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Invitation To Friendship

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In the book, The Insanity of Obedience, its author, Nick Ripken writes: Betrayal within the faith community is a special concern, and it is important enough to demand specific attention. Consider this scenario: Expectations were high. After years of struggle and prayer, a house church was emerging among a resistant Muslim people group. Lives had been spent with this precious moment in view. Seeds had been sown and those seeds were now bearing fruit. Fervent prayers were being answered. Bold witness was being blessed. It was an exciting time. A church was being born. Almost immediately, it seemed, a Judas arose from within the group, exposing the inner circle of leaders. The small core of believers fled in disarray and fear. In an instant, the infant church seemed to disappear. Now, years later, these believers still wait in hiding for the birth of the first house church among their people. Nik Ripkin goes on to state, In light of the Biblical record and in light of Jesus’ response to His own Judas, let us consider some truths about Judas and let us consider what our response might mean for the growth and health of the Gospel. (1) We can expect to find Judas within our inner circle. (2) We can expect Judas to grow up within the movement and not to be imported from the outside. (3) With God’s help, we can choose to deal with Judas ourselves and choose not to export him to others. (4) We can learn to recognize Judas quickly. (5) We can be aware that Judas often has money issues. Regarding this last point Nik offers the testimony of a Muslim believer: When a seeker after Jesus comes to me, I ask them, What is it that you want: a car, a house, a wife, or to go to America? I tell them that I cannot even give them an aspirin. All I have is a cross. Do you want to pick up your cross and follow Jesus? That is all I can offer you. He then continued, “Everyone who followed Jesus in the New Testament gave up something. Everyone who comes to Jesus through a Westerner is trying to get something.“

There’s an interesting detail that Western readers often overlook when reading about the night of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. John 13:26-27 Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I am going to give this morsel (bit) of food after I have dipped it. So when He had dipped the morsel of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 Then after [he had taken] the bit of food, Satan entered into and took possession of [Judas]. Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do more swiftly than you seem to intend and make quick work of it. We know from Scripture that John, the Beloved disciple, sat to Jesus’ right at the table and that Judas sat to His left. In Jewish culture the seat of honor was on the left side of the one who headed up the meal. Jesus had given the seat of honor to Judas – who was going to betray him; to the one who stole money from Jesus and the other disciples. Jesus honored him. But it get’s much worse, or should I say, more convicting. When Jesus handed the morsel of matzah to Judas that also had symbolic, and cultural ramifications. What was its message? Through that one action Jesus was offering to Judas a lifetime of friendship and love. He was saying to Judas, Will you be my true and close friend?

As we celebrate Passover, and draw closer to the events of Christ’s crucifixion, we need to take the time to ask, Have we betrayed Jesus for protection, provision, spouses, family, cars, houses, or material gain? I am often haunted by a realization I had years ago, that Jesus has many acquaintances but very few friends. We all want Him for something. But in the words of Henry Blackaby, If you knew all you had was a relationship with God, would you be totally and completely satisfied? In other words, If you didn’t have any of the material wealth, or family and friends – would your relationship with Jesus keep you totally and completely satisfied? What are you living for?

3 Times A Year

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Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed (Dt. 16:16 AMPC)

Tomorrow night we are going to celebrate Pentecost which is a holiday, or holy day celebrated by Jews and Christians every year. The Church holiday bases their date of Sunday, May 31 on the Gregorian calendar, whereas the Jewish date of Friday-Saturday, May 29-30 is based on God’s calendar. I say God’s calendar because if we believe the Word of the Lord to be true – from “Kiver to Kiver” (Cover to Cover) – then we also believe that God gave these feasts and festivals to His people for a purpose. Now when I say, His people, I am referring both to Jew, and those who have been ingrafted into the Fig Tree that Israel is through the righteousness of Abraham. We have become the circumcised of the heart and God’s Law has been written upon our hearts. The question is, How does all of this apply to the modern day saint in the 21st century?

