Wheat among the thistles : April 2018

Monday, April 30, 2018

The Cleansing Power in Jesus Christ

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4 he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John 13:1-17 AKJV

Sermon Central runs this story that I wish to share: In 1818 one out of six women who had children died of something called "childbirth fever." A doctor’s daily routine back then started in the dissecting room, where he performed autopsies, and from there he made his rounds to examine expectant mothers. No one even thought to wash his hands...at least not until a doctor named Ignaz Semmelweis began to practice strict hand washing. He was the very first doctor to associate a lack of hand washing with the huge fatality rate. Dr. Semmelweis only lost one in fifty, yet his colleagues laughed at him. Once he said, "Childbirth fever is caused by decomposed material conveyed to a wound...I have shown how it can be prevented. I have proven all that I’ve said. But while we talk, talk, talk, women are dying. I’m not asking for anything world-shaking, only that you wash your hands." Yet virtually no one believed him.

And Jesus is not asking anything earth shaking from us. John writes, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We only need to confess our sins, to regularly wash our souls before God. It’s essential. The failure to confess our sins will result in a spiritual infection that will hinder our ability in the spiritual journey.

There is one great lesson on servanthood in this particular event in the life of Jesus. Jesus Christ demonstrated two of his godly characters when he washed the feet of His disciples. First, he demonstrated the laying down of life in humble service. Next, He demonstrated the laying down of life at the crucifixion.

The Jews practice the washing of feet. Since Israelites wore sandals instead of shoes and since they walk barefoot at home, it is necessary for the frequent washing of feet.

Among the Israelites, the feet are washed as the first act upon entering a house or upon arriving from a journey (Genesis 19:2). It was also the first duty of the host to give the guest water for the washing of his feet (Genesis 18:1-5; Judges 19:20-21). If a host fails to provide water to his guest, it is to him a sign of marked unfriendliness. It is also customary to wash the feet and before meals and before going to bed. The only time Israelites do not wash their feet is when they are in deep mourning (2 Samuel 19:24).

There were no laws for laymen regarding the washing of feet. But there were laws for priests (Exodus 30:19-21). In Jewish literature, we can find hints that washing of the feet is one personal attention that wife is expected to render to her husband. The wife is also expected to wash her husband’s face and feet.

In the case of ordinary people, the host provides the water and the guests wash their own feet. In the home of the rich and the dignitaries, the slaves wash the feet of the guests. Washing the feet of another person is considered to be the lowliest of all services rendered to another person (1 Samuel 25:41).

The washing of feet has become a perpetual ordinance, even a practice, and a sacrament. Many churches have adopted this practice of washing of feet. The Mennonites encourage the practice of foot washing as one way of representing Christ to each other in acts of hospitality, service, and love. Bernard Clairvaux who founded the Benedictine monasticism advocated making foot washing a sacrament. The Pope, the Czar, and the Patriarchs of Constantinople washed the feet of 12 poor men on Maundy Thursday. The English kings until James II washed the feet of their constituents. There are also overwhelming objections to such interpretation of Jesus’ words: "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos.", in John 13:34.

There are some churches that have foot washing as a part of their regular practice. Some churches even call it a Third Ordinance —Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Washing of Feet. The congregation is directed to come for worship on Thursday night a foot washing ceremony.” Everybody comes out on Maundy Thursday night but before they come to church, they first wash their feet because no one wants anybody touching one’s dirty feet. Just to have somebody messing around with your feet is simply embarrassing. But washing one’s feet clean before the ceremony misses the point since only dirty feet need washing!

When we read John 13:12-17, we find this Scriptural truth:

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Notice what Jesus Christ said in verses 15-16. This is his message of humility in obedience to the will of the Father. In verse 17, furthermore, Jesus Christ promised blessings if we do them. In the context of verse 15-17, Jesus Christ promised blessings not for washing the feet, but for obeying the will of the Father by humbly serving others. For what is the significance of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday and then leave their needs out the rest of the year? We would rather provide the needs of the poor according to our capacity than wash their feet. We would rather provide shoes to the needy than wash their feet.

