The Best I’ve Seen

Revelation 5:1–5 NKJV

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

Father our dependency is on you, for there are times when we have no one else to turn too but you. Our way seems hard at times, the road is ruff, but then again we realize that we don't think like you and we don't act like you do, please dear Father give us to strength to grow day by day into your image and to come to have the mind that you have bring us into the reality of who you are and how you move we ask this in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lift your hands and think about how faithful God has been to us. If it had not been for the Lord that was on our side we would have been consumed. He has sustained in a wilderness, some people understand that concept. Making it and don’t even know how you making it. It doesn’t even make sense how you are making it. All dressed up hair fixed just right people think you got it going on and they don’t even know. We are making it and making it by faith; because we’ve come with a sense of expectancy. We don’t even have to see it with our natural eyes; but we sense in our spirits that God is up to something if you can sense this tonight through your head back and give a loud praise! May the grace of God grace give us an understanding into some of the profound truths, written in the Bible, and to importance that God Himself placed in the work that Christ performed on the cross and the blood that was shed for you and for me! Can you thank God for His Son Jesus? If you will allow me to paint this picture of the text with words; then come on and go with me for a little while in your mind and in your imagination. We are going on an journey in the text. We are going to the battlements of heaven. Get ready children because heavens court is about to be called into order. We like John are the spectators in the courtroom; we can’t say anything all we can do is just look and listen. There is God the Father sitting on the bench serving as the Almighty judge. I see Justice serving as the prosecuting attorney. Mercy is the attorney for the defense. Jesus himself is the defendant. Philosophy is the clerk. The Holy Ghost is the secretary. Gabriel the head of the angelic host is the sergeant of arms. There are twelve jurymen who are all virtues of God. Faith, hope, love and salvation, are on the jury. Redemption, repentance, regeneration and sanctification are on the jury. Truth, holiness, peace, and goodness are all on the jury. They are trying to reach a decision as to whether or not Jesus the defendant is worthy to return to the earth this time not as savior of the world, but as the judge of the earth. At the time of the text bound books did not exist sot the word “book” v.1 refers to a scroll. This particular scroll is Christ’s title deed to all of creation. A roman will was sealed with seven seals; thus this scroll is the will, or testament, giving Christ the right to claim victory and ownership of creation by virtue of His sacrifice on Calvary! So six expert witnesses have been summons to give their testimony and appraisals of Jesus. They are trying to determine if this Jesus, is worthy to take the scroll and open the seals thereof! These six witnesses are: Natural Law, Time, the Blood, Death, the Grave, and Eternity. The court is called to order! The judge God rattles the gavel and calls the court to order. And gives instructions to the clerk Philosophy “summons for me if you please, the first witness. “ He is instructed to come down and stand in the witness box. Philosophy says to him “raise your right hand and repeat after me. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?” He says “I do” sit down and mercy the attorney for the defense gets up and proceeds with his questioning.

Natural Law

Mercy: He says to him; for the sake of the record tell this court what is your name. Natural law: My name is Natural Law Mercy: Natural Law tell us if you please what is your job as it relates to God’s universe? Natural law: He says, I am the watchman over the order of things. I see to it that everything that happens is done in some kind of lawful orderly fashion. Mercy: What do you mean orderly fashion? Natural law: Well, it’s my job to see to it that the contract between day and night is kept. I see to it that there is not too much daylight and not too much night. I am natural law. It’s my job to make sure that four seasons come within a realm of a year. I see to it that spring time comes in March that summer comes in June, that fall comes in September, and winter comes in December. I make sure that the showers fall, flowers bloom, that the wind blows, that the sun shines. It’s my job, to see to it that peaches are always sweet, that lemons are sour, that salt taste salty, and pepper is hot. I put vitamins in vegetables, proteins in meat, calcium in milk. It’s because of me that watermelons are green on the outside, red on the inside but still the rime is not stained. It’s because of me that a black cow can grow red hair, eat green grass, give off white milk, and churn yellow butter. I am natural law… Mercy: Oh yes, I see. Well tell the court if you don’t mine how do you carry out these things in orderly fashion? Natural law: Well I do it by laws. Mercy: What are some of your laws natural law? Natural law: Well, one of my laws that would be most familiar is the law of gravitation. Mercy: Tell the court how that works. Natural law: The law of gravitation means that every thing on earth stays on earth. Because I have a kind of magnetic pull under the surface of the earth a kind of centrifugal force that causes the earth to stay in its own orbit. And to move in its own path. I see to it that the nine planets are in a 360 degree orbit around the sun. Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto all move Clock wise and Uranus is the only one that moves counter clock wise. But so far because of my laws none of the nine planets have ever strayed off course or had a collision of any kind. Mercy: I see that’s good I am glad to see that you are well qualified. Tell us now is there anything in your laws to govern how man reproduces himself? Natural law: Oh yes, of course I have a law of reproduction. Mercy: Well then tell the court how does this law of reproduction work. Natural law: Well before man can reproduce himself in a baby there has to be a union or coming together between male and female. The man supplies 24 chromosomes and the female supplies 24 chromosomes and those male and female chromosomes all 48 of them get together and mix and co-mingle to form what they call genes. This determines the height, the size, the texture of hair, the skin color that the baby would have. And then after nine long months that embryo is developed into a full baby. And I see to it that man reproduces himself through my laws of reproduction. Mercy: Oh yes, I see it’s rather complicated, but you carry it out? Natural law: Yes, I carry it out says natural law. Mercy: Well tell the court this has there ever been a time that your law of reproduction has ever been violated? Natural law: Oh no… That’s impossible the only way a baby can be born is there has got to be a coming together of male and female chromosomes. Mercy: Now wait a minute I am asking you have there ever been a time since the beginning of time that man was not reproduced in the manner you just described? Natural law: No, no you know that the only way a baby can be born is there has to be relations between a man a woman. Mercy: Wait a minute now I want you to think hard has there ever been a time it’s been violated? Justice: Your honor I object to that line of questioning, the defense is trying to put words in the witness’s mouth! God the judge: Takes the gavel and rattles it and says, objection sustained. By that time natural law says. Natural law: Wait a minute I don’t want to commit purgery. Excuse me your honor I forgot there was just one time that my law of reproduction was violated. Mercy: Uh Hugh, I told you so. Well go on and tell the court what happened. Natural law: Well I can’t tell you all of the particulars because it was not by my natural law, but by divine order. That when man fell in Eden’s garden God the judge was plagued with a problem of how He would get someone in the world to take away the sins of the world. And Jesus the defendant volunteered to go down and take away the sins of the world. But when he volunteered to go down God said well I have got to get him there although He has to been born of a woman He still has to be with out sin. So that since a person’s blood stream is determined by the male, as I understand it God told the Holy-Ghost to overshadow the Virgin Mary and provide the 24 chromosomes in the womb of a virgin named Mary. There was a divine union, the Holy-ghost took His 24 Chromosomes and mixed them with the virgin Mary’s 24 chromosomes and sure enough Jesus yonder, caught the boat, road the sea of destruction, for nine long months. Got up in Bethlehem, of Judea, one cold December night, rapped in swaddling clothes, and lying down in a manger, He was the only one who ever violated my laws of reproduction. Mercy: I appreciate you telling the truth like that, tell me one more thing and you can take your seat. What is your appraisal of Jesus? Natural law: All, I can tell you about him is that he’s the best I have ever seen. Mercy: Thank you natural law sit down and take your seat. Call the next witness. He comes down the isle and stands upon the witness box. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? He says I do. Sit down and tell the court your name.

