My God! My God! Why Has Thou Forsaken Me?

Today is the quietest day of the church year....

.....The Bible contains not one but four accounts of Jesus' death. They agree on the essentials: Jesus died on a cross at a place called Golgotha, hung up between two other men with a sign above His head. "King of the Jews," it said. The charge was treason against the Empire. The method of execution was Roman. People were so sure He was not coming down that they divided up His clothes where He could see them. He was offered some sour wine before He died and then He died, just before sundown on the day before the sabbath.

.....Those are the bones of the story, which each gospel writer fills out in a different way. Matthew and Mark's accounts are almost identical, except for a few differences in phrasing. Their Jesus is a broken man, who is so injured in every way that He needs help carrying His cross and whose only word from the cross is a cry of abandonment at the end.

.....In Luke's gospel, Jesus has more to say. Luke adds a word of pardon from the cross—"Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"—as well as a conversation between Jesus and the two men dying with Him that the other gospel writers do not mention. When Jesus dies, He does not ask where God has gone. Instead, He uses his last few breaths to commend His spirit to God. Luke's Jesus is as gentle and forgiving in death as he was all his life.

.....In John's gospel, however, Jesus is neither broken nor particularly gentle. He is brave, omniscient, and in charge all the way. John does not say anything about Simon of Cyrene carrying Jesus' cross for Him. Jesus is strong enough to do that for himself. Nor does John allow anyone to mock Jesus while He dies. Even on the cross, Jesus is in charge. He arranges for his mother's care, says He is thirsty (in order to fulfill the scriptures), and when He dies there is no question about where God is. God is on the cross, pronouncing that "It is finished."

.....While all four of these accounts report the same event, they are not easily harmonized. They are four alternative readings of that event, so different from one another and yet so faithfully told that the editors of the New Testament decided that none of them could be left out. By including all four, those early shapers of the gospel sent us a message between the lines: namely, that there is more than one way to view what happened on the cross, and all of them are right.

.....Even if they do not agree on everything—not even something as important as Jesus' last words—their very disagreement preserves the mystery of what happened on this day. There is no one definitive word. There is no one answer to the awful questions raised by this day—chief among which is why God allows the innocent to suffer. In the case of Jesus, we are asked to believe that God not only allowed the suffering but willed the tortured, humiliating death of the Beloved.

.....You have heard the same explanations I have heard. Before Jesus, sinful humanity was so deep in debt to God that no human being could pay it all. So God sent Jesus to die for our sins, erasing the debt once and for all. This is the most traditional view of the cross, but it does not answer the question of suffering. What kind of father demands the death of a son in order to pay off a debt to himself?

.....According to another view, it was God who died on the cross, putting an end to divine bookkeeping through the voluntary sacrifice of divine power. But if Jesus was God, then whom was he talking to in the garden and from the cross? He clearly believed that someone else had the power to remove the cup of suffering from Him, or at least to be with Him while He drank it down--but who, in both cases, declined to do so.

.....I don't pretend to understand any or all of it. Sometimes I think that the suffering of Jesus was not God's will at all. It was, instead, the will of those who were arrayed against Him—those whose patriotic values He had offended, whose sense of God He had betrayed. It was the will of ordinary people like you and me, who prefer dead messiahs to living ones, since living ones are so much harder to tame.

.....It seems entirely possible to me that God's will for Jesus was a long and fruitful life, brimming over with the divine justice and love He was born to embody. When the world opposed that justice, however—when the world reviled that love—God's will did not give Jesus a license to stop being Jesus. God's will supported Him to go on doing justice and loving mercy even in the face of deadly opposition. So in that sense, I suppose, it was God's will that Jesus suffer and die—since suffering and death turned out to be the unavoidable consequences of being who He was. It was God's will for Jesus to be fully who He was every day of his life—even if the fullness of that life shortened the length of it.

.....But if that was the case, then where was God at the end? According to at least two gospels. Jesus believed Himself forsaken by heaven as well as earth. Couldn't God have spared one angel there at the end? Couldn't God have whispered one comforting word in Jesus' ear, just to help Him get through the last few awful, parched hours? It happened at His baptism in the river Jordan. It happened on the Mount of the Transfiguration with Peter, James and John. "This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Where was that same voice at the end, when the Beloved was panting His last few breaths? What difference might a word have made?

.....But there was no word, except Jesus' own. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It was a quiet day for Him too—the quietest day of His whole life, when He asked for bread and got a stone. Whatever else it was, it was the death of hope—that God might intervene, might stop the suffering, might at least say a word that would make the suffering bearable. None of that happened. God was, for all practical purposes, gone—and yet Jesus died seeking God. He died talking to the Abba who would not talk back to Him, giving us the stripped down vision of faith that remains at the heart of our tradition.

.....When all of our own hopes have died, we still have this faith that seeks nothing for itself—not wisdom, not spiritual power, not rescue from suffering. "Success" is not in its vocabulary. This faith seeks nothing but God, to whom it is willing to surrender everything—up to and including its own cherished beliefs about who God is and how God should act. This faith is willing to sell all that it owns and bet the farm on one chance for union with God. If God plays hard to get, then this faith will never stop its wooing.

.....Purged of all illusion, weaned from everything that is not God, this relentless faith will devote itself to doing justice and loving mercy no matter what the consequences are, and if the consequences turn out to be a cross, then this faith will hang there for however long is necessary, asking God to be present, asking God to speak, regardless of whether or not God chooses to answer. This kind of faith, embodied by Jesus, is what makes Him the Christ—God's own Being of Light, God's own Anointed One—whose self-annihilating love for us and for all creation is never more vivid than it is on this day.

.....I actually know people who come to church on Good Friday and who don't come back on Easter. Easter is too pretty, they say. Easter is too cleaned-up. It is where they hope to live one day, in the land of milk and honey, but right now Good Friday is a better match for their souls, with its ruthless truth about the stench of death and the high price of love. It isn't that they don't care about what happens on Sunday. They do. They just don't believe that God is saving all the good news until then.

Today, on the quietest day of the year, we have come to sit in the presence of one who was the full embodiment of who God created Him to be every day of His life—who loved God with all His heart, and with all His soul, and with all His strength, and with all His mind—and who loved His friends so much that He stepped into the oncoming traffic of death in order to push them out of the way. He furthermore did it all with no more than the basic human equipment—a beating heart, two good hands, a holy vision, and some companions who could see it too—thereby showing the rest of us humans that such a life is not beyond our reach. Whatever else happens on Sunday, here is enough reason to call this Friday Good. Amen.

..

The Renewing Of The Mind!

