Not making a runner

When Jonah got a task to do from God he was afraid for his own well-being and tried to avoid the task. Jeremiah did not mind complaining sometimes. While Moses more than once questioned what he was supposed to do if it would bring out the best, and even one time forgot to mention that it was God doing what he seemed to do. Moses had an awful difficult task and we can imagine it was not always easy to not to loose his temper, like he did. For him it must have been difficult to see how people who got so many blessings and were liberated from slavery still forgot the Most High who had taken care of them. How was it possible that they came to worship a golden calf? Moses could have pulled out his hairs at times. But he had to recognise that he did not succeed in the plans God had laid out in front of him. Joshua (Yahshua) lead the people God had chosen to the promised land.

An other Yashua or Yahushua (Jeshua > Jesus) was taking the step further. In him we can find the only prophet who managed to keep to all the instructions of God and never disputed them.

This man from Nazareth did not mind that people spit on him or called him dirty names. Jeshua said himself that people could even be forgiven for blaspheming him but no one would be forgiven for blaspheming Him that send him: Yah (Yah is the spirit). Yahuwah or Jehovah is His Father, he wanted everybody to get to know. Jesus took it on him to go around and walk for miles telling the Good News God had in store for every body who wanted to hear.

Jesus was tempted. He encountered many adversaries of God, the Satans of this world. But he never fell in their trap, except when it became all too awfully. For Jesus it was too disgusting that people could dishonour the temple of his Father. That one time he totally lost his temper and threw the shopkeepers and money-changers out of the House of God. They went too far and it had become to much for Christ Jesus to bear that his Fathers worship place was so defiled.

Jesus wanted to clean the place of His Father, because he loved His Father so much that he found this totally unworthy. Go, our Father wants to help to clean out our hearts until their is nothing left that is offensive, and He had given the people a place were they could come close to Him. But God had seen that such a place not always brought the solution. Many Temples or Houses of God, Buildings for God,  or church-buildings, became misused for other ends.

God therefore erected an other temple. He did not require any more burnt offerings or money offerings or contributions. In His only begotten son He had found the one who did not mind doing everything God wanted to be done by him. This man from Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, did not show any hesitation like so many other prophets. In Jesus God had found a humble man who at all times had a heart that wanted do anything to Obey! Jesus was never ashamed of Him who guided him or of His Word which should be known all over the world.

Even in the weakest moment of his life he called out to His Father and told him that he was afraid but did not mind going on in case His Father wanted him to go to face the dreadful death. Jesus had the ascertainment of gains and losses. He trusted His Father. Even in case God wanted that His son would give his life, Jesus was willing to go on the ‘offerings-table’ like Isaac (Yitsḥaq ) giving all his heart. Perhaps Jesus did not see any absolute necessity for his suffering more than the sinner suffered in order to pay man’s ransom price.

Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice

“And Yitsḥaq spoke to Aḇraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “See, the fire and the wood! But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Aḇraham said, “My son, Elohim does provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” And the two of them went together. And they came to the place which Elohim had commanded him, and Aḇraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order. And he bound Yitsḥaq his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Aḇraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, but the Messenger of יהוה called to him from the heavens and said, “Aḇraham , Aḇraham !” And he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy, nor touch him. For now I know that you fear Elohim, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” And Aḇraham lifted his eyes and looked and saw behind him a ram caught in a bush by its horns, and Aḇraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Aḇraham called the name of the place, ‘יהוה Yireh,’ as it is said to this day, “On the mountain יהוה provides.” And the Messenger of יהוה called to Aḇraham a second time from the heavens, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares יהוה , because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I shall certainly bless you, and I shall certainly increase your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore, and let your seed possess the gate of their enemies. “And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
(Genesis 22:7-18 The Scriptures 1998+)

“let Your desire be done on earth as it is in heaven. ” (Matthew 6:10 The Scriptures 1998+)
“saying, “Father, if it be Your counsel, remove this cup from Me. Yet not My desire, but let Yours be done.” ” (Luke 22:42 The Scriptures 1998+)

For Jesus the Will of his Father was Holy and like by King David in his vowels. Also to his disciples he said that his food was that he should be doing the will of the One having sent him so that he could and should finish His work. When looking with undivided attention to the Originator and Perfecter of our faith — יהושע Jesus — who, because of the joy being set before him, endured a wooden stake of torture, blood and death, having disregarded the shame we now can be sure he has come to sit down at the right hand of the throne of his Father יהוה Jehovah, the Only One God.

“I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O my Elohim, And Your Torah is within my heart1.” Footnote: 1Ps. 37:31, Ps. 119:11, Isa. 51:7, Heb. 10:7-9.” (Psalms 40:8 The Scriptures 1998+)
“יהושע said to them, “My food is to do the desire of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. ” (John 4:34 The Scriptures 1998+)
“looking to the Princely Leader and Perfecter of our belief, יהושע, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake, having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.
(Hebrews 12:2 The Scriptures 1998+)

Jesus was taught by God. Jesus made many words of God clear and explained how we should study and understand the Word of His Father to whom we also had to pray to receive guidance and daily bread.

As followers of Christ Jesus we should be pupils from him who are searching for others who can see this truth because it is very hard to live surrounded by those who refuse to listen and want nothing more than for us to run down the broad path with everyone else. As Jesus went in the only one direction to take, we also should choose the right path. Though Christ Jesus could stay blameless, we, being aware of our sinful nature, should try to stay with the least of sins. And when we did something wrong we should regret it and come to God to ask for forgiveness. We should first show remorse for what we did wrong and then try to make it good again.

As Jesus trusted His Father we should give the full trust in his hands and accept Jesus as mediator. But we also should accept that by the offer of Jesus we all now can come directly to Jesus his and our Father and we should know Jehovah and that the things he asks from us are always  for the good of us and the best for this world.

Impalement of Christ like the depiction of a tropaeum, carried by god Aeneas. This fresco was found in Pompeii.

We should remember that the Father of Jesus is the  Elohim Hashem Yah, The Only One God and there is no other God of gods, only the ever existing Jehovah created. Jehovah was the “Yah” (“Ja”) or the “Yes ” (“Ja”), the Being; without Him no life was or is possible. Yahweh and His Spirit, His Thinking are one and the same not separate. The one placed by the Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary is the “Yah shua” the Jeshua who was given this set apart spirit and was guided by “Yah”, the being of and from God. In all his ways Jesus took the guidance of God His Spirit in him up and was completely observant to Him. We also should try to listen to this Holy Spirit and follow His guidance.

Jesus did everything to please his Father and as such he earned it to be placed higher than ordinary people and than the angels, though at first he was lower than them.

“For, let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah יהושע, who, being in the form of Elohim, did not regard equality with Elohim a matter to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and came to be in the likeness of men. And having been found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, death even of a stake. Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, ” (Philippians 2:5-9 The Scriptures 1998+)
“how Elohim did anoint יהושע of Natsareth with the Set-apart Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for Elohim was with Him. ” (Acts 10:38 The Scriptures 1998+)
“For there is one Elohim,1 and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the Man Messiah יהושע, Foornote: 11 Cor. 8:6, Eph. 4:6, Mk. 12:29-34. who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be witnessed in its own seasons, ” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 The Scriptures 1998+)
“By this the love of Elohim was manifested in us, that Elohim has sent His only brought-forth Son into the world, in order that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved Elohim, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning offering for our sins. ” (1 John 4:9-10 The Scriptures 1998+)
“which He wrought in the Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and mastery, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all, to the assembly, ” (Ephesians 1:20-22 The Scriptures 1998+)

When Jesus was dying, He hung helpless upon the tree. He entrusted Himself into the hands of His Father. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Lukas 23:46).

Some can argue that it was something terrible the Creator and Father of Jesus asked from His son. You could argue that the death of the cross was not necessary as our ransom price. But the Father required this extreme obedience as a test, and the loyalty of our dear Redeemer was fully attested.

Jesus asking the cup to be taken away did not want to escape death. The cup was the shame and ignominy of arrest as a law-breaker, a public trial and conviction, and subsequent crucifixion as a malefactor. As any normal man would do, Jesus was not sure that he could stand this or would be able to fulfil the request His Father had made. He not doubted the Father but himself. He did not want to fail in order to be missing the ability to save so many lives. Jesus was exceeding fearful of himself, fearful lest he should make a misstep and thus spoil the entire plan of God which he had so obediently undertaken and thus far so loyally performed. Though God’s measure is not our measure Jesus did not mind to live according God’s measures and to die as a blasphemer or murderer.

Jesus did not want  to attempt neither to follow his own ideas nor to exercise his own will. For him it was important that the Will of His Father was fulfilled and as such that was offered to humankind the salvation from the thread and death brought by the 1° Adam. He wanted to come to God as the 2° Adam and opening the way for the New Creation, and as such being the First Born of that New Creation.

