Tag Archives: salvation

THINGS THAT DAVID SAID – 8

Devotion, ,

RESTORE!

Psalms 51:12 NIV
[12] “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

“Did you know that the word “restore” appears 136 times in the Bible? The Bible is filled with examples of healing and restoration. It is a consistent theme in both the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis all the way to Revelation.”
(https://theredeemed.com)

If I could give God a middle name that describes something about Him that is deeply embedded in His character, I would call Him “Yahweh Shoob”, the God who restores.

“Shoob” is one of the multifaceted Hebrew words with a multiplicity of meanings according to the context. However, when it comes to the character of God, one word above all others fits the bill… RESTORE!

Unlike our human tendency to destroy, and we do it all the time when our inborn selfishness crashes into the selfishness of others, God’s passion is to restore. He loves to fix situations and people so that His kingdom of love and light can become the real way for us to live on the earth.

The trouble is that we are more focused on the brokennes in our world than about the people who caused it, including ourselves…and that means ourselves first. When we keep playing the blame game, nothing will be restored.

Let’s examine David’s prayer in context.

His guilty secret was out! He had created a mess through his selfish behaviour. He had stolen another man’s wife and then tried to cover it up, first, by trickery and then, when that didn’t work, by murder! By “diminishing” Uriah, his mistress’ husband, by having him killed, he had conveniently forgotten that God never, ever let him down, and that he was to treat others in the same way.

God knew! He told His prophet, Nathan, to confront David with his sin. David was mortified. Instead of making excuses, like many of us would do, he came clean.

In two of his well-known psalms, David revealed the turmoil of his guilty conscience.

Psalms 32:3-4 NLT
[3] “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. [4] Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.”

David agonised over the terrible weight of his guilt. In his despair, he turned to the Lord, throwing himself on God’s mercy, knowing that no amount of animal sacrifice could make up for what he had done.

Psalms 51:1-4 NLT
[1] “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. [2] Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. [3] For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. [4] Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.”

David acknowledged that he deserved everything God’s judgment would bring on him. Crushed by his sinfulness, he hurled his pitiful self on “chesed”, the covenant love of God.

Psalms 32:5 NLT
[5] “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

GONE! All his guilt, all his agony…gone! In an instant! He felt as if he had never sinned. His soul and l conscience were power washed, clean, white as the driven snow.

However, there still lurked in his heart one anxious thought, one misgiving. Would God restore his position with Himself, that favoured position of intimacy he had lost through his foolishness?
Forgiveness was one thing, and that was already a given, but what about restoration? He had forfeited something very precious and he wanted it back. He had begged for forgiveness, and God had forgiven  him. Would He also restore to him His presence and his favoured position of a son?

Since, as David had learned, in God’s presence there is fullness of joy…

Psalms 16:11 NIV
[11] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

…the return of this joy would confirm to David the restoration of God’s presence in his life. He wanted more than the experience of joy. He wanted to be assured of God’s presence with him and the restoration to full salvation that his joy would signal.

There were serious consequences to David’s moral failure in his life and the life of his family which he could not dodge. However, for the rest of his earthly life, David continued in humble trust and obedience to God, even through the horror of his son, Absalom’s abominable behaviour, murder and treason. God restored David’s throne and the respect and loyalty of his subjects and…the greatest honour God afforded him, the honour of being the ancestor of Jesus, the Messiah.

Yes, God restores, and even in the aftermath of our sin, His mercy triumphs over judgment. Falling into sin, as terrible as it is, never cancels our standing with God. Rather, it releases a flood of mercy and grace that indelibly imprints on our hearts the truth that God restores!

In conclusion, how I value this aspect of God’s character because I know that my appeal for restoration will never fall on deaf ears. No matter what the context, I am assured that God restores!

“RESTORE” IS God’s middle name. On the day when Jesus returns, He will clean up every last mess we have ever made of God’s earth. God’s plan to unite heaven and earth into one glorious, eternal kingdom when He makes His dwelling with us, will happen. He has already written the last chapter.

Revelation 21:1-5 NLT
[1] “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. [2] And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” [5] And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

Hallelujah!

FINISHED!

Bible Study, ,

Finished! What a satisfying word! What a satisfying feeling, when a difficult or unpleasant task is completed. One can breathe a sigh of relief, sit back and relax because that task will not need to be faced again…unless it is one of those routine jobs one faces every day.

In God’s realm, He has finished or promised to finish everything He started that relates to His purpose for His creation. “Purpose” and “finish” are inseparable in God’s work. He does nothing without a purpose, and He finishes everything He purposed to do.

Let’s examine some of His completed or to-be-completed acts in creation and redemption.

Genesis 2:1-3 NLT
[1] “So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. [2] On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. [3] And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”

Now, evolutionists insist that the universe came into being over millions of years and that tings are still evolving! The Bible declares that God finished His work of creation in six days. Someone is lying! It cannot be God because He is truth. He cannot lie!