The washing of the feet, in fact, was not referred to in the gospel, or in the book of Acts or the epistle. Washing of the feet, therefore, is not a requirement for salvation. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He demonstrated it as an act of love and willingness to sacrifice. Making this as a ritual absolutely destroys its meaning.

The focus of this lesson is on verses 8-10:

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

There is an enthusiasm to touch on Peter’s response here for it is another lesson to discuss. Peter here was in his strongest element of the self when he exclaimed, “Lord, wash all of me, then!” But of course, Peter later denied Jesus Christ so his intention for a total bath did not help at all.

Jesus corrected Peter here when He answered him in verse 10. “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” Jewish people would take a bath whenever they go to special meals. But their feet would get dirty from their home to their host’s home. Jesus Christ considered His disciples as both physically and spiritually clean. Physically, because they already took a bath and just needed to wash their feet. Spiritually, because of their relationship with Him (John 15:1-4). As the disciples already took a bath, they need not take it on the same day. The disciples are already justified, they do not need to be justified again.

The washing of the feet in terms of physical cleansing is simply a reminder that sin and lust are in human nature. Jesus reminds those disciples that while they are in the world, sin ensnares their lives in the same way as the dust and dirt contaminate their feet.

Our justification and redemption are complete in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has demonstrated in this event of His life that this washing of feet is the road to the cross. Jesus Christ knew His job that is about to be completed (John 13:30-31). He is sure of His place in the plan of salvation that He spoke of the crucifixion and resurrection as done deal!

The bathing of the body for cleansing is the cleansing of the soul from sin on the cross. When Jesus told Peter that unless He washes his feet, Peter will not have any part of Jesus, Jesus is teaching us two things:

Jesus washing the feet of His disciples would refer to becoming part of the eternal plan of Jesus Christ. In verse 8, Jesus told Peter that unless He washed him, he would have no part in Jesus. The word part here is meros, which means one’s portion in an inheritance (Luke 15:12). Jesus wants His disciples to have their portion of His eternal inheritance. Jesus wants His disciples to partake the inheritance of eternal life that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus washing the feet of His disciples would refer to forgiveness of one’s daily sin. For believers, the washing of Jesus Christ of His disciples’ feet did not only teach us about humility and service, of unconditional love and sacrifice, but it also teaches us that we are part of Jesus Christ’s plan and that His word constantly cleanses us from the filth of the world (Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:4-7).

Do you ever wonder why we do not wash someone’s feet in our church? An unknown

Pastor shared this true story of himself while he was in the seminary in one his online sermons:

“We were a couple of weeks into the class and we came to this passage in John 13. We were all sitting around a table and he had a box next to him. The professor started to talk about the Greek text, about participles and adverbs and conjunctions and pluperfects, and suddenly he said, “Take off your shoes, men.” I don’t like it when somebody says that. We all looked at him. “Go on,” he said, “Take off your shoes.” So we reluctantly took off our shoes. He opened up his box and said, “Give me your shoes.” He started polishing our shoes. He said, “I could have washed your feet, but you would have thought that was bizarre. But shoe shining is something you pay people to do. That is the closest I can come.” When he came to me, it bothered me. I didn’t want to give him my shoes because my shoes were old. My shoes were dirty. My shoes had a hole in the bottom. Because my shoes had been on my feet, they stunk. With my shoes off, my feet were stinking. I didn’t feel comfortable. That was 17 years ago, but when I came to this passage, that is exactly what came back to my mind, because any time people start messing around with your feet and you don’t expect them to, it’s uncomfortable. It’s dirty; it’s humiliating. It makes you vulnerable”.

