Tag Archive | Nashville Rescue Mission

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Salvation

Apr26

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37).

We have been learning about the promises in the Bible. These promises are also known as covenants. The covenants we live under as believers are also known as grace, because they are not conditional on anything we do, only on the work of our LORD Jesus Christ. However, God’s covenants with Adam and Moses, as described in this year’s January 18 and February 8 Chaplain’s Corners, were works-based. They required perfect obedience to God and to the Law, which were impossible for man. Failure to be perfectly obedient resulted in the curse of death. While this sounds harsh, this points us to the perfect justice and mercy of God, who through by his grace, made a better way for us to be in relationship with Him.

Praise God for the covenants of grace, which pointed to a Savior who would save us from the curse of death. Jesus himself, as he was on the way to Jerusalem to be crucified, declared, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). This was his life mission. We first heard him declare it as a young man when he told his parents “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49).

As the Savior, Jesus is calling to us. The Apostle Paul heard the call: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

But salvation is not automatic. Jesus makes it possible; he has done the work. But we must receive this marvelous gift. Jesus can deliver us from the curse of eternal death and welcome us into the joy of eternal life with him, but we must open the door. Just say yes.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev. 3:20).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Peace

Apr19

“…Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (Luke 24:36).

Jesus made this statement to his disciples after his resurrection. Luke reports that after Jesus appeared to two of the disciples who were traveling along the road to Emmaus discussing all the events that had transpired regarding Jesus’ crucifixion and the discovery of his empty tomb, then he showed up in the midst of all the disciples, startling them. He told them, “Peace be with you.”

This is more than a pronouncement of a blessing. This is a state of being. Peace is absence of hostility; it is reconciliation. It is unity with our fellow Christians and with God. It is only possible through the work of Jesus. As the apostle Paul explains, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Most of us want more peace; and if we have it, we want to keep it. When my life seems anything but peaceful, whether it is because of circumstances around me or concerns within, one of my “go to” verses is from Isaiah “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). What sound advice! When my peace is compromised for any reason, I need to turn to the LORD; I must renew my mind by meditating on His Word and being thankful for His blessings. Here are some verses about peace that will help us to claim this promise of peace.

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be our Prince of Peace.

When Jesus was born, the angels announced, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Jesus made this promise before his crucifixion: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).  

The Apostle Paul proclaimed that in Him, we have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” to “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). 

So, when we are fretting or lamenting the state of the world today, the state of unrest in which we all live, let us then turn our hearts to praise our Lord and Savior who has reconciled us to him so that we can rest in the only sure thing, His Peace.

 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Rest

Apr12

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

This is a hard promise to lean on for me. I bet it is for you. I want to throw myself into everything, hold myself responsible for everything, control everything, and generally wear myself out. I am not as bad as I used to be, but still have some work to do. It is hard for me to relax for very long. I imagine you can identify. You may say it is impossible with your work schedule along with the demands of family, church, and home. But Jesus tells us to come to him and he will give us rest. This is just another one of God’s many promises to us.

This is a message more about worry than work. We are going to have work to do. We must work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We must work for the night is coming (John 9:4). We are told to go, tell, baptize, and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul said, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35).

But, we are not to be anxious. We work, but God provides (Philippians 4:19). We labor in the Lord’s work, but it is he who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7). We work out our salvation in fear and trembling, but our justification before God is already accomplished (Ephesians 1:7). As Jesus tells us from the cross: “It is finished.”

  • There is nothing we can add to our lives that God has not already ordained.
  • There is nothing we can provide for our children that God has not already set aside.
  • There is nothing we can offer to the Lord that has not already been established.
  • There is nothing we can do to accomplish our salvation or standing before the Lord that He has not already committed. He has already promised to finish what he started. In fact, “he has done it” (Psalm 22:31).

So, we can do our work with a glad and thankful heart, with grace, and always with patience and kindness knowing that the love of God abounds in our hearts. Or we can do our work in a tizzy, anxiously, complaining, fearful, always wishing for something better. It is a choice.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding I the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The fourth commandment is “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.” God knew that we would need a day of rest. It is interesting that this commandment is not continued in the New Testament. Instead, Jesus is becomes our Sabbath rest when we believe Him. “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest….” (Hebrews 4:1-3a).

