Tag: Torah

Consume Me

Posted on by ascendthehill

One day as I was talking to the LORD, expressing my devotion to him. I said to him, “My love and my life are yours! Consume me!”

What I meant by that is he could use me and do with me whatever he wanted. You see I have suffered and been persecuted a lot by people. And after all the hurt and pain and my soul feeling crushed, in a moment of ecstatic bliss with King Jesus I was laying my life on the altar again declaring to my King, “You can have it all. If you want me to be run down and beaten then my life is yours to do with what you want. And if you want me to pour out my love on people who will be ungrateful and despitefully use me then King Jesus it’s yours to do with whatever you want!”

Do you know what his response to me was? It wasn’t, “Oh, my wonderful servant! I love your exclamation of devotion towards me!” Nope, not at all. What he said to me was, “No! My LOVE and My LIFE are yours. Consume me!”

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

ESV, John 6:53

That was the response he gave to me. An emphatic NO. Then he began to show me where true Love and Life is found. It is found in his sacrifice. How he gave his body to be run down and beaten. How he poured out his love on people who were ungrateful and despitefully used him.

Not long after he told me that I went out and bought the elements of communion (the bread and wine). And began to take communion with my family more often. I would say, “Lord you told me, “My LOVE and My LIFE are yours. Consume me!” So that’s what I am doing eating your flesh and drinking your blood. Please teach me what you mean when you said to eat your flesh and drink your blood.”

Lessons Learned

I am still learning this lesson. I ask him what he meant by that often and I believe he has given me some answers, but I am still unpacking this. Some of what I have received I will give to you.

First, He was telling us to remember his sacrifice.

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me

Luke 22:19

Second, he was talking about the New Covenant.

Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you

Luke 22:20

He wants us to remember his sacrifice. What he did to have us back to himself again, and how sure and steadfast that is. How he gave up his body to be broken for our healing, and how he poured out his blood for our redemption.

The next thing he was conveying to me was, that it’s not about my devotion to him. It’s about his devotion to me. Now, full disclaimer, I am not saying that we should not be faithful to Jesus. What I am saying is that we are unable to be faithful to him through our own strength and we need to rely fully on his promise to make us and keep us faithful to him. I will tell you this is a hard lesson to learn at times and I will explain in more detail below what I mean by this.

Our Devotion Or His?

If Jesus was looking at our devotion to him he would have respected Peter’s exclamation towards him before he took the cross. When Peter expressed to the Lord, “I will go with you wherever. I am willing to die for you!” (paraphrased from Luke 22:33). Little did Peter know that when he was relying on his devotion to the Lord he was trusting in his own strength to take him to the cross and not in the Lord’s devotion and strength to bring him through it.

You see that’s where a lot of us fall. We rely on our own love and devotion to take the cross and not on God’s love and devotion to see us through. But when you’ve been humbled by your own lack of strength, and you know that you can’t make it on your own. That’s when the words of Jesus ring so loud and true,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

Matthew 5:3

Poor In Spirit

It’s to the poor in spirit that Jesus said they were blessed and that the kingdom of heaven was their possession. But what does it mean to be poor in spirit? When we hear verses like: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (ESV, Psalm 34:18) what exactly comes to our mind? Is it a person whose spirit cannot be broken and full of strength? I will tell you right now that is not a person who has poverty in their spirit.

When I think of the poor in spirit a glaring example that comes to mind is Naomi in the book of Ruth. She was so crushed and broken that she ended up changing her name to Mara (bitterness). Bless God for Ruth and her faithfulness! Because of Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi God’s salvation came to her. I also think of David when he was on the run from Saul in the wilderness. When he said in his heart, “I know that one day Saul is going to kill me. It is better to go live with the heathen so that I won’t die by his hands” (paraphrased from 1 Samuel 27:1).

In both of these examples, they were both crushed in spirit and had no strength left to give. That’s when God’s grace stepped in and elevated them out “from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory” (NKJV, 1 Samuel 2:8). With David, not long after he said that in his heart he received the kingdom. And Naomi after she called herself empty she became the mother (through Ruth) of kings! The lineage of David and Jesus came through her!

The poor in spirit are the ones that the New Covenant belongs to. Those who have finally come to the end of their self and realized, I cannot make it without you King Jesus. Please help me! This is the whole reason why the New Covenant was formed because we could not do it by ourselves.

Drinking The Cup of Old Wine

It was because of our insufficiency that Jesus took the cross and fulfilled the Old Covenant for us. I remember when Jesus was asking the Father to allow this cup to pass from him in the garden of Gethsemane:

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.

ESV, Matthew 26:39-42

Do you see the subtle difference in what he prayed? At first, he was asking the Father if at all possible to let the cup pass from him. Then when he saw his disciples sleeping he returned and said, If this cannot pass unless I drink it then your will be done. When he found his beloved friends asleep he realized unless I drink the cup of this Old Covenant then they will not be able to drink from the cup of the New.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better

BSB, Luke 5:37-39

Our Father has shown me that not only while Jesus was fulfilling the Law and the Prophets (drink the Old wine for us), they actually gave him old sour wine to drink right before he died. Look at how amazing God is!

“And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink”

ESV, Matthew 27:48

So prophetic! God is so awesome at showing examples of things in the spirit by performing them on this earth.

A New Covenant For A New People

The Old Covenant is all about our devotion to him. While the New Covenant is about believing in his devotion to us. If Jesus was looking for our devotion to him then the Old Covenant would have been sufficient, but because there was an insufficiency with us that’s why he made another covenant.

