….. they have to be crushed!

Paul described his life in 2 Timothy 4:6  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

In this verse, Paul turns back from instructing Timothy to reflecting upon his own life. The “drink offering” refers to is a cup of wine a Israelite priest poured out beside the altar following the offering of a ram, lamb, or bull in the temple Numbers 15:1–10; 28:4–7.

On another occasion, Jacob set up a pillar of stone in the place where the Lord God had spoken with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.

Genesis 35:14. So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him–a stone marker–and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil.

Just as the drink offering symbolized the end of the offering at the altar, Paul’s life was near its end. He wrote these words while imprisoned by the Romans; he had already made one courtroom appearance, 2 Timothy 4:16, and didn’t expect to be given another opportunity and believed he would be executed before too long. Paul used the metaphor of dissolving or departing, from the Greek word analyseōs, which referred to a ship which has untied itself from the dock and is about to set sail. It’s the same word he uses in Philippians 1:23, saying his desire was to die or “depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” The same concept of “departure,” using other Greek terms, was often used as a metaphor for death, such as those of Jesus/Yeshua Luke 9:31 and Peter 2 Peter 1:15.  

The pouring out of a drink offering is a metaphor for the blood Messiah Jesus spilled on the cross. Jesus/Yeshua spoke to this directly in Luke 22:20. 

Being poured out is an act of our will.

It is not a fleeting emotional response based on feelings.

Like Paul, we must come to that place in our relationship with our Heavenly Father that we tell Him we are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him.

Just as Jesus/Yeshua did, we are to know the fellowship of His sufferings.

Phil. 3:10-17 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.

Messiah accepted the consequences as they came, without any complaints, in spite of what was ahead. Paul and the disciples /apostles did the same.

For the joy that was set before him and us Heb. 12:2. This verse says that Yeshua/Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him, meaning the glory of completing His mission to be our salvation through sacrifice and returning to God, His Father. Heb. 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Where Adam brought death, Messiah brings life. By His death and resurrection, He leads the way and brings many sons to glory. God’s desire is to bring many sons to glory.

As with David’s encounter with the lion and bear, God will send us a crisis in private where no other person can help, allowing circumstances to surround us that will challenge and test our faith in Him.

Looking from the outside our life may look fine, however the change is taking place internally in our will.

After experiencing the crisis in our will, our choice of action will confirm that change has taken place because, we will take no thought of the cost when it begins to affect us externally in the natural.

If we refuse to deal with our Heavenly Father on the level of our will first, then we will only stir up sympathy for ourselves.

Psalm 118:27 the LORD is God; He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

The expression bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar refers to the ritualistic offering of animal sacrifices unto the LORD upon the altar.

The psalm declares that the LORD is God and has given us light.

He offers the final scene picturing a sacrifice offered in love to God for rescuing him.

 This is prophetic of Jesus/Yeshua the Messiah, who is both the Light of the world and our Passover/Pesach sacrifice.

At the end of Psalm 118, the triumphant Messiah appears in an apparent moment of defeat, but Messiah Jesus/Yeshua triumphed because He suffered well. Isaiah 53:10-12, Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 12:1-2.

He willingly and faithfully suffered for the LORD’s sake, it is to be our path to triumph as well; and by following Messiah’s example of entrusting Himself wholly to His, and our, Father no matter what. Even unto death, Matthew 20:26-28, Luke 9:23-26, Romans 8:17-18, 2 Timothy 2:12, 1 Peter 4:12-13, 19, Revelation 2:10-11.

Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah, was bound with cords.
Matthew 27:2

He was nailed to the cross – the altar upon which He was the appointed feast of passover’s sacrifice.

Matthew 27:15-16, Luke 23:17-18, 

John 20:25, 26, Colossians 2:14.

Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

As well as the good news that we can be freely forgiven of sin and join our Father in heaven, the gospel we preach needs to include the fact that we must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire. This means we must be willing to experience what the altar represents: burning and purification, cleansing and separation, for only one purpose. The death of the flesh life, the dying to self, and of our own ways, including the total destruction of every desire and affection that does not have its roots in, or is not focused on the Father and His kingdom purposes. We are not the ones who remove it, our Father does when we bind ourselves, making the sacrifice of self to the horns of the altar.