To finish out Jesus’ promise to us in Matthew 11: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Eternal Life

Apr5

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’” (John 11:25-26).

“They” say nothing is certain but death and taxes. But perhaps “they” are not totally correct. No one can argue that between birth and death we experience life. But what does Jesus mean when he says that we will live even though we die, and that we will never die if we believe in Him? What is this life he is promising?

First, let us get the context. The verse begins with “Jesus said to her.” To whom is he speaking? He is speaking to his dear friend Martha who is grieving the death of her brother Lazarus. And what happens next? He raises Lazarus from the dead. This miraculous event happened shortly before the week we call Holy Week (the week we are currently celebrating). This miraculous event happened shortly before Jesus himself would be crucified and then resurrected from the dead–the event we continue to celebrate on Easter and every Sunday.

So, one definition of this “life” would be the resurrected life, that is, life after our physical death. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). But Jesus really means more than that. As of the moment we believe in Jesus as our savior, we become new creations. “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:15-17)

When we choose Jesus, we die to sin. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:10-11). When we die to sin, in Christ we become alive to God. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). That sounds great, but for many of us, nothing seems to change. We accept Jesus as our Savior, and then we go back home.  We go back home to the same house, the same job, the same family and friends, the same debts, the same health issues. But we really are different in so many ways.

How do we claim these benefits of the resurrected life? It is like this. True story: I received a gift card for Christmas. I put it in my wallet and forgot all about it. Honestly, I didn’t even look at it until this past weekend. Now, some three months later, I came across it, and was so pleasantly surprised and immediately used it. The gift card has been in my possession for three months, but only now have I benefitted from it because I claimed its benefits. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is in our possession, but until we make use of it, we are not enjoying the benefits. We must lay hold of the prize. “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2)

Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20).

What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true. He did not even have a place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).

Second, abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life. A Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming. One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.

Eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

In Christ,

Judy

Reference: https://www.gotquestions.org/abundant-life.html

Chaplain’s Corner – Jesus’ Promise of Freedom

Mar29

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

To appreciate freedom, we must realize what it means to be enslaved. Slavery still exists—involuntary in servitude. For some, it is not difficult at all to relate to. Addiction, abuse, imprisonment, lack of choices–all would be forms of enslavement. To appreciate sight, we must realize what it means to be blind. Sometimes blindness is literally the physical inability to see. Sometimes blindness is because we failed to see the truth, we have been fooled or mislead.

Jesus makes this bold promise early in his ministry, right after his time in the wilderness. He is paraphrasing Isaiah, who was prophesying about the coming Messiah. During the time of Isaiah, the people of Judah were under threat of domination by Assyria and Babylonia. During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people lived under Roman rule. Not only that, but the Jewish people also lived under the covenant of works—believing that strict obedience to the Law would save them.

The truth of our situation is that ever since Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan rather than God, ever since they bought into the deception promoted by Satan–the Father of Lies–that they knew better than God, sin has dominated the earth and controlled our lives. We are enslaved by sin. And sin is death. It may look and feel good for a time, but sin ultimately dooms us to the eternal lake of fire. There is only one way out, only one way to be rescued, and that is by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

During this time of Lent, we reflect on Jesus’ three years of ministry as well as his final week of Passion, his crucifixion, death and burial, and resurrection and ascension. Jesus did indeed proclaim the gospel; he did heal and perform many miracles. The Pharisees and other Jewish leaders were constantly challenging him about his claims to be the Messiah. In the passage above, he is preaching freedom for the prisoners and oppressed (those enslaved by sin) and recovery of sight for the blind (those unable to see the Truth for who He is). In other words, Jesus is preaching salvation, and he is promising to deliver us, to redeem us, to rescue us from our enslavement to sin.

And how is Jesus above to accomplish our rescue, our redemption? By personally paying the price for our freedom. Jesus was obedient when we failed to be obedient. He humbled himself “by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). With his death on the cross, he accomplished our freedom. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

All we need to do is to receive this marvelous gift is to believe.

