The Blood of The Cross

By Larry Chkoreff

Version 3.0 April 2014

Original Spring 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Larry Chkoreff

Published by International School of the Bible (ISOB), Marietta, Georgia, U.S.A.

This material is the sole property of the author.  It may be reproduced freely, but only in its entirety for free circulation, without charge and with the permission of the author or publisher.  It may not be altered without the express written consent of the author or publisher.  It may not be altered or edited in any way.  This material may not be used without the permission of the author for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version Bible Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc..  When quoted by verse with numbers, the original quote marks were left in place without editing.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Wisdom of The Cross      4

Chapter 2 Intimacy Through Blood      14

Chapter 3 Inheritance and Exchange      28

Chapter 4 You Were Crucified With Christ      50

Chapter 5 The King’s Table      57

Chapter 6 The Power of The Cross in Sufferings      68

Chapter 7 The Blood of God  Freedom from slavery      78

Chapter 8  Spiritual Warfare      87

Keys To Experience His Cross      100

Chapter 1 The Wisdom of The Cross

God loves you so much that He is desperate to bless you.

Genesis 1:22 says,

“22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

How does God bless us, and how can we position ourselves to receive His blessings?  I believe it is by our continual spiritual understanding of the Cross and the Resurrection. That is the theme of this book.

What is the greatest blessing we can receive from God?

Is it the gifts or the Giver?  Too many people, even believers feel that more of God’s gifts would be the ultimate. Gifts are wonderful, but they can and do become idols to too many believers.

As in human children, many idolize even the genetic gifts and talents and even the given physical gifts above loving their parents.

One of my 3-year-old twin grandchildren, Gabriel, gave me a perfect example of this just one day before writing this chapter.  He and his brother Micah had just received the gift of some new books.  Gabriel felt that he wanted the book his brother had and did not handle himself very well.  We gave him some gentle godly discipline by letting him cool off by himself for a few minutes.  My wife then asked him if he was finished with his conduct.  He said yes.  Then after about five minutes he came up to me and said, “Papa, I love you.”  It melted me!  He loved the giver more than the gift.

The greatest gift God can give us is intimacy with Him through the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Different people experience God’s presence in different ways and during different circumstances. It is not always a great huge mountain of emotions, but sometimes it is.  Sometimes you hear His voice.  Sometimes you sense His voice as you read the Word.  Other times you just obtain peace.

Why did the Apostle Paul make such radical statements about continually focusing on The Cross?

He told the Corinthian believers that the Cross was the only thing worth focusing on.  What did focusing on the Cross have to do with our greatest blessing?

1 Corinthians 2:2 Amplified Bible says,

“2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.”

Paul had been mentoring the Corinthian believers in many ways including in the gifts of the Spirit.  In 1 Corinthians 1 he even gave them compliments regarding their progress in their zeal to walk in the Spirit and follow the Lord in His grace. However then he admonished them for their behavior of creating divisions among themselves.

How did Paul deal with the Corinthian believers in their ways of the flesh?  Notice in the following Scripture that they had evolved into divisions and disagreements.

1 Corinthians 1:10-12 says,

“10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.

12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.””

One would expect Paul to begin to show them how to control or eliminate their “fleshly” behavior.  He did, however the unexpected cure that he gave to them is the core of this book.  He told them that they should focus on The Cross and that would bring them into God’s presence, the greatest blessing of all.

When we get into God’s presence, then we are in a place where the Holy Spirit wants to and is able to change our insides. In turn it will give us the character of Jesus on the outside.  Our behavior is only the product of what is in our spirit and soul.

When we enter into God’s presence, peace comes in the storm, faith replaces fear and we know we are loved, and we are corrected in a loving way. Then our lives will glorify Him and contribute to His Kingdom coming to earth.

Here is what Paul said to the Corinthians about the Cross.

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:8 says,

“17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--

31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

Amplified- 7 But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God— [that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].

8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

It is the Cross and by the resurrection that lifts us into the glory of His presence.

When you see Him alive, you know He died on the Cross, and His presence changes you. He does all the work, if you cooperate. That is why Paul said that’s all we need.  This returns us to normal.

How and why does the revelation of the Cross bring us into His presence?

When we “see” the truth of the amazing grace, love and power in the Cross and resurrection, that we abandon ourselves to God, perhaps little by little, perhaps in even in giant steps.  Abandonment is what brings us revelation of the Word and His presence - John 14:23-26.  The Cross absorbs our sin.  We have to maintain our fine tuning with the Holy Spirit to abandon our flesh life and desire His godly life to be manifested in us.

Notice also in the above Scriptures that Paul compares the wisdom of God with the wisdom of this world.  The wisdom of God is defined, primarily in the Proverbs and Psalms, as Jesus speaking His Word.  When we hear Him speak, we receive life and all the products of life.

What is the primary thing that Jesus does, that Wisdom does?  He speaks!  Jesus is the Word of God!

Proverbs 8:1-10 says,

“1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?

2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet.

3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:

4 “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things;

7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold;”

He, Wisdom, existed before the beginning, from everlasting past.

Proverbs 8:22-31 says,

“22 “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;

26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primeval dust of the world.

27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.”

When I got saved in 1979 all I knew by reading the Book of Revelation is that Jesus was alive, He was the King in control, He had defeated all His and our enemies, the Bible was the Word of God in perfection, and He was coming again.  I knew that the only thing to do would be to turn control of my life over to Him.  I knew little or nothing about the Cross itself or the plan of salvation in my logic.  However as I go back to consider that time, I must have subconsciously known about the Cross if I knew that Jesus was alive.  I craved for the intimacy God had created in me, but I was looking for it in the “lost and found.”

The purpose of Cross is to return us to normal.

God created us in His own image.  He took mere dirt, formed it, and breathed Himself into it.  Thus the miracle of creating a human filled with God Himself.   That is normal.

Normal is also to have intimacy with God.

The human soul cries out for intimacy with their Creator. We were created with this desire, but so many evil influences and lies block this desire. People have created a multitude of idols to attempt to satisfy this intense God given longing for intimacy with Him.

The key to unlock intimacy with our Creator is the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross in order to cleanse us from our sin so that the Holy Spirit could move back in.  That is impossible to comprehend without God Himself revealing it to us through His intimate voice.  When we hear His voice then we know He is alive.  When we know that He died for our sins and is now alive in us, then our entire being changes.

What kind of intimacy?

Complete intimacy cannot be accomplished to its fullness unless both parties are joined as one.  One must live inside the other and vise-versa.  There are only two godly types of this; our oneness with God and our blood covenant oneness with our spouse.  Ephesians 5:31-33 explains this.  Two beings who have not had their spirits and souls interchanged cannot have the ultimate intimacy.  That is the type of intimacy the Cross gives us with God.

A quote by John Eudes

“A Christian has a union with Christ more noble, intimate, and perfect than the members of a human body have with their head.”

Character change.

The more our character becomes like Jesus, the more blessed we will be.

We often talk about “It is all in the mind, in our thinking.”  It is!  But how do we change our old thinking?  When we hear God speak and enter His presence it changes us.  That is what the Apostle Paul prescribed for the Corinthians.

One of my 3-year-old twin boys Gabriel gave me a perfect example of this.  One day I took him to school and I left his brother Micah at home because he was not feeling well.  Gabriel not only did not like this, he voiced his objection with great zeal and a high pitched plea.  His behavior at that point was not really very good, even though he normally is a good boy.  I buckled him up in the car and turned on a video with a contemporary group singing an old beautiful hymn, “How Great Thou Art.”  Within a few seconds Gabriel’s entire attitude did a complete turn around.  I saw in the rear view mirror that he was captured by the presence of God.  His eyes were fixed and he was singing along with the group.  His behavior changed!  The presence of God did it and he submitted.

[1]Key # 1. Putting your truth on the Cross.

When we express to Jesus how we really feel, what besetting sin or mindset is plaguing us, when unbelief, fear or depression will not let go of our minds, put those issues on the Cross by pouring out your heart to Jesus.  From there the Cross deals with your issues and cleanses you.  The Cross absorbed all we give to Him.

As 1 Corinthians 2:7 states we experience the Glory of His presence.  …”for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].”

When Jesus fed the 5,000 in John chapter 6, the disciples gave Him what they had, Jesus absorbed it, multiplied it and then gave it back to the disciples to use to feed others.  This Key not only comforts us, but what we have, even the “junk,” is used to feed others.

That happened to me this morning just a few hours before writing this Key.  I did not even verbalize my feelings of fear that came from certain things not going right in my life, but rather just spoke to Him “silently.”  When I opened my devotions they led me to the Word. He spoke, and the fear left.  It was the Glory of His presence.  I shared this with a pastor friend of mine and it fed him.

Be honest and He will speak. The Cross will absorb your flesh and sin, and His presence gives you the power, faith and peace to trust Him in the worst of circumstances

A quote from A.B . Simpson

3 John 3 says,

"For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth."

“You cannot walk in the truth unless you live and express the truth. The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretense. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value.”

Chapter 2 Intimacy Through Blood

2

Intimacy with God.

God wants intimacy with us.  Many people cannot fathom this idea because their image of God is distorted.  The Bible is loaded with Scriptures and examples of God’s desire for intimacy. God created us for fellowship and closeness to Him.  The Song of Solomon is one good example.

Song of Solomon 2:13, 14 says,

“13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!

14 “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.””

Intimacy through the blood covenant.

I believe that majority of people do not truly understand intimacy.  God created every person with the desire for intimacy.  We all crave it, but we do not understand the proper way to pursue it and express it.  People have perverted intimacy in many ways.  Also, many tribes and people groups have perverted the blood covenant.  That is their way of attempting to better their lives and in some cases connect with gods.

Intimacy as a child.  Doctors have discovered that if babies do not have physical affection and intimacy, they will die.  This is called maternal deprivation.  Even as children we are designed to have intimacy with our parents.  It is something that is required; it is God’s design.  So many parents bruise their children for life by not giving them intimacy.  They teach them that hugging and crying are not proper.  They teach them to bury their needs, not knowing that their needs will appear in a perverted form.  All of us need the affirmation of a father.  Most addictions can be traced to a broken relationship with the father.

Intimacy with spouses.  So many people gain intimacy with their future spouse while they are courting, but after marriage many treat them like slaves.  They should rather continue and even increase their intimacy and romance.  Marriage can grow cold if we don't repent for every ungodly act and word. After just a little while the two people don't even want to be around one other. We need to take up our cross in marriage.

Exclusiveness is one key element of intimacy.  Both parties need to know that there are no others involved.  They need to know that they are exclusive and that the other party is devoted only to them.  Some call it a single eye.  The marriage relationship is likened to our intimate relationship with the Lord.

Intimacy requires taking time to talk and to listen.  There is a desire to spend time with the other person.  Take as an example the woman with the alabaster jar in Mark 14:3.  Jesus thought that this kind of “waste” was not waste at all.  He said that it was part of the Gospel and that the Gospel should produce this action.

Intimacy requires stepping out from the crowd.  It requires becoming lost in another person.  Have no concern for what your denominations, friends, family; customs feel about your intimacy with God.  Worship God in humility, and with reverence, bowing down before Him.

The Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19 did not really understand intimacy with God; he was only interested in religion.  He wanted his other possessions more than a relationship with God.  Look at the contrast with blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46.  He also had something to trust in.  However, he gave up his beggar’s robe that he trusted in and cast himself completely upon Jesus.