Time

Time: He says well, my name is time. Mercy: What’s your job? Time: Well I am the tick-tock of the universe Mercy: What do you mean you are the tick tock of the universe? Time: Well I had my beginnings at the sayings of God. One day when God said let there Be, I started ticking and I have tocking ever since. I was there way back before the morning stars. Back, before the sons of God shouted for joy. I was there, when God called the sun and put the sun in its tabernacle. And the first day the sun rose it came out from a chaos into a cosmos dressed up like a groom coming from his chambers going to meet his bride. I was there, when God put a song in the mocking bird’s throat, put a trunk on the elephant, padded the camel’s feet, cut gills in the sides of fish, taught the horse how to run, gave the eagle her sight, and put wings on birds I was there! I go way back, that’s who I am. Mercy: Okay, I see do you think you can tell us about Jesus? Time: Oh yea, I know him. I can tell you about him. Mercy: Time don’t carry us back so far; just tell us about his earthly ministry. Time: Well alright I’ll do my best. Its is true what natural law says, He was born contrary to all laws. He lived in poverty. He was reared in obscurity. He had neither wealth nor influence. No training or formal education, his relatives were inconspicuous and non-influential. He never crossed the boundaries from where he lived but only once in his life time. But I want to tell you something mercy. Mercy: Go ahead time. Time: I know you told me not to take you so far back, but its hard to talk about him unless I carry you back a ways. Because he is two-in-one. Mercy: What do you mean two-in-one? Time: Well he was the infinite one who became and infant. Mercy: What are you talking about time, the infinite one who became and infant. Time: In infancy he startled a king, in boyhood he puzzled the doctors, and in manhood he ruled the course of nature. He hushed the seas to sleep and walked upon waters. He healed the multitudes without medicine and makes no charges for his services. Sometimes I would see him acting like His Father and sometimes I would see Him acting like His mother! Mercy: Explain to the court what you mean sometimes acting like his mama and some times acting like his father. Time: Well, I saw him get tired and wanted to rest that was coming from his mama’s side. But then I heard him say, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest!” that was coming from his father’s side. I saw him like his mama get hungry and have to eat. But then like his daddy I heard him say “I heard him say I am the bread of life.” I saw him standing like his mama at the grave site of Lazareth tears was coming down his face, Jesus wept! But like his father he stood there and call Lazareth from the world of the grave and Lazareth got up, shook down a dying shroud. He is just as much man is any man. And He is just as much God as God is! That Jesus his is something special indeed. Mercy: Well tell this court, has he ever done anything to you? Time: Well, Yes he has. Because I was whole until he was born and now I am split in two! And people refer to everything before his birth as BC and everything after His birth as AD so I am not whole anymore. I am divided. Mercy: Well what do you think of this Jesus fellow? Time: Well when I compare him with running brooks and twinkling stars, I can’t help but to conclude that he is the Best that I have ever, ever seen! Mercy: Thank you time you may be seated. Call the next witness. He comes down and stands in the witness box. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? He says I do. Sit down and tell the court your name.

Death

Death: He said my name is death. Mercy: Well, what is your job! Death: I am the hound dog of the universe. Mercy: What do you mean you are the hound dog of the Universe? Death: Well, by the time a man is born, right then I get on his track. Mercy: How do you work? Death: I have a piece of standard equipment called a sting. And every time I get ready to get someone I just lay my sting on them and it sap’s all of the life out of them. And believe me every one I start at I get them. I haven’t missed any body. One man named Methuselah tried to run and he ran from me for 969 years but I caught him. I have got everybody from Adam to Malachi. Well, I just about everybody, as I recall I didn’t miss but two. Mercy: What two was that? Death: One of them just plain old out walked me. His name was Enoch. I don’t feel too bad about not getting Enoch because he was walking with the judge God; and one day he was just walking along and I went to get him. But before I could get to him he had stepped from time over into eternity. The other one I missed just flat out rode me. And His name was Elijah. He was one I sure wanted, the divine troubler of Israel. I followed him and his little flunky Elisha down to old Jordan and when he got there he struck Jordan with his old dirty mantle, and the Jordan rolled up like a scroll! However, I tracked him down again up on a mountain top and I was about to reach and put my sting on him when all of a sudden there appeared a mighty whirlwind out of the North. And before I could get to him there appeared a chariot of fire and just before I could sting him Elijah and stepped on board and went on home to his father! So they were the only ones that I ever missed. Mercy: What is your appraisal of Jesus? Death: Well I’m not what I use to be, people are not afraid of me anymore. Some of the old saints when I go in to get them, they meet me with a smile on their faces, saying, “Death O’ death you can’t do me no harm!” besides Jesus the defendant took away my Sting! He is the best that I have ever seen! Mercy: Thank you Death sit down and take your seat. Call the next witness. He comes down the aisle and stands upon the witness box. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? He says I do. Sit down and tell the court your name.

Grave

Grave: My name is Grave Mercy: What’s your job grave? Grave: The Land lord of the universe. Mercy: What do you mean landlord. Grave: Well everybody death brings to me I hold them. There ain’t no getting away once I get them. Mercy: Oh is that true! Grave: Yea and I got different sections for different folks. Hears what I mean over there I’ve got presidents: Washington and Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, There’s Eisenhower, and Truman there’s Johnson and Kennedy, There they all are lying right over there! Over there I have got scientist and Inventors. I’ve got Einstein, Edison and the Wright bothers, George Washington Carver, Robert Fulton and Alexander Graham Bell. There they are laying right over yonder. Over there I have got Philosophers like; Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, Dimostonese and Thomas Aquantus. There they are laying right over yonder. Over there I have got prophets like: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. There they are lying right over there! Over there I’ve Got preachers, over there I’ve got choir members, over there I’ve got matrons, I got ushers in this section, I’ve got old deacons. I got them all and my name is grave. Mercy: Well do you know anything about Jesus? Grave: Oh yes I know him. Cause one day death brought him to me and told me to put special on him. Because he had made some old crazy prophesy that he would rise again on the third day morning. When he brought him to me I held him with all that I had. Just to make sure we had him we put a great big rock over the door of the sepulcher. To insure that couldn’t nobody get in and couldn’t nobody get out! But we made a mistake, We had a great big rock over the door to make sure he couldn’t get out, what we failed to realized that when we rocked him in; it wasn’t nothing but a rock over a rock, a rock between a rock, a rock under a rock and a rock around a rock we had tried to rock in the Rock of Ages! Mercy: Well what happen. Grave: Well Like death said somewhere between late Friday night and early Sunday morning, an angel come by and rolled the stone away. But he was already up, because the napkin that we had on his head was folded very neatly like. Mercy: Has Jesus done anything to you? Grave: Oh yes he has. I had a perfect record and I was undefeated until he came. But when He rose up out of the grave on that early Sunday morning, he had taken away my victory. Mercy: What is your appraisal of him. Grave: All I can tell you is that He is the best that I’ve ever seen. Mercy: Thank you Grave sit down and take your seat. Call the next witness. He comes down the aisle and stands upon the witness box. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? He says I do. Sit down and tell the court your name.

