No one can identify the exact dates and times of these traditional observances because it doesn't matter and has no bearing on whether one is saved and Sanctified. As if anyone in the Body has no sin, as Jesus stated, "cast the first stone if you have no sin." - Jn. 8:7. If the Word did not make the dates critical, then there is no need for us to. What matters are the observances that God instructs with signs, symbols, and marks in the heavens and on the Earth. Jesus’ birth was as stated: "For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." - Matt. 2:2. And Jesus’ death was as stated: "Now it was about the sixth (noon) hour, and there was darkness over all the Earth until the ninth (third) hour." - Lk. 23:44. Most believe this to be a solar eclipse, but state that those three hours are not possible. Yet, as stated by God; "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day" - Jos. 10:13. That’s what these critical observances are for. Science today also proves the Earth slows down and consecutive time changes. But what matters is we cannot be saved unless Jesus was born, died, and returns.
So if God made them spectacular, so should we and live by His Righteousness and not by carnal thinking, revelry, and gluttony. No one will be blameless before the judgment seat! Not because we are not Sanctified, but because we have ingrained in us the DNA of the original sin, and hence why it is as stated, "He (Jesus), who knew no sin, took on sin for us." - 2 Corth. 5:21. Jesus had to become infected by sin to serve as the ultimate sacrifice and be the proxy for the man with His unadulterated Blood to vanquish the influence of death’s authority over our lives and more importantly substitute Himself for God's judgment and wrath as stated; "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins" - 1 Jn. 2:2. It is not where we are or started, but as stated; "God examines the heart" - 1 Sam. 16:7; and; "God ponders our ways" - Prov. 5:21. Which allows for God to measure His Grace, judgment, and declarations over us. So the Body of Christ that is saved will be from all denominations and non-denominations; because God nor Jesus used this as a qualification for Salvation. The only mark one requires to be saved is the Blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as seen in the Old Testament and New Testament as the witness, writ, and testimony for God and the angel of death.
Not the least of the sacred cows is the Holy Spirit’s active presence. When did the Bible record that the Holy Spirit left the Earth? Many use the semantics that the Holy Spirit was "with" us prior to Jesus but "indwelled" in us after His resurrection. Is the Holy Spirit restrained by satan, sin, and death? Absolutely not! Because, as stated; the Holy Spirit is literally God's presence on Earth; "God looks to and fro for whom He can show His Power" - 2 Chron. 16:9. God sits on His throne, but it is by His Holy Spirit that men are moved into Righteousness! The Old Testament records the Sanctified accomplishing every miracle that Jesus did before He received the Anointing. So, contrary to popular belief, Jesus did not resurrect the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as He stated, "I must go so that the Holy Spirit may come"- Jn. 14:26. What it indicates is that before Jesus’ ascension, they forgot who they were under God's authority by the Holy Spirit because they had Jesus with them. They put more weight on Jesus rather than on the Power of the Holy Spirit which is the Anointing. Jesus had to ween them off Him and rekindle their Faith as Apostles (mature representatives) and not disciples (immature followers) who would only cling to Him and do as He did. After Jesus' death, the Apostles lost Faith and were terrified, forgetting what Jesus had taught them; "I (Jesus) will rise on the third day" - Mk. 9:31. So the Holy Spirit had to come and move greatly to renew their Faith at Pentacost. It was the first recorded revival!
This sacred cow continues to amaze me when some Christians become overly sensitive and adamant in defending this weak position on eating certain animals such as pork, shelled seafood, and birds, quoting the Old Testament as if it were written for all eternity while forfeiting as stated; "Do not think that I (Jesus) came to destroy the Law or the prophets; (because) I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (them)" - Matt. 5:17. How can Jesus fulfill the Law on not eating certain foods and yet state; "It is not what goes in a man that defiles him, but what comes out of the heart" - Matt. 15:11. Jesus broke this wrong mindset when He broke the Sabbath, as stated; "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" - Mark 2:27. In other words, following the Law blindly is to override Righteousness which is actually making one unrighteous. God is not unsympathetic or removed from our daily issues, problems, and challenges, as Jesus stated; "Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" - Luke 12:7.
There are two main laws that govern our actions: The curse, sin, and disobedience laws, and the Law of the Spirit, which justifies and balances our actions under Grace. Before Jesus, there was only the law of sin acting because of our flesh. But after Jesus, that corrupt, and imperfect law was purified, covered, and sanctioned by His Blood, allowing the Law of the Spirit to become the authority over our flesh. As a Christian, everything we do after Jesus is under the Grace of His Blood, which is why what was previously forbidden is now permitted with the condition of being either ignorant or purposeful in our actions, and why there is a caveat as stated, "ask for forgiveness, and God is Faithful to forgive" - 1 Jn. 1:9; and as twice (witness) by Jesus stated; "eat such (all types of) things as are set before you" - Lk. 10:1-8. Jesus ate with sinners remaining uncorrupted and so ought we to also. It is only an immature Apostle that stuns from their mandate because of such false fears.