Recently I was convicted by the revelation that in two out of the three feasts something significant happened. (I could make an argument for all three but I will spare you the details. Suffice it to say that an argument could be made that Jesus was actually born during the Feast of Tabernacles based on several prophecies regarding Jesus being Immanuel – “the God Who Tabernacles or Dwells with His people“) We know that Jesus was crucified during Passover, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost. It is my opinion that Jesus will return during the Feast of Tabernacles. Again this would take a great deal of time to explain but I’ll leave you with a little tidbit of information to consider: Why did the Jews lay down palm branches when Jesus was entering Jerusalem? (Palm branches were specifically used during the Feast of Tabernacles). My answer would be, that the Jews associated the Palm Branches with Tabernacles, or Sukkot, and with the coming of the Messiah. My conviction expanded into the realization that if God told His people that they had to gather on these three significant holidays, and on two of the three holidays Jesus appeared, then it would behoove us believers to also gather on the three holidays for Inspection (Passover, and Ridding ourselves of the yeast, or leaven of sin); for Dedication and Consecration (Pentecost was an offering of the very best of their first fruits from harvest); and lastly, for Preparation (Tabernacles was preceded by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in which the people sought to draw near to God, repent of sin, and prepare for God drawing near to them). Thus, by the Grace of God, and His Spirit our church will celebrate these three readying ourselves for Christ’s Return.

If we are practicing all three then we too will be prepared when the Trumpet Blasts sound from the Heavens and the saints are gathered to meet Him in the air. May the Spirit of Revelation set us free from the powerful delusion that has come upon the mainstream church that does not love the Truth, or know (ginosko) Him. Lord willing I will see you tomorrow night for our Pentecost meal.

Passover

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Tonight all across America Jewish families will be participating in an event that is thousands of years old. That event is called Passover. Passover signifies when God the Father came to set His people free, and bring judgment down on the demonic gods of Egypt. During this night, the angel of death visited Egypt looking for the sign of the blood of the lamb over the door posts of each home. In the homes which had the lambs’ blood over the door posts death would passover and in the homes where the blood was not to be found death entered in. May I suggest to you that this night you participate in a time of family prayer and communion with your family? Pray and ask for the blood of Jesus, the Lamb, to be applied to the door posts of your property, home, marriage, family, children and children’s children, and possessions – that the angel of death may passover. Pray also for your neighbors, and loved ones that they may also receive the Blood of the Lamb and apply it to their lives also.

If you want to actually practice a traditional Jewish Passover you can take the notes below and put them into practice, or you can simply don load a seder, or passover service online. Here are the notes I have on celebrating the Passover:

WHAT PASSOVER CELEBRATES

As in all Biblical holy days, Passover is both a holy day of remembrance and a holy day of prophecy.  Passover for the Jewish people is the annual celebration of God delivering Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 12).  The entire service, with its various ceremonies, is designed to help the Jewish people remember the great workings of God when, through signs and wonders, He freed the Jewish people from the bondage of the Egyptians and delivered them to the Promised Land of Israel.  Passover is a holy day of redemption picturing how God used the death of an innocent lamb to redeem the firstborn sons ofIsrael from death and free the nation of Israel from slavery.

Passover is certainly the most important Biblical holy day for Christians. It also clearly pictures the redemption Jesus provided for our sin.  The last meal Jesus ate with His disciples in the Upper Room was a Passover meal.  It was during this Passover meal that Jesus took a piece of unleavened bread and a cup of the fruit of the vine and said to His disciples that these represented His body given in death and His blood shed for the remission of sins (Luke 22:19, 20).  The Messiah used the story of the redemption from Egypt to illustrate the redemption He provides from sin.  The Passover meal beautifully pictures the redemption Jesus provided for us on the cross.  Having a Passover dinner, either in the church or in one’s home is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus in its historical, New Testament setting as it was celebrated by the disciples with the Messiah.  We can rejoice, “For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us” (I Corinthians 5:7).

HOW PASSOVER IS CELEBRATED IN THE JEWISH HOME

The Seder is really like a family dinner where the family gathers around the table to worship God and follows a prescribed order of service to celebrate the miraculous events of that first Passover.  Because Passover begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:13-16), no leaven is be eaten during the seven dayswhich begin with the Passover meal.  In the daysproceeding Passover, the mother cleans the home to remove all leaven so that as the family celebrates the Passover they can eat it without defilement.  Because regular flour, bread, and legumes are considered leavened, only matzah in its various forms is used in the meal.

