Ransomed, Redeemed: Rejoice!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Devotions: Ps 5 6, 10, 11; Ex 15:1-21; 1 Pet 1:1-25; Jn 14:1-31 YHWH, hear my words and my groans; lead me in Your righteousness, and keep me from the fellowship and from the damage done by the wicked. Let all who take refuge in You rejoice and sing for joy. You cover the righteous with Your favor, as with a mighty shield. Rebuke me not in anger; be gracious, Lord, for I am languishing. Save my life and deliver me for the sake of Your steadfast love. I weary myself with mourning, yet I continue to go my own way and stumble in recurring sins of thought and deed. YHWH is good; He hears and answers my prayers; and He puts my enemies to shame. I cannot rebuke You, Lord, for Your distance from me, for I am a sinner; I recurrently sin against Your holy love, even though I know my sins war against my soul. Break my rebellious will; respond to the deepest integrity You created within me, and bring forth the goodness of which I am capable by Your grace alone. YHWH alone abides; all else is temporary, and the upright will behold His face for ever. After God destroyed the forces of Pharaoh in the Sea of Reeds, Moses led Israel in song: I will sing to YHWH, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. YHWH is my Strength, and He has become my Song, my Salvation. This is my God, and I will praise Him; He Is a warrior, and YHWH is His name. There is none like You, my Lord. You bring Your people out from darkness and bondage, to light and a refuge, a pleasant land under Your authority. Plant us in Your territory, Lord, and tend us like Your vineyard, now and always.' And Miriam led the women in dance, to the chant: Sing to YHWH, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea!' Amen. Peter wrote to the Dispersion: Grace and peace be multiplied to you! Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus the Messiah. By His great mercy, we have been born anew to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah from the dead; we are raised to an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept for us in heaven. By God's power we are guarded through faith for salvation, which is ready to be revealed at the end of time. You rejoice in all this, even though for a little while we undergo trials; these prove the genuineness of our faith. It is far more precious than gold; it redounds to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus the Messiah. You love Him even though you have not seen Him; and you believe in Him nevertheless, and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. Your faith issues in eternal salvation! The former prophets spoke of the grace that has become yours; they inquired concerning the person and circumstances highlighted by the Spirit of Christ, which foretold by His suffering and His glory. They learned that their work was in your service—you have received the Message and the blessings which the very angels of heaven long to know. So: gird your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you through the revelation of Jesus the Messiah. Like obedient children, conform to Him and to His message, not to the passions of your former ignorance: be holy in all your conduct as He Who calls you Is holy. In this time of exile, conduct yourselves immaculately before the holy Father Who judges each one impartially. You have been ransomed from the futile ways of your forbears with the precious blood of Christ, God's Lamb without spot or blemish. He was destined from before the foundation of the world, and manifest at the right time, for your sake. Through Him you may have confidence in God, Who raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God! Now therefore, having purified your souls by obeying the truth out of sincere love of the brothers and sisters, love one another earnestly from the heart. You are born anew by the imperishable seed, through the living and abiding Word of God. All flesh is like grass; mortal glory is like that of the flowers—the grass withers, the flowers fade and fall; but the Word of the Lord abides for ever. And that is the word that has been proclaimed to you! On the night in which our Lord gave Himself over to suffering and death for us, He told His closest disciples: Don't be troubled; believe in God and in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms, and I'm going to prepare a place for each of you. I will come again and take you to be with Me there, so that where I Am you may be also. You know the Way—I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father; We Are One. I speak His words with His authority. I tell you truth: whoever believes in Me will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; so if you ask anything in My name, I will do it. If you love me, keep My commandments; I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, the Holy Spirit; you know Him and He will be in you. Soon, the world will see Me no more, but you will see me. Because I will live forever, you too will live. Then you will know that I Am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I Am in you. Whoever has My commands and obeys them, that is the one who loves Me; and whoever loves Me is loved by My Father, and by Me, and We will manifest God to that person. I gave you God's commands; if you keep them, You honor Me and My Father, and We will come to you and dwell in and with you. I have told you this while I Am still with you; but soon the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father sends in My name, will teach you all things. He will bring you to remember all that I have said to you. I leave you My own peace; so don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. I Am doing just as the Father has directed, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Now, get up, and let's go!