Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
Christ is waiting on you, even now, so that he can be gracious towards you. He is at this moment at your door, arms full of gifts, desiring for you to come to him to that he may be generous to you. For this reason Christ died to purchase for you every good gift and every blessing in the heavenly realms. He was exalted to the highest place so that he may be able to show mercy to us by bringing us to where he is. He will show compassion on whom he will show compassion for He is a God of Justice, rebuking the oppressors and lifting up the oppressed.
And just as Christ waits on us, we wait on him. Just as He longs for us so shall we long for Him. This is the Great Anticipation, when Husband and Bride shall be united at last, when all that is His shall be ours as well. He has dressed us in all his splendor and bought for us a garment of praise. He has adorned us with the crown of life.
But his gifts come to us even in this life as we pray as well for justice to be done. Heaven is breaking into Earth at the place where God dwells inside his temple, inside each and every believer by the power of the Holy Spirit, the first fruits of what is to come.
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Isaiah 1:24-26
"Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.
I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.
I will restore your leaders as in days of old,
your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City."
God never ceases to amaze. God vents his wrath not for the sake of destroying sinners, but to restore his holy people. His turning of his hand against us is the same as his removing all unrighteousness. He wants to restore us back to what were were at the beginning so that afterward we would be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful city.
However, the restoration and purification of God's elect involves the removal of those who are not God's elect. All who have sinned and gone astray will be purged as dross so that only the faithful remain. But not one of us is elect. All have sinned and are unrighteous, only to be purged, had not God sent His Righteous One to intercede for us. Only one has been faithful and obedient, Jesus Christ, and it is only as we find ourselves in him that we take part in the life of the elect for only Christ is elect. For the sake of one righteous man, God spared the world.
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.
I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.
I will restore your leaders as in days of old,
your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City."
God never ceases to amaze. God vents his wrath not for the sake of destroying sinners, but to restore his holy people. His turning of his hand against us is the same as his removing all unrighteousness. He wants to restore us back to what were were at the beginning so that afterward we would be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful city.
However, the restoration and purification of God's elect involves the removal of those who are not God's elect. All who have sinned and gone astray will be purged as dross so that only the faithful remain. But not one of us is elect. All have sinned and are unrighteous, only to be purged, had not God sent His Righteous One to intercede for us. Only one has been faithful and obedient, Jesus Christ, and it is only as we find ourselves in him that we take part in the life of the elect for only Christ is elect. For the sake of one righteous man, God spared the world.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Isaiah 1:9
Unless the Lord Almighty
Unless the Lord Almighty
Our God is overflowing with grace and mercy, forgiving sins for no reason other than that it pleased him to do so through the death of His own Son, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.
God's inequity is not God's injustice. In God's wrath, some will perish. It is the inevitable truth that not all people will be saved on that great and fearful day. Such is the heart of a man that is desperately sick (Jer 17:9), resisting even in the last days (Rev 9:20). Even the greatest of evangelists during our time understand this, that sometimes you just need to kick the dust off your feet and move on (Matt 10:14; Mark 6:11).
Is God being unfair or unjust by choosing to save only some? By no means! God did not have to save anyone at all. All men have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Rom 3:23), the glory they were made to reflect (Gen 1:27). Again and again, we see God punishing mankind for their sins, but never to the extent it deserves. Genesis 6, Exodus 32, and all through Judges and the prophets, and yet he never fully erases humanity from the face of the Earth.
So we say with great thanksgiving,
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.
Our God is overflowing with grace and mercy, forgiving sins for no reason other than that it pleased him to do so through the death of His own Son, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Isaiah 43:13
"Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?"
This is true power, that whenever you act it will not be stopped or undone. God is the Almighty creator of all that is seen and unseen. No one can destroy what he has created. We know this from Chemistry and thermodynamics, that mass/energy can neither be created nor destroyed. All there is in the world is all there will ever be. Can anyone undo what God did?
