"Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD. This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise Thee, for Thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." (Psalm 118:24)
He has declared this to be the day that He -- the LORD -- hath made so rejoice and be glad in it. He -- the LORD hath come forth as a mighty man so that we might have eternal life in Him. He -- the Lord became flesh and dwelt among us. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. He was in the world and the world was made by Him but the world knew Him not. (John 1:10-12)
Moreover, He was the stone that the builders rejected, even though He who knew no sin became sin for you and I. He paid the price once and for all, His shed blood covering the multitude of our transgressions.
His name? Jesus the Christ, our beloved Saviour. "And they shall call His name Jesus." (Matthew 1:21-23)
He has chosen and ordained us to be witnesses of His good news gospel. But not everyone desires to understand the truth that Jesus proclaimed, because as Jesus declared, "This people honours Me with their lips but their heart is far away from Me." (Matthew 15:8)
When we listen to the message preached by some self declared in the church community today, we might ask the very same question -- did ye never read in the scriptures? But I digress.
The truth is that our Lord God loved us so much that He Himself chose to declare "peace and good will to all" in this current dispensation of grace. He chose to reveal the mystery that was hid in the bosom of the Father since the beginning of the world, and He did not leave it to another. He came Himself to redeem and sanctify us with His truth.
"The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea, roar. He shall prevail against His enemies." (Isaiah 42:13)
And to prove His mighty love for His creation, He clothes us in His righteousness.
As Mary the mother of Jesus said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden; for, behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.
And His mercy is upon them that fear Him from generation to generation. He that showed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away." (Luke 1:46-53)
"For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name." (Luke 1:49)
Interestingly, God exalted Mary in 'due time' to give birth to the blessed Saviour -- who is both Lord and Christ -- and today, He does the same for us. He exalts us in due time when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. (I Peter 5:6)
We see another example in apostle Paul, (who as Saul, prior to the Lord shining brightly on him on his way to Damascus murdered believers in Jesus by faith with a vengeance), the Lord exalted him in due time to fulfill the purpose that was placed in his heart by our Lord God and Saviour while Saul was still in his mother's womb.
In due time. Not because another man/preacher or priest/self-identified evangelist and/or prophet, etc., declares a promise over us but because the Lord God Almighty has declared us to be His treasure. His child. His friend. It is He who exalts us in due time, to fulfill His purpose placed in our hearts while we were yet being formed.
This is why He has declared us -- you and I -- to be His chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people that ye/we should go forth the praises of Him who hath called you/us out of darkness into His marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (I Peter 2:9-10)
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Therefore, like the mother of Jesus did which led to the birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords, "humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, [so] that He may exalt you [too] in due time. " (I Peter 5:6)
Why? Because you are on this earth for a purpose. Your life is important and valued, Your heart desired by the Most High. Therefore, don't settle for the whims and notions of this world. Instead, ask Jesus to declare His promises over your life, and likewise, exalt you in due time.
In the interim, rejoice, seeking Jesus through His Word. Stand in the offering plate.
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