Thirty days of Grace

53:181118

Thirty days of Grace

   Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?” And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.” Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. ‘And if a stranger dwells among you, and would keep the Lord’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land..”  Numb 9: 6~14

   In the scriptures there is Grace heaped upon Grace, wow just imagine that if you will for moment. What I’m talking about is of cause is the ‘Passover’. From this there is a question raised?...

Q  “ If a man was in a condition to observe that feast on the appointed day, was he to be debarred for a whole year? Some men found in this position were heard saying..’wherefore are we kept back” (V7)

   So, let’s look at FEAR, from 5 different points.

1) Unfitness. . . . . 2) Confession . . . . . 3) Provision . . . . .

4) Warning . . . . . 5)Invitation

   This was now a totally new difficulty, and Moses deal with it, just as in today, how we should deal with it all when it springs up before us. So without any hesitation Moses went out, and called upon our Lord God for direction.

   If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all, literally. The answer was plainly given, there has to be a special ‘Passover feast’, to be held on the fourteenth (14^th) day of the second day of the month. Though this has to be a special case, even all the provisions have been met. What would have to be made known, is that His Grace won’t always mean that these Riches’ are not of money, per-say.

1 Unfitness

“..Certain men were defiled that they could not keep

the ‘Passover’ on that day..”  (V6)

   The cause of their Unfitness to profit by the provision made by God on the fourteenth day of the first month was their uncleanness. There’ll be a number of you who will cry out, and profess they are without blemish. Here’s why we all have al sinned and so fallen short.  It’s what we do next on realization of committing sin. Due to this sin, we’re no longer in a place to receive God’s riches.

 “..If a person touches any unclean thing, whether 

it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock … ‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.." Leviticus 5: 2

   Being already sinners, not them, but only help to show their sinfulness. By the law knowledge of sin, unbelief unfits a man from receiving the benefits of Christ Jesus redeeming death. The defilement has been their own doing/making.  

2 Confession

“..And those men said to him, “We became defiled..” (V7)

   Passover was one of (if not the..) the most important dates on a Jewish Calendar, and today it is still as important. It was and is time they confessed Unfitness, and sought not to justify themselves. So, they presented themselves as ones disqualified because of their defilement, and begged for mercy & grace that these might reach and satisfy their souls.

   So many them can only try and imagine what it must be & feel like to be stoned by you community, even close friends as well as Family! Some would welcome being stoned because then they can try to heal at last the broken bones, with bruises fading over time.

#Confession will finally open the door#

   The grace of God, like a river that flows down into every crevice, or like the light of the Sun, will illuminate every corner, no matter how dark and dirty the corner may be, if only there was an opening toward it? 

#If only there was a man who open the door,

I will come into him#

(1 John 1:9)

“..if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us..” 
(1 John 1:9)

3 Provision

"..Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.." (v9~11)

      I know what you’re thinking, boxes of chocolate, sexy clothes for your loved one. Cards professing our everlasting love, and so much more. Gentiles have taken this date ’14 February’, then told on this date told to spend a month’s wages. Just to tell and be told how much it is to be loved on this date.

#When truthfully it is Passover time and 

NOT valentines!# 

   Between the first and the second Passover there are thirty days, these are days of Grace. If you somehow were to manage to miss both, there was no possibility of receiving a Passover blessing for the coming year. That has to be unbearable? This little blessing was instituted for the benefit of those who were disabled, is a beautiful little picture of the grace of God devising a plan of salvation for the helpless sinful man.

   Moses was only able to say in V8 “..Stand still and hear what the Lord will command concerning you..”

#Salvation is of the Lord#

   The law was given unto Moses, but grace and truth come by Jesus Christ. It’s suggestive that this special grace for the defiled, or the man that was ‘a far off’ on an journey, and so could not keep the feast of Passover.

“..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..”

Eph 2 : 13/13

  4 Warning

“..the man who is clean and is not on a journey,

and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be

cut off from among his people..” V13

   The Passover speaks of redemption. To those who willingly neglect this there is nothing for them but a fearful attitude towards ‘the Judgement day’.  There is no escaping this time when, all will be stripped bear, and all their life’s actions will be read out. Back then there was another action that was thought to be such a slight, that it would hold back all men that ‘not’ circumcised.

