Everlasting Life
By grace, through faith in Jesus
I've been fortunate to have a little extra time to dig into God's Word a bit more lately and was so encouraged by some passages in the bible. I thought I'd share, hopefully for other's encouragement.
In Isaiah God spoke to him, sharing the judgment to come of various nations, including Israel. The warnings were dire, dark and depressing. It was news that most likely caused some hearts of those who loved God and followed Him to sink in knowing understanding of the consequences to come of unrepentant sin in Israel - people and leaders alike (and nations around them).
In the midst of these dark warnings, God's hope and light pierced through for those in Israel who looked to Him in faith. God's intentions was to bolster and encourage them with information for them about their future beyond the dark prophecies. Other parts of Isaiah predicted partial and closer deliverance (Cyrus the Great - Isaiah 44-48, a type and foreshadow of Jesus Christ to come later) and Isaiah 35 (among other passages in this book) speaks of their ultimate deliverance - the good news of their coming God, salvation and His Kingdom to someday be established in Israel. Isaiah is told:
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
and encourage those who have weak knees.
Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”
Isaiah 35:3-5
The whole passage is beautiful and strengthening to the soul:
Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”
And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer,
and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool,
and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
where desert jackals once lived.
And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course,
nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
Only the redeemed will walk on it.
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
They will enter Jerusalem singing,
crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
Isaiah 35:1-10
When the Lord God, Jesus Christ did come to earth at His first advent, He was the conduit to that Kingdom, that dimension not of this world. For a time Jesus was with Israel, as the Door to His kingdom for Israel (and for the whole world); for a little while they were privileged to see facets of this Kingdom as it's merciful and compassionate King moved among them, allowing redemptive aspects of God to emerge into people's lives by the great power of God. This was intended to point them to placing faith in the redemptive power source, the Gate of this Kingdom, God the Son, Jesus Christ:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
John 9:1-6
Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”
Matthew 11:4-6
Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Luke 7:11-15
The light of Jesus, Israel's Messiah and King shone upon Israel, inviting them to accept Him into their hearts and lives....if they would have Him then. But, Israel's leadership and the people refused Him and instead crucified Jesus (along with the Roman government...and really all of us as Jesus paid for our sins on the cross with His life). So, Jesus left Israel for a time. He will return later at his second advent, when their hearts are changed in faith as evidenced when they say - ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’, Matt 23:39 (& Psalm 118:26 - I wonder if this Psalm isn't Israel personified) but He didn't leave those who believed in Him. When Jesus was resurrected and went to Heaven, Jesus' Spirit later came and remained with those (then and now) who placed their faith in Him and His sacrifice on the cross on their behalf, opening up by His grace, forgiveness of sins, salvation and new life with restoring relationship with God, His promises of a yet future Kingdom along with a further, incredible promise.......eternal life with God!
In the Old Testament the wilderness was often a symbol of Israel, spiritually dry, dead and unresponsive to God, so too are all people who have not yet placed their faith in Jesus and yet to receive the refreshing, healing and life-giving Holy Spirit....rivers of living water:
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
John 7:37-39
Isaiah 35 speaks of a future time when Israel, spiritually speaking a desert and wilderness, will not only be vibrantly alive and flourishing spiritually but also the desert and wilderness of their land physically, when they finally accept Jesus in faith as their Messiah and King. Their blessings through Christ will be absolutely astonishing, affecting in every way and thoroughly healing. The Kingdom of Solomon will pale significantly in comparison to the Kingdom of Jesus, Israel's Messiah, great and mighty King and Savior. The fullness of Jesus' Kingdom will be abundantly present and sovereignly established, not just in Israel but in the whole world.
The Church today, comprised of both Jew and Gentile also looks forward to this time (when Israel accepts her Messiah in faith) and even more, beyond this time:
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. 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.”
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.” 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. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
Revelation 21:1-7
Those, who've placed their faith in Jesus, now have Him with them forever through the indwelt Holy Spirit within each believing heart, as a guarantee of supremely wonderful things in store for us to come:
It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
....we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:4-5
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Ephesians 1:13-14
I was strengthened and encouraged by the fact that God keeps His promises as laid out in His Word as He has also bound this promise to those who believe in Jesus with an irrevocable oath:
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:18-20
And before the time comes when the Lord establishes His Kingdom on earth and then the new heavens and earth, the church will someday be whisked away from the coming great Tribulation to instead be with Him. Jesus tells the Church:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
John 14:1-4
Therefore:
“Be strong, and do not fear
for your God is coming.......
