We've Got More than Our Fleshly Abilities

[mfblume]

Kind words, folks. Thanks.

When Esther took advantage of the HIGHER LAW PRINCIPLE, the same thing occurred with Daniel. A law was made to disallow anyone from praying to any God except the king of Babylon. But after the lion ordeal and Daniel's deliverance, we read a HIGHER LAW, like the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, was in effect, that overrode the previous law.

Dan 6:26-28
(26) I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
(27) He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
(28) So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

[mfblume]

The Philistines camped at ERPHESDAMMIM when the battle with David slaying the giant took place. EPHESDAMMIM means BOUNDARY OF BLOOD.

1 Samuel 17:1 KJV Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.

Shochoh was on one side, and Azekah on the other. Shochoh is derived from a word which means to FENCE IN. Azekah is also dervied from a word that means to FENCE ABOUT.

All of that was in the land of Judah. JUDAH MEANS PRAISE.

So here we have the enemy facing David in a land called PRAISE, between FENCED IN and FENCED ABOUT, at BOUNDARY OF BLOOD. Do you think the enemy had a chance? lol

When David chased after Goliath, he did not run on his own merits or goodness. The armour of Saul that was offered to him was MAN-MADE. This speaks of man-made strength and righteousness, as though OUR BEST can defeat the enemy. Everyone knows flesh cannot defeat satan. That's why Saul and the rest with their MAN-MADE righteousness could do nothing against the enemy and wouldn't ever try.

But David ran in the name of the Lord! In Jesus' name means we stand IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, not our own. It is not of our works that we're saved, and it is not of our fleshly abilities that we will ever defeat the enemy. GOD STEPS IN when we go forth IN HIS NAME and power.

Being IN JESUS' NAME means to be dead with Christ, buried, risen and seated with Him on the throne in heavenly places! We have resurrection life since we're IN CHRIST! That puts us beyond the boundary of blood! Satan cannot cross the BLOOD LINE.

All the devil could do was kill. He had the power of death. (Heb 2:14). But we died and resurrected with Christ. Satan can only go so far as death, and we went beyond death to resurrection life. Satan cannot handle that, So death is marked by the blood line. We are beyond that where satan cannot go.

Like the blood around the doors of the Hebrews in Goshen, the destroyer could not cross the bloodline. Like Rahab in side the house where the red cord was in the window, destruction could not reach Rahab.

Being in Christ means we're in His death and resurrection, and across the boundary of blood where satan cannot harm us, and where we actually destroy his power!

[mfblume]

Israel faced the Gibeonites in the promised land after conquering Jericho and Ai. These people lied to Joshua saying they were from a far country whose wine bottles burst due to the distance they traveled over so much time, and their bread was mouldy. They lied because they would be destroyed should Joshua know they were of the land.

Bread and wine.....

Hmmm...

Christ's work of the cross was symbolized by bread and wine.

Josh 9: (4) They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; (5) And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

The old shoes also imply feet shod with preparation of the gospel of peace.

Eating the bread and drinking the wine of communion speaks of believing the truths of the cross. Mouldy bread and broken wine bottles would speak of a false message of the cross that offers no life. It's like a counterfeit to the fruit of Life, in the form of the knowledge of good and evil.

Jesus resurrected so as to not see corruption. Spiritually, the bread would not be mouldy nor the wine bottles broken.

Satan offers something so close to truth, but lifeless. What is more religious sounding than knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL? But it's knowledge and not life! So many believers are legalistic and have the knowledge of good and evil. No life in them. Self improving self, instead of the Spirit.

Here is where Joshua failed:

JOSHUA 9 (14) And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

We need to go to the WORD to deal with questionable issues.

What is interesting is that the GIBEONITES were part of the people called HIVITES. The name HIVITE is a derived form of EVE, or EVE-ITES. Eve had the same problem Joshua did. She fell for the counterfeit, lifeless, fruit. And it's how the devil saved his own neck. Had Adam and Eve eaten fruit of life in their innocence, they would have driven satan out of earth like God did from heaven. Satan had to "plug" humanity up with the false fruit in order to save his own neck and not be overcome.

Similarly, the enemy survived in Canaan when Israel entered through the false "fruit", so to speak.

The corrupted version of the cross is self improving self in legalism. It is no threat to the devil, since the enemy's whole principle was being one's own god as he tempted Eve with. "Ye shall be as God."

the truth is our flesh cannot improve itself, and mouldy bread and broken wine bottles simply depict corruptible flesh, not the true flesh and blood of Christ. And such false christianity depicted by mouldy bread and broken winebottles, that depicts legalism, rides upon self improving self in legalistic means.

Only God's LIFE and SPIRIT can save us, not ourselves and our religious good works.

After three days (a spiritual reference to the cross again), Joshua learned the truth about the deceivers.

