"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)    

"Interlude"

 "Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent." Interlude

"Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the LORD. Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" Let your face smile on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe." (PSALM 4:4-8 NLT)

 As I was thinking about all of the blessings God have poured out upon me over this many years, there was nothing more I felt thankful for than having the companionship with my wife. Even in these past 22 years of taking care of her and waiting for God to heal her or take her home, I have felt more in love with her now, then I did before she was in this condition. 

 If you knew what you had, and then it was drastically change, you would have wished you were more patient and understanding, instead of always wanting to be right and having arguments about stupid things which I wish I could have taken back. Now, I would love the opportunity to have an argument with my wife, just so I could be the humble one that would forget about myself, and just, love her as Christ loves me! 

 Back, several years ago, when I saw Pat on Fox News talking about his feelings about a spouse leaving their significant other, if they might have a brain disorder, I was shocked and furious; mostly for the reason he gave that he felt it was okay: "For the sake of companionship!" I angerly shout out to the tv, saying, "What companionship do you think you have with a Holy God, if it wasn't for Jesus Christ!" 

 I know, I was a little judgmental, but it hurt my heart to even think that it was okay to break a promise: "To have and to hold, till death do us part." Just because you can't share and do certain things you once enjoyed. doesn't mean you cannot still have companionship together! I give my wife more attention now than I did before, making every effort to bless her, reading to her, praying over her, and singing songs to her. 

 I cannot remember ever singing to her before her accident. We sang together at church, but for me to just sing out loud as I held her in my arms, that wasn't something I ever did before; but I really wished I would have! Be thankful for what you have, always; and with a thankful heart, give God thanks...

""You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the alter in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God."" (Matthew 5:21-24 NLT)

"The Offering." - Too

 "For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer." (Hebrews 8:3 KJV)

  "Imitate God, therefore in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT)

 Okay, so this just got real! For starters, I had to check the verse in my Bible, because I usually use the Blue Letter Bible for almost all the verses that I am blobbing on, but they have so many errors, I have to edit the verse that I have typed, (like I should talk!). The issue was the word, "man", and the reason for that word to not be capitalized. It is absolutely the same, because it is a very complex: "this (person, as objective of verb or preposition): - him, the same, that, this." 

 Without getting completely over the top, there is something of a relationship between this being Christ, who is the character that this is being focused upon, and those of us that are believers. In other words, we are to be and do everything according to Christ when it comes to submission and having somewhat to offer! It is not about works, because there is nothing we can do gain our own righteousness; our righteousness is filthy rages to God, He sees us righteous by the blood of His Son! 

 In other words, our love for others and serving the Lord are not works, as if we are trying to earn anything, because we have already been given all that we need. But our works are offerings, given as worship and obedience to the One we love! Like children tend to grow up like their parents, we must be growing to be like Christ! 

 In other words, you are okay to place your name into that verse, in place of, this man...

"Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:12-14 NLT)       

"The Offering"

 "For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer." (Hebrews 8:3 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."" (John 6:47-51 NLT)

 Here we get to see something that there is a lot of weird practices and wrong interpretations about what Jesus was talking about, when it comes to eating His flesh. First of all, the major point that is being shown is that He came in the flesh! That might not sound as if it is that difficult to understand, but the Apostle John warns about those who do not believe that Jesus came in the flesh, that they should not be listened to, because it was His flesh that He offered up on that cross! 

 Secondly, believing that what Jesus did, by offering His flesh, is that which is paramount to the whole reason we have salvation! It was Adam, who was a man, made of flesh, therefore another Man, being Jesus Christ, had to become God in the flesh, in order to undo that which the first man, Adam, caused that brough all of us into death, because of his sin in that garden. 

 Thirdly, and also of utmost importance, is the offering! The Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the entire world! Talk about love; what we sometimes forget is that even though He was in the flesh, He was also God; the Creator of heaven and earth! There are so many people I personally know that don't want to believe that, even though they read a Bible, they cannot swallow the truth...

"We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under control of the evil one. 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 5:19-20 NLT)   

"The True Tabernacle" - 2

 "A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." (Hebrews 8:2 KJV)

  "For we know that when this earthy tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made by God himself and not by human hands," (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT)

 So, just in case you missed to point, if we do not love our neighbor, as ourselves, then how is it possible that we love God? In other words, if we don't love those that we can obviously see and touch; how is it possible to love God, who we can't see or touch? 

 There really is some sort of a connection in all of this, because love is that which makes the entire story real and something worth sharing, because it is really all about love: Loving God and each other! So, who is your neighbor? Your neighbor is anyone and everyone that needs your help, your prayers, your time; you name it, whatever we can do and are led to do, as Jesus clearly says: 'Love God and love each other!'

