single sedition

8/14/2019 Single Sedition

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Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004 1 V I Swww.visionschristianmagazine.com


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Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004 www.visionschristianmagazine.comS I O N S 2

FEAFEAFEAFEAFEATURESTURESTURESTURESTURES

77777 My First LoveMy First LoveMy First LoveMy First LoveMy First Love

byL.C.Tardy

1313131313 Please God Not AidsPlease God Not AidsPlease God Not AidsPlease God Not AidsPlease God Not Aids

by Loretta Parker Spivey

1616161616 Special Section:Special Section:Special Section:Special Section:Special Section:

The Blood CovenantThe Blood CovenantThe Blood CovenantThe Blood CovenantThe Blood Covenant

by Vincent Vallane

POEMSPOEMSPOEMSPOEMSPOEMS

1212121212 Christian FriendshipsChristian FriendshipsChristian FriendshipsChristian FriendshipsChristian Friendships

by Joe Floyd

12 The Invitation12 The Invitation12 The Invitation12 The Invitation12 The Invitation

by Joe Floyd

A SOLDIER IN THEA SOLDIER IN THEA SOLDIER IN THEA SOLDIER IN THEA SOLDIER IN THE

ARMY OF THE LARMY OF THE LARMY OF THE LARMY OF THE LARMY OF THE LORDORDORDORDORD

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cococococovvvvver ster ster ster ster storyoryoryoryory

bbbbby L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Ty L.C. Tararararardydydydydy

by Rickey Macklinby Rickey Macklinby Rickey Macklinby Rickey Macklinby Rickey Macklin

Contents

CourtCourtCourtCourtCourtship:ship:ship:ship:ship:

Doing itDoing itDoing itDoing itDoing it

GodGodGodGodGods Ws Ws Ws Ws Waaaaayyyyy


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Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004Singles Edition 2004 3 V I Swww.visionschristianmagazine.com Copyright 2003-2004 Visions Christian Magazine, Inc

L.C. TL.C. TL.C. TL.C. TL.C. Tararararardy Publisherdy Publisherdy Publisherdy Publisherdy PublishersssssPrPrPrPrPresident/CEOesident/CEOesident/CEOesident/CEOesident/CEO

ExExExExExecutivecutivecutivecutivecutive Edite Edite Edite Edite Editorororororsssss

Penelope White

WWWWWriterriterriterriterriters/Rs/Rs/Rs/Rs/Regular Contributegular Contributegular Contributegular Contributegular ContributorororororsssssJoe Floyd

Rickey MacklinL.C. Tardy

Vincent Vallane

Graphic DesignersGraphic DesignersGraphic DesignersGraphic DesignersGraphic Designers

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Bible rBible rBible rBible rBible referefereferefereferences arences arences arences arences are fre fre fre fre from the KJV and NIVom the KJV and NIVom the KJV and NIVom the KJV and NIVom the KJV and NIV

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Romans 10:9-10

9That if you confess with your

mouth, Jesus is Lord, and

believe in your heart that God

raised him from the dead, you

will be saved. 10For it is with

your heart that you believe and

are justified, and it is with your

mouth that you confess and

are saved.


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by Rickey Macklin

I

Psalms 127:1,2

1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain

that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the

watchman waketh but in vain.

2. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his

beloved sleep.

t is so important that I start here because if

the Lord is not the builder then the Lord is

not obligated to be the keeper. The bottom

line is all the decisions that we make outside

of Christ are subject to be vanity. So, what am I saying

in essence? Get the blueprint from God before you

commence to build your relationships. For if you

dont, you will begin to build a house and later discover

that you lack the resources to finish it. Have you ever

noticed houses or churches that were in the process

of construction years ago and are still in the process

of construction? Jesus puts it this way, which of you

will begin to build a house without first sitting down

and counting the cost?

if the Lord is not the builderthen the Lord is not obligated to be the keeper.

In the eyes of Jesus, any person that does this is

likened to a fool. So, how does this parable tie in to

Courtship? Its simple. Do it Gods way and you will

reap Gods benefits. Follow me in this article very

precisely as I mention a series of points that I believe

are critical when considering courting.

One: Understanding The Purpose

In the last article I was privy to write in Vision

Magazine, I wrote of purpose and its significance to

our destiny. Well that hasnt changed and the reasonwhy, especially when dealing with the area of

relationships, is that the person you hook-up with can

potentially destroy your destiny. So, what is it that I

want to speak of in regards to purpose here? For a

moment lets deal with the purpose of Courtship and

Dating. If you do a thorough research on the topic,

you will discover that courtship outlines the biblical

model of how relationships should work. Dating on

the other hand outlines the worlds way. As a matter

of fact, the concept of dating wasnt even introduced

on the scene until the early 1920s. Prior to that,

relationships were arranged often times based on

family background and the hopes and ambitions of

the parents. Dating implies that Ill try this and Ill try

that and perhaps Ill try this again. Its a system based

on trial and error.

I always compare this concept to a science

laboratory. In the lab, if the scientist mixes the wrongchemicals, he would probably produce an explosion.

Within that explosion, someone could get hurt, end up

scared for life or possibly even die. So it is when we

as men float from one woman to the next

experimenting, we too end up leaving a lot of hurt and

scared sisters behind. Unfortunately, most of the

people I talk to say, well if you dont date then how

will you ever know whos the one? My question to

them and you is, if you are of the same mind, since


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Pastor leads crusade against youth violencePastor leads crusade against youth violencePastor leads crusade against youth violencePastor leads crusade against youth violencePastor leads crusade against youth violence

when did God start allowing us to make decisions based

upon intellectualism? Its an earthly leaning on ones

limited intellect to choose a God-ordained mate that

may potentially be with them for the rest of their lives.

But I read in Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6 that I am totrust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean to my

own understanding but in all of my ways acknowledge

Him and allow Him to direct my path.

My question to them and you is, if you are of the

same mind, since when did God start allowing us to

make decisions based upon intellectualism?

Thats why you know so many people that are in and

out of relationships and in and out of marriages

because God wasnt in the selection process. Listen,

either you are going to do it Gods way or youre not.

There is enough youll have to deal with once the

relationship starts so you may as well do it Gods way

from the beginning. Courtship is the process that

outlines this. If you follow the path of dating, you will

soon become frustrated and discouraged because your

decision will primarily be based on your likes and

dislikes; your backgrounds and similarities; how well

you get along and how attractive he or she is. Child of

God, although all of these things are important, none

of them are as important than a word from God. Ifthe Lord gives you a word, it really doesnt matter

what or how the situation presently is hell work it

out. Sure, you can meet someone who has it all together

today but only God knows where he or she will be in

five years.

Now lets deal with courtship since I believe

we have a grasp on dating. While dating happens

numerous times, courtship should really happen only

once leading to a life long covenant relationship. Aswith courtship, in what we called it in the olden days,

I still believe that God ordained relationships are

arranged. For Isaac, Abraham sent out his servant to

bring Rebekah. If you noticed, there were three

involved in this process: One, Abraham the father;

two, Isaac the son and three the servant as the

servant (Genesis 24). You havent caught it yet? Keep

reading! Today, the Father {God} already knows

what we need and what is needed to accomplish His

purpose. As with Isaac, we are His sons and

daughters. Oh, as for the servant, the Holy Ghost

lives within us leading and guiding us to all truth.

My God, a divine connection! Let me give you this

scripture it may help you a little.

