Isaiah was called to prophesy of the great Deliverer, Who would save His people from their sins. The people of Israel were steeped in apostasy and walking in darkness and gloom, but Isaiah spoke of a coming Messiah, Who would not only bring light with Him but would be the Light of lights. He would be the Light of the world to the people who walked in darkness. He would give light to every man coming into the world.

Isaiah’s prophecies covered the reign of many kings, but the horizons of his glorious vision of light stretched into the far distant future and foretold of the arrival of the Messiah in the land of Israel. The light of which Isaiah spoke was to shine even more brightly. It was to shine beyond the blessed inhabitants of Galilee, who would be the first to witness Incarnate Light walking through their land.

The light of which Isaiah prophesied was to be so brilliant that it was to embrace every man, woman and child, born into this world. It was to be a light that extended back to a time before the worlds were made – and it was to be a glittering light that reached forward into the farthest extremities and widest dimensions of the eternal ages to come. It was to be a Light that would blaze its illuminating rays throughout this shrouded world.. and the dark blackness that envelops the world would never overcome it.

The world in general, and Israel, in particular, lived in a state of deep darkness. The mind of man was shackled in sin; enchained in the prison-bars of unbelief and blinded by gross ignorance. Death’s gaping jaws was man’s only exit when all will be judged. This was the sad birth-right of all humanity.

Throughout life, every-man gropes pathetically to become ‘master of his own destiny’. Each soul seeks some hidden wisdom or spiritual illumination that would bring in its wake light and life, salvation and peace – fulfilment, love and hope. But there is none to be found outside the Person of the Lord Jesus and His sacrificial work on the cross, yet Satan spins his wicked web of deceit to entrap deluded ‘seekers’.

God has set out His unique way of life and salvation; peace, fulfilment, love and hope in His Word of Truth. For God sent the Incarnate Light into the world to enlighten those who walk in the black gloom of death’s dark shadow.

None other than God could have loved fallen humanity so deeply as to send His only begotten Son to become that true, life-giving LIGHT, to all who will believe on His name. No other but God is good enough to pay that price of sin, by becoming the perfect sin-sacrifice.  Christ alone could unlock the gate of heaven to those who believe on His name.

No surprise that His Name is called Wonderful Counsellor, for His deep love fills angels and men with awe-struck admiration. His wise counsel generates stunned amazement. Who but the Mighty God of love and justice, could have imagined that the shame and humiliation of the Cross would result in the shattering forever of hell’s deep darkness and its terrifying eternal damnation.

It was the Everlasting Father Who sent the Eternal Son – the Prince of Peace, to be the true LIGHT. He came to dissipate the darkness of sin and remove man from condemnation and death – for all who will TRUST in His name. Isaiah penned the life-changing words that have brought such comfort and hope to a world in darkness and distress.. “The people that walk about in darkness see a great light. They who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light shines. 

It was Israel, who were walking in darkness when the Light came into the world… specifically, the people living in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, who were were blinded to the truth.. for as we read in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus moved to Capernaum to fulfil that which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet –  the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by way of the sea.. beyond the Jordan – Galilee of the Gentiles, “the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and in the shadow of death, upon them a light dawned.

Jesus came to the lost sheep of the House of Israel as their Messiah and King. But He also came as the sin-substitute for the whole world – for you and for me. He came as the Light of the world; the life-giving Light of men; the bright Light that shines in the darkness. Jesus came as the true Light, Who came into the world to enlighten every man – “so that all who believes in Me will not remain in darkness”.

Thank You, Father, for sending Jesus as the Light of the world to enlighten everyone coming into the world. Thank You that in Him is the light of the glorious gospel of grace that can never be quenched by the darkness of this world. I praise and thank You that His light has come into my life and enlivened my spirit and enlightened my soul. Open my eyes more and more to see Jesus and to grow more like Him. Give me greater understanding of all that You have achieved in my life, for without You I would remain in darkness and dead in my sin. Thank You for Your great salvation – to You be all praise and glory forever, in the name of Jesus I pray, AMEN.

Israel were called by God to be His witnesses to a lost world, but instead of being a light to the gentile they sinned against the Lord. Together with the rest of humanity, Israel were guilty of sin and man’s wickedness multiplied on the earth giving witness that fallen humanity stands condemned before a holy God. Although ‘love’ is an essential quality of God, He is also a God of justice, Who must punish all who fall short of His own perfect standard of righteousness.

It is not simply the ‘wicked’ that are guilty of sin. All members of the human race are sinners. All have been imputed with a sin nature – even philanthropists who do good deeds or are applauded by their fellow-man. All fall short of God’s glory and Christ’s perfection. All stand guilty before a holy God – Jew and Gentile alike.

