Notes 12/23/16

December 24, 2016

Numbers 11:1  And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

God didn’t mess around with these complainers. He burned them up. That’s what we ought to do with our complaints

Numbers 11:6  But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

The bread is not enough. Jesus is not enough. The Bible is not enough. Everything that God provides is never enough. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

 

Numbers 11:13  Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

GIVE US FLESH!!!!

Numbers 11:15  And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

KILL ME!!!! It seems like Moses is not any less a complainer than the ones he’s complaining about.

Numbers 11:16  And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

Sounds like Moses has got Elijah syndrome

Numbers 11:20  But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

The opposite of being filled with the Spirit; filled with the flesh. We ought to not be greedy. We ought to be careful what we beg for. Proof that God will give you what you ask for even if it’s not his will.

Numbers 11:25  And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

The Spirit?

Numbers 11:26  But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

Eldad and Medad. Thought to be of unworth. No fit to be in the tabernacle.

Numbers 11:31  And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

The wind bloweth where it listeth. Verse 30, Moses and elders were not prophesying.  Only Eldad and Medad.

Numbers 11:34  And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

No more seconds. I’m satisified with what God gives me. I don’t need a double portion. I’m fine.

Numbers 12:1  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

God is not a bigot.

Numbers 12:8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Don’t speak against God’s man, or any of God’s servants for that matter.

Numbers 12:14  And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

Seven days of punishment is good. Don’t let people off so easy. Let them stew a little while. It takes concrete days to cure right.

Numbers 12:15  And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

But, the whole church stuck around with her until the cleansing was done. Good picture, huh

Numbers 13:18  And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;

What are we looking for? Strong or weak, few or many? good or bad? tents or strong holds? fat or lean? wood or not?

Numbers 13:20  And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.

It the time of the firstripe grapes.

Numbers 13:23  And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

Grapes, Pomegranates, and Figs!

Numbers 13:25  And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

Moses forty days in the mount. Jesus forty days in the wilderness. Noah forty days in the ark.

Numbers 13:30  And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Go up. Possess it. Overcome it. Go. Go. Go. That different Spirit says go, go, go!

Numbers 13:31  But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Negative Nancy. What are the names of those guys again?

Numbers 13:33  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Grasshopper syndrome!

Numbers 14:1  And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

Bunch of cry babies! Butch up. Get in there and possess it!!!

Numbers 14:4  And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Jerks! After all that God did and Moses did? Let go back! What a bunch of jerks. Go back for all I care is what I’d say if I were Moses. But God said there’s no going back. Can’t go back. There is no more sacrifice for sin. Hebrews 6.

Numbers 14:6  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

Don’t let up Joshua and Caleb! It is bad. Stick to your guns. Don’t give in to these cowards. Don’t give in to the flesh. Stand against it. Fight against it. Make known your stance. Let’s have some debate. don’t just sit idly by as other ruin the church. Or don’t just let the flesh run with this thing!!!!!

Mortify the dead of the flesh. Vs 37 they died in a plague. Moritfied

Numbers 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

The glory of the Lord saved Joshua and Caleb because they were about to be stoned.

Numbers 14:20  And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

Apparently, the previous prayer of Moses was okay. He kinda put God in a spot. He was worried about what people of the lands would think of God. Seems petty, but maybe it’s not. God was apparently concerned. Maybe we ought to be.

Numbers 14:24  But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Spirit filled? Only Caleb and Joshua were going over into the promised land. Why? Different spirit. Test the spirits, I would. You never know. Might find out you got a Negative Nahbi spirit.

Numbers 14:32  But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

As for you, flesh, you’re done. Die in the wilderness like you wanted to. You’re done old flesh. You can’t go over and you’re not going over. You’re not hold me back anymore. I’m bound for the promised land.

Numbers 14:34  After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

40 for 40. Odd. Think abou this.

Numbers 14:37  Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

They died in the wilderness. Mortified.

Numbers 14:40-45  And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.  (41)  And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.  (42)  Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.  (43)  For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.  (44)  But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.  (45)  Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

Sorry, you gave up your chance. You’re not going over. Sad, but good. We don’t do things on our own. We walk with the Lord. We go no up without Him. It’s not what or when we want, it’s what and when he wants.

Numbers 15:15-16  One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.  (16)  One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

One faith, One Lord, One Spirit, One Baptism

Numbers 15:24  Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

RECIPE FOR ATONEMENT. Not just this verse, there’s many like this. But it would be nice to enumerate the different types of sacrifices and expound on their signification

Numbers 15:32  And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

Stick gatherer? A type of Christ. He gathered a cross, and a crown of thorns, the sticks in his hands and feet, the stick in his side.