Philippians 2:13

13. For it is God which worketh in you both to

will and to do of his good pleasure.

You got it! When we become saturated and engulfed

with a passionate desire to please Him, our desire

becomes or shall I say is His desire. The Holy Spirit

is in us creating a desire towards that which pleases

the Father. And Daddy knows whats best for us. I

heard Pastor Tony Evans say, while we can choose

someone thats good for us only God knows what is

best for us. So, in courtship when God brings the

two of you together, it will not necessarily be flesh

attracting flesh but purpose attracting purpose

everything else are fringe benefits. So, whats the

purpose of this union? God has a mandate on earth

written from heaven that only the two of you together

can fulfill. In addition, even your offspring have been

written in Gods script to do a work in their generation.

Now, although I do not have enough space to expound

on the numerous other points, I will at least mention

some of them.

Two: Understanding Your Purpose

I always say, as I learned from my Mentor Dr

Myles Munroe some 10 years ago, that where

purpose is not known abuse is inevitable. So, before

entering into courtship, do a little homework first. Ifpurpose is whats going to attract purpose then I need

to know what my purpose is. So, here you go for

those of you who are eagerly in search of your wives

and for those that are eagerly waiting to be discovered

by your husbandsfind out who you are and why

youre here first. Dig deep and find out the purpose

of the male, the purpose of the female and Gods

original intent for both. Then find out your own

individual purpose. You may not like what Im saying


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but Adams time of meeting Eve was after God laid

out Adams purpose. It is the discovering of it that

qualifies you for your mate.

Three: Fall In Love With Daddy-God First

Love Him with your whole heart, your whole

soul and your whole body. Because God is love, as

we fall head over hills in love with Him, He will teach

us how to love, honor and respect each other. This

type of love can only be manifested in those that are

in Him. Outside of Him (unsaved), as much as he or

she says they love you, its not the God kind of love.

The truth of the matter is any person you engage

yourself in relationship with thats not saved is in

essence a monster. You say how? Because they are

without Christ meaning they have no head.

Four: Understanding Covenant

Since courtship is designed to lead to marriage,

this is a perfect time to get your house in order. Work

on your character and your integrity. Understand the

significance of covenant keeping. In the Old Hebrew

text, almost every decision made was ratified by a

covenant. With the animals cut in two and blood

everywhere, the covenanter would walk through the

blood declaring that if he didnt keep his part of the

agreement then let the same thing that happened to theanimals likewise happen to him. So, since courtship is

designed to lead to marriage, make sure that you are

ready to make this kind of commitment.

These are just a few of the things that are essential

to courtship but trust me theres so much more.

However, let me leave you with this, courtship can be

seen as embodying three phases. The first is friendship,

the second is relationship and the third is engagement.

You say, but how do I start? If you happen to meet

someone and the both of you feel like there is a divine

connection, seek God for clarity. I would suggest that

the both of you fast until you get a word or a true peace

from God. Then as you begin your courtship, take

your time and develop a real friendship first. It is upon

this friendship that you will build your relationship.

Below is a simple abstinence contract the Lord gave

me . Its posted on my website but Ill give it to you

here. This will be helpful in assisting the two of you

maintain sexual purity in your relationship.

Abstinence Contract

I pledge, before God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost and Gods holy angels to live a

sanctified life and to walk upright before God and you. I also pledge to live in abstinence until we are

married.

I further pledge to honor and respect you as a friend and a mate but more importantly as Gods

chosen heritage. I will not become a stumbling block or create an occasion for you to fall to sexual sins.

I will commit rather to encouragement, prayer and if need be fasting on your behalf.

Together, we will walk upright before God and He shall give us the desires of our hearts.

Sign____________________________ (you) Sign____________________________ (your mate)

Date____________________________

Rickey E. Macklin (http://www.ambassador4christ.org/abstinence.htm) 2004

I cannot go into the dos and donts in this article but at least you have a foundation on which to start. If you are

already in a relationship, please think this process through and make sure that what youre in measures up with

the true standard the word of God.

Rickey E. Macklin is a Minister at the Jericho City of Praise, he teaches the class, Dating For Him, and is Author of two books,Daddys Waiting on You, and Gods Whole Armor.


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My First LoveMy First LoveMy First LoveMy First LoveMy First Love

by L.C. Tardy

nations, and every high thing that exhaulted itself above

the knowledge of God. I was starting to feel tempta-

tion, and I began to pray and fast. So, I got on my

knees with tears in my eyes, and ask the Lord to Take

this thing from

me if it is not of

you, OGod. I

asked the Lord

to give me clar-

ity on marriageand relationships

and where I

stood with Him.

I ask Him to

plant in my mind

the book of the

Bible that I

should read. I

said, Please,

Lord, I need to

know now, what

is going on in-

side of me. On

this very same

night, the Lord

spoke to my

spirit, Turn to 1

C o r i n t h i a n s

Chapter 7. The

funny thing is, I

had been read-ing that chapter

all along. But

God was telling

me to read it again, and this time God gave me a deeper

revelation about marriage and relationships. The Lord

had the Apostle Paul, the writer of the book of

Corinthians, who spoke in Corinthians, chapter 7 to

minister to my spirit. Paul was saying that he would

od is truly awesome! It is true when you

ask in Jesus Name, you shall receive. I had

been experiencing Gods miraculous power

in my life very strongly. Whatsoever I

asked in Jesus

Name I re-

ceived. I ask

the Lord to give

me clarity on

whether or notHe was divinely

connecting me

and someone

together for

marriage. I

kept seeing

signs of it, and

this person was

always in my

spirit 24/7.

When I desired

not to think

about him, he

was still on my

mind. When I

would see him,

I wanted to

bow in humble

adoration. He

was truly a re-

spected man ofGod. How-

ever, I had to

remind myself

that Jesus is the only one that I adore that much! Then

I was not sure what God had spoken to his spirit. I

kept thinking: Except the Lord build the house, it is a

house built in vain. Well, one night I was completely

exhausted from thinking and casting down all imagi-

G


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Linda C. Tardy is a Freelance Writer/Author. She is the Publisher of this magazine, Visions Christian Magazine.

advise me to be celibate, Not that married life is less

spiritual than celibate life, but his advice is the promo-

tion of faithful and undistracted devotion to the Lord.

So what I gathered from this was that God do not want

us man nor woman to put anything or anybody aboveHIM, whether husband, wife, children, sister or brother.

God is your First Love, and Husbandman.

I AM the true Vine andI AM the true Vine andI AM the true Vine andI AM the true Vine andI AM the true Vine and

mmmmmy Fy Fy Fy Fy Father is the Husbandmanather is the Husbandmanather is the Husbandmanather is the Husbandmanather is the Husbandman

John 15:1

The revelation got even deeper. I read in 1 Corinthians

7: 29-31 that it does not matter whether you have a

husband, wife, or even that you weep, because the

fashion of this world passeth away. I had a clear un-

derstanding as to why I was placed here on this earth,

and it was not for marriage to another human being,

but an undistracted devoted relationship of Praise &

Worship with God. My purpose is to have a marriage

covenant with God, whether single or married. Also

marriage is symbolic of the church: The Bible says in

Ephesians 5:22-23, Wives, submit yourselves unto your

own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is

the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of thechurch: and he is the savior of the body. And Isaiah

54:5 says, For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of

hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of

Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called.

