Tag: redeem

You meant it for harm

Psalms 119:153  Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!  Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.  Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules.  Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.  I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands.  Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love.  The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

1 Peter 4:12–16  Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad

Matthew 5:10–12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward

1 Peter 1:6–7  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory

Philippians 2:14–16  Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life…

Trust in the word of God is forged in the real world, a world full of trials, troubles, persecution and those who wish us harm.  “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

One of the most potentially defeating aspects of being a Christian is wanting to be in control when things in and around our lives are out of control.  It seems as though we take aim at that which is troublesome with our own mind, wisdom, power, and strength, when in fact, these trials and troubles are indeed not ours to fight.  On our own and in our own strength we can do little to have lasting victory or any victory at all.  Fear of the unknown outcomes seem to drive us to thinking we need to go it on our own.

God is in control even when things seem so out of control and we fear the unknown future.  And, yet what trumps that fear and evil is knowing that, no matter what comes, God is in control. Waiting for His perfect timing and trusting in Him allows us to confidently say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Being able to wait on Him is a testimony to faith, trust, hope and reliance in Jesus.    He loves us.  He wants what is best for us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has plans and purpose for our lives.

Empty Tomb

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

John 20:1  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”  So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.  Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,  and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.  Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Psalms 16:10     For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Isaiah 25:8     He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.

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.

Isaiah 53:10     Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Hosea 13:14     I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.

Acts 2:25     For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;  therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.  For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’  “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,  he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.  This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Acts 13:29     And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.  But God raised him from the dead,  and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.  And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,

Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day.  He was witnessed by hundred’s of people during the forty days after His resurrection and prior to His ascension. He came to redeem the lost and give hope of eternal life. The need for redemption is real.  The promise of redemption is real.  The penalty of rejection is real.

 “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.”

Do not fall into the trap of neglect or complacency or rejection of this great price paid for redemption.

 

Blessed Assurance

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”

John 11:23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”  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?”   She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John 5:28    Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

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.

Psalms 17:15    As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Ezekiel 37:1    The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.  And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.  And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.”

Daniel 12:2    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.

Hosea 13:14     I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.

Blessed assurance that death will not be our final state.  Everlasting life awaits those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ.  We get so got up in things this side of eternity we lose sight of that which is beyond what we see here.  This life is but a vapor when compared to eternity.  Yet is seems so long at times.  When trials, issues, troubles come we have the assurance that the same person who will raise us from the dead is also able to wrap His loving arms around us and give comfort, refuge, hope, love, courage, and peace.  Rejoice and praise Him for He is able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  We are redeemed and will be alive forever with Him.

Become brighter

“Whoever does not love me does not keep my words”

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

John 3:9  Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”  Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Isaiah 50:2     Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?

Isaiah 42:16    And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

Isaiah 65:2    I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;

Acts 28:27    “‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Scripture from God states many hearts are dull and eyes and ears shut to the word of God.  They can not perceive Him, or see His hand at work, or hear His whispers of guidance and leading.  I do not know what is worse; to have rejected Him and live apart from Him, or to have tasted the love of God and live a life apart from Him.  One says I don’t want to know You.  The other says I want to know You but only for the benefit of myself and  stay at arms length but be ready when I need you.  We must choose to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.  This choice is between do we serve self or do we serve God.  If the choice is to serve God we have to ask what does a life look like that is being lived out with this choice.  Does it keep God at arms length or does it reach out seeking, pleading, wanting, willing, needing to have communion and leading with and from God each day?  If we want to stay close to God we must have hearts that are open willing, ears that are open and seeking whispers of God, and eyes that are open and wanting to see the hand of God working.  Stay in His word each day, live to honor and glorify Him, follow, serve, obey.

I have found a ransom

“What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?”

“His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;”

“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 if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Psalms 49:15  But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.

Psalms 31:5    Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

Psalms 56:13    For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Hosea 13:14    I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.

Revelation 14:13   And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

Psalms 16:10  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Psalms 86:13   For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

It is clear that those who are redeemed by his might, mercy, and grace will not see the death reserved for all mankind – Sheol(Hell).  The question is asked – “What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?” No man can live and not see death.  This is our end.  But the question more important is who can deliver us from hell?  What are the requirements for this deliverance?  That too is clear.  Believe in the redemption in and through Christ.  Too many stop at this and say I believe but there is no deliverance in the way they live other than going to church once per week.  They are consumed by the things this world has to offer and so easily lose sight of humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying God each day.  Little time is spent in His word, meditating on it, or listening to Him speak through His word into their heart, mind, and soul.  Ask yourself how much do you want God into your daily life.  if the answer is more – then commit to spend more time in His word and living each day as He directs.