Before constructing and laying the FOUNDATION of a building,

 

 

the area must be PREPARED by SMOOTHING & LEVELING 

 

Strong’s Hebrew Concordance

THRESHINGFLOOR ^[h1637] occurs 36 times in 36 verses (17 books)

• from an unused root meaning: TO SMOOTH (as made EVEN) , aplace levelled.

David purchased the THRESHING FLOOR at MOUNT MORIAH in Jerusalem

 

 

where EARS of GRAIN would then be CUT & CRUSHED with the threshing board

 

 

in order to  SMOOTH & LEVEL 

 

 

which would be where SOLOMON’S TEMPLE would be built upon.

2 Chronicles 3 : Temple Construction Begins (1 Kings 6:1-4)

1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah ^[h4179], where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

 God does does not dwell in temple made with hands

and thus served as a FORESHADOWING of what was to come.

 

~ foreshadowing ~

 

This is why  John the Baptist,

whose LOINS were GIRDED with TRUTH,

and who Malachi & Isaiah prophesied would

“prepare the way”,

was sent before Jesus to

“prepare peoples hearts”

and to make their

PATHS “STRAIGHT, LEVEL, or SMOOTH”

 by preaching REPENTENCE and baptism. 

LUKE 3 : THE MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Isaiah 40:1-5; Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; John 1:19-28) 

 4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,   The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight^[g2117].  5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Every valley shall be filled,

 and every mountain and hill shall be brought low;

ROUGH WAYS SHALL BE MADE SMOOTH

 

Strong’s Greek Concordance

Straight ^[g2117] 

• (literally) LEVEL or SMOOTH 

• (figuratively) TRUE;

Matthew 3 : The Mission of John the Baptist(Isaiah 40:1-5; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-28)

1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2And saying, Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight^[g2117]. 4And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.10And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  11I indeed baptize you with water to repentance. but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. 12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his grain into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

JESUS then WINNOWED

the loosened GRAIN and HUSKS with His Hand

 

 

TO

THE LIGHT CHAFF 

---

 

-vs-

 

THE  HEAVIER LOOSENED GRAIN : 

---

 

Mark 13 : Temple Destruction Foretold (Matthew 24:1-4; Luke 21:5-9)

1And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! 2And Jesus answering said to him, See you these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone on another, that shall not be thrown down.

Matthew 21 : Parable of the Wicked Tenants

42Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.44And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

Luke 14 : The Cost of Following Jesus (Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 9:57-62; John 6:60-65)

25And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said to them, 26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?29Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,   

Jesus, the TRUE son of David,

then laid THE NEW FOUNDATION and CORNERSTONE in our hearts,

where he rebuilt the temple not made with hands in 3 days

 

Isaiah 28 :  A Cornerstone in Zion (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 Peter 2:4-12)

14Why hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing whip shall pass through, it shall not come to us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: 16Therefore thus said the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not make haste.17Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing whip shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it. 

God’s standard of Righteousness

 

JUSTIFICATION

is builders term for whether

a stone is “TRUE” or not

by using a  

PLUMMET

 

 

 The PLUMMET is a line or cord

that has a weight such as a plumb bob at the end

and determines verticality.

ie.  is the stone upright or 90 degrees, level, smooth, true 

 

 

If the STONE “IS NOT TRUE”

then it is considered

WORTHLESS

Our JUSTIFICATION as “TRUE” stones

IS NOT BASED OFF OUR OWN WORKS

 

 

but by the WORK DONE FOR US on the CROSS

and OBEDIENCE to HIS WORD

 

Hebrews 3 :Jesus Our Apostle and High Priest

1Why, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;2Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honor than the house. 4For every house is built by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5And Moses truly was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Hebrews 8: A more excellent ministry

2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true ^[g228]tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.  3For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: why it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 4For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:5Who serve to the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, said he, that you make all things according to the pattern showed to you in the mount. 6But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

The New Covenant

7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, said the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, said the Lord. 10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, said the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13In that he said, A new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 9 : The Earthly Tabernacle (Exodus 25:1-9; Exodus 40:1-33)

1Then truly the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 2For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the show bread; which is called the sanctuary. 3And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

6Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 7But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: 8The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 9Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 10Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Redemption through His Blood

11But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.16For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives. 18Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God has enjoined to you. 21Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

23It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true ^[g228]; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world has he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation.

Hebrews 10 : Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All (Psalm 147:1-20; Romans 3:1-8)

1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5Why when he comes into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you would not, but a body have you prepared me: 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have had no pleasure. 7Then said I, See, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do your will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin you would not, neither had pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, See, I come to do your will, O God. He takes away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are Sanctified ^[g37]through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From now on expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he has perfected for ever them that are Sanctified ^[g37].15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, said the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

A Call to Persevere(Jude 1:17-23)

19Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true ^[g228]heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24And let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.

26For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth^[g225], there remains no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified ^[g37], an unholy thing, and has done despite to the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him that has said, Vengeance belongs to me, I will recompense, said the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions;33Partly, whilst you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst you became companions of them that were so used. 34For you had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 35Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. 36For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.

