Isaiah 7 The impossible will happen - see the sign?

Isaiah's prophecy concerning a virgin giving birth happens in a passage filled with judgment to unbelieving King Ahaz. How are we to understanding this prophecy regarding the impossible?

7 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

^2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with ^a Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

^3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, ^b to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ^4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. ^5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, ^6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” ^7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

”‘It will not take place,

it will not happen,

^8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,

and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.

Within sixty-five years

Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

^9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,

and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.

If you do not stand firm in your faith,

you will not stand at all.’”

^10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, ^11 “Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

^12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.”

^13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? ^14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you ^c a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and ^d will call him Immanuel. ^{e 15} He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. ^16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. ^17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

^18 In that day the LORD will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. ^19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. ^20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River ^f—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also. ^21 In that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats. ^22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. ^23 In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, ^g there will be only briers and thorns. ^24 Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. ^25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

^a Or has set up camp in

^b Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.

^c The Hebrew is plural.

^d Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and he or and they

^e Immanuel means God with us.

^f That is, the Euphrates

^g That is, about 25 pounds (about 11.5 kilograms)

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Is 7:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Psalm 119:18 The Reformation: A Return to the Word

Today is Reformation Sunday. We remember how God used people like Martin Luther to renew our confidence in God's character and God's grace over against our character and works. As Luther returned to the Word of God, he went through an intense struggle to rediscover this Grace that God offers.. This sermon will focus on that struggle. Our scripture passage is
Psalm 119:18
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”

What has a return to the Word done to you in your life?

Have you struggled with being "righteous enough for God?" How, why, when....

Luke 11:14-36 Faith and Miracles

It has been said
It takes faith to see a miracle.
It has also been said
There is nothing like a miracle to create faith.

The truth is, we are surrounded by miracles. By faith we see them. By faith, we acknowledge that creation was made out of nothing says Hebrews. What a miracle! The scripture passage we will look at is from Luke 11:14-36...

Jesus and Beelzebub

^14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. ^15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, ^a the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” ^16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

^17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. ^18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. ^19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ^20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

^21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ^22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.

^23 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

^24 “When an evil ^b spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ^25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ^26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

^27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

^28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

The Sign of Jonah

^29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ^30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ^31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one ^a greater than Solomon is here. ^32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body

^33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. ^34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. ^35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. ^36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”

^a Greek Beezeboul or Beelzeboul; also in verses 18 and 19

^b Greek unclean

^a Or something; also in verse 32

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Lk 11:14). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Yet, sometimes God breaks through our unbelief with a miracle.
What miracles can you point out in your life every day?
What miracles has God surprised your faith with?

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Miracles and Persuasion

Paul acknowledged that his sermons were weak. I wonder how we would react to hearing Romans preached to us in a two hour monologue. He had people falling out of windows because his sermons put them to sleep. But for all its weakness, the power (dynamite) of God's Spirit accompanied Paul's weak preaching to produce demonstrations of God's saving power. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 we read

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ^{c 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ^3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. ^4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ^5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

^c Some manuscripts as I proclaimed to you God's mystery

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (1 Co 2:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

In what ways have you experienced God's power that persuaded you to place your faith in him? Your feed forward is appreciated.