Covenant Relationship #4

The Old Testament has many prophecies telling of the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 53. God knew from the beginning of time that Jesus would be that Messiah. God needed to establish truth because He knew we as humans need proof. Matter of fact, He made us that way. So from Genesis 1:1 he started building a timeline. His word is proof of truth.

Think about it: one person didn’t write the Bible, instead in the old testament alone there were approximately 32 writers… in a span of 3600 years! They didn’t sit down together and create a story. 2 Peter 1:21 says “holy men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit”. The writers of the holy Bible were inspired by God. When you study the scriptures you find that it will verify itself. You can find a backup scripture in another book of the Bible that verifies the first. Those books may have been written 1000 years apart. The only explanation is that it is inspired by God. You won’t find a mistake in the word. It will never contradict itself. The word is alive! It’s infallible! Many times I would need a word from the Lord. I would open my Bible to a random place and it would be the very word I needed. His word will never fail! Try it!

The New Testament is 27 books, 8 writers spanning 100 years. These are broken up into groups. The first 4, Matthew, Mark! Luke and John are called the gospels.

The next book is Acts it stands alone because it shows the history of the birth of the church. Ironically the book of Acts doesn’t end. The other books have an ending such as Amen but Acts does not. This is because this is the book where the church was born and the church of the Living God continues today.

The books after Acts are known as the Epistles. These books tell you how to live for God after you have received the Holy Spirit. Last but not least we have Revelations that speaks of endtime prophecy.

Let’s go to the beginning of the New Testament, God needed someone to announce the coming of the Messiah. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her cousin, Elizabeth, was with child at the same time. Luke 1:40-45, Mary went to Elizabeth’s house. Upon entering the house Mary greeted Elizabeth. Upon hearing Mary speak, the baby inside of Elizabeth leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost! This story speaks volumes to me! It makes me excited! Things that happen in the course of your lifetime might be setting you up for a great God moment that changes your whole life forever!

My own experience: I was given a wonderful vision from God back in 1994. It came to me in stages throughout the night. It was amazing but I didn’t know what it meant. Several years went by and I hadn’t thought anything of it for quite some time and suddenly, out of nowhere I was reminded of it and God said this is where you are, which was the first stage of the vision. Over the years I have had the same experience with the last stage reminder literally came about 2 weeks ago. I can look back and see the hand of God in so many things during those years. Honestly, even in the vast mistakes that I made makes me to know I needed to go thru those things to make me who I am today. Sometimes we get the idea that “l could never be used in the kingdom of God because of the terrible things I’ve done” But in truth those things shape you. The trials you face teach you how to help others going through that same thing. 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you! As though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I want to talk about this for a moment: first of all he called us Beloved… you are loved. You matter! Next, don’t think this trial is a strange accident or God is picking on you. You have to turn your thinking around. Your thinking should be: Wow! God thinks so much of me that He allows me to go through something to make me better.

Zechariah 13:9 says “I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold.” Job 23:10 But He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.”

Think about the process to refine silver and to purify gold. It’s by fire! It’s by trials. The precious metals are usually in cased in rocks, dirt and mud. It comes out of the ground. By the way, so do you! We are created from the dust of the earth! They heat the fire to a very high temperature and begin the process of extracting the gold from the dirt. The dross is all the nasty stuff that comes off of the metal. It usually floats to the top when the fire reaches a desired temperature.

That’s all my anger, all my bitterness, all my hate, all my rebellion leaving me, making me better! The list could go on and on! What do you think would happen if the refiner would say “I think this process is too hard. I’m going to back off the heat and give them relief.” Then that metal would never become pure. It would always be “dirty”. We need to go through things! Those trials are refining you!

It won’t be easy! I Matthew 24:13 “He that shall endure (holds on sometimes for dear life) to the end, the same shall be saved.”

t’s soooo hard to endure! The pressure and the fiery trial is exhausting but let it bring you to your knees! You want a relationship with Jesus? This is how you do it. Your prayers will give you strength beyond your understanding! You and I need to be refined! It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been living for God. You will always need to be refined.

When living for God you must always be moving. There is always a new level to attain in Jesus. Philippians 3:13 - 14 Brethren , I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind , and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul said I press which indicates to me effort. I must push to higher heights always. I promise if you push yourself to higher heights you will attain a peace that goes beyond imagination.

Getting back to John the Baptist. He was a strange man living in the desert, eating locust and honey. He had dedicated his life to God in ways that others around him didn’t understand. He stood up for what he believed and because he was faithful he recognized Jesus. He immediately stood and made the proclamation “This is the Messiah that takes away the sins of the world!” How did John know? Because he experienced Jesus way back in his mother’s womb. How awesome is that?!

I want to know Jesus like that! I want to feel His presence when He steps in the room!

Prayer today: Lord, I want to know you like that! Make me sensitive to Your voice and Your presence. I open my heart to you. Give me courage to obey your Word and when I am tried in the fire give me the strength to endure the process.