A couple of years ago, somebody came up with a list called “Fifty ways to wash feet.” Here are some of them: Running errands for a friend; Baking a cake for a shut in; opening your home for international students; Giving $20 with a note of encouragement to a single mom; Confronting a friend who has strayed from the Lord; Driving car pool to Awana; Making tape recordings for the blind; Hugging your children every day; Refusing to repeat gossip; Sending flowers to a friend; Meeting a new Christian at 6:30 a.m. for discipleship; Picking up your own dirty underwear; Giving anonymously so a single Mom can go to Snow Camp; Intervening in a quarrel to bring two friends back together; Buying food for the food pantry; Tutoring at Circle Urban Ministries; Helping a friend light the pilot in their boiler; Writing your parents a love note; Cleaning up the kitchen so your wife can read the paper; Complimenting your boss; Keeping a secret you’d really like to share; Spending Saturday helping a friend move; Raking leaves for a senior citizen; Changing the oil on a friend’s car; Making supper for a new mom; Baking an extra loaf of bread for your child’s teacher; Visiting a nursing home; Typing a term paper for a Moody student; Counseling at the Crisis Pregnancy Center; Inviting college students over for Sunday dinner; Volunteering to serve in the nursery; Washing windows at the church; Reading books to children.

These are just suggestions. The heart is what matters. The servant’s heart will always find plenty of dirty feet to wash. If you have the right kind of heart, you will find 10,000 times 10,000 opportunities this week to wash dirty feet.

Monday, April 23, 2018

The Power in the Blood of Jesus Christ

There is power in the precious blood Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:5-10: This then is the message which we have

heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is

no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and

walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 but if we walk in the

light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and

the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we

say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not

in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our

sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we

have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (AKJV).

Napoleon Bonaparte, considered as one of the greatest military leaders in history, was once inside his war room with his officers around him. While spreading a large map of the world on a table, he pointed to one red spot on the world map and told his officers that if it were not for that red spot, he could have conquered the world. That red spot was in the British Isles at a place called Waterloo in Belgium. The Battle of Waterloo ended the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.

In the war room of the enemy of Jesus Christ, Satan is pointing at the red spot on the Cross and tells his demons that he could have conquered the world and could have held people captive to sin, death, and hell forever.

What has the blood of Jesus Christ done for you and me?

We read in 1 John 1:7, “but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” This is a very powerful verse that proclaims the newness of life by virtue of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Imagine playing in the mud and coming inside your house. Your Mother would be screaming to see the dirt on the floor. Your Mother would be crazy to see you super dirty. She then sends you to the bathroom. After a few minutes, presto, you are as fresh as the morning dew. One quick bath would do wonder to your filthy, greasy, grimy, muddy self. But one’s sin cannot be cleansed by mere taking a bath. Human sin cannot be removed by a disinfectant. One’s sin cannot be removed by an antiseptic. Our sin cannot be removed by a hygienic, bactericidal, sterilizing agent. Only the blood of the Jesus Christ can cleanse humans of sin.

Our God is not only sovereign and mighty. Our God is also a holy God. Our God is also a just God. Our God is also a righteous God. In the eyes of God, sin is sin. Romans 3:23 teaches that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Humans are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. And having this glory lost, there is a need for redemption. But the gospel of salvation did not stop at Romans 3:23. Romans 3:24-26 proclaims that humans are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Jesus Christ through His blood is a propitiatory sacrifice for redemption. Propitiation means an offering of atonement. Propitiation is offering something to correct what was wrong. Propitiation is giving something to repair what was injured or severed. Jesus Christ was God’s own offering to correct what has become wrong in the human situation. Being human is having a sinful nature. But God offered something to repair the issue of human sin and human sinful nature.

2 Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us,

who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of

God in him.

Jesus Christ is God’s offering to change our human state of being sinful to being righteous. There is no other way.

