Hebrews 4

Hebrews
{4:1} Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
*We need to be concerned. A promise was left to us. The promise of eternal life for that is truly 'his rest'. We need to be concerned that we might come short of obtaining that promise. It's possible to come short we know it is. Time and again I've mentioned that particular Bible verse that states there will be a people at the end when Christ comes and He says to them, 'get away from me, I never knew you'. Those people REALLY THINK they're doing God's work, they really believe they know Christ and Christ knows them. It is possible to come short of the promise. We don't like to think that it is, who wants to believe that a 'loving God' would keep us from obtaining the promise. Well, a 'loving God' won't keep us from obtaining the promise only WE keep ourselves from doing so. How can we be sure we won't come short of entering into Christ's rest? We need FAITH.
{4:2} For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it.
*Two types of people heard the same message.
A glass of water is held up and a person says- Is this glass half full or half empty.
People see things differently. They say if you see the glass as half full then you are an optimist, if you see if half empty you're a pessemist.
A group of people all hear the same message of the gospel preached to them, for some the word profited them and for others it didn't. What was the one thing those who profited from the message had the others didn't? FAITH.
{4:3} For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
The faithful will enter into Christ's rest. From the beginning of the world all that was created was finished on the sixth day and God rested the seventh. It was finished. FINISHED. Finished to the point God rested. Think about that. When you finish a task if it is something monumental what do you do next? You usually celebrate. God's rest is an amazing celebration of all that was created in six days. The work was finished. The wonder of it all, the majesty of creation was now to be enjoyed and a day of rest was created so that forever and ever no one would ever forgot the wonder of God's creation. Each seven days a reminder of the glorious creation would be made. God rested and that in itself is remarkable because if ever a person didn't have to rest it would be God. Yet he rested in honor of all that had been made it was that amazingly spectacular. That rest that mankind shared in, being part of the creation that God wrought was something so totally blissful and amazing its nearly incomprehensible.
{4:4} For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
{4:5} And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
*If they shall enter into my rest. By entering into God's rest by faith is believing in Him as our Creator, our redeemer. We can claim eternal life in Christ Jesus by His grace and mercy. We can enter into God's rest if we believe, only if we believe. There will not be a single person entering God's rest that does so without faith, without believing- it's impossible.
{4:6} Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief
*Unbelief will keep anyone out. There are commands we have been given by God from the foundation of the world one of the was to rest. It's because we believe in our Creator, the Father and the Son, that we enter into the rest of Jesus. We enter into it now through faith. We musn't harden our hearts but believe.
{4:7} Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
{4:8} For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
{4:9} There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
{4:10} For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.
{4:11} Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
*Labour to enter into rest.
Is that contradictory? Work to enter into rest. Not to people who work five days a week to get two days off. The concept is understandable. Our labour to enter into God's rest is a labour of faith. We have to cease believing that we can work to our own salvation, we have to trust wholly in Christ, entering His rest, believing fully in His ability to save us. Our work is our faith. And our faith is what will allow us to enter into the rest of Christ.
{4:12} For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
{4:13} Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
*We can hide nothing from God, nothing! God is quick, God is powerful, God is sharper than a twoedged sword. God can divide the soul from the spirit, the joint from the marrow, God is the discerner of our very thoughts and knows the intents of our hearts!
{4:14} Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.
Jesus Christ is our great high priest!
Jesus as our high priest has entered into heaven!
Jesus as our high priest the Son of God!
We have to hold fast to our belief in Jesus, we have to cling to Jesus.
{4:15} For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.
*Jesus understands us! Jesus became man and He knows intimately how our infirmaties feel. Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted, He understands the power of temptation yet Jesus chose NOT to fall into sin, He was able to keep the temptation from causing Him to sin. He knows the agony of temptation, he knows.
{4:16} Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
*We have to by faith and faith alone go boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
May God help us all, may we find mercy and grace, may we labour to enter into the rest promised, may our faith grow and grow. We believe Lord! We believe! Help us our unbelief!
Praise and glory to God now and always through the grace and mercy of his Son now and foreer.
Amen.

