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Elijah and the journey to the whirlwind, 1 of 3

12/31/2022

Hi all,
Today we talk about the process of our walk with the Father God and with the Lord Jesus.

Paul stated in I Corinthians 10:11 that the things that happened to Israel serve as examples for us. So today we will look at the real life events of Elijah and Elisha as they walked to Elijah's appointment with destiny.

The story is played out in II Kings 2.
Verse 11 says simply:"...as they walked and talked together, a chariot of fire led by horses of fire separated them." The King James Version uses the word 'whirlwind' but it is actually the word 'storm' or 'tempest', here seen as a fiery storm that disappeared as quickly as it came up.

At least one commentator makes the point the Hebrew could be translated that Elijah was 'consumed' by the fire which as a fire does, ascend into the sky. It would mirror his victory on the Mount in I Kings 18:38 when fire from heaven came down and consumed the offering, in this case Elijah offering himself to the Lord.

In other words, there is nothing to suggest Elijah's soul went to God's heaven, but rather he joined the rest of the dead in Paradise as his body was consumed in the fire storm as it dissipated into the heavens.

That's just something to think about, but this is our focus...
What we are interested in however, is the places they went to before that famous day.

Where they went before Elijah was taken away serves as an example to our own lives, to the processes God works in us as we mature. Some may recall I've shared how the Father told me once when I told Him that His life must be boring since He knows everything:"I enjoy the process."

Having Christ in us means He isn't 'out there' as a mildly interested 3rd party watching us go through things; no, Christ is in us, in our spirit, so He is walking WITH us and IN us as we together walk through life.

Their walk is shown in II Kings 2:1-11 as Elijah tells Elisha he may leave, even insists he leave, but Elisha refuses. They start in Gilgal, then walk to Bethel and then to Jericho, then 'to Jordan'. We are told in I Kings 17:1 that was where Elijah was born, so he was headed home to die or be taken.

Each stop along the way is an example to our own 'stops' along the walk to spiritual maturity. Elisha is given the opportunity to leave Elijah 3 times, and each time refuses. Haven't we all also had opportunities to leave our walk with the Lord, and you are reading this today because you refused? Even if you left for a time to get off the path of the Lord, it was just for a time and in the past. There it must stay.

Gilgal means 'wheel' or 'rolling' as a wheel rolls along:The end of one season and start of another
When Moses died and all that generation that came out of Egypt had died in the wilderness as well, their children entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. (Because of their obedience Joshua and Caleb were the only 2 from the generation that came out of Egypt to be allowed to enter the Promised Land)

Gilgal is where they stopped, on the border of the wilderness just east of Jericho, not yet in the Promised Land but no longer fully in the wilderness. There, the young men who had been born in the wilderness were circumsiced, which means they newly entered into covenant with the Lord.

Romans 2:29 and Colossians 2:11 says circumcision is a type, an example for us of the 'circumcision of the heart' that happens when we are born again - our proof of covenant with the Lord, who also then seals us with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13)

Joshua 5:8-10 records the event, and the Lord makes an interesting statement to Joshua:"Now the reproach of Egypt is off you."

Why? The act of circumcision for a male Hebrew is an act of making covenant with God, so it is the start of a new walk with God and leaving the past. But notice they were physically on the border between their past and their future. On the border this happened:Not only did their hearts change to go fully with the Lord, but physically they were making decisions and acting on them to move into their future with the Lord.

This is important. We first leave the wilderness in our hearts before we physically leave our situation.

It was in the wilderness these young people had suffered the loss of their parents and that whole generation that proceeded them. All their parent's friends were dead. All their relatives from that generation died one by one in the wilderness. Cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles - all dead. Only their generation was left alive.

In our own wilderness experiences we too experience death; the death of things, habits, friendships we once considered close. We leave them all behind in order to walk to our Promised Land. At the time, these children who were born in the wilderness, now young adults, had only heard about this Promised Land. They had dreamed about it, talked about it, but only Joshua and Caleb had actually seen it. These 2 men were examples for these 'children' of how to live life - perhaps you have a person or two like that in your life - learn from them!

This is the place, Gilgal, where II Kings 2:2 records Elijah first suggesting to Elisha that he stay there
Elisha refuses. He isn't content just to be in that border town. They are at Gilgal, 'wheel' or 'rolling', and Elisha wants to keep rolling along the path of his destiny.

