …

Isaiah 46-48

In Isaiah 46-48, we read about Israel's conflict with Babylon and God's verdict on Babylon. We also have the precious promise which God gave to His people: "Our Defender is the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 47:4). Along with the divine promise, there is also the divine call to obedience. God sees that His redeemed …

Isaiah 43-45

"I alone am the Lord, and there is no saviour except Me" (Isaiah 43:11). "I alone am the One who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions for My own sake, I will not remember your sins any more" (Isaiah 43:25)."Come back to Me, because I have reclaimed you. Sing with joy... Rejoice..." (Isaiah …

Isaiah 40-42

40:1-31  -  ‘The Lord is the everlasting God... He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak... those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...’ (28-31). Far too often, we say, ‘I can’t’ when we really mean ‘I won’t’. ‘I can’t’ - This is an insult to the power …

Jesus, the name high over all

You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow (Isaiah 62:2). A new name: the Name of Jesus https://youtu.be/y3Jpx0Rnmmo

Link to Rev James Philip’s notes on Isaiah

Isaiah

Forgiveness comes first.

When Isaiah was called to be a prophet of God, something else needed to happen first. He needed to have his own sins forgiven (Isaiah 6:7). First, there was the forgiveness of Isaiah's sins, and then, immediately after that, there was his call to the prophetic ministry (Isaiah 6:8).  

I will rejoice, for He has made me glad.

With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). In these two very encouraging verses, one from Isaiah and the other from Nehemiah, we read about joy, and we read about salvation and strength. What do we mean when we speak about joy? It is …

Open my eyes that I may see.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me (Psalm 16:7). Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it! (Isaiah 5:19). When we come to worship the Lord, we, also, come to receive his "counsel." We come to hear what the Word of God has to say to us. We do …