Showing posts with label communion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communion. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

There is Something in the Water

 

Is there found something in a flood? It entails much debris as to logs from trees, the remains of a once fine barn and even several cars or SUV's. There is something in the water. Around here we find high rising waters from a lot of excess rain bringing much devastation to downtown areas on the lovely seaside of Oregon. They show the excess water surrounding cafe's, coffee shops, banks and a dress store. Water surrounding complete towns is seen and no one stirs. It happened fifteen years ago in many of these areas due to the rising water of several creeks and rivers. Saw a picture of majestic Snoqualmie Falls in northern Washington. It is flowing in floods of torrents creating rainbows at times. It is loud in volume. It is making its wrath known in the area of farm homes and business' alike.

There is something in the water. When in church some 25 years ago I remember the pastor talking about prayer time. In it he mentioned people asking the Lord what was beneath the water of a situation. He told us to ask the Lord what was there that could potentially bring destruction and despair. I still ask the Lord what is beneath the troubled waters. Sincerely He would respond in the respect of a person having an opposite view from God.  Troubled waters were making a noise loud and clear. One could know just by asking the right question to God Himself!

As the righteous we can know some things. God helps us to see and know. Many times we think He owes it to us, but in truth we only know by being holy before Him.

God lives in His holiness, and it is from righteousness that our relation with God is shared.  It is God's holiness that is realized in righteousness. "God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness" (Isa 5:16). So Isaiah's peculiar phrase, "the Holy One of Israel," brings God in His most exalted being into a relation of knowledge and moral reciprocity with Israel.

1 Samuel 2:2 — "No one is holy like the Lord."

Psalm 99:2-3 — The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name-He is holy.

Isaiah 6:3 — "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

Revelation 4:8 — "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

 

Hannah spoke this about God in 1 Samuel 2:2 “There is none more holy like the Lord, there is none besides You, there is no Rock like our God.  Hannah was speaking of His divinity not to a characteristic of God.

He is Peace : God is Jehovah-shalom. This name means “the God of peace.” We are meant to know the fullness of God’s perfect peace, or His “shalom.” God’s peace surpasses understanding and sustains us even through difficult times. It is the product of fully being what we were created to be. —Judges 6:16-24

There is something in the water! Today, not noted on the news but a believer who studies the end times wrote that the places that were filled to capacity before covid 19 are not almost like ghost areas, halls and theme parks. Places in Las Vegas are begging Canadians to come visit ! The great theme park of this nation is about to lay off how many hundreds because the middle-class cannot afford it anymore due to the change for higher prices and less volume. Yikes! Not mentioned on the news station is the amount of earthquakes are being felt in what is known as the "Ring of Fire"! Many of late are reaching the magnitude of 8 like the one in Russia back in July 2025.


There is something in the water! 

Among the multiple pantheons of gods, only one God lives the way a God ought to live. This particular God—the God of Israel—is holy, that is, He alone is transcendentally different, superior, and separate. He has called His people to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). It follows that a holy person must be different in the way that God is different.

 

From God's holiness flows His love—outgoing concern for others, His outstanding attribute. When God looked on Israel, however, He saw a whole nation, from her culture to her government to her religion, organized on the basis of human self-concern. God wanted to see clear evidence of godly living, by which He could verify their claims of being His people. In Israel, He saw no such evidence, but instead a people in opposition to Him in every area of life. Spiritual adultery had occurred.  Amos 4:2 NKJV  The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness: "Behold, the days shall come upon you  When He will take you away with fishhooks,  And your posterity with fishhooks.

In Christ, we are given a new position which is defined and motivated to practice. In unity with Him in His death and resurrection, we now Christ are made into what God requires.

