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The Altar of your Cross
 Jesus said unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16 verse 24 thru 26.)

The first Commandment of understanding is: I AM the Lord thy God, there are no gods before Me.  Neither shall you setup or build any image of worship that is in heaven or earth. From the time of the fall of Adam and his wife Ishshah, whom we know after the fact as  Eve, the whole of mankind's life has been centered in self love, and not in the LIFE and Love of their Creator God.  However, in His Grace, Jesus Christ the Word of His Father, has called all who shall hear, to be His followers into His LIFE, that is centered as the Love of the Eternal Father God.  The Love of God is Jesus Christ, and the Lord declares: I AM The WAY and The TRUTH and The LIFE, no man can come to the Father except by Me.  All of the Words of Jesus Christ are for the tearing down of the old corruption of sinful man, and the enabling of the new man birthed IN LIFE of Christ Jesus.

The Lord Jesus Christ has called His people IN to the WAY of His Holy LIFE, whereby the hearer would shoulder their own cross, an instrument of death, and with conviction in His WORD of TRUTH, they would follow the Lord of LIFE.  The individual's cross has the spiritual signature of the Eternal God written upon it IN the Life giving Blood of the Man Christ Jesus. The LIFE of God is Eternal as is the Perfection of His Word that was Spiritually conceived IN the flesh of a virgin Woman, the Hebrew female offspring of Man/Adam. (See Genesis 3 verse 15 and Isaiah 7 verse 14 thru 16.) Evil's corruption of death could not hold the crucified Son of Man/Adam in the grave for Yeshua/Jesus was the Perfection of LIFE, for He Loved and Trusted, to the utmost, His Holy Eternal Father of LIFE.  The Perfection of LIFE is IN the Perfection of the Love and Obedience of the Only Begotten Son of God. 

The Wisdom of the Eternal WORD of God taught His followers that the singularity of a Kernel of Corn, when buried in its death, gives rise to an abundance of its own Kind.  O the depth of the riches, both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God. (See the whole Romans 11 verse 33 thru 36.) For the death of the earthly, gives rise to those who Love the Eternal Lord God, and believe IN the Promised abundance of LIFE IN the heavenly Christ Jesus.  The individual cross that God has signed for each of us to carry, is where we begin to deny our self centeredness and begin to put to death the idolatrous nature of myself being first, for IN humility we are to follow on a daily basis the WAY of the Lord of LIFE Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 16 verse 24.)   The ultimate paradox within the Wisdom of God is that for a man to save his life, he must lose his life for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Living WORD of Yahweh God.

But let's face the TRUTH. On a day-to-day basis, we are not very good at the denial of self and the bearing of our cross of affliction and the death of our old nature.  Our questionable absolute love of God, will eventually give way to our flesh, which expects a reward even for our little devotion to God. From our very beginnings in this limited life, we are all partakers of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the root of self determination and judgment remains ingrained within our flesh.  Man, male and female, changed in the Garden of Eden, for in their lust, they ate of the poisonous fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and died in their unbelief.   Perhaps the readers think that all is well with them, for in their earthly wisdom they would only choose to eat of the Good and naturally spurn the Evil. However it is one fruit of good and evil, and the one fruit is derived from the one tap root of the idolatrous Tree of Knowledge that only breeds death.  In one individual, their seemingly good choice maybe seen as evil to another individual, and vice versa as individual opinions are naturally rendered as contradictory belief. For all time, man's truth is arbitrary.  Self idolatry is rooted in the Tree of Knowledge, for whether the choice is Good or Evil the self serving choice is derived from the one tap root that is encompassed as one in the substance of our minds of self centered subjection.  The Apostle Paul's new understanding of himself is echoed for us in His writings, for he says; "I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me".  (Romans 7 verse 21). The unseen fact is that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is the source of the renegade Law of Sin and Death.

Self is subject to its own individual judgments.  In the course of untimely and catastrophic events, we inevitably find ourselves lost in ourselves with the perplexities of seemingly inward failing grace. Then depending on the circumstances, we don't understand how this could have happened to us, or how we could have made such a mess of things.  Darkness surrounds us, as we sink into the dark mire of self, causing us to loose sight of God.  Perhaps at this time of failure, we might recall to remembrance Paul's lamenting words: "O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank Yahweh God through Jesus Christ our Lord."  (In context Romans 7 verse 24 thru 25.) Thankfully, our God, through the Light of  His Son Jesus Christ, is faithful and just to the hearer and doer of His WORD.