Numbers 23:19 NLT
[19]”God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Has God finished creating? Yes! Has He finished with creation? No!
Together with His redeemed people, God has promised to restore His natural creation to its pristine perfection.

Revelation 21:1, 5-6 NLT
[1]” Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone…
[5] And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” [6] And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.”

Wow! Did you get that! Finished! Everything new! Not new as in brand new but new as in restored to its original state. Peter tells us that Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, will burn everything that was corrupted by sin – calledvthe basic elements or elementary principles that govern the world i.e., sin – with the fire of His word.

2 Peter 3:7 NLT
[7] “And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.”

Will God finish what He started? Yes, He will because it’s His purpose and He promised!

Jesus spoke another resounding “It is finished!” with His final breath, from the cross.

John 19:30 NLT
[30] “When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

Essentially, He used an accounting term to declare the end of sin’s debt to the Father by His death. “Paid in full.” However, in the broadest sense, He spoke the completion of salvation from beginning to end.

A third significant “finished” is God’s commitment to finish the work of salvation in everyone who believes in Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NLT
[6] “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

You see, although we are to respond to Him by faith and obedience, it is God who begins and finishes the work of salvation in us. We can do nothing to save ourselves. Jesus finished the work on the cross. We can do nothing to believe in Jesus.

The Father draws us to Jesus.

John 6:44 NLT
[44″For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.”

We can do nothing to change us from the inside. We can only work with God.

Philippians 2:12-13 NIV
[12]”Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Even our faith in Him is a work of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
[8] “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— [9] not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Grace, faith, salvation, all freely given to us without any effort on our part.

The fourth “finished” was Paul’s response to all that God had finished for and in him.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV
[7] “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith…the response of a faithful servant of the Lord to all that God had finished for him.

This was God and Paul, working in partnership to accomplish His purpose, both for Paul and for His greater purpose for the gospel in His kingdom.

And what of us? God does nothing without a purpose, remember? He purposed you, your birth, your circumstances, your life on earth, your salvation, your place and work in His kingdom. Only in obedience to His leading and faithfulness to do His work will He enable you to say with Jesus, and Paul…

John 17:4 NIV
[4] “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”

Be a good finisher!

PRAYING GOD’S WAY – 13

Prayer, ,

THE FRUIT OF SALVATION

‭Philippians 1:11 NLT‬
[11] “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

Our prayers for one another should always have a goal. Yes, we want the Lord to work in our lives; yes we want Him to sort out our trials and struggles so that we move along in our desire to be holy and to do His will; yes, we want to be more like Jesus, even if we are surrounded by the evil influences of our messed-up world, but… for what purpose? Where is all this going?

Paul puts the full stop at the end of the sentence… “the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

Did you get that? Life is full of circles, but the most important of all… God’s glory is the centre, the hub, the focal point of all circles. It’s all about Him. The final meaning of every circle is about Him. Why? He wants us to know how great He is for two reasons, not to blow His own trumpet but…

1…. So that we will love and trust Him enough to enjoy Him and everything we know about Him, and…

2…So that others will catch glimpses of Him in us that will help them get to know and love Him too.

And this becomes the greatest circle in the circles of life. Paul urged his readers in more than one letter to “do everything you do for God’s glory,” even ordinary things like eating and drinking.

What did Paul mean? God’s glory refers to everything He is in His nature and attributes. We cannot reflect God’s attributes because we are not all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere, but we can show people what He is like in His nature by imitating the way He treats people. The best way for us to know what God is like is by looking at Jesus. He is the reflection of all God’s nature in a human person.

‭Hebrews 1:3 NLT‬
[3] “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God…”

‭John 14:9 NLT‬
[9] “Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?”

When we treat people the way God treats us, with patience, kindness, and mercy, people around us begin to get an idea of what the real God is like, not the distorted ideas we have about Him.

Trouble is that we are easily influenced by others who have wrong ideas about God. Unless we learn the truth about Him from His Word, we won’t be able imagine a God anything like He really is.

When people who reject God is and create a god in their own image, they project that image onto the God of the Bible. It’s no wonder people hate God, are afraid of Him and run from Him!

If the essence of God’s nature is love and everything He does, even if we don’t understand His ways, flows from His love, then our lives, guided by the love of God, will help us to point others to Him. The Holy Spirit in us, as we follow His leading, will produce the spiritual fruit that shows something of God’s character to our fellow humans.

So, Paul prays, “Amen“ to God’s desire for us to be like Jesus, “Let it be so,” so that others will believe in Him too. That should be the real purpose of our lives.

WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL?

Bible Study,

Psalms‬ ‭135:4‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.
[6] The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.

‭Proverbs‬ ‭30:5‬ ‭NLT‬
[5] Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Micah 7:11-12,15-27 NLT
[11] “In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt, and your borders will be extended. [12] People from many lands will come and honor you— from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt, from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River, and from distant seas and mountains….
[15] “Yes,” says the Lord, “I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt.” [16] All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. [17] Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.”