.....Romans 12: 2 says, "And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

.....This is one thing in each of our lives that we have yet to do today. We are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to replace our low thinking with high thinking. That means that we are to replace the way we saw things with seeing them from a higher level. We have the ability today to do this.

.....Business men have to see the power of God flowing through them in business. Housewives do not have to function in the natural to become successful at what they are doing. Regardless of what God has placed you in, you have a supernatural power to do it in your life today. We who are in Christ, are not like other people. Christianity is not just about forgiveness, it is empowerment, it is anointing, and if we are ever going to lead other people to looking upward toward God, then we are going to have to do some shining, so they can see it.

.....Colossians 3: 1-4 says, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on the things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear then shall ye also appear with Him in glory."

.....The key of this scripture is in setting your affection on the things above. Because, setting your mind on things above is where our source of life flows from. You do not just have natural life within yourself. When you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you were given a new kind of life; Eternal Life.

.....So many times we have read scriptures and thought, I am to set my affections on things above because someday I will be in Heaven, but that is not the real reason for this passage of scripture here. Yes, I will be in Heaven someday, but God wants us to think "Heavenward" today. He wants us to be stars for Him. He wants us to shine with the light of God. He wants us to be enlightened and enlighten others with the Revelation, Wisdom, and Knowledge about Jesus. So others will look up and see the Master, instead of looking down at all their problems and circumstances in their lives. He wants everyone to see the answer, and become victorious.

.....Luke 21: 28 says, "And these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

.....God is calling His people to be stars; shining in a dark and corupt world, getting brighter as the world is getting darker. Let's all start looking up and renewing our minds to what is true of us, and then start sharing that with others.
...

The Temptations Of Christ!

.....Mathew 4: 1-11 says, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward hungry. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

.....Today I would like to take a look at the temptations of Christ, and share some things concerning this. But before we do, let us take a look at the real meaning of the word tempt. In English, the word tempt has a uniformly and consistently bad meaning. It always means to entice a man to do wrong, to seek or seduce him into sin, and try to persuade him to take the wrong way. But the Greek word for tempt, "Peirazein," has a quite different element in its meaning. It means to test.

.....An Old Testament example of this would be the story of how narrowly Abraham escaped sacrificing his only son Isaac. Genesis 22: 1 says, " And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. Now clearly, the word tempt here did not mean to seek or seduce into evil. We all know that it is quite unthinkable that God would try to make any man sin or do wrong. What is quite clear here is the true meaning, "After these things God tested Abraham." A supreme test of loyalty. Just as metal has to be refined and tested far beyond any stress and strain that it will ever be called upon to bear before it can be put to any useful purpose, so a man has to be tested before God can use him for His purposes. What we call temptation is not meant to make us sin; it is meant to enable us to conquer sin.It is not meant to make us bad; it is meant to make us good. It is not meant to weaken us; it is meant to make us emerge stronger, and finer, and purer from the ordeal. Temptation is not the penalty of being a man, temptation is the glory of being a man. It is the test which comes to a man whom God wishes to use. So then, we must think of this whole incident concerning Jesus, not so much as a tempting, but a testing.

.....So why did the test that Jesus had to endure have to take place in the wilderness? Because Jesus had to be alone. His task had to come to Him, and God had spoken to Him. He had to think and ponder as to how He was to attempt the task which God had given Him to do. He had to get things straight in His mind before He started out on His mission, and He had to be alone to do this.

.....How many times do we often go wrong simply because we first never try to be alone with God, and to receive the instructions for what He has called us to do. There are certain things today which every man has to work out alone, with God. And, there are times when no one else's advice is any good to him. Such times is when a man has to stop acting, and start thinking. We all would and could make less mistakes in life today if we would just set aside the time, as Jesus did, to be alone with God. So please, take some time out of your day today, to be alone with Him.
..

Gideon - Great Warrior! (Part 2)

Part 2

.....We left off in Part 1 where Gideon is appointed and empowered by God to free His people. Let us continue on in this study from Judges 6: 25-35.

1. Gideon's first task was to tear down Baal’s altar, which it seems was his father's, either for his own house or perhaps for the whole town. We can clearly see the power of God’s grace, to take the weakest of the weak, and raise up a deliverer, out of the family of one that was a ring-leader in Idolatry. God showed Gideon that it was not enough just to worship at that altar, which we hope he had not done, but he must tear it down; not consecrating the same altar to God , but utterly demolish it. God always commands us to tear down the monuments of superstition, and unbelief, to then empower us to His own service.

2. Gideon was then commanded to erect an altar to God, to Jehovah, his God, or Israel’s. It would have been an improper thing for him to build an altar, even to the God of Israel, especially for a burnt-offering and sacrifice, and it would have been construed as contempt, if God had not bidden him to do it. But now it was his duty and honor to be the one employed to do it. God directs him to the place where he should build it, on the top of the rock, a place to designate their overcoming, perhaps in the same place in which the angel had appeared to him.

The word here used for the rock, on which the altar was to be built signifies a fortress, or strong-hold, erected, to secure them from the Midianites; like a defeated King with the victorious king's foot on his throat, declaring victory before all. The wood, that was to be used for the offering, was to be from the image of Baal that was cut down, represented Humanity. God's victory over Humanity. The location represents for us today the place of victory, a point of no return, where God's enemies have been made a footstool for the Lord . Jesus spoke prophetically when He said, "Upon this Rock, (meaning Revelation,) I shall build this Kingdom, My Kingdom, (My Church.)"

.....On this altar, Gideon was to offer sacrifice. Two bullocks he must offer: his father’s young bullock, and the second bullock of seven years old. The former, we may suppose, he was to offer for himself, the latter for the sins of the people whom he was to deliver. It was requisite he should thus make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great sacrifice, The Finished Work of the Cross. These bullocks, it is supposed, were intended for sacrifices on the altar of Baal, but were now converted to a better use. Thus, when the strong man armed is overcome and dispossessed, the stronger than he divides the spoil, seizes that for himself which was prepared for Baal. Let him come whose right it is, and give it to him.

.....The image of Baal or whatever it was, that was the sanctity or beauty of the previous altar, must not only be burnt, but must be used as fuel for God’s altar, to signify not only that whatever sets up itself in opposition to God shall be destroyed, but also that the justice of God will be glorified in its destruction. God ordered Gideon to do this. Gideon had no zeal for religion, which made it was necessary for him to give proof of before he took the field, showing his valor there. It is by these same steps and degree that we embark upon our own callings today, towards the Church's Reformation, and Transformation, preparing the way for the Kingdom of God to be established here on this Earth.