Hebrews 3

{3:1} Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus
Partakers of the heavenly calling. Doesn't that sound amazing.
Partakers.
partake (pär-tâk´) verbpartook (-t¢k´) partaken (-tâ´ken) partaking, patakes verb, intransitive1. To take or have a part or share; participate.2. To take or be given part or portion: The guests partook of a delicious dinner.3. To have part of the quality, nature, or character of something.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
To take part in, to share, to participate, to take a given portion, to have the quality, character of...the heavenly calling.
The heavenly calling.
We are ALL able to be partakers of the heavenly calling right? Jesus died to save all that would be saved, He died so we could all be partakers of the heavenly calling.
We need to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
consider (ken-sîd´er) verbconsidered, considering, considers verb, transitive1. To think carefully about.2. To think or deem to be; regard as. See Usage Note at as1.3. To form an opinion about; judge: considers waste to be criminal.4. To take into account; bear in mind: Her success is not surprising if you consider her excellent training.5. To show consideration for: failed to consider the feelings of others.6. To esteem; regard.7. To look at thoughtfully.
Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary
Consider, to think carefully about Jesus, our High Priest.Consider, to esteem Jesus, our High Priest.Consider, to take into account, our High Priest, Jesus.
Jesus isn't supposed to be thought of lightly, He is our High Priest, our Savior and Lord deserving of our consideration.
{3:2} Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house.
Jesus was faithful to His Father who appointed Him.Moses was faithful in all his house.
Moses was a revered man, highly esteemed, considered very thoughtfully, a Godly man, a man whose teachings were held very important and none would doubt Moses' faithfulness. Jesus was faithful as well. Jesus deserving of consideration, Jesus our High Priest was faithful to His calling.
{3:3} For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. {3:4} For every house is builded by some [man;] but he that built all things [is] God.
Jesus worthy of more glory than the highly esteemed and revered Moses. Jesus the builder of all things.Moses was a creation of the Creator.The Creator is more worthy for His ability to create.
{3:5} And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after{3:6} But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Moses was a faithful creation, a servant to the Creator. Moses faithful to God.Christ a son over His own creation, His own house.We are Christ's house- IF we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.We have to believe, we have to have faith, we have to rejoice, we have to have our hope firm to the end...to...the...end.
{3:7} Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice{3:8} Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness{3:9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.{3:10} Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. {3:11} So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
History reveals that people can harden their hearts against God, people tempt God, people try to prove God. People see the miracles of the Lord their God and they still question Him. The faith is gone, it's lacking, they find that taking the stance that God has to prove to them His worth makes them somehow savvy and smart, some how on top of things so they're not duped and yet their lack of faith- their consistent lack of faith - is what roused God's ire. God knew that in their hearts they refused to know Him for what He was and so they were not allowed into God's rest. We can't harden our hearts like they have. It's possible, don't think it's not. We can't try God, we can't tempt Him, we need to trust, to have faith. We don't have to understand God's ways to believe in God. There are many, many things that we don't understand and yet we believe. God deserves that faith and trust more than any other thing in all the world.
{3:12} Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Evil hearts of unbelief.Unbelief is evil because it doesn't allow for the faith needed to belief in God. The hope needed. Someone who is always skeptical finds little happiness in life, they are too busy picking it apart to pieces having no faith in anything. People says they won't be duped, they want hard, cold facts not flights of fancy and yet when they cut out the faith and those flights of fancy they limit their imaginations, their belief that the unbelievable is believable and the impossible is possible. Without faith, without hope if THIS is all there is to life it truly is a sad state of affairs. We have to have hearts filled with hope, filled with belief in God allowing that we cannot understand everything, we just can't. {3:13} But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Daily we are to help each other in our lives, keeping our faith strong. Deceit is something sly and insidious it will slip in and harden our hearts to God and we can't let that happen- we can't! We have to believe and help others look beyond the trap that is spread all around us trying to snare us daily in its grasp to get us to lose hope and belief. Satan will spare nothing to encourage unbelief, to encourage our lack of faith, to harden our hearts to God. Satan will do everything within his power to decieve us, if he can get us to harden our hearts to God he's won another to his side. It's so real, all of this is so real and we need to help each other as much as we can.
{3:14} For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end{3:15} While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. {3:16} For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.{3:17} But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? {3:18} And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? {3:19} So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief
We want to enter into God's rest. We want to enter the land promised to us. Not all will, but only those who believe. Without faith it is impossible to please God. We have to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Heb. {11:6} Butwithout faith [it is] impossible to please [him:] for he thatcometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is arewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Faith we need faith, Lord I believe! Help thou my unbelief!
Amen!