The Blood

The Blood My name is the Blood! Mercy: Can you tells us blood what role do you play as it relates to God’s plan of Salvation? Blood: Well, in the body of Christ the subject of the blood is probably the single most important topic in the entire bible. From Genesis to Revelation, everything starts with the blood and ends with the blood. You can find the blood somewhere at the center of almost every doctrine. Mercy: Oh I see, you must be a really big deal. Blood: Yes sir, my name “blood” appears 346 times in the Old Testament (KJV), and 101 times in the New Testament, for a total of 447 times, I’d say that was a big deal. Mercy: I see what you mean! Blood: Over the years from Adam until now there have been many discussions about the blood! I am here to testify that the blood of Jesus saves from all sins. I heard old saints plead the blood over sickness and then get better. I watched preachers cast out and exorcise demons by pronouncing the Blood of Jesus! In churches they sing songs like: “there is power, power, wonder working power; in the blood, of the Lamb.” And when parents send their little ones off to school. They pray for God’s protection by placing them “under the blood.” Mercy: Wow that’s impressive, why are you so important when comes to God’s creation? Blood: Yes sir, you see blood is important to both humans and animals. Physical blood is a high complex fluid which contains cells, various forms of nourishment for tissues, oxygen, disease antibodies, hormones and other substances which, when in balance, maintain health and well being in the body. Blood: I guess you could say that the life of the flesh is “in the blood.” The Bible does say for the life of the flesh is in the blood (); for it is the life of all flesh (); …for the blood is the life (). So then if we understand that the blood represents the life. This life was so sacred before God that He instituted the use of the blood of animals in all offerings for sin as man’s vicarious substitute (atonement) under the Mosaic (Old Testament) law. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission. This means that everything to do with our relationship to God, both now and throughout eternity, will be based upon what the blood represents. Mercy: You mean that the basis of what you represent determines one relationship with the creator? The Blood: Yes is does, let me explain: The first thing we need to do is expand our thinking so as not to think of blood simply as a biological substance. The blood bank at the Red Cross has got nothing to do with this subject in the Bible. The blood in the Bible is both physical and symbolical in its spiritual meaning. Keep in mind that there is a spiritual power in the blood of Jesus and the entire scope of what it represents. Our very salvation and redemption is based upon what the blood stands for. The very fact that we will be eternally saved and allowed to go to heaven someday—this is entirely on the basis of what the blood represents in the spiritual/symbolic sense. From the closing of the gates of Eden in Genesis, to the opening of the gates of heaven in Revelation, there runs through scripture a golden thread—it is "the blood." Can I take you on a short trip through the Bible and look at some of the pivotal times in history that I showed up? Virtually every phase of God's plan in both the dispensations of time and His dealing with man, was always inaugurated by the blood. Somebody say Blood!

