The Oil & The Box

  

 There are two stories in our Bible about two different women who anointed Jesus. One of the women is unknown, but sinner, for He forgives her sins when she anoints Him; the other woman is Mary of Bethany, Martha and Lazarus' sister. Both times the gift is costly. Both times they offer the gift because of the love in their hearts for their Teacher, their Rabbi, their Savior. Both women give us examples of how to approach Jesus.

Scripture references for Mary of Bethany are Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8 all of which take place at Simon the leper's home in Bethany. The other Scripture reference in Luke 7:36-50 takes place at Simon the Pharisee's home in Galilee.
Two different men, two different homes, two different women, two different scenes, two different intentions, two different receptions.


Though the first man is referred to as Simon the leper, because he has a home within city limits of Bethany, we know that he is no longer a leper and become aware that it is Jesus who has healed him. Simon would always give Jesus a warm welcome in his home. As we who are healed by Christ,also receive Him warmly into not only our hearts, but into our lives and in essence our homes, for this is where we live the life we have offered Christ.

The second man is Simon the Pharisee, who was perhaps one of the Pharisees in the previous verses who had rejected the lessons they were hearing from Jesus. Though he recognized Jesus as a knowledgeable Teacher, in his heart he questioned Jesus' wisdom in allowing this woman to touch him (Luke 7:39). My Bible cross-references verse 37 with Luke 8:2, referring to this second woman as Mary Magdalene, who had been possessed by seven devils, but was now delivered. The pain of this torment would have caused her to cry out, hurt herself and be considered unclean by all who came into contact with here. Nevertheless, no one offered her help until Jesus came to her rescue and healed her illnessess and called out the evil spirits within her. Now, she faithfully, along with other women in the city, ministered to Jesus' needs. And at this time, one year before His crucifixion, this anointing in Galilee was an act of worship.

Her heart healed, her mind clear, her sins forgiven her, Mary of Galilee purchases an alabaster jar filled with nard, spikenard or cassia as it was referred to. Weeping, not crying out, but weeping silently she enters Simon the Pharisee's home carrying this alabaster offering. Tears running down her face, she kneels at Jesus' feet, while He rests at the dinner table. As she bows her head over His feet, her hair tumbles down around Him and she just reaches out and uses the strands of her hair to dry His feet: feet which were dirty from all His journeying but are now clean from her tears. Opening the alabaster perfume jar, she begins to anoint His feet with it.

After this, He continued His journey into villages and cities, preaching the gospel. Usually on foot. His feet were rested and comforted. Our Bibles tell us that the feet of they who preach the gospel are beautiful. Here is Jesus, preaching the gospel, and we know that His feet are indeed beautiful. He walked in most of these places. Though the wheel had been invented, it was used for carts and chariots and He had neither. Sometimes He was able to use boats to get from one piece of land to another, but mostly He walked. On His feet were sandals, strips of leather fastened together both on the foot and up the ankle. Useful for protection from the heat on the surface of the ground, but not to keep the elements or the dust off.

I tell you all this as a preamble to this: you and I are both the oil and the box. In the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 3:16 we are asked "Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives in you?" When we accept the grace of God and receive His forgiveness on our sins, and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who reigns forever, Jesus lives in us through The Holy Spirit. We become God's temple, God's house.

We become strong and holy through sanctification and submission to God's will for our lives. And God has many wills for our lives. The primary will of God is for all to be saved. Salvation is #1 on the list of God's will for our life. Sanctification is #2; for the Bible tells us God says, "Be holy, for IAM holy." And in Matthew, resting comfortably in the middle of The Beatitudes sits this verse, Bless are the pure in heart for they shall see God." We all want to see God. And we all will. But only some of us will live. For to see God when a person is not holy is to see death. As we begin our new life in Christ, we enter the sanctification process and work our way to becoming a vessel of honor to God. We learn to be more Christ-like, not only for ourselves, but also towards others.

 Verse 13 says "Every man's work shall be made manifest, meaning revealed,: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." What we have done for Jesus is our oil. The more we offer of ourselves to Christ, the more we surrender ourselves to God's will, the greater our sacrifice of self is evident. For we will have surrendered our all to Jesus, He who surrendered His all to us and gave of Himself everything He had. That is the oil we pour out on Jesus' feet, when we kneel before Him. Everything that is of great cost to us, is of great worth to Jesus. What sacrifices must we make to be closer to God? What must we surrender to God willingly that there would be more of Jesus in us and less of us in us? For each one of us it will be something of personal value, even if it is not of a monetary value itself, the cost to us will be evident and criticized by others.

After all, that is what happened when both women offered their costly purchases to Jesus. Mary of Bethany purchased an alabaster flask of sweet perfume, one pound of spikenard equivalent to a year's wages, to anoint Jesus with. This anointing took place six days prior (John 12:1) to His crucifixion. This was in preparation for His burial (John 12:7). But Judas Iscariot protested this anointing, because he wanted the money to go into the group's treasury, of which he was in charge. Though he decried that the money could have been used for the poor, in actuality he took from the funds as he needed it, not as the poor needed it. Mary Magdalene's actions were condemned by the homeowner, Simon the Pharisee, because she was a wicked sinner who had the audacity to touch the Prophet's feet.

Mary, Lazarus and Martha's sister, was preparing The Lamb for sacrifice. Are you prepared to sacrifice to The Lamb? Have you brought your offering to the altar with clean heart, clean hands and a clear conscience? Do your actions towards the people in your life, even the passersby, whom we seldom meet but once or twice, render your offering invalid? Or can you, after searching your heart and your mind, willingly and knowingly, submit your offering to God and be prepared to receive what God has for you when you do so?