Hebrews 2

Hebrews
{2:1} Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
*We have to listen. We have to give MORE earnest heed to the things we know so we don't forget them.
{2:2} For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward.
*God's angels speak true, God's angels can't lie. Every single sin, every disobedience is accounted for. As soon as we sin there is a record of that sin and an accounting will be made unless our sins are covered in the blood of the Lamb and He claims us as His and our names are written in the book of life.
{2:3} How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.
*Salvation is in Christ and only in Christ. We can neglect salvation. We can. Salvation isn't ours automatically we have to accept it. We can neglect is and there is no escape if we do, none.
{2:4} God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
*God used signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. There can be no mistaking the fact that God made manifest all these things that weren't typical, special, amazing gifts that could only come from Him. Healing, delivering people possessed of evil spirits, juice into wine, fish where there were no fish, bread where there was no bread. Miracles that didn't promote selfish gain in any way but rather turned the minds, the thoughts to God to eternal life, to Jesus our Lord and Savior, to salvation.
{2:5} For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
{2:6} But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
{2:7} Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands
{2:8} Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Psalms {8:4} What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man,that thou visitest him?{8:5} For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hastcrowned him with glory and honour.{8:6} Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;thou hast put all [things] under his feet:
{2:9} But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
*Jesus became man.Jesus became a little lower than the angels.God's own son lowered himself to our level so that he could suffer death. That his death would leave him crowned with glory and honor. His death allows us to have His grace and mercy. Jesus died for all of us, every single person that will accept His great sacrifice.
{2:10} For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
{2:11} For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren
{2:12} Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
{2:13} And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
{2:14} Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he mightdestroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
{2:15} And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
{2:16} For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.
{2:17} Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
{2:18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
*That is so incredibly beautiful.
We tend to admire people we classify as high and lofty, superstars in movie, theater, sports, financial savvy, those who deign to lower themselves to get down and work with ordinary people. We call them humanitarians when they travel to foreign countries and lend their status to a cause to bring awareness and help to that cause. Our admiration isn't completely misplaced, they don't *have* to lower themselves that way, many don't. We don't know if their lowering of themselves is done with genuine goodness or self-serving but that isn't for us to judge. We do know that Christ, God's very Son, His ONLY Son lowered Himself and He did it for one reason and one reason only- for us. We know beyond a doubt that He suffered for us, each of us. That He lowered Himself to something lower than the angels. Angels are below God in status, but Jesus didn't lower Himself to be an Angel, He lowered Himself even further down to become human so He could redeem us. If we want an example of pure love, there it is we don't have to look any further. Total selflessness.
He became us, was tempted like us, and He over came for us, giving us hope, hope eternal now and forever.
He is our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God- to make reconcilation for the sins of the people.
Worth noting, in the typical Day of Atonement right before all the sins of the forgiven were to be placed upon the scapegoat (Satan) and he is led out to the wilderness- it says of the High Priest - Lev. {16:20} And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy [place,] and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat
Jesus our faithful High Priest is making a reconcilation for the sins of the people just as the High Priest on the Day of Atonement cleansed the Sanctuary. Our world will not be cleansed fully of sin, our lives will not be cleansed until that Day of Atonement is fully complete.
May God help and keep us as we humble ourselves before Him and entreat His mercy for us, clinging to the cross and the grace offered through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our great High Priest who is reconciling us to God now and soon to be forever.
Amen.

