The Central Moment

There is a religious spirit in the land that counterfeits the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s rules without relationship; laws without love; conviction without compassion; tradition without transformation; judgmentalism without love. But then comes Jesus!

Consumer cultures can easily threaten our spiritual vitality and redefine the meaning of life. We need to again hear the forceful and piercing words of Jesus: “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

It is not wrong to be shamelessly persistent when you pray. It’s not a sign of unbelief to pray more than once for something. Yet that does not mean that God is unwilling to answer. Indeed, more than we could ever imagine, he wants to give us the Holy Spirit’s power.

Sometimes the most basic things are the most profound ones. In spite of the importance of the mission that Jesus calls us to or the spiritual authority that we can walk in, nothing beats the bottom line of being saved and belonging to Jesus!

At the risk of looking like he is both contradicting himself and breaking Old Testament Law, Jesus imposes a radical call to follow him at all costs. Being a Jesus-follower is not a matter of convenience, preference, or privilege. It is an ‘all in’ proposition.

What we think to be ‘righteous indignation’ can too easily be laced with self-serving offenses and self-centered prejudices. There is a place for anger, but hoping that our enemies will be harmed does not reflect the heart of God. Vengeance belongs to him alone.

Where do you live? It’s likely a place near a road, perhaps in a rural community or maybe in the heart of a large city. But where could the Creator of the universe ever live? What house could ever contain him? Well, the answer is surprising but life-giving!

Do you memorize and quote Scripture? Jesus did, although it sometimes got him in trouble--like when he visited his home town. But because of it we understand Jesus’ ministry and our participation in it through the Holy Spirit.

Is God’s arm shorter than it used to be, or his ear more deaf than it was? That’s the penetrating question Isaiah puts in front of us, bringing us face to face with our own hearts. And yet, when all seems lost, God steps in.

Are you fed up with God-substitutes that leave you emptier than when you started? Are you tired of trying to control things that you realistically have no power over? Will you respond to God’s Isaiah 55 altar call?

Hundreds of years before it happened, Isaiah prophesied the death and resurrection of Jesus with stunning accuracy. But even more, he gives us the “Why?” behind the “What?” It’s what can change your life.

God’s “if only’s” are a sign of his broken heart over our stubborn wills. Spiritual drift, compromised hearts, and habitual disobedience--they will ultimately erode our peace and steal our joy. Yet God’s altar call remains steady--remember, repent and return!

Does praying for political and government leaders really make a difference? How can God use people who do not even know or follow him? How does God’s sovereign will interface with the choices of sinful human leaders? Prepare to be amazed!

In exchange for our sinful state, Jesus forgives us and pours his Spirit upon us. What will happen globally some day can right now be a reality in our lives through Christ. That proposition is totally unprecedented in religious thinking!

Sometimes it’s hard to understand God’s silence and apparent inaction. Why doesn’t he always speak? Why do answers to prayer not always come like we think they should? But God is always doing something, whether we see it or not. In the end, he will not forsake us!

Given life’s challenges, it is important that we think theologically about our lives--not emotionally. To make that possible we have the promises of God and many Biblical declarations of faith that we can stand on. Isaiah 41 is rich with confidence builders and faith confessions!

There are few chapters in the Bible that extol the greatness of God like Isaiah 40. When we lose the perspective of his greatness we lose our reference points in life and put far too much pressure on ourselves.

The Bible has 66 books -- 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Many see Isaiah as having the same structure. With chapter 40 comes the prediction of the ministry of John the Baptist and the coming of the Messiah. “Here is your God!” becomes the triumphant declaration embodied in Jesus for everyone of us.

What if, on your deathbed, God promised you 15 more years of life? How would you use those years? Would you end them well? Learn what could happen from an ancient king to whom this happened.

The Father of Lies (the devil) constantly blasphemes the living God and tries to persuade us of our own demise--overwhelming us with hopelessness. But the Lord sees, he speaks into it, and he turns the enemy back on behalf of those who are his own.

God’s restoring promises are at the heart of his work in the world, not just his judgments. A day is coming where there will be, figuratively speaking, streams in the desert and a Highway of Holiness that we will travel with joy.

Waiting on the Lord is not like pacing back and forth at a bus stop, impatiently waiting for the bus to arrive. To wait on God is to hope in him, to pay attention to him and only him, and to participate in the power of his renewing Spirit.

The affections of our hearts do not always match the external expressions of our worship. But the Lord reveals himself to us still. And when we do not understand his ways, he gives us perspective that settles our hearts.

There is a longing in the human soul for something transcendent, something divine that fills the God-created space deep within each of us. Waiting on the Lord, trusting in him and yearning for him become the language of our hearts.

Many struggle with the idea of God’s judgment. They may be passionate about justice in society, but they hesitate when it comes to God being just. Yet his judgments will make way for a new order in which death is gone and life has come.