Part Three Of A Three Part Journal On Bible-Based Deliverance
New Year's Message 2004
All the miracles that God performed in Egypt to bring Israel out of bondage only set the stage. They really effected no deliverance. It was totally and completely the cross of Christ, registered in the symbolism of the slain Lamb, which brought Egypt to her knees, and victory to Israel. Bible deliverance is not just for sinners who have not come to Christ, but as God told Moses to tell Pharaoh - "let MY people Go." We as Christians need to reconsecrate our faith as we enter into another year and fully anchor it in man's only hope for true deliverance - the finished work of redemption by Christ on the Cross.
By Chris McDonald
TEXT: Exodus 12:11-12 - And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's Passover. [12] For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.
Rev. 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth.
1 Cor. 5:7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
It was the Passover sacrifice that delivered Israel from the power of Pharaoh so that her people would never again serve Egypt. It is the CROSS, of which the Passover was a prophetic type, that delivers us from the power of Satan and slavery to the corruption of the world. Realizing this, Satan rages against those who turn to the cross just as Pharaoh did against Israel when he saw he was losing his power over them. Like the Passover did in type, the cross brings judgment upon the evil of the world, but delivers those who embrace it from the world. The sacrifice of the Lamb has always been the main point of conflict in eternity and it will always be the point of conflict in future events yet to take place upon planet Earth and in heaven.
As we write the third and with the Lord's help (SMILE) final journal in this new year's series of messages on deliverance we want to look closely at the events that finally brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage after nearly nine months of a struggle between Moses and the powers of darkness controlling Pharaoh. This event is a beautiful type of our redemption and sanctification and I pray today that it will encourage those who may be engaged in the spiritual battle we are all part of.
From Genesis to Revelation, the story of man's deliverance is summed up in the image and personage of the Lamb of God. Since Cain slew Abel over the latter's sacrifice of his precious lamb to God, Satan has sought to destroy the seed of those whose faith does not rest in anything but what the Lamb represented - the coming death, burial and resurrection of Messiah. In Genesis we see Abel's lamb, in Exodus, we have the first recorded mention of Passover.
The first Passover lamb was a type of the coming Messiah, the LAMB OF GOD, which would take away (and has taken away) the sin of the world. God instructed Moses to make the celebration a perpetual event that would mark Israel's beginning of religious festivals and her spiritual calendar. Those instructions are kept to this day in modern Israel and throughout all the world among the Jewish people. Some have come to recognize the TRUE LAMB OF GOD while others continue to celebrate the event that shook Egypt to its core without understanding that the "lamb without blemish," whose blood was sprinkled on the door posts to protect Israel from the death angel, was God's picture of salvation for ALL HUMANITY, both Jew AND Gentile.
Yeshuah, the Jewish name for Jesus, kept the feasts of the Lord during His earthly life. He attended Shabbat and fulfilled every "jot" and "tittle" of the Law making Him the perfect sacrifice for sin's requirement before a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS God. The blood of a perfect person would be the only way mankind would be saved from Adam's fall. Yeshuah was that person! His sinless, perfect life testified to the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit and in keeping the Law became mankind's only hope of redemption. ALL HAVE SINNED and the penalty for sin, even one, is eternal condemnation. Everything Yeshuah did in His life was in preparation of His death, burial and resurrection. That is the Spirit of Passover. That is the power of God's plan of redemption. The Jewish religious feast calendar starts with Passover, and in fulfillment of the type, the Lord's sacrifice is the starting place for ALL OF MANKIND'S REDEMPTION!
Mankind cannot save himself, neither can man keep himself saved! Satan is not threatened if we embrace a doctrine or even the institution itself of Christianity, but when we by faith embrace the LAMB, then the war engages. Some reading this journal today know what I am talking about. You are engaged in this struggle at this very minute. I don't know too many true Christians who are not. I'm not saying that those who are not in a struggle are not Christians, it just seems as you learn more and more about the Lord and read about those who found the narrow path to eternal life all without exception entered the Kingdom "with many trials and tribulations," yet never losing faith!
The Slain Lamb Of Exodus Is In Type The Slain Lamb Of Revelation
Rev. 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth.
When we look at the very last chapter of the canon of Scripture we see the LAMB as represented as standing in the very midst of all the greatness of the Throne of God. He is the center of all attention. It doesn't say He is sitting on the Throne but STANDING in the midst of it. At this point, the event of Calvary is past, still, all the effects of the Cross have not been yet realized. So Jesus is pictured standing instead of sitting, representing the fact work yet to do, in the sense that mankind is still lost and redemption's plan will go on till the final altar call can be given and one more precious soul believes. That's the beauty and glory of the Passover lamb. It's the same glorious power that brought Israel out of bondage, and it's the same glorious power friend that can set you and I free today. My, my, my, I'm having a hard time writing this all of a sudden. I feel the precious touch of the Holy Spirit as I write these words to you. BEHOLD, the Lamb of God, John cried, that takes away the SIN of the world. He has come oh' Israel and IS salvation to those who believe.
The Lamb in the midst of the throne was "as it had been slain." This represents the crucifixion and resurrection. This lamb standing in the midst of the throne is now alive, even though it bears "marks of fresh slaughter," on its body - the marks of a crucified messiah!. This speaks to us of many things as it relates to both Israel's deliverance and our deliverance today. It was a fulfillment of the lamb that was slain that last night in Egypt at the first passover.
