Archive for cross

« Older Entries

Four Men Tear Up a Roof… Forgiveness

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel with tags , , , , , , , , , , on February 5, 2023 by paulthepoke

Memory Verse: Mark 2:10-11 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

Scripture: Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-26

Object Lesson: Imagine a world where if you break any traffic law that you have to pay a ten million dollar ($10,000,000) fine. If you are unable to pay the fine, you are sentenced to death. Regardless of the infraction, this is the just punishment.

Even if you run a stop sign, drive under the influence, or go two miles per hour over the speed limit, enforcement and punishment are consistent and there are no exceptions. The system is absolutely just.

If this were really the case, the roads would be empty. So you run a stop sign and the camera takes a picture of your infraction. The police come and haul you away to jail. You are waiting for trial and pending sentence. You know you did it. As you are cuffed and transferred to the judge in the court, a complete stranger comes in on your behalf and pays your fine. He plops down $10,000,000 on your behalf. Your debt has been paid.

Justice has been served in that the fine has been paid. You could not afford the fine, but the judge accepts the payment of the fine by this gentleman on your behalf. You are spared death and your life has been pardoned.

Doctrinal Emphasis: Forgiveness

Key Theme: Sin is forgiven once and for all.

The primary word for forgiveness in the New Testament is aphiemi/ἀφίημι. It means to remit or forgive debts or sins. It involves the complete removal of the cause or offence. This remission is based upon the vicarious and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ. Jesus took our place. Definition provided by Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.

Only God can forgive sins. The Pharisees and scribes of the day knew this all too well in Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:18-26, Matthew 9:2-8. This is the reason they took such offence when Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic. As far as they were concerned, this was a blasphemous act and speech by Jesus. In their eyes, He was an ordinary man and not God. He was not even a member of the religious structures of the day. No mere man can forgive sins.

Jesus is not just an ordinary man. Jesus is God and He has the ability to forgive sins.

On an individual level, the forgiveness of sins is complete and distant. Psalm 103:12 states “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Nations and individuals are forgiven of their sins. Israel’s sins corporately are forgiven in Psalm 85:2, “Thou didst forgive the iniquity of Thy people; thou didst cover all their sin.” This is also stated in Jeremiah 36:3b in reference to the house of Judah, “…then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Personally, we have to be forgiven because we are all born sinners. Ephesians 2:1 tells us that we are all spiritually dead. This is part of our family tree passed down by Adam.

Fortunately, we have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of trespasses and sins, for His name’s sake (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, 1 John 2:12).

The same concept is articulated in the Old Testament on personal level in…

Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am the One who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”

The forgiveness of sins does not mean that we are free to do whatever we want without consequence.  We should not choose to abuse the work of the cross. Paul shuts down this argument in Romans 6:1b-2. “…Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Jesus’ work on the cross is clearly an act of grace and mercy towards sinful man. Honestly, is this any way to respond to a Man who suffered and died a horrible death on our behalf because of all of our sins?

What if the roles were reversed in the sense that you had bailed someone out of deep trouble? What if that person (the one you bailed out of trouble) chose to continue the behavior that landed them in trouble? What would you think if the person you spared continued to live in a sinful manner? After all, you were willing to pay the fine with your life for the sinner.

Have some empathy, put yourself in Jesus’ sandals. Try to look at this issue from His view…

There are consequences for our bodily actions. Physically, we die. The wage of sin is death. If God did not punish sin, He would fail to be just.

Give the Man His due respect…

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Leave a comment »

The Number 7 – Truth or Coincidence??? Kristina Weinreich

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Kristina Weinreich with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 17, 2023 by paulthepoke

During my scripture studies, I have been reading about the number seven (7). I find the truth and reliability of the Scriptures reinforced in a number. When you see the number and the situations that stretch across the time of the Old and New Testaments, you cannot dismiss the divine as coincidence but see it as proof of its truth.

In the Old Testament:
There were seven days of creation. The seventh day being the day of completion and rest.

In Hebrew scriptures, there are seven words in Genesis 1:1 and 14 words in Genesis 1:2.

Also in Hebrew Scriptures, there are seven paragraphs from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3, which is the verse about the seventh day.

According to Jewish tradition, the creation of Adam occurred on September 26, which is the first day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.