Moses wanted intimacy with God.  Moses, at the burning bush, got a taste of God’s presence.  Later, in Exodus 33, he begged God to let him see His glory again.  He wanted to see God’s glory at any cost.  We need to become lost in the Lord and be dead in Christ, to no longer care about ourselves or what others think.

Psalm 91 describes the Secret Place of the Most High.  Song of Solomon 2:14 talks about the same secret place as a place of intimacy where the two people see each other’s faces and hear each other’s voices.

The 120 people in Acts chapter 2 devoted themselves, abandoned themselves in and for His presence.

“Yada” is a strong word for intimacy.  Genesis 4:1 says that Adam knew Eve and she conceived.  The word knew is “yada,” a Hebrew word that means knowing at a level of intimacy.  It is used again in Proverbs 3:4-5 when it tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will direct our paths.  The word acknowledge comes from “yada.”  Jesus said in John 17:3 that eternal life is knowing (yada) Him and the Father.

Intimacy with God and your spouse should lead to oneness, the two actually change and become one.  Since Jesus became sin for us, now we can change and become one with Him. Our potential for intimacy with God is to be closer to Him than our head is to the members in our own body.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to examine and speak to us about our mind, will and emotions.  If we don't continually focus on the cross, there is nothing else available to do away with our flesh and sin and we will drift from the close intimacy.  We have to stay “tuned.”  Remember as I stated in the previous chapter, abandonment to Jesus and the Kingdom of God is what keeps us receiving fresh revelation from Him and keeps us in close intimacy with Him.

When God originates intimacy, our only response is worship:  “Holy, Holy, Holy”  (Revelation 4:8-11).

In 1 Samuel 1-2 Hannah risked humiliation and was indeed humiliated because she was hungry for God.  She was desperate.  The woman who touched the hem of His garment was humiliated, but she was desperate (Matthew 9:20).

Wounds from lack of intimacy

Perhaps you are among the multitudes that have been deprived of intimacy from people like parents or spouses.  Maybe the only intimacy you experienced was perverted.  If so you may be reading this with an empty feeling coming from your past and you cannot relate.  Now is the time for you to finally experience real intimacy, but this time with The Creator!

First, forgive those people who did not supply your intimacy needs. Do that by seeing that sin that was perpetrated against you was actually perpetrated against Jesus at the Cross. He bore your sin.

Next abandon yourself to Jesus completely with words of expression. Then ask Jesus to fill you with Himself in a way you have never experienced before

I believe that there are two major issues that block people from connecting with God in an intimate way.

Take a look at Psalm 23

Psalms 23:1-6 says,

“1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Notice in verse 3 God restores our soul.  That means that He is the healer of our inner wounds including the wounds from the lack of real intimacy and from perverted intimacy as I mentioned above.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Often we do not sense God’s presence because we live in the midst of war, a spiritual war.  That affects our thought process and we often sense that God has just forgotten about us. Notice in verses 3 and 5 that God leads us into the paths of righteousness, and often that is through the valley of the shadow of death.  But then notice in verse 5 that God prepares a table for us in the very presence of our enemies.  The word table in this verse refers to a King’s Table.

Also in verse 5 God anoints our head with oil, which I believe is the anointing that is passed on when our cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.”

Notice the beautiful promises in verse 6.  That all depicts intimacy.

The exchange of words, and the resulting intimacy, is God’s method for the transfer of the blood covenant and the reality of the Cross.

Intimacy involves the exchange of words between two parties.  It involves listening to one another.  Remember what Jesus told the people in John 6:63.  He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Intimacy involves the exchange of words between two parties.  It involves listening to one another.  Remember what Jesus told the people in John 6:63.  He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

The price of intimacy.

As recorded in John 6, Jesus has just fed the 5,000.  On the next day the crowd found out that He had gone to the other side of the lake so they followed Him.  They were looking for more food. They were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and that now His job was to give them supernatural food every day.  These were very poor and desperate people, so I do not find fault in them. I have reacted in the same way.  But Jesus used this as an opportunity to introduce the Cross.  Jesus wanted the best for these people and for you and me.

The cost of intimacy with Jesus is to make Him absolute King of your life!

A quote from Watchman Nee’s book- Song of Songs [2]

“Song of Songs 1:4

THE SHULAMITE [3] The king has brought me into his chambers. THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. THE SHULAMITE Rightly do they love

“Verse 4 continues, “The King hath brought me into his chambers.” After the maiden prays, we see her prayer being answered: “The King hath brought me into his chambers.” The “chambers” are the “secret place” (Psa. 91:1), which are the bedrooms. Unless we have very deep friendship with a person, we will not bring him into our chambers. Therefore, when the King brings her into the chambers, it signifies the beginning of fellowship and revelation. In the chambers she tastes of a fellowship that was previously unknown. But more than this, she sees something that she has not seen before.

The word “King” indicates that before we know the Lord as our Beloved, we must first know Him as our King. A life of consecration always comes before a life of love, and a satisfying experience always comes after an act of consecration.

“The King hath brought me into his chambers.” She has previously known Him as her King. But now the King will show her the experience of the chambers.””

The message in John 6 is that the blood covenant, the Cross, is the means by which God supplies our needs both physically and spiritually, and that the blood covenant is realized through words.

Luke 4:4 says,

“But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

2 Peter 1:3 says that His Word gives us all things that we need for living this life in the material, and for having His character manifest in our lives.

“3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”

There is more!

God does want to supply our needs, however there is more.  These people who followed Jesus are like many today that want only a God who will feed them when they are hungry, for anything, not just food.  Jesus is saying in John 6 that He desires to feed our natural needs, but that He has more in mind than just that.  He wants intimacy with us, and that intimacy will be the result of a blood covenant.

In that blood covenant we are expected to be conformed to God’s image, that of Jesus Christ.  You may wonder how you can possibly be conformed to His image in the condition that you are currently in.  Intimacy with Him will allow Him to do the work in you.  You must simply be totally honest with Him and spend time with Him.  At the same time you must know that His wonderful work and His sufferings have wiped out all guilt and shame.

In all of this, you must also realize that being conformed to His image includes spiritual warfare that more often then not includes trials and suffering.

Follow the story in John chapter 6 22-69.

“22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone--

23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks--

24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

27 “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Notice in verse 27 Jesus is clear about we will have to labor for something. The work for real food is believing, and believing comes through hearing and obeying the Word of God. Romans 10:17.  Hearing and obeying God speak is our assigned labor.

30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?

31 “Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

They wanted a sign to help them believe, but Jesus was taking them, and us, to a higher level.

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

33 “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

35 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.

Bread in the Bible means satisfaction.  These people had been fed the day before supernaturally. But Jesus knew that they did not yet have true satisfaction even though it was He who gave it to them.  Interesting!

True satisfaction only comes through intimacy and the result of intimacy with God.  The results of intimacy with God can be more personal blessings, but they also include the work God gives us to do, which is to pour out our blessings on others.  If we fail to pour out God’s character and blessings on others, we will not enjoy the depth of intimacy that is available with God.

Look at John chapter 4 when Jesus blessed the woman at Jacob’s well.  Jesus told her that He wanted to give her the water that would result in her never being thirsty again. Then when the disciples returned with food for lunch, Jesus told them in John 4:34 that He was already satisfied with real food.

“34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

Jesus had intimacy with the Father, He was satisfied with real food, and then His blessing poured out on the woman, which in turn fed Jesus again.

We are blessed with intimacy with God, then that pours out to bless others, and we are greatly satisfied in so many ways.

36 “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.

37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”

42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves.

44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

46 “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.

47 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

48 “I am the bread of life.

49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.

51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.

54 “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.

56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

58 “This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

Notice now how Jesus turns the conversation.

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?

62 “What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?

63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

The transfer agent of the Cross and the blood covenant is the Word of God, not the letter but the spoken rhema, the Word enlightened by the Holy Spirit.  Words are the only medium that connects the natural and spiritual worlds.  Both worlds can hear them and they have impact on both worlds.  We put our old fallen nature on Him through our words and He puts His holy nature into us through His Words.

64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

69 “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.””

Intimacy is originated through words, eye contact and through time spent with one another. We practice intimacy with God by giving Him our words and by taking in His Word.  This automatically transfers more of the blood covenant; our flesh nature to Jesus and His holy nature to us.

The only way a blood covenant can be made between two beings, one being in the spiritual world and the other in the natural world, is through words.

Jesus is the Word.  He was and is the bridge.

John 1:1-3, 14 says,

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

“14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

[4]Key # 2 [5]

Intimate words bring the blood covenant and the Cross.  The Cross and the blood covenant bring more revelation of intimate words.  It can be an endless cycle if we cooperate.  The real blessings of God only come through the chief blessing of intimacy.

Be diligent to give Jesus your words of praise and respect.  Be diligent to give Jesus your words of confession of sin and your flesh in action.  Be diligent to hear His Word all day long even if it is just meditating on one verse of Scripture and speaking it out.

Practice your skills of speaking and listening to God.  Remember that the level of your abandonment to God determines the level of revelation, the spoken rhema, you will hear.  Remember to pour out blessings on others which will insure that your intimacy with God will stay strong.

Chapter 3 Inheritance and Exchange

3

I wrote in a previous chapter, the Cross is designed to return us to normal. The reason I am re-emphasizing this idea is that as people who live in a fallen world it is important to redefine normal.  Normal is God The Creator, by His Spirit, living inside in a mere creation of His called Man.  Just think about that for a while.  The God whose vast creation we cannot even fathom, and even if we could fathom, would still not define Him, wants this closeness with us.  He wants to live in us.  That is God’s normal.

Since the Fall of Adam however, He could not legally live in fallen man.  He had to cleanse us from sin in order to dwell in us.  Thus the Cross.  The Cross has the power and potential of cleansing us from sinful nature and all that it inherited for the purpose of God once again inhabiting us.

This is actually more than cleansing, it is the very re-generation of our beings.  Our generational heritage changes from Adam to God.  Our old self actually dies and we are born all over again! The generations from our past attempt to continually paste more curses, and hopefully sometimes blessings, into our lives, but the Cross has the potential to exchange all of the curses for all of God’s blessing

It is amazing to me that God, Jesus, actually agreed to suffer those curses as His own, thus setting us free from those curses. While writing this I was reminded of John 1:3 which says,

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the

Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

The word “beginning” “means before time and space were created.”

The subject of this chapter is that this Person Jesus, who never did not exist, this God became a human being so that He could bear and suffer our curses.

While those of us who are born-again do have Him living in us, it often takes some time to actually experience freedom from all of the curses that we have inherited. We must know that Truth to be free. Also, often we are called to stand in faith in spiritual warfare and overcome.

While those of us who are born-again do have Him living in us, it often takes some time to actually experience freedom for all of the curses that we have inherited.  We must know that Truth to be free.  Also, often we are called to stand in faith in spiritual warfare and overcome.

My main motivation for covering the subject matter in this and all following chapters is to influence you the reader to discover or re-discover the truth of the Cross so that your conversational intimacy with God will be real.

The Cross.

As I am writing about the wonderful blessings of the sacrificial death of Jesus and His Cross, I want to emphasize that I believe while we need to focus on the wonderful blessings and gifts, that we should not forget to give our central focus to the Giver.  Let us continually develop a two-way conversational relationship with Him.

Christians have spoken about the Cross of Jesus Christ for thousands of years, yet so very few really comprehend its full meaning and how it relates to their lives.  Many people have heard about the blood of Jesus, but have not fully understood its value and true meaning.

In the previous chapter I wrote about how Jesus told the crowds that His Words would care for all of their needs.  Our deliverance from every kind of “poverty” in life including the affects of the curse is provided for in the blood covenant with God. The Truth is powerful, but so is the lie!