First and foremost, it tells us of the vast significance of what Christ did at the cross. This is the key on which the entirety of the Plan of God turns. This tell us unequivocally that everything revolves around the CROSS. That's why Paul was so adamnat in telling us to "preach the cross!"
1 Cor. 1:17-18
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are
saved it is the power of God.
1 Cor. 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1 Cor. 1:23
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness;
1 Cor. 2:2
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified.
1 Cor. 2:5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
This is the picture of Jesus at the Throne of God; not as a conquering King, as important an aspect of His character as that is; not as the healer and miracle working as wonderful and great an aspect of His life and ministry as that is; not as the virgin born Son of God and Mary as grand and glorious attribute of His deity and humanity as that is. NO! He was pictured to John as a LAMB that had been slain! That's why we must picture Him as such today in the church. I know this sounds redundant and probably out of date to many. I have many friends in the ministry who tell me constantly we got to "move beyond the cross onto better things," and I say "move on to what????" Neighbor, we must never know ANYTHING except the cross of Christ. It is the foundational stone upon which ALL doctrine should come. We need to preach the cross, sing the cross, witness the cross, proclaim the cross, and above all, and most importantly, ANCHOR our FAITH in the CROSS! We don't serve a dead Saviour! But His resurrection would mean NOTHING had He not died for the sins of humanity.
Let me state that a different way. A Christ without the Cross does not heal one single person! A Christ without being crucified does not SAVE one single person. A Christ without being crucified does not deliver one single person! All the miracles, all the healings, all the glory, all the attributes surrounding His ministry and life such as the Virgin Birth and even His sinless perfection would have meant NOTHING had He not died. Peter said that the crucifixion was planned before the worlds were made! That's powerful. In other words, had not one single human being accepted what Christ did at the Cross, God would have still done it. He would have still sent His Son to die to show humanity His great love and compassion for a fallen race. Oh, I want to shout right now. I want to shout and just fall on my face before the Lord and say "THANK YOU LORD for WHO YOU ARE and YOUR GREAT and MATCHLESS GRACE!" No wonder we sing "wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin!!"
1 Peter 1:18-21
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the
foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, [21]
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him
glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
I want to say
it again. The Cross is not just another doctrine. It is the FOUNDATION of ALL
doctrine!!! What Christ suffered at the Cross will be illustrated in detail to
us one day when we view Him on the right hand of His Father. He will have the
nail prints in His hand, the scars on His head, the pierce prints in His side.
We will see a Risen, yet Crucified Messiah! He will reveal to us His great love
for us. As the beautiful song goes, "I shall know Him, I shall know Him and
REDEEMED by His side I will stand. I will KNOW Him, I shall KNOW Him, BY THE
PRINTS OF THE NAILS IN HIS HAND!" Neighbor, those nail prints set us free from
the powers and shackles of sin! The blood that flowed from those hands shook the
gates of hell and made Satan buckle under the torrents of heaven's glory. It is
upon FAITH in that blood the Lord is building the TRUE CHURCH and has been for
over 2,000 years. The apostate church denies the blood, the true church accepts
it. It is, as stated earlier, the point of all conflict between the powers of
darkness and the powers of righteousness and light.
It's the cross upon which ALL the promises of God rest. The entirety of the Bible s the story of the Cross and the slain Lamb upon the throne. Unless we understand the Cross we really never truly understand the Bible. Too many believers attempt to understand the Word without first exhibiting Faith in the Cross. It cannot be done that way! This is proven by John 3:16. When the believing sinner expresses Faith in Christ, which includes "Christ crucified," he is beginning in the correct manner. Once he places his faith in the cross, it needs to stay there! If so, the Bible will be plain and easily understood. Ok, let's get back to Passover and how it relates to our deliverance today.
A Lamb for A House
Exodus 12:3-4 -
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this
month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their
fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb,
let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of
the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
God told the congregation of Israel to take a lamb according to the house of their fathers (in the manner of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). The Lamb would cover every soul in that house with Salvation. By sprinkling blood on the posts all who were inside would be spared death. It made Passover a PERSONAL experience. Deliverance from sin is the same thing - it is PERSONAL!
We cannot be delivered and saved off our mom and dad’s experiences with God. We cannot be saved off our church’s experiences. We cannot be saved off our spouse's religion. We cannot be saved just because our family is saved. The lamb must be taken for each SOUL.
Many will stand lost on judgment day because they have made salvation a corporate experience and thought they were okay because they either belonged to a church or a religious organization. Some seek experiences with God without seeking the intimacy the Lord requires of us to inherit eternal life. The Cross is the place where we stop seeking a "high" but we seek HIM!
Well-known national author and minister, John Bevere gave a great illustration of this in a recent interview with Sid Roth of Messianic Vision. He said back in the late 80s and early 90s when Michael Jordan was in his hey day as a basketball player, people the world over acted like they all knew Michael Jordan. People cheered for Michael when he won championships. People cried for Michael when he lost his father. People went out and bought Air Jordan basketball shoes just so they could be just like MIKE.
