"The Real Meaning" - Too

 "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." (Hebrews 8:11 KJV)

  "And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life." (1 John 5:20 NLT)

 Now, about that message I heard regarding Jesus being fully God and fully man: there is a huge difference between the order of His manifestation or birth, as to whether He was a man that was born God, or God that was born as a man. Not that we have to figure out which one it was, because if we just listen to what Gabriel said to Mary, we will know full well that Jesus was God, who came to the earth as a man! 

 O, it gets even better, because not only did He come into this world as a man, He came lowly and fragile, in the form of a little baby! Imagine the incredible power that was held in the arms of His mother, as she nursed Him, changed Him, and rocked Him to sleep. Isaiah was shown this, as he described it in his writing about the Savior: "My servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him." (Isaiah 53:2 NLT) 

 Thinking about this, incredible birth, it is amazingly the same way He died! He came as a fragile little baby, not yielding the power of The Almighty; and He died the same, totally humble and not yielding that mighty power, which He could have used to save Himself! This is the most amazing thing that could ever happen! Yet, God had this planned out from the very beginning; even before He created the earth, it was His plan all along: To make a way that we could be holy, as He is Holy, so that He could have real fellowship with us all! 

 I know that I don't know enough to teach or preach, but I do believe in the God that shows me what I need to know; that is what He has done from the very beginning! Yes, we will see Adam and Eve in heaven, because they too knew God and believed in the Savior that was to come; which was why Adam changed the name of his wife, from "woman," which meant "she was taken from man," and changed her name to "Eve," which meant, "because she would be the mother of all who live." 

 If you don't know what that means, or why it is so interesting to think about; it is because there was not going to be a man involved in the birth of The Savior; the Seed would be of God...

"See, my servant will prosper: he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. Who has believe our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?" (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:1 NLT) 

"The Real Meaning"

 "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." (Hebrews 8:11 KJV)

  "The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but with a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:9-14 NLT) 

 There was something that I felt wasn't right, as I started to think the word, "not," might have been added to this verse, which was not something that is uncommon, because the BLB does have several flaws from time to time. So, I went straight to my KJV Bible, which happens to a "Zodhiates' original and complete system of Bible study"; only to find out, that the "not" was correct. Once I determined that it was meant to be there, I began reading the verse again, several times, which caused me to understand the real meaning of the text! 

 Yesterday I heard a brief part of a message about how Jesus was fully God and fully man. The just of the message was about order; something that some people just don't understand. Basically, it involves that age old question, "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" Those of us that know the truth, which involves us believing God can do all things, also believe that God created every living creature just as they are, male and female, He created them. 

 Something else I didn't know, until just recently: chickens can produce eggs without having been with a rooster; they might not have a life inside of those eggs, because they still are able to produce none-sterol eggs without seed; they just will not have any chicks in the process. Why does that make any difference to what came first? ORDER! God's original and complete order...

"Then God said, "Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind - livestock, small animals that scurry around, and wild animals." And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:24-25 NLT) 

"God's Inscription" - To

 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and white them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" (Hebrews 8:10 KJV)

  "Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death, but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:3-6 NLT)

 There are probably quite a few people who don't really believe those things I said about that son, the one who squandered away his inheritance, leaving home, as if he had no care at all for his father's will and hope for his life. That just seems too drastic of a sin, that his father would even consider forgiving him; let alone, welcoming him back! 

 Well, this is what God does for those who are His children! Please try to believe what I am trying to say: If God called you out and choose you to be His child, when He did that, He already knew everything about you, including those bad things that you have done! Nothing we do can remove His love from us; because He choose us, even knowing everything about us, especially that we would always be His children! 

 You must understand and know how much God loves you! The father in this parable, surely believed that his wayward son would return. We know this because he was always looking down the road, as if his son would be coming down that road, sooner or later. But that day did come, and when it did, the father hoisted up his robe and started running towards his lost son! 