Hebrews 1

Hebrews {1:1} God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets
God at various times- God in different ways-
-spoke in the past to the fathers by the prophets.
{1:2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son,
God recently has spoken to us by Jesus
{1:2}...whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Jesus who God made heir of all things.Jesus who God made the worlds with.
{1:3} Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
Jesus the brightness of God's glory.Jesus the very image of His Father.
{1:3} ...and upholding all things by the word of his power,
All things are kept in place by God's Power, by Jesus' Power.
{1:3} ...when he had by himself purged our sins
Jesus purged our sins by himself. It is ONLY by Jesus and His sacrifice that our sins can be purged.
{1:3} ...sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Jesus at the right hand of God.
{1:4} Being made so much better than the angels,
Jesus better than the angels.
{1:4} ...as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Jesus by His inheritance from God has a better name than angels.
{1:5} For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?
To what angels has God told they are His Son, that He has begotten them?
{1:5}...And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
To what angels has God said He will be a Father, and they His Sons?
{1:6} And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
All the angels of God worship Jesus- the firstbegotton of the Father. {1:7} And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Angels are spirits, angels are ministers, angels flames of fire.
{1:8} But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
Jesus' throne is forever.
{1:8}...a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Jesus' righteousness is the power of His kingdom.
{1:9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Jesus loves righteousness, hates sin- and God has made Him better than all else.
{1:10} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Jesus in the beginning created the earth and heavens.
{1:11} They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
The earth and the heavens will be destroyed, bue Jesus will remain. The earth and heavens will get old as a garment wears away over time.
{1:12} And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
As folded clothes the earth will be changed, but Jesus will forever and ever be the same.
{1:13} But to which of the angels said he at any times, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
To what angels did God ever say sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies beneath thee? None.
{1:14} Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
All the angels are ministering spirits.
All the angels are sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation.
*******
Jesus was with God in the beginning. By Jesus all things were made, by Jesus all things are saved, by God's angels we are ministered, and those angels are not God's only begotten Son, those angels are willingly in subjection to God and help us who will inherit salvation through Jesus.
May we all seek to know Jesus more fully, to be known of him more fully and find Salvation in Jesus realizing that we are not in this battle on our own. We do receive help in Christ's ministering angels.
May God bless and keep us forever His.
Amen.