Then I went over to Revelations and read: And I John

saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from

God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for

her husband.

The Bible tells us that An unmarried woman has more

time for God, and a married woman has more time for

the world and how she should please her husband, I

would have you without carefulness. Paul spoke this:If you cannot contain then you should marry, for it is

better to marry then to burn.1 Corinthians 6:13 Now

the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and

the Lord for the body.

The most awesome revelation that I received was dis-

covering who I am in Christ and my purpose here on

earth, which tells me where I stand with God and mar-

riage.

In Matthew 22: 30,32, When the Lord answered the

disciple and said, For when they shall rise from the

dead: they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but

are as the angels which are in heaven. The Lord said

that He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the

living.

It is imperative that we understand that we are not made

whole by our husbands and wives, but by the blood

and by the eternal love of Christ. Until we are con-

tented with being alone with God, we will never under-stand true love. Love is eternal not temporal, and God

is eternal, not temporal. He (God) has made every-

thing beautiful in its time, also He had set the world in

their heart, so that no man can find out the work that

God maketh from the beginning to the end (Ecclesiastes

3:11(a)).


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Spirit of Faith Christian Center

Faith Plaza

Drs Mike and DeeDee Freeman

2261 Oxon Run Drive

Temple Hills, Maryland 20748

(301) 630-3733

www.spiritofffaith.org

Hope Christian Church

4700 Boston Way

Lanham, Maryland

Jericho City of Praise

Dr. Pastor Betty P. Peebles, Sr.

8501 Bishop Peebles Drive

Landover, Maryland 20785

(301) 333-0500

www.jerichocop.org

EbenezerAfrican Methodist Episcopal ChurchReverend Dr. Grainger Browning, Sr. Pastor

Reverend Dr. Jo Ann Browning, Co Pastor

The Family of God

Serving the Family of God

7707 Allentown Road

Ft Washington, Maryland

(301) 248-8833

www.eamefw.com

Ministry EvMinistry EvMinistry EvMinistry EvMinistry Eventententententsssss:::::

Friday Night - January 23rd 7:00 PMSunday Night - February 29th 7:00 PM

Spirit of Faith Singles Ministry (South Location)Jericho Singles Ministry

Speakers: Pastor Michael & Dee Dee Freeman Movie Night - Passion Min. Krystal Tibbs on (301) 630-

3733 Dea. Rayetta Byrd on (301) 333-0500

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

610 Rhode Island Ave., N.E. Washington, D.C.20002-1292

Office: 202.529.4547

Fax: 202.529.4495 TDD 202-526-8247

[email protected]

First Baptist Church of Glenarden

Pastor John Jenkins

3600 Brightseat Road

Landover , Maryland 20785

(301) 773-3600

Singles MinistriesSingles MinistriesSingles MinistriesSingles MinistriesSingles Ministries


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Seniors Pastors, Dr. Michael and Deloris Freeman of Spirit of Faith Christian Centers (SOFCC) vision are to

build people of purpose, power and praise in faith, the family and finance through fellowship. As the ministry

grew, Pastors Mike and DeeDee, as they are so lovingly known as, saw an immediate need to house a group

of individual that were not married, yet seeking GODs best.

In 1998, Minister Krystal Tibbs, a faithful partner who rose up from the broken single

to the Woman of God she was called to be, was appointed by Pastors as the Head of

the Singles Ministry of SOFCC. Min. Kris, with no staff, took on her assignment from

GOD with excitement. She composed a vision for the singles: Every single is complete

in spirit, soul, and body lacking no components, andin need of no external resources to

make him/her whole. The singles know who they are in Christ and their self-worth.

There will be no compromise on the Body of Christ. Romans 12:1 I beseech you

therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable unto GOD, which is your reasonable service. She was so determined

with the loving support of the Pastors and leadership of SOFCC to trust GOD. She

stood on GODs word. As a direct result of her faithfulness, the ministry has reaped the

fruit of her labor. The Singles Ministry has been blessed with thirteen anointed Minis-

try of Helps staff to inlcude a Research Developer, a Marketing Expert, 2 Administra-

tive Assistants and an Assist Department Head who all truly believe in 1 Corinthians 3:9

The SOFCC Singles Ministry purpose is to enhance the spiritual growth of every male and female in their

single state in accordance to the vision of SOFCC. Every single is complete in Christ (Spirit, Soul, and Body),

lacking no components, and in need of no external resources to make him/her whole.

As singles at SOFCC we receive the unadulterated, uncompromising word of GOD and have great fun. Each

year under the grace of GOD, the Singles plan and expedite activities and fun filled events include: Word BaseMeeting, Ski Adventures Crab Feast, Game

NIght, Lunch/Dinner Cruises, Roller Skating,

Bowling, and Jean Socials. Pastors Mike and

Dee Dee meet with us the first of the year to bring

forth a word from God for us, answer questions,a

nd encourage us to careth for the things of the

Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:32

Throughout the year we learn: 1) who we are ac-

cording to the Word; a child of GOD-Roman8:16, joint heir with Christ-Roman 8:17, needs

met by Jesus-Philippians 4:19, more than con-

querors-Roman 8:37, an imitator of Jesus-

Ephesians 5:1 2) our purpose; careth for the

things of the LORD-1 Corinthians 7:32, dwell-

ing in fullness of the GOD head...complete in him-Colossians 2:9-10and 3) how to live in our single state; we

are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body...2 Corinthians 5:8 with understanding-

Proverb 4:7 and full of joy 1 Peter 4:13.

We have replaced the old mans way with the new mans way 2 Corinthians 5:17!

Satisfied, inGod, Living Expectation-Single.

Spirit of Faith Christian Centers (SOFCC) Singles MinistryFaith Plaza-Drs Mike and DeeDee Freeman

2261 Oxon Run Drive, Temple Hills, Maryland 20748

(301) 630-3733 www.spiritofffaith.org


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12/38


poetry

Christian FriendshipsChristian FriendshipsChristian FriendshipsChristian FriendshipsChristian Friendships

Friendships are based

On love and trust

And Christian values

Are a definite must.

God has promised

To be there for you

And Christian friends

Feel the same way too.

Finding Christian friends

Has a certain perk

Sharing the Word of God

Can make a friendship work.

Having Christ in common

Is a good place to start

Then you grow with timeAnd test each others heart.

God brings friends together

And he wishes you the very best

Remember your Christian values

Your friendship will be blessed.

Joe Floyd

An InvitationAn InvitationAn InvitationAn InvitationAn Invitation

Im going to be in church on Sunday

I thought maybe youd like to come along

Im sure that you would enjoy the service

Praising the Lord in word and song.

Just think how hard you worked this week

Under pressure that stressed your mind

Come with me and relieve the tension

Leaving the grief and troubles behind.

The time you spend with God in church

Could be a chance to open your eyes

Youll hear the reading of the Holy Word

The Word is truth youll hear no lies.

Youll learn the teachings of Jesus Christ

And the meaning of the life he gave

Youll know why all your sins are forgiven

Your life is one he was sent to save.

At times Ive seen your painful tears

You appeared to be looking for help

Come and see what worked for meBecause I know just how you felt.

If you should have a troubled heart

And youre living a life in despair

Come and Gods love will set you free

Come walk with me in prayer.