What we do with a Righteous and moral conscience triumphs over the law's inability to convict us before God's Throne. What was forbidden in the Old Testament has now been justified by the New Testament Covenant in Jesus Christ. The reason God forbade many of these items was not that they were not suitable for our consumption. It was because of their association with the devil, evil rituals, and paganism. It was "given away" by Adam but taken back by Jesus. As the renewed Body of Christ, many have not burned these to be as stated: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old (previous, remnant, former) things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (untainted, pure, original)" - 2 Cor. 5:17. Consider: if pigs were so evil, why were they bought into the Ark and saved from destruction? And since most of the world eats pigs, are these people automatically condemned, even though in many parts of the world, that's all they have to eat?
Consider that these foundations of creation, justice, and free will are the governing pillars of His Throne, Kingdom, and purpose, where God is the master chess player strategically placing components for His ultimate victory. God likes a good challenge, and by His integrity, He abides by these three foundations in all that He does and allows; such as allowing the fallen angels to depart from His wrath as opposed to the imprisonment of the watcher angels over men; Jud. 1:6. Every major decision by God is orchestrated to confuse His enemies, and He often uses this ploy to protect His own and accomplish His prime purpose for man.
God will not abandon what He has created for His justice through the free will of His champions; Righteous men, and women. The Holy Spirit has been advocating God’s will since the fall, and it is the Anointing by the Holy Spirit that empowers the Body's individuals to accomplish the Righteous works required for God’s purpose to be manifested on the Earth. There is no Anointing without the Holy Spirit, and there is no Holy Spirit without the Anointing. Why is this? Jesus states; "I only do what the Father (Holy Spirit) shows me" - Jn. 5:19. God does not limit His power through us, but because of our Faith level and religious doctrines, we have divided, separated, and reduced the Holy Spirit and the Anointing.
How did God work? By Faith! The same Faith as stated; "Thus also, Faith by itself, if it does not have (Righteous) works is dead"; and; "You have Faith, and I have works; (then) show me your Faith without your works, and I will show you my Faith by my works" - Jms. 2:14-18. Working (labor) or having works (intentions) are not synonymous with toiling (overworking, stressing, or grinding away). This is why having a checklist mentality about the Laws cannot make one Righteous because it is done with a slave’s mind (by one’s efforts) and not an heir’s (by the authority of God). One cannot receive Salvation without the application of the work of Faith, which is required because Grace doesn’t accomplish its intended gift if we do not, as stated; "walk by Faith and not by sight" - 2 Cor. 5:7.
Grace is God’s unmerited favor, patience, or long-suffering to allow us to come to the fullness of Salvation, which is the gift for the repentance of our disobedience, sin, and unrighteousness. To come to the point of repentance, it takes the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sinful nature, and in turn, by the work of our spirit, the mind and body are moved into remorse, which is expressed in various ways such as humility of the mind and the shedding of tears by the body; but especially the yearning of one's spirit for Salvation. That is Righteous work because the sinner is recognizing their lost, rebellious, and inadequate nature in need of a Savior. Salvation is a heart decision, not a mental one! And it is by our Faith in His purpose, word, and Spirit that we are saved, so that, as stated; "we may become His Righteousness" - 2 Cor. 5:21. And; "But (because of) Him (God), you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us (the) Wisdom of God, and Righteousness, Sanctification, and redemption" - 1 Cor. 1:30. Jesus portrayed what our Salvation should look like by being the example of wisdom, judiciousness, and astuteness because as stated; "by one man's disobedience came death; then by another man’s obedience, Life is restored" - Rm. 5:19.
It is through Faithful obedience in Righteousness set out by God that the gift of Salvation accomplishes its goal. That’s why hard, unrighteous work or toil will not save you! But by repentance, accepting the Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, and following in His footsteps in Faith will. This is why Brother Paul says; "Run the race set before you" - Heb. 12:1. Because, even though we are given the gift of Salvation (our invitation) and by our repentance (our qualification), we are placed at the starting line and still face an uphill battle to cross the finish line, so upon our resurrection or rapture, we are given a place in Heaven and do not face God's judgment because as stated; "how did you come in here without a wedding garment"? - Matt. 22:22. This also addresses the saying, "Once saved, always saved". God will not be mocked by anyone who takes for granted the price He gave and Jesus paid so that we can be saved by His Grace and our Faith.