Satan is out to trick us and blind us to the real power of the Cross.

Satan tries very hard to hide the true message of the Cross.  The Galatian church is a typical example.

Galatians 3:1 says,

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”

Galatians 3:10 says,

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’”

Paul was telling these Galatian believers that Satan had used a spiritual force called witchcraft, or bewitched them into ignoring the Cross and paying attention to two things:

1.      Legalism.  Living by rules and not by a relationship with Jesus.

2.      The power of their flesh or old nature.  This mindset tries to control the sin and flesh nature with our own power.  It ignores the grace that God has given us.

Witchcraft is the power that attempts to manipulate and control you putting you under the wrong authority.  It always controls and manipulates.  In this case, the Galatians put themselves under the authority of a demon that had convinced them that trying to be godly their own soulish nature (the flesh) and legalism was the way to please God.  This obscured the real Gospel and the power of the Cross.

By putting our trust in religious rules, we are actually dishonoring the Holy Spirit. If rules would do all that is needed, why should God give us His Holy Spirit? This is the mistake the Galatians were making when Paul wrote to them.

Galatians 3:3 says,

“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”

Trying to live by the Law brings a curse, but the Galatians did not know it.

Paul was counteracting this false belief with Truth

Galatians 3:11-13 says,

“11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”

12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),”

Romans 7:4-7 says,

“4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.””

Galatians 3:23-24 says,

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

Commentary by MacArthur Study Bible.

The word “guardian” in the Greek word denotes a slave whose duty it was to take care of a child until adulthood. The guardian escorted the children to and from school and watched over their behavior at home. Guardians were often strict disciplinarians, causing those under their care to yearn for the day when they would be free from their guardians custody. The law was our tutor which, by showing us our sins, was escorting us to Christ.

History shows that when royal and/or wealthy parents sent their young children away from home to be raised by nannies, or like the verse above calls guardians, that the result was usually disastrous.  The guardians were only concerned with right and wrong, discipline and performance.  There was no love shown.  Children raised in such an environment have great wounds that have to be overcome.

If you were Satan, knowing that Jesus had totally defeated you at the Cross, and knowing that God’s people could be tricked into not knowing about your defeat and their victory, what would you do?

Would you spread a lie that says, “You need to keep all these laws to be right with God, and you have it in you to perform everything that God requires.  You don’t need to know about the power of the Cross and the Blood of Jesus.  That is just a bunch of religious tradition?”  That is the same lie that bewitched the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19.  Look it up and read it.

Paul was so upset with this teaching that he said something very radical in Galatians 1:8 which says,

“8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

The real sin that God is primarily concerned with is unbelief.  Most people look at their moral failures or become convicted of operating in their old flesh nature and then attempt to overcome those issues by a moral improvement in their lifestyle.  The only real change is only possible by believing what Christ did for us at the Cross.  Believing the Truth of the work of the Cross is the solution.  While an instant change may not take place, over a period of time of repenting and staying in the Word, the moral failure will be replaced by Christ in you.  Proverbs 1:23 says that when we repent that the Word becomes real to us, which is the step to really believing.

The Apostle Paul preached only the Cross.

According to Galatians 6:14-15, Paul indicated that keeping the laws was not something to be preached.  The Galatian church had strayed away from the finished work of the Cross and emphasized works.  Instead, Paul preached the Cross, which resulted in the new birth.

Galatians 6:14, 15 says,

“14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.”

Satan spends his energy keeping us from the truth of the Cross because it represents a blood covenant between God and man.

What is our alternative to the way the Galatians approached life? The answer is that at the Cross spiritual laws were put into action that caused a supernatural exchange to take place.

God set up laws before the foundation of the world that are the basis for the law of exchange.  They both operate by blood.  They are the law of inheritance and the law of substitution.  Taken together they make up the law of exchange.  Jesus’s death and resurrection put the law of substitution into action for you and for me.

Part One.

The Law of Inheritance.

God set up the human race where the life is in the blood.

Leviticus 17:11 says,

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.”

John 6:56 says,

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”

Life, blessings or curses, is passed on to our generations after us, and inherited from our past generations by blood.

However we also create curses with our own sin.

Romans 6:23 says,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Galatians 6:7 says,

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

The blessings and curses we inherit.

Exodus 34:6-8 says,

“6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

7 “keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.”

This statement seems like a paradox.  How can God forgive and still not leave unpunished?  Answer is in Part Two of this chapter.

Where does the law of inheritance live?  Is it in the body or the spirit?

Both.  That is why people look like their parents.  The invisible part of what is inherited in the spirit fools most people.  There are two parts of a person that can have life or family inheritance.

John 3:5-6 says,

“5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

The physical life carries the looks and build of the body.  The spiritual life is the life that carries the inheritance of blessings and curses. That does not seem fair, but there is a solution. This is the Good News!

Part Two.

The Law of Substitution.

The law of gravity keeps an airplane on the ground.  But when the airplane taxies down the runway fast enough another law takes over and nullifies the law of gravity; that is the law of lift.  In the same way, the law of substitution supersedes the law of inheritance.  Another example is in Romans chapter 8:2 which says, “2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

This law of substitution means that people may be born into a certain family and from that family lineage they will receive blessings and curses as their inheritance, but the curses can be changed.

People for ages have endeavored to change their spiritual life by changing physical blood.

Many cultures still make blood covenants.  However, this does not really work because they are just dealing with the physical life.  They may be committed to each other, but nothing inside of them has really changed; their spirit is still the same.

There are many counterfeits used by primitive cultures and occults. Tribes in Africa, in American Indian culture and some Asian societies have always looked for ways to swap or trade blessings and curses with other people.  They would trade weapons, coats, and other important articles as a sign that they were committed to each other and would protect one another to the death.  In some African cultures, if a family adopted a child, the father would shed blood and put it on the hands of the child to make the child his own. Since ancient times, people drank blood that was offered to their god, so that they could be like God.

The real thing!

Before the foundation of the world, God prearranged to have Jesus crucified according to the eternal Spirit, which means that the substitution principle was in effect before any man was created.

Revelation 13:8b says,

“.... in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

1 Peter 1:18-19 Amplified Bible says,

“18 You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold,

19 But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.”

The law of substitution can exchange the spiritual life.  A blood covenant with God is the transmitter of the law of substitution and it changes your family inheritance.

Look at the Passover as an example.

Exodus 12:13-14 says,

“13 ‘Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.”

The life of the perfect lamb, represented by its blood, was the substitute for the firstborn in the family.  The lamb died instead of the firstborn child.  The Passover lamb needed to be without blemish, it had to be perfect.

This is the reason Jesus needed to be born of a virgin, unspotted by the sin of the Adamic race.  The only way He could be our Passover Lamb was to be unspotted and perfect.  His Father was God his mother was Mary.  He is all God and all man.  He is the second Adam, without sin, and capable of taking our sin.

This explains the paradox I mentioned above in Exodus 34:6-8.  The only way God could extend mercy to humans and still not leave their sin unpunished would be to punish Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God in their place.

God foretold that the law of substitution would take place in the new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:29-34 says,

“29 “In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 “But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--

32 “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.

33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34 “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.””

The great exchange!

Galatians 2:20 says,

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

He bore our sin, inequities and curses on the Cross.

Isaiah 53:4-6 says,

“4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by 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 has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

The word borne is defined as:

accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear (- er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further,

What does the Cross or the blood covenant exchange for us?  What did it give us and what did it give Jesus?

1.  It gave Jesus everything we are.  He died a criminal’s death because we were rebels.

We were all rebels and criminals before God redeemed us.  Adam and Eve’s sin was rebellion (i.e. not obeying God’s voice and Word).  We were born into rebellion or sin.

The story about Barabbas.

Matthew 27:16 says that Barabbas was a notorious prisoner.  There were three crosses on Golgotha.  The two on either side were made for criminals.  Whom was the middle cross made for?  Jesus?  No, it was made for Barabbas.  Jesus took his place.  Isaiah 53 says that Jesus took our place.

2.  It gave us everything God is.

Listed here are some of the major exchanges (not an exhaustive list) Jesus made for us that we may enjoy.   Some of these are weights and some are sins.  A weight is something that is oppressing you, a burden, most likely imposed upon you by another (Hebrews 12:1).

Appropriating the power of the Cross will deliver you from these sins and curses.  Get ready!

Forgiveness.  He took on our guilt so we could be forgiven.

Colossians 2:13 says,

“13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,”

Healing.  He bore the stripes, meaning the bloody wounds, so that we could be healed.

1 Peter 2:24 says,

“24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.”

Righteousness.  On the Cross Jesus bore our sins so that we could become righteous.

This is a major exchange, an eternal one!  We are righteous and justified by faith, only because the Cross made way for the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says,

“21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Eternal death, Hell.  Jesus suffered Hell for us so that we could spend eternity in Heaven.

Jesus was cut off from the Father by death that we would enjoy God’s presence eternally

Hebrews 2:9 says,

“9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”

Acts 2:24 says,

“24 “whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

Death from the Strong’s Concordance includes this definition:

“the death of the body,  that separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and, the body by which the life on earth is ended,  with the implied idea of future misery in hell.”

Deliverance from inherited and self-inflicted curses.

Galatians 3:13, 14 says,

“13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Deliverance from poverty.

2 Corinthians 8:9 says,

“9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 says,

“8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Sufficiency is just enough; abundance is more than enough so that we can bless others.

Deliverance guilt and shame.

We can experience the love of God, which will replace false guilt and shame.

- Sexual abuse causes shame.

- We obtain the slavery mindset through shame.

- We get self-esteem problems through shame.

On the Cross, and even through Jesus’ life earth, He bore our shame.  He was considered by most to be a child conceived out of marriage.  Shame and guilt blocks our intimacy with God, and they act like a thick layer of spiritual grease that makes it seem like God is not there for an intimate conversational relationship.

Hebrews 10:21, 22 says,

“21 and having a High Priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Isaiah 53:2-9 Amplified Bible says,

2 For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well- being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due?

9 And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Deliverance from rejection and lack of love.

Rejection is a major cause of inner wounding of the soul and spirit in humans.  Often it begins with parents not giving unconditional acceptance.  Often parents outright reject their children. Divorce causes rejection, not only with the adults but also with the children. I have seen so many people who have been wounded by rejection.  It is one of the most common causes of inner wounds.

The Father God hid His face from Jesus at the Cross, and Jesus even exclaimed:

Mark 15:34 says,

“34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?””

Ephesians 1:6 says,

“6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Ephesians 3:16-20 says,

“16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--

19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

Deliverance from sorrows and griefs.

Isaiah 53 listed above shows how Jesus suffered sorrows and griefs for us.

Isaiah 35:10 says,

“10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Deliverance from all the attributes of the flesh, old, nature.

Galatians 5:19-24 says,

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

The Cross was Absolute.

The Cross disarmed and defeated Satan and every evil that ever existed, even the evil that looks as if it is coming on you.  No matter what hits you, it must turn into a blessing.

Colossians 2:13-15 ESV Version says,

“13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

How can you make the benefits of the Cross real in your life.

1. You must believe. How?  Explain,

2. You must abide in Jesus.

Abiding in Jesus simply means to abide, or dwell and settle down in His Word, because He is the Word.

John 15:7 Amplified Bible says,

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

John 14:21 Amplified Bible says,

21 The person who has My commands [Words] and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

3. You must take up your cross.

The Cross of Jesus Christ will sit there without power unless we connect it with our cross.  Only then will the Blood Covenant be real for us.