Joe Floyd


13/38


Please, GodNotPlease, GodNotPlease, GodNotPlease, GodNotPlease, GodNot

AidsAidsAidsAidsAidsAs told to Loretta Parker Spivey

hen I found out that my son had AIDS, I

screamed. You could hear me all over the

neighborhood. My son was so

compassionate. He just held me and said,

Its gonna be OK, Mom. He believed it would be

OK because his will to live was incredible, and at that

time he really did not believe that he was going to die.

He lived 200 miles from me at the time, and I wanted

him to move home to live with us, so that I could care

for him properly. I had seen people live and die with

AIDS, and I knew it would be a rough road. Ultimately

we decided that it was best for him to stay where he

was. That meant that every weekend I hit the highway

to go see my baby. I say my baby because a mothers

child is always her baby, whether he is 3 years old or

33 years old, as my son, Jarred*, was.

We didnt have the luxury of easing into the illness the

way some families do. First, they hear the words HIV

positive and that it could literally be years before the

disease turns into full-blown AIDS. Jarred was sick,

went to the hospital, was tested, and was diagnosed

with AIDS. It all happened very fast.

One moment I had a typical mothers concern that

her son wasnt feeling well, and within weeks I was

visiting him at a residential-care facility for people with

HIV/AIDS. I remember when I first heard that he

was in the hospital with pneumonia. I was at work,

and, I guess, way in the back of my mind I knew. I

broke into a cold sweat and said, Oh, my God, please

dont let my child be sick. I recalled a beesting that

didnt properly heal and started putting some other

things together in my head. O Lord, please dont let

my child have AIDS..

Not long after, I was screaming and crying

uncontrollablymy son had AIDS.

Looking back, I can see how the Lord was preparing

me. He taught me compassion and acceptance. I

remember, two years before Jarred was diagnosed,my friend calling me one night, tired and stressed, to

tell me her son had AIDS. All she wanted to do was

to get out of the house, but she couldnt leave her son

and she couldnt take him with her, not because he

was too sick, but because of peoples reactions. I

invited her to our home. She hesitated because people

reacted so negatively to him in social situations that

she had really stopped taking him out because of the

hurt that both would experience as a result of the fears

and ignorance of people (Christian people, I might

add).

She and her son came over and just enjoyed being

out and accepted. I knew I couldnt get AIDS from

being kind, compassionate, and supportive. I was

never fearful that I could get AIDS from casual contact.

That experience and similar ones helped me to develop

a sense of compassion. And God helped me to love

W


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my son unconditionally. You see, he was a homosexual;

he was openly gay. I knew that, and although I did not

approve of his lifestyle, he was my child, and I loved

him unconditionally. I say to parents that it is so

important to love your children unconditionally.Accepting salvation is a choice. We cannot choose

salvation for our children; they must choose it for

themselves, and no matter what their choice, we must

love them. Maybe we can love them right into the arms

of Christ.

We must love them in the good times and in the bad

times. AIDS caused my son to lose a tremendous

amount of weight and experience severe dementia,

which is a broad term for a syndrome characterized

by a general decline in higher brain functioning, suchas reasoning, with a pattern of eventual decline in ability

to perform even basic activities of daily living, such as

toileting and eating. Dementia is also characterized by

memory loss, wandering, and significantly decreased

judgment.

At one point, his behavior became so erratic and

troublesome that the residential facility where he lived

said that they just couldnt handle him and that we

would have to place him elsewhere. I convinced them

to let him stay. There was nowhere else for him to go.

I did attempt to keep him at home. It was very difficult.

My husband and I worked full-time jobs, and Jarred

required much more care and attention than we were

able to provide. At the residential facility he was loved,

supported, and very well cared for.

Believe me, he had everything he needed and wanted.

I treated him as if every day might be his last. I never

wanted him to want for anything. From flowers to

socks to CD players to whatever he needed to makehim more comfortable, I got it for him.

I was happy to meet his material needs whenever I

could, but it was his emotional and spiritual needs that

I was most interested in. One night he admitted that

he was afraid: afraid of his future, and afraid to die. At

that moment God gave me supernatural strength to be

calm as I talked to my child about his impending death.

I told Jarred, You dont have to be afraid. God is so

faithful. You have given your heart and life to Jesus.

You dont have to be afraid. You will go to sleep, and

when you wake up you will see the face of Jesus.We talked and prayed. Later he told me that he had

indeed given his heart to Jesus and was looking

forward to going to heaven. Three days after that, he

slipped into a coma and died peacefully. People

reminded me of what a blessing it was that he died

peacefully, but I still couldnt believe it.

I couldnt believe that he was dead. Others were in

disbelief as well. People who die of AIDS usually suffer

a lot and ultimately die slowly and painfully. I took his

death very hard. He was my son, and even though hewas grown, it just isnt natural for parents to outlive their

children.

After his death I was a total wreck. I was so despondent

that counselors called me to offer their services. I couldnt

concentrate on anything; I really couldnt thinkit just

consumed me. Years later, not a day goes by that I dont

think about him. It has taken me almost until now to get

to the point where I am not screaming and crying. I still

miss him, but its different now.

Now my focus is on Christ and helping others. Now I

can see that I am a better person because of that

experience. I am much more compassionate. I understand

more about unconditional love and the ministry of Jesus

Christ. He was willing to reach out and touch the

untouchables. I really learned how to pray and depend

on God for physical and emotional strength. Throughout

the whole ordeal I never once got sick. I was exhausted

at times, but God kept me well enough to be there for

my son. Most of all, I really want to go to heaven. I havea longing for it. I want to help as many people as I can,

especially those impacted by AIDS. I want to live my life

on this earth in such a way that I will be able see my

Jesus and my son Jarred in heaven.

*All names have been changed.

LORETTA PARKER SPIVEY is the music and book review maven for Message Magazine. She is working on her second book, Eternity

Interrupted, which addresses the grief associated with the death of a loved one. She writes from Windsor, Connecticut.


15/38


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THE BLOOD COVENANTTHE BLOOD COVENANT


17/38


W

The Pt.1: Tracing the History of the

Covenanthen you understand the covenant

relationship, then you understand why Jesus

came to this earth and the meaning of the

scripture that tells us that He died that we

might have life and that we might have it more

abundantly. Through His death, the Lord Jesus brought

about the New Covenant of His blood. That is what

this is about. Most who go to church and even have

been saved for some time have no idea what the blood

covenant is all about or what Jesus accomplished for

us at Calvary that we call the finished works of Calvary

as captured by the words of Christ Himself when He

exclaimed on the cross, It is finished.Let us begin with these verses: Psalm 25:14 The

secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he

will show them his covenant. Psalm 89:34 My cov-

enant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone

out of my lips. What does the scripture mean by the

word covenant? The first place the word covenant is

mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 6:18. But with

thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come

into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy

sons\ wives with thee. The first use of covenant has

to do with God dealing with Noah and the saving of

his family from the judgment that was to come upon

the world.

The law of first reference says that whatever the

meaning of a word or the way it is first used in the

Bible, is the meaning of the word whenever it is used

later in the Bible. Here the word covenant is used in

reference to an Ark that would become the Ark of

safety and deliverance for Noah and his family. Gen-

esis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms

shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within andwithout with pitch. It says that the Ark was pitched

within and without with a black pitch. In this verse

there are two different Hebrew words used for pitch.

The first word for pitch means to cover and is a word

for atone and is translated in different places as ap-

pease, make atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be

merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge, make recon-

ciliation. The last word for pitch in this verse is in ref-

erence to a black tar like substance that will seal wood.

