Christ our New Wine, the Perfect Righteousness

 “But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭38‬ ‭KJV

New wine must always be poured into new wineskins.  Christ is our new garment, which is righteousness we received from Him; and He is the New Wine that is poured into the new wineskins which is our new life and divine nature we received by faith in the finished work of the Cross and Christ’s resurrection.  Many today are trying to patch up their old garments of self-righteousness, hoping their old lives can hold the new wine of the Spirit. As new creatures in Christ, walking in newness of life we are held in the grip of grace and reign as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the One and Only Jesus, the Messiah!  Hallelujah!

The Ensign of our Father

 “Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The arrangements of the camps of Israel reveal God’s character.  He instructed Moses where each tribe should encamp around His Tabernacle.  God is the God of order and harmony.  He gave a beautiful blueprint for the encampment of His people with all twelve tribes divided into four camps and looking from above, it was shaped as a Cross.  When Balaam came on the hilltop to curse Israel, he couldn’t because he looked down at the encampment in the shape of the Cross, and blessings poured out of his mouth instead!  When anyone comes against you to curse you and they see the finished work of the Cross in you, they can never touch you with ill-will of any kind.  Today in the New Covenant, Christ dwells in those who believe in the finished work of the Cross.  God gives leadership, unity of team-work and the salvation of souls to those who believe Him.  That’s the Kingdom of God blueprint and it works by the power of love.  The mystery is that Christ in you is the hope of glory.  Hallelujah!

The Holy Spirit Who Empowers Us

 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

From the moment of His baptism, Jesus overflowed with the Holy Spirit. He was taken by the Spirit from the Jordan into the wilderness of Judea to experience for forty days the ordeal of testing by the accuser. He ate no food during this time and ended His forty-day fast very hungry. It was then the devil said to Him, “If you are really the Son of God, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread for You.”  The Holy Spirit leads us, as He did Jesus, into places where we will be proven, tested and strengthened for our future purpose.  After Jesus’s greatest affirmation from the Father, came a great time of testing, which proved that the devil was defeated by Christ’s appearing.  No one, not even Jesus could face testing times on earth unless the Holy Spirit becomes our Helper, Sanctifier, Guide, Empowerer, Who never leaves us nor forsakes us.  Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to take us through every season of our life here on earth because we are washed by the Blood of Jesus. Amen!

Count Your Blessings

 “from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God Himself commanded His servants to number all the male Israelites from twenty years and above by their clans and families, listing every man by name.  There were two census in Numbers, one taken soon after they left Egypt and the other just before they entered Canaan.  The God of infinite wisdom still counts each one of us meticulously.  He is not a God Who stands afar off without much interest in you.  Nothing escapes His attention.  He knows your thoughts, sighs, even the words you will speak before they come on your tongue.  He knows your need before you ever ask Him.  He numbered all your days, even every single hair of your head.  He has counted the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea.  How detailed is God!  God wants you to count every one of His blessings, not be proud of them, but be thankful to God.  Thankfulness comes when we count our blessings and  in Christ through a thankful heart God causes us to triumph.  In the census of God, we are more than our enemies and when God is for us who can be against us?  We are overcomers in Christ and more than a conqueror.  Hallelujah!

Forgive & Be Forgiven

 “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John the Baptist went preaching and baptizing throughout the Jordan Valley. He persuaded people to turn away from their sins and turn to God for the freedom of forgiveness.  As the forerunner of Christ, the prophet John was a hinge of human history who forever changed the world.  John’s message was revolutionary, for the religion of the day taught that forgiveness could only be found temporarily by offering sacrifices in the temple.  John told the people that forgiveness of sin was a heart issue, not gained by an animal sacrifice offered in the corrupt religious system of the day.  Repentance, breaking open the heart, is more important than gaining forgiveness by religious acts.  Let’s recognise the freedom that comes from forgiveness and letting go of grudges and unforgiveness.  Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  Amen!

You Belong to Christ, Lock, Stock & Barrel

 “Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭27‬:‭28‬ ‭KJV

Whatever was devoted to the LORD by voluntary special vows could only be redeemed by the price the priest fixed by appraising their value.  However, all firstborn of both humans and animals, and all the tithes already belong to the LORD and cannot be given as special vows, as the law stated.  But now, in the New Covenant, the moment you came to Christ, you and all your belongings are dedicated to Him, you have no choice here!  Jesus valued you higher than His very Life and redeemed you with His Precious Blood.  You are no longer your own!  He values you, old or a child, sick or whole.  In Christ there is absolutely no partiality.  When you devote yourself to the LORD, you become His channel of blessing to the world.  Now you are dead to the world and alive to Him.  The world has been crucified to you, because you are in Christ.  Hallelujah!

God’s Presence in us in Christ

 “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Forty days after the birth of her son, Mary’s time of purification had completed, so she came to the temple with a sacrifice, according to the law of Moses in Leviticus. So Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to Jerusalem to be dedicated before the Lord.  The Ark of the Covenant signifying the Presence of God, had been absent from the Temple since 586 BC, when the Babylonians destroyed it.  Malachi had prophesied, “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord, an offering in righteousness.  Herod’s temple had no Ark of the Covenant until Jesus came into the temple that day, when Mary brought Him there.  Through His dedication and Blood Sacrifice, Jesus has made us who believe Him, to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and God’s Presence in Christ, is always in us!  Thank You, Jesus!

Blessings in Christ in the New Covenant

 “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It is always God’s pleasure to bless His Covenant people.  He chose them just to bless them as you continue to read in this chapter.  It will surprise you at His generosity in blessing, of prosperity, peace, power over enemies, power to increase and most of all His Presence.  In the Old Testament, all God’s blessings were conditional, based on human effort - “I will bless you if you….”.  In Christ in the New Covenant, God’s blessings are based on Christ’s accomplishments on the Cross - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, in Christ.”  Those who have come into a personal relationship with Christ Jesus through accepting His Blood Sacrifice, will testify of the continuous blessings of prosperity, peace, power over enemies, power to increase and most of all His Presence, in our lives.  Let’s continuously give Him thanks and praise.  Amen!

God, Perfectly Expressed in Christ

 “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This Gospel is an orderly account of Jesus, the Anointed One, written to all the lovers and friends of God.  This Word is the blueprint.  Jesus Christ is the Eternal Word, the creative Word, and the Word made visible.  He is the divine self-expression of all that God is, contains, and reveals in incarnated flesh.  Just as we express ourselves in words, God has perfectly expressed Himself in Christ.  Let’s put this Word in our hearts.  Amen!

Life in Christ is a Perpetual Jubilee

 “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭25‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Every seventh year was a Sabbath year, a year of liberty, rest, enjoyment, when debts were cancelled.  After every seventh Sabbath, the fiftieth year was celebrated, a year of jubilee, inaugurated by a trumpet sound.  That year, slaves were liberated, loans were cancelled, servants released, debts forgiven, lands returned to original owners, businesses started anew, just a time of the joy of reunion and restoration.  Life in Christ is a perpetual life of jubilee, of freedom and liberty, of joy and celebration, an absolute new beginning.  That’s why Jesus said at the start of His great work that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”  He proclaimed jubilee, new beginnings, restoration to us who believe.  Simply believe and receive this glorious life in Christ.  Amen!

The Signs that Follow those who Believe Christ

 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”  The resurrected Jesus spoke these words to His own, Himself commissioning them to take this message from the east to the west - the holy and imperishable preaching of eternal salvation.  What had been prophesied in the Psalm is fulfilled in Christ - you shall tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet.  You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness, trampling every one of them beneath your feet!  Let it be fulfilled in the  lives of those who believe.  Hallelujah!

Shining Night & Day

 “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The greatest blessing under heaven is to have a new nature and a new spirit within you.  If you learn to keep your spirit in all fervency, you are a winner and a world blesser.  The continual burning of lamps in the Tabernacle speaks clearly of this truth. Because you came to Christ, the great Light of the world came into your life to make you His light to the world.  Like the pressed and crushed olive oil, Christ was pressed and crushed at the Cross to supply you with the never ending oil of the Holy Spirit so you can shine in this dark world, night and day.   Don’t lag in diligence but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.  Amen!

Revolution of Love

 “And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Now, Pilate was holding in custody a notorious criminal named Barabbas, one of the assassins who had committed murder in an uprising.  The name  Bar-Abbas means “son of a father” or “son who is like his father.”  He becomes a picture of every son of Adam.  The true Son of the Father was crucified that day.  One man wanted a political revolution.  The True Son wanted a revolution of love filling the hearts of all men.  This hope of mankind was realised when the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost.  This hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!  Amen!

The Feast of Trumpets

 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭23‬:‭24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The feast of trumpets celebrated on the first day of the Israelites’ seventh month when they blew trumpets from sunrise to sunset offering burnt offerings, meat offerings, drink offerings and daily offerings.  There is a prophetic insight into the future and the end time Church because after Pentecost, the remaining feasts have not yet been commemorated in the new covenant.  We, the end time Church, celebrate the feast of trumpets in great anticipation of our Lord Jesus’s glorious return and the end time events as it points to the national day of atonement.  The Church in every nation expects a great nation-shaking revival of repentance seeking God’s forgiveness, bringing in the greater harvest - an ingathering of souls coming into God’s Kingdom.  God wants His covenant people to rejoice and bring in the continuous sacrifice of thanksgiving, praise and worship as the Church manifests the glorious Presence of Christ in us.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise and then those who are alive.  Hallelujah!

