Friday – May 13, 2016
Again today I encourage us all to pray for the Church in America.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
This old black spiritual song may sum things up pretty well.
STANDING IN THE NEED OF PRAYER
“It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer
It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer
Not my father, not my mother, But it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer, Not my sister, not my brother
But it’s me, oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer.
Not the people that are shoutin’, But it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer…”
I think we can all get the idea and perhaps see how it applies to us. We can reply that we need to quit being concerned about the other guy and focus on our own walk with God, our own love which is our obedience. Each of us must examine ourselves and with the help of God eliminate all wickedness from our lives.
ISRAEL’S INDEPENDENCE DAY
Sixty-eight years ago today at 6 pm Israel once again became and forever will be a free and independent nation in the earth. Israel once again became an independent sovereign nation on the 14th of May 1948 or more accurately on the 5th of Iyar (the second month on the Hebrew calendar) in the year 5708. Today Israel is mainly a secular nation but soon all of the Jews of Israel and the world will recognize the One they rejected who was crucified for them and the whole world. On that day they will call Him Lord, they will call Him Messiah. All of Holy Scripture has come by way of the Jew as did Jesus Himself the only Savior for all peoples. We owe the Jewish people much and are commanded of Scripture to honor them and in that honor we in turn will be honored by God. The picture was taken at the declaration of Israel’s independence, the man standing is the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion. The picture above his head is that of Theodor Herzi the founder of Zionism.
Back to our study of Colossians.
Colossians 2:9-12 (KJV)
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
The Apostle Paul has given us some pretty wonderful information in Colossians 2:9-10. Now he is about to add to it with a discussion of circumcision. Circumcision is first mentioned in Genesis 17:10 with regard to the father of us all, Abraham. Abraham was 99 years old when he is circumcised, he finally steps into faith and within the year Isaac, the son of promise, is born. The promise of a son for Abram first comes into sight in Genesis chapter twelve and is much more focused in chapter fifteen. The following verse demonstrates the faith of Abraham. The thing that appears to confirm the veracity of God for Abraham is the giving of his new name (Abram [exalted father] changed to Abraham [father of nations]) and the making of The Blood Covenant.
Genesis 17:17 (KJV)
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
On the surface this looks like a statement or a question steeped in unbelief but it is not. In the King James Translation of the Bible words added by the translators for clarity are in italics. Notice the words “a child” are in italics so the verse should be read without those words since they are not supported by the manuscript. Abraham has finally seen the light, he believes God, falls upon his face laughing in this moment of clarity and thankfulness and exclaims “Shall be born unto him who is one hundred and Sarah who is ninety!” There should be no question marks. When Abraham said what God said, the child, Isaac, came. It was in this same exchange that God changed Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. This Blood Covenant is initiated by God (the Father) in Genesis chapter fifteen with the blood of animals being shed for God. God did not have blood until Jesus, God in the flesh, came and shed blood at Calvary confirming The Blood Covenant and casting off the body of the sins of the flesh. When Abraham was circumcised he shed blood for mankind. The Blood Covenant is now in place forever. Meditate the following passage and we will pick this up again on Monday.
Genesis 17:10-14 (KJV)
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
God goes on to tell Abraham that this covenant will continue with Isaac, it is everlasting, and so shall it be with “his seed after him”. The word ‘seed’ in verse ten, twelve, and nineteen is singular not plural and refers to Jesus. Isaac was Abraham’s son of promise but Jesus was God’s Son of promise.
Genesis 17:19 (KJV)
19 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.
By Pastor David R. Wood