37For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39But we are not of them who draw back to perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. .

We are JUSTIFIED (declared RIGHTEOUS) 

and SAVED from WRATH through Him by FAITH 

in His Blood that was shed for us.

Strong’s Greek Concordance

Justified ^[g1344] δικαιόω dikaióō^,  occurs 48 times in 36 verses

• to render righteous or such he ought to be

• to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered

• to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be

•  from G1342; to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:—free, justify(-ier), be righteous.

 

Not because we deserved it, or through adherence to the Law, 

but through our Faith in the one who did fulfill all Righteousness on our behalf.

 

THIS DOES NOT MAKE THE LAW VOID however, it ESTABLISHES THE LAW

 

EXAMPLE:

 

If we were charged with murder, and we were somehow acquitted (Grace/Mercy),

this should make me even more gracious and mindful of never doing it again (obedience) 

 

OUR DEBT IS NOW SATISFIED

 

Just as Solomon hired Stone Squarer’s to hew justified stones for the temple…

 

1 Kings 5 : Solomon’s Workmen and Laborers

. 17And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. 18And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stone squarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

He works to carve His image into us and to make us TRUE stones through his Holy Spirit. We are justified by HIS BLOOD through FAITH and obedience to His Commandments.  Being JUSTIFIED in HIS sight, means you are TRUE, RIGHTEOUS, BLAMELESS, INNOCENT and UPRIGHT.  

  Both WATER and FIRE are SANCTIFYING (purifying) AGENTS.

 

The CAUSE by which we are SANCTIFIED:

Christ’s Righteous blood shed on the cross for us

The MEANS by which we are SANCTIFIED:

Faith & the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit which

guides us in understanding His Word, which is the Truth

The EFFECT of our SANCTIFICATION:

Being made Holy and Priests of God, Sanctified in Christ,  

applying Salvation to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto Him.

1 Peter 1  : A Living Hope

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace, be multiplied. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7That the trial of your faith^[g4102], being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:8Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Strong’s Greek Concordance

Faith ^[g4102] 

• conviction of the TRUTH of anything, belief; persuasion, i.e. credence;
• moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation;  

from  ^[g3982]

• to convince (by argument, TRUE or FALSE); 

When faced being CONVICTED of Crime, people are often

 asked to take a LIE DETECTOR TEST, 

 where  they tie a band around your HEART.

 

 

It measures and records several physiological

indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity 

while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions.

 

You are first asked basic questions like:

“What your name”?,  “what is your age”?

 

 

TO ESTABLISH A 

 

(“a minimum starting point used for comparisons “) 

 

You are then asked more interrogating questions…

 

HIS WORD ESTABLISHES the

The Needle

 

 

is Established (Fixed) in

 

TRUTH

 

because of HIS  

 

The MEANS by which we are Saved :

FAITH & OBEDIENCE

The CAUSE by which we are Saved :

GRACE & MERCY (a free gift)

The EFFECT of being Saved :

SALVATION OF SOUL

(saved from the wrath of the Law, by being declared Justified/Righteous through Faith )

Just as following the Law does not make you justified,  but is an expression of the fact that you have been reconciled to Him. When we abide in Him, through FAITH (a conviction of the truth) : We are no longer subject to the wrath  stipulated in the Law.  We are not longer  under the curse of the Law or Sin.

Psalm 66 :

10For you, O God, have proved us: you have tried us, as silver is tried. 11You brought us into the net; you laid affliction on our loins. 12You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but you brought us out into a wealthy place.

MALACHI 3 : THE COMING DAY OF JUDGMENT (John 1:6-13)

1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, said the LORD of hosts.2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, said the LORD of hosts.

WORTHLESS METAL : DROSS

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-vs-

TRIED PURIFIED SILVER

---

UNCLEAN HEART

---

-vs-

CLEAN  HEART

---

PSALM 17

3You have proved my heart; you have visited me in the night; you have tried me, and shall find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4Concerning the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5Hold up my goings in your paths, that my footsteps slip not.

Psalm 11 :

4The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5The LORD tries the righteous: but the wicked and him that loves violence his soul hates.6On the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.7For the righteous LORD loves righteousness; his countenance does behold the upright.

zechariah 13 : The Shepherd Struck, Sheep Scattered

7Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, said the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand on the little ones. 8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, said the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

BROAD PATH OF DESTRUCTION

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-vs-

 

NARROW PATH OF LIFE

---

PAVED WITH GOLD

---

-vs-

 

 

PAVED WITH BLOOD

---

 

“one of these things is not like the other”

Matthew 13 : The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables (Mark 4:10-12)

10And the disciples came, and said to him, Why speak you to them in parables ^[g3850]? 11He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has. 13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand^[h4920]. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which said, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand^[h4920]; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: 15For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand^[h4920]with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

MATTHEW 13 : THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TAREs

24Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did not you sow good seed in your field? from where then has it tares? 28He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Will you then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said,  No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,  Gather you together  first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS EXPLAINED

36Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came to him, saying, Declare to us the parable of the tares of the field. 37He answered and said to them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man;  

38The field is the world; 

the good seed are the children of the kingdom; 

the tares are the children of the wicked one; 

39The enemy that sowed them is the devil;  the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at the end of this world41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

THE VEIL in the temple which led to the Holy of Holy’s

which contained the ARK of the COVENANT represented the FLESH. 