Divine omnipotence is not the ability to do anything, as commonly misconceived, but the divine quality that when one acts, it will be accomplished. Whatever God does he accomplishes. Whatever he starts, he will finish. When He acts, who can reverse it? The Chief priests and elder scribes thought to end the life of Jesus by handing him over to crucifixion. They thought they had power, but God reversed Christ's death. The Holy One lives and will never see decay. None can hope to reverse his resurrection for he has shown that not even death could hold him.
Praise be to God that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us who believe in what God has done in order that we too might be raised to eternal life! Because God has decreed that we be delivered from our sins, who can reverse it? Thankfully, no one at all, Hallelujah!
This is true power, that whenever you act it will not be stopped or undone. God is the Almighty creator of all that is seen and unseen. No one can destroy what he has created. We know this from Chemistry and thermodynamics, that mass/energy can neither be created nor destroyed. All there is in the world is all there will ever be. Can anyone undo what God did?
Divine omnipotence is not the ability to do anything, as commonly misconceived, but the divine quality that when one acts, it will be accomplished. Whatever God does he accomplishes. Whatever he starts, he will finish. When He acts, who can reverse it? The Chief priests and elder scribes thought to end the life of Jesus by handing him over to crucifixion. They thought they had power, but God reversed Christ's death. The Holy One lives and will never see decay. None can hope to reverse his resurrection for he has shown that not even death could hold him.
Praise be to God that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us who believe in what God has done in order that we too might be raised to eternal life! Because God has decreed that we be delivered from our sins, who can reverse it? Thankfully, no one at all, Hallelujah!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Isaiah 52:12
"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
One of the best things about following Christ is that even though the future may be uncertain and scary to you, God already knows what is up ahead. The God who created all things, including time, knows every single thing that will occur. He can move about freely through time because he is of a higher dimension. He can fast forward, pause, and rewind as he sees fit. He is the author of both time and space.
And all of time is like a single instant to God for to him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. (Psalms 90:4) When God created the universe, he did not create a single moment, but a single story, the difference between snapping a picture and making a movie, however this movie is played out in real time as God is able to step into time and make edits as it plays.
So the LORD, the God of Israel will go before you to prepare your way, so do not worry about the future. And the LORD will guard your back as you press forward so you need not fear your past either. You are free to live and free to be as God made you to be, free from fear and just as God stepped into time, he has enabled us to step with him into eternity.
One of the best things about following Christ is that even though the future may be uncertain and scary to you, God already knows what is up ahead. The God who created all things, including time, knows every single thing that will occur. He can move about freely through time because he is of a higher dimension. He can fast forward, pause, and rewind as he sees fit. He is the author of both time and space.
And all of time is like a single instant to God for to him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. (Psalms 90:4) When God created the universe, he did not create a single moment, but a single story, the difference between snapping a picture and making a movie, however this movie is played out in real time as God is able to step into time and make edits as it plays.
So the LORD, the God of Israel will go before you to prepare your way, so do not worry about the future. And the LORD will guard your back as you press forward so you need not fear your past either. You are free to live and free to be as God made you to be, free from fear and just as God stepped into time, he has enabled us to step with him into eternity.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Isaiah 35:4-6
"Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert."
Are these not the things that happened when Christ came upon the Earth? When our LORD set foot upon this land, were not the eyes of the blind opened? Did not deaf people hear? Were cripples and paralytics not leaping and rejoicing? And were not the mute shouting with joy in praise of their savior? All these things and more happened when the LORD came with retribution and vengeance, and yet we were spared.
We, who sinned against God and against man, were not paid back an equal measure of divine justice for our wickedness. No, this God who is swift to bring justice instead exacted this wrath upon Satan by using himself as the bait. Our sins were placed on Christ as the worm is placed on the hook, and this time it was Satan who was tempted to take a bite. And so the serpent bit at his heel which in turn crushed his head (Gen 3:15).
So now we have everlasting water so that we may never thirst again. That even though we walk through the wilderness, our God has already been there. His path has been made straight as he leads us to Zion. And we are never alone. Never again will we be alone.
Are these not the things that happened when Christ came upon the Earth? When our LORD set foot upon this land, were not the eyes of the blind opened? Did not deaf people hear? Were cripples and paralytics not leaping and rejoicing? And were not the mute shouting with joy in praise of their savior? All these things and more happened when the LORD came with retribution and vengeance, and yet we were spared.