Hebrews 9:1-5: Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances

of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 2 For there was a

tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick and the

table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. 3 And

after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest

of all; 4 which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant

overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that

had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the

covenant; 5 and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the

mercy-seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

Jesus Christ is the propitiation to declare us acceptable to God. In this sense, Jesus Christ is considered the mercy seat as described in Hebrews 9:5.

Let us read Exodus 25:22: And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Exodus 25 describes the tabernacle and the need for sacrifice. Hebrews 9 describes the sacrifice in the tabernacle. God meets His people above the mercy seat. At this very place, at the mercy seat, God meets His people. Notice the mercy seat is flanked by two cherubim, angels. Notice also in John 20:12: “and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” Exodus 25 describes the mercy seat as being flanked by two cherubim. John 20 describes the number of angels the guarded the body place where Jesus had lain. Again, we read in Exodus 25 that God said. “I will meet you there.”

Where does God meet His people? Hebrews 9:19-22 reads: “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover, he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Can we connect the dots? Jesus Christ is the mercy seat of God. God desires to meet His people. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only means for that meeting to be possible.

Yes, there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:17-19).

The power of the blood of Jesus Christ changes our life, our perspective and our status in the sight of God.

There are ways the power of the blood of Jesus Christ is made manifest in our lives as believers.

The blood of Jesus Christ has the power to forgive.

The blood of Jesus Christ has the power to save.

The blood of Jesus Christ has the power to protect.

The blood of Jesus Christ has the power to restore.

The blood of Jesus Christ has the power to secure our spiritual inheritance.

The power to forgive

The blood of Jesus has the power to forgive. If we say that we forgive someone, we do so because there is a wrongdoing. There is a debt to be paid. The debt is not just ignored, but someone must bear the cost.

Romans 3:23 proclaims that “all [humans] have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We all fall short of the glory, the righteousness of God. In the standard of God, we fall short. We are wanting. We were weighed in the scale of God, and we are found wanting. If the payment is wanting, we need to pay the debt in full. Romans 6:23 furthermore explains that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How did Jesus Christ pay the penalty for sin? Hebrews 9:12 explains that Jesus Christ did not enter the Most Holy Place by means of the blood of goats and calves, but He entered once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

Scriptures proclaim that the blood of Jesus Christ has the power to forgive our sins. In fact, nothing has the power to forgive our sins, except the power of the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:16-19).

The power to save

The blood of Jesus has the power to save us from sin. In Hebrews 9:15, we can read: “And for this cause, he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

The blood of Jesus Christ never loses its power to save for our God is mighty to save. Do we doubt this power? Both the Old and New Testament scriptures proclaim this power (Zephaniah 3:17; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:11-12).

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we have been saved, redeemed, repaired, restored, repossessed by God. There are 3 ways that the blood of Jesus Christ saves us.

1. The blood of Jesus saves us from the penalty of sin.

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God

is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (AKJV)

John 11:25-26: Jesus said unto her (Martha), I am the resurrection,

and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet

shall he live: 26 and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall

never die. Believest thou this? (AKJV)

Jesus Christ is having this conversation with Martha, the sister of his beloved friend Lazarus, whom he later resurrected from the dead. Jesus Christ plainly and clearly explains that there is physical death and spiritual death in the same way as there is physical life and spiritual life.

Paul even proclaims the truth of spiritual life in Romans 8:1 when he wrote that is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, to those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Spiritual death is the penalty of sin. The wages of sin is paid, death is conquered, sin is removed, condemnation is replaced by eternal life. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that saves us from this penalty of death.

2. The blood of Jesus Christ saves us from the chains of sin.

Romans 6:4-11: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism

into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by

the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness

of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of

his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6

knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body

of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with

Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 knowing that

Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no

more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin

once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon

ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto

God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

As believers, we are always confronted with the issue of sin or living in sin. More often, we are asked the question, “Can Christians commit sin?” Several scriptures can shed understanding on this question.

1 John 5:16: If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not

unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them

that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say

that he shall pray for it.