.....Sin, which was the cause of all their troubles, must be taken away, else how should the trouble, and its effects, come to an end? This has already taken place for us today, but the people of God have forgotten and must be reminded of what has already taken place, renewing their minds to what is already true of them in Christ. And it might be hoped that by this example of Gideon’s, who was now shortly to appear so great a man, would be followed by the rest of the cities and tribes, and the destruction of this one altar of Baal would be the destruction of many.

.....Gideon was obedient to the heavenly vision, v. 27. He that was to command Israel, for God, and must be subject to God, without disputing, and, as a type of Christ, must first save his people from their sins, and then save them from their enemies.

Four things appear evident concerning the deployment of his mission.

1. He had servants of his own, whom he could confide in, who, we may suppose, like him, had kept their integrity, and had not bowed their knee to Baal, and therefore were allowed to assist him in destroying the altar of Baal.

2. He did not contemplate taking his father’s bullock and offering it to God without his father’s consent, because God, who expressly commanded him to do so, had a better title to it than his father had, and it was the greatest real kindness he could do to his father to atone for his sin.

3. He expected to incur the displeasure of his father’s household by it, and the ill-will of his neighbors, yet he did it. And, while he was sure of the favor of God, he feared the anger of men.

4. Though he feared not their resentment when it was done, to prevent their resistance in the doing of it, he prudently chose to do it by night, that he might not be disturbed in these sacred actions. And some think it was the same night in which God spoke to him to do it, and it is probable that he did it as soon as he had received the orders, immediately applying himself to the execution of them, and finished before morning.

Then, he was brought into peril of his life for doing it, v. 28–30, through the next series of events.

1. Gideon, when he had gone through with the mission, did not desire the concealment of it, nor could it be hid, for the men of the city rose early in the morning, as it should seem, to pay homage to Baal, which was the way many of them began their day with their god. It was and still is a shame to those who knew of the true God at one time, as their God, and yet, in the morning, directed no prayer to Him, nor looked up.

2. They all saw the destruction of Baal’s altar. It was soon discovered who had done it. Strict inquiry was made. Gideon was known to be disaffected to the worship of Baal, which brought him into suspicion, and positive proof immediately came against him: "Gideon, no doubt, has done this thing.’’

3. Gideon being found guilty of the fact, the Israelites arrived at the conclusion that he must die for what he did, and required his own father (who, by compromising to their idolatry, had given them too much cause to expect that he would comply with them,) to deliver him up. They requested his father to: Bring out thy son, that he may die. Be astonished, O heavens! How soon will idolaters become our persecutors!

.....He was rescued out of the hands of his persecutors by his own father, v. 31. There were those that stood against Gideon, that not only appeared at the first to make a demand, but insisted on it, and would have him put to death. Notwithstanding the heavy judgments they were facing themselves at this time for their own idolatry, they hated to be reformed, and walked contrary to God even when He was walking contrary to them. Yet, Joash stood up for Gideon and God; he was one of the chief men of the city. Those that have power today, may do a great deal for the protection of an honest man and an honest cause, and when they so use their power, they are ministers of God for good.

.....Joash had patronized Baal’s altar, yet now protects the one that had destroyed it. Why? Perhaps it was a particular esteem for him as a virtuous, valiant, and valuable man, who was never the worse for not joining with him in the worship of Baal. Today, there are many that have not the courage enough to keep their integrity themselves, yet still have a conscience left that makes them love and esteem those that do.

.....Maybe Joash, out of conviction, realized that Gideon had done well. His son, perhaps, had reasoned with him, or God, who has all hearts in his hands, had secretly and effectually influenced him to appear thus against the advocates for Baal, though he had complied with them formerly in the worship of Baal. Note, It is good to appear for God when we are called to it, though there be few or none to second us, because God can incline the hearts of those to stand by us from whom we little expect assistance.

There were two things Joash urges:

1. That it was absurd for them to plead for Baal. "Will you that are Israelites, the worshipers of the one and only living and true God, plead for Baal, a false god? Will you be so senseless? Those whose fathers’ god Baal was, and who never knew any other, are more excusable in pleading for him than you are. You are the ones that are supposed to be in covenant with Jehovah, and have been trained up in the knowledge of Him. You that have brought about all this mischief and calamity upon yourselves by your Idolatry, will you yet plead for Baal?’’ Note, It is bad to commit sin, but it is an even greater wickedness indeed to plead for it, especially to plead for Baal, that idol, whatever it is, which possesses the room in your heart which God should have.

2. That it was needless for them to plead for Baal. If he were not a god, as was pretended, they could have nothing to say for him; if he were, he was able to plead for himself, as the God of Israel had often done by fire from heaven, or some other judgment against those who put contempt upon Him. Here is a fair challenge to Baal to do either good or evil. The result of which would convince his worshipers of their folly in praying to one to help them that could not even avenge himself. After this, Gideon remarkably prospered, and thereby it appeared how unable Baal was to maintain his own cause.

.....But during this time, Gideon’s father gave him a new name, v. 32; he called him Jerubbaal: "Let Baal plead; let him plead against him if he can." They literally cursed him. And from that point, a challenge was issued to see if Baal had anything to say for himself against his destroyer, Gideon, who was empowered by Jehovah, the true and living God. They concluded by stating,"Now that Gideon is taking up arms against the Midianites that worship Baal, let him defend his worshipers if he can.’’

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Gideon,The Great Warrior, in Part 3.

..

A Proper Self Image By His Grace

.....A proper self image is an identity based on Truth as it is taught in the Word of God. It is only as we learn and rest in what the word of God teaches us about our total acceptance before Him that we can become free, and then go on to love and accept others. The real focus of the Christian life is in knowing Christ. Until we rest in the finality of the Cross, we will never experience the reality of the Resurrection, which is Christ living in and through us today. We must rest in the fact that Jesus did it all, and it is a "Finished Work," or we will keep busy trying to "pay off our own debt," atoning for our sins. We will never enjoy a personal relationship with God or anyone else when guilt stands between both parties. God knows this, and that is why Jesus Christ has dealt with our sins once and for all. Total forgiveness for entire lives, Past, Present, and Future.

.....Concerning the old covenant, Hebrews 10: 11-12 says, "Day after day, the priest would stand, ministering and performing his religious duties, over and over again, offering the same sacrifices, which could never take away the sins. But when this man (Christ) had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God."

.....Hebrews 9: 14 says, "The blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleansing our consciences form dead works, and acts that lead to death, so that we may serve a living God.

.....The sacrifice of Jesus, God's Son, was and is not only superior because of the "once and for all" offering, but also because through it, God could reach where no ritual offering ever could, man's heart.

