Tag Archive: Bible


Why Jesus Came

Filed under: Covenant, Jesus, Jesus the Tabernacle — 1 Comment
October 5, 2009

Why Jesus Came

Jesus came to earth to save us from eternal separation from God.

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:32 – 41 )

He achieved this by sacrificing His life as an atonement for our sins.

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.

Jesus on the Cross Sheds His Blood

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:29 – 32)

Jesus came to tell us the truth about the kingdom of heaven and the love of the Father.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

He came to demonstrate the Father’s love for all of us by healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead and preaching the gospel of the truth.

Jesus while healing a young man, who is Demon-possessed, with no hearing

Jesus while healing a young man, who is Demon-possessed, with no hearing

Jesus came to introduce us to His Holy Spirit and if we follow the leading of His spirit we will then be empowered to do the things that He did on this earth. In following the lead of His spirit we will find that God directs us to seek the perfection that is demonstrated in the words and actions of His Son.

The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

Our investigation into Jesus, “the Life, the Truth and the Way” is designed to help us better understand His attributes, so that may seek to instill them into our own lives by the power of His Holy Spirit. It is in such a metamorphous that we find ourselves taking up the cross of Jesus. It is at this point that miracles will come to support the ministry of Jesus. It is here that we will fulfill the prediction or prophesy of Jesus, who said:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12)

And some of the thing that Jesus did are captured in the following passage:

Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Grave

Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Grave

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. (Matthew 11:4-6)

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The Tabernacle Is Prophetic Of Jesus

Filed under: Covenant, Faith, Jesus, Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, Jesus the Tabernacle Courtyard, Tabernacle, Tabernacle Courtyard, The Holy Of Holies, The Holy Place — 2 Comments
September 29, 2009

The Tabernacle Is Prophetic Of Jesus

The Tabernacle was built to be the earthly abode of God: the place where God would dwell among His people. The following diagram will enable you to see the organizational structure of the Tabernacle.

The Chanbers of the Tabernacle

The Chanbers of the Tabernacle

In addition, the Following picture also communicates how it may have actually looked.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

The Tabernacle Courtyard

The Tabernacle

Moses built the Tabernacle in strict conformance to the specifications given by God. For example, in the following scripture God gives Moses a detailed list of items that are required to build the Tabernacle:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:1-9)

Statements like this one are frequently found in the scriptures written by Moses. Many of these references emphasize building of the Tabernacle precisely to God’s instructions. This fact suggests that the form and content of the Tabernacle is extremely important to God; that perhaps it is designed on a heavenly model, one that will enable Him to dwell among His people. If this is the case, then the Tabernacle must be prophetic of the Christ who would also come to dwell with God’s people. Over the centuries the intention of God to dwell with His people did not change as even today, He continues to strive to restore the relationship man lost with Him at the fall. Therefore, the scriptures that define the specifications, processes and objects found in the Tabernacle reflect the will of God to abide with us, and as a result, must also be applicable to the attributes, words and life of Christ, who was sent to accomplish God’s intention.

The Ascension of Jesus

We are going to look at the Tabernacle scriptures because they are prophetic of Christ. If Jesus is the Christ then the attributes and characteristics of the Tabernacle must be clearly demonstrated in His words and deeds. What we are about to reveal is that there is a precise correlation between the Tabernacle and Jesus. It is for this reason that we will use the scriptural specifications for each component of the Tabernacle to prove that Jesus is the Christ. In the process we will also uncover many hidden attributes of Jesus that will serve to help us better understand His nature.

The Ascension of Jesus

The Ascension of Jesus

Remembering that Jesus claimed to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life”, we look at the diagram found at (You ARE the Temple of the Holy Spirit) to find that these names (the Way, the Truth and the Life) are used to identify the entryways into the three major compartments of the Tabernacle. The Way leads us into the Courtyard, the Truth leads us into the Holy Place, and the Life leads us into the Most Holy Place. It should also be noted that the Tabernacle is constructed in such a way that these passageways must be entered in order. The Way must be entered prior to entering the Truth, and the Truth must be entered prior to entering the Way. This significance will be discussed latter.

