The Cup of Blessing
I Corinthians 10:16-17

My people perish for lack of knowledge!

Key Verses

• I Corinthians 4:1
  • Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
• Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

The Mystery and the Power of the Blood

• Life is In the Blood
  • Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
• The Covenant Flow
  • Hebrews 13:20 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Three Blessings

• Redemption
  • Galatians 4:4
• Relationship
  • Hebrews 10:19
• Retreating enemy
  • Revelation 12:11

The Mystery and the Power of the Blood

• Life is In the Blood
• The Covenant Flow
• The Cup of Blessing

"Pleading the blood!"

My people perish for lack of knowledge!

Key Verses

• I Corinthians 4:1
  • Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
• Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

The Covenant Flow

• Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21

Covenant

• <Hebrew> (ber-eeth)
  • in the sense of cutting, an incision
• A contract or agreement between two parties.
• An oath of three key componets:
  • Loyalty – friendship unto death
  • Protection – unto death
  • Provision – unto exhaustion

Introduced by God

• Deuteronomy 4:29-31
  • But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
• Psalm 89:1-4
  • I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.” “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: ‘Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’”

Accompanied By A Sign

• Genesis 9
  • The promise and the rainbow
• Genesis 17
  • Isaac’s miracle birth

God’s “counsel,” “oath,” “promise”

• Psalm 89:3, 4
• Psalm 105:7-11
• Hebrews 6:13-20
• Luke 1:67-75

Bestowed Blessings

• Isaiah 59:21
• Jeremiah 31:33-34

Historical Examples

• Adamic Covenants
  • • Genesis 1:26-31 – Creation (in blood) and its promise
    • Genesis 3:21ff – Covenant of blood to cover sin and keep them until the fulfillment of the promise of 3:15 the proto-prophecy of the ultimate blood
  • Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
  • Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”
• Noahic Covenant
  • God’s promise to Noah after the Flood
    • Genesis 8:20-22 “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
• Abrahamic Covenant
  • • Our father of faith
  • Genesis 17 – The flow of blood
  • Leviticus. 26:42 “then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.”
  • Renewed in Isaac & Jacob & the twelve tribes through Joshua
• Mosaic Covenant
  • • The covenant of Sinai
    • Exodus 4:24 – Threatened by God when he did not renew the covenant
  • Exodus 34:27-28
  • Leviticus 26:14-16
    • This was afterwards renewed at different times in the history of Israel (Deut. 29; Josh. 24; 2 Chr. 15; 23; 29; 34; Ezra 10; Neh. 9).
  • Added priestly covenant following Israel’s failure at Mount Sinai
    • The Law & the covenant of the priesthood (Num. 25:12, 13; Deut. 33:9; Neh. 13:29)
• Davidic Covenant
  • A promise of family fulfillment on the throne in Jerusalem.
  • The first king to unite Israel and Judah and the first to receive the promise of a royal messiah in his line.
  • David was pictured as the ideal king of God’s people. He ruled from about 1005 to 965 B.C.

Solemn Assembly
Psalm 42:1-5
Psalm 13

My people perish for lack of knowledge!

Key Verses

• I Corinthians 4:1
  • Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
• Ephesians 1:3-12
  • Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

The Mystery and the Power of the Blood

• Life is In the Blood
• The Covenant Flow
• The Cup of Blessing

"Pleading the blood!"

Life Is In The Blood

• Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
• Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”
• Genesis 3:21 “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”
  • God broke the Sabbath rest with the work of atonement
  • God revealed the only covering for sin

The Spiritual Connection

• A Sacred Substance
  • Ephesians 5:25b-26
• Blood has a voice!
  • Genesis 4:10-11
  • Genesis 9:4,6
  • Hebrews 11:4

The Blood Sanction

• Genesis 9:4-7 “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it.”
• Genesis 42:22 “And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.”

Better Man & Better Blood

• Hebrews 12:24
  • “We have come “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.””
• Matthew 1:18
  • “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
• Luke 1:26-38
• Hebrews 6:17-20

How long, Oh, Lord? (part 2)
Oh, God #3

The Passion of the Psalmist
Psalm 13 - A Psalm of Lament
Praying In Silence Restore the passion!