.....One place where we can see our common failure to understand the "Finished Work" of Christ is in our celebration of communion, the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians 11: 27 is commonly misquoted. The verse says, "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." Paul never said that the people must become worthy, he was talking about them examining the way in which they are celebrating communion. Because of the common misuse of this verse, we miss the wonderful picture of grace in the Lord's supper. We end up examining ourselves with morbid introspection, searching for, and confessing our sins, feeling painful regret.

.....The dominant emotion is often F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real), and inadequacy. This is not what God intended, and misses the true point of the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul refers to the observance as a "Cup of Blessing or Thanksgiving," not a cup of regret, or morbid introspection, seeing where we fall short and missed the mark. The Lord's Supper has become like the "Day of Atonement" for many, where the Israelites were to remember and confess their sins. The Lord's Supper is where we should be remembering the forgiveness of our sins. A time of true celebration. A time of joy, thanksgiving and unity in recognizing that we are one in Christ. The wrong way of taking communion produces a total concentration on self, never obtaining relief from the burden of guilt. And as I said earlier, with guilt standing between us and God, we will fail to rest in Christ's total forgiveness, and can never go on to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3: 18).

.....The Bible says we are right with God, completely, because of Jesus Christ's Finished Work on the Cross. We have been given the gift of righteousness, (Romans 5: 17), by His sacrifice. Christ has made us perfect forever, being sanctified or set apart from the world, and its ways. This our proper position in life today. Jesus Christ is the propitiation, (appeasement or satisfaction) for our sins, not for ours only, but also for the whole world. We need to celebrate communion in the way God sees us, through His Son's Finished Work.

.....I encourage you today to take communion in a different light and perspective, with a proper self image.

..

.

Thought of the Day

.....If I put a dollar bill in an envelope, and then burned the envelope, where is the dollar bill?.....

.....It has gone the same way as the envelope, - to ashes. Where one goes, the other goes too. Their history has become one.

.....God has put us in Christ. What happened to Him, has also happened to us. Romans 6: 5-8 says, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."

.....This fact is not something to struggle with. It is actually pretty simple, it's our history, written in Christ before we were born. Romans 6: 11 says, " You also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." You just have to consider it, or see it.

.....Now that you see it for yourself, rest upon this fact. You have now found a secret leading to a Holy Life.
.
.

Our Position In Christ

The Book of Ephesians speaks of three topics:

Our position in Christ ( Ephesians 1:1 - 3:21) - Sit

Our life in the world ( Ephesians 4:1 - 6:9) - Walk

Our attitude to the enemy ( Ephesians 6:10 - 24) - Stand

.....In our position in Christ, we note the word "Sit", which is the key and secret of the beginning of our spiritual life. The second part of Ephesians speaks of our "Walk", and the third section speaks of us "Standing". To be a useful instrument in God's Hand, a man must be balanced in his Position, his Life, and his Warfare.

.....Christianity does not begin with walking, it begins with sitting. Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but that is the opposite of the true order God designed for us. In our own intellect, we reason that if we do not walk this out first, how will we ever reach our goal? Or, what can we attain without effort? But again, God's ways are always opposite man's ways. If we try to do anything in our own strength and thinking, we get nothing. If we seek to attain something, we will miss everything. Christianity does not start with the word "Do", it starts with the word "Done". That is why it is called a Finished Work. To "Walk" implies effort, where as God says in Ephesians 2: 8-9, that we are saved, not by works, but by grace through faith. So we need to really see that we began our Christian life by depending not upon our own doing, but on what He, Christ, has done. Ephesians 2: 5-6 says, "We were made alive, raised with, and seated with Christ together in the heavens." We must "Rest" in the Finished Work of the Cross.

.....Sitting is an attitude of "Rest", and we can only advance in our Christian Life as we learn first of all, to "Sit" down. So what does it mean to "Sit" down? When we walk or stand, we bear on our legs all the weight of our own body, but when we sit down, our entire weight rests upon what we are sitting on. Walking and standing use and require a lot more energy, but when we are seated, we can relax, because there is no longer a strain on us. So in a spiritual realm, to "Sit" down is to simply "Rest", ourselves, our future, our everything upon the Lord. We are to let Him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves. God shows this over and over again throughout Scripture.

Example 1. In creation, God worked six days and then He rested. On the seventh day, after He completed His work, and the task was over, He ceased to work. The seventh day became the Sabbath of God. But what of Adam? Where did he stand in relation to the "Rest" of God? He was created on the sixth day, and had no part in those first six days of work. God's seventh day was in fact Adam's first. Adam began his life with the Sabbath, from the position of "Rest". You see, God works before He rests, while man must enter into God's "Rest" before he can work or do the Will of God.

Example 2. In Mark 6: 30-44, Jesus feeding the 5ooo. (Verse 39) - Jesus commanded the Disciples to get in groups of proper order and "Sit" down before they could receive what He had for them to feed on.

Example 3. In Exodus, before they left Egypt, they had to "Sit" and partake of the lamb which was going to enable them to "Walk" out and sustain them through the wilderness, to finally "Stand" in their inheritance or victory that God had for them, which was the Promise Land.

Example 4. In Luke 10: 38-42, The story of Martha and Mary. Martha was distracted with much serving, while Mary "Sat" at Jesus' feet. All of Martha's "Walking" without first "Sitting" left her worried and troubled, while Mary made the right decision, which could not be taken away from her, to receive the Word of Jesus.

.....The bottom line of all this is that if we spend time "Seated" with Him, we will see our true position in Him. How long do we have to "Sit" there? As long as it takes.

.....God has done everything in Christ, and we need to see ourselves "Seated" in Christ. In Luke 14: 17, there is an invitation to the Great Banquet, "Come, for all things are now ready." Our life begins with the discovery of what God has provided. Every spiritual experience begins with an acceptance by faith, of what God has done. His experience has now become my spiritual history. God can speak of you and me as already having everything "With Him". All we now have, we have in Christ.
.

COVENANTS

.....Psalms 25: 14 says, "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant."


.....My goal today is to give you a little bit of background about covenants, and show you in the Bible, three different styles of covenant that God developed.


.....Covenant in Genesis 17: 7 -- in Hebrew, the root word is Berit (Beh-reet), which was a pledge, treaty, or agreement made between two. The foundation of any relationship on which all promises are and should be based upon. Note that curses always came upon those that broke covenants, Jeremiah 11. In the Old Testament, God initiated the whole action, set the conditions, and defined the parameters, for the establishment of a covenant. Examples of some of the covenants made in the Old Testament were with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, and the Levites

Noah - Genesis 6: 18, God's protection from flood and disaster.