Genesis 4:1–12 NKJV

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

And the Bible says! Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. Eve knew that there was a prophecy over her even in the mist of her disgrace, for it had been prophesied that the seed of the woman would rise up and crush the head of the serpent and the serpent would bruise his heal. So when she entered into the throes of labor she was looking for the fulfillment of that prophecy to come to birth in her life. Cain and Abel; twins? And the bible said that "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bares his brother Abel. “Now many theologians believe that Cain and Able were actually twins, and reason they believe that, is that it does not use the terminology and Adam knew his wife when it comes the second birth. It simply says that she again bare his brother Abel. They believe that this was some hinting that Cain and Abel was the result of one birth experience. Of this I am not sure cause I wasn’t there and you weren’t either! Two sons! But what I do know is there is a great deal of significance in the order of their births. When you look at Cain and Abel you are looking at two sons whether they were born as the result of one birth experience or two, you are looking at two sons and the order of the births are very, very important... Somebody say two sons. Watch out for the second son. When over and over throughout the scripture you are going to see the bringing up of two sons, because the two sons are very powerful when it comes to understanding God's order, and God's process, and God's plan for the body of Christ. The bibles said that she conceived and bare a son and his name was Cain and she again bares his brother Abel. Cain is the older brother and Abel is the younger brother or he is the second son. And it is very, very important; you always have to watch out for that second son. Keep a foot note in your mind as you study the word of God, to always watch out for that second son. Nature teaches that the inheritance should go to the eldest brother! Now it defies order because nature teaches that the inheritance should go to the eldest brother or the first born son. That is the privilege and the vesture that ought to be strapped upon the son that is first born. But in the scriptures God has a habit of reversing the order and blessing the unexpected so you have to watch out for the second son... Somebody say second son. Yes, when you are talking about Cain and Able you have to bypass the first brother and look at the second brother to understand that the blessing of the Lord is on the second son! Whether you are talking about Cain and Abel or Esau and Jacob you always have to watch out for that second son. Whether you are talking about Pharez and Zarah you still have to watch out for that second son. The bible says that Pharez and Zarah struggled in the womb and the nurse put a red thread around one hand but he got pulled back on the inside and Zarah fought his way out. Look at your neighbor and tell them fought my way out! Ultimately, it is a foreshadowing and a picture of the second son in the kingdom in the presence of the Lord. In the eyes of Lord, God never had but two sons... The first son was Adam and Adam was his first made son, according to the genealogies of Saint Matthew it says that Adam was the Son of God. Adam was his first created son, Christ was His only begotten son, and the blessing ultimately fell on the... second son! I Thank the Lord because I am beginning to see that God has a way of blessing the second son. Over and over we see it again. Whether it is Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, Pharez and Zarah or Manasseh and Ephraim God has a way of crossing his hands and blessing the unexpected. And this generation had better understand the power of the second son. I believe that the time has come that God is going to once again cross his hands and bless the unexpected! It's not going to be who you think! It's not going to be the one that they have been grooming for the job. It's not going to be the one that every one said was going to make it. It's not going to be the one that looks the part! No, it's going to be the one that every one voted most least unlikely, that has been through all of the trials and traumas', it's going to be the one that has been through hell and high water! Look at somebody and say "that's me". And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground… The bible doesn't waste time dealing with trivia. It doesn't take the time to mention things that are not important to us. Like for instance it doesn't take the time to tell us whether or not Cain and Able were handsome or not. It doesn't tell us whether or not they were fat or skinny; whether they were illiterate or intellectuals. The bible doesn't take the time to mention whether or not Cain and Abel were short or tall, light skinned or dark skinned. The reason that the bible doesn't mention those things is that that information is not relative to the interpretation of the text. But it does take the time to tell us what their occupation was. When the Bible begins to talk about the occupation, it says that Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Now Cain, the first son, his job was to work the ground, he works the soil, he is a type of flesh, and he is a type of works. He works that, which God has cursed, he keeps trying to bring before God that which God has cursed and rejected. He is a picture of humanism, he is a picture of vain religion, and he is a picture of dead works. He is a picture of man trying to please God through his own efforts; he is a picture of man trying to impress God with earthly natural things that were taken from the earth. Abel was a shepherd But when it talks about Abel, Abel becomes a foreshadowing and a picture of Jesus Christ because Abel like Christ is a shepherd. He takes care of the sheep; he has caused the sheep to graze in the grass. And from the sheep he brings to God what God really wants; which is a blood and sacrifice. For the Bible later says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. I don't care what other works or talents, skills, or abilities that you might have. I don't care how wonderful your church is, how beautiful the stained-glass windows are, I don't care what university your pastor went to. I don't care if you have a musician that can play on keys that is not even there. I don't care if you have singers that can sing notes so high that they can crack stained-glass windows. If it is not through the blood you have nothing at all, it is the blood that makes the difference in the church. Somebody say the blood. It's something about understanding that without the blood there will be no satisfying of God, there will be no pleasing God. And we need to go back to understanding the power of the blood. Not Goosebumps not nursery rhymes but the power that's in the blood. Somebody say the blood. Cain brings that which he has worked up in his, flesh. Cain is outside working in the feel he's tilling the soil he's working with that, which God has already cursed trying to offer up a sacrifice to God from the curse place, and from the ground. Abel on the other hand is raising up something that he was not responsible for birthing or creating, it is just life they came from God, and he's offering back to God what came from God and he's responding to God and trusting God to accept what only God has created, and he's trusting the Lord to do it. He gives a sacrifice pleasing in the sight of God. The Bible says in the process of time Cain brought before the Lord that which he had worked up in his flesh. Have you ever seen people trying to bring something to God that they had worked up? Have you ever seen people trying to come into the presence of God trying to work up something that would impress God, or move God...? The best way to please God is give him what he wants. Not what you want, not what you created not, not what you built, but bring before God that, which he wants. Look at Abel coming into the presence of the Lord, he comes bearing sheep and offering them up before God, as a sacrifice. When Cain offers up that, that he has raised himself, God rejects it. In other words God doesn't receive it, no fire falls upon it, and God doesn't consume it. And here comes Abel, and Abel comes into the presence of the Lord and offers up a more excellent sacrifice and when he does God received the sacrifice. Now I want you to understand something, God is not a respect of person's... There's no need in you getting upset when God bless this one person and not another, God is not a respecter of persons and he is not prejudice. He does not prefer Sally more than Sue, he doesn't prefer Mark more than James, He is not a respect of persons, but he is a respecter of principles. People have a problem with you being blessed! See the moment God begins to bless you and receive you when you offer up certain things before God, you don't have a problem with God; but you have a problem with people. Because people have a problem with you being blessed of God. As long as Abel had not won the attention and the favor of God, Cain was all right, but the moment Abel offered up a sacrifice to God that causes God to consume the sacrifice, all of a sudden Cain had an attitude, because the Bible said that God had respect unto the Abel's offering... That is why I praised God that I am a worshiper. The Bible says in the book of Hebrews by faith Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, now the Bible also says that faith, cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. I believe that God, made these brothers to know what an acceptable sacrifice was. Partially because in Hebrews 11th chapter says, that Abel offered it up by faith. And since the Bible says faith, cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So if you offer up something by faith, there has to be a word that precedes faith somebody say, Amen. The second thing that I will like to submit I believe that God had given them instructions, because when Cain got upset because God looked at Cain and said why are you wroth and why has your countenance fallen. If thou doeth not well I not receive you. God said in other words you act like it's impossible for you to be blessed. If you do to what I told you to do you, can still have the blessing. Somebody right now is sitting up a jealous and upset, because God is using somebody else. God is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of principles. If you would do what God says to do, God will open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you will not be able to contain. If offer up to God what he wants He will bless it. There is something that we need to understand that if we offer up to God what He has required he will blessed it. And when he begins to bless it, you have to be willing to receive the blessing, even if it brings criticism, and contradiction, once you find out how to get God's favor, don't you allow anybody from anywhere cause you to forfeit the blessings of God. Touch somebody and tell him or her I will praise the Lord. Oh, bless the wonderful name of the Lord. Somebody is sitting up jealous of you right now, but they don't know what you went through to get what you got. They don't know how you suffered to get where you are. They don't know how many times you did without to get where you are. Don't let anybody staring you down once God raises you up. You've got to get up even if you got to get up by yourself. Broke, busted, but you got to get up! Folks murmuring, and complaining, about you but you've got to get up! If thou doeth well, will I not receive you? Now God says if thou doeth well, I will receive you. If thou doeth not well sin lieth at the door. Now we are looking at a picture and a foreshadowing of what God is going to do in Jesus. Jesus Christ becomes a type of the second son. Who pleased God with his offering. Before Christ came the sins of the world was still an issue. God was pacified but he wasn't satisfied. They offered up to Him the blood of the bullocks, and the blood of lambs, and the blood of goats. They offered up meal offerings and wave offerings, and drink offerings, feast of weeks, and feast of Pentecost, and feast of unleavened bread, it soothed God, but it had not satisfied God. It pacified him, but it had not ended the sin issue. All of the lambs that was slain, from Genesis to the Gospel of Saint Matthew all of them collectively could not satisfied the debt that sin laid upon us. When we had come to a point of being born in sin and shape in iniquity. But look at Jesus, who went in once and for all, and settled the sin issue. He was the only priest that was the offerer and the offering. He went in by himself for himself, and perfect it forever them that are sanctify. Only your God could be the priest and the offering, could be Alpha and Omega, could be beginning and the end, it could be the first and the last. He was the offerer and the offering, and then turned around and received what was offered up. Can't nobody do me like Jesus. In , it talks about, Cain, who became so jealous that; he rose up to kill his brother. And that is the picture of the Spirit of the enemy working to crucify the Lamb of God. Satan himself