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Having said that – now how do I feel about it all? I wrote the previous post just a bit ago. After I had published it, I felt lousy. So immediately I began to see how this gets undercut in its reality in our beings. 

For several days I have had symptoms of cold/flu like substance. Now I believe deeply in the total work of our Lord Jesus Christ in redemption, healing, and so on. Yet, there are times when we are not able, for some reason or another, to connect these things to our reality. 

That is where faith comes in. I often tell my students, “Faith is action based in trust, anchored in confidence.” We know that “faith without works is dead” from James. I go so far as to say that “faith is the action.” If there is no action, then there is no faith. It is not a system of belief, nor anything else we might think it is. So in my faith, I trust. I know only to take the action of resting, drinking plenty of liquids and trusting the Lord that my body is reflecting His power and glory even in this state I would call weak. 

There is no condemnation, but that that does not change the truth. He still is my healer and yes I would go to see a physician if that would help. In this case, no. My body is better to allow His healing through some rest and water and good food. 

As we trust Him, He does heal and He does make whole, and He does allow us to go home to Him in total, so I trust Him. That does not mean I will not face some rough stuff, nor does it mean I will never feel the ravages of illness and opposition. What it means is He is true though every man be false.

So today I am home and was with the Greek class via live-stream. It was a good class. You can watch it if you wish for the next few weeks as it is kept there for 30 or so days. We meet each week and study the Word of the Lord in Koine Greek. Our teacher, John Hernandez, does an outstanding job of teaching a brief grammar lesson, then we read the Greek and study together. It is an awesome eye opener. I joined from my easy chair today. Not quite the same but good. 

So re-read my last post and begin to put your feet down into that reality. It will be good for all of us!

“Come to Him as unto a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. Ye also as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5 KJ21

The point is “living stones.!” In 1 Corinthians 3 & 6 believers are called the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” People related to a “God” that was outside of them and related to Him as best they could before that wonderful Pentecost Day when the Holy Spirit was poured out into the called out in Acts 2. Then everything changed. Now a New Covenant, based on the atoning blood of Jesus Christ was ushered into reality. It has been promised by the prophets of old and now it had come. So we are His bone and flesh people. (I know most translations say “flesh & bone” when the two are mentioned together, but the King James has it right here. It is always bone first and that is because the blood is created within the bone then the flesh; so we are related to Him by blood and then flesh).

It has never been (and never will be) stones of earth, covered with gold that He has desired. He could create that with a word if He so chose. No, He wants a human (made with His hands and in His image to begin with) to choose Him and allow Him to take up residence within them, thus producing a “living temple” made out of living stones – us. 

Our value is not just as those who belong to Him, or worship Him or most of anything else we might think. No. Our value is in the fact that we are His living evidence that He lives. We carry about His glory, His power and His nature as we live on this earth. So in His power and glory our lives have the capability of displaying His grace, love and mercy to a desperate world. This is cause for us too realize how abundantly He has blessed us and included us in His thoughts and plans. May we turn our eyes to truth and no longer relate to Him as some separate and outside force, but relate to Him as One who by His choice and ours, has taken up residence within us and is a part of all we are. He includes us in Himself. We are His Body. We are His …. He is our life, purpose, power, intent, etc…. 

Too awesome to comprehend, but it is true! Oh Lord how we thank you for dwelling within and as we turn our awareness to your indwelling, may our hearts soar in your love, grace, mercy, glory and power. May we be an illustration of all you are. My mind has trouble comprehending that reality, but Lord I receive it by faith and we will spend our day together in everything! 

“Come to Him as unto a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. Ye also as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5 KJ21

The Holy Spirit speaking to us through these words of the Apostle Peter just as He spoke them to those of the people of the 1at century, brings to our memory the fact that we come to Jesus not because He is popular. For now as in the days of His life on this earth, the populace rejects Him as being much of anything more than a vague historic figure. He was certainly not vague and certainly not just a historic figure that was admired by many. He is living and still interacting within His people today – more than He ever did while confined to the flesh and movements His body allowed. 