“..And the uncircumcised male child, who is not

circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut

off from his people; he has broken My covenant..” Gen 17: 14

 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  Heb 10: 26/31

  Surely to despise or even to neglect Grace, is to choose death?  Hoe can it have been seen that they would have escaped if they neglected even salvation?

5 Invitation

“.. If a stranger will keep the Passover so..” (V14)

   By invitation a total stranger (Gentile), may come with them and may be a participant of the blessing of this memorable feast. This action denotes of redemption by the blood of the Lamb is offered to all who will come into the camp.

“..Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood,

which is shed for you..”  Luke 22: 20

   How wonderfully fitting this is a typical of the great salvation, through the blood of the lamb of God. Through the sacrifice of our Lord, being covered by the blood has such power it should be one or the greatest gifts given unto us. But yet even today it still remains one of the most undervalued.

       “..And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.."   Rev 22: 17

  ^“.. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and 
to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members 
of the household of God..”

Eph 2: 17/19

Prayer

  In your love let all who are laden with burdens and worries, come freely and find shelter and rest. Let us ofer up our praises to the one true God in Heaven. No matter you concerns for today God has the answer. In our Lord Jesus' Name, Amen.

1 John ....

1 John

This Epistle ; Whilst anonymous, it is strongly linked to 'John'. It is widely regarded that 'John' spent his later years in Ephesus, and thus was written around AD: 90.

1. That they might be 'Happy'   1 v4
2. That they might be 'Holy'      2 v1
3. That they might be 'Safe'       2 v26
4. That they might be 'Know'    5 v13

Key Words of this Message are . . 

Happy ~ Holy ~ Safe ~ Know ~ Fellowship

The Joyful Life

1 John 1 4    “. . These things we write unto you, That your joy might be full . .”

1) The joy of forgiveness is the beginning of joy

   What John is trying to tell us here is, the fellowship with Him causes us to walk in the light, in the fellowship with other like-minded believers in the one-true-God, who is light.

John 11 9/10   “. .Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve

hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not

stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But

 if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the

light is not in him . .”

   I believe what Christ is alluding to here is that, if we have Christ living in us shining bright, His love & joy will spill out into our daily lives, thus illuminating all the shadows that cause us to stumble. This will give us Joy in the fellowship of other believers. From here we can find strength to . . forgive.

( I grew up knowing the Lord’s Prayer as thus) ..

“. . Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who

Trespass against us . .”

When, in all but he ‘Message’ version of the Bible it reads ..

“. .Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. .”

. . debts does not always me ‘monetary, we’re being told to forgive those who have wronged us, and them us. Day after day it will become harder, not only this, but slowly but surely, it will consume us from within, and destroying any and all Joy. Turning us into hard hearted and bitter, ending up, consuming all our Joy.

2) The Joy of fellowship is in fullness of Joy

   In the Joy of fellowship there are 4 elements that are key, they are ..

A.  Walking in the Light

B.  The Confession of Sin

C.  The forgiveness of Sin

D. The Cleansing of Sin

A)      Walking in the Light.. This will never be easy, always   testing you metal. Another way is to put a ‘fish’ on the back of your car. This tells everyone you live in the light, striving not to be wrong, only living right.

B)      The Confession of Sin .. Bringing you wrong doings to God, for His forgiveness. As we may tell others of your doings.

C)       Forgiveness of Sin. . Now we have ‘confessed our Sin, we can move on by asking for Forgiveness, as we have to ‘Forgive’ those who have wronged us.

D)     Cleansing of Sin. . When we are saved there comes a time to be ‘Baptized’. Here we submerged in water. Thus mimicking being born, or born again, cleansing us of ‘All’ Sin.

John 3 5/7  “. .Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to

you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,

he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is

 born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of

the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you,

‘You must be born

again.’. .”

                                 i.            Without new birth there is no ‘New-Life’.

                              ii.            New Birth gives new perspective, as we can now see the Kingdom of God

                           iii.            Through our new birth we are introduced into a new realm, allowed to enter the Kingdom we have been born-again into. Being born-again is more than just being ‘Saved’. It has re-qualified us and opening us up, waking us up to our new life and its possibilities.

