Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - He Is Called Jesus

Luke 2:21

And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4059

Circumcise: to cut around, I cut around

From the Greek word 'peritemnó' (pronounced per-ee-tem'-no). 

Figuratively speaking, this means "Cutting off the "old life," in favor of the new which is in Christ (the Seed). This starts with being born again into God's family (personally entering His covenant)."

THE CIRCUMCISED FLESH

Genesis 17:12

Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner--even those who are not your offspring.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4135

Circumcise: to cut off (the foreskin)

From the Hebrew word 'mul' (pronounced mool)

Being born of  woman, Christ is born under the Law. The Law requires all males to be circumcised on the eighth day. This is both a mandatory requirement to fulfill The Law of Circumcision and a shadow of things to come under The Grace of Christ. 

At the time of Abraham, when circumcision is first introduced, it is covenant between God and Abraham, Abraham's household, Abraham's seed. 

THE CIRCUMCISED HEART

However, there is another circumcision which takes place in our hearts, a circumcision which can only be done by God. A clean, pure heart from God leads to an eternity spent in His presence.

Deuteronomy 30:6

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

Jeremiah 24:7

I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their heart.

Ezekiel 36:26, 27

36. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

37. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

THE NEW HEART

John 3:3, 5

3. Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

5. Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Psalm 24:3-5

3. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? 

4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.

5. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation. 

NEW HEART, NEW NAME

With a new heart comes a new name. Though the male infants were given their new names on the day of circumcision, the born again believer receives their new name from God. While we do not yet know our new name, God has one prepared for us. In addition to that name, His Name will be written on us.

Revelation 2:17

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.

Revelation 3:12

The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.

 

As the psalmist has written, millenia before us, let this be our prayer today, as well, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

HE IS CALLED JESUS by Todd Agnew (Do You See What I See? album)

CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART by Keith Green

REFINER'S FIRE by Jeremy Riddle

HE LIVES classic hymn

Intelligent Worship -- Surrender To God -- Part 11

 Intelligent Worship brings us into the presence of God when we Surrender to God. Part 11.

This surrendering to God thing has to be done (1) Intentionally and (2) Daily. The flesh wants to be comfy, but the Spirit calls and the flesh must surrender what it wants in order to hear what God is saying, especially when the body is beyond tired and just wants to rest. 

Deuteronomy 10:16

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

Jeremiah 4:4

“Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.”

Romans 2:28-29

A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

It is the Spirit of God Who calls us into the presence of God, who keeps us there when we choose to honor God by being obedient to the call of Surrender.

You may wonder why these verses since none of them use the word 'surrender' but these are the verses the Spirit gave me when I first wrote the outline for this series. 

Deuteronomy, for instance, talks to us about not being so set in our ways, not being stubborn and not being rebellious. Jeremiah tells us to dedicate ourselves to the Lord; dedicate our services. Romans 12:1-2 speaks of 'presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord'. In other words, Surrender to God. 

Romans reminds us that we cannot save ourselves, we cannot wash away our own sins: only the Spirit of God can forgive sins and wash them away through the blood of His precious Holy Lamb, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. 

Physical circumcision is painful and the anguish fades beyond memory for most who receive it. Spiritual circumcision is sacrificial but this sacrifice should not become a memory for the believer. This sacrifice is a daily offering we give to God when we completely, willingly, obediently set aside what we want to do and do what God wants us to do. 

Yes, I'd rather be asleep. But unless God brings me there it ain't happenin'. He has a work for me to do and getting today's study done is a big part of it. 

We sing this hymn at church, as I'm sure many of you do, called 'I Surrender All'. We'd better mean what we say because we will be held accountable. If we can't mean what we say in a song, then we'd better not be singing it. 

I SURRENDER ALL

--by Judson Van De Venter, 1896

1. All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

Refrain:

I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,

Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;

Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mine. [Refrain]

3. All to Jesus I surrender,

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power,

Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Refrain]

ALL TO YOU/I SURRENDER ALL by Don Moen

The Covenant of Circumcision

     Today's Love Note is Circumcised Heart:

which is found in Deuteronomy 30:6

The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul, that you may live. 

Circumcision is painful. The first circumcision noted in the Bible was not done by a doctor or healer but by Abraham. Nor was it done just to babies, but  to grown men. Men who wanted to follow Abraham and Abraham's God. (Genesis 17).

    Then, as now, God calls us first to righteousness, then a name change, then the circumcision. Then, it was a physical circumcision: it was painful and bloody. Now, it is a spiritual circumcision: it is painful and it is bloody. 

    God says, "I choose you. Choose Me in return and I will bless you greatly. If anyone wants to be in My covenant, this circumcision must be done. By choosing not to do this, My covenant will be broken with that one who refuses." 

     The heart that refuses to follow God will remain bloodless: If the blood of Christ has not been applied to the heart, then that heart is uncovenanted: there is no fellowship with God, no joy, no peace.

No promise of God which requires obedience to Him before it can be fulfilled will fall on the disobedient. 

     The pain and bloodiness of a circumcised heart is known by the believer. It is Christ who suffered and died. It is Christ who was made a bloody mess for us. It is in Christ we suffer and die. It is through Christ's atonement on the Cross that our hearts are able to receive the promise of salvation from the hand of God. 

     Before our hearts can be circumcised by The Holy Spirit, we must believe that Jesus Christ Is and that He Is our Redeemer sent from God. Romans 4:10-12 "In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before. And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised."