Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Amazing Grace

One day a man was driving his new pickup truck on a dusty Australian desert highway when he spotted a hitchhiker standing on the side of the road. The hitchhiker was carrying a large heavy bay over his shoulder and looked exhausted in the heat of the day.

The driver stopped and asked, "Where are you heading?" "Alice spring." "Hop in the back, and I'll take you there." he said.

A few miles down the road the driver glanced in the rear-view mirrow and was surprised to see the man sitting in the bed of the truck with his bag over the shoulder. Why doesn't he just put it down? He wondered.

Finally, he stopped his little pickup, walked back to the man and inquired, "Why don't you rest and put that bag down?"

"Oh," said the hitchhiker, "I don't want to hurt your new truck."

I have met many Christians who are a carbon copy of that man. They have the wheels of salvation beneath them, but they are still carrying their own heavy load.

Again and again Jesus says, "Put it down. I'll carry it for you."

Instead they are proud of their self-effort and say, "No, Lord. I'd rather do it my own way."

How can they believe that they have been redeemed by the blood if they are trying to win heaven in their deeds?

Rules and Regulations

For some reason, people are drawn to works. I don't understand why, but it is true.

Some false religions call for a ritual of praying five times a day. Others tell followers to purify themselves in the water of sacred rivers or present gifts to gold-encrusted shrines. The world says, "Work! Work! Work!"

Some Christian denominations began with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the love of God. Before long however, the elders and pastors added works. Legalism replaced the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The people in these Churches were told, "Here is what it takes to get to heaven. If you follow these rules, you will keep your salvation, but if not, you will suffer the consequences." And they were given a one-two-three list of outward acts to perform. They followed the rules and regulations they were given because, by our very nature, human being love works. We mistakenly believe that it is by actions that God is pleased.

When I became a Christian I was surprised to find how many in the Church wer bound to rituals and spiritual protocol. A young man with a slightly long hair was sitting next to a little elderly lady. She told the young man saying, "Young man, do you know it's a sin to have long hair?"

Many people equate holiness with a pious outward appearance, but it is primarily a work of the heart. When we have been transformed from within, then we can demonstrate a consistently changed and transformed life.

It takes some people a lifetime to realize that holiness is not produced by legalism. Legalism is of the flesh, and God has no desire for it. Instead, "right living" is the result of our response to the grace of the almight God.

It is by Grace alone

One day after my daily afternoon prayer, I read a book (from the Internet) about Martin Luther and how the Lord used him to bring the message of justification by faith to the Church of his day. One portion of the book focused on Galations, where Paul talks about how to be free from the curse of the law.

After reading that portion, I heard the Lord's voice said in my spirit, "Did you save yourself? or was it My blood that saved you?" "You saved me." I answered. "Did you choose Me?" He asked. "No, Lord, You chose me." "Did you convict yourself of sin?" "No, You convicted me of sin." "Did you draw yourself to the cross?" "No, Lord, You drew me ot the cross."

Then the Lord said, "Because you had nothing to do with your salvation, you also have nothing to do with keeping yourself saved."

At that moment I realized there is nothing I can do to merit God's favor. It is not by the flesh, but by Christ's blood and grace that the work is accomplished.

Paul said, "... being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ..." (Romans 3:24, NKJV).

It seems we all have something in us that says, "I've got to do it myself." Perhaps it is to prove something. But again and again we realize that in our own stregth we are miserable failures. It is when we finally surrender and say, "I can't do it!" that we have taken the first step to real Christian living.

You may be struggling and agonizing over living the Christian life and trying to please God. You may feel as if you are getting nowhere. I believe you should quit trying and surrender - that's all God asks you to do.

In his letter to the Church at Ephesus, Paul explains how we receive the amazing grace of God. He starts by describing where we were before we came under grace and still followed the ways of the world. We "were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1) and gratified the cravings of our sinful nature, "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature chrildren of wrath" (Eph. 2:3).

Because of God's great mercy and love for us, "even when we were dead in trespasses, (He) made us alive together with Christ .... And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:5, 6).

Heaven will be ours, not because of what we have done, but because of "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7). "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of youselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone whould boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).