People underestimate the power of our choice. It is the second most powerful thing in the universe, after the power of God.

Luke 9:23-25 says,

“23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

24 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

25 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”

Here is a test of your willingness to take up your cross.  Mark each item yes or no.

Do not check these items without a lot of thought and commitment.  These are serious life and death issues.  Do not lie to God; do not lie to yourself.  It is better to pass and not check these off if you do not mean it.

____ I am willing to be honest with my condition (weight or sin) – totally honest!

____ I am tired of my weight or sin and I want to be free.

____ I am tired of trying to make life work on my own.  I turn to the Word of God to bear fruit, His way.

____ I repent (go the other direction), and I ask for God’s help.

____ I turn my back on the things of this “world.”

____ I believe what the Word says about Jesus taking my weight and sin.

____ I make Jesus Lord (boss) and I make a decision to follow Him through His Word and Spirit.

____ I exchange God’s will for my will.  I forgive those who hurt me.

____ I exchange my mind for God’s mind.

____ I exchange my emotions for God’s emotions.

____ I am willing to experience persecution and I will not be ashamed of Jesus.

____ I am willing to step out from the crowd and not care what they think of me.

____ I am willing to be faithful with what is in my hand right now.

____ I will live by His Word every day and spend much time in it.

____ I will continue to believe by continuing with Jesus and the Word as my Lord.  I will make it a priority to take time to build a relationship with God.

____ I will stand against all the lies of the devil, no matter how long it takes.

____  I will step out from the crowd and become lost in God.

____ I will drop my pride about what others think and ask God to give me all He has.

____ I will spend quality fellowship time with Jesus daily.  I will pour out my heart to Him in total honesty.

Receive now.

Let’s exchange some things right now!

Instructions:

IF you marked YES to all of the above, then proceed.  If you did not answer YES, then you should ask God to change your heart.  He can do it.

1. Then mark the statements that apply to you.

2. Look up the Scriptures and confess them with your mouth.

3. Write them on a piece of paper and read them out loud daily.

4. Now thank Jesus for what He has done for YOU.

[6]Key # 3

[7]

We came into this world in an abnormal condition that is without having God living inside of us.  We also were also burdened with generational curses, and perhaps blessings as well.  The law of substitution powered by the Cross put those curses onto Jesus to bear for us.  We are free!

In a later chapter I will discuss what to think and how to respond when a curse seems to come on you even though Jesus bore them all.

Chapter 4 You Were Crucified With Christ

Galatians 2:20 says,

“20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

How could I have been crucified with Christ?  His crucifixion took place almost 2,000 years before I was even born. This is one of the most important blessings that God has given to us and we need to meditate on the Scriptures so that we can appropriate the blessing.

My father escaped slavery from Muslims in Eastern Europe in the early 1900s.  He escaped and worked his way across Europe to England, where he stowed away on the Titanic in 1912.  Just before the ship left port, the security police found my dad way down in the lowest part of the ship, and escorted him off.  He then found employment and paid for a passage to the USA. I was “in” my father as a sperm. Had he died I would have also died on the Titanic.

The Word of God is the spiritual sperm or seed.

1 Peter 1:23-25 Amplified Bible says,

You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin ( seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.

For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off,

But the Word of the Lord ( divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.

Mary received the spiritual sperm of the Word for the birth of Jesus.  But like all of us, when we are offered the seed, the sperm, of the Word, we must like Mary receive it and welcome it.  Otherwise it will not take root and bear the intended fruit.

Luke 1:35, 37-38 says,

“35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

We had to die before we could be born again.

When we were reborn or regenerated we inherited a new Father.  We changed our race.

W.E. Vine Bible Dictionary defines the Greek word (one of the two definitions) “Father” as “Pater,” from a root signifying a nourisher, protector, upholder, the nearest ancestor, the progenitor of the race of people; the originator of a family or company of persons animated by the same spirit as himself.  Regeneration is from two words:  “palin” means again, and “genesis” means birth.  Palingenis or regeneration is actually changing who your Father is.

We needed a new progenitor.  We needed an originator of a family or company of persons animated by the same spirit as himself.  When I saw that explanation in the W.E. Vine Bible Dictionary, I got excited.  If God becomes our Pater, then through the insertion of His Spirit into our body His Spirit animates us.  That changes our race, our inheritance, our lot in life, what we have coming, our very nature.  The world thought it was amazing when in the 1960s, in South Africa, a man actually received a heart transplant.  What would they have thought if they had known of a LIFE TRANSPLANT?

So how does this happen?

God set up creation so that life is in the blood.

Leviticus 17:11 says,

“11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’”

What about the time factor? We were not there 2000 years ago when Jesus shed His blood.

One very important factor to always keep in mind when pondering the things of God is that He lives in eternity.  Eternity is not a long time it transcends time.  God has multiple time dimensions.  We have only one time dimension.  God has multiple space dimensions and we have only three.  God is in the past, present and future all at the same time.  Therefore, it does not matter what time you live in, the eternal Spirit of God takes you back to that day when Jesus was tortured to death on the Cross of Calvary.

One Scripture that illustrates this is Hebrews 9:14 which says,

“14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Our files are in Heaven.

Hebrews 12:23 Amplified Bible says,

“23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,”

Psalms 87:4-7 says,

“4 “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’”

5 And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”

6 The LORD will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah

7 Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.””

If my new birth certificate is a public record in the files of Heaven, the so must be my death certificate show that I have died with Christ.

That is about as close as I can come to an example of dying in someone before you were born.  Like we were all in Adam, the Bible says that Jesus is the Last Adam.

If you think about it from a physical and spiritual sense, the Holy Spirit will make it real to you as He has to me.

Reckon yourselves dead.  What are the blessings?

Romans 6:11 says,

“11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1. Dead to the old you, the person who has been abused and rejected by others.

Multitudes of people have been abused and rejected.  Abuse and rejection of any kind causes deep inner wounds in our soul that can only be healed by Jesus and forgiveness.  Jesus made it possible for you to be healed by Himself being rejected and bearing that for you.  Your new “you” is free from the pain of abuse and rejection if you allow Jesus to heal you.

2. Dead to the old you, the person who continually sins and cannot stop.

I remember back in the 1980s hearing an old preacher say that he did not have to sin any longer because he had been crucified and has died with Christ.  I said, “I want that.”  That Lord showed me that it was not enough to believe with my mind, but that truth had to go down into my heart.  I needed to make the decision to believe the Word with my mind, and as I did, it went into my heart.

3.   Dead to your old self-centered ways.

Your primary purposed for staying here on earth after you were born again is to bring in the Kingdom of God and God’s will.  “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,”

4.   Dead to the power of evil.

If you have been crucified with Christ and Christ now lives in you, what power does evil have over you?  No matter what comes your way from satanic forces, it is illegal and you have the right to reconcile it into something that is a blessing, and to destroy the spiritual attacker.

As I was writing this chapter/lesson the Lord spoke to me very clearly as I awoke in the middle of the night. He said, “You are correct in expressing the fact that My people have been crucified with Me, but you are missing the thought that will give them real comfort and power.  That is the idea in the second part of Galatians 2:20 which says,

‘but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.’”

Immediately I felt and knew a peace and comfort that transcended human logic.  I knew I had to share this with you, the reader.

5. The real power starts with resurrection, but is complete in the ascension..

Knowing and reckoning that you have been crucified with Christ is great, but the real peace and power to live a God-pleasing victorious life is in the fact that Christ now lives in you.  This has to do with resurrection and its power.  Not only does the resurrected Christ live in you, but the ascended One lives in you.  You are seated with Him in Heavenly places, Ephesians 2:6.  Ascension gave Him and now you power over spiritual enemies

If you are trying your best to live a God-pleasing life, then Satan will make sure that you are constantly under attack.  Spiritual warfare is real.  Satanic forces have been around for thousands of years and are very skilled at bringing God’s people down with  negative thoughts and circumstances.  The schemes of the devil are real as documented in Ephesians chapter 6:11 Amplified Bible,

“11 Put on Gods whole armor [the armor of a heavy- armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.”

Philippians chapter 1:28-30 and 2:5-11 - Amplified Bible,  gives us great truths about this idea

1;28 And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.

29 For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.

30 So you are engaged in the same conflict which you saw me [wage] and which you now hear to be mine [still].

“2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

KEY # 4 from Chapter 4.  Notice that it is only by faith that we can live a life that is crucified, resurrected and ascended.  If we don’t maintain our faith, we will not realize the benefits  of having been crucified with Christ and of Christ in us.  How do we obtain faith?  Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing God speak.  Now I urge you to go back and review chapters one and two to refresh your memory on how to continually hear God speak.  It’s all about totally abandoning your life to the living God.

If you have been crucified with Christ and resurrected with Him then you may begin to see changes take place in your life by His power.

Chapter 5 The King’s Table

5

2 Samuel chapter 9 records a very interesting story of King David rescuing Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth according to the commitment of a blood covenant.  This story demonstrates some very important truths of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Mephibosheth was living in Lo Debar, which means a place of no bread.  Jesus is the Bread of Life.  The Word is our bread.  Lo Debar to us is the place of no Word.  In the story, Mephibosheth lived in Lo Debar.  He was withering away because he had no Word, even in view of the fact that he was the lawful recipient of a blood covenant with a king.

Who was Mephibosheth?

It all started with the tremendous godly love between David and Jonathan.  Jonathan was King Saul’s son.  Saul was jealous of David who had been anointed king.  Saul was trying to kill David.  In spite of this tension, David and Jonathan had a strong respect and a deep love for one another.  I don’t think that we can even compare it to something in our lives today, because they had a different culture then.

Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father, had made a covenant with David.

1 Samuel 18:1-4 (KJV) says,

1 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

2 And Saul took him [David] that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”

Most people do not understand the truths about covenants, especially blood covenants.

It is the strongest relationship that exists and it carries the most responsibility!  Also, most people do not relate the blood covenant to the Word of God and to our relationship with God.

David blessed Mephibosheth out of covenant love.

The word for covenant love is checed. Checed, a Hebrew word, means covenant love.  In Greek the same word for covenant love is agape.  The Old Testament gives checed a very weak translation, usually calling it loving kindness or mercy.  It can only be described in terms of a blood covenant.

Psalm 23:6 says,

6 “Surely goodness and mercy [checed] shall follow me all the days of my life…”

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1).

That was the cry of David, but it is also the cry of Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4 (Amplified Bible) says,

“4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

David was an example of the heart of God showing that He has an ache to bless His covenant people.  David was a callused warrior, but he cried out to bless his blood covenant family.

The following is some historic background about the war between the Philistines and the divided kingdoms, Israel and Judah.

There was intense war between Israel and the Philistines during the time recorded in 1st and 2nd Samuel.  Also during that time Saul was continually trying to kill David out of jealousy.  Even though David had been anointed king, he respected Saul’s present position as king and submitted to him.  David passed up several chances to kill Saul out of respect for Saul’s position.  Perhaps he had respect not only for the office of king, but for the covenant he had cut with Saul’s son Jonathan.

In 2 Samuel 1:1, David learned about the death of Saul and Jonathan during the war.  Saul had seen his defeat with the Philistines, so he asked an Amalekite to kill him.

After the death of Saul and Jonathan, David was anointed king over Judah, but Saul’s family anointed Ishbosheth king over Israel.  Abner was the commander of Saul’s army.  He anointed Ishbosheth (his name means, to boast or act proudly) king because he was Saul’s 40 year old son.