1.   In faith, the demand is our way of life conformed into the meaning of the spoken Word of God, the Gospel. See please in Ro. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  Having died to the power of & the practice of sin ; entering into death of Jesus by Faith. Further reading in Romans 6:1-14; & then compare 2 Timothy 2:19 NKJV; 1 John 3:1-10

2.    2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and , "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

3.   Hunger and thirst must be our heart for the Lord: to fill our heart with the water of His word; To be cleansed Purity of Heart : Matthew 5:8 NKJV (8) Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

  Purity of heart is a work in progress in which both God and man share responsibility. Many scriptures show that God will cleanse by pardoning sin. But our responsibility in cleansing is very important and frequently mentioned along with what we must do to be cleansed. Clearly given here by James, he points to the purifying as our responsibility: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:8).

Cleansing and Purifying:  Peter 1:22 makes a summary statement: "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart." Obedience to the truth through the Spirit purifies our character by inculcating right habits within it.

1.   Isaiah 1:16-17 “Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.

2.   Guarding our heart to have no deceit in our mouths nor perverse speaking: Proverbs 4:23-27 NKJV 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth ( devious mouth), and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; removed your foot from evil.

Without our heart being washed by the word of God, we never meet the standards to operate in godly integrity. . God, with our cooperation through faith, is ultimately the Creator of a pure heart in us, but it is a protracted process achieved by imparting a holy nature by His Spirit. This unites us with a holy Christ, with whom we fellowship, washing us in the blood of the Lamb so that with His aid we can mortify the flesh and live toward God, giving Him first priority in everything.

Purity of desires, motives, and intents should characterize the child of God. We need to examine ourselves, searching diligently whether we have freed ourselves from the dominion of hypocrisy.

1.   Are we seated in heaven, yes….is our love found there?

2.   Has the fear of the Lord grown strong enough that we love what He loves and hate what He hates?

3.  Is our conscious of being accurate for God displayed, or only accurate for self’s own priorities?  

Alive to the presence of God: is obedient righteousness, for we participate by faith in the risen Savior. Our life is in the risen life of Christ. Please read Romans 6:16-19 & then compare with Matthew 5:6,10; 1 Corinthians 15:34; 2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion ha slight with darkness?

We are not to compromise: a group who wants to change God and His word will compromise your integrity of faith……….. Romans 6:16-20 …NKJV…..16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. 17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions & offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, & avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, & simple concerning evil. ( evil speaking going on )20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 

Be wise in God, be wise to what is God. It is not flattering speech we need nor is it any cursing or divisive evil, but the word of God delivers us!

There was a plane in trouble over Brevard County Florida. Two young twenty somethings flying got into some situation. They had to land on a freeway. Their plane hit a car with a couple inside, not one once nor twice but three times. And the plane finally got to the pavement. The couple in the car, a couple, pastors of a church in that area only had minor scrapes. The water of God's word is everything we need to know as to what is coming toward us.

2026 is upon us in two weeks, earthquakes are getting more frequent and louder each time, the people desiring to stay home instead of work is a monstrous problem for the coming generations to see. Not everyone can do computer work, but certainly there are trade jobs like welders or electricians which are needed right now.

There is something in the water: stepping up for a fight looks like Columbia, Mexico and Venezuela want to tangle with U.S., there is a rise of AI Christianity where nearly two-thirds of pastors are now using artificial intelligence for their sermons, Russia is trying to assassinate a Ukranian President, Verizon is restructuring with a cost-cutting layoff of over 13,000 workers, and it is taking approximately 140,000 dollars for a family of four to afford the basics.  There is something in the water. But the Lord is revealing to us the depth of that danger and the force of His word for safety and peace. Let us ba live unto Him, know Him and dwell there in safety.

Dive into His word and find the depth of peace to maintain your heart in 2026. Amen!



   Teaching at: Voice of Prayer 

Visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer for more teaching 


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Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Protected Love

 

Love is the Foundation in Relationship: We are part of God's spiritual creation. A person being spiritually created in the image of God must not drift but deliberately choose to live for goals far higher, goals that God establishes. A Christian's life must be rightly balanced toward his relationship with God, and he must strive to follow God by living in the same loving manner as Christ did as a human and continues doing eternally.

Ecclesiastes 6:8-9 For what more has the wise man than the fool? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire.