Paul spent considerable time presenting a structured argument against any person, group or sovereign state, who considered they were exempt from God’s righteous judgment. And much to Israel’s chagrin, ‘the circumcised’, were specifically identified by Paul as sinners in need of salvation.

For centuries, Israel had considered herself superior to all other nations because they were adopted by God. To them alone was given the glory, the covenants, the Mosaic law, the temple service, and the promises. They boasted about the distinctive sign of circumcision… given to Abraham as a sign of the covenant promise God made with their great patriarch and his seed… to all generations.

Circumcision was given to remind Israel they were God’s chosen people. The cutting away of flesh in circumcision was a daily reminder that sin was to be cut out of their life. But instead of honouring the Lord with their righteous living and godly obedience, they proudly flaunted their chosen position before other nations. They became dull of hearing the word of the Lord and unrighteous in their behaviour, until its spiritual meaning degraded into hypocrisy.

Moses had to call the nation to account in Deuteronomy when he commanded them to “circumcise therefore the foreskin of your HEART, and be no more stiffnecked!”  Jeremiah also challenged Judah to undergo a circumcision of the heart.. warning that the wrath of God would come like a ‘burning flame’ if they did not turn from their evil ways.

These men of Judah had become proud in their heart and regarded themselves as superior to other human beings. They considered their fleshly circumcision made them righteous and exempted them God’s judgement. They failed to heed many prophetic warnings, challenging them to rend their hearts, repent of their ways and return to the Lord their God.

Before his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul also boasted about his Jewish ancestry. He had been circumcised on the 8th day… a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He lived a ‘perfect life’ – according to the Law!! However, he came to an understanding that the Law may be perfect, but it cannot justify a man. The Law exposes a man’s sin but cannot forgive it, and Paul realised that he would not have known he was a sinner, apart from the Law.

This proud Pharisee had to revise his thinking when he realised that the Law was a schoolmaster to teach us about Christ. He came to understand that both circumcision and uncircumcision means nothing… what matters is a new creation in Christ. He realised that true circumcision was the circumcision made without hands – “the circumcision of the heart – The putting off the body of the fleshly sins, through the circumcision of Christ”. 

Circumcision may have been highly regarded by Jews in Old Testament times, but by elevating this physical sign above loving obedience to the Lord and by regarding it as the means to their salvation, it became no more than a mindless ritual. Paul made it clear that a true Jew is the one who is inwardly circumcised – the one who trusts God’s Word, keeps His commandments and honours His name –“the circumcision of the heart… a cutting away of evil in a man’s heart, that is performed by the Spirit in the inner man. A circumcision based on the inner working of the Spirit and not the letter of the Law.

Israel considered that circumcision guaranteed their salvation, and believed a lack of circumcision condemned the uncircumcised. By basing their salvation on this physical act, they missed the important spiritual lessons it was designed to teach. Paul made it clear that a true Jew had a circumcised heart, which has nothing to do with nationality, physical birth or the ritual cutting of the male foreskin, but faith in God’s word.

Circumcision is an outward sign of a regenerate Jew. It is a  beautiful picture of imputed righteousness. It is an outward symbol of an inner change of heart – a seal of God’s approval, through faith. Just as water baptism is an outward demonstration of the born-again believer, during this Church Age, circumcision was given as a teaching tool – a visual aid – an explanatory picture of the regeneration that takes place by faith.

May we worship the Lord in the spirit of holiness and glory in the saving work of Christ Jesus, our Lord. And may we put no confidence in the flesh. May we remember that true circumcision is a broken and contrite heart before our heavenly Father – and glorify in the One who has declared us righteous in God’s sight – by faith in Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the way You have illustrated the true meaning of spiritual circumcision and the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Your word. Thank You that my salvation is not displayed by any outward behaviour but through the inner circumcision of my heart, when I trusted Christ for salvation and was made spiritually alive in Him. Give me wisdom and discernment as I read Your word, and keep me from basing my scriptural understanding on man’s false perception, rather than the truth of God’s word. Open the eyes of men and women, Jew and Gentile alike, to the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ so that hearts may be truly circumcised before You – for Your greater praise and glory, AMEN.

Satan is the great accuser of the saints of God who has pursued the people of God down through the centuries with an intense hatred… and the coming tribulation is a time when the devil’s vicious attacks on God’s servants will increase in intensity against both Jews and Christians.