It is also believed that Jesus, the 2nd Adam, was born around this time, during the fall feasts. (Bethlehem & Herodium Hill)

There are seven sabbatical feasts:

  1. The Passover (Leviticus 23:5)
  2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8)
  3. The Feast of First Fruit (Leviticus 23:9-14)
  4. The Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-21)
  5. The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23: 23-25)
  6. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)
  7. The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-34)

There are seven colors in the rainbow that God created as a covenant after the flood.

Abraham swore an oath of ownership over a well at Beersheba. The well is called “The Well of Seven”. Seven lambs were given as payment. (Genesis 21:25-34).

At Jericho, Joshua was instructed to march seven days around the walls. On the seventh day, seven priests joined the march while blowing seven trumpets (Joshua 6:1-27).

In 2 Kings 5:1-19, Naaman was instructed to wash seven times in the Jordan River for healing.

Isaiah 11:1-2 speaks of the coming of Christ and the seven spirits (traits of perfection) that will upon him:

  1. The spirit of the Lord
  2. The spirit of wisdom
  3. The spirit of understanding
  4. The spirit of counsel
  5. The spirit of might
  6. The spirit of knowledge
  7. The spirit of the fear of the Lord

King David referred to God’s word “like gold refined seven times” (Psalm 12:6).

https://openclipart.org/detail/171713/lucky-seven

In the New Testament:
There are seven petitions in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13).

  1. Thy kingdom come
  2. Thy will be done on earth as in heaven
  3. Give us this day our daily bread
  4. Forgive us our debts
  5. As we (let us) forgive our debtors
  6. Lead us not into temptation
  7. Deliver us from evil

In Matthew 18:21-22, we are told to forgive not seven times but seventy times seven or seventy-seven (depending translation).

Christ used seven metaphors to describe himself as the path to salvation:

  1. The Bread of Life (John 6:35)
  2. The Light of the World (John 8:12)
  3. The Door to Salvation (John 10:9)
  4. The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
  5. The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25-26)
  6. The Way, The Truth, The Life (John 14:6)
  7. The Vine (John 15:5)

Jesus healed seven individuals on the seventh day of the week. He made them complete on the day of completion.

  1. A man with a deformed hand (Mark 12:9-13)
  2. A man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 12:23-26)
  3. Peter’s mother-in-law with fever (Mark 12:29-31)
  4. A woman with an eighteen year infirmity (Luke 13:10-13)
  5. A man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-4)
  6. An invalid man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:5-9)
  7. A man blind from birth (John 9:1-7)

Christ made seven statements from the cross:

  1. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:4)
  2. “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
  3. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 2:45)
  4. “Woman, behold thy son” and in the same statement “Behold thy mother” (John 19:26-27).
  5. “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
  6. “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
  7. “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me.” (Matthew 27:46)

In Revelation, there are:

Seven letters to seven churches
Seven seals to be broken
Seven trumpets blown by seven angels
Seven bowls of wrath to be poured out by seven angels

While this is not a comprehensive list of the number seven in the Bible, I believe this supports my belief in the truth of the scriptures. It is truth not coincidence.

Citations
Bethlehem & Herodium Hill. The Birth of Yeshua (Jesus) and the Fall Feasts, https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/birth-of-yeshua-jesus-fall-feasts/.

3 Comments »

The New Covenant

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 11, 2022 by paulthepoke

Scripture: Acts 15:1-34

Object Lesson: What is a covenant?

In today’s vernacular, loosely, a covenant is a contract, agreement or a treaty. It depends on the context. It is an agreement that one person agrees to do something, usually if some other person fulfills a condition.

This is the Old Testament word berith: a covenant, treaty, alliance, or league. Simply put, it is an agreement. From God’s perspective, a divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges.

As people, humanity struggles as covenant keepers. We are broken sinners.

The covenants that God made with Israel differed than the agreement described above. God made promises to Israel that were not dependent on anything that Israel did. God takes the initiative. He draws up the terms and defines the terms. God guarantees their keeping. Israel does nothing. God swears by His own Word.

Key Theme: The Power of the Blood of Christ

The New Covenant is found in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This everlasting covenant is made with nation Israel. God is the initiator and He is the one to will it to happen. A regenerated heart and mind and forgiveness of sin are promised as part of the agreement.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “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, 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. 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. 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.”

So how does this covenant with nation Israel affect us in the Church Age? The Church and Israel are separate. Nation Israel has yet to receive the benefit of the New Covenant. It is yet future in the Millennial Kingdom. How can this arrangement apply to us? The answer is in the blood of Christ.

Jesus’ death on the cross ushers in and ratifies the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25).

It is His blood that is the covenant. The shedding of innocent blood allows for the forgiveness of sin. This is acceptable to God (Hebrews 9:14). According to the Law, all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of innocent blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:16). Christ’s blood is the bleach that removes the stain of sin. As believers, we get the spiritual benefits of the agreement when we believe that Jesus died as payment for sin. As believers, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:12-16 instructs us that we were separate from Christ and excluded from nation Israel. Translation, we were not a benefactor of the New Covenant. The text teaches us that we were without hope. Thankfully, we were brought near by the blood of Christ. It is the blood of Christ that unifies the two groups (Jew and Gentile) into one group.

Ephesians 2:12-16 …that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

~

Romans 11:17 indicates that Gentiles were grafted into the root of the olive tree. We, Gentiles, were grafted because other original branches, Israel, were broken off. Gentiles get the full benefit of the root.

As we take communion and we hear the words, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” These words are a reminder that we, believers, have the spiritual benefits of the New Covenant: teaching of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sin. Communion is in memory of the work of Christ. He died once and for all to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28). It is to be taken seriously (1 Corinthians 11:25-29).

We are to do this until He comes again.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

3 Comments »

“The Mystery Man” of the Shroud of Turin

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel, Resurrection with tags , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2022 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

A fifteen year project has been completed by artists in Spain.

Based on a study of the Shroud of Turin, a sculpture has been created that matches the blood stains. The sculpture is made of latex, silicon, and real hair.

The body is 5′ 10″ and weighs 165 pounds.

The Mystery Man is on display in Salamanca Cathedral in Spain.

https://themysteryman.com/en/the-mystery-man/

John 19:2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him. See also Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:5.

~

Mark 15:15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. See also Matthew 20:19, 27:26, John 19:1.

~

John 19:18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.

~

Psalm 22:16 For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet.

John 19:34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

~

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252551/the-first-hyper-realistic-body-of-christ-based-on-the-holy-shroud-is-on-exhibit-in-spain

https://www.the-sun.com/news/6461300/incredible-model-jesus-christ-hyper-realistic-sculpture-shroud/

~

John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.”

~

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

2 Comments »

Stuck in Sin, God’s Not Listening

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Freedom in Christ with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 1, 2022 by paulthepoke

Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

God says that one’s attitude towards sin matters. He is talking about the space between the ears. The verse above is conditional, If…

If I had cherished… This is the Hebrew word raah. Strong’s Concordance defines the word as “to see”.

This is the word that is used repeatedly in the creation account in Genesis.

Genesis 1:31a And God saw (raah) all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.

Iniquity or aven in the Hebrew can be defined as trouble, sorrow, or wickedness.

…in my heart… The heart or leb in the Hebrew is known as inner man, mind, will, or heart.

…the Lord would not have listened. This is the Hebrew word shama. Plainly stated, it means to hear.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear (shama), O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

We are talking about the fundamental senses of seeing and hearing. God sees what is going on in your heart and mind. There is no tricking God.

Personally, if an individual knows a mental attitude is wrong, if you are sinning (mentally or physically committing) and you know it. God’s not listening to you.

~

Job 35:13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it.

Surely God does not hear an empty cry… This is the Hebrew word shav. It is defined as: emptiness, vanity, or nothingness.

This is the same word utilized in the Third Commandment.

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

If one does not take God seriously, He does not take you seriously. If one is not listening to God and what He has to say, He’s not listening to you either.

~

Isaiah 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

…but your iniquities… These are not just sins. These are avon or punished sins (Strong’s). The result is a barrier between the sinner and God. Because of our sin we committed, He does not want to see us or hear from us.

~

John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him.

John understands this is an established fact. We know that God does not listen to sinners…

As sinners, we are not stuck in an eternal state of God closing us out. There are two things we can do to be heard again, worship and obey.

  1. …worshiper of God… In the original Greek, this is the word θεοσεβής/theosebés. The definition is be God-fearing. Worship and respect God.
  2. …does His will… ποιέω/poieó: to make or do.

John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. said Jesus.

Do what God says. And we always have a solution in Jesus Christ. He removed the barrier between the Father and us with His death on the cross.