He doesn't want to live with one foot in the past and one foot in the future, for he knows if he stays there he will never see the Promise. So he continues walking with Elijah, leaving the border time behind him and not looking back.

So too did the young Israelites, for after they were healed from their circumcision, the mighty city of Jericho was before them - first step into walking with God and they have a battle! Perhaps they thought walking with God would be easier, but no, the first thing on their walk with His will and it is the mighty walled city that must come down. Rather than shrink back in fear and uncertainty, they sought God, and He showed them how to win their first victory.

We will pick it up there next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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EndTimes Types & Shadows 3 of 3, listing some types, & marriage

12/24/2022

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Hi all,
I've been listing a few of the types and shadows which show there is a 6,000 year time given to man, then judgement, then a time of rest on the 7th day, or 7th set of 1,000 year periods.

Here are a few listed very briefly:
Creation took 6 days, and the 7th He quit creating.
Slaves in Israel worked 6 years and had the 7th year free. Exodus 21:2, Dt. 15:1
After 6 days Moses was called to meet with the Lord on the Mount in a cloud of glory. Exodus 24:16
Lazarus was dead a total of 6 days, and raised from the dead on the 7th day. John 11:1, 5-6, 14, 39
King Solomon had 6 steps up his throne, with the 7th being his throne. II Chronicles 9:18

In each of these and the ones I've shown the previous 2 weeks, there are 6 days of man, then on the 7th day we see rest, freedom, the Lord coming, a wedding feast, or other 'new day' dawning for the person or nation.

The Transfiguration
Both Mark 9:1-2 and Matthew 17:1 state: "After 6 days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him aside to a high mountain apart from the others." That He took others with Him up to the Mount would suggest a type of the rapture. Again, it was 'after 6 days', so this is the 7th day the were taken up with the Lord in glory.

He was then transfigured before them, with the Father descending in a white cloud and speaking to them. Also, Moses and Elijah appeared to Him, speaking out of the Law and Prophets of His approaching death in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:31. Also, Luke says 'about 8 days later' while Matthew and Mark specifically state '6 days later', being more exact whereas Luke was approximating the time.)

What is interesting is that preceding each of these 3 mentions in the gospels, Jesus said: "Some of you here will not taste death until you see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." (Mt 16:28, Mk 9:1, Lk 9:27)

That He said this about not tasting death, then the 7th day later came His transfiguration, is a type of the rapture, what is known in Judaism as the 'natzal' or 'plucking away'.

Lest some be confused, prophecy is often fulfilled in degrees, in types and shadows. Jesus was here giving an example of what His return will look like - clouds of heaven as Jesus stated in Matthew 24:30, not clouds of the earth, but the glory cloud of the Father.

In the same way He earlier called John the Baptist, 'Elijah who was told would come' in Matthew 11:14. He wasn't literally Elijah, but was in the type of ministry and spirit of Elijah - calling Israel to repentance and to make their mind up once and for all to follow the Lord, or not.

The 2 days where Messiah isn't seen, or 2,000 years:
Jesus stayed in Gentile Samaria with the woman at the well, 2 days. John 4:40. The 2 days being a type of the 2,000 years He would be seen and accepted among the Gentiles of the earth.

The Good Samaritan gave the innkeeper 2 pence, which was 2 days wages to care for the injured man, with the promise to return and pay any bills due. Luke 10:35 The 2 days or 2,000 years given to heal the man shows the Lord's ministry among the Gentiles to be one of healing of the body and soul.

We've already seen the 2 missing days before the wedding at Cana, the 2 days Hosea mentions, but there is one more set of '2 days' or '2,000 years' I want to mention.

From the year 70 to 1967, nearly 2,000 years where Messiah wasn't seen in Israel
In Luke 21:24 Jesus has been talking about the destruction of the temple which would happen nearly 40 years after He was talking about it, in the year 70.

Of that time He said: "...and they will be brutally killed and led away into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled."

We have to take note of this - when our Lord states that there is a 'time of the Gentiles' to be fulfilled, we should mark it in stone. There IS a time allotted for the Gentiles, and then it will one day be fulfilled. Over and done with. There is a set time for non-Jewish people to come to the Lord, and once done, that time will close. That doesn't mean people won't be saved, it just means in the season of the Spirit, the focus shifts from Gentiles to Israel - and that is what The Revelation is about - Israel accepting their Messiah.

Jesus said that time of the Gentiles will be marked by the city of Jerusalem being overrun (controlled) by Gentiles 'until the time of the Gentiles if fulfilled.'