1 John 1:8-10: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive

ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 5:18: We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth

not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that

wicked one toucheth him not.

As believers, we are not immune to sin. As believers, we do not continue in sin, we do not keep on sinning, we do not live in sin (Titus 2:11-13).

The chain of sin has been broken by the power of the blood. There is no reason for believers to be chained in sin. Believers can commit sin, mistake, fault, or violation for they have flaws, weaknesses, defects, pitfalls, glitches. Believers are far from perfect. But the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ saves us from the chains of sin.

3. The blood of Jesus Christ saves us from the accusations of sin.

Earth is not our eternal abode for believers who are heaven-bound. In Jesus Christ, furthermore, believers have a future that is free from sin. But while believers are here on Earth, we see sin around us. There is unrighteousness in our society, thus we see trouble, strife, sorrow, suffering, and weaknesses. While we live on Earth, sin abounds. We are in fact, not immune to sin. We cannot even turn a blind eye to sin.

Even now and then, we are confronted by our previous and past sins. Have you experienced, waking up in the middle of the night by the thought of your former life, your previous sin, or the sin that even your spouse does not know?

Someone has one time or another accused us of our former sin (Revelations 12:9) but we have overcome (Rev 12:10-11). While we are on Earth, the enemy of our soul constantly accuses us of our past sins and deceives us of our rightful gift of salvation and forgiveness.

Our eternal abode is in Heaven, where there are no more accusations of sin from the enemy of our soul.

The power to protect

In the first passover event in the history of the people of God, God demonstrated His power to protect His people.

Exodus 12:12-14: For I will pass through the land of Egypt this

night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both

man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute

judgment: I am the Lord. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a

token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood,

I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to

destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day

shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to

the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by

an ordinance for ever.

Exodus 12: 23-24: For the Lord will pass through to smite the

Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on

the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not

suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to

thy sons forever.

The precious blood of Jesus Christ does not only have the power to forgive and save, it also has the power to protect. When God smote Egypt during the Passover, God designated the blood on the doorpost to be the sign of protection. This has become a memorial for God’s people to celebrate (Exodus 12:14) and a promise for His children to keep.

As God Almighty has proven His divine protection throughthe blood of the lamb of God, Jesus Christ, we can claim this protection even unto this day. We can plead the blood of Jesus Christ to protect us. We plead daily for covering of our family members. We pray over our children for divine protection through the blood of Jesus.

The Our Daily Bread story dated August 13, 1990, is about Lorrie Anderson, who is a missionary to the head-shrinking Candoshi Shapra Indians of Peru. The story goes: One morning, she was looking for a quiet place for her daily time of Bible reading and prayer, so she went down by the edge of the river. After reading the Bible, she took up her prayer list. Eyes closed, she did not see the deadly anaconda weaving through the water until it struck, burying its fangs into her flesh. It withdrew to strike, hitting her arm again and again as it held her, screaming, in its coils. It reared up for the death blows. Then suddenly the giant snake, never known to release its prey, relaxed its grip and slithered off through the water. While Lorrie was being treated, a witch doctor from a nearby village burst into the hut and stared at her. She couldn't believe Lorrie had survived. She said her son-in-law, also a witch doctor, had chanted to the spirit of the anaconda that morning and sent it to kill the young missionary. "I'm certain," Lorrie said, "that except for the protection of God, it would have worked."

We are constantly exposed to dangers in our work, in going to school, in our daily endeavors. Let us always plead the blood of Jesus Christ to protect us.

The power to restore

Jesus Christ knew from the very start that He was to suffer and die. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied this before His birth:

Isaiah 53:5: But He was wounded for our transgressions, He

was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace

was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed.

The blood of Jesus Christ needs to be shed (Hebrews 9:22) because without it, there is no forgiveness of sin. The shedding of the blood of the very Son of God is required for salvation and for the forgiveness of sin. The same blood needs to be shed in order to bring healing to our physical body (Isaiah 53:5) for just as the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from all sin, it can also cleanse us from all sickness.