At sunset, on the night of Passover, the family gathers around the table.  The evening begins with the mother lighting the candies at the table and saying a blessing.  After this, the father begins leading the family through the service which includes drinking four times from the cup of the fruit of the vine (grape juice) and discussing the items on the Seder plate (page 7 gives details about these items).

The following is an outline of the service for the evening:

WHAT PASSOVER CELEBRATES

As in all Biblical holy days, Passover is both a holy day of remembrance and a holy day of prophecy.  Passover for the Jewish people is the annual celebration of God delivering Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 12).  The entire service, with its various ceremonies, is designed to help the Jewish people remember the great workings of God when, through signs and wonders, He freed the Jewish people from the bondage of the Egyptians and delivered them to the Promised Land of Israel.  Passover is a holy day of redemption picturing how God used the death of an innocent lamb to redeem the firstborn sons ofIsrael from death and free the nation of Israel from slavery. Passover is certainly the most important Biblical holy day for Christians. It also clearly pictures the redemption Jesus provided for our sin.  The last meal Jesus ate with His disciples in the Upper Room was a Passover meal.It was during this Passover meal that Jesus took a piece of unleavened bread and a cup of the fruit of the vine and said to His disciples that these represented His body given in death and His blood shed for the remission of sins (Luke 22:19, 20).  The Messiah used the story of the redemption from Egypt to illustrate the redemption He provides from sin.  The Passover meal beautifully pictures the redemption Jesus provided for us on the cross.  Having a Passover dinner, either in the church or in one’s home is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus in its historical, New Testament setting as it was celebrated by the disciples with the Messiah.  We can rejoice, “For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us” (I Corinthians 5:7).

HOW PASSOVER IS CELEBRATED IN THE JEWISH HOME

The Seder is really like a family dinner where the family gathers around the table to worship God and follows a prescribed order of service to celebrate the miraculous events of that first Passover.  Because Passover begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:13-16), no leaven is be eaten during the seven dayswhich begin with the Passover meal.  In the daysproceeding Passover, the mother cleans the home to remove all leaven so that as the family celebrates the Passover they can eat it without defilement.  Because regular flour, bread, and legumes are considered leavened, only matzah in its various forms is used in the meal.

At sunset, on the night of Passover, the family gathers around the table.  The evening begins with the mother lighting the candies at the table and saying a blessing.  After this, the father begins leading the family through the service which includes drinking four times from the cup of the fruit of the vine (grape juice) and discussing the items on the Seder plate.

I. THE CUP OF SANCTIFICATION – The drinking of this cup begins the service.  The Passover story is told using the elements from the Seder plate.  The middle matzah of the Matzah Tash is broken and then hidden.

II. THE CUP OF JUDGMENT – This cup focuses on God judging the gods of Egypt through the plagues.  The bitter herbs are taken.  The Charoset is eaten.

AT THIS TIME THE MEAL IS SERVED.

Ill. THE CUP OF REDEMPTION – This cup focuses on the redemption of God.  The Passover story is concluded.

IV. THE CUP OF PRAISE – This cup focuses on praising God for calling a people unto Himself.

As can be seen, the meal is both preceded and followed by the story of Passover.

THE HAGADDAH & THE MESSIANIC HAGADDAH

Through the centuries, since God first instituted Passover as the Israelites came out of Egypt, many traditions have been added to the Passover celebration.  Yet, the basic elements of the Passover found in the original instructions are still present, including the bitter herbs, the matzah (unleavened bread), and the symbol of the Passover lamb.  For centuries, the Passover tradition was celebrated based upon traditions handed down orally.  Eventually, these oral traditions were put into writing called the Haggadah.  The word “Haggadah” is taken from the Hebrew, meaning, “to tell” (Exodus 13:8).  Though there are many different variations in how the Haggadah is written, they all contain the basic outlines of the service that dates back to antiquity. 