We, who sinned against God and against man, were not paid back an equal measure of divine justice for our wickedness. No, this God who is swift to bring justice instead exacted this wrath upon Satan by using himself as the bait. Our sins were placed on Christ as the worm is placed on the hook, and this time it was Satan who was tempted to take a bite. And so the serpent bit at his heel which in turn crushed his head (Gen 3:15).
So now we have everlasting water so that we may never thirst again. That even though we walk through the wilderness, our God has already been there. His path has been made straight as he leads us to Zion. And we are never alone. Never again will we be alone.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Mark 1:1-2
"The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet..."
The gospel according to Mark does not begin at Jesus's birth like in Matthew and Luke, but begins in Isaiah 40. Those familiar with the Old Testament (Mark and potentially his Jewish/Christian audience) know what Isaiah 40 is about from memory. It announces there will be comfort for God's people and that sin has been paid for. (Isaiah 40:1-2) It announces the coming of the LORD and the revelation of His glory and one who will prepare His way for Him. (Is 40:3-5) And though we are but temporary, the Lord is everlasting and his kingdom will have no end. (Is 40:6ff)
Mark is not only saying that the LORD is coming with power to rule with a mighty arm, but in the gentlest of ways as a shepherd tends his flock (Is 40:9-11), but that he is here and his name is Jesus Christ. This God in Christ, who created the world and whom none can fathom (Is 40:12-14) and is incomparable (Is 40:15-26) is now seen and touched and accessible by all. He is here to give strength to the weary and power to the weak so that all who trust in the LORD will renew their strength and soar on wings like eagles. (Isaiah 40:27-31)
And that, my friends, is only the beginning, the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
The gospel according to Mark does not begin at Jesus's birth like in Matthew and Luke, but begins in Isaiah 40. Those familiar with the Old Testament (Mark and potentially his Jewish/Christian audience) know what Isaiah 40 is about from memory. It announces there will be comfort for God's people and that sin has been paid for. (Isaiah 40:1-2) It announces the coming of the LORD and the revelation of His glory and one who will prepare His way for Him. (Is 40:3-5) And though we are but temporary, the Lord is everlasting and his kingdom will have no end. (Is 40:6ff)
Mark is not only saying that the LORD is coming with power to rule with a mighty arm, but in the gentlest of ways as a shepherd tends his flock (Is 40:9-11), but that he is here and his name is Jesus Christ. This God in Christ, who created the world and whom none can fathom (Is 40:12-14) and is incomparable (Is 40:15-26) is now seen and touched and accessible by all. He is here to give strength to the weary and power to the weak so that all who trust in the LORD will renew their strength and soar on wings like eagles. (Isaiah 40:27-31)
And that, my friends, is only the beginning, the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Isaiah 55:1
"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
What does it cost to get into heaven? What must I do and how should I worship? These are the most common questions people ask about heaven to which the most common answer is "be a good person". The answer is wrong simply because the questions are also wrong. Heaven is absolutely free to get into. It was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and you simply need to believe in the message of Jesus Christ. Simple right?
Actually, it absolutely is. God needs absolutely nothing from you. He's GOD, he doesn't need anything because everything is already his. Heaven is already yours if you believe what God has said. He has already done everything for you so you need not do anything.
However, if you truly believed in God, we can expect certain reactions: Thanksgiving and worship of God, faith in what he has done, living a full life according to God's word, and lastly testifying in love and truth to the graciousness of our God. None of these things buy salvation because salvation is free and because it is free, these things are sure to follow those who believe it.
So how do you get to heaven? Don't do anything but rather respond to what has already been done!
What does it cost to get into heaven? What must I do and how should I worship? These are the most common questions people ask about heaven to which the most common answer is "be a good person". The answer is wrong simply because the questions are also wrong. Heaven is absolutely free to get into. It was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and you simply need to believe in the message of Jesus Christ. Simple right?
Actually, it absolutely is. God needs absolutely nothing from you. He's GOD, he doesn't need anything because everything is already his. Heaven is already yours if you believe what God has said. He has already done everything for you so you need not do anything.