And when he hath made an end of reconciling

{16:1} And the LORD spake unto Moses after the deathof the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before theLORD, and died;
{16:2} And the LORD said unto Moses,Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all timesinto the holy [place] within the vail before the mercy seat,which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear inthe cloud upon the mercy seat.
{16:3} Thus shall Aaroncome into the holy [place:] with a young bullock for a sinoffering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
{16:4} He shall puton the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breechesupon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, andwith the linen mitre shall he be attired: these [are] holygarments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and[so] put them on.
{16:5} And he shall take of thecongregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goatsfor a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
Year - 1844 ******* (Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed) The cleansing of the Sanctuary took place one day a year- the Day of Atonement. Sacrifices were made every day- a morning and evening sacrifice but one day a year on the Day of Atonement the Sanctuary would be cleansed.
Recap- The High Priest when He goes into the Most Holy Place (within veil) won't do so often but when He does He has to prepare.
He has to be clothed in pure holy garments (Christ's Righteousness) after he bathes (Washed in the Blood of the Lamb made pure).
{16:6}And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which[is] for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and forhis house.
Recap- The High Priest offers the bull for a sin offering for himself and for his house. (Altar - Cross)
{16:7} And he shall take the two goats, andpresent them before the LORD [at] the door of thetabernacle of the congregation.
Recap- the two goat will be presented before the Lord to the Holy Place. (The sin problem good (Lord's) and evil (Satan's) standing before God)
{16:8} And Aaron shall castlots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the otherlot for the scapegoat. {16:9} And Aaron shall bring the goatupon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him [for] a sinoffering.
Recap- The goat of the Lord is offered as a sin offering (Jesus died for us sinners)
{16:10} But the goat, on which the lot fell to bethe scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, tomake an atonement with him, [and] to let him go for ascapegoat into the wilderness.
Recap- The goat of Satan was kept alive and would be sent into the wilderness. (Satan will bear the sins of all, getting back all that he evil caused)
{16:11} And Aaron shallbring the bullock of the sin offering, which [is] for himself,and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house,and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which [is] forhimself:
Recap- The High Priest kills the bull making an atonement for himself and his people. (Jesus died to save us. Without that Sacrifice we could never have been saved- never. Jesus made Himself an acceptable Sacrifice.)
{16:12} And he shall take a censer full of burningcoals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and hishands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it]within the vail:
Recap- After the sacrifice the High Priest will take a censer full of burning coals (purifying from sin) from the altar in the Holy Place and He will take incense (prayers) and He goes into the Most Holy Place. The purifying begins as the prayers are offered.
{16:13} And he shall put the incense uponthe fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense maycover the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he dienot:
Recap- The prayers (incense) will go upon the purifying fire (burning coals) before the Mercy Seat bringing that which is acceptable to God because He is worthy. Only with by the mercy and grace of the Lord, only through His sacrifice are the prayers and purfying possible.
{16:14} And he shall take of the blood of the bullock,and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seateastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of theblood with his finger seven times.
Recap- Taking the blood of the sacrfice for Himself and His family it is sprinkled on the mercy seat. His sacrifice is acceptable.
{16:15} Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that[is] for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, anddo with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock,and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercyseat: {16:16} And he shall make an atonement for the holy[place,] because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel,and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and soshall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, thatremaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
Recap- The goat chosen to be the Lord's goat will be killed and the blood taken into the Most Holy Place and the blood like the blood for the sacrifice for Himself and His family is sprinkled on the mercy seat- this blood is for those not in the High Priest's immediate family but for those who are God's children nonetheless.
Also He will use the blood for the Holy Place, getting rid of the sin throughout the Sanctuary, that which makes up the House of God.
{16:17} And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of thecongregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in theholy [place,] until he come out, and have made anatonement for himself, and for his household, and for all thecongregation of Israel.
Recap- Alone He offers up these sacrifices to God.
Year 1980******* (Times of the Gentiles Fulfilled- corporately the children of God have been cleansed those who are God's truly are now being called out of the corporate guilt so that they won't be found wanting with those who turned their back on God's truth, just as the Jews did in Jesus' day. The truth left them and went to the Gentiles, and now that the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled all that is left is the 'reconciling of all that has been done' and those who are found guilty will be guilty still, and those who have been found just will be just still.
{16:18} And he shall go out unto thealtar that [is] before the LORD, and make an atonement forit; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of theblood of the goat, and put [it] upon the horns of the altarround about.
Recap- He shall finally go out to the altar in the court before the Holy place and offer the blood there.
{16:19} And he shall sprinkle of the bloodupon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, andhallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
{16:20} And when he hath made an end of reconciling theholy [place,] and the tabernacle of the congregation, and thealtar, he shall bring the live goat:
Recap- WHEN (SOON) He makes an end of reconciling the Most Holy place, the Holy place and the Court...only then will the live goat be brought into play.
{16:21} And Aaron shalllay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, andconfess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel,and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting themupon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by thehand of a fit man into the wilderness: {16:22} And the goatshall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land notinhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Recap- Satan recieves ALL the sins taken from the forgiven and then is taken out of power for 1000 years to wander about the earth with no one to deceive a wilderness far, far removed from the children of God, until the 1000 years is over and the rest of the dead (those not dead in Christ who have been taken to heaven) will live again and he's loosed from his prison of circumstances to deceive them one last time.
Rev. {20:1} And I saw an angel come down from heaven,having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in hishand. {20:2} And he laid hold on the dragon, that oldserpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him athousand years, {20:3} And cast him into the bottomless pit,and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he shoulddeceive the nations no more, till the thousand years shouldbe fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev. {20:6} Blessed and holy [is] hethat hath part in the first resurrection: on such the seconddeath hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and ofChrist, and shall reign with him a thousand years
Rev. {20:7}And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall beloosed out of his prison, {20:8} And shall go out to deceivethe nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gogand Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number ofwhom [is] as the sand of the sea. {20:9} And they went upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of thesaints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down fromGod out of heaven, and devoured them.

