This year for Easter I decided to go “old school” and take a prophetic look at the story out of the Book of Isaiah. As you can see from previous posts, I covered our slavery to sin (Isaiah 52), the deliverance by our emancipator (Isaiah 53), and the impact of our liberation (Isaiah 54). On…
Category: Isaiah
What God Promises to Honor
What does God promise to honor? Does He promise to honor our traditions and history? Does He promise to honor our denominational affiliations and partnerships? Does He promise to honor our programs and ministries? No, he promises to honor his word. “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground…
Isaiah 54: Gospel Expectations
Last Sunday we observed Palm Sunday, the celebration of the beginning of Holy Week as Christ entered Jerusalem for the final time of his earthly ministry. The day was fraught with Messianic expectation, as the news spread regarding this upstart prophet from Nazareth who was teaching with authority and performing incredible miracles. As Jesus rode…
The Savior we Despise and Reject (part 2)
In his classic prophetic description of the suffering servant, Isaiah twice refers to Jesus as one who was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). We despised and rejected him then, and we still despise and reject him today. How? Jesus intent was to transform every part of our lives, not just the part that goes to…
Isaiah 53: The Savior we Despise and Reject
I grew up in a faith tradition that had little tolerance for long hymns. If a hymn had three stanzas, we would sing all three. But if there were more than three, we would sing the first, second and last stanzas and forego the others. But if you carefully read the old hymns you’ll quickly…
Isaiah 52: “Rise from the Dust”
Everyone likes good news. We want good news, and when given the option between “good news” and “bad news,” prefer the good first with hope that it will magically diminish the bad. Perhaps my thirst for good news is why I don’t enjoy Country Music. Those songs all seem to be so sad and discouraging….
What Happens in Worship (part 4)
So what happens when God reveals himself to us and we see ourselves as we really are? Isaiah experienced two things that each one of us can experience when we worship. The first thing he experienced was transformation. Reading on in the text, the Bible says, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with…
What Happens in Worship (part 3)
Whenever God reveals himself in worship we catch a glimpse of what God is really like. When we see God as He is we then see ourselves as we really are. We become self aware with HD clarity. That was Isaiah’s experience when he saw the Lord. Check the next verse in the story: “Then…
What Happens in Worship (part 2)
“It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they…
What Happens in Worship (part 1)
2 Chronicles 26 tells the story of King Uzziah. He took the throne at the tender age of 16 and ruled for nearly four decades. By and large, Uzziah was a good king. He led the nation to return to the monotheistic worship of God, and as a result the nation was blessed. Like I…