The world waits with bated breath to see what will come of this conflict between Hamas and Israel. It seems that Hamas has the support of millions around the world. Despite Hamas’ atrocities and their despicable policy of using civilians to shield their terrorist fighters and their arsenal of weapons, the world believes that their demands and their purpose are legitimate.

When we read the Bible, we see a very different side to Israel’s defence of its territory. A constant theme runs through the prophecies of the Old Testament. Despite Israel’s failure to abide by God’s covenant and their stubborn practice of worshipping idols, and God’s punishment by war, famine, and exile, God promised to preserve a remnant and to return and resettle them in their own land. The nation and the land are inseparably joined together as God promised Abraham.

‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:4‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] “They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.
[8] “For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. [9] Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

The Apostle Paul negates the theory that God is finished with natural Israel. “Replacement theology” teaches that the church has replaced Israel as the new Israel but…

Paul makes clear that salvation comes to the Jew in the same way as to the Gentile, through faith in Jesus. However, there is a season of grace for Gentiles since Israel’s unbelief has opened the door of salvation to the whole world but…

That door will close when the number of the Gentiles is complete. Then Israel’s opportunity will to be saved will come.

‭Romans‬ ‭11:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NIV‬
[1] “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:
[11] Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious….
[25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, [26] and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. [27] And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” [28] As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, [29] for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. [30] Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. [32] For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”

‭Micah‬ ‭7:18-‬20‬ ‭NIV‬
[18] Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. [19] You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. [20] You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.”

Yes, salvation will come to the Jews only through faith in Jesus but, in God’s mercy, He will lift the veil of unbelief and reveal to the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah, as Zechariah prophesied..

Zechariah‬ ‭12:2‭-‬6‬ ‭NIV‬
[2] “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. [3] On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. [4] On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. [5] Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ [6] “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place….
[9] On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. [10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son…..

‭Zechariah‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NIV‬
[1] “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
[9]…. I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭38:14‭-‬18‬ ‭NIV‬
[14] “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? [15] You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. [16] You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. [17] “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. [18] This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord….
[21] I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. [22] I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. [23] And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

And so, dear brothers and sisters, let’s not toss Israel aside as some do. Let’s pray fervently that God’s will for His covenant people will be fully accomplished through their salvation, that God’s true Israel may be complete. Then the world will know that the God of Israel is the only true God.

‭

THE BOOK OF ACTS – WHO DID IT?

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WHO DID IT?

“From out of David’s descendants God produced a Saviour for Israel, Jesus, exactly as He promised — but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to His arrival by preparing them for a life-change. As John was finishing up his work, he said, ‘Did you think I was the One? No. I’m not the One. But the One you’ve been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to appear. And I’m about to disappear.'” Acts 13:23-25 (The message).

Jesus was no self-proclaimed Messiah, making extravagant but unfounded claims for Himself. His coming was not only prophesied from the beginning (Genesis 3:15) but, in true royal fashion, His arrival was heralded by His forerunner, John, who come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

As a human being, Jesus was a descendant of the royal line of David, rightfully the king of Israel, but more than that, He was the Son of God, coming to reclaim His place as God in the hearts of His people. He was not an intrusion into the lives of people who were already worshiping God. He was the representative of the Father, the face of the One they had never seen, sent from the Father to reveal His true nature and to call them back to pure worship, uncluttered by the rules and ritual that had clouded their understanding of Him.

“‘Dear brothers and sisters, children of Abraham and friends of God, this message of salvation had been precisely targeted to you. The citizens and rulers in Jerusalem didn’t recognise who He was and condemned Him to death. They couldn’t find a good reason, but demanded that Pilate execute Him anyway. They did just what the prophets said they would do, but had no idea they were following to the letter the script of the prophets, even though these same prophets are read every Sabbath in their meeting places.'” Acts 13:26-29 (The Message).

Jesus came both to reveal the Father and to reconcile His people to the Father. The sacrifices which they offered to God were only a visual aid of the true sacrifice that Messiah would become to do away with sin once-for-all and to dispense with everything that stood in the way of their free access to Him.

So who was really responsible for the death of Jesus? The Father who planned it? The Jews who condemned Him to death and handed Him over to Pilate? Herod who played with Him and sent Him back to Pilate? Pilate who passed sentence and handed him over to the soldiers? The soldiers who nailed Him to the cross? Or all of us whose sin demanded the penalty of death which He was willing to pay for us?

Everyone was implicated in the chain of events which Paul declared was God’s way of bringing salvation to the world. And, just to make sure that no one missed the point; God put it in writing through His prophets long before it ever happened. He made sure that all the evidence was in His data base so that anyone who has the will to, can compare the finger prints of Jesus with the finger prints of Messiah on the data base of Scripture and come up with a perfect match!

Only those who have no interest or desire for reconciliation with the Father and the all the blessings and privileges of the sons of God would be foolish enough to ignore God’s offer of a free pardon and reinstatement into His family as His sons and daughters.