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Threshing Floors, Separation, and Christmas

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Genesis 50:5, 10, 13 My father made me swear, saying, I am about to die; in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me. So now let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will come again.…And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond [west of] the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great lamentation and extreme demonstrations of sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and [Joseph] made a mourning for his father seven days....For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought, along with the field, for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite.

2 Samuel 6:6 And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it.

2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

I am often amazed at the symbolic patterns which are hidden within seemingly, insignificant verses. The reoccurring topic of the threshing floor is one that yields rich treasures of wisdom and truth. Consider again the story of Ruth which on the surface should be the last Scripture a pastor chooses for Christmas – but here we must arrive. Ruth 3:2 And now is not Boaz, with whose maidens you were, our relative? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rachel, Jacob, Leah, Boaz, Ruth, and David – all have one thing in common: the significance of the threshing floor. Why does this topic appear throughout the narrative? Threshing floors were used for one thing: separating. Separating through threshing (crushing), and separating through winnowing (tossing grain and chaff in the air).

In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Himself as the Temple, and the Old Testament informs us that the Temple was built on a threshing floor. Thus the “rock” on which Jesus stands is the place of threshing and winnowing. It was the foundation of His life, and the path His feet walked. The threshing floor of Jesus is the foundation of the who’s who of the Hall of Faith. It is what Christmas is all about. John 3:19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. His Light has entered our darkness. That by itself is separation. Are you cooperating with His process of threshing and winnowing the grains of His Word to rise in your life into Living Bread? Are you becoming living bread?

Your Opinion of God

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Romans 5:5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. (AMPC)

What’s your opinion of God? What’s your opinion of Jesus, His Word and His promises? Do your words of praise match your opinions of Jesus and His promises?

For the past several months I’ve been pursuing returning to my First Love. This morning I discovered a key to it’s restoration: Romans 4:18 [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become…

Abraham became who God destined him to become through the Love of God being poured out in his heart. We become who we are destined through His Love. How did Abraham become? Romans 4:20 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,…

This love was shed abroad in his heart as he did not allow unbelief, or distrust in the promises of God. In fact it says that his faith was empowered as he gave praise and glory to God. But how was Abraham to give God praise without Bethel Music, Youtube songs, special effects, and smoke machines? The key is found in the Greek meaning of the word, “praise.” The definition of this word in the Greek surprised me. It did not mean what I thought. Praise here is defined as, giving your opinion, or estimate of something or someone whether good or bad. In Romans 4:20 it specifically means, “Giving Glory to God by not distrusting His promises.” That definition convicted me. How many times have I let my fear, and distrust over ride God’s Word and promises? My fear, and distrust actually reveals that I don’t have that high opinion of God or of His promises. That is my praise. I either trust, or esteem the truths of God’s Word or the lies of the evil one.

What have your opinions been saying about your praise?

Confession & Declaration 27

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Revelation 5:8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

This scene occurs in Heaven’s Throne Room. What’s phenomenal to me is the last part of verse 8: golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

Think on that: Golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints. We have no idea how precious we are to God. Yet here in this passage it is so beautifully illustrated. Your prayers, and my prayers are mingled with the prayers of all the saints, from all the ages. Can you imagine? Your prayers are mingled with Noah’s, Abraham’s, Isaac’s, Jacob’s, Joseph’s, Moses’, and Joshua’s. They are mingled with the prayers of the prophets, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. Crazier still? Our prayers have been mingled with the prayers of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. That should cause you to pause.

Now you might ask, What does this have to do with overcoming the enemy? The answers are varied but ultimately you should be getting a picture of what a treasure you are to God. The enemy wants to remind you of your frailties, and failures. He wants to accuse and condemn you. What you need to see is that there’s a reason why that is. Do you remember the meditation regarding being co-heirs with Christ? Do you remember that all things that belong to Jesus – belong to us? Well guess who Jesus owns? All the angels and demons. And Jesus shares that ownership with you. The devil hates you because Jesus Christ so valued mankind that He chose to share the stewardship of the entire universe with us. In comparison to angels we are frail, puny, weak men, and women. Yet God shares the stewardship of the universe with us – entrusting us – through our prayers. Prayers which move the heart and hand of God. Prayers, which are led by the Spirit of God, lifted before the Father, through Jesus. Your prayers shape world events. Your prayers move through the universe ushering in the Kingdom of God. Thus, you overcome the accuser through the prayers of the Spirit lifted before your Intercessor Jesus. And God the Father? He answers with thunder, power and wonder.