Numbers 15:39-41  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:  (40)  That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.  (41)  I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

Blue ribbons for rememberance. Remember the commandements? Or is it remember the Lord your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

What’s will help you do right? To remember the commandments, the laws, the statutes, and the ordinances. Or remember the one that saved you?

 

 

 

 

Numbers 10:2 The calling of the assembly…

December 24, 2016

Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

If you are remotely acquainted with Christian doctrine and the Bible, it’s very hard to read this verse and not think of another:

1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

The trump of God, Amen! The sound we long to hear! The sound that will mark the beginning of that glorious meeting in the air! Can you imagine yourself busy at work, doing you daily duties, concentrating at the task at hand, with your nose to the grindstone so to speak? And all of sudden, you hear piercing through the air, a sound that no mortal man has ever heard, a sound that stirs, excites, and resonates in the soul of every blood-bought Christian; the clear trumpet sound from heaven calling for the assembly of the redeemed to a meeting in the air.

Numbers 10:8  And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

For ever shall the trumpets blow. For ever have the trumpets blown. Everything that Moses was commanded to make was just a shadow of what we find in heaven, including the trumpets. There is an original in heaven. People for years have searched for the ark of the covenant, the one that the Israelites made. It, however, is just a replica. The original one is safe in glory.

Hebrews 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

I wonder, even today, every time the people of God assemble, do the trumpets in heaven ring? I don’t know. But I know one day the heavens will part, and the Lord himself shall descend and with him the clear ringing of the heavenly trumpet of the Lord. The Bible says that the trumpets were used for the journeying of the camps. One day, child of God, we’re going on a journey. One day, the trumpets will sound, and it’ll be getting up time.

Revelation 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

What did that trumpet say? Come up hither! Bless the Lord! We are the church; the eklesia; the called-out assembly!  Praise God.

Numbers 7:89 Then he heard the voice…

December 23, 2016

And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

Chapter 7 of Numbers is probably one of the toughest chapters to get through in the Bible. Psalm 119 might be a little difficult also. Our family is planning a special Psalm 119 Day because it’s so long. It’s possible that a Numbers 7 Day might also be in order. It can get difficult especially at 11:30 at night after a long hard day of work.

In this chapter, is a description of all the offerings that tribes of Israel were bringing to tabernacle after it was reared up for the first time. In wagons they brought all these animals and things; and Numbers goes through each tribe and repeats the whole list over and over for each tribe. They all brought the same thing:

It would be good challenge to memorize this list.  The bible repeats this twelve times for the twelve tribes. We’re barely getting through it. Everybody is falling asleep. My speach is slurring. Finny is out. Ben is out. Eyes are dropping. But then, we get to this last verse; and we see that it was worth it all.

Reading it is hard enough. Can you imagine those who actually had to perform this. All the work in building the tabernacle: the curtains, the coverings, the pillars, the instruments, the vessels, the ark, the altar, the laver, the rods, the pins, the gold, the silver, the brass, etc… Can you imagine the extreme amount of work and faith that building such a thing required. And then all these animals that were gathered and prepared and made ready. And then all the blood, all the fire, all the ashes, and all the work done in the offerings and sacrifices.

After all that, Moses entered the tabernacle, and then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony. Oh how it was worth it to hear the voice of God! All your labors in the word and in prayer will not go unrewarded. The best times of my life have been in bible reading and in prayer with the Lord. It’s worth it. Don’t let up.

After the tabernacle was reared up, everyday a different tribe brought their offerings. The first day was Judah. The second day was Issachar. The third day was Zebulun; and on down to the twelfth day. They all had to wait. Moses had to wait. But after twelve days, the Lord spoke. Hang in there, Chrisitian. God will speak.

Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

Revelation 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

Revelation 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

Revelation 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:6  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes 12/22/16

December 23, 2016

(Numbers 4:15)  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

 

(Numbers 4:20)  But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

Lest they die. Serious statement in these verse. Something to ponder on.

(Numbers 5:2)  Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:

Every leper, every issue, and all defiled. Diseased, dead, defiled. Jesus said that he came that we might have life. All three concern the physical flesh of man.

(Numbers 5:27)  And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

I got to admit, I wonder about the man. What happens when the wife is jealous that the man is unfaithful. Was this law used in that manner also?

(Numbers 6:6)  All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.

(Numbers 6:7)  He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

No funerals for you. That is if you are a Nazarite. Sorry, I can’t go to the funeral, I’m a Nazarite.

(Numbers 6:18)  And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

A hair sacrifice. I think that’s funny.

Numbers 6:24-27  The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:  (25)  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  (26)  The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.  (27)  And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

Everybody repeats this everywhere. Yet nobody reads the book of numbers. Chapter 7 has 89 verses. That’s probably why.

Numbers 7:9  But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.

