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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

566. Jesus Is the Guarantee of a Better Covenant

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All priests under the law of Moses came from the tribe of the Levites. Jesus came from a different tribe (Judah), which brought a change of priesthood. With Jesus becoming our High Priest, this would mean there was also a change of law. The "change" here means a transformation or removal of the former commandment under the Old Covenant. The result was God providing Jesus as a guarantee or assurance of a better covenant. The Old was annulled and the New would ensue.



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565. Not Revised and Improved – It’s a Brand New Covenant

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This week we look further into the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The first one was established between God and Israel. It was an arrangement that never included Gentiles (non-Jews), not before the cross and certainly not after. The Old would become obsolete and be replace by the New, as a result of the superiority of the ministry of Jesus Christ. This covenant would bring Jew and Gentile together.



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564. New Covenant 101: It’s Better Than the Old

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After the death of Jesus, we find that the first covenant made with Israel came to an end and was replaced with a New Covenant that would be unlike the old one. It's not an amendment or continuation of the Old Covenant. The writer of Hebrews stated the law from the first covenant was weak and useless and could make nothing perfect. The New would be a better covenant established upon better promises. Why? Because this time God wasn't going to make the covenant with us (the people), but rather with Himself so that it could not fail. Our participation in this new way is to simply believe.



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Just for kicks - Something we mentioned during the podcast:

God will not get mad at you or rebuke you

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God is all powerful and has the power to do anything he wants at any time but has chosen to give mankind dominion over this planet and limit himself to our choices. YOUR CHOICES MATTER, THEY ARE SHAPING YOUR FUTURE AND YOUR CAPACITY TO FOLLOW GOD.

We learn a valuable lesson from the Israelites from their time on the desert. They experienced the wrath of God as a curse because of their hardness of heart. God responded to them in anger and actually enacted a curse that they would not enter into the rest (the land of Canaan) that he wanted for them. Thankfully we live under a different covenant.

Here’s the curse:

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. Hebrews 3:11

We see God’s anger then his rebuke with a curse.

But then we have this promise after the finished work of the Messiah:

To me this is like the days of Noah, (the cross of Christ) when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Isaiah 54:9

Why the change? We know God doesn’t change so something else must be going on here.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13, 14

God will never be angry with you, rebuke you or curse you because Jesus became and took all the for you! We should be able to say amen and rejoice for eternity on that truth. But just in case you have a legalistic nerve that is bulging right now…

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Romans 6:1,2

This is not a license to sin!! To suggest that telling people God will never be mad at them equates to permissiveness really only reveals a carnal mindset in the hearer to me. Let’s compare spiritual with spiritual and be mature believers in our understanding of the New Covenant. It’s time the body of Christ give the uncut truth about the finished work of Jesus without fear of people misusing the liberty. Have a little faith in the Holy Spirit to lead people into freedom!!

 

The post God will not get mad at you or rebuke you appeared first on Forward Ministries.

563. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Conclusion): Hunger and Thirst No More

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The subject of hungering and thirsting for more of God is an excellent example of being able to see where Jesus would speak of two completely different covenants during His ministry. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). He wasn't speaking to believers of today, but to Jewish people stuck in a system of hopelessness and despair. They were not blessed because they hungered, but because eventually the hunger and thirst would be satisfied. As believers in Christ, we no longer hunger or thirst for God or His righteousness. How do we know this? Later in the book of John, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."



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562. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 19): In Him – The New Ministry of the Spirit of God

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Although much of Jesus' ministry was for those under the law of the first covenant, He also shared about some things to come when the New Covenant would begin after His death. Jesus spoke of how He would go away and the Holy Spirit would come to help us. So what are some of the things the Spirit helps us with? We take a look at just a few examples that will hopefully bring some peace and comfort to you.



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562. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 19): In Him – The New Ministry of the Spirit of God

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Although much of Jesus' ministry was for those under the law of the first covenant, He also shared about some things to come when the New Covenant would begin after His death. Jesus spoke of how He would go away and the Holy Spirit would come to help us. So what are some of the things the Spirit helps us with? We take a look at just a few examples that will hopefully bring some peace and comfort to you.



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561. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 18): In Him – Fruit, Friends, Unburdensome

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As Jesus looked ahead to the New Covenant, He shared with His disciples that they would have the ability to bear the fruit that only God is able to produce. He said He would no longer call them servants, but friends. He also shared about the power to love through His new commands that would not be burdensome, unlike the law and commandments that came through the law found in the first covenant given to Israel. This is about abiding in Him. How do we do that? We talk about it on this week's program.



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542. Repeated Repentance vs. Forever Forgiveness

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Continuing from last week's discussion about 2 Chronicles 7:14, a passage that was directed at Israelites who were under the law... In that first covenant, they repeatedly found themselves in a position of needing to turn from sin whenever a command was broken. They were continuously seeking the face of God, praying, and offering sacrifices so they could be forgiven again and again, over and over. Contrast that with Christ, who obtained a ministry that is much more excellent than the old way that came through Moses. In this new ministry, forgiveness, justification and sanctification came through what He did by the shedding of His blood, once and for all.



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Why Did God Create Mankind?

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The-Creation

Have you ever wondered why you are here?
Have you asked, “what’s my purpose?”
Maybe you’ve even wondered, “what am I supposed to do?”

How you answer those questions may determine how religious you are. How you answer those questions may reveal the level of your performance mentality before God. How you answer those questions may give you insight into the kind of relationship you think you have with God and what you think God expects from you.

