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And how this impacts each of us immensely…

 Don’t assume the answer is yes.  Why am I writing on this?  Because too many of us still look to ourselves instead of to our heavenly Abba, our dear Father or our Savior Yeshua (or Jesus Christ, if you prefer). 

 Though I’m writing about Samson, the principle of what I’m going to explain will carry across many concepts.  We’re coming up soon to the day of Pentecost when God empowers us all with His Spirit.  GOD is our strength.  The very word we use --  “God” --  comes from the Hebrew El  (singular) or Elohim (plural), which is translated “God” or gods, depending on the context, but it literally means “Strong one(s)” or “mighty one”. 

 Now back to Samson and why this is so important. If Samson looked like a Mr. Universe, a Charles Atlas, a Hercules-type figure, then people would attribute his strength to HIS muscles.  But something about Samson was very puzzling.  He had long hair due to his Nazarite vow, but aside from that, I’m convinced he looked like every regular guy.  SO how could a regular guy carry off the gates of a city or break fresh ropes like thin thread?  That’s what was so puzzling. 

 And for that matter, was Samson ALWAYS strong, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?  I’m not sure we can say “yes” to that.  Notice this about Samson.  It was in the times he needed strength, when it says “then the spirit of YHVH (the Lord) came upon him” and then it describes some amazing feat of strength he did against the Philistines.  Was he only strong when he was moving in the strength of God’s spirit?  I tend to think so myself. 

 Judges 14:6

“And the Spirit of YHVH came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand….”

 Judges 15:14-15

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of YHVH came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. 15 He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

 Judges 14:19

“Then the Spirit of YHVH came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men….”

 So do you see why now that I think Samson looked ordinary but did powerful feats when God’s spirit came upon him?  If he had huge muscles, then he could boast of HIS great strength.  But if he was ordinary, then he and others would have to realize he was receiving supernatural strength.

 Paul said “I can do all things THROUGH Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  Hmm. 

 So what if Samson looked just like you or me, but when he needed strength, he was given the strength from the Mighty Ones (Elohim) to do whatever Yah wanted him to do?

 And so here’s the main point of this blog:  what are you trying to do in your own strength?Sure, you know you have the spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9-10), but do you rely on the spirit, or on your own righteousness, and on your own efforts, on your own holiness, on your own ability to overcome and fight sin – or are you learning to form the relationship with Yeshua and rely on HIM?

 Yeshua said, “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).  NOTHING.  Get it?  Nothing spiritually.  But WITH him, Paul says we can do ALL things.

So many of us speak about and speak to – “God”. There’s nothing wrong with that.  But when you study it carefully, we’ll see that “God” is what He IS. It’s not His name. I recommend you listen to my two sermons recorded in October 2011 on “What is the Creator’s Name?”

 Just as you are a human, or man, or woman – that’s what you ARE. But “man” or “woman” or “human” is not your name.  You have a very personal name, and other names as well – a middle name, a last name, a nickname, and so on. But you have a very personal name. 

 Let me jump to this point immediately:  what you are called by close friends may be different from what you’re called by business associates. And something different again from what your beloved children call you. Your name, as far as your children are concerned, is “Daddy” or “Mommy” or their equivalents (Dad, Ma, Pa, etc).  And ONLY those in your family can call you “daddy”.  

What is our Creator’s name?  When we read of the powerful God we serve who created all things, He is described simply and powerfully by what He is – “ELOHIM” – GOD – in Genesis 1. The singular for Elohim is El – meaning “God” or “strong one”. But the word “elohim” – meaning technically “gods” (it’s in the plural) is the same word used for pagan deities. Did you realize that?

We’re in the Passover season.  The earliest prophecy for the coming of the Savior was given right after Adam and Eve sinned, and spoken to the serpent – not to Eve, as many seem to believe.  

Genesis 3:14-15

14 So YHVH Elohim (the LORD God) said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the WOMAN,
And between your seed and her Seed;   [her Seed = Yeshua)
He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."  

The Hebrew word for “bruise” here is “sup” – and can be translated “bruise, attack, crush” according to the “Complete Word Study of Old Testament Words”. 

At the Passover, though Satan struck a painful blow on Yeshua by means of the scourging and crucifixion He went through, Yeshua used that very same day – and the crucifixion – to deal a death blow to Satan’s power. 