But how many of those same people if they walked up to Michael Jordan in person and said, “Hey Mike, how are you doing? I’ve went out and bought your shoes, I cried at your parent’s funeral, I cheered when you won those championships,” would Michael Jordan look at and say, "I DON'T KNOW ANY OF YOU!!!" Many cheer for Jesus. Many even give money to causes in His name. Many weep over things that are bad in the world in His name. Many speak in tongues, prophesy and cast out devils in His name. Many do many wonderful works in His name BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW HIM PERSONALLY! Ministers start ministries without knowing Jesus so intimately that Jesus gives them specific instructions on what to do and what not to do. I remember Mahesh Chavda telling of his first encounter with Jesus during the days when he was steeped in deep Hinduism. Jesus came to him in visible form to his apartment and placed His hands on Mahesh's shoulders and said, “I AM REAL MY BROTHER.” NOW THAT’S KNOWING SOMEONE!!!
I have never seen Jesus manifest Himself to me in that manner and possibly never will. I cry for that to happen. I would love to have such an encounter but I’m more concerned about KNOWING HIM for who He is and Him knowing ME eternally! I want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when I stand before Him at the judgment it won’t be me talking to a stranger, but it will be just a continuation of our fellowship here on earth. He will judge me for my actions as a Christian but even in judgment He will be our Messiah, the Lover of our souls. He loves us so much He has even passed off the judgment of us from Himself to HIS WORD. He never never never condemns us. When we are condemned, we have condemned ourselves. That is why He gives us space to JUDGE ourselves NOW so He won't have to in eternity! He will ALWAYS be our advocate before the Father
Those in Israel this night of decision in Egypt had to take an individual lamb into their homes to identify with the lamb. We today, must must also identify with the LAMB, each one, on a personal faith basis. All are alike in the sight of God. We were born under a curse of sin through Adam, but the Lord Jesus, the Second Adam, has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Everyone that is born is born under this burden of choice. You must either choose the Lamb or perish. We will get to that aspect of the Passover a little later but the houses in Egypt that refused the Lamb’s blood PERISHED!
Rom 5:12-21 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Gal
3:13-14 - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the
blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The world’s method of saving itself and justifying itself before God circumvents the Lamb. Sadly, MUCH OF THE CHURCH DOES AS WELL. Adam and Eve were not the world’s first dysfunctional family. They were the world’s first sinners. Man’s problem is SIN. The penalty of sin is death. Death passed upon ALL MEN, the Bible says. It reigned to man even without the LAW from Adam to Moses. The Law just magnified sin’s penalty and strengthened its grip on already sinful humanity.
1 Cor
15:55-57 - O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting
of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the LAMB, PRAISE GOD, the LAMB OF GOD was revealed to the world for not only a substitute for the penalty of sin but as one who had the power to break the power of sin IN US, OVER US and ON US. Sin was dealt a death blow at the CROSS! He came to take away the SIN OF THE WORLD, not sins, plural, which signify acts, but the very NATURE of SIN within man. This power can only be broken to those who put their faith in the cross of Christ and what He accomplished there.
It’s more than just believing on Him. It’s KNOWING HIM. There is a big difference. As we stated earlier, it's not hard to get people to believe in a doctrine or even in a church movement. If their faith is not in Christ, they are lost. The devils believe and tremble but they are doomed. It’s KNOWING HIM. My biggest fear in this life is that I run the race down here and at the end of the journey NOT KNOW HIM and HE NOT KNOW ME. Please God; give us the grace to KNOW YOU MORE. Give us YOUR GRACE to reveal yourself to US and know US through the Spirit. Lord, let us never just know "about" the lamb but not make provision to take the Lamb inside our own spiritual houses and apply His provision through His blood through faith!
Friend, It’s either the Lamb or death. It’s either the Lamb or hell. It’s either the Lamb or sickness. It’s either the Lamb or Satan. It’s either the Lamb or eternal separation from God. That's the choice of the modern 21rst Century Church. We will bring deliverance to this generation through the blood of Christ or we will see this generation perish!
The Lamb Shall Be
Without Blemish And the Congregation Shall Kill It
Exod
12:5-6 - Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall
take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
The Lamb represented Christ. Christ is revealed in Scripture as the Lamb of God.
-
To Abel He was a lamb for a man -
To Abraham He was a lamb for a provisionary promise –
“Jehovah-Jireh,” God will provide. -
To the nation of Israel on this night we are speaking of He was
the Lamb for a House -
To the nation on the day of atonement He became a Lamb for a
nation -
To John the Baptist He was revealed as the Lamb of God for the
entire world -
In
Revelation 5 He is seen as the Slain Lamb and Worthy Lamb; -
In
Revelation 12 He is seen as the Overcoming Lamb; -
In
Revelation 16 He is seen as the Conquering Lamb, the Triumphant Lamb and King of
Kings and Lord of Lords! GLORY!
The children of Israel did not understand this that night in Egypt as they killed possibly tens of thousands of lambs. They were in type showing what God would do some 1500 years later on Mt. Calvary when THE LAMB of God would be slain for the sins and salvation of man. Israel in part is still blinded to the fact Jesus was and is HER LAMB, or Messiah Isaiah spoke about that would be slain for the forgiveness of sins and save the nation. One day Israel will repent of her sin, be saved as a nation and receive the Lamb of God.
Isaiah 53:1-8
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? [2]
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry
ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no
beauty that we should desire him. [3] He is despised and rejected of men; a man
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. [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. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to
his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was
oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth
not his mouth. [8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for
the transgression of my people was he stricken.
