Looking Back And Looking Forward

Hebrews 9:15-10:18

We look back to what Christ has done for us. We look forward to what He will do for us. Looking back and looking forward: These are both found in 9:28 - ‘Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him’. We remember our Saviour. We remember what He has done for us: ‘the Son of God loved us and gave Himself for us’ (Galatians 2:20). We eat bread and drink wine, giving thanks that our Saviour went to the Cross for us - His body broken for us and His blood shed for us. We are not only looking back. We are also looking forward: ‘As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes’(1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Remember - and pray, ‘Come, Lord Jesus!’(Revelation 22:20).

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Blessings in Christ

Christ in all the Scriptures

http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

We Love God Because He First Loved Us.

1 John 1:1-2:17
‘Jesus Christ’ died ‘for our sins’. This is Good News. It is not to be kept to ourselves - He died ‘for the sins of the whole world’. We have ‘fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ’. ‘We have fellowship with one another’. These blessings are not to be kept to ourselves. We must share the Good News - ‘the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin’. We must seek to bring others into ‘fellowship’- not only ‘with us’ but, ‘with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ’(2:1-2; 1:3,7). We are called to a life of obedience - ‘he who does the will of God lives for ever’. This obedience comes from our experience of God’s love. ‘The love of the Father’ leads to ‘love for the Father’: ‘We love’ God ‘because He first loved us’(15-17; 4:19). Let’s love the Lord - and do His will.

1 John 2:18-3:18
Through faith in Jesus Christ, ‘the Son of God’, we receive ‘eternal life’(22-25; John 20:31). Our enjoyment of eternal life has already begun - ‘we are God’s children now’. Our full enjoyment of eternal life is still to come: ‘It does not yet appear what we shall be...’. We have begun to experience Christ’s victory: ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil’. We look forward to our full enjoyment of His victory: ‘When He appears, we shall be like Him...’(2,8). Some will try to ‘deceive’ us. We must keep our eyes on Christ - ‘He laid down His life for us’. We have received His ‘love’. We must show His love - ‘Let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth’(7,16,18). Do you believe in Christ? Live the life. Be a believer - in deed’!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

‘It Was Impossible For Death To Keep Its Hold On Jesus.’

Esther 5:1-6:14

Haman wanted ‘to have Mordecai hanged’(5:14). Herod wanted to have Jesus killed (Matthew 2:16-18). Neither Haman nor Herod were successful in their evil plotting (6:13; Matthew 2:19-21). Even when Jesus Christ was ‘crucified at the hands of wicked men’, this was not a victory for the devil. God was in control of the whole situation. Following the death of Jesus, there was the mighty triumph of His resurrection from the dead: ‘God raised Him from the dead’. Christ’s enemies thought that they had triumphed over Him. They were wrong! They could never succeed - ‘It was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him’(Acts 2:23-24)! Mordecai was honoured by the king (6:10-11). Jesus has been honoured by God - He is ‘both Lord and Christ’(Acts 2:36).

Esther 7:1-8:17

Esther spoke up for God’s people - ‘spare my people’(7:3). She spoke out against the enemy of God’s people - ‘A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!’(7:6). The tables were turned on the enemy of the Lord’s people - ‘they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai’(7:10). He was replaced by the Lord’s servant - ‘the king took off the signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai’(8:2). Instead of the gallows, Mordecai received ‘royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a purple robe of fine linen’(8:15)! For God’s people, this was ‘a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honour’(8:16). Let’s look beyond Mordecai to Christ. Rejoice! He was crucified for us. He is now exalted to the highest place (Philippians 2:8-9).

Esther 9:1-10:3

Among God’s people, there was much ‘feasting and joy’. They gave thanks to the Lord - ‘their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration’(9:17-22). They gave thanks to God for Mordecai - ‘he sought the welfare of his people, he worked for the good of his people’. They rejoiced because of ‘the greatness and high honour of Mordecai, to which the king had raised him’(10:2-3). We have even more to celebrate. We gather at the Lord’s Table. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We rejoice in Jesus Christ our Saviour. He ‘gave His life as a ransom for many’. His body was broken for us. His blood was shed for us. ‘Redeemed with His precious blood’, we rejoice in Christ - ‘crucified’ and ‘risen’ for us (Mark 10:45; 14:22-24; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

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Blessings in Christ

Christ in all the Scriptures

http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

What Part Will You Play In Bringing God's Blessing To Others?

Esther 1:1-2:18 This is a very human story. It is the story of a man - Ahasuerus - and two women - Vashti and Esther. It is the ending of one love and the beginning of a new love (1:19; 2:17). It is also a very important part of the Divine Story. God is at work here. This story teaches us about God’s love for His people. It teaches us that ‘all things work together for the good of those who love God’(Romans 8:28). It was no accident that Esther was chosen to become the Queen of Persia. God had chosen her for a very special purpose. She was sent there by the Lord. Esther was one of God’s people (2:5-7). She was to serve God’s purpose. She would play an important part in bringing the blessing of God to the people of God. What part will you play in bringing His blessing to others? Esther 2:19-4:17 ‘Haman sought to destroy all the Jews’(3:6). This is the work of the devil. He ‘comes only to steal and kill and destroy’(John 10:10). To oppose such determined enemies of the Lord is never easy. Esther knew this. She was ready to put her life on the line: ‘If I perish, I perish’(4:16). She knew that this was not a time for remaining silent. She must speak up for the Lord’s people. She was to serve God’s purpose - the deliverance of His people from death at the hands of His enemies (4:14). Esther was prepared to suffer death for the sake of God’s people. Jesus did suffer death for us. Jesus tells us why He came to this world: ‘I have come that they may have life...’. He tells us why He died: ‘I lay down my life for My sheep...I give them eternal life’(John 10:10,15,27-28). _________________ Blessings in Christ Christ in all the Scriptures http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

The Love Of God

1Jo 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for us, showing us His Redeeming Passion when He dies for the sins of the world on the cross at Calvary.
Blessings, In His Glorious Name Ministries Online

Jesus Christ - Crucified For Us

John 18:1-27

The story continues. Jesus is betrayed. Jesus is arrested (1-11). He stands before the Jewish authorities (12-14,19-24). Jesus is ‘drinking from the cup which the Father has given Him’- He drinks from the cup of our condemnation that we might drink from the cup of His salvation (11; Matthew 26:38-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Jesus’ death was not only ‘expedient’. It was ‘necessary’- for our salvation (14; Luke 24:26). Alongside the story of Jesus was the story of Peter (15-18,25-27). Jesus’ death was not the end of His story - He rose from the dead (Luke 24:5-6; Acts 2:23-24). Peter denied the Lord three times. This was not the end of his story. For each denial, there was a new commitment (21:15-17). For each denial, there were, on the Day of Pentecost, 1,000 people brought to Christ (Acts 2:38,41). 

John 18:28-19:16

‘Barabbas was a robber’. He was released (39-40). There was ‘no crime’ in Jesus. He was ‘crucified’(38,4,6,16). Was Jesus no more than the innocent victim of a shameful and tragic miscarriage of justice? No! Jesus, the King of kings, chose to die. Looking ahead to the Cross, He said, ‘For this I was born...’(36-37). In love, He chose death on the Cross. As truly as Barabbas, each of us can say, ‘He took my place and died for me’. In His death, Jesus did not only take the place of one sinner, Barabbas - ‘He took the place of many sinners’. He did not simply bear the punishment deserved by one sinner, Barabbas - ‘The Lord made the punishment fall on Him, the punishment all of us deserved’(Isaiah 53:12,6). 

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Blessings in Christ

Christ in all the Scriptures

http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com