Abraham - Genesis 15: 18, First blood covenant, based on a sacrifice, with the promise of prosperity.
..................- Genesis 17: 4, Promise to be the father of many nations. An oath confirmed also to Isaac, and Jacob

Moses - Deuteronomy 10, The Ten Commandments

Isreal - Exodus 31: 16, Perpetual covenant, keeping of the Sabbath

Levites - Numbers 18:19, Covenant of salt, heave offerings, tithe offerings for the priests

.....Covenant in Mark 14: 24 -- in Greek, the root word is Diatheke (Dee-ath-ay-kay), which is a will, a testament, a pact, a contract, or an agreed-upon plan to which both parties subscribe. In the New Testament, Jesus ratified a new covenant by His death on the Cross, because no man could keep from breaking the Ten Commandments, explained in Hebrews 7: 22. In Luke 22: 20, Jesus shed His blood for us, giving us a better covenant, with better promises, Hebrews 8: 6. This was prophetically spoken by Jeremiah 31: 31- 40. Also, the Law cannot annul the covenant confirmed before God, in Christ, (Gal. 3:17). That is why the 1st covenant (The Law) is obsolete, growing old, ready to vanish away, (Heb. 8: 13).

.....The three styles, types, or levels of covenant today are the Shoulder to Shoulder or Side-by-Side, the Face-to-Face, and the Back-to-Back.


.....In the Shoulder to Shoulder covenant, (shallow), God established this in Genesis when He created Eve to be Adam's helpmate. Today, it is seen in dating, and common cause situations, such as community revivals, benefit drives for the needy, crusade marches, and political events. A laying down of personal agendas for a greater good.


.....In the Face-to-Face covenant, (a little deeper), referred to Genesis 32, where Jacob had to see himself and admit he was a deceiver. Then and only then God could and would deal with his heart. This level requires total honesty, with ourselves first, then with God, and then with others. We try to get a blessing without dealing with the issues that are hindering us. Until we do, we can develop no honest, healthy relationships with others and God. We just keep ending up wearing those religious masks. Marriage would be seen as a Face-to-Face covenant today.

.....In a Back-to-Back covenant, (a blessed level of relationship), we come to the understanding that this is the least complicated and yet most powerful. (1 Chronicles 11: 13 - 14, David and Eleazar) A covenant of total trust and reliance upon each other.


.....Let me put this all in the proper perspective, I want to take you back to the crucifixion of Christ. When Christ was on the Cross, the Bible says that, "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we may be made the righteousness of God in Christ". We also know from the Word of God, that He could not look upon sin, and that, "The punishment for sin was death". So here's God at the crucifixion, looking at His Son, Jesus, who then becomes sin for you and me, (the sin of the world). At that point, the sin, being placed on Jesus, for us and as us, separated Him from His Father. God had to then turn away from Him. Jesus is completely alone at that moment. We know that because He cried out, " Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?" God had turned away from His Son, (Back-to Back), and was then able to turn to us, (Face-to-Face). God had total trust in this covenant He was establishing when He heard His Son say, "It Is Finished!" Isn't that Powerful? Here is the least complicated part. For us to enter into this covenant today, all we have to do is believe in our hearts, and confess with our mouth, the Finished Work of the Cross and Christ! (Romans 10:9-10). That is it, because God has reconciled the world to Himself through His Son. For us to enter into that new covenant, all we have to do is believe and receive!
.

Consecration

.....Did you ever consider one of your New Year's resolutions to be consecrating yourself unto God? Consecration means - to set oneself apart, as Holy; make or declare sacred for God's use. To devote entirely or dedicate one's life.

.....The Bible says in Exodus 13:2 "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn." We are the firstborn among the born-again. God is claiming those He saves. We see this in 1 Corinthians 1:30, "But of Him you are in Christ, who became for us Wisdom from God - and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption. Through this we have four characteristics:

1. Sanctification in His Resurrection.

2. Redemption - (Ransom), Mark 10:45.

3. The firstborn belonging to God, Exodus 22:29.

4. Made Holy, Numbers 3:13.

.....In 1 Chronicles 29:5, the Bible asks, "Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day unto the Lord?"

.....God says in 1 Kings 9:3, that He will hear our prayer and supplication that we make before Him. He will also consecrate the house, (us, the dwelling place for Him), by putting His name their forever. He also says His eyes and His heart will be there perpetually, (lasting and enduring forever, continuing indefinitely without interruption). Never leaving us, nor for forsaking us. I invite you right now at this moment to pray the prayer below and dedicate your life to God. May He richly bless you in all areas of your life throughout this year.

Lord,
.....I pray the prayer of consecration. I present myself - spirit, soul, and body, whatever needs to be changed, I am ready to change it. Whatever needs to be made right, please help me to make it right. I come with a humble heart before You, God. Without You, I am nothing. I am placing my total dependency on You, not in my own ability, but in Your ability. I also ask You for forgiveness when I miss it.

.....Father, as I yield myself to You this day - spirit, soul, and body, I do not belong to myself. I belong to You, Lord, the day that I surrendered my life, I was bought with was a price, YOUR BLOOD. I am not my own, my life is not my own to do what I want. I am here to do Your plan, I am here to do Your Will my Lord. I will put my life on the altar at Your feet this day as a LIVING SACRIFICE. I yield to You in every area of my life; my heart, my family, my ministry, my job, my finances, every area - I give it all to You. Have Your way in my life Lord. I make a decision this day, and will try to obey You and do only what You want me to do. I commit to obeying the written Word and applying it to every area of my life. Forgive me Lord, for the many times I have not obeyed and for the times I have transgressed Your Word. I strive to make the adjustments in my life right now.

.....Lord, about Your unknown Will for my life, forgive me for running ahead of You, for all my good ideas and not Your ideas. Please allow the Holy Spirit to burn out everything that is not of Your Spirit and every desire that is not of You - REMOVE IT! Form me and fashion me into the vessel that You've created, desired, and called me to be. Lord, I want to please You by being obedient unto Your Plans, Your Purposes, and Your Will - THY WILL BE DONE ALWAYS. May my life bring glory to You. It doesn't matter if my friends don't even recognize me. It doesn't matter if they accept me, for You have accepted me and all I want is to manifest You, Lord, in every area of my life. Use my mouth to be Your mouth, trumpeting the Gospel of Jesus, to talk of your Wondrous Work, You're Finished Work, and Amazing Love. Use my feet to walk in Your ways, I choose to be a bond slave, a sevant, and a son in your Kingdom.