 Not everyone believes that to be true, especially those who think they are better than everyone else. With that, let me remind you of the other brother, the one that faithfully stayed home, working for his father. After that prodigal son was restored, back into his father's house, (which was really always still his home,) the father celebrated his return, placing a ring on his finger, putting his robe on him, and throwing him a great feast and party. 

 And what did the other brother do? He complained to the father, telling the father about how faithful he was, how he faithfully worked for him, all these years, never asking for his inheritance or planning to leave home; and then, he told his father: 'You never celebrated my life, as you did this unresponsible son!' 

 The laws that God has itched into our hearts have everything to do with love: loving Him, and loving one another...

"Through Christ you have come to trust God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass, their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you." (2 Peter 1:21-25 NLT)   

'God's Inscription"

 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" (Hebrews 8:10 KJV)

  "Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prize possession." (James 1:14-18 NLT)

 Hope isn't just something we wish for or think might happen; it is knowing that there is a God that loves us and will finish the work He has begun in us! Even though we might mess up, which I know is not all that hard to do, He has a plan for us that overcomes every wrong and stupid thing we might do. 

 Sad to say, even though we make it to the other side, most definitely, there are consequences that are left behind, due to the wrong and stupid things that we might do. This is real, this death that James is pointing out; it might not be the death to us, (our soul that is,) because we have security in the blood of Christ. But there is always a death that is birthed by us letting sin grow out of control! 

 That death could just be the end of a ministry or the passion we have to share the goodness of God; most of that is due to our own struggle with forgiving ourselves. But where it really hurts, is those that are affected by the sin we let get out of control, because it doesn't just happen quickly, it is something that grows and grows. 

 There is somewhat of a wonderful story that Jesus spoke about; it involved two brothers. Most of us have been introduced to this story, "The Parable of the Prodigal Son," as he was the son that wanted to have his inheritance, just so he could leave home and do whatever he wanted to do. The other son, stayed home and continued to work for his father. 

 There is something amazing about this story, actually two things we should make to be branded into our hearts: First of all, that wayward son, even though he disappointed his father and left home, his address never changed; his home was always home! Secondly, and most importantly, his father never gave up on him, always looked out for his return, and even ran out to him, when he did come home...

"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just." (PSALM 51:1-4 NLT) 

"Particularly So!" - Too

 "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord." (Hebrews 8:9 KJV)

  "When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey him!"" (Mark 4:39-41 NLT)

 For starters, what we have been looking at, in the verse from Hebrews, as well as these two portions of Scripture from Mark, is the simple message of faith; you either have it, or you don't! Not that I have any kind of perfection in having faith, because I truly believe that we all have days when doubt enters in and our faith is tested, in one way or another. As for the children of Israel, after being delivered from Egypt; they were given a covenant, which involved the law of Moses, which, believe it or not, put them back into bondage. They were in bondage in Egypt, delivered from the physical bondage they were given there; and they were put into a spiritual bondage when God gave them His commandments. 

 Basically, there was really no way that they could perfectly keep from breaking God's law! As I have shared about myself, that was the thing that caused me to rebel and give up on serving God; even though my motives where all about works. When I truly discovered I could not keep God's laws, I turned away and excepted my fate of being damned to hell. Once that was my reality that I settled for, nothing I did mattered any more, and I just did whatever I wanted to do. 

 Now then, here is the message of the powerful love of God! He does not let you go! When God said that He regarded them not, it didn't mean that He gave up on them, but He let them do what they wanted to do, which basically means, He knew their fate. But He also had a plan that was greater than their fate! There is really no way to simply explain it, because God's ways are way above our understanding.

 But, as far as my own personal testimony, there is a very good example of how this all works. The children of Israel surely are a mirror of the Normal Christian Life; whichever journey you have been down, there is some sort of a connection with what Israel went through, and how God manifested Himself back into their lives. The people that He has chosen, do not get too far away from Him; even if they try, He will pull them back, one way or another...

"When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have the right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles." (Romans 9:21-24 NLT) 

 

   

"Particularly So!"

"Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord." (Hebrews 8:9 KJV)

  "Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:21-26 NLT) 

 Having been set free from my sins for over forty-four years, I sure have sinned a lot, making it hard to even believe that I have truly been freed my sin. I really don't think I am alone in this matter; but one thing I will never forget, sins and all: Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and He died on that cross for my sins, each and every one; even the sins that I might have today! 

 Not that I am planning to sin; if you count last night as today, then so far today, I have already sinned, just by some dream that I might have had during the night. I hardly ever get sound sleep during the night, as my wife has several times when she needs me to suction her Trech, which sometimes might be once or twice an hour. My night sleep is generally about three or four hours; maybe six if we have a really good night. 

 Anywho, this basically is a continuation of, "the blame game," as we see the children of Israel being disregarded by God, as He says; but in no uncertain terms, He really still regarded them, but they still were not grateful and willing to trust Him completely. The Bible says clearly that God feed them and provided water for them, even in the wilderness, which they made to be their grave. And, for forty years of walking through that wilderness, their shoes did not wear out! I don't care how tuff your shoes might be, you will wear them out within just a few years, walking around in the wilderness where there are hardly any roads at all.  

 Besides that, He guided them and protected them in that wilderness, with a cloud by day, and a fire by night. Those who died and did not make it through the forty years, mostly died of natural causes; with the exception of those swallowed up in the earthquake, and those who refused to look at the bronze serpent Moses lifted up on the pole.

 Basically, this set of circumstances and disasters, could have been avoided, if they had just trusted God and believed that they were actually being saved! Over and over again, they looked back to Egypt, sometimes for what they missed, and other times for the discomfort they felt in the wilderness. Regardless of which one it was, (sometimes both,) they blamed God or Moses for taking them through a journey they never dreamed of having!

 By the way, I asked someone yesterday if they knew what Eve meant, and why Adam gave her that name. It surely didn't mean "Woman," because that was meant to be about her coming out of the man! No, this was about the Man that would come from the woman, as God clearly said, "The seed of the woman," which would bring forth a Child, saying to the devil, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15 KJV)

 Adam named her after God had told him, "In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: for out it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Genesis 3:19-20 KJV)

 When we see all of what God did to make us know how much He really loves us, it makes the journey, whether it is hard or uncomfortable, seem remarkably better, no matter how many circumstances and disasters we encounter. That is where our peace comes from, knowing that no matter what, we will be making it to the other side...

"As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's close to the other side of the lake," So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown."" (Mark 4:35-38 NLT) 

"The Blame Game" - Too

"For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:" (Hebrews 8:8 KJV)

  "And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life." (John 3:14-15 NLT)

 As I was thinking about the post yesterday, I thought about that tree, which was forbidden, wondering what kind of fruit it might have been. After quite a bit of thought, I imagined it was most likely not an apple, but a pomegranate, remembering that fruit was displayed on several things in the Temple. But, after thinking about it long enough, I determined that it really didn't matter what fruit it was, it wasn't going have magical powers; it was Adam and Eve's eating what God said not to eat, that is what gave them the Knowledge of Good and Evil! 

 The Lord put this upon my heart, which has somewhat of an identical comparison to that illustration. For starters, when we accepted Christ Jesus into our hearts, at that very moment, we were set free from our sins. Understandably, we have this issue of, shall we say, holding onto those sins, not because we want to, but because we still blame ourselves for all those bad things we have done.  

 It is sometimes harder to forgive ourselves, than it is to forgive others! Therefore, I would associate that tree in that same pattern, much like it was something in their minds, which brought them into their sinful condition, so to, we have an issue, now and again, bringing up those things of the past, feeling ashamed and forgetting that we have been freed from all our sins.

 I know it might sound crazy, but much like those children of Israel that were dying from snake-bit in the wilderness; all they had to do was look at the bronze serpent on the pole, and they would be healed. Why did they not believe it would work? Why do we sometimes feel or believe that all of our sins have not really been forgiven?  