For if that first Covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. But God found fault with the people and said:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the Covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a Covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the Covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

By speaking of a New Covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

BSB, Hebrews 8:7-8, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:13

A New Day Dawns

That Old Covenant based on our devotion to him is obsolete and aging and will soon disappear. But this New Covenant which is based on faith in him (i.e. believing in his steadfast love and devotion toward us) is growing brighter and brighter.

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day”

NASB, Psalm 4:18

That path of the righteous is the one our savior made through his blood. Thank you, Jesus! God bless you Son of God. I no longer have to trust in my own strength to see me through to the end. I can trust in God’s love and life to see me through. I can trust in the power of His Spirit!

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

ESV, Zechariah 4:6

I am so grateful that he decided to find me and call me to himself. Thank you for increasing the power of the weak! I am so grateful to you, God, for giving strength to the powerless. Bless him forever! As I come to a close I just can’t help but exclaim how grateful I am for this new and living way Jesus has made for us!

By his death, Jesus opened a new and [living] way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

NLT, Hebrews 10:20

I love you all and thank you for reading! I hope this is informative and helps bring understanding to what kind of Covenant we have with our God. So thankful that it’s no longer about me, but all about him! Take a deep drink of God’s faithfulness today and rest in the finished work of Jesus! He is our Sabbath!

Greater Covenant Than Moses?

Posted on by ascendthehill

The Bible tells us that the glory of this new covenant we have with God is greater than the old. There were a lot of glorious things that happened under the old covenant such as fire coming down from heaven, Moses’ face emanating light, the red sea being parted, and the sun standing still in the sky. So how can this be? Check out the latest video and tell me what you think.

Remove The Veil

Posted on by ascendthehill

Something that has always astounded me about Jesus is that he never recognized his own goodness or righteousness. He truly modeled what it meant to be sold out for the righteousness of God. He was the example, so let’s take a look at the Author and Finisher of our faith. 

A man came to him one time and said, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus responded to this man with, "Why do you call me good? none is good, save one, that is, God." (Found in Luke 18:18-27)

So meek and lowly of heart! If any person in the entire history of this earth could call themselves good it would have been Jesus, yet he did not even acknowledge his own goodness! What a truly humble King! He directed the man to His Father. He said why do you call me good? None is good except God.

Wicked Judgments

Right before this encounter was recorded in Luke, Jesus gave a parable to those who trusted in their own righteousness.

And he spoke this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

The amazing thing about the pharisee is that he was thanking God for his righteousness! And went on to describe his religious activities that he had so highly esteemed. Think about that. He was acknowledging, to a certain extent, that God was the one responsible for his righteousness.

What is the problem with that? The problem is that he was exalting the “righteous deeds” that he was doing, and not truly exalting God. Then he looked at others and judged them according to his level of piety. He started to look at the “sinners” with contempt. He started to think that his devotion was the measure to which all men must be judged. He believed that he was good and others were “less than”. The Son, however, did not even acknowledge His own goodness and pointed to God and said, “He is the only good!”

Peter’s Oblivion

I have prayed for you [Peter], that your faith does not fail: and when you are converted, strengthen your brothers

Jesus, From Luke 22:32

There was a moment before Peter’s conversion when he looked at his devotions toward the Lord and not at God’s devotion toward him. He thought that he was the righteous one proving to God that he will stand firm and remain faithful to Jesus even if all others abandon him. I mean after all the Lord did rename him Peter (which means a rock). He was just standing in his new identity, right?

As Peter would soon find out, his identity was hinged on God being able to keep his word, not on Peter being able to keep his. Praise God for that! If it was based on our ability then we’d all be in hell!

Jesus said to the disciples, "All of you shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee." 

Peter said to him, "Although all shall be offended, yet I will not." 

And Jesus said back to him, "Truly I say to you, That this day, even in this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 

But Peter spoke more forcefully, "If I should die with you, I will not deny you in any wise!"

(from Mark 14:27-31)

The rest of the story is that Jesus’ prophecy remained true. Peter, along with the others, abandoned him. And Peter was humbled, he no longer thought that he was the keeper of his soul, but God was.

You Have Hidden These Things

The hidden truth of the gospel is it’s not about your goodness it’s about His! “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes!” Those who continue to try to be good enough have blinders over their eyes until Jesus comes and lifts the veil. (The law is that veil) and when the Groom comes to His bride He lifts that veil and marries her to Himself.

We all With Unveiled Face!

I love old-fashioned weddings they are sooo prophetic. First, the groom gives the bride an engagement ring which is his promise that he will marry her. Then when the bride is made ready the father walks her down the aisle while the whole congregation is in silent reverence. She is adorned in a beautiful white dress. Then when she stands before her husband he lifts the veil and she, with unveiled face, sees her husband! What a depiction of Christ and his bride!

Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; WHICH VAIL IS DONE AWAY IN CHRIST. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the SAME IMAGE from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18

What we behold is inevitably what we become. If we are constantly looking at the law and trying to judge our righteousness with the law we will fall. Because we are constantly looking at the things that we are not supposed to do. “The strength of sin is the law” (from 1Cor. 15:56).

Or if we start looking at ourselves and our devotion to the Lord then we will start judging others based off of our own convictions. Then start teaching the commandments of men as doctrines. “And in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). But if we, with unveiled face, behold our Lord we are changed from glory to glory.

He Is Good!

It is not and never has been about your goodness. It is and always will be about His goodness. Love love love you guys! It’s all about the goodness of our God and Father who gave up His Son for the world! Which is his enemy and we were all his enemies, but now he has made peace with us through the cross! What a good God we have! What a lover!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever! Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17

You Can’t Get Divorced So Just Die!

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