a working through flesh trying to terminate the Lord himself. Jesus was healing the sick, and raising the dead, and turning water into wine. Jesus was standing out there in graveyards calling dead men back to life. Satan wanted to kill him, because he sent storms that Jesus spoke to, until they were slain in the Spirit. And on the windy nights of turbulence Jesus started walking out on the water, and walked over to his people; and delivered them and let them go. But the Bible said that the enemy was foolish when he crucified the Lord. It if he would've known what he was doing he would have let Jesus healing the sick and blessing people, because like Sampson Jesus destroyed more enemies, in his death, that he did in his life. To God be the glory. Abel comes out onto the field! Cain is, full of pain and hostility, confusion and turmoil, and the Bible says that one day Abel was in the field. Now look at what God is saying, he takes to the time to tell us where the incidental occurred. Abel wasn't even supposed to be in the field, the field, was Cain's territory that's where Cain operated, that's were Cain worked. But Abel coming, out on Cain's territory, is a picture of what Jesus did. When the enemy first began to fight, the fight broke out in heaven, when he was Lucifer son of the morning. And Jesus said, He came over into my house, and I whipped you in my house. Then Jesus said, I saw him fall like lightning. And I drove him out of my house. So then the devil said well if I can't whip you in your house, I will meet you on neutral territory. And the Bible says when Jesus came up out of the water. The Spirit led him out to the wilderness to be tempted. Then Satan tried to whip him in the wilderness, while he was weak and hungry. But Jesus, even in his weekend state, said I know too much word to be intimidated. Satan don't think that you are going to meet me down on the corner and whip me. It is written, that thou shalt not temp the Lord thy God. Touch somebody and tell them. I know too much word to be intimidated. The devil said well, I couldn't beat you because you had all those angels Seraphim and Cherubim around you. I thought that if I got you wrapped up at in a body of flesh; a body that got tired, I thought I could over throw you when you were hungry. But Jesus rebuked him and the Bible says that he left him for a seasoned. You know how it is, when somebody keeps picking on you. Until you get tired of them, and you don't want to be threatened and you don't want to be intimidated anymore. Jesus made up his mind and said, I tell you what, we fought in heaven, and I drove you back out of my house in heaven. You met me down in the wilderness, and we fought in the wilderness, and I drove you back out of it the wilderness. So I am going to settle this issue once and for all. I'm going over in your camp, and I'm going to whip you in your own camp, and I'm going to whip you in your own house. Somebody say yea. And Abel Cain down into the field, look at your Lord and my God healing the sick, and raising the dead. But he said that that's not enough at I've got to get down into the enemies camp. And I heard him start telling the disciples that I've got to go down into the enemies' camp for except a grain of wheat fall down into the ground and die, it abideth alone. It but if it die is it will bring forth much for it. Peter tried to stop him, but he said get thee behind me Satan; see you don't know what you are doing Peter. I've got to go down into the enemies' camp, and take back what he stole. No man takes my life! And that's why he said, no man takes my life. But I lay down and if I lay down. I will pick it back up again. I'm going over into the enemy's camp, and they whipped him, on the whipping post, and he said, I can't die on the whipping post, because if I die on the whipping post nobody will be saved, because the Bible said, cursed is he who hangs upon a tree. And if I die on the post, I won't deliver the world from sin, the devil tried to kill Him halfway up Calvary's hill; he stumbled and fell and got a black man to carry His cross. He told him to just hold it a little while, until like it to the top of the hill. When he got up there, the prophet Isaiah said behold He cometh as a Lamb to the shearer he humbled himself. He became obedient until it to, even the death of the cross. He Died! Touch somebody and tell he died. He died until the sun refused to shine. He died until the earth got nervous and said I can't take it anymore. He died until the veil in the temple was rent in two. He died until the law turned loose and went to grace. It he died until curses is turned into blessings. It he died until the centurion said, surely this was the Son of God. It he died until the thief said, remember me, when you, come into your kingdom. It he died until graves opened up all over Jerusalem. Touch somebody and tell them he died. The Blood was shed for my sin! It, I am so glad for the -blood that was shed for my sins. Had Jesus just laid there on the cross, we wouldn't have a message to preach. Where they made their mistake was when they lifted him up. If they hadn't lifted him up, we wouldn't be sitting here this morning. But I heard Jesus say, if I be lifted up from the earth, I'll draw all men unto me. Black men and white men, rich man and poor man. He said, if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto me. I thank God for the Roman soldier that pierced him in the side. Because the piercing of side amplified what happened to Abel. When Cain slew Abel in the field, the Bible said that when he slew him the ground opened its mouth, and received the blood. But that old silly Devil didn't know what he was doing, because he thought, if he killed the body. He could kill the ministry. And that's what people think about you. They think if they can kill your reputation, they can kill you. They think that if they can kill your confidence that they can kill you. But that old silly devil, he doesn't understand that when he kills the body. The life of the flesh is in the blood and the blood said, the body might stop but I have to move on, touch somebody and say, the blood. The blood said I'll cry out of the ground. The blood said, if I can't to speak out of the body anymore, I will cry out of the ground. I thank the Lord for Jesus. Because the Bible said, the New Testament was written in his blood. And when they pierced him in his side. Out of his side came blood and water for the sins of the world. And the devil made a mistake when he crucified Jesus. Because before he crucified him. He didn't have but one son to fight, but now beloved, all ye the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what you will become. Praise him! And the Bible says that the ground opened up its mouth. And received the blood, and when it received the blood, all of a sudden, the Lord said. I heard the voice of thy brother's blood, crying, to me, out of the ground. I want you to touch two people and tell them, the blood can speak. You don't have to fight, because the blood can speak. You don't have to get anyone straight because the blood can speak. You don't have to curse anyone out, because the blood can speak. You don't have to speak for yourself, because the blood can speak, you don't have to prove nothing to nobody because the blood can speak. The blood will testify. If you ever get it on you, it will get in your life, blood leaves, and a stain that you cannot get out. I don't know what you thank him for, but I thank him for the blood. I thank God for the blood this morning. The blood fell on me and I opened up my mouth. The blood did it, the blood did it, and the blood did it. I feel like preaching, the blood did it. I thank him for the blood. I want the Devil to know. Satan the blood is against you, put your hands together, and praise the Lord. Your are not just fighting me, you are fighting the blood. Devil, you’re not just fighting me. You are fighting the blood. Once the blood falls on you it will give you a voice. When the blood falls on you, you can communicate in the heavenlies. Once the blood falls on you will open your mouth. When you get a good dose of the blood it will make you speak up. You don't have to take the devil junk. You don't have to live beneath his bondage. The blood will change your running habits, the blood, the blood, the blood will make you spin around on the bar stool in the middle of the night. The blood will make you leave, the hotel in the middle of the night. The blood will make you hang up on an old lover. The blood will make you throw away lottery tickets. The blood will make you throw away a bag of dope. The blood will make you flush it down the toilet. Touch somebody and say, the blood! The blood that's what I came to preach, power is in the blood deliverance is in the blood, healing is in the blood, life is in the blood, Joy is in the blood, the blood, somebody thank God for the blood, I know it's old-fashioned, but I thank God for the blood, you go ahead and thank him for your Mercedes, but I thank him for the blood. Thank him for your silk dress, but I thank him for the blood. You thank him for your companion, but I thank him for the blood. The blood delivered me, the blood clean to me up, the blood set me free, and the blood washed me, the blood. It's a better than Confucius, is better than Mohammed, the blood is my high power, the blood! Touch two people and tell them, the blood can't bring you out. The blood can bring you out, repeat. If you believe it go on and praise God. I know we’re all modern today and we’ve got access to the libraries of the world at our finger tips. We can flip on the TV any time night or day and hear someone preaching or teaching the word. We’ve got the bible on our tablets, our I pads, and I phones, and our cell phones, we can study the Hebrew and the Greek meaning of bible words right from our cell phones. Our grandma’s and grandpa’s didn’t have access to all the modern conveniences and technology we have today (But they had something we have lost in our modern high tech church age (They understood the importance of living under the blood of Jesus). Those old timers would do something they would call: Plead the Blood, I plead the blood. They would plead the blood on everything: The house, the car, the cat, the dog, the chickens, the hogs, the garden,) They might not have understood it: But That word is actually a legal term (It was an answer to a judgment) The judge would say: You have been charged with such and such a crime, how do you plead? That means that the Judge was asking: What is your defense to this and the accused would answer I (plead) guilty, or not guilty, or I plead the fifth. Well that legal proceeding carries over into the Spirit realm: When the devil comes around (saying you have been accused of such and such a crime, and the devil says you have sinned and come short of the glory of God) What is your defense? That is when you look the devil in the eye and you square your shoulders back and you say: I Plead The Blood I plead the Blood, The blood is my defense, the blood speaks for me Shake your neighbor real good and tell them: I plead the blood! When folks talk about you plead the blood. When they bring up your past plead the blood. When they try to slander you plead the blood. When they try to scandalize you plead the blood. Not to your church, not your denomination, but the blood. Because there is power, wonder-working power in the blood of Jesus. Praise him! Somebody clap your hands for the blood. Well, the ground opened its mouth, and received the blood and God said, I can hear a voice of thy brother's blood, crying unto me from the ground. I recognize his voice, it's coming from a new place, but it is still. His voice. Touch somebody and tell them. It's his voice. If I ever preach right, it is his voice. It if I ever pray right it is his voice. If I ever do any good thing, it is His voice, it is coming from a dirty place, but is his voice, don't let the clay, fool you. The blood, the blood, the blood! Therefore, it's hard for me to talk about the blood and not feel better. It's hard for me to talk about the blood and not get strength, because there is power in the blood of Jesus. Listen to what he said, when the Lord arrested Cain. He said Cain; I want you to understand that no matter what you do no matter what you plant, this ground will never yield unto you its strength. Not only did the blood, take care of what you did. It also kill do what you were about to do! Touched somebody and say I did a whole lot of stuff, and I almost... You don't know what you almost did it. You don't know who you would have been. You don't know what you would have been into, if it had not been in for the blood. The blood not only straightened out what you did, but it kill do what you were about to do. What you almost did, what woke you up in the middle of the night. The blood, the blood, the blood! Satan, the blood is against you I know that you are use to planting whatever you wanted to plant, whatever you put in the ground. It could not help but to come up. But if take your hoe and your rake out in the same ground that you used to work. It will never yield to you again its strength. Because of the blood. Touch somebody and tell them to blood made a difference in my life.

