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I’ve often thought it curious how few people Jesus raised from the dead.  He healed hundreds, fed thousands, but as far as we know He only raised three:  the daughter of Jairus, the boy near Nain, and Lazarus.  Why so few?

Could it be because He knew He’d be doing them no favors?

Could it be because He couldn’t get any volunteers?

Could it be that once someone is there, the last place they want to return to is here?

Isaiah said: “The good men perish; the godly die before their time and no one seems to care or wonder why.  No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from the evil days ahead.  For the godly who die will rest in peace.” Isaiah 57:1-2

What a thought. Could death be God’s grace? God’s protection from the future?  Trust in God, Jesus urges, and trust in Me!

From A Gentle Thunder

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The promises of God work.  They work!  Search until you find covenants that address your needs.  Clutch them as the precious pearls they are.  And when the enemy comes with his lies of doubt and fear, produce the pearl.  Satan will be quickly silenced.  He has no reply for truth.

Russell Kelso Carter committed himself to believe the promises of God in the Bible.  His decision to trust God in the midst of great difficulty gave birth to a hymn that’s still sung today.  My favorite stanza says:

“Standing on the promises that cannot fail,

when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

by the living Word of God I shall prevail,

standing on the promises of God!”

Will you do the same?  Build your life on the promises of God.  Because God’s promises are unbreakable your hope will be unshakable!

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Jesus encouraged his followers to “always pray and never lose hope” (Luke 18:1).  Never lose hope?  Never be fainthearted?  Never feel overwhelmed?  Never get sucked into the sewer of despair?  Can you imagine?  No day lost to anguish.  No decision driven by fear.  This is God’s will for you and me.  He wants us to “abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).”  Abound…what an extraordinary verb to use with hope.

For about half an hour recently, the sky above me became a waterfall.  I had to pull my car off the road.  Windshield wipers stood no chance against the downpour. Every square inch of the highway was drenched.  Rain abounded.  Could you use some abounding hope?  God will drench your world with hope; it is His promise.  And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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Are you in the midst of a storm?  The followers of Jesus were.  And through the midst of the storm, He came.  Matthew 14:25-26 says, “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him they were terrified.  ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.”  Jesus turned the water into a walkway.  His followers called him a ghost, but Jesus still came.

Jesus was not distracted from his mission.  After Jesus stilled the storm, the disciples worshipped him.  “Truly you are the Son of God,” they said.  With a stilled boat as their altar and beating hearts as their liturgy, they worshipped Jesus.  May you and I do the same.  Storms still come but so does Jesus!

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Jesus is the sinless and perfect high priest.  When he speaks, all of heaven listens! Hebrews 7:25 promises, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Unshakable hope is the firstborn offspring of this promise.  We’d prefer to have every question answered, but Jesus has, instead, told us this much:  “I will pray for you through the storm.”

Are those prayers answered?  Of course.  You might disagree.  If Jesus was praying, why did the storm even happen at all?  Well, that storm-free life will be inaugurated in the eternal kingdom.  Between now and then, since this is a fallen world and since the devil still stirs doubt and fear, we can count on storms.  But we can also count on the presence and prayers of Christ in the midst of them!

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Lingering among the unspoken expectations of many Christian hearts is this:  Now that I belong to God, I get a pass on the tribulations of life.  Others face storms.  I live to help them.  But face my own?  No way.

Jesus, however, assures us,  “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).  But ponder this promise:  In the midst of your storm Jesus is interceding for you, calling out to your heavenly Father, urging the help of the Holy Spirit.

When Stephen was about to be martyred for his faith, he “gazed steadily into heaven and saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Acts 7:55).  Jesus stood up for Stephen.  Ever had anyone stand up for you?  The answer is yes.  Jesus stands at this very moment, offering intercession on your behalf!  That is his promise to you; and because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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Some people will stand before God on the judgement day who didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him.  They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. They spent a lifetime dishonoring God and hurting his people. They mocked his name and made life miserable for their neighbors.

