An Evil Heart

Hebrews 3:12

" Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an EVIL (póneros) heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; "

What did Paul mean by "an evil heart?"  It's a fair question. If someone were to ask you to define evil, you'd probably answer, "something bad," right?  That'd be the first thing to come to my mind probably because that's what we been taught all our lives.  Implication, implication; accusation, accusation.

However, if that is your understanding and you came across this verse in Hebrews 3:12 you would misunderstand, as did I, what God is saying here.

So the question is, "How does God's word define it?"  Let's find out by doing a little word study!  

Every time you see the word, "evil,"  in the New Testament being discussed it is always this word: "póneros," whether it is an evil man, an evil conscience;" evil this, evil that.  If you go look up the definition, however, "bad" appears as a second meaning.

Póneros primarily means:
1. Full of labors, annoyances, hardships. a) pressed and harassed by labors.
2. Bad, of a bad nature, or condition.

When God says, "don't have an evil heart," He means "don't be full of WORRIES, CARES and CONCERNS, your mind swirling with anxieties."  

Even spiritual things like prayer can be turned into a form of work.  For instance, when you are pleading and, especially, begging over and over again, "Oh God, oh God, help me! Please deliver me! Don't let me go!  Remember your servant......." and on and on, it becomes all about you and how hard you are praying, as if your long-winded sweating and straining can convince God to act on your behalf.  

Church, there is no need for that.  Don't you understand that our Daddy is even more willing to help us than we are to be helped?  Jus look at Psalm 91.  He is as close as your breath.  He never told us to beg.  He does, however, tell is to ask and KEEP ON ASKING, seek and KEEP ON SEEKING, knock and KEEP ON KNOCKING, but remain internally at rest, trusting in His perfect provision.

If you really have a solid understanding of how much you are loved by God, you'll trust that He not only wants to answer your prayers, HE WILL.  Every time that need comes back to your thoughts, thank Abba for the answer you KNOW is coming.   Why?  BECAUSE YOU ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST.   You stand in the perfection of His Son.  How will Our Father not give us all things because of Jesus?

Daddy doesn't want us to have a conscience filled with worries and cares but to be at peace, resting in His love and provision, FREE FROM AN EVIL HEART!

Somebody Needs To Hear Your Story

Mark 4:35-39

“On the same day, when evening had come, He (Jesus) said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.    

At the end of the fourth chapter of Mark is an amazing story.  It's the one about Jesus traveling the length of the Sea of Galilee, headed to the region of the Gadarenes.  He was going there for one reason:  To rescue a poor, hopelessly demon-possessed man who lived among the tombs there.  

This unnamed man was in the clutches of a legion of demons.  That's more than 6,000, folks!  In fact it's somewhere between 6-9,000! Yikes!  He was unquestionablyTHE MOST demon-possessed man of all time!

So, Jesus was on His way; NO! He was making a B-line, directly across the Sea of Galillee when suddenly "a great windstorm arose," the account says.  It "arose" alright...with more than a little help. Those demons that possessed this man were roiling up the waters in an effort to sink the boat to stop Jesus. They knew He was coming for them.

{Yawn} You can see how "concerned" Jesus was: HE WAS SLEEPING IN THE STERN OF THE BOAT ON A PILLOW!  That's because He is never concerned about anything the devil is doing.

His disciples, on the other hand, were terrified!  The boat was rapidly filling with water and they feared it would founder!  They rushed over to wake Jesus up.  He arose in response to the cries of His loved ones and rebuked the wind.  All He said was one word in Hebrew:  SHALOM.  

Afterward it says in the Greek text that there was a "MEGA CALM."

The disciples were even more frightened than before!  “But He {Jesus} said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:40-41

He was amazed at their response because they had seen countless multitudes healed of every kind of disease, had a front-row seat as crowds of people were fed from 5 loaves of bread and 2 tiny fish the size if sardines!  

These things didn't just happen once; there were so many miracles that the scriptures say there are not enough books in the world to contain an account of them all!  You get He was incredulous!

Some Amy not realize the countless miracles He did because The Holy Spirit has only recorded 33 min order to paint pictures for us of this wonderful Jesus.  He was quite amused that they were shocked when He calmed the storm with one word.

Amazingly, this event was foretold in one of the blessing Jacob spoke over his sons.  Gad, like his brother, Benjamin, must have thought his Dad had a screw loose when he heard the following words:

Genesis 49:19 “Gad, a troop {a legion} shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last."  

A troop shall what???  "Tramp on him?  That's more than 6,000 soldiers!  Now where have we seen that number before?!  Oh yes; that's the number of demons in that man!  

You see, there are prophetic elements in all the blessing over his sons.  The Holy Spirit was painting beautiful pictures of Jesus for us!

