The Valley Of The Shadow

Our God is in the protection business!

Psalm 23
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."

This beautiful song--psalm--about our Jesus is one of my all-time favorites. How Jesus loves and cares for us so tenderly.  He sees to our every need!

Notice how the focus changes from the "LORD" is my Shepherd, to yea, though "I walk?"  Do you see it?  It changes from me focusing on JESUS to me being focused on ME.  But thank God, it's only the "SHADOW" of death, not of death itself.  The shadow of a snake never killed anyone. This is a non-fatal trial of my own making.

Whether I am resting in and totally relying on Jesus' care and provision for me OR taking matters into my own, VERY INCAPABLE hands, He will NEVER EVER leave me or forsake me.  The good news is I need not fear any evil for He is ALWAYS with me every step of the way, even if the "valley of the shadow," is of my own making.

"Your rod and Your staff they comfort me"  that used to confuse me. Some well-meaning preacher somewhere along the way mistakenly taught that "the rod" was God punishing me.  Church, our good Daddy doesn't punish us.  He gently, lovingly guides, directs and lovingly disciplines for our benefit!  The Good Shepherd, Who gave His life for the sheep, is not the Author of sickness, disease or accidents.  He doesn't give us these things to teach us a lesson as some may have hinted from the pulpit.

Enemies of the sheep, different story. They're the ones that need to fear!  They're the ones the shepherd attacked with His rod and staff when they attempted to harm His flock.  That's why the rod and staff are a comfort!

Oh, yes: our Jesus is always with us, guiding, providing and protecting.  Yes even, and especially, in the Valley of the Shadow.

Judah {יְהוּדָ֑ה} Means Praise!

Genesis 29:35
"35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing."

Poor Leah.  All she wanted was for her husband to love her. But she knew that her sister, Rachel, was the favorite.  The LORD saw what was happening and opened her womb.  Rachel, however, was barren.

She gave birth to three sons:  Reuben, Simeon and Levi thinking that this might win favor with her husband. Nope.  Didn't happen.  He still preferred her sister.  By the time Judah came along, she who had tried so desperately to get her husband's attention by giving him the other three, finally stopped obsessing.  She decided to PRAISE THE LORD instead!  That's why she named him "Yehudah," which means "Praise."

As Jacob was near death, he spoke blessings over his sons which are all recorded for us in Genesis 49.  Part of Judah's blessing was, "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise." Gen. 49:8.  The message is this:  "When we finally give up all our striving, all our sweating, straining and struggling and just praise the Lord, He'll work everything out for our benefit."

   

Judah himself is more than ample proof of this.  From this son of Leah would come THE ONE Who would save the whole world.  He is THE MOST important person of all time, our Jesus, came from the tribe of Judah.

The Hebrew spelling of Judah's name reveals something beautiful about Jesus. It is spelled like this in Hebrew:
              [יהודה]

The letters from right to left are "Yod-hei-vav-dalet-hei."

Hebrew reads from right to left and is a form of picture writing like Chinese.  The letters that God uses to form words give us a glimpse from God's point of view and reveal things you'd never get in any definition.

These are the "pictures" that spell "Judah:"
 [י] Yod= open hand
 [ה] Hei= grace
 [ו]  Vav= nail
[ד] Dalet= door
 [ה] Hei= grace

God's name, Yahweh, is spelled "yod-hei-vav-hei [יהוה]"  The letter "dalet [ד]" is added to spell, "Yehudah."

The letters of Yahweh's name paint this picture:
"Hand of grace, nailed in Grace."
It's a picture of Jesus nailed to the cross!  (For more nuggets hidden in the Hebrew letters of the Name of God, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-name-of-god-yahweh.html)

These 4 letters of the Name of God plus the letter "dalet [ד]" which means "door," paint a different word picture:  His name tell us "PRAISE OPEN THE DOOR TO GOD!"  And Who is the door to God? JESUS!!!  He is the door of the sheep fold through Whom we can safely go in and out safely and find pasture. 

As if that weren't awesome enough, there's more. The root word for "Yehuda (Judah)" is this word:

 [ידה] YADA.  

It also means, "praise." From right to left, the letters are:

[י] yod [ד] dalet [ה] hei: "Hand opening the door to grace."

So, Jesus is the door to God, praise opens the door to grace, and what, or more to the point, Who is Grace?  JESUS!!!

When we feel like it, when we don't feel like it, when there's nothing else we can do, or even if there is, in everything and at all times what does Our Father say?  PRAISE THE LORD!

Jacob And Leah: Patriarch Series Part 3

Genesis 29:31-35
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely "looked" on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has "heard" that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become "attached" to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will 'praise' the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing."

Poor Leah.  All she ever wanted was for Jacob to love her.  She was desperate to get his attention.  God saw that Jacob favored Rachael over her and, seeing her distress, allowed her to be fruitful and bear many sons.  Her younger sister Rachael, who got all the love and attention, however, was barren.