“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise of Forgiveness

Mar22

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

This verse certainly sounds like a promise to me. It is conditional: if we confess, then Jesus forgives. But we need to get this positioned correctly. This is not a promise of salvation. In fact, John’s letter in which this promise is stated is written to believers, people who are already saved. So why do we need to confess? Because as Christians, we have a right desire to pursue a deeper and growing relationship with Jesus.

Part of coming a Christian is admitting that we are sinners. Then, in our salvation, we are new creations in Christ, no longer defined by our sinful nature. However, that does not mean that we stop sinning. Oh, we wish we could! Like Paul, we bemoan our propensity to sin. “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18b-19). Unfortunately, we will sin until we die. But the difference is that we have someone to go to. Someone who loves us and wants to forgive us when we ask. This is part of working out our salvation. As believers, we are justified in Christ. Our justification, or right standing with God, is the basis for our continued forgiveness when we confess our sins.

In the Chaplain’s Corner series on the fruits of the spirit, we learned that peace really means reconciliation. Jesus, as Prince of Peace, died on the cross in the great exchange to reconcile back to God those who receive this wonderful gift, as stated in John 3:16. This is what we remember during this Lenten season. Sin results in separation from God. Confession and forgiveness are how we are reconciled to God. Quoting from the June 15, 2022 Chaplain’s Corner, “It all starts with our personal relationship with God. We must be fully reconciled to God. That means we regularly confess our sins to Him, or in other words, agree with Him about our thoughts, words, and actions. It means that we regularly seek His forgiveness and strive to obey Him. It means that we receive His forgiveness and His love, and that we are always thankful. And the good news is that Jesus has already made peace with us. ‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you’ (Isaiah 26:3).“

There is something more to know about forgiveness. Jesus is very clear that if we do not forgive others, we will not be forgiven. This is also a promise.

  • “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).
  • “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17:3-4).
  • “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
  • “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).
  • The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)

So, we must confess our sins regularly. And if we struggle with unforgiveness in our own hearts, we must also genuinely confess that as well and ask God through the power of the Holy Spirit to give us a spirit of forgiveness. If this is difficult for you, this article may help.

“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, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise of No Condemnation

Mar15

“The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22).

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

What a promise! And this is no light or small thing.

  • To condemn means “to pronounce to be guilty, to sentence to punishment, or to pass judgment against.”
  • Wisdom tells us that it is our sin that condemns us. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
  • And every single one of us is guilty. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
  • And that condemnation results in death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

So, what is our hope, then? Our hope is in Jesus. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

Notice the opening scripture in Romans; it begins with the word, “therefore.” Whenever we see that word, we must ask “what is it there for?” Typically, the preceding verses will tell us. In this case, Romans 7:21-25 gives us part of a discourse by Paul on our sinful nature: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful naturea slave to the law of sin.”

The fact is that we are born with a sin nature, and we live in a corrupt environment. We, in and of ourselves, have no power over the presence of sin in our lives. In other words, we have no hope in ourselves or anyone else to rescue us, other than the blood of Jesus, who died to save us from our sins. Jesus paid the price for our sins. All we must to is believe and receive this unbelievably valuable gift. I love that the word “rescue” is part of our mission. As the Mission, we do offer an earthly last resort to anyone who is broken, down, and out. However, ultimately, Jesus is our rescue, our savior. In the words of Paul in Romans 7:24-25:

“Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – God’s Promise When We Are Tempted

Mar8

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

We are in the season of Lent, 40 days of preparing our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of Christ the King. In studying the life of Christ, we reflect on the 40 days that he spent in the wilderness preparing for his earthly ministry. During this time in the wilderness, while fasting and praying, Jesus was approached by Satan who offered him a seemingly desirable way out of his hardship. Jesus, seeing Satan for who he was, engaged in spiritual warfare and so gave us a model for the “way out” of temptation. (Luke 4:1-13).

First, we should understand that God never tempts anyone. The source of temptation is Satan.

  • And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil” (Luke 4:1-2).
  • James declares“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (James 1:14).
  • But if that is so, where do our evil desires come from? Paul explains in Romans 7:19-20 – “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

So, the source of temptation ultimately Satan, allowed into our world through the sin of Adam.