 Believing in Jesus Christ also must include that we believe that He truly died for all of our sins; and because of that great sacrifice He suffered though, His blood covered the sins of the entire world! That means everyone that has ever lived, including Adam and Eve. 

 So what do you believe? Can't you see yourself being totally cleansed by His precious blood? Give it all to Him and quit taking the blame for things you can never undo; He has removed them for you...

"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one - for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then can condemn us? No one - for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us." (Romans 8:31-34 NLT)   

"The Blame Game"

 "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:" (Hebrews 8:8 KJV)

  ""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you all the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious."" (Isaiah 55:3-5 NLT)

 Again, let me repeat myself, as I have several times already: We, the Church, are a mirror image of Israel and all of their comings and goings! In other words, what we see throughout the Scriptures that show them following the LORD, following their flesh, being corrected by the LORD, turning back to Him, and then repeating it all over again; these things are basically a reflection of the Normal Christian Life! 

 Maybe you don't mess up as much as they did, but you must understand something abundantly clear: God judges our hearts, more than He judges our actions! Just think about it, without trying to ignore any of the wrong thoughts you might have had towards anyone; and see if you don't fail the test. We are all sinners, tried and true, there is no getting around it; but we have been saved by God's grace, meaning that we have not deserved the wonderful grace He has given us! 

 I really don't know how else to explain this, but God has put it upon Himself, the sinfulness of us all! We don't deserve it, but we surely did need it! Only by His grace are we saved...

"For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people - an agreement confirmed by my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it." For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again." (1 Corinthians 11:23-27 NLT)  

"An Occasion for Acting"

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second." (Hebrews 8:7 KJV) 

  "When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD'S favor has come." He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them, "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day."" (Luke 4:16-21 NLT)

 As there are several variations to explain the reason God just didn't make man to obey and love Him, as if mankind was programed to follow His every command; then there wouldn't have been any law needed to show us how we love ourselves more, wanting to do what we want, not what God says to do. But God did not want robots that obey without choice; He wanted mankind to obey Him because they love Him, and, knowing full well that He loves them more!  

 There are several ways we can see this is the plan from the very beginning. As I have said before, God placed that forbidden tree in the middle of the Garden for a specific reason; and then He told Adam, 'You can eat from every tree, but that one; the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.' As of before the day that he took of that fruit, he technically did know what evil was; supposably, that is! 

 Whether or not you can believe it, God already knew that Adam was going to eat of that forbidden fruit, because that is why it was even there to begin with. Why else, but to give Adam something to not eat, is something, so tempting to him, in the middle of the whole Garden? 

 God had a plan, before He even created the earth, that there was only one way to make man in His image, and that requires love! There had to be more than just a garden and living, to cause man to fall in love, wholeheartedly, with his Creator; and that was for God to do something so radical, that it would cause mankind to fall deeply in love with Him!

 Why was that first covenant not faultless? Because we all sin...

"Why then was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." 

 

"Better Promises"

  "If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:

  "The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." 

  When God speaks of a "new" covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear." (Hebrews 8:7-13 NLT)

  "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2 KJV)

 Now, about that last statement of being ashamed: It is my deep understanding that we have been given the Holy Spirit in order to practice righteousness, know the Scriptures we read, experience the newness we have been given, and have the ability for God to work in and through our lives. Additionally, He takes those things we do that are not right, and He convicts our hearts, in order to make us aware of the wrong things we are doing. 

 In other words, when we think of the Holy Spirit as a Helper, it isn't just to help us practice doing righteous things, knowing the Scriptures, experience our new life, and do the works God has for us; He is also able to correct us when we are wrong, walk in our flesh, or do not love others as we should. In laymen's terms, He is living within us to make us more like Jesus! 

 There is a very good reason for us to feel ashamed when we sin, because it is needed to make us aware of the wrongs we have done, which is actually a much needed and important part of the salvation we have been given. If you feel ashamed, for any reason, it is most likely because the Holy Spirit is showing the darkness within your heart. When we feel that way, we need to know that there needs to be a correction in some part of our lives.