A created thing can not determine its own purpose. The creator of anything has its own reason for producing that object. You are here according to God’s intentions. So what are God’s reasons for creating mankind? More specifically, why did he make you?

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

God created everything for his pleasure. That begs another question; what brings God pleasure? How you answer that question reveals the kind of father you think God is. Does poverty bring him pleasure? Does sickness bring him pleasure? What about confusion? Many people seem to think God wants them confused. I hear many people talk about their life’s circumstances and ask the question, what are you doing God? As if he’s the one in control over that circumstance. God is not the author of confusion so it must not bring him pleasure for you to be confused about your life and it’s circumstances.

What brings God pleasure is the same as any other father, healthy loving relationships with their children. God is a good father, it is his good pleasure to give you his kingdom. What’s in his kingdom? Righteousness, peace and joy. It brings God pleasure when you to enjoy what he has given you, righteousness, peace and joy.

David wondered why God created mankind, he wrote about it in a psalm…

What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?

Then David receives his answer…

Yet you have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Psalm 8

The words ‘glory’ and ‘majesty’ or ‘honor’ in modern day language are dignity, worth, value and royalty. God has attributed to mankind incredible worth and value. Each human life is worth every drop of the eternal blood of Jesus. God sees mankind as kings and rulers over his creation. When God looks at people he sees a dignified, royal creature worthy to have authority over his own creation.

This is true of all mankind. This is the reason Christ died for the ungodly, because everyone is valuable. This is why Jesus remained obedient unto the death of the cross and passed into the grave while we were sinners, because God sees mankind as royalty.

Once we receive Jesus and are cleansed by his blood our royalty extends into Heaven because we’re then in Jesus but even before then, each human on this planet is worth more than all its gold and precious stones combined. The reason God created mankind was to enjoy his creation and enjoy fellowship with each other and enjoy relationship with him.

Your purpose is fulfilled when you say yes to Jesus and enjoy fellowship with God, it’s that simple.

In next week’s blog I’ll cover the difference between purpose and calling and address dreams, goals and desires. You can watch part 3 of Why Am I Here? Sunday morning at 9 & 11am EST.

Stay tuned for a book and workshop entitled Why Am I Here? Discover Your Purpose and Fulfill Your Call

The post Why Did God Create Mankind? appeared first on Forward Ministries.

Why Did God Create Mankind?

by

The-Creation

Have you ever wondered why you are here?
Have you asked, “what’s my purpose?”
Maybe you’ve even wondered, “what am I supposed to do?”

How you answer those questions may determine how religious you are. How you answer those questions may reveal the level of your performance mentality before God. How you answer those questions may give you insight into the kind of relationship you think you have with God and what you think God expects from you.

A created thing can not determine its own purpose. The creator of anything has its own reason for producing that object. You are here according to God’s intentions. So what are God’s reasons for creating mankind? More specifically, why did he make you?

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

God created everything for his pleasure. That begs another question; what brings God pleasure? How you answer that question reveals the kind of father you think God is. Does poverty bring him pleasure? Does sickness bring him pleasure? What about confusion? Many people seem to think God wants them confused. I hear many people talk about their life’s circumstances and ask the question, what are you doing God? As if he’s the one in control over that circumstance. God is not the author of confusion so it must not bring him pleasure for you to be confused about your life and it’s circumstances.

What brings God pleasure is the same as any other father, healthy loving relationships with their children. God is a good father, it is his good pleasure to give you his kingdom. What’s in his kingdom? Righteousness, peace and joy. It brings God pleasure when you to enjoy what he has given you, righteousness, peace and joy.

David wondered why God created mankind, he wrote about it in a psalm…

What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?

Then David receives his answer…

Yet you have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Psalm 8

The words ‘glory’ and ‘majesty’ or ‘honor’ in modern day language are dignity, worth, value and royalty. God has attributed to mankind incredible worth and value. Each human life is worth every drop of the eternal blood of Jesus. God sees mankind as kings and rulers over his creation. When God looks at people he sees a dignified, royal creature worthy to have authority over his own creation.

This is true of all mankind. This is the reason Christ died for the ungodly, because everyone is valuable. This is why Jesus remained obedient unto the death of the cross and passed into the grave while we were sinners, because God sees mankind as royalty.

Once we receive Jesus and are cleansed by his blood our royalty extends into Heaven because we’re then in Jesus but even before then, each human on this planet is worth more than all its gold and precious stones combined. The reason God created mankind was to enjoy his creation and enjoy fellowship with each other and enjoy relationship with him.

Your purpose is fulfilled when you say yes to Jesus and enjoy fellowship with God, it’s that simple.

In next week’s blog I’ll cover the difference between purpose and calling and address dreams, goals and desires. You can watch part 3 of Why Am I Here? Sunday morning at 9 & 11am EST.

Stay tuned for a book and workshop entitled Why Am I Here? Discover Your Purpose and Fulfill Your Call

The post Why Did God Create Mankind? appeared first on Forward Ministries.

529. Jesus Died; We Inherited

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We have been gifted with an inheritance that could not be earned. This inheritance is "imperishable, undefiled and unfading." Inheritance is based upon the will and desire of the giver and it goes into effect after their death. So it is with our inheritance which was given through the new covenant of Jesus Christ:

"For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives." (Hebrews 9:15-17)



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