The blood of Christ covers our sin, and we receive forgiveness through faith because of the grace of God. It is a message that every believer needs to understand. We had nothing to do with earning our salvation. We have nothing to do with keeping it. Every time we say, "There is something I must do," God says, "I've done it. All you need to do is accept it."

Religion says, "Do." Jesus syas, "Done,"

When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, you are no longer under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). Your past was erased. You are free from guilt and have victory over Satan.

The Lord has provided you with "a better covenant, which was established on better promises" (Heb. 12:2).

Because of the blood of the cross, you are no longer under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). Your past was erased. You are free from guilt and have victory over Satan.

The Lord has provided you with "a better covenant, which was established on better promises" (Heb. 8:6). You are delivered from guilt and condemnation because the blood of Jesus Christ has been shed for your freedom and liberty (Romans 6:18; Gal, 5:1). It is yours through God's grace. When this truth gets into your soul, you'll never ask again, "Have my sins really been blotted out?"

Fear and Faith

Many Christians today have the wrong picture of God.

From their childhood they have built an image of an almighty God who is harsh and austere - with glaring eyes of steel. They see Him with a whip in His hand, ready to beat them evey time they make the slightest mistake.

But God is nothing like that. Though He occasionally chastises us for our good, he is always gentle, kind and loving to His children.

David, the psalmist said, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy" (Ps.103:8). Those who continually approach the Lord and say, "I'm a failure," do not know what the grace of God is all about. when you are bound by the law, the entire focus of your life is sin. Yes, we need to confess our sins to Christ and ask for forgiveness, but there is a great difference between coming before Him with fear and entering His presence with confidence.

What Christ did at Calvary was not for our judgment, but for our freedom because He loves us. Stop looking at your failures and see God's mercy.

For more that twelve hundred years the children of Israel followed rituals and sacrifices to atone for their sin. But their focus turned from the Law-Giver to the law, and they fell into bondage. God repeatedly tried to call them back because He wanted their hearts and not their works. He wanted them to love Him.

Mosses told the Israelites: "Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge. His statutes, His judgements, and His commandments always" (Deut. 11:1).

God gave Israel a condition to His promise that land would be fruitful for them. This condition was based on love - not works.

"And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all you heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will sendgrass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled" (Deut. 11:13 - 15, emphasis added).

God focused on love, not law, because it wasn't just difficult for the children of Israel to obey the law; it was impossible.

Paul said, "... a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, ... for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Gal 2:16).

Someone said, "Living the Christian life isn't difficult; it's impossible." But God sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and enble us to obey His commands. God told His people through Ezekiel, "I will put My Spirit with you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezek. 36:27).

Law and works

Law and works have alway been the opposite of grace and mercy:

1. The law says, "Follow the rules.' Grace says, "It is a free gift."

2. The law says, "See your sin and shame." Grace says, "God accepts you as you are."

3. The law brings the consciousness of sin. grace brings the awareness of righteousness.

4. The law says, "Do or die." Grace says, "Accept Jesus as Savior and live."

The Vine and the Branches

Just before the crucifixion, Jesus had a meal with His disciples and He gave them one of the greatest lessons found in the Gospel. He told them that they wer not the vine, and they were not the fruit - they were the branches - (read John 15:1 - 5).

God's purpose as the "vinedresser" is to keep the vine clean. The pruning of sin is not the result of our effort, but of His. All we are required to do is surrender.

Some Christians are struggling to bear fruit, but no branch has the power to make it happen. Jesus was saying, "You don't bear the fruit. I do. But I give you the privilege of holding it. The fruit is Mine. The vine is Mine. The branch is simply hooked onto Me. That's all." What's our job then? Our job is to hold the fruit - to become a "fruit hanger."

Take a close look at what is attached to the branch. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit - not of the flesh. We become the channel through which love, joy, peace and other spiritual fruit are given to the world (Gal. 5:22, 23).

When we understand the branch-vine relationship and make the Lord the sourch of our lives, He answers our prayers.

Jesus said: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).

Being set free

Without God's grace it would be impossible for us to have victory over sin. Do you know that there is nothing we can give to the Lord except our sins? He wants us to surrender our sins to Him! Yet I heard someone said, "I give money to mission and time for God." My answer is that, "If God does not give you money and time, by grace, you can give nothing!" Every thing starts with God.