Christ our Passover

 “And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

So they went into the city and found everything to be exactly like Jesus had prophesied, and they prepared for him the Passover meal.  This miracle account shows that Jesus had revelation knowledge and prophetic insight into the future.  The disciples encountered the man, just like Jesus had said, carrying water.  This was a task given to women, making it easy to spot a man carrying a water pot.  Also, it was somewhat of a miracle that during the feast days, with a quarter of a million pilgrims celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, there would be a large room like this unoccupied.  This was the last Passover feast in God’s economy, as the shadow of the Passover was fulfilled at the Cross, where Jesus was crucified.  Passover is now replaced for believers by the communion we share at the Lord’s Supper.  Christ our Passover has been crucified for us.  Amen!

YHWH Raphe

 “What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭22‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God’s attitude towards sickness is that diseases, discharges and defects were prohibited from entering God’s Presence and such priests could neither offer nor eat the sacred offerings.  There was and is absolutely no need for anyone of God’s covenant people to be sick when the Lord is our personal Physician.  He is Yahweh Rapha, the God Who heals.  No one can insult God by their lack of trust in Him which is why He didn’t allow them to enter His Presence.  God is compassionate and merciful to those who do make mistakes in that He heals them.  Those who wandered in the wilderness, there was none feeble among them.  Jesus, the perfect God and Man, showed the same compassion for the sick and suffering while on earth.  In His crucifixion He offered Himself as the great Sin Offering to cleanse and heal everyone of His people.  The love of Christ makes sick people be healed even today when they put their faith in Him.  Sin and sickness are the curses from the first Adam.  Holiness and health are the blessings from the last Adam.  By His Own Self He bare our sins in His Own body, and by Whose stripes we were healed.  Amen!

Christ’s Word will Remain Forever

 “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said, “I assure you, this family will not pass away until all I have spoken comes to pass. The earth and sky will wear out and fade away before one word I speak loses its power or fails to accomplish its purpose.”  Jesus was talking about the parable of the fig tree to the Jews which Jeremiah and Hosea in the old covenant, had spoken of as the symbol of Israel which bore no fruit.  For thousands of years there was no nation of Israel but in the mid-twentieth century this nation came back into existence, unheard of with any nation before!  For the Church in the new covenant, which is the family of God, the Christian family of believers on earth will remain and endure as it has done for two thousand years.  Those who accept Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour, in whom the Word of God is, will remain for eternity.  This heaven and this earth will pass away but those who abide in the Word will be in the new heaven and the new earth.  Glory to God!

In Christ We Live in God’s Presence

 “They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭21‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

All Israelites were chosen as a special community set apart for God as a priestly nation and the Aaronic  priests were called to serve God full-time.  All the holy laws and requirements were common for both the Israelites and the priests but the law required more from the Aaronic priests.  In Christ, every believer is a priest.  In the New Covenant, as God’s holy priest, we stand between the sinning world and the saving Lord.  The most precious Holy Spirit is upon us and we are clothed with the most precious Christ Jesus.  We live in His Presence every second of our life.  Our offerings, prayers, praises, committed life, substance and everything we are and have is well accepted and brings joy to God’s heart.  We are holy to our God to protect the honour of His Name and can never profane His Name.  We present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: which is why we labour, striving according to His working, which works in us mightily.  Amen!

The Reality of our Relationship with Christ

 “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭34‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When Jesus noticed how thoughtfully and sincerely the man answered, he said to him, “You’re not far from the reality of God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to question him again.  Jesus tells the man that God’s Kingdom realm is within reach.  It is a present reality, not just a far-off concept.  The religious scholars (scribes) are mentioned a number of times, many of whom questioned Jesus’s authority, even questioning His interpretation of Scripture.  Jesus shows that they had a theology without knowing the reality of Christ, the Messiah and His Kingdom.  Every teaching needs to be weighed by the reality of Christ, not the traditions of men.  That is why the reality of our relationship with the risen Christ is what gives depth to our teaching and interpretation of Scripture.  We always have God’s Presence.  For hasn’t He promised us, “I will never leave you, never! And I will not loosen My grip on your life!” So we can say with great confidence: “I know the Lord is for me and I will never be afraid of what people may do to me!”  Hallelujah!