The kingdom was divided, and Israel and Judah went to war with one another.  Joab was David’s general, and Abner was the general for Israel.  They had bitter battles in 2 Samuel chapters 2-3.  I believe that this war was a continuation of Saul’s hatred, and his family’s hatred for David.

Joab, David’s general, ended up killing Abner, but only after Abner came to David to try to make peace.  David not only felt bad about Saul and Jonathan dying, but also about Abner.  How could David have such a love and respect for the people who were trying to kill him?  Ishbosheth was murdered (2 Samuel 4).  David was made king over both kingdoms.

It is with this bloody background that fear hit the house where Mephibosheth was living and the nurse dropped him and made him crippled for life.

Fear of David caused the accident.  But David had no intention of hurting them.  David actually mourned for Abner, and Saul (2 Samuel 3:33).  This was the heart of checed, covenant love.

Even after this horrible background, King David cried out to bless someone in Saul's household.

Can you imagine after all of the abuse David received from the house of Saul, that he now is aching to bless one of Saul’s descendants?  Notice in this Scripture that is aching to bless was for Jonathan’s sake!

2 Samuel 9:1-13 (NIV) says,

1 “David asked, ‘Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?’ ‘Your servant,’ he replied.

3 The king asked, ‘Is there no-one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?’ Ziba answered the king, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.’

4 ‘Where is he?’ the king asked. Ziba answered, ‘He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.’

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honour. David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’ ‘Your servant,’ he replied.

[Makir means salesman, a merchandiser, as if to sell a daughter into a marriage of slavery.  Ammiel means a clan of the people of God.  Put them together and we see that we can be people of God who are sold into the slavery.  This is Lo Debar, the place of no supplies, no bread of God, a place where our own self sufficiency has made us slaves to Satan even though we are children of God.]

7 “‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?’

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, ‘I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.’ (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Then Ziba said to the king, ‘Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.’ So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king’s sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.

13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.”

Mephibosheth’s disability is a picture of our spiritual disability.

His name means a dispeller of confusion and shame; one that scatters and breaks into pieces.  Apparently God was using this name to indicate that when one finally gets to Jerusalem and understands that he has a blood covenant with the King, all the shame of the past is dispelled and broken into small pieces and cast out forever.   Shame is a killer because it lies against who God made you to be.  Shame attacks your very being and says that you will never be worthy or any good.  You may have done some terrible things, which brings guilt, but God is not casting shame on you.  He says to you that you are His, that you are righteous and His son/daughter.

Remember, Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s son, the grandson of Saul, who had tried to kill David.  He had been living beneath his rights.  He had a covenant with the king and did not know it.  He was living in Lo Debar, which means a place of no bread.  He was actually living in fear of David, the king of Judah and Israel.  His maid dropped him when he was young as the family was fleeing.  They thought that they were fleeing the wrath of David.  However they were mistaken.

One day, the covenant love hit David so hard he could not stand it.

He just had to bless someone.  So he called to find out who was a survivor of Saul’s household, the father of Jonathan, with whom he had a covenant.

He sent for Mephibosheth to tell him of his love. Jesus is sending for us to tell us of His love, and He is sending us to tell others of His love for them.  I can only imagine the entourage that the king must have sent for Mephibosheth.  I can only imagine what fear Mephibosheth must have felt when he saw all of the army and weaponry of Israel at his front door.

David made sure that Mephibosheth was served the rest of his life by Ziba and his family.  They ran the farm for Mephibosheth.  David already had possession of Saul’s wealth; the rest of Saul’s family had pretty much melted into the desert.  David could have kept this wealth, but he chose to exercise his covenant love, his checed.

David exercised all of his kingly authority for this covenant, and Mephibosheth ate at David's table the rest of his life.

Did Mephibosheth deserve this?  Why do we need a blood covenant with a king?

Since the beginning of creation, man was the subject of blood covenants.  Adam had a covenant with God that he broke.  Many primitive cultures still believe that blood covenant brothers are closer relatives than those born of the same mother.  A blood covenant intermingles the life of both partners and creates a new common life.

The King’s Table

7 “‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’

What do we eat at our King’s Table?

1. First we are fed by being in the presence of the Creator of all things, the Eternal I AM, the God who was never created, who always was!

Our greatest reward is to be in close intimate fellowship with the King, a deep often quiet communion with the One who loves us more than we can imagine.  The longing for this is inherited by us from the King Himself who longs just to be with us, quietly enjoying one another. Mephibosheth had not been seeking the King, but the King sought him.

When we experience this our needs for deliverance and material supplies take second place and pale in comparison with the rewards of knowing that we are no longer subjects of the King, but his children.  We sense His deep love for us, and His seeking for us for His own enjoyment.

2. Then we are fed the Word of God planted in a human heart as a seed.

I believe that there are many believers who have an intimate relationship with Jesus and who bear the type of fruit I will describe, without even knowing how or why they did.  However, it is my opinion and experience that knowing the inner workings of how Jesus works in and through us via the fruit bearing process as I will describe in Mark chapter 4, will answer many questions that we may have in our lives when we face challenges and even sufferings.

The Word of God is the Bread of Life. If we don’t allow the Word to be planted in our hearts as a seed we are living in Lo Debar, and we are trying to make life work in our own power and operating in the Kingdom of this World system instead of the Kingdom of God.

God is our God of the impossible. His Word planted as a seed in our heart will do super abundantly more that we can imagine, Ephesians 3:20.  He is only asking you to be a part of His miracle working power to touch this world for him and to overcome His enemies.  When you allow Him to do that through you, it is like an employer paying his employees.  He will take care of your temporal needs!

Jesus connected the Word with His covenant love.

John 6:50-51 says,

50 “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

John 6:63 says,

63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

In verse 6:63, He said that His Word is His flesh and blood, the transmitter of the covenant.  Jesus made it clear that the Word was the main issue.  Words are the only medium that transfers life between the spirit and natural realm.

Jesus told the poor people in this chapter that they needed a cure for their curse of poverty.  They needed to eat His flesh and drink His blood.  Then He made the transition to the spiritual.  He said the flesh profits nothing, but His Words are spirit and they are life.  Read the story in John 6.

Jesus is aching to bless you and me with His covenant love.  His primary method of transferring His life, His blood, His blessings, is through His Word.  He does not just dispense blessings like in a cafeteria line; today I need funds, next week I need healing, etc.  No.  He dispenses Himself, His very life; that is the blessing!  He does that through His Word anointed by the Holy Spirit.  He reserves His blessings for the simple, the childlike, the desperate (like Mephibosheth), and hides them from the proud and religious intellectual people.

God delivers everything we need to make it in this life and everything we need to develop godly character by giving us His seed promises in the Word.  Then we stand on that Word until its own power does the work.  That is blood covenant!  That is His power and not ours!  That is grace!

2 Peter 1:3-4 says,

3 “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

How does feeding you the Word of God feed you in the natural realm?  It will supply all of your needs.

Matthew 4:4

“4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’””

Your needs are not the main issue however.

It is possible for some, not me, to get their needs supplied by operating in the flesh and the world system.  But operating that way will block God’s Kingdom coming through you for the benefit of others.

From Thorns to Fruit!

Adam had the privilege of living by fruit by the Word of God.  When he departed from living by the Word from God, he was told by God that there would be no more fruit but instead he would work by the sweat of his brow and he would be under the curse of thorns. Jesus wore those thorns for us at the Cross.  Think about the miraculous power of agriculture.  Look at a huge house and just think that all that wood started with little seeds!  You cannot operate your life that way, only God can do such miraculous things!

Isaiah 55:9-11 says,

“9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Listen closely!  This is a mystery that Jesus unveiled for us.

Mark 4:11 says,

11 “And He said to them, ‘To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables.’”

Notice, He said the mystery, not a mystery.

Here is how you can move from Lo Debar to Jerusalem.

This parable in Mark chapter 4:1-20 is one of the most important passages in Scripture.   It shows us how the Word of God transfers covenant benefits to us.

Key # 5 From Chapter 5.  The King’s Table for us is sitting down with Jesus and the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to feed us the Bread of Life which is the Word of God.  In receiving the Word we are allowing the living seed to enter into our hearts which will bear all the types of fruit that both you and God desires. First, that you and God have intimate love and  fellowship. Then, that your needs are met, His Kingdom is established and He is glorified.  Mephibosheth is a type of our desperate condition.  Jesus comes to us with His Blood Covenant in our desperation and brings us to His Table.

Chapter 6 The Power of The Cross in Sufferings

The blood of the Cross represents a blood covenant by which Jesus took all the evil that could ever befall you and turned it into a resurrected blessing that defeats the perpetrator of the evil!  That is what happened at the Cross, and now it is available to you.  How is that possible?  It is because Satan crucified an innocent man, Jesus, a man without sin, and that was illegal. “What about me?” you may say.  Good question, all have sinned, however if you are a follower of Jesus, you are justified by faith as if you had never sinned.  Attacks against you, if you walk in repentance, are illegal.  Look at the experiences of Job, Abraham, the three men in the fire from the Book of Daniel, and so many more biblical characters and circumstances.

The Lord’s voice shot through me like a bolt of lightning as I was preparing to write this chapter and I heard,

“Nothing!  Nothing is too bad that it cannot be reconciled.”

Could anything be worse than dying and going to Hell for eternity?  Jesus resolved that problem with the power of the Cross.  So what is there in your life that is worse than dying and going to Hell?

Colossians 1:20 says that all things, not just people, have been reconciled.

“20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

The word reconcile means to make a friend from a former enemy.

Reconcile is a powerful word.

Strong’s Concordance calls it “to bring back a former state of harmony.”  It is defined as “to repair, to put back into working order, making peace between two opposing views or groups.”  Vine’s Bible Dictionary [8] defines it as “to change from enmity to friendship.”  The Cross of Jesus Christ takes all of our “enemies,” whether they be people, demons, circumstances, sickness, poverty, everything, and changes them into a blessing.

One of the most important facts about the Cross is that all things have been reconciled by it  If believers would hear and then focus on this truth, they would live much more peaceful lives and would be much more productive in establishing the Kingdom of God on this earth.  The Cross has more power in our present life than we often realize.

I believe that much of the problem lies in some traditional teachings about dispensations of the Gospel and in how people feel that the end of times for this world will take place.  Sometimes when I teach about these things people will really feel the truth and jump for joy.  Other times they actually refuse to listen thinking that it is heresy.

Some of the objections have to do with the teachings about suffering in this life.  Some feel that God dispenses suffering, and others feel that if you are suffering it is because of the formula that you must have sin in your life otherwise all would be well.  Both ideas miss the truth.

Others are stuck in the doctrines of miracles, that if we just have enough faith that God will always intervene with the solution of a miracle, immediately.  I certainly believe in miracles, but often God does not solve all of our problems with instant miracles.  His higher purpose for us and His Kingdom is that we might go through the overcoming process.

I am not denying some level of truth in each of these doctrines.  God will intervene with miracles, He will allow certain sufferings to come into our lives (although He is not the dispenser of them), and certain sins that we hang onto will indeed paste the suffering circumstances to us.

However, there is a greater truth than all of these, and the Apostle Paul not only wrote about it, he lived and experienced it, and so have my wife and I.

Will everything always work out to your expectations?