Melody in your heart to the Lord

Eph.
{5:19} Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
{5:20} Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
{5:21} Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
When was the last time you spoke to anyone in a psalm, or a hymn, or a spiritual song? When was the last time you made a melody in your heart to the Lord?
That last question is fairly easy to answer right? We sing all the time, or some of us do. I know I do, I love the various Christian songs out there and almost everytime I'm in the car I have the radio on and I sing along. My heart is making melody to the Lord and often- but do we speak in psalms and hymns, spiritual songs?
Would we even know how to speak in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs? It's a question I think that bears considering.
No, I'm not saying we start going around singing at each other, but there is an element in what is being encouraged that needs to be incorporated into our lives. Uplifting one another is important and all too often we're more about what is depressing and makes our lives anxious not what uplifts. We'll more often than not have unhappy things to speak about and it does give us something to talk about, in fact some peoples lives are most active when they're engaging in discussing things that aren't so pleasant.
Spiritual songs, singing, making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
Giving thanks always....
How often?
Always.
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Giving thanks for all things.
We can't understand all things, we just can't. But we can trust that our lack of understanding won't change God's love for us. We want to believe that God stops loving us when horrible things happen to us. Satan wants us to think that, it's his way of maligning God and gaining more and more to Him. But wait, we don't like to think like that. We don't like to believe that there are only two sides. We want to believe there are many sides and if we linger on those sides close to God then we are going to be Gods. Unfortunately, that's not true it's something we've made up so we can soothe our conscience and make excuses for our bad behavior.
Whenever we are upset by life's hardships- and there are tons of them- we have to cry out to God but not in such a way that put doubts to His love for us.
Giving thanks always even when we don't understand.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Do we do that? It would make us subservient right? Who wants to be subservient? We grow up being taught to stand up for ourselves, to be those who have others *working* for us, not us working for them. Rich means having housekeepers, having servants. Yet Christ wants us to be servants to all. The greatest is the one who is servant to all. The greatest is the least. It's no wonder that Satan has us mostly believing that the least is the worst. The servant is the lowest. That submitting ourselves ont to another, not for our own glory, but in the fear of God. Out of reference for God. We do it because it is God's will that we serve and submit that we are those who give and aren't those who just take. Love is giving. Love is graciously accepting.
Love is God and if we are to be God's we need to be loving knowing that sin isn't something God enjoys, that He never intended things to be how they are and yet rather than give up on us and wipe us out of existence he's allowed us to live and made a way for redemption in Him through the greatest sacrifice of all - His Son.
May God bless and keep us, may we learn to make melodies in our hearts to the Lord and give thanks always, and to submit ourselves to one another. By the will and grace of our Lord now and forever.
Amen.