So, what we find here is that the words of Jesus have led us to the Tabernacle. His claim is that He is the passageway into the three compartments of the place that God designed to dwell with His people here on earth. Therefore, our plan is to investigate each of these three chambers in an effort to identify what it is that He is leading us toward. What we will find is that Jesus is drawing us into a closer relationship with God. He is drawing us toward Him by showing us that the Tabernacle because tells us about Him. Jesus knows that in doing this we will grow and strengthen our relationship with Him. What we are about to discover is that the Tabernacle structure will communicate that there are three separate and distinct levels of relationship that we can have with God. In addition, these relationships can only be obtained by passing through the doors of the Tabernacle in the prescribed sequence. In fact, we will develop a progressively deeper relationship with God as we enter each successive chamber to find the gifts that God has waiting for those who seek Him with all their heart.

While all of this is quite mysterious at a high level, we plan to present the details in subsequent postings. For now we will present a high level overview of our journey through the Tabernacle and its correlation with the life of Jesus. With that said let us start with the Tabernacle Courtyard.

The Tabernacle

The Tabernacle

The Tabernacle Courtyard

Our presentation of the Tabernacle Courtyard is found in the following post:

The-Tabernacle-Courtyard-And-Jesus

The Tabernacle Holy Place

Priest in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

Priest in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

Our presentation of the Tabernacle Holy Place is found in the following post:

The-Tabernacle-Holy-Place-Is-Prophetic-Of-Jesus

The Tabernacle Most Holy Place

The Priest in the Holy of Holies

The Priest in the Holy of Holies

Our presentation of the Tabernacles Most Holy Place is found in the following post:

The-Tabernacle-Most-Holy-Place-Is-Prophetic-Of-Jesus

All of these links will also lead the reader toward a better understanding of the objects found inside each of the major chambers of the Tabernacle. They will also lead toward a better understanding how each object is prophetic of the coming of Jesus.

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THE BRIDE OF CHRIST REVEALED

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Jesus, New Jerusalem, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
September 22, 2009

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST REVEALED

The preparation of the bride and her work is the essence of the vision God reviled to me (see: Inside-the-Bride-of-Christ). At this point in time I believe that it would be good to present some additional information about who the bride is. The bride is the cumulative body of Christ, formed of the redeemed of the Lord:

But, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:15 – 16).

The body of Christ

The body of Christ

The bride is pure and holy. She is a gift to God, perfect in every way:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25 – 27).

Jesus spoke to His disciples about the bride in the following passage:

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:2 – 6).

In this passage Jesus states that He will come again and take His disciples into Himself. Therefore, the two become one and this is in essence the same as marriage. In addition, Jesus proclaims to be the Tabernacle in stating that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (see my previous post on this subject Jesus-is-the-Way-the-Truth-and-the-Life).

The Glory Cloud Covers the Tabernacle

The Glory Cloud Covers the Tabernacle

The Tabernacle is the place where God dwells with His people on earth. Jesus also talks about many mansions which are buildings that are often found in a city of many people. This presents the concept of the bride being a great city of people, even the holy Jerusalem, which is clarified in this scripture:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying, ”Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God (Revelation 21:9 – 10).

the bride of christ

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INSIDE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Jesus, Ministry, New Jerusalem, Spirituality, the morning star — 1 Comment
September 16, 2009

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

INSIDE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

One day, church friends of ours introduced us to a prayer group that they knew about. It was being hosted by another couple who attended our church. During this meeting, I had the experience of hearing a series of phrases over and over again in my mind. I wanted to memorize these words and the repetition helped me do this. In also experienced thoughts and memories that were not mine. Somehow I knew that these thoughts were from the mind of the bride of Christ. It was as if I lived inside her mind. The following passages describe this experience to the best of my ability. I have also inserted relevant scripture to help in understanding this passage:

The New Jerusalem - The Bride of Christ

The New Jerusalem - The Bride of Christ

We were alone in a beautiful room. It was a quiet time; a time of preparedness, for there was to be a great event of which none can compare. There was joy and happiness. There was anticipation, for we are the source of celebration. We are the focus of attention. There is no sound in the room, just the song of rustling linen.

And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8).

The quiet is good for reflection upon the images of the old world. There were trials, tribulations, and threats of war. In looking back, there were wars, earthquakes, storms, floods, disease, famine, pestilence, and sin. The earth was fouled. There was war with Satan, and then the victory of souls. Eventually, confrontation came with the beast and the final victory—the deliverance and unity of the saved.