The LORD God Who Sanctifies

 “And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭20‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬ 

When the Israelites were in Egypt they followed Egyptian laws but when God delivered them, He became their ultimate Ruler.  He separated and sanctified them being their guide, their dietician, gastroenterologist, gynaecologist, paediatrician, dermatologist, their sanitary inspector and hygienist, their urologist and sexologist, their moral instructor, their supreme court, their master of religious ceremonies, their employer and landowner, their agricultural officer and geologist, their reformer.  In short, God was there All in All.  In Christ, in addition to all this, He is your Father, your Groom, your Best Friend, your Indweller, your All in All.  He sanctifies and sets you apart because of His high moral standards.  He sanctifies you through His Word, His Blood, and His Spirit, anoints you and makes you a member of His Body.  In the old covenant He wrote His statutes on stone and in the new covenant He writes them in your heart.  Let His holiness be your standard - Yahweh M’kaddesh - the LORD God Who Sanctifies you.  Amen!

Hiding behind Fig Leaves

 “and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus, feeling hungry, noticed a leafy fig tree in the distance, so He walked over to see if there was any fruit on it, but there was none—only leaves (for it wasn’t yet the season for bearing figs).  The fig tree is first mentioned when Adam and Eve first sinned against God and then covered their nakedness with fig leaves.  Fig leaves were a covering for fallen mankind to hide behind.  It also became a hiding place for Zaccheus, who climbed a sycamore fig tree to see Jesus.  The tree with leaves but no fruit symbolises the religious system that does not depend on a relationship with Jesus our Saviour.  After this, Jesus went to drive out the moneychangers from the temple, who were rotten fruit.  The firstfruits of the harvest Jesus was looking for, came on the day of Pentecost, at the end of the Feast of Firstfruits.  Let’s choose to bear much fruit because we totally depend on Jesus, our Vine, apart from Whom we can do nothing.  Amen!

Holy & Called Out Ones

 “Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

All the laws of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Christ.  The principles of every law stand for eternity.  Humility and submission helps us not to disobey or rebel against God’s laws.  Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”  Jesus humbled Himself and submitted to God in all reverence.  God is love and He never changed.  His code of ethics is to love our neighbour as ourselves, to be generous and compassionate with all.  Hating, robbing, cheating, slandering, seeking revenge, walking in unforgiveness, has no place for those who are in Christ.  We do not conform to the principles of this world and choose to be a God-pleaser rather than a man-pleaser.  God has called us holy as He is holy and learn from Christ Who is gentle and lowly in heart because His yoke is easy and burden is light.  That’s how we find rest for our soul.  Help us, Holy Spirit.  Amen!

The Principles of God’s Kingdom

 “And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The difficulty Jesus speaks of is not because it is evil to be rich, but because the wealthy are quick to put their confidence in riches and not in God.  The metaphor of the camel  going through the eye of the needle is for something impossible to happen.  To enter into God’s Kingdom realm means more than salvation, but a participation in its principles and an experience of its power to change our hearts.  The principles of God’s Kingdom are not the principles of this world.  Greed is conquered by generosity.  Promotion is given to the humble.  The power of  God’s Kingdom is found in the Holy Spirit.  To enter into God’s Kingdom based on worldly principles is the camel going through the eye of the needle, it can never happen.  Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is the way to be in abundant life and we become like a little child to enjoy our Father’s Kingdom.  Amen!

We are Designed by God

 “Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭20‬, ‭22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God is involved in every area of our life, even our sexual life.  The very idea of sex originated with God, as the Creator of the human body.  Adam and Eve were blessed with the sexual drive even before sin entered.  With satan’s entry, sex was greatly perverted.  God our Creator blessed mankind with proper sex by blessing with fruitfulness and multiplying to replenish the earth.  God designed the human body with a sexual drive between a man and a woman within the bond of marriage.  Jesus Christ validated this by manifesting His glory at the first miracle at a wedding.  The Holy Spirit is deeply concerned with our sexuality and helps our sexual instincts properly.  In Christ our body becomes His property by Him purchasing it when we have faith in His sacrifice.  We are accountable to Him and have no right to play with our sexuality as we please.  There were consequences for all those in Scripture who fell into the enemy’s trap with regard to sexual sins.  Thank God for the forgiveness of sins by the precious Blood of Jesus.  When we violate God’s design, we repent and believe in the power of His Blood on our behalf for every sin against God.  Thank You Jesus!

