Spiritcode

The key to true humility is in knowing and accepting who we are and who we are not. We are who God says we are, not what other people say, and also not what our own mind often says we are. The story of Daniel Ritchie - www.danielritchie.org  Psalm 139 When we learn live and speak from who we really are we also learn to know and respect other people for who they are, and when we learn to listen to their hearts we learn to hear God’s heart for their human suffering. Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Philippians 2:5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of being God and took

Abraham was the father of Isaac and Ishmael, and Isaac had twin sons Jabob and Esau. Isaac favored the older brother Esau, an ‘outdoor man’ like himself, who was to inherit the patriarchal blessing. But Jacob wanted that blessing. He wanted the best that God had to offer while Esau wanted the best the world had to offer. So Jacob cheated Esau out of the patriarchal blessing by exchanging it for soup. Rebecca also wants the blessing for Jacob and works a scheme to make it legal. Jacob gets his blind father Isaac to bless him, and Esau vows to kill Jacob. Rebecca then tells Jacob to flee to Syria to her brother Laban (for a few days!) The Blessing of Isaac Genesis 28:3 “May God Almighty bless you And make you fruitful and multiply you, And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land. Jacob gets the blessing and has to escape the wrath of Esau the hunter who comes in to get the blessing and finds out what has happened. He vows to kill Jacob who then ha

  Psalm 32:4 Day and Night I could feel life’s pressure on me and I knew it was your hand on me, getting my attention. Energy seemed to run out of my soul and evaporate like water on hot sand. 5. I finally admitted all my fears and failures to you and stopped trying to hide what I was like. When I opened up to you, your mercy and forgiveness took away all my guilt and shame. 6. Now I say to anyone who comes under this kind of pressure and who believes in you, that they should open up to you like this when they are aware of what is going on. That is precisely the time for them to find your mercy and experience a new beginning. No judgement can touch anyone who does this. 7. You have now become my hiding place from every storm of life; every attack of the enemy. You now even keep me from getting into trouble! You now surround me with songs of victory. 8. I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress. It will always be eye to eye

All the angels and all those who had come with Jesus on the upward journey from the grave to the sky beheld their king as he offered himself to the Father as the risen firstborn - The Lamb of God, sacrificed for us from before the beginning of time. Those of the company who had waited throughout time also took their places of honor in their new home and joined in the magnificent celebration. Jesus’ time in heaven for these celebrations was momentary, as he had left the tomb just before dawn and was to return to earth that same day. He would now spend forty days on earth to seal The Plan of his Father and see it implemented for the rest of time. At the end of those forty days he would return to heaven, and would begin his new mission upon the planet. Holy Spirit had accompanied Jesus every moment of his life on earth. He had joined himself to the human spirit of Jesus and had felt every feeling that Jesus had felt. He had known every one of his thoughts, and he had communicated every thought from Father God t

IN THE WORLD What does it mean to be in the world? I said last week that the world does things to us. But we live in the beauty of an ordered creation, whose amazing life and substance bless us, and which must be appreciated for what it is, and be enjoyed and given thanks for what God provides for us in it. It was faultless in the beginning – a gift, a garden, where something bad happened, and all creation suffered. The world’s problem is that there are people in it. There is the disorder of human minds alienated from the life of God. But there is also in those same people the wholesome gift of a conscience, the gift of the image of God in people of no faith, who do good and virtuous things in the world (Romans 2:15(%?). Nonetheless the whole world lies in darkness – and that is the dark veil of a mindset of separation from God that was set firm at the moment of the fall of man, and which only light and truth, grace and faith and love can remedy. Hence you, in it! So while the world does things to us, we ca

OLD TESTAMENT BELONGING Israel was God’s holy nation, chosen by Him and belonging to Him. No other tribe or nation had this distinct status of belonging, and Israel was not evangelical, not required to bring other tribes and nations into Israel. Their purpose was to bring forth the Messiah and to give him to the world and to be God’s living witness to the fact that God did exist and that He showed Himself strong on their behalf. God was known as the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’ and in order to keep belonging they were required to honour the covenant of the Law and the sacrifices given through Moses. When they disobeyed there were consequences of ‘not belonging’, many times, Babylon included. So Israel had to behave (faithfulness to the Law and sacrifices), then believe (The prophets), then they belonged, (experienced being His People). NEW TESTAMENT BELONGING Belong, believe, behave. Now everyone belongs to the Father through Jesus. All of creation has its meaning in Him. The process is now reversed.