For if we walk in the Light as He is the Light of the World, then we have fellowship one with another because the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves and Christ the TRUTH is not in us. (1st John 1 verse 

There are many theological philosophers and so called fundamental pastors that deny the unseen Grace in God's Communion in the unseen LIFE giving Blood of Jesus Christ that Holy Gods' Spirit of Grace gives to cleanse the believer of their divisive sin in their body of death.  The stealthy deceiver of man is well pleased with his deception of the one and done theologians. Be not deceived.  For in your unbelieving self serving merchandising semantics, you bring confusion to the Word of God and may have make yourselves losers of that which you thought was yours.  Jesus Christ, the Eternal Winner, declares that He is The TRUTH, and The TRUTH declares through the writings of John's first epistle; "If we acknowledge our sin, then Father God is faithful and just to cleanse us from any unrighteousness."  And now with the true confession,  and obedience to the Word of God, we can have a clean conscience from the condemnation of sin, because of the Blood of Jesus Christ; We have Fellowship/Koinonia/Communion one with another.  Sin of any dimension always brings division that foments death, and how can you have fellowship with the TRUTH of Almighty God and one another in the midst of death. God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him (Almighty Yahweh God) and yet walk in darkness (of death), then we are liars, and are not of the TRUTH. 

God resist the proud but gives Grace to the humble: Therefore submit yourselves to God.  Humble your selves in the Sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. Cleans your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double minded. Resist the devil and he shall flee from you. (See James 4 verse 6 thru 10.) For the weapons of our warfare are mighty through Eternal God to the tearing down of strongholds. (See 2nd Corinthians 10 verse 4 thru 6.)

The devil's very nature of death can not exist in the Presence of the Holy LIFE cleansing Blood of God's only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  For in all of time, the LIFE  Blood of the Eternal God's Son, Jesus Christ, was set to be the absolute Antidote for sin's spiritual infection leading to absolute death in mankind.  Sin and death is an alien enemy of the God of the Living, and the Eternal God from timeless Eternity knows that all of mankind are dead in their sin, for all of humanity have sinned. So then both Jew and Gentile are under the condemning power of sin, for the power of death reigns in all of humanity, and the nature of sin compels mankind to scorn the Only Lord God of the Living. (See Romans 3 verse 9 thru 19.) 

The Lord’s Memorial Cup Speaks of our Death to Sin.

Take and Drink all of you that are My disciples.
For This IS MY Blood of the New Covenant that IS shed for many for the remission of sins.

On the evening of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and as the Lord conducted His Own Passover Table, the Lord Yeshua/Jesus inaugurated for the members of His Body, His Memorial of Remembrance.  We as members IN the Body of Jesus Christ, will victoriously participate IN Jesus Christ's sacrificial death for our sin and of His resurrected LIFE that provides our Righteous Justification over sin and death.  Clearly, the baptized saints in their thankful humility, when eating of the Sanctified Unleavened Bread of God, should totally identify with the Savior Jesus Christ, for the Son of Man/Adam was the sinless Bread of Life that came down from heaven, to die unselfishly for the sin of all of mankind.  The New Blood Covenant of God, given for the Salvation of men, is written in the earth, with the unseen Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of  Man.  For a surety, God's Spirit of Holiness provides the same Sanctified Blood of Christ's Salvation, which we drink IN faith to maintain within the core of our being, the more Perfect Love of the Eternal God of the Living.

As individual members of the Ecclesia, we each are to be centered IN Jesus Christ; for Salvation is of His Holy Spirit sealed IN His Father's Doctrine.  The Father's Doctrine is Holy, for the Doctrine of the Holy Father of Jesus Christ, is fully in God's Covenant LIFE Giving Blood of His Only Begotten Son, Whom the Almighty Ordained as Emanuel, for Jesus Messiah is God with us.    

And so, through God's Provisions of LIFE from His Holy Spirit of Grace, we thankfully come to refresh ourselves in God's Covenant Communion Table of LIFE.  It is here at His Altar of Sacrifice, we are to present our needful selves to The Chief Physician, where God's Holy Spirit of TRUTH  and Grace will administer to us His cleansing Drink of the Communion Blood of Christ Jesus that also gives renewing LIFE to the dead because of the corruption of sin.  I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your worshipful service. (See Romans 12 verse 1 thru 2.) When we submit ourselves to God IN Communion with the Covenant Blood of Jesus Christ, we do mortify through His Holy Spirit the unrighteous thoughts and deeds of this body of death.  Therefore, we have come into complete agreement with the Lord's New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus Christ, for the old man of selfish idolatry is being put to death, so that the new born man IN Christ blossoms IN LIFE.  Now, through the Grace of God's Holy Spirit, the believing over-comers IN the Body of Jesus Christ will faithfully follow IN the WAY of the victorious TRUTH of the WORD of God. The new born man IN Christ Jesus is made to Live IN the WAY of Christ's Righteousness. Indeed, we LIVE by Faith and not by sight.  Like our Savior Jesus Christ, we should always choose the good and spurn the evil: But oops, there seems to be large vestiges of exhausting flesh that makes its contradictions against the TRUTH. (See Isaiah 7 verse 14 thru 16.)