When Israel was destroyed in the year 70, they were indeed led away into all the nations. They became a nation again in the year 1948, but only took control of Jerusalem from the Gentiles in 1967. Therefore 1967 starts the end of the 'time of the Gentiles'.

Paul also noted this in Romans 11:25: "I don't want you to be ignorant of the mystery lest you be lifted up in pride in your thinking, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."

Combining these two we see Jesus saying there is a time of the Gentiles, which will end when Israel takes control of Jerusalem, and blindness will lift from the Jewish people (about their Messiah) when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.

Since the middle 1960's until now, we've seen that blindness lifting off the Jewish people. At the same time the gospel is being preached in all the world. So it seems while the Gentile time is winding down, blindness is indeed lifting off Israel, so we must be close to the end of the '2 days' or 2,000 year time of the Gentiles.

I hope this has been an interesting study of some of the types and shadows both about the 'big picture' of the 7,000 year plan of God, and the 'end times' element as well. New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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EndTimes Types & Shadows 2 of 3, Joash and Rebekah

12/17/2022

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Hi all,
Most people aren't familiar with the story of Joash the rightful king, and the imposter who ruled in his place for 6 years, but it provides a wonderful picture of the 7,000 year plan of God for mankind.

Joash is a type of Jesus
II Kings 11 opens with the death of Ahaziah who had been the king of Judah. He was the brother of Ahab the wicked king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He like his brother did not walk with the Lord. When he died, it tells us his mother, Athaliah, killed all the rival royal family members - she thought she got them all.

One of the unsung heroes of the Bible is the woman named Jehoshaba, a princess herself, who knew that Joash was the rightful king. II Kings 11:3 tells her heroic act:

"He (Joash) was with her and hidden away in the house of the Lord for 6 years. And Athaliah (dead king Ahaziah's mom) ruled over the land."

I find it interesting the name 'Joash' means 'given by Jehovah' or 'Jehovah is strong' or 'Jehovah is fire'.

Athaliah was not about to let the rightful king rule, so she killed all possible relatives, ruling over the land in her dead son's place. She didn't know one got away. Joash is a type of Jesus, Athaliah is a type of the devil. She ruled 6 years which is a type of the devil ruling the world 6,000 years.

When Satan tempted Jesus in Luke 4: 6 he told Jesus if He worshipped him he would give him the kingdoms of this world, 'for they have been given to me'. That is what Adam had done, as Hosea 6:7 says: "They like Adam have transgressed the covenant. They have dealt treacherously with Me." Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:4 that the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe.

For 6 years, a type of 6,000 years of mankind, the deceiver has ruled in place of the King. He is hidden in the temple with God until He comes to take His rightful place as King.

II Kings 11:4-11 tells us that in the 7th year the rightful king, Joash, is brought out from hiding and revealed to the nation, and crowned King over the land and the evil imposter, Athaliah was executed.

This is one of only 2 places we get a glimpse of Israel's coronation ceremony (the other being with Solomon). This ceremony too is a type of the crowning of Jesus as King.

We are told in II Kings 11:11-12 the king was brought out, and a crown was put on his head and he was given 'the testimony', or in Hebrew, 'solemn law' of God, and he was anointed with oil. Jesus of course is the Word of the Father in the flesh, is crowned King and is anointed by the Holy Spirit to rule.

But we see again the 7,000 year plan of 6,000 years where an imposter rules the earth, then judgement, then the rightful king rules.

Abraham, Eliezer, Isaac and Rebekah - and the rapture
The parallels are so many I can't go into all detail, but will stick to the subject of this series. We see that Abraham represents the Father God, who has a son of promise as Abraham had a son of promise, Isaac.

Abraham (Father) send his servant Eliezer (the Holy Spirit) to find a wife for Isaac (Jesus). Eliezer took 10 camels loaded with gifts and supplies and found Rebekah (church) eagerly carrying water to meet the needs - the water a type of the Holy Spirit and life of God in service to others as the primary purpose for having the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Genesis 25:20 tells us Isaac married at age 40, which relates to Jesus coming to earth at the 4,000 year mark to take a bride for Himself, which He did through the cross, resurrection, and ascension.

Genesis 25:26 tells us Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born, Jacob being renamed Israel. Being born at his age 60, or 6,000 years, shows us again that Jesus took out a bride at the 4,000 year mark, and at the 6,000 year mark Israel will be revived to live with the Lord.

