Jesus Really Did Change Everything
(7 minutes)
Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.
And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. (Isaiah 35:1-10 NLT)
"You believe so emphatically that Adam taking a bite of that little apple was so powerful that it changed you, me and the entire planet. But you don't give Jesus the same power. You don't believe that He was crucified on the cross, resurrected, and when He said, 'It's finished and I've got the keys of authority here and I give them to you,' we don't give Him the same power that Adam has eating apples. Because if we did, we would be saying, 'Wait a minute! This thing is supposed to be changing because of what He did!' Think about it. Just stop for a moment and think about it. Adam is not stronger and more powerful that Jesus, the Son of God. It's not about your eternal destination, it's about the restoration of this planet. It's about the restoration of all things." (Pastor Tim)
Maybe this comes down to how powerful we believe Jesus' death and resurrection is, because if we believe that Jesus' life was as effective as Adam's we would certainly believe that the world is changing now, for better not for worse. If Adam's life was powerful enough to send the cosmos into ruin, Jesus' life, the life of the Son of God, must be just as powerful to reverse the curse and send the cosmos in the direction of restoration.
Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, let's just stop and think about it. Let's stop and think about what we've believed and what we've put our confidence in. Has it been the power of the curse and the end of the world? Or has it been the power of the cross to reverse the curse of sin and death and bring about the total restoration of all things? We wholeheartedly believe that Adam's sinful life changed everything. Do we wholeheartedly believe that Jesus' sinless life changed everything, too.
We inherited a theology from religion that painted the Father in darkness and made Jesus' life of little to no effect. The consequence of these empty theologies has been the complete loss of hope. And all we've been left with is dreaming of heaven while we wander around unfulfilled on the earth. This is not what Abba wants for His beloved sons and daughters.
"We have to go back and fix some of these broken theologies that we were hand-fed by delusional men. Let God speak to your heart today. Ask yourself this question: do I really believe He loves me? Am I His favorite?" (Pastor Tim)
Abba is giving us an elevated point of view! It's going to start with having these questions answered in intimacy with Him. Once Abba repairs these broken theologies in His presence, we will see hope restored and overwhelming joy become the theme of our life. That is where we are heading and some of us are beginning to see these blossoming buds springs up in our internal garden. Abba is removing the weeds and making room for the fruit of the Kingdom to grow, expand, and take over.
Beloved One, take Abba's hand and let Him show you the weeds that need to go so the real you can begin to bloom.
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Worship: "Goodness of God" by Bethel Music
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
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