Will what you have done for Jesus make it through the fire and stand with you? Or will you stand alone having had your actions burn up completely in the fire of God? I can only answer for myself. I do not need to know your answers but you do.

The oil, the sweet perfume, which was stored in the alabaster box was kept pure and untainted because of the alabaster's ability to maintain that which was stored within it. It was a heavy decorative stone, precious, costly, rare and strong. Are you able to maintain that which is, or will be, stored in you? The seal on the alabaster box was made of wax; this prevented the perfume's aroma from leaving the box. A reminder to us that the seal is temporary. That by which we have been sealed will be removed at that time when God opens our boxes and pours out our offering before Him, in His presence, in His holy fire. SO, I ask you again, are you ready? Will you be ready?

We had an amazing altar service this past Sunday morning. And while, I was in the Spirit, I was given another song, which is simply titled: The Oil.

 

we are the oil

we are one

we were picked

we were chosen

to be crushed

to be broken

we are the oil

we will be poured out

on the Son

onto His head

like a crown

we lay here

on the Son

pouring onto

His garments

running down His face

down His shoulders

onto His feet

His beautiful feet

we are mingled

with her tears

she cried on the Son

for she is broken

she is broken

like the alabaster box

where we lay

with her tears

and with her hair

she washes His

beautiful

beautiful feet

 

we are the oil

we are one

we were picked

we were chosen

to be crushed

to be broken

for this purpose

our work is done

our work is done

and we are one

in the Son

 

 

In Jesus' Name - Is All Righteousness (Part 3 of 3)

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The Lord Is Righteousness.

 

 

In the tabernacle in the wilderness near Mt. Sinai was a room

called The Holy of Holies and in this room was a golden box with a golden lid

which had two golden angels atop it.

This box and lid are known to us as The Ark of The Covenant and The Mercy Seat.

The Ark is made of acacia wood and overlaid inside and out with solid gold.

The Mercy Seat is created from one solid sheet of gold; both the lid and the angels

were hammered into shape from one sheet of gold. It was not broken in two, nor

were the angels created separately and set atop: it was solid gold.

 

Inside the Ark were three items: the pot of manna,

Aaron's rod, and the Ten Commandments

written by the finger of God into two tablets of stone.

Each item represented a period of time

in which God's people were disobedient and sinned against Him.

The manna was a symbol of when they rejected God's provision.

Aaron's rod was a symbol for when they rejected God's authority.

Tablets of stone, with

ten commandments emblazoned across them by God's finger,

symbolized their rejection of God's right standards for living.

 

 



      Why do you think that God would allow or even want these 3 items in the Ark? After all, they represented events in which God's people had deliberately sinned against God's Word. And not just God's written Word either, they had sinned against God's spoken Word, also. Exodus 10:23-28 God would speak to Moses and Moses would relay God's Word to God's people, with the expectation that they would listen to Him, for they had said that they would. But, again, they did not. The people were told to gather the manna for six days, and on the sixth day they could gather enough for two days and it wouldn't rot, which it did not. And some obeyed.
     But some went out on the seventh day and there was no provision from God, for this was God's day to rest. The seventh day of the week is the day which God had ordained as a day of rest. And to instill this command within His people, He made no provision for them. Their disobedience was made apparent when they left their homes and tried to collect the manna that had not fallen that day. We are no better.
     God's day of rest was created for God by God Himself as a Day of Rest. Though God does not grow weary, people do. And He set the seventh day aside for Himself and as an example to all people that even they need to rest in God's Presence at least every seven days. This is why the sabbath day is holy: for God is Present: JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH. "Be still and know that IAM GOD: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10. "For thus sayeth The Lord GOD, The Holy One of Israel; "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and you would not....And therefore will The Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are they that wait for The Lord." Isaiah 30: 15, 18.
     "Until The Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. .. And the work of Righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And My people shall dwell in a peaeable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. .." Isaiah 32:15, 17-18 In Jesus' Name is ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. The seventh day of the week was set apart from the other six days to rest in God, to be quiet before The Lord. Resting in The Lord brings us to a place of repentance and salvation in Him. Waiting on The Lord reminds us to be patient and thoughtful  in our ways before God. Confidence is Faith; it is the knowledge that what has been said is so and will be. Waiting on God and having Faith in His Word is our strength. And it is this strength that enables us to move forward when we work for The Lord.
     But God's people would not. Therefore, as stated in Isaiah 30:18 The Lord waits for us to return to Him, that we may receive His grace, praise His holy Name, receive His mercy and then be judged. Those who wait on God are blessed. As God's called people, we are blessed. For we wait on the return of His Son, Jesus Christ. Who, in the twinkling of an eye, will return and take His people home with Him. But there was a time when we, too, did not listen. And I am thankful, very thankful, that I live in a time of grace. For had I lived back in the day of Moses, I would surely have been stoned for my wicked ways. But now, I live in the Age of Grace; for Christ was crucified for my sins. And for your sins.