Seasoned with Salt

 “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”

Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭49‬-‭50‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said, “Everyone will pass through the fire and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is excellent for seasoning. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can its flavor ever be restored? Your lives, like salt, are to season and preserve. So don’t lose your flavor, and preserve the peace in your union with one another.”  The unbeliever will be thrown into the fires of Gehenna, and the believer will pass through the refining fire of God’s holiness and love.  We, as a living sacrifice, are made ‘salty’ for God!  In Jewish culture salt is a symbol of faithfulness in friendship.  Jesus is teaching us to be faithful friends to one another and live in peace.  In this way we don’t lose our flavour.  Amen!

The Only Atonement Mankind Has

 “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Right from Noah, God commanded them not to eat any blood.  The life of every living thing is in the blood and is precious before God and man.  Since God values blood so highly, bloodshed and murder are a serious offence to Him.  The Blood of Jesus is the most precious and sacred, for us, and the most highly valued before heaven and hell.  The very Life of God is in Jesus’s shed Blood.  The moment you trusted in Christ’s Blood, all the Life of God flooded into you.  Your revelation of His Blood decides how you enjoy your life in Christ.  Lack of knowledge of Christ’s Blood cuts you off from God’s Life flowing in and through you.  The Blood of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ is the most powerful, not only in the world but in the entire seen and unseen universe and in heaven.  In Christ we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.  Hallelujah!

The Suffering of the Son of Man

 “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

From then on, Jesus began to tell His disciples that He, the Son of Man, was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer great injustice from the elders, leading priests, and religious scholars. He also explained that He would be killed and three days later be raised to life again.  This rejection and injustice refers to the beatings, mockings and Illegal trial Jesus endured.  To have the Messiah suffer was contrary to every belief system among the Jews.  The Messiah was to be the King of Israel, surrounded with glory, not suffering.  Jesus had prophesied His death all along and each time He did that, the disciples were confused and unable to understand.  So each time Jesus took the opportunity to explain what being His follower really entailed.  Even prophets of old had prophesied it - The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.  Amen!

Christ our Atonement

 “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭16‬:‭34‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This was the great Day of Atonement for all Israelites, when only the high priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place, where nobody could ever enter.  In case the high priest had not approached as per the purification that God instituted, he fell down dead in the Most Holy Place, and his body was pulled out by a rope attached to his ankle.  This was a day of fear, trembling and humiliation as the Israelites afflicted themselves with fasting and penitence.  Two goats were presented before the Lord, one as a sin offering and the other a scapegoat, which when the high priest confessed the sins of Israel over its head, was led into the wilderness.  Jesus Christ is our sin offering Whose Blood purifies all who believe in His vicarious atoning death on the Cross.  Every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.  Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  Amen!

Love Overcame Racism

 “the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

She was not Jewish, but a foreigner, born in the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. She begged him repeatedly to cast the demon out of her daughter.  She was not of the children of Israel.  For her to seek out a Jewish healer to set free her demonised daughter was against the culture of her times.  The racial divide of that day was quite pronounced, but love and faith overcome every barrier, including racial prejudice.  The woman came into the true worship of God, leaving her false gods behind.  Her daughter was set free because he or she whom Jesus the Son of God sets free is free indeed.  We are here to show the hungry and lost people around us that Christ in us is the hope of glory.  Hallelujah!

Christ Cleanses the Unclean

“This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith; and of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭15‬:‭32‬-‭33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Under the old covenant, a man or a woman having discharge was‬ ‭unclean and couldn’t come into the place of worship unless they had purified themselves.  In Jesus’s ministry on earth, He touched the unclean leper and the woman with the issue of blood and they were made clean.  Everyone who came to Jesus was cleansed and healed!  In Christ, physical defilements are not the main focus.  Sin, which is the root of all defilement and uncleanness, physical or otherwise, was dealt with already at the Cross.  Through faith in Christ’s precious Blood Sacrifice, our hearts are purified.  The atoning work of Jesus broke all curses, brought deliverance from evil and healing from all sickness and disease.  Let’s by faith, be cleansed and purified by the Blood of Jesus and be a vessel of honour, sanctified, and fit for the Master's use, and prepared for every good work.  Amen! 

Jesus Empowers through Faith

 “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭52‬ ‭KJV

Their doubting hearts had not grasped His authority and power over all things in spite of just having witnessed the miraculous feeding. God has the power to deliver us, no matter what the limitation.  Whether it was the bread that multiplied in the disciples hands or that they had the power to rebuke the storm as Jesus passed them by, Jesus wanted them to see things in the new light of the authority they now carried.  Jesus had all the power to meet every need and He had given the disciples the authority but their hearts were hardened, their minds were dull and unwilling to learn and accept this new information.  Every miracle carries a message.  May we continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of His resurrection working in us.  That we be one with Him in His sufferings and become like Him in His death.  Amen!