Our society seems to be fascinated seeing gore, blood and murder….I wonder why? When I was going to a Methodist church as a child in Indy, I remember my mother telling me that someone in the church wanted to take the blood of Jesus out of the hymnals because it was too gory.
Let’s see what was going on in my society back then as far as movies: Chainsaw Massacre, Play Misty For Me, Helter Skelter/Charles Manson, Bonnie and Clyde, and Alfred Hitchcock mystery murders. And yet the blood of Jesus was too gory. Since then we have Scream 4 coming out, Nightmare on Elm Street, Rambo, Terminator, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Twilight, and a number of other thrillers.
Does it seem like an oxymoron that the church wanted to take the blood of Jesus out of the hymnals, because it was too gory when all these gory/bloody movies were produced by Hollywood? Is it Satan or demons who do not like to hear about the blood of Jesus since it sets us free from sin or him? He is the one who sinned from the beginning. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 1 John 3:8
The good news I believe my childhood Methodist church did not take the blood out of the hymnals (God had different plans). A woman started Bible studies with the laying on of hands to heal the sick that was instrumental in my mother's salvation. My mother became more than just a good moral person, but gave her heart to Jesus at the age of 58 years old.
I am concerned whenever anyone down plays the blood of Jesus Christ. The reason for the virgin birth was so that Jesus did not have the contamination of sin and the blood of man in his veins. His blood was the blood of God. Like Adam was directly created from God without sin so was Jesus, because of his blood. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary so she would conceive.
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35... v. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
John said that Jesus was the lamb of God:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 & When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" John 1:36
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
All other prophets or messiahs for other religions were born to a sinful father except Jesus Christ. The virgin birth is the foundation of the Christian faith.
Then circumcision represented a covenant with God. When David was talking about Goliath, he pointed out that the Philistine was not circumcised:
David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 1 Samuel 17:26
Circumcision was not just a health concern because of the lack of cleanliness, but was a tracking that God knew the children of Israel belonged to him when they went into battle (like we track animals with a wireless sensor device). God knew who were his people that had a covenant with Him by circumcision. Now, the Bible says the foreskin of our heart is circumcised and we have a covenant with God through our inner spirit man.
No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:29
him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, Colossians 2:11
Indians made blood covenants by slitting their wrist and the other person would slit their wrist and they would mingle their blood together by rubbing wrists, and they became "blood brothers." It's like having a natural born brother. When I was a child, I slit my finger and the neighbor boy slit his finger and we became blood brother/sister. He was annoying sometimes, but he was my best "bud." Now we have a blood covenant with God through Jesus by the shedding of his blood. Jesus is our blood brother. Not only is Jesus my Lord and Master, but he is my best "bud." An example of a covenant brother relationship was David and Jonathon. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 1 Samuel 13:3
I had a dream when I first became a Christian that a man who looked like Dracula (viciously evil) in a black cape came at me. I was frozen in fear, but I pleaded the blood of Jesus three times and he finally vanished. I wondered why it took three times, but now I realize that many times the Bible has the number three. Jesus rebuked the devil and quoted scriptures three times, Peter denied the Lord three times; Jesus was in hell for three days (like Jonah in the belly of the whale), etc. I’m not sure we really understand the power of the blood of Jesus over our lives. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It’s the blood of Jesus that daily cleanses us from all sin.
God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong. 1 John 1:9
"It is the Blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:12).
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- Romans 3:25
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Romans 5:9
When I was in a full time Christian street ministry, I ran into several people demon possessed. Some people their brain was damaged by alcoholism and they never spoke in the singular. They spoke in the plural. "We will go get something to eat, We will go here, We will go there.” A sign of demon possession is talking in the plural.
And He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Mark 5:9
One person came to our tent revival ministry, and told us her friend was demon possessed. My other Christian friends and I tried to cast the demons out of her woman friend sitting in the car next to her. She kept biting her friend in the car. I’m not quite sure why the demons would not come out, except I was a young Christian, and the Bible talks about that Jesus disciples could not cast out a spirit one time, but by prayer and fasting.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." Mark 9:28-29But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:21
We probably should have asked her friend to leave since she may have been too emotionally involved in the situation. Jesus fasted for forty days so although I’ve done more fasting now since when I first became a Christian, Jesus did the required fasting for me. What possibly could have been missing in my life is that we were using the name of Jesus, but I’m not sure we were appropriating the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus seems to be taken "lightly" in the church.