So here again, the author skips over 2 days. He mentions Isaac married at age 40 or Jesus coming at 4,000 years. Then he skips over the next 2 days or 2,000 years. Then mentions Israel born at age 60 or 6,000 years.

This is like last week when I shared about John's missing 2 days or 2,000 years before the wedding in Cana, and Hosea's mention of "after 2 days" or 2,000 years "He will revive us to live in His sight."

The rapture in a snapshot
But let's go back to where Isaac meets his bride, Rebekah, for the first time face to face. The story is told in Genesis 24:62-67.

Isaac has left his father's house, and in the evening he goes out into the middle of a field to meditate on the things of the Lord. He must have known Rebekah would soon be with him and we can only imagine his thoughts. You may recall from Jesus' parables, especially in the Parable of the Sower from Mark 4, the the earth stands for the human heart, and it also can stand for the earth, all mankind as a harvest for the Lord.

Isaac is standing in the field, representing the earth, away from his father's house, when he sees Rebekah coming to him. She in turn jumps off her camel and runs into the field to meet Isaac privately - she too having left her home to meet her groom as Isaac left his father's house to meet his bride in the field.

This is a beautiful and romantic scene where the Lord leaves His Father's house to come part way to us, and we in turn are changed in the blink of an eye to rise and meet 'Him in the air' as Paul states, in between our mutual homes.

Isaac then takes Rebekah to his father's house, even as the Lord having met us in between homes, and takes us to His Father's house, where He has prepared a place for us.

When we combine this love story showing the rapture, with Isaac getting married at 40, showing us Jesus taking a bride 4,000 years into man's existence since Adam, and him having Jacob (Israel) at age 60 or at 6,000 years Israel will live with the Lord, we can only be in awe of the goodness of the Lord.

Amazing grace..and more to come next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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End Times Types & Shadows 1 of 3. a flood and wedding

12/10/2022

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Hi all,
When Barb and I lived in Colorado, we loved to walk in the mountains and prairies. We had 3 young boys, 2 walking and Chris carried on my back because he couldn't walk, and off we would go into the wilderness.

I would first study the area with a map, and carry one with me as well. As we walked I was looking for particular mountains or signs along a trail, or noted features on a map like a rock formation. As we walked I would mentally make note of each sign, lake or rock outcropping so that I knew exactly where we were.

Seeing those features and signs assured us we were headed in the right direction. That is the role of the types and shadows of end time events found in scripture. We may have a basic idea of certain end time events, but our beliefs are confirmed by the types and shadows in scripture. Individually they are just events recorded, but together they form a body of knowledge that supports and confirms larger teachings about the plan of God.

This little study will list some of these scriptural 'landmarks' along the trail, especially about the time frame of 7,000 years given for mankind. It should further confirm and assure us of the Father's overall plan for our lives, for we are a tiny part of a much larger drama being played out on planet earth.

Why 7,000 years?
This is a long-held Jewish belief based on God taking 6 days to create the world and then quit on the 7th day Accordingly, man will live 6,000 years and then the world will enter a 7th 'day' of 1,000 years of rest. What we call the Millennial age. The number of man therefore is 6, the number of God and completion, 7.

Peter was Jewish and grew up with this understanding as stated in II Peter 3:8 that "1 day with the Lord is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years as 1 day."

While this is a statement of the timelessness of the Father, able to be in the past, present and future at the same time, the principle of 1 day equalling 1,000 years and 1,000 years equaling 1 day, is also verified throughout scripture.

Hosea
This theme of 1 day equalling 1,000 years is found in Hosea 6:2. Following a plea for Israel to return to the Lord: "After 2 days He will revived us, in the 3rd day He will raise us up to live with Him."

This has long been understood to mean God will not be seen by them for 2,000 years which is the 2 days. But in the 3rd day or the 3rd set of 1,000 years He will raise up Israel to live with Him on the earth.

This alludes to the 2,000 years of the 'time of the Gentiles', when Israel was destroyed in the year 70 and after nearly 2,000 years became a nation once again. They have suffered mightily the last 2000 years, and many wonder why God has forsaken them. To them, from their Jewish perspective, God has not been seen these last 2,000 years - but on that 3rd day, He will cause them to live again, and live with Him on the earth.

Noah
We are told in Genesis 7:6 that Noah lived 600 years then judgement came. So there will be 6,000 years for man, then judgement. During the judgement just as in Noah's day, the righteous will be 'floated' above the earth. Then a 1,000 year 'day' of rest/fresh start follows. (Millennial age with Jesus ruling on earth)

Noah was instructed in Genesis 6:16 by the Lord to make the ark with 3 levels. This is a type of Colossians 2:9 which says: "For in Him is the fullness of the Godhead bodily." This showed Noah and those around him the triune God - Father, Son, Holy Spirit within and part of the Ark. Jesus Christ carries us to safety above the flood waters of judgment.

Genesis 7:16 says as they entered the Ark, "the Lord shut them in". This is a type of Ephesians 1:13 and 4:30 which states when we believed in the Lord, the Holy Spirit sealed us in Him. As Noah and family entered Christ, the Ark, the Holy Spirit sealed them in Christ.

They floated above the flood waters because they were sealed inside the Ark - this is a type of the pre-tribulation rapture. Judgment came when Noah was 600 years old, a type of man living for 6,000 years and then the judgement - and believers will be lifted above it. We are nearing the end of that 6,000 years....

The wedding at Cana
John is led to count the days of John the Baptist's ministry and the start of Jesus' ministry over the course of 5 days. Those 5 days stand for 5,000 years of mankind and show something to come, then there are 2 missing days (2,000 years), then on the 7th day a wedding.

John 1:19-28 records day 1, starting with, 'This is the record of John' in v19.
John 1:29 says, 'the next day' which is day 2, and continues to v34.
John 1:35 says, 'the next day' which is day 3, and continues to v42.
John 1:43 says 'the day after that' which is day 4, and continues to v51, the end of the chapter.

The summary is that in John 1:19-51 we see 4 days in the life of John and Jesus, or 4,000 years of history. In Judaism as the author John believed, this 4,000 years is the time from Adam to Jesus.

Those 4,000 years or 4 days in the life of John and Jesus, show both of them active, calling for repentance and to follow God.

Staying with those 4 days of John 1, chapter 2 opens with this statement: "On the 3rd day was a wedding in Cana..." (Three days later was a wedding in Cana...). So John lists the 4 days, skips over days 5&6, then says on the 3rd day after, which was the 7th day, there is a wedding.

Days 5 & 6 are 2 days, or 2,000 years, when God is not seen to the Jewish people. They are the 2 days Hosea talks about, "After 2 days He will revive us" - and the 3rd day Hosea says, He will raise them up and they will live with Him. The 3rd day is a wedding celebration.

The 3rd day (day 7), was a wedding
John presents 4 days or 4,000 years of history God is active, revealing repentance and His salvation, then 2 days or 2,000 years He is not seen among the Jews. Then the 7th day is a wedding celebration - It is called the Millennial age, that is entered into after a wedding celebration for believers.

As I said at the start, these little types & shadows found in the Old Testament and here in the opening of the gospel of John, act as trail markers. They are guideposts along the path of life to confirm we are believing correctly.

Next week more types and shadows that confirm a 7,000 year plan God has for mankind. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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The Lord's Supper 3 of 3, early death if done wrong

12/3/2022

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Hi all,
We closed last week listing some issues in Corinth.

After all those, THEN Paul had to deal with their prejudices against race, status, and cultural differences.
There was a group who refused to eat with the others, as covered in 11:17-34. In verse 22 Paul asks:

"Don't you have your own homes to eat and drink in? Do you despise the body of Christ?" The word translated 'despise' means to despise, scorn, insult. It is from kata (bad, negative) and phroneo, to think with your emotions. In short, an attitude. But their attitude against someone different from them was also an attitude against Christ.

They felt they were better than the others.
They didn't like x people so they justified themselves because they felt that way. Their emotions told them how to make decisions and what attitude to have. Scripture teaches telling our emotions how to think, and to come under control of our will.

Maybe their mama hated x group, that's how they were raised, so they hate them too. Being in Christ and loving those different was a challenge for them.

In that that large international sea port of Corinth, ship and shop owners did not usually mix with those who worked on the docks or ships in the same way Jews never ate with Gentiles*. Yet all 3 sets of people now met in the Roman Justus' house in Acts 18:7-8 to celebrate Jesus. *Galatians 2:12-14

They had to learn to focus on Who they had in common, not on their differences. They had to learn to 'perceive the grace' in each other and 'extend the hand of fellowship', as Peter did to Paul in Galatians 2:9.