Leah gave birth to her first son and named him "Reuben" for she said, “The LORD has surely LOOKED on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me."  Alas, he did not. Reuben's name in Hebrew means "behold a son!"

Then she bore him a second son and called him Simeon “Because the LORD has HEARD that I am unloved."  Simeon means "hear/listen," from the root word, "shemá."

Then she bore him a third son.  She named him "Levi" which means "attach," for she said, “Now this time my husband will become ATTACHED to me." Didn't happen.

All this time, Rachael remained barren.

At last, Leah stopped striving to please her husband, and when Judah was born, she said " “Now I will PRAISE the LORD.” Therefore she called his name "Judah." Judah means "praise."  At last she learned to stop worrying and just praise the LORD in spite of her situation.  

(For more on Judah and the meaning hidden in the Hebrew letters of his name follow this link: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/08/judah-means-praise.html)

It's the same message our loving ABBA wants to convey to us today.  Leah didn't know it at the time but all along God was speaking to her through the names of her sons.

Here is God's perspective.  You can see His heart is full of His beloved Son!
Reuben- "See The SON." See Jesus!
Simeon- "Listen to The SON." Listen to Jesus!
Levi- be attached to The SON." Be attached to Jesus!
Judah-Praise The Lord!  Praise Jesus!

Epilogue:  

Somewhere along the way, Leah finally got her heart's desire.  When Jacob was about to die, guess next to whom he wanted to be buried?

Yes...Leah!

In case you missed part one, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/abraham-and-sarah.html

Covenant [ברית]: Birít

I Samuel 18:1-4

Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David MADE A COVENANT, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the **robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his **armor, even to his **sword and his **bow and his **belt."

(David and Jonathan cut a covenant with each other.)

David and Jonathan were more than just friends; they were like brothers because of their great love for each other.  They loved each other so much that they "cut a covenant" with each other.  We'll discuss this further on.

The Hebrew word for covenant is "Birít (bîr-eet) and looks like this:

[ברית] 

The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters and is a form of picture writing, like Chinese.  These word pictures tell a story and give us information we would never get from any definition.  They are also a window on God's perspective.
 

[ב] bet is a picture of a house.
[ר] resh means head, think, meditate.
[bet and resh together [בר] spell "bar-Son."

[י] Yod is a picture of an open hand, like the open hand nailed to the cross.  It also means "power."
[ת] tav is a picture of the cross.

The pictures in the word, "birít" tell us this:
"Covenants begin with The Son: JESUS, and are sealed by the power of His sacrifice on the cross."

In ancient Israel, and in other cultures around the world, covenants were "cut" with another person, tribe or nation.  Unlike a contract, a covenant involves a shedding of blood to seal it.  Among other things, each person or tribal head made a small incision on their wrist, joined them together and mingled their blood. Now it flowed as one.  THIS IS WHY MARRIAGE IS A COVENANT, NOT MERELY A CONTRACT, as many would have you believe.  Many today would like us believe it is only a contract so they can "redefine" it to suit their personal agenda.

Both young men exchanged their respective outer garments, indicating an exchange of positions, and their respective weapons and armaments.  This meant that your enemies became their enemies, their enemies became yours.

Ruth.
Ruth, who was a Moabitess, was disqualified to enter the congregation of Israel by the Law covenant.  But she was qualified under the Grace Covenant and entered the congregation of Israel by faith.  Her name in Hebrew is spelled, {רות}.  It is derived from the Hebrew word for covenant!

You and I, Church, are blood brothers with Jesus now because of the shedding of His blood.  God, the Father, "cut a covenant" with His man--the perfect Man, Jesus, Who represented all of us to His Father.  He was made in the likeness of sinful man, yet without sin; and taking the form of a servant, He humbled Himself unto death; even death on a cross. He shed His precious blood on that forever sealed our covenant.

Now, when we accept His priceless gift, we wear His garment of righteousness and share His high position, seated next to our Father in heaven.  Our position is no longer as slaves or servants, but sons and daughters; and our battles now are not ours but His.  THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD!  HALLELUIA!

We stand forever secure in Christ because our Father has cut a COVENANT with us!

As The High Priest Goes, So Goes The Nation

Exodus 30:1
1“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood......
11 And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”

In ancient Israel, God judged the people based on their high priest. If he was good, and offered right sacrifices that were acceptable to God, the whole nation was accepted.  They would be blessed for the year ahead with every blessing.  If they were bad, didn't matter; they would still be accepted.

But, if the high priest was bad and his offering was not accepted, even if the people were good, THE WHOLE NATION WOULD BE REJECTED.  God judged the WHOLE NATION based on their high priest.  Pretty shaky deal if you ask me!...and you had no control or say over whether you got a good priest or a bad one.