Violence in Heaven

Violence in Heaven

We are a new creation! We are the culmination of saved Souls.

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:15-16).

We are one being comprised of many in the perfect image and likeness of God, assembled like the atoms of the bodies we once knew.

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12).

There is great unity and power in the new creation.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal (Revelation 21:9-11).

There is ecstasy in the bride. Every soul that exists in the bride shouts with joy, for we all know that we confessed Him. We all know that we changed our sinful ways for Him. We all obeyed His commandments, and we all loved Him. We are so united when we think of Him.

How many times did He forgive us? How many times did He heal us? How many times did He save us from evil or keep us from harm? How endless is His love? Truly, this is our hour. The preparation is complete.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7).

Someone knocks at the door. It is the Father, and He is beaming. He holds out His arm, we take it and walk arm in arm. We enter the great hall where the floor is as a single dark green emerald.

And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardis stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald (Revelation 4:3).

In this room, the pews are crystal,

Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal (Revelation 4:6),

the walls are gold, and there is no ceiling, just the sky. The seats are filled with the winged angels, dressed in white. They are all gazing at us while singing the wedding song in seven-part harmony. We look for Him, but the aisle is too long to see the end. We walk, and we walk.

We see Him! JOY! JOY! He is very handsome as He smiles a big smile, and we see heaven in His eyes. We keep walking, and then we are there. The Father presents the bride. Jesus holds out His hand. Our heart sings as we take His hand. The angel, Gabrielle, conducts the ceremony, but we can think of nothing but Him. We say, “I do.” We hear, “You may kiss the bride.” Anticipation! He comes closer, facing us. He lifts the veil, draws closer and embraces us.

Cheers and celebrations! We turn to face the assembly. We walk down the aisle. The angels are delirious. They sing, they fly, and they cause great explosions in the sky. A new, larger sun rises over the altar behind us.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16 -17)

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega

A new world awaits us.

During the prayer circle, I prayed these words out loud. These are the thoughts and words that I received from God and spoke in prayer at the meeting that day. Despite having spoken these words, I had no previous knowledge of their foundation. I did not know anything about the bride of Christ. I had no idea what I was doing or experiencing.

When it came my time to pray, I had simply repeated the words that God had given me just moments before. I also thought that they were special enough that I wrote them down when I got home. Not immediately, but over the course of several years I began to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

To learn more about what happened after this check out my book entitled “Possess the Vision.” It can be found at Amazon.com by simply entering the book title.

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

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Jesus Follows you into Ministry

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September 13, 2009

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

Jesus Follows you into Ministry

It is very interesting that when Jesus sent 70 of His disciples into ministry (see Jesus-Provides-All-that-we-Need), that He sent them to the places that He would latter visit in His ministry.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

From this we should understand a couple of things. First, that our ministry is the ministry of Jesus. Our entering into ministry should be in the direction that He sends us. Secondly, we should understand that when Jesus sends us then He will follow and support the effort.

It is only after we have stepped out in faith that the Holy Spirit comes to empower us and enable us to be victorious over the forces of evil.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

His support is necessary to accomplishment all that He has asked us to do.

When this happens others will see that the accomplishments are impossible without God. It is in this manner that God gets the glory that He desires and truly deserves. So, our faith is necessary to take action, but the power of the Lord is necessary for success. After all, we know that without God we can do nothing. Remember the verse about the true vine?:

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

The key point here is that ministry must be about Jesus and not about us. It is not our ministry but His. We are simply His agents designated to finish the work that He started. Our ministry and our lives therefore become a focus on Him. Our part in ministry is to step out in faith and to live as purely as we can. His part is to reinforce our efforts with signs and wonders through the power of His Holy Spirit.

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”


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Possess the Perfect Faith of Jesus

Filed under: Faith, Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
September 10, 2009

Possess the Perfect Faith of Jesus

We as Christians certainly know that with God all things are possible. We can win every battle, and defeat every enemy because there is nothing that is impossible with God.

The Walls of Jerico fall Befor the Ark

The Walls of Jerico fall Befor the Ark

In addition, God has placed a dream in everyone’s heart that relates to their mission and or purpose on this earth. Follow this dream by overcoming the reasons that it cannot be achieved. It is not your capability that matters, but God’s. Ensure that your have been prepared just as Jesus prepared the seventy, and then step out in faith, not being concerned about what you do not have or cannot do, but rather rejoicing, knowing full well that through Jesus you are empowered to do the impossible.