The Victorious Life

1 John 2 1 “. .My little children these things Write I 

unto you, that ye may not sin. . “

   How many of you have children and constantly telling/warning them against doing things that are going to harm them? But, no matter what you say they go ahead anyway?  “My little children” were warned.

1.     The message “. .My little children. .” Was aimed so’s, to those who had already became so through Christ Jesus saving them.

2.   Bring Gods children through Christ Jesus, now meant that their lives were Victorious and now had become their own possession through Faith.                                                                

1 John 2 13  “.. I write ..because ye have overcome the wicked one..”                                            

3.   We must always remember that when we sin, and we will sin                   because we are made of flesh. So sadly we will always sin, take comfort in that there is an advocate for us.

4.   Advocacy is for ever at work for us through Jesus Christ. For those sinning saint (us), of which He carries unto the father. Where He restores the saint because of the sacrifice He has already paid.

5.    Dr Griff Thomas once said. “If any man sin, we have an advocate. There is no allowance for sin, but there is a perfect provision in case we do sin, no need to sin ~ no right to sin ~ no compromise with sin ~ no licence, but a provision in case we do. All ships have life boats these days, whilst no ship sails with the intention of sinking. We have 2 yes 2 advocates..

                     i.            Is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the direct advocate with the Heavenly Father.

                  ii.            The Holy Spirit in John’s gospel means also we have an advocate within us all.

   

   Before we move on tell me this ‘What do you term as Victorious? Is it where you follow your childhood dreams and become that Fireman/Nurse? Or, is that you design something that turns you into a multi-Billionaire? Or, Is it you train hard for a race, of which you win a Gold medal at the Olympics?

‘What do you term as Victorious?

The Safe Life

1 John 2 16  “. .These things I have written to you concerning

those who try to deceive/seduce you. .”

   How is it possible in today’s society to stay safe? When kids are able to take gun, and the like, into our schools, with the sole purpose to kill your friends & class mates. Or as in Paris and France that with thousands of people attending a concert and recently on Bastille Day, where a very large lorry was driven into a crowded area and killed 75. As well as those on that ill-fated night in Paris end up dead because of individuals who have had their heads turned. Thus they end up killing many many people.

Where and who is truly Safe?

1.     Heresy has been around since way before Jesus’ Christ time. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many anti-christs have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2 18)

   Who and what is the ‘Anti-Christ’? It is not only a mythical creature. With horns on its head and has a tail. Why do we draw in our minds images of him this way? I feel we do this so we can spot them in a crowd, thus giving us a fair warning.

2.   Psalm 119 117  “. .Hold me up and I shall be safe . .”  

   So we believers shall be safe, because we are guarded by His Holy anointing.

3.   As Christians we have the whole Armour of God as told us in Eph 5. This is as well as His Holy anointing.

1 John 2 20   “. .But you have an anointing from the Holy one you all know these things. .”

   Having the Holy one in our lives, giving us untold protection, from the common cold, to the anti-christ.

The Knowing Life

1 John 5 13 “. . These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ."  

   In each verse there are key words showing what is meant in this particular verse. Here we see John is pointing towards the ‘Know’.

How can we be sure that we know Him? Even if

we were to keep ALL His Commandments?

   The more we read/study the Bible, the more we grow (spiritually), the closer the walk with Him we will have. Being able to have a closer spiritual relationship, again the more we grow, as well as the better we will be able to read the bible; interpret the message; have more sign posts which will help keep our lives on track.

1 John 4 1  “. . Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. .” 

   I have been on both sides as, ‘Prophesying’ over someone, &, to receive word from God through someone else. I have been told, not long after being saved, when I was taught that when one receives a word/message to pray and wait for confirmation of this personally from the Bible. As this would show if the word brought was true of false.

   Knowing is believing in God’s word, and His Son, The Holy Spirit, and of His word.

1 John 4 13    ". .By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ."

1 John 4 2    ". .By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. ."

1 John 5 13  ". .These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may that you have eternal life, and you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ."

   Once we are saved, Baptized, we ‘Know’ because inside of us is different. Why & How because we know that the Holy Spirit is now in us. Because of this everything about us & in us, became different as the belief ‘The Holy Spirit is in us. This is how we can tell our friends without saying a word because His light shines forth, giving us . .

Happy ~ Holy ~ Safe ~ Know ~ Fellowship

. .Of all things hence forth.