We come to Him because He was chosen by God and precious to Him. We are the living stones that comprise His spiritual body, this house. As such we are a holy priesthood. The dream of the God-Head through the ages has come to pass! The mystery hidden through the centuries, but treasured by God – God in us – living! What an awesome fact! This is what the prophets longed to see and what their hearts long to understand. This is the mystery of all mysteries, unfolded in us who have chosen the same One God chose. This has made us the nation of priests that is spoken of in the Old Testament. He told the people then they would become a nation of priests. That is who we are! 

We have sacrifices to offer, just as the scripture says, but these precious, holy sacrifices are our bodies (Romans 12:1) and our words (Hebrews 13:15) “the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.” What joy we have in this living dedication of being in such a way that our very words and actions bring praise and glory to our God and our King. This is a holy calling Beloved and it is ours. Thank you Lord for empowering our lives to be in You the perfect praise that lives and lives and lives. 

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:1-3 KJV

Many of our translations have this phrase “…that you may grow up into salvation” or something like that. The difference between the translations here is the Greek Text used by the translators. I am choosing to stay with the King James in this case, simply because the word always causes growth. The direction of the growth is understood in the passage. 

So we are to co-operate with the Word. That is our part of faith – to co-operate with the Word. In this case, to get rid of all ill-will, desire to see another wounded or hurt, insincerity (two-faced which is what hypocrisy means) and all forms of jealousy. These are deadly emotions and will not only eliminate our witness but will severely damage our own spiritual growth. Many of us have not understood that to be jealous of another person is to under cut our own power in the Holy Spirit. Such things must be eliminated by us personally. No one else can do this for us. 

Some of us need simply to allow His love and mercy to take care of such in us, while others of us may take some time in learning not to blame and receive Him in such fullness that these things drop away. Still others may need some professional help. However, Beloved in our Jesus, these are emotions that we are empowered to live beyond. So let’s us set our hope on our Lord Jesus and begin to get what help we need to allow such things to be conquered in us. 

We must choose not to participate in those emotions. We do have control of this in our emotions through our renewed minds. In the New Covenant, the Word of the Lord is written in our hearts and minds, (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:8-10, Hebrews 10:16-17) and as we believe that and allow the Word to become the first thing we think, these matters do change in us and instead being consumed by them, we have the ability and power in Jesus to not participate in these deadly emotions. So go for it. He in you is able. 

This is all conditioned on if we have “tasted that the Lord is gracious.” It is a spiritual “tasting” of course, but if we have lived any length of time in Him, we do know the “tasting” of His goodness and grace. If we only have a small “taste,” we have the ability to conquer whatever emotion we stumble on to in order to release His goodness and receive more and more of the milk of the Word. 

Thank you Lord Jesus, for your power in us and you love and grace in us. 

“Therefore laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisy and envy and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if so it be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Come to Him as unto a living stone rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. Ye also as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it is also contained in the Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth in Him shall not be  confounded.’ Unto you therefore who believed, He is precious. But unto those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same has been made the cornerstone,’ and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ For being disobedient they stumbled at the Word, unto which also they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:1-8 (21st Century KJV)

I want to work with the last sentence in this passage first. Then in following posts, we can look at the other elements. I first read this in the King James, and was seeing the fact that these folk who disobeyed were appointed to the Word. Then I read many other translations, and they all attributed it differently. I worked with the Greek and had the joy of being able to work with my Greek instructor with it. As far as either of us can see, these folk were appointed to the Word – not to the disobedience. This works with me theologically as well. It may be a matter of Greek texts, I have only a few at my disposal, but working with the goodness of the Lord and our placement in Him, it is the only translation that fits. 

I believe all are appointed to the Word. All are loved and all are potentially included in Christ. However, there are many who do not choose to receive the appointment as born from above sons and daughters of God. He is so gracious in Christ, that He does not force anyone, either by birth or circumstances, to be disobedient to Him. All are free to obey. 

So believing that, I see that all of us who have received Him are appointed to the Word. Therefore, in that appointment we will allow our lives to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through that precious Word into a living, breathing, dynamic person of Spirit. 

So our challenge today is really simple. In this New Year, honor the King enough to treasure His Word – not just the Book, but the reality of Himself which comes out of the Book. Whether you read it in book form or electronic form, treasure Him through His word. We have a new beginning this month. I urge you to read the book through. Begin, like me, to allow the Word to determine your thinking and blessings upon blessings will be unleashed throughout your life. 

