The Body

The Body

We are the Body of Christ in the earth, the Body is made up of many parts and organs. Paul describes the body of Christ outwardly; the hands, feet, eyes, nose, and ears. What about the inward parts of the body? Here is how I see it.

Christ is the head, the brains, of the body. The blood is Jesus’ Blood. The Holy Spirit is the nervous system and internal organs. The Gospel is the heart, respiratory and circulatory system. Believers are the flesh and bones. Churches, fellowships and ministries are the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and appendages (arms, hands, joints etc).

The Word of GOD is our food and the Living Water comes from the Holy Spirit within.

Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 John 5:11-12; Leviticus 17:11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Romans 1:16; 12:4-5; Matthew 26:26-28; Colossians 2:18-19; Luke 4:4; John 4:13-14, 32-34; 6:32-35, 53-58; 7:37-39

Updated 4-3-17 12:48PM

Revelation 20

The First Death and Resurrection

Introduction

This morning while I was meditating on the names and personalities of GOD I started having an apologetic conversation in my head and started talking about eternity and the choices we make in this life and the eternal result of those choices.

As I was progressing in my thoughts I reflected on the 1000 year reign of Christ and the Church and those who reigned with Him living a thousand years; even though I have read Revelation many times in my 43 years as a Christian and during this past year of 2016 I read it several times; I thought, do the believers live for a thousand years?

So I opened my bible and read Chapter 20 and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and understanding to something I had missed during 43 years of reading the Bible and hearing many different teachings on the end times; that includes 3 years of Bible College with a full semester of Eschatology.

So the following is what GOD showed me this morning, 4-2-2017.

All scripture is quoted from the New King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1994

Revelation 20

“1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of GOD and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from GOD out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before GOD, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

The key verses are 4-6 and 11-15: these are the first and second resurrections. Is the first resurrection the same as the rapture? I do believe so based on verses 4-5, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 “4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Verse 4 references back to Revelation 6:9-11,

“Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of GOD and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O LORD, Holy and True, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”

So what the scripture is saying is that in the first resurrection those who were killed for their faith will be raised from death to reign with Christ for 1000 years in the earthly Jerusalem.

The rapture as defined by 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, says that the dead in Christ will be raised and then those alive who believe will be caught up in the air to meet the LORD and live with Him. “The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so GOD will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the Word of the LORD, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the LORD will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the LORD Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of GOD. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And thus we shall always be with the LORD. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the LORD

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the LORD so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For GOD did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our LORD Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

Paul’s teaching implies that the rapture is the same as the first resurrection even though in Revelation 20 there is no mention of the living being transfigured or judged. Then comes the thousand year reign in Christ in the earthly Jerusalem. Revelation 20:14-15 says, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” When death and hell are cast into the lake of fire there is no longer any mortal life on earth. We know that during the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth there will be mortal humans alive during that time and that at the end of the thousand years the devil will stir them up against Jerusalem and Christ. This appears to me to be when the earth is destroyed by fire, verse 9, “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from GOD out of Heaven and devoured them.” After that, are the judgment of the devil and the great white throne judgment where the earth and the heaven fled before GOD. Chapter 21 opens with the new heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem (vs. 1-2). In verse 7 all who overcome will be sons of GOD and verse 8 reaffirms that all sinners will be in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death. Verses 23-24 say that the nations of those that are saved will walk in the light of the new Jerusalem which is Christ and that the kings of the earth will bring their glory to Christ in the new Jerusalem. Verse 27 says that only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter the new Jerusalem.

This tells me that the Church will be in the earth during the tribulation period and reign of the antichrist, the beast and false prophet. The rapture as described in 1 Thessalonians takes place after the battle of Armageddon so that the Church reigns with Christ in Jerusalem for a thousand years. Then comes the great conflict and the final judgment of humanity when everything natural  is destroyed.

In my study of Revelation I see the break down as follows:

Chapters 1-3 to the Church in John’s day.