Mark 15:37-38 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Leave a comment »

The Watchmen: Temple Mount, Israeli & Russian Tension, Chinese Yuan, Cross of Christ, Russia & Sudan, US Middle East Policy

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Czekmate with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2022 by paulthepoke

The Watchmen, just a couple of dudes sitting on the wall watching the world…

In this episode of The Watchmen we look at drama on the Temple Mount. In an opinion piece from the Jerusalem Post, a prominent Israeli Rabbi calls for the construction of the third Temple. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid calls the maintenance of the status quo on the Temple Mount. Confused???

Tension continues to build between Russian and Israel. Ezekiel 38-39 tells us Russia will eventually turn on Israel. Russian President Vladimir Putin demands ownership of a Russian Orthodox Church in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem.

Israel is adding the Chinese Yuan and cutting the United States dollar to their reserve holdings. The dollar continues to fall in global holdings.

Was a relic of the cross of Jesus Christ on the sunken Russian warship Moskva? If so, did the piece of the cross sink to the bottom of the Black Sea?

Russia’s Wagner Group is in Sudan. Russia wants a port on the Red Sea. Ezekiel’s gang continues to come together.

The Saudis are looking to the Chinese as a business partner. Will the Saudis conduct business dealings in the Chinese Yuan. What would the potential consequences be to the value of the US dollar? Can the Saudis trust the United States?

What is the current United States policy in the Middle East? History since the 2011 Arab Spring is reviewed.

All of this and more on this episode of the Watchmen. Click on the link below for insights and analysis.

https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-704445

https://www.timesofisrael.com/lapid-reaffirms-israels-official-commitment-to-maintaining-temple-mount-status-quo/

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-704490

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/dollar-vs-yuan-israel-central-bank-chinese-currency-holdings-reserves-2022-4

https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-704498

https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/russia-wagner-group-expand-ties-sudan

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-u-s-saudi-relations-reached-the-breaking-point-11650383578

https://thepoliticalinsider.com/al-qaeda-is-on-our-side-how-obama-biden-team-empowered-terrorist-networks-in-syria/

2 Comments »

Temple Veil Torn… Rodna Epley

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel, Rodna Epley with tags , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2022 by paulthepoke

In Matthew 27:50 we read “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.” The next 3 verses is all one sentence.

“And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves AFTER His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:51-53)

~

Mark 15:37-38 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

~

Luke 23:44-46 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

~

The veil is symbolic of Jesus’ flesh that was broken for us, and raised for us, and ascended to the right hand of the Father for us, giving us access into the Father’s presence, which is glory.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near…” (Hebrews 10:19-22a)

The place of the Holiest (the Holy of Holies) is at the Father’s right hand of glory, not anywhere on the earth or still hanging on the cross. The cross is a way-point to the Father, and Jesus is the way. He is also the door allowing us entry into the Father’s house (His presence).

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)

~

Jesus never meant for us to remain forever hanging on the cross that kills us. Rather we carry the dying of Christ in us which even daily puts to death the old nature, so that the life of Christ, which is the glory of the Father, might also be revealed in us. We died with Him and are raised with Him, and we are seated in Christ right now at the Father’s right hand. And Jesus gave us His garment, the glory, to wear right now, not after we die.

If someone only has Christ in them, the hope of glory, they aren’t living the new life yet and still struggling with sin, because their perspective is on the earth. We need to shift our perspective to where Christ is, coming all the way up to where we are seated in Him at the Father’s right hand. If someone can only see Jesus hanging on the cross, as if He said “I am the way to the cross” and not “I am the way… to the Father”, then they haven’t awakened the glory within them yet to shine on them. The cross is true and we were buried with Him, but it’s also true that we were raised with Him and seated in Him at the right hand of glory.

Jesus said to His disciples (including us who are also disciples), “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.” (John 16:25)

Notice how Jesus just revealed that all of His figurative speaking, parables etc., was doing one thing: telling the world about the Father—the place where He was taking us. And He was going to speak plainly to His disciples. So, if you’re a disciple Jesus will introduce you to the Father. Then notice how after Jesus told them plainly which was immediately, His disciples received revelation from the Father and understood all things.

“His disciples said to Him, ‘See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.’”

Then Jesus said, “Do you now believe?” And started telling them how they would all leave Him alone, but He wasn’t alone, because His Father was with Him.

~

Once Jesus reveals the Father to us, this is how we are too. Even if everyone leaves us, we are never alone. We are strong because Christ, the glory, is the strength in our weakness, and we can endure anything because we have His joy. Joy and perfect peace are clear evidences of His glory radiating out of us—shining on us.