We, on the other hand, according to the book of Hebrews, have "better promises based on better blood;" a better covenant, because our High Priest is alive forever!  He is ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD! 

Aren't we glad Jesus is our High Priest?!

Under the New Covenant, it's the same deal as under the old.  As our High Priest, Jesus, goes, SO GOES THE NATION--THE CHURCH!  

When God evaluates you and I, He doesn't look at us:  He looks at our Lamb, our PERFECT REPRESENTATIVE, JESUS.  

Is there ever a time that Jesus is unacceptable? No.  NEVER!!!  The altogether lovely ONE  is ALWAYS acceptable.

If He is, then so are you.......and He is priest FOREVER after the order of Melchizedek; has been for 2,000 years.......and counting!   "As he is, so are we IN THIS WORLD," it says in 1 john 4:17.  

The verse doesn't say, "in heaven," or some day but "IN THIS WORLD." 

Is Jesus in perfect health?   YES!  

Does He have everything He needs?  YES!  

All that He is, all that He has IS YOUR HERITAGE AS WELL.  In fact, health and healing is not just a promise, it's a blood-bought right OF THE BLOOD-BOUGHT CONGREGATION.

Is Jesus always welcome and acceptable to His Father?  YES!!!

Then SO ARE YOU.....ALWAYS.

So fear not, church.  "You are ALWAYS accepted in The Beloved!  And as our High Priest goes,.....SO GOES THE NATION:  US.

God Is A Holy God

Numbers 20:10-12
10 "And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now,you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you DID NOT BELIEVE Me, to HALLOW Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

What does it mean to portray God as "A Holy God?"  Based on the passage above, how did Moses portray God? As loving? As Kind? As Gracious?
No.  He yelled at them--for the first and last time--called them a bunch of rebels and gave them the impression that God was angry with them because of all their murmuring and complaining; 40 long years of it.
Was God pleased with Moses?  Based on what happened to him, I'm guessin' NO, He was most emphatically NOT!
The people knew they had sinned against God. They knew they murmured and complained, all of which is sin; yet God did not want Moses to reprimand them.
Why?

You've probably been under preachers like that who condemned you before a "ho-o-oly" God saying things like "Be sure your sin will fi-i-i-i-ind you out!  Don't you think you can hide from a Ho-o-o-oly Gawd! What you sow is what you shall reap!".....totally misquoting the Bible, by the way......ONCE AGAIN.
Or how about this famous one:  "Your rooster will come home to roost one of these days!" etc, etc. Blah, blah, blah.
Sounds kinda like the same tactic that Moses used, doesn't it?

First of all, HOLY simply means "set apart."  Also, FYI, in the New Testament sewing and reaping IN CONTEXT is referring to a one's "generosity," NOT YOUR SINS.  So stop holding your breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop because you're afraid of what you think you "sowed."  You"ll just turn blue.

Remember what God said to Moses?  "Because you DID NOT BELIEVE Me, to HALLOW Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

God was very displeased by what he did, i.e. yelling at the people.  He was so displeased, in fact, that He did not allow Moses to enter the promised land!  WOW!  Moses was only supposed to "speak to the Rock," hold out Aaron's rod--you know; the one that budded, a picture of grace and resurrection--and THEN water would flow out of the rock.
What did he actually do? He yelled at the people and struck the rock with his own rod--TWICE.  Moses' rod was the one that turned the waters of the Nile into blood, a picture of God's judgment.

What's the big deal?  He hit a rock.  So what?
What is this rock and why was God SO upset?

This "rock" was a picture of Jesus.  It's was a "type" as Paul brings out in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 "1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST."

By hitting "The Rock" Moses was hitting Jesus in the "type" of the rock.  This particular rock was a portrayal of Jesus as our exalted High Priest, after His ascension into heaven.  The word in Hebrew is "tesla," a high cliff or rocky precipice.  You see, Jesus was already "hit" at the cross.  He is NEVER to be "hit" again.  Moses destroyed the type by doing what he did.

You'll notice that God allowed water to flow from the rock anyway even though Moses disobeyed. That's because He loves the people!  But it is clear that He holds leaders to a little bit different standard.
God was angry at Moses for reprimanding the people because he had misrepresented Him to the people and hit Jesus.  He had wanted to show Himself as loving and gracious despite their sin.  By hitting the rock, Moses did just the opposite.

So, if reprimanding your people by saying, "Be sure your sin will find you out--blah, blah, blah"--is not portraying God as a "Ho-o-o-oly Gawd," as most preachers seem to think, then what is?  That's what this part of Moses' story unveils.