At the moment of his death the cosmos convulsed. An earthquake tore a searing gash into the mountainside and people were toppled off their feet. Rocks split apart and the graves and tombs on a nearby hill cracked open (Matthew 27:52). People ran in fear from the place, but they did not know where to go. At that moment there were priests in the temple about to sacrifice the Passover lamb. When the knife pierced the sacrificial animal the priests were thrown off their feet by the earthquake. The temple shook as huge stones fell from the parapets and the great veil in the temple proper, which separated the place of God’s presence from the rest of the temple was lightning torn from top to bottom. The priests fled in panic as tempest swirled through the city. Lucifer’s dark mind was being assaulted by a force he had not felt before. It was a desperate feeling of failure and futility. What was going wrong? Jesus was dying with a magnificent hope, not a dark and dreadful despair. The offering of Jesus’ spirit to Fat

Pontius Pilate asked Centurion to command an escort of guards around Jesus to take him to Calvary, or Golgotha, which means The place of the Skull. One of Centurion's men put the beam on Jesus' bleeding shoulder as they left the yard and went into the crowded street. The already large crowd continued to grow, some of them followers and friends, others bitter enemies, and yet others who were just confused and angry. Jesus staggered and buckled under the weight of the beam but he continued to drag it behind him. It was the custom to write a description of the crime on a clay plate and fix it to the top of the cross. Pontius Pilate had written an inscription that read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS” An angry voice called out above the crowd “Who wrote that stupid inscription?” One of the temple priests shouted back “It should say ‘He said he was king of the Jews’” Pilate stepped forward “I wrote that inscription and it stays as it is,”. A few paces further on Jesus staggered again but this time fell headlong to the gro

We see in Scripture in a prophetic week of seven 1000-year days such a loving purposeful plan of God’s dealings with mankind in history, to redeem us and then to join himself with us and then to return to be with us for all eternity. The genealogy from Adam to the present day is about 6000 years. Archaeologists agree that the region of Ur was the place of the first civilized city found (circa 4000 BC). The ruins were first excavated (1854-55) by the British consul J. E. Taylor http://history-world.org/ur.htm This means that the first civilization was around 6000 years ago. Genesis 4:17 Cain built a city. 2 Peter 3:8 … one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 1John 5:7 there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. The actual events of each day’s creation serve as a blueprint for the days of rede

Colossians 2:6 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're growing in him. You are grounded in the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. We receive as children, humble and trusting . We interact with spiritual reality as children. But then we grow up so that we can take hold of the greater promises (2Peter 1:4…Mediator of better covenant…). Hebrews 5:13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (What is worthwhile from what is worthless). This message can be illustrated by the two stages of maturity of Israel; The first stage was when they were rescued out of Egypt, and the

On the day of Pentecost, over 2000 years ago The Holy Spirit spoke to people in a heavenly tongue that they each heard in their own language. This was the first time mankind had heard the voice of The Holy Spirit. This was the dawning of the age of grace and truth, and the law was written on their hearts. Three thousand people were added to the Kingdom on that day. Acts 2:6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. About 1500 years earlier, at the dawning of the age of the Law, Israel were given the Ten Commandments written on stone, as Moses received them on the mountain. On that day, because the people worshiped the golden calf, three thousand people were slain. (Exodus 32). The age of the flesh gave way to the age of the Spirit, and from that time onwards humanity was in communication with God, through The Holy Spirit. He speaks to us in our own language, in our own circumstances, simply and clearly, to all those w

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Jesus took this darkness of separation for us so that we would know we would never be forsaken. Then he was able to confirm this afterward, for himself and for all of us and to all of us when he continues to speak from Psalm 22 Verse 24: For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help. Hebrews 13:5 ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ The body of the Psalm tells of his hands and feet being pierced, and the casting of lots for his robe etc. He then goes on to speak from the Psalm to tell of his becoming our worship in Spirit and in truth 25 I will praise you in the great assembly. I will declare my dedication to you in the presence of those who worship you. This is confirmed in the New Testament - Jesus becoming our praise and worship – our Hallelujah. Hebrews 2:11 So now Jesus and the ones he

