Conversion Story (Paul)

Act 8:1  And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 

Act 8:2  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 

Act 8:3  As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 

Paul (Saul) consented to the death of the first Christ follower martyr, Stephen. God knew Paul agreed that Stephen should be stoned to death. Paul watched Stephen being stoned, saw the rocks hitting him, cutting into his flesh, life blood pouring from his body, his skull being battered, fractured. Paul was most likely thrilled at this Christ follower's death. After Stephen was killed, the Christ followers scattered, no longer grouping together. Paul took advantage of the scattering and wreaked havoc on the Christ followers. He went into every house--  how many houses? EVERY HOUSE. Grabbing up men and women he put them all in prison, any suspected Christ follower was jailed. Paul did this with zeal, thrilled with the work he was doing for God.

Now, let us remember this and consider the things Paul thought about as he spent three days and nights blind- in total darkness, not eating or drinking. 

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

Christ spoke with Paul. Christ blinded Paul. Christ gave Paul a chance to believe and Paul took that chance. Paul didn’t demand to be taken back to where he'd come from. Paul didn’t outright rant and rave, denying what had just happened to him. Paul was given three days of blindness as his entire life was being changed all because his greatest desire in life was to please God. EVERYTHING he thought he knew to be true, everything was changed. The Messiah he'd been waiting for, the same Messiah his entire race of people had been waiting for, for thousands of years had walked the earth and HE'D denied HIM! He'd cheered and celebrated with his fellow Pharisees when the Jesus problem was taken care of on the cross. He then earnestly and happily hunted down the followers of the Messiah and had them imprisoned and consented to their death. He wasn't one of the Apostles, he wasn't one of the disciples of the Messiah. He hadn't spent years with the Messiah, learning at his side, witnessing the true Son of God on earth! He'd missed it all because he'd been caught up in the lies he'd been fed for years. Yet others who were raised like him hadn't been caught up in the lies. Some, though very few, had met with the Messiah and talked with Him. Some had questioned whether or not the man could truly be the Messiah, but not him! He was too deep into what he believed with truth. He was so deep into the lies that he thought were truth that he was ready to stop at nothing to defend that truth. 

Christ came to Him and gave Him the chance to turn from the lies and towards the truth and he did.

Three days of darkness, introspection, admitting, surrendering, confessing, repenting, sorrowing, and yes, there had to be some joy, right? Joy that he was not left in the lies. Joy that while he wasn’t a Christ follower when Christ walked the earth, he wasn't left to die in his lies, die in his sins, die a traitor to the God he truly loved! 

How many of us have a conversion story to tell? All of us come from darkness to light, from lies to truth, or should I say, most of us do. Some come from the deepest darkness that exists, others from darkness that would keep them from the light of truth that isn't the darkest it could be- but they know that any darkness no matter how little is enough to keep the light of truth from shining in their heart.  We have conversion stories to tell. What's yours?

Father in Heaven, we ask you to please touch our hearts, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, take us from the darkness that tries so hard to destroy us and keep us from YOU. Please, Father, let YOUR will be done now and forever, on earth and in heaven! Please, Father, forgive us, and help us to forgive others as YOU would have us forgive them all! Let Your kingdom come! Let Your will be done! Give us all we need to be YOURS. All through Your Son, You only begotten, declare Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever!!!!!!!

He Gave Pain, He Received Pain.

Paul before conversion--

Act 26:4  My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 

Act 26:5  Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 

He lived a Pharisee.

Pharisee

PHAR'ISEE, n. [Heb. to separate.] One of a sect among the Jews, whose religion consisted in a strict observance of rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders,and whose pretended holiness led them to separate themselves as a sect, considering themselves as more righteous than other Jews.

Act 26:6  And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers

Paul declared he was being judged for the HOPE OF THE PROMISE MADE OF GOD unto the fathers of his people.  That hope was the Messiah. The fathers were giving the hope of the Messiah.

