It's Payback Time!!!!

RUTH 2:12 (kjv)

“The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”

God spoke to Greater Works Ministry with a word - “The Year of The Redeemed”.  He said to give Him thanks "for He is good; for His Mercy endureth forever (meaning continues).  Let the Redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hands of the enemy." (Psalms 107:1-2)

The book of Ruth depicts Jesus Christ as “The Kinsman Redeemer”. The words "kinsman" and "redeemer" come from the same Hebrew meaning of “redeem” according to the law of kinship, as in the next of kin and as such to buy back a relative’s property.  It also means ransom, to release, rescued.

      Ransom- the price paid or demanded before a captive is set free.

      Redeem- to buy back; to pay off, to make up for; set free or deliverance

      Release- to relieve from obligation or debt; to let go

      Rescue- to free from confinement or danger; save

Jesus Christ performed (meaning carried out; fulfilled) for us upon the Cross of Calvary - the only kind of a person who could be a redeemer - for He is the God-man who alone can bring God and man together in perfect harmony. The redeemer must be both God and man to be a mediator who can bridge the gulf by dying like a man and rising from the dead as The Eternal God. (WHEW!!!)

“And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15) This means God has appointed unto us a kingdom or covenant. “Without shedding of blood is no remission." (forgiveness of sin) (Hebrews 9:22) Without the blood of The LORD Jesus Christ, there is absolutely no salvation.  Jesus paid our debt with His blood.

According to the Bible, life is in the blood, and since the wages of sin is death, the only thing which can abolish death is life.  Since life is in the blood, the only price for sin or the only means of restoring spiritual life is through the shedding of the blood.  We know Jesus shed His blood, and as each drop hit the earth, it paid earth off.  His payment was complete, and He said “It is finished”. (John 19:30)

NOW IT’S PAYBACK TIME!!!

We are ambassadors of Jesus The Christ, and we are both in Christ and Christ in us.  We are the dwelling place of Christ; we are the Redeemed.  The Redeemed person is composed of body, soul and spirit.  

The body corresponds to the court of the tabernacle.

         THE OUTER- the visible part of our personality.  It is the place of sacrifice.  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

         THE SOUL- answers to the holy place and is the place of worship and fellowship with other believers, feeding about the table, walking in the light, interceding for others. “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 2)

         THE SPIRIT- the inner holy of holies; the deepest, hidden life of perfect, individual, personal communion with God beneath the blood.  It is the place of spiritual victory. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11)

Because of what our Big Brother did for us on the cross, it’s past time for us to take our rightful place as a believer. We need to take on the spirit of Ruth's words to Naomi in Ruth 1:16: “Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”

It gives a realistic portrait of life with its struggles and tragedies; yet it describes how the faith and faithfulness of godly people enabled God to turn tragedy into triumph and defeat into redemption.  Famine, death, loneliness, voluntary exile and unshakable fidelity combine to fulfill the sure purpose of God through all tragedies of life.  Nothing is able to block the achievement of Divine Will.  That means to get in on the blessing, you need to use your faith and claim that for your own life. 

We believe with our minds; faith is joining of the heart and mind together.  Faith is not concerned with proof.  Faith believes in the invisible.  Faith says:  I can believe in what I do not see because the things seen are temporal (the flesh man) and those not seen are eternal (the spirit man).  ”They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) Our faith has to allow the spirit man to overtake the flesh.

Now that you have activated your faith, he said he will "recompense thy work".  "Recompense" comes from the Hebrew word shalam’- to be safe (in mind, body or estate):

      To make complete

      To reciprocate (to give back as in pay)

      Peace, reward, render, restore, repay, perform, restitute, finish, full, that is perfect, prosper

Perfection and completeness are primarily attributed to God.  He is deficient in nothing so start claiming that now for your own life.  Start getting up each morning and saying, "This is my day of reward; it’s my payback time! It doesn’t matter what things look like or however the situation may seem. What matters is how you see it; your perception of it. What matters is that your outcome is largely determined by your outlook!!  So now how’s your outlook on things?  Are you viewing them from an optimistic point or pessimistic look?"

The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy; he has no life and the truth ain’t in him. So when the enemy launches his attack on our mind, quote 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

 Remember another meaning of Shalam’ means to make peace.  "When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)  He said under whose wings thou art come to trust.  God protects His people as a bird protects her young with her wings.  The psalmist expressed God’s care and protection as a “shadow of thy wings”. (Psalm 36:7)  Look, the believer is enjoined to seek refuge (shelter) with God when adversity strikes him or adversaries surround us.  "He shall cover thee with his feathers, (anointing) and under his wings shalt thou trust: (one with protective wings) his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:4)

So people of God…….Jesus paid the price in full, and everything that was entitled to Him was passed on to us.  God tallies up the final score.  He always finds the enemy without another hand to deal.  The devil loses every time.  The righteous always win over evil.  So be confident today that IT IS PAYBACK TIME  and your full reward is upon you.

We are already delivered from the hands of the enemy.  So give Him thanks for He is good for His mercies endureth forever.

LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO!!!!!!!!

~ Evangelist Jackie Burton