THE SEDER PLATE

The Seder plate is the ceremonial setting for the first part of the service.  Included are items which will be partaken of.  These help the people better understand the meaning of the holy day.  There will need to be one Seder Plate (use a 10 inch Plate) per table or per 10 people.  The following is a list of items to beincluded on the Seder plate and the proportions for each person or per plate as indicated:

ITEM DEFINITION QUANTITY

Karpas Parsley 1 sprig per person

Maror Ground horseradish 1 teaspoon per person (red, if available)

Charoset Apples, nuts & spices 1 tablespoon per person (recipe on pg. 12)

Salt Water (for dipping of parsley) 1-2 1/2 oz. cup per plate

Zeroah *Shank bone of a lamb Head table only.

Betzah **Hard cooked egg Head table only

  The arrangement of the items on the Seder Plate is as follows:

MATZAH TASH(orBread Holder)

This item isof major importance in the Passover Service.  There should be one Matzah Tash (or Bread Holder)for each table.  The Matzah Tash consists of:

One large dinner-sized paper plate 

Two dinner-sized napkins 

Three full-sized unbroken matzahs

The three whole sheets of matzah are placed inside the dinner napkin so that one sheet is inside each section of the napkin.  The second napkin is placed on top of the Matzah Tash.

During the service, a volunteer at each table will be called on to remove the center piece of matzah break it in two, and “bury” one half in the extra napkin (to be”resurrected” later).  This ceremony ismost important and will be explained further later.

A suggested Passover Dinner:  

Main Course: Roasted Chicken  or Beef or Turkey with

Vegetables such as: Squash, Carrots, Asparagus, Broccoli  and a green salad

Roasted or baked potatoes

Dessert- can be fruit or if possible a dessert without leaven- check Passover recipes

Matzah as the bread substitute 

Recipe for the Apple salad for the Seder plate

CHAROSET – Serves 12 at 1 heaping tablespoon per person

1 cup chopped, peeled apples 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

1-2 tablespoons grape juice 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients.  This mixture is so tasty you may want to make extra.

NOTE: Charoset is supposed to turn brown to represent the old fashioned brick mortar the Israelites used in Egypt, so it should be ground to that consistency (a blender or food processor is recommended).  The above proportions are very approximate. It should be sweet but the honey flavor should not dominate.  The taste of each ingredient should be subtly noticeable in the final mixture.

Search For Leaven

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1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore [a]purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed [b]for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (NKJV)

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Tonight (Tuesday, April 7), at sundown begins the Passover requirement of searching the house for leaven, (chametz) or yeast. Traditional Jewish homes will take the time to “prepare the house for Passover,” just as Jesus’ Disciples did the week of His crucifixion:

Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.” (Matthew 26:17-19 NKJV)

Jason Aaronson writes: A typical Jewish family will take this night to begin a centuries long tradition of searching their households for leaven using a candle; a feather (which acts as a miniature broom); and a wooden spoon into which the pieces of bread will be scooped. First, a candle is lit, and the following benediction is recited: Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’’zivanu al be’ur chametz. Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has made us holy commandments and instructed us concerning the burning of the hametz (leavened bread). Since by this time the house has been thoroughly cleaned and the chances of finding any leaven are minimal, it has become customary to put a number of crumbs of bread in places where they can be easily found in order to prevent the recitation of a benediction in vain. The crumbs of bread that are found and the leaven left over from breakfast should be guarded lest a new search become necessary. After the search for leaven, one recites the following formula of annulment: “All leavened food and grain fermentation that are in my possession, that I have not seen or removed, shall be null and considered as the dust of the earth.”

The following morning, usually sometime between 10 and 11 o’clock, the leaven is burned, and again the formula for the removal of hametz is recited, with a slight variation: “Any leaven that may still be in the house, that I have or have not seen, that I have or have not removed, shall be as if it does not exist, and as the dust of the earth.” Excerpted from Every Person’s Guide to Passover (Jason Aronson, Inc).