While we remain in these earthen vessels, we each will have our own personal struggles with the flesh of the old man, for he will strive against God's Spirit of Holiness.   The Scriptures warn us: "If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, (then) you shall Live". (Romans 8 verse 13.) Therefore Mortify the parts of your earthly nature; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience: (See Colossians 3 verse 1 thru 8.)  And again the scriptures reminds us through its rebuke; "If you say you have not sinned, then you are in self deception, and the TRUTH is not in you".

Holy Lord God Almighty, IN His LOVE for His creation of mankind, has given to us on the altar of sacrifice, the Supreme Gift of the Holy LIFE of His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  In Holy Communion, it is absolutely essential for God’s people to remember and identify with the Holy LIFE that is in the Blood of Jesus Christ.  With the innocent Man Jesus Christ hanging on a bloodied cross, His Holy LIFE Blood that sustained His Body of Flesh, was pouring out on to the dust of the earth, and His Life was shed for the sins of earthly mankind.  Remember, that from the beginning, Man/Adam was made by Elohim God from the dust of the earth.  Jesus Christ's Holy LIFE was conceived by the Holy Spirit of His Father God, and brought LIFE into the ovum of the earthly virgin Mary, and so the LIFE of His only Begotten Son was given by Almighty God as the Supreme Sacrifice for our earthly nature of sinfulness.  The death of the just One, was Holy God's Holy Sacrifice of His Beloved Son, Whose LIFE was freely given in exchange for the dead life of the unjust. Eternal death was finalized for all believers in the death of the Man Jesus Christ, but in that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to die no more, then Jesus Christ' Righteous LIFE became imputed to the believer IN Jesus Christ the Man, and with obedient Faith, the believers are to remain IN accord with God's WORD of TRUTH that is the Savior of mankind. 

Now the newly rectified sinner, through his active faith IN God's TRUTH, will believe in God's New Covenant IN the the LIFE giving Blood of His Only Begotten Son Jesus/Yeshua haMashiach Christ.  Holy Communion is that blessed spiritual Gift of the Eternal Power of God's love, that is given for the renewal of Christ's LIFE in the mind of sinful man.  Through the Eternal Power of the Eternal God's Word of TRUTH, the LIFE of Jesus/Yeshua enables each faithful member of His Body to become an over-comer to sin's desires, and sin's former possession of the soul.

Such a wonderful, perfect Gift of God's Holy Spirit of Grace, for when we participate in Christ's Covenant Remembrance, we receive His righteousness, for our unrighteousness, His holiness, for our unholy thoughts and actions, His forgiveness for our self-righteous judgments, His love, which provokes us to give of ourselves beyond what we thought was possible.  Holy Communion is LIFE from the dead for the Ecclesia IN the Body of Jesus Christ.

The Ecclesia needs to be in complete agreement with the Holy Spirit of God, for in this Holy Matter of Communion in the Blood of Jesus Christ, it is a matter of the death of self, so that God's Spirit of Grace may give LIFE to the dead IN Christ Jesus.  For we always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the LIFE also of Jesus Might be made manifest in our body.  For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus Sake, that the LIFE also of Jesus, might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.  (2nd Corinthians 4 verse 10 thru 11.)

Whosoever drinks of Christ's Blood shall be put to death;
So that the LIFE of Christ through His Spirit might abound in our Flesh.

Oh such Holy irony.  We drink the Gift of the Precious LIFE giving Blood of Jesus Christ, so that with God's Covenant help, we would die to carnal self, so that again, we may live in the Resurrected LIFE of Christ Jesus by the Eternal Spirit --- IN Him.  Having entered into God's Covenant, the old man of selfish desires is being put to death with the active two edged Sword of the Holy Spirit of God, so that the new man of God may flourish in the Love of God, and that for his fellow man.  Without the Lord's Holiness within our hearts, no man shall see God. (See Hebrews 12 verse 14.)

How can the lord of the flies contend with the Wisdom of God, when the hearts of His redeemed people are open and truly begin to understand our Lord's Communion Covenant in the LIFE Giving Blood of Yahweh's Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ?

This is the believer's testimony.

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.) Because, by faith, our testimony becomes; "It is no longer I that lives, but Christ Jesus Who lives within me."

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that, which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. (Hebrews 13 verse 20 thru 21.)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The following chapters will look at the visionary dreams on Holy Communion, and will continue to reveal the fullness of God's New Covenant IN the Blood of Jesus Christ.  The Word of God speaks of the unity of the people of God living IN the Body of Jesus Christ.  In our minds of flesh we have difficulties seeing ourselves as members of one another, and yet so we are IN the Holy Body of Jesus Christ our Savior.

 To proceed to the next chapter, please click on  The Body of Christ. 

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Robert Glenn Pratten