Jesus, Our High Priest - Part Three

We are learning about Jesus becoming our High Priest when He ascended into Heaven and sat on His Throne at the right hand of The Heavenly Father. To date we have learned Jesus has opened direct access to Jehovah God and we can actually know God through the guidance and direction of The Holy Spirit. 

Hebrews 8:12 says, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." When Jesus died and was resurrected, the New Covenant was established and God said in Hebrews 8:12 that as a result "I will remember no more" their sins. The New Covenant established forgiveness of sins for all people once they receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! Bless His Holy Name!

How did this happen? We first need to understand how the sins of the people were addressed under the Old Covenant. Hebrews 9:22 says, "And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood and without shedding of blood there is no remission." When they sinned, people living under The Old Covenant brought animals to the Priest for the shedding of blood resulting in the covering over of their sins. However, this was not forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins."

Jesus Came As The Mediator Of A Better Covenant 

With Better Promises

One of the Better Promises is the Forgiveness of Sins. "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many." {Hebrews 9:12-14,28}

Jesus, Our High Priest, Remembers Our Sins No More. Hallelujah!

Blessings,

Frank

    

Jesus, Our High Priest - Part Two

Hebrews 8:3 says, "For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices." We learned in our first message of this new series that Jesus became our High Priest upon His ascension into Heaven. Hebrews 8:3 says that high priests offer gifts and sacrifices. This theme could be a series by itself.

Without any question the most important gift and sacrifice Jesus offered to both Jews and Gentiles was the establishment of a new and better Covenant. Hebrews 8:6 says, "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant" and Hebrews 8:8,10 describe the New Covenant as "Behold, the days are coming, says The Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah . . . I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts."

Jehovah God says, "He will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts." This describes one of the primary differences between the Old and New Covenants. Under the Old Covenant, God's Chosen People attempted to obey over 600 laws which was impossible.

However, the New Covenant provides the opportunity to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord and develop a relationship with Him through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This New Covenant creates a relationship allowing the Holy Spirit to enable a "Saved Person" to please the Heavenly Father in all that they say and do. Let Us Always Bless His Holy Name!

Obviously, the new relationship developed through the New Covenant between God and "Saved People" is effective because Hebrews 8:11 says, "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'know The Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them."

All "Saved People" Through The Shed Blood Of Jesus 

Shall Know God!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Blessings,

Frank       

Jesus - Our High Priest

Hebrews 8:1 says, "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying; we have such a High Priest, 'Who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens.'" We are starting a new series entitled Jesus - Our High Priest taken from Hebrews Chapters 8, 9, 10. Please notice Hebrews 8:1 says, "We have such a High Priest." When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He became the High Priest of all those who know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus also sat down on His Throne at the right hand of God Almighty. No priest in the line of Aaron ever had a chair in the Tabernacle where they could sit down because they were too busy with their priestly duties. Jesus sat down because His task on earth was finished. Jesus declared from the cross just before He died "It Is Finished." Hallelujah!

Jesus, as our High Priest from Heaven is "A Minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which The Lord erected and not man." The Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem were man-made. Conversely, Jesus ministers in a Tabernacle in Heaven that He created.

Most importantly, we who know Jesus as our Savior now have total access to our Heavenly Father. The Tabernacle of the Old Testament was composed of an outer court where animal sacrifices took place; the Holy Place where Priests performed their duties and the Holy of Holies where Jehovah God was present. Only the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year before God to ask for atonement for the sins of the people.

However, the moment that Jesus died on the cross, the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn apart. In effect, at that moment Jesus became our High Priest and we now can come boldly before the Throne of God at any moment with our Worship, Prayers and Requests. Jehovah God desires to be our Intimate friend.

Thank You Jesus For Becoming Our High Priest!      

Blessings,

Frank 

The Land Of Israel - Part Ten

This will be the final message in our series about The Land Of Israel and it will show our Lord Jesus Christ gaining control of the whole world. 

We have learned in the last message that the Anti-Christ at the end of the seven-year Tribulation Period gathers armies from around the world to invade and destroy Jerusalem. However, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords suddenly appears in the sky and destroys all the enemies of Israel in a single moment. Revelation 19:11,15 says, "Then I saw Heaven opened and behold, a white horse and He who sat on him was called Faithful and True . . . now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron."

The defeat of all the enemies of Israel ushers in the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ over the whole world from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:2-3 says, "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come and let us go up to the mountain of The Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of The Lord from Jerusalem."

There will be total peace on the earth and nations will travel to Jerusalem to learn of the ways of Jehovah God who will also be their Judge. Zechariah 14:16 says, "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations who came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship The King, The Lord of Hosts, and to keep The Feast of Tabernacles." Also, all the Saints of God in Heaven at the start of the 1,000 years will reign with Christ. {Revelation 20:6}

The Land of Israel and specifically the current Jerusalem will be the location of The New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:2,3 says, "Then I, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from Heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men.'"

