Category Archives: Fellowship
Paid
Gen. 22:8 “Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.” (NRSV, emphasis added)
Isaac was a type of Jesus and in today’s scripture reference, Abraham was speaking prophetically when he said, God will provide a lamb for Himself. And that was exactly what happened; even in the time of Abraham, God provided a lamb for Himself. In humanity’s case, it is not the blood of bulls and goats that can make a difference to our sin. It is the spotless Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, that makes a difference. Totally beautiful! Hesed begins to make a lot more sense; ‘when the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything.’ “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” When the person from whom I expect to receive nothing gives me everything!
Let us shift our emphasis to what the Lamb has come to do. John 1:29 “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (NRSV emphasis added). The word “Sin” in this scripture is singular, not plural. It is sin – past, present, and future lumped together, nailed to the cross. Unbelievable! It means that the sin ‘from Adam till rapture’ is nailed to the cross, lumped up in one sacrifice. If this does not get you excited, I do not know what else will. ‘What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’ In the Old Testament, the concept of ‘atonement’ is the concept of ‘Covering’. In the Old Testament, an atoning sacrifice refers to a sacrifice to cover the sin. But when Jesus came, He became the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, not the Lamb of God that covers the sin of the world. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
In the New Testament, atonement has the underlining foundation of propitiation. Jesus became the propitiation of our sin. Propitiation is a complex word, complex not in understanding but complex in meaning. Propitiation, on one hand, means to appease the wrath of someone that has been offended. And on the other hand, to restore in fellowship with the person that has been offended. Read the rest of this entry
Present Help II
John 16:13-14 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”
Jesus was real to the disciples; the Holy Spirit should be real to us. When the disciples encountered a stormy situation in Luke 8:22-25 [please read] and their boat was about to capsize, they ran to Jesus for help.That same way they depended on Jesus for deliverance and to still their storms when you have a storm, you should run to the Holy Spirit and say, “Spirit of the Living God, please help Your boy.” The disciples ran to Jesus, you run to the Holy Spirit. Read the rest of this entry
Advantage IV
2 Cor.1:22 “and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment that guarantees everything he has promised us.”
The first thing that you need to do to develop your relationship with the Holy Spirit is, you need to hunger for Him. You need to thirst for Him. If you are not thirsty, you cannot drink the water He is pouring out. You can taste the water, but you cannot really drink the water. Read the rest of this entry
Advantage II
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Yesterday, we looked at two benefits of walking with the Holy Spirit and they are: The Holy Spirit Teaches Us To Pray And Gives Us A Prayer Language and The Holy Spirit Comes Bearing Gifts. Read the rest of this entry
Open Up!
Acts 2:3-4 “Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”
The immediate evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is joy but the expression that comes out is, other tongues, speaking in other tongues. Must everybody speak in tongues? No! Some people remain at half a cup till they see Jesus and they are going to heaven. Read the rest of this entry
Our Advocate
John 14:16-18, & 20 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth… No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. …I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
When we look at what theologians have called the dispensation of divinity; there is a period that they categorize as the dispensation of Jehovah, of God the Father. That period is from creation till when Jesus came. Some people say that when Jesus came is the dispensation of the Son. Read the rest of this entry
In Us & With Us
John 16:7 “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”
The Amplified Bible Translation of today’s scripture reference reads, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. Read the rest of this entry
Reckless Love
2 Sam. 22:20 “He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.”
Heb.12:6-11 (GW) “The Lord disciplines everyone he loves. He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.” Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. Read the rest of this entry
His Love
Ps. 119:67-68 “I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees.” (emphasis added).
We [human parents] do not discipline. We do more than discipline, we punish. What is the difference? Remember my story from yesterday? That moment when I see my grandmother and immediately, I wish I was lost again. Read the rest of this entry
True Help
John 11:21 & 40 “Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”
Martha and Mary had this Jesus that they loved, but the question on their minds was, “Can He help us?” They knew Jesus wanted to help, but they were not sure if He could help. Their dilemma was they were not sure if Jesus could help. Read the rest of this entry