    
     Every body sins. "For ALL HAVE SINNED and COME SHORT of the glory of GOD." Romans 3:23. Nobody is perfect. Nobody is good enough. Nobody is worthy under their own glory. Nobody can buy or purchase their entrance into the glory of GOD. Nobody means me. Nobody means you. It does not say "Some", nor does it says "Most": God's Word tells us that ALL have sinned.
     "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. How 'bout that? How many people do you know would be willing to take the place of a murderous lying thief? Would you? Would you die for the worst sinner you can think of? Jesus did. He died for us. All of us.
     Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Because sin is in this world, it is also in us. But Jesus died for us, so we wouldn't have to die in our sins. We just have to believe that this is true. We didn't see it happen and we have yet to see Jesus face to face; that's why it's called 'faith'. Hebrews 11:1 "FAITH is the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED FOR, the EVIDENCE of things not seen." See? Faith has substance, it has matter, therefore faith matters. And it doesn't take much faith to believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God and that God's Word is faithful and true. It takes more faith to move mountains than it does to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Lord of our lives and the Savior of our souls. "For He (GOD) has made Him (JESUS) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of GOD in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.
    Romans 10:9-11 "If you confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your hearts that GOD has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, we believe unto Righteousness; and with our mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed." Whosoever means me. John 3:16 says 'whosoever believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life'. Whosoever means me. You and I are the 'whosoever' when it comes to making a statement of faith in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
     With our mouth means to speak it out loud. With our heart means to believe it whole-heartedly, not just whenever we feel like it; not just one day  out of the week; not just at the holidays, or the Holy Days. Whole-hearted Faith. As The Word says, in the paragraph preceding, "with the heart we believe unto Righteousness." Our righteousness in and of ourselves is dirty, filthy rags; but the Righteousness of Christ within us when we believe that GOD has raised Jesus from the dead is clean and pure; it is this Righteousness which makes it possible not only for us to see God, but for God to see us.
     Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved." There that word is again: whosoever. You are that whosoever. I was that whosoever. I called upon The Name of The Lord to save me, and He did. I am crucified with Christ because I believe that He was crucified for me, and that GOD raised Him from the dead that all, including me, would be raised with Him. This promise is for everyone, even you.
     To call on God's name is to seek His face and ask for His forgiveness on your sinful ways. There was a time when I thought that some of the things I did were okay. But the closer I have become to God, I have been made aware and realized that many of the things I thought were passable in my life, are actually impossible in God's righteousness and God's holiness. And while I knew that some other things were definitely sin, I thought that as long as I didn't do them, I was okay. But I was not. Sin affects every part of a person, even if they are believing that they are not participating in it. Jesus says that if you even think about doing something wrong, you and I are already guilty of that sin. For with our hearts we believe, therefore our hearts have sinned when we think sinful thoughts, too.
     Watching people sin (movies, peep shows, adult TV shows/movies, MA ratings on games). Reading about people's sinful ways (romance/soft porn books/stories, tabloids, celeb watch, etc). Hearing people talk about their sin or participating in sin while they speak(gossip, back-stabbing, booty-watching, flirting with or without the intention of following up on where flirting leads, two-faced conversation, etc). These are offensive to me. Foul language is foul all the time, whether you give it ratings or not. It hurts my ears; it hurts my heart and my soul. And I will, have no doubt on this matter, speak up and tell you so.
      No, I am not speaking from a 'holier than thou' pulpit. I am speaking from been there, done that stance. Having lived that lifestyle and now living a righteous life in Christ, I make it a point to allow The Holy Spirit of God to work through me and sanctify me and make me holy, because I want to see GOD one of these days and Stay with Him in all eternity. I have set myself apart from livng a sinful sin-filled lifestyle. And sanctification means that I am being made holy by God's Holy Spirit for God's pleasure and God's purpose.
     This is the life and the lifestyle I preach from this pulpit wherein God has placed me. "You must be born again," Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee. "How can I?" asked Nicodemus, "I am old. How can I enter my mother's womb again?" Jesus reply? "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." And then He proceeded to tell Nicodemus what I have shared here with you. Nicodemus was a whosoever, too.

How do you call on Jesus' Name for salvation? Like this. and remember, this is just an example, because God wants to hear from you from your heart with your voice:

Oh Lord my God, I have sinned and gone against Your Word and  Your Will for my life. I have lived in sin and walked in sin and my sins are all over me. Lord, search me and try me. Reveal the areas in my life where I have sinned against You. Show me me and show me You. Oh Lord God, don't let me leave this world without You. Show me me and show me You. Lord God, reveal Yourself to me. Show me in my life where You want me to be. Show me in Your Word who I am to You and who You want me to be. Show me, Lord, Who You are. Forgive me, Father God, for all my wicked ways and the wickedness of my heart, and my mouth and my mind. Cover me, Lord, with Your precious blood, which flowed from out of Your body onto me, cover my unrighteousness with Your Righteousness, Lord God, and take away my sins. Come into my heart and be The Lord of my life and The Savior of my soul. Make me to know You in all Your ways. These things I ask Lord and give You all the glory and honor and praise for, in Jesus' Name. Your Beautiful, Marvelous, Wonderful Name. Thank You, Lord, for saving a wretch like me. Thank You, Lord, for choosing to die in my place and washing away my sins. Make me holy, Lord God, send me Your Holy Spirit, that I may begin to walk the paths of Righteousness which You have placed me on. Amen.

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The Lord Is My Righteousness.

In Jesus' Name is All Righteousness. In Jesus' Name is All P:ower. In Jesus' Name is All Healing. In Jesus' Name is All Wisdom. In Jesus' Name is All Forgiveness. In Jesus' Name is All Strength. In Jesus' Name is Creator of All. In Jesus' Name is All Peace.

 HOLY HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

In Jesus' Name - Is All Righteousness [Part Two]

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The Lord is Righteousness.

What is sin?

 

 

     Sin seperates us from God. And when we are separated from God, we cannot hear Him speak. Nor can we see Him. He is a far away God instead of an ever near God. JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH. The Lord is Present cannot be seen or known when sin has its way.

 

Genesis 2:1 Records the first time God said "Don't".

 

Genesis 3:1-7 Eve listens to the serpent, the medium through which Satan worked, and disobeys God. When Adam saw her eat it and not die, he ate it, too.