So the scripture could read; And Noah did atone the

boat with pitch. So the Ark is a type of protection and

atonement. Noah built a boat to the saving of his house-

hold, which is the covenant that God made with him.So the theme of the covenant is about God protecting

a people. God raising up a people, protecting that

people and developing a personal relationship with

those people.

The Hebrew word for covenant, beriyth, ber-eeth

is found 280 times in the Old Testament and means a

compact (because it was made by passing between

pieces of flesh: It is translated as confederacy, cov-

enant, or league). Ex: When God made covenant with

Abram in Genesis 15:9-10,17-18a. And he said unto

him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she

goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old,

and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took

unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and

laid each piece one against another: but the birds di-

vided he not... And it came to pass, that, when the sun

went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking fur-

nace, and a burning lamp that passed between those

pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant

with Abram... The root word means to eat and also

to cut. So a covenant, in Old Testament times, involvedthe eating of a sacrificial meal and the cutting of the

flesh of an animal and so also refers to the shedding of

blood. The English word covenant is used 272 times

in the Old Testament. The word beriyth, ber-eeth is

sometimes translated as league, which appears 19

times in the Old Testament, but some of those are

translated from the Hebrew word chabar, khaw-bar\

meaning to join or have fellowship with. The word

covenant seems to come form an ancient Semitic word

from the Middle East area where the Arab and No-mad people became blood brothers by cutting their

wrists or palm of their hand, the blood of which ran

into a cup and then it was mixed with wine and drank,

signifying they were blood brothers by covenant. This

introduced people into a tribe and also to the protec-

tion of the god that clan or tribe was under. This idea

of blood being related to covenant is found through-

out the world in various world religions. Dr. Livingston

was in Africa and a man named Stanley went on a


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search to find him. Stanley wanted to know how to

get into Africa and travel and be protected. He was

told that he had to cut the covenant with a chieftain.

He did. The chieftain had a man representing him and

Stanley had a man representing him. They cut a slit intheir wrist and drink from the cup their blood was

caught in. Then they put gunpowder over the wound

so that it would heal and then they had to exchange

gifts. Now Stanley had ulcers so he carried a goat

with him to drink the milk. The chief wanted the goat

and Stanley was hesitant to do it and then he was told

that if he didnt give up the goat the chief might kill him

because they had made covenant and what was his

now belonged to the chief. So, he gave his goat to the

chief and asked what he would get in return. The Chief

gave him a big stick with copper on top of it. Stanley

thought that he just gave up his goat for some dumb

stick. But what Stanley didnt realize was that that stick

represented the chief. So when Stanleys man wouldhold this staff up when they went to different African

tribes, they all honored Stanley and it opened the door

to him because he had made covenant with one of the

great chieftains in Africa. Also they spoke a blessing

over a person for obeying the covenant and a curse if

they disobeyed it, just as in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the

palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before

me. We know that through the crucifixion of Christ

we enter into a covenant relationship with Him andJesus bears the scars, the mark of the covenant in his

hands. I believe that he does not bear physical scars,

but literal holes in his hands and feet where the nails

were driven and there are numerous reasons for this

including the scripture in John 20:27 Reach hither thy

finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand,

and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but be-

lieving. Jesus blood ran from his body and so there

was no clotting of blood and no closing of the wound

when He was buried. Then that body rose from the

dead and has no blood according to scripture. I be-

lieve it is as it was in that respect. Also, because a man

of God was taken to heaven said when he fell at his

feet the first thing he saw was the holes left by the nailsand it impressed upon him the great price that He paid

for our salvation. But in the ancient time they cut the

wrist or palm of the hand to cut covenant. Isaiah 62:8

The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the

arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn

to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the

stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou

hast laboured. Many times in the covenant, they would

make an oath by raising their right arm. It was a sign

of oath or covenant. This oath was the sealing of the

covenant. This has carried over even to our court sys-

tems today, in raising the right hand to make an oath

to speak the truth. Abraham did this in Genesis 15.

He raises his right hand and made an oath to the Lord.So as the first use of covenant in the Bible was in

relationship to Noah building an ark to save his house-

hold, the theme of the Bible is God saving a people,

delivering a people, protecting that people and even-

tually replacing it with the New Covenant to save all

men of all races that would believe in Christ and the

price He paid to make covenant with all men who

would receive it. Anytime the word beriyth, ber-eeth

is used it implies a cutting of some kind and the shed-

ding of blood. Our Bible is made in two parts, the OldTestament or Old Covenant and New Testament or

New Covenant.

The real covenant story began in Genesis. The Old

Covenant was made by God with Abraham and car-

ried till the death and resurrection of Jesus, which in-

stituted the New Covenant of His blood. The word

testament is an English word for a will, as we speak of

a last will and testament concerning someone who has

died. Hebrews tells us that a will or testament is not in

...the theme of the Bible is God saving a people, delivering a people, protecting

that people and eventually replacing it with the New Covenant to save all men of

all races that would believe in Christ and the price He paid to make covenant


19/38


force until the testator dies (Hebrews 9:17). It is a will

with promises and provisions, that if we will obey we

will be in covenant with God. Christ is the mediator of

the New Covenant. This is the foundation to under-

stand the covenant and that when you enter into arelationship with God, everything He has belongs to

you and everything that you have now belongs to Him.

You take His name and His nature and He removes

your sins. I call it the Divine Exchange. What you have

for what He has. What you are for what He is. Its

your life for His life, not the harlot version of Chris-

tianity today where God gives you everything with no

strings attached and you owe Him nothing in return.

The first reference of the cutting of animal skins is

not with Abraham or even Noah, but in the Garden of

Eden after Adam and Even fell by sin. God then killed

two animals and used the skins to cover Adam and

Eve. Later it became the slaying of animals for He-

brews 9:22 says, without the shedding of blood there

is no remission (of sin). All covenants have several

features. First there are the terms of agreement. This

is what I am expecting out of you and what I am ex-

pecting you to do. The terms of agreement in Genesis

for the covenant was that all Jewish males born from

Abraham onward were to be circumcised on the 8th

day. The reason God picked the 8th day for circumci-sion was never understood until modern medical sci-

ence showed that on the 8th day the baby has more of

the blood clotting substance, (vitamin K), that an any

other time in their life. That way the child healed much

faster with less bleeding. Also it is interesting to note

that the number 8 is used in the Bible to represent new

beginnings.

The circumcision of the male child was a verifica-

tion and testimony that you were in agreement with

God and were in covenant with Him. That circumci-sion was the mark of the covenant. In the New Testa-

ment the agreement is by circumcision of the heart

and our agreeing to obey Him. The mark of circumci-

sion in the New Testament is that of a change of heart

and agreeing with the Word of God by repentance of

sin. Secondly, in all covenants there was the swearing

of an oath and sealing of the blood. In the Old Testa-

ment it was done through animal sacrifices and in the

New Testament through the blood of Jesus that was

shed for all men at Calvary. In the Old Testament,

men brought a bull or goat or ram to offer on the altar

as a sign of repentance of sin. Christ paid the price for

our entering into covenant with God and we merely

accept His sacrifice by faith and the covenant is sealedwith His blood instead of the blood of animals.

In all covenants there are the blessing of keeping

covenant and the curse for breaking covenant. That is

spelled out in Deuteronomy chapters 27 & 28. There

was the blessing of the law for keeping it and the curse

of the law for disobeying the terms of the covenant. In

the New Testament we have been redeemed from the

curse of the law, Christ being made a curse for us. But

that doesnt mean that there is not a qualification and

demand for our obedience. We are redeemed from

the curse of sin and the punishment for that sin when

we repent of sin. But God still requires obedience to

the repentant sinner, which brings Gods blessings upon

that life. If we disobey we are chastised or punished

by God for disobedience. If we walk in obedience to

the Lord, then we have the promises of the covenant.

As, John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name,

I will do it. Yet the requirement and condition is given

in verse 15, that we keep his commandments. So all

covenants have an agreement, a sealing of blood or

an oath and a blessing and curse. That is the samewhether in the Old or New Testament.

The first reference of the word covenant is Gen-

esis 6:18 when God made a covenant with Noah and

his family that if they would build an Ark, He would

spare them and then through them repopulated the

earth. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and

thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and

thy wife, and thy sons\ wives with thee. Genesis 9:15

was another covenant God made with Noah as rep-

resenting all mankind, that He would never again de-stroy the earth with water and the sign of the covenant

was the rainbow. And I will remember my covenant,

which is between me and you and every living crea-

ture of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become

a flood to destroy all flesh. We see a half circle; half

rainbow on earth and the other part of it is round about

the throne in heaven (Revelation 4:3). And he that

sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:

and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in


20/38


sight like unto an emerald. If you put the two together

they would form a complete circle, as there is a circle

in circumcision. God put half the bow on earth and

half of the bow in heaven. It doesnt matter that there

is a scientific explanation that it is caused by the bend-ing of light rays by the water in the air. There had never

been a rainbow or rain prior to this time. So here God

made a change in nature and science and caused this

to be so that we have a visible sign and reminder of his

promise and covenant with man.

Then God made a covenant with Abraham to make

a great nation of him. Genesis 17:1-2, 5-6. And when

Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD ap-

peared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Al-

mighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

And I will make my covenant between me and thee,

and will multiply thee exceedingly... Neither shall thy

name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall

be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made

thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will

make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of

thee. So God promised to make Abraham great, his

name great and his seed great. In Noahs covenant

the sign of the covenant was the rainbow (Genesis

9:13). I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be

for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.For Abraham, the sign or token of the covenant was

circumcision (Genesis 17:11-12). And ye shall cir-

cumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a

token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 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. God was so serious of this that he

said if the child was not circumcised on the 8th day,

then the soul of that child would be cut off from amongthe people.

In Exodus, Moses was told to go down to Egypt

to tell Pharaoh to let His people go and Moses took

his wife and two sons and their came the time where

God sought to kill Moses and his two sons. Moses

then did something that upset his wife greatly. He im-

mediately had her circumcise his two sons, which had

not been circumcised and she called him a bloody man.

Exodus 4:24-26 And it came to pass by the way in

the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill

him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off

the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said,

Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him

go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, becauseof the circumcision.

God would not let Moses go gown to Egypt with-

out putting his sons under the covenant. When Joshua

was about to lead the children of Israel into the prom-

ised land, there were a lot of men born in the wilder-

ness that were not circumcised and Joshua had them

all circumcised and then they had to wait to recover

before beginning the trip. In each case, God demanded

that all males be circumcised before they entered into

battle because He could not protect them and fulfill

the promises of his covenant if they were uncircum-

cised going into battle. Because circumcision was a

demand or condition and sign of the covenant with

God, it became so important to the Jewish people

that in the day of the early church many thought that

without circumcision one couldnt become a Christian

and be a follower of Jesus. They believed this so

strongly because their law said the soul that was not

circumcised would be cut off from among the people.

When a Jewish man would go into his wife to have a

child, the seed of sperm has to pass through the markof the covenant before entering the womans body. It

meant that the seed was marked for the covenant and

that is why the male circumcision was so important in

the time of the Bible as a mark and sign of their cov-

enant with God.

Remember the story of Mr. Stanley. In marriage,

the covenant is the same. Whatever is your wifes be-

comes yours and what is yours becomes hers. That

which you own or that which you owe become com-

mon ownership and responsibility in the marriage cov-enant. All covenants have that exchange of posses-

sion and responsibility. Again, showing the power of

the covenant. When God was going to destroy Sodom

and Gomorrah, Abrahams nephew Lot was living in

the city. So, God first went to Abraham with his plan

to destroy the city and would not destroy the city with-

out first telling Abraham because of their covenant and

Abraham could negotiate with God because he had

family relatives in the city. In Genesis 22:1-2 God


21/38


asked Abraham to go offer his son upon an altar. And

it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt

Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said,

Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son,

thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get theeinto the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt

offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell

thee of. Abraham didnt answer and say, but if I offer

my son and he dies, how will your word to me then be

fulfilled? Abraham understood the covenant he had

and that if God wanted something from him, then he

was obligated to give it to God, but also, if he needed

something from God, then God would give it to him.

This is the real understanding of the covenant that we

have missed and lost today. We have this concept of

God, at least as I grew up in the A/G, where He could

make demands of us, but we are not allowed to make

demands of Him. He is God and we are but servants

and that is true. But that is not the covenant relation-ship we have been given through the blood of Jesus, if

we truly enter into that covenant with Him. If we are

walking in the covenant and being obedient of Gods

demands of us, then if we have need of anything, we

have a right to ask it and He said He will do it. If I am

in true covenant with God, if I believe it and walk in it,

then all I have belongs to Him and all He has belongs

to me. That is where the promise of Philippians 4:19

comes in. My God shall supply all your need ac-

cording to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. It isntgood for anyone who claims to be a Christian, but

those who walk in the covenant. My need becomes

His, but only when His needs become mine. When

He needs me to witness to someone, I do it. When he

needs me to help someone, give to someone, what-

ever He asks me to do that I do it. As we obey Him

and do what He asks of us, then we walk in covenant

and the blessing and favor of God will come to us.

We see that the covenant and blessing is passed

on from Abraham to Isaac, then to Jacob. Then in the

time of Moses the Hebrew people are in Egypt. They

have become slaves and are building these treasure

cities for Pharaoh. Exodus 2:24 And God heard their

groaning, and God remembered his covenant withAbraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. As the people

cried out to Him, He remembered His covenant with

them. It doesnt mean that He had forgotten His cov-

enant with the people, but when they began to cry

out, then His covenant came in remembrance to Him,

that He had promised Abraham that after 400 years

He would bring them out of Egypt (Genesis 15:13-

14). And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that

thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs,

and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four

hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall

serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out

with great substance. And God did all He promised

Abraham He would do. Then they got into the wilder-ness and started worshipping this cow and the Lord

told Moses that He would kill them and start over

with Moses and rise up a new nation from him (Exo-

dus 32:7-14). As Abraham understood that as He was

required to give God anything He asked for, the Lord

was also required to meet His needs and grant His

requests, Moses understood that God will become

angry with His people for their disobedience, but God

is still faithful to His covenant if He is reminded of it

and will never break it and He will be faithful in takingcare of His people.

Again and again in the Old Testament we see the

prophets prayed in the name of Abraham, Isaac and

Jacob. That was to remind God that they were of the

seed of Abraham, whom God had made covenant with.

