"....Enter The Holiest By The Blood of Jesus"

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near...."  (Hebrews 10:19-22a, from one of today's reading)

Hebrews 10:5 reveals that Jesus says to our Father, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me."  Jesus says in John 6:54, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."  When my Dad was in seminary, some of his contemporaries called it "slaughterhouse religion."  As repulsive as this may be to sophisticated humanity, our, "access...into this grace in which we stand," is in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  I simply enter into acceptance and fellowship in the Living Triune God no other way.

If anyone's boldness is anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ and His Most Precious Body and Blood, it is not only a misplaced boldness, but also a boldness which will be severely judged.  I, "enter the Holiest (aka, "Holiest of all,"--"Holy of Holies" -- "Most Holy") by the blood of Jesus...."  I live in the Body and Blood of Jesus.  I overcome in the Body and Blood of Jesus.  I am saved, healed, delivered, on my way to Heaven only in the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

            "Come into the Holy of Holies
            Enter by the Blood of the Lamb
            Come into His presence with singing
            Worship at the throne of God
            Lifting holy hands
            To the King of kings
            Worship Jesus"                        

Father, in Jesus' Name, I embrace You in the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Amen. 
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* Planning a DC Mission when the Congress is back in session in September.
* Fall Mission Date Update: October 27-November 23

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"The Greater and More Perfect Tabernacle...Not of This Creation"

"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.  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." (Hebrews 9:10, 11)

Jesus in His Cross is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant Tabernacle, Temple.  "The Most Holy Place," He entered is, "not of this creation."  And Jesus did not enter, "with the blood of goats and calves."  Jesus, "with His own blood...entered."  Now, because of Jesus', "own blood," you and I may/can enter, have entered, are permanent dwellers in, "The Most Holy Place"; no coming to or into, no leaving for you and me.  Because you and I are in Christ and Christ is in us, we have entered the most envied place of the Universe, "the Most Holy Place," which, in the Old Covenant, was the representation of the most intimate fellowship in the Godhead.

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."  It is correct to say that when the world looks into our faces, the face of the Church, they also see, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God."  They are peering into, "the face of Jesus Christ," revealed, as the Blessed Trinity has chosen, in His People, and thereby into the very Face of God.  Perhaps there is a sense in which we could say that the Church is an "earthly" manifestation of, "the Most Holy Place." 

Today, as you and I engage the world, it is good to keep in mind and heart that, "we are ambassadors for Christ," and, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," is now also manifest in His Body, the Church, in you and me.  Perhaps this gives a new sense to the song, "Shine, Jesus, Shine."   

Father, in Jesus' Name, shine in me.  Let, "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," be in my face, in my words, in my actions.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"For Christ Is The Consumation"

"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end ('purpose, objective, reaching the end, consumation') of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:3, 4)

 It is not that the law is ended.  It is that Jesus Christ is the "end goal" of the Law.

The ignorance, "of God's righteousness," is a blinding which comes from, "seeking to establish their own righteousness."  We will always be blind when our objectives, goals, ambition in life is, "to establish their own," our own anything rather than God's.  When I live to, "establish," to affirm and witness to Jesus' righteousness, His reign in the Earth, I am in Father's purpose.

In Jesus Christ we have the fulfillment of the Law.  In Jesus Christ we have the fulfillment of the entirety of the Old Testament/Covenant; and if you and I want to be "fulfilled," there is only one way, one path, one Word to obey, and One to be in-------- Jesus Christ.

Father, in Jesus' Name, deliver us from the evil of self imposed ignorance.  Amen.
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Read of just how far into perversion the American Government has fallen:
www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"The Kingdom of God Present With Power"

"Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power." (Mark 9:1)

Some commentators believe Jesus is referring here to Pentecost; I'm not so sure.  I suggest another possibility.  Could what followed 6 days later have something to do with Jesus' statement?  What Peter, James, and John witnessed on what Peter many, many years later would refer to as, "the Holy Mountain," was a spectacular sight, "[Jesus] was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them."  But equal to what they saw is what they heard and saw, "And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!'"  This is not in any way an attempt to negate the power of Pentecost.  But this too is power ("power evangelism"?), the Power of the Godhead holding forth, honoring, and pointing/bringing the Earth to Jesus Christ.  The whole scenario is presenting Jesus as the Glory of Our Father and the Holy Spirit, and seeing, "the Kingdom of God present with power."

Perhaps this is one of the reasons Paul said that we should run our race, "Looking unto Jesus."  People actually "saw" Jesus, saw how He conducted Himself with people.  Before Jesus' Appearing, all man knew about God was primarily words and His acts of power.  Yet no one had/has ever seen our Father or the Holy Spirit.  But in Jesus, He was/is now here, "with us," and, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  This is why Jesus was and is the controversial One of our Faith.  Jesus is, "Immanuel, God with us."  For most of humanity through the ages, Jesus is, "God (too much) with us."  Jesus is God manifest, a real "inconvenient truth" for many.  Sadly, what too many people saw/see in Jesus is not the god of their imagination and preference.  But for us, What An Absolutely, "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace...,the kingdom of God present with power."

The reason Jesus said, "the Kingdom of God is within you," or, "in your midst," is that Jesus is within the Follower, the Church, and in the, "midst," of humanity, all humanity, everywhere, even where the Church is not.  So, my friend, in you and me, in His Church, "the kingdom of God (is still) present with power"------- which includes our homes, our work places, and more.  Everywhere Jesus is, "the kingdom of God [is] present with power."

Father, in Jesus' Name, shine in me.  Holy Spirit, by your indwelling and your words, cleanse me of sin so that Your Light may shine.  Amen.
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Some people took issue with my statement about the Wimps in America running scared in the face of terrorists' threats.  Go to:    www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
to see someone who agrees.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2