Noah and the flood!

Blood: But there is more: The very next time that I was on the scene was back in Genesis chapter six, when the sons of God came down (most likely a description of angels), and polluted the world by "marrying" the daughters of man and producing the Nephilim, which were weird convoluted giants. The Bible describes this as a time when the world as full of violence and wickedness beyond description. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" (,). So God told Noah to build an ark in which eight souls were eventually saved through water, which the Bible says is a type of baptism (see ,). Then the rains came and God wiped away everything from the earth that was not inside the ark (which is also a type of being in Christ). Now here is the significant part. When Noah and his three sons and all their wives emerged from the ark, and stepped onto the newly cleansed earth, here is what the Bible says happened. "And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done" (). So right here at the new beginning of the new civilization, a blood sacrifice was necessary. The newly re-created earth had to be baptized in blood in order to be acceptable to God.

Abraham & Isaac

The Blood: Now after much time the earth is again populated with people. The Judge God looked in a pagan land of sun worshipers in the vicinity of Babylon, God calls forth a man named Abram taking him hundreds of miles West to Palestine, and there He gives him many great promises. His offspring would be as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea. Later God changed his name to Abraham. Each time God visits and communicates with him, Abram builds a stone altar as a memorial to the encounter. But the Bible does not say that he offered any blood sacrifice on those altars. But there was a basic problem. Abraham and his wife Sarah are childless. How could he possibly become the father of many nations without a child of his own? Abraham then decided to take matters into his own hand and help God fulfill His word. Since his wife Sarah was beyond child bearing age, he went into their servant woman Hagar who bore him a son named Ishmael. Abraham proceeded for fifteen years believing that Ishmael was to be his heir. Now he and Sarah are 100 years old—certainly a total impossibility of ever giving birth. It was at that time God visited him again, and told him that the son of promise was not going to be Ishmael, but his name was going to be Isaac. What is most astounding about this is that Ishmael became the father of all the Arab people who follow the Islamic religion. Isaac on the other hand was the father of Israel, Judaism, and Christianity. Because Abraham tried to rush ahead of God's will, today we have over one billion Muslim people living in the world who are at severe odds and hate both Israel and Christianity. "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him" (). Now that Abraham finally had the genuine heir GOD HIMSELF had provided, the Lord placed him in a position where he was to face his greatest test ever. Before any of the great promises could be fulfilled, a blood sacrifice was necessary. His only son would have to be GIVEN BACK to the God who had given the gift. "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (). This well known account concludes when Abraham raised his knife to slay his son, that the angel of the Lord stopped the whole process "mid air." It was the willingness of Abraham's heart that God was after. Instead, a ram was offered whose horns got caught behind him in a thicket. Here is what it says in the New Testament. "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure" (). Only through a blood sacrifice of a life could God fulfill His entire promise to Abraham and establish His covenant.

The Passover!

The Blood: Now is had been four hundred years since the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the people (children of Israel) have multiplied in Egypt. It was now time for Moses to deliver them from the grip of Pharaoh. What the blood had accomplished for Abel, and for Noah, and for Abraham, must now be the experience of the entire Jewish nation. The Lord had sent nine of his ten plagues upon Egypt, but Pharaoh would refuse to "let my people go." One more thing was about to happen. The death angel would visit, and the oldest male child in every household would die during the night. The next morning a great cry was heard throughout the land of Egypt. Only those houses were spared that were protected by the blood. Most of the entire chapter of Exodus 12—all 28 verses, tell this amazing story. Here are just a few of the verses. This is a profound. "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house... Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year... and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it... And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's Passover. 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. 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. 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... Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 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. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.... And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle." The main point from this story is that life and deliverance from the house of slavery of Pharaoh, and the journey to the promised land, could not happen until it was initiated by the blood. A life had to be given and sacrificed in their place, and appropriated to their lives (placed upon their dwellings).

Moses and the Law

The Blood!: Sprinkled with the Blood When God gave the law to Moses at Mt. Sinai, along with the ten commandments, this was an event of epic proportions. For the law was the foundation of God's covenant with Israel. The entire agreement that God made was based strictly upon the blood, and was actually referred to by God Himself as "the blood of the covenant." "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the BLOOD OF THE COVENANT, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words... And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness... And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel" (,,,). So we find right here that everything involving the law itself, as well as the people themselves, had to be covered and sprinkled with the blood. It was in the very blood itself that the covenant of the law was made. Throughout the Bible many people and objects were constantly sprinkled with blood. What that means is that the blood when sprinkled was simply being APPLIED (in a spiritually symbolic sense). Immediately after this sprinkling took place, the command was given, "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell within them" ().

The Tabernacle and the Temple

Now we come to the final major portion of this entire subject from the Old Testament—the tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness, followed many years later by the great temple in Jerusalem that Solomon built. These two houses or worship, which were virtually identical in their original plan or pattern, encompasses the entire Jewish religious system from the Old Testament—clear up to the time of the New Testament when Jesus came. God gave detailed and explicit instructions as to the design and implementation of these houses of worship. At the very center of every aspect of ceremony and worship—the entire religion for that matter—there was the blood. In the outer court surrounding the tabernacle, the first thing visible, was (1) the altar of the burn offering. Here animals that were slain and consumed by the fire from morning to night. Literally thousands of sacrifices per year. Next, enter into the tabernacle itself to the holy place where (2) the altar of incense and the temple veil itself, were continuously sprinkled with the blood. Beyond the veil was (3) the most holy place or "holy of holies," at the very center of which God Himself dwelt on His throne, which was the ark of the covenant, Once a year the High Priest entered that room by himself to bring the blood, and to worship God. The highest act of that worship was the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat of the golden ark, covered by the wings of the hovering angel/cherubim. Hundreds of times in the Old Testament the blood is mentioned. Always and for everything, the blood was the one thing needful. At the consecration of the house, of the priests; at the birth of a Jewish child; in the deepest penitence on account of sin; in the highest festivals; always, and in everything that occurred, the way of fellowship with God was through the blood alone. This continued for 1500 years—all the way until Jesus Himself came. By dying on the cross and shedding His own blood, Christ brought in the substance of what all the Old Testament shadows stood for and represented. Everything that occurred in the old dispensation ENDED IN ONE INSTANT on Calvary when the perfect Lamb of God died for the sins of the cosmos.

Perfect

The virgin birth of Christ established His righteousness. Judas cried out. “I have betrayed innocent blood.” Paul explained, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Pilate said, “I find in him no fault at all.” John 18:38 Jesus Himself said, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” John 8:46 John added, “in Him is no sin.” I John 3:5 A natural father would have imparted the sin-nature of Adam to Christ and His death would not have provided redemption. The virgin birth is absolutely essential to the salvation of our souls. It certainly was a new thing for a woman without a man to give birth to a child. The Adamic nature is passed to the offspring by the blood line of the man. There were no impurities in the blood of Christ. Everything about Christ was perfect including His blood. So then in Analysis the blood is perfect!

Pure

PURE BLOOD Imagine with me that the day is over, you are driving home. You tune in your radio. You hear a little blurb about a little village in India where some villagers have died suddenly, strangely, of a flu that has never been before. It's not influenza, but three or four fellows are dead, and it's kind of interesting. They're sending some doctors over there to investigate it. You don't think much about it, but on Sunday, coming home from church, you hear another radio spot. Only they say it's not three villagers, it's 30,000 villagers in the back hills of this particular area of India, and it's on TV that night. CNN runs a little blurb; people are heading there from the disease center in Atlanta because this disease strain has never been seen before. By Monday morning when you get up, it's the lead story. For it's not just India; it's Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and before you know it, you're hearing this story everywhere, and they have coined it now as "the mystery flu". The President has made some comment that he and everyone are praying and hoping that all will go well over there. But everyone is wondering, "How are we going to contain it?" That's when the President of France makes an announcement that shocks Europe. He is closing their borders; no flights from India, Pakistan, or any of the countries where this thing has been seen. That night you are watching a little bit of CNN before going to bed. Your jaw hits your chest when a weeping woman is translated from a French news program into English: "There's a man lying in a hospital in Paris dying of the mystery flu. It has come to Europe." Panic strikes. As best they can tell, once you get it, you have it for a week, and you don't know it. Then you have four days of unbelievable symptoms. Then you die. Britain closes it's borders, but it's too late. South Hampton, Liverpool, North Hampton, and it's Tuesday morning when the President of the United States makes the following announcement: "Due to a national security risk, all flights to and from Europe and Asia have been canceled. If your loved ones are overseas, I'm sorry. They cannot come back until we find a cure for this thing". Within four days our nation has been plunged into an unbelievable fear. People are selling little masks for your face. People are talking about what if it comes to this country, and preachers on Tuesday are saying, "It's the scourge of God". It's Wednesday night, and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody runs in from the parking lot and says, "Turn on a radio, turn on a radio." While the church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made, "Two women are lying in a Long Island hospital dying from the mystery flu." Within hours it seems, this thing just sweeps across the country. People are working around the clock trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working. California, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts. It's as though it's just sweeping in from the borders. Then, all of a sudden the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made. It's going to take e blood of somebody who hasn't been infected, and so, sure enough, all through the Midwest, through all those channels of emergency broadcasting, everyone is asked to do one simple thing: "Go to your downtown hospital and have your blood type taken. That's all we ask of you. When you hear the sirens go off in your neighborhood, please make your way quickly, quietly, and safely to the hospitals." Sure enough, when you and your family get down there late on that Friday night, there is a long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. Your wife and your kids are out there, and they take your blood type and they say, "Wait here in the parking lot and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home". You stand around scared with your neighbors, wondering what in the world is going on, and wondering if this is the end of the world. Suddenly a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. "Wait a minute, hold it!" And they say, "It's okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have the disease. We think he has got the right type." Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one another and some are even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood type is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine." As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying. But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says, "May we see you for a moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor, and we need you to sign a consent form." You begin to sign and then you see that the number of pints of blood to be taken is empty. "H-h-h-how many pints?" And that is when the old doctor's smile fades and he says, "We had no idea it would be a little child. We weren't prepared. We need it all!" "But, but..." "You don't understand. We are talking about the world here. Please sign. We - we need it all - we need it all!" "But can't you give him a transfusion?" "If we had clean blood we would. Can you sign? Would you sign?" In numb silence you do. Then they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?" Can you walk back? Can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?" Can you take his hands and say, "Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would never ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be. Do you understand that?" And when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry, we've - we've got to get started. People all over the world are dying." Can you leave? Can you walk out while he is saying, "Dad? Mom? Dad? Why - why have you forsaken me?" And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, and some folks sleep through it, and some folks don't even come because they go to the lake, and some folks come with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care. Would you want to jump up and say, "MY SON DIED! DON'T YOU CARE?" Is that what God is saying? "MY SON DIED. DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?" This is what it cost me to give you pure blood! Amen " The virgin birth of Christ established His righteousness. Judas cried out. “I have betrayed innocent blood.” Paul explained, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Pilate said, “I find in him no fault at all.” John 18:38 Jesus Himself said, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” John 8:46 John added, “in Him is no sin.” I John 3:5 A natural father would have imparted the sin-nature of Adam to Christ and His death would not have provided redemption. The virgin birth is absolutely essential to the salvation of our souls. It certainly was a new thing for a woman without a man to give birth to a child. The Adamic nature is passed to the offspring by the blood line of the man. There were no impurities in the blood of Christ. Everything about Christ was perfect including His blood. So then in Analysis the blood is perfect!

Perpetual

The writer of Hebrews speaks of Christ as one, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” Again Paul tells us that it was, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Then again, “But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The Bible states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” The death of Christ set into motion a continuous cleansing for those who trust in Him. We are given the gift of eternal life that He purchased with His blood. Thank God we are washed once and for all, forever. The Bible speaks of the “blood of the everlasting Covenant.” . Our faith in His blood is all it takes to settle it forever and ever! So then in action the blood is perpetual.

Powerful

John wrote, “Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.” Revelation 5:9 It takes amazing power to do that! We are told that they overcame the wicked one, Satan, by the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death! It takes a lot of power to do that, too! So then in accomplishment the blood is Powerful! The song writer wrote: Would you be free from the burden of sin? There is power in the Blood Would you over evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the Blood There is power, power wonder working power In the Blood of the Lamb There is power, power wonder working power In the precious Blood of the Lamb

Permanent

“Acquit” is a heavy word…it means to pay off, to free, to clear, to absolve. It has a far reaching meaning extending from the past all the way to the future. OJ Simpson was acquitted of murder, and it can never come back on him now in a court of law. Not even “new evidence” can be presented. You say, yeah, but I don’t believe justice was done. Well, neither do I… but you and I are guilty and we know it…and we don’t want justice, we want mercy! And we need it to be permanent…sins forgiven AND forgotten! “His mercies are new every morning,” the Bible says. Not only our past sin was covered but also our present and future sins are put under the blood when we trust in Christ as Savior. Jesus’ blood cleanses from our past sins. Isaiah said, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” Isaiah 44:22 David spoke to this when he stated, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 He promised not to remember them again. “I will remember them no more against you forever.” Jesus’ blood covers our present sins, both the sins of omission and the sins of commission. Whether it be things we ought to be doing and are not doing or whether it be things we are doing that we ought not to be doing. These are covered fully by His Blood atonement. Jesus’ blood continues to atone for future sins. This is not to say we can just go ahead and sin…a truly saved person won’t have that attitude. But we can know that despite our very best efforts, we are sinners, and will yet sin, but we don’t have to get saved again. Do we need to confess it to God and make it right? Of course! As we continue to walk thru this life we’ll need daily foot washings, but praise God that one time “all over bath” secures us from all sin: past, present, and future!

Precious

“The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” I John 1:7 Jesus’ blood conquers all sin! We love to sing, “Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.” Peter used the term precious to describe the Blood of Christ. He said, “But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:19 No blood (no salvation) No blood (no justification) No blood (no deliverance) No blood (no sanctification) No blood (no oil) No blood (no power) No blood (no anointing) No blood (no peace) No blood (no authority) No blood (no joy) No blood (no protection) So then in appraisal the Blood is precious!

Protective

In Exodus 12 the blood was sprinkled on the door posts of the Jewish homes just as the Lord had instructed them. When the death angel came on that faithful night with the awful judgment of death to the first born the Jews were protected by the blood. It was actually their faith that brought protection. They believed the Word the Lord had given to Moses. They believed it enough to act on it. By following the directions just as the Lord instructed they reaped a great benefit. God had said, “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.” Exodus 12:13 And it is by and because of that same blood that we are saved today. We are washed by that blood We are sanctified by that blood We are justified by that blood We are redeemed by that blood We are protected by that blood We are delivered by that blood Our conscience is cleansed by that blood We are healed by that blood No wonder the song writer was moved to pen the words: There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath the flood lose all their guilty stains.

Purifying

As the blood moves through out the body affecting every system of our bodies; it removes waste material from our body! When I thought what our blood does for our physical body I then thought about what His blood does for our spiritual body! So then the bible explains in 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. The cleansing power of the blood of Jesus purifies our hearts from the inside out! Just as our blood carries waste from our system, Jesus shed blood removes the filth of sin and uncleanliness from our daily lives! The first reference in the New Testament to His blood stresses this aspect. Jesus said, at the last supper: "This is my blood of the new testament (same as 'covenant') which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (). His blood purifies our hearts perfectly so that we can actually become the temple of Almighty God! That’s why He warned the Pharisees in: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto white sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Eternity

Eternity Eternity: My name is Eternity. Mercy: When did you begin Eternity? Eternity said: I never had a real beginning before the beginning had ever begun I had already began. Mercy: can you tell us anything about Jesus? Eternity: yes I can you see I go way back, back before there was ever a need for natural law. Back before time and Death and the Grave. So let me tell you that … I was there when Satan fell. I was there before the foundation of the world was laid; I was there before the morning stars shouted for joy; I was there before angels were created or any other thing that was ever made was made! That’s who I am I am eternity. Mercy: Can you tell us anything about Jesus? Eternity: Oh yes I can! In the beginning was the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. I can tell you that He was God, He is God, and will always be God. I can tell you that he is always running into himself because He is from everlasting to everlasting. Back before the foundation of the world. The defendant Jesus and the Judge the Father had a conversation; and Jesus said that if man sinned that He would go down take on a body of flesh, that he would go down through forty and two generations; that He would go down through the law and the prophets; He said that he would go down through the feast of weeks and the feast of Pentecost… He said that He would go down and redeem man from the curse of the Law, he said that He would redeem man from the sting of death; He said that He would redeem man from penalty of sin. I was there on the hill called Calvary when he hung His Head in the locks of his shoulders and cried it is finished! I can be a witness that He has done everything that he said He would do. Mercy: Tell me Eternity what is your appraisal of Jesus? Eternity: He’s the Best that I have ever seen. Mercy: Thank you eternity you may be seated. I feel the need to call one more witness to the stand. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God? He says I do. Sit down and t

surprise witness

My name is Russell Gary Lee Mercy: When were you Born Gary? Do you mean the first time I was born or do you mean the second time I was born! The first time I was born my mamma told me all about it. But the second time I was born I told my mamma all about it. Mercy: Do you know anything about Jesus? Oh yes I do… Alpha Bridge Care’s Deliverer, Eases a troubled mind, Friend, Guardian, Hammer, Informs me, Jealous, King of kings, Lord of Lords, Merciful, Nothing to hard for him to do, On time God, Peace be Still, Quiets Restores me, Salvation Talks for me, Understands, Verdict, Way out of no way, X-Ray, Y Zenith of my life. As far as I am concerned go on and crown Him because He is worthy! Now let me ask you what is your appraisal of Jesus?