We trust you have been blessed by our series on The Land of Israel and it has been an educational process for all.

Blessings,

Frank  

    

 

The Land Of Israel - Part Nine

We are in the closing stages of studying the Land Of Israel as we look at its future when the next major event will be the seven-years known as the Tribulation Period.

Shortly after Jesus gathers all those who know Him as Lord and Savior, the Anti-Christ will be identified. He will come as a Deceiver as identified in the First Seal in Revelation 6:2. The Anti-Christ's forms of deception in the first three and a half years are as follows: 

He Temporarily Brings Peace To The Earth

He Allows The Jewish Temple To Be Rebuilt

He Appears To Be The Jewish Messiah

He Temporarily Develops A Peace Agreement With Israel

At the end of the first three and a half years, the Anti-Christ reveals his true intentions toward Israel and the Jewish People. His goal is to destroy both of them. He starts by shutting down all daily worship activities in the Temple and declares "I Am God." The last three and a half years of the Tribulation period are extremely difficult and challenging for the Jewish People.

However, Jehovah God has not forgotten His Covenant People! He seals 144,000 Jewish men selecting 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel protecting them from all harm. Also, Revelation 14:4,5 says, "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes . . . for they are without fault before the Throne of God." 

Revelation 11 describes the "Two Witnesses." Verses 3 and 5 says, "And I will give power to My two witnesses and they will prophesy . . . and if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth." These two witnesses illustrate how God has not forgotten Israel and illustrates the power of God because they are able to perform miracles.

Our next message will show our Lord God defeating the enemies of Israel and establishing the one-thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ. Stay Tuned.

Blessings,

Frank 

  

 

 

The Land Of Israel - Part Eight

This message is the first of a number of messages looking at the Future Of The Land Of Israel. Between now and when Jesus physically returns to earth, Israel will take part in three wars.

Psalm 83 in verses 2-4 says, "For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, 'come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.'" This is a very clear indication that the enemies of Israel are working together to destroy Israel. Verse 6 actually identifies some of these nations to include Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

The Battle of Gog and Magog will be an invasion of the Mountains of Israel and it is believed it will take place before the seven year Tribulation Period. Our Lord God talks to Gog, who is believed to be the leader of Russia in Ezekiel 38:15-16 saying, "Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you . . . You will come up against My People Israel like a cloud." Gog will lead a coalition of nations surrounding Israel in an attempt to destroy Israel. However, Jehovah God responds to this invasion saying in verses 21 and 23, "I will call for a sword against Gog . . . Thus I will Magnify Myself and Sanctify Myself."

The final battle for Israel happens at the end of the Tribulation Period and is called The Battle of Armageddon. However, this battle centers on Jerusalem but will happen throughout Israel. Armies from around the world will gather in the Valley of Megiddo which is Armageddon in Hebrew. Once again, Jehovah God intervenes and wins this final battle for Israel but also for all the peoples of the earth. {Zechariah 14:3}

What A Mighty God We Serve!

What A Mighty God We Serve!

Angels Bow Before Him,

Heaven And Earth Adore Him,

What A Mighty God We Serve!

Blessings,

Frank

     

   

The Land Of Israel - Part Seven

In our last message we raised the question "What Would It Be Like To Live In Israel?" The most blessed part of living in Israel is wherever one might live could be a place where "Jesus Walked." Jesus was born in Bethlehem; He healed people and raised the dead in Judea and Samaria; was crucified and raised from the dead in Jerusalem. Also, He ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem residents and tourists can visit many Biblical Sites such as the Hill of Golgotha where Jesus died; the tomb where Jesus was laid after His death and from where He was Resurrected and the location of the Last Supper.

Geographically, Israel is a Miracle! A visitor to Israel in the early 1900's would have found desert and swamp land. Today, the swamp land has become beautiful towns and cities plus the desert is farmland. Fruits and vegetables produced by Israeli farms are desired around the world. Israel has become a global leader in the technology and medical fields. Jehovah God said in Genesis 12:2-3 that He will "Bless Israel" and this Miracle is evident every day. Bless His Holy Name! 

In addition to the joy and excitement of living or visiting the Holy Land, it is one of the most beautiful nations in the world. The Western Coast has beaches to compare with any other beaches. At the Northern tip is Mount Hermon with a breath-taking view and downhill skiing. The Sea of Galilee is located just south of Mount Hermon and one can see fishermen similar to the days of Jesus and can ride in boats patterned to the days of Jesus.

Last but certainly not least, Jerusalem is a beautiful city since most buildings are white made from Jerusalem Stone. Visitors and residents experience numerous languages and religious practices since residents of Jerusalem have moved there from around the world. One can visit the Western Wall believed to be the only wall remaining from the Jewish Temples. Additionally, on the Sabbath, visitors will notice Jewish families gathering throughout the city.

If you have not visited Israel, make it a priority! You Will Be Greatly Blessed And Will Desire To Return. The future of Israel messages will start next week.

Blessings,

Frank