Joshua 9:16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

A three day time period that equals the time Jesus was dead and then arose speaks of really coming to grips with the GOSPEL MESSAGE. It's like we experience the three days when we come to the full revelation of what the cross is all about in truth when it comes ot our salvation. Legalists, for example, can be said to have never come to the THREE DAY understanding of true resurrection life.

And when he learned the truth of the liars, he turned the bad situation into a good one, like we can do with our failures. He made these people carriers of wood for the sacrifices made at the altar.

Joshua 9:27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.

The message is that we can turn our errors and lessons learned from them into the means for FUEL FOR SACRIFICE and WORSHIP!

Joshua realized the truth after THREE DAYS. Three days is when Jesus resurrected from the dead. Three days after they made a league with the deceivers was the time they arrived at their city GIBEON.

A ONE Day or TWO Day understanding of the cross is incomplete. It only involves the death and burial. No emphasis on the RESURRECTION LIFE that is represented by the THIRD DAY REVELATION, because the third day was when Jesus resurrected by the SPIRIT. Lack of the full three days’ experience of Jesus will leave out the ALL-IMPORTANT NOTE OF RESURRECTION LIFE, which is ETERNAL LIFE that cannot die. THAT is the LIFE that defeats the devil who had the power of DEATH.

Let’s fuel our need to rely on Jesus by these mistakes. It is wonderful that MISTAKES CAN BE TURNED AROUND TO BECOME SOMETHING BETTER if we love God.

Romans 8:28 KJV And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Make your mistakes FUEL to burn your hunger and desire to rely on God.

[KeptByTheWord]

I think the biggest obstacle in our Christian walk with the Lord is overcoming our flesh, its temptations, and our sin nature. These spiritual parables and ideas that you are bringing forth from the scriptures help to illuminate just how much victory Jesus won for us at Calvary. Powerful stuff!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Israel faced the Gibeonites in the promised land after conquering Jericho and Ai. These people lied to Joshua saying they were from a far country whose wine bottles burst due to the distance they traveled over so much time, and their bread was mouldy. They lied because they would be destroyed should Joshua know they were of the land.

Bread and wine.....

Hmmm...

Christ's work of the cross was symbolized by bread and wine.

Josh 9: (4) They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; (5) And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

The old shoes also imply feet shod with preparation of the gospel of peace.

Eating the bread and drinking the wine of communion speaks of believing the truths of the cross. Mouldy bread and broken wine bottles would speak of a false message of the cross that offers no life. It's like a counterfeit to the fruit of Life, in the form of the knowledge of good and evil.

Jesus resurrected so as to not see corruption. Spiritually, the bread would not be mouldy nor the wine bottles broken.

Satan offers something so close to truth, but lifeless. What is more religious sounding than knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL? But it's knowledge and not life! So many believers are legalistic and have the knowledge of good and evil. No life in them. Self improving self, instead of the Spirit.

Here is where Joshua failed:

JOSHUA 9 (14) And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

We need to go to the WORD to deal with questionable issues.

What is interesting is that the GIBEONITES were part of the people called HIVITES. The name HIVITE is a derived form of EVE, or EVE-ITES. Eve had the same problem Joshua did. She fell for the counterfeit, lifeless, fruit. And it's how the devil saved his own neck. Had Adam and Eve eaten fruit of life in their innocence, they would have driven satan out of earth like God did from heaven. Satan had to "plug" humanity up with the false fruit in order to save his own neck and not be overcome.

Similarly, the enemy survived in Canaan when Israel entered through the false "fruit", so to speak.

The corrupted version of the cross is self improving self in legalism. It is no threat to the devil, since the enemy's whole principle was being one's own god as he tempted Eve with. "Ye shall be as God."

the truth is our flesh cannot improve itself, and mouldy bread and broken wine bottles simply depict corruptible flesh, not the true flesh and blood of Christ. And such false christianity depicted by mouldy bread and broken winebottles, that depicts legalism, rides upon self improving self in legalistic means.

Only God's LIFE and SPIRIT can save us, not ourselves and our religious good works.

After three days (a spiritual reference to the cross again), Joshua learned the truth about the deceivers.

Joshua 9:16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

A three day time period that equals the time Jesus was dead and then arose speaks of really coming to grips with the GOSPEL MESSAGE. It's like we experience the three days when we come to the full revelation of what the cross is all about in truth when it comes ot our salvation. Legalists, for example, can be said to have never come to the THREE DAY understanding of true resurrection life.

And when he learned the truth of the liars, he turned the bad situation into a good one, like we can do with our failures. He made these people carriers of wood for the sacrifices made at the altar.

Joshua 9:27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.

The message is that we can turn our errors and lessons learned from them into the means for FUEL FOR SACRIFICE and WORSHIP!

Joshua realized the truth after THREE DAYS. Three days is when Jesus resurrected from the dead. Three days after they made a league with the deceivers was the time they arrived at their city GIBEON.