The Lord made it clear that the entire congregation "should kill it." This speaks of the universal guilt of every human being in history in crucifying Christ. It was OUR sins that put Him on the cross. In reading of the horrible Holocaust of the late 1930s and early 1940s under Hitler’s Germany, many of the statements made by German leaders to justify the killing of Jews were that the Jews were “Christ-killers.” This demonic understanding caused the death of 6 million people, many of them women and children. The truth is the ENTIRE WORLD killed Christ. Your sin. My sin. The sin of Germany. The sin of Israel. The sin of Africa. The sin of America. The sin of England. The SIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD. SIN drove the nails into His hand. Without blood there would have been no payment for sin and man would be eternally LOST. The cross of Christ is NOT the greatest sign of defeat as some Charismatic camps may proclaim. It is the sign of the greatest VICTORY ever known in the annals of human history – in heaven AND earth. For in His death, Jesus Christ broke the very power Satan thought he had unleashed against humanity by crucifying the Son of God. If Satan had known this, believe me, he would NOT have taken the route he took.
When the entire congregation "killed" the Lamb, the entire nation was identifying itself with the Lamb that night without understanding it. God was painting them a picture of the awful price that would be paid later in eternity for man's deliverance. The path of redemption has not changed today since the night of Passover. ALL OF HUMANITY must identify and admit that we are guilty of sin. We must CONFESS OUR SIN. God even cannot save those who don’t admit they are sinners. The only sin God cannot forgive is an unconfessed sin. UNCONFESSED SIN will SEND YOU TO HELL!! It is God’s justice and holiness that prohibits Him from doing so. Once sin is confessed however and Jesus is asked into one’s heart and life, THEN the penalty of sin is taken away. It’s through repentance and faith. Not just faith. You must confess and TURN from your sins by the help and grace of God. We do people a GREAT disservice when we just say "confess." Confession is only part of the path to God. We must REPENT. There is no other way to heaven. There is no other remedy. There is no another avenue. There is NO OTHER NAME UNDER Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved and set free. We KILLED THE LAMB and its through HIS BLOOD that we are saved and inherit eternal life!
A Lamb Without Blemish
Exodus 12:5-7
Your lamb shall be without blemish,
a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the
goats: [6] And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month:
and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the
evening. [7] And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side
posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
The Lamb Israel killed was to be without blemish. This was a beautiful type of being of the coming Lamb's perfection in His humanity. This is very important in how it relates to our walk with God today.
The four Gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John are the world’s basic authoritative sources on the life of Christ. They relate details of his birth and some of the events of His early life, but the bulk of their account center on the last three years – THE YEARS OF HIS MINISTRY. Greatest attention is focused on the last WEEK of His life with great emphasis on His death, burial and resurrection - which typifies PASSOVER.
It is well to further note while studying the gospels, the disciples were under the Old Covenant. They received the introduction to the New Covenant, but this was at the very beginning of this period. The New Covenant really begins to be seen operating in the epistles and the other writings that follow the gospels in the New Testament. God made two covenants with Israel called the “Old Covenant” and the "New Covenant." The NEW Covenant relates to redemption the LAMB purchased with His blood at Calvary. Instead of being under the law, we now live in the day of Grace. Jesus Christ ushered in the New Covenant with his blood that he shed on Calvary. Next He sent the Holy Ghost to fill our hearts and live and to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. This is in type the fulfillment of the Jewish Feast of Pentecost.
This baptism takes place twice – at conversion as the Holy Spirit baptizes us in to the Body of Christ – and a second time when those who believe are baptized by Christ in the Holy Spirit. When this happens, the Holy Spirit has now fully come, bringing the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. This is a whole new dimension in Christian living. Even though we see the writers of the first four books of the NEW Testament as living in the days of the New Testament, we must realize they were reacting based upon their wisdom of the Old Covenant. They would later receive greater wisdom under the New Covenant after the Lord Jesus died and arose again the third day and ascended into heaven. Both Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, her cousin, (the mother of John the Baptist), experienced the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in marvelous ways even before the advent of Pentecost.
Luke 1:35-41 - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
The Holy Ghost set the initial stages of the divine incarnation forth. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit, not man, was responsible for Mary’s conception. When Jesus was born into human form, He had to grow in wisdom and knowledge as other children do. He did, of course, develop tremendously because He never yielded to sin or darkness. His mind and spirit were totally open to God the Father. Consequently, He learned very rapidly, and at the age of twelve years, He was able to discuss the Law with the high priests and doctors of the Law. He was anointed by the Spirit even as a young man, but he was not endued with power from on high for ministry until He was 30.
The Holy Spirit was involved in the life of Jesus from before His birth. At the time of His baptism by John the Baptist, the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven spoke and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Spirit came “as” or “like a dove.” He came gently. This was a witness of the Trinity being present at this very moment in time – God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended, and God the Father spoke. The Holy Spirit was present to ANOINT Jesus for ministry and to demonstrate His deity. Jesus didn’t operate on this earth as deity. If he had, then His death would have meant nothing. When Adam fell, it meant another “Adam” had to come and redeem man from his sin. Under the economy of God only blood sacrifice would pay or atone for Israel’s sin under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, nothing changed. The difference, however, was that the New Covenant, which was BETTER, REMOVED the sin of man - it just didn't COVER it! Oh my oh my! Don't you feel that? Passover represented not only the beginning of months but it represented a change in covenants that would be "cut" at Calvary between God and all of humanity. For man’s sins to be removed, the blood was to be of the like nature of the offending party - MAN! It had to be human blood, not the blood of lambs, bullocks, and bulls, OR GODS.