Chapters 4-6 from Christ’s ascension to the beginning of the great tribulation.

Chapters 7-11 & 13-19 the great tribulation to the battle of Armageddon.

Chapter 16:12-16 refer to chapters 18-19; 16:17-21 refer to chapter 20

Chapter 12 looks on the conflict between the devil and Israel and the Church.

Chapter 17 looks on the conflict between the Kingdom of GOD and the kingdom of the devil (spiritual Babylon).

Chapter 20 is the 1000 year reign of Christ in the earth and the final destruction of those who serve the devil in the earth, and the Great White Throne judgment.

Chapters 21-22:5 are the new Heaven, the new Earth and the new Jerusalem, the marriage of the Lamb and the Church’s eternal existence under the eternal reign of GOD and the Lamb.

Chapter 22:6-21 is a reminder to understand the time in which we live and be prepared for Christ’s imminent return.

The LOVE of GOD Is Unity

But GOD demonstrates His own Love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For GOD so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. He did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. In this the Love of GOD was manifested toward us, that GOD sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is Love not that we Loved GOD but that He Loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to GOD through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by His life. And not only that but we also rejoice in GOD through our LORD Jesus Christ through whom we have now received the reconciliation. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of GOD who Loved me and gave Himself for me. Now hope does not disappoint because the Love of GOD has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

John, to the seven Churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who Loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to His GOD and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!

Hereby perceive we the Love of GOD because He laid down His Life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. Beloved let us Love one another for Love is of GOD; and everyone who Loves is born of GOD and knows GOD. He who does not Love does not know GOD for GOD is Love. Beloved, if GOD so Loved us, we also ought to Love one another.

Scriptures: Romans 5:5, 8-11; John 3:16-17; Galatians 2:20; Revelation 1:5-6; 1 John 3:16, 4:7-11

The Harvest Time Is Here

Notes from Our Worship and Prayer Service for the 40 Days of Hope 3-25-17

After the Worship Alma Patterson shared a scripture that the LORD gave her during the before prayer service, Amos 9:13, “’Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘When the plowman shall over take the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it.’” The emphasis being on this is the time of reaping. Then she shared a dream she had at an early age; in the dream she became aware that she was raised from the grave, startled by being resurrected with the grave before her and that Jesus was beside her. She was perplexity of having been summoned from the grave, with curiosity Alma looked to the LORD to see Him fan His arm and point to a large harvest of crosses. She was perplexed by the dream and often prayed for an interpretation. Earlier this evening she had shared her childhood dream with Jeremiah Leeper and realized the LORD was revealing that the harvest of crosses represented lives that the LORD had touched through her life. She explained that our impact on the harvest as revealed by the Spirit of the LORD is made possible by “Kingdom multiplication”. That the LORD accounts to us those souls that are touched and won by the souls we touch and win. She felt this was revealed to encourage us during the time of harvest, it is not about how many people we minister to and win to the LORD, it’s about discipling then the growth is exponential.

Then Pastor Chris Leeper shared how the news is reporting since all the rain and snow we’ve had in California that the drought is over but the politicians are reluctant for whatever reason to proclaim the drought over. Since the drought is over it is time for the harvest to begin, he shared from Ezekiel 37 on the vision of the dry bones that GOD brought back to life as a great army. He restored the sinews, flesh, and skin but it was not until He breathed the breath of life into them that they became living beings. He shared how today the Body of Christ is full of dry bones and that GOD is bring them back to life because He is raising up a great army for the harvest.

Lisa Williams shared how during the harvest the workers worked 24/7 to bring in the harvest, that it was the hardest and busiest time for farmers and the workers were always on call.