However, if you truly believed in God, we can expect certain reactions: Thanksgiving and worship of God, faith in what he has done, living a full life according to God's word, and lastly testifying in love and truth to the graciousness of our God. None of these things buy salvation because salvation is free and because it is free, these things are sure to follow those who believe it.
So how do you get to heaven? Don't do anything but rather respond to what has already been done!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Isaiah 41:9-10
"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
A passage originally intended for the chosen people of Israel is now extended to all believers by the power of atoning work of Jesus Christ. It is in this act that God has chosen to be for us that nothing may be against us. God is free to be any sort of God he likes to be, and in his freedom He has chosen to be our God. Because god is holy he has called out from the farthest corners a people for himself (what once was Israel and now is the Church) to be a nation of priests and servants.
And so it is that if God has chosen to be for you and your good, who can stop him? Who can stop the Almighty One from doing what he wants to do? No one, and that is good news indeed!
A passage originally intended for the chosen people of Israel is now extended to all believers by the power of atoning work of Jesus Christ. It is in this act that God has chosen to be for us that nothing may be against us. God is free to be any sort of God he likes to be, and in his freedom He has chosen to be our God. Because god is holy he has called out from the farthest corners a people for himself (what once was Israel and now is the Church) to be a nation of priests and servants.
And so it is that if God has chosen to be for you and your good, who can stop him? Who can stop the Almighty One from doing what he wants to do? No one, and that is good news indeed!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Isaiah 45:22-23
"Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the Earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear"
God is self existent and self sufficient. God has life in and of himself. Everything God does is an act of grace because God does not have to do anything. He is perfect and content as he is and everything he does is thus "for his good pleasure". (Eph 1) God can never fail, and thus his grace never fails.
At any given moment, we are always already immersed in God's grace, our own existence a manifestation of it. However we do not realize it just as a fish does not understand that it is wet. There is only One God by which we can be saved for only one exists and as surely as the LORD lives, he is God over all people. It is only when we recognize and confess grace through the revelation of God that we are brought to faith by God and thus salvation.
He swears by himself because there is nothing greater to swear by. He is who He is and the only prerequisite for his being is his being the great unchanging "I AM" God's existence is an essential characteristic. He cannot "not be" for he is existence in and of itself.
all you ends of the Earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear"
God is self existent and self sufficient. God has life in and of himself. Everything God does is an act of grace because God does not have to do anything. He is perfect and content as he is and everything he does is thus "for his good pleasure". (Eph 1) God can never fail, and thus his grace never fails.
At any given moment, we are always already immersed in God's grace, our own existence a manifestation of it. However we do not realize it just as a fish does not understand that it is wet. There is only One God by which we can be saved for only one exists and as surely as the LORD lives, he is God over all people. It is only when we recognize and confess grace through the revelation of God that we are brought to faith by God and thus salvation.
He swears by himself because there is nothing greater to swear by. He is who He is and the only prerequisite for his being is his being the great unchanging "I AM" God's existence is an essential characteristic. He cannot "not be" for he is existence in and of itself.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Isaiah 9:2
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned."
Do not doubt in the dark what you have seen in the light. When a great storm comes upon you and knocks out the power, you blindly stumble throughout the house. Suddenly a flash of lightning shakes the house and illuminates the room. For the briefest of moments, you know where you are and how to get to where you are going. When the room fades again to black, the reality of the room does not disappear but rather is hidden.
Such is faith to us, like lightning in the deep dark of night. Amidst the sea of doubt and the fog of suffering, our God is a lighthouse, a salvation for those lost at sea. And you only need to see it once through the cracks of obscurity to forever know it is there, seen or unseen. We walk in the light whether the light shines or not because it's there whether we see it or not.
But what we cannot do is convince another of what we have seen. All they see is dark and fog without the light. Only by trust would a man believe solely upon our word, but it would not be real in his mind until he sees what we saw in the light. All we can do is simply tell him where to look when the lightning strikes.
on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned."