 Anywho, that said, the true tabernacle that is in heaven, which the Lord pitched, (meaning that He has constructed it on His own), is also something that which involves us, in these temporary tents! We are really better off being taken the moment we are saved, but what good would that do, if we cannot prove to one another the love God has given to all of us...

"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion - how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything." (1 John 3:16-20 NLT)  

"The True Tabernacle"

 "A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." (Hebrews 8:2 NLT) 

  "Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual power of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." (Colossians 2:8-10 NLT)

 Taking this to the next level, I truly believe that we are going to be surprised by who we see in heaven, as well as those we don't see; knowing full well, that God does not judge by our outward appearance, but by looking at our hearts! There is just so many that put on a good show, pretending to serve, but turning it into works, for which they seek admonishment or profit, as if it is for their own glory and good. 

 Yesterday I was watching a message from Paul Stanley, which was about the Four Gospels, as he was showing the importance of their messages, because they show the proof of Christ and His true identity, which cannot be overlooked. He then started sharing about Luke, who being a doctor, as well as a Gentile, he was the only Gentile author in the New Testament. 

 There was something he started to show about the way Luke revealed the things Jesus said and did, by his detail and expressions of, not only Jesus, but of those who were involved in the message. Wittingly, he also had the ability to write in a way to open the minds of the readers, to see certain things not clearly expressed in word, but in the deed and actions of the characters. 

 After a short introduction, Pastor Paul began sharing about the parable of the good Samaritan, which, if you don't know already, is an example of true love; meaning the love for God, as well as for strangers, which are actually, your neighbors... 

"One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it"? The man answered, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!" The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"" (Luke 10:25-29 NLT)  

"The Principal Point"

 "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens:" (Hebrews 8:1 KJV)

  "All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations." "(PSALM 145:10-13 NLT)

 There surely is something here we need to celebrate, because what Jesus did on the cross, was more than just cleansing the sins on the world; there was more than that which needed to be done! With some serious though, whoever it was that wrote the Book of Hebrews, they are trying to express the wonder and glory of what took place, not only here on this earth, but also in Heaven. 

 There was a reason the curtain between the holy sanctuary and the Holies of Holies was ripped in two; as the Bible clearly says, "the curtain was rent from top to bottom". (Matthew 27:51) Which was the hands of God ripping it apart, just as He parted the Red Sea, for the children of Isreal to escape from Egypt, as well as destroy those who were after them. 

 You do know that we have an adversary, right? We can see and understand what that adversary is all about, when we read the Book of Job, and see the reason that he hates us so much. There are several likenesses to this and the way Pharoh had such a hate for the children of Israel. Besides all of that, it has been said, "It was easier for God to get the children of Israel out of Egypt, than it was to get Egypt out of the children of Israel." 

 As I said before, during the creation of Heaven and earth, which was the second day of creation; God did not say that this stage of His creation was good. The reason being was that He was Holy, and because He is Holy, there had to be a separation between God and mankind established, because God does not have fellowship with unholiness. 

 Well, that was what that torn curtain was all about! Jesus made the way for fellowship between a Holy God and His children...

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory." (Romans 8:28-30 NLT)        

"Jesus Is Our High Priest"

 "Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was build be the Lord and not by human hands. 

 "And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer gifts required by the law. They serve a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain."

 "But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises." (Hebrews 8:1-6 NLT)

  "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope; because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:18-21 KJV) 

 Just because we are frail and sometimes fail to overcome the temptations of our flesh, we are still able to be covered by the grace which has been freely given by God. Surprisingly, the grace, which was excepted, when we first believed, does not fade or go away! I have said it more than once, and I will say it again: If you have been redeemed and are a child of God, you will remain a child of God for all eternity! That is the promise of that exceeds all other promises...

"Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept be the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5 KJV)   

"Proof of Perfection" - Two

 "For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore." (Hebrews 7:28 KJV)

  "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4 NLT)

 I know that I might be repeating myself, but there is something that many of us tend to forget; or worse than that, we sometimes avoid the truth! If we have truly been saved and been given the Holy Spirit to help us, it our responsibility to obey what the Helper prompts us to do; whether or not we are willing, it is by choice we are given the opportunity to obey. Therein comes the lie, which has been the downfall and the misinterpretation in understanding of what it means to be justified and set apart!