Act 26:7  Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 

Act 26:8  Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 

Act 26:9  I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 

Paul admitted that He THOUGHT all of his own accord that HE ought to do MANY THINGS CONTRARY to the name of JESUS of NAZARETH. Many things against the name of the Savior. Paul wanted to hurt any who spoke the name Jesus and we can only truly imagine ourselves the MANY things Paul wanted to do.

But Paul not only THOUGHT about the things to hurt those who believed in Jesus' name, Paul DID a lot of things.

Act 26:10  Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 

Act 26:11  And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 

He- IMPRISONED them.

He- Agreed with their being put to DEATH.

He- PUNISHED them often in EVERY synagogue.

He- COMPELLED them to blaspheme.

He- TRAVELED to cities that were unknown to him just to PERSECUTE them.

It is very realistic to say Paul HATED Christ followers and went to extraordinary lengths to destroy them.

This is the man our Savior chose, why? Because in Paul's very misguided way he was true to God. Once Paul's eyes were opened to the truth he accepted it.

Some might say if they had the same experience as Paul they'd believe too, and maybe they're right, I have no idea.  We all want this glorious experience, we want to be chosen by God to be used by Him in a special way. We read about many Biblical heroes and the blessed by God and we long to be God's right? Satan will use our desire to get us thinking highly of ourselves, to ignite our pride, our jealousy. The majority of those chosen by God led lives filled with hardships, and they too still had doubts. Read the Psalms of David and you'll see what I'm talking about. 

Paul went on to endure so much that we can scarcely imagine it all--

2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 

2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 

2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 

2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 

2Co 11:28  Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 

The five times receiving 39 stripes….   I can't even imagine one time and one stripe, let alone five times and 39 stripes, can you? Have you ever been whipped? I mean really whipped with a real whip wielded by a man proficient in the art of applying that whip so that it gives bloody, flesh ripping stripes?

We need to really think about these things, think deeply. Paul was chosen by God, and his conversion was a miracle. Paul was chosen to bring the TRUTH of our LORD and SAVIOR, and His SALVATION to ALL! 

More tomorrow by the will of GOD.

Please, LORD, please.

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever and ever!!!!!!!

Darkness Descended.

And darkness descended upon Paul.

Act 9:8  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

Blinded.  Told he would be giving light to those in darkness, he, himself was thrust into darkness, his sight taken from him.

Moments before he was blinded, Paul (Saul) was on his way to Damascus. Just imagine what his thoughts had to be centered on. Imprisoning Christ followers. Hunting these blasphemous people down, seeking them out from every corner of Damascus. Taking these fools into custody and keeping them from spreading their awful lies about a supposedly risen Savior. The man was dead! They'd killed him! Didn’t these ignorant people realize that the would be Savior spoke bold, blasphemous lies? It was His duty to apprehend the criminals and put a stop to the craziness and he couldn’t wait to get to Damascus and get to work.

Have any of you ever been so sure of something only to find out you were completely wrong? You were positive that something was a certain way, but it wasn't not at all.  We see this sort of things in movies, in television shows,  it’s a standard plot line in suspense shows, and even in comedies. The reveal of how wrong someone was is often depicted as plot hook and the person goes on to either accept the new revelation- working through the hardship of that, or they go into denial and spend the rest of the movie being forced to accept the truth. There are so many scenarios, and isn't that where we like this sort of situations, on a television, or movie screen? We don’t like it in our real life at all. Finding out you were wrong about something you believe in can be devastating.  It's true too that finding out you were wrong about something that is awful to begin with, is a huge relief. Paul, however was not under the impression that hunting down Christ followers was awful. He believe in his heart, with all he was that what he was doing was God's blessed work. He believed he had God's full approval, that he was a God-fearing man.  He was totally wrong!  All he believed about the man they'd crucified was wrong!

And…after finding out he was wrong, he was blinded.

Act 9:8  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

When his eyes were open…. He saw NO MAN. He had to be led by the hand all the way to Damascus.

Blind.  It's no coincidence that Jesus used these words--

Act 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 

Act 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 

To OPEN THEIR EYES.     Paul was going to be sent to open the eyes of the Gentiles, and His own eyes had been blinded, he was in complete darkness.  Just as he was spiritually blinded, though he had physical sight, he was now physically blinding but spiritually he now had sight. Spiritual revelation, the truth had been revealed to him by the risen Jesus Himself!