He is not pleased with leadership today that scolds His people; in other words, that hits Jesus' body, meaning US--instead of feeding and edifying them and unveiling Jesus.
But regardless of how harsh the leadership, God blesses the people anyway.  Blessings being accorded to the flock, though, are not necessarily an indication that a given ministry is an anointed one.  NO WAY.  It is proof, however, that God is good to His people, "leadership" notwithstanding.

That is how He wants to be portrayed to us today; as gracious ; loving; forgiving; not as angry, vengeful and judgmental; not even mildly disappointed.  quite the contrary:  He is WELL-PLEASED!

In case you were unaware, ALL GOD'S JUDGMENT FELL ON HIS BELOVED SON, JESUS.  Your "ROOSTER" got ROASTED at the CROSS!  It ain't coming home to roost!  GOD righteously and judiciously will never EVER impute your sins to you--past, present OR FUTURE.  It would be unjust to Jesus.  What He did was FAR BEYOND COMPLETE.!  Amen!

Our job is to portray God as loving and gracious, full of mercy and compassion; not angry and vengeful, even to the UNsaved.
I hope that understanding Moses' mistake will help put an END to this satanic practice.

And that, Church, is how you portray to His people, HIS BELOVED, that GOD IS A HOLY GOD.

See Jesus In Everything

Deuteronomy 34:1-7
"Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 

Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died."

Moses was about to die.  If you recall recent events in his life, he had so displeased God that he was not going to be allowed to enter the Promised land after all that wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, putting up with a bunch of whiners and complainers, faithfully serving God.   Seems kind of unfair, doesn't it?.....until you know the whole story.  If you'd like to read all about it, follow this link.  You'll see why God whatvHe did and find out why Moses' grave cannot be found:  

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/speak-to-your-rock/

Secret Of Longevity.

Look at the last line of the passage above. Pretty amazing statement, huh? 120 years old, 20/20 vision and as vigorous as any 20 year old. What's his secret?  

The verses below in Hebrews 11 hold the clue.

Hebrews 11:23-27--23 

"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; FOR HE LOOKED TO THE REWARD.....

Whoa! Moses knew about Jesus!  
Yep!  "27 By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he *endured as SEEING HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE."

JESUS IS THE KEY.
Those two capitalized phrases are the key: He saw Jesus in EVERYTHING!  Notice the word "endure" in verse 27?  It is the Greek word "kartereó," meaning " persevere, endure," comes from the root word "kratós."  Kratós means "dominion, strength, power."  Seeing Jesus in everything gave him supernatural strength.

There is only one occurrence of this word in the entire Bible; right here in this verse.

Transformed By Beholding.
This picture of Moses is the ultimate proof that we are transformed by beholding, just like it says in 2 Corinthians 3:18.  The word for beholding in this verse is "katoptrizó," meaning "mirror, reflect."

It also, like the word above, occurs only one time in the entire Bible, right here in this verse!

Remember when Moses first met God?  It was at the Birning Bush.  Just like that fire in the bush that did not consume it, so you and I can have supernatural strength and energy as well. 

Just do what Moses did:  SEE JESUS IN EVERYTHING!!! 

The Dove And The Olive Branch: Flood Series Part 4 of 8

Genesis 8:6-12
"6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.

7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 

8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 

9 But THE DOVE FOUND NO RESTING PLACE FOR THE SOLE OF HER FOOT, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself.
10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 

11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, A FRESHLY PLUCKED OLIVE LEAF WAS IN HER MOUTH; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 

12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore."

In part 1 we talked about what the world was like at the time the flood came and why it was unavoidable.  In part two, we discovered something amazing about who was in the Ark.  In part 3, we even saw how and why the Jewish calendar changed.  In this portion, we're going to study about the dove and learn some fascinating things!

Most people recognize the dove as a symbol of peace.  To the Church it is also a symbol of someOne: The Holy Spirit.  Both are apt descriptions.  Contained within this age-old story are some very interesting things about doves which demonstrate once again that there are NO insignificant details in the Bible. 

Let's review.

#1.  God told Noah to build an ark.  

#2.  It rained for forty days and nights.

#3.  All life was destroyed on the earth except for Noah and his family; eight people total.

#4.  The flood waters remained on the earth for 150 days. That's five months, folks!

#5.  The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 17th day of the 7th month, indicative of Jesus' resurrection.

In verse 7 it says that Noah sent out a raven which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.  It never returned to him.  Why?  Because ravens are carrion birds.  As such, they are counted by God as unclean.  There would never be any need for it to return to the ark for lack of food because all around, floating in the flood waters, were plenty of dead bodies, carcasses on which to feed. {Ewww, yuk!}  The raven simply went from one to the next and the next. There was PLENTY to eat.

Reminds me of the verse in Luke 12:24 where it says "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"

This particular dove, on the other hand, was a bit unusual.  Unlike the raven, they are counted as clean animals.  They are not carrion birds per sé but are not necessarily averse to feeding on carrion.  For some reason, however, this dove did not want to land or feed on these floating carcasses nor feed on them.  Why?  