Paul said: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could no do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:2 - 4).

Jesus said: "Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:34 - 36).

This I believe is the Amazing Grance!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Our Redeemer, our Mediator

Our Redeemer

During the years when slavery was legal, a gentleman happened upon a slave-bidding in a crowded street. The man paused to observe the activities. as he watched from the edge of the crowd, he saw one slave after another led onto a platform, their arms and legs shacked with ropes as if they were animals.

Displayed before the jeering crowd, they were auctioned off, one by one. Some onlookers would inspect the "merchandise," grabbing disrespectfully at the women, examining the muscular arms of the men.

The gentleman studied the group of slaves waiting nearby. He paused when he saw a young girl standing at the back. Her eyes were filled with fear, she looked so frightened. He hesitated for a moment and then disappeared briefly. When he returned, the auctioneer was about to start the bidding for the young girl he had noticed beforehand.

As the auctioneer opened the bidding, the gentlement shouted out a bid that was twice the amount of any other selling price offered that day. There was silence for an instance, and then the gravel fell as "Sold to the gentleman" was heard.

The gentleman stepped forward, making his way through the crowd. He waiting at the bottom of the steps as the young girl was led down to her new owner. The rope which bound her was handed to the man, who accepted it without saying anything.

The young girl stared at the ground. Suddenly she looked up and spat in his face. Silently, he reached for a handkerchief and wiped the spittle from his face. He smiled gently at the young girl and said, "Follow me."

She followed him reluctantly. As they reached the edge of the crowd, he continued to a nearby area where each deal was closed. When a slave was set free, legal documents, called manumission paper, were necessary.

The gentleman paid the purchase price and signed the necessary documents. when the transaction was complete, he turned to the young girl and presented the documents to her. Startled, she looked at him with uncertainty. Her narrowed eyes asked, "What are you doing?"

The gentleman responded to her questioning look. He said, "Here, take these papers. I bought you to set you free. As long as you have these papers in your possession, no man can ever make you a slave again."

The girl looked into his face. What was happening? There was silence. Slowly, she said, "You bought me to set me free? You bought me to set me free?" As she repeated this phrase over and over, the significance of what had just happened became more and more real to her.

Was it possible that a stranger had just granted her freedom and never again could she be held in bondage and servitude to any man? As she began to grasp the significance of the documents which she now held in her hand, she fell to her knees and wept at the gentleman's feet.

Through her tears of joy and gratitude, she said, "You bought me to set me free? ... I'll serve you forever!"

Our redemption

You and I were once bound in slavery to sin. But the Lord Jesus paid the price to set us free when He she His blood At Calvary. That's what the Bible calls redemption.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

That's what Paul was referring to when he wrote: "For you wer bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20)

The blood of Jesus was not spilled; it was shed. It was no accident. The Lord chose to die in our place, shedding His precious blood on our behalf.

Jesus said to Himself: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28).

Why did Christ redeem us? So "that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Rom. 6:6). That is the only way we could "be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:11).

Every day we can rejoice - not only in what we have been redeemed from, but to what we have been redeemed. We have been set free from slavery to sin and Satan. And we have been redeemed to a new liberty from sin and to a new life in Christ (2 Cor. 3:17, 18).

When you have been redeemed by His blood, you can say: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

Reconciled by the Blood

Who was in most need - the slave girl or the man who bought her? The slave girl, of course. In the same way, God did not need to be reconciled to man; man needed to be reconciled to God.

"For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullnesss should dwell, and by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight" (Col. 1:19 - 22).

While it was God's desire to continue in love and fellowship with man, sin had compelled Him become an opponent. Although the love of God toward man remains unchanged, sin made it impossible for Him to admit man into fellowship with Himself.

In the Old Covenant, God instructed His people to offer sacrifices. These slain animals symbolically bore the punishment for sin that the people deserved. But the sacrifices had to be made over and over again.

The Old Covenant was the shadow (Heb. 10:1). The New Covenant brought the reality. Christ died "once for all," atoning for our sins and bringing back into fellowship with God (Heb. 10:10). Righteousness demanded it; love offered it.

