The Bible under the guidance of Holy Spirit is powerful for enlightening us to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Acts 26:23 (ESV) "that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."
The failure of the covenant made with Adam and Eve released Satan into mankind. He only wants to destroy the scarlet thread of redemption in the blood of Jesus. He failed the first time and he will fail again. It is finished in the birth, death and resurrection of the only begotten Son of God…all man/all God.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Until Christ’s return there will always be enmity between good and evil. The head of the Body is Jesus the Christ and He is love and our only protection from the enemy. In Him there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, slave nor free. We are all one in the salvation of the precious blood of Jesus the Christ. In Him the curse is ended. We only need to accept Him in faith.
Matthew 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Matthew gives the list of the generation of the line of Jesus since Abraham. Satan tried to disrupt the shedding of the precious blood of Jesus that would be given for the redemption of the sins of mankind. From the first man Adam to the birth of Jesus, satan did his best to thwart the coming of Israel’s redeemer King. But God always protects His own and His covenant people brought forth the light of the world.
Jeremiah 31:35-36 Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): 36 “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
God is always in control of the universe. In Him the world exists in harmony. Nothing can stop Him from His plan and His Word never returns void. Even in our disobedience and even when we are unfaithful He never is. The Blood of Christ will prevail and all of God’s promises will be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
As hate increases in the world God’s love will put an end to it. The Israelites will be hated because of their being God’s covenant people. Satan breeds hatred and contempt because he hates the Son of God. In his pride and hate he seeks to usurp the power of the Blood of Christ but it will never happen. In Jesus it is finished! Carla
Jesus has expressed elements of this passage elsewhere in Matthew. In the early church and its subsequent history, such persecution frequently led to martyrdom. Faithlife Study Bible
The sorrows in verses 7 and 8 literally means “birth pangs.” The earth continually has birth pangs today (Romans 8:22); during the tribulation, these “sorrows” will increase in intensity and frequency until Jesus returns in glory. NKJ Study Bible.
The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ’s kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the general judgment; and toward the close, points more particularly to the latter. What Christ here said to his disciples, tended more to promote caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen, than to give a distinct idea of the events. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Matthew 10:17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
Matthew 10:21–22 Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
John 15:18–27 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Paul understood that darkness is a reality in our broken world ... but for believers in Jesus, it is not our fundamental reality. Through His resurrection, Christ proclaims light for both Jews and gentiles, offering eternal victory over sin and death to all who believe in Him (Acts 26:23).
"But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles - to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to lightand from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:16-18, emphasis added). First5
…I smile real big, when sharing Mary Oliver’s outlook, “You can have the other words--chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I'll take grace. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'll take it.”
Here’s the deal: Any time we give one another the gift of embracing the present, of being glad to be alive, or a generous word and gentle hug when times feel unkind, then grace is alive and well. And this I know: Joy is born in the soil of that grace.
Another joyful and liberating teaching from Jesus is that of love. Love yourself, love one another, love your life. We are desperate for love. Feeling unloved plunges us into the depth of real hell. We will deny our own beauty and value if we thought by doing so would make us loveable. But Jesus told us differently. Again and again he showed us how much we are loved just as we are not only by his words, but by his actions. He provided food, and companionship, and healing, and understanding, and compassion, and encouragement, and clarity.
Rejoice! A new way of life has been given unto you. Be glad of heart. Let peace reside in your soul. For one has come in the midst of our troubled world and psyches with tidings of great joy. You are loved beyond measure. You are whole of spirit. You are amply provided for and forgiven of all trespasses. You belong to the universe and are treasured in the kingdom of heaven. With Love and Joy,” (Thank you Rev. Patty Becker) Sabbath Moments
No comments:
Post a Comment