The Author, The Holy Spirit, is painting pictures for us again.  This dove is a picture of Him.  Noah, whose name means "rest," sent the dove out but she found no place to "REST" the sole of her foot.  Since she could not find anywhere outside of the ark to REST, she returned to Noah.  In other words, she returned to REST.

Since the garden, The "Dove" has been looking for a place to REST but found none.  It wasn't until Jesus rose up out of the waters after being baptized by John that, for the first time ever, the "DOVE" finally found SomeOne on Whom He could "REST" in full measure:  Upon Jesus, the perfect Man Who is full of REST!  

Matthew 3:16-17
"16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

The flood waters all around the ark were waters of judgment, of condemnation if you will, that fell on the wicked people outside the ark that were destroyed by the flood.  The vessel that saved all mankind is a picture of Jesus.  Outside of Him are unsaved people under condemnation because they have not asked Jesus into their hearts.  They, like the floating dead carcasses, are outside Jesus.  

Unfortunately, as you saw in part 3, the unsaved aren't the only ones who are under condemnation.  Believers can be, too. How?  Just as Noah's dove would not rest on the condemned outside the ark, so too, The Holy Spirit also will not rest ON believers who are under the condemnation of the law, meaning they believe they must obey the law in order to be accepted by God.

Notice it doesn't say "those who OBEY the law" but those who are of the "WORKS" of the law.  These folk believe they must work to obey the Law, they fall under condemnation.  The Holy Spirit WILL NOT REST ON THEM, which is where the real power lies!

There is a BIG difference between the Holy Spirit residing "IN" a person and resting "ON" someone.  He comes and resides "IN" everyone you the instant you are born again, to teach, direct and to guide into all truth.  But if you are under the condemnatory preaching of the law and buy into legalistic, law-centric doctrine, known as "Galatianism," you can only have the Spirit IN you.  He will not rest "ON" those who feel condemned.  Church, that's where THE REAL POWER IS:  The Spirit resting ON.

In the Old Testament the prophets, judges, kings and others God raised up had the mantle of the Holy Spirit "ON" them in some measure and were thus were able to manifest His POWER.  They could not have had the Holy Spirit "IN" them like us because the blood of bulls and goats could not cleanse their sins. Jesus' blood cleanses our sins!

 

Now you understand why the church at large seems to lack any real POWER or effectiveness.  The POWER of God through the Holy Spirit will not rest ON those under condemnation.  

This condemnation DOES NOT touch your righteousness in Christ, of course.  Thank God!  But it does make life more difficult.  It doesn't matter what status you have, what level of education you've attained, your position in the Church, how many degrees you have, how many mission trips you've been on or whether or not your Dad is the senior pastor.  Real, lasting breakthroughs, miracles, healings, divine health and all God's greatest gifts remain elusive if you think you must somehow be good enough to receive them from God.  You are, in effect, trying to earn God's free "gifts" by your good works.  If you can merit it, then it's not a gift; it's a reward.

The Holy Spirit always appears like a dove.  Did you ever wonder why?  Me, too.  Well, there's a very good reason for it, no surprise, another story in and of itself.  For more on that topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/12/gifts-and-fruits-of-spirit.html

But fear not, Church!  I have good news! The scripture says that the Dove returned to Noah "in the evening" with a FRESHLY-PLUCKED OLIVE BRANCH in her mouth.  What does that mean?  It's a timeline of sorts.  The Dove--the Spirit of Grace and truth--came in the evening on God's prophetic time clock.  

Well, Church, have just moved past midnight on that "kairós" time clock and crossed over into the wee dawn hours of the third day, counting time the way God does.  To Him, one day is "as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day."  (See 2 Peter ). By that reckoning, Jesus has only been gone only two days.  

Remember what the scriptures said?  He rose from the dead "very early" in the morning on the third day!  That means the Lord will return in our lifetime!

(For more information on the exciting things in store for the Church on the third day follow this link:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-third-day.html)

The olive leaf in the dove's mouth was a "freshly plucked" leaf which means she didn't find it floating in the water.  Green color means "New Covenant."  She had it in her mouth meaning she "speaks words of grace; New Covenant = NO LAW!"  It also meant that the flood waters--all the condemnation--had almost completely abated and soon they would be able to step out onto dry, NO JUDGMENT GROUND with a rainbow over their heads.  It was a brand new world, one where there are NO signs of the curse anywhere!

The worldwide flood waters of condemnation via condemnatory preaching in our day are beginning to recede.  HALLELUJAH!  There are pockets of Grace everywhere you look, peaks of mountain tops showing through the waters.  Some of you reading this are standing on those mountain peaks wondering if you're the only ones who get it; who know the truth because, as you look around, there are signs of the curse everywhere:  Believers sick, suffering lack, not having victory in their lives.