Isaiah 35:5
In Isaiah God spoke to him, sharing the judgment to come of various nations, including Israel. The warnings were dire, dark and depressing. It was news that most likely caused some hearts of those who loved God and followed Him to sink in knowing understanding of the consequences to come of unrepentant sin in Israel - people and leaders alike (and nations around them).
In the midst of these dark warnings, God's hope and light pierced through for those in Israel who looked to Him in faith. God's intentions was to bolster and encourage them with information for them about their future beyond the dark prophecies. Other parts of Isaiah predicted partial and closer deliverance (Cyrus the Great - Isaiah 44-48, a type and foreshadow of Jesus Christ to come later) and Isaiah 35 (among other passages in this book) speaks of their ultimate deliverance - the good news of their coming God, salvation and His Kingdom to someday be established in Israel. Isaiah is told:
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
and encourage those who have weak knees.
Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”
Isaiah 35:3-5
The whole passage is beautiful and strengthening to the soul:
Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
the splendor of our God. With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”
And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer,
and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool,
and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
where desert jackals once lived.
And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course,
nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
Only the redeemed will walk on it.
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
They will enter Jerusalem singing,
crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
Isaiah 35:1-10
When the Lord God, Jesus Christ did come to earth at His first advent, He was the conduit to that Kingdom, that dimension not of this world. For a time Jesus was with Israel, as the Door to His kingdom for Israel (and for the whole world); for a little while they were privileged to see facets of this Kingdom as it's merciful and compassionate King moved among them, allowing redemptive aspects of God to emerge into people's lives by the great power of God. This was intended to point them to placing faith in the redemptive power source, the Gate of this Kingdom, God the Son, Jesus Christ:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
John 9:1-6
Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”
Matthew 11:4-6
Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Luke 7:11-15
The light of Jesus, Israel's Messiah and King shone upon Israel, inviting them to accept Him into their hearts and lives....if they would have Him then. But, Israel's leadership and the people refused Him and instead crucified Jesus (along with the Roman government...and really all of us as Jesus paid for our sins on the cross with His life). So, Jesus left Israel for a time. He will return later at his second advent, when their hearts are changed in faith as evidenced when they say - ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’, Matt 23:39 (& Psalm 118:26 - I wonder if this Psalm isn't Israel personified) but He didn't leave those who believed in Him. When Jesus was resurrected and went to Heaven, Jesus' Spirit later came and remained with those (then and now) who placed their faith in Him and His sacrifice on the cross on their behalf, opening up by His grace, forgiveness of sins, salvation and new life with restoring relationship with God, His promises of a yet future Kingdom along with a further, incredible promise.......eternal life with God!
In the Old Testament the wilderness was often a symbol of Israel, spiritually dry, dead and unresponsive to God, so too are all people who have not yet placed their faith in Jesus and yet to receive the refreshing, healing and life-giving Holy Spirit....rivers of living water:
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
John 7:37-39
Isaiah 35 speaks of a future time when Israel, spiritually speaking a desert and wilderness, will not only be vibrantly alive and flourishing spiritually but also the desert and wilderness of their land physically, when they finally accept Jesus in faith as their Messiah and King. Their blessings through Christ will be absolutely astonishing, affecting in every way and thoroughly healing. The Kingdom of Solomon will pale significantly in comparison to the Kingdom of Jesus, Israel's Messiah, great and mighty King and Savior. The fullness of Jesus' Kingdom will be abundantly present and sovereignly established, not just in Israel but in the whole world.
The Church today, comprised of both Jew and Gentile also looks forward to this time (when Israel accepts her Messiah in faith) and even more, beyond this time:
The New Jerusalem
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. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.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. 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.”
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.” 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. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
Revelation 21:1-7
Those, who've placed their faith in Jesus, now have Him with them forever through the indwelt Holy Spirit within each believing heart, as a guarantee of supremely wonderful things in store for us to come:
It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
....we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:4-5
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Ephesians 1:13-14
I was strengthened and encouraged by the fact that God keeps His promises as laid out in His Word as He has also bound this promise to those who believe in Jesus with an irrevocable oath:
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:18-20
And before the time comes when the Lord establishes His Kingdom on earth and then the new heavens and earth, the church will someday be whisked away from the coming great Tribulation to instead be with Him. Jesus tells the Church:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
John 14:1-4
Therefore:
“Be strong, and do not fear
for your God is coming.......
Isaiah 35:5