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, AND the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)

Let’s set our minds on things above where Christ is. Where is He? At the Father’s right hand. We died with Him already. Now we live in Him at the place where He is, where life is.

If we shift our focus to where Jesus is right now, the glory treasure that He deposited within us will wake up instantly! And we will know it because we will have instant joy and perfect peace.

“Wake up O sleeper! Arise from the dead! And Christ will shine (dawn) on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

“Wake up My glory! Wake up psaltery and harp! I will awaken the dawn. (Psalm 57:8)

Leave a comment »

Freedom in the Old Testament

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Freedom in Christ, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 16, 2022 by paulthepoke

The knowledge of freedom has its beginning in the Mosaic Law in Leviticus 25.

Leviticus 25:10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.

The context of the verse quoted is a description of the jubilee year. Release the inhabitants and freedom for all the slaves. Imagine that. Freedom, liberty are expressed in the context of the Old Testament Mosaic Law.

National Park Services

Our foundation as a country in the United States draws its concept of freedom and liberty from Leviticus 25:10. The verse is written on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Abolitionists during the Civil War turned to the Liberty Bell and the verse from Leviticus 25 as a reason to end slavery. Cultures and societies can change when people take God’s word to heart and decide to follow His statutes.

This passage and context in Leviticus 25 are loaded with prophetic implications regarding His second coming. Click on the link below if interested in the prophecy related to the concept of Jubilee.

https://paulthepoke.com/category/jubilee/

See the YouTube video link below for audio/video of this post along with further commentary.

Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn…

The concept of freedom is captured by the prophet Isaiah as it is reflected in the Mosaic Law and the Jubilee. All three persons of the Trinity are involved in this communication. The “Me” is the Son. The Spirit is upon Him (the Son). The Father is represented by the title Lord GOD or Adonai Yahweh in the original Hebrew.

Jesus read and spoke these words in the synagogue of His home town Nazareth (Luke 4:16). Jesus is reading from Isaiah 61:1-2a. He reads verse 1 completely.

Jesus then stops reading in the middle of Isaiah 61:2. By reading these words, He was claiming to be the Messiah. In other words, “Here I am!!” Jesus is also arguably proclaiming a Jubilee year. This author would argue the year 30 AD. This event appears to be at the onset of His ministry. We can have lots of debate about the date at another time. This has significant prophetic implications in regards to the timing of His second coming.

Take a look at Isaiah 61:2. To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD (Jesus stops here.) and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn…

The stoppage of reading in the verse has lasted close to 2,000 years. At His first coming, Jesus was a suffering servant who died for our sins. His sacrificial death on the cross freed humanity from the bondage of sin.

Christ did not come in vengeance and judgment the first time, hence the pause. And we wait for the remainder of Isaiah 61:2b-11. It describes the future conditions of the nation Israel under the leadership of the Messiah, Jesus. He returns the second time in wrath to set the stage for an everlasting peace.

It is not only humanity who is freed from the bondage of sin. It also the creation.

Romans 8:19-21 For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Leave a comment »

Accept God’s Grace… Rodna Epley

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel, Rodna Epley with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2021 by paulthepoke

There is someone out there today whom God, our Father in heaven, wants to know that He can forgive you and He wants to more than anything. He already sees and knows every detail about your life all the way back to when He created you until now, even to the end of your life if you have an end.

He still loves you, immensely, intensely, more than you may ever realize in this life. Please do not give up. He can fix anything literally, no matter how bad, no matter how hurtful, no matter how impossible it seems. What seems unbearable and unforgiveable in this moment can change in an instant. No matter how many sins you have committed, especially the ones you think passed the threshold of God being able to forgive. All can be forgiven. Nothing is too hard for Him.

If you have written yourself off, God has written you back in. He is a good Father who will do anything to bring His son or daughter back home. Your sins which are many and too hurtful to even think about. Or perhaps you have lost feeling over them and that worries you, can be forgiven, all of them instantly. The entire weight of it all, no matter how heavy or ugly, is lifted off you. You will feel it go too. The weight of it gone, just like that.

Your Father loves you more than you can imagine. He is not condemning you. He wants to heal you completely, and He is the Healer. That is why He sent Jesus. That is why the Father walked this earth through His Son Jesus and took man to his worst end so that he can bring man to his best end, forever reconciled to Him.

Though it is a mystery, Jesus gave up His life so that the old nature of sin and the propensity toward sin can be put to death in you. He rose from the dead by the glory of the Father so that His life. The new nature of His own glory can be imparted to you. This is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

But He does not leave you in a state of only hope that can be disappointed. His glory wakes up within you as He fills you with His Spirit and the new nature of His own glory begins to operate in you.

