Tag: raises

24.x. “On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

 

2 Corintihians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

 Psalms 44:6-7   For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.  But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.

 Proverbs 28:26    Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

 Jeremiah 9:23-24     Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,  but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

 Jeremiah 17:5-7    Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.  He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

Whatever the problem was, it was bad. Because of this problem, Paul lived with the awareness that he might die at any time.  He was able to able to learn from this and say – “not to rely on ourselves but on God”.  He has delivered us, He is delivering us, and He will deliver us – past, present, future.  David, though he used bow and sword, said that he did not trust in them even thought there was victory – It was all of God and not by their might, talent, power, or strength that victory was gained.  

It is when we seek deliverance and rely on self, how is God to help?  Life is marked by events, and our life is lived either in anticipation of those events (looking to the future) or in reflection upon them (looking to the past). In either situation, stress is a possibility. We may be concerned about what is coming, or we may be exhausted by what has happened. Whenever life drains you of strength, let God be your source for refreshment (Psalm 23:1-3). Make prayer your first choice when it comes to unburdening your soul of what this world has done, is doing, and will do that adversely affects you. God is not limited and will deliver you. His strength, His power, His might, His timing.

Not only in this age but also in the one to come

Psalms 113:7  He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

Psalms 22:15    my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

Psalms 69:3    I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God

Psalms 32:3-4    For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Proverbs 17:22    A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Isaiah 26:19     Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Daniel 12:2-3   And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Ephesians 1:20-21     that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

There are two points that are absolute. 1. The dead shall rise and awake   2. some to everlasting life and/or everlasting shame.  Christ died for the sins of very single person and yet there is a forgiveness to some and not to others.

John 3:16  📝  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Those who cling to, trust in, rely on Jesus Christ will show humble service, a heart deep deep desire to honor, follow and obey Him.  At the time of awakening from death these will sing for joy and everlasting life.  Others will awake to shame and everlasting destruction and torment.  They have chosen to reject the gift of salvation, forgiveness, redemption, grace, mercy and love through Christ.  They choose to life for self, never yielding to the call from God to repent.

Faith Praise

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Psalms 113:1  Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!  From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!  The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!  Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,  who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,  to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.  He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!

Psalms 103:20-21   Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

Psalms 134:1    Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD!

Psalms 135:1-3     Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD,  who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God!  Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

Psalms 145:10    All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!

Revelation 19:5     And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

Exodus 15:11     “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Isaiah 40:25     To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

Jeremiah 10:6    There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.

Luke 1:52-53     he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;  he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

James 2:5    Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Being mindful of what God has done, is doing, and will do ought to bring praise to our lips and faith to our heart, mind and soul.  God is in control and His plans and purposes for each of our lives.  He gives us free will (choice) to humbly serve, listen intently to whispers of His leading, faithfully follow and obey and to be used by Him.  Praise grows within our heart and mind as we yield more and more to Him.  It is easy to praise Him in good times.  In tougher times, when our heart is broken, relationships are stressed, and consequences of our sinful nature overbear us, praise seems to be buried deep and far way from our lips.  Many times David has stated in the Psalms how his heart was broken, situations were over bearing, and his friends had abandoned him.  In these Psalms he cried out with these burdens and yet finished with – Praise to God for who He is, for His love, for His power, for His might, for His salvation, and for His promises.  This is where overbearing burdens of this life turn into “Faith Praise”.  This is where the heart, soul and mind, in faith, fully trust, yield, and place whatever the situation is into God’s hand.  There is no other place to find peace for our soul than fully in His care.

Resurrection and the Life

“ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

John 5:19  So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

John 11:25     Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Philippians 3:21    who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Colossians 1:16     For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Psalms 27:14    Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

God’s promise of life “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”  The corner stone of our foundation is in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Upon this foundation throughout our life we have opportunity to build; love, faith, joy, hope, happiness, patience, courage, power, generosity, kindness for the single purpose of humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying God.   Look at life with this lens and commit to that which glorifies Him alone.