Hadassah Peterson shared from Amos 9:11-15 and Ezekiel 37:15-28 how GOD was not only restoring Israel but this was about Jesus bringing in the Gentiles to His Eternal Kingdom, making one Body of Christ from Jew and Gentile. She also shared a vision GOD gave her similar to Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, in hers the bones were in piles by type of bone. A pile of arm bones a pile of leg bones, etc. And that the LORD took bones from each pile to make the new man, this is representative of the churches taking on certain functions while limiting or eliminating other functions. During this time of the great harvest Christ will be realigning His Body to reflect the fullness of who He is! So that He will be Head of one unified Body of Believers.

Several people prayed along these lines, when I prayed I shared that there was a group of believers who for several years took this time, Lent, and prayed and fasted for The LORD of the harvest to send out labors to the harvest according to Jesus’ command to the disciples, Matthew 9:37-38, and that when Pentecost happened they became the harvesters; and that now that the drought was over it was time for us the Body to begin the work of the harvest. That when there was a large harvest they had to work to get it in before the next rain came and ruined the crop or the sowers would overtake the reapers.

During the time all this was going on Ben and Deborah Monson’s son Samuel fell while climbing and landed on his head and neck. He was in pain, had a fever and wanted to sleep so they were taking him to the ER. This did not happen at the service. Lisa Spicer was texting with Deborah and sharing with us what was going on so we prayed for healing, grace and peace for Samuel and the family. Later before we took communion Lisa shared that Samuel was feeling better and was hungry. We Bless You Father for your love and mercy demonstrated by Your power and grace.

There Is No Body Without Unity

If you are a Christian you have heard some teaching on the Body of Christ and unity. If you are a reader of scripture than you have read Jesus’ commandment about unity and the teachings of the Apostles about unity and the Body. So why is it so hard for us to walk in obedience to GOD in being unified as the Body of Christ (the Church) in the world? I’m not actually going to try to answer that, I’m going to try to explain what it means to be a body.

Think about your body, what a marvelously mysterious thing it is! Medical science has only begun to understand how and why our body is and functions. The truth is, as much as they know there is so much more they do not, but this is not a medical or scientific exploration. For this discussion we must set aside all of that type of thinking and just look at our body as a singular being made up of innumerable parts all with their own unique purpose and function.

Our body is fearfully and wonderfully made! We are the purposeful result of GOD’s creative desire to have a lover. Here is one of the biggest problems we have with thinking about the Body of Christ and being the Bride of the Lamb; we think after our human desires and understandings rather than GOD’s. GOD does not want nor need a lover like we as humans do. 1 Corinthians 13 is the chapter on love and if a married couple live according to that lifestyle they will have a great marriage and love life, but sex is a purely mortal function. There is no sex or need for sex in the eternal spiritual kingdom, and being in the continual glorious presence of the True and Living GOD we will not miss it, Luke 20:27-38.

Stop thinking about the Body of Christ and the Bride of the Lamb (which are one and the same) in fleshly terms.

Our body is fearfully and wonderfully made! We are the purposeful result of GOD’s creative desire to have a lover. Not just individually which is the first relationship that we have with GOD, like being in our mother’s womb. We are not aware of our body just our existence and the feeling of love and protection that we should experience. Then we are born and as we grow and gain understanding we begin to discover our body and its many functions and how to function as a whole being in the larger world in which we exist. This is an ongoing process in life. So our relationship with GOD must grow beyond just our self to include His whole Body.

Think about your body, what a marvelously mysterious thing it is! It functions under many adverse conditions and it functions after traumatic events. It recovers and renews itself and sustains life longer than we expect most of the time. This is of course not always true, many die early deaths for a variety of reasons, accidents, sickness or disease, war, or acts of evil. This is the result of sin in our world, therefore in our lives. Not all people die because of their sin but sin is the underlying cause of death in all creation. All of us know people who have lost organs or limbs and survived and still function normally or mostly normally. Some are born with major defects or conditions and still live and have a reasonable life. Some experience horrific physical events that result in major lose of limbs and or organs and most recover and regain life.