Although Church-age believers are not appointed to face the wrath of the Lamb, during the coming time of terrible tribulation.. the enemy of our soul attempts to accuse the saints, despite being covered and cleansed by the blood of Christ. Revelation gives believers a multi-pronged approach to victory over Satan, “they overcame him by of the blood of the Lamb. They overcame him because of the word of their testimony. They overcame because they did not love their life even when faced with death.” 

The time is coming when Satan and all his fallen angels with him, will be flung out of the heavenly realm and cast to the earth. It is during the terrible time of tribulation that his fury will target the Jewish nation and all that have trusted Christ as Saviour. But we read that: they gained victory over Satan because they were cleansed by the blood of Christ and they defeated him by the word of their faithful witness – they trusted Christ for salvation, and were willing to die for His sake.

Church-age believers are instructed to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” and although we will not face this terrible time of tribulation, this verse is as relevant for saints today who are facing increasing persecution from all sectors of society. Just like believers today, tribulation saints, who live in the final seven years of Daniel’s great end-times prophecy, will also overcome the enemy because of their faith in the cleansing power of the blood of the Lamb. Victory for them and for us is secure in the testimony of Christ.

Although we will be raptured before the great and terrible day of the Lord, oppression against the church is rampant and persecution in all its guises is instigated by that old serpent who is the devil and Satan, who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking believers to trounce and devour. Only those covered in the blood of the Lamb have victory over the evil principalities and powers.

Christ Himself told us that victory is assured for those of us who are part of the Body of Christ, for He Himself has promised that the gates of hell will never prevail against His Church. Today we live in an age of martyrs, and the martyr spirit has predominated throughout this dispensation of ‘grace’… but like saints in this Church-age, those who trust in Christ during the coming time of tribulation have the same security in Him.

The foundational bedrock upon which all victory rests is the shed blood of Christ… the Lamb that was slain – the perfect Sacrifice, Who with one glorious cry of IT IS FINISHED, pronounced sin, death and hell, ‘forever conquered’. Nothing can dislodge that unshakably firm foundation. For the holy lives, faithful testimony and patient sufferings of those standing on the promises of Christ, the shout VICTORY is an eternal watchword.

The salvation, security and strength of saints in every dispensation rests on Christ alone.

Salvation is of Christ – for He is the Sacrifice slain, His is the blood of the Lamb.

Strength is of Christ – for His is the faithful testimony, the glorious gospel of grace.

Security is of Christ-for His is the life – eternal, that no enemy can destroy.

The spiritual strongholds of the enemy are powerless against the weapons of our warfare, which rest on Christ and Christ alone. Hallelujah!

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful salvation, strength, and security I have received from the Lord Jesus Christ and for the victory He won for me through His blood. Thank You that we are overcomers because of faith. Thank You that the penalty and power of sin, Satan, death, and hell has been overcome through faith in the cleansing blood of the Lamb.. Who died and rose again so that we might never die – but be raised into life immortal. May I live every day of my life in faith through Christ… in Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN.

How often we stand perplexed that God does not punish the wicked but seems to allow them to be acquitted of their wrongdoing and even rewarded for their evil works, and Habakkuk was faced with the same dilemma.

He was a man of God who was justifiably grieved by the sins of the kingdom of Judah. Rather than honouring the Lord with their heart and soul and mind and strength, he witnessed nothing but iniquity and sin. Judah had become a violent nation and Habakkuk complained that God’s chosen people had become a people of strife and contention, where the law was ignored and justice perverted.

God reassured His servant that Judah’s disobedience and rebellion would not go unpunished. He astonished his prophet by revealing how He would punish his errant people. The Lord told Habakkuk that He was going to raise up a fierce and impetuous people to bring judgement on Judah. The Chaldeans were a dreaded nation who were feared by the surrounding people. They were a law unto themselves and were altogether wicked. Punishment would be swift and violent. Judah would be helpless before this formidable foe.

He likened the swiftness of the Chaldean horses to leopards and their warriors to eagles, who would swoop down to devour their prey. Although Habakkuk knew that God’s people were ripe for judgement, he was astonished and shocked to discover the magnitude of the punishment awaiting them. Habakkuk’s initial indignation against Judah’s ungodliness turned to concern for God’s people.

So troubled was Habakkuk by this knowledge that he determined to stand guard on the rampart and keep watch to see if the Lord would provide some hope for His people. God did not leave His servant in any doubt that He would carry out a national chastening but also gave him some reassurance…. “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; BUT the righteous will live by his faith.”

Habakkuk was given a truth that has stood the test of time – a principle that was rediscovered in Paul’s epistle to the Romans during the Reformation and one that has blessed centuries of God’s people… we are not only credited with righteousness by faith in God’s Word – but we are to LIVE our life by faith...”for the righteous will live by his faith”.