Now the Lord gives us a new responsibility to share the message of reconciliation with the world.

"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the World to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18. 19).

In the time of Christ, Gentiles were excluded from the family of God because they were not part of the Old Covenant. They were known as "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12).

But through "the blood of His cross" these two groups - the Jews and Gentiles - were made one. And He "has broken down the middle wall of separation" so "that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" (Eph. 2:13 - 14, 16). He made he Gentiles "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Eph. 2:9).

Our Mediator

Because of His shed blood, the Lord Jesus has become our mediator with the Father.

"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).

Mankind has always needed a mediator. Job declared, "Oh, that one might plead for a man with God" (Job 16:21).

Under the Old Covenant, the high priest became the legal representative of the people regarding spiritual matters. But there were some issues that he could not arbitrate. Eli, when he was the high priest of Israel, said: "If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him" (1 Sam 2:25)?

Today, Christ has become our high priest through shedding His blood. That is what gives Him the authority to be our legal mediator in heaven representing us before the Father. Because of the cross "He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant" (Heb. 9:15).

As our mediator, Christ intercedes on our behalf. The apostle Paul wrote, "It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Rom. 8:34). The Greek word for "intercession" is "entunchano," which means "to meet with" and "to make petition."

And because He is our high priest, sin will not defeat us - no, not on a single score. He is our high priest, ever living to make intercession for us.

"Therefore He is also able to save us to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).

There is only one reason why Christ can be our go-between in heaven - because He is both God and man.

"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8).

"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same" (Heb. 2:14).

Only Christ can say, "I know what man is like, and I can tell you what God is like. I understand them both fromth inside out." When we ae being tempted, Jesus can speak to the Father and say, "I went through the same thing."

He was sinless, and yet He became our sin bearer. Instead of symbolically cleansing us from defilement, the Lord cleansed us from actual sin. It was through the blood of the cross that the Lord Jesus removed the obstacle which caused an estrangement between God and man and restored our fellowhip with the Father.

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Though Christ is "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens (Heb. 7:26), He is nevertheless "touched with the feeling our infirmities" (Heb. 4:15, KJV).

herefore, as the writer of Hebrews says, "let us come boldly" today to His "throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy" (Heb. 4:16). This wonderful Savior does not condemn you. He loves you for He has died for you.

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2:5, 6).

And because of this reasom, God declares that we are free from the pit of sin and death.

"If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man his uprightness, then He is gracious to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom'" (Job 33:23, 24).

So come to Jesus Christ our mediator today. Jesus said, "I am the way, the ruth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Pleading our cases

We know that Christ is our mediator, but He does even more for us. In that role He is also our advocate, pleading and upholding our cases before the Father.

"My little children, these things I write you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

Because of the unrelenting temptation os Satan, many Christians find themselves out of fellowship with the Father. That is when they need someone who will speak on their behalf.

Jesus does not plead the case of sinners. It is only when the blood has bee applied to our heart that the Lord becomes our advocate. It is then we can say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear" (Heb.13:6).

Boldness by the shed Blood

Because the Lord Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, we can enter boldly into the throne room.

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart if full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:19 - 22).

Our boldness to enter comes only because of Christ's sacrifice, nothing else. If we are still in our sin, no amount of brazen courage can open heaven's gates. The password is: "I come by the Blood." The moment you speak those words, entrance is yours.

If you long to experience the power of redemption which Jesus accomplished, notice what the passage from Hebrews 10:19, 20 syas about the holy of holies, which is now open to us, and the freedom with which wd can enter through the shed Blood of Christ.

The shed Blood of Christ has removed any deed to be timid about approaching the Lord (read Heb. 4:16). it gives us the confidence not only approach His throne, but also to reach the lost.

After Christ returned to glory, the disciples were everywhere preaching the message of the cross. They proclaimed it with fear and were undaunted when cross-examined by priests at the temple in Jerusalem (read Acts 4:13; 4:29, 30).

Eternal inheritance

Christ shed His blood and became the mediator of the New Covenant so "those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).