So what am I trying to say? GOD made our body, formed from the dust of the earth and He breathed His breath of life into it in Adam. Then He took Eve out of Adam, remember what the scriptures say, GOD man male and female; then He separated them because He knew man was not a singular being and needed a companion. After that GOD forms all of us in our mother’s womb, writing out the days of our lives before any of them exist. We are marvelously and wondrously made in the image of GOD.

Now that the preamble is done here is what the LORD was showing me this morning in my prayer and reading time.

The Body of Christ is like our body, it was made perfect by GOD who expects us to maintain it’s perfection. But He knows that we cannot without His Spirit so He has given us His Spirit.

Now we, the Church, have done many things to hurt the Body plus our enemy the devil attacks us to keep us sickly, weak, and divided. Being divided is like having an autoimmune disease, we are fighting and hurting our self, therefore we are fighting GOD!

Like many individuals who have lost organs and limbs we are wounded and have festering sores. Festering sores are the deceptions and hatred we have for other members of the Body. They do not let the wound heal and therefore the body cannot recover.

We have lost limbs and organs and wonder why our Heavenly Father does not pour out His anointing for revival and miracles. Our thinking is wrong He has; but because we are not healthy and whole the way He made us we cannot function normally as He designed us.

Like our human body we can live and function after lose and damage but not the same. We can overcome and develop reasonable behaviors and adaptations, but we are not what we should be.

Around the world right now there are calls for unity though out the Church, but if we stay as we are it will not happen and we will continue to be incomplete and inefficient in the gifts and callings for GOD’s Kingdom in the earth. If we really believe the scriptures and want to obey Christ’s commandment to love one another as He loves the Church then we must be willing to lay down our life for the Church (Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 3:16). It has to stop being about us, our ministry, our church, and our denomination. It’s all His and we are only a part of it, He determines what and where He wants us and the function that is our required part to keep His Body healthy and accomplishing His will in the earth.

In the natural our body only has a few organs that it cannot live without; brain, heart, and liver. In the Body of Christ there is only one that we cannot exist without our head, Christ. In our natural body every part and function is controlled by our brain. In the Body of Christ it should be the same, but many parts of the Body have cut themselves off from our Head or believed a lie of the devil that cuts us off from our Head.

Like our human body that we can repair and bypass some functions or replace with artificial or borrowed parts; many members of the Body of Christ have fixed or adapted themselves to make them seem whole; but we are not! My hands have 4 fingers and a thumb each, my fingers have multiple digits and if I lose a couple of them I can still function but not as well. If I lose all of them my hands can still function but not fully. If I lose one or both hands my arms can still function but even les effectively; etc.

We can only be whole and complete and fulfilling the purpose of GOD in the earth when we are truly united and The One Body of Christ. I am not saying that we need to or must do away with denominations, or individual church ministries, or anything like that. What I am saying is that if we maintain our divisions and separations at the expense of unity we will not accomplish the purpose of GOD that He expects us to and we then pass off to the next generation the responsibility to do what GOD gave us to do on top of what He has called them to do. GOD does overcome our deficiencies but He wants to use us as His one united Body in the earth to accomplish His purposes not overcome our deficiencies.

Study Genesis 1 and 2; Psalm 139; John 14 thru 17; Acts 1 and 2; 1 Corinthians 12 and 15; Hebrews; 1 John 4

A Story of Two Sons

A Story of Two Sons

Also called the “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” or “The Parable of the Lost Boy”, Luke 15:11-32 NKJV.

I’ve heard many teachings on the prodigal son, his repentance, and his father’s love and acceptance of his return. Their comparison to us the sinner and GOD the Father, I’ve also heard a few on the older brother’s reaction to the return of his brother. The following is my understanding of this parable.

“Then He said, ‘A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” So he divided to them his livelihood.” This shows that both sons were of an age that if they wanted they could go out on their own and the younger son wanted to. Now the father was under no obligation to support his younger son if he left the family home and business, but he had to know that if he gave the younger son his inheritance he would leave home. Jesus’ introduction tells us two things; the family business was doing well and the younger son did not want to work when he could be living the “good life”. He might not have been lazy but he did not care about the family business and did not want to work it, he doesn’t seem to be influenced by friends because he left home and community. “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.” We are not told how long that took.

