“For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return” (Philippians 1:10 NLT).

September 29, 2022

LEARNING TO FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS Paul prayed that the Philippians would learn to understand “what really matters.” He prayed that they would begin to view everything from the perspective of Christ’s return and that they would focus on becoming more and more like Jesus until that Day. What are you focused on today?

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?”‘ (Isaiah 55:1-2 NLT).

September 28, 2022

ARE YOU SPENDING FOR THINGS THAT DO NOT SATISFY? The Lord questioned Israel as to why they labored so hard for things that did not satisfy. Why not come to the Lord and freely receive His food and drink? But Israel had fallen into idolatry. They pursued the blessings of God, rather than God Himself.

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT).

September 27, 2022

GOD HAS LAID OUR SINS UPON CHRIST JESUS Seven hundred years before Christ Jesus, the Lord gave the prophet Isaiah a description of His coming. There are two types of Messianic prophecies revealed in the Old Testament. Both are seen in Isaiah. The first is the Messiah as conquering king, who will rule the nations

“See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16 NLT).

September 26, 2022

CHRIST’S LOVE FOR US IS STILL WRITTEN ON HIS HANDS When Israel accused the Lord of forsaking them, He replied saying that He could never forget them. He compared Himself to a mother, saying, “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” Then, He said that He had “engraved” them on His hands. The word “engraved”

“Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together” (Isaiah 46:2 NLT).

September 25, 2022

ARE YOU BOWED DOWN BY IDOLATRY?  God gave Isaiah a prophecy against Babylon and its idol worship. It is sarcastic in its imagery, predicting that Babylon’s idols will “bow” down as they are lowered onto ox carts and carried away by the very people who used to “bow” down before them. Even the oxen are

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16 NLT).

September 24, 2022

A PRAYER FOR INNER STRENGTH The apostle Paul prayed that the Lord would empower the believers in Ephesus with “inner strength” from the Holy Spirit, whose power is glorious and unlimited. Literally, he prayed for strength for their “inner man,” which is the human soul. We seem to know more about how to find strength

“God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth” (Isaiah 42:5 NLT).

September 23, 2022

GOD IS THE SOURCE AND SUSTAINER OF LIFE A worldview built on any other foundation than the dual truth that God is both Creator and Sustainer of life, will surely lead to false and foolish conclusions. The prophet Isaiah declared this dual truth and more. For the Lord revealed to him the coming of the

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him” (Ephesians 1:19 NLT).

September 22, 2022

THE INCREDIBLE GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER FOR US Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for them as believers. What kind of power is this? It is the same kind of “mighty power that raised Christ from the dead” (Eph. 1:20). It is resurrection power! Not only

“After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord” (Isaiah 37:14 NLT).

September 21, 2022

SPREAD YOUR TROUBLES BEFORE THE LORD King Sennacherib of Assyria came with a huge army and began to conquer the towns of Judah. When he came to the walls of Jerusalem, he sent a threatening letter to King Hezekiah of Judah, warning him that his God couldn’t save him. When he had read the letter,

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

September 20, 2022

DO YOU BEAR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT? The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church to teach them the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit. The word “walking” was a Hebrew idiom for “living.” It is that which both motivates and marks one’s life. Paul taught that those who