But the sound of The Dove is once again being heard in our world in these last days!  Seven days after she brought that olive branch to Noah, The Dove went out and never returned to him.  That same Dove TODAY is proclaiming to us that the world wide floodwaters of this "gospel of condemnation" are almost abated and soon we, like Noah, will step out into a brand new world where there is no more mixture, no more legalism, no more Galatianism, NO MORE SIGNS OF THE CURSE--sickness, disease, dying before your time--NO MORE CONDEMNATION from Levitical priests in our churches.

The Melchizedek priesthood that preaches from the pure gold of the mercy seat, Divine Righteousness, are taking over.  THE GREATEST REVIVAL OF ALL TIME, one not based on law like all those of the past, but based on PURE, RADICAL GRACE is happening NOW. It is already so much greater!  It is GLOBAL and bigger than ALL OTHER REVIVALS COMBINED!

That, Church, is the message of the Dove and the Olive Branch.

The Light Of The World: Tabernacle Series Part 4

Matthew 4:12-16

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.””

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400 years before Jesus was born, God was silent.  There was no word, no prophet, nothing.  Then suddenly, quietly, everything changed!  A tiny, helpless little baby was came into a poor family in Bethlehem.  Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born, would bring light and hope when it seemed that both were very far away.  It's kind of like that in the world today.

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“I am the light of the world." (Jesus said).  "He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life...” in John 8:12.  

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(Hanuchah Samach:  Happy Hanuchah!)

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The Festival Of Lights:  Hanukkah

Interesting that the Festival of Lights is celebrated at this time of year.  Though not recorded in scripture, it's nice to know that God didn't forget His people, even though He was silent.

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Durning this dark, 400 years of silence, the people were ruled, or should I say, "oppressed," by the Greeks.  These detestable people actually desecrated the Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar!  DISGUSTING!  They forced them to worship idols, forbid reading of theTorah and following it's laws.  

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But God delivered His people!  A priest named, "Matthiathias," and his sons led a small group of men against an overwhelming number of the Syrian/Greek army, 25,000 strong.

It was during the rededication of the Temple that this miracle occurred.  The priests discovered that there was only one bottle of undefiled oil to light the Menorrah.  That's enough for only one day!

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That's when the miracle occurred that the Jewish people commemorate in the holiday known as "Hanukkah," the Festival of Lights.  That one day's supply of oil lasted for seven days!

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The Light Of The World.

Jesus is The Lightof the world.  It's no surprise that God has a lot to say about light in His word.  You can see it so clearly in the Tabernacle of ancient Israel.  

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#1) Natural Light.

The entire structure is a picture of our Lord Jesus.  There is much about The Light of the world we can learn by studying it.

Biblically speaking, there are three kinds of light.  In the picture below, the illumination of the outer court of the tabernacle comes from the sun.  At night, it comes from the moon and the stars.  This is "Natural light."  Most people, like your friends and colleagues, live only in this kind of light.  It's all they know.

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#2) Light Of The Church:  The Menorrah.

Inside the tabernacle, in the Holy Place where the menorah, table of showbread and the altar of incense are located, you'll notice that there are no windows. The light in this place comes from the seven-lamp menorah, which depicts the Church as indicated by Revelation 1:13.  The light in this in-between place comes from the church.

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In the picture above, the tabernacle is completely covered by the four tent coverings.  The Holy Place is not visible from the outside thus the light from the lampstand, the church, cannot be seen from outside.  People of the world, who live only by natural light, cannot be expected to understand the light you have, Church.  It is inside you; no windows. They cannot comprehend it.

"And the light (Jesus) shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  John 1:5

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There is no use trying to convince them about the light, either. Our part, Church, is to PREACH, NOT EXPLAIN, the light which is that Jesus loves them and died for their sins.  Our task is to reconcile the world unto Jesus NOT to condemn them as well as to edify the church.

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#3) The Only Light: Jesus.

Above is a picture of the Holy of Holies.  Again, notice there are NO windows.

Note also that thought there is light, there is NO LAMP because Jesus is the light!

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The very first words spoken by God recorded in Genesis 1:3 are-"Let there be light."  In Hebrew, however, it is only two words:
[יהי אור]-e-yehi owr: "light be."
These two letters spell [יה]-yod-hei, spell "Ya," the short form of "Yahweh." God literally spoke His own Name and then spoke the word Light:  owr-[אור].

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It's a perfect portrayal of John 1:1-5
1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men. 5 And the LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
That's our Jesus!  

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He was born on a night that was very, very dark until angels lit up the sky, making it as bright as day.  When Jesus suffered for the human race, for three hours mid-day became as dark as midnight so that you and I, Church, could always walk in the light!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and darkness was everywhere.  Though world began with no light, it will end with no night because of Jesus!  Even so, Lord, COME!