 Thinking about all of those stupid things that I have done, since I became a Christian, it really had caused me to wonder if I was really saved in the first place. First of all, we are not yet perfect in this world, but we are perfect in Christ, in the world to come! Yes, we are no longer slave to sin, but that is because we have a New Master, which has given us a new direction and a great desire to obey Him; if that is, we make the choice to do so! 

 Making this less complicated, we must remember that the Holy Spirit will not force us to do anything, unlike the flesh, which we might think has control over us, as it thrives to be satisfied. But when we obey the Holy Spirit, there is power that is manifested which overcome the desires of the flesh, causing us to be assured of the New Life we have been given!

 What I am trying to say, however weird it might sound, is that we already have the proof living in us, we just need obey and use the power we have been given! The more we do, we will understand the proof of perfection more and more; because it is not us, but He who lives in us that is perfect...

"Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." (Romans 8:12-14 NLT) 

"Proof of Perfection"

 "For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore." (Hebrews 7:28 KJV)

  "Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:28-30 NLT)

 Sometimes we just need proof of the things which make us doubt; having dealt with doubt, many times over, I have discovered that my heart is more convinced than my mind is, because I have totally and completely felt the love involved in this incredible message of the cross. You really cannot imagine any greater love than what Jesus demonstrated, being the sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. 

 When we see that Jesus said, "It is finished", the entire work surely wasn't complete, actually, it still is not; but the redemption of all mankind was made perfect: anyone that will receive God gift of perfection, can now have fellowship with God! This was God's plan from the very beginning! And I have said it more than once, that God did not say the second day of creation was good; because on the second day, before He made man, He created the divide by making Heaven! 

 Whether or not you agree, it really doesn't matter; because man was going to sin, as God fully knew that he would. But it was always God's plan to provide for a way to have fellowship with man, who was made in His image. The big difference between God and man, was that He was perfect, and man was not! But, His big, beautiful plan, was made perfect on that cross! Sin was no longer a part of us, and it had been removed by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 From the moment Jesus died on that cross, the penalty for the sins of the entire world were upon God's perfect Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world...

"Let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is the Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you - unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said." (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NLT)   

"No Greater Love!" - 2

 "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." (Hebrews 7:27 KJV) 

  "For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and make his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." (Titus 2:11-14 NLT)

 Besides the brutal death that Jesus suffered on that cross, He had to hold back from stopping all of what was taking place, which is something He surely could have done, if that is, He actually wanted to! As many have said, "He could have called out thousands of angels, to save Him from that cross," yet He choose to be the sacrifice for all our sins, and to do the work that His Father wanted! 

 Thinking what that might have looked like from the Father's view, it is only reasonable for Jesus to ask Him to forgive all those who were cursing Him, hating Him, and causing Him so much pain. This was no longer a threat or terrible thing for Jesus; it had now become His passion! His greatest desire was to please the Father and to fulfill the will of the Father's love for the entire world, which was why He came into this world: to be the sacrifice for our sins! 

 Now, hopefully we don't need to debate anymore about why He had to put Himself upon that cross; because there are so many Old Testament Scriptures that show how important and needful it was to get it done. Everyone has sinned! As the Bible clearly says, "There is none righteous, no not one." (Romans 3:10) Yet there are many who do not believe that they need salvation; thinking that their good deeds will be enough! 

 The passion that Jesus had for the cross, should be the passion that we have to reach the lost! This goes out to those who study the Scriptures, yet disregard the deity of Jesus Christ...

"With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed - cut off from Christ! - if that could save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal paise! Amen." (Romans 9:1-5 NLT) 

"No Greater Love!"

 "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." (Hebrews 7:27 KJV)

  "My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing." (PSALM 22:14-18 NLT)

 I hope there was nobody offended by my post yesterday, because there really is something important about the way we tithe and give offerings. Most of all, we must decide how much we should give, and then we make every effort to give cheerfully, which basically means hilariously! Look it up for yourself, and maybe you will get the hint. 

 Obviously, we know why Jesus had to come and sacrifice Himself for our sins; just about everyone who is truly a Christian knows perfectly well that He did it to cleanse us from our sins; something we could never do for ourselves. But why did it need to be so brutal? Why did His own people turn their backs to Him, mock Him, and completely hate Him? More importantly: Why did Jesus ask the Father to forgive them? 

 Think about what God has done for us and try to remember what you might have thought about Jesus before you were shown God's marvelous love. It is really hard to remember what our heart was like, knowing now what it was that changed us and gave us new life. I don't mean to say we can't remember our old life, because I know, I certainly do; but what I am talking about is our disdain for Christ, as if you once wanted nothing to do with Him; mostly because you did not want to be changed!  