I wonder if this is a picture of the cross. Jesus said to deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow me. No wagons for you! It’s not going to be easy. It’s a burden. It’s work. It’s hard. What is this a picture of? Maybe bearing each other’s burdens.

Numbers 7:89  And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

This is written after 80 verses of describing the offerings of the twelve tribes. I almost have it memorized.

Take a long time to read all that twelve times for the twelve different tribe. But in the end it’s worth it. In the end, Moses heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat.

And he spake unto him! Bless the Lord!

Numbers 8:11  And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.

A Levite offering? There is much in the law regarding offerings that are not animals to be killed. Levite offering, meat offering, Navarite hair sacrifice, vows, vows, vows… Much to be considered.

Numbers 8:18  And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

What a trade? I don’t understand all this. Obviously Jesus is the only begotten. But the firstborn. There was no second born begotten of God except us I suppose. We’re children of God.

All the firstborn are the Lords. So instead of the all the firstborns serving in the tabernacle. A Levite would take your place if you were a first born. This is a life-long substitution that takes place for the first born. Definitely something to think about.

Numbers 9:6-14  And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:  (7)  And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?  (8)  And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.  (9)  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (10)  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.  (11)  The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  (12)  They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.  (13)  But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.  (14)  And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

The passover trumps all. All the uncleaness in the world should keep you from the passover. This is good stuff. There’s no sin that will keep you from Jesus. The passover is a must.

Numbers 9:16  So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

ALWAY.  And lo, I will be with you ALWAY. The Holy Ghost is the cloud that covers us by day, and the first by night. He stays with us, he goes with us. Jesus said the Holy Ghost would abide wits us forever. He would baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire. The cloud and the fire.

Numbers 9:23  At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Picture of a Spirit-filled Christian, He does what God says. He goes where God says. He stays where God says.

Numbers 10:2  Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

The calling of the assembly. When the trump of God will sound, we’re getting out of here.

Numbers 10:8  And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

See? Forever.

Numbers 10:10  Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.

Blow your trumpet on Sunday! Shout it out!

Numbers 10:29  And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.

So much here.

Numbers 10:35  And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.

We serve a risen Lord!

 

Leviticus 27:11 The beast before the priest…

December 21, 2016

And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the LORD, then he shall present the beast before the priest:

Chapter 27 is in regards to the law pertaining to vows. I remember several years ago, I heard Brother Don Green preach and he said this, “You’re never gonna get anywhere with God without making some vows.”

Best I could tell, Israelites were allowed to dedicate either themselves, their children, their beasts, their house, part of their fields to the LORD. Whatever was vowed would be dedicated to some sort of service to the tabernacle. These vows would given a monetary value by the priest. What happened was he who vowed it would also redeem it for a certain price. Apparently, according to a lot of popular commentaries, there seemed to be a purpose in all this value estimating; that it prevented people from making frivolous, boastful vows. In other words, it forced them to put their money where their mouth was. You couldn’t vow everything you had because you’d go broke.

So you had to really mean it. The vow was performed and eventually redeemed, sometimes redeemed right away. This is the picture I get though from this: Say a man vows himself, and he was between 20 and 50 so his price was 50 shekels. Say he can’t perform his vow. Seems to me that to make it good, he has to be redeemed. What if he doesn’t have the money to redeem himself? Now what? So let me ask you this: What if we had to pay some amount of money, if we chose to not perform our vows?

What if, for example, we go through this whole baby dedication ritual some people do where you present the baby before the Lord and dedicate him to the Lord and vow to raise that child up in the nuture and admonition of the Lord. What happens when you don’t? What if the church would start sending out bills of redemption for every child that was dedicated and isn’t in church? Or how about sending out redemption bills to all those men and women that passed to the front and then passed through the back door and never came back again. I’m just kidding.

I want to say this: We’re just a beast before the priest. The Israelites were allowed to offer any beast, clean or unclean. The unclean ones were brought before the priest. And he was to determine how much worth they were worth based on how much they can do. The priest would put a redemption price on that beast. Look, you might not be much. You might have some blemish, or something wrong with you. You might not see yourself fit to serve the Lord. You might think that God will never use you. You know if animals could talk, maybe some unclean beast in the back of someone’s field might say, “I ain’t never gonna be sacrificed upon the brazen altar. What an honor it would be for my flesh to go up in the fire a sweet savor unto God! But I’m unclean. I’ll never enter the tabernacle.”

But then one day, his master tied a rope around his neck and walked him to the tabernacle. It all happened real fast so he didn’t understand really what was going on, but time seemed to stop when he found himself before the high priest. He never thought in his wildest dreams that this beast would be before the priest. And the high priest looked down upon him, pet his head, and rubbed his fur, and considered, “What can this beast do? What can this beast accomplish? What can I use you for? How much are you worth to me?” And the beast wonders, “How? How could I ever be considered?”

