Hi, my name is Mary. Yes, you know me well, or at least you should; you see, I am the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Messiah. I’m not sure if many of you know, so I will give a quick explanation of what Lord means when it’s connected to Jesus Messiah. You see, “lord” has many meanings, in Greek it is the word “kurios” which means “having power” or “authority”. It can mean; Lord, master, Master, owner, or even Sir. Of course we all know Jesus had power and authority, and is the Master and Lord of all, yet when it is applied to Jesus Messiah, it is thus; Messiah-King; Lord is the designation of Jesus as the Messiah-King predicted in the Psalms, by the Prophets and by Moses. So now we know Jesus Messiah is the King of kings (as reported in Scripture – Revelation 17:14), let me now move on. I had no idea what was to become of my life, yet all the while God had a plan set in motion from the beginning (John 1:1) to use me in His plan of salvation for everyone. While many will scoff and say things against me, my testimony in the Scriptures is truth; let me talk to you a little about it.
I was a devout Jew, I was brought up in a well-to-do family in the line of David. My father was Eli-Joachim, a very rich man and my brother was Joseph of Arimathea, who held the chief seat on the Sanhedrin of the six official seats of the house of Judah. Joseph, my espoused, well, he came from a cursed line, and was not the choice I would have made for myself; suffice it to say he did some work for my father and I was offered as “payment” for this work. So, here I was espoused to someone lower in social status than I and not feeling too blessed when the angel Gabriel appeared to me and spoke these words, “Hail, thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” – Luke 1:28. Now, being that I had lost my social status, I wondered at these words Gabriel spoke to me, because I was no longer favoured by anyone, being that I was to marry Joseph. But, Gabriel spoke again, and said, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” – Luke 1:30-32. I wondered at this, I had not been with any man and I spoke my thoughts. Gabriel said to me, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.” – Luke 1:35-37. I told Gabriel I am the Lord’s servant, let it be as you have said, and then Gabriel was gone. Of course I was overjoyed, not only was I to carry the Messiah, my cousin, who was supposedly barren, was also with child! What a mighty and awesome God I serve!
I packed up my stuff, being espoused and pregnant isn’t the best thing to be, and headed out to my cousin Elisabeth’s house as soon as I could. As soon as I got there I told Elisabeth all that had happened, and when she heard this, the child in her womb jumped for joy, and she was filled with the Holy Ghost and said, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” – Luke 1:42-45. God had revealed to her the truth as well, how exciting was this!? I couldn’t contain myself and I said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.” – Luke 1:46-55. After this I stayed with her for a while, about three months, and then I returned home.
This is just but the beginning of my story, this is how my great God and Saviour found favour with me and I was to be the mother of His only begotten. God manifesting Himself in the flesh to redeem His people. I had a lot to learn still, about Jesus, His ministry on earth, and the worst part, my son, the Son of God, would be betrayed and killed. He would willingly sacrifice Himself for everyone. What lay in store for the next 33 years, I did not know, but I was more than willing to find out…
Saturday 28 August 2010
Thursday 12 August 2010
The Law - Part II
It’s been a while since I have written, busy and nothing really caught my eye or inspired me as of late, until again, the subject of the law came up. So, I would like to revisit what I have written earlier and add to it. Recently I am seeing a resurgence of people who want to say we must follow the law and Jesus only did away with the sacrificial part of the law; this my friends, brothers and sisters, is not a truth. What is the truth? Jesus fulfilled the law, no, he did not destroy it and it is written upon our hearts, but there is nothing in the New Covenant which makes us follow one iota of the law, either in part or in its entirety.
Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Hebrews 10:15-17, “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
Let me explain the difference between fulfill and destroy. When you fulfill a contract, you have met the requirements and now the contract is done, over. If you buy a car, when you pay it off the contract is over yet the contract itself still exists, now days somewhere in cyberspace. This contract is not destroyed, it is kept on record, yet it is over, it is fulfilled. Alright, let’s take a look at dictionary definitions;
Merriam-Webster defines:
Main Entry: ful•fill
Variant(s): or ful•fil \fu̇(l)-ˈfil also fə(l)-\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): ful•filled; ful•fill•ing
Etymology: Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan, from full + fyllan to fill
Date: before 12th century
1 archaic : to make full : fill
2 a : to put into effect : execute b : to meet the requirements of (a business order) c : to bring to an end d : to measure up to : satisfy
3 a : to convert into reality b : to develop the full potentialities of
Main Entry: de•stroy
Pronunciation: \di-ˈstrȯi, dē-\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French destroy-, destrui-, stem of destrure, from Vulgar Latin *destrugere, alteration of Latin destruere, from de- + struere to build — more at structure
Date: 13th century
transitive verb 1 : to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of; also : to ruin as if by tearing to shreds
2 a : to put out of existence : killb : neutralize c : annihilate, vanquish
Now, Read 2a, b, c and d of the definition of fulfill and 2a of destroy: Jesus was the only man who could measure up to and meet the requirements (fulfill - 2b, d) set forth by God to bring to an end (fulfill - 2c) the Old Covenant (The Torah – The Law) and put into effect (fulfill - 2a) the New Covenant whereby we no longer have need to follow any part of the law. Jesus did not put out of existence (destroy -2a) the law, He didn’t take a flame to the Torah and burn it nor did He rip the pages out of Scripture; they remain as record, yet Jesus fulfilled the law, bringing it to an end (fulfill – 2c). It’s really that simple. The Old Covenant is over and done, it has been done away with and the New Covenant has been put into effect, no law.
Malachi 2:14, “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” Again I will use the marriage covenant as an example. There is a significant difference between a marriage being destroyed, and a marriage being fulfilled. In the marriage ceremony one of the vows is “’til death do us part.” This vow then being taken means this marriage, or covenant, cannot be broken unless/until one of the partners passes away. This is then the fulfillment of the covenant. Was the marriage destroyed? No, it is forever known you and your spouse were married and now, being that one has passed away, this covenant is fulfilled, yet still remembered. The living spouse is no longer held to this covenant though, even though it existed at one time, it is fulfilled and the living partner may go on living their life and even remarry if they so desire.
Colossians 2:15-17
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
So, let’s look at the law, one of the “ten commandments” even; following the Sabbath and it being a holy day. Under the law the seventh day was a day of rest, from Friday sundown to Saturday sun down, you did almost nothing. You had to prepare everything the day before the Sabbath, again, you could literally do almost nothing on the Sabbath, including leaving your house (until the Jews reinterpreted the law and said you could leave…anyway). If you did anything on the Sabbath you were to be killed (FYI – some laws, if broken, it states in the law you are to be killed, as with the Sabbath). So we see here a man who, on the Sabbath, decided to go gather sticks, let’s see what happened to him;
Numbers 15:32-36
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
They literally killed a man just for picking up sticks on the Sabbath, he broke the law. Sunday, believe it or not, is not the Sabbath, nor was it ordained by the RCC or any other “church” to be a day or worship, but rather in accordance with things happening on the 8th day (Sunday), Apostolics chose this day to worship. Do we have to worship on Sunday? No, nowhere in Scripture does it say what day we must worship, and as a matter of fact we should praise and worship Him every day! So, knowing this, if we are to keep any part of the law, then we are to keep all of the law, and if we are to keep all of the law then we are not in agreement with Scripture, with Jesus or the apostles.
Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
“If a Gentile is converted to accept the Law and begins to observe moons, Sabbath days, eating of meats, circumcision, and other practices, this is going back into the bondage of the curse of death. For all who accept the law must be willing to accept the punishments for violations of the law. In some cases as in the Sabbath keeping, a violation is death. Yet most law-keepers do not practice the death penalties. Therefore they do not keep the law.” – Dr. (Bishop) G. Reckart.
If we go back to law keeping, in any form, we have made the death of Christ in vain: Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
There are 613 precepts to the law, if Christ only did away with the sacrificial part of the law, we are all well out of order, yet we know we are not. The law was a shadow, a schoolmaster and now it is done and over. We live by grace through faith in our great God and Saviour Jesus Messiah, not by the law. We are the Israel of God now, His Church, His chosen people.
May we all grow in the grace and knowledge of our great God and Saviour Jesus Messiah.