We do the submitting. We choose His way.

Then our Heavenly Father does the removing, and we should be sure to not wallow in self-pity once the fire is lit and the purification begins.

When we come out on the other side of the fire, nothing will be able to depress or move us; because the flesh life will no longer be in control. The carnal man, the old man is dead.

When another crisis comes along, we will see that things cannot affect us in the way they did before.

Romans 6:3-11 6. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin …

1Pet. 4:12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

So think it not strange that they are allocated to us and remember that He has promised to be with us through them.

Is. 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;

It is time to stop playing with our salvation and tell our Father that we are prepared and ready to be poured out as offering and in its process, our Father will show Himself to be everything we have dreamed of and believed He would be.

As this year, we are in the season of the Pesach/Passover and Yeshua/Jesus ‘tied Himself to the altar of the cross’, and willingly laid down His physical life.

He became the lamb of sacrifice, so the angel of death will pass over us.

He became the poured out wine, He was crushed;

His self life squeezed and what came forth was the resurrection life of God.

His humble, obedient, selfless act, of allowing all of Himself to be crucified; gave us life, as His blood poured out like wine. And we are recipients of, all sins forgiven and wiped away; allowing us to receive eternal life and restored relationship with His and our Heavenly Father.

This is the gospel and we must not forget or allow circumstances and physical experiences to cause us to doubt or become discouraged. Even the disciples who had been with Him physically got discouraged because we read about it in

Luke 24:18–21 18.

Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

The facts they drew from His statement were wrong. We were hoping…

Their focus was incorrect and their hope was in another perceived outcome based on their personal circumstances.

Anything that has even a hint of depression and dejection spiritually, is wrong.

If I am depressed or burdened, I am to blame not God, or anyone else; it is my fault.

Dejection and depression etc., come from one of two sources.

I have either satisfied a lust or, I have not had it satisfied.

I get what I wanted and then felt bad because it was wrong. Or

I didn’t get what I wanted and am miserable with my selfish desires.

Lust means, I must have it now, it demands immediate gratification. The addict who has to get a fix, the alcoholic who has to have to have a drink etc.. The individual cannot wait, it is a driving, overwhelming desire, fueled by unclean spirits. Lust is the appetite of demons/ unclean spirits expressed through and in human flesh and the body.

Spiritual lust causes us to demand an answer from God instead of seeking God Himself who gives us the answer.

What have we been hoping or trusting God would do?

Is today the third day and just like the disciples thought, He has still not done what we expected or wanted?

And are we then justified in being depressed, dejected and blaming Him? Whenever we insist, demanding that God should give us an answer to our prayer we are off track.

The purpose of prayer is that we get hold of God, not of the answer.

It is impossible to be well physically and to be dejected, because dejection is an indication, a sign of sickness; this is also true spiritually. Whatever is wrong in our relationship with the Father, it is always our fault, we are to blame. We look for miracles, signs, visions and dreams from heaven. We look for earth shaking events, longing to see God’s power manifested. Even the fact we are dejected is proof we do this, yet we never realize that He is at work all the time; in all the day to day circumstances and in and through everyone around us. It is not always about us and we can become so self-centered, focusing only on what is happening to us and forget everyone is dealing with their own issues, test and trials.

If we will only be obedient to do the task that He has placed close to us then we will see Him.

When Job prayed for his friends in Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

The key here is, in our times of testing we are to focus on the Father and what He has called us here to do. Out of our own need we are to minister to others, pray for others, help others, and by focusing on Him, the revelation will come that His sovereign will is declared in everyday life.

Everything we desire apart from Him has to be crushed, tied to the horns of the altar and burned up in selfless sacrifice. The lusts of our flesh must be put to death, crucified daily. What we hoped for apart from Him, needs to be poured out as an offering in true submission to the call on our lives and the realization of the enormous cost of our freedom and salvation; not just at Pesach/Passover season, but to daily die to the old man and walk in resurrection life of the new creation we are in Messiah. Trust Him because He controls everything and His purposes will be fulfilled in His way and timing.

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Deliverer and soon returning King; and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

Not sure ..you can be…

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,

SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.