In v23-27 Paul writes the often repeated words of Jesus during His Last Supper, and then says this: "Whoever eats this bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Therefore let everyone first examine himself before he eats..."

The Greek reads like this:
“He who eats and drinks without discerning the Body (i.e., the Church) in that assembly, eats and drinks a judgment to himself; for if we would discern ourselves we should not be judged.”

"Discern ourselves" means an honest assessment of our hearts. This is not a heaven or hell judgement, but a judgement carried out on the earth because they know the sacrifice the Lord made to forgive them, yet in their hypocrisy they won't forgive others.

Remember, the first level of judgment is to judge ourselves.
When you made Jesus your Lord you judged yourself so you won't suffer a worse judgment. When we admit our sin to the Lord, we judge ourselves. When we apologize to those we wronged, we judge ourselves. Those things we've already judged ourselves on won't be remembered on the day we stand before the Lord.

If we don't, the next level of judgement is to suffer the consequences of our actions. If we don't learn our lesson, we will face the same issue later. God is just, and if we say we know Him, but don't do right, it is right He allows us to experience the consequences of our actions.

In this context, those who held onto their prejudices and refused to judge themselves, remove themselves from the benefits of the Lord's sacrifice. So they open themselves to endure the consequences of prejudice which is a form of unforgiveness. Paul wrote in effect that unforgiveness/prejudice opens ourselves to illnesses and frailty:

"For this reason many are weak and sickly among you, and many have died (early). If we judge (discern) ourselves, we won't be judged. But if we are judged, it is of the Lord so we won't be condemned with the world." v29-31

Immune system compromised?
Both words translated 'weak' and 'sickly' mean frail, weak, fragile health, infirmed. Paul directly links their prejudice to their weakened 'immune system', or a general tendency to be sick. He said it is because when you receive the Lord's Supper with prejudice in your heart, you become guilty by refusing to forgive as Christ forgave you, so your life is in your own hands. In short, you are judged because you refused to judge yourself.

It's that simple. People want a 'warm and fuzzy' Jesus, but the reality is as taught throughout the letters in the New Testament, that the Lord renders to man what is right. It isn't a game. I've found people who forgive quickly or who don't even hold onto offense, rarely even get colds. (All things being equal - if you've got kids, they are notorious for contaminating each other so a cold doesn't mean someone has issues of the heart - just using Corinth as an example).

What happens if we carry those prejudices with us to our grave?
Paul had described it earlier to them, in I Corinthians 3:1-15. He addressed their strifes and divisions, saying it was wood, hay, and stubble that if carried into death, would be burned away when they stood before the Lord. But they would be saved he said, but as someone who had come through a fire whose possession had all been burned up.

He advised them to repent, make it right, lay aside divisions and strifes, and thereby gaining the victory over their immaturity and emotional reasoning. Those victories would be as gold, silver, and precious stones before the Lord.

Receive healing when receiving the Lord's Supper
We aren't expected to examine our whole life for any tiny little thing wrong in our heart, for the issues with the Corinthians were public knowledge and known to the whole body of Christ there. In I John 3:20 he wrote that if our heart 'condemns' us, God is greater than our heart. The Greek word condemn is made of 'kata', which is 'against', and 'gnosis' which means 'to know'. In other words, you don't go searching for something you think God may be 'mad at you' about, if He wants you to deal with something, He will let you know - you'll know it without digging your memory and life experiences to find something.

For those who get their heart right, to make sure they hold no unforgiveness, remembering the Lord's sacrifice for them and for all around them, they can receive healing while receiving the Lord's Supper. We properly discern the Lord's body as in the body of Christ, and we discern 'by His stripes we are healed' as well.

About 1980 I first heard a minister mention healing when receiving the Lord's Supper, and so later when I had a cold I tested it - ah, the folly of youth! (I was about 22 at the time and had only known the Lord about 6 years). It was perfect timing. I had gotten a cold complete with sniffles and light cough, and remembered what that minister said. After making sure I held no unforgiveness, attitudes or prejudices, I then remembered 'by His stripes I was healed', and received the Lord's Supper. By that afternoon my cold was gone. Yippee!

This isn't a formula, but to me it proved the passage we've been studying. That receiving the Lord's Supper is a serious act on our part. It causes us to lay aside the distractions of life, the baggage of life, the burden of the past week, to refocus on His sacrifice and therefore our love for those around us who also walk with Him.

Books and books have been written about the subject, but I hope this has been a blessing. New subject next week. until then, blessings,

John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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