Alleluia; Salvation, And Glory, And Honour, And Power, Unto The Lord Our God - Part 2804

" ... for to shew in thee My power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth." (Exodus 9:16)

A question arose at Bible Study last evening -- a valid inquiry as to where all the mighty warriors for the Lord Jesus might be. Most certainly, we who believe understand the times in which we live. Indeed, it's a quick read of Revelation to know how this world will end. However, at the same time, we already know who wins the war. That is the King of kings and Lord of lords -- the risen Jesus -- who is both |Lord and Christ; Alpha and Omega; the first and the last; the beginning and the ending. (Acts 2:36-41; Revelation 1:8, 11)

The same Lord who has reigned from the beginning of time, optimistic that we who profess to believe will come into the full knowledge and understanding of His goodness and grace and mercy. 

"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as Head above all. Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reign over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." (I Chronicles 29:11-12)

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

It is in this context that we understand that the same God who created the world in the beginning was in fact also in the world. He came unto His own but His own received Him not. (John 1:10-11) Why not? Because He came as a suffering servant -- not as the Messiah or King that the people were looking for. 

Do you remember how Jesus is described in Isaiah 53 ? 

"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:1-12)

Yes, the Lord God of our fathers -- the God of the heaven and earth who created us in the very beginning -- His flesh body (the Word made flesh / yet without sin) had to be stricken, His precious, holy blood shed on a cross so that you and I might experience abundant life in Him. He paid the price once and for all so that you and I could find our purpose for living. 

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives. Whereupon neither the first [testament] was dedicated without blood." (Hebrews 9:8,14-18)

This is why we proclaim: 

"O Lord God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? and rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee?" (I Chronicles 20:6)

This is why Jesus declared, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Mathew 28:18)

"... who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:15-17)

"... which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set [Him] at His own right hand in the heavenly [places], far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all [things[ under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church ..." (Ephesians 1:20-22)

  "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation 5:13)

Know too -- the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him." (Ezra 1:8) 

From herein comes our hope! Stand in the offering plate.