1.   In on commentary, the writer expressed our desires to being like a tramp, a word not used much today but in the 1930’s to 1950’s was used frequently. It was during the Great Depression of the 1930's our parents and grandparents told us of the tramp! He carried a knapsack on a big pole over his shoulder. He who would wander aimlessly about and never settling down in one place to hold a job, to actually put down roots, and prosper.

2.   In the sixties to the nineties of the last century, a carnal desire would love to “window shop,” always eager to find or do that something new “to make life more fulfilling.” Another today is shopping by cell phone. And the item to which you bought can be at your side in a time less than overnight! It is as though our desires are always traveling but never arriving.

3.   One noted commentator illustrates how quickly a person's attention can latch on to a desire, even in the face of grave danger. It was during the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius just outside of Pompeii, Italy, in AD 79, the gases and lava flows moved so rapidly that they caught people in the midst of various activities, entombing them right in those acts as though they had been sculpted. Will not such a rapture stop those in their tracks when others they knew are gone, not to be found on earth?

4.   Pompeii had the heated pools: so many came. It was set up like a fancy hotel, with bath houses, places to eat and relax. It describes one such lady was  “caught in the act” while apparently fleeing the eruption. In truth, her feet pointed in one direction, that is, apparently in the direction of escape from the dangers of the eruption, but her head, one arm, and hand were pointed behind her.

5.   She fled, but reaching for something  she died and was covered by the eruption's debris, evidently not even falling to the ground. Was she reaching for a beautiful piece of jewelry that she did not want to leave behind? Nobody knows, but her desire was never fulfilled. It appears to have destroyed her life.

What are we reaching for here on this earth? What could distract one while a volcano is erupting or a fire developing like in California? Interesting is the truth that people are dying every day by some kind of violence and does no one take heed?

1 Corinthians 11: 23-30 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 & when He had given thanks, he broke it & said, “Take, eat,; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”26 For as often as you eat this bread & drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body & blood of the Lord.28 But let a man examine himself & so let him eat of the bread & drink of the cup.29 For he who eats & drinks in an unworthy manner eats & drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak & sick among you, & many fall asleep.

1.   From V. 24: Jesus gave thanks for His human body, it was to be broken, & His blood would be shed; acknowledging and giving testimony to the triumphant work of the Cross!

2.   From V. 25: this do finding anyway to do it! This is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” No priest nor minister need be present to perform this! It is for all the people of God who gather as Christians who believe and proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes; From V.27-28 in participating in a wrong way: BUT sin should be forsaken & every circumstance in your life to be judged, so if you should apologize for something, do it before you begin. Forgive any you should forgive!  For Failing to do this before participating will result in those judged by God’s word. The children of God will be chastened.

3. But think about Jesus right now. In His last hours of living on earth, He gave the word of God. That we are to examine ourselves and to drink of the cup and eat of the bread that was Jesus. A symbol indeed of a life given for us:  It is protected Love!

The Beauty of the Lord’s Supper: Mark 14:22-26 NKJV 22 & as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed & broke it and gave it to them & said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” Then He took the cup & when He had given thanks He gave it to them & they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  

His Body: took his humanity to the Cross for us; breaking the enemy off man as He took the griefs & sorrows on Himself Is.53:4-5 Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses) & carried our sorrows (pains);Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God & afflicted.5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, & by His stripes we are healed. His DNA poured out: by faith we access in the remembrance of His bloodshed.

1.   He GAVE: Jesus: 100 % God and 100 % man gave Himself for us

2.   No festive joy, no festive wine till He returns in His presence taking His believers and being seated in His kingdom then all will enjoy the festive wine of the Savior and Lord! As believers we have the Holy Spirit


The Sacred Memorial Seen in :Luke 22:14-20   NKJV 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles  with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eagerly eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled, in the kingdom of God." 17 After He took the cup, & gave thanks & said, "Take this & divide it among yourselves. 18 For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."   19 And He took bread, gave thanks & broke it, & gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."  20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  21 “But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. 23 Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  They had not recognized Judas as the betrayer.                   