For three days he was allowed this blindness. For three days his spiritual enlightenment was ignited. He had three days to think about nothing but his Christ given revelation.

He was chosen, of all people, he was chosen to turn the Gentiles from the power of Satan. Unless he did this, those people would not receive forgiveness for their sins, and they would not ultimately be with the holy, all through faith in Jesus Christ, Paul's Savior. Paul believed. Paul now believed. He had to review all that he knew of the Christ, all the things he believed were lies were really truths. To have to accept this - Paul was receiving a crash course in Salvation. Jesus hadn't blasphemed when He said He was God's Son. Every miracle that Paul had dismissed as brought to pass by Satan, had really been wrought by Jesus, using His Father's power. Every single person that believed…. Stephen… stoned Stephen, those words he spoke right before he was murdered were all true!

Yes, Paul's spiritual sight was never as vivid as it was when he was blinded. Three days of no eating and no drinking. Paul couldn’t concern himself with something so mundane as eating and drinking. The spiritual water and food he was feasting upon was all he needed.  Paul did not lay there in a coma for three days, Paul was conscious, Paul was thinking, Paul was being taught by the Holy Spirit. Paul was believing, and soon, so very soon Paul would be baptized. Paul will have repented of his sins, the greatest of which was persecuting Christ's followers, when the scales are removed from his physical eyes. He was ready to be baptized into the life of a Christ follower. He was going to be buried with Christ beneath the water and rise up into the new life of a Christ follower.

So amazing. Paul was given a mission, a life-long mission to preach Christ to the Gentiles. To bring Christ to people who otherwise would never have known Him.

May we, like Paul live for Christ in any way He reveals to us. May the Lord use us in His service now and always!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

A Life Turned Upside-Down. (Paul)

Act 26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

The LORD appeared to Paul and told Him - I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

Paul was persecuting Jesus? Imagine Paul's possible thoughts in that instant. Here in vision he was seeing Jesus!  Now, Paul wasn't a Jesus follower, obviously. Paul was in agreement with the majority of other Pharisees, Jesus was a blasphemer and worthy of death. He believed this so deeply, that He had to defend the almighty God against this awful imposter, this liar, this blasphemer! He took it upon himself to be one of the leading defenders of the one true God. And now, now he was stopped in his tracks suddenly right there as he journeyed to Damascus on his heaven ordained, holy mission by the very One he was trying to rid the world of. Yes, Paul wanted the name of Jesus Christ blotted out of existence and the only way to do that was to rid the world of all of His followers. Every last person who dared to go along with the liar, Jesus, had to be destroyed! Yet, there Jesus was! Paul's mind had to cried out, 'But you're dead! How can you be talking to me!?' So many wild thoughts had to have flickered through Paul's mind in an instant.

Told to rise, to get on his feet- Paul listened, and still his mind had to be far from blank. Jesus?! Jesus?! The one he had been thrilled to know had been killed?! Jesus, the one he hated with such passion?! It couldn't be Him, could it?! But how?! Why?!

Act 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 

As he rose from the ground, Paul heard Jesus say He appeared to him for a purpose, to make him a minister, a witness of the things he'd just seen, and things which will be shown to him by Jesus in the future.

Paul, a minister of Jesus?! A minister for the very one he'd wanted dead and his memory wiped from every mind?!

Act 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 

Paul listened as Jesus continued speaking, telling him that He would deliver Him from others- from Gentiles who he would be sent to.

Gentiles?! But he was a pharisee, a perfect man of God! He couldn't associate with Gentiles?! How could He do that?!

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

And Jesus continued talking. He would send Paul to the Gentiles in order to open their eyes, (just as his eyes were now being opened), to turn them from the dark to the light, from the power of Satan unto God, so they could receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance all with those who are made holy through faith in Him, Jesus.

