Take and drink all of you.

The Dichotomy of the Blood of Jesus Christ.
I kill and I make alive.

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman, every branch in Me that does not bears fruit HE takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

"Behold the Living Sacrifice", I heard the priest of God cry out.  The experience of the powerful visionary dream, left an indelible imprinting upon my mind and soul.  The whole experience left a profound affect on my spiritual understanding of the Sword of the Spirit of God, and the Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ. 

That Sword of Yahweh God's Spirit is the very WORD of GOD, that is Jesus Christ.  The WORD, the Lord Yeshua haMashiach, is One with the whole Blood of the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.  The piercing by Holy God's Sword of the Spirit seemingly separated my soul from the spirit of my being, leaving me to ponder my own execution by the Sword of GOD, and yet remaining alive at the same time.  Death and Life are in the Hands of God, for Yahweh wields His Sword with precision, cutting down through the joints and bones to the very marrow of who we think we are in our religious flesh.  There is not one thought nor actions of our being that are not open to the Eyes of the Almighty God.  The Infinite King of the universe, in His Righteousness, will judge all manner of things according to His moral design of His creation.

In the Song of Moses, we witness that God's Sword of the Spirit, is continually giving warnings of His judgment to the forgetful nation of Israel.  With their failures to heed God's warnings, then His judgment will weigh on them until all of their willfull strength is extinguished.  In the end of days, the patience of the Lord Yahweh God Almighty will deliver His compassion ON Christ Jesus  upon His chosen people, and Israel will be saved from total death.  However, the Psalm also speaks to the rebellious sinners and enemies of God.   Will they heed God's judgment stroke upon all who are not mindful of the Blessed Creator, and be saved from their death.  So then for all the enemies of God who desire to be saved from death's destruction, then listen with attentive ears:

"See now that I, even I AM He, and there is no god with Me:  ^1st I kill, and ^2nd I make alive: ^1st I wound, and ^2nd I heal:  neither is there any that can deliver (themselves) out of My Hand". ^{(Deuteronomy 32 verse 39).}  Notice the order: ^1st I kill, and ^2nd I make alive; ^1st I wound and ^2nd I heal." 

For the Word of God is a living two-edged Sword, cutting to the very marrow of who we are, even to the separating the soul from the spirit. ^{(See Hebrews 4 verse 12.)}  God's Holy Spirit of Life speaking through the writings of  Hosea, declares:

"In their distress they will beg My favor, saying: Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is ^1st He Who has torn (us), and ^2nd He will heal us; ^1st He has struck down, and ^2nd He will bind us up.  After two days He will revive us ^{(from the grave)}: On the third day He will raise us up ^{(from the grave)} that we may live before Him".  ^{(Hosea 5 verse 15 and chapter 6 verse 1 thru 3).}  

The Infinitely Holy Yahweh God knows exactly who we are in our sinful flesh, and thereby knows us far better than we know ourselves.  If we sinners submit ourselves to the LORD of the universe, then IN His Mercy He will remove the sting of sin and raise us up from the grave yard of our death.  God's WAY is in His Son, for Jesus the Christ of God is the Only WAY we will find the TRUTH and the LIFE that is given for the resurrection of dead men.  When the changed heart of man receives the Living Spirit IN the Blood of Jesus Christ, then the Sword of God's Spirit will operate with precision against the unseen enemy of our minds and souls.  Yes, the LIFE giving Blood of Christ Jesus still cries out from the earth in mercy given for the sake of earthen vessels: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.  Father Yahweh God's Love for His beloved Son of Righteousness, mediates mercy in Christ's Love and obedience to His Father God.  Wherefore, the Almighty gives to the people of God the renewing of LIFE that flows from Yahweh God's Holy Spirit of LIFE IN Christ Jesus.

The Body of Christ is the Temple of the Lord, Which Temple is Holy

Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, is both our High Priest and the King of Glory, and from His Eternal Throne He mediates through God's Holy Spirit, His Grace and Mercy unto the souls of men who are faithful to His Call.  With our Spiritual unity and fellowship within the Body of our High Priest and the King of kings, then Communion is a true renewing celebration of Christ's victory over our sin and death, so that when we eat of the unleavened Bread of Heaven and drink of the Blood of the New Covenant, “We do show our Lord’s death ^{[for our sins,]} till He comes in His Glory and Power”. 

I kill and I make alive, declares the Sword of God's Holy Spirit: I wound and I heal.  The death of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, derived from the genetics of the first Man/Adam, is TO BE fully commemorated in the Communion LIFE Giving Blood of Yeshua haMashiach, for His Blood is LIFE  to the Body of Christ's believers.  So then, the Holy LIFE that IS IN Sacrificial Blood of the resurrected Messiah Yeshua might abound in the earthly flesh of the called people of Yahweh God Almighty.  Sin kills and is evidenced in its dominion by death. ^{(See Romans 5 verse 21.)} The Fact remains that the innocent Meaaiah of God died with the shedding of His LIFE giving Blood to assuage our sins of death. The Son of Man died once and for all time, for in His resurrected perfection into the LIFE of His Holy Father Yahweh God, the unblemished Lamb of The Eternal God of the Living can never die again.  Death, as a result of sin's rebellion, has lost its dominion in the death of Jesus Christ and with His resurrection into the Eternal LIFE of His Holy Father, Yahweh Lord God Almighty.  The Righteousness of the Man, Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah, brings LIFE to all that would believe IN Him as The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE of men. ^{(See Romans 6 verse 9 thru 11.)} 

And so it is with the faithful members that abide by Living Faith in the Body of the BRANCH that is the Lord our Righteousness.  I kill and I make alive, says Holy God's Sword of the Spirit: I wound and I heal.  For He [the Salvation of God] was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; for the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, for by His stripes we are healed, (from our sins.)

The English word 'stripes' is transliterated from the Hebrew word chabburah {khab-boo-raw'} and its root chabar {khaw-bar'}.  If you click on the word stripes and then its origin, you will see that it's meaning is in conjunction with the accumulated wounding that brought death to the innocent crucified Messiah, for Jesus/Yeshua was Yahweh God's Lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world.  The flesh of men can parse scripture to satisfy their own presumptions, and leave off the whole of the Word of TRUTH.  The scourging of the Messiah took place at the very first of His passion, and not at the last or end of His passion, for Pilot sought to release the innocent Jesus Christ, so as to offset the boisterous people's demand for Christ's crucifixion death.  The Scriptural Word of God would not have put the cart before the horse.  It is impossible that Jesus/Yeshua haMashiach could have been released with a scourging, and not be wounded to death in His crucifixion for the sin's of humanity.  But, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him [Christ] the iniquity of us all.  For the transgression of My people was He [Messiah] stricken. 

The apostle Peter quotes this same passage in Isaiah 53 but he set it in its righteous context.   Peter knows that The Innocent Lord Jesus Christ suffered His wounds of death on the cross to satisfy Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty of the sins of man-kind. The Righteous Man, Jesus Christ was sacrificed for the unrighteousness that became endemic in the person of all of  man-kind.  ^"Jesus Himself bore our sins in His Body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness: By His wounds [stripes] you have been healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."  ^{(See NIV 1st Peter 2 verse 21 thru 25.)} Even though the body of a person may have experienced Divine healing, nevertheless, the physical body of all of mankind sees corruption because of the disease of catastrophic sin.  The TRUTH stands Eternally IN the risen Christ's victory over death, for the Righteous Lord Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world so that the finality of sin's death over mankind does not have its victory over the trusting soul.  The dying soul of a believing person was healed of their past sins through their confession of faith in Yahweh's WORD of TRUTH.  The old way of the man of sin is dead, so that the new person in Christ may endeavor to live in the Righteousness of their Living Savior, and not end up succumbing to the death of unrighteous of sin. 