Even our judicial system forces no defense on the accused. The defendant is offered an advocate, but if he chooses to stand before the judge alone, the system permits it.  So does God.  He offers his Son as an advocate.  At the judgment Jesus will stand at the side of every person except those who refuse him.  When their deeds are read, heaven’s tribunal will hear nothing—but silence!  It’s a sobering truth in Acts 17:31, “The day is coming when God will judge the world.”

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The Bible says God will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and He will expose the motives of the heart.  “At that time each will receive their praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).  On the last day, God will walk you through your life day by day, moment by moment, issuing commendation after commendation.  You greeted the new student in your class.  Fine job.  You forgave your brother, encouraged your neighbor. . .I’m so proud of you.

The Bible says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10).  Our just God will recognize faithful stewardship.  The same pen that records our impure thoughts makes notes of our pure ones. And guess who’ll be waiting for you at the finish line?  Jesus Christ!  This is His promise, and because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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When did you learn the words—it’s not fair?  What deed exposed you to the imbalanced scales of life?  Have you ever prayed the psalmist’s prayer:  “O Lord, how long will you look on?” (Psalm 35:17).  When did you first ask the prophet’s question:  “Why does the way of  the wicked prosper?” (Jeremiah 12:1).  Why indeed?

God’s answer is direct– Not long! Scripture reveals a somber promise. “For God has set a day when he will judge the world” (Acts 17:31).  Every flip of the calendar brings us closer to the day when God will judge all evil.  The Judgment Day has been chosen.  The hour is marked and the moment reserved.  Judgment is not a possibility but a stark reality. This is God’s promise: He will forever balance the scales of fairness. And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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I purchased a new cartridge for my printer, but until I removed the thin strip of tape covering the outlet of the cartridge, there was plenty of ink but no impression could be made on the page.

Is there anything in your life that needs to be removed?  We can grieve the Spirit with our rebellion and disobedience. We can even quench the Spirit by having no regard for God’s teaching.  The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20, “never damp the fire of the Spirit, and never despise what is spoken in the name of the Lord.”

Are you feeding your flesh and neglecting your faith? If the answer is yes, you are quenching the Spirit within you. Do you want his power? Direction? Strength?  Then keep in step with the Spirit.  He directs and leads; we obey and follow. And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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Ephesians 4:3 says to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”  The Holy Spirit of God is the mother hen, urging the church to gather together in safety!  We’re never told to create unity but rather to keep the unity the Spirit provides.

Harmony is always an option, because the Spirit is always present.  Gone is the excuse, “I just can’t work alongside so-and-so.”  Maybe you can’t, but the Spirit within you can!  To say otherwise is to say that the Holy Spirit cannot do what he longs to do. “We were all given the one Spirit to drink,” the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:13-14…“even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”  The Holy Spirit unifies the church, the body.  Let the Holy Spirit do its unification work through you!  And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope in him is unshakable!

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The Bible says, “If God were to withdraw his Spirit, all life would disappear and mankind would return again to dust” (Job 34:14-15). And Ephesians 1:13 says that the Holy Spirit enters the believer upon confession of faith. From that point forward the Christian has access to the very power and personality of God.  They begin to think the way God thinks, love the way God loves, and see the way God sees. And this power includes the gifts of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

As our relationship with God is secured and unmarred by rebellion, sin, or stubborn behavior, we can expect a harvest of fruit!  We need not force it, but we can expect it.  It simply falls to us to stay connected.  And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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Ask a believer to answer the question, “Who is God the Father?” He has a reply. Or “Describe God the Son.” She will not hesitate. But ask, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” and they’re often at a loss for words. Many rely on the Father and the Son but overlook the Holy Spirit. Yet Jesus says more about the Holy Spirit than he does about the church or marriage.

On the eve of his death, as he prepared his followers to face the future without him, he made this great promise, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). He didn’t promise immediate success, or the absence of disease or struggles. He never guaranteed a level of income. But He promised the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came alongside the disciples, indwelled them, and gave the early church the push they needed to face the challenges ahead. Perhaps you could use a push as well.