1.   From V. 19 My body:4983/4982 sound, whole body as to a slave for you

2.   Jesus sat down with His disciples: this was to be the last Passover for Jesus. He was becoming the sacrificial Lamb. We were about to see Passover fulfilled in heaven by Jesus!

3.   He spoke: “With fervent desire I have desired to eagerly eat this Passover with you before I suffer” that passionate longing is a revealing word of invite to all believers every time & place to consider how Jesus the passionate, longed for communion with us at His table. He gave thanks for the wine! Precious His blood would be shed for those willing to come to Him! Then He took the bread: Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks & broke it, & gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. The body, the Blood: a New Covenant.


Matthew 26:26-30 NKJV    26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, “drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for man for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom. 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ( Gethsemane)

  

1.   Partaking in the remembrance of the blood of Jesus: Joined to God, receiving benefits, we are reconciled back to God for life through salvation. Matthew stated here as the communion a memorial indeed!

2.   John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. Eating the word of God, is life to us. Devouring His truths guards our heart in His love.

3.   Jesus the Covenant Sacrifice: God’s provision for our sustenance: Feeding on Him by faith, we become partakers of the divine nature: 2 Peter 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

4.   These promises include: the Lord’s Second Coming, the establishment of a new heaven & earth & entrance into Christ’s kingdom: 2 Peter 1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.2 Peter 3: 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for a new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Revelation 21:1-2 NKJV Now I saw a new heaven & a new earth, for the first heaven & the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The future & eternal dwelling place of the saints in terms of a holy city, Jerusalem             

Remembering All Jesus died for: Understanding Christ's sacrifice properly determines the quality of our observance of Communion. Jesus was giving in the natural the elements, but they pertained to the spiritual in God. We are to remember the genuine in Jesus, and give preference to Him.  There are not just parts to remembering Him, but taking Him whole as the Son of God: conceived in God, living for God by an anointing by the Holy Spirit manifested for us.

 That love is from God Himself. 1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him.

In this passage, the sacrifice of Christ is both the very proof of His love and the standard of our own very own love. So can we see the love of Christ in you? Do you have His love in His word to minister life to another?

In the life and ministry of Jesus, His enemies never ceased to disparage His holy name. They called Him a blasphemer, a deceiver, and a Samaritan. They even said He had a demon and cast out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons and the lord of the flies. No doubt, all these insults were extremely hurtful as divine, incarnate love was met with such cruelty and hatred. In one passage Jesus ask the disciples who men say that He was? And Peter spoke that Jesus was the Son of God!

Charlie Kirk carried such a love to those requiring a Savior. He gave truth and prayed for them. Even today people curse him in his death. But we know he stands with Jesus today.

We understand that it was the Jewish religious leaders who were utterly appalled and sickened that someone claiming to be of God would actually befriend and welcome out and out sinners.  To get close to a sinner was tantamount to hanging out with a contagious, rotting leper. It just was not done by any God-fearing, self-respecting Jew. But, it was done by the Lord Jesus. That which has been done in God: Jesus spoke in John 3:11 We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. Jesus brought heaven to earth!

We reach out in love but keep our walk with God. We reach out in love to feed an actually poor person. The one in need of a Savior we reach to speak truth as Charlie did. We reach out to speak and to be heard by those requiring a hand up and not a hand out. Will many reach out for that check instead of working? Will we not be disciplined in our lives to work and bring in what our family requires for life on earth or are we those out for "self" expecting another to feed us?

I heard in recent reports of those coming into this country were handed ten thousand dollar debit cards to live each month. Have any of you received such? Probably not, for you are those living out the American dream where work is  required and seen. It is you the middle class working to care for family and for the work of God people see! It is in this, many others just want free stuff.  In another report, I had heard of a national league basketball coach and player, two of 30 in nine states going about a greed thing by swindling others playing rigged card games. Was not basketball at the national level enough of a cash flow for these guys? Is the eye greedy for gain?