Maybe yes, maybe no, but probably not all will turn out as you hoped.  However, if you endure with patience the good fight of faith in believing Colossians 1:20, I feel certain that when you reach eternity and you are with Jesus, that you will see how everything that you suffered and submitted to Colossians 1:20 will have worked out more fruit than you could have possibly expected.  I feel that has to be the truth because the Word is truth!  So even if you don’t experience relief from all your troubles while you are here on earth, just know that your troubles can still be reconciled into a blessing, one that you may not see until after your passing, but that will exceed all expectations in building the Kingdom of God.  However in the meantime we should wait expectantly for the Lord to work as in James 5:7 (NIB) which says:

“7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lords return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.”

This is our ministry here on earth, to take all the sufferings and trials of our lives, dip them into the blood and Cross of Jesus Christ, and turn them into friends.  I can tell you by the Word of God and by my own experience, that this is true.  It works, if you are passionate and radical!  If you live your life this way Jesus will be pleased.  Continue to stay focused on Him through the Word and the Holy Spirit and His peace will comfort you through any trial!

How can it be that all things still need to be reconciled?

Jesus absorbed all the evil into Himself.  Nothing was left out!  Satan’s best blow was leveled against the Adamic race when he crucified Jesus.  However, Jesus' Father was not of the Adamic race.  Also, Jesus did not sin while He was on earth.  Therefore Satan killed him illegally.  That is why death could not hold Jesus.  Death was actually destroyed, death died!  Evil was absorbed into good.

Satan is the embodiment of all evil.  His pleasure is our harm.  He hates Jesus and wants to take all people into Hell itself just because they are made in God’s image.  However, all of Satan’s evil pierced Jesus, nothing was left out!  Therefore we have no evil due us, unless we do not believe.  If Satan is destroyed, evil is destroyed.

Romans 6:8-9 says,

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him."

God “destroyed” the devil at the Cross.

Hebrews 2:14-15 says,

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

These verses say that Satan was “destroyed.”  What does that actually mean?  He seems to be running around doing a job of destroying others.  It does not mean to annihilate.  Satan is still operating, he has not been annihilated.

The word destroy is defined in Strong’s Concordance as:

1) to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative;

1a) to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency;

be) to deprive of force, influence, power.

When Jesus, and you and I, were raised from the dead, we were born again as new race that is no longer subject to Satan.  He has no more dominion over us.  We have dominion over him.  Satan used his ultimate power on Jesus at the Cross, and Jesus was resurrected after that.  Satan has no more power to exert.  He is out of tools and weapons except to deceive with lies and hostile circumstances.

He can still destroy an unbeliever, and he can deceive a believer, but if we know the truth, he cannot harm us any longer.  As far as we are concerned, he is destroyed.  If we stand on the truth, all Satan can do is lie to us.  Satan has no power over the new creation; that includes you and me!  However, we often still experience evil and hostile circumstances in spite of the truth that Satan has been defeated.  Why?  Because Jesus left us with the authority, power and task to reconcile all things in our realm of influence here on earth.  The power of God working in us and through us will turn every evil circumstance into a blessing if we live as overcomers.

Colossians 1:13 says,

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”

Let us keep in mind that our spiritual enemies were defeated because of their own actions of attack against the righteous Son of God, Jesus.  Had they known the result of that attack; the Bible tells us that they would have never done that (1 Corinthians 2:8).  It is the same with us.  They attack us through curses, through sin, through many other avenues, but they are gambling that we either do not understand that their attack will ultimately destroy them, or that the pain they put on us will be so intense that we will give up, lose our patience, and let them have their way.

The Cross is our example.

Satan was “destroyed” at the Cross and resurrection of Jesus because he killed an innocent man, a man without sin.  It was an illegal act on Satan’s part.  Satan was ambushed!  Now it is the same with our lives.  While Jesus did indeed “destroy” Satan, that victory and the defeat of our spiritual enemies can only be completed through us on this earth because the dominion of earth was given to man.  Reference Psalm 8:6 and Genesis 1:26.

The footstool.

It is written that the Lord wants to complete this warfare of destroying the evil spiritual forces by His working in and through us with His resurrection power, until His enemies are made His footstool.

Hebrews 10:11-13 says,

“11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.”

Colossians 1:24 says,

“24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,”

I believe that when Paul spoke about the afflictions that are lacking that he referred to the afflictions that we endure in the distribution of Christ's victory through His completed afflictions. Paul made this clear, in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4 that blinders come off the eyes of unbelievers when we overcome.

Luke 11:22 says that when we overcome an evil spirit not only do we overcome him or destroy him, but we also take his spoil, or his other goods that he had been holding.  What are those other goods?  The souls of men is the most important, among others.  See Revelation 18:1`3 about Mystery Babylon.

We need to know that whatever evil comes, it is reconciled by His blood.

All evil has the potential of becoming our friend through the Cross and blood of Jesus.  When we believe this, and stand on it with endurance and perseverance, the spiritual enemy that perpetrated the evil is destroyed.  As the spiritual enemies are destroyed, the souls of men are redeemed and the Kingdom of God progresses here on earth.  After the Gospel has been preached to all “nations” then the coming of the Kingdom will manifest itself in an apocalyptic manifestation that probably none of us can imagine.

God’s Courtroom.

Sometimes when I am going through a difficult time, the Lord reminds me of a story He spoke to me out of Daniel Chapter 7.

Daniel (in chapter 7) was living as a captive in Babylon. He had been through the lions den, he saw his buddies go through the fiery furnace. He was witnessing some of the most powerful kings and kingdoms that the world will ever see.

All of the sudden WHAM! He had a dream and he wrote it down. He saw a courtroom and a trial taking place. This is a picture of you and me in our "trials." I believe that what we call "trials" are really courtroom proceedings in the heavenlies.

Have you ever been to a trial? Or have you ever been in a trial? Have you ever experienced a trial in life? Check out this courtroom!

The prosecutor, Satan, accuses you. The evidence comes in. It does not look good. He begins to wear you out. You check out his record and discover that he has worn out many before he focused on you. You feel fear!

You hear the verdict in the lower court, "guilty." Perhaps you did not handle things just right and you do have some guilt. Maybe you were without guilt but the prosecutor was just skilled. Job has been in this courtroom and we have a first hand report on how it worked out for him. He appealed to the Supreme Court. You decide to try one more appeal, maybe, just maybe you can overcome the impending sentences and doom.

You walk into the Supreme Court and you glance over and see Satan at the prosecutor’s bench. He is staring at you with evil so thick that you can feel it in your bones. You see his intelligence and his stacks of papers of evidence. He is smiling at you.

All of the sudden, a voice sweeps the room and says, "All rise for the Judge."

Daniel 7:9-10 says, "I kept looking until thrones were placed, for the assessors with the Judge, and the Ancient of Days, God the eternal Father, took His seat, Whose garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire came forth from before Him; a thousand thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand (one hundred million) (some courtroom) rose up and stood before Him: the Judge was seated, the court was in session, and the books were opened."

A BEING enters the Courtroom!

Just before you are getting ready to cave in, just before you feel that you cannot stand any longer, just when you have given up all hope in your fleshly resources for making a defense you decide to enter into praise. You are praising the Lord for his character, His reputation, His reliability and His faithfulness (this is called "The New Song"). Just then the Son of God steps into the courtroom!

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence" (Daniel 7:13).

Imagine with me now that something like this takes place. Jesus comes over to you, puts His arm around your back and says, "My friend, leave this one to Me." Jesus comes before the Ancient of Days, the Father. He asks Him to look out the window. The Ancient of Days commands the window to be thrown open. He has a bittersweet look as His head turns and He sees outside the city. He sees Golgotha. Behold, He sees a Lamb slain on a Cross. He turns to you and to me and He says,

"NOT GUILTY!

SLAY THE BEAST!"

"Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)" (Daniel 7:11,12).

"And there was given Him the Messiah, dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations (tribes of gentiles), and languages should serve Him. His dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14). Daniel 7:26-27 says that the saints prevail and take away the dominion of Satan.

It would be beneficial to read Daniel 7:7-28 for the entire story.

This is a case where the prosecutor, Satan, gets a big surprise. He was prosecuting you in court, and he lost his possessions. Jesus actually gained all the World’s kingdoms at the Cross, but when we enter into this courtroom, and go through the trials of life is when we actually take possession of them in reality for His Kingdom. Our trials are like a mission trip for the Lord.

I told this story to a friend of mine from Ghana Africa, the country of his birth.

When he heard this story, he exclaimed, "Amahe, jo, amahe." There is no direct English translation. The closest translation is, "This is too much for my soul, I am overwhelmed, I am beside myself."

Next time you find yourself in a “trial,” a suffering, know for sure that it is a trial, but the Judge is God the Father, your Advocate is Jesus and your accuser is Satan himself. Look behind the circumstances that always lie. Look to the Word, look and see what Daniel saw, and say "Amahe, jo, amahe."

Key # 6 From Chapter 6

The Cross and resurrection of Jesus caused an absolute destruction of evil, all the way to the ultimate evil which is death.  If we will take the time to renew our minds to this especially with Colossians 1;20, which I wrote about in this chapter, both our lives and the lives of our loved ones and/or those whom the Lord puts in our paths, will be dramatically changed.  At the same time, The Kingdom of God will be advanced through our faith and standing.  Also remember, that even if we do not see the actual conversion of the evil during our lifetime, if we stand, the results will happen even after we are in Heaven with Jesus.

Chapter 7 The Blood of God  Freedom from slavery

We were born to be slaves.   You WILL be a slave to someone or something.  You choose.

Romans 6:16-18 says,

“16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Types of slavery.

Adam became a slave to the flesh nature, a form of idol.

We can become slaves to the Adamic nature, the flesh, or hand made idols and different religions. If it’s flesh, then we have to provide for our needs with “thorns” instead of fruit.

A Slave to  humans.

A slave would be set free in the seventh year in the Old Testament ,but he could  ask the master to put a ring in his ear and he and his family would serve him with love and respect for the rest of his life.

Exodus 21:5-6 says,

But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

A slave to addictions.

These are usually caused by inner wounds.  Jesus’ work on the Cross provided healing for those inner wounds.

I will not go into detail in this chapter on the various types of slavery, but following is an outline of a few of the most common ones.

Widows and Orphans,

Continual lack of finances.

Being unloved.

Mammon – trusting in the world, other people, or anything else for your material needs, rather than God.

Victim of abuse –

Self-righteousness

Unforgiveness

Other enemies are guilt, moral sins, sexual sin, bitterness, gossip, anger, compromising integrity and truth, and the list goes on.

Addictions

Many are trapped in generational curses.

Witchcraft or the control of others.

Guilt and shame from your past.

However, I believe that one of the most widespread issues is rejection.

You are a slave. You choose to whom or to what.

Remember, a good slave will produce a profit for his master. Jesus' profit is expanding the Kingdom of God.  A shepherd keeps sheep for his own profit,   A good shepherd loves his sheep and provides for their needs and protection.

A new kind of slavery to Jesus.

If you present yourself a bond-servant of “slave” to Jesus you can expect a totally different type of experience.

Let us go to a typical slave auction.

The potential slave is placed on an auction block.  The bidding begins.  “I bid 5 denarius.”  “I bid 10 denarius.”  “20.”  “50.”  Suddenly a strong voice from the back of the crowd cries out, “I bid the Blood of God.”  Silence prevails.  Jesus walks up to the slave block and takes the man bound with chains.  Then He sets him free.  The slave looks at Jesus and says, “Master, pierce my ear and I will serve you forever.”

1 Corinthians 7:22 says,

“22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called  while free is Christ’s slave.”

Now we are “friends.”

John 15:15 says,

No longer do I call you servants [slaves], for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

John 3:29 says,

“29 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.”

