From Pity to Praise

“When this perishable body, will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: Death is shallowed up in victory. Death, where is your sting? Sheol, where is your victory” – 1 Corinthians 15:54-55.

The victory of Jesus over death, the hope of eternal life, and the power of the resurrection and transformative truths that can inspire optimism and hope despite present struggles.

The verses above are profound because they reveal three incredibly powerful truths. They speak of victory of Jesus over death, the hope of external life and the power of the resurrection. These truths can transform our lives, shift our perspectives and fill our hearts with hope.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer a Lutheran pastor said in his book “The Cost of Discipleship, “The essence of optimism is that it takes no account to the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned, it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and no to abandon it to his enemy.”

Our faith in Jesus’s victory and our hope in eternal life is the Essen of this optimism that Bonhoeffer spoke about. It’s not about arguing our present struggles, but it’s about claiming our future in Jesus and His resurrection.

The victory of Jesus over death triumphant declaration of His victory over death, a victory that has profound implications for our understanding of life, death, and eternity.

It begins with His crucifixion on the cross. Jesus bore the weight of our sins and suffered the penalty of death that we deserved. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. But death could not hold Him. On the third day, He rose from the dead, defeating death, and proving His power over it.

It’s a demonstration of God’s power over death. It shows us death is not the end, but a transition to a new life. It assures us that our physical death is not the final word, but the beginning of our eternal life. Jesus is victory over her death was our assurance of that we are able to have a life with Him.

But, it has implications for how we live our lives now. Because of Jesus‘s victory, we don’t need to fear death. We can live with the confidence that death is not the end, but the doorway to eternal life. And we have free will to choose how we will spend eternity with Him or without Him.

This gives us the courage to face the challenges of life, to take risks for the sake of the gospel, and to live with the sense of purpose and hope.

Jesus is death is a source of hope for the future. It assured us that God‘s ultimate plan for the world is not death and destruction but a chance for life and renewal. It gives us hope that one day, God will wipe away our tears, death will be no more, and we will live forever in the presence of God.

We are given a chance to transform our understanding of life, death, and eternity. The resurrection of Jesus, reminds us that death has lost it sting and the grave has lost its victory. It assures us that with Jesus, we have the promise of eternal life and hope of a new creation. This challenges us to live our lives with courage, purpose, and hope, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The hope of eternal life is the promise that through faith in Jesus, we will share in His resurrection and enjoy eternal life with Him.

“To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: ‘He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one can shut, and He who shuts no one opens, says these things. I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut, that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny My name -Revelation 3:7-8

In Him, we have the authority to apply the Key of David.

As heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, we have…

• Authority over all powers of the enemy. Luke 9:1 says, “He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”
• Been seated with Him in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 2:5-6 tells us, “Even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Messiah (by grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua.”

• God’s Armor to protect us in the battle. Ephesians 6:10-18 that, “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all to stand.” This goes on to talk about the “Armor of God” we should put on every day.
• Covenant rights and responsibility to call heaven to earth. Matthew 6:10 says, “Let your Kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

All of this and more are given to us because of Jesus. It is up to us to exercise the authority given to us, to take up the “Key of David,” and unlock our kingdom destinies, and to open and close the doors God tells us to.

Jesus is the rightful heir to David’s throne and is entrusted with divine authority over God’s kingdom. But who are Jesus’s co-heirs

Open doors represent opportunities, salvation, fellowship with God, and kingdom mission work. Jesus opens doors that no human or spiritual force can close.

Shut doors represent finality in judgment or closed opportunities, both in spiritual and physical, relating to accessing the throne of God or partaking in His promises.

The key of David, speaks of Jesus‘s sovereign control over salvation. He alone brings people into God‘s kingdom and saves them. No one can overrule His decisions. He does not lie or change His mind, yet He is gracious, merciful, and patient.

There will be no into Jesus’s rain over the kingdom. In Luke 1:33 Jesus said to Peter, “On the rock I will build my church, and hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19).

The keys to the kingdom of heaven are divine authority to govern the church on earth. This key is connected to binding and loose a familiar Jewish law expression referring to the authority to make legal decisions, declaring what is permitted or forbidden, according to God’s will.

It is our call and responsibility to discern God‘s will, and enforce it against the power of the enemy.

May we, “the bride of Jesus (Yeshua) to exercise our authority wisely as we align with Him in the last days.

There’s a spiritual metaphor that explains followers of God as an army. We are ambassadors of God‘s kingdom on earth, tasked with spreading His message and protecting His values. The emphasis is that the true battle is spiritual, not physical, and focusing on living out faith and showcasing God’s character.