The Ark of the Covenant contained the 10 Commandments.

 

A SHADOW is caused by the INTERCEPTION OF LIGHT

 

 

THE LIGHT was intercepted by our FLESH 

which caused the SHADOW and barred the Commandments,

and the Righteousness of the LAW from being sown in our heart.

 

My other grandfather, on my mom’s side of the family, loved pecans.   He would go and gather pecans that fallen from trees.  He  would spend countless hours cracking them, packaging them, and giving them to his friends as gifts.  This is a picture of him gathering them up and my mother recently found the cracker he used which was made in 1925.

A pecan,  is not truly a nut, but is technically a drupe,  a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk.

THE SHELL | HUSK

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-vs-

THE FRUIT

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THE HUSK

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-vs-

THE FRUIT

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THE NASHVILLE STATEMENT is an evangelical Christian statement of faith relating to human sexuality and gender roles authored by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) in Nashville, Tennessee.^[1][2][3] The Statement expresses support for an opposite-sex definition of marriage, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and “self-conception as male and female.” The Statement sets forth the signatories’ opposition to LGBT sexuality, same-sex marriage, polygamy, polyamory, adultery, and fornication.  It was criticized by egalitarian Christians and LGBT campaigners,^[3][6] as well as by several conservative religious figures

TRUTH and LOVE are inextricably bound together. 

Love that calls wrong right and right wrong is not love.

Love that compromises truth simply is not love.

Real love corrects and forgives.  Real, biblical, self-sacrificing, God-honoring love never compromises what God says is right and true.  Love that compromises truth simply isn’t love.  Truth without love ceases to be truth because it gets bent and twisted by other human agendas.

 

Real, biblical, self-sacrificing, God-honoring love never compromises what God says is right and true. 

 

Truth without love ceases to be truth because it gets bent and twisted by other human agendas. If love wants and works for what is best for you, then love is committed to being part of what God says is best in your life.  So, I am committed to being God’s tool for what he says is best in your life, even if that means we have to go through tense and difficult moments to get there.  I think often we opt for silence, willingly avoiding issues and letting wrong things go on unchecked, not because we love the other person, but because we love ourselves and just don’t want to go through the hassle of dealing with something that God says is clearly wrong.  We are unwilling to make the hard personal sacrifices that are the call of real love.  Now, I’m not talking about being self-righteous, judgemental , critical, and condemning.  No, I’m talking about choosing not to ignore wrong, but dealing with wrong the same grace that you have been given by God.  Grace never calls wrong right.  If wrong were right, grace wouldn’t be necessary.  If sin weren’t evil and wrong, Jesus would never have had to come. 

 

The cross of Jesus Christ is the only model you need of what love does in the face of wrong.  Love doesn’t call wrong right.  Love doesn’t ignore wrong and hope it goes away.  love doesn’t turn its back on you because you are wrong.  Love doesn’t mock you.  Love doesn’t mean I turn the tables and work to make you hurt in the same way you have hurt me.  Love doesn’t go passive and stay silent in the face of wrong.  Love moves toward you because you are wrong and need to be rescued from you.  In moving toward you, love is willing to make sacrifices and endure hardships so that you may be made right again and be reconciled to God and others.  God graces us with this kind of love so that we may be tools of this love in the lives of others. 

When you marry 2 homosexuals you are celebrating what God considers detestable.    Now you have made God’s Law and what Jesus did on the Cross void.   Jesus came to save us from our sins.  If you don’t acknowledge sin, you wan’t value grace.  If you don’t value grace and you won’t seek the forgiveness and rescue it provides.  It minimizes the gravity of our condition.  If we say homosexuality is not a sin you are saying the boundaries set by God are meaningless.  Now there is no separation.  There is no sanctification or holiness.   There is no right.  There is no wrong.  There is no distinction between clean and unclean.  The lines are blurred and all that is left is confusion. 

Leviticus 18 : Unlawful Sexual Relations (Matthew 5:27-30)

1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am the LORD your God. 3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein you dwelled, shall you not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I bring you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in their ordinances. 4You shall do my judgments, and keep my ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. 5You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.   

19Also you shall not approach to a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. 20Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her. 21And you shall not let any of your seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. 22You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23Neither shall you lie with any beast to defile yourself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

24Defile not you yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof on it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants. 26You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojournes among you: 27(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) 28That the land spew not you out also, when you defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you. 29For whoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30Therefore shall you keep my ordinance, that you commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that you defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

PSALM 44 : REDEEM US 

15My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me, 16For the voice of him that reproaches and blasphemes; by reason of the enemy and avenger. 17All this is come on us; yet have we not forgotten you, neither have we dealt falsely in your covenant.

1 CORINTHIANS 14

33For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.