Too often; many in the Body of Christ, hold on to these sacred cows to determine their Salvation and that of others. They frequently justify their actions by narrow views, strongholds, and a false sense of Holiness about themselves and their interactions with others, including the church and God's purposes. And just to be clear, no one who calls themselves a Christian can plead to God that it was their pastor or someone else from a so-called higher office as the reason they have these unrighteous perspectives. As stated; "(you) rightly divide (break down, root out, decipher) the word" - 2 Tim. 2:15; and; "every idle (worthless, vain, unspiritual) word by (you) will be judged" - Matt. 12:36. Any man-made action that is a sham of God will be harshly judged, especially those who promote these unrighteous ways to others in the Body, such as women having no place in representing or testifying the Word or being unable to wear pants, which contradicts as stated; "For the Kingdom is more than food, but Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit; (and) by these things it is acceptable to God."- Rm. 14:17. Consider, Esther, Deborah, and Junia, an Apostle; all given a voice by God.
To understand why these sacred cows must be burned and to appreciate why God declared specific things to be observed and avoided, we must place ourselves in these historical times, places, and people. The Old Testament and the New Testament often seem to contradict each other on such issues as the eating of pork or the requirement for a pastor or priest. Both are historical accounts filled with mental and Spiritual influences that when taken from a narrow perspective, can result in many of these sacred cows. But before delving into these cows, we must lay the foundation. Why did God create man? And being such an omnipotent being, why did he not just destroy, imprison, or castrate Lucifer?
From Genesis to Revelation, we see God as a creator of all things seen and unseen, often taking the ugly, lifeless, and corrupted and making them anew because when He creates, it is for all eternity either stagnant or constantly evolving for His pleasure and Glory, such as the sun and the universe as a whole. God is a creator and doesn’t make junk! This is our first foundation. The second foundation is God is justice, where He will not allow evil to dominate, influence, be established, sustained, or be built for all eternity. The third foundation is freewill, in which God is not a bully, imposing His prowess on His creations, which are all unique, but share a common DNA, just as an artist leaves their mark on every piece of art created, which for God is us; His highest work of art.
The "love" command has been so abused, especially by the religious church, practicing to; "love as they want to be loved". It has become such a sacred cow that it no longer resonates with God’s will for Sanctification. It is not about how we want to be treated with mercy, compassion, understanding, tolerance, or empathy by others who are imperfect in the ways of God’s Righteous standards. It is about living the examples that Jesus gave when it comes to as stated: "render to Caesar (the world) what is his, and to God (the Spirit) what is His" - Matt. 22:20 It's the difference between lukewarmness, compromise, and unfaithfulness, and the complete reverence of who God sacrificed, and demands from us to be His Righteous ones as stated; "that in everything you are enriched (bettered, filled, complete) by Him, in all utterance, actions, and in all Spiritual Knowledge; even as the testimony (example, witness, evidence) of Christ was confirmed" - 1 Corth. 1:8. If we are not reflective of, and imitators of Jesus’ actions, attributes, and attitudes, He will not endorse us before the Father. Some say we are not capable. Then what about Paul, Philip, John, or others, that demonstrated Christ's example more than He as stated; "Greater will you do than I" - Jn. 14:12. One is either fighting for Righteousness or sitting on the sidelines of indifference!
Many in the Body believe that only certain people are to be pastors, healers, demon-casters, and evangelists, citing Paul's words in Ephesians 4:11. Yet, Paul also encourages everyone to, as stated; "seek the higher gifts" - 1 Cor. 12:31. And just to be clear, Paul's instructions are specific to the visiting church, but it is the principle of these instructions that matter. We do not follow Paul, even though he is the most prolific Apostle, but only Jesus Christ, who embodied the fivefold ministry and all the Power of God, because it was not a man who "appointed some"; but the Holy Spirit. As a result, it is referred to as the Anointing, and Jesus the man received it, as stated; "And the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus" - Lk 3:22. The reason Jesus declares the Holy Spirit will come after He leaves is that during His trial, persecution, and crucifixion, most of the Apostles and disciples would hide in fear, but after His resurrection from the grave and His appearance to them, their Faith was renewed and built up to receive the full Power of the Holy Spirit. This happens to us today when we allow fear to determine the Power of our Faith in God. The opposite happens when Faith is built when we experience God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. When we stand before the judgment seat, God will examine our lives to see if we imitated Jesus, divided the word correctly, and received everything He gave us as being in His image, as stated; "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth."- 1 Tim. 2:4.