Heb 10:4-10 - For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body has thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
This was confirmed or witnessed BY THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Heb 10:14-18 - For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
It was through this process of identifying with the humanity of Adam, that the Second Adam delivered us from sin, sickness, fear, bondage, disease, and eternal damnation.
Heb 2:14-18 - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved 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. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
When God instructed Israel to keep a Lamb without blemish He had the perfect, sinless SON OF GOD in mind that would not only redeem man from His sin but literally DESTROY sin and sin's penalty -DEATH- in the process. Without knowing what they were celebrating, Israel was celebrating man's liberation from darkness and death through the coming Redeemer. They were in type eating of the sinless flesh of the Lord Jesus. Unless we become partakers of that same flesh, we will not inherit eternal life.
John
6:47-58 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life; I am that bread of life; Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and
are dead; This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die; I am the living bread which came down from heaven:
if any
man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world; The Jews therefore strove
among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the
Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you; Whoso eats my flesh,
and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last
day; For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed; He that eats
my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him; As the living
Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he
shall live by me; This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your
fathers did eat
This speaks of TOTAL commitment and identification with Jesus. Many believe in Him, but have never EMBRACED Him to the point they literally feed off His flesh day in and day out through the communion of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was sent to worship the SON THROUGH US! He is the agent on earth sent to point us back to our PASSOVER LAMB.
Jesus said to Israel's religious leaders, “Your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness and died.” The manna in the wilderness came to provide relief to the flesh but many in the nation, especially the self-righteous, missed the SPIRITUAL bread that came down to sustain both the nation and the people FOREVER ETERNALLY. The same line is being drawn today. Jesus is more than just a “quick fix” to our flesh. He is either our LORD and MASTER of all, or He is LORD and MASTER of NONE AT ALL. You can’t have it both ways. That is the message of the cross. Man's flesh does not get refined at Calvary - it gets destroyed! Man DIES at the foot of the cross. His old life ENDS, while a NEW ONE begins. Christ does not take us and just reform us - NO! He destroys the old nature, or let me rephrase that, He renders the old nature POWERLESS, within us so that His NEW LIFE can shine forth through us as the sun. The old nature will never be eradicated entirely until glorification at the rapture of the saints.
Since my return to the Lord after a severe backsliding five years ago now this is becoming more plain to me with each passing day. Many of us casually embrace Jesus, mainly at times of distress or need, but very few walk in the TOTAL grace He has given each one. That grace is given to us to LOVE the Lord God with ALL our heart, our soul and our mind. To what degree we’ve been given the grace to love, that’s the degree of judgment we will held accountable to when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. For example, if you’ve been given a 30-fold amount of grace to love and you only love 10-fold you will be held accountable for the 20-fold amount you wasted on loving other things than God. If you’re only give a 10-fold amount of grace and you love the Lord with that entire 10-fold amount of grace then you will be rewarded on judgment day. When I say "amount of love" I'm referring to the LIGHT the Lamb has given us to walk in and increase in HIM.
That’s why Paul at the end of his life wrote, “I am the chief of sinners.” The man who wrote most of the New Testament looked back on his life and said, “God there was SO MUCH you had bestowed upon me and in light of YOUR GRACE I have produced very little.” Remember this friend. The best of men are only light to us to point us to THE TRUE LIGHT. John the Baptist who was called the "greatest among women" cried, “I must decrease and He must increase.” Many will stand barren at the judgment seat. Many will stand condemned. Many will even miss heaven because they have never truly partook of the Lord’s Body.
I remember a compelling story Rick Joyner told of a beggar in New York who had died and went to heaven. In a vision the Lord allowed Rick to see this beggar in heaven sitting on a throne unlike ANYTHING this earthly world could produce in its finest monuments. Rick asked the Lord to tell him what this beggar had done on earth to deserve such a lofty position. The Lord told Rick the beggar had loved with everything in him and had loved others with ALL the grace the Lord had bestowed upon him. The night he died was during a blizzard in New York when he could have stolen food and maybe even clothes from a shop whose front glass had been broken by vandals. Because this beggar loved the Lord Jesus with ALL his heart, the beggar would rather die hungry than steal and disobey His Lord. That same night as the blizzard grew worse, the beggar saw another "albino" trying to survive. Out of compassion, the beggar gave up his cardboard box shelter to the man and as a result lost his own life because of hypothermia.
Rick said, “Wow, this type man must have led many to the Lord.” The Lord said, “Actually, he just led one. About two weeks before he died he placed a tract in the hands of another beggar who was deaf and couldn’t talk. As a result of that tract, that other beggar came to know Me and will be with Me one day in heaven.”
That’s what I’m talking about. It’s not in the QUANTITY of souls you win, it’s in the OBEDIENCE to the Father that counts. It’s not in the number of hours you pray, even though you need to pray and win souls for the Kingdom. Jesus is looking for something greater. He’s looking for a heart ablaze with His glory and love. That’s what the Passover Lamb represented. It represented a Messiah whose heart was so pure and sinless it held nothing but agape love for the entire world even while the world "was yet sinners." It was through the power of that love that all of humanity, including me and you friend, were redeemed and set free from sin and hell. GLORY!
The Blood Was To Be Put On The Two Side and Upper Side Posts Of The House
Exod 12:7
- And they shall take of the blood, and
strike it on the two side posts and on
the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
The Lamb had to die. The blood had to be shed and placed on the two side posts and the upper post of the house. When you saw this, it would take the symbol of a cross. Israel partook of that first Passover in Egypt unknowing of the ultimate Passover Lamb who was to come 1,500 years later and set man free from His sin.
