Powerful Words from the Prophets“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.” – Isaiah 11:2-3 (NLT)“There Is No One Like Jesus” Our passage today continues the prophecy about the coming of Jesus. Jesus was unlike any “man of God” w...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” – Isaiah 11:1 (NLT)“God’s Resurrection Power” Life from death. That’s a specialty of God’s. But I think we have a hard time really embracing and believing that. We seem to have faith that God can heal—make someone well who has been sick. I think many of us believe that God can w...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“In that day, the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return; a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.” – Isaiah 10:20-21 (NLT)“The Remnants” There is a special place in heaven for people I call “the remnants.” They are the people w...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThe Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. All the people will know it—Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—who say with pride and arrogance of heart, "The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars…But the people have not returned to him who struck t...

Powerful Words from the Prophets"Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." – Isaiah 9:7 (NLT)“We Win!!” People who know me know that I’m a huge OKC Thunder fan. And as a heart ...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)“Tough And Tender” My youngest son, who is now a father himself, recently asked me, “What were some of the things you had to learn when you had kids?” I took some...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.” – Isaiah 9:4 (NLT)“I Can’t, But God Can!” I was at a conference some years ago where a speaker was talking about how we confuse confidence in ourselves and confidence in God. He said we often look at situations, and all w...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.” – Isaiah 9:3 (NLT)“Thank God for Guiding Grace and Intervening Angels” I took a father-son trip to Denver this past weekend with my younger son, Nate. It was a BLAST! We got to see the OKC Thunder beat one o...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” – Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)“Keep Calm and Shine On” I was reading a really interesting article today about the impact of the war in Ukraine. One fascinating story was from a hospital that was having to learn how to operate with the impact of the war go...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” – Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)“Is He YOUR Guiding Light?” Yesterday, I looked at this verse from the point of view that God’s Light brings us hope. Today, I want to consider it from a different angle. God wants to give our lives DIRECTION. Have you ever b...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” – Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)“Relentlessly Hopeful” My wife said she once had a client describe her as “relentlessly hopeful.” What a wonderful way to be known. She was described that way because, as a therapist, Wanda believes that with hard work and Go...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.” – Isaiah 9:1 (NLT)“Guiding Us Back to Glory” Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t ab...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsPeople who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. – Isaiah 8:20-22 (NLT)“The Poorest Rich Man ...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Someone may say to you, ‘Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.’ But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.” – Isaiah 8:...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“Preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions to those who follow me. I will wait for the LORD, who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my hope in him.” – Isaiah 8:16-17 (NLT)“Keep Your Eyes on the Lord!” One of the lessons you have to learn early in your journey of faith is to keep your eyes on the Lord and not people. If you focus o...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, ‘Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe.’” – Isaiah 8:11-14 (NLT)“Doomsday...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“They are rejoicing over what will happen to King Rezin and King Pekah.” – Isaiah 8:6 (NLT)“Put Down Your Rock” Tony Tran was hired this past November by the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney’s Office, which is near New Orleans, LA. The District Attorney’s Office is charged with the responsibility of prosecuting criminals who are arrested for various cri...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsThen the LORD spoke to me again and said, “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. – Isaiah 8:5-6 (NLT)“Let the Doctor In!” A few years back, there was a 77-year-old man in South Carolina named Peter Kremlick who was involved in an accident. He swerved to miss another car and hit a utility pole. He had...

Powerful Words from the Prophets“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” – Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)“He’s Just a Prayer Away” As Isaiah assures Ahaz of God’s involvement in his current situation, he states what is also one of the most famous prophecies about Jes...

Powerful Words from the ProphetsLater, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the LORD your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.” But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the LORD like that.” – Isaiah 7:10-12 (NLT)“It’s Better to Ask Permission than Forgiveness” “It’s easier to ask for forg...