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In these last days, it is once again a very, VERY dark time in history, perhaps the darkest it has ever been.  Now, MORE THAN EVER,  need Jesus!  We need the LIGHT of the World!

 

The Great War

REAL Story In The Stars: Part 6 of 9

Psalm 17:6-9
"6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
9 From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me."

(Constellation Scorpio)

Jesus, without a doubt, fought THE GREATEST WAR OF ALL TIME for you and me.  

Incredibly, the awesome of what He did for us is written in the stars.  His Father BLASTED THE STORY all over the night sky.  He's the One, after all, Who created and set them in the sky.  He even orchestrates--PRESENT TENSE--their movements as the story unfolds!

The constellation of Scorpio tells a part of this amazing celestial narrative. 

God's orchestration of celestal movements is on-going.  This is particularly evident in the articles below about the "The Southern Cross," and "The North Star."  Follow these links if you'd like to know more:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-southern-cross.html?m=1

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-north-star.html?m=1

According to Genesis 1:14, the stars not only mark the passage of time and the passing of the seasons but are set in place for for signs; for portents of future events.  First and foremost they tell the story of Jesus.  But they also tell of events pertaining to Israel and the Church.

These signs are arranged in 12 major constellations.  Each of them has three accompanying star groupings or minor constellations called "decans." These decans expand upon the story of the major sign with which which they are aligned.  In all, there are 48 constellations.

In the first two Mazzarotte, which is Hebrew for Zodiak, God begins to tell the wonderful story of Jesus.  His Darling Son would be born of a Virgin and, being found in fashion as a man, would humble Himself to suffer THE WORST form of death ever devised:  The cross.  He would bear the sins of the whole world and pay...or rather OVERPAY...the sin  debt owed by every male and female who ever lived or will live.  Our Jesus paid a debt He did not owe for us, who owed a debt we could not pay.

Our Father wrote this beautiful love letter in the sky to us. However, it has nothing whatever to do with the perversion invented by the devil; you know, astrology.  Ol' slimy can't create anything but he sure perverts and distorts what God has already made very well. 

I hope it goes without saying that Christians have NO business dabbling in horoscopes, prognostication, Kabbalah or any similar deception.  Our enemy invented all of them to keep man from knowing the gospel story and telling it to others.  You see, back when there was no written word, they passed down the gospel story by recounting it in the stars from father to son, generation upon generation so that they could know the truth.

Just like Abraham to whom Jesus preached the gospel in the stars, those who lived before the cross could be counted righteous too by believing the same gospel story we do!  The difference is, they looked forward to Jesus' finished work; we look back to it.  

Their sins were only covered temporarily of course; ours are cleansed for ETERNITY.  They had to apply the blood of bulls and goats to the mercy seat annually; we apply the Perfect Blood of the Perfect Sacrifice ONCE FOREVER!

Today we are blessed to have God's written word and don't need to rely on the stars to tell us of His amazing love. Now do you see how serious it was that our enemy tried to pervert it?  That's why God confused the language of the peoples involved in the Tower of Babel. 

(If you'd like to know the whole story, follow the link below:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-tower-of-babel.html?m=1)

I think the church has been robbed of this beautiful love letter; this story of Jesus, our AWESOME Lord and Savior and of His selfless sacrifice for us as God wrote it in the night sky.
I'd like to set the record straight.

It is a circular story so, in order to read it correctly, you must know where to begin.  It starts with the virgin, known by her Latin name, "Virgo."  That would mean it ends with Leo, The Lion of the tribe of Judah. 

Did you know that God arranged to have a monument erected to act as a signpost so man would know where the real story begins and ends?  If you'd like to know what He had built, follow this link:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sign-at-border.html?m=1

This story is kind of like a three-act play with many scenes and players that tell the greatest story ever told.  It's both exciting and humbling at the same time to understand just how much we are loved by our Daddy! To get even the merest inkling of the terrible price Jesus paid for us, for me, WILLINGLY, fills me with awe!

The Mazzarotte sign that I'd like to share about is the one the Greeks called "Scorpio."   As this Major sign and it's decans tell us, Jesus was indeed surrounded by deadly enemies which He SOUNDLY defeated!!!  "Scorpio," the scorpion, is "scene three of act one," as it were.  It introduces the enemy--satan--for the first time and explains more of the nature of The Great War.  

I think it's quite amazing that all the ancient names for the stars in this Constellation and it's decans that have been preserved to this day all lend in the description of this greatest of all conflicts. To the Hebrews it was known as "Akrab," which means "scorpion" but also "the conflict," or "war."  The word David uses in Psalm 17:9 where he blesses God for teaching his hands to "war," comes from the same root word, which means, " to cleave in conflict or battle."

In Arabic this sign was known as "Al Akrab," which means "wounding Him Who cometh."  