As we stated earlier in this journal, tt was not the miracle power of Jesus that saved man. It was not even the virgin birth. It was not the sinless life even though all these things are important. For that matter God could have just spoken the word and man would have been saved. But God didn't chose that route for our salvation and redemption. Think about that. In just seven days God spoke the entire universe into existence. Yet, when it came to redeeming fallen man, He could not do that. Had He chose to do it that way, it would have spared Him much grief and sorrow over having to send Jesus to earth to save a fallen race.
No, it had to be more than a shallow experience. Deliverance has never been a surface issue! It must go to the SOUL of men for it to be true deliverance! You see, the soul of man is where the seat of the entire matter and problem weigh in. That's why money can't deliver you sir from that nicotine addiction. That's why education sir can't deliver you from that poronography addiction. That's why changing churches can't deliver you from that sinful temper and anger that rages inside you sir. That's why psychology can't save you fornicating and cheating on your spouse. That's why a 12-step program won't deliver you from drugs or alcohol addiction. That's why most homosexuals will never be delivered because most try to find a way out of their bondage and disease through surface-based programs. You can't cure sin with a bandaid. You can't quarantine sin either and expect it to just go away. What do I mean by quarantine? I mean you can throw out every television in your house thinking that will deliver you from lust. What will happen is that even though the television (I'm not extoling the virtures of television here, I'm making a point) is gone the first time you see an ad on a billboard and the bondage is still there guess what? You're going to lust! ALL of man's problems cannot be dealt with on the plain where man is left in the driver's seat.
As God chose the blood of the Passover Lamb to bring Israel out of Egypt, He chose BLOOD, HIS OWN BLOOD, to set all of mankind free at Calvary! When He sees the BLOOD, He will "PASS OVER" you! I hear the dear old hymn in my heart as I write this:
Christ our Redeemer, died on the Cross, died for the sinner, paid all his due; all who believe Him need never fear, for I will pass will pass over you; When I see the blood; When I see the blood: When I see the blood; I will pass, I will pass over you. PRAISE THE LAMB forever.
ALL
Of The Lamb Was to Be Eaten Before Daybreak
Exod.
12:8-10 - And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and
unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
The Lord commanded them to eat the flesh in the night, roast it with fire, and eat it with unleavened bread and with BITTER HERBS. It was not to be eaten raw or sodden at all with water. It was to be WELL DONE. The head with the legs of the lamb were to be roasted. NOTHING was to remain of it until the morning. Whatever was left it was to be burned with fire by daybreak.
We must "eat" ALL of JESUS. We cannot partake of Him a little dab here and a little dab there. That’s what’s wrong with the lukewarm Western church world. Our Christianity only works on Sunday morning. Our walk with God is only good if we’re worshipping in a million dollar building. Our love for God is only hot if we’re making 6-digit incomes. Our attitudes are only good if we are getting praised. Our attitudes are only good if all the blessings of Yeshua are coming on us. When you are serving Jesus for what you can get out of Him, you will never make it out of Egypt friend! You must eat ALL OF HIM. There cannot be any compromise. It’s either ALL or NONE. There is really no middle ground. Most Christians who casually stay at arm-length from Jesus are usually Christians who in time of trouble fall away really quick. It’s when you eat ALL of HIM or partake of ALL OF HIS life that you can truly know the joy of having eternal life abiding in your heart and soul. And friend in these last days, that revelation has been manifested to THE CHURCH!
1 Pet
1:18-20 - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of
the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
They Were To Eat It In Haste
Exod
12:11-12 - And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your
feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's Passover.
God told the children of Israel to eat the Passover in haste. The specific
commands were to eat it with: “loins girded, your
shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Again, to reiterate
a point, this was the actually the ONLY TRUE Passover. All others since this
time have only been a memorial of the first. On this night the children of
Israel were to be dressed for travel and ready to depart from Egypt.
This verse contains four of seven things not observed in any other
Passover in Israel’s history. The other three were:
I believe with all my heart we are rapidly approaching the final Passover where we as the children of God will be departing Egypt. What we do we need to do it with haste. What we do we need to do it with our loins girded about (TRUTH). We need to have shoes on our feet shod with the gospel of PEACE. We need to have a staff in our hand – THE WORD OF GOD. God is about to pass judgment on Egypt, which is a type of this present world system under which we live. Egypt was full of idols and God smote the gods of Egypt. The reason He smote the firstborn is because in Egypt the firstborn male of every family was looked upon as a god. Pharaoh was look upon as a god. God was going to show the heathen that HE WAS THE ONE TRUE GOD and there was NO OTHER LIKE HIM. He was about to answer Pharaoh's arrogant question to Moses earlier on in this conflict, "who is the Lord of Israel that I should obey Him and let Israel go?"
God is about to do the same thing in the world today. The gray areas most Christians hide in are about to be removed and those who are on the Lord's side will stand out in stark contrast to those who are not. Those who are on the Lord's side are leaving Egypt very soon. My, my, my, I feel the anointing of God on this journal today. Neighbor, it's getting late, it's getting late. I don't think anyone with any sense of the prophetic times we are in would say anything other than the fact that something is in the air and the Lord is about to move upon Planet Earth unlike He has in any point in human history. We are living in such monumnetal times. Israel on the night of Passover probably didn't grasp everything that happened that night but you can be sure that the death of millions of Egypt's firstborn made thsoe who knew God pause and worship the mighty Creator and realize that this point in history would be remembered forever and forever. We are approaching similar times when the judgments of God will become so severe upon Planet Earth that as Jesus said, there would "never be a time like it on earth, either in the furture nor it is past."