 

     The primary sin would be not listening to God. Disobedience, rebellion. We now have an inherent sin nature within all of us. We have an awareness of what is right and what is wrong. But in order to grow in righteousness we need more than just a whiff of right and wrong. We need a Teacher to direct us in our ways and help us mature in the righteousness of Christ.

     We are created by God with another inherent ability: the power of choice. We can choose to do right or we can choose to do wrong. When we choose sin, we are turning our backs on God, and and closing our ears so as not to hear Him speak. In our sin, we become arrogant and prideful. Just like Lucifer was before he got thrown out of heaven after he lost the war against God. Lucifer is the reason sin exists at all.

     God created a beautiful angel and named him Lucifer, meaning brightness, the morning star. Isaiah 14:12 describes his downfall from heaven and the reason he attacked his Creator. Ezekiel 28:11-19 describes how God created this creature. God did not create evil. Lucifer looked upon his own beauty. He knew he was the anointed cherub. He knew God had covered him with every precious jewel, and gold. Also, the music within Lucifer was placed there by God on the day in which Lucifer had been created. The purpose for which he was created was to worship his Creator, God. Instead, Lucifer chose to worship himself.
     He set himself above God; he willfully and deliberately desired to be worshiped and declared war against God after convincing one-third of God's angels that he deserved all the glory instead of God. He was wise in his own eyes because he was corrupt. His light was corrupted because his wisdom was corrupted first. And he was corrupt because evil had corrupted him. Evil was born in Lucifer; pride filled his being and arrogance ruled him. A multitude of evil was found in him; he was filled with violence and sin [Ezekiel 28:16].
     He was profane and God threw him out of the mountain of God. The day is coming when God will fully destroy him publicly. Lucifer's sanctuaries are defiled: his word is broken (liar), his music is polluted and profane, he prostitutes and slays. A sanctuary is a holy place, a hallowed place, a consecrated place. And, yet, his are defiled making his sanctuaries unholy, unhallowed, unconsecrated. Every thing he was when God created him, he has defiled and ruined because of his evil ways and wickedness in high places.
     Ephesians 6:11 The devil is wily. He is sneaky, deceitful, cunning. Ephesians 6:12 He is a principality, a power, a ruler of darkness of this world; he is spiritual wickedness in high places. Matthew 4:1 is the first time he is referred to as 'devil', which means false accuser, slanderer, traducer.  Traducer is the opposite of praise. He was created to praise; but in every thing he does and every word he says, is the opposite: he deliberately misleads they who listen to him.
     1 Peter 5:8 The devil is our adversary, he walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. What is a roaring lion? Why is the devil referred to in this way? [for Christ is also known as a lion: The Lord is The Lion of God, He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.] A roaring lion is one who makes his presence known, that those around him would be fearful and wary. A lion roars when on the hunt, instilling fear in his victim, his prey, making it harder for said victim to escape; where can you run to, when you are fearful of every direction. For the roaring of the lion lingers and makes escape almost impossible. And if the roaring lion is able to overcome you, he will take you with him. Satan knows his destination and wants to take you with him. He would rather see you in hell suffering and screaming for all eternity than see you believe God and accept Christ as Lord.

     In the animal kingdom a lion's roar can hit 114 decibels, equivalent to a jet engine and louder than a jackhammer. It can be heard as far away as 5 miles [8Km]. Fear brings the sound closer, making a person believe that death is nearby and that there is nowhere to turn. This is an illusion created by the devil. There is only one way out of this illusional maze: and that way is up. The only way to go up is to go to your knees and cry out to Jesus to save you. And He does.
     1 Peter 5:10 BUT GOD (two of my fave words). But The God of ALL GRACE, Who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a while, makes us perfect, established, strengthens, settles us. We have a Savior, He will keep the lion at bay.
     1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel, which was a sin against God's Word, as David was reminded in verse 3 by Jo'ab. A census was taken and the people were numbered and God was displeased and smote, or punished the nation of Israel. Though the king had ordered, because the people complied, all of them were punished for disobeying The Word of God. When man's laws go against God's law, God's law is to be obeyed first.
     The name Satan means adversary, the arch-enemy of good, the opponent, withstand. God is good all the time. Satan is wicked all the time. God is Love. Satan is hate. God is Righteous. Satan is unrighteous. God is Holy. Satan is unholy. God is Judge. Satan will be judged. God is Sanctifier. Satan is unclean. God is Shepherd. Satan is a thief. God is Truth. Satan is a liar. God is Strength. Satan is weakness. God is The Banner Over Me. Satan is a worm beneath my feet. God is Healer. Satan is deceiver. God is Redeemer. Satan is destroyer. Every thing God IS, Satan is the opposite.
     He is real. You know this, for you see the world around you. We are in our predicament because of the sinful nature in every person. There seems to be an abundance of hate every where you look. Your fingers take you around the world or into your own backyard via the internet. You and I are able to view, from a distance, the chaos that is increasing in our world. Leaving this world for another is not an option for the majority of us. And burying our head in the sand like an ostrich is not a good solution either. 