We understand prodigal living as self indulgent or wasteful living, filled with sinful behavior.  Whatever he was doing he wasted his possessions and was soon broke. Then followed his second real life test, the one that would prove if he was his father’s son or a reprobate son. He had failed his first real life test by wanting and wasting his inheritance without earning it by supporting his family and working the family business. “But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”

“But when he came to himself,…” we do not know how long that took, days ,weeks, months, but at some point good reasoning returned. “…he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!’” This is the critical point in this young man’s life, he could go home and expect his father to take him in and provide for him and he had no reason to think his father wouldn’t. Or, he could go home in humility and repentance which those who know this parable know he did. So he failed his first life test but passed the second. “’I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.”

I do not remember hearing this section taught this way but I believe the important part is his recognition of the fact that he had sinned against GOD! He did not sin against his father because his father had freely given him the inheritance, how he used it was now his business. The man’s sin was against GOD because he did not live his life and steward his possessions as he knew GOD expected him to.  Remember this is a Jewish parable therefore the Jews hearing it would understand this point. As Christians we should also understand this critical point. I have heard many teaching of this parable relating the father of the sons to Father GOD, while the father reflects the love and desire of our Heavenly Father I do not believe Jesus was making that inference.  The young man’s father is just that, remember the first commandment with a promise is Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your GOD is giving you.” Also remember Jesus chastised the religious leaders for perverting it; study Mark 7:9-13 and Matthew 15:1-9. While the son owed honor to his father he did not have to go and repent to his father, but he did want to show his father that he had learned and was repentant before GOD. Part of his repentance to GOD was to show humility and to start earning his way. He knew his father would not be harsh since he knew how he treated his servants and that it would be easier than if he stayed the course where he was, so he made his decision to return home to family.

The other reason I do not believe that the father in the parable represents our Heavenly Father is that our Heavenly Father will never give us our inheritance at the beginning. When we first become a Christian we receive many things, salvation is a complete package of healing, deliverance, sanctification, righteousness, sonship; we are made a new creation, the temple of Holy Spirit, a member of the Body of Christ, but He does not give us our inheritance, He does not sent us in His calling for us, we sets us in His Church where we will learn and grow into the fullness of Christ He has called us to; study Ephesians 4:11-16. Another misunderstanding in the Church is what our inheritance is, it is not anything in this world! We do not receive our inheritance until we leave this world and enter into His Heavenly Eternal Kingdom, this earth and everything in and of it are temporary and will be destroyed. We cannot have or enter into our Heavenly eternal inheritance until we pass from this physical, mortal life.

“But when he was still a great way off his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Wow! I have heard many testimonies of salvation that reflect this type of experience. But, that is not everybody’s experience, my wife had that type of salvation experience but many including myself did not have that kind of salvation experience. What is common in our salvation experiences is that we can all look back over our life and see where GOD was at work in our life and how He pursued us and allowed us to get to the same place that the young son got to, so that we could see our desperate situation and that we had sinned against GOD and that only He could save us and give us a life worth living if we repented and yielded our will to His.

*“And they began to be merry. Now his older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come and because he is safe and sound your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.” Our Heavenly Father has never pleaded with any of us to rejoice that a lost brother has come home! The father started a party for his returning son and did not send a servant to the field to tell and invite the older brother? Sorry not Heavenly Father like. “So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I have never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’” The older son obviously has self-righteous issues. He judges his brother without any evidence or talking to him at all. Yet he is also feeling the rejection of his father who seems to favor his younger brother. There are many in the Church who are jealous of others who resent them and speak against them. It is a misunderstanding of GOD and how His Kingdom works on earth and in heaven. I have been both the prodigal son and the jealous son, neither is good and GOD does not want us to be either. Our Heavenly Father loves us all the same, the price Jesus paid for everyone of us is the same. GOD has gifted us all differently and called us to different ministries and purposes but He does not love us differently. Our mortal and eternal rewards are not based on what we do but how yielded and obedient we are.

