Monday, June 9, 2008

Old & New Testament- Where Do You Live?

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and Urge you to contend for the FAITH that was Once And For ALL entrusted to the saints. Jude 1:3

We all believe that Jesus died once and for all for our sins. So why don't we live the FAITH that is shown to us by Him and the Disciples? Do we dwell to much in the Old Testament?

This subject is going to be a little hard for some to digest so I will try to do my best in explaining it through easily. I think it very nesesary as it is a fundamental understanding to support other areas in the New Testament, especially "Why we have Christ's power to Heal" It's not anything new then what I've been saying, just a little more in depth. It is a little different then things we've heard growing up, so put on your spiritual ears, open your heart, and bite your tongue.

Old Testament (Old Covenant) Old Contract (Old Declaration/Agreement)
-Established to show us of our sins.

New Testament (New Covenant) New Contract (New Declaration/Agreement)
-Freedom from sin and bondage from the devils domain.

There are clear differences between the Old and New Testaments. BUT we always get taught with them as one. This has been going on for so long we often view it that way. BUT they should be viewed separately for the topics at hand. The Old talks about sin, yet the New talks about freedom from sin. I am not discrediting the Old in any way. I am not abolishing the Old! The Old is VERY important! The life of Job for instance, there are virtues there that need to be seen, like Righteousness, Boldness & Perseverance!

WHY? Why view the OT and NT as individuals? We NO longer with condemnation from God as in the OT. The Veil was torn! God no longer views us as sin, with sin, since in Jesus we are Righteous. And vise versa, God is NO longer a God of Wrath, but of Love as shown in the life of Jesus. Jesus is our High Priest forever! How can we live as in the OT when we have been forgiven? The way we approach God is very different and the way God views us is very much different.

There are difference between the two Covenants and the stories you read. God is no longer going to let satin have control over us. (like in Job) Jesus won that victory from satin! We no longer need to go to God for certain things either, cause Jesus paid that price for us too. Jesus gave US that Authority. Now understand PLEASE, I am NOT saying what ever you command will happen, or what ever you desire you can have. (Read Pauls letters to understand your rights of an heir of Christ.) Satin has no power over you (like Job) other than that which we give him (like in the Garden of eden) by listening to the subtle lies of his thoughts put into our head. Old testament leaders walk differently than we would today. We should still follow their example and understand the meanings within the stories, but "Our righteousness is NOT a filthy rage!" Our Spirit is 100% Wall to Wall clean as a Christian. My Spirit is NEW as my acceptance of Jesus in my heart. It's been sealed. I can go on through the old testament and compare how things have changed.

I can already hear a bunch of folks saying, No that can't be, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yeah, if your thinking that, then you will need to check your source. Who is? Ahh, Jesus Christ is! Are they the same? No, but they are of one accord.

Hebrews 13:8
13. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Now I agree in the trinity. But it is important to identify the individuals within the trinity and what part they played. They did in fact play separate rolls. God sent His son, and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. Though there were the 3, in the Old Testiment there is little talk about the Holy Spirit, and none I know of with the name Jesus. We do see a unison in Genesis 1:16 (see below) Why is it important to clearify this. Because misquote that verse around all the time. The specific understanding of CHRIST "is the same yesterday and today and forever." Further more the prior verse talks about God. So the writer of Hebrews identifies the difference between the two.

Let's look at the prior verse to Hebrews 13:7
7. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of GOD to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

WOW! There's a lot to hear here. "Remember your leaders" Who would that be? The Disciples who Preached Gods Word! What was "THEIR way of life"? Healing, and Walking in Authority. I'm talking about AFTER the resurection. Not to mention their Authority during Jesus's life. But they became leaders after the resurection. It goes on to say "Imitate their FAITH." What does their FAITH look like. Stupid question, maybe? First of All let's find out what FAITH is? Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." There are 2 parts to that. Hope and Evidence! The typical Christian stops at Hope. I prayed with Faith, now I HOPE God will supply my need. The second part is the MOST important and most forgotten. Evidence! How can you have evidence if something did NOT happen? You can't! This is the part we need to understand, when we pray, God releases it in the supernatural realm. That is the evidence. WE need to grab it, take it, claim it, forcefully or peaceably to manifest itself. Smith Wigglesworth had better outcomes when he prayed forcefully, Andrew Wommack gets better results when he is calm. I think God will use you, with your own characteristics, when you make yourself BOLD for Him. And KNOW when you decide to Exercise your FAITH, there will be a tug-o-war in the spiritual realm. Those demons want to hang on to sickness, disease, depression, addiction, etc. YOU FIGHT! It's YOUR BIRTHRIGHT!

