Month: September 2025

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Isaiah 66:1-24
  Philippians 3:4-21
  Psalm 74:1-23
  Proverbs 24:15-16

Isaiah 66:1 — This verse was one of the last words of Stephen (Acts 7:49) and was the transition from narrating the history of Israel to condemning his accusers. Isaiah has been the voice of the LORD rejecting the religious practices of His people:

• Sacrifices – Isaiah 1:11
• Fasting – Isaiah 58:5
• Building Projects – Isaiah 66:1-2

Isaiah 66:22-24 — Wow! Isaiah concludes with a stark contrast. The redeemed of the LORD will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth, and the worm shall not die and the fire will not be quenched for the men that transgress against the LORD (Mark 9:44, 46, 48). From GotQuestions.org:

Mark 9:48 does not mean that there are literal worms in hell or that there are worms that live forever; rather, Jesus is teaching the fact of unending suffering in hell—the “worm” never stops causing torment. Notice that the worm is personal. Both Isaiah 66:24 and Mark 9:48 use the word their to identify the worm’s owner. The sources of torment are attached each to its own host.

Some Bible scholars believe the “worm” refers to a man’s conscience. Those in hell, being completely cut off from God, exist with a nagging, guilty conscience that, like a persistent worm, gnaws away at its victim with a remorse that can never be mitigated. No matter what the word worm refers to, the most important thing to be gained from these words of Christ is that we should do everything in our power to escape the horrors of hell, and there is only one thing to that end—receiving Jesus as the Lord of our lives (John 3:16).

https://www.gotquestions.org/worm-will-not-die.html

Philippians 3:8 — Paul recognizes the truth of Isaiah: God doesn’t care what religious credentials we have. No matter if we’ve been circumcised the eighth day, a Pharisee, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, Paul declares that it all is dung, echoing Malachi 2:3. There is a trend among the cool theologians of today to say that Paul really said a more vulgar version of the word “dung,” but Gary Manning Jr. debunks that myth quite clearly:

Paul was not alone in using σκύβαλα as a metaphor for something worthless in the moral or religious realm. Philo and Sirach both used σκύβαλα to describe undesirable qualities that should be abandoned. Paul’s interesting, and somewhat different, use of the word is to say that his desirable religious credentials (circumcision, pedigree, Pharisaism, zeal, obedience to the Law) were σκύβαλα – worthless waste – in comparison to knowing Jesus (Phil 3:4-8).

https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2015/did-the-apostle-paul-use-profanity

Philippians 3:9 — Paul said his righteousness of the Law was “dung.” It was worthless because it was powerless. Now, the righteousness of Christ was powerful (Philippians 3:10); it is priceless (not worthless) because it is so powerful. It is so powerful that it can defeat death (Philippians 3:11)!

Philippians 3:12 — Jesus caught Paul, now Paul is trying to catch Jesus. Notice that Paul hasn’t apprehended (entire sanctification) Him yet, and won’t until glorification (Philippians 3:11).

Philippians 3:14 — May this be our goal in life as well. May we not seek the prize of an Olympic gold medal, or a Super Bowl ring, or a Fantasy Football championship, with the same intensity as the high calling of God in Christ Jesus! What a day that will be (Philippians 3:21)!

Psalm 74:18 — What does God say about His name? There are 90 references in the Old Testament to “my Name“. What does God think about people who misuse His Name?

Proverbs 24:16 — Endurance is the mark of a just man. Don’t stop! Don’t quit! Sounds a lot like Philippians 3:14!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Isaiah 62:6-65:25
  Philippians 2:19-3:3
  Psalm 73:1-28
  Proverbs 24:13-14

Isaiah 63:1-4 — From Jimmy DeYoung:

Isaiah asked two questions, the first in verse 1, “Who is he that cometh from Edom, from Bozrah?” This is the geographical location of Petra in southern Jordan. To this question the Lord responds with, “I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save”.

In verse 2 the second question, “Why is his apparel stained with ‘red’ like him that treadeth in the winefat?” The Lord responds to this question, verse 3, “I have trodden the winepress alone”. The Lord said, their blood will be sprinkled upon His garments, “for the day of his vengeance is come verse 4. It is in verse 4 that the Lord finishes the thought of Isaiah 61:2.