These sacred cows usually come from traditions, cultural influences, and man-made religious doctrines. None of which has anything to do with repentance, Salvation, or reflecting Christ. We are no longer under the law of the Old Testament but must recognize its foundation for the New Covenant wrought by Jesus Christ as a period of growth and perfection. That is repentance! To turn back and follow the paths to God’s ways! And that necessitates labor (work, effort, power) to receive, maintain, and mature in Salvation as stated; "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure (qualities, standard, revelation) of the stature (character) of the fullness (aspects) of Christ. So that God’s purpose for creating His image is justified by Righteous free will in obedience to His commandments, Spirit, and proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who had no sacred cows but only His heart of obedience to please His Father.
Flush it out! - Don’t be a pillar of salt by looking to the past!
Spiritual Awakening
God confused satan by creating the Garden and, ultimately, man. Why? It's like a small chickadee bird hounding and attacking a large prey bird like a hawk, or a skinny boy facing and defeating a muscular bully. God desires to teach satan a lesson about who has the Power to dominate, regardless of the size of His champion in the form of a man. In the span of six days (periods, cycles, and seasons), God is demonstrating the three prime foundations that govern His every will. By creation, he created a place and a man to be provided for, supported, and equipped. He placed the Trees of Life and Knowledge as a mark and testimony to the defiling angels and man for justice. And, by allowing free will, He let the chips fall where they may. All this is a scenario to demonstrate His sovereignty. And to be clear, God did not allow satan to enter the Garden. That was Adam’s charge: to protect God’s Eden. God is not afraid or deterred by the failures of His men, but is self-righteous and has the goal of perfecting His creation, justice, and free will for Himself and those under His shadow.
A sacred cow to consider is man's so-called humanity. We are not made for humanity; but for Righteousness! They are not the same! I can hear the debate brewing, with some saying, "But we are humans, meaning from the ground. That is the western context and was coined by ordinary men. However, in the eastern and Spiritual contexts in which all things under God are rooted, is that the word for man is Adam (Adamah), which means red ground (clay). How do biblical scholars know that the Garden of Eden, where Adam was created, had red dirt? Again, this is from scholars who give their intellect more credibility than the Spirit of God. No one knows where the exact location of Eden is except God, who has placed it under protection as stated: "He (God) placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of Life" -Gen. 3:24. And others will say being born of the flesh makes us human ignoring as stated by Jesus; "Most assuredly, unless one is born again (reborn, renewed, restored), (they) cannot see (experience, know, embrace) the Kingdom (order, authority, judgments) of God” - Jn. 3:3; and; "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" - Jn. 3:6. If one comprehends the Bible, Spirit, and God from a fleshly level after accepting Jesus as Saviour and Lord; this will challenge one's Spiritual growth in one's spirit, mind, and body as Paul stated; "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of Righteousness" - Heb. 5:13.
God is Spiritual! And everything he does has a Spiritual purpose with a physical manifestation to bring him Glory. God is first, then the Word (Jesus), and then the Holy Spirit. The man's spirit is the first to be given heirship. First with his mind, then with the Power of the Word, and lastly with his body to put his thoughts into action. We are made in God’s image. And because all things created by God have a Spiritual purpose, the man who was made (formed) from the red ground (clay) is indicative of having God’s Blood, just like a child can have a different blood type from their parents but cannot be separated from their parent's blood types. In an eastern language structure, it would not be "red clay" but "formed or generated in blood." This is why in the Old Testament, blood from the purest animals used was as a poor substitute to appease God’s wrath. Then, in the New Testament, only Jesus' Sanctified and sinless pure Blood would satisfy all offenses against God since Adam's fall. We may start as Christ's followers (disciples) but ought to mature into His Apostles, set apart for Righteous works and not humanity's work; which has the ultimate goal to deface, corrupt, and distort the purposes for the image of God, such as placing more value on the life of an animal than on the life of an unborn child. Are we to do good work, like protecting the planet? Yes; but God's priorities of goodness, Righteousness, and Salvation should be our priority and not be satan's proxy as the global man whose purpose is to divert attention, steal resources, and promote unrighteous works for his new babel (confusion, racket, chaos); the one world, and one religion false kingdom.