Those who are not credited with righteousness because of their lack of trust in the Almighty are living in spiritual darkness because their soul is not right within themselves, for they are not trusting God’s Word. Those who are proud and self-important, foster pride in their heart. They rely on their own inner strength, power, talent and wisdom. These are ungodly fools who deny their Creator. They are not credited with righteousness because they have not believed the truth – HOWEVER, the righteous one will live by his faith – which may be better translated ‘the justified-by-faith one – SHALL LIVE. The one who is justified in the eyes of God – will live

Unlike Church-age believers, not all Old Testament saints were indwelled by the Holy Spirit, nevertheless, everyone who believed God’s Word, both before and after the cross, is credited with righteousness. Those declared righteous by faith WILL live, while those who are not justified by faith will not live – they shall surly experience the wrath of God.

Although the guiding principle of justification can be traced through every book of the Bible, it was to Habakkuk that the unchangeable truth of justification was given – The just shall live by faith. The man or woman who is justified by faith WILL LIVE.

Eternal life is a free gift to ALL who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and once we have been covered in Christ’s righteousness we are called to LIVE the rest of our life BY FAITH. But we are also blessed to realise that the justified man or woman will live eternally – because he or she have trusted in the Word of God – our Saviour Jesus Christ.

May we KNOW in the inner recesses of our heart and mind that “a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus”. May we have that assurance that eternal life is already ours, because we have been justified by faith, and having been justified, by faith, may we LIVE by faith – as we trust in Him to supply all our needs – day by day.

Praise God that WE, who have believed in Christ Jesus, are justified by faith in Christ. How thankful that we are not justified by our own good works or legalistic practices, carried out in our own strength; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Thank You Father for the witness of Habakkuk who first shared the wonderful truth that the justified man and woman will live, because of their faith. Thank You for those who have continued to teach this truth down through the centuries – like the apostle Paul and those in the reformation. How I thank You, heavenly Father, that because I am justified by faith I will live eternally with the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that having been justified as Your free, and forever gift of grace, I may live every day of my life by faith – by trusting in You and not relying on my own strength or abilities. May my life be honouring to You and a testimony of Your goodness and grace to those with whom I come in contact – this I ask in Jesus’ precious name, AMEN

The first Word of God at the dawning of creation was ‘Let There Be Light’. And that same Word of God at the advent of each born-again creation-in-Christ is also, ‘Let There Be Light’. It is the God Who spoke His creative Word over the dark earth in the beginning, and it is same Spirit who brooded over the face of the deep Who dispels the darkness in a man’s heart at salvation. He it is Who floods the glorious light of the gospel of Christ into a hurting soul.

The mind of unregenerate man is only darkness continuously, for the god of this world has blinded his eyes to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. But the Author of life and Fountain of all grace has flooded our hearts with the True Light of the world – the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of Righteousness and ‘the Bright and Morning Star’.

When the heart of a sinner is ignited by faith in the gospel of Christ, God works His wonderful regenerative work in that life and a blacked, sin-sick soul is illuminated with knowledge of the Light that shines out of darkness into a revived heart. By faith, he receives enlightenment of the knowledge of God’s manifest glory, in the presence of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ, is our dazzling and eternal day-star and He is the light of life, in Whom we have received forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. The glorious love of God has been poured into the very person of Christ, for He is the exact representation of the invisible God, Who not only reflects the beauties of the Lord, but is Himself the Source of all light, the Fountain of all life and the bottomless Reservoir of all love.

The illuminating light of His sufficiency and knowledge; His wisdom and grace; His truth and His power is reflected in the shining face of the wonderful Lord Jesus. The light of the glorious gospel of grace is streamed into the hearts of all who seek Him with all their whole being.

The very Creator Who spoke worlds into being; flung stars into space and commanded the light to shine forth with the power of His voice, has shone the light of His truth into our hearts, to enlighten us and open our understanding of the magnificence of God in the lovely face of our Lord.

But in this midnight darkness of the world’s filthy habits we discover that man has rejected the true Light, Who has come into the world to flood mankind with His truth, for men love darkness rather than the Light of lights, because man is a fallen being, who is dead in trespasses and sin and at enmity with God Himself. And yet in His grace, He determined that, “Light shall shine out of darkness” and “He shone truth into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”

It was Paul who penned these beautiful words to the Christians at Colossae, for he had come to a personal knowledge of the truth. He had developed a beautiful relationship with the Light, who lightens every man coming into the World. The expansive testimony of the heavens above and the inner witness of his God-given conscience convicted Paul of his need of salvation and enabled his blinded eyes to be opened to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.