Strong’s definition of Friend.

Friend of the bridegroom's friends who on his behalf asked the hand of the bride and rendered him various services in closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials

According to Jesus’ definition of Friend in John 15:15, we are His bondservants to “fetch” the Bride of Christ.

There are many ways for us to “fetch the bride to Jesus,” or in other words to expand the Kingdom of God and its participants.  As we become intimately familiar with Jesus, He will make our thoughts to be His thoughts.  He will bring opportunities that you could not have created to you.

Still feel bound up in sufferings?

My wife has a precious friend who has been fighting the worst type of cancer.  She is a strong believer and stands for her healing.  In the meantime she is suffering from chemotherapy and the manifestations of the cancer.  But she is still bringing the Bride home.  Every time she goes for treatment there are dozens of other cancer patients that she ministers to, leading some to the Lord.

The story of Abraham sending out his “friend servant” to get a bride for Isaac.

Look at Genesis 24.  Abraham (representing the Father) sends his servant (representing the Holy Spirit – embodied in you and me) to seek out a bride for his son Isaac (representing Jesus).

Genesis 24:4 says, “But you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

You should read the entire account in Genesis 24 (at the end of this paragraph).  The servant finds Rebekah, the one who waters his camels and gives him water when he arrives at his destination.  This happens “before he had finished speaking” (vs. 24:15).  He was giving God a “fleece,” and before he could get the words out of his mouth, Rebekah showed up and fulfilled the fleece.

We need to learn what kind of servant the Father sent after the Bride.

“So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, ‘Please, put your hand under my thigh’” (Genesis 24:2).

Notice, the Father did not just send out any servant, He sent out the one who was in charge of all he had.

Matthew 24 tells us about another servant who was put in charge of all the possessions.  Let’s see what we can learn from him.  Matthew 24:42-51 is the reference.

First, the servant was ready for his Lord to return.  This not only means that we should be ready for Jesus to return to earth someday, but also for Him to “return” now, during this life, to check out how we are being faithful with what we have been entrusted.

The servant was faithful.  Being faithful in the small things in life is important to God.  God is interested in how we handle the daily affairs in our lives.  God never gives us more until we handle the little that we already have with faithfulness.  We need to be faithful in the practical things and in spiritual things.

The servant was also a giver.  He was taking care of others.  Matthew 24:46 says, “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”

The servant was not treating other people poorly.

The servant was not living like the unbelievers.

The servant was wise.  Obviously, this is not referring to the wisdom of the world, but to Godly wisdom.  1 Corinthians 2:6-8 says, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Wisdom, as defined in the Proverbs, is Jesus speaking His personal message to you.

If you analyze the word Wisdom in the Proverbs it means being intimate with Him.

Proverbs 4:5-9 says,

“Get wisdom!  Get understanding!  Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.  Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.  Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding.  Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.  She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

When you know for sure that the “world system” and your own efforts offer no hope, then you are a candidate for wisdom.  If you fall into this category, lift up your head with hope, because you are a candidate for the supernatural intervention of God!

Now we need to learn how the Father treated His servant, and how we can expect God to treat us.

I see the Father allowing this servant to bear fruit in three ways.

1.      The fruit of the Spirit.  This servant developed godly character.

2.      The fruit of having all his needs met.  Notice in Genesis 24:10 that the Father gave the servant all he needed for the journey, not only 10 camels, but all the goods he needed.

3.      The fruit of ministry.  This servant participated in pleasing the Father and the Son by bringing home the Bride.

Here is how God is glorified and at the same time all of our needs are cared for.  “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8).  God is glorified when you bear fruit because it is His power and His Word that causes fruit.  Fruit was the original method God had in mind for taking care of His people.  Fruit for our lives brings only what He can do, not what we can do with His help!

When we totally yielded to Jesus, He brings our lives into the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 16-17 tells us how to live in the Kingdom of God.

In verse 16:21 Jesus tells His disciples about His death and resurrection.  That is His Cross.

Then, in verses 16:24-26 Jesus says that we must take up our cross.  That is our cross.

Then, in verse 16:28 Jesus told His disciples that some would see the Kingdom even now before they tasted death.

In Matthew 17 Jesus was transfigured and seen in His future glory by His disciples.

After the disciples had some discussion about Elijah and Moses and about building a residence there to stay in the glory, they heard God speak from Heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him.”

When we see His Cross, and take up our cross, we will see Jesus and hear His Word, which will be planted in our heart as a powerful and living seed to produce Heaven on earth.  Glory to God!

Take Joshua as an example.

Joshua and Caleb had become close to God during their journey in the wilderness because they “hung out” around the Tabernacle after the meeting was over and the others went to their home tents.  However when Joshua “saw God” outside of Jericho, he reminded himself and the Lord that he was His slave.

Joshua 5:13-15 says,

“13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

15 Then the Commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.”

Scriptures

Genesis 24:1-12

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

Matthew 24:42-51

“42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

43 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

46 “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

47 “Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

48 “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’

49 “and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50 “the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

51 “and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

KEY # 7 From Chapter 7

Jesus’s all sufficient sacrifice on the Cross set us free from every form of slavery.  We were created to be a bond-servant (slave) to God, and if we do not make that choice, we will for sure be a slave to some evil master.  Give it all to Jesus, then you will not be in danger of having evil slave masters.

Chapter 8  Spiritual Warfare

As I wrote in a previous chapter, when you eat at the King’s Table (the table representing intimacy because of the blood covenant) you will be in spiritual warfare.

Psalms 23:5 says,

“5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”

I Peter 5:8 says

“Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”

What is spiritual warfare?

It is the war that has existed and still exists between Satan and God, and has filtered into the human race through Satan’s multitudes of demons and fallen angels.  Even though these are invisible beings, they are wicked and very violent, with very “sick” motives, and would like to kill and destroy.  They do not fight fair, and are worse than the fiercest jungle animals.  Their pleasure is our harm

I have written about the many benefits and blessings given to us by the Cross and resurrection of Jesus. However we have spiritual enemies that work full time to steal those benefits and blessings from us.  Why?  Because our blessings and benefits come in the form of fruit, and fruit eventually brings in the Kingdom of God, and destroys Satan’s kingdom.

When Abraham encountered the blood covenant ceremony with God, his only task was to keep away the enemy, which at that time were the birds of pray.

Genesis 15:7-12 says,

“7 Then He said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”

8 And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”

9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.

11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.”

I believe the main motives these wicked spiritual beings have are:

1.  Keeping unbelievers bound so that they never see the truth of Jesus and therefore spend eternity in Hell.

2.  Keeping some believers in bondage to selfish motives, to generational sins like addictions and strongholds, and keeping them from discovering the King’s Table, the place of intimacy with Jesus.

If you are like the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19 who trusted in his riches and possessions rather than in a relationship with Jesus, or like the three men in Luke 9:57-62, don't worry about warfare.  These three would not follow Jesus because of inconvenience, family inheritance, and strong family ties.

If you take up your cross and deny your selfish life and the lure of the world, then and only then, are you a threat to Satan.  Instead of warfare, the selfish life will simply keep you in bondage and of little threat to Satan.  If Satan can keep you in fear and condemnation and with an inaccurate view of God, he can have you in his hand.  You will be disabled in your fellowship with God and you certainly will not be able to be a fruit bearer.

3. The enemy constantly attacks those believers in Jesus who do sit at the King’s Table so that the seeds of the Word they receive will not bear fruit.  Satan is afraid of fruit because that is what destroys his kingdom.

4.  Often trials like finance, sickness, and relationship challenges are accompanied by spiritual warfare. The motive of the enemy is to bring discouragement and convince you to give up.  However the promise in Psalms 23 is victory.

Psalms 23:5 says,

“5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”

The anointing oil running over means that you are dispensing the Gospel to others.

How do the satanic beings bring attacks?

Ephesians 6:11-17 says,

“11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [schemes]  of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

Schemes.

Notice in verse 12 there are several levels of spiritual beings and notice in verse 11 that these beings have wiles [cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery] which or schemes that are very intelligent.  I am not going to go into every type of scheme that they can bring in, but they know what they are doing and know where you are vulnerable.  One does not have to be in-dwelt by a demon to be influenced by it.

Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God”. Put on conveys the idea of permanence, indicating that armor should be the Christians sustained, life-long attire. Paul uses the common armor worn by Roman soldiers as the analogy for the believers spiritual defense and affirms its necessity if one is to hold his position while under attack. Schemes. This Greek word carries the idea of cleverness, crafty methods, cunning, and deception. Satan’s schemes are propagated through the evil world system over which he rules, and are carried out by his demon hosts. Schemes is all- inclusive, encompassing every sin, immoral practice, false theology, false religion, and worldly enticement.

Strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says,

“3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

Strongholds are walls that are built around your thinking process, much like the ancient strongholds that protected the ancient cities.  These spiritual strongholds “protect” your mind from reacting in truth and godliness.  You react in a “knee jerk reaction” without even having time to think and evaluate what you are doing,  The net result is that they keep you from knowing God.  Some types of strongholds include anger, sexual perversions, criticism, and many others.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 tells us the warfare is in our mind.  It tells us that strongholds are our reasonings that holds captive our thoughts, and these thoughts keep us from the true knowledge of God.  There is much to be said here because our thoughts are the very core of our being.  We must set our thoughts free!  How?

When we were slaves to sin, we used the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is our reasoning.  Now we should be using the Tree of Life, which is the Word of God.  I no longer think and decide, but I use my mind for it’s God given purpose, and that is to listen and obey!  This alone will destroy the strongholds in our minds.  When we truly see the Glory of God as Paul did on the road to Damascus, we no longer reason, we simply say, “Lord, what do you desire for me to do?”  Take your negative thoughts captive by bringing them honestly to the Cross; giving them to Jesus as something you do not want.  This is powerful!

Demons constantly accuse us and bombard our minds with half-truths.  Isaiah 11 tells us that God replaces our natural intellect with that of the Holy Spirit: i.e., Spirit of the Lord, knowledge, counsel, wisdom, understanding, might and fear of the Lord.

Hyenas.

Often the spiritual enemies attack like hyenas.  Hyenas are not nearly as strong in a fight as a lion, but often they take down lions by attacking in groups.  But they don’t just attack.  They make little and constant advances towards the lion.  This wears down the lion little by little.  Finally when they feel that the lion has been worn down emotionally and physically, all twelve or thirteen of them jump the lion and kill it. Satan’s schemes includes wearing us down like the Hyenas do.

What do we need to do?

First, remember that Christ in you destroyed Satan at the Cross, and He lives in you. We need to get our mind renewed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (Romans 12:2).

Sometimes our intellect does not know how to pray.  Romans 8:26 says that we should use our prayer language to pray God’s perfect will.  Every time you use your prayer language, you are praying out God’s Word and God’s will.  Your speech center dominates the entire brain, so your mind is being renewed and smoothed out to tell your flesh to conform to God’s will.

Continually live in repentance. Warfare tries to get you to act in the flesh.

I believe that the major part of our spiritual warfare has to do with our character.

If the enemy can get us to act in an ungodly and fleshly way through the old nature that still lingers in our minds, then he can prevent the blessings from overtaking us.  Take a look at Ephesians 6:11-17 (above), the passage of Scripture having to do with warfare, and you will find that most of it is about our character.

Galatians 5:19-24 says,

“19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said,

“When Christ calls a man he calls us to come and die.”  [9]

Some have said, and I agree, “The cost of non- discipleship is greater.”

For the most part the warfare is in and for your mind and thinking.

