Friday, September 30, 2011

Take Heart We Are Living In God's Covenent




"If you are facing trouble today, TAKE HEART!  Be courageous and confident in Jesus Christ who you serve.  Because of His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead."

Where does this confidence come from?  How can we be sure we are the saints that the bible talks about?  In my constant search for God's truth and in my daily walk with Him,something extraordinary occurred to me.    Now listen because it is so delicate, I fear it might get lost, in translation.

Covenants are very important to God, everything is based on God's word.  The power, faith, promises, healing, all and everything, all beginnings, all endings.  When God actually signals someone out of a crowd and makes a covenant with them it is huge.  Not only is it of the utmost importance but it is always paving the way for the ultimate sacrificial lamb, in the person of Jesus Christ.

 Ever since Eve bit into that apple when she was deceived by the serpent, God has been busy planning a way for us to come back home to Him.  Sin causes so much wasted valuable time and resources, but then that is another article.  Okay back to covenants.  Such was the case in the beginning with Abraham.  A covenant that spoke not of things that were, but of things that were to be.  Incredible things that seemed   impossible at the time.  Abraham was 100 years old when he was promised to be the father of many nations.  Sarah was ninety.  Impossible?  Yet, one year later his son Isaac was born and from Abraham we get the twelve tribes of Israel.  All through the bible, we get to see the end of the stories, but those particular stories started with a covenant, of which the end was unknown.  In the story of David,  the people of Israel no longer wanted to have a judge over them and they begged God for a king,( like everyone else had), so God gave them what they asked for. King Saul was not a man after God's own heart and proved to be a grave disappointment.  So God  in His infinite mercy and grace chose Jesse's son David, the keeper of the sheep to be the next king.  It would be fifteen years passed before God's anointed became king.  The journey to this kingship  for David, was not only filled with battles against king Saul (who out of jealousy was trying to kill him), but also a battle within himself, as God prepared him.  In spite of David's imperfections, he became a man after God's own heart. God always knew David's heart.

The point is, whenever there is a covenant in the bible, between God and man, there are three elements  that always accompany it, an outward sign, a sacrifice and a solemn oath.  Usually it starts with love, trust and obedience.  God would speak, man would obey by supplying the sacrifice, God would give His oath.

Now here is the part I can't wait to share with you.  In the case of our Savior dying on the cross, our heavenly father made a covenant with us.  You and I have a solemn oath from God, wow!!   Not only, did He love us first, but He sent His only Son, to dye on the cross for us, (God Himself supplied the sacrifice),  rose from the dead, (our sign),  then said, "whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life", John 3:16, our solemn oath!!!  Till next time!!

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