.....I Love You and Thank You Jesus for dying for me and as me. Thank You for shedding Your Blood to redeem me - Your Blood that is washing me now and making me whiter than snow, in my spirit, soul, and body. May the Holy Spirit burn deep within my heart, and that Your imprint is forever left. My wish is to be known only as a Holy person, consecrated unto You. Separate me and set me apart for your good use. For I have been made the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.

Thank You Father, In Jesus' Name I Pray,
Amen

.

The Melchizedek Priesthood

.....We as Christians today are called to the order of the Melchizedek Priesthood, in Hebrews 7. A Kingdom consisting of Righteousness, (right standing with God) and Peace, (reconciliation with God). We have been born again, having no father, mother, earthly heritage, or genealogy. A new birth in Christ, having no beginning of days nor end of life. No longer based on the Law of fleshly or carnal commandments, but according to the power of an endless life, Eternal Life. This is accomplished by an anulling of the former commandments through a supreme sacrifice, and a bringing in of a better hope, which is Christ. He alone is the surety of a better Covenant made by the Finished Work of the Cross, establishing better promises, through which we draw near to God. This hope (Christ) is set before us and is an anchor of the soul which allows us the presence behind the veil. Jesus is the forerunner to which more will follow through His appearing in us. This is the true tabernacle, or dwelling place which God originally erected, through His Son. The New Jerusalem will be raised and manifest itself in a people, not a place today.

.....Some of the characteristics of the Royal Priesthood manifesting itself are listed below...

They bear God's mark.

They hear what God is saying and pursue it.

They don't praise their praise.

They don't revel in their Revelation.

They are not possessed by their possessions.

Their speech is different.

They are more interested in Christ and in God, than a move of God.

When God moves, they don't just see the move, they are in it because they are in Him.

Their wrestling with God becomes realization through the Wisdom, Revelation, and Knowledge of the Finished Work of the Cross, and the result is rest as they realize their place in Him.

.....This ultimately gives us a true understanding through a relationship with our Heavenly Father, and leads to a freedom to walk in the Spirit, producing an alternative way of thinking, and a clear sounding word, by a renewing of the mind. We need to realize that we are Ambassadors for Christ, representing His Kingdom being established on this earth, through the Power and Authority given to us in the Name of Jesus, the Name above all names.

.

Water Turned To Wine

.....I would like to reveal some spiritual truths from this physical picture that is represented in this passage of scripture in John 2: 1 - 11. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the water-pots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

.....All throughout scripture, Christ is either concealed or revealed in pictures, shadows, or types. Let's first note that Jesus was at a wedding. A celebration of a covenant ceremony being established between a bride and a groom. The two becoming one before God, an example of man's soul in union with man's spirit. It was not His wedding, for He says, "My time has not yet come."

.....Jesus spoke to His mother as a woman and referring in type to the soul -- mind, will, and emotions. When the soul decides to accept whatever Jesus (the Truth) has to say and do in faith and obedience, to the Word of God, (which is the water), the miracle then takes place. This is represented by the water being poured into the 6 stone vessels, ( 6 being the number of man, stone represents man under the Law, and the vessels which represents the place of which the treasure is to be stored). The miracle is the wine, (which is the joy), that is produced from the revelation of what is true of it.

.....Jesus could have supplied more wine in any number of ways, but it was done this way for the spiritual lessons to be drawn out of this passage of scriptures. He also could just as easily filled the pots Himself, yet He chose servants to share in the work and also share in the blessing of this miracle. The same way He used to disciples back then, and the same way He uses us today. What a great God we serve! The servants, those that were under the direction and submission of Jesus, were in a unique place of blessing for this miracle. Jesus is always looking for the cooperation of men to work His miracles through.

.....The miracle came about because of the servant's obedience to Jesus, obeying the Word without question or dought. They filled the pots to the brim, and by doing so the miracle was fullfilled in the greatest measure possible. The servants then placed their faith in Jesus by drawing some of the contents out of the pots and presenting it to the master of the feast, who would represent God for us today.

.....This passage is actually a spiritual lesson revealing the miracle of conversion, from the old ways under the of Law, ceremony, and purification to a new life with Jesus. We can draw 3 spiritual truths from this passage...

Wine came after the water, just as the new covenant came after the old covenant.

Wine was from water, just as the new covenant is from the old covenant.

The wine was better than the previous wine, just as the new covenant is better than the old covenant.

.....In closing, we were given a hint from John that Jesus' glory would show forth on the third day, (the Resurrection of Christ). And His disciples would believe in Him when they had seen His glory. The disciples of course believed before, but after the Resurrection, their belief would be deepened. This is also true in our own lives, every time God does something great in our lives, we believe in Him all over again and our relationship and beliefs are deepened through the Revelation, Wisdom, and Knowledge of Christ.

.

WHY DID JESUS WEEP?

.....The passage of scripture in John 11: 1-44, is the story about Lazarus being raised from the dead. It also contains the shortest verse in the whole Bible, John 11: 35, "Jesus wept." May I share with you today a little bit of Revelation received from God through my personal studies about why Jesus wept.

.....One of Jesus' best friends, Lazarus, was sick. Mary and Martha sent someone to go and find Jesus. Yet when Jesus heard the news, He remained where he was for two extra days before coming. He told his disciples, (John 11: 4) "This sickness is not unto death, but for the Glory of God, that the Son of God maybe Glorified through it." The story was an example of God's Divine Sovereignty in the midst of human suffering demonstrating His Purpose and Grace through His Son Jesus. Jesus explained in John 11: 9 - 10 that His orders came from His Father and His relationship with His Father determined His actions. He went on to explain to the disciples in John 11: 11, that Lazarus, His friend, was only asleep and He would go and wake him. Lazarus represents the Church today, not dead but asleep, needing a Revelation of Jesus to awaken them today. Jesus finally arrived in Bethany and Lazarus had now been inthe tomb for 4 days. At this point, Martha and Mary both confronted Him when He showed up and each said, "Lord, if You had only been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus told them that their brother would rise again, but they did not understand what He meant by this. So He tried to explain to them further in John 11: 25 - 26, saying, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me, shall never die." Then He asked Martha if she believed this, and she said in John 11: 27, "Yes, Lord, I believe You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world. Jesus then groaned in the Spirit and was troubled when He saw Mary and the Jews that were with her crying. He asked them where they had laid him. And then He wept.

.....My question today is why did Jesus weep and who did He weep for?

.....He could not have been weeping for Lazarus, for three reasons:

.....1. Lazarus was asleep.