 Through experience, (hopefully not for long,) we can offend the Spirit by not letting Him guide and correct us; because He is a Gentleman, He will not try and force us to do what He wants. However! He is always working on getting you to move in the right direction...

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:24-25 KJV)  

"A More Excellent Ministry" - Too

 "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." (Hebrews 8:6 KJV)

  "So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer sacrifices that please God." (2 Peter 2:1-5 NLT)

 I am well aware that everyone isn't meant to be the ones who preach and teach God's word, because we all have different gifts and functions; but almost everyone has the ability to share their own personal testimony, to say the least. More than that, we are all citizens of Heaven, which means that we are more about Home, then we are about this life here on earth. When that is demonstrated, those who might watch our lives will be convinced that the New Life we have is real. 

 Not that I have perfected the ability to always demonstrate what that looks like; but I can tell you from experience, those things which are hard to deal with and comprehend, are the things that make me live out my Heavenly Home the most. The little things, they seem to agitate me, and I tend to get in the flesh, more than I would like to see happen. But those things that I cannot control, like death and serious illnesses, they are all in God's hands, which then makes we just trust and believe He is in full control.

 When you are able to trust God in the big trials and tribulations, you can express joy, which is something that really makes those watching, to really consider! That is pretty much what Peter is describing, as we are "living stones," each and every one of us are a special piece of His Spiritual Temple! 

 Before I start into the rest of chapter 8, I feel as though there is something very important that needs to be shown about these "Better Promises" that we are about to go into; most importantly, we are still sinners, that much we must not forget. If we think that we have somehow overcome something and we have everything under control, we are setting ourselves up for some serious awakening, to say the least. 

 That is why we need to focus upon Heaven, knowing that it is only when we are Home, is when we will be totally free from our sinful desires, and will absolutely be unashamed...

"This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:5-10 NLT)  

"A More Excellent Ministry"

 "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." (Hebrews 8:6 KJV)

  "He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!" (2 Corinthians 3:6-11 NLT)

 Just to be clear, the glory of God that had shone of Moses' face, did not last long. He ended up putting a napkin or veil over his face, not to hide the glory being shone, but so that nobody would notice that it had left. It really does happen to just about everyone that is sharing or preaching God's word. As they share, and the Spirit is manifesting through them, they become radiant, for a certain period; but it does ware off. If you don't know what I mean, you can see it in almost every preacher as they are sharing, and then when you meet them later, they almost look like another person. 

 Anywho, we all need to be ready in season and out of season, to preach the Word of God! If you really don't know what that means, it is that we are always prepared for the opportunity to share, even though we were not expecting the opportunity to happen! When the right time comes, we must be ready and take the opportunity to share the Good News; even though you are not prepared or in the right place; as long as you have the reason, it is the season you must take advantage of, the moment the Spirit prompts you! 

 Perfect strangers are included, especially so; meaning that you can make a special impact without them knowing who you really are. When God opens a door, we must be ready and willing to share what He puts upon our hearts; you never really know what will become of it, except that you did what you were told to do, and that really matters...

"I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:1-5 NLT)     

"Shadow of Heavenly Things" - 2

 "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." (Hebrews 8:5 KJV)

  ""I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one - as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."" (John 17:20-21 NLT)

 I know this might sound strange, but yesterday as I was thinking about these things which are shadows of the things to come, I started to think about a husband and wife that messed up, during the starting of the church, and wondered if they ended up with the Lord, after they died. If you don't know who it is that I am talking about, it is Ananias and Sapphira, who sold their land, giving only a portion of the money to the church, but pretending to have given it all. 

 As I was driving around, making my way to Macy's, thinking about where they might have ended up, I felt the Lord opening up several Scriptures to me, all of which confirmed where they were, and why they were not judged for what they did. Yes, they were killed and carried out, one at a time; but the reason was not to be cast into hell for what they did; but show their brothers and sisters that this movement was very sacred and that it was being made by the hand of God.  