There are many of the protestant evangelical churches that remain dismissive of God's Doctrine where His WORD of TRUTH institutes the New Covenant in the Salvation Life Giving Blood of Jesus Christ.  The pulpit leaders confess their one time salvation doctrine, but in the confusion that dwells within their sinful flesh, they twist God's WORD to appeal to the flesh of man. For the most part, the pulpit preachers love to hear the praises from the pews of sinners like themselves.  Alleluias are shouted from the pulpit, and then the pompous preachers, turn their brazen faces to hear the barking accolades coming from the wooden pews.  Jesus Christ died, so that in His death, the faithful are to consider themselves TO BE dead to the sinful influences that call in the flesh: For in the Messiah's Spirit of LIFE, the believer is TO BE alive in Christ's resurrection IN the Everlasting Power of Yahweh the God of the Living.

Understand the Word of TRUTH, for in Communion, through God's Holy Spirit of Grace, we are commemorating within the spirit of our minds our own death to sin, IN the death of Jesus Christ.  For by God's Gift of Faith,  the members that abide IN the Unleavened Bread of Heaven, should IN Thanksgiving to Yahweh, rejoice in the Eternal LIFE of Yeshua/Jesus; for sin could not hold the innocent Man Christ Jesus in death's grave, for the Christ of God is rise indeed. God Almighty has glorified His WORD, for the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Last Son of Adam, is resurrected INTO the LIFE of His Holy Father, Yahweh God Almighty. 

There is in the liturgy of some churches, a verbal commemorations that proclaims: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. In coming again, the Messiah will receive to Himself, His very own children of resurrected faith in the Salvation Gift of their High Priest, Who is One with His Holy Father Yahweh Lord God Almighty.

In the fullness of God's New Covenant IN the Life giving Blood of Jesus Christ, sin shall not have dominion over the faithful believer in Christ Jesus.  Jesus' absolute victory over our sins, liberates our consciences from the condemnation of our confessed sin  that is innate within our flesh.  The Blood of Jesus Christ is God's healing LOVE and forgiveness, given in exchange for our iniquities that warrant death. For the Almighty has made Jesus, Who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him [Jesus Christ].  O the depth of the riches, both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His Ways past finding out! ^{(See 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21 and Romans 11 verse 33.)}

The flesh of our being is not redeemed, for it is of the earth, and will return to the earth as dust, for it remains subject to the influence of sin that brings corruption and death. But if the mind of our redeemed heart reveals our lack of love, then it is time for the confession of our sins of guilt to be mediated through our High Priest and King, the Lord Jesus Christ.  In humility, we individually show our total dependency on the Lord, and submit to His spiritual Covenant Provisions that are One with His Holy Life.  Those Provisions from God's Spirit of Grace enable us to confirm within our own minds, the death of our willful nature, when it present itself with our sinful failures and accompanying condemnations. Through our faith in the faithful Word of our High Priest, we rest in the knowledge of His Grace at His Altar Table of Grace.  His WORD of Grace gives us full assurance that He is willing and able to accomplish His Living Word with in each of us.  We agree with God's Covenant in the Life Giving Blood of Jesus Christ, and are seeing ourselves as having died to the rule of sinful flesh, thus abandoning the whole of ourselves to the rule of God's Will, in the care and reproof of His Holy Spirit of Grace.  God's Grace through His Holy Spirit enables the Life of His Son to flourish within us, making the believer fruitful IN the True Vine, all to the Glory of Yahweh God Almighty. 

I AM the Vine you are the Branches.  He that lives in Me, and I Live in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me (the True Vine) you can do nothing. ^{(John 15 verse 5.)}

If a person does not live in the Vine that is Jesus Christ, then as Jesus/Yeshua declares: For without Me, you can do no nothing! 
Without Jesus Christ, the Vine, then no one can produce the Fruit of the Vine.

Therefore, in God's new Covenant, through the power of the Life giving  Blood of our Lord and High Priest Jesus Christ, sin is to have no continuing dominion over those that are in the process of dying to carnal self through the New Covenant LIFE Blood of Jesus Christ, and thereby remain alive in the True Vine. 

Hear now, O Joshua the High Priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: For they are men of wonder: for behold, I will bring forth My Servant the BRANCH. ^{(Zechariah 3 verse 7 thru 9.)} 

How remarkable is this dichotomy of opposite branching reactions brought about through the Covenant Life giving Blood of Jesus Christ.  On the one hand, Jesus is our Sin offering: This one branch of the Lord's righteous judgment brings death to our body of sin. 

For, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In God's cleansing through Christ' living Blood, there is a death process to “The old wretched man or woman of death".  

For, Truly, truly, I say unto you, except a kernel of wheat fall into earth and die, it remains as wheat: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.  He that loves his life shall loose it; while the man who hates his life in this world shall preserve it in Life Eternal.  If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I AM, there shall also My servant be: If any man serve Me, Him will My Father honor. ^{(John 12 verse 24 thru 26)}.

Now, on the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ is our Peace Offering: This faithful Branch brings renewed Life and nurturing Love for the new creation of man. The man of Faith is empowered by God's Holy Spirit of Living Grace through the same Communion Covenant Blood that ameliorates sin. ^{(See 1st Colossians 1 verse 19-21, and Hebrews 10 verse 19-22.)} Sin and death can not coexist within the Righteousness of Christ, for the Righteousness of God is merited through the Love of God in Christ Jesus. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. ^{(Matthew 12 verse 33).} What is your produce?   In God's pruning process for His trees of righteousness, the old dead wood of sin, is cut off to make way for the new branches cultivated in God's Love.  Through the Love of Christ, we are to bear the fruit of righteousness that IN Christ Jesus that speaks of the Holiness of Father God.  Now you are clean through the Word, which I have spoken unto you.  Live on in Me, and I will Live in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it lives IN the vine, neither can you bear fruit, unless you live in Me.  If a man does not abide IN Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned.  If you live in Me, and My Word lives in you, then you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.  Here in is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My followers. ^{(John 15 verse 3 thru 8.)}

The death of self centeredness through the Covenant Blood of Jesus Christ.
Live on in Me, and I will Live in you.

For every time you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.  ^{(1st Corinthian 11 verse 26)}.  Now you are clean through the Word, which I have spoken unto you.  Live on in Me, and I will live in you.  ^{(John 15 verse 2 thru 3.)}

And they, the brethren, overcame Satan and sin by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life unto the death. ^{(Revelation 12 verse 11.)}

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ Living in me: and that LIFE of Jesus Christ, which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith, the faith, which is IN the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself up for me. ^{(Galatians 2 verse 20 .)}

In ourselves, we have done nothing to merit such an infinitely wonderful gift of God's Spirit of Life.  Now, as the called children of God, we may participate in the fullness of the Lord's Covenant Life of Love, even while we exist in flawed earthen vessels.  God's Eternal Provisions of mercy and love, are extended to those who from the depths of their being, participate in the New Covenant Life Blood of Jesus Christ, and are not shaken from the Tree of LIFE, at the Lord's rebuke and sword of correction.  For whom the Father Loves He corrects; "For when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse (and purge) us of all unrighteousness" through the Covenant Blood of Jesus Christ. ^{(In full context 1 John 1 verse 7 thru 9).}  For we, which have been baptized into the death of Christ Jesus, and live accordingly in God's New Blood Covenant, "are always delivered unto death" for our own fleshly sins of self idolatry by the Hand of God, for Jesus' sake.  What is the chaff (the stubble) to the wheat? says the LORD.   Is not My Word like as a fire? says the LORD; and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces? ^{(Jeremiah 23 verse 28 thru 29.)} John the Baptist says: I indeed baptize you with water unto 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: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. ^{(Matthew 3 verse 11 thru 13.)}

Having entered into Covenant with God, the writer in the letter called Hebrews reminds his Jewish readers of a previous exhortation, given in their assembly.  "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him, for whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives". ^{(Hebrews 12 verse 5 thru 7.)} In the following table we have a list of 10 branching reactions of the LIFE Blood of Jesus Christ that we see as being attributed to the two-edged sword of the Spirit of God.  The one branch brings death, and the other branch gives life with peace in Holy God.

Yahweh's Holy Spirit  is at work in the cleansing process of His people born of the Faith of Christ Jesus.

To proceed to the next chapter, please click on The Branching Blood of Jesus Messiah.

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Robert Glenn Pratten