Now, as Believers in Jesus (Yeshua), as our Messiah the question remains: If this much trouble was taken to prepare for the Passover why don’t believers in Jesus take this much time to prepare for communion? For you see our communion comes from the Jewish Passover. There are four cups used in the Passover celebration. At the third cup, called the Cup of Redemption, the broken bread of hidden matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten. This cup, and the broken bread, make up our communion. Here we find understanding in our preparation to take the Lord’s Communion. Here we discover that in our looking for leaven, we are actually making way for the reception of our Savior – the Lamb of God. Thus the question remains, Are you prepared for Resurrection Day? Have you searched your spiritual house for the leaven of sin, pride, and self-importance. For you see that’s what leaven does: it makes the bread seem better than it really is; it puffs up. Leaven being the slow, controlled “rot” of bacteria reduces the elements combined into simpler objects. It represents that which de-humanizes us. When God, the Father created mankind He observed, “It is very good!” Sin, or leaven takes us away from that which is very good, dehumanizing us, making us less than who God made us to be.

So what can be done to search your spiritual houses for leaven?

a) Recognize, Remember and Remove All Leaven – Dt. 16:3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

We Recognize, Remember and Remove All Leaven  Because….

– We remember His affliction, His sufferings

– We remember we left the slavery of sin 

– We remember we have become His Bread: 1 Cor. 10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. (1 Cor. 5:7 you are unleavened)

Greek word for bread is artos, and its root is airo = which means to raise up, elevate, lift up. By implication it means to take up or away. By Hebraism it means to atone for sin. 

Eating the Bread of Affliction, Unleavened Bread, the Bread of Life – helps us to remember that He was lifted up to take away our sins. We’ve been raised with Him to become Unleavened Bread, Bread of Affliction, and bread of life to those still enslaved in Egypt.

b) Clean Every Room of the House – Where are the locations in your “house” where you have eaten the “leaven” of sin?

Remember you are two houses in one. If you truly met Jesus’ covenant conditions you have been born again of the Spirit (John 3). But you’ve got yourself a problem: Romans 8:5-11 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be [b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the [c]carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies [d]through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Thus you are a new, spirit man, creation, but you still have the old, sin man of the soul. These two houses are at war with one another. The soul man hates God and the the things of God. The spirit man desires to please God and respond to the Spirit. If you are participating in ridding your soul house of its leaven then you will be seeking to bring it into submission to the Spirit of God residing in your spirit man, or house.

But how can you identify the leaven of the soul man, or house? Doctor Luke provides us with a clue in Lk. 11:21-22 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

We must ask the question, What armor has the enemy had you trusting in? 

What would be the exact opposite of God’s Spiritual Armor found in Ephesians 6 but the devil’s armor alluded to in Lukes gospel? The belt of truth of Ephesians 6 reminds us to center ourselves in the Truth, which Jesus is, and not ourselves. Since it is the first piece of armor you put on, then the first piece of the devil’s armor that you would begin removing is self-centeredness, self-importance, pride, selfishness, etc. It’s interesting to note that the Roman Armor of the New Testament and the armor of the Hebrews in the Old Testament were held in place by the belt. It was probably the most important weapon in your arsenal considering that every action for combat proceeds from the midsection, and hips. This belt would essentially hold you together by keeping every other piece of armor in place. I am sure you can see now that if you apply this analogy you soon discover that the opposite of Truth, or Jesus, would be lies, deceit, deception, manipulation, or control. Ultimately, that which is competing for Jesus, the Truth, is self and satan. The leaven of self, reduces you to a slave, holding you in place, bound to the lies, deceit, deception, manipulation, and illusion of control.

From here it is easy to identify the armor of darkness in which we rely such as unRighteousness. Since the next piece of spiritual armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness its opposite would be to be improper, corrupt, debased, perverted, mean, evil, immoral, wicked, or twisted. Which begs the question, What  covers your heart, will emotions, and personality? If its His righteousness then your mind, will, emotions and personality will be falling in line with that. But if its Unrighteousness, then all which makes up unrighteousness will be determining what your mind, will, emotions and personality are controlled by.

It doesn’t take long to realize that at closer examination we all have a whole lot of leaven lurking in the analogies found in the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation (or Hope according to 1 These. 5:8), and the Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.

Ultimately the question remains, What do we trust in more than the Word of God? More than the Spirit? All of these pieces of armor dwell in the rooms of our soul house. These are the enemies possessions. These are things in which you have trusted instead of God, the leaven of sin.

