“Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed” (Isaiah 45:1 ESV). Nearly 200 years before his birth, Isaiah prophesied the coming of one named “Cyrus”
“Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them” (Isaiah 41:21-22 ESV). The idolatry of today is not unlike that of Isaiah’s day. Explanations of
“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” (Psalm 66:18-20 ESV). Have you ever felt as if your
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14 ESV). Paul said that the Judaizers, those who insisted that believers must adhere to the Mosaic ceremonial law and be circumcised, “boasted”
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 ESV). Our liberty in Christ is not license to sin. Receiving His righteousness we have been set free from the external law written on stone tablets and received
“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 very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!” (Isaiah 31:1 ESV). From Abraham’s time until that of Isaiah’s, the
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” (Isaiah 28:16 ESV). The Lord spoke through Isaiah of a “precious cornerstone” that He would lay in Zion (“Jerusalem”). This stone would have
“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1-2 ESV). David wrote this psalm, crying out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and
“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21 ESV). God’s grace is that which saves and sustains the one trusting in Christ’s finished work of salvation. Grace is about God’s mercy, while working to keep the law is about our
“I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love” (Psalm 59:16 ESV). David