A ONE Day or TWO Day understanding of the cross is incomplete. It only involves the death and burial. No emphasis on the RESURRECTION LIFE that is represented by the THIRD DAY REVELATION, because the third day was when Jesus resurrected by the SPIRIT. Lack of the full three days’ experience of Jesus will leave out the ALL-IMPORTANT NOTE OF RESURRECTION LIFE, which is ETERNAL LIFE that cannot die. THAT is the LIFE that defeats the devil who had the power of DEATH.

Let’s fuel our need to rely on Jesus by these mistakes. It is wonderful that MISTAKES CAN BE TURNED AROUND TO BECOME SOMETHING BETTER if we love God.

Romans 8:28 KJV And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Make your mistakes FUEL to burn your hunger and desire to rely on God.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

I think the biggest obstacle in our Christian walk with the Lord is overcoming our flesh, its temptations, and our sin nature. These spiritual parables and ideas that you are bringing forth from the scriptures help to illuminate just how much victory Jesus won for us at Calvary. Powerful stuff!

By far, our own flesh and the fear is engenders is the BIGGEST enemy we will ever deal with. We have all that we need through what Christ did on the cross for us. It sounds corny, having been said so much, but really it's true - the only thing we should fear is fear itself.

I think a lot of it is due to the fact that the most important things done at the cross were invisible things. Things the word alone can show us - how we died with Jesus and were buried and risen with Him. If we stood there that day, we would not see the vital events that occurred. So, all we have is His Word, and that requires faith.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by mfblume

By far, our own flesh and the fear is engenders is the BIGGEST enemy we will ever deal with. We have all that we need through what Christ did on the cross for us. It sounds corny, having been said so much, but really it's true - the only thing we should fear is fear itself.

I think a lot of it is due to the fact that the most important things done at the cross were invisible things. Things the word alone can show us - how we died with Jesus and were buried and risen with Him. If we stood there that day, we would not see the vital events that occurred. So, all we have is His Word, and that requires faith.

IMO, I believe we hold fear because we know what we are capable of and we know what others could also be capable of.

Also, when "all things work together...", a situation or issue that arises is on God's timetable. Since we don't control those things, it brings an element of fear that we know we shouldn't have, sometimes we are able to put that down, but other times the waiting can mess with our minds.

When dealing with fear over a situation, God brought to mind Daniel in the lion's den. He asked me - "What was Daniel's greatest fear?" My first thought was the lions, but God responded, "That there was no way out."

A lesson learned. We can fear there is no way out, but God will make a way of escape if we will trust Him. I'm sure Daniel had no idea how long he would be in the den with the lions. That was on God's timetable.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

When dealing with fear over a situation, God brought to mind Daniel in the lion's den. He asked me - "What was Daniel's greatest fear?" My first thought was the lions, but God responded, "That there was no way out."

A lesson learned. We can fear there is no way out, but God will make a way of escape if we will trust Him. I'm sure Daniel had no idea how long he would be in the den with the lions. That was on God's timetable.

Awesome nugget right there Pressing-On!!!! So true that fear is our worst enemy, because our eyes are limited to the now and present. Our faith, though gives us eyes that trust the future, even though we can't see it, because we know our Lord does.

I love thoughts like these - they are good nuggets to store away for the moments and times when you need encouragement instantly.

A favorite nugget of mine .... Being a disciple of Christ really means being called to a life of adventure - you never know what He is going to allow, or what He is going to take you through, or what He is going to ask you to do... but one thing for sure.... He has a plan! Yes, serving Jesus is most certainly a life full of adventure!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Awesome nugget right there Pressing-On!!!! So true that fear is our worst enemy, because our eyes are limited to the now and present. Our faith, though gives us eyes that trust the future, even though we can't see it, because we know our Lord does.

I love thoughts like these - they are good nuggets to store away for the moments and times when you need encouragement instantly.

A favorite nugget of mine .... Being a disciple of Christ really means being called to a life of adventure - you never know what He is going to allow, or what He is going to take you through, or what He is going to ask you to do... but one thing for sure.... He has a plan! Yes, serving Jesus is most certainly a life full of adventure!

Amen! The waiting game is what got Saul into trouble. He was tired of waiting and offered the sacrifice himself.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Amen! The waiting game is what got Saul into trouble. He was tired of waiting and offered the sacrifice himself.

And exactly so MANY times our troubles are caused by this very thing. We are impatient, and try to take into our own hands a situation, and make something happen, when if we would just continue to wait on the Lord and his provision, we wouldn't have to deal with the sad outcomes of our own interventions.

For example: Look at what happened to Sarah when she became impatient with the fact that she had not conceived, even though the Lord had made her a promise. She implored her husband to conceive a child through her servant. That child, and his seed, have continued driving a wedge between the seed of Sarah and Abraham ever since.

May God help us all to remember that taking things into our own hands is a very dangerous thing.