Somebody vowed a vow. I’ll tell you where vows will get you? Under the careful consideration of our high priest, Jesus Christ. He is made an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. (Heb 6:20) He is made high priest after the power of an endless life. (Heb 7:16) Can I say this: Don’t give up. Perform your vows before your God. He cares about these things. He cares for you.

Leviticus 23:22 Leave them unto the poor…

December 20, 2016

And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

The law was given to the Israelites. And the law is for sin. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of the world doesn’t need the law; that the rest of the world does not sin. We know this because “Death reigned from Adam to Moses.” (Romans 5:14) In the law is proclaimed what sin is and the punishment for it. The wages of all sin for all sinners has always been death. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law.” (Romans 2:12) All the law applies to all.

This verse also is in the law and applies to all. Thou shalt leave them unto the poor. The law demands mercy. The law demands compassion. When we think of the law, we think eye for eye and tooth for tooth. The rigid, stern death of the law is a picture into the mind and heart of God and shows us what he thinks of sin. Likewise, this verse is also a picture into the mind and heart of God, but shows us what he thinks of the sinner. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” (Matthew 5:3)

God says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) There’s nothing holy about us save the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23) As the law demands sacrifice from all for sin, so also it demands mercy from all. Mercy is part of God’s holiness.

God the Father provided the sacrifice through His Son and his righteousness is fulfilled in us. But do the requirements of the law end there? Remember the parable of the unforgiving servant. “O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?” (Matthew 18:32,33)

Look not to yourself to perform such requirements. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it…” (Phillipians 1:6) Just as the Father provided the sacrifice through His Son, He’ll perform the mercy, compassion, and love in us through His Spirit. He does it all. All we must do is let Him. Wouldn’t you like to love like He’s loved you.


 

Notes 12/20/16

December 20, 2016

Leviticus 21:7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

Leviticus 21:14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

These are more verses on divorce and remarriage. The condition of one that is divorced. They are not clean. There is something wrong.

Leviticus 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Yummy!

Leviticus 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.

Leviticus 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

I wonder what’s in here regarding Pentecost in the New Testament and the promise of the Holy Spirit and the church.  Bro. Janow used to say something about the loaves and such? What’s the leaven got to do with anything?

Leviticus 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

The gleanings? Ruth and Naomi of course. The mercy of God. The sparrows are fed. There’s plenteous in the gleanings. God’s compassion and concern. God’s eye is upon the poor. Blessed are the poor in Spirit.

Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

Sticks? The cross maybe?

Leviticus 24:4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning… Altar fire is also perpetual. Altar fire vs lamp fire.

Leviticus 24:12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.

This is about the son who blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. What do you do with someone like this?

Leviticus 24:20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

The law. This is fairness.

Leviticus 25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Yippee! Jubilee!

Leviticus 25:21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

Fruitfulness! God’s fruit lasts.

Levitucus 25:31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.

Huh?

Leviticus 25:36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

Becareful with this interest thing. I don’t think God likes it too much. Money changing like stock market and anuities and such, money working seems to be different than just a loan. I don’t know.

I’m free on Jubilee!

Leviticus 25:44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

Slaves are cool!

Leviticus 25:47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family:

In stock and ready to go.

For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Servanthood.  We are servants. Not bondmen (slaves). But we do have a master.

Leviticus 20:23 Therefore I abhorred them…

December 19, 2016

And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Leviticus 20 concerns the law of immorality. It’s as if God in these few chapters has addressed all the immorality of Genesis and Exodus. We read all this sometimes wondering if God was okay with it. Honestly, it’s very troubling to read, especially out loud with your kids. Did God let people get away with that stuff? If you read your bible, you know what I’m talking about.

The first books of the Bible is plagued with immorality. There was problem with the marrying that was going on before the flood. The Bible says “The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.” (Genesis 6:2,3) …And the Lord Said! There was something about their marrying and giving away in marriage that God didn’t like. There was something wicked happening when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men. (Genesis 6:4,5)

“Cursed be Canaan” (Genesis 9:25) because his father Ham saw the nakedness of his father Noah. Milcah, Terah’s daughter, married her Father’s brother, Nahor. Abraham married his sister, “And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.” (Genesis 20:12) There’s just something wrong with that.

When Abraham and Sarai came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was fair, and Pharoah just took the woman into his house. Today that’s called kidnapping, human-trafficking, and rape. When Abraham and Sarai apparently couldn’t conceive a child, they take things into their own hands, and “Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” (Genesis 16:2) That’s just not right.

