Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus the Christ,

” 42 Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine. 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 (Jesus) prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” Luke 22:42-44 (NLT)

During His ministry on the earth, the Lord Jesus spoke and taught about seed; that it always produces after its own kind (John 12:14). The will of GOD concerning YESHUA/JESUS was for His only begotten Son to be the seed for the manifestation of more sons through Him (John 12:24; Galatians 3:28-29; 1Pe 1:23). The Lord Jesus, agreed to be sent of God, and walked in perfect obedience to the will of the Father; that all created in the image of God may (free-will) have the freedom to be reconciled unto the Family of God by the Blood of the One born sans sin. By the treason of the first Adam, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Ro 3:23 (NKJV). The first man along with the first woman were fully clothed of the glory that was lost when Adam used free-will to bow his knee to the thief who only comes to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10a), which in-turn ushered sin into the earth. No one else could obliterate the sin problem once for all; no one else could do it period. Hence, no sense in even thinking much less singing, “it should’ve been me on the cross” because none except the One born as man sans sin could redeem mankind from the unrighteousness that restrained direct fellowship with GOD.

The stick-to-it-ness of Jesus the Anointed One and His Anointing in the face of such hatred by a significant number of His kindred, and the “religious” leadership thereof never ceases to amaze. For a significant number of us often struggle with the temptation to have attitude or take offense with another whether they be family, co-worker, or a random service clerk. (Recently, in speaking with a service representative via phone for less than five minutes, I recognized that I was becoming perturbed with the rep who was clearly inexperienced in regard to an ability to succinctly deliver the information sought.) It is good that we aren’t required to imagine the lonely redemptive work of Christ Jesus. That is, the hours and hours, day upon day of praying, teaching, healing and feeding thousands of people, knowing that the same would call for your brutal execution and take pleasure in adding to its cruelty by spitting upon, mocking and/or jeering during The Passion of The Christ. Yet the Son of LOVE who is GOD set His (what would become beaten to the point of unrecognizable) face like flint to successfully accomplish the will of LOVE who is GOD just because He too loves us. The mystery of the Father’s plan from before the beginning and Jesus’ perfect obedience to it, is the portrait of Agapaõ/Agap?. Oh! I unabashedly profess my love for GOD who first loved me and sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

  The Messiah who is our Lord and Elder Brother – Jesus the Christ desired that we BE joint heirs with Him and heirs of GOD (Romans 8:17). In previous musings and reflections on the Word of God I’ve used the term co-heir which implies part or half whereas “joint” infers the same amount. By Christ Jesus’ redemptive work we’ve been given the same bestowed to Him by the Father because we are His body (Ephesians 1:22-23 AMP). More specifically, those “in Him” have (present tense) what the Father bestowed the precious Lamb of God: “power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” Revelation 5:12 (KJV). All of which is in God’s Kingdom of Light whereof those rendered God’s sons and daughters by the blood of Jesus are present day citizens; and such is “. . . kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” 1 Peter 1:4 (NLT). Abba Father isn’t keeping such from any of us. Rather, He has kept it for each of us; beyond the reach of change and decay is in reference to the thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy. By fellowship with Abba Father through our High Priest – Christ Jesus, such is accessed by the power of the Holy Spirit Who abides within each of us. For the Living Word tells us that it gives the Father great happiness to give us the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). The Omniscient One knows what is necessary for each of us to accomplish our God given assignment; LOVE who is GOD never sends His sons and daughters ill equipped. We are also helped by the Angel(s) of God assigned to minister or assist us (Hebrews 1:14); yet they only move by speak in keeping with the Word of God. Therefore, be ever cognizant of the language which is allowed out of one’s own mouth, as well as the influence of the ungodly speak of others. For that old rhyme which some of us were taught to recite during our youth: “sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you” is a lie from the father of lies (John 8:44). For we are first and foremost a speaking spirit who has a soul (i.e., intellect, will, emotions) and lives in a body. The Lord Jesus only did and said as He heard of the Father (John 5:19, 8:26b, 28 & 38, 12:49-50, 14:10); as ambassadors of Christ so too should we.

Speak the promise . . . Harriet