.....2. This sickness was not unto death, but for the Glory of God, so that the Son of God maybe Glorified through it.

.....3. Whoever believes in Me shall never die, he shall live.

.....You see at this point it struck me why He wept, and who He wept for. Jesus was weeping for Mary, Martha, and all the Jews (the people), not for Lazarus. Follow me back in time for moment.

.....In 2 Peter 3: 8 its says, "One day with the Lord is as 1000 years, and 1000 years is as one day." From the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden and their fall, to the fulfillment of all the Prophecies of the Messiah coming was 4000 years. Hence, the reason Jesus waited 4 days to go and see Lazarus. Lazarus in a way represented all of Mankind, God's creation that was in a fallen state, sick, dying under the curse, and separated from God, because of the force of Sin being released upon the Earth.

.....So here was the Messiah, the Christ, who came into this world to make things right again, and reconcile man back to God, fulfilling the Law, standing there before them and yet they still doubted and could not believe. This is truly why He wept. Jesus had been with Mary, Martha, the Disciples, and the Jews at this point for a few years, doing many miracles before them and shared many things with them and yet they still could not understand. You see, in the presence of the Messiah the Law is fulfilled, the curse is reversed, and death had no power or right to hold Lazarus in the tomb. Jesus was trying to show them it was only temporal and not eternal upon the completion of the Finished Work of the Cross.

.....In John 11: 38 Jesus went to the tomb and a stone was laying against it. The stone represented an obstacle, the bondage, those things that stand in our way to believing in the Word of God. Jesus told them to remove the stone. Yet they questioned Jesus saying, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for Lazarus has been dead for 4 days." Jesus then asked them about their Faith in John 11: 40 when He said, "Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see Glory of God? (Life in Christ- F.R.E.E.D.O.M.-Fully Renouncing Every Evil Dominion Over Man.) They then removed the stone. Jesus then lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing here before Me, I have said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" Showing that the Messiah, and the Word of God spoken, brings forth Life. Lazarus then came out, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. (Walking toward the Light, The Truth, Taking little steps.) Jesus said to those around him, "Loose him, and let him go." Signifying that those around him, now believers from seeing the Miracle, had a part in helping to set the captives free. This is the responsibility of the Church today. The Body of Christ.
.......................Whom the Son Sets Free, is Free Indeed!

.

The Three "Wise" Men

.....With Christmas coming, we are all going to hear the story about of the three wise men. I asked God to show me why he called the men "Wise". So I wish to share it with you this Christmas as we celebrate the true meaning of the Holiday, and that is the birth of Jesus.

.....Matthew 2: 2-12..." Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So then they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel." Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determine from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: (Caspar gave) Gold, (Melchior gave) Frankincense, and (Balthasar gave) Myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way."

.....From this passage I would like you to notice that there are three different groups or types of men to be found in regard to Jesus. There are the Herod's, they are the ones of hatred and hostility and would forever be interfering with His life. There are the chief priests and scribes, the ones whose reaction would be of complete indifference, engrossed in their rituals, legalistic ways and discussions, completely disregarding Jesus. And there are the wise men, those whose reaction would be of adoring and worshiping, having a true and pure desire to lay their noble gifts at the feet of Jesus.

.....Let's concentrate on why God called the three men wise. First of all, these men were Astrologers and able to interpret through the Holy Spirit the star which was a sign to the birth of the "King of the Jews," Jesus. Melchior meant "Treasurer", Caspar meant "Visitor from the East", and Balthasar meant " All Praise." Imagine, visitors from the East bringing treasures and praise to a new king. The unique thing about these men is that they were continually looking up to the heavens, and God revealed Himself to them. (A message of that in itself could mean alot to us in our own lives. If we would just quit looking around ourselves at all of our circumstances and just look up and focus on Him, and the Joy that it would bring.) They then set aside everything in their life to go and pay homage to this great and joyous occasion. So they followed the star which led them to the New and True King, bringing with them each a unique gift, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

.....The gifts the wise men laid at the cradle of Christ fortold that who He was to be, and each represented something very special about Jesus' life. Gold was the gift for a king. King of metals and fit for a king, a gift that men presented to kings. Jesus was to reign, not by force, but by love. He was to rule over men's hearts, not from a throne, but from a Cross. The King of kings. Frankincense was the gift for a priest. It was used in the temple and at the temple sacrifices. Jesus was to be the priest or go-between between God and men, opening the way to God for men. The last gift was Myrrh, which was a burial spice used to embalm the bodies of the dead, and was given for one that was to die. So in a way prophetically speaking, the gifts each represented the true callings on Jesus' life. The True King. the Perfect High Priest, and in the end, the Supreme Sacrifice and Savior of men.

.....And that's why the three men were called wise in God's eyes. Jesus came into the world to live for men and also to die for men. These wise men had received a Revelation of the Christ from God through the Holy Spirit, through a relationship with the Lord. May you share this with others this Holiday Season, and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

.

Paul's Thorn

.....Have you ever wondered what Paul's thorn was, or why he had it. I've been meditating on this in my personal studies and would like to share it with you today. Let's start by looking at the Scriptures. 2 Corinthians 12:7 says "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of Revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me (an assault of the enemy). Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in the infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

.....The communication Paul had with God in this instance was an expression denoting fear. An intense wearying, difficulty, or affliction that bothered him enough to ask God for help. God was overseeing the entire process. So that Paul would forever rely on God and not think of himself as a god from the Revelations he was receiving. The thorn represented the curse noted in Genesis 3:18. This is also revealed in Isaiah 55:12-13 and says "For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace, (God's Joy and Peace). The mountains and the hills ( those things that stand in your way, obstacles), shall break forth into singing (the Joy of the Lord) before you, and all the trees (men) of the field (where the Harvest is) shall clapped their hands (Praise God). Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree (strong men of God, out of the curse, bearing good fruit); and it shall be to the Lord for a name (Jesus), an everlasting sign it shall not be cut off." This symbolically depicts creations (man's) joy at God's redemptive work, the reign of Christ, in Luke 2:13-14, and creation itself being delivered from the bondage of corruption in Romans 8:21.

.....The thorn ultimately served a good purpose, teaching Paul of the overcoming grace, (unmerited favor), of God which was always enough in his own weakness. Note that God did not remove the thorn or indicate that He was upset at Paul for asking and pleading for its removal. God actually responded differently than that in which Paul prayed and expected. Paul ultimately realized that whenever Satan buffets him, either directly as a destructive adversary or indirectly as God's controlled agent, (as with Job) it was always to bring about character development. God's character. That is why all things work for the good of God.