What God promised isn't just for today; it is for eternity. That's why it is an eternal inheritance. The death of Jesus Christ activated the power of the blood that guaranteed our inheritance (read Heb. 9:16, 17).

The promises of God's Word - both the Old and New Testaments - are ours when we are redeemed by the Blood. We don't deserve an inheritance because of our works of righteousness, "but according to His mercy He save us ... that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4, 7).

Too many Christians fear that they'll never see their inheritance. That must be because they don't understand God's amazing grace.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Significance of the Holy Spirit

It is the shed Blood of Christ that made it possible for the Holy Spirit to descend.

On the Day of Pentecost Peter spoke of the Lord's death and resurrection. He said: "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear" (Acts 2:33, NKJV).

Remember that the Lord purchased man's redemption by His atoning death and resurrection, then ascended to His Father and there presented the blood which was the evidence of redemption.

"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:11, 12).

When the Father accepted the blood, I believe Christ Jesus received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit to pour out upon those who believed in Him. And now the Holy Spirit is on earth to enable us to live the Christian life, for God speaking through Ezekiel said:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgment and do them" (Ezek. 36:26, 27).

The Holy Spirit not only enables us to live the Christian life but will also make God's presence very real to us.

"'And I will not hide My face from them any more; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord God" (Ezek. 39:29).

I should not have been surprised when my life was completely transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is exactly what happens when you meet the Spirit of God. The prophet Samuel described it to Saul this way:

"Then the Sprit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man" (1 Sam. 10:6).

Mighty power of the Holy Spirit

Is it really possible that the Holy Spirit can change us totally? Absolutely. If the Lord could turn mud into man by His breath, think what He can do by breathing on us again! Tat is what happened at Pentecost.

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2).

Those who gathered in the upper room felt the breath of almight God. and they were tranformed.

When the Holy Spirit empowers your life, you can expect three things to happen:

1. The Lord will become very close to you.

2. Because of that relationship, your ultimate desire will be to walk in the ways of God.

3. You will be miraculously transformed into a new person.

I am convinced that the Holy Spirit, alive and present on the earth today, is the sign of the covenant God has made with us through the blood of His Son Jesus.

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:3).

I have met many Christians who pray, "Lord, send the Holy Spirit into my life! Fill me with Your power!" The Holy Spirit will come when we honor the death of Jesus Christ and His blood.

For example, in the Old Covenant when blood was offered, God sent fire, and His glory descended. Do you remember what occured at the dedication of Solomon's great temple?

"When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple" (2 Chron. 7:1).

What was the sign of the Holy Spirit? In the Old Testament it was often fire (Lev. 9:23, 24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Chron. 7:1).

John the Baptist also prophesied: "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Luke 3:16).

After Jesus shed His blood at Calvary, the Holy Spirit came as fire again. The disciples were gather together in Jerusalem, as Jesus had commanded:

"Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and on sat upon each of them. and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:3, 4).

God will fill your life with the fire and glory of His Holy Spirit when you come to Him through the blood.

The Anointing of the Holy Spirit

The Word of God declares that it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that enables us to serve God. God told Moses:

"You shall anoint them ... that they may minister to Me as priests" (Ex. 40:15).

Every Christian should always be aware of the fact that what God is doing He is doing because of His anointing. Without it any Christian would be spiritually bankrupt.

The life of Saul contains a great lesson. Saul had been selected by God, and his life had been transformed. But the day came when Saul chose to break the sacrificial laws God had given to the Israelits, Samuel told Saul: "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever (1 Sam 13:13).

Not only did the anointing leave King Saul, but something happened that was far worse.

"But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him" (1 Sam. 16:14, KJV).

The story of Samson is another example. When the Holy Spirit left his life, he became a prinsoner and slave to the Philistines and lost his sight. The Bible states that while he slept he lost his anointing (Judge. 16:18 - 20).

Sleeping is symbolic of prayerlessness. Christians, let's not neglect prayer nor reject His precious Word, lest be should lose His anointing on our lives. There is nothing more I desire in this life than to have His anointing, and I know that is your greatest desire also.

Remember that as you walk in obedience to Go, you don't have to fear losing the anointing. You can look forward to God's blessings instead. That's what we'll see in the next step of the cleansing of the leper.

Empowered by the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit

When we are empower by the oil of the Holy Spirit, we are freed from the chains of bondage.

Prophet Isaiah wrote: "It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil" (Is. 10:27).

Every time I am touched by the power of God I feel like the psalmist who declared, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered" (Ps. 68:1).

The leper who is anointed

Referring back to my previous message - "Significance of the Blood" I mentioned that the leper symbolized a sinful man and thus alienated from the camp. The leper is allowed back into the camp if he is anointed (read Lev. 14).

You will notice that the man (the leper) offered more sacrifices even after he was considered cleansed and allowed back into the camp.

In the same way, the Lord Jesus shed His blood once for the remission of our sin, but we continue to ask for the cleansing and protection that His blood provides. The Lord Jesus even taught His disciples to say in prayer: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matt. 6:12, 13).

Three applications of the blood

The priest applied blood to the leper in three places - ear, hand and foot.

"The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him (the leper) who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot" (Lev. 14:14).

Our ear (hearing) - When the blood is applied to our hearing we are shielded from the voice of our enemies (read Ps. 55:2, 3).

As believers we have power over verbal attacks of the enemy:

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which arises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord" (Isaiah 54:17).

Whose tongues arise against us? The lying tongues of the Lord's enemies. But we can condemn those through the blood of Christ and the authority of His Word.

Our hand - The priest then reached out to the leper and place the blood "on the thumb of his right hand" (Lev. 14:14).

Our hands represent the work that we do. It is wonderful to know that the Lord give guidance and protection to our work.

David, the psalmist said: "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hand for us; yes, establish the work of our hands" (Ps. 90:17).

Our foot - The priest applied blood to the leper "on the big toe of his right foot" (Lev. 14:14).

Our feet are symbolic of our walk with the Lord: "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

The blood and the anointing

It is important to realize that before the anointing the leper must be cleansed by the blood. The blood makes it possible for him to be anointed.

After the priest applied blood to the leper's ear, hand and foot, it is time for the anointing.

Here is what happened. The priest was instructed to take "some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand. Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord" (Lev. 14:15, 16).

The anointing oil througout Scripture represents the work of the Holy Spirit in consecrating and empowering for service.

It is essential to understand that God anoints what the blood has covered. The anointing of the Holy Spirit follows the blood. The anointing oil was sprinkled seven times - God's number of completion - to represent the reception of a total anointing.

I believe the anointing expands the following benefits of the blood:

1. When the blood is applied to our hearing, we will not hear the enemy's voice; then God brings the anointing so we can hear His voice.

2. When the blood is applied to our hand, the devil cannot touch our work for God; then the anointing multiplies our effort.

3. When the blood is applied to our walk, then God anoints our steps so that we can walk with Him.

Our walk also needs to be washed with His Word:

Jesus said: "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet" (John 13:10).

We have been redeemed and washed by the blood, but our walk needs to be cleansed by His Word every day (Eph. 5:26). Why? Because our lives constantly touch the dirt of the world.

In the Old Covenant, when God told Moses to build the tabernacle, He gave him precise details regarding every aspect, including the clothing required for the priests. But they were given no instructions regarding shoe (see Ex. 39), To remind them that they still touching the dust of the earth, they were to walk with bare feet.

As Christians we are touching the world every day. That's why we need to come back to the Lord daily and say, "Cleanse me anew and wash me again.

Completely covered - from head to toe

What did God command the priest to do with the remaining oil?

"The rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord" (Lev. 14:18).

God wants to cover us totally from head to toe with the oil of His Spirit - our thoughts, our sight, our words and our entire lives. Not only do we have the atonement of the blood, but we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Significance of the Blood

This message deals with the blood covenant and the protection provided by the blood of Jesus.

The Egyptian plagues

The Egyptian plagues show how God will protect those who have made a blood covenant with Him. Israel made a blood covenant through Abraham (read Genesis).

When the children of Israel were still slaves in Egypt, they cried to the Lord for deliverance. The Lord raised up Moses, who went before Pharaoh and told him, "The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, 'Let My people go'" (Ex. 7:16, NKJV). The Lord then sent plagues of: Turning the Nile River into blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts and darkness over the land. But Pharaoh refused to let the people go.