Jesus was really all He'd said He was, He was everything all His followers declared! Jesus was from God, the very God that he, Paul, lived for! Jesus wanted HIM to bring to others this very enlightenment he was receiving.  He'd only always ever wanted the truth of God and He was getting that. God knew His heart and in his heart was a yearning for truth, for light, for forgiveness, for sanctification! He wanted to be used by God and God had chosen Him for this very special undertaking. It was all so much to take in!

He was going to open the eyes of the Gentiles to God, to truth! They were in the dark, so far in the dark, so far from God. Those Gentiles didn't know God, couldn’t know the true God, they were not chosen by God, and yet now they would be given truth, given light, their understanding would be open. The undeserving wretches by the very fact of their birth into the Gentiles would be deserving. They would be offered life eternal with God! How? Why?

And darkness descended upon Paul.

Act 9:8  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

Blinded.  Told he would be giving light to those in darkness, he, himself was thrust into darkness, his sight taken from him.

More on this tomorrow, by the will of our LORD.

All through Jesus Christ our Savior, with all thanksgiving, now and forever!!!!!!!

Not Entitled to Full Disclosure.

In the interest of full disclosure… these words invoke the truth laid bare, nothing hidden, nothing secret, everything exposed. Full disclosure, don’t hold back even the smallest detail.

Tell me something, do we know everything about each other? Do you know every last detail of your spouse, your child, your best friend, your brother, your mother, your sister, your father? A person that is closest to you, do you really know everything there is to know about them? Absolutely…not!

Ask a husband why he loves his wife and he may list a whole slew of her finest attributes, do the same for the wife about her husband and the result will be the same. Yet the finest attributes we possess are not the whole of us. In fact in some cases those finest attributes could be things from dating years, or early marriage, things that have since faded away under the pressure of life. Why do we choose who we choose to love? We aren't unique puzzle pieces fitting only to a single other unique puzzle piece, we have to make the choice to love someone and once we make that choice even then it doesn’t have to be a permanent one, unfortunately. We don’t have to make our bed and lie in it, we discard the bed we made and find a new one because those choices we made to love that person are no longer important enough for us to stay with them. People change, and we don't always like the changes. We change and we no longer like our own changes along with the person we chose.  Today there have cropped up so many different scenarios of love relationships, scenarios to fit anyone's passing fancy. If you don’t like current choices of relationships it doesn't seem to matter, make up your own and no one will fault you because we live in a world of self-gratification, self-indulgence and if we aren't gratified or indulged, then there is a problem somewhere because that's what life seems to be for.  This isn't really a new concept, there have been situations like this since the beginning.  We make choices. We answer to ourselves and higher powers.

Remember how this started out- in the interest of full disclosure? Ultimately we do NOT know ANYONE fully, not  single person, it is impossible!  So, tell me this, if we can't truly know another human being, someone made with the same fleshy form as we are, the same species, the same basic mold, then why do we even imagine on any level whatsoever that we can KNOW God and ALL HIS secrets?

We ask questions such as why God did this, or why God didn’t do that, and we struggle with comprehending the whys and wherefores as if somehow if we knew the whys and wherefores we could accept God, believe God, choose God. If we had full disclosure from God, every explanation to every question we could possibly ask, why then, we'd be able to make a truly informed choice.  We want that from God, yet we don’t and can't get that from each other!

You know those vows - in sickness in health, for better or worse?  Do you comprehend the full weight behind them? What a person is vowing in their wedding ceremony is to NEVER leave their spouse NO MATTER WHAT.  Do we hear that vow though? Do we hear the words, do you promise to never, ever leave your husband or wife no matter what they do, or don't do? Of course we don't hear those words. And even if we did say those words they wouldn't mean a thing in light of some atrocities that come to pass in marriages, right?  Do you suppose the words-  Why didn't you tell me that BEFORE we were married?- ever come up in fights between husbands and wives? Or, I didn't know you were really like that. Or, how could you be this way, you weren't like this before, you've changed.