This prophetic account is what will happen after the Lord goes to the Jezreel Valley at the time of the “Battle of Armageddon.” After all the enemies are destroyed by Jesus Christ, He makes the trip to Petra, traveling the 176 miles predicted by John in Revelation 14:19-20.

The blood rises as high as the “horse bridles” for that trip. The blood comes from the bodies of the hundreds of millions of men who die on the “battle field”. This will be a terrible time in history.

By the way, it is 176 miles from Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley to the entrance of Petra, the place “prepared by God” to protect the Jewish people in the last three and a half years in the Tribulation Period, Revelation 12:6.

This is the end time scenario of this terrible time of the end and the death of those who follow Satan instead of Jesus. It is a time when some of our loved ones may well be there because they have never trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

http://devotional.prophecytoday.com/search/label/Isaiah

Here are some pictures from my recent time in Petra with Jimmy DeYoung:

Isaiah 62:7-9 — The lovingkindness of the Lord (Isaiah 62:7) is demonstrated by His work as Savior (Isaiah 62:8) and by redeeming His people (Isaiah 62:9). How did He redeem us (Isaiah 53:5-6)? The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 is the LORD, the Redeemer of Isaiah 62:9.

Isaiah 64:1 — ”Rend the Heavens” is a song based on this verse.

Isaiah 64:4 — Quoted in 1 Corinthians 2:4, but what’s so amazing is that this promise is for sinners (Isaiah 64:5-7)! We’ll see what this promise is all about when we get to Isaiah 65:17-18 (Revelation 21:1-2).

Isaiah 65:5 — God doesn’t care for those who are “holier than thou.”

Philippians 2:20 — Paul was proud of Timothy, a servant in the Gospel (Philippians 2:22) and naturally caring (Philippians 2:20).

Philippians 3:1 — ”Rejoice in the LORD!” from Patch the Pirate:

Psalm 73:2 — Asaph’s “Psalm of Slipping Steps.” He needed to return to the sanctuary in order to see the ultimate end of the wicked (Psalm 73:17).

Psalm 73:26-28 – From Earl Martin:

Proverbs 24:14 — Knowledge is to the soul what honey is to the taste!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: Makepeace, Caroline. “Hiking the Back Door to the Ancient City of Petra, Jordan.” Y Travel Blog, 22 Apr. 2025, www.ytravelblog.com/guide-petra-jordan.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  Isaiah 60:1-62:5
  Philippians 1:27-2:18
  Psalm 72:1-20
  Proverbs 24:11-12

Isaiah 60:2-3 — This passage forms the tenth movement of Handel’s Messiah. Verse 3 foreshadows the Great Commission – universal, no longer tribal.

Isaiah 60:19 — Revelation 21:23 and 22:5 echo this verse, but notice the addition in Revelation 21:23 – the lamp of the city is the Lamb!

Isaiah 61:1-2 — Jesus’ first synagogue message in Nazareth after His baptism (Luke 4:16) was from Isaiah. Interestingly, this was not His request, but it was given to Him (Luke 4:17). He quoted from this verse and presumably from Isaiah 60:3. Notice that Jesus stopped in the middle of verse 2. This was not the day of vengeance but the day of mercy, and yet, the synagogue crowd tried to stone Him (Luke 4:29).

Nazareth Synagogue Church

Isaiah 62:4 — The woman called “Forsaken” shall now be called “Hephzibah,” i.e. the LORD delights in me! What a gracious and forgiving God we serve!

Philippians 1:29 — Suffering is a gift of God.

Philippians 2:7 — This is referred to as the Kenosis passage, as Jesus debased Himself unto the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:10-11 — Yes, every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:14 — Murmurings? Paul had to warn the Corinthians about that (1 Corinthians 10:10), and remember that the Israelites had done the same thing to Moses (Exodus 15:24).

Psalm 72:1 — Who is this King that has dominion unto the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8)? The answer is in vs. 18 – this is the LORD God’s reign on earth.

Proverbs 24:11-12 — Paul echoed this thought in 1 Corinthians 9:16. “Thousands are dying, every day now, with no hope or light. How can we standby without telling of Christ’s great sacrifice?”

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: Berthold Werner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons