Value of the Blood of Jesus

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (your manner of life or conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot..." I Peter 1:18,19

Circumstances can affect the value of anything. Differing circumstances can make the very same thing either worthless or extremely valuable. The reality of sin and its dire conseuences make the blood of Jesus very precious. And the blood of Jesus is made infinitely more valuable and precious to us because of the power it has in our life.

I don't know whether you can fully realize how precious health is until you get sick. Or whether you can fully realize how precious it is to live without pain until you suffer pain - and how precious food is until you suffer hunger. Hunger makes food precious; thirst makes water precious; and poverty makes riches precious.

Sin makes the blood of Jesus Christ precious.

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This is an excerpt from "The Precious Blood of Jesus", authored by Kenneth E. Hagin.

While I've been pondering on the Blood of Jesus recently, I came across this tidbit.

The ONLY thing that brought us as Believers in Jesus, out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light, was the sacrificial Blood of Jesus. There was nothing that we could barter with God for this. There could be no exchange of monies, nothing we can "offer" God for that transfer of death for LIFE. The ONLY thing that causes this exchange is the shed Blood of Jesus, and our acceptance of Him/His sacrifice.

We need the cleansing Blood of Jesus, every day of our lives.

Father, HELP US to magnify the Blood of Your Son. We need You, we need the sacrifice of Jesus all the days of our lives. Help us consider it precious and not forget that what it cost You and Jesus both. It's the most valuable - precious thing in heaven and on Earth. Thank You. In Jesus' Name.

The Cleansing Power of the Blood

We all make mistakes. It is a part of our human nature to make mistakes. This body is not redeemed yet (but, thank God, it's going to be one of these days.) No one is perfect. Because there are imperfections in all of us, we all miss it from time to time. That's not to say that we should not strive to live in obedience to God's Word, that's known as holiness.

I John 1:7 says, "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 cleanses us from all sin."
The Apostle John didn't write this verse to sinners. He wrote it to the Church, because he said, "If we walk in the light..." Sinners are not walking in the light. That's the reason they need to come to Jesus and be born again.

But as long as you walk in the light, even though you may miss it, there is a continual cleansing from sin. When you know you've missed it, confess your sin to the Lord. He's faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9)

FATHER HELP US!!! Help us to get right and STAY right with You, and Your HELP. Help us to remember that we call out to You when we stumble along our way. Help us to REMEMBER to make much of the Blood of Your Son. Help us to magnify the Blood of Jesus as we ought, because IF we as BELIEVERS only knew and remembered about the power of the precious Blood of Jesus, we would no longer have a guilty conscience. In Jesus' Name.

The Old Paths

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

Everywhere we turn, there's a "new" way of doing things, a new way to worhsip, a new way of preaching, new way of living. I've heard a lot of things the last few years that are labeled "new", that have given my heart pause, bringing a check in my spirit.

There's a place over in Proverbs 22:28 that says:
28 Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set.

Landmark here in the Hebrew means:
1) border, territory
a) border
b) territory (enclosed within boundary)
c) region, territory (of darkness)

The dictionary says lankmarks are:
1. a prominent or conspicuous object on land that serves as a guide, esp. to ships at sea or to travelers on a road; a distinguishing landscape feature marking a site or location

Repeatedly he Word of God speaks of how wrong it is to remove the old landmarks. It's a warning, not only about land disputes, but also to our spiritual landmarks, and the old paths that God has for us. God said that it would be rest for our souls.
Man, who of us do not need or desire rest for our souls?

Matthew 11:29 tells us:
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The Lord said here in Matthew to learn from Him and we will find rest for our souls.
That sounds a sweet as honey, doens't it?

Well, up there in Jeremiah where He instructed us to find the
Stand in the ways and see
Ask for the old paths
Where the good way is
Walk in it
Then you will find rest for your souls.
THEN THE FOOL SAID
But they said, 'We will not walk in it

Proverbs 1:7 tells us:
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 4:13 says:
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.

Proverbs 5:23 says:
23 He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

God's ways are not our ways and our ways are truly not ours...but it's LIFE to us to follow HIS WAYS, His instructions.

Proverbs 1:33
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.

THAT is a whole bunch of what I WANT, to dwell safely, to be secure and to be without fear of evil.

GOD HELP US!!! Help us to ASK YOU for the old paths of Your choosing, we are none of us fools, Lord, and we know we NEED YOUR HELP. All that glitters is not gold, Lord, help us not to be fooled with anything that has been "jazzed" up to tickle ears, and to lead us away from YOUR WAYS. The SAME Word that saved, healed and delivered throughout time is the SAME Word of God that has the power to do the same NOW. Father, help us to guard our hearts - and to guard Your Word in our hearts. There is no new thing under the sun, and the devil knows how to try to dilute Your Word because it's THE SWORD that defeats him. I choose YOU, Lord. I choose YOU. I'm asking YOU for the old paths where the good way is, AND I will, with Your help and grace walk in it. In Jesus' Name

Attending to God's Word

Proverbs 4:20-27

1.My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
Instead of ever altering God's Word to my lifestyle, I make the quality decision to always alter my lifestyle to fit the Word.

2.Do not let them depart from your eyes
I give my attention only to the Word, keeping it in front of my eyes CONSTANTLY!

3.Keep them in the midst of your heart
I keep the Word in my heart and refuse to be sidetracked, allowing His promised harvest to come (Mark 4:14-20)

4.For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
Since the Word is vital to my health and to my very life, I gie no attention to things that would rob my peace and engender strife. I stay on the faith side of everything. I stay on the love side.

5.Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
I know that my mouth speaks out of the abundance of my heart. I put away any disobedience or unbelief from my heart - from my mouth!

6.Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. Turn not to the right or the left: remove your foot from evil.
By attending to the Word and keeping my eyes on Jesus, I always know where I am and where I'm going. My ways are established. I will not be confused.

Father, HELP US to stay close and obedient to Your Word. HELP US to make it FIRST in our lives and mean business with all You have to say. HELP US to be established in it and live and move and have our being IN it. In Jesus' Name

God, the Ten Commandments and Us

Most of us have at least some knowledge about what God said about the Ten Commandments in the Bible. Some might think it just to be a nice story in the Bible. Some might think that those days are past and they no longer have to do with us....and SOME might not even know about them at ALL! :)

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any graven images.
3. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet anything that is your neighbors.

They are listed in Exodus 20.

The Word tells us that if we look upon a woman (or man) and lust after them - we've already committed adultery in our hearts.

Who of us have never "stolen" something - maybe even from the office, a neighbors yard, or something that we thought would not be missed?

Have any of us ever LIED, or LONGED after something that SOMEONE else has and WE WANT IT, gotta have IT?

Any of us ever HATE...the Lord understands that as MURDER in our hearts.

Disrespect a parent?

Take the Name of the Lord in vain. I've heard people swear (cuss) using God's Name, but have any of us ever prayed a prayer to the Lord, in Jesus' Name, and then turn around and speak against that prayer that we prayed (in unbelief) that we don't see it happening, and wring our hands and doubt what we even prayed ourselves. Taking the Name of the Lord in vain.

Idols.....we see them all around us. There's even television program that sports the name. eh? :)

Someone mentioned recently to me that I was not worshipping on the Sabbath....I make EVERY DAY a HOLY day and worship God EVERY Day. Which ever day in the week that any of us choose to gather together, we're to make it holy unto the Lord and remember Him. We're not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, particularly as we see the Day of His coming approaching.

I've heard folks say that they cannot KEEP the Commandments...then I found
Matthew 22:35-40 that tells us
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

There's great freedom in the Law of Love that Jesus is speaking about here.
If we are walking in the Love Jesus speaks of here, we will not desire to do ANYTHING that will disgrace the Lord, or disturb our love for those around us. We'll not steal from them, lie to them, murder any of them, commit adultery....etc etc. Get the picture?

The GREAT LAW OF LOVE frees us up to live in the Love of the Lord, and just DO what we're instructed to with great ease.

SO anytime our enemy (the devil) will aproach us and whisper his lies to our ears, to try to tempt us into something that we already KNOW not to be right....all we have to do is to remind ourselve that WE WALK IN THE LAW OF LOVE. The Love Walk.

Father, thank You for HELPING US to make use of Your Word, and be willing and obedient to Your instructions to us. HELP US to listen to the LOVE that You have placed in our hearts and respond to it all the days of our lives. In the Name of Jesus.