     If you want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, you will need to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. You will need to make a decision for Christ instead of a decision to ignore Christ. It is a lack of integrity that prevents many from making the choice to acknowledge that God is and that God is holy. You may think you are without options in the midst of chaos and destruction, but you are not: Jesus died for you that you would not continue to be separated from God. It is sin that prevents you from getting near God. It is sin in your life that prevents God from hearing your prayers. If your prayers are getting answered, it is not the God Who created the universe and everything in it that is answering your prayer: it is the god of this world, Satan. He is determined to continue to deceive you.
      Why does Satan want to deceive you? To prevent you from knowing God. To prevent you from seeing God or hearing God's voice or knowing God's heart. Satan will do every thing and any thing he can to convince you that the only god you need is the god that is within you. This is a lie. There is no god within you. It is not your energy that will heal you, nor can anything in nature or the heavens bring you peace. The power of positive thinking will only take you so far; you need Jesus Christ in your life to take you all the way to God. Without Jesus, you are lost in the dark.
      Why continue to walk a dark and lonely path, when there is a Light waiting for you to turn on your heart and believe that He is real? Yes, life is hard. And being with Jesus is hard, too. But He takes most of the burden on Himself and gives us His strength to hold us up. All you have to do is ask Him. Ask God to forgive you of all your sins. Turn from your wicked ways and begin to live a holy life, a life of integrity and morals, and reasoning. Seek The Holy Spirit of God to receive the power He has to lay on you, that you, too, may search God's Word in power and humility, asking Him to reveal God to you. I do. I ask Him to reveal Himself more and more when my Bible is open. I get lost in The Word.Not the kind of lost where you can't find yourself, but the kind of lost where a person loses track of time. Time does not stop when I am reading my Bible; it is that time ceases to exist.

O Lord my God, You are my Strength and my Love, In You I rest and am blest,

     Be Gracious to me, O G-D and have mercy on me when I fail You. You are my desire and I live to please You. Be not far from me when I am weak, but stay near me JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH. The Lord is Present. You are my JEHOVAH, my God. You are my Love and my Law; in Your Word I live and speak and walk. Bow low Your ear to hear my prayers, O Lord, for I love to listen to You when You speak. Your voice is as thunder to the distant crowds, but when You are with me, Your whisper is close to my ear. Stay near me Lord, for fears are making themselves known. Make Yourself known Lord and keep me near Your heart and in Your hand.
     You are my Strong Tower; none can tear You down: and in You I am safe and sound. You have given me a sound mind and a broken heart. Raise up a standard in me that I may ride forth and defeat the enemies that have beset me on every side. For You, O Lord, are my Savior and my Strength. In You I bear witness that Your Testimony is everlasting and for ever more.
     In Your Word is Light and Life. You have given Your Word to me that I might have light and life, also. And, Lord, I love You for keeping me, I love You for saving me and I love You for staying near me and instilling within my heart Your Peace and Your Hope. Thank You for choose me and calling my name out of the darkness. I will praise, O my Lord, for all of my days. I will preach Your gospel when ever and where ever You call me, open my mouth and fill my mouth with Your Words. For while I hunger for more, there are many who hunger for crumbs.
      In Jesus' Name, the Name Above All Names, the Name of The Only Begotten Son of God,
these things I ask and give Your praise and glory for. Amen. And Amen.


In Jesus' Name is ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. ALL POWER. ALL STRENGTH. ALL WISDOM. ALL HEALING. ALL FORGIVENESS. ALL GLORY. CREATOR OF ALL. LORD OF ALL.



 

In Jesus' Name - Is All Righteousness [Part One]

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The Lord Is My Righteousness.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 55:1,2 Come, you thirsty, come you to the waters, and you without money; buy , and eat; buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money on that which is not bread? and labor, work, for that which satisfies not? listen to Me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Isaiah 59:1-3, 8, 12, 13 Behold, The Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness. (8) The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them[selves] crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace. (12) For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; (13) In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

 The Lord is Righteous. We are unrighteous. While transgressions and iniquities are both sin, we may wonder why these words are used. Well, transgression is national revolt, moral revolt, religious revolt, rebellion, sin and trespass. Iniquity is fault, mischief, punishment of iniquity, perversity, sin. By using both words, all sins are covered. And, indeed, our sins are covered: under the blood of Christ. But only if that blood is applied to our soul: our hearts, the seat of our emotions and attitudes; our minds, the area wherein we reason and think. Then, and only then, can God see us and hear us; because the righteousness of Christ is upon us.

But, you say, my sin is not listed, therefore it is not sin. You are wrong and your words have declared you to be a liar and a thief. All sins against God are listed in the Bible, the written Word of God. All sins were laid upon Christ, the Living Word of God. All sins were named when God speaks, the Spoken Word of God. Don't just read the parts of the Bible that make you happy, read the whole Bible and start from the beginning, where God says, "Don't" to Adam. Genesis 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you may not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of [this tree] you shall surely die."

Sin is disobedience to God. All sins are in this one sin. Because Adam and Eve's decision to disobey God and eat the fruit of the tree that was forbidden, sin entered into the whole world and the whole world and everything in it was cursed by God. (Genesis 3:1-19) Everything includes you and I. We have inherited a sinful nature within us, because of the sin that was in Adam and Eve. It was the tree of knowledge of good and evil that they ate. So they had an awareness now of what is right and what is wrong.

I would imagine they were not happy. They knew too much and it was overwhelming. This knowledge could have overwhelmed them to the point of self-destruction, but they knew God; they had enjoyed a relationship with Him that they never knew again in life. They would not see God again, nor hear Him until Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave, bringing all souls from paradise into heaven with Him. Because they didn't listen to God, all sin entered the world. Death. Hate. Anger. Pride. Greed. Lying. From these other sins branched out. Sin is unrighteous living.

It has been said that if you break one commandment, you break them all. It is true, you know. For the first commandment is to love God above all else. More than you love yourself. More than you love your spouse. More than you love your children. More than you love your life. More than you love His created world and His created animals and His created nature. And the second commandment? Don't make any graven images of heavenly things, earthly things, nor water things and don't worship them, nor serve them. This is sin.