Secondly, understanding the source of our temptation along with the existence of it, we can deduce that God does allow us to be tempted. There are famous examples right out of the Bible of great men who were tempted, men like Job and Peter. We look to James again to help us to understand the purposes of our temptation: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).

So, we see that God allows us to be tempted to help us to grow. These temptations we face—both small and large—can also be considered trials, tribulations, or tests. And they are opportunities for growth. How, you say? When you were in school and you knew you were going to have a test, hopefully you studied and learned what you needed to pass the test. If you were going out for a sport, you trained to get yourself in shape so that you could make the team. In the same way, if you are facing a trial, test, or temptation, with the help of the Holy Spirit use your will and your abilities and you will gain strength to overcome, mature, and grow.

Coming back to the promise: what is the way out that God has provided when we are tempted? How can we truly overcome the temptations of sin?

Before:

  • Pray in advance. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
  • Set boundaries, erect hedges. Try to anticipate tempting circumstances, bad news, etc.; and plan how to avoid or control them. My favorite personal example is when I go to a party with a buffet table. I decide in advance not to hover around the table, otherwise I will graze the entire time. If I do not anticipate this situation and get my mind right, I will find myself eating way too much.

During:

  • Flee. Do not think you can remain in an evil environment and not succumb. The devil will influence you to minimize the risk, make it look desirable, give you all kinds of rationalization. You must run away from temptation. Many times, the Bible tells us to flee!
  • Reframe the situation (following the example of Jesus in the wilderness), aligning the temptations with scripture. The Word of God is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). It is our best defense. “Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14).
  • Pray without ceasing. “If anyone of you are facing trouble of any kind, let then pray” (James 5:13). Note that this is written in the continual sense, not past tense or future tense, but present.

After:

  • Daily evaluate the events that have transpired. Where did you succeed and where did you fail? How should you have responded to that unkindness? Should you have shared that confidential or hurtful information? Is God pleased with your bitter and jealous thoughts? Should you have been more cheerful when asked for help? This evaluation should lead to conviction. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).
  • Once we are convicted of our sin and failure, then ask Jesus for forgiveness, and repent.  “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).
  • Use your experience to help someone else. Remember what Jesus told Peter during the Last Supper: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32).

Ultimately, our way out is Jesus himself. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Promise of a Savior

Mar1

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan.” (Isaiah 9:1)

The people of Israel were in distress. Taken captive after the fall of Jerusalem and brought to Babylon in chains, they would one day return to their own ravaged land, but never would they again be free from foreign governance. First the Persians, then the Greeks, then the Romans ruled over what became known as Judea. As the above Scripture reads, “In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.”

These people of Israel or Judea, now called Jews, knew their Scriptures. They clung to the promises that were read in the synagogue by the rabbis. They would have especially loved to read from the scroll of Isaiah who had received so many promises from God. For example: “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” (Isaiah 61:8-9).

But to hear a promise for something to occur sometime in the future, and to understand when it really came to pass were two different things. And so it was that when Jesus was born and actually lived among the people of Judea, he was not appreciated as the long-expected Savior. Even his disciples struggled with understanding. As we are in this Lenten season leading up to Easter, let us reflect on that first coming of Jesus.

What is especially significant to us today is that Jesus came not only to fulfill God’s covenants with his people of Israel, but he also came to fulfill his eternal plan of redemption for all mankind—Jews and Gentiles alike—who believe. And what is especially meaningful is that we Gentiles were not an afterthought. That is what the introductory scripture is referring to when it says the “Galilee of the nations…beyond the Jordan.” Jesus was born in the region of Galilee, which was not particularly mainstream Jewish. In fact, it was a cultural melting pot of Greeks, Romans, and Jews. When you read “nations” plural in the Bible, it means “all of the people groups of the world other than the people of Israel.” That Jesus was born, grew up, and ministered outside of Jerusalem is not by accident. This is just another way that he relates to all people, and is another proof that he came as the Savior to EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.

Let us spend this time in gratitude for our Savior, who rescues us from eternal distress and death and promises us a glorious eternity with Him in Heaven.