And then there is Sodom, where the angels of God and Lot are threatened by a militant, violent, dangerous crowd of queers. They compassed Lot’s house and demanded, “Bring them unto us, that we my know them!” (Genesis 19:5) And if that’s not bad enough, Lot, to save his neck, offers his two daughters to this crowd. “Let me bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes.” (Genesis 19:8) That is sick. And so are the things that Lot’s daughters did with him while he was drunk to preserve seed. (Genesis 19:32)

Then Jacob got the wrong wife? Then he got the right wife? Then he got the wrong wife’s handmaid? And the right wife’s handmaid? There’s laws against this in most states nowadays! And of all those children that those women had: Dinah, Leah’s daughter, was taken and defiled by Shechem (Genesis 34:2); Reuben and his father’s concubine were not doing right (Gen 35:22); Judah, came in unto who he though was a harlot, but was his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38:16); Joseph landed in prison after he turned down the proposition from the wife of his boss, “Lie with me.” (Genesis 39:7)

God only knows what they did in Egypt. They had one worship service go long and they all bailed on Moses and started dancing naked around a golden calf. And the associate pastor, Aaron, led the way! It’s somewhat difficult to explain these things to your children when you’re trying to read to them the Word of God. It’s just weird.

But then we come to Leviticus 18,19, and 20, and God lays down the law. Things seem to be cleared up concerning these matters. God gives us the dos and the don’ts in all this. Really, he gives us all the don’ts. And concerning these don’ts, the Lord says, “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.” They’re still committing all these things. And God still abhors them.

I say all this to say this: Sexual immorality is prevalent throughout the scriptures, and God spends three whole chapters in his law dealing with this sort of thing. It’s a serious thing. Don’t ever think that you are above this sort of thing or immune to it. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was taken in by this sin. If you’re married, cleave to that husband or wife; and hold on until death do you part. If you’re not married, then cleave unto your mother and father until God gives you a husband or a wife. God’s way is a safe way and a good way.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

 

Leviticus 15:4 Every thing shall be unclean…

December 19, 2016

Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

This was concerning a running issue of his flesh. This is a picture of a lost man, a sick man with running sores, bleeding, oozing, unclean, unhealed, infected with sin. He is unclean and everything he touches he makes unclean. In this passage we see the fullness of his uncleanness. Every bed he lies on shall be unclean. He cannot sleep in peace. Everything that he sits upon shall be unclean. He cannot dwell in peace. Every saddle he rides shall be unclean. He cannot go anywhere in peace. Every earthen vessel he touches shall be unclean. He cannot eat in peace. Everything he comes in contact is mired by his uncleanness and tainted and stained by his running sores.

And anybody that touches the bed where he lied, or touches the seat where he sat, or touches the saddles where he rode, or touches the cups or plates from where he ate and drank shall also be unclean. Everything he touches he destroys. And anybody that comes in contact with what he’s ruined will partake in his ruin. “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” (Romans 14:7)

A lost man seeks to make himself to appear clean. It may be through his religion. He goes to church, gives, and does good deeds. It may be through his position in society. He has friends and social status. Everybody likes him and gets along with him. It may be through his economic status. He’s successful and his family is well taken care of. Maybe he thinks that he’s a jolly good fellow. He’ll use anything and everything to cover his running sores. But the Bible says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper..” (Proverbs 28:13) His covering will never contain the uncleanness that comes forth. His coverings will only rot with him. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6) Everything shall be unclean.

O, But how God has cleansed us from through the blood of Jesus Christ! “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” (Revelation 1:5)

How God has cleansed us through the Holy Ghost! “He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5)

How God has cleansed us through his Word! “He might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26,27)

I’m so glad that I’m saved. I’m so glad that I’m clean. I remember that glorious day when I met the Lord Jesus Christ. He found me a dirty, filthy, sinful, unclean wretch. “He clutched his old rags, and shivered in the shadows. Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee!”  He planted me by the rivers of water, never to be unclean again.

Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

And now His song to me is “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” (Song of Solomon 4:7)

The Spirit of Him that Raised Up Jesus From the Dead

December 18, 2016

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

There’s three things I’d like you to see in the subject of the text that have come out to me; three things just regarding the words of the text. I’d like to cover them as a sort of introduction before we get into the action of the text.

If… he dwells in you…

Verse nine says IF so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Verse nine asks  IF any man have the Spirit of Christ.  Verse 10 IF Christ be in you.  Paul puts it out there three times. IF! IF! IF! Salvation is one big IF.

Salvation is one big IF.  If is a condition. Salvation is conditional. People are saved IF they meet the conditions.  Not everybody is getting in. Not everybody has met the condition.  Salvation is not just a big IF; a condition, but it’s also an EXCEPTION. An IF is a condition that invokes a rule. An exception is a condition that breaks the rule. An exception is kinda like an if turned inside out.

