The Blood gives us Confidence in our Daddy!

EMIC Morning Men's Meeting. 10-19-2011
Covenant Notes:

Once again we talked about Covenant. There is a difference between "Blessing", "Covenant", and "Promise". They all intertwine but they are separate in their essence and use.

What was the purpose of Jesus' Life, Death, and Resurrection?
In the book "Heaven is for real" the author says the child was told by Jesus that the reason He came was to so that we can all go see His Dad.

Jesus just wants to introduce us to his Daddy. It's always about getting man in relationship and fellowship with His Daddy just like he has.

God has no need for a covenant. When God says "light be" the light continues to this day regardless of what anyone else says about it. God is not impressed by nor in need of being convinced or held to his Word. His Word ALWAYS comes to pass and it's ALWAYS true.

Note: I heard it once said by Creflo Dollar that if God said "Tomorrow morning there will be a three headed dog out by your trash cans" you'd better believe there will be a three headed dog out there, even though you ain't ever seen a three headed dog, when God says something it comes to pass. Kenneth Copeland has said that that if God shows up on Wednesday night and says "Isn't this a great Tuesday Morning!" You can't argue with him because just by saying it he moved all the clocks and realigned the sun and made it what he said.

So if God is convinced of His word, why did He create Covenant? We need it. It all comes down to confidence. The law brought confidence that we are sinners and not able to live up to God's standard. The Blood brought confidence in His Righteousness and love. Through Covenant we have confidence in what He says and we can stand on it despite any and all evidence to the contrary. Natural people see a Giant. We see Confidence that God can and will!

This is the difference between Abram who faltered and created an Ishmael and Abraham who was not moved by the deadness of his body nor of Sarah's womb. Something happened in a blood sworn oath that brought his focus into clarity and removed all doubts. We must become this clear in our blood covenant through Jesus!

Hebrews 8 The Message Bible
1 In essence, we have just such a high priest: authoritative right alongside God, 2 conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God. 3 The assigned task of a high priest is to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and it's no different with the priesthood of Jesus. 4 If he were limited to earth, he wouldn't even be a priest. We wouldn't need him since there are plenty of priests who offer the gifts designated in the law. 5 These priests provide only a hint of what goes on in the true sanctuary of heaven, which Moses caught a glimpse of as he was about to set up the tent-shrine. It was then that God said, "Be careful to do it exactly as you saw it on the Mountain." 6 But Jesus' priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he's working from a far better plan. 7 If the first plan - the old covenant - had worked out, a second wouldn't have been needed.8 But we know the first was found wanting, because God said, Heads up! The days are coming when I'll set up a new plan for dealing with Israel and Judah. 9 I'll throw out the old plan I set up with their ancestors when I led them by the hand out of Egypt. They didn't keep their part of the bargain, so I looked away and let it go. 10 This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. I'll be their God, they'll be my people. 11 They won't go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great. 12 They'll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean. 13 By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust.

THE symbol of the new covenant is the Blood of Jesus. 

Note: Maybe instead of Crosses and Fishes we should start posting pictures of Blood Drops on the back of our cars and on our hats and T-Shirts?


In the origin, the genesis, of man... Adam the first man brought NOTHING to the table. He hadn't done or said anything. He had no breath. He had no life force. He had nothing to offer. He was in fact a finely sculpted pile of dirt when God first said: MAN BE! Be in our image after our likeness! Have dominion! God blessed man and that blessing was the life force that gave him breath. Man did nothing to earn the blessing and can do nothing to earn it to this day. All God has every wanted is to be a loving Father to us. Not a cold distant ruling type Father. But a loving Cuddly Daddy! God never would have had a serious thought if it hadn't been for sin. He would have been fun and games and enjoyable work, productive fulfilling work all the days of eternity. He will be that again someday. And for the Blessed he is that today. Our Brother Jesus died to introduce us to our Daddy God!

Is the Covenant Conditional or Unconditional? There were some interesting thoughts on this. The OT is different than the NT. However the point was made that we most not confuse "Promise" and "Covenant" Promises are often conditional. "If you do this I will do this." This is the structure of most promises. However Covenant overrides behavior many times. "I said I would and I will despite you!"

The Covenant, old and new, is a Covenant of Blessing. It contains promises in it.

I suppose this bears the question what is the Covenant and what are it's primary promises? How do you distinguish the two? 


Time always runs out as we get really running... A few more notes...

Schedule Permitting:


Next meeting is on 11-2-2011 Lance McCune will be there to talk about getting involved as Christians in Government. Among other works, Lance works with CAPA (Clergy and Police Alliance) uniting clergy and police officers.  We look forward to having him. 


ALSO, due to Holidays, NO MEETING on the third Wed of December. Which is December 21st 

A few other random notes:


1. 
Good note to men:
As men we are often production oriented. In our lives and marriages we must remember:

• We can't DO to get with God. 
• You, as a man, are NOT the provider, God is! 

Chris Wilder said: "If mamma ain't happy she can just get happy..." because it's not about getting our way it's about God getting his way. Neither man nor woman can claim superiority in a relationship. There must be mutual submission to God first and each other second. As the man submits to God and serves his wife in Love and the wife submits to God and serves her man in Respect the relationship will flourish.


2.
How do you distinguish between Covenant, Promise and Blessing? Is there a simple easy answer? Study that. 

3.
Interesting question that spawned discussion and bears further study on our own time: Atonement.

When was the blood of Jesus applied and how does that affect us today?

Study the original process of atonement under the OT law. It was a foreshadow of the Sacrifice of Jesus. He is the High priest who administers the atonement as well as the sacrificial lamb. Study that out. See also the word: Propitiation. 1 John 4:7-21 and 1 John 2:1


Darrell G. Wolfe