The point I think I'm trying to make here, is that in husband and wife relationships, and really in any relationship we have with another person, we will NEVER know each other fully.  Not all undisclosed attributes are bad either, sometimes we exceed the expectations of others, and they exceed ours. The things that aren't revealed are wonderful things, not horrid. Still, they were unmentioned, unknown, and the only difference between the pleasant unknown and the bad unknown, is it's a lot easier to accept the pleasant. 

To continue with the point I'm trying to make, comprehending we can't know each other fully we must realize that we are far beyond being able to know all there is to know about our Creator. 

Logic tells us that we have a Creator- logic to anyone willing to delve into the hard cold facts of life that many learned man/woman have had to conclude. Still, we are ultimately led to make a choice in whatever we do choose to believe.

Once we've conclude we've been created, then we need to determine if we want to be involved with our Creator in a loving relationship. You can choose to live your whole life not even acknowledging you were created. You can make ups lies that you will call truths, and live in a world full of things that are coincidental, no miracles but rather blind luck and happenstance. You can also accept that you don't comprehend the whys and wherefores, but you certainly are too smart to get caught up in the fantasy world of believing in a Creator. Your belief is yours and yours alone to choose for whatever reasons you may have, just as I am given the same choice, we all are.

To need full disclosure, every single fact there is out there, before you choose to believe in God- is unrealistic, every bit as unrealistic it is to believe you know anyone other than yourself, fully. And hey, often we really don’t even know ourselves, right? Yet, we have the audacity to believe God owes us full disclosure from the very first question- Why did He really create us if He knew we'd sin? Why did He allow sin in the first place? And so many more questions just like these two. We want to know the whys and wherefores and we call it natural curiosity, and perhaps it is to a point. Or perhaps Satan wants us to dwell on our unanswered questions just as he used curiosity to capture Eve's attention.

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 

Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 

Your eyes shall be opened, and he promised that Eve would know all gods know-  good and evil.  She didn't care about the evil part, did she? She only care that she would KNOW as a god.

So when we ask our questions, those questions we aren't given answers to, and we let those questions overrule our faith, aren't we, like Eve, saying we want to know as a god knows? We want all the knowledge of good and evil. 

Do we choose to be a creature, or like Satan, really want to be like the Most High?

Father in Heaven, please, please we would be creatures! We don't want to be as gods, we don't want to presume to ever get to know everything, as if knowing You  isn't enough. You are enough! You are everything! Through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, your only begotten, declared Son, we seek forgiveness and newness of life to do Your will! We would be YOURS. Please, keep us from evil, keep us IN YOU and YOUR LOVE ALWAYS!!!!  Thank you, Father! Thank you! In the name of Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!

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Deu 29:29  The SECRET THINGS BELONG UNTO THE LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

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Job 11:7  Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 

Job 28:28  And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. 

Psa 25:14  The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 

Mat 13:34  All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 

Mat 13:35  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. 

Act 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 

Act 1:7  And he said unto them, IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 

Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

Ecc 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that NO MAN can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end

Ecc 8:17  Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man CANNOT find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. 

Job 11:7  Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 

Job 11:8  It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 

Job 11:9  The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. 

Job 37:23  Touching the Almighty, we CANNOT find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. 

Our High Priest's Blood.

Christ Jesus our Savior- enters the holy place in the heavenly sanctuary, not bearing the blood of goats and calves. Christ our High Priest isn't bringing the blood of animals into the heavenly sanctuary. The heavenly sanctuary needs special blood, blood worthy of the heavenly sanctuary, where the heavenly Father dwells on His throne. The special blood is the innocent blood shed, the sinless blood given to redeem mankind, to make the atonement that would cleanse and restore mankind to an AT ONE MENT with the Heavenly Father. Eternal redemption is found in the spilled blood of our Savior.

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 

The blood of animals- bulls and goats- served the earthly sanctuary, the ashes of the animal sacrifice sprinkled on the sinful, the unclean would serve to cleanse them. This animal blood through the ministrations of the earthly sanctuary's priests/high priest in their God appointed duty would in essence sanctify the flesh.  IF this is truth, and it is, then HOW much more will the BLOOD OF THE SINLESS SAVIOR cleanse us?  The powerful blood of our Savior will PURGE OUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD.

Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

Our Savior, our Heavenly High Priest, our Mediator of the NEW TESTAMENT-

The first testament- the sacrificial system initiated in the days of Moses- could NOT cleanse the Heavenly Sanctuary.   Only the BLOOD OF CHRIST has that power the blood of the new testament, the sacrificial system with only ONE sacrifice.

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 

Heb 9:16  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 

Heb 9:17  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 

Heb 9:18  Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 

Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 

Heb 9:20  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 

Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 

Christ did NOT take His blood into the sanctuary on earth, He took His blood into the heavenly sanctuary - into the presence of the Heavenly Father.

Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 

Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 

Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

Sin will be no more after the blood of the Savior has finished the work of the atonement.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation

Men die, and the next thing they'll know is their place in the judgment- have they accepted Christ Jesus their Sacrifice or failed to do so?

Christ Jesus will bear the sins of MANY, but not all, because not all want Him to bear their sins. Those who LOOK for Him will see Him when He returns SIN defeated, the sacrifice applied fully, the judging of all completed. Those who see Him will witness the results of their salvation!

Now, right now, right this moment, our Savior is in the Heavenly Sanctuary - when His work as our High Priest is over He will come to take those who are His back to heaven with Him.
 

Dan 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Dan 12:3  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 

May we witness the return of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST as we are DELIVERED by HIM!

All glory, praise and honor, all thanksgiving unto our GOD, now and forever!!!!!!!

Jesus- High Priest of the Heavenly Sanctuary.

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building

Our Savior became a high priest. 

Heb 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. 

Our Savior is a merciful and faithful high priest.

Heb 3:1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus

The High Priest of our profession, our Savior, Christ Jesus.

Heb 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. 

Our Savior, a high priest touched with the feelings of OUR infirmities.

Our Savior, a high priest, tempted like we are.

Our Savior, our high priest, sinless!

Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 

Heb 5:6  As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 

The Heavenly Father- after agreeing to this with God who became the Son-  was TOLD - Thou art my Son, TODAY have I begotten thee.

The Heavenly Father- TOLD our Savior, Thou art a priest.

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 

Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 

Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 

Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law

Our Savior- our high priest.

Our High Priest- on the right hand of the Heavenly Father's throne in the heavens of heavens.

Our High Priest- a MINISTER of the SANCTUARY

Our High Priest- a MINISTER of the TRUE TABERNACLE- the LORD pitched NOT man.

Our Savior- our High Priest- Sacrificed HIMSELF- OFFERED HIMSELF.

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. 

Moses was an example- a shadow of heavenly things.

Moses was told to make sure he made the tabernacle according to the pattern showed to Him.

Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 

Our Savior- our High Priest of a MORE excellent ministry.

Our Savior- our High Priest- THE mediator of a BETTER covenant.

Heb 8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 

Our Savior - our High Priest- MINISTER of the faultless covenant.

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 

Heb 8:11  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 

Heb 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 

Heb 8:13  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. 

Our Savior- our High Priest- Minister of the faultless, new covenant doing away with the old sacrificial system.

Our Savior- our High Priest- Minister of the faultless, new covenant - PUTS HIS LAWS in our MINDS, WRITES the LAW on our HEARTS.

Our Savior- our High Priest- instructs us to TEACH others to KNOW the LORD.

Our Savior- our High Priest- MERCIFUL to our unrighteousness.

Our Savior- our High Priest- FORGIVES us our sin, our iniquities.

The old covenant, sacrificial system ruled the way of life of the chosen people of God. They lived and breathed the rituals handed down from generation to generation. The rituals were no longer done from the heart, out of love to God. The rituals were perverted time and time again through Israel's history they strayed from the heart of the covenant until it was so far from the reality of what God intended, it was no longer effective. 

A new and better covenant was necessary, and that was through Our Savior, Jesus Christ, Our High Priest.

More on this tomorrow by the grace, the will of our Lord, now and forever!!!!!!! All glory, praise, and thanksgiving unto our Father in Heaven!