One beautiful title that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit is “the spirit of truth.” Take John 16:13 for example: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will #guide you into all truth. He will *not speak on his *own but will tell you what he has *heard. He will tell you about the future.” What Jesus is telling us here is that when we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, He will guide us in the *direction we need to go. The Holy Spirit will not leave us in confusion but will #reveal the truth to us. He illuminates the dark areas of our lives to give us a clear vision of God’s purpose for us as indicated by Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. The Spirit’s work is essential to the functioning of our Christian life, and his character and attributes are essential to our #understanding of God’s #nature. In order to commune with the Spirit, we must study who the Spirit is and how he works in our life. The Bible is clear that we are all sinful, incapable of our own righteousness and spiritual life. Our minds are hostile to God, and in our flesh, we cannot please him- How could someone who is blind see? Paul explains: “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, *not because of works done by us in righteousness*, but according to -his own- #mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly -through- Jesus Christ our #Savior (Titus 3:3–7). The believer is to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), The righteousness we once hated is now delighted in and longed for, and the desires of the flesh may no longer be gratified (Gal 5:16). He empowers the believer to act in sacrificial service (1 John 4:10; Rom 5:8; Phil 2:5–8) towards their neighbour “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22–23). The Spirit also works by distributing spiritual gifts as he wills (1 Cor 12:11). What we consider to be “spiritual gifts” are different kinds of service to God for the purpose of building up the body of Christ in love (1 Cor 12:5, 12–26). The Spirit works in Us to encourage, uplift, challenge, and edify each other. 🌱
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What is unlimited, #eternal, merciful, sacrificial love? It is #found in #Jesus alone. #Christ Messiah suffered unbearably, and accepts the sufferings #willingly. (“Because he himself desires to bear them… and we esteemed that he would not take them himself but that he was stricken, smitten by God. But when the #time comes that he will be #revealed in all his majesty then all will #see and #understand how great is the strength of the one who suffers torments for that generation.”) Zechariah and Isaiah prophecies that the Messiah will die by the piercing or the stabbing of his body, and in his death, he will take our transgressions upon himself; [“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of #grace and pleads for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”] “They shall look unto me’, for they shall lift up their eyes unto me in perfect repentance, when they see him whom they pierced, that is, Messiah, the Son of Joseph; …he WILL *take *upon *himself *all the *guilt of Israel.” [Zechariah12:10] God, when He #created the Messiah, gave him the -choice- whether to accept the sufferings for the sins of Israel- Jesus replied, “I accept it with *joy, so that *not a single *soul of Israel should perish.” [Jesus is the most well-known Jewish figure in all history and yet He was rejected, humiliated, and crucified. He is a Messiah with whom (historically) Jews can #identify, for their people were also rejected, humiliated, and (almost) destroyed]. The #goodnews is that God’s Word -doesn’t end- with the suffering and death of the Messiah, because in his #resurrection from the dead, we were given #complete #forgiveness, a new life with his holy spirit, sparking regeneration through the body of christ for ALL in the Messianic Age. The gospel is a message of #redemption on numerous coexisting levels, yet the ultimate redemption of the Gospel message lies in Israels #return to Gods #dwelling place.
Jesus Himself was filled with the #HolySpirit in -order- to carry out His #ministry. [“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim #goodnews to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim #freedom for the prisoners and #recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free”] Jesus said these words to Israelites while they were worshipping In synagogue and -began- his #ministry by telling His friends/family that #gods Spirit “is on Me” for a *specific #purpose; he spent much time speaking of the Holy Spirit and wanted His disciples to #understand its #power. He explained it was “better” for that He leave, because only then the *Holy *Spirit would be *sent to them. The first followers of Jesus were *filled with God’s Spirit to take the #gospel to the #known world. “On Pentecost, they were all together in one place.. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They *saw what seemed to be “tongues of fire” that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were -filled with the Holy Spirit- and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” Before this point in history, the Holy Spirit did not -indwell- every follower of Christ. After Jesus died, ROSE again, and ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit came down and filled every disciple/apostle of Christ as TRUE *witness to spread the gospel to the world. When put #faith in #Christ, the Holy Spirit #reveals himself in unique ways. God’s people get to experience the power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus did- providing #power and strength through #christ. “Yes, I am the #vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing”. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this #testimony for the churches. I AM the #Root and the Offspring of #David, and the bright Morning Star.’ The *Spirit and the *bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is -thirsty- come; and let the one who wishes take the -free #gift- of the *water of #life” (Rev22:16-17).