 There is something very special about the way Jesus was crucified; one thing in particular is the fact that He was cursed to hang on that cross, as the Scripture says: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Maybe we don't realize this, but we were cursed the moment we were born into this world. Yes, it is true; from the moment you took your first breath, you were cursed to end up dead; all because of one man, Adam, who sinned against God, making everyone born after him to be cursed, just like him! 

 But God had a plan to remove the curse! And it had to happen through a virgin, because a man would still have continued the curse, if his seed was what made the child born in her! Don't let anyone try to tell you that it happened any other way!

 By the way, Adam might be listed as the father of death; but he named his wife "Eve", which means, the mother of all living! Look it up for yourself, and maybe you will get the hint...

"So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." This way of faith is very different from the law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.  

"Beyond A Reasonable Doubt" -TO

 "For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;" (Hebrews 7:26 KJV)

  "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure trials for a little while. These trials will show that you faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through your many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him, and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT)

 Most of you that have be staying with me, on this so-called journey, know that tithing is something I am very serious about; as it is, I hardly ever have neglected to tithe, ever since I started going to church as a Christian. In 1982, towards the end of the year, by boss wanted to sell be one of his properties. In order to purchase that property I needed to increase my income from $600 a week to $900 a week, which meant that I needed to produce 50% more in sales.

 At that current time, I was tithing $60 a week, based upon my current sales; but starting in January of 1983, I started to tithe $90 a week, even though I was still only making the $600 figures. Towards the middle of March, I was producing an average of least $900 a week in sales. We closed escrow on the property and moved into the main house on that Easter Sunday. 

 Ever since then I have continued to do that same exact thing. I figure out what is needed to pay all of my bills, adding in the moderate expenses for traveling and relaxation; add it all up and then add the 10% of all that, and then I tithe that amount, as my least amount to tithe every week. Even if I don't quit meet the amount for a particular week, I still tithe that amount that I had determined to give. But when I have made more for any week, then I tithe the extra, or at least provide an additional offering. 

 I am saying this because I wanted to share with those who are able, that God is faithful and will 100% do what He has challenged us to do! I can say this because I know it, and I know that I can trust Him, even though it doesn't seem possible, He makes a way to get to me to keep on trusting Him. 

 With that I would like to share a recent happening, that I feel He wants me to share. As of the last few months I have eliminated a very large portion of my income, by helping the guy who did most of my repair work into starting his own construction business. That made my weekly sales drop in half, which also made me start changing my tithe amount to accommodate the change. 

 Yesterday, after making a few stupid mistakes, (like only giving ten percent of a very low week,) I gave the tithe amount for what was needed to pay the bills; even though I had only received about 60% of that income. Later in the day I went to the post office, and there I found only one check in the box. As I opened the envelope, I saw that it was almost exactly the amount needed to match 100% of my tithe.

 That might seem as though I might be bragging or something like that; but this is something I am very serious about, because I believe that God has shown me how faithful He is, over and over again! This thing about tithes and offerings is something He is serious about, so we should be serious also; after all, this is the one thing that He has asked us to test Him with; so, we need to trust Him... 

""Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, " I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies." (Malachi 3:10-11 NLT)  

 

"Beyond A Reasonable Doubt"

 "For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;" (Hebrews 7:26 KJV)

  "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, through Christ. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak through Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sins, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NLT)

 With all the changes in our lives, we sometimes get distracted by the struggles and the trials that come and go; in the end of them, we almost always feel relief and sometimes let ourselves relax into this life, whatever life we are living on this earth. It really doesn't matter you if are part of a ministry or not; because all of us that belong to Christ are technically in the ministry, in one form or another. 

 Whether or not you feel called into this New Life, you were chosen to for a certain reason; nothing that God does is for waste or for failure. Even the things that are seemingly wrong or foolish, God can use them for good and mighty works; for all He does is for that which will complete His beautiful masterpiece; just you wait and see.

 As we look at this Scripture, there is something I see there that is no doubt hard to explain, because it is something we seemingly always forget: We have been made into the image of Christ! No longer are we the person we thought or think we once were, we are a new creation, made pure and undefiled; totally set apart from sinners, because the blood of Christ has made us white as snow! 

 Somehow, sometimes, we are easily deceived or distracted, whether it is from being focused on earthly things, or being caught up in sin; whatever it is that has changed us, we still are the property of Christ Jesus! Not that I am trying to paint something that cannot be proven, because I truly believe that we all still are able to sin; and as long as we live in these earthly bodies, we will continue to sin from time to time. If we don't think we are capable of sinning, we are only fooling ourselves and will find ourselves in a world of hurt! 