2 The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:2-7 NASB

I have included the entire section of this prophecy so we could begin to understand the setting of these beautiful words. The Israelites in Judah would have thought these words meant that they would be delivered from what they were afraid would happen. They saw a much more immediate “child king” rescue. While that was true in a very limited way – much more victory was envisioned by the Holy Spirit. 

My mind goes to Hebrews 11:39-40, “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” The total prophetic utterance was about what our Lord Jesus Christ would be in the hearts of His own and deliver into their hands. So these folk received the blessing of the promise, but not the reality of its total fulfillment – until in Jesus Christ.  

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” There are believers all over the world being and bringing light to dark places and dark lands because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

“You shall multiply the nation, you shall increase their gladness; they will be glad in Your presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.” The word used here in Hebrew for “nation” literally means all nations – the Gentiles. The prophecy was saying that all would receive this increase and gladness of great joy – as when it is harvest time, or time to divide the great riches of a conquest. This happens every time a human opens their heart and allows the love of Jesus to flood them. It also happens in all believers as they worship and allow the focus of the Lord Jesus to become their dwelling place. 

“For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor as at the battle of Midian.” Oh yes! He breaks every yoke, eliminates the stress of every burden and puts our enemy under our feet. My, what a beautiful present day fulfillment of this prophecy and it continues to unfold until the day of His return to receive us unto Himself in the resurrection. 

“For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.” As we embrace the overabundant work of Jesus delivered into our beings, then we begin to understand we have the victory purchased in His blood, and that has supplied us with the fire of burning of the Holy Spirit, for unto us a Child is born. 

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 NASB

Almost 700 years before the event of His birth, this prophecy was spoken through Isaiah the prophet to Ahaz the King of the country of Judah. Most of our conservative versions translate the word almah from the Hebrew as what is printed above, “virgin.” However, the word in Hebrew simply means a young maiden, which in ancient times automatically meant “a virgin.”

The prophecy would have been thought to have been fulfilled in the chapter that follows (Isaiah 8) as that passage tells us about how Isaiah and his wife had a son and he was the sign that God was with them; the name Emanuel being used several times.

It is not until Matthew 1:23 that we discover the correct translation of the passage in Isaiah. They thought God through Isaiah was speaking about their immediate situation, and instead He was using words with dimensional emphasis.

The Lord is like that. His word is eternal, so it has dimensions of now and forever – always. As we journey in His heart through His word, the Holy Spirit illuminates for us the hidden manna. So as we continually seek His heart, more and more can be revealed to us.

The New Testament is the revealing of things hidden from all until the coming of Emmanuel! He has come and now we are seeing and understanding things in the Old with the light of Christ upon them. Amazing, simply amazing! Enjoy Him in Your heart as He is revealed in His Word today!

“Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel…”

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“He was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16b HCSB

This passage from 1 Timothy is the Good News of Jesus in a very few words. His entire earth time summarized. I love the way Paul in writing this seems to get caught up in the Spirit and just rejoices in this marvelous truth. 

As we begin the Christmas season, I will be posting about our Lord – mostly about His birth. To begin those posts, I wanted to use this summary. 

This season is very special to most of us. For me, it is about our Father’s great love for us in sending us the treasure of Heaven itself in order to provide a way for all to come to Him through love. The Word willingly became that expression of love – the manifest presence of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of His glory, the exact expression of His nature, and He sustains all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” His purpose in coming was not to give us a holiday in the celebration of His birth, but to purify all from sin, and exemplify all our Father is in HIs love for us and toward us. 

The love of the Father brought Him, gave Him and empowered Him to become all that was needed in every way for life and godliness for any and all who would receive Him and what He did. So as we turn our thoughts and lives to the celebration of His coming in this season, let us remember it is about love. It is not about humans loving humans with human love. It is about the Father of all loving all with a love that knows no bounds and never ends. It is a love that satisfies all longings and needs. So as we open to Him in that love reception, then we are empowered to give that kind of love away. 

Human love is faulty at its very busy. We are creatures who fail even when we try very hard not to do so. Yet, His forgiveness is sufficient, and he empowers us to love as He loves. May we begin to reach for that as we express Him in this season of blessing! Allow it to be so in you and in yours.