Do not doubt in the dark what you have seen in the light. When a great storm comes upon you and knocks out the power, you blindly stumble throughout the house. Suddenly a flash of lightning shakes the house and illuminates the room. For the briefest of moments, you know where you are and how to get to where you are going. When the room fades again to black, the reality of the room does not disappear but rather is hidden.
Such is faith to us, like lightning in the deep dark of night. Amidst the sea of doubt and the fog of suffering, our God is a lighthouse, a salvation for those lost at sea. And you only need to see it once through the cracks of obscurity to forever know it is there, seen or unseen. We walk in the light whether the light shines or not because it's there whether we see it or not.
But what we cannot do is convince another of what we have seen. All they see is dark and fog without the light. Only by trust would a man believe solely upon our word, but it would not be real in his mind until he sees what we saw in the light. All we can do is simply tell him where to look when the lightning strikes.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Isaiah 26:12
"O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works."
"It is finished" were his dying words, still fresh on his lips as he breathed his last. He wasn't talking about his life, no not at all, but rather what he did for us. Where we could not bear the full burden of the Law, He fulfilled the law, where we could not produce for ourselves fruit, he became fruit for us. Where we had no works to show, He has done for us all our works that we too might become righteous before the eyes of God.
No longer must we live in fear of damnation and condemnation for our wickedness, but because of Christ we might enjoy peace with God! He has become for us a seat of atonement that we might come to for the forgiveness of sins, that he might wash us and cleanse us from all impurity and clothe us with all righteousness that we might be able to enjoy the fullness of the banquet with joy and not anxiety.
So let us rejoice, he's done everything for us! No longer must we work, but now is the time to celebrate! Invite all your friends for He has done it! It is finished, Hallelujah!
"It is finished" were his dying words, still fresh on his lips as he breathed his last. He wasn't talking about his life, no not at all, but rather what he did for us. Where we could not bear the full burden of the Law, He fulfilled the law, where we could not produce for ourselves fruit, he became fruit for us. Where we had no works to show, He has done for us all our works that we too might become righteous before the eyes of God.
No longer must we live in fear of damnation and condemnation for our wickedness, but because of Christ we might enjoy peace with God! He has become for us a seat of atonement that we might come to for the forgiveness of sins, that he might wash us and cleanse us from all impurity and clothe us with all righteousness that we might be able to enjoy the fullness of the banquet with joy and not anxiety.
So let us rejoice, he's done everything for us! No longer must we work, but now is the time to celebrate! Invite all your friends for He has done it! It is finished, Hallelujah!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2
"The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor."
The Gospel isn't simply about forgiveness. Those who believe that the Gospel is that Christ died on a cross in order to forgive sins only understand half of what the Gospel is. This verse points to so many various things that Jesus did in His ministry in fulfillment of the law and prophets, all of which can be summed up in one word: reconciliation. Yes, Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins in order that we may live, but more than that, so that we might live unto and through Him in right relationship with God our Father.
Jesus came to bring restoration of this world back to the way it was in the beginning, to rightfully restore us back to a place of dominion over all of the Earth as it's stewards, and to condemn that usurper who took from us our dominion and enslaved us by deceiving us into obeying him rather than God, the prince of this world, Satan.
Do not forget: We are agents, ambassadors for Christ, spreading the ministry of reconciliation which He started and has set in our hearts so that He may continue to work through his body on Earth, the Church.
The Gospel isn't simply about forgiveness. Those who believe that the Gospel is that Christ died on a cross in order to forgive sins only understand half of what the Gospel is. This verse points to so many various things that Jesus did in His ministry in fulfillment of the law and prophets, all of which can be summed up in one word: reconciliation. Yes, Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins in order that we may live, but more than that, so that we might live unto and through Him in right relationship with God our Father.
Jesus came to bring restoration of this world back to the way it was in the beginning, to rightfully restore us back to a place of dominion over all of the Earth as it's stewards, and to condemn that usurper who took from us our dominion and enslaved us by deceiving us into obeying him rather than God, the prince of this world, Satan.
Do not forget: We are agents, ambassadors for Christ, spreading the ministry of reconciliation which He started and has set in our hearts so that He may continue to work through his body on Earth, the Church.
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