The rule is: ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, ye shall all likewise perish, you cannot see the kingdom of God, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God, you cannot come to Jesus. The rule is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The rule is that there’s none righteous, no not one. The rule is they’ve all gone astray. That’s the rule and it will never change. It will always be true. It’s the law. It’s the rule. Unless, there exist an exception: except ye be converted, except ye repent, except a man be born again, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.

Those EXCEPTIONs are really inside out IFs: If ye be converted, if ye repent, if a man be born again, if the Father which hath sent me draw him… IF. IF. IF.

Paul is giving us these great truths about about being in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation. We’re free from the law of sin and death. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. That old body, the body of this death, is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life. Praise God. But none of this is so, none of this is ours, unless we meet the conditions, unless we meet the IFs.

Another name…

We talked about the names of the Spirit: The Spirit, The Holy Ghost, The Spirit of God, The Spirit of Your Father, The Spirit of Our Father, The Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Truth, The Spirit of Holiness, The Spirit of Life, The Spirit of the Living God, The Holy Spirit of Promise, The Spirit of Glory.

Just in these few verses (9-11), the Holy Ghost is the Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ. But here we have a new name: The Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead. What a name? This is the name that declares the live-giving, resurrecting power of God. The Spirit of Him that raised the dead, who made the dead to live (made the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak), this Spirit dwells in you.

What a name? This is the Spirit that can do the impossible. This is the Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters when the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. This is the Spirit that can give life; not just change it, but give it.  “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) This is the Spirit that gets the job done.  He is the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead, and he dwells in you.

Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I’ll tell you who: The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead. The bible says “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Who is going to make all thing new? Who is it that will throw out the old and usher in the new? The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead. 

Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4) I’ll tell you how: The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:6-8) Who shall bring forth this new child of God? Who shall deliver and birth this new life? The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead.

What a name! This name declares the life-giving power of God. Thus declares the deity of the Holy Spirit; that the Holy Spirit is in fact, truly God. Only God can have this kind of power. In the book of Job, it is written, “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4) One of the divine attributes of God is what we call omnipotence.  Omnipotence means “to have all power.” I want to stress to you that the Holy Spirit is not power. Instead, He has power. This is an important distinction. Cults like the Jehovah Witnesses believe and teach that the Holy Spirit is God’s power, His force on this earth, that the Holy Ghost is not a distinct person, but a power. He is not power, He possesses and wields power.

After Jesus came out of the desert, the bible says that “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee…” (Luke 4:14) When Peter preached to Cornelius, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power…” (Acts 10:38) Paul admonished the Romans at the end of his letter “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13) And to the Corinthians, Paul said, “My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4)

In all these verses, there is a distinction between the Holy Spirit and power. If there was no distinction, then the Bible would simply be redundant: Jesus would have returned in the power of the power. Jesus would have been anointed with the power and the power. We’d abound in hope through the power of the power. Paul’s preaching was in demonstration of the power and the power.

The Holy Spirit possesses power; the power of Him that raised Jesus from the dead. You see the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit in the birth of Jesus Christ.

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

That’s how I became a son of God. The Bible says “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…” (John 1:12) When I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, the Holy Ghost had come upon me, and the power of the Highest overshadowed me. The last thing that the angel Gabriel told Mary was “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37) This is the Spirit that can do the impossible. O, the possibilities of the Spirit. What an amazing thought: Now, in the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God in you, all things are possible. Think of the possibilities of these verses:

For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:19,20)

What is possible through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. What sin can be forgiven? What faults and failures can be made right? What battles can be won? What victory can be wrought? What glory can be given to God? What souls can be saved? What lives can be changed? O, How Christ shall be magnified through the supply of the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead?

The other day, a man came to the shop driving a big truck; a Peterbilt. He needed a special bracket for his truck to hold a tool box of some sort. As he explained his need, I marveled at the truck he was driving. I’ve always been fascinated with trucks, and the trucking industry. I’m amazed at how neglected this profession is in the public schools. They tell you that you can become a doctor, or a doctor, or an engineer; but they never suggest that maybe a truck driver might be a perfectly reasonable occupation. I find it appalling because everything that we use, we eat, we buy and sell, comes in on a truck. Everything in your house, whether it be the floor, the cinder blocks, the concrete, the roofing materials, the furniture; every single bit of it came in on a truck. Everything comes in on a truck, yet in the public schools, you never hear a word of it.

I was telling this customer about all this, and he said, “Logistics! That’s called logistics.” And that’s exactly what it’s called. It’s about how to get supplies from one place to the next. Whether it be FedEx, or UPS, or USPS, or Central Freight, or Southwestern, or Estes, or Old Dominion; everything must be transported one way or another on a truck, and that’s called logistics. Well, then he said this and I’ll never forget it: “Do you know how we won World War II?” And of course I said “How?” He said “Superior logistics!” We were better able and equipped to run the supply lines to the front line than our enemy was.