A Psalm of Lament

• “How Long” – four times repeated in the two first verses
• Reveals great dejection and extreme earnestness of soul.
• The lurking danger:
  • Those who have long been without joy, begin to be without hope.
• We should never allow ourselves to make any complaints but what drive us to our knees.
• “Prayer is not designed to inform God, but to give man a sight of his misery; to humble his heart, to excite his desire, to inflame his faith, to animate his hope, to raise his soul from earth to heaven." --- Adam Clark

Psalm 13 Outline

• Vss 1-2 –– The Question
  • The WHY
  • The Weeping --- A Requiem
• Vss 3-4 –– The Petition
  • The What
  • The Wanting --- A Request
• Vss 5-6 –– The Answer
  • The How
  • The Way --- A Resolution

Vss 1-2 –– The Lament

• Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
• I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"
• “The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” --- F.B. Meyer
• Jim Elliot, a missionary slain by the Auca Indians in the 1950's, once said:
  • “God is still on His throne and man is still on his footstool. There's only a knee's distance in between.”
• “If your problems are long-standing, try kneeling.”
• P.U.S.H. = Pray until something happens!
• “My counsel”
• James 3:13-18
  • The source of wisdom, the course of life
• I Corinthians 10:12-13
  • The three promises

Vss 3-4 – The Petition

• The What ~The Wanting ~ A Request
• The priestly blessing of Numbers 6:25-26
• Enlightened eyes – Life
  • Psalm 89:15
  • Psalm 36:9
  • I John 1:5-7
  • Luke 11:34-36
  • II Corinthians 3:18

Vss 5-6 – The Resolution

• The How
  • ~ The Answer ~ The Way
• Faith in Yeshuah = Salvation = Jesus
• By Faith
  • Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:28
  • “the just shall live by faith!”

The Resolution

• Your Faith and Belief System
  • People live up to, or down to their beliefs.
  • Beliefs control our actions – human behavior is belief driven
  • All beliefs carry with them consequences
  • There is a huge difference between an idea and a belief
  • Your true beliefs are exposed by your actions.
• There is a large “GAP” between what we KNOW & what we DO!
  • Change is not a matter of ability but of motivation, of leverage.
  • Change in habits based on doctor’s report or a child’s concern.
  • Leverage comes from a realization of extreme pain or extreme pleasure.
  • Changing our “should” to “must”
• Our belief systems keep us from engaging our wills to make the changes necessary.
• Disobedience and unbelief kept the Exodus generation out of the promised land!

Three Key Verses ~ Keys to Success

• Hebrews 11:6
  • “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
• Psalm 92:13
  • “Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
• James 1:22
  • “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves

How long, Oh, Lord? - Oh, God #2
Psalm 13

Listen to clip of song "Psalm 13 (How Long)" by Brian Doerksen

I am more hungry for Your bread than natural bread!

• Man shall not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
• For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:9

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him –
A grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly” Joel 2:12-15

Passion of the Psalmist
Psalm 13 - A Psalm of Lament
Praying In Silence Restore the passion!

Psalm 13 Outline

• Vss 1-2 –– The Question
  • The WHY
  • The Weeping --- A Requiem
• Vss 3-4 –– The Petition
  • The What
  • The Wanting --- A Request
• Vss 5-6 –– The Answer
  • The How
  • The Way --- A Resolution

Vss 1-2 –– The Lament

• The WHY! ~ Weeping ~ A Requiem
  • “How Long” – four times repeated in the two first verses
• “The bread of sorrows is sometimes the saint’s daily bread; our Master himself was a man of sorrows.” - Matthew Henry
• “Prayer is not designed to inform God, but to give man a sight of his misery; to humble his heart, to excite his desire, to inflame his faith, to animate his hope, to raise his soul from earth to heaven." - Adam Clark
• Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? - Corrie Ten Boom
• Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
• I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"
• The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.- F.B. Meyer
• Jim Elliot, a missionary slain by the Auca Indians in the 1950's, once said:
  • “God is still on His throne and man is still on his footstool. There's only a knee's distance in between.”
• “If your problems are long-standing, try kneeling.”

Pressing In – Pushing Through
“Oh, God”

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

Returning To Your First Love

In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise.
--- Bruce and Marshall Shelley, The Consumer Church

Passion Restored
That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiates 1:9

Luke 18:9-14

• Jesus’ parable of passion
• The Pharisee and the Publican
• The “Act of contrition”
• The “Real” faith!
• New Year > New Start

The Seven Warning Signs of Spiritual Cancer

1. An unusual preoccupation with self; overemphasis in conversation about I, me, we, us, mine, ours.
2. A lump or thickening in the wallet or bank account without regard for the great need of others.
3. A sore feeling of anger or resentment that persists and does not heal.
4. A change in prayer life and attendance at worship, from regular to irregular.
5. A feeling of uneasiness when matters relating to God, Christ and the church are mentioned.
6. Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing Christian thought or references to commitment, witnessing or stewardship.
7. A change in size, color or complexion when asked, "Are you an active participating member of your church?"

Passion Expressed

• “Oh” & “O”
  • “Oh” is used 100 times in the NKJV, 98 in the OT & 2 in the NT
  • “O” is used 849 times in the OT and 52 times in the NT
• January Fast & Seminar
  • Today at sundown through the 27th
  • New Beginning Seminar on Friday evening January 25th

"Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family,that you have brought me thus far?"
I Chronicles 17:16-16

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. - Helen Keller