I am glad Jesus is a friend of sinners. Even as someone who has been a Christian for decades, I can falter and even fall. But He never condemns me or kicks me out of the family.  He is not only a friend of sinners, but He is also “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

This is a Protected Love, where our Brother helps us to keep our walk as we care for those as family! Amen and Amen.

    Teaching at: Voice of Prayer 

Visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer for more teaching 


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Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Quality Faith

 

The Object of faith is the crucified Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ….Romans 3:21-26 NKJV But now the righteousness of God apart  from the law is revealed, bring witnessed by the Law and the Prophet , 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, too and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrated at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.;  Ro. 4:24-25 NKJV 24 but also for us, it shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because our offenses and was raised because of our justification, and then compare in 1 Cor. 1:30 NKJV But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God----& righteousness & sanctification & redemption--; Hebrew 1:9  You have loved righteousness & hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

THE Principle of the faith excludes boasting: Romans 3:27-31  NKJV Where is boasting them? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.; Romans 4:4-5 NKJV Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.  Also found in  Romans 9:30-33 and then compare with Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3 3:4-8; Phil. 3:7-9

THE Nature of Faith is an abandonment of all self-sufficiency and self-reliance in favor of a whole-hearted commitment to “the revealed “ word of the invisible God. See in Romans 10:4 for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.;  Ro. 10:9-10 NKJV that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 for with the heart, one believes unto righteousness/ with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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 & then compare with Hebrews 11:7.   The righteousness of God: unto eternal life, seen in Romans 5:21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

1.   Without “the righteousness of God” which is received by faith in Jesus Christ, man truly remains lost. He is separated forever from God…..to be spiritually dead in sin: Galatians 5:4 …….2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 NKJV 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 these shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. In Christ, we are given a new position which is defined & motivated to practice. In unity with Him in His death and resurrection, we now Christ are made into what God requires.  

                                                           

Separated forever from God…..to be spiritually dead in sin: Romans 2:1-16; Romans 9:1-5  I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart, 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God and the promise; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who iover all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.; Romans 9:30-33; Romans 10:1-4; Galatians 5:4 and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

Righteousness is related to salvation, forgiveness of sin, & eternal life…See in Romans 1:16-17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1-2; Romans 10:1

 

So when we speak of a faith having quality, what is to be seen? Genesis 28 gives us details that faith is relational. Genesis 28:16-18 NKJV 16  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17  And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”  18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.

In the thousands years before us,  oil's primary use was for food. Olive oil, a high-quality fat, gives the body more energy than carbohydrates do, and at the same time, it has fewer byproducts when metabolized. People of the Mediterranean area have known for millennia that natural fats are good for us, and the fat in olive oil is especially beneficial. While we might think of oil as just some cooking grease, the people of the Middle East held a far different view.

1.   The Hebrew word translated as "oil," shemen (Strong's #8081), literally means "fat" or "grease," but figuratively, it means "richness," an important idea to keep in mind. The word is also translated as "fruitful." Hence, oil symbolizes wealth, abundance, health, energy, and a vital ingredient for a good life.

2.   For the people of the time, then, olive oil was almost like liquid gold. In fact, oil sometimes functioned as a kind of currency. When properly made and stored, it will keep for years and thus hold its value. Biblically, abundant oil is a sign of prosperity (Deuteronomy 32:13; 33:24; 2 Kings 18:32; Job 29:6; Joel 2:19, 24),& running out of oil is indicative of famine and hard times (Joel 1:10; Haggai 1:11). In the Proverbs, excessive use of oil signifies wastefulness (Proverbs 21:17), while saving oil is characteristic of a wise man (Proverbs 21:20). While we no longer attach such value to oil, we need to understand its importance to life for those in the Bible.

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Relationship was presented but refused: Exodus 20:18-21 Now all the people witnessed the thundering, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us and we will hear; but let not go speak with us, lest we die. 20 and Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

1.   People were refusing the close relationship with God

2.   They turned to Moses to hear and then tell them what He said

3.   But God came to bring relationship with those who would believe, walk in faith toward Him. 1Cor. 10:2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud & in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food,4 & all drank the same spiritual drink.For they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them & that Rock was Christ.5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

4.    1 Corinthians 10:2 tells us that the Israelites were “baptized into Moses”—referring not to water baptism, but to the fact that they became united with him as never before as they recognized his leadership and their dependence on him. So it is with Christ. When we were baptized into him (Matthew 28:19), we achieved a profound identification.

5.   Matthew 28:19 God therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ..Unity with the Father: Romans 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.

And what was His resurrection? Only those who knew Him saw Him again! And we will know this resurrection, this taking when raised up. And speak to tell others!

Romans 6:3-5 NKJV 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead b the glory of the Gather, even s o we also should walk in newness of life. 5 for we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

1.   identified with Christ’s death and resurrection that we actually did die with him and truly were raised with him, so that we now share in his resurrection life.

2.    Galatians 2:20 tells us: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Galatians 6:14 says: “...the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Just as we died with him, we were also resurrected with him. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).


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Communion with God and People is Given by Holy Spirit : 1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.     and 1 John 4:13  By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

If we have not the Holy Spirit in our lives, we cannot love others in our lives. Holy Spirit enables us to love others!  So from our foundational passage found in Matthew 25:1-13 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bride groom. 2 Now five of the them were wise and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 and at midnight a cry was heard, ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise,’ Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins, came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!”12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is coming.                     

1.   From verse 2 the foolish: taken from moros numbering 3474 means dull, stupid, heedless, blockhead….likely to they are not enlightened, do not have the Holy Spirit so they are not born again unto God

   These were all asleep. So no one was awake watching for the Lord!

2.   Again God put forth a relation initiate by Himself. And we keep in step with the Holy Spirit for that relationship: Ephesians 4:29-32 NKJV 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as  God in Christ forgave you.

Galatians 5:24-25 NKJV 24 and those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us keep also walk in the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 13:14   NKJV  14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion ( fellowship) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Looking at the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), citizens of the ancient Mediterranean world also filled their lamps with oil. The oil not only burns as fuel in the body, but also as fuel for fire. Used as medicine, as the Parable of the Good Samaritan reveals we also see that olive oil protected and nourished the skin and scalp in this dry desert region.  As we learn from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, God commanded oil to be used in the consecration of sacred people and things, in addition to its use as an ingredient in some of the offerings.  In looking at the oil placed on young David the son of Jesse. Oil was placed on Saul to be king.

                                                            

As seen, all the uses of oil and the value it adds to life, we can understand why it symbolizes richness, fruitfulness, abundance, & vitality. We can also grasp why it played such an integral part in the consecration of things like Jacob's pillar, representing the richness, fruitfulness, and abundance of God being poured out. While the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will certainly produce abundance & fruitfulness (see Galatians 5:22-23), it is more accurate to say that oil and the Holy Spirit are often parallel, but not exclusively so. As the example of Israel shows, God frequently provides abundance without imparting His Spirit.

 

When God revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel in the dream, Jacob was a lying, cheating, supplanting scoundrel fleeing for his life.  

1.   God initiated a relationship with this cheating scoundrel who was on the run.  After the night of sleep, having a dream and God's words to him, he now was a man with a future.   

2.   Change had taken place in his life, even though God had not yet given him His Spirit. God made promises concerning his descendants & his safety. He promised never to leave him, a taste of true abundance through this experience with God, & the source of everything oil represents.

3.   In His visitation of Jacob was similar to the man pouring fine, expensive oil on a dumb rock: It set something apart with abundance that was ordinarily common and unremarkable.

4.   Jacob had his first experience with God. It was powerful indeed & a monument of sorts was created. We are told that he piled up some stones & poured some oil over them & then called it ‘the house of God.’ Yes, there it is….he had created a very cheap monument that he used as an example to his great experience with our great God! It was in the middle of nowhere & was a meeting with God in the quiet place.  His experience was something that had cost him nothing.


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 In Gen. 28:16-17 KJV Jacob himself said, “ Surely the Lord is in this place; & I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, & said,  “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, & this is the gate of heaven. Jacob had not been changed by meeting with God in that moment of time. He was still Jacob! He was still known as the one who manipulates by calculating his next move . Was he using his strategy on God?  Genesis 28: 18 tells us this: Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it us as a pillar, & poured oil on top of it.