Minister of the New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Hebrews 10:15-17, “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
Let me explain the difference between fulfill and destroy. When you fulfill a contract, you have met the requirements and now the contract is done, over. If you buy a car, when you pay it off the contract is over yet the contract itself still exists, now days somewhere in cyberspace. This contract is not destroyed, it is kept on record, yet it is over, it is fulfilled. Alright, let’s take a look at dictionary definitions;
Merriam-Webster defines:
Main Entry: ful•fill
Variant(s): or ful•fil \fu̇(l)-ˈfil also fə(l)-\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): ful•filled; ful•fill•ing
Etymology: Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan, from full + fyllan to fill
Date: before 12th century
1 archaic : to make full : fill
2 a : to put into effect : execute b : to meet the requirements of (a business order) c : to bring to an end d : to measure up to : satisfy
3 a : to convert into reality b : to develop the full potentialities of
Main Entry: de•stroy
Pronunciation: \di-ˈstrȯi, dē-\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French destroy-, destrui-, stem of destrure, from Vulgar Latin *destrugere, alteration of Latin destruere, from de- + struere to build — more at structure
Date: 13th century
transitive verb 1 : to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of
2 a : to put out of existence : kill
Now, Read 2a, b, c and d of the definition of fulfill and 2a of destroy: Jesus was the only man who could measure up to and meet the requirements (fulfill - 2b, d) set forth by God to bring to an end (fulfill - 2c) the Old Covenant (The Torah – The Law) and put into effect (fulfill - 2a) the New Covenant whereby we no longer have need to follow any part of the law. Jesus did not put out of existence (destroy -2a) the law, He didn’t take a flame to the Torah and burn it nor did He rip the pages out of Scripture; they remain as record, yet Jesus fulfilled the law, bringing it to an end (fulfill – 2c). It’s really that simple. The Old Covenant is over and done, it has been done away with and the New Covenant has been put into effect, no law.
Malachi 2:14, “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” Again I will use the marriage covenant as an example. There is a significant difference between a marriage being destroyed, and a marriage being fulfilled. In the marriage ceremony one of the vows is “’til death do us part.” This vow then being taken means this marriage, or covenant, cannot be broken unless/until one of the partners passes away. This is then the fulfillment of the covenant. Was the marriage destroyed? No, it is forever known you and your spouse were married and now, being that one has passed away, this covenant is fulfilled, yet still remembered. The living spouse is no longer held to this covenant though, even though it existed at one time, it is fulfilled and the living partner may go on living their life and even remarry if they so desire.
Colossians 2:15-17
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
So, let’s look at the law, one of the “ten commandments” even; following the Sabbath and it being a holy day. Under the law the seventh day was a day of rest, from Friday sundown to Saturday sun down, you did almost nothing. You had to prepare everything the day before the Sabbath, again, you could literally do almost nothing on the Sabbath, including leaving your house (until the Jews reinterpreted the law and said you could leave…anyway). If you did anything on the Sabbath you were to be killed (FYI – some laws, if broken, it states in the law you are to be killed, as with the Sabbath). So we see here a man who, on the Sabbath, decided to go gather sticks, let’s see what happened to him;
Numbers 15:32-36
32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
They literally killed a man just for picking up sticks on the Sabbath, he broke the law. Sunday, believe it or not, is not the Sabbath, nor was it ordained by the RCC or any other “church” to be a day or worship, but rather in accordance with things happening on the 8th day (Sunday), Apostolics chose this day to worship. Do we have to worship on Sunday? No, nowhere in Scripture does it say what day we must worship, and as a matter of fact we should praise and worship Him every day! So, knowing this, if we are to keep any part of the law, then we are to keep all of the law, and if we are to keep all of the law then we are not in agreement with Scripture, with Jesus or the apostles.
Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
“If a Gentile is converted to accept the Law and begins to observe moons, Sabbath days, eating of meats, circumcision, and other practices, this is going back into the bondage of the curse of death. For all who accept the law must be willing to accept the punishments for violations of the law. In some cases as in the Sabbath keeping, a violation is death. Yet most law-keepers do not practice the death penalties. Therefore they do not keep the law.” – Dr. (Bishop) G. Reckart.
If we go back to law keeping, in any form, we have made the death of Christ in vain: Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
There are 613 precepts to the law, if Christ only did away with the sacrificial part of the law, we are all well out of order, yet we know we are not. The law was a shadow, a schoolmaster and now it is done and over. We live by grace through faith in our great God and Saviour Jesus Messiah, not by the law. We are the Israel of God now, His Church, His chosen people.
May we all grow in the grace and knowledge of our great God and Saviour Jesus Messiah.
Minister of the New Covenant
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