The blood of the Lamb has been shed.
The blood has been applied to the door of the house, not made with man’s
hands, but with the SPIRIT OF GOD. YOU and I ARE THE TEMPLE, or HOUSE, of GOD and His
Spirit DWELLS IN US. And if we're listening to the Holy SPIRIT we are
hearing Him say here in 2004, “Hurry.” You’re hearing Him say, “Eat it in haste.”
You’re hearing Him say, “Get your shoes on.” You’re hearing Him say,
“Get your loins girded about.” You’re hearing Him say,
“Speak the Word quickly.” It’s almost time to leave Egypt. It’s almost
time to depart. Judgment is soon to fall. I’ve seen the blood on your house so
I’m going to PASS OVER you.” I’m going to save you from judgment because of
the BLOOD!!!! Pardon me for getting excited. I’m trying to write this in a
dignified way but I can’t. Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming! The Lamb is
coming! The Lamb is coming! The Lamb is coming!!!
God Is Soon To Pass Through Egypt Once Again
According to Dake’s Study notes, when any idolatrous nation was destroyed, the blame fell on the gods who either abandoned the nation or were overcome by stronger gods (Isaiah 37:6-13).
Isaiah 37:12 - Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? [13] Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
Each of the ten plagues was aimed at
the gods of Egypt:
1. The Nile river was worshiped by Egyptians under various names and symbols, including father of life and father of the gods. Egyptians, who abhorred blood, must have been horrified when they saw their sacred river and all other water in their country turned to blood (Exodus 7:19-21).
2. Bringing up frogs was against the frog god, causing Egyptians to abhor frogs and despise this god (Exodus 8:5-6).
3. The creation of millions of gnats out of dust (Exodus 8:16-19), as well as other insects (Psalm 78:45), showed the helplessness of the insect god to protect Egypt.
4. The creation of flies (Exodus 8:24) exposed the powerlessness of Beelzebub, the god of flies, to protect the people from such insects. Cleanliness was necessary in worship, and the putrid conditions brought about by unclean flies would hinder idolaters.
5. The murrain (pestilence, Exodus 9:5-7) on Egyptian stock proved that the very creatures the people held sacred were powerless to protect themselves. Egyptians worshiped many forms of nature: the sun, moon, stars, planets, rivers, animals—even onions and leeks. Jupiter was adored in the form of a ram; Apollo was adored as a crow; Bacchus was adored as a goat; Juno was adored as a heifer; Diana was adored as a cat; Venus was adored as a fish; Mercury was adored as an ibis; etc. They believed that when the giants made war on the gods, they fled to Egypt and took refuge in sea creatures, which were then worshiped. Reincarnation was strongly believed by the Egyptians. Like Hindus and other Orientals, they taught that departed loved ones were reborn in the shape of animals. If any were killed, some relative would be killed. Hence, animal sacrifice was an abomination to the Egyptians, and the pestilence on their stock was a judgment upon their gods.
6. Boils and blains on man and beast were against gods that were worshiped to protect from such plagues.
7. Hail and fire (Exodus 9:22-26) was against Isis and Osiris, the gods of light, health, fertility, arts, and agriculture. Water, fire, earth, and air were all objects of Egyptian idolatry. God showed them that He was Lord over these elements that, instead of helping the Egyptians, became instruments of destruction at God's command.
8. The locust plague (Exodus 10:12-15) was against the god Serapis who was supposed to protect the land from locusts. The creatures came and left at God's command, proving that He was the God of gods, and that the gods of Egypt were false and powerless. See note, Exodus 10:4.
9. Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23) was against the worship of the sun god who was to protect from any curse of the sun and provide light, warmth, and fruitfulness.
10. The death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29-30) was directed against all Egyptian gods who were supposed to protect both man and beasts. The choicest of each family died as proof that no god of Egypt had power to stand against the God of the Hebrews.
When God brings judgment upon this world that has long since forgotten Him, He will do so in a similar manner. ALL the works of man’s hands will not hide man from the Lamb. Judgment is coming, ALL WILL BE THERE, those who have forsaken, those who’ve refused, ALL who heed Him need never fear, For He will Pass, Will PASSOVER YOU. It will be by this sign that the death angel will PASS OVER THOSE whose faith rests in the Cross of Christ when the hand of God strikes this world in judgment very soon.
When John saw the Lamb standing on the throne in heaven, he saw a lamb having SEVEN HORNS and SEVEN EYES. The seven horns denote strength, power, and total dominion. "Seven" denotes the fact that His power and dominion are Almighty. What Christ did at the Cross gives Him the right of rulership over all of creation. Dominon that had originally been forfeited to Satan by Adam, was gained back by Christ at great price. Whatever authority Satan has in one's life it's actually his by default. In other words, those who are willfully help captive by Satan and the power of Egypt now are those who have simply not trusted Christ.
For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the
world, even our faith.