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The New Covenant and You

Feb22

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

For many Christians who observe the church calendar, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent officially begins today, Ash Wednesday, and ends on Easter Sunday, April 9. The culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, which we celebrate during Easter. Despite what modern culture might make of Lent, it is intended to be a season of reflection and preparation before Easter, which is the most solemn and significant season of the year.

What does this have to do with our study about the promises of God? Let us review the covenants we have learned about so far:

  1. God’s Covenant with Adam – a conditional, or works-based, covenant. Adam broke the covenant and introduced sin into the world.
  2. God’s Covenant with Noah – God’s unconditional, or grace-based, covenant with Noah and his descendants (in other words: all of us) whereby he dealt with corruption caused by sin and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again.
  3. God’s Covenant with Abraham – God’s gracious covenant with Abraham and his descendants (in other words: all of us) that we would be His people, and that we would have eternal life in His Promised Land.
  4. God’s Covenant with Moses – God’s gracious covenant with the people of Israel, through Moses, to consecrate them as a holy nation.
  5. God’s Covenant with David – God’s gracious covenant with David to promise that there would always be a King from David’s line on the throne.

I love to see how God’s love for his people shines through the pages of the Bible, every word inspired by God himself. The Bible was written over 1500-year period by 40 authors, by most counts, yet the theme remains consistent. God loved us and created us in His image. We sinned and broke the first covenant. He then continued to seek us and love us and make promises—covenants of grace—for how he would reconcile us back to Himself. As humans, we have not performed so well; but God in his inestimable grace and mercy has been unchangeably consistent in His love for us.

God made his covenant with David when Israel was on the rise as a strong powerful nation. After David, his son Solomon reigned. According to worldhistoryencyclopedia, ”Solomon reigned for 40 years in one of the highest and most prosperous periods in Israel’s history – called by many, ‘The Golden Age’ of Israel.”  However, it did not last. After Solomon died the kingdom divided, and although David’s descendants continued to reign in the smaller kingdom of Judah, there was never the same power as when the kingdom was united. In fact, by 587 BC, both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah were taken captive by Assyria, then Babylon.

Jeremiah prophesied during this time of exile, and it was during that time God inspired him to write about a new covenant (see the Scripture at the beginning of this devotion). The New Covenant, announced in Jeremiah, began in the first coming of Christ, but it will not be fully fulfilled until Jesus returns. All the earlier covenants point forward to the New Covenant, and Jesus fulfills the promises of these covenants between God and His people. *

  1. Covenant of Works: Jesus obeys God perfectly, succeeding where Adam failed and securing the perfect righteousness that enables us to stand before God unafraid (Rom. 5:12-21; 2 Cor. 5:21).

(John 1:14-18); Rom. 1:1-7).

  • Noahic Covenant: The work of Jesus removes the curse of sin and will remove its presence, leading finally to a new heaven and earth that will continue forever (Rom. 8:18-25; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21).
  • Abrahamic covenant: Jesus is the Seed of Abraham in whom the world is blessed, and those who trust in Him are also Abraham’s children who receive the promise of land (the whole earth), a great name (the name of Christ), and a multitude of fellow divine servants (Gal. 3; Rev. 3:12; 7:9-17).
  • Mosaic Covenant: Jesus is the final exodus from sin foreshadowed in the exodus from Egypt, the perfect expositor of God’s law, and the effectual sacrifice (Matt. 5:17-48; Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 10:1-18).
  • Davidic Covenant: Jesus is the Son of David who builds the temple of God by uniting us to one another as a spiritual house, and He is the promised King who governs us righteously forever, mediating between us and the Father (Luke 1:26-80; Heb. 3:1-6; 1 Peter 2:2-8).

This is one in a series on the Promises of God which started on January 4, 2023. In subsequent Chaplain’s Corners, we will continue to look at these promises and with them, the nature of our awesome God.

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. The Holy Spirit also assures us of this, for he said: his ‘This the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws in their hearts and will write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless deeds.” (Hebrews 10:13-17).

In Christ,

Judy

*Table Talk, October 2020 issue