All He needs is your perfect faith, prayer, and courage that preclude doubt.

The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

Your faith must be so strong that it has been converted to knowing, and as a result eliminate even the entertainment of fear. Do not doubt or be afraid because these are indications of a lack of faith. To reinforce this statement, remember that Peter was able to walk upon the water until he considered the winds and the waves that rose up around him.

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28 – 31)

Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water

Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water

Do not pay any heed to the circumstances that blow around you because I say to you that the devil will most certainly build a storm around you just to break your faith. Know that these things are a part of your testing. Therefore, look for the impossible to be accomplished and know that your joy is not far away, for surly He will provide everything that is needed just as the night looks the darkest just before dawn. Believe perfectly and know that you will see the glory of God. Remember the words that Jesus spoke to Martha when Lazarus had been in the grave four days and his body was rapidly decomposing:

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:39-44)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Grave

Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Grave

Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would only believe that you would see the glory of God?” These words are applicable to every one of us today. I say to you, do not doubt, but only believe. Believe what God has put into your heart and step out in your faith knowing that your prayers will be answered!  Here is a promise from Jesus to every Christian:

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:22-26)

Have perfect faith and show mercy to others and what you ask for in prayer will be given. Fear displays a lack of faith in God and is a fundamental tactic of the devil in separating you from your faith. The devil will make the wind and the waves of your life roar to dislodge you from your faith, just as he did to Peter when he walked on the water. Be determined to eliminate fear because it is only disruptive to your faith. So therefore, be bold in your expectations knowing that the impossible will be delivered to you.

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Jesus Teaches by way of Parables

Filed under: Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality — 1 Comment
September 6, 2009

Jesus Teaches by way of Parables

An interesting part of the ministry of Jesus is that He taught by way of parables. The word parable means to compare, and is most often presented in the form of a short story that demonstrates a moral or religious principle. Jesus used these techniques to communicate the spiritual messages that the Father gave Him to deliver.

Jesus Speaks to the Multitude

Jesus Speaks to the Multitude

These messages were delivered as parables because people have difficulty understand the spiritual realm. By using parables Jesus could communicate a story in earthly terms and yet communicate a spiritual truth. Let’s take a look at what Jesus said about His use of parables:

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’“ (Matthew 13:10-14)

We have discussed this concept previously in our dissertation on who Jesus claimed to be. So, for example, Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life that has come down from heaven.” The term Bread is used to describe a staple food source capable of supporting life. So, in this statement Jesus communicates that He is the spiritual food that leads to everlasting life. This means that if we take Jesus into our spirit and He becomes a part of us, that we will have achieved everlasting life. So, this statement is a parable because it uses the words “bread” and “life,” which are easy to understand, as an illustration to communicate the spiritual truth of who Jesus is.

Another interesting point is the frequency to which Jesus talked in parables. The disciples were constantly taking Jesus’ words literally (not spiritually) and misunderstanding His message. For example:

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?; but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:5-12)

The bottom line here is that Jesus was a teacher who communicated in an easy to understand manner. In addition, His words were supported by miracles that directly reinforced the truth of His message. For example:

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

The miracle of the five loaves and two fish that fed the multitude reinforces His “I am the Bread of Life” statement.

And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”  He said, “Bring them here to Me.”  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:17 – 21)

Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

In addition, this miracle is a parable in itself as it demonstrates that we will have everlasting life in Jesus, who is the bread of God.

For everyone who seeks to be like our Savior Jesus, please understand that we may have to use parables to communicate the things that God has given us to communicate. In addition, we should expect that our words will be supported with power from on high, the way that they were for Jesus.

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The Last Temptation of Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 9 Comments
September 3, 2009

The Last Temptation of Jesus

Today we will address the last temptation of Jesus and will hopefully help to dispel a popular belief that the last temptation was Mary Magdalene.

Jesu and the Adulterous Woman

Jesu and the Adulterous Woman

In this post we will continue our series of presentations addressing the temptations of Jesus. Remember that our aim here is to gain insight into the realm of spiritual warfare and our goal is to help you to adequately prepare for the battles that surly will come your way.