The same could be said of Christians who don't follow God's prescribed order or victory. These horns show that Satan is a defeated foe. The forces of darkness are doomed for destruction. His dominion is TOTAL, and COMPLETE. This is the victory over bondage friend that our FAITH overcomes the world. One day, those whose FAITH is in HIM will see the victory God has planned for the saints over the idols in Egypt.
God gave instructions for all of Israel to be delivered out of Egypt on the night of Passover. The Passover was for the redeemed of Israel. So today the benefits of Christ are for those who believe, not for those who don't. There is no reason for any believer to be in bondage to any sin or iniquity. We said it in the very first part of this three-part series on deliverance - there is no where in the Word of God where sinless perfection is taught. But it IS taught that SIN shall not DOMINION over us any more.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace.
The great mistake we make many times as it regards this Lamb is first of all many misunderstand His Mission. He came down here to totally and completely to DELIVER man out of his bondage, not for Himself. Secondly, many try to separate Christ from His Cross. The unbeliever tries to picture Christ as the great healer and miracle worker, but they give no credence at all to the Cross. Most unredeemed picture Christ as a mere man, and not God. Many Christians greatly believe in the cross as it relates to salvation but then separate Christ from the cross after that. That is the reason they are in bondage today. The Lamb's blood on the door post had to STAY on that door post for Israel to come out alive!
God explicitly instructed Moses to take hyssop and paint the blood of the Lamb on the door of the house. Those who left that house left the safety of the blood. If you were Jewish and were not in a house covered in blood you would have died. If you were Egyptian and you were in a house covered in blood you survived. The issue on this night was BLOOD. When the death angel saw the BLOOD he passed over the children of Israel.
There are some who teach you can never ever renounce or leave your salvation experience. They teach that no matter what you do you are eternally secure and destined for heaven even if you make no pretense for living for God or have basically apostatized. That is NOT TRUE. The house was protection from the coming death angel and that house represented CHRIST. His blood is the ONLY SOURCE OF PROTECTION from the coming wrath of a righteous God who has held back His hand of judgment on this world for its sin. The day is coming soon when that hand of mercy will be lifted and the wrath of God will be poured out during what most Bible teachers call “great tribulation."
The way of escape is the blood. The death angel is coming. The death angel may call on you tonight. He may call on you 10 years from now. He may call on you in two weeks. He may never call if you go through the rapture. Either way you are at a crossroads as every human being IS who is born into this world. You can accept the blood of the Lamb and place that blood on your house or you can refuse and be damned.
Let Us Keep The Feast.....
1 Cor 5:7-8 - Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Exodus 12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
As we close this series and journal today,
let me make a few final comments. The Lord commanded Israel to celebrate the Passover
from generation to generation as a memorial of this historic night.
Paul speaks of us being a new lump, or as the Feast of Unleavened Bread
followed after Passover, as NEW CREATURES in Messiah Jesus. Paul was speaking
spiritually and literally I believe when he wrote this. As New Testament
believers we have put off the leaven of malice and wickedness and have embraced
the Unleavened BREAD OF HEAVEN of SINCERITY and TRUTH. Messiah Jesus is that
TRUTH. As was the custom of the Jewish nation
before the Passover to cleanse their homes from all leaven, so the church is
here admonished to clean out the immoral practices from its midst. Paul is
saying “You are yet unleavened; the filth of moral sin has not yet become
spread among you. If you will purge
this immorality out then you will be a new lump, completely free from sin.”
Christ has become our Passover lamb and by His blood all sin can be purged (Eph.
1:7; Hebrews 9:22; Rev. 1:5).
Ephes. 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace;
Rev. 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Heb 9:22-26 - And almost all things are by the
law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 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. 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. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high
priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; 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.
When God passed over Israel and destroyed Egypt's idols, He set an entire nation free THROUGH BLOOD! Never forget that we are free today because of the blood of the covenant we enjoy as a New Testament believers in Messiah Jesus. The greatest opposition to the embracing of the cross and the true liberty of the Spirit will be religious man. The cross will always be the great threat to religious man and religious man will always be the greatest enemy of the cross. Demons never persecuted Jesus, they bowed the knee and worshiped Him. It was the religious, the moral and the conservative citizens who crucified Jesus and they will be the main ones to rise up and oppose anyone who preaches the true message of the cross. The greatest persecution against true faith will always come from those who have been converted in their minds but not their hearts. Deliverance is a HEART matter! Intellectual comprehension of doctrine will never set any man free.
THIS is the season of deliverance. God wants to set us all free from those things which are hindering our walk with Him. I pray something you have read has helped you in your walk with the Lord. We are praying each day for those who come to Spirit Journals to leave blessed and changed by the Spirit of Almighty God. Be free in 2004! And may the blood of Jesus cover you and your family in the dark days ahead. Shalom and our love. Praise God.
Heavenly Father, thank You today for Your Word. It cuts us in two sometimes like the two-edged sword that it is. But we know Lord that You have our eternal destinies in mind when You convict us of our Sins. Thank You for Your love and Grace to us in showing us our sin. You not only reveal our sin, you show us the path of deliverance. Lord, THIS IS the season of deliverance and we ask you to help us take this charge to free the people of God seriously this year . Open doors of utterance to speak and minister and I pray those who have taken the time to read these words will be blessed by what they have read and changed by the power of God. In your name we pray
Amen.
For Further Edification:
New
Article In Prophetic Word Section: What Pride Does To Revivals"
New
Year's Message 2004 - The Season Of Deliverance Part One
The
Season Of Deliverance - Part Two