The government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) In the Old Testament, the Israeli people were well aware of prophecies regarding a Saviour that would come one day to set them free. They had many different names for Him, including a few covered in our verse today. They knew He was coming, but they never guessed how. Most assumed that He would be a political liberator who would free them from the Roman oppression. But instead of the grand saviour they had in mind, Jesus was raised in Nazareth, a town that prompted people to say, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46, NLT). Scholars believe the …

I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. Philippians 3:9 (MSG) When children aren’t sure of their parents’ love, they constantly look for ways to earn it. They find themselves wondering what they have done to disappoint their parents, and they don’t experience the peace that comes from knowing Mom and Dad love them. Kids who know they are loved can head out into the world with confidence. They are secure enough to take risks because they know that if they fail, they will still be loved. It’s no different between you and God. If you are unsure of God’s love and acceptance, …

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. Mark 10:51 (NLT) When it comes to your future, what are you trusting God to do specifically? Believing that God will use you in general is great. But it’s too vague. It’s a bigger leap of faith to believe for something in particular to happen. In Mark 10, Jesus asked the blind man, Bartimaeus, to be specific about what he wanted Jesus to do. You also need to be specific about what you want Him to do in your life. Don’t allow yourself to stay stuck in any area. It’s time to dream and reach for something greater. I’m not saying that you can’t ever retire from your job, but if you do, you …

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) When you’ve reached a level of success in your finances, relationships or business, eventually you will become dissatisfied with where you are. This is normal. Don’t ignore this feeling. You will be compelled to move on in faith because God has more for you. When this happens, continue to serve God, learn His ways, believe for increase and take action—and you will go to a new level. But once you reach this new level of success, remember that eventually it will be time to move on again. You may pause there to enjoy it for a while and celebrate your accomplishments. But without faith, it’s impossible to please God, so you can’t stay …

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Focusing on the past can keep you from stepping out in faith to grab hold of your future. When you succeed in life, sometimes it can be tempting to stay where you are. Maybe you’ve reached a certain level of success in your career and now you’re just coasting. Or maybe you have a relatively happy marriage so you’re content to just maintain it. But the thing is, faith is purely future tense. It is the evidence of things hoped for and not yet seen, so it’s all about your future. Maybe you’ve never thought about it this way before, but being satisfied to stay where you …