God is a jealous God. He loves us and shows us mercy time and again now. Before Jesus Christ came into our world in the flesh, grace was only given to those who proved themselves righteous by obeying God. Those who did not obey God were judged immediately and sentenced to death. But when they repented of their sin, they were forgiven after they brought a sacrifice to their priest, who then would bring the sacrifice to the altar. No more is this necessary. For Christ became our sacrifice, The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is our sacrifice, our priest, our mediator to God: He intercedes on our behalf when we are covered with His blood. Isaiah 1: 16, 18 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; Come now, and let us reason together, says The Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they [your sins] be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Only Jesus Christ, The Only Begotten Son of God, never broke any commandment. To imply otherwise is blasphemy and God is your judge. In the New Testament, Jesus always puts God first, when speaking. He always went to God when He was stressed, frustrated and tired. Though many people were healed during His ministry, the majority of them just walked away after thanking Him; not waiting to hear His messages. This was disheartening and He would find a quiet place somewhere and pour His heart out to God. As our example, this is what we should do when we are ignored or come against.

Jesus honored all the commandments because He is the law fulfilled. In Him is all righteousness. He is holy. He is pure. He is clean. You can see that He was without sin. He honored His father and His mother. We first learn of Him at His birth and early childhood: the wise men did not find Him until two years after the star appeared, for it had taken them that long to find Him. We see Him again at 12 yrs of age in the synagogue, speaking to the scholars there (Luke 2:46-52). Verse 51 tells us that He was subject unto them. In other words, He listened and obeyed His parents. Verse 52 tells us that He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. That is all we know of the next 18 years of His life, until He began His ministry at the age of 30.

Jesus never killed anyone. Nor was He angry enough to the point where He would do so. He did not commit adultery, nor was it on His mind. He did not steal: the thought of taking something away from someone else for any reason was not in Him. He did not lie: Jesus is Truth and Truth is in Him. Nor did He covet any thing that any one had. Jesus was with God when the world was created. Every thing that is in the world is His, for by Him were all things created. Why would He covet, or jealously desire, any thing, when He is every thing?

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The Lord is My Righteousness.

In Jesus' Name is All Righteousness.
In Jesus' Name is All Power.
In Jesus' Name is All Wisdom.
In Jesus' Name is Creator of All.
In Jesus' Name is All Healing.
In Jesus' Name is All Forgiveness.

In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

[This concludes part one of this discourse]

 

In Jesus' Name-Is All Forgiveness

JEHOVAH-GO'EL. The Lord is My Redeemer.

In Jesus' Name is All Forgiveness.
We did not know Him
We could not see Him
His ways were strange
His words were new and different
In our fear we hated Him
In our hate we nailed Him
But He forgave us.

In our ignorance we mocked Him
And with our apathy we crowned Him
But He forgave us.

As He died there on the cross,
We watched,. Some still fearing
Some still grieving,
Some doubting.
Some crying.
One acknowledged Him as The Son of God.
But all turned their back and walked away,
when He died.
But He forgave us.

Three days in the grave:
not asleep, nor awake,
fightig Satan in all His Ways.
He emerged from the tomb
Where His body was laid
Holding the keys
To death and the grave
And He forgave us.

He forgives us still.
His Name is Forgiveness
and He always will.

Come and see
the women said
There's no body in the tomb
Someone must have taken Him
in the night, we assume.
His Word had fallen
on ears that had not heard
Nor hearts that had been stirred.
We doubted, we cried, we searched
and we found
The Teacher, The Rabbi, The Master
on the grounds.
And He forgave us .

He forgives us still
For He knows our hearts
And He always will.

Judgment and Justice are His to decide
Fairness and equity balance in time
He writes His  laws with His finger
On tablets of stone, then hearts
The first was temporary
The second is permanent
With His blood He writes
Upon my heart
The Words I have come to know:
Written in Red for me to see
"I forgive all your iniquity."
And He forgave me.

A two-edged sword
Divides and separates
Families and friends
Parents and children
He cuts through wickedness,
Self-righteousness
As a searing blade
Through cold hearts.
His Mercy, His Truth
Emblazoned on my heart
Are bound round my neck
He has set me apart.
For He forgave me.

He forgives us still
For He knows our hearts
And He always will.


I did not know I was going to put this in verse, but there you have seen what God can do when all I have is my notes and my Bible, He multiplies the words x the ideas and brings forth a beautiful poem. In Jesus' Name there is power to create. He is JEHOVAH-BARA. The Lord is Creator.

How Great Thou Art, who forgives and forgives and forgives; time and again without number. He knows our failings, our doubts, our faults. And, yet, He loves us still. And in His great love, He forgives us.

This is grace in action. To show mercy and compassion. To not hold a grudge. To not speak against another who is made in God's image. To be an example to all who see and watch. To bring you and you and you and , yes, even you; you and you and especially you, to Himself. To embrace you, hold you in His arms, more than a hug, it is true forgiveness. The touch, the word, the grace that frees the unforgiven, the unloved, the lost, the lonely, the hurting, the hopeless, the despairing,  the least of these.

Your Grace Still Amazes Me by Steve Green

And as He died,
there on the cross,
the veil blue
was torn in two
from top to bottom
the thickness gave way
for the Son of God
had cleared the way.
No longer did the people
need go
to the Priest in the temple
for sin to atone.
One Man, this Man
Jesus the Christ
Became the way
to be near God.
His body the bread
His blood the wine
Was poured out for all
This one time.

Earth quake
Rock fall
Graves open
Saints rise
Seeing the Christ
the young man spoke
Truly, this was
The Son of God.
Never he heard
What Jesus had said
But knowing in his heart
That this man had bled
He believed
And Jesus forgave him.

He knows our hearts and He loves us still.
He will alwysy forgive us.
And He always will.