Lest anyone, believer or not, feel that they are beyond redemption or that they're too far gone, do you think you could ever be worse off than this demoniac?  In order to be possessed by that many demons, he had obviously “dabbled” in a lot of really things of the world for quite some time.  At last, however, he got so tangled up with evil that NO ONE could help him.  

No one, that is, but Jesus.  

Jesus LOVES US!  He knows each and every one of us and calls us BY NAME.  If you call out to Him, He will make a "B-line" toward you too, just for the asking.  It doesn’t matter what problem or situation you’re in right now or how bad you've been.  He will redeem you out of it, even if it's of your own making.

Look at what happened after this man was  delivered:  He went and preached the Gospel in 10 cities!  I guarantee you MANY came to believe in Jesus because of his incredible story.

If you already know this wonderful Jesus, you, like me, have been no doubt been delivered you out of many things.  If not, all you need to do is ask Him to save you and to redeem you out of it.  

Then GO; Tell someone else your story.  Tell them about YOUR JESUS.  

I guarantee it:  Somebody out there needs to hear your story.

The Gifts And Fruits Of The Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

"And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."

Our Heavenly Father is such a great Dad!  He has provided everything we need to walk out our Christian life in the 9 gifts and 9 fruits of the Spirit. They're recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and Galatians 5:22-23, respectively.

The gifts fall into three categories: Three you "say."  Three you "know."  Three you "do." 

They are listed this way in the text:

Say 

1. WORD OF WISDOM

2. WORD OF KNOWLEDGE 

3. PROPHECY 

Know 

4. DISCERNING OF SPIRITS 

5. TONGUES 

6. INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES. 

Do 

7. GIFTS {plural} OF HEALING(S) {plural}

8. WORKING OF MIRACLES
9. FAITH 

The 9 fruits also fall into three categories. Three are for the believer personally, three are for relating to others, and three concern relating to God.

Personal: 

1. LOVE 

2. JOY 

3. PEACE 

Relational:

4. LONG SUFFERING 

5. KINDNESS 

6. GOODNESS 

Relating to God: 

7. FAITHFULNESS 

8. GENTLENESS 

9. SELF CONTROL

The gifts and fruits are meant to be used together in a complementary fashion.  There is a beautiful picture of how to accomplish this hidden in types and shadows in the Old Testament.  Have you ever heard that the New Testament is the Old revealed and the Old is the New concealed?  All the above depicted in the most surprising place!

Bells And Pomegranates.

As you know, everything in the New Testament has a shadow representation in the Old.  The gifts and fruits are found in the most interesting and, probably, the mist unexpected place:  The garments of the high priest!

Exodus 28:33-35
And upon its hem (of the High Priest's garment) you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:  a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around.  And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die."

(To read about the colors mentioned and their meaning, follow this link:  https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/colors-of-the-ephod-part-3-high-priests-garments-series/)

God's instructions for the bells and pomegranates on the hem of the high priest's garments show us how the gifts and fruits are to be used.  

Pomegranates? Why pomegranates and why did God have them put them on the hem?  The Song of Solomon in 6 verse 7 gives us a clue:
"Like a piece of pomegranate Are your temples behind your veil." 

No, the Shulamite did not have bruises on her temples. Pomegranates have many seeds. Seeds are a typology of our thoughts. Many seeds: Many thoughts.  The juice of the pomegranate seed, being a deep red color, shows us that, in Christ, every one of our thoughts are bathed in and redeemed by the blood of our precious Jesus!  HALLELUJAH!

So what's the deal with the bells?  Bells are a herald of news which can be good or bad. In this case, these golden bells sing out the GOOD NEWS that we have a High Priest who advocates for us to the Father.  Again, HALLELUJAH! 

At the hem of the high priest's garment the bells and pomegranates were placed in alternating fashion,:  Bell, fruit; bell fruit.  It depicts the gifts and fruits working together in harmony. 

Why are they on the hem and not somewhere else?  What is nearest the hem?  His feet.  What do you do with your feet?  WALK or stand.  They were near his feet so that, as he walked, the bells would make a joyful, gentle, pleasant sound.  

As high priest, he was a shadow representation of our Lord Jesus.  After He came and shed His blood, the veil that separated Israel from God was torn giving us those who believe full and unrestricted access to God. 

You and I, Church, as spiritual Israel, are His priests in the world.  As we walk through life, we need to have the gifts and fruits operating in sweet, pleasant harmony, making a JOYFUL NOISE wherever we go.  As we walk, we share the gospel with people as well as minister to one another in His Name using those gifts and fruits. God gave them to us the gift and fruits to aide us in our Christian walk.  We walk them out wherever we go.  That's why it says in Isaiah 52:7,

"How beautiful upon the mountains

Are the FEET of him who brings good news,

Who proclaims peace,

Who brings glad tidings of good things,

Who proclaims salvation,

Who says to Zion,

“Your God reigns!"