Because of what happened at Calvary, all who look to and believe on Yeshua now have ALL their sins washed away, they can be reconciled with their living God Most High our Father and no longer ever have to feel condemned for any of their sins.  Yeshua took the penalty and condemnation for us, thus crushing sin’s power.  Satan uses our sins against us, but now our Advocate can stand in the heavenly courts for us and declare “there can be no charges brought, Father, because his/her slate has been wiped clean, there is nothing bad in his record, because all the penalties have been paid in full by my own blood. There is nothing here to condemn him or her for, Father.” 

Without sins to attack us with – there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, as Romans 8:1 clearly teaches. 

Consider your head crushed, Satan.

And thank you, thank you, our Lord and Savior, our Yeshua!!  What a champion you are!  Hallelujah! 

We’re coming to the end of the days of Unleavened Bread.  First the no-condemnation we receive from the cross/tree of our Savior—the Passover.  Then we can go forward happily knowing we are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1) – the days of Unleavened Bread. 

Some of us continue looking for leaven (sin) after Passover. I don’t think that is what it means when Paul teaches us after we have received Christ that “now there is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” 

Think about it.  You’ve already put out the leaven, picturing your change of direction and repentance as you came to the bloodied cross of our Savior. Then at Passover you washed one another’s feet (John 13:1-10), picturing what Yeshua does for us too – washes us by and in the Word (HE is the word).  Then, in our freshly cleansed state, we eat of his bread from heaven, his perfect life (read John 6). We take him inside of us and we feed on Him by His word and the unleavened bread. We notice the matzah is pierced and has stripes, and it’s a reminder that by his stripes we are healed. What a beating he took FOR us… so I can be healed and so I don’t have to keep beating myself up anymore. And you don’t either. I don’t want to waste the terrible scourging and beating he went through for me and you by continuing to wallow in my regrets. It’s time to stop beating ourselves up! HE took all that FOR us.    

Then, still in our freshly washed and cleansed state, we drink from the Master’s cup. We accept his wedding proposal.  That’s what someone who was proposing would do:  pour wine into a cup and ask his sweetheart if she was willing to drink from it, expressing her desire to share whatever life has in store for them as a couple.  If she drank from it, that was a “Yes, I accept your offer to marry you.”  And we’re reminded of course, of the many, many awesome things the blood of Christ – what the wine pictures – does for us. It washes away our sins. It redeems us and we now belong to Christ. The blood of Messiah restores the relationship, pays the sin debt, erases our penalty, and gives us the victory over Satan! Hallelujah!  And all of this brings you and me close to our heavenly Father and His shekinah glory.

Then for seven days we focus NOT on leavening and sin – but the glorious leaven-free bread of the life of Christ for seven days. The house has been deleavened. There is no leavening available.  No, I’m enjoying all the delicious various unleavened breads, unleavened crackers and desserts my wife has made for us. I’m focusing on that now. And they all picture my Savior.  Some are crispy, some have various flavors, some are sweet.  And they all remind me of various ways my King watches over me. Trying to continue to find leaven/sin in the house is the wrong focus. It’s time to enjoy our Master now, and he is celebrating our renewed oneness with Him and our Father.

The point of this blog: during the days of unleavened bread, focus on THE unleavened Bread from heaven. Don’t be focused on yourself, or on sin, or on trying to keep finding more leavening in the house, but now focus on Him who took away your sin and has given you new unleavened life – in Him. And in him we have the victory and the peace that comes from that. 

We love you, older brother Yeshua. We sure love you too, dear Abba – our dear Father.  And thank you, thank you, for the beauty of everything you’ve done for us.  Amen. 

How deep and how cleansing was the Passover! And now as we get nearer the end of the days of Unleavened Bread, we have Wavesheaf Day – when the firstfruit of the barley harvest is lifted up to the true God so that the rest of the harvest could be accepted (Leviticus 23:9-11).  Remember this was all a picture of our amazing Yeshua, the Son of God.

YOU are accepted now, in Him!  In the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:5-6

“…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

On this day, almost two thousand years ago, he tells Mary Magdalene not to cling to him as he had to ascend to be accepted by the Father in behalf of all the rest of the spiritual harvest. “Tell the others”, he says, “I am ascending to my father and your father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17), 

Can you imagine the ceremony, the honor, the reunion with his Abba, his dear father?  What was it like?  As our older Brother Yeshua arrives in heaven, what was it like?  How do spirits celebrate? How do they recognize achievement?  What is an angelic “motorcade” to the royal palace like?  What was the reunion between Abba, our incredibly loving Father – and Yeshua the victorious son – like?  He was raised in glory. Father sent him to us as a perfect, innocent, unmarked baby – and we returned him with holes in his side, feet and hands and brutally tortured.  But now he shines once more brighter than ten thousand suns in his glory.  And all of this because Father and Son were willing that Christ should die so you wouldn’t have to.

And now He LIVES, that we might live by the power of HIS life. In us. With us. HIS life is our covering. HE is our righteousness, as God’s gift, which we get to receive by faith – the very righteousness of God himself.  If you doubt this, read these verses:  Philippians 3:9-11; Romans 5:15-19 (especially verses 17 and 19), 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21.  It’s a gift we don’t hear much about:  the gift of HIS righteousness. It’s all there, in the verses I’ve just quoted.  Open up your Bible and read those verses again, slowly, prayerfully, and thankfully – and then RECEIVE the gift. (Be watching for a sermon soon on “How well do we receive?”   I also have sermons on the Righteousness of God by faith in Nov-Dec. 2010 on this website). 

So don’t miss this day. It’s about the risen Christ. Paul wanted to know the power of HIS resurrection (Phil 3:10-11).  Christ’s resurrection happened long ago, but you know what?  WE are also witnesses of that resurrection when we let HIS resurrection life shine through us. The greatest sermon we can preach is the sermon of a changing life, lived by the spirit of Yeshua in us, walking the same way He always walked – in holiness and obedience to the Way of His Father. When people see you and me, they should see less and less of you and me – and more and more of Yeshua the Messiah to HIS glory.  And we thankfully RECEIVE the gifts of His righteousness by the other HUGE free gift of His grace – his unmerited favor that God wishes to pour over us.   

This is one of the most important blogs I’ve written.  I’ve written a lot lately about the Unleavened Bread of our Master. Though we know His blood redeems us and it’s his LIFE that saves us, I urge you to also focus on saying it is HIS life that saves us. Still too many believers act as if they are their own savior, that it’s all up to them. We must focus on HIM as our Savior. HE is the captain of our salvation.  He is the One who is working in us to save us. If you read the oft quoted verse in Philippians 2:12 to “work out your own salvation”, be sure to read verse 13 also: “For it is GOD who works in you, both to will and to do according to HIS good pleasure.”

 We are saved by grace, HIS grace; not by our works.  And that salvation, that grace, are free gifts. But “free” in this case should never be read as “cheap”.  There was nothing cheap about what Yeshua, the son of God, went through for you and me, culminating in his tortured death on the cross.  But neither is it still grace, or a gift, if it’s of works. Romans 11:6 is clear on that.

 Read Eph 2:8-10 which gives the balance:

 Ephesians 2:8-10

For BY GRACE you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; IT istheGIFT OF GOD, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 Have you read that slowly several times? Do you earn salvation and eternal life? Is salvation by works, or is it God’s GIFT? Too many still speak of “making it” into God’s kingdom and miss that we are part of the body of Yeshua. As part of His body, as being ‘IN him”, if we remain in Him we will always be where He is.  Otherwise we’re not “in him”.  I think that’s so basic, and so clear, and yet too many still try to be their own Savior or beget themselves into their own new creation. We are a new creation. But I’m not the Creator of the first or new creation.  There’s but one Creator of all things, and it’s neither you nor I.  Are you getting it?  Nor is there more than one Savior. There’s only one name by which we may be saved, and that name is Jesus – or I use his Hebrew name “Yeshua”.

 So accept HIS life, His gift and His saving grace. If it were up to us, then we have something to boast about (Eph 2:9). Everything is supposed to be for HIS glory, not ours (1 Cor 1:30-31).

 Now I love the balance given in Ephesians 2:8-10. Once we are given a gift, we are to put it to good use, doing good works as verse 10 says. In the parable of the pounds and talents, the man who buried his gift or talent (an amount of money) ended up in trouble. He was supposed to use the gift given him.

 But remember: we are saved by grace (Eph 2:8-9), and rewarded by our works.  Too many are still confusing the two. Salvation is a free gift. Eternal life is God’s free gift (read Rom 6:23). But what rewards you will be given in the resurrection will depend on your works, for He will “reward each man according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).  I say again: the “reward” is not eternal life or salvation. The reward is what is given as an extra bonus for having used His gifts well. 

 Now back to the point that we are saved by HIS life.