God in His mercy and love has provided all men with a knowledge of the true Light, through the external witness of nature, and the inner witness of our conscience. He has also given us the convicting witness of the written Word of God – for Light has come into the world so that as many as receive Him are given the right to become children of God.

May each of us treasure the Light we have in our hearts and remember that no matter where we are; what we do or however dark the path we tread.. the Light of the World is not only with us but indwells our heart, and will flood our inner being with His perfect peace – when our mind is stayed on Him.

Loving Father, thank You for the Light You have given me, in the face of Jesus, my Saviour and Lord. It is only through His sufficient sacrifice that I have been so blessed, for without the shining Light of the Spirit of Christ within, I would continue to wallow in the darkness of the world. May the light of Your truth, love, and compassion, shine in me… and reflect from me the glories of Jesus, so that Your name may be glorified in all I say and do – this I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Being the last, identified letter of the apostle Paul, we can recognise an urgency in his message to Timothy, his trusted son in the faith and pastor to the Christians at Ephesus. It appears that Paul suffered greater hardship in this final imprisonment in Rome. In his earlier incarceration, the apostle appeared to enjoy a significant amount of freedom when he continued to receive encouragement and support from the believers in Rome as well as fellow-labourers in Christ, throughout Asia.

However, this final epistle of Paul, contains information about former Christian workers and mutual acquaintances, including Phygelus and Hermogenes, who had abandoned the apostle in his final hours. It is unlikely that ‘ALL’ fellow believers who “turned away from him” had deserted the gospel of Christ, but it was no doubt painful for Paul to feel so forsaken by trusted friends, in the twilight years of his ministry.

Paul knew that his faith was not vain and was able to confess that he knew the One in Whom he trusted and was persuaded that God was able to finish the good work He had started in His servant’s life. Paul was shown, at the start of his ministry, all the things he would be required to suffer for Christ’s sake, and he wanted Timothy to remain faithful to his calling in spite of the hardships he would also face.

Timothy had not abandoned Paul, like so many other Christian colleagues, so the apostle used this opportunity to encourage the younger man to remain faithful to his calling; to fan into flame his spiritual gift and never to be ashamed of the gospel he preached, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.

It also appears there was a man named Onesiphorus who also remained loyal to Paul, for he closed this first chapter with a beautiful prayer for this loyal friend… “May the Lord grant to him – Onesiphorus, to find mercy from the Lord – on that day”. ‘Onesiphorus’ means ‘bringer of help’  and it is believed that he and his family ministered to the apostle at a time of great need. Paul’s fervent prayer gives witness to the love he had for this brother in Christ and the encouragement he also received from him.

When Paul prayed that Onesiphorus would find mercy from the Lord “on that day”, he was referring to ‘the Day of Christ’, when Jesus will return in the clouds to remove His Church-age saints from the world, before the beginning of the great and terrible, ‘Day of the Lord’ – the 70th week of Daniel which is often called The Great Tribulation.

Paul also used his prayer for Onesiphorus as an encouragement to Timothy… to remain faithful during the difficult days they faced. Onesiphorus was obviously a mutual friend of Paul and Timothy.. for he finished his prayer saying to Timothy, “...and you know very well what services Onesiphorus rendered at Ephesus”.

We do not know what encouragement this man gave Paul or what service he rendered in Ephesus, but we do know that he was a faithful brother in Christ, who had provided Paul with help and encouragement in the past. And in his lonely cell, as he awaited his execution, we are blessed to hear about Onesiphorus.. his gracious ministry to the apostle and his faithful service to the Lord.

Faithfulness to the Lord and fidelity to fellow believers is one of the messages that Paul wanted to instil in Timothy, and it is a message that every one of Christ’s body needs to learn and live-out in these closing days of the Church age.

May we give encouragement to the saints and be a faithful servant of our heavenly Lord in our own sphere of life, and may we honour Him in the lives we live… as did the testimony of these three men in their various ministries – Paul the apostle, Timothy the pastor and Onesiphorus – the ‘Bringer of Help’.

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your word gives witness to the testimony of many men and women, who were faithful in the work You gave them to do. We thank You for the ministry of Paul and the wonderful Scriptures he penned for our learning. We thank You for Timothy, the pastor whose life was such a wonderful demonstration of a young man who was faithful to his calling. And we thank You for servants like Onesiphorus, who brought comfort and encouragement to others. I pray that I would remain faithful to the work that You have given me to do. May I not desire honour or validation from others, but only do what is righteous in Your sight..  for Your greater praise and glory – this I ask in Jesus’ name. AMEN.