(Bells and Pomegranates on the hem of the garment.)

The Gifts of the Spirit.

Here are the Gifts/Bells as they are recorded in 1 Corinthians. 12:8-10 

1. Word of wisdom; 2. Word of knowledge; 3. Faith; 4. Gift"s" of healing"s" (plural); 5. Working of miracles; 6. Prophecy; 7. Discerning of spirits; 8. Tongues; 9. Interpretation of tongues.

Now, here are the Fruits/Pomegranates in the order in which they are recorded in Galatians 5:22-23 

1. love 2. joy 3. peace 4. Long suffering 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Gentleness 9. Self-control

Gift #1 goes with fruit #1, i.e. word of wisdom with love. 

A word of wisdom is foreknowledge of a future event.  Here's an example: 

Suppose someone gets a word about a financial downturn. The people will feel loved and protected when it is given in such a way that they know that, in spite of what is happening in the world, that our Daddy always takes care of us.  We are His own so we need not fear.  The people know and understand that they are loved by God.  The word is not given or meant to frighten but to inform, and encourage and protect.  That is how a word of wisdom given in love. 

Notice, it's a "word," NOT a paragraph. Any more than that is none our business.

#2 gift goes with 2# fruit, i.e. "word of knowledge" with "joy." 
A word of knowledge, unlike wisdom, is of a present situation or current event. 

For example:  Suppose someone needed to be reconciled to another person who had wronged him and, in so doing, the person would be able to get the breakthrough for which he had been praying. 

That would be joyfully received! 

Again, it's a "word," NOT a "paragraph," because any more than that is TMI.  God is not running a gossip mill. 

#3 faith goes with #3, peace. 

When you step out in faith on anything, you feel God's leading because you have a sense of peace about it. I think you get the idea. 

The Dove.

These are all the gifts of The Holy Spirit. Did you ever wonder why He always appears like a Dove?  More word pictures!  The Dove has 9 primary feathers on each wing. When all the gifts and fruits are working together in harmony there is perfect balance. If only the gifts are operating, the Church is trying to fly straight with only one wing.  The same applies if only the fruits are operating.  The church flies straight when both are used in HARMONY. A bird with one wing can only fly in circles, going nowhere and accomplishing nothing. 

If only the gifts are operating, she is more like a "noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." Conversely, fruit without the gifts, too soft and "mushy." The Fruit harmonizes the sound of the Bells, making one's ministry acceptable, harmonious. 

Did you notice that there are Gifts (plural) of healings (plural)?   In the Church, there will be some who may have more success with touching those with back problems; others with lengthening of legs; others cancer, etc, many gift-s of healing-s.  The point is, healing isn't isolated to your church leadership or a select few; it's family-wide. 

Thank you, Daddy, for giving us the Holy Spirit and the wonderful Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit!

A Very Unusual Request

Genesis 22

22 "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac,whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 

God came to Abraham and told him to take his son, his "only begotten son," Isaac, and sacrifice him to the Lord on Mt. Moriah.  What A VERY UNUSUAL REQUEST!  It was so not like the God Abraham knew and loved, Who called him "My friend!"

But regardless, Abraham proceeded to do exactly as he was instructed; no question or complaint--also amazing!

I'm sure you know the story as well as I do. You can go and read it for yourself in Genesis 22. 

First of all, God says to take his son but He calls Isaac "his ONLY son."  

Wait a second.  Abraham had two sons.  The other one was Ishmael.  Why did He refer to Isaac as "his only son?"

Because God is always pointing to His ONLY Son, the Son that He loves; His only begotten, JESUS!  You can see the similarities between this "almost sacrifice" by Abraham and God's giving of His only Son.

Here are some obvious comparisons:

Isaac carried the wood on his back.

Jesus carried a wooden cross on his back. 

Isaac, with his father beside him, climbed to the top of a mountain. 

Jesus and His Father - no doubt-climbed to the top of Mount Calvary.  

You'd better believe it!  The Father was right there with His Beloved Son every step of the way until the moment He was forced to turn His back on Him because Jesus was carrying our sins.  

That's why Jesus had to cry out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? because, for the first time in 
His life, His Father turned His back on His beloved Son while He carried all our sins.  He couldn't call Him "Father" so that we would one day be able to cry out to God and call Him "Father."  We can now be FULLY ACCEPTED because Jesus was FULLY REJECTED, taking our rejection on Himself, absorbing it all.  HALLELUIA!

Here's the difference between the two. 

Abraham was about to slay his son but God stopped him.  There was a ram caught in a thicket that God provided which was killed and sacrificed in his place.  

I believe that, though God was asking him to slay his son, that he would have gone through with it, knowing full well that God would raise him back to life because he said to the men who came with them in Genesis 22:5 "And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU.'"

He knew they BOTH would return.