Many people in the Body frequently discuss and debate the pre or post-tribulation of Christians when this age is over. Well, here is a news flash! The Christians, those Sanctified by the Holy Spirit, have been in tribulation since Adam fell and death took control over all life. Adam, in all sense and purpose, was in effect a Christ type who, by disobedience, gave his reign and authority over to satan, and the result was toiling (not working) against death‘s influence over all that was good before God. Since the fall, there has been a history of persecution, trials, and tribulations. It is not like evil, death, and satan took a break! This Christ type is also seen in Noah, who lived prosperously among the merchants of disobedience, death, and destruction. After God instructed Noah to build the Ark, he and his family faced several years of hounding, threats, and death by those debased and directed by satan. Do we really think satan had no indication that the Ark was the sign of the pending destruction of his world and would not attempt to stop it? The Bible is riddled with this Christ-type character in many men and women who faced tremendous challenges and tribulations only to be raised up by God among their people and the nations. And in one of history's most epic pieces, God instructs another Christ figure in Joshua to be as stated: "Be strong and courageous, and do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" - Jos. 1:9. We all have faced personal trials and tribulations, and without holding onto the Faith, many succumb and have not seen their reward as stated: "To him who overcomes, I (God) will give the hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name" (Rev. 2:17).
God is with us! It is as simple as that! It is the name given to Jesus as stated: "Emmanuel is His name, meaning God is with us" - Matt. 1:23. God’s presence is spatial, having no conventional or Spiritual boundaries. He is omnipresent! The idea that as Christians we face trials and tribulations alone is not Biblical. This is seen when Moses led the people in the wilderness of the desert, as stated: "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar (stronghold, standard, strength) of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night" - Ex. 13:21. And; "then Jesus, being filled (embodied, inspired, beheld) with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness (dryness, tribulation, abandonment")" - Lk. 4:1. Many assume Jesus faced satan alone, but as a man, He was accompanied by the Spirit, and His responses were induced by the Anointing to, as stated; "resist the devil and he will flee" - Jms. 4:7. Jesus endured forty days of tribulation before the ultimate test of the flesh and His Christian walk to honor God, and like the Exodus Jews, who suffered in Egypt for 400+ years; Christians will also face an optimal cycle, period, and season of trials and tribulations. If one is distressed in this current day, may I suggest immersing in the Word immediately?
Have you realized it yet? To reach and attain God’s purpose; His people; those whose names are written in the Book of Life, have to face the testing of trials, tribulations, and the wilderness of abandonment before they gain their freedoms, peace, and prosperity; just as stated: "For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable (Righteous) men in the furnace of adversity" - Ecc. 2. God is not a socialist! He will not give away His bounty without some form of gain and, yes, profit. But, before the Body can receive His Kingdom treasures, we must be willing to burn some so-called sacred cows from our lives, as stated in Hos. 4:6; "My people fail because of knowledge (traditions, cultures, and norms). There is unrighteous knowledge, and then there is Righteous Knowledge. The former is obvious, such as animal sacrifice, an idol, or depending on a fallen man like yourself, such as a priest or pastor, with the latter escaping us if there is no proper foundation in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the world, such as taking the face value to love your neighbour as yourself.
Today, it is still possible to be a Christian, even though on many fronts it seems the battle is lost. God has His perfect timing, but more importantly, He has His perfect way of accomplishing His goals for His Divine judgments, as stated: "Even evil has its purpose" - Prov. 16:4. Now, depending on one's perspective of world events, one will see their future as either bleak or bright, but as stated; "For surely there is a hereafter (tomorrow, future, vision), and your hope (Faith and trust in Me) will not be cut off" - Prov. 28:18. This is all based on how well we burn it down!
Feb. 25, 2023.
Burn it down!
The sacred cow that you don't have to work for Salvation is one of the most misunderstood thought processes, as stated by the verse; "For by Grace you have been saved through Faith, and that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, and not of works (toiling, stress, conventions) lest anyone should boast (but by the mind of Jesus Christ)" - Eph. 2:8. It is as if the idea of not doing work for Salvation is the same as when your boss tells you to take the day off and you will still be paid. First things first! God created work (action, service, and purpose) to honor, worship, and pay homage to Him! He demonstrated this by creating because there was nothing physical when He decided to start His purpose for mankind.
Another sacred cow is this obsession that the Body of Christ, in many cases, ought to stop worrying about and toiling over issues that have been nailed to the Cross of Jesus Christ. Every year, many rehash what is mainly done by our brothers and sisters in the (Roman) Catholic Church with the two main observances of Easter and Christmas. And just to be clear, all denominations have imperfections when it comes to the Life and Salvation in Jesus Christ, such as a woman’s role in the church, the Sabbath, and the so-called "anointed" who can only lead the church. Anyone claiming the Blood of Jesus is not perfect, but by it, we have been granted clemency to perfect our hearts for God’s final scrutiny on the Last Day.