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The greatest news in the world is not that God made the world but that God loves the world.  He loves you.  You did not earn this love.  His love for you will not end if you lose your temper.  His love for you will not fade if you lose your way, nor will His love diminish if your discipline does.

Someone told you that God loves good people. Wrong. There are no good people.  Someone told you that God loves you if you love him first. Wrong. He loves people who have never thought of him.  Someone told you that God is ticked off, cranky, and vindictive.  Wrong. We tend to be ticked off, cranky, and vindictive.  But God?  “God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love” (Psalm 103:8).  God loves you!  And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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God needs no name tag to jog his memory about you.  He has more thoughts about you than the Pacific coast has grains of sand!

I read a story about a man walking the shores of a lake in silence with his uncle.  The man noticed his uncle was smiling.  “Uncle,” he said, “you look very happy.”  “I am” his uncle agreed.  “How come?” the man asked.  “The Father of Jesus is very fond of me,” his uncle said.

He’s fond of you, too, dear friend.  What’s that?  Do you think I’m talking to someone who is holier, better, or nicer?  Someone who didn’t screw up his marriage or mess up her career.  I’m not.  I’m talking directly to you.  God loves you.  And His love for you will not end or fade if you lose your way.  You have never lived one unloved day.  This is God’s promise.  And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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Self-help manuals might get you through a bad mood or a tough patch. But what about an abusive childhood or years of chronic pain? Does God have a word for the dark nights of the soul? He does.

God’s promise begins with this phrase: “Weeping may last through the night. . .” That part may not be news to you. But this part may be– “Joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).  Despair will not rule the day. Night might delay the dawn, but it cannot defeat it.  Morning comes.  Not always as quickly as we want.  Not as dramatically as we desire. But morning comes, and with it comes joy.

Do you need this promise?  Have you wept a river?  Have you forsaken hope?  Do you wonder if morning will ever bring this night to an end?  Hear this!  Because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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It seems most people think death is to be avoided or postponed and ignored.  But God promises that death will be swallowed up in victory! (1 Corinthians15:54). Jesus rose from the dead, not just to show us his power, but also to lead us through the valley of death.

Recently I discovered it’s possible to record a message for my tombstone.  And if I do, this may be what you’ll hear:

Thanks for coming by.  Sorry you missed me, but I’m not here.  I’m home.  Finally home!  At some point my King will call, and this grave will be shown for the temporary tomb it is.  You might want to step to the side in case that happens while you are here.  Hope you’ve made plans for your own departure.  All the best, Max.

Yeah, I know it needs some work!  But while the wording might change, the promise never will.  “Death has been swallowed up in victory!”

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Is this as good as it gets?  Many people assume that it is! Many people think their deepest joy and most profound happiness happens somewhere between the delivery room and the funeral home.  Is that as good as it gets? For the Christian, this world is as bad as it gets.  Set your heart on this hope from the 2 Corinthians:

“Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.  We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles.  We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Because God’s promises are unbreakable, out hope is unshakable!

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Make 2 Peter 3:13 one of the building blocks in your foundation.  It reads, “In keeping with God’s promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” God has promised to reclaim his creation.  He is a God of restoration, not destruction. He is a God of renewal, redemption, regeneration, and resurrection.  God loves to redo and restore.

“I am making everything new!” he announced in Revelation 21:5. Everything new. The old will be gone. Gone with the hospital waiting rooms. Gone with cancer. God will lay hold of every atom, emotion, insect, animal, and galaxy. He will reclaim every diseased body and afflicted mind. I am making all things new!  This is God’s promise.  And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!

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You’ve never seen yourself at your best. You’ve never known yourself as God intended.  But you will! Try to imagine a body with no pain, a mind with no wandering thoughts. Envision yourself as you were meant to be, completely whole. And envision this earth as it was intended to be…completely calm.

Scripture says, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:6).  The removal of the curse will return God’s people and the universe to their intended states. Satan, the tempter, will be thrown “into the eternal fire.” In that moment “Death is swallowed up in victory” (I Corinthians 15:54). This is God’s promise. And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable.

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