~By Meg Saunders
“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come the Almighty.’ . . . ‘I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last’” (Revelation 1:8,11).
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ . . . ‘I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:3-5).
“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him [Jesus], and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed of the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).
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Thank You, God, that You will ultimately triumph over all our pain, suffering, evil, and brokenness.
To know the full vision of God’s plan for humankind is to realize His promise — that He will come again and renew all things! Yes, Christ came once in a manger in Bethlehem. Throughout His life on earth He spoke about his return and promised to come again. This time He will fully restore everything on earth. He will trounce ALL evil and every bit of creation will be made new. Meditate on the vision from Revelation 21 cited above. Imagine a world where there is no pain; no more tears. Do you want to be a part of that world? The story is not yet fully complete . . . .
Several weeks ago we looked at the problem of our brokenness or sin and how it has separated us from God. Almighty God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to save us from our sin. As a result of His death, resurrection, and ascension we now are fully forgiven. We no longer have to be slaves to sin, but are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).
Similarly, salvation is not just about obtaining entrance into heaven. Wouldn’t that strike you as a very “me” centered salvation, if it were only about what “I” can get from it? God has a much larger view. Salvation, according to Him, is also the full and complete restoration of the earth to perfect wholeness. I don’t know about you, but it is very comforting to hear Jesus’ proclamation of who He is from Revelation 1. Re-read it above. Christ is the Alpha and Omega— the Beginning and the End. I now know from my first semester of biblical language class that the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet are ‘alpha’ and ‘omega’. It’s like God is telling us, “Do not fear, and don’t let the circumstances of your life leave you in distress. Yes, the world is broken and not yet whole, but I began history and will complete it. I keep my promises. So do not lose heart because I AM the Beginning and End — I will come again and I will make all things new.”
For some of us this sounds like a hyped up pipe dream because of the horrific pain and suffering we (or others we love) are going through. But it’s not wishful thinking. God keeps His promises. Just as Christ’s first coming was prophesied all throughout the Old Testament — and came to fruition in the birth of Jesus Christ, so, too His second coming will come to pass. Let that truth bring peace and comfort to your soul.
So, as we wait for Him, let’s be clear on who God is. He is not a far-off, detached deity who is using us to amuse Himself. Not in the least! Threaded throughout the narrative of Scripture is an invitation of relationship (of covenant) with Him. Father God wants us to accept His offer. Do not delay any longer. Let today, Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 be the day you either say “yes” to His offer of salvation, or return to Him. Either way, in love and with expectation. . .
He’s waiting for you . . . .
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2011 © First Thoughts, M.V. Saunders
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2011 Winner of Christianity Today’s Award of Merit for Apologetics/Evangelism:
Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith, Francis S. Collins, Meg Saunders
Find it on: http://www.amazon.co.uk and http://www.amazon.com
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/february/bookawards2011.html
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