Another question we must ask ourselves is, If I’m cleaning every room of my soul house – mind, will, emotions, and personality – which aspect of these do I trust more than Jesus? More than I trust His Spirit or Word?

Next if I am really wanting to prepare for communion, in order to have the angel of death “Passover” then I will: c) Search for the Bread Crumbs. How do you do this? Look at the symptoms of repeated sin in your life and follow them to their root source. Ask questions like, When did this happen first begin? What things were going on in my life at that time which caused me to begin “eating” of this sin? Make a search for all the possible places in which the leavened bread of sin was eaten. Where are the hidden places? The Secret places where leaven lurks? Follow the bread crumbs back to its source – to get out of the “woods” of the witch. (Remember Hansel and Gretel?)

The next step to searching is found in: d) Separate Yourself Unto the Lord – Are you All-In for Jesus? 

Are you growing in His Grace, His Spirit? (Promptings and Urgings of the Spirit, Gifts, Manifestations, or Relationship to the Spirit) Are you drawing near to Jesus to know Him? Are you obeying Him in every way – (See the topic regarding the fallow ground for the seed of God’s Word found in Jeremiah 4:12; Hosea 10:12)? Are you restored to your First Love -OR- Have you rejected His Grace to grow? Have you rejected His invitations to Pray & Draw Near; Know His Word; Grow in Worship, Thanksgiving, Praise; Co-Sharing Jesus w/ Other Saints; Make Disciples; Baptize Others; Going to the Nations? Are you growing in holiness – separation unto the Lord? 

Now you may say, ” Robert, this could take a lifetime.” To which I would reply, “Exactly!” You and I haven’t been saved, we’re in the very process of salvation. You and I aren’t going to be safe until we reach Heaven’s shores. Our Life-Savior, has to get us through the darkest of life’s oceans, and then we will be safe. In the meantime all we have to do is hang onto His Grip – enduring to the end. That’s biblical Trust, and salvation. So let’s get to the business of spring cleaning.

Confession & Declaration 37

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Colossians 3:3 For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

The context of this passage places an emphasis on who you really are to be. That who you are really going to be is hidden in Jesus. But the good news is that you are also hidden in Christ – in the sense of your guilt, sin and shame. All of that has been hidden in Jesus.

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

The prophet writes: It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. The Good News is that through the Blood of Jesus there’s not a question of whether or not you will be hidden. Your sins have been buried deep in the Cleansing Stream of the Blood of the Lamb.

I may have shared this with you before but the illustration is worth repeating. If you were to take a sheet of paper and attempt writing all of your sins on it – front, and back. Then take another sheet of paper and write the word JESUS on it. Fold both sheets of paper in half then insert the paper with your sins on it into the folded paper with Jesus’ Name on it. The illustration concludes with the question, Now Who do you see? The answer? Jesus. Just Jesus.

This is powerfully illustrated the night before Israel was to depart Egypt. We know from Scripture that the Israelites were commanded to take a year old lamb, sacrifice it, and take its blood and paint the top of the door frame and its sides. When the angel of death passed over and saw the blood – he would not visit the house with the judgment of God. When the angel passed over he wasn’t measuring how good the people were. He wasn’t looking at how well they brushed the door posts in the blood. He wasn’t looking at the type of house, or what kind of door they had. He was only looking for one thing: had the people trusted God, obeyed His Word, and applied the blood to their door frame. That’s pretty powerful for it illustrates our responsibility: trust, obey, and apply.

You are hidden in Jesus – but you still have a responsibility to trust His Word, obey and apply it to the door posts of your life. You overcome the accuser of the brothers when you learn how to paint the door frames of your mind, heart, will, emotions, and personality in the Blood of Jesus. When you apply Jesus’ Blood to the door frames of the “gates” of your soul it causes the enemy to passover. Why? Because he can’t go through the Blood. That’s true in the spiritual realm and the physical. What’s really interesting is that you can apply His Blood to your physical and spiritual house. Through His Blood you really are hidden from the assaults of the enemy. As the old hymn goes, Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. Would you be free from your passion and pride there’s power in the blood, power in the blood. Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide there’s wonderful power in the blood.