 All of that said, I truly believe that the more we focus upon doing what God tells us to do, the more we discover how believable the Bible really is...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT)  

"Just Believe" - Again

 "Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25 KJV)

  "Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do Not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful." (1 Thessalonians 5:14-24 NLT)

 There is a reason for this, so don't think it doesn't apply to what is needed for real belief. Sometimes we fail to understand how important it is to listen and obey what the Lord tells us to do; because when we fail to do what we should, we also begin to start losing faith in what we believe. The more we do not do what we are told to do, the more we stop believing that God has made us to be His chosen people.

 Not to say that we will not believe in God; because most will still believe that He is real. But there is a very big difference between those who believe in God and those who believe enough to do what He says! Last night I heard a message from Pastor Tony, which involved breaking a horse. The way he described it, the horse was us, and the horse trainer was God. To start training the horse to be ridden, there is only one way the trainer does that, by getting on the horse. But the horse will say no and buck the trainer off. So he does it again and again, until finally the horse is submissive.

 Basically, this illustration was presented from one of the Beatitudes, the one about those who are meek. Some think meek means that the person is timid or shy; someone that is easily controlled; quite or gentle. However, when that horse is actually broken, that horse is still a 1,500-pound worrier, that will do what that master says, even in the light of danger. 

 Basically, the more we are listening and obeying what we are told to do, the more positive we believe in what we are doing, even though it might not seem like something we want to do, we do it because we want to obey the Master: that is what meek means according to God's point of view...

"So we keep on praying for you, asking God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of the Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 NLT)

"Just Believe" - Too

 "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25 KJV)

  "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." (Philippians 3:20-21 NLT)

 As I was typing that Scripture from Isaiah yesterday, it reminded me of the challenge given, over and over, that we have to believe what we have been reading, because the chances for those things happening, 700 years after they were foretold, is practically impossible! There was so much there that was played out in more than many ways; especially the reasons that Jesus was punished and His death upon the cross.

 In case you didn't know, the Romans did not invent the crucifixion on the cross; it was first used by another country, one much more brutal and less interested in the rule of law. But they did change the manner of the crucifixion, by making into a cross! And, by the way, Jesus was born in such a time as that, which made the cross available for the use of His death. You might not think that really matters, but it really does. The cross is not just something God used at the time of His death; the cross has shown up in many other things also. 

 For starters, when the children of Isreal were marching in formation in that wilderness, they were formatted into the pattern of a cross. Not only that, but there were four flags that were involved with that pattern, as the tribes were broken up into groups; and those four flags represented the four Gospels! 

 I know that might sound strange, but you should look it up for yourself, because the same emblems that were on those four flags were also shown in Ezekiel and Revelation. Just something to see for your own curiosity. Besides that, when Balam was told to curse Isreal from that mountain, no matter which way he looked down on them, he saw the figure of the cross, making it impossible for him to curse them. 

 Beyond all of that, there is a cross in the middle of the black hole out in outer space, as well as inside of our bodies! Yes, we have a particular molecule called, Laminin, which is a cell-adhesion molecule that holds everything together. So, when the Bible says, "He holds all things together," it really means that He does...

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everyone to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20 NLT)

"Just Believe"

 "Wherefor he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25 KJV)

  ""Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep."" (John 10:9-11 NLT)

 Yesterday, I was thinking about something that really cut into my soul; I almost felt like I needed to pull over and park my truck, because my eyes were tearing up and I was beginning to cry. It was the portion of Scripture when Jesus explains how He came to fulfill the law, (Matthew 5:17). We might not have any ability to fulfill all of God's law; but Jesus most certainly did! He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill all of its commands, and after doing that, He paid the price for all of us, taking on the punishment for our inability to fulfill the requirements of the law.

 Again, when someone might ask you why God needed to come and die on a cross for us, it is easy to say a very quick answer: "Because He is the only One that could pay the penalty for our sins!" There needed to be a perfect sacrifice; and only God is perfect! Which is most likely why the J.W.'s say that Jesus sinned when He lost His temper and drove everyone out of the Temple; because they are trying to make Jesus out to be a sinner, just like all of us.  

 I am totally and completely convinced that Jesus is, was, and always will be God! I believed that the very moment that I was saved, when that Preacher said, "All that we see, and you and me, have a Creator; and I am here today to tell you: "That Creator is Jesus Christ."" I was stunned and immediately, in my mind, pictured Jesus on the cross, and my heart was broken! 