.....So Paul boasted in his infirmities because of the grace in which he received through the understanding of the Finished Work of the Cross, (Christ). God's strength was sufficient enough to enable him to continue in his Apostolic ministry and calling. Nothing could or would stop him to cease serving God. And that is why he was able to take pleasure when he felt personally weak. He had a Revelation that he was strong in Christ.

.....Proverbs 22:5 says "Thorns and snares are in a way of the perverse; but he who guards his soul (mind, will, and emotions,) will be far from them." Life is always in inner battle within the soul. A constant conflict between the demands of passion and the control of reason. I am dead but Christ lives in me. I must renew my mind through the Word of God to the Truth. Bringing about inner perfection, (Salvation of the Soul) and victory. This must be done by relationship not religion.

.....In John 19:2 its says "The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His (Jesus') head." We know from earlier Scriptures that the thorns represented the curse. And it being placed on his head represents the war that encompasses the mind (the battle within). Jesus took those things that we war against in our minds to the Cross and replaced it with Peace. In John 14:27 its says "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as a world gives (a false sense) do I give you. Let your heart be not troubled, neither let it be afraid." This is the peace that surpasses all understanding. For He himself is our Peace. ( Ephesians 2:14)

.....We must see ourselves Crucified with Christ and Him living in us. He alone can enable us to rise to the standard which He himself has set before us. This is the peace we have by Faith. (Romans 5:1) No matter what thorns, (physical, mental, or spiritual) trials or tribulations we may have in our own lives.
.

FREEDOM IN CHRIST MINISTRIES, INC.

.....The federal government estimates that there are over 22 million drug addicts, and alcoholics in the United States. Today, more than ever, with the enormous problems society faces from drugs, alcohol, crime, prostitution, depression, homelessness, etc., problems for which the world has little or no remedy... Faith-based ministries are leading the way with new and innovative ways to deal with these issues. Secular treatment programs only looked at the symptoms. Their treatment is never penetrating enough to introduce real healing and true behavioral change that is needed for most individuals to gain freedom from life controlling issues. The federal government's own research indicates that secular treatment programs have a 5 to 10 percent success rate while Faith-based programs have an 86 percent success rate.

.....Freedom In Christ Ministries has a complete program. A God empowered, Christ centered, and Holy Spirit inspired "Bible based program" designed to free the total person (spirit, soul, and body) from drugs, alcohol, and other life-controlling issues. (Anything that masters a person's life.)

.....The mission of the ministry is to provide adults and families with effective and comprehensive Faith-based solutions through a Christian Discipleship Program. The program has four phases and is from 90 days to one year long. Our objectives are to enable and empower students to find freedom from addictive behavior, become socially and emotionally healthy, physically well, and spiritually alive. This program is designed to produce graduates who function responsibly, and productively in society, establishing healthy relationships in the work place, the family, the Church, and the community. Leading individuals away from being a burden to society, to becoming a blessing in society. Equipping them with the tools needed to prosper in all things throughout their life.

.....This Discipleship Program has qualified and committed staff and volunteers dedicated to completing the goals and mission of the ministry. A caring ministry of real people, working, and praying together, helping those to grow in faith and in the knowledge of God through a Biblical approach in the study of life-controlling behaviors, encouraged sharing, and practical application. The staff has compiled valuable insights to combat these problems through the Word of God.

The ministry curriculum consists of lecture-style classes divided into two different segments:

Group Studies - which consists of a practical lineup of lecture style classes to teach practical Christian living skills.

Personal Studies - which consists of individualized study courses designed to meet the specific and targeted needs of each student.

.....The curriculum is designed to renew the mind and helps each student develop self-confidence, a balanced self-image, accountability, and dependability, thus producing a permanent behavioral change.

.....The ministry teaches The Six Steps to the Throne of God, Paul's System of Truth, and the Doctrines of Christ. Curriculum is listed below:

Six Steps to the Throne
Crucified.
Died...
Buried..
Quickened
Raised..
Seated

.

Paul's System of Truth

(The Seven Pillars of Truth)

What is Man?

Who Adam was and What Adam did.

What happened to Jesus and His redemptive work.

The believers identification with Christ.

Who we are and what we now have in Christ.

How spiritual maturity comes.

The present-day Priestly ministry of Christ.

Doctrines of Christ

Repentance from Dead Works
Faith towards God
Doctrines of Baptisms
Laying-on of Hands
Doctrine of Resurrection
Eternal Judgment

Advanced Studies

The Law Fulfilled

Believers made Righteous

Force of Sin put Away

Deaths Debt has been Paid

Judged in Christ

Curse is Reversed

Satan's Power Destroyed

Man Reconciled to God

Eternal Life made Available

Blessings of Abraham

Dominion and Authority

Returned to the New Man

Kingdom of God Established on Earth

Health and Fitness

.....The ministry addresses and educates the students of the benefits of a well balanced diet, regular physical exercise, providing access to exercise equipment to the students in this program. The ministry also has engaged physicians and dentists that will donate or discount services for the students if the need arises.

Vocational Training Program

.....Our vocational training program works with other businesses, general contractors, and individuals, teaching the students different vocational skills, i.e., carpentry, drywall, painting, flooring, roofing, siding, plumbing, electrical etc., in the residential and commercial construction industry, (new and remodeling). Also skills in the horticultural industry, i.e., lawn maintenance, landscaping, irrigation. The goal here is to equip the students with the ability and skills to find work or start a business and become productive members in society upon graduation.

Outreach Program

.....The ministry also does volunteer work in the community such as providing services for the elderly or handicap individuals in need of remodeling or repairs in their homes to fulfill their needs. Our ministry believes in reaching out to others and being a blessing to the community, i.e., building ramps, widening doors, installing handicap tubs and showers, handicap accessories, and winterizing homes to help keep utility bills down.

.....The vocational training program and outreach program will teach students a solid Christian work-ethic that will give them a foundation of responsibility, a positive attitude, and integrity in how a job is to be done when they return to the work force.

Aftercare - Re-entering Society

.....Upon completion of any of the four phases of the discipleship program, the ministry will help the students find employment, and become involved and accountable in a local church for further mentoring and growth. This aspect of the ministry is one of the keys for reinforcing the positive behavioral changes leading to a successful life.

.....Your donations to Freedom In Christ Ministries, Inc. allow people with life controlling issues to have the opportunity to receive the help they really need. God's Help. Through a Faith-based program designed to free the total person (spirit, soul, and body).Your giving shows God's love to them... helping them... Breaking the Chains of Life Controlling Issues.

.....Freedom In Christ Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit organization and every contribution is completely tax deductible. May God Richly Bless You.

.