This is a story is about God accessing our hearts and minds with his good purpose and subduing our resistance because of our ideas of who we are and what we should be doing. God does the approaching. God wants to guide us in the true manner of responding to him in faith, and to safeguard us from the two following extremes of misunderstanding – under estimating or over estimating our part in his will and purpose in our lives. 1. GIDEON - I’m not worthy so God would not bother with me. Judges 6:15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” God had to do a lot of convincing with Gideon that it was all about God’s grace and power (Grace is a gift [charis] that works in a multitude of expressions – loving spiritual empowerment Ephesians 2:8) 2. SAUL - I’ll make the decisions about what I believe God should endorse (3rd commandment). 1Chronicles 10:14 and Saul did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death an

John 14:9 Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right (freedom) to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (the freedom of becoming truly formed into who you are meant to be –(we also have the freedom to formed by whatever we might imagine) John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son (the only One of his kind), who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (made him known). LIKE FATHER LIKE SON – LIKE FATHER LIKE US? We are made alive to God by the Spirit, made one with God by Jesus, and formed in God by the Father. Jesus had the freedom to be formed perfectly into who he was in harmony with his Father. He had to take all of humanity upon himself, from Adam, with the sum total of all of our human imperfection, so he could give us that same

Jesus came to not only bring forgiveness once and for all, but to be always, every day in every way a saviour for us who believe, uniting his strength to our every weakness and our falling short of his glory, and he ever lives now to be doing that for each believer individually. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost (in every way, for his perfect result) those who come to God through Him… But further to our individual salvation there is a corporate outworking for us together (with Jesus and one another) living out from and strengthening the gift of salvation that we already have, that bonds us to God and to one another through faith that works by love. Philippians 2:12 work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your salvation (together) with reverence and awe and timidly quivering with apprehension from whatever might offend God and (discredit the name of Christ). Philippians 2:1 If there is therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any f

We were on the life journey with Jesus when he was on earth, when he went to the cross and took us into death, and with him when he rose from the dead, and when he ascended into Heaven. He took fallen humanity with him. Ephesians 1:4 He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world …13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, HE LIVES IN US TO CONTINUE HIS JOURNEY WITH EACH ONE OF US WHO BELIEVE. (1Timothy 4:10) John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me… But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things… 1Corinthians 1:30. But of God you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from Go

Jesus was the one and only New Creation (God and man sharing the one being) on earth. Jesus came to give God to humanity as God and man, and took humanity on his life journey to give us to God as God and man. Jesus came as God, to do everything for mankind, to be born as us and for us, live and die as us and for us. Everything he did he made us part of it. He is in Heaven now, as us and for us, and now prays continually for us. JESUS BAPTISM We were also on that life journey with Jesus when he was baptised, for us and as us in water and in the Spirit. Matthew 3:14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”(You have to let me be baptized because it is what God requires to be carried out for us) Then he allowed Him. (Jesus had to align humanity with God and become the ‘Yes’ of man to God – the One Baptism of water and the Spirit – a commi

Mark 14:22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body. ”Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. ”And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I

Ephesians 5:15 ‘See then that you live alert to what is going on, not as thoughtless but mindful and wise, 16 redeeming the (lost) time, because the times are dangerous and unsafe. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. The word used for ‘time’ here is kairos – God’s appointed time, not chronos – Clock time. The word used for ‘will of The Lord’ – thelema - God’s purpose/meaning your life. (Rom 12:2) Unfortunately the human mind feels more at home with clock time. Redeeming time means that God is able to restore time that appears to have been lost. That includes time you think has been wasted, effort that has come to nothing, and dashed hopes. God can redeem all things, buy back all his plans and purposes for us and get us on track with his desire for our future blessing. He won’t necessarily bring the same circumstances back, or the same people or the same events. It means new and better opportunities ahead for a life of meaning and purpose. Faith is not faith unless it is

God with us The appointed time finally came to heal the earth. It was twisted and torn and it could not heal itself. There were many religions apart from Judaism, and all the rituals, the pomp and ceremony, had only allowed that gap between God and man to remain. God was about to give humanity the perfect answer, not a religion, but Himself. The Divine Being, Jesus God, was to make his transition from eternity into time, from heaven to earth, from pure Spirit existence to human flesh existence. Father had always planned that a new species was to be born into the earth. He had planned for his son to begin this new species of being, a Spirit species. Now was the time for Jesus to go to earth as The Father’s Son, to become the pain of what human life had become, and to walk the path of its sorrow and its lost hope, and to lift human life into a place of shared friendship with The Three in One. Jesus knew and had agreed before the beginning of time that this was to be the plan. He knew that it was the only way fo