Finally God told Moses to warn Pharaoh about one more plague:

"About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on the throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals" (Ex. 11:4, 5).

Again, Pharaoh refused to let the people go.

God told Israel to prepare because He would pass over the land of Egypt: "For I wll pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the Lord" (Ex. 12:12).

Then the Lord gave the promise:

"Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt" (Ex.12:13, emphasis added).

At midnight on the night of the Passover, the firstborn in every Egyptian household died. The wailing was heard across the land even before the sun arose (read Ex. 12:29, 30). But in the houses of the Israelites there was not one dead.

The first Passover was a shadow of what was to happen one day on Calvary. For at Calvary, "Christ, our Passover, was sacrifice for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). There we were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter. 1:19).

Protection on your entire household

Why did the Lord tell the Israelites to find a lamb for each household (Ex. 12:3)? I believe it is because the blessings of God's can lead to salvation for an entire family.

Do you remember what God told Noah? He said, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation" (Gen. 7:1, KJV). Noah was the only pure and virtuous man the Lord could find. Yet God told him that his entire household would find protection because of his actions.

Also, in Genesis 19:29 we find that God delivered Lot out of Sodom because of his covenant with Abraham. The passage says, "God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, ..." (Gen. 19:29).

Centuries later, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved" (Acts 16:30)?

They told him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).

I believe the Lord places special grace and protection on the entire house because of one person who comes into His kingdom (see 1 Cor.7:14).

The Blood applied

When you asked God to cover your family with the blood of His Son, I believe the Lord then builds a hedge of protection around your house. This was what He did for Job.

The Bible states that Job was a righteous man, "blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). God made him a prosperous man, with thousands of sheep, camel, oxen and other possessions. He was called "the greatest of all the people of the East" (Job 1:3).

But Job was concerned about the lifestyle of his children. His seven sons would take turns holding feast in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

Job was so troubled about their spiritual condition that when the days of feasting were over:

"Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offeriings according to the number of them all. For Job said, 'It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.' Thus Job did regularly" (Job 1:5).

One day some angels presented themselves to the Lord, and Satan was among them (read Job 1:7 - 10).

"So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? you have blessed the work of his hand, and his possesions have increased in the land'" (Job 1:9, 10).

Job did exactly what God had instructed. He applied the blood, and he did it "regularly" (Job 1:5).

Applying the Blood through prayer

Do you realize that through prayer the blood can be applied for your family? God will honor your faith.

Job covered his family with the blood by sacrificing. In the New Testament the sacrifice has been made once and for all through Jesus Christ. So how do we take advantage of what He has done for us?

We must believe in the sacrifice He already made, the blood already shed. When we believe, then we can speak it to God in prayer. The apostle Paul said, "We also believe and therefore speak" (2 Cor. 4:13). But there is no magic formular or phrase that activates the power of the blood. It is only by faith in Jesus.

Do you want to live in victory and be free from bondage? The key is to obey God's Word.

Prior to the first Passover, the Lord said: "The blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are" (Ex. 12:13, KJV, emphasis added).

The word "token" means "evidence," or a "sign' in the Hebrew. God protected the households that had the sign. And when He sees the sign, He will protect you.

People have asked, "Why should we ask God to cover us with the blood every day? Isn't this vain repetition? Aren't we being superstitious? Aren't we acting out of bondage?"

I don't pray every day because I must pray. I commune with the Lord because I love Him and want to talk with Him on a daily basis. I also ask the Holy Spirit to fill me anew every day. Asking the Lord to cover me with the blood continually is not because of bondage - but because of fellowship.

Someone said, "We don't live on yesterday's glories, no on tomorrow's hope, but on today's experiences."

Being covered with the Blood

What do you mean by being covered with the blood? It means we are appropriating all the benefits of the cross of Jesus Christ - protection, access, forgiveness, security in God's grace, redemption, reconciliation, cleansing, sanctification, dwelling in God's presence and victory.

I don't become born again daily. But every morning I surrender again my body and mind to Him. Asking Him to cover me with His blood is not a ritual but the result of a relationship He has with me through the Blood Covenant.

The blood does not cover you automaically. God does not reach down from the sky and place the mark on your dwelling place. You have to ask for His protection. Remember that God supplies, but we apply through our believing prayer. The children of Israel too the blood "and put it on the two doorpost and on the lintel of the houses" (Ex. 12:7).

The Word and the Blood

The Word of God is indispensable to our knowledge and to our faith in God. And we need to gain the greatest knowledge of the Word that is possible. The Word and the blood work together. The Word says and the blood does.

The evil one may fight you at every turn, but when you apply the blood, God's power comes alive.

It is strange that I have never heard a sermon preached on the Blood. And I have rarely heard Christians uttered the word "blood" since their convertions. The subject seems to be totally erased from their minds. But God specifically instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover "as an ordinance for you and your sons forever" (Ex. 12:24).

Forever means forever!

The Lord has never changed His mind about His blood covenant with the people. It was not limitted in the forty years that the children of Israel journeyed to the Promised Land. The command was in effect ever after they reached their destination.

"It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service" (Ex. 12:25).

We have even more to celebrate. God replaced the blood of sheep and goats with the perfect sacrifice - the Blood of His Son. By the same token we are to celebrate His Covenant forever.

How often should we ask God to cover us with the Blood? I personally do it every time I pray. Why? If the blood of an animal could protect a family in the Passover, how much more can the Blood of Christ protect us now?

The cleansing of the leper

In Scripture, leprosy refers to a variety of skin diseases. it is also a symbol of sin. So the cleansing of the leper foreshadowed God's future plan to cleanse mankind from sin.

First, the leper to be cleansed was "brought to the priest" (Lev. 14:2).

The priest was instructed to go outside the city and "take for him sho is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop" (Lev. 14:4).

Each of these elements reminds me of the work of Christ for the remission of sin. The priest going outside the camp points Jesus being crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem. The two birds speak of the Lord's death and resurrection. Cedar wood points to the cross and the scarlet to His suffering.

Finally, hyssop symbolizes faith. David said, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Ps. 51:7).

The hyssop that was used in purification ceremonies is generally considered to be fragrant plant from the marjoram family. It symbolizes faith to me because it was used in the application of the blood (Ex. 12:22).

What happened next was amazing in the light of what Christ would do at Calvary.

"Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over flesh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water" (Lev. 14:5, 6, NIV).

When the first bird was killed, the blood was caught in an earthen vessel with water in it (read Lev. 14:5, 6). This speaks of Christ's shedding His blood in an earthen vessel - His human body.

Then the priest took the living along with the cedar wood (Christ's cross), the scarlet (His suffering) and the hyssop (fiath), and dipped them in the shed blood of the bird that was slain.

The slain bird's blood was mixed with the water in the earthen vessel, symbolizing cleasing by the Word (Eph. 5:26).

Here was the final instruction:

"Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields" (Lev. 14:7, NIV).

This speaks of our sins being cleansed by the blood. Then we see the resurrection in the living bird that was released.

The cleansing ceremony is just one example of the way the Old Covenant foreshadows the New Covenant (Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1).

The leper was then allowed into the camp (Lev. 14:8). In the same way when you have been purified by Christ's blood you are ready to enter God's Kingdom.

I believe the priests sprinkled the leper with blood seven times for a prophetic reason, for we are told that the blood of Christ was shed seven different times during the hours surrounding His crucifixion:

1. His sweat became like great drops of blood (Luke 22:4).

2. His face - "I gave ... My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard" (Is. 52:6).

3. His head - "... they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck on the head" (Matt. 27:29, 30).

4. His back - "... and when he had scourged Jesus, he deliver Him to be crucified" (Matt. 27:26).

5. His hands - "They pierced My hands" (Ps. 22:16).

6. His feet - "They pierced ... My feet" (Ps. 22:16).

7. His side - "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, ..." (Ps. 22:16).

What happened after the leper was sprinkled seven times with blood? He now can enter the camp, even as once we are clensed by His blood we became sons and daughters of the living God and members of His family. Also, because of the Blood of Jesus, the floodgates of God's anointing can be released through His Holy Spirit in our lives. Read my next message.