We start with what might be a startling revelation to many people. You will not get help in the times of your testing. Why do I say this? Because even Jesus was alone when He hung on the cross:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

The Crucifixion of Jesus

The Crucifixion of Jesus

This passage clearly demonstrates that Jesus was alone on the cross as He took the punishment of us all upon Himself. It is here on the cross that the final temptation came to Him. Let’s look at the scripture:

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.'” Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. (Matthew 27:38 – 44)

This was in fact the last temptation of Christ; to come down from the cross, to deny His identity and mission. The last temptation of Christ proposed that He give up on the forgiveness of our sin and our destiny in the kingdom of heaven. The last temptation of Christ was to ignore what the Father told Him about who He was and what He was to do. It taunted Jesus to give up on us as it was more trickery by the devil to defeat the mission of Jesus and to keep us in bondage.

In looking at this last temptation of Christ we must ask, what have we learned? First of all, we are responsible for not giving in to the temptation of the devil. In addition, we learned that we will be all alone when tested and that we are responsible for our choices. After all, how will God know that He can trust us if we do not make the choices that demonstrate the truth that Jesus has placed in us? Jesus had to be obedient to the Father even unto death. In being faithful to the Father Jesus proved that He was obedient and worthy to go on to the next level (to sit at the right hand of the Father).

The Ascension of Jesus

The Ascension of Jesus

Remember, resist the devil and he will depart from you.

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The Second Temptation of Jesus

Filed under: Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 4 Comments
September 1, 2009

The Second Temptation of Jesus

In this post we continue with our presentations addressing the temptations of Jesus. Remember that our aim here is to gain insight into the realm of spiritual warfare and our goal is to help you to adequately prepare for the battles that surly will come your way. Today we will address the second temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.

jesus-tempted-on-the-mountain

We will start by looking at a writing of Luke:

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Luke 4:9-11

Again, this is more cunning trickery from the devil, who is not above using the Word of God to deceive Jesus into aborting His life as well as His identity and purpose. One key thing to remember is that God has always given us the freedom to choose. This is because love requires choice. God know that we can love Him only if we have choice. Everything else would be slavery. It was for this very reason that God gave us choice in the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, we were decieved and our poor choice led to our seperation from God and our loss of our domain in the Garden. In the above scripture the devil was hoping that a poor choice by Jesus would result in His defeat as well.

So if the above scripture is true then what did Jesus have to lose by complying. First of all, it is never a good idea to do anything at the suggestion of the devil as he seeks to destroy you. Jesus came to the earth as a man with the intention of regaining what was lost in the Garden.

Adam and Eve in the Garden

Adam and Eve in the Garden

Since the dominion of man was lost by a man it would require a victory by a man to restore what was lost. The assistance of angels would not prove that man could resist the temptation of the devil and therin defeat him in spiritual warfare. Therefore, angels could not fight for Jesus. Jesus had to win the victory on His own initiative.

This axiom applies to us as well. When we are tested we will be totally alone also. There will be no help from angels, God or anywhere else. Think about it, If you’re not alone then who is being tested? How will God know that you are ready to go to the next level or not? Also consider that the angels only came to the support Jesus after His temptation, not during it. Jesus came to the earth as a man to defeat the devil. This battle was not one that could be won by angels but only by Jesus the man. Do not choose the trickery of the devil but rather, choose the truth of the word of God. This is exactly what Jesus did when He answered:

And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Him for a season. Luke 4:12-13

It is up to us to defeat the devil and pass the test. Ever wonder why all of us are still here on earth if in fact, Jesus redeemed us from our sin? The answer is that we still have to choose. We have to choose between God and the devil, our own interests or the welfare of others, to love or to hate, life or death, light or darkness, and between good or evil. These are choices that we make everyday. Do not be fooled, stay the course to the end. The good news is that Jesus gave us power over all the evil of the enemy.

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Jesus is our Model for Victory in Spiritual Warfare

Filed under: Jesus, Ministry, Prayer, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 3 Comments
August 27, 2009

Jesus is our Model for Victory in Spiritual Warfare

For those of us seeking to conform our lives to Jesus, it is imperative that we know who we are and what our mission is. This concept is reinforced by looking at the life of Jesus and discovering that He definitely knew the answers to these questions. In fact, Jesus so believed in them that He even went to His death rather than deny them.