 I also remember a message from Pastor Jon, as he expressed the Inner and Outer Rooms of the Temple in Heaven. Yes, there is a pattern which is made, just as it was by Moses; but the way Jon told it, it was very different, because it separated the people, not from God, but according to their service. In other words, those who served themselves on this earth, such as Ananias and Sapphira were doing, will be serving others in Heaven; while those that served others, will be servants of God. 

 Anywho, that is the way I heard it, and it stuck; much like the part Jon shared about banging on pans! If you don't know what that means, you should listen to his teachings in Revelation. Crazy as it might sound, I recalled the vision I had maybe about ten years ago; a vison of, "The Train of the Robe," which is spoken of in Isaiah 6:1. As I was picturing what I was reading, it appeared to be a train of a bride's gown, with all those embroidered patterns. When I looked closer at the train of the gown, I could see that there were people woven into the patterns; and as I studied them closer, I actually saw myself, and I was smiling, as I looked as if I was very happy to be there...

"A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God then live the good life in the homes of the wicked." (PSALM 84:10 NLT) 

"Shadow of Heavenly Things"

 "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." (Hebrews 8:5 KJV)

  "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave your sins. He canceled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality." (Colossians 2:13-17 NLT)

 Some have said that they believe God took the Ark of the Covenant away from this earth, and it has been put away in the Tabernacle in Heaven; additionally, that the Tabernacle which Moses was told to build, was a replica of the Tabernacle that is in Heaven. Listening to a couple of Pastor Jon's messages about both of those Tabernacles, there are many similarities between the two. 

 As I have shared before, the furnishings of the Tabernacle that Moses was told to construct were all given very specific measurements; all but the water basin, that was to be used by the priests for ceremonial cleansing and purification. Pastor Jon associated that water basin was a representation of Christ and God's Word, because there no beginning or end and could never me measured! 

 I know that there are some that do not agree or believe those things are true; but there are many things that written which are hard to believe. Let's take the Scripture that Paul shows us in Colossians 2, as we see several examples of what takes place here, that are shadows of Heavenly things. In the first instance, we are shown as being dead, due to the sinful nature, which was not yet cut away. 

 Suppose for a moment that could be a shadow of what it looks like for our transformation, when we are meeting the Lord in the air; being in our earthly bodies, we are transformed into spiritual bodies that will live forever. Furthermore, because He took away all of our sins, we are glorified and holy, totally complete in Christ. Something we are meant to be on this earth, but it's hard to put into practice, which is actually a reality, sealed away in Heaven, where it remains totally pure and undefiled!

 Additionally, the shaming of the devil, that too will be seen in Heaven...

""How are you fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, 'I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb the highest heavens and be like the Most High.' Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, 'Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world's greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?'"" (Isaiah 14:12-17 NLT)

 Another similarity is the judgement day, when all the books are opened; yet our records are canceled and will not be mentioned at all, as if they had never happened! Think about those who knew us, yet were being judged for their own sins, yet remembering ours. Seeing we were not guilty, they will be completely amazed and will which they would have accepted God's free gift of forgiveness, too! 

"Prescribed by Reason"

 "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:" (Hebrews 8:4 KJV) 

  "Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so way are you coming to me?" But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him." (Matthew 3:13-15 NLT)

 For anyone that doesn't know what, "Interlude," means, it is basically a pause; when you stop to think about how this applies and how it should be applied to our own lives. Other than that. it means to stop and listen; or, if you are not inclined to make it spiritual, it could mean it's time change the tune, or there is that which is also a pause, or just a musical melody. It is "Selah" in the KJV version. Personally, I like my use of the word more, because it is important that we apply God's word to our lives, absorbing and observing every precept, and even reading between the lines!

 As it goes, Jesus was not a Levite, so He wouldn't have served in the Tempel or even performed the baptism that John performed on Him. John, on the other hand was born of the tribe of Levi as his father was a priest at the time he was born. There is so many little things we see, that, let's say, complete the picture and verify the truth of God's word...

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)