 Which reminds me of something that I heard, about how Jesus died, and why they did not need to break His legs: He died from a broken heart! Just like that, He exclaimed, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hand!", and His heart did burst, and He breathed His last! Yes, He died from a ruptured heart! Which is why when they stuck a spear in His side to see that He was dead, both water and blood poured out; which proves that His heart had ruptured. 

 There are several guesses to the reason Jesus wept just before He was going to raise Lazarus from the grave; most of which have to do with us and why death is such a bitter moment for everyone to have to go through. When God flooded the earth, He declared six times, "And all that had breath through the nostrils, died." So, we should know that death is not what He wanted, but was what needed to be done, because the sinfulness of all mankind was out of control.  

 He was grieved for what had to done, but it had to be done! Just as there was grief when Jesus died on that cross, with both the Father and the Son! But it had to be done...

"Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. But it was the LORD'S plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied." (Isaiah 53:4-11 NLT) 

"Making It Real" - 2.0

 "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." (Hebrews 7:24 KJV) 

"Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don't you realize that you become a slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery of sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living." (Romans 6:15-18 NLT)

 Just so you know, we do have a choice; we can either believe that it is real, or we can pretend to believe and then, just, hope that is enough. Don't fool yourself with speculation, because if you need some real evidence, it is right there for whosoever wants to look it up! But no matter what, you have to believe! And when I say believe, I mean that it is real enough to die for, without any hesitation!

 Okay, so I can sometimes get carried away; but I truly believe that is something that causes so many to fall away: Not making what they have been freely given, something that is worth more than they could ever give. What does that mean to you? Well, if you remember that thing I shared about me giving up because I could not keep God's commandments? I just consider myself to be doomed and going to hell; and I let myself go, just doing whatever I wanted to do, no matter what.

 This is something that is just the opposite of that...

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:20-23 NLT) 

"Making It Real"

 "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." (Hebrews 7:24 KJV)

  "Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"" (John 11:25 NLT)

 You can just put your name in that question, saying, 'Do you believe this, Richard?', or whatever your name might be; because it is something that you have to believe! I am not afraid to die, because I know in my heart that the death of this body is not the death of me; I will be immediately in the presence of the Lord, while this dead corpse will be waiting to be changed, in a twinkling of an eye; just you wait and see! 

 From what I understand, (and I truly don't know much,) God created us to have a body, as we will have again, once we are giving our new body at the time of the rapture. But this soul will not die, it will not sleep; but it will be with the Lord in heaven, as soon as it leaves this earthly body. 

 I also believe that those who die without believing in Jesus, they too do not literally die; but they are in a place that is opposite of heaven; a place called hell, waiting for that final judgment. The soul never sleeps, as some might think. For those who might not understand who owns your soul, it is the One who created you; the One who gives and takes away! Yes, when God made Adam from the dust of the ground, He brought life into that body with His own breath; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7 KJV)

 Not that I have all the answers, because nobody really does. But from what I have read in the Bible, I take everything that I read and make it to be real! If it is not real, then why believe it? And if you can't totally believe what God says, then how can you believe in His promises? We must, with all our hearts, believe that it is real, no matter how hard it might be to figure out how, just believe in His Word!

 Some people might call that, 'blind faith,' which is something I might have said over 40 plus years ago. But I am convinced that God can do anything, meaning that the earth and the heavens were created all at once, by just His command; just as He said, "Let there be light; and there was Light"...

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:1-5 NLT) 

"About That!" - Too

 "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:" (Hebrews 7:23 KJV)

  ""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die." (John 12:27-33 NLT)

 Keeping this in context to the reason, it is death that has the grip on those who do not have life! Whether you believe or don't believe is what separates life or death; regardless of your sins, once you have been saved, you have eternal life! That eternal life you have been given, really doesn't start when you die, it is amazingly right now, because you technically were crucified with Christ, the moment you first believed!  

 I really hope we understand that, because the Scripture that says, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT), makes this quite real and present. Oh, this shell will surely pass, but we will live on with a soul that does not ever die; however, that might be, it will be a glorious time, (no pun intended). 

 When Jesus died on that cross, His death changed everything for all eternity. Even in His death, there was life; for He was ministering to the saints in Paradise, the moment He breathed His final death. And guess what: The thief on the cross went with Him, just as He promised, saying, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43 NLT)

 Marvel in this, because it is certain! I had breakfast yesterday next to a Pastor friend of mine who was showing off his new tattoo; and he looked down at mine and said I should change it, because it says, "Death Is Certain." While I was beginning to say something about that, we were distracted by another brother that had to say hello, so I never got a chance to say it...

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves of sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:1-11 NLT)  

"About That!"