Spiritual Darkness - Spiritual Light

Eph. {5:14} Whereforehe saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,and Christ shall give thee light.
* If we wake from our sleep and rouse ourselves from our course of life leading only to death-- Christ will give us light. We have a new life in Christ.
Matthew. {25:1} Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened untoten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meetthe bridegroom. {25:2} And five of them were wise, andfive [were] foolish. {25:3} They that [were] foolish tooktheir lamps, and took no oil with them: {25:4} But the wisetook oil in their vessels with their lamps. {25:5} While thebridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. {25:6}And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, theKing James Bible Matthew Page 568bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. {25:7} Then allthose virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {25:8} Andthe foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for ourlamps are gone out. {25:9} But the wise answered, saying,[Not so;] lest there be not enough for us and you: but go yerather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. {25:10}And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and theythat were ready went in with him to the marriage: and thedoor was shut. {25:11} Afterward came also the othervirgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. {25:12} But heanswered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.{25:13} Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day northe hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
*All will sleep but some will sleep prepared, others will sleep and they won't be prepared for the Lord's return. All will wake up but for some it will be too late. Some will want to take the preparations made by the wise but the wise will tell them no, they have to go get their own because no one is saved or made ready by another- Christ alone prepares us with His light, His righteousness.
Heb. {1:9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hatediniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed theewith the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
*We need the oil of gladness in our lives, we need to love righteousness and hate sin...HATE SIN...not make excuses for it, but loathe it completely. Not accept it, but detest it. Not condone it as our lot, but despise that it is our lot.
Rev. {4:5} And outof the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings andvoices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning beforethe throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
*Lamps burn before the thrown. Lamp which are the seven Spirits of God. Lamps in a parable are what the wise will have and have extra oil for. We need the Spirit of God in us, we need to be ready to constantly accept the Spirit of God as it leads us in paths of Christ's righteousness. There is one unforgivable sin and that is ultimately- dying without having heeded the Spirit of God.
Zech. {4:1} And the angel that talked with me came again, andwaked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, {4:2}And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I havelooked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowlupon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and sevenpipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof:{4:3} And two olive trees by it, one upon the right [side] ofthe bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof. {4:4} SoI answered and spake to the angel that talked with me,saying, What [are] these, my lord? {4:5} Then the angelthat talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowestthou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. {4:6}Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] theword of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might,nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.{4:7} Who [art] thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel[thou shalt become] a plain: and he shall bring forth theheadstone [thereof with] shoutings, [crying,] Grace, graceunto it. {4:8} Moreover the word of the LORD came untome, saying, {4:9} The hands of Zerubbabel have laid thefoundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; andthou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me untoyou. {4:10} For who hath despised the day of small things?for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the handof Zerubbabel [with] those seven; they [are] the eyes of theLORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.{4:11} Then answered I, and said unto him, What [are]these two olive trees upon the right [side] of the candlestickand upon the left [side] thereof? {4:12} And I answeredagain, and said unto him, What [be these] two olivebranches which through the two golden pipes empty thegolden [oil] out of themselves? {4:13} And he answered meand said, Knowest thou not what these [be?] And I said, No,my lord. {4:14} Then said he, These [are] the two anointedones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.
*This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Not by might, not by power, but by GOD'S Spirit!
Christ promised to send us a comforter. No, He could not physically remain with us, His work as our High Priest demanded that He minister the blood He shed, the sacrifice He made in the Heavenly Sanctuary not made with hands. That the work of our redemption including not only the forgiveness of sin but of the cleansing of it once and for all be made by Him. So Christ promised to send us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit to be a reality to us here and now in our lives guiding us, lighting our way to Christ and His righteousness. The Spirit of God, the light of the world, our Comforter. We HAVE to live with the Holy Spirit as a reality in our lives, as with us just as Christ would be with us guiding us.
The Light of the Lord is real and it is a light we can keep out of our lives if we choose. We are not forced to have the light, we can choose to live in darkness. We make the choice and we make it all the time...all the time.
Can we choose to physically live in darkness? Yes. We can. Would most people ever do so? No. Why wouldn't they? For one thing you can't see anything in darkness. Even those who are blind and we can say live in darkness don't physically live in the dark. Would it be detrimental to live in the darkness? Yes. Health-wise it's proven that for the majority of people complete darkness isn't good for us physically. Yes, some could argue there are people allergic to the sunlight, people sensitive to it, for them darkness is good, but if they don't get enough sunlight can their be deficiencies in their health? Yes there can be and often deficiencies can be made up with vitamins and getting what the sun gives in another manner.
We can go back and forth on this and yet in the end most people would choose to live in light, not in darkness if they were given a choice. Even those blind will often long to see, some will go to great lengths to have a chance at seeing again.
Note I said most people, because you'll always have a few that defy the rest with good intentions or not.
Light is equated with goodness, darkness with evil.
And this is in a spiritual sense.
Odd isn't it how most people will want to live in spiritual darkness- the complete opposite of the physical light where most want to live with light in their lives.
If a light is too bright it hurts.
If a light is present it's hard to hide things.
If light pushes away the darkness it's not allowing us to hide in the cloak of darkness, it's revealing us.
Spiritual light reveals us for what we are, it reveals our sin-filled state and our sinful actions.
When we sin we shouldn't like it but we have to see that we sin and for that we need the light of Christ to show us, the Spiritual light needs to shine on us to show us the sin. So is it any wonder that people wish to remain in spiritual darkness, they don't want their sins revealed for what they are. They want to live in their sins without any reprimanding, without any reproving. When we don't see that we are covered in filth then we can fool ourselves into believing that we are clean. When we don't associate with those who can see we are covered in filth then it can't be pointed out to us. We like the darkness, we like our filthiness hidden from us.
It is my prayer, my earnest prayer that the Holy Spirit illuminates us all! That we will see the filthiness of our sinfilled selves and be drawn to the only One who can cleanse us of the filth, Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit shine all around us, may the darkness in our lives be exposed to the light of the Holy Spirit, may we see...and no longer be blind so that we may run to the foot of the cross and beg forgiveness for our sinfulness and choose to walk with Christ in the light now and forever.
Amen.