Old Covenant . . . New Covenant

Last week's message was the start of a study comparing the Old Blood Covenant with the New Blood Covenant. We learned that a covenant is a set of promises made between two parties never to be broken. Jehovah God laid the foundation for establishing the Old Covenant by making seven promises to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:2-3 which He kept and continues to keep. This week's message will illustrate how God established the Old Blood Covenant.

Genesis 15 is entitled "God's Covenant With Abraham." The early verses show Jehovah God and Abraham having a conversation. Abraham questions how God can continue to provide for him and his descendants since he is childless. God responds by telling Abraham he will have a son. In fact, God says to Abraham in verse 5, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars . . . so shall your offspring be." Also God said to Abraham the land you are standing on I will give to you and your descendants.

Genesis 15:8-10,12,17 says, "But Abraham said, 'O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it? So The Lord said to him, bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.' Abraham brought all these to Him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. . . As the sun was setting, Abraham fell into a deep sleep and thick and dreadful darkness came over him . . . when the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces."

The above Scripture is the actual establishment of the Old Blood Covenant. The sacrifice of animals was part of covenant ceremonies and lining them opposite each other represented the two parties to the covenant - God and Abraham. The burning torch passing between the animal pieces actually represented God establishing the covenant. Bless His Holy Name!

Additionally, Genesis 15:18 described God giving the land of Israel to Abraham and his descendants, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates." This describes a much larger tract of land than present day Israel but land that God's Covenant People will posses in the future. {Revelation 21:16}

Next week's message will illustrate Jehovah God continuing the Old Blood Covenant through Abraham's son Isaac. Stay Tuned! 

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank 

Old Covenant . . . New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34 says, "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. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke My covenant though I was a husband to them. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time. I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

The above four scriptures will be the foundation of a study comparing the Old Blood Covenant with the New Blood Covenant. Our goal is to answer the following key questions:

What Is A Covenant?

What Types Of Covenants Did God Create?

When Did The Old Blood Covenant Start?

Through Whom Did God Create The Old Blood Covenant?

How Was The Old Blood Covenant Created?

Why Was It Necessary For God To Create The New Blood Covenant?

Through Whom Did God Create The New Blood Covenant?

What Is A Covenant? A covenant is a solemn agreement or promise between two or more parties and was established with a document or ceremony. An Unconditional Covenant is when one party keeps all of a set of promises. The Old Blood Covenant illustrated Jehovah God keeping a number of promises for His Chosen People - The Jewish People.

How did the Old Blood Covenant start? Genesis 12:2-3 shows God speaking to Abraham, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." These two verses are a perfect example of an Uncoditional Covenant in which God makes seven promises to Abraham and his descendants. Jehovah God kept all these covenant promises of the Old Blood Covenant and continues to keep them today. Bless His Holy Name!

Next week's message will explore how Jehovah God literally established the Old Blood Covenant. Stay Tuned!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank    

"One In Christ" - Part Four

This will be the last in a series of messages titled "One In Christ." In our previous messages we have learned:

All people are loved equally by Jehovah God

Jesus came to earth to break down the wall of hostility

 between Jew and Gentile

All people equally receive Jesus as Savior when they believe

 He is Lord and that He died and was resurrected

All saved people receive forgiveness of sins

 upon confession of their sins

This last message will center on another important blessing received when a person receives Jesus as Savior - Eternal Life. Jesus said in John 14:1-2, "Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." To review, Jesus said to be eligible for Eternal Life a person should believe in God and Jesus. He is preparing a place for all saved people which is called Heaven. Eternal Life means spending eternity in Heaven!

Heaven is a literal place where God dwells. Psalm 11:4 says, "The Lord is in His Holy Temple; The Lord is on His Heavenly Throne." God's Throne is in Heaven. Saved people will live eternally with God and with all other saved people.

Jesus also lives in Heaven seated at the right hand of Jehovah God. Ephesians 1:20 says when tallking about God, "That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the Heavenly Realms." Luke 24:50-51 also describes Jesus ascending to Heaven, "When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hand and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into Heaven."

Lastly, all saved people will actually see the face of Jesus. Revelation 22:3-4 says, "The Throne of God and of The Lamb will be in the city and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face." Hallelujah! 

As we close this series called "One In Christ" our desire is that all who have read these messages are saved. If this is not true for you, please pray this pray with me: Jesus, I know I am a sinner. Please forgive me of all my sins. I believe you died on a cross and then God raised You from the dead. Please come into my heart to be my Savior so that I know when I die I will go to Heaven. Thank you for becoming my Lord and Savior!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank   

  

"One In Christ" - Part Three

Our messages the last two weeks have emphasized that Jehovah God loves all people equally and sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to die on a cross and be resurrected for both Jews and Gentiles. Through this most important sacrifice in all of history Jews and Gentiles can receive Jesus as their Savior and Messiah.

However, there is another very important blessing when a person receives Jesus as their Savior and Messiah - Forgiveness Of Sins. The beginning of Hebrews 10 explains this thoroughly. Verses 3 and 4 refer to animal sacrifices that were performed by the Jews under the Old Blood Covenant, "But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Notice these animal sacrifices were just a reminder of sins and not forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 10:6-7 explains that God was not pleased with the animal sacrifices but sent Jesus to do His Will, "With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am - it is written about Me in the scroll - I have come to do Your Will, O God.'"

What was the Will Of God that Jesus accomplished when He died on the cross and was resurrected? Hebrews 10:9-10 says, "He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Jesus established the New Blood Covenant setting aside the Old Blood Covenant resulting in Jehovah God forgiving all saved people's sins upon their confession of sins. 

Bless His Holy Name!

Our message next week will continue the "One In Christ" series addressing another blessing for all people upon receiving Jesus as their Savior: 

Eternal Life!

May The Lord Bless You This Day And Every Day,

Frank

"One In Christ" - Part Two

Last week's message looked at part of Ephesians Chapter two entitled "One In Christ." We learned that Jesus Christ, True Son Of The True God, came to earth to die on a cross and to be resurrected. Most importantly, we also learned when all of God's people, Jew or Gentile, confess with their mouth Jesus Is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead they are saved as stated in Romans 10:9. Hallelujah!

Ephesians 2:15-16 says about Jesus, "His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility." Notice another reason for Jesus to come to earth was to bring about equality before God for both Jew and Gentile also to bring peace to their relationship. Has this happened? Is there true peace in the relationship between Jews and Gentiles? Yes, this has happened to a degree but not in totality.

Some Jewish people have recognized Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah and are saved living under the New Blood Covenant like saved Gentiles. However, this is a relatively small percentage of Jews worldwide. Why is there a hesitation on the part of Jews to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah? This is explained in Romans 9:31-32, "Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, had not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were works."

The two verses at the end of Romans 9 are titled "Israel's Unbelief." They explain that Gentiles have pursued righteouness or Jesus by faith similar to Romans 10:9 saying if you believe Jesus is Lord you are saved. Romans 9:32 says Israel or the Jewish people pursued righteousness by works or the law and not by faith in Jesus.

Our purpose in bringing you these "One In Christ" messages was and is to encourage all of us to pray fervently for all unsaved people worldwide but especially for the Jewish People. Bless His Holy Name.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You This Day And Every Day,

Frank