Significance of the New Covenant Meal

 “that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus says as He reveals the communion meal of the New Covenant that “We will eat and drink at the table I am serving in My Kingdom; your co-seatedness with Me around My table symbolises twelve thrones endorsing your authority to bring context and closure to the indifference and ignorance of the tribes of Israel in their judgment of Me.”  This most significant Pascha meal will extend far beyond the moment - in every meal in future, the “Table of the Lord” will be celebrated as the incarnation trophy of mankind’s redeemed innocence and identity as prophesied and concluded in the Messiah Saviour of the world.  The presence of the twelve disciples, who witnessed the proof of His mission, will bring conclusion to the entire prophetic context of the twelve tribes of Israel.  May we recognise the significance of the New Covenant meal celebrated in all eternity.  Thank You Jesus!

Chief Shepherd

 “And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭16:1‬ ‭KJV

The territory assigned to Joseph’s descendants began east of the springs of Jericho near the Jordan, then turned north through the desert and into the hill country as far as Bethel.  Though Joseph was one of the younger sons of Jacob, yet he was his eldest by his best beloved wife Rachel.  Joseph was also Jacob’s best beloved son and had kept Jacob’s family from perishing in a time of famine, and had been the shepherd and stone of Israel. So his posterity were very much favoured by the lot. Their portion lay in the very heart of the land of Canaan and extended from Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean Sea, in the west, so that it took up the whole breadth of Canaan from side to side; and without doubt the fruitfulness of the soil answered the blessings both of Jacob when he blessed his sons before dying and of Moses when he blessed the twelve tribes.  Joseph depicts Jesus as the Shepherd and Cornerstone which Israel rejected and in Whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace!  Hallelujah!

Jesus was Judged for All Mankind

 “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said that seasons will come and go as witnessed in sky and land; yet My words will always be current and relevant!  What Jesus said prophetically here was John’s focus of the slain and risen Lamb of God in the graphic symbolism of Revelation - timeless, relevant and significant.  The message in Revelation of the Lamb is dynamic: people across the planet would face challenges at any time of testing and experience temptation to conform to diabolical religious mindsets at the expense of their true identity and freedom.  These “judgments” will continue until we fully realise the finished work of Jesus and what it was that the Lamb of God accomplished when He gave Himself as the Sacrifice instead of demanding a sacrifice from us.  Tragedy, crisis and wars are not acts of God!  God brought sin and separation to an end through the Cross when Jesus was judged for all mankind.  Judgment is not God’s business, Salvation is!  Worthy is the Lamb!

Land of Our Heart

 “And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭15:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Caleb drove out three Anakim from Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai - descendants of Anak.  These descendants of Anak were the giants in the land.  Sheshai means “whitewashed” and he represents hypocrisy.  Jesus called the religious scholars of His day and the Pharisees, hypocrites and tombs painted with white paint.  Ahiman means “my brother is a gift” and represents an exaggerated spirituality.  Talmai means “brave” and represents arrogance and false confidence.  If we find these giants in the “land” of our hearts, then we must cast them out. If we say that we have fellowship with God, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  Amen!

Checkmated

 “And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar's, and unto God the things which be God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭20:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus asked for a denarius, when the representatives of the chief priests and the scribes asked whether Jews should pay taxes to the Roman authority.  Then Jesus asked whose image is on that penny and they answered, Cæser’s.  So Jesus said, Return to Cæser what belongs to him!  And return to God what belongs to Him.  Jesus checkmated them with this final statement and shifted the entire focus to the immediate and most relevant reality!  He might as well have said, Show me a Person Whose image and inscription are engraved in you!  Everyone was amazed at the wisdom of His words, which totally disarmed these imposter-spies and left them speechless.  Jesus is the Word Who had said that God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.  Let’s rejoice in our identity  in Christ Who restored back Him in us for those of us who believe!  Glory to God!