Jesus on the Cross Sheds His Blood

This was not an act of faith on His part but rather a resounding knowing that came from hearing the words of the Father. Therefore, it is imperative that we hear the Fathers voice and that we live and act on it in accord to what we hear.

As we have discussed in our prior postings, Jesus was immediately led into confrontation with the devil (spiritual warfare) after His baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist, where He heard the Father proclaim Him to be His beloved Son.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew  3:17)

John Baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River

John Baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River

In a like manner we must also be ready to enter into the battle that will erupt when we initiate our God given purpose and mission.

Since Jesus used scripture in defeating the devil it is critical that we also know the scriptures and can leverage them in response to any attack against us. For most people this requires a substantial investment of time. It also requires time in prayer to find the answers to the questions: “Who did God create me to be and what does He want me to accomplish in my life time?” While the details will vary from person to person, the answers will fall inside the following two general categories: Firstly, you are a son or daughter of God. Secondly, your mission is the mission of Jesus.

Through out the ministry of Jesus which started with His baptism in the Holy Spirit, and completed with His crucifixion on the cross, the devil continually tried to trick Jesus into denying that He was the Son of God and therein, defeat His mission on this earth. Why should we think that it will be any different with us?

Here is a scripture that presents the last temptation of Christ, the one that occurred as he hung on the cross:

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’“ Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.  (Matthew 27:39-44)

Sounds like more of the same temptations from the devil to me. Deny who you are and give up the reason you came and we will believe you. Right!

In fact, isn’t this exactly what the crucifixion was all about? If Jesus would only change His mind about who He said He was, then everything would have been fine. I suspect that at any point on His way to crucifixion that the Jews may have relented, if He would have only lied and said, “I am not the Son of God.”

But Jesus would not deny the truth about who He was and He would not abort what the Father had given Him to accomplish. The crucifixion was all about getting Jesus, the Savior of the World, to give in to the pressures of crucifixion.

Jesus Nailed to the Cross

Jesus Nailed to the Cross

Those who crucified Him tried everything to get Him to recant but they failed. They could not trick it out of Him by way of integration and false witnesses.

Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'”  And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”  But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”  Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:59 -64)

They could not beat it out of Him with forty lashes with a Cat of Nine Tales.

Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:26)

They could not embarrass it out of Him by dressing Him up in royal clothing and mocking Him as a false God. They could not shame it out of Him by having a legion of men spit into His open wounds.

And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,  and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. (Mark15:17 – 20)

They could not exhaust it out of Him by forcing Him to carrying His cross until total exhaustion.

Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. (Luke23:26)

Via Dolorosa Station 5 - Roman soldiers instruct Simon of Cyrene to carry the Cross

Via Dolorosa Station 5 - Roman soldiers instruct Simon of Cyrene to carry the Cross

They could not disgrace it out of Him by nailing Him to His cross, or by taking His close or by hanging Him openly with criminals.

Jesus laid down His life for us.

Jesus laid down His life for us.

They could not get Him to change His mind about who He was or His mission on earth even under the threat of death on the cross. For Jesus knew the scripture. He knew what the Father said about Him and He knew why He came to earth. Nothing, not even death, humiliation or suffering was going to overcome that, and nothing did.

What does all of this teach us who seek to conform ourselves to the life model that Jesus left us? Know who you are in God and what He wants you to accomplish on this earth (be like Jesus) and never compromise it, no matter what testing comes your way. This blog is designed to help you get insight into these things but I will tell you that the answers to this question are already inside of you. You were born with them. God created you with a purpose in mind. Learn to hear the voice of God through the Holy Spirit and be obedient to His voice and never compromise.

Secondly, know that the devil is here to defeat us. He hates us and wants to have dominion over us forever. His weapons are lying and deceiving. He will try to trick you into denying your true identity in God and your true purpose. Never let the lies and trickery of the devil deceive you into denying your true destiny. Choose the calling of the Holy Spirit and reject the call of the world.

If you seek to model your life after Jesus you should know that the devil will pull out all the stops in getting you to deny your identity, purpose and mission. In addition, the devil will use the things of this world to attract you away form the leading of the Spirit. To defeat the devil you will have to turn you back on money, power, fame, recognition, influence, appetites, adultery and the lust for all the things of the world. Those that can will recieve the victory of Jesus.

The Resurrection

The Resurrection

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