2026 will again be through the Bible chronologically selecting verses which attract my attention or questions or encourage me on the day. I pray it blesses whoever reads . . . My theological background is Salvation Army College and now Church of England. I love all Christian denominations.
Lord Jesus, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Forgive me and help me turn from everything I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the price and set me free from my sin. Please come into my life, fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen.”
“Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. 3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. 4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.” Isaiah 8:1-4 NKJV ” Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. 7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.” Isaiah 39:6-8 NKJV
God who keeps his word,
Isaiah was quite correct in his prophecy in that if the people did not change and return to the Lord the consequences would be the worst possible. They would be removed from their promised land and taken captive again. And so it comes true in Your time God. Judah are taken away some 125 years later.
You cannot lie Lord God. You are truth. Jesus said He was the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). He personified Your character. You never try to trick anyone into obedience. Never give false promises. You never say it will be easy or plain sailing. Sometimes You are misunderstood. Hezekiah thought Isaiah’s message was a good one because he would have peace. He completely missed that the judgement would still come eter on his family. They would suffer terribly along with the whole nation!
We think about the nations of our world and their behaviour and Your judgement. The church worldwide needs to be heard in our day. But it is tough as sin is popular, even acceptable and evil abounds. But then we hear about it more now. Help us remember all the good that is being done every day. All the lives dedicated to You, serving their community and worshiping You. And You Lord amidst it all, will have the final word and victory.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Thursday 11th June 2026 New to me but it caught me as soon as it started.
Let me fail a thousand times if that is what I need Let me lose these dreams of mine if I need to taste defeat You walk me through the fire until I see the heart of your desire You came to me
And through these dark and raging seas Your grace has not abandoned me And for these storms I thank my God For they drove me to the solid rock
From the shipwreck of my life, you build a truer heart In my brokenness you shine, my loss is where you start To form in me your will until my love is a reflection of Your love for me
And through these dark and raging seas Your grace has not abandoned me And for these storms I thank my God For they drove me to the solid rock
You pursue those you love And so we have no need to fear For these storms will draw us near To you
Chorus repeat . . . For they drove me to the solid rock Yes You drove me to the solid rock
Lyrics: Michael Gomez, Jon Lowry, Chad Mattson and Doug McKelvey (2015)
“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; 3 the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” Isaiah 1:1-3 NKJV
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:1-8 NKJV
Father God,
It is only as I read these first 6 chapters of Isaiah again, in one sitting, that I noticed that Isaiah’s Temple call came after He was already serving You as a prophet and speaking Your message. And being told they are not even as bright as a donkey who recognises its master!
I see chapter 6 from a different angle. Rather than being Your calling Him to service, it was more of a dedication and confirmation? He had already heard Your call and obeyed and was doing it. Which made me think about how prophecy today when given in church is usually to confirm to a person what You God are already telling them by Your Spirit. This is a good test for prophecy.
It must have had an awesome effect of Isaiah. To glimpse Your might, majesty and holiness. But then to be touched personally with Your confirmation, purification and commitment to the task. Remind us Lord that sometimes we just need to get involved and listen for Your confirmation. If we are in the right place, You will let us know. We can have confidence that when we are called to serve You, You are in it with us it is not all on our shoulders. How wonderful.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Wednesday 10th June 2026 Just had to be this. I shall be humming it for days . . . love it.
I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in deepest sin My hand will save. I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord. Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain. I have wept for love of them. They turn away. I will break their hearts of stone, Give them hearts for love alone. I will speak my word to them, Whom shall I send?
Chorus
I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame. I will set a feast for them. My hand will save. Finest bread I will provide Till their hearts be satisfied. I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?
“Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour your land in your presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a hut in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:5-9 NKJV
Lord of light,
We need Your help as we enter into the book of Isaiah. It speaks history, Isaiah prophesies to Judah present and future. He speaks of their future where it touches our past. It speaks to how Judah’s future will bless ours and theirs and our far distant future. But Isaiah’s prophecies of judgement were also to Judah and the nations around in their day.
The Kings of Judah spanning this time were Uzziah (Also called Asariah, who had leprosy, 2 Kings 15:1-5), followed by Jotham, Ahaz, and then Hezekiah. The northern kingdom of Israel was going through a politically turbulent time and the Kingdom changed hands many times. There was Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah and Hoshea (the final king of Israel before the fall of Samaria) Four of whom were ‘smote’ that is killed by their successors!
At least the first five chapters of Isaiah set the scene of Your condemnation and judgement of Judah. Colourful illustrations if a bit gruesome. Putrefying sores, open wounds and not a bandage in sight. They are vulnerable like a cheap little temporary woven shelter for a watchman in a cucumber field. Not rich inhabitants of a glorious city on a hill! Isaiah constantly warns to give opportunity for Judah to humble themselves and return to You.
It gives me reason to pause and thank You for the millions of world wide teachers and preachers and Bible study leaders and Sunday school teachers who bring us Your Word. And most of all we thank You that Your holy Spirit enables us to hear what You are saying individually to us and as a church. (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10) May we hear and respond.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Tuesday 9th June 2026
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what you would do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with Thee I one will, to do and to endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, Till I am holy Thine Until this earthly part of me, Glows with Thy fire divine.