(please forgive any grammatical errors, including spelling, it is hard to see. one of my eyes is kinda blurry and  it is makiing it difficutlr for me to spell the first time, much less edit these. thak you)

In Jesus' Name is All Forgiveness. All Healing. All Power. All Wisdom. All Righteousness. All Provision. All Peace. All in All.

Amen.

and
Amen.

 

In Jesus' Name-Is All Healing

JEHOVAH-ROPHE. The Lord Is Healer.

The Book of Mark is filled with amazing accounts of the Healing Power of Christ.

His Words are ever before me

 

His sayings are pondered in my heart

 

 

He is Health throughout their bodies:

 

Mark 8:22-26

The blind can see

 

Mark 8:32-37

The deaf can hear

Mark 2:1-12

The maimed can walk

 

 

Mark 1:40-45

The lepers are made clean

 

Mark 3:1-5

The withered are made useful

 

 

 He is Life to those who find Him:

 

Mark 5:1-20

The possessed are delivered

 

Mark 5:22-24 and 35-43

The dead are raised to life

 

Mark 5:25-34

The weak are strengthened

 

[Mark 7:56

Everywhere Jesus went, people sought Him

for a Healing,

a Touch here, a Word there

city after city and even in the desert places.

Mark 1:37

All men seek Thee

Mark 3:7-10

Galilee, Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea,

beyond Jordan, Tyre, Sidon

crowds and multitudes of people

came to be healed of Him

so He ordained 12 men to help Him:

He gave them power to heal - Mark 3:14, 15]

 

The weary are rested

The grieving know joy

The mourners are beautiful

The prisoners are free

The captives are loosed

The chains of evil and wickedness are broken off the seeker

The repentant heart knows His Salvation

The saints sing new songs of praise

 

What was written in Isaiah 61:1-3 was fulfilled in Luke 4:17-21

 

The Healer is Here

 

 

Many many people from every city and town, and outlying countries, heard of Jesus' abilities to heal all that were sick. But as soon as they were healed, many of them went back home without listening to what He had to say. Some who listened eventually turned their backs on Him and walked away, because they were unwilling to surrender their whole life to Him.

 

Though the body was healed, the heart was still hard and unbending. Why do you seek a healing from Jesus? Is it your body only that you wish to be healed? He is JEHOVAH-ROPHE. The Lord is My Healer. He is a personal Jesus. He is not a far off god who hears nothing , nor sees anything. God is ever-present, ever near to those who seek Him, He is but a whisper away. To those who seek Him not, He is invisible. To me, God is ever, ever close by. Words are exchanged and messages are written. You see.You hear. You are eager to embrace the God who Heals you in every area of your body and your life.

 

Come, Lord Jesus, Heal my mind, my body, my heart. Make me whole and new for Your pleasure. I will wait on You. And when You touch me, I desire only to be with You. When You call me, I hear only You and become annoyed when I have to leave You. You are my heart, therefore my heart is healed. You are my eyes, therefore I have sight and vision. You are my ears, I speak Your Word aloud, You hear my whispery voice, my ears are healed. You are my feet, in Your Word I walk. You are my hands, through Your Word I write. You are my mouth, Your Spirit is my tongue, in You I speak; through You I sing; for You I serve. You are my life, in You is life and spirit and song. You are the Reason I wake in the morning, sleep in the evening, move throughout the day. You are the One Who created me and regenerates me. You transform this body that is me into a new body that is Yours: I am made perfect in You. All who see me, see You. All who hear me, hear You.  You are JEHOVAH-ROPHE. You are my healer.

 

 

Your Healer is Here

 

There is no someday. There is only today. Tomorrow is not promised. Today Jesus is my Healer. Today Jesus is my Savior. Today Jesus is my Love, my Joy, my Hope, my Peace, my Sanctifier; my Redeemer, my God, my Life, my all.

 

Jesus is All The World to Me

Give Me Jesus-by Fernando Ortega

 

 

 

 

What will you do today?

 

In Jesus' Name is All Healing. Amen.

 

He is a Tree of Life to those who seek Him and find Him.
He is the Living Water which quenches the thirst of all who desire Him.
He is the Bread of Life to they who hunger for His righteousness.
He is The Healer. My Healer. Is Jesus Your Healer, too?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Jesus' Name-Is All Wisdom

JEHOVAH-The Lord Is

In Jesus' Name is All Wisdom. His Word is Grace to my head

His Laws are Beauty to my neck

 

Exodus 6:2-3

"And GOD spoke to Moses, and said to him, 'IAM THE LORD: And I appeared to Abraham,

to Isaac, and to Jacob, by THE NAME of GOD ALMIGHTY, but by MY NAME JEHO'VAH was I not known to them."

Exodus 6:6-8

"....IAM THE LORD and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I

will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out armm

and with great judgments:

and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God:

and you shall know that

IAM THE LORD your GOD, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning that which I did swear to Abraham,

to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage:

IAM THE LORD."

 

His Word is in my heart

 

His Commandments are in my ears

 

O Lord, Your knowledge answers the cry of my soul. In Your Wisdom I seek understanding.
More precious than silver and buried treasure is the Wisdom of THE LORD OUR GOD.

In Your Word You have shown us that You are of more value than all other desires, that You are to be sought after and pursued until found and kept. I have done this, Lord, and yet I dig deeper and deeper, for it is my prayer to obtain all the pearls of knowledge which are buried in Your Word. My Bible is my compass. My Bible is my map. My Bible is my treasure. It is You I sought after, for You cried out in the streets and I heard Your cries. I searched for You, but not until I searched Your Word did I find You. Your Words are water to my thirsty soul, bread to my hungry spirit, the warmth of Your Words is sunshine to my once dark heart.

