1 Peter 1:18-20
For you know that it was not with perishable
things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life
handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of
Christ,
a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the
world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Isaiah 7:14-15
Therefore the Lord himself will
give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and
will call him Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to
reject the wrong and choose the right.
Luke 1:30-33
But the angel said to her, "Do not
be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give
birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and
will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne
of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his
kingdom will never end."
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land
of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and
with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any
deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause
him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he
will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will
prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see
the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant
will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the
great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured
out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he
bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Matthew 12:40-41
For as Jonah was three days
and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand
up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at
the
preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
Mark 10:33
"We are going up to Jerusalem," he
said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of
the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
Matthew 16:4
A wicked and adulterous generation
looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of
Jonah."
The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the
moon will not give its light.
I will punish the world for its evil,
the
wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
I will make man scarcer than pure gold,
more
rare than the gold of Ophir.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;
and the earth will shake from its place
at the wrath of the LORD
Almighty,
in the day of his burning anger.
Romans 1:18-20
The wrath of God is being
revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who
suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is
plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of
the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have
been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are
without excuse.
Revelation 19:11-16
I saw heaven standing open
and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on
his
head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he
himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of
God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and
dressed
in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which
to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads
the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his
thigh he has this name written:
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Psalms 62:2-4
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips
will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in
your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalms 89:30-37
"If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my
commands,
I will punish their sin with the rod,
their
iniquity with flogging;
but I will not take my love from him,
nor will
I ever betray my faithfulness.
The Book of Jonah.......
Even though Nineveh
was a city of great evil, God sent a prophet from Israel to warn them of their
imminent destruction unless they changed their ways. Nineveh repented, and the
Lord spared their city.
Malachi 3:6
"I the LORD do not change. So you,
O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
James1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from
above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change
like shifting shadows.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say this--
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he
gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north
and south. Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no
way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to
the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from
their distress.
He led them by a straight way
to a
city where they could settle.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing
love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he
satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good
things.
Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
for they had
rebelled against the words of God
and despised the
counsel of the Most High.
So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
Then
they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved
them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the deepest
gloom
and broke away their chains.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing
love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he breaks
down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of
death.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He sent forth his word and healed
them;
he rescued them from the grave.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing
love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
Let them
sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with
songs of joy.
Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
They saw
the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted
high the waves.
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
They reeled
and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits'
end.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled
the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them
to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing
love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
Let them exalt
him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the
council of the elders.
He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
and fruitful
land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of
those who lived there.
He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he
brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where
they could settle.
They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
he blessed them, and
their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their
herds diminish.
Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
he who pours
contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and
increased their families like flocks.
The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
Whoever is wise, let him heed these
things
and consider the great love of the LORD.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but
a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you
were not pleased.
Then I said, `Here I am--it is written about me in the
scroll--
I have come to do your will, O God.' "
First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says,
"I will declare your name to my brothers;
in
the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."
And again,
"I will put my trust in him."
And again he says,
"Here am I, and the children God has given me."
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Acts 1:10-11
They were looking intently up into
the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside
them."Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Revelation 22:12-13
"Behold, I am coming soon!
My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has
done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the
End.
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! and that is what we
are!
1 John 4:16-21
And so we know and rely on the
love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Romans 5:6-8
You see, at just the right time,
when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will
anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly
dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 2:5-10
But because of your stubbornness
and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the
day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will
give
to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in
doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But
for
those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will
be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being
who
does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace
for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Ephesians 4:18
They are darkened in their
understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that
is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For what I received I
passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according
to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the
Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at
the
same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then
he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to
me also, as to one abnormally born.
He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Matthew 28:5-10
The angel said to the women,
"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was
crucified.
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he
lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: `He has risen from the dead and is
going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Acts 1:1-3
In my former book, Theophilus, I
wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken
up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles
he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave
many
convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty
days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
John 16:5-11
"Now I am going to him who sent
me, yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?' Because I have said these
things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your
good
that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but
if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of
guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin,
because
men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the
Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the
prince of this world now stands condemned.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they
were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent
wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They
saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each
of
them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way,
what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as
you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring
about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the
heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven
and
a new earth, the home of righteousness.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!