Jesus went to be with the Father, and He showed you the way to the Father, and He sat down at the Father’s right hand on the very throne of glory, so that you can be seated there with Him right now and forever.

Allow yourself to be forgiven. Dare to see just how far God’s grace and glory can reach and transform. What have you got to lose? The very moment I decided to give God a 100% chance show me who He is, is the very moment He showed up. He was always there, but He showed me that He was there. He did not wait to interact with me. He only briefly waited for me to show a genuine attempt to know Him.

If this is for you, know that you are not alone, and that I am praying for you. Your Father in heaven does love you and can fix literally anything. All suffering is meant for His glory. The greater the suffering the more His glory is about to be released. It is at the point of being released. Please give Him that chance. In fact, the more you have sinned, the more you will be able to love God, because the depth of our ability to love corresponds to the depth of His forgiveness toward us.

Luke 7:45-47 Jesus said, “You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore, I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

If this is for you, pray this with me,

“Father in heaven, thank you for giving me this chance to be forgiven. My sins, which are many, I give to you. Thank you for giving your Son Jesus to die for me on the cross and take my place. Thank you for raising Him from the dead by your own glory and raising me from the dead with Him. Thank you for seating Jesus at your right hand on the throne of glory and seating me there with Him. I know I do not deserve that and there is no way I can earn that position in Christ, but I receive it by faith. Your word says that I have access into your presence through the door of Christ and through your promises to me. Thank you that you loved me so much that you died for me even while I was still a sinner. You believed this day would happen when I would come to you and finally surrender my life to you. Without Christ I know that I can do nothing, but with Christ nothing is impossible, and all things are possible. I am trusting that your word is true and that you can make something wonderful of my life. I promise that if you give me all of you then I will give you all of me to the best that I know how. Baptize me in your Spirit and fill me with your glory Father. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that Christ in me put to death the old nature in me. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead by the glory of the Father and raised me up with Him. I believe that Jesus went to be with the Father and brought me there with Him. I choose You Papa because You first chose me. I love You Father because You first loved me. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for your favor. Thank you for giving me your Spirit and making me perfect on the inside in the inner man. Thank you for the daily transformation of my mind that is to come as I make your word my home and you teach me how to be your child and to operate in your glory, which is Christ in me that I am learning to wear on me on the outside. Thank you for eternal life and for all that you will do in me from here on out. Thank you that you are strength in my weakness, that you are filling me with joy and taking away my sorrow, that you are imparting to me your vision for me so that I can know my life has meaning. I give you all of me because you gave me all of you. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, Amen.”

1 Comment »

Pay Day Is Coming… Joshua of Ghana

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Joshua Ghana with tags , , , , , on September 15, 2021 by paulthepoke

TEXT: JEREMIAH 25:15-29

Key Verse: Jeremiah 25:29 “For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.”

https://twitter.com/beholy404

On December 25th, 1908, a newspaper published in Messina printed a parody against God, daring Him to make Himself known by sending an earthquake. Three days later, the city and its surrounding district were devastated by a terrible quake that killed 84,000 people! Payday is coming someday for all. It is the duty of the Christian to prepare for God’s judgment.

The passage under consideration unveils the decision of God against Babylon. Babylon would be destroyed for her wickedness and cruelty, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Jeremiah was to warn of this impending judgment. He was also assigned by God to inform people that the cup of His wrath was soon to be poured on Israel and other nations like Egypt, Edom and the Philistines.

comeandreason.com

Judgment is coming. God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world for her sins. The present world system will not escape the judgment of God. All human deeds are on record and there would be no room for falsification of facts. Every action of man will be judged. Every thought (good or bad) will be brought to light. Boys and girls, and all adults of every race and in every continent will face the consequences of their professions.

The treatment we give to the word of God will determine our eternal destiny. Therefore, believers should not relax in their evangelistic outreaches because the judgment of God remains unchanging for all unrepentant souls from generation to generation.

Persecutors of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will not escape the wrath of God except they repent. The train of God’s judgment is coming slowly but surely and it is important for all and sundry to be prepared.

*THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:* Judgment day is coming!

Jesus has taken judgment for those believe His death on the cross paid the price for sin. He was buried and resurrected proving He has power over death and sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him.

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries
%d bloggers like this: