HABITAT FOR WELLNESS
We all go through life wondering what life is all about? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Why am I having so many challenges? Is there anyone out there that will lend a helping hand to me and my situation? I am willing to go through your program, just to see if that is what I can use to make my life what I feel it needs to be.
A NEW WALK THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT SANCTUARY
Adam's simple test of obedience was designed to build his character for eternity. When he lost the test, he also lost his spiritual, mental and physical life. In his repentance he taught of the True Lamb of God Who would come give His life a ransom for those who would accept Him as Saviour. Adam taught his generation the meaning of "slaying the lamb". God taught His way through the Sanctuary Service of the Old Testament (OT) patterned after the Sanctuary in heaven and pointing forward to the heavenly cleansing of the "Book of Life". Sin will not show it's ugly head throughout eternity after the Judgment is over. When one accepts God's plan for our salvation and comes to the Sanctuary (earthly in OT times or cross/heavenly in New Testament times). We come to the Sanctuary with a lamb -- the Lamb of God, Jesus. The cross fulfilled the OT sacrificial service and points to the Heavenly Sanctuary and God separating the sheep from the goats.
There are three areas in the Sanctuary. The Courtyard represents the cross (Jesus' sacrifice) and baptism at the laver (acceptance of Jesus sacrifice for us personally). The Holy Place represents the work of the principles of the Bible (God's Word) in our life through study, prayer and sharing what we are learning. The Most Holy Place represents the intercession of Jesus claiming His sacrifice for those who have accepted Him as their Saviour and who follow through in rightly representing Him in their daily life. The Father (JEHOVAH, The LORD God) accepts those whom Jesus sees are following Him in the character that will hold back sin throughout eternity. The Most Holy Place incorporates the Day of Atonement, or Investigative Judgment. The Books of Life, of Death, of Rememberance, etc. were written by the recording angels and are used during the Judgment.
As we accept Jesus as our Saviour our name is written in the Book of Life and we are justified. Christ's righteaousness is imputed to us and we are accepted in Jesus, the beloved Son of God. We commit our lives to Jesus by going into baptism, the death and burial of Jesus, to rise to the new life in Christ Jesus. As we study the Bible and make decisions to do what is right to do, we are developing the character of Jesus (sanctification). Our studies, prayers and choices will show our conversion (SNT) and worship of God or our continuing in our own way to do as the world suggest (MCR). When we become a sheep, instead of a goat (always butting against God's revealed way) pardon is written by our name. Choosing to do our own thing causes us to commit the unpardonable sin and we will be lost eternally. (Be sure to see the Bible Studies on each of these subjects to find the Scripture verses for the Topics.) SNT -- Spiritual Nature Transformation MCR -- Moral Conduct Reform
As we accept Jesus as our Saviour our name is written in the Book of Life and we are justified. Christ's righteaousness is imputed to us and we are accepted in Jesus, the beloved Son of God. We commit our lives to Jesus by going into baptism, the death and burial of Jesus, to rise to the new life in Christ Jesus. As we study the Bible and make decisions to do what is right to do, we are developing the character of Jesus (sanctification). Our studies, prayers and choices will show our conversion (SNT) and worship of God or our continuing in our own way to do as the world suggest (MCR). When we become a sheep, instead of a goat (always butting against God's revealed way) pardon is written by our name. Choosing to do our own thing causes us to commit the unpardonable sin and we will be lost eternally. (Be sure to see the Bible Studies on each of these subjects to find the Scripture verses for the Topics.) SNT -- Spiritual Nature Transformation MCR -- Moral Conduct Reform
ISAIAH 53 1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of theLord revealed?
2. For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3. He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet, we esteem
Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet, He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
8. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people was he stricken.
9. And He made His grave with the wicked; and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in His mouth.
10. Yet, it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief; when Thou shalt make His soul an
offering for sin. He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper
in His hand.
11. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied; by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant
justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
12. Therefore, will I divide Him a portion with the great; and He shall divide the spoil with the strong because
He hath poured out His soul unto death; and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many; and made intercession for the transgressors.
2. For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3. He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet, we esteem
Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet, He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
8. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people was he stricken.
9. And He made His grave with the wicked; and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in His mouth.
10. Yet, it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief; when Thou shalt make His soul an
offering for sin. He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper
in His hand.
11. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied; by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant
justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
12. Therefore, will I divide Him a portion with the great; and He shall divide the spoil with the strong because
He hath poured out His soul unto death; and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many; and made intercession for the transgressors.
A PROGRESSIVE WALK THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT SANCTUARY
Suppose you had a good sermon and I said to you, "Thank you for bringing us to the Door of the Sanctuary." (Meaning the Old Testament (OT) Sanctuary. What in spiritual terms would I mean? --Think about your answer before you go further.In Psalms 77:13 we read "Thy Way, O LORD, is in the Sanctuary." What is meant by this? In Psalms 4:27 we are counselled "Ponder the path of your feet, let all your ways be established." How do we establish our ways to meet God's path through the Sanctuary?
There is a lot of symbolism in the Bible, especially in the Sanctuary and Revelation. For example, there are several meanings for water in the Bible. We have good and bad spiritual counsel or in the physical we have the good and bad water. In the Spiritual realm, Jesus is the Living Water and we can live by every Word that comes from the mouth of God (the Bible and His providence of guiding us in our life) and His character can be developed in us by studying and obeying His Word. On the side of "erpy" (unhealthy) water we have false teachings or ways that will lead us to continue developing the character that will lead us to treason against God. We are in a spiritual warfare and our soul is our inner life that carries out our decisions. We are creatures of habit and we follow our decisions unless we make another choice and develop new pathways for our feet and brain by repetition in life. In Proverbs 3:5-7, we are not to trust or depend on our own understanding and in 2 Timothy 2:15, we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God. God has given us His Word to lead us to eternal life. John 3:16. As we rightly divide God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15) we begin to understand the symbolism presented by the Words of the Bible perserved for our learning. As God guided those who wrote the Bible (2 Peter 1:21), He will enlighten our mind to understand this Holy Word from God.