Jesus, on the other hand, was NOT SPARED but took our place and was sacrificed for us on the
cross.

Here are some things you may not have heard: 

For instance: 

Did you know that Mt. Moriah is part of the same range of mountains as Mt. Calvary? True! Calvary is the highest peak of that range (of course!) where, in the distant future, Jesus would be offered up for us all. 

And then there's the ram. 

God purposely mentions that it is "caught by it's horns in a thicket." 

Thickets have "thorns" (foreshadowing of the crown of thorns maybe?); a very significant detail! 

Now, if the ram had been caught by it's wool and not it's horns, it could have been scratched or injured in some way. That would disqualify the animal as a sacrifice, since he had to be without blemish. Being caught by it's horns, which doesn't usually happen, prevented the animal from being harmed. 

Then God says to Abraham: "Now I know how much you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only begotten son, from me....."

.....so that one day we could say, "Now I know how much you love me because You have not withheld your Son, Your only begotten Son from me."

Finally, there's this verse in the Gospel of John. 

In chapter 8, vs 56, Jesus says "Abraham rejoiced to see His day." 

He was saying that Abraham actually had a vision of what God was planning to do in the distant future. 

I believe as soon as he turned around and saw that ram in the thorn bush behind him he caught sight of the higher peak, Calvary, and had a vision of Jesus sacrifice on the cross in the diatant future

No wonder he rejoiced! He saw the sacrifice to end all sacrifices, even though, at the time, what God asked him to do may have seemed a very unusual request.

Mikveh: Baptism

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

"1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.’

4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."

(John baptizing in the Jordan River.)

Baptism is specifically mentioned here in the Gospel of Matthew because he was writing to Jewish people, both saved and unsaved.  This is the same Matthew who was a tax collector, considered by his countrymen to be a traitor of his nation.  This gospel was specifically written TO Jewish people although non-Jews can learn many things as well.  (For more on this topic of who wrote what to whom, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-3-of-16-rightly-dividing-word-of.html)

In Jewish culture, the confession of sins, ritual baptism, cleansing, consecration to God and spiritual purification via the waters of baptism, or Mikveh, was a centuries-old tradition.  It was an integral part of their religious life and a custom with which they were well acquainted.  Many homes even had their own Mikveh built right in.  

The pool of Siloám is a perfect example of a naturally occurring one.  Siloám means "Sent One," 

(For more on this topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/siloam-sent-one.html)

(Pool of Siloam.)

This Hebrew word comes from the root "qavah," meaning "wait," as in waiting for something (or Someone?).  The word in scripture first occurs in Genesis 1:10...the gathering of the waters He called,"seas."  You see, the first and greatest flood of all was the one in the very beginning.  When the earth was without form and void, chaos everywhere, and the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the face of the deep.  

("....and the earth was without form and void.")

The Jewish custom of immersion was usually done in a Mikveh, which simply means "a pool where water has gathered."  The Mikveh is an essential in any Synagogue and was also part of the temple.  It was not intended for physical cleaning, which would be done beforehand, but for Spiritual cleansing in a purification ceremony.   

The terms "purity and impurity" are inadequate translations from the Hebrew and lend more to a physical rather than a spiritual sense to the process.

(Jewish Mikveh.)

Immersion was conducted for various occasions:

1. Women after childbirth or menstruation

2. A bride before her wedding

3. Priests (in the Temple) before divine service

4. Men on the eve of Yom Kippur (also optionally, before Shabbat)

5. For converts to Judaism

6. In preparation of a dead person for burial

The Torah does not say much about immersion and the mikveh, but it appears to have become an essential part of Jewish religious life by Temple times.  Leviticus 12:5 talks of washing for purification for women, and Leviticus 14: 8-9 of purification for leprosy, a typology of sin in the Bible.  

Exodus 29: 4-5 gives instruction for consecrating the priests:  "Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.  Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, ........";

(Priest ceremonially cleansing himself.)

Exodus 30:20 describes hoe the priest must cleanse himself before entering the Mishkan or tent of meeting:  "Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die."

A search on the word "bathe" will produce many verses, such as Leviticus 15:13

"When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean."

It all brings to mind the greatest gathering of waters ever known:  The flood of Noah's day.  The whole earth was immersed in water-as in a Mikveh-after which it was cleansed of all evil.  When Noah stepped out of the ark, he stepped into a brand new world; no condemnation ground, with a rainbow in the sky proclaiming no more judgment!
 

That's pretty much what baptism symbolizes: That we died with Christ, were buried and raised to newness of life.  We came up out of the water, showing those in witness, that we now stand on no-curse ground, cleansed of all sin, with a rainbow over our heads.....no more condemnation.....FOREVER!  HALLELUIA!!!
(For more on this topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-covenant-of-rainbow.html)
 

Thank you, Jesus!  You are our "Mikveh!"