“…waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of glory of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Titus 2:13
Our study in Romans 11 takes us out into the future. Events that are yet to come, but nevertheless foreknown by our Sovereign Father.

In Acts 1 the apostles asked Jesus a question: “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Obviously, this indicates an expectation on their part that Jesus was going to restore the Davidic throne and kingdom as had often been foretold in the Old Testament prophets.Jesus did not correct their question by telling them- “no, you got it all wrong. The prophesies about Israel in the Old Covenant are now going to be spiritually fulfilled by my new Covenant people- the church.” Rather He simply said: “It is not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father holds in His hand.”
This reply indicates that the premise of their question was correct: He will restore the Kingdom to Israel. He simply says, the timing is none of your concern- just go and be my witnesses after the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

So when will Jesus restore the Kingdom to Israel? Well, the time is not ours to know. But this we do know: preceding His glorious appearing Israel will “look upon Him whom they have pierced and they will mourn because of Him.”
This mourning will translate into faith as multitudes of ethnic Israelites receive Jesus as their Messiah.

Accompanying this great outpouring of God’s Spirit upon the nation of Israel, a great harvest will sweep through the nations. Parallel to this great revival Satan will be sowing rebellion and hatred toward Jesus.
War will break out, Christ will win, the Kingdom will come.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

Because of grace,
Tim

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“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near,
Let the wicked forsake His way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God for He will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways says the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:6-8I once heard an old preacher say: “Those who think they can understand God probably have too small a God.” It is indeed true that God and His ways are so above us that it is a mystery to us to even begin to imagine the Love that would set in motion the great mystery of the incarnation.
In the ancient world, the polytheism and paganism that pervaded the popular culture thought of gods as capricious, vindictive and fickle. The people lived in fear that the gods would strike them without cause and destroy their crops or ruin their lives. They lived in mortal fear of the gods they had constructed in their own image.

Today we are no better. In our sophisticated modernism, we no longer believe in the myths of the ancient world, but nevertheless most people live in dread of Mother earth and climate change, or some other man made scheme that cause men to turn from the One true Living God to idols.

However as Christians, as we celebrate Christmas- it is truly a time for joy and celebration as we fix our hope on the One who truly has set us free from sin and death and has brought rest and hope instead of dread and fear.

Because of grace,
Tim

The post Our God Box appeared first on EBCSV.