Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Posts tagged Scripture
Green Verses: Mark 11:23-24
Jun 1st
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Mark 11:23-24
Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Many thanks to Robin who mentioned this verse in a prayer she shared on the Oil Spill Prayer website a few days ago. Do you pray with this sort of confidence? At a time when God’s creatures are dying and ecosystems are being damaged, let us pray to our Lord with confidence.
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Green Verses: Isaiah 54:10
May 25th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
When confronted by disasters and problems in this world we live in, it is hard to hold on to hope. But be encouraged that the LORD promises love and covenant faithfulness that do not waver.
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Green Verses: Revelation 11:18
May 18th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Revelation 11:18
The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great– and for destroying those who destroy the earth.
I had picked this verse a while back and had forgotten its strong language until I went to prepare today’s post. How I had forgotten this sobering verse I do not know. It is so strong that I thought for a moment about holding off, but decided to proceed anyways. We must not ignore the fact that there will be a day of judgment. This can either be a day of reward or of pain. What I find so interesting about this is that the destruction of the earth is included here as a point of judgment. While I believe we should focus on our great hope, we must stop at times and pay heed to these warnings as well.
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Green Verses: Isaiah 11:6-9
May 11th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Some things are just impossible: a wolf living with a lamb, a lion eating straw, and an infant playing around snakes unharmed. Or irreconcilable relationships being reconciled, a decayed body restored, and a broken creation renewed. These things are impossible. And yet we serve a God in whom all things are possible. To Him none of these things are impossible.
I encourage you to catch a glimpse of this hope this morning. It is not a vain hope nor is it wishful thinking. It is a concrete hope in our God and Savior. In this our God, all things are possible even the seemingly impossible.
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Green Verses: Isaiah 44:23-24
May 4th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Isaiah 44:23-24
Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by myself spread out the earth;
In the wake of the oil spill, let us cry out to the Lord who is both the Creator and the Redeemer of all things. It can be overwhelming and disheartening when we think of the extensive damage and harm that will be caused. There is little that we can do at present, but there is much the Redeemer who stretched out the heavens can do. Let us call upon Him in this time.
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Green Verses: Jeremiah 31:35
Apr 27th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar– the LORD of hosts is his name:
Our God, the LORD, not only created His glorious creation but He sustains and directs it. What an encouraging thought! Think about that today. I pray that it be a source of confidence for you.
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Green Verses: Isaiah 40:12
Apr 20th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?
Here, in one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, we see God’s sovereignty over creation. What a great scripture to read when you feel down about the state of the earth or difficult situations in life. We worship the God is reigns supreme over all things. Who better to put your trust in?
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Green Verses: Psalm 8:1-4
Apr 13th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Psalm 8:1-4
O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
Today take a moment to reflect on the beauty of creation and what it reveals about God’s majesty. After mulling it over a bit, think that this same God, the Sovereign LORD of the universe, cares deeply for you and would like to have an intimate relationship with you. Wow!
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Green Verses: John 3:16-17
Apr 6th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
John 3:16-17
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.’
Coming off of a week where we focused on the brokenness of all of God’s creation, this is an incredible word! God saw that the world was fallen, broken, and hurting and chose to step in to save it all. Note that each use of “world” here is the Greek word cosmos which we have seen elsewhere referring to all of God’s creation [note John 1:10 where the cosmos came into being through him]. This in no way negates individual salvation and the sacrifice that Christ made for each one of us. I wholeheartedly affirm that. But let us not forget how magnificent our God is that He came to save the whole world. More about the theology of this on Friday. In the meantime, celebrate the redeeming work of our Savior.
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Green Verses: John 1:1-4
Mar 30th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
This is an important week for Christians. As such I figured it might be valuable to look at the implications of the cross for creation. Before we can get to the cross however, we must start at the beginning. You see, it is important for us to understand that Christ was there at creation. Not only was He present, but “all things came into being through him.” We often think about Christ’s role on the cross and in redemption of sin. However, it is critical that we understand that He is also the Creator. As you go through this special week, think about the deep connection between the Creator and all of His creation as he walks towards the cross and is raised.
May you have a blessed week and understand and connect with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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