In case we do want to be as followers of Christ taken up in the community of Christians we should have the same gospelfaith as Christ Jesus. Like Jesus trusted his Father we should trust him and Him who had send him. As Jesus told us to pray to the Father we should trust that Father as well.

We are coming close to the 14th of Nisan when we shall remember the Last Meal Jesus took with his disciples and offered his body, his flesh and blood, for all humankind. We are not saved merely because we believe that Jesus Christ died for us on the Cross, but because we trust in him who died and in Him whom had send him on this world.

It is the personal touch between Christ and ourselves that causes His life to pass into our nature, making us sound and healthy, as well as secure and safe.

The blood of the dear Redeemer is to be continually invoked for the cleansing of the slightest defilement of conscience, that thus the wedding garment of our Lord’s imputed righteousness may not become stained, but that the slightest spot being removed, we may have it “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”

What does the ‘Cross‘ or the Wooden Stake mean to you and me?

Does it not mean that there our lord gave himself absolutely to the Father’s will? Never in any way did he make himself the origin and fountain of his action, but was ever the empty channel through which God poured Himself. “He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” It seemed as if he went down lower and lower, on rung after rung of the ladder until he reached Hades, giving up everything only to follow the Will of God; but out of the lowest depths God raised him to the Eternal Throne.

The spirit of the earth is polluted and this is why the set apart spirit is for new.

When we have chosen to follow Christ Jesus, but get some bad moments, what do we do than? As we begin to suffer as Jesus did (for doing the right things, for righteousness sake) are we than willing to be strong enough to continue the right path? Are we than stable enough to stay erect and go through the storm?

“For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps,1 Footnote: 11 Cor. 11:1, 1 John 2:6.” (1 Peter 2:21 The Scriptures 1998+)

When we walk here on this earth and are confronted with the adversaries of God shall we be able to find our strength in the way Jesus was faithful and compassionate and always kept trusting his Father. Are we willing to have the same trust in Jesus and his Father? When we call upon Him in our need do we than also dare to say that “Your will shall happen.” Do we want to take heart, and place our trust in Him who knows what is the best for us?

As Christ Jesus we may not despise the discipline of the Only One God יהוה  Father of Jesus but also of us. so when we are tested or  are reproved we can think of the suffering of that only begotten son who died at the wooden stake.

“For consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and faint in your lives. You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the appeal which speaks to you as to sons, “My son, do not despise the discipline of יהוה, nor faint when you are reproved by Him, for whom יהוה loves, He disciplines, and flogs every son whom He receives.”1 Footnote: 1Prov. 3:11-12. If you endure discipline, Elohim is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become sharers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ” (Hebrews 12:3-8 The Scriptures 1998+)

Without Jesus we are nowhere. Than we could not be saved and would not have such a marvellous prospect.

Therefore we may be thankful that Jesus was following the Will of his Father and could keep to all commandments of his Father. In remembrance of what he did for us we shall come together to take a close look at his life and the reasons he gave it (this life) up, not running away for those who wanted to have him killed.

The Memorial for the year 2012 will be on Thursday, April 5, after sundown, when we take in remembrance  the Fast of the Firstborn, the  Passover Offering commemorating by our recitation of the “Order of the Passover Offering”, and the Lamb of God being brought on the slaughter-table.

For the Memorial Service on April the 5th there will be a service in Dutch and one in English in in Kessel-Lo, an English service in Mons.

On Sunday April the 8th we shall come together in Paris to have a hole day of memorial of Jesus offering himself and a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Service will be bilingual French-English.

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Related articles

1. Abraham’s Faith Proved – Not Tested
2. A new exodus and offering of a Lamb
3. Jesus Christ, His Sacrifice
4. Day of remembrance coming near
5. The Truth Shall Make You Free: From Death to Immortality
6. Impaled until death overtook him
7. Did Jesus die on a Cross or Stake (Stauros)
8. The Cross and Crucifixion
9. Did Jesus die on a cross?
10. Why did Jesus have to die
11. The Stauros of the New Testament: Cross or Stake?
12. Swedish theologian finds historical proof Jesus did not die on a cross
13. Why 20 Nations Are Defending the Crucifix in Europe

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In Dutch:

1. Voorbereidingstijd tot een herinneringsmoment
2. Rond het Paasmaal
3. Achtergelaten aan een paal tot in de dood
4. Zweeds theoloog vindt in historische geschriften dat Jezus niet aan een kruis stierf
5. Bedenking rond Onveranderlijkheid
6. Een gedicht voor Pasen
7. Waarom vast houden aan het kruisbeeld
8. Niet goddelijkheid van Christus toch 

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