 "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:" (Hebrews 7:23 KJV) 

  "As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."" (John 13:31-35 NLT)

 Most of us that believe in Christ, have come to understand why He needed to come and suffer such an agonizing death on the cross; we know this because our sins show us the many things we are capable of doing; and how easy it is to hurt one another. If only we could take back some of those things, which is something that cannot be done, at least not here on this earth! 

 They say that those scars which Jesus' bore are still there. Do you know why? Is it a reminder to us, or is it a reminder to Him? What if it is a reminder to the Father? We all should know what Jesus meant when He told His disciples that His time had come to enter into His glory, because He was speaking about the punishment, He would suffer for us! 

 How is that glory? Oh, my; How is it not...

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of this earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT) 

"The Greatest Guarantee!"

  "There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefor he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

 "He is the kind of High Priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever." (Hebrews 7:23-28 NLT)

  "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4 KJV)

 Maybe you have had some doubts over your years of walking with the Lord, as I know from experience that there are times when we think about, 'What if?', wondering if it is all true and a real guarantee. Not that I have ever really battled with the issue, as if it wasn't true; but whenever I get the notion in my mind, I reinforce my belief with Scriptures! God's Word is real!!! 

"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and on the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." (Luke 18:31-34 KJV)   

"Full Assurance"

 "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." (Hebrews 7:22 KJV)

  "Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many were made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19 NLT)

 Looking back into the things that people did, like sacrifices and trying to obey God's law, it is pretty obvious to us now that none of those things really did work for removing sin or gaining righteousness. Sacrifices were only a covering for sins, and the law only showed people how sinful they really were; but what Jesus did for us on the cross changed everything!

 Trying to explain that to someone takes more than just an explanation; there needs to be some help in the process, like the Holy Spirit, to soften their hearts, in order to see the work of God to make them right. To be more direct, without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, there really won't be any interest in what is being said; let alone any understanding. 

 That morning, I was saved, I truly believe that it was God that saved me, I didn't do it on my own. There was nothing really special in my morning, except for the voice I heard over the loudspeaker, calling me to go. There must have been something that changed my heart, because I wouldn't have listed or paid any attention otherwise. 

 It's not like I never had any chances before, because I had many; several times I was invited to go to church or sit in on a Bible study, but I declined every time. So I know that it was God's doing that made me go down to that cafeteria; and it was God's Spirit that softened my heart, in order to understand the massage that was being preached. 

 What does that mean, and why is it important? As I said earlier, as far as my life had gone, I had pretty much refused to take part in any religion. After all the things I saw growing up, I decided that there was nothing I wanted or needed from any organized religion. I especially didn't want to be preached to; as it was, I had previously settled in my heart that I was going to hell, so why bother. 

 But it was God who snatched me up from the flames of hell! Just like that, He called me, changed me, and saved me from the fire! So, I am fully assured in my heart, that He will finish what He started...    

"God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20-21 NLT) 

"Unstoppable Direction"

"(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek:)" (Hebrews 7:21 KJV)

  "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:6-11 NLT)

 Much like this oath that God has sworn about His Son, we too are given the same kind of certainty that He will keep us safely in His grip, even though we sometimes wonder, complain, or sometimes fall away! If it really means, "certainly," then we can truly believe that He will certainly keep us in the family of God; after all, He has already established us to be His adopted children, so, just that alone gives us a special reason that He will not discard us, even if we fail or drift away. 

 Whether or not you we believe that is true, He will still show compassion and give us multiple chances to discover His unfailing love is real. This is proven in so many lives throughout the Bible; even for those who have done very wicked and terrible things! He knows everything about us, our good things and our bad things; He is never stunned or surprised by anything; He never says, "Opps, I shouldn't have chosen that one!" 

 There are a few places in the Bible where it might look like He has changed His mind, but everything He does to show that, is to get us to change our hearts...

"God's way is perfect. All the LORD'S promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection." (PSALM 18:30 NLT) 

"Wherewithsoever!" -To

 "And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:" (Hebrews 7:20 KJV)

  "When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" "Take him yourselves and crucify him," Pilate said, "I find him not guilty." The Jewish leaders replied, "By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into his headquarters again and asked him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. "Why don't you talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?" Then Jesus said, "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin." Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caeser. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caeser."" (John 19:6-12 NLT)

 Whatever it is that you don't quite understand about the why this or that might happen, there is nothing that goes on in this world that God doesn't know about; nor, is there anything happening that He doesn't have an answer for and the reason for it to happen. As with this section of the trial Jesus was going through, Pilate was determined to release Jesus, but it wasn't going to happen; it was God's will! 