It's Coptic name, "Isidis," means "Attack of the enemy."

Different cultures, different languages yet all tell the same story!

Though all scorpions are not deadly as modern science has discovered, I think we would agree that they are frightening all the same and considered a deadly enemy.  Pretty good description of satan if you ask me!

Every single one of the various names of this constellation and it's stars from various cultures in diverse places all seem to relate the exact same story:  That of a great conflict with a deadly enemy where wounds are inflicted.  

Even the ancient names of the individual stars in each constellation enhance the tale. Though many have been lost, the ones remaining are enough to let us know that this story wasn't contrived by some crackpot story teller of old.  THIS IS REAL.....and it didn't happen in a corner.  That is why "all are without excuse."  

The heavens really do DECLARE HIS GLORY!  (Psalm 19)

(Cor Scorpio: Antares

The heart of the Scorpion)

"Antares," the brightest star in the upper torso of the creature, means, "the wounding," in Arabic. It's Latin name, "Cor Scorpio," means "heart of the scorpion." Amazingly, it is a DEEP RED COLOR!  {See picture} Isn't that cool?

Then, in the tail of the creature or more precisely, the stinger, which is poised to strike at the foot or heel of the strong man, Orciuchus, coming toward him.  He is wrestling with a huge serpent, attempting to control him.  The star in the stinger is called, "Lesath," which in Hebrew means "the perverse." Apt description!

This portion of the story is the embodiment of the passage in Genesis 3 where God says He will put enmity between his (the serpent) seed and the Seed of the woman. The heel of the offspring of the woman will be bruised but the serpent will suffer significantly more damage:  HIS HEAD WILL BE CRUSHED!

....and that was a promise Jesus kept when the devil was UTTERLY DEFEATED.  Jesus fought with the great dragon and defeated him in THE GREAT WAR!

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

Matthew 14:28-30
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

I'm reasonably certain most people know that you shouldn't swim while you're intoxicated. At least, I hope so.  Alcohol physically and mentally impairs anyone under it's influence and can lead to drowning.

Here is what can happen:
If you drink and get into the water, tired muscles and confusion from being under the influence of alcohol make it harder to get out of trouble.  

There are a range of physical changes which occur when an individual consumes alcohol and then engages in aquatic activity. These include (but are not limited to) the following:

SPASM OF THE VOCAL CHORDS
Water in the windpipe triggers a reflex closure of the windpipe. Alcohol increases the chance that a spasm of the vocal chords will occur, snapping the airway closed. The combination of water and alcohol can lock the airway closed, making breathing difficult.

LACK OF COORDINATION
Alcohol numbs the senses particularly sight, sound and touch. When these senses fail, the stumbles and stutters kick in and swimming abilities may be altered.

DISTURBANCE OF THE INNER EAR
Fluid in the ear is responsible for balance. Alcohol and a sudden change in temperature can led to disorientation. Diving into the water is a perfect opportunity for this: all of a sudden, up becomes down.

HYPOTHERMIA
Alcohol increases blood flow to the arms and legs, even when the body would normally try to stop this action to save from heat loss. If you fall into cold water under the influence of alcohol, hypothermia could potentially occur.

IMPAIRED REACTION TIME
As a depressant, alcohol reduces the rate the brain processes information. Ordinary reactions simply take longer. On the water, a quick response is vital.

IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT
Alcohol distorts your perception of risk, and your own abilities. With less accurate information pouring into the brain, you’re not as well equipped to make the right decisions.

What does all that have to do with the opening verse?  Spiritually "intoxicated" with the wrong stuff has pretty much the same effect. 

It says in Ephesians 5:17-19 "17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is *dissipation;" but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,"
*The Greek word here translated "dissipation," in the old English is "asótia," which means "wantonness, profligacy, wastefulness."

When the waters all around us are swirling in the hurricane force of the winds, waves threatening to overwhelm on every side, it's critical to keep your eyes on Jesus or you'll sink like a stone for sure!

Focusing on the events happening around the world, especially in light of the latest threats in the world can cause you to become dissipated or "INTOXICATED" with what the devil is doing. There is great danger in becoming fearful, discouraged and defeated.

God is delaying His coming because He is willing that NO ONE should perish.  EVERY SOUL is precious to Him.  We want the same thing He wants.  

But what do people tend to stop doing when they're afraid?  Pretty much everything.  There are still people out there who will die in their sins because they don't know Jesus.  We don't want to become so fearful or "DISSIPATED" that we stop preaching the gospel or neglect edifying the church for the work of service and reach out to the lost. 

The Bible says, "7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be SOBER, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:7-9

Keeping our focus on Jesus will keep us from getting drunk on the lies, fear and deception all around us in these last days.  

We DON'T want to be "swimming while intoxicated."  We want to keep our eyes on Jesus!