The 200's
A Snowy 2nd Sunday in Advent 2018 Greetings!
Pastor Josh & Sister Kristina 9 Dec 2018
In the early days of the church, Advent was a time of prayer, fasting & confession. Today, Advent is more a time of preparation & expectation of the coming of the Lord. Did you know the second advent candle has 3 different themes? Faith--to indicate the faith it took for Mary & Joseph to deal with the unexpected pregnancy & the trip to Bethlehem; Peace--for the peace promised to all mankind through the coming of the Savior; & the Bethlehem Candle pointing to the Savior's birth in a manger. He is coming again. Prepare!
Video 1
Covenant Bible Fellowship
a loving faith family, a home for seekers of truth, & a discipling church for an undisciplined world...
The second 8 minute video gives an overview of The Book of Isaiah, Part 2, Chapters 40-66 .
Watch & enjoy.
You can hear the entire book read to you by clicking on the title banner.
Notes on the Book of Isaiah by Dr. Homer Heater who describes the background of the book and its historical setting, including the rise and fall of kings and prophets, and the movements of nations...
The Journey of a Lifetime: The Book of Isaiah. Published by Anissa Dorsey A short Powerpoint overview of the major points in the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah ~ An Introduction by Bob Zurinsky, University Ministries of Seattle Pacific University.
Journey Through The Bible: Isaiah Part 1- Crisis and Faith (A look at the first 45 chapters of Isaiah) Isaiah was one of the greatest prophets of the Bible. Part One looks at the prophetic process, how do prophets communicate God's messages. During Isaiah's lifetime Judah faced military and moral crises in which they had to choose between obedience to God's word proclaimed by Isaiah or reliance on strategic alliances.
comments on Isaiah 6 from the Israel Biblical Studies Institute Of all the prophets in the Hebrew Bible, none is quoted more times than Isaiah. But Isaiah was not born a prophet. He needed to be inaugurated into the life of prophecy. The first step was to purify Isaiah’s mouth so he would be worthy of speaking the word of God. God accomplished this by sending a seraph to touch his lips with a burning coal. Why? The fiery purification of Isaiah’s lips...
The words of Isaiah are among the most beloved prophecies in the whole Bible. But before Isaiah began receiving prophecy from the Lord, he underwent an initiation ritual in the Temple. His mouth was cleansed by a burning coal taken from the altar. Then a seraph declared: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out” (Isa. 6:7). Why was the burning of Isaiah’s lips necessary?
“Seraphs were in attendance above him”
Like angels, seraphs are divine messengers. Their job is to proclaim the glory of God. With thunderous voices, they proclaim “Holy, Holy, Holy” shaking the foundations of the Temple (6:3-4). But they have an additional job – to guard the throne of the Lord within the Holy of Holies. They do so using fire. The Hebrew word seraphim (שְּׂרָפִים) comes from the root SRF (שרפ) which means “to flame”. Seraphs are six-winged “burners” who use fire to deter intruders.
The original Hebrew meaning of seraph clarifies a great deal about Isaiah’s famous first vision. This is precisely the reason why Isaiah says that the “house was filled with smoke” (6:4). It is also the reason why the seraph used a “live coal from the altar” to purify his lips (6:7).
Isaiah 9-20 Introduction & Summary by Bob Zurinsky, University Ministries of Seattle Pacific University ~ other section introduction &summaries by Pastor Zurinskyy here
Isaiah 9:6 Titles, many -- Name? One! Pastor Clawson
Christmas sermons usually evoke ideas of babies, bright lights, and brotherhood; and yet, in Jesus' time, it also meant political intrigue, murderous visits from soldiers some two years later, and the fear and hope of the future... The birth was one more step of reconciliation with a world so dark that it killed children because they were a threat to one's lifestyle... (sounds like today) The Savior's time on earth started with this birth, and brought grace and hope to that dark and dangerous world. It still brings grace and hope. Pastor Clawson shows the Light of the World in his exposition of Isaiah 9:6... many titles but only one Name under which all men MUST be saved...
Isaiah 34-48 Introduction & Summary by Bob Zurinsky, University Ministries of Seattle Pacific University.
Isaiah 34:14 What is a satyr and who is Lilith-a quick look at Jewish kabbalah influences in Isaiah Joshua Justice 20 July 2016
Jewish mysticism was part of the culture at the time of the prophets and according to history, influenced the cultures around them, as well as being influence by the cultures around them. Isaiah identifies at least two demonic forces in of which he wrote in Isaiah chapter 34:14, a satyr and the screech owl. Although most readers will note the satyr reference, in the KJV, the other is easily overlooked-the screech owl-in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts noted as Lilith, a terrible storm, a night horror, and a demon cursed by God.
Comfort Ye My People (Isaiah 40) Pastor Billy Robertson sermon notes
Ours is a world polluted by man made wisdom, self serving lifestyles, and laws that call evil good. There is a consequence to be paid for such a hedonistic pathway...and the consequences are not peace and safety, but violence, emptiness, and restlessness that cannot lead to a full, peaceful, and satisfying life. Isaiah describes this society as one where the people follow their own ways, and seek to fill the void with anything and everything but God. This society, repeated in history time and time again, earns the description of being another "Sodom and Gomorrah". That is not a compliment to any people, and definitely not when it is a description applied to any people that call themselves His, be they Christian or Jewish. But the Lord also calls on those who follow His ways to reach out, to witness, to share, to love and to comfort those who have fallen into the emptiness and despair of going it their own ways. He wants us to be comforters to bind up wounds and call the wayward ones back home. And, the Lord says He will stand by us, give us His Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom, provide the model in Jesus the Messiah, and will never abandon us to the wiles of the world as long as we do not abandon Him. Stay in His Word, follow His ways, and be His hands and feet to today's Sodom and Gomorrahs. Don't hide, but go into the darkness and bring light and life. Comfort the wayward, and especially reach out to the prodigals, His people, and call them back home to Him.
Isaiah 41:4 The Father Timeless Pastor Chuck Clawson
Have you ever really looked around? Have you ever really examined the patterns and colors and changes in our surroundings, our environments? How could this have ever "just happened"? Ever wondered about the power it must have taken to create everything around us? Science struggles with and often denies outright the possibility of a Supreme Being. This is not new ~ even the Apostle Peter faced deniers... just read 2 Peter 3:1-7. Don't be willingly ignorant. God rewards those who truly seek to know truth, who are able to suspend their own fears or tendency to deny even the possibility of a Creator. Listen as Pastor Chuck opens and explains the foundations of belief and shares the evidence available to any and all who are willing to take the challenge to be fully open and non-biased in seeking eternal truth and the fountain of power that begins and ends with love.
Isaiah 60 Revelation 21
They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I saw no temple in it. For the Lord
and I shall glorify My glorious house. God/Lamb are the temple.
No sun for light by day. No moon to give light. City has no need of the sun or of the
Yahweh will be everlasting light. moon to shine upon it. For the glory of
God has illumined it and its lamp is the
Lamb (21:22‑23).
No more mourning All people righteous. He shall wipe away every tear.
Possess the land forever. There shall no longer be death. (21:4).
Branch of My planting. Work of my hands.
God will be glorified.
Kings shall bring their glory. Nations shall walk by its light.