In Luke we were told the woman with a spirit of infir-

mity was a daughter of Abraham meaning that she came

under Gods covenant (Luke 13:16). So when Moses

said remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Exodus

Psalm 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out

of my lips.


22/38


32:13, he was praying a covenant prayer to remind

God of His covenant with His people. Remember

Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou

swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will

multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all thisland that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed,

and they shall inherit it for ever.

In the time of King David, God made a covenant

with Him for a throne and a king to rule from Jerusa-

lem. Abraham had a covenant concerning the land of

Israel. Moses had a covenant concerning the nation of

Israel and David had a covenant concerning the city of

Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel. The covenant with

David had to do with his being kind and his descen-

dants ruling from Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 7:12-14 And

when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy

fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall

proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his king-

dom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will

stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. Psalm 89:4

Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy

throne to all generations. Also Psalm 132:11-12.

King Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin was the first

kind of Israel, then God raised up David out of the

prophetic tribe of Judah. David ruled for 40 years and

gave the throne to Solomon who ruled for 40 years,who passed the throne to Rehoboam. Rehoboam made

some foolish decisions, which were from the Lord, so

that He could split the kingdom between the North

and South. From that time, David had a descendent

that sat upon the throne in Israel, though only over one

tribe. David had been a man after Gods own heart,

but he made a serious error in the matter of adultery

with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah

the Hittite. The prophet Nathan then came to David

and he was told his judgment in 2 Samuel 12:9-11.Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of

the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah

the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be

thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the chil-

dren of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never

depart from thine house; because thou hast despised

me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be

thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up

evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take

thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy

neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of

this sun. David had a son named Adonijah, a son

named Amnon, and a son named Absolom. The first

son of Bathsheba died because of his sin and then thesecond was Solomon. But because this sword did not

depart from Davids house, he outlived four of his sons.

But we can still see the power of the covenant with

David, whom God made a covenant with concerning

his throne. 1 Kings 15:4 Nevertheless for David\s

sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusa-

lem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusa-

lem. 86 years after David died. So even though this

descendant of David didnt do what was right, God

left him in power in Jerusalem to fulfill his covenant

with David. This also is stated concerning several other

descendants of David. 2 Kings 8:18-19 And he

walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the

house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife:

and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Yet the LORD

would not destroy Judah for David his servant\s sake,

as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his

children. Jehoram came to power 156 years after

David. 2 Kings 8:16 And in the fifth year of Joram the

son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king

of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judahbegan to reign. Ahabs wife was Jezebel, one of the

most wicked women in the Bible and it was her daugh-

ter that was married to Jehoram. They were wicked

and didnt do what was right in Gods sight, but God

didnt do remove him because of His promise and cov-

enant He made with David.

Psalm 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor

alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Isaiah 45:23a

I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my

mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. WhenGod says something, it is settled and He will fulfill it.

When God swears by Himself He is saying I guarantee

that I will keep my word and if I break my word, I will

destroy my throne in the heavens. That is the power of

Gods Word. That is why we were given Numbers

23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the

son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and

shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not

make it good? Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that


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goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me

void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it

shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 2

Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him

are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God byus. Jeremiah 1:12 For I will hasten my word to per-

form it.

And so God allowed these wicked men to reign

on the throne because of His promise and covenant to

David, which He would not break. In 2 Kings 20 king

Hezekiah, 313 years after David had died, needs a

miracle of healing, the Assyrians are invading the city.

2 Kings 20:5-6 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the cap-

tain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of

David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen

thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou

shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will

add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee

and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and

I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my

servant David\s sake. This is the third example that

specifically names David and Gods faithfulness of His

promise. God was still remembering David, 313 years

after his death. That was the power of the covenant

and word of God and why His covenant is unchange-

able. Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word issettled in heaven. Psalm 105:8 He hath remembered

his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded

to a thousand generations. In his anger, God could

have gotten rid of those wicked kings. He didnt jus-

tify their sins but said the only reason you have not

been removed from the throne is that I am remember-

ing your father David and the covenant I have made

with him.

Remember that in the first context and use of the

word covenant in scripture, it had to do with Noahand his building an ark. It was God telling Noah that

He would save Noah and his family if he would be

obedient and build the ark. Gods will is to save. Jesus

came to seek and to save the lost. His will is to save

you and your house. We do our best to train up our

children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, yet

many of them leave the Lord and walk out in sin and

rebellion. This is where, if we are walking in covenant,

we can stand for them, that God would save them.

Many sitting in church have come to Jesus to be their

savior, but they have not made Him Lord in your life.

They have come to Him for fire insurance and that is

the extent of their understanding. When you make Him

Lord, it means that you belong to Him, that He is yourowner and He is the Lord over your life. Then you

dont make decisions without consulting Him; you dont

do things contrary to the Word of God. You walk in

covenant with Him. Then God works on your behalf

in ways He cannot in the lives of those who do not

have a covenant with Him. There are others, who do

more than just believe God for salvation and actually

do things for God. Matthew 7:21-23 Not every

one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the

kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my

Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that

day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name

done many wonderful works? And then will I profess

unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that

work iniquity. The Greek word for knew, means to

have an intimate relationship with. God wants us to

have an intimate relationship with Him. To understand

that is to understand the covenant that He wants to

make and has provided to make with us through His

blood. The theme of scripture in relationship to cov-enant is that God wants to save you and your family.

In the time of Abraham, God birthed the nation

through Isaac and then Jacob who became Israel and

his sons became the nation of Israel, Gods covenant

people. Then through His covenant people, God re-

vealed His prophets, His covenant and raised up a

people through which the Messiah would come into

the world and bring redemption through the New

Covenant of His blood. The Old Testament predicted

that God would write His word upon their hearts andestablish a New Covenant with His people and this

He did through Christ.

In Hebrew, the word for covenant means to cut

and implies a cutting of flesh. In the Old Testament it

was the slaying of animals. The whole understanding

of the covenant is tied to understanding the role of

blood, for there can be no covenant without the shed-

ding of blood. World religions have some form of of-

fering of blood. Even Satanism uses blood in sacri-


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fices, sometimes animal and sometimes-human blood

because they believe that in sacrificing blood there is

power.

Most alleged haunted houses have demons con-

nected to them. Though men believe that the souls ofpeople haunt them, we know that is not true, for the

souls of men who have died do not remain on the sur-

face of the earth to roam about. But demons like to

hang around areas where blood has been shed, whether

through human sacrifices of false religions or from

murder. They hang around areas where blood is shed.

We know that the life of the flesh is in the blood from

Leviticus 17:11 and the word for life means soul. The

soul of he flesh is in the blood. We know that when

Cain killed Abel, scripture says that his blood began

to cry out from the ground. So, blood has some kind

of voice.

The spirit world is given a certain amount of au-

thority or it can be restrained through blood. This

works in both kingdoms, that of God and that of dark-

ness. You might ask, what do you mean by that? In

Exodus 12 at the time of the Passover, when the blood

of the lamb was placed on the doorposts of the He-

brew, the death angel was restrained and unable to

enter into the Hebrews house. Blood can restrain the

enemy. In Revelation 12:11 it tells us the same things,that we can overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb.

So blood affects the spirit realm. In the Old Testa-

ment they could lay an animal on an alter and shed the

blood of that animal and that blood didnt bring for-

giveness, but atoned for their sins. It covered their sins.