Remember this parable was being told to those who knew the Law and the covenant GOD made with Abraham, they understood that the father does not represent GOD, but that all three represent them. In the two previous parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin Jesus ended them with these statements, “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents…”, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of GOD over one sinner who repents.”, study Luke 15:1-10, but He does not say that at the end of this parable. “And he said to him, ‘Son you are always with me and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” All three people have weaknesses found in us, believers, but not in GOD! Yes, we should rejoice every time a sinner repents and is saved, yes we should rejoice every time a back slidden believer repents and is restored. But when we have a personal, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father we cannot be jealous of other believers, we can only rejoice in what GOD is doing in their life.

*As I was writing this section I stopped to talk with my wife Charlene, as I was explaining what I felt the LORD was telling me this morning as I read this parable she told me we had watched a TV minister talking about this parable and saying the same things I was saying a couple of nights before. She does not remember who and I do not remember it at all, I may have fallen asleep as we sometimes watch Christian TV as we are in bed. But I know that over the last several months I have thought about the common teachings around this parable and felt they were lacking in what Christ was saying. We were reminded of our personal experiences 20 years ago and brought to a place of repentance to GOD and forgiveness of others. That is the point of reading, studying, and meditating on the scriptures, so our Heavenly Father can bring repentance, forgiveness, and healing to us.

The Tamid

The Mystery of the Tamid*

It was mid-afternoon. He took me into a chamber in the middle of which was a large golden stone model of the Temple of Jerusalem. We were viewing it from what would have been the Temple’s eastern side, the side closest to the altar of sacrifice.

“’Now this is what you shall offer on the altar,’” said the teacher. He was reciting a passage of scripture. “’Two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.’ This,” he said, “was the law of the Tamid. Tamid was the name given to the sacrifices that were to be offered every day in the Temple. So each day, the offerings would begin with the sacrifice of the morning lamb and finish with the sacrifice of the evening lamb. All the other sacrifices would come in between the two.”

“Was there a specific ritual to the offering of the Tamid?”

“The morning lamb would be offered up at the third hour of the day. With its death, the Temple trumpets would sound and the Temple gates would be opened. Then at about the ninth hour, the evening sacrifice would be slain and offered on the altar, at which time the sacrifices would be finished.”

“So the morning lamb was offered up at the third hour. What time is that?”

“Nine o clock,” said the teacher. “And when was Messiah crucified? The same hour, nine in the morning. So as the morning lamb was slain on the altar, the Lamb of GOD was lifted up on the altar of the cross, and the trumpets sounded to announce the sacrifice, and the Temple gates were opened.”

“And the evening lamb,” I said, “at the ninth hour, what time was that?”

“Three in the afternoon,” he said.

“Isn’t that when Messiah died on the cross?”

“It was. So the sacrifice of Messiah began with the offering up of the morning lamb and ended with the offering of the evening lamb. And it all took place during the six hours of the Temple sacrifices, in between the two lambs, from the first sacrifice to the last. The Lamb of GOD,” said the teacher, “is all in all, covering every moment, every need, every sin, every problem, and every answer. He is Tamid.”

“You never told me; what does tamid mean?”

“It means continual, daily, perpetual, always, and forever. And so He will be there for you always…and will be your answer continuously, every day, always, and forever. For Messiah is the Lamb, and not only the Lamb…but your Tamid.”

The Mission: Meditate on the fact that Messiah is your Tamid – the covering for every moment of your life – always, and forever, Live accordingly.

Exodus 29:38-39; Mark 15:25-37; Revelation 7:9-17

The Good Friday Sacrifice Mysteries

*The Book of Mysteries; Day 49; Jonathan Cahn; FrontLine; Charisma Media/Charisma House Goup; 2016