You think about this. Fighting the battle is not just about pulling a trigger, or shooting a grenade. There are things that have to take place in the background in order to fight a winning battle. Troops must have ammunition; fire power, bullets, grenades and such. They have to have food. They’re not going to last long without food and water. They have to have power; that’s the gasoline to run the tanks, trucks, and other things; kerosene, diesel, jet fuel, and sometimes in the sky they need it. They need healing, medical personal and supplies. Soldiers get hurt and soldiers get sick. I’m sure there’s a lot of things they need in order to obtain success and victory on the front line. In World War II, this gentleman said that we had superior logistics. We were able to keep the supply lines running smooth. Whereas the Germans, we took out their bridges and their roads. We cut off their logistics.

I’ll tell you how were going to win this battle against the flesh; against the world and against the devil. Superior Logistics! We have got superior logistics, the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. With Him, we can get the job done. With Him, the possibilities are endless if He’ll keep the supply lines running. What victory we can have if the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead supplies the need? What happens on the front line depends on what’s going on with the supply line. Don’t forget that.

When the battle gets tough. And it seems there’s no way to win. It seems like the way before you is impossible. Remember, we have superior logistics. It’s the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead that dwells and lives within that controls the supply line.

Him… He… His…

I believe this verse gives us the the perfect opportunity to cover an important doctrine of the Bible. It’s one that is taken for granted, in many ways perhaps. A doctrine that we take for granted in that we just assume that it is correct. A doctrine that we take for granted in that we are not able to defend it. A doctrine that we take for granted in that we may be easily swayed on it. A doctrine that we take for granted in that we mark not the importance and relevance of this doctrine. I speak of the doctrine of the Trinity. I’m not going to cover it all of course. I’ve got just a few things to say about it.

I see three people in this eleventh verse of the eighth chapter of Romans: The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus. You have the Spirit.  You have him. And you have Jesus.  In this verse, we see Spirit capitalized twice and Jesus and Christ both capitalized. But hidden in this passage is a the little him, and the little he, and the little his.  Small little words, yet they stand in the place of our Heavenly Father. So it’s somewhat obsure, yet clear that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost all take their place in this verse.

All three take place in this great salvation that we’ve been given. All three are involved in saving you. All three are interested in your soul. All three love you and care for you. All three are working in you to make you and mould you into what God wants you to be. I’m in the Spirit and the Spirit is in me. I’m in Christ, and Christ is in me. And through the Spirit of His Son, Jesus Christ, I’m in the Father and the Father in me. That’s why Matthew 28:19 is our creed. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

But I want us to see the Father in all this. The Son did not act alone. He did the will of the Father. Jesus said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
” (John 6:38) He prayed on the Mount of Olives before he went to the cross, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

The Holy Spirit does not act alone. The Bible says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13) Jesus and the Holy Spirit do not act independently of the Father. The Father is always behind the scenes.

So we see the Holy Trinity in this verse. Consider John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” I, God the Son, will pray God the Father, and he shall give you God the Holy Spirit. This whole thing about walking in the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, serving God in the newness of spirit, this quickening in the Spirit… It is the will of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They’re all three pulling for you. All three want to see you living for Him. They all want to help you. They all want what’s best for you.

But the Father? The Father sent the Son. The Father sent the Spirit. It’s the will of the Father that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. Which brings us to the action of the text.

Shall also…

As we get into the action of the text, what is done, we see that Paul says, “Shall also!” I want to stress again by these two words shall also that our new life in Jesus Christ is given to us by the same hand that raised Jesus from the dead, the hand of the Father himself. God the Father did not just finish with the resurrection with his Son. No, the bible says:

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Now, this scripture in 1 Corinthians speaks of a physical resurrection at his coming. Christ is the firstfruits concerning the resurrection when the end cometh. Paul addresses this in his letter to the Thessalonians:

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

All that is well and good. He says to comfort one another and it does comfort me. But in Romans 8, Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection, yet so are we.  Paul said to the Thessalonians I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep. Paul was teaching the brethren about people that are dead. You are not dead. You are alive and breathing. So this may give you comfort regarding your loved ones that have died in the Lord, or comfort regarding yourselves when you die. But what Paul is handling in Romans is NOW; the life-giving, resurrecting power that is available to us now.

Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection of our physical bodies when this is all done. When Jesus comes in the clouds, we will experience a physical bodily resurrection. When you get saved though, you experience a spiritual bodily resurrection.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (Romans 6:3-5)

The likeness of his death, and the likeness of his resurrection. My body was not physically nailed to a the same cross as Jesus Christ, and neither was Paul’s.  But he can say as well as I, “I’m crucified with Christ.”  I have been planted in the likeness of his death. Remember, Paul asked, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” And then in verse 10, he said, “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin.” Then in verse 11, he says that the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

God’s resurrection plan is not on hold until the end of times. No. Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Yes. But so are we. You ask “What are you talking about, preacher?” James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:17,18) Oh Yes!

There is a quickening that takes place in your soul, in your spiritual body. There is a death and there is a resurrection. We’ve got that I’m crucified with Christ part down pretty good. It’s the nevertheless I live part that we have trouble with sometimes. When Jesus died on the cross, our sin was put in him. He became sin for us. He paid the price upon that cross. They took him down and put him in that tomb. On the third day, when he rose from the dead, he had no sin.  My sins are gone.

They were not as far as the west is from the east. (Psalm 102:12) They are gone! There were not sealed up in a bag. (Job 14:17) They are gone! They were not thrown in the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19) They are gone! They were not cast behind his back. (Isaiah 38:17) They are gone! Sometime between the crucifixion and the resurrection, God has taken my sins away, and made them to be no more.

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:24)

You might ask, “Preacher, what about the sins we’ve yet to commit? What about my future sin?” When Jesus died on the cross, ALL our sins were future sins. He’s the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

What I want you to see though is this: We can look at the cross as a place where our sins where nailed. But that is not entirely correct. Our sin was place in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he was nailed to the cross. But that is not entirely correct either. Paul said I am crucified with Christ. Can I say this: Our spiritual bodies, dead in their trespasses and sin, and awaiting the judgement of God, was clothed in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus walked that body all the way up to mount Calvary. And when his body was nailed to that cross, our body was nailed to that cross, with all it’s sin. And there the wages of sin were paid, through the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When he cried with a loud voice, “It is finished!” and bowed his head and gave up the ghost. That was the Holy Ghost. I believe the Holy Ghost left Jesus with the unholy ghosts. Just like the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form on the Jordan River, he ascended and left Jesus with our spiritual bodies to die on the cross.

But on the third day, when his body got up out of that tomb, our bodies got up with him. And when his body got up and our spiritual bodies got up, the sin was gone. Gone! Nevertheless I live. Because he lives, I live. The Bible says, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1)

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

You might read that and say, “Preacher, it says mortal bodies not spiritual bodies.”

I’ll say this. Mortal means “subject to death.” What we can glean from this is that the Spirit of God makes that which is subject to death no longer subject to death. If you are not saved, you have a mortal spiritual body and a mortal physical body. If you are not saved, you have a spiritual body that is subject to death and physical body that is subject to death.

If you are saved, you have an immortal spiritual body and a mortal physical body (that will resurrect). If you are saved, you have a spiritual body that is not subject to death, nor ever will be; and you have a physical body that subject to death that will resurrect in that last day.

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (this speaks of the physical body and the resurrection at the last day) : And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:24,25)

And that speaks of the spiritual body; the immortal spiritual body of the saved.  Jesus is not contradicting himself. He’s just talking about two different things. If you are saved, you’re spiritual body will never die and your physical body will resurrect later. If you are lost, you’re spiritual body is subject to death, it’s mortal.

I know it’s tempting to think that Romans 8:11 is talking about the resurrection at the last day.  But let me say this, if your spiritual body is not immortal, raised from the dead, by the power of the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead, then your physical body is not going anywhere, in this life or in the life to come. If there is not something in you alive and kicking that is stirring you and working in you to live for God… If there is not enough power in you to move your physical body in this life, on this earth toward heaven and the things of God, then what makes you think there will be enough power in you to raise your physical body from the dead at the last day. I’ve heard some preachers say, “If your salvation or religion is not enough to take you to church, what makes you think it’ll take you to heaven?”

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

He SHALL ALSO. This verse can be a demonstration of our faith; an object of our faith. You can put your faith and trust in this verse. Paul said, “The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God…” I believe God. That’s why we pray that God would use us, and fill us, and live that life in us. We do it because we believe. We ask God because we believe he’ll do it.We sing that song Take My Life because we believe he’ll do it!

Take my life and let it be,
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

He will take our life, if you let him have it. He shall quicken your mortal bodies, if you’ll let him. He will live his life through you, if you want him. Don’t you want him to take your life? What are you gonna do with it? What have you done with it so far? Why don’t you let him have it? Or maybe I should ask why don’t you let your life go?

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

What God has for you, he’s already done for you through the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s yours for the taking and the trusting.

His power can make you what you ought to be;
His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free;
His love can fill your soul, and you will see
’Twas best for Him to have His way with thee.

Know that the God the Father, He that raised up Christ from the dead, SHALL ALSO quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. That’s what He’s there for. Won’t you let him.