But the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins. The

blood of Jesus justifies us. So we see that many times

in false religions they use blood. It is a coping of what

God intended for His people to understand in rela-

tionship to the covenant of the blood of the Lord JesusChrist. False religions, witchcraft, Satanism always use

some form of blood because they believe that blood

has power to it and they gain power by shedding blood.

In the Old Testament it was always the blood of

animals that was sacrificed. The blood of a bull, goat,

ram, lamb or even a turtle dove. When we come to

the New Covenant and understand the mystery of the

blood of Jesus Christ, we understand the New Cov-

enant was ratified and sealed by the blood of Jesus.

However in some religions as Muslims, there is no

concept of sin or of the shedding of blood. Now when

God created Adam, He breathed into Adam. Scrip-

ture says that when Jesus breathed the breath of life

into the dirt that became Adam, he became a livingsoul. Scripture tells us that the life of the flesh is in the

blood. The soul is in the blood. The name Adam means

Gods blood and Adam was the created son of God.

Jesus was called the second Adam, because He was

the second man Adam to come into the world with the

pure blood of God. We know that Jesus having not an

earthly father and that the blood comes from the fa-

ther, received his blood from God the Holy Spirit who

impregnated Mary with the seed of God. And we know

that without the shedding of blood there is no remis-

sion of sin. When Adam sinned, something happened

to his blood and he died. Had he not sinned, he would

have lived forever. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by

one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;

and so death passed upon all men, for that all have

sinned: So, through Adams sin and death, that sinful

nature and death was passed on to all. That seed of

Adam, now a fallen seed, was and is still passed on

from father to son or daughter. This is the very reason

and purpose for the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. That

He might not be of the fallen seed and corrupted bloodof Adam, but the second Adam, having the pure blood

of God. God dropped the seed of the Word of God

into Mary. That seed is a life force. As man has a

seed, the Word of God is called seed and they both

come from the same Greek word. The seed of Gods

Word has a life force within itself and is able to repro-

duce life. And we are born again of the incorruptible

seed of the Word of God. 1Peter 1:23 Born again,

not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the

word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. WhenGod dropped His seed into the virgin Mary, she con-

ceived not only in the physical part of her body, but

blood began to form in the body of Jesus. We also

know that the blood type comes from the fathers seed

and not the mother and so the blood that was in Jesus,

as the blood that was in Adam, was pure blood that

came from the father in heaven. I think the blood of

Adam and Jesus were the same. They both were pure

and originated from God. Why in the crucifixion, did


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the blood of Jesus have to come out of His body? His

blood was unique in that Jesus knew no sin for He

was sinless and His blood pure. But He that knew no

sin; took our sins upon Himself, that we who are sin-

ners, might become the righteousness of God, throughChrist. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to

be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made

the righteousness of God in him.

Next we will look into mystery of the blood, the

mystery of the marks on the body of Christ and the

New Covenant that we might understand our rela-

tionship to Jesus and our covenant to Him.

Part 2 - The Mystery of the Blood Covenant

The blood of Jesus was unique and incorruptible

because it came from God and Jesus was sinless. Also

we must consider the question that some have asked,

If Jesus truly was the Son of God, then why would

God want to crucify His own son? the only reason

for the crucifixion has to do with blood and the shed-

ding of blood for atonement according to Hebrew

9:22. So the blood of Jesus had to be shed and flow

from His body for Him to be the final Passover sacri-

fice. The blood of all the animals being sacrificed at

the temple had to flood out of the animal for the sacri-

fice to be proper and effective. Also, we must under-stand that his hands, feet and side carry the marks of

the cross. The nail prints from his hands and feet, liter-

ally left holes, not just scars, and also their is hole left

by the spear in his side. John 20:27 Then saith he to

Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;

and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:

and be not faithless, but believing. So Jesus is a

marked man, marked for all eternity. One man whose

testimony I have heard that was taken to heaven stated

that he could see light through the holes in the feet ofJesus when he fell down before Him. Large holes left

by hugh nails. Adam was a marked man in that God

took a rib from his side to make a wife for him.

Abraham and his descendants were marked in their

flesh by circumcision. This is one of the ways that the

Jewish people will recognize Jesus when He returns,

by the marks of the crucifixion that He carries. That is

why none will be able to say that He wasnt crucified

for our sins.

We know that when the animal sacrifices were

brought to the temple and the blood was shed, sins

were covered. Now lets talk about the New Cov-

enant through the blood of Jesus. First, Jesus was born

of the virgin Mary to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14.Why? So, that the blood in His body would be pure

and sinless in nature. At age 12 he was confounding

the scribes and doctors of the law, so He obviously

spent time learning the scriptures and had great wis-

dom even at that early age. But at age 30, the age that

a man was allowed to enter into the priesthood, Jesus

went into public ministry. Jesus was introduced by his

cousin John the Baptist at the Jordan River as the

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the Word.

So, Jesus is introduced as the Lamb. When you talk

about a lamb in Jewish thinking, you are talking about

Passover. That was the time when all the lambs were

offered and sacrificed. He is introduced as the Lamb

of God and as the one who would take away the sins

of the world.

Several things happened at the time of Jesus suf-

fering and crucifixion. The first thing that happens ac-

cording to Matthew is what is called the Last Supper

between Jesus and His disciples. They have the Pass-

over Meal that He would share with His disciples. In

the Jewish Passover, there are four cups used in thePassover Meal. The third cup is called the cup of re-

demption. Apparently, this is the cup Jesus is lifting

when He makes the statement of Matthew 26:27-29.

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to

them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of

the new testament, which is shed for many for the re-

mission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink

henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when

I drink it new with you in my Father\s kingdom. What

He is referring to when He speaks of drinking of thiscup with His disciples in His Fathers kingdom is most

likely what is known as the Marriage Supper of the

Lamb which is a tremendous time of celebration and

worship while partaking of this great feast in heaven.

Revelation 19:7-9. Let us be glad and rejoice,

and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb

is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to

her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,

clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness


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of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are

they which are called unto the marriage supper of the

Lamb... The fourth cup used in the Passover Meal is

called the cup of rejoicing, which is the wedding cup.

That is the particular cup Jesus was probably refer-ring to partaking of with His bride in Heaven. We are

told that as oft as we drink of this cup of the Com-

munion of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus, we

do so in remembrance of Him and His death for us

until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). After that

moment was sealed with the drinking of the cup - which

also is pictured in the Jewish wedding, for after the

man is engaged and he sits down, they drink from a

cup together showing that they are engaged. So that

cup is more than a cup of redemption, but also when

we drink from it, we are showing our fellowship with

Him and that we are espoused to Him.

John 6:53-56 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,

verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of theSon of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in

you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,

hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink

indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,

dwelleth in me, and I in him. He was talking about

this supper. When Abraham met Melchizadek, who

was the first king and priest of the Most High God,

king of Salem, which later became Jerusalem, he of-

fered the wine and the bread to Abraham. So it was atype of the Passover Supper and the Communion

Supper that was to come.

Second: Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of sil-

ver, Matthew 26:14-15. Why did Judas pick 30 pieces

of silver? Yes it was a fulfillment of prophecy of

Zechariah 11:12. More than that, a female slave could

be redeemed back to the owner for 30 pieces of sil-

ver. The word church comes from the Greek ekklesia,

ek-klay-see\-ah, which is a feminine word. We are

considered the bride of Christ on earth. At the mar

single sedition

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