In Your Name is Wisdom. You are all that is right and true. Proverbs 1:7-9 The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom: fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother: For they are an ornament of grace to your head, and chains about your neck." You, Lord, are that which makes me beautiful. You are my crown and my glory.

Proverbs 3:1-4=vs1 My heart keeps Your Commandments. vs2 length of days, long life, and peace are mine because I treasure Your Word. vs3 Mercy and Truth are wrapped around my neck. When I turn my head, You direct my steps. My heart is engraved with Your Truth and Your Mercy. vs4 And because I have sought You and found You and contained You within my being, You have given me honor and placed me in a position of favor with both mankind and Yourself.

(all of the following are in Proverbs 3)

• Happiness is mine because I have found You, and desire to know more of You.
• You make me strong and healthy and fat, when I seek You out. 
• When I am in error, You correct me; this is well and goodness for me.
• I trust You for everything, for I have no wisdom in and of myself.
• You direct my paths for every decision I make
• You are my God and to honor You I give You the best part of everything in my life, You give me no lack of anything and my thirst is always quenched.
• Your wisdom is priceless and nothing of earthly value even comes close.
• To gain Your Wisdom is to gain an object more desirable than rubies.
• Your Wisdom is a Tree of Life to me: Your Wisdom makes me happy.
• I walk in Your Wisdom every day of my life: for Your ways are pleasant and Your paths are peace.

By Wisdom You founded the earth, by understanding You established the heavens.
By Your Knowledge the deeps are broken up, and the clouds drop dew.

• Your Wisdom will be always before me: You have given me a sound mind and I am careful when I speak now: for Your Word is Life to my soul, and Grace to my neck.
• I can safely walk the journey You have prepared for me, and I will not stumble, when I walk in Your Wisdom.
• When I lay down to sleep, I will not be afraid, for I will be able to sleep the sleep of peace.
• When danger comes suddenly I will not fear, nor when my enemies are destroyed; for You Lord are my confidence, and You will not let me slip and fall into that trap.
• When I able to, what I can give to another, I will give. If a neighbor asks for anything, and I can give it, I will do so at the asking and not have them return at a later date.
• I will not plan any wickedness against my neighbor, for they live in trust near me.
• I will walk honorably in my integrity.
• Your Secret is with me Lord and that is more desirable to me than any other thing that another may own, nor shall I be envious of their lifestyle, for You, O Lord, are my life and You Lord are my desire.
• You bless my home with Your presence; Your curse is in the houses of the rebellious.
• You scorn those who scorn You and Yours: but to us who belong to You, You give grace: Your grace You have given to the humble.
• I am wise in You, O Lord, and I will inherit glory: but fools will be promoted to shame.

What a beautiful chapter that reveals The Wisdom of The Lord! And until I had dug a little deeper and sought to know more clearly, did I not even think about what really makes us beautiful to God. But by using jewelry in His references I was able to use the same when I first started speaking at groups. The Bible says without vision people perish. I don't want you to perish. I want you in heaven with me. I can't make you accept Christ as Lord, but I can show you Christ as Lord of my life and can only hope and pray that you choose Him to be Lord of your life and Savior of your soul, too.

Pearl Purity Ring

See, what makes me beautiful to God is Jesus. When God looks in my direction, He doesn't see anything but His Son Jesus Christ on me. For Christ is my covering:  He is my Crown of Glory. He is my Robe of Righteousness. JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. The Lord is My Righteousness. The Word of God adorns me with pearls of Wisdom everywhere a person can be decked out with jewelry: my heart, my neck, my head, my hands, my wrists, my feet, my arms. For with this Wisdom I am able to declare the Word of God in the Way in which God desires the Word to be declared. The Lord is my footwear: I wear Shoes of Peace, for wherever I go, I go with Him and He is the Lord of Peace; I walk in His Paths and His Word. For it is the Peace of God that God desires you to have, not the peace of the world, which is faulty and broken. JEHOVAH-SHA'LOM. The Lord is Peace.

On my wrists are bangles of silver and jewels. We have discovered just this week that I am allergic to gold (sad face), for the rash which was across the backs of both my hands has disappeared. I have had this rash for what seems forever and nothing would make it completely disappear. Until now, when I removed my wedding bands from my finger because the rash was there, too. So, my wrists are encased in silver, instead of gold. Even figuratively speaking. Silver signifies the purifying power of God and reminds me that I am set apart and sanctified through the blood of Jesus Christ and His redeeming grace on the cross. JEHOVAH-M'GADDISHCEM. The Lord is My Sanctifier.

Death on the cross is one of humiliation and degradation; it was reserved for criminals. If the shock of being permanently attached to the cross until you died didn't kill you, they broke your legs. But not one bone of Christ's was broken: He died of a broken heart. When the soldier pierced His side with a spear, only water came out. This happens when your heart stops beating: no blood is flowing through it and only the water in your body remains. His heart broke, not from the weight of the sin, but from the fact that God could not look upon His Only Son for the first and last time ever: GOD is Holy and because GOD's holiness cannot look upon sin, GOD could not look upon His Son, for Jesus had upon Him the sin of the whole world, from times past to times present to times yet to appear. And that broke Jesus heart. Yes, He loves us. BECAUSE He loves us, He STAYED On the cross. Because He loves us, He fought the devil and won and ROSE from the Dead. He left behind an almost empty tomb: only the linen cloth in which His body had been wrapped, neatly folded and clean now, were left on the stone couch where His body had lain. And the angel who was sitting there. But NO JESUS anywhere. HALLELUJAH! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED. Happy Dance.

JEHOVAH-GO'EL. The Lord is My Redeemer.
JEHOVAH-HOSHE'AH. The Lord Saves.

In Jesus' Name is All Wisdom. Amen.

Above All by M.W. Smith