The covenant concept is central of Scripture, establishing and defining God’s relationship with mankind in every *age of *history. The OT was established between God and the people of Israel after Freeing them from Egyptian slavery. Moses, leading them from captivity- served as mediator of this contract at Mount Sinai: (“Moses took the blood from the basins- splattered it over the people, declaring, “this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.(Exodus 24:8, NLT)” God promised Israel would be his chosen people, and he would be their God: (“I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt(Exodus 6:7,)” God issued the Ten Commandments and laws in Leviticus to be obeyed- If they complied, he pledged prosperity and protection in the Promised Land). To address sins, God set up a system of “animal blood sacrifices.” That system lasted hundreds of years, but it was only temporary. Out of love, God sent his only Son, Jesus, into the world; This new covenant would resolve -the #fall- once and *for *all (Isaiah). For 3 years, Jesus taught throughout Israel about the kingdom of God and his -upcoming role- as #Messiah. To support his claim as Son of God, he performed many miracles, even raising people from the dead. By dying on the cross, Christ became #Lamb of God, the #ultimate #perfect #sacrifice, whose blood has the -power- to #redeem us #forever. Jesus freely #intercedes for us before God- We now -encounter God- ourselves; no longer needing a human to speak for us. Israel struggles to find closeness with God, but the gospel illustrates the covenant now through the power of Christ’s divine blood- sacrificial love- in -manifested- spirit through his *word. While God's grace frequently broke through in the OT, its #presence manifests in #spirit through the resurrected #living christ- The free gift of redemption in Christ is available to all who choose to #receive it. Israels restoration is in the-unity with christ #messiah- in the promise land- eternal #dwelling place.
In #Christ, God “creates in himself #one new man in place of the two.” Paul puts this new spiritual #reality and new spiritual #identity in the strongest of terms when he says, “for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). This does -not- mean that there are no more -cultural distinctions or practices- that distinguish members of -different ethnic- groups. What it does mean is that our -union- with Christ produces a -union- with “one another” that #transcends -Any- of our ‘other’ associations in this “fallen” world. As blood is thicker than water in our natural relations, the #Spirit is stronger than both in our Christ union. #Cosmic, #consummative #worldwide #peace is -entirely- dependent on Jesus’ death on the #cross. The -effects- of creaturely reconciliation are felt for all of eternity on account of His #saving #works. The *vertical reconciliation of fallen men to God is #foundational to the *horizontal reconciliation of man to man. The former necessarily accomplishes and secures the latter. Our union with Jesus in His death and resurrection reconciles us to God. And, since we are redeemed by the same Christ, united to the same Christ, and made the beneficiaries of the same benefits of union with the same Christ, we are thereby #united to one another in the #same #body. The disciples had grown up believing that when the Messiah came, He would conquer their enemies, subdue all other nations, and set up a kingdom that would make everything right in the world. But the disciples’ expectations were limited to an earthly understanding of what God’s kingdom really is. The other-worldly kingdom Jesus brought to the earth is a supernatural kingdom that does not receive its -marching orders- from any “worldly source” (Luke 17:21). It’s #powerfully at work in the world, through the lives, and in the hearts of all believers. The Prince of Peace rules and reigns in His kingdom and our peace on earth can be experienced with Him there. This #supernatural #peace is not a worldly brand of peace that ebbs and flows with circumstance. It’s a #perfect #peace powerful enough to serve against the agents and circumstances of ALL unrest. ☺️🌈🕊❤️
Everyone is in need of redemption. Our natural condition was characterized by guilt: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them The Fulfillment of the Law: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. The "New Commandment" concerns the love for neighbor and is similar to the second part of the Great Commandment, which comprises two commands: love for God and love for neighbor. The first part alludes to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, The second part of the Great Commandment, similar to the "New Commandment", commands love for neighbor and is based on Leviticus 19:18. the OT commanded human love, Jesus commands divine love for one another that is modeled on sacrificial love and mercy. I have not come to condemn the world- but to save it. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 “Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things. Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end. For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true: But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary. For now we see things in a glass, darkly; But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
#Paul makes it clear: You will not be justified by any work or anything you can do to make yourself better. Paul wrote many of the books in the #NewTestament, written after Jesus’ #ministry. In Romans, Paul writes about #justification, “For all have sinned and -fall- short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his #grace through the #redemption that came by #Christ #Jesus” (Romans 3:23-23) It’s -because- of Jesus’ death on the #cross that God has wiped clean the penalty of sin. Instead, God has #given righteousness to those who #trust in Christ. So in this sense, Christians are simply people *willing to *accept this #gift -from Him- rather than continue trying to make themselves righteous by their own efforts to be moral. Jesus, the -only perfect- human in history, did for ALL #humanity what no one else could do. He took our guilt and -instead- gave us #freedom. Paul writes in Galatians 2:16, “Know that a person is *not justified by the works of the law, but by *faith in *Jesus *Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” No one is capable of being good enough to gain justification on their own. But you can be completely justified when Jesus takes your sin and sin penalty away from you, granting us His righteousness instead. Knowing you are justified will help you see yourself the way God *sees* YOU: blameless and PERFECT. Obviously, no one is perfect, but God does not look at His people who #trust Him- and see all their sin; Instead, He sees them in the same way He sees Jesus- because Jesus has covered their sin with -His- righteousness. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but #Christ #lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live -by faith- in the Son of #God, who loved me and gave Himself for me..”Galatians 5:22-23. Jesus, the only perfect human in history, did for all #humanity what -no one- else could do. He took our guilt and instead gave us #freedom.
YESHUA and the FALL Festivals: DIVINE Pictures of Things to COME! 👏🏻
The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, the resurrection witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting and gain the victory over the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.
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