This healing is a two-fold atonement. There is cleansing through forgiveness of sin and there is cleansing through physical healing. These two are miracles in the blood of Jesus. Just as humanity can be delivered from sins, humanity can also be delivered from sickness and afflictions. The blood delivers people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. The blood delivers people from sickness, and pain, and afflictions.

If you have an affliction, put it under the blood. Put deformities under the blood. The blood is sufficient. It has not lost its power; the blood has all power.

Somebody shared an observation during the time he donated blood . A nurse gave him a card to read while a pint of the vital red fluid was flowing out of his vein. The card showed the percentages of people who have different blood types. Here are some of them: 37.4% of the population are blood type O-Positive, 35.7% are A-Positive, 6.3% are A-Negative, only 1.5% are B-Negative, and the rarest blood type, AB-Negative, is found in only 1 in 167 people, or 0.6% of the population. What caught his attention though is what was printed at the bottom of the card: “The rarest blood type is the one that’s not there when you need it.”

The blood of Jesus Christ is available when you need it. It never loses its availability, never loses its supply, and never loses its power.

The power to secure our spiritual inheritance

Romans 8 teaches us that God knows His children who are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. God does not only foreknow us, He also justifies us. And not only does He justify us, He also glorifies us.

Romans 8:29-30: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined

to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the

firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined,

these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;

and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Yet God also called us. God did not only call us unto salvation; God called us unto eternal inheritance as well. And what is this eternal inheritance?

Hebrews 9:27:28: And as it is appointed for men to die once,

but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to

bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He

will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he

power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on

his name:

Romans 8:16-17: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,

that we are the children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs;

heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer

with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Our inheritance is in heaven, not here on Earth. If we understand this, we can

pursue what is eternal and not the earthly, the corruptible, the useless. How does this spiritual truth define our lives? How does this define our priorities in life? Is life defined by our eternal inheritance? Or is life defined by earthly possessions or worldly pursuits?

The blood of Jesus Christ secures our inheritance in heaven (Ephesians 1:7-11).

We should not waste such inheritance by pursuit worldly pleasures and earthly desires.

Matt Carter, speaking at the Austin Stone Community Church said: “I read an article written in 2008. It's a true story about a college kid in Germany named Sergey Sudev. He was a normal college kid working to put himself through college living on around $240 a month. He got a knock on the door by a man in a suit with a briefcase. Sergey let him in to talk. The guy brought him some bad news about his uncle dying. Sergey though this was weird, because he had only met his uncle one time. The man was a lawyer and informed Sergey his uncle had no heirs. Back when Sergey was a child, he had met his uncle at a family reunion and left such an impression his uncle decided to leave his entire fortune of $975 million dollars to Sergey. Sergey went from having nothing to having almost a billion dollars in the bank. I don't know what happened to Sergey after that. However, we do know two things from the story. First, be nice to your uncle at family reunions. Second, you have to believe an inheritance like that would change everything. Your life would be radically different.”

If we are followers of Jesus Christ and believers in His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, then we are going to receive an inheritance one day. If God promises to give us a heavenly and eternal inheritance. By believing this promise, that $975 million dollars would look a little insignificant.

What would this eternal inheritance going to be? No one can ever begin to imagine what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). This inheritance is incorruptible, imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:3-5). In fact, it is reserved in heaven for us.

Charles Spurgeon described our inheritance when he was preaching on 1 Peter 1 when he said, “We have obtained an inheritance and the man who can truly say that the Lord is mine has an inheritance which death cannot wither, which space cannot contain, which time cannot limit and which eternity cannot explore.”

There is power in the blood of Jesus. It has the power to forgive. The blood of Jesus has the power to save. It is mighty to save. The blood of Jesus has the power to protect. It has the power to restores. It has the power to secure our eternal inheritance.