The distinction is crucial for understanding the role of believers.

Spiritual Warfare is focusing on combating spiritual challenges and moral dilemmas rather than engaging in physical conflict.

Living our faith means being encouraged to demonstrate our faith through actions that reflect God’s character, such as love, mercy, and justice.

There are responsibilities that come from being in God’s Army that align with thr mission.

• Spreading the Gospel: Sharing the message of Jesus with others (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8).
• Spiritual Protection: Praying and supporting others.
• Community Engagement: Being out in community and making a difference in people’s lives.
• Moral Guidance: Upholding ethical standards and providing support for people in need.

The metaphor of God’s Army serves as a reminder that people who follow God are called to engage in this spiritual mission. Embodying the values of God’s Kingdom. They contribute to a greater purpose that transcends physical battles, focusing instead on love, compassion, and spiritual growth.

Do you ever if like you’re in a struggle within yourselves? At times I find myself doing things I hate. This daily, frustrating struggle is proof of something spiritual is going on and it drives me to depend solely on God’s grace.

Paul puts it this way in Romans 7:19, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do -this I keep on doing.”

It the frustrating reality of the flesh. It makes us feel like we’re stuck in a spiritual tug of war. Paul perfectly captures the agonizing dilemma of the human condition in all of us. Even after we experience the grace of salvation, we still have a “flesh” – the lingering pull of our old, fallen nature. It often feels like a daily war where our mind desires to please God, but our human weakness wages war against the desire.

I think it’s proof of Spiritual life.

When we fall back into the same old patterns of failing to live up to our own spiritual standards, it is very easy to feel defeated and wonder if we’re really saved at all. But a dead person feels no resistance. The very fact that we grieve sin, wrestle with temptation, and want to do the right thing isn’t a sign of spiritual failure. I think it’s hard evidence that the Holy Spirit is alive and at work inside us.

Through it all there’s the danger of self-reliance. The trap many believers fall into is trying to achieve holiness through sheer willpower. We can make enthusiastic promises to God that we will do better, only to fail again. Romans 7 teaches us that our own strength is insufficient to conquer our flesh. The struggle within ourselves exists to teach us a valuable lesson – that we cannot do it on our own.

The ultimate rescue.

We see Paul’s anguish peak when we cries out in Romans 7:24, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” He immediately answers his own question. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our savior.”

Maybe our daily struggle is an invitation to rely on grace rather than our own strength. When we have daily struggles it keeps us returning to the Cross, reminding us that our victory is found in Jesus alone.

Every one of us is created by God. At the same time, we may confess that our goal is to glorify God. And despite this divine design of our lives, we are all prone to wander from the true God and worship false gods of our own making.

Idolatry has taken many forms throughout history. Some were made of wood, and overlaid with precious metals. Some were well-known pagan deities to whom whole temples were built. Today, our idols seem a bit more sophisticated. Money, power, fame, reputation, sex, and appearance, are common idols. Even good things can be idolized like relationships, health, social media, and even church. Because idols are simply something that we elevate in our lives above God. Idolatry is what we put first, what has captured our hearts, and where we find our identity.

Idolatry tends to work itself in one of two ways: we deify creation while denying God, or we exalt ourselves while excluding God. In the first way we trust in what has been made to somehow define and deliver us. The second is when elevate our will, desires and ego above all else, and attempt to become our own authority.

Despite the glaring deficiencies in our man-made idols and ourselves when compared to the glory of God, we still bow down to things we created rather than the Creator. Maybe it’s because idolatry is easier than faith. We defy creation and worship what we can see, taste, touch, and measure. In most cases it is something we can have control over.

God cannot be measured or touched and He surely cannot be controlled. Our longing for immediate gratification and the investment we have in this present life make idolatry not just tempting but easy. We are prone to idolatry because we want to be self-reliant rather than accountable. To admit that we are the creation of God is to accept that we belong to Him, and that means He alone should be worshipped. We should answer to Him solely for what we do and who we have become. Idolatry is tempting because, at least in our minds, it frees us from the God who owns us.

Idolatry isn’t only delusional, it’s dangerous. False gods will not only fail to serve us and save us, but they will also lead us to condemnation. It’s only when we see idols for what it is, it is in contrast to who God is, that the glitter of idols is overcome by the glory of God.

I think there is one reason we worship idols and that’s because we are not gripped with the glory of God, glory that is seen in the person and work of Jesus, who Himself is a reliance, Who death brought about redemption.

The beginning of the end of idolatry is in our hearts and that is found in Jesus.