Our thought life will ultimately control our entire life.

We will live that way we think, and if our thoughts are predominately from our old nature, then our behavior will be ungodly.  When our behavior is ungodly, then Satan has the advantage over us.  He has dominion of the flesh nature and behavior, but if we allow Christ in us to live out His life, Satan has no power over that type of life.

The Helmet of Salvation.

Our brain needs salvation from cleverness, from allowing our mind and intellect to take God’s place in our lives.  Without this, we will never walk in God’s perfect will for our lives (Romans 12:1-2).  More often than not, this is not something that we can or will voluntarily give up.  Usually it takes a “breaking,” a set of circumstances that take us beyond what our brain can negotiate and/or solve.  Only then can we quietly wait on God for Him to speak and be silent while He works out our lives.

Warfare principles.

Walk in love.

Faith works by love, and any ungodly conduct that prevails opens the door for demonic influence.

Speak the Word.  Either your specific promises and/or Scripture in general.

My wife and I have found it very profitable to read aloud five Psalms every day.  We choose those Psalms that match the date.  For instance, on the 5th of the month, we pray Psalms 5, 35, 65, 95, and 125, adding 30 to each Psalm.

The Psalms are warfare words.  Often they begin with a desperate need voiced by the writer, then a change from crying out to faith, speaking against the enemy of their day.  The enemies of the writers of the Psalms were, as they knew them, human forces.  When we read them we make the conversion from human to spiritual.

Bind and Loose.

Matthew 16:19, Amplified Bible, says,

“19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.”

God has given us the authority and capacity to bind, or to block and forbid, and to loose, or to command to come about, what He has already bound or loosed in Heaven.  Notice it says, what is already bound or loosed in Heaven.  This does not include our will, but God’s perfect will.  How do we know that?  Through our constant communication with Him.  Often when I don’t know for sure, I pray that way, but quote His Word on the subject.

Sit, walk and stand.

As Ephesians 2:6 says, we are seated with Him now.  We must know on a daily basis who Christ has made us to be; our identity.  Ephesians 4:1 says that now that we know who we are, we need to live or walk that way.  If and when we sin, we can be immediately cleansed.  And then Ephesians 6:13 says, we must stand during the warfare.

We must be under authority.

A very important aspect of our “walking” is that we must be respectful of our God given authorities, not simply God’s authority.  This will keep us safe during our walk and especially during our warfare.  I can speak from personal experience, and Scripture is full of this idea.

What is the value of our warfare?

Can all things still work together for good even in spiritual warfare?

Romans 8:28 Amplified says,

“28 We are assured and know that [ God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.”

Benefits of warfare

1. Humility  After warfare you have been through some suffering and you are not as apt to judge others.  You know that your weaknesses come out in warfare and that mercy is the primary thing we can look to.

2. Faith. Our faith increases with each battle.

3. Breaking.  Our flesh is “broken” and we become more dependent upon and closer to God. When we are tested is when we learn the most about our relationship with God, much like Abraham did when God tested him with taking Isaac’s life.

4. Cleansing.  Often our flesh nature is replaced by God’s nature.

5. Love God.  When we or God loves someone, the greatest reward is to be loved back.  We love God more when we know He has delivered us.  You have felt His mercy and now your are more apt to give it to others.

6. To “destroy” devils like Jesus destroyed Satan. Now He waits until we make His enemies His footstool, Hebrews 1:13 and 10:13, through our overcoming process.

7. We overcome and build God’s Kingdom

Revelation 12:11 says,

“11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

This is our ministry here on earth; to take all the enemies of our lives, dip them into the blood and Cross of Jesus Christ, and turn them into friends.  I can tell you by the Word of God and by my own experience that this is true.  It works if you stand.

Colossians 1:20 says,

“20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

Luke 11:21, 22 says,

“21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.

22 “But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.”

Colossians 2:14-15, ESV version, says,

“14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Can you enjoy life and still be in constant warfare? Yes!

1 Timothy 6:17 NIV says,

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Philippians 4:6, 7 says,

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Endurance is a major ingredient.

Hebrews 6:15 says,

15 “And so, after he [Abraham] had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

Why must I wait?  How am I able to wait and endure?

The word endurance in Greek is makrothumeo which means longsuffering, patience, to undergo heat or suffering for a long time.

Many people will be very disappointed at some future date if they do not take this enduring process seriously and with God’s mind.  I submit that there are two main reasons for this enduring process.  One has to do with you, the changing of you.  The other has to do with others and His Kingdom.  I believe fewer believers would give up during the enduring process if they would realize the responsibility, the heavy responsibility, that God has entrusted to them for eternal matters!

How can I wait long enough when my patience to inherit the promises of God seems to be lacking?  Longsuffering is a part of fruit, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), which means that Jesus inside of you has the patience needed.  That is grace, or a gift for which you did not work; a free gift.  You just need to be emptied, reach the end of yourself, and let Him take over.  He will!

The writer of Hebrews warns us that if we become sluggish, we may not inherit the promise that God has given us by faith.

Hebrews 6:11-20 says,

11 “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

14 saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.’

15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.

17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

The enemy really does not have a chance if you really understand the truth of the Cross!

Psalms 21:11-12

For they intended evil against You;

They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.

Therefore You will make them turn their back;

You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.

Psalms 140:8

Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

Do not further his wicked scheme,

Lest they be exalted.

Psalms 27:11

“Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].”

Psalms 92:7

“When the wicked spring up like grass,

And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,

It is that they may be destroyed forever.”

KEY # 8 From Chapter 8

Know for sure that Satan has a hoard of demons and other demonic beings that know who you are and are on assignment to destroy you, or to at least make you ineffective for God’s Kingdom.  Also know that the resurrected Christ who defeated Satan lives in you if you are a believer.  Exercise the recommended actions I have listed in this chapter to stand and keep the victory that Christ has already given to you.  Repent when your character is ungodly, speak the Word and keep patience and endurance for the sometimes long haul of overcoming.  By doing so you will bring God’s Kingdom into this world.

Keys To Experience His Cross

1Key # 1. Putting your truth on the Cross.  From Chapter 1.

When we express to Jesus how we really feel, what besetting sin or mindset is plaguing us, when unbelief, fear or depression will not let go of our minds, put those issues on the Cross by pouring out your heart to Jesus.  From there the Cross deals with your issues and cleanses you.  The Cross absorbed all we give to Him.

As 1 Corinthians 2:7 states we experience the Glory of His presence.  …”for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].”

When Jesus fed the 5,000 in John chapter 6, the disciples gave Him what they had, Jesus absorbed it, multiplied it and then gave it back to the disciples to use to feed others.  This Key not only comforts us, but what we have, even the “junk,” is used to feed others.

That happened to me this morning just a few hours before writing this Key.  I did not even verbalize my feelings of fear that came from certain things not going right in my life, but rather just spoke to Him “silently.”  When I opened my devotions they led me to the Word. He spoke, and the fear left.  It was the Glory of His presence.  I shared this with a pastor friend of mine and it fed him.

Be honest and He will speak. The Cross will absorb your flesh and sin, and His presence gives you the power, faith and peace to trust Him in the worst of circumstances.

Key # 2. Intimacy and the blood. From Chapter 2

Intimate words bring the blood covenant and the Cross.  The Cross and the blood covenant bring more revelation of intimate words.  It can be an endless cycle if we cooperate.  The real blessings of God only come through the chief blessing of intimacy.

Be diligent to give Jesus your words of praise and respect.  Be diligent to give Jesus your words of confession of sin and your flesh in action.  Be diligent to hear His Word all day long even if it is just meditating on one verse of Scripture and speaking it out.

Practice your skills of speaking and listening to God.  Remember that the level of your abandonment to God determines the level of revelation, the spoken rhema, you will hear.

KEY #3 From Chapter 3

We came into this world in an abnormal condition that is without having God living inside of us.  We also were also burdened with generational curses, and perhaps blessings as well.  The law of substitution powered by the Cross put those curses onto Jesus to bear for us.  We are free!

In a later chapter I will discuss what to think and how to respond when a curse seems to come on you even though Jesus bore them all.

KEY # 4 from Chapter 4.

Notice that it is only by faith that we can live a life that is crucified, resurrected and ascended.  If we don’t maintain our faith, we will not realize the benefits  of having been crucified with Christ and of Christ in us.  How do we obtain faith?  Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing God speak.  Now I urge you to go back and review chapters one and two to refresh your memory on how to continually hear God speak.  It’s all about totally abandoning your life to the living God.

If you have been crucified with Christ and resurrected with Him then you may begin to see changes take place in your life by His power.

Key # 5 From Chapter 5.

The King’s Table for us is sitting down with Jesus and the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to feed us the Bread of Life which is the Word of God.  In receiving the Word we are allowing the living seed to enter into our hearts which will bear all the types of fruit that both you and God desires. First, that you and God have intimate love and  fellowship. Then, that your needs are met, His Kingdom is established and He is glorified.  Mephibosheth is a type of our desperate condition.  Jesus comes to us with His Blood Covenant in our desperation and brings us to His Table.

Key # 6 From Chapter 6

The Cross and resurrection of Jesus caused an absolute destruction of evil, all the way to the ultimate evil which is death.  If we will take the time to renew our minds to this especially with Colossians 1;20, which I wrote about in this chapter, both our lives and the lives of our loved ones and/or those whom the Lord puts in our paths, will be dramatically changed.  At the same time, The Kingdom of God will be advanced through our faith and standing.  Also remember, that even if we do not see the actual conversion of the evil during our lifetime, if we stand, the results will happen even after we are in Heaven with Jesus.

KEY # 7 From Chapter 7

Jesus’s all sufficient sacrifice on the Cross set us free from every form of slavery.  We were created to be a bond-servant (slave) to God, and if we do not make that choice, we will for sure be a slave to some evil master.  Give it all to Jesus, then you will not be in danger of having evil slave masters.

KEY # 8 From Chapter 8

Know for sure that Satan has a hoard of demons and other demonic beings that know who you are and are on assignment to destroy you, or to at least make you ineffective for God’s Kingdom.  Also know that the resurrected Christ who defeated Satan lives in you if you are a believer.  Exercise the recommended actions I have listed in this chapter to stand and keep the victory that Christ has already given to you.  Repent when your character is ungodly, speak the Word and keep patience and endurance for the sometimes long haul of overcoming.  By doing so you will bring God’s Kingdom into this world. r 8

Notes

[←1]

[←2]

Excerpt From: Nee, Watchman. “The Song of Songs & Hymns.” Living Stream Ministry. iBooks.  This material may be protected by copyright.

[←3]

SHULAMITE  h7759. שׁוּלַמִּית šûlamiyṯ; from 7999; peaceful (with the article always prefixed, making it a pet name); the Shulammith, an epithet of Solomon's queen:— Shulamite. AV (2)- Shulamite 2; Shulamite ="the perfect" or "the peaceful"  the heroine lover of the Song of Songs ( of Solomon

[←4]

[←5]

[←6]

[←7]

[←8]

Vine, W.E.  Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.  Atlanta, GA: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996

[←9]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer   The Cost of  Discipleship  (NEW YORK: Simon and Schuster, 1995. 89

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Wisdom of The Cross

Chapter 2 Intimacy Through Blood

Chapter 3 Inheritance and Exchange

Chapter 4 You Were Crucified With Christ

Chapter 5 The King’s Table

Chapter 6 The Power of The Cross in Sufferings

Chapter 7 The Blood of God Freedom from slavery

Chapter 8 Spiritual Warfare

Keys To Experience His Cross

Notes