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness, and let them rule over.... over ALL the earth,... Second evidence of the trinity.

Holy Spirit-
John 14:16
John 14:26
John 15:26
John 16:7
"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Couselor (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."

This verse indicates the Holy Spirit was not available to everyone in the Old Testament like now. And if by the Holy Spirit we can release His Anointing and Power through US, I'd say we have been given freedom unlike that which existed in the Old Testament.

What is more valuable, Salvation (Your Spirit/Soul) or Healing (Physical Manifestations)? I am hoping you are all going to say Salvation! I do to. My point is, if Jesus paid the price for the greater, why is the lesser not viewed as part of the deal (atonement)? See Jesus came to Teach and Heal before the crusifiction. And it says by His stripes we were healed. Simular to our Salvation it was paid for. IT REALLY WAS ENOUGH! Jesus paid the ULTIMATE price! That broken body, the stripes He bore, the disfigurment, the crusifiction. He paid it all!

Isaiah 53:4-5  
4. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. 5. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are HEALED.

Where is the Authority being used today in the church? By the pastor? How about the sheep? We all can walk that way. Jesus paid for it. We are free! Satin was defeated on the cross! The bondage we were in because of the "eating of the forbiden tree of knoledge" was released to us. The Earth was made for us to rule, we lost that privilage because of that sin. Jesus brought that back for us. But we can only tap into that through the Holy Spirit. I'm tired of the lies of satin and seeing the "Church of Power" as a "church of complainers".

Case and Point, you all believe Salvation is the most important thing right? How many of us make a point to ask (at least one person a week) if someone they meet is saved or knows Christ? How many a year? We've been taking the complacent approach. The relaxed approach. (I'll let them see Christ in me, and let them come to me when they are ready.) I AM just a guilty as anyone! I am NOT throughing any stones, just calling out the "White Elephant" in the room! I am becoming more aware of things, and am changing as I grow. Becoming Bolder! I am going to try at least once a week and ask someone if they know Christ. What is there to loose? My pride! What do I have to gain? A soul!

Why is it important to clear this up. It is important to understand there is a difference in the Old and New Testiment. Upon Jesus' death, the comforter (Holy Spirit) was given to US. They did NOT have the Holy Spirit in the Old, like we do Now in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit lives in each Christian, unlike the Jews in the OT. Prior to this He could not dwell with us. We NOW have freedom and Authority through Jesus Christ as heirs to All that He has, not past but present. We need to view Our selves with the Freedom and Power Jesus paid for and NOT view our lives in sin, helpless, and in need to beg God for things to happen. You may now view the 2 Testaments a little differently now and stop living in the old FAITH, because you now have freedom and authority in your new FAITH. When reading stories from each be aware of what testament you are in. Then you will start to see a clearity in the distinction of how we should view things differently then the Old.

Matthew 5
An Eye for an Eye (Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21)
38. "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
39. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Jesus recognizes the difference in the two, and tries to change the Old Views.)

Hebrews 6:20
20. where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Jesus makes the difference by His sacrifice)
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Leviticus 16:29-30
29 "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves [a] and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you- 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins.
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Hebrews 8:7-8
For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.
But God found fault with the people and said:
"The time is coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
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Galatians 3:15-29
THE LAW AND THE PROMISE
15. Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
16. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
17. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
18. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19. What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
20. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.
21. Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
22. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
24. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
25. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

WE ARE SONS OF GOD-
26. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
27. for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
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Hebrews 7
11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12For when there is a change of the priesthood, there MUST ALSO BE A CHANGE OF THE LAW. 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

John 14
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall HE DO ALSO; and greater works than these SHALL HE DO; BECAUSE I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

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Things to ponder:

Well, Jesus is God. Yes and No. They are separate BUT in One accord. God is talked about in the prior verse. So if the Author believes they are the same, why does he differentiate the two? I'll discuss that more in depth in the TRINITY.

Acts 10:38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." OK so let me get this straight, God anoints Himself (Jesus) with Himself again (Holy Spirit) and power. How does God anoint Himself with Himself and Power? The explanation is they are Three individuals acting in One Accord.

Revelations 5:1-10
Furthermore, Paul shows the individuals separated in this verse when he is in Heaven. He sees God on the throne, then Jesus appears next to Him. (7.Jesus came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.)

Hebrews 13:7-8
7. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Genesis 22:2
2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
An eye for an eye! But I say to you, If someone strikes one cheek, turn to him the other cheek.
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Authority, Heir, Healing, Holy Spirit

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