 

1.   That word “pillar” has the numbering 4676 & has the meaning of idol. 

2.   BUT another rock was anointed with oil and that was Jesus. He came to have a meal at the house of a Pharisee and His feet were anointed for the task ahead. He would be the burden bearer!   Mark 14:3-9 NKJV ¶ 3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table,  a woman came having an alabaster flask  very costly spikenard. Then she broke the flask, & poured it on His head.  4 But there were some were indignant among themselves, & said, “Why was his fragrant oil wasted?  5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, & given to the poor. And they  criticized her sharply.  6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.  7 For you have the poor with you always, and  whenever you wish you may do them good;  but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could: she has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you  wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Those indignant to give extra to the Lord that is; as in worship & to glorify Him will in no way operate in it.  She came to do the work beforehand. She came before anything occurred to Jesus. She came exhibiting abundance for Him, for His life & His burial to be one heart with Him always!               

3.   Fausett’s gives this:the scent held in this precious oil was like a strong Valerian acting on the nerves….It is noted that the nervous system makes us who we are….

4.    the most important function of the nervous system is to integrate & respond to the environment—it lets us be mobile, independent units in a rapidly changing world. 

5.   So God is moving on them, on their nervous system to move for life, to move for victory. The nervous system is essentially an extension of all the processes that occur in the rest of the body, but on a much faster timescale. Because of this, the more rudimentary the nervous system, the less “self”-directed control a creature has over its own movement.


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For example, if in my belief, I think that plants are drastically more intelligent than humans, they simply can’t move like we can. A tree can spread seeds certainly, but a human can literally fly around the world of their own volition. The seeds will go where the animal takes them, or where the wind blows them.

Basically, nervous systems are for moving. Things would be breaking open unto the new. Jesus would bear the sin of the world but do we know it, hear it and obey it? Is resurrection on our minds when considering His return. This is for the first trip, for His first-fruits like Him?                  

As from Matthew 25:1-13 and the five wise and five foolish virgins, we find Holy Spirit is valid and important. The five wise virgins possessed a reserve of God's spiritual richness, fruitfulness, and abundance, which would include the Holy Spirit but not be limited to it. They had these things because they had an active, growing relationship with Him. The foolish virgins had a measure of those things, but they were foolish because they did not have enough. They did not take the time to prepare and ensure that they had everything they needed to last through the times of darkness.        

Quality of Faith is having an abundance of prosperity of the Lord. It is the blessing of Jacob, the faith of Abraham, and the salvation in Jesus! It is also belief in His work: His salvation, His death on the Cross, His burial and His resurrection. That faith is strength and is overcoming.  It is looking forward to future, it is never forsaken, an inheritance received, that rough places are smoothed, that what is not seen will be seen by Him, who calls us by name, and leads us in paths we have not known being guided by Holy Spirit always looking to reach and touch Him in the ways to see as Mary did.       

Quality is just that. It is transforming you from being the dust of the earth to being the image of God. Belief in Him who is true always, not sometimes. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14  Amp. Bible But we, brethren beloved by the Lord, ought and are obligated [as those who are in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, because God chose you from the beginning as His first fruits (first converts) for salvation through the sanctifying work of the [Holy] Spirit and [your] belief in (adherence to, trust in, & reliance on) the truth. 14 It was to this end that he called you through our Gospel, so that you may obtain and share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).  There is no “coasting” into meeting with Jesus for when we look at the terms of the Gospel. It is by holding in that “faith” that reliance where all our trust is in HIM!  Labor is trouble and Jesus knew it and saw it. He came to bring the Gospel and the power to resurrect dirt. He is our perimeter. He is heaven on earth where the kingdom is spoken of and seen daily. We are fixed, firm & resolved to faith, fixed in sound judgment, defending our faith done in the maintenance of integrity, exhibiting zeal with a faithful love.  Amen.



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