Declaration 27: Holy Father I stand amazed and awed by Your great love and the mystery of choosing man to co-labor along side of You. Thank You for including us in the stewardship of the world. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for praying through me – intermingling my intercessions with those of the Spirit, Jesus, and the saints. Thank You that I am a co-heir with Jesus, through Jesus’ conquering resurrection. Through Your Resurrection and Ascension Satan is defeated, and death has lost its sting! Thank You Jesus that Your coming back and that I will reign with You! Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to add more and more prayers to the golden bowls before Your Return. Grant me Grace and the Power of Your Spirit to pray in Your Spirit, from my spirit, as I abide in Your Word – let Your Words abide in me. Hallelujah I thank You Jesus that the Living Word of God dwells in me and that I am seated in heavenly realms with You!

Who’s Your One? Wednesday, February 5, Day 24

Confession and Declaration 7

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Yesterday you were challenged to clear your spiritual vision, and break up the fallow ground of your heart through asking, “Who’s your one?” In addition, the confessions and declarations you’ve been participating in should be renewing, and transforming your mind by the Truth of God’s Word. Revelation 12: 11 states that “they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony…” The question is what is their testimony, and how do you overcome the enemy through it?

One of the ways that we overcome the enemy through our testimony is through declaring what Jesus’ Blood has accomplished for us. Let’s begin with 1 John 1:7: But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

In the last part of that verse the Amplified translation does a great job of bringing out the original language’s nuances of the word “”cleanses.” It is removing us from all sin and guilt. It has removed, is removing and will continue to remove us from all sin and guilt. There’s a couple of things going on through the Blood that’s very powerful. Jesus often referred to Himself as “I AM.” This is the formal Name of God. Jesus’ use of this Name indicates His identification with God, as God. In one passage of Scripture He brings out a powerful implication behind the name of God when He states: Before Abraham was, I AM. (John 8:58) Jesus is indicating that He exists outside of time. Yet He came as a man into our time. The God Who is limitless, and infinite, and exists outside of time chose to limit Himself to time to save me. That’s pretty powerful. But it gets even better than that. Since God is outside of time then He see’s all events at the same time – all the time. Revelation 13:8 brings this out when it states: And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. What this means for you and I is that the Father sees the event of His Son crucified as fresh, and new as He sees the day you and I trusted in Jesus’ Blood to wash away our sins, be born-again, and come to life. The day you trusted in Jesus’ Blood to save you is the day that His Blood was activated in your life to wash and cleanse you from all sin. I say activated because His sacrifice was made for all mankind as a free gift. All we have to do is receive the gift activating it on our behalf through trust. Thus Jesus’ crucifixion never get’s old to God, but neither does the day you and I trusted in Jesus. That’s why our trust is to be timeless. It’s not something we did in the past – it’s something always in the present. It’s an active ongoing exercise in trust. That’s powerful. Not only that. The day you activated the Blood is the day that Jesus’ Blood began washing over you – cleansing, freeing, healing and transforming you. Now that’ some declaration.

Declaration 7: My Holy, Precious and Loving Father, I bow down to Your Mysteries. In Your great Love You saw me and drew me to Jesus to Know You, and to be joined to Your Forever Family. I praise, worship and declare my undying love and gratitude. I thank You that I overcome the accuser of the brethren through the Precious Blood of the Lamb. I praise and worship You with the angels in Heaven for Your Great and Mighty Gift of Love and Salvation. I thank You Father that the Blood of Jesus is cleansing, removing all sin and guilt, and that it is keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations. Hallelujah! I praise and worship Your Holy Name that the horrific event of Jesus’ crucifixion is still as fresh to You now as it was the day it occurred. But precious Father thank You that my trusting His sacrifice is just as fresh to You today as it was the day I first began to believe. “Thank you’s” are not enough. By Your Grace and Holy Spirit my “thank You” will be a life of gratitude that seeks to live a life of obedience to Your Spirit and Word. Thank You that Jesus’ Blood is always washing, and cleansing me from sin empowering me to move forward in obedience to You. I overcome the accuser, and conquer sin, because Your Blood is constantly washing me. Thank You for the Gospel. It really is the Good News I’ve never heard. I love You and Praise You for giving me Yourself. In return I give You myself. Hallelujah praise Him all creation! Hallelujah praise Him all you saints and angels! He is worthy of all praise, glory and honor. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain! What a precious thought: I am washed in the Blood of the Lamb! I have a testimony, and my testimony is that all my sins are being covered by the Blood Of Jesus. I have a testimony, and my testimony is that all my sins are being washed away, forgiven and forgotten forever. Thank you Jesus for the Testimony of Your Blood. I have a testimony, and through that testimony I have, and will continue to overcome the accuser of the saints by the Precious Blood of Jesus!

Don’t forget your Bible reading from your bookmark: John 14:6. Please don’t forget to pray through the devotion for your “one” – their salvation, and the day you present the Gospel to them. Have a great day!