I found this commentary on the Internet:
Some people say that it is enough to have just the name of Jesus. We need the name and the blood, for the life is in the blood. There is power in the name of Jesus only because He shed His own blood and offered it to His Father, who thereupon gave His power and His authority to His Son (Matthew 28:18). This same power and authority is given to all believers (Luke 10:19), but it only becomes operative as we honor His blood. When Jesus died upon the cross, His own blood was shed and sprinkled by Himself as God's High Priest on behalf of the people.
He was crucified at the time of the feast of the Passover, the feast the Jews kept to remember the time when God said, "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:23). It was blood put on the doorposts that caused the spirit of death to pass over the firstborn of Israel or anyone who had blood on their doorposts. At the very time when the Jews were celebrating the first exodus, Jesus was making atonement for the second exodus. To all who will believe in this sacrifice and the efficacy of His precious Blood, there is an exodus from sin and the penalty of sin, which includes sickness. Jesus sprinkled His own blood and fulfilled the following types: on the altar (the cross) (Exodus 24:6-8); round about the cross (Exodus 29:12-16); on the High Priest's garments (Exodus 29:20-21). Jesus' Blood was sprinkled seven times (or the number of perfection) (Leviticus 4:6-7); on the bottom of the cross (Leviticus 4:6-7); on the side of the cross (Leviticus 5:9); round about the cross, i.e. on the earth beneath (Leviticus 7:2); sprinkled before the tabernacle seven times (Numbers 19:4). This last was fulfilled in that the cross and the hill of Calvary were within sight of the temple in Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city wall.
All these Old Testament types were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus, who made Himself our Passover, our vicar, our Savior, and our blood sacrifice. His blood alone covers our sins.
It is surprising that so little has been taught about the blood, and so little is known about the activity of demon spirits, even within the Christian church. No wise Christian would dare try to cast out demons without faith in the blood of Jesus.
There is Power in the Blood
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er 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.
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Let’s see what was going on in my society back then as far as movies: Chainsaw Massacre, Play Misty For Me, Helter Skelter/Charles Manson, Bonnie and Clyde, and Alfred Hitchcock mystery murders. And yet the blood of Jesus was too gory. Since then we have Scream 4 coming out, Nightmare on Elm Street, Rambo, Terminator, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Twilight, and a number of other thrillers.
Does it seem like an oxymoron that the church wanted to take the blood of Jesus out of the hymnals, because it was too gory when all these gory/bloody movies were produced by Hollywood? Is it Satan or demons who do not like to hear about the blood of Jesus since it sets us free from sin or him? He is the one who sinned from the beginning. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 1 John 3:8
The good news I believe my childhood Methodist church did not take the blood out of the hymnals (God had different plans). A woman started Bible studies with the laying on of hands to heal the sick that was instrumental in my mother's salvation. My mother became more than just a good moral person, but gave her heart to Jesus at the age of 58 years old.
I am concerned whenever anyone down plays the blood of Jesus Christ. The reason for the virgin birth was so that Jesus did not have the contamination of sin and the blood of man in his veins. His blood was the blood of God. Like Adam was directly created from God without sin so was Jesus, because of his blood. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary so she would conceive.
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35... v. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
John said that Jesus was the lamb of God:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 & When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" John 1:36
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
All other prophets or messiahs for other religions were born to a sinful father except Jesus Christ. The virgin birth is the foundation of the Christian faith.
Then circumcision represented a covenant with God. When David was talking about Goliath, he pointed out that the Philistine was not circumcised:
David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 1 Samuel 17:26
Circumcision was not just a health concern because of the lack of cleanliness, but was a tracking that God knew the children of Israel belonged to him when they went into battle (like we track animals with a wireless sensor device). God knew who were his people that had a covenant with Him by circumcision. Now, the Bible says the foreskin of our heart is circumcised and we have a covenant with God through our inner spirit man.