 Some people that do not know, would try to think it was wrong for it to happen, as if Jesus was killed without a reason. But we that know the truth, know full well that Jesus came for this very reason! It was what He came to earth to do; it is what was planned out, from even before creation; Jesus was already on the path to the cross! 

 Surprisingly, many who are believers and study God's word, still don't understand the why's when things in their lives get turned upside down. Asking God, "Why are you allowing this to happen?" When in the life of someone that is trusting God, the real question should be, "What are you doing Lord? And what should I do?" Praying surely doesn't hurt; but expecting God is on the move, gives us hope! 

 Besides all of that, we must understand that this world is really not our home! Being here is now just about making Christ known to those around us, and doing our best to keep the faith, no matter what! There is really nothing we can do to change what is meant to happen; but we can make the difference for someone to be changed and know the truth...

"As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God." (Galatians 6:14-16 NLT)   

"Wherewithsoever!"

 "And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:" (Hebrews 7:20 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." (Galatians 4:21-23 NLT)

 Now, about that faith being secure: as it was with Abraham, he had faith in God, but sometimes he did waiver in leaving everything in God's hand, trying to take care of things on his own. Each and every time he tried to find a way on his own, he ended up with a problem. 

 We should be able to understand what that looks like, as I am sure that we all have done that, at least a few times in our walk with the Lord. These are certain things that are brought on by not trusting God will take care of whatever you are dealing with, expecting that He might want you to do it on your own. 

 As it is, the other day I heard a massage about "the big rock," where God tells a man to push on a rock that he could not budge. He tried and he tried, but couldn't get the rock to move, not even an inch. Discouraged and overwhelmed, he cried out to the Lord, saying, "Why did you ask me to do something I could not do?" And the Lord answered, "You did what I said, and you pushed on that rock. I never asked you to move it!" 

 However, you interpret that, it basically means to trust in the Lord, no matter what! Maybe God just wants us to be strengthened by the trial he gives us, as we are taken wherever and however, sometimes not knowing what to do. Much like Abraham and his many mistakes along the way, God had his back, but Abraham sometimes thought he needed to help God get things done. 

 What that means, is that Abraham never lost faith in God, even though he tried to do things himself. We all tend to do that now and again, thinking that God wants us to move something on our own. But when God makes a promise, we are meant to wait on Him to make the move, and just do what we are told...

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:3-5 NLT) 

  

"The Connection" - Too

 "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19 KJV)

  "Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do." (PSALM 73:27-28 NLT) 

 With this great hope in mind, faith becomes the SafetyNet, if you will, that keeps us holding on to what we have been given! I can tell you with all my heart, doubt does not do anything but make us more aware of our need to have faith; as I have learned, over and over again, God's Word is more than just truth, it is life everlasting; if that is, we keep holding unto it! 

 If you don't know what I mean, when that Bible says, "whosoever believes," believing is not just saying that you believe, it is you knowing the truth, so much so, that you are certain to overcome any doubt that you might have, because your eternal life depends upon you keeping the faith. This is not a rebuttal to God's grip upon our lives, because I truly believe that His promises are sure; but we must have faith in what we believe, or it isn't really faith, at all.

 Basically, what I am trying to say, is that this great hope is not really hopeful, if you don't have the faith to believe that what you hope for is possible; you are just hoping that something is true, without believing that it is absolutely so. You know the drill: "God said it, I believe it, that settles it!" When you settle that, there is no real doubt...

"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Ephesians 3:12 NLT)    

"The Connection"

 "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19 KJV)

  "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ out Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." (Romans 5:1-2 NLT)

 Here is that simple thing to understand, which is so misunderstood: It was the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross that canceled our debt! Yes, we had a very big debt, that none of us could ever never pay, no matter how many sacrifices we made or how hard we tried to work to keep the law; it was only by the blood of Christ, God's one and only Son, that we could be forgive for all our sins!

 Now I know that there are some who can't comprehend how that works; but the simple truth of how it works, is the fact that the Father made it to work! He is the one who now sees us washed by the blood of His Son, and now we are perfect in His sight; plain and simple! The law was never canceled, and the promises have now been reinforced; all because of what Jesus Christ did on that cross. 

 Hopefully that clears up a few things about where we now stand with God, because we still face some trials over things we have previously done. But that doesn't take away from our relationship with God, or the fact that our sins have been removed. The things we did here on earth will stay here on this earth, but we arrive in God's presence perfectly clean and secure! 

 That is our great hope, which is based upon what God has done for us, not anything we have done for Him. We just need faith...

"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God." (Romans 4:20-25)