Possess and Enjoy Your Inheritance

 “Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Caleb reminded Joshua how Yahweh had made the promise to Moses that every part of the land their feet trod was an inheritance to them and their descendants forever.  So Caleb says here that it’s been forty-five years since Yahweh made that promise to Moses, when Israel journeyed through the wilderness.  Yahweh preserved Caleb, an eighty-five year old man, to this day!  Caleb’s courage at eighty-five was incredible!  He was neither weary nor intimidated by any giant.  He knew God had promised him that land, and no giant was going to get in his way.  Caleb was a giant killer and lived another twenty five years enjoying his inheritance.  Jesus has crushed the devil under our feet and destroyed all the devil’s works so we must with courage claim our inheritance and enjoy it.  Hallelujah!

Bank the Word in You

 “wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus gave the parable of the king giving mina to his servants.  The other servant’s profited from their mina but one slothful servant returned his unused mina giving the excuse that he was afraid of the king’s expectation of him.  So the king asked the slothful servant why had he not put the mina in the bank so at the king’s return it would have gained some interest.  The mina in the story represents the prophetic Word.  The ones who engage the Word discover their own worth and identity in the revealed Christ.  For others, like the slothful servant, their perception of a rigorous, cruel God completely neutralises them from recognising Jesus as the Christ!  The least they could do is to ‘bank’ the Word!  This would keep the promise alive for them in a positive environment where interest is accumulated!  Let’s be those who engage with the Word and see the revealed Christ by meditating on it day and night and do what it says, so that we’re profitable in mirroring the Word to others as they see the revealed Christ in and through us!  Amen!

Possessing Our Inheritance

 “Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Many years passed, and Joshua was a very old man.  One day, Yahweh spoke to him: “Although you have reached a ripe old age, a great deal of land remains for you to conquer..”. Joshua had spied out the land forty-five years earlier.  He was over eighty years old at the time of this encounter with Yahweh.  Despite all of Joshua’s victories, there remained more territory to conquer.  Believers today, although complete in Christ, have yet more spiritual blessings to possess.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.  Let’s believe and possess with child-like faith our inheritance in Christ.  Amen!

Believe & Receive

 “And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:42‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The blind beggar who hollered for Jesus to have mercy on him was brought to Jesus. Jesus asked him what he wanted and he replied that he may see.  Jesus responded, Look up! Your faith has made you well.  Jesus commended the blind man’s faith who didn’t ask for a miracle and then believe, but rather believed first and received his miracle.  The true Gospel is from faith to faith and the dynamic of the Gospel is the revelation of God’s faith as the only valid basis for our belief.  It is God’s faith to begin with, and not our good or bad behaviour.  The just live by God’s faith.  This is the new covenant of the Gospel of grace that the promises of God outdate any performance.  Let’s celebrate that our righteousness is not by works but by God’s faith!  Let’s celebrate that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!  Glory to God!

The Utter Destruction of Powers that Hinder Us

 “the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth-el, one; the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭12:9-12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

These are the nine out of thirty one kings, Joshua destroyed utterly.  Our heavenly Yeshua has defeated every principality, power and stronghold that resists our advance in Christ.  The meaning of the names of these cities represents principalities that dull our understanding of the finished work of Christ for us.  Jericho represents walls, impossibilities, limitations.  Ai means a heap of ruins and represents the world system.  Jerusalem then ruled by Adoni-zedek means lord of righteousness which represents counterfeit spirituality.  Hebron ruled by Hoham means fellowship and broken representing broken fellowship with God.  Jarmuth meaning lifted up, ruled by Piram meaning wild donkey represents pride and arrogance.  Lachish means impregnable, ruled by Japhia meaning splendid and bright, represents human ingenuity.  Eglon which means bull-like represents human arguments and oratory.  Gezer means steep and precipitous represents a sharp tongue with stinging words.  These are some of the principalities which hinder our walk in the Spirit and which we overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of our testimony.  Hallelujah!