No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:29
him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, Colossians 2:11
Indians made blood covenants by slitting their wrist and the other person would slit their wrist and they would mingle their blood together by rubbing wrists, and they became "blood brothers." It's like having a natural born brother. When I was a child, I slit my finger and the neighbor boy slit his finger and we became blood brother/sister. He was annoying sometimes, but he was my best "bud." Now we have a blood covenant with God through Jesus by the shedding of his blood. Jesus is our blood brother. Not only is Jesus my Lord and Master, but he is my best "bud." An example of a covenant brother relationship was David and Jonathon. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 1 Samuel 13:3
I had a dream when I first became a Christian that a man who looked like Dracula (viciously evil) in a black cape came at me. I was frozen in fear, but I pleaded the blood of Jesus three times and he finally vanished. I wondered why it took three times, but now I realize that many times the Bible has the number three. Jesus rebuked the devil and quoted scriptures three times, Peter denied the Lord three times; Jesus was in hell for three days (like Jonah in the belly of the whale), etc. I’m not sure we really understand the power of the blood of Jesus over our lives. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It’s the blood of Jesus that daily cleanses us from all sin.
God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong. 1 John 1:9
"It is the Blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:12).
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- Romans 3:25
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Romans 5:9
When I was in a full time Christian street ministry, I ran into several people demon possessed. Some people their brain was damaged by alcoholism and they never spoke in the singular. They spoke in the plural. "We will go get something to eat, We will go here, We will go there.” A sign of demon possession is talking in the plural.
And He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Mark 5:9
One person came to our tent revival ministry, and told us her friend was demon possessed. My other Christian friends and I tried to cast the demons out of her woman friend sitting in the car next to her. She kept biting her friend in the car. I’m not quite sure why the demons would not come out, except I was a young Christian, and the Bible talks about that Jesus disciples could not cast out a spirit one time, but by prayer and fasting.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." Mark 9:28-29
We probably should have asked her friend to leave since she may have been too emotionally involved in the situation. Jesus fasted for forty days so although I’ve done more fasting now since when I first became a Christian, Jesus did the required fasting for me. What possibly could have been missing in my life is that we were using the name of Jesus, but I’m not sure we were appropriating the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus seems to be taken "lightly" in the church.
I found this commentary on the Internet:
Some people say that it is enough to have just the name of Jesus. We need the name and the blood, for the life is in the blood. There is power in the name of Jesus only because He shed His own blood and offered it to His Father, who thereupon gave His power and His authority to His Son (Matthew 28:18). This same power and authority is given to all believers (Luke 10:19), but it only becomes operative as we honor His blood. When Jesus died upon the cross, His own blood was shed and sprinkled by Himself as God's High Priest on behalf of the people.
He was crucified at the time of the feast of the Passover, the feast the Jews kept to remember the time when God said, "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:23). It was blood put on the doorposts that caused the spirit of death to pass over the firstborn of Israel or anyone who had blood on their doorposts. At the very time when the Jews were celebrating the first exodus, Jesus was making atonement for the second exodus. To all who will believe in this sacrifice and the efficacy of His precious Blood, there is an exodus from sin and the penalty of sin, which includes sickness. Jesus sprinkled His own blood and fulfilled the following types: on the altar (the cross) (Exodus 24:6-8); round about the cross (Exodus 29:12-16); on the High Priest's garments (Exodus 29:20-21). Jesus' Blood was sprinkled seven times (or the number of perfection) (Leviticus 4:6-7); on the bottom of the cross (Leviticus 4:6-7); on the side of the cross (Leviticus 5:9); round about the cross, i.e. on the earth beneath (Leviticus 7:2); sprinkled before the tabernacle seven times (Numbers 19:4). This last was fulfilled in that the cross and the hill of Calvary were within sight of the temple in Jerusalem, for Calvary was outside the city wall.
All these Old Testament types were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus, who made Himself our Passover, our vicar, our Savior, and our blood sacrifice. His blood alone covers our sins.
It is surprising that so little has been taught about the blood, and so little is known about the activity of demon spirits, even within the Christian church. No wise Christian would dare try to cast out demons without faith in the blood of Jesus.
There is Power in the Blood
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er 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.
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
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