“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Do not put your attention on the decoy. The devil will try to distract you, for he is roaming about looking for someone that he may devour but he cannot if you will put your attention on the truth. The decoy is the lie meant to appear true. It also is confusion in your day and things coming up you did not expect that pull you off course. It is being on course and getting distracted into a detour so you never finish the plan I have for your life.
You need to be diligent n discerning the real from the counterfeit. The necessary from the unnecessary. The holy from the profane. You want to have your full reward. You want to go for the gold and not the wood, hay, and stubble.
Keep the devil in check, never let him roam freely in your mind. You have to shut him down, that is, bind him, by the truth. Then you can plunder his house before he does yours. He tries to catch you off guard in a weak moment. Catch him first in his lies and answer them with the truth and cast him out. Keep your eyes above and not below. Worship with thanksgiving. “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2.
The wisest thing you can do in every situation is get wisdom. It is the principal thing. Proverbs 4:7. And wisdom is from Me. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.” Proverbs 2:6-7.
Wisdom is in My Word. My Word is wisdom. And My Word became flesh and dwelt among you. Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And He is in you.
And that is the next teaching in His Sermon on the Mount, the sermon about seeing with your heart. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20.
None of My Word will pass away until it all comes true and then it continues on in a new reality. In the reality of Jesus who fulfills every promise, Covenant Name, and Word I have spoken. For He is the Word. EVERYTHING is summed up in Him. He is the beginning and the end and everything in between. The Aleph and the Tav.
He is My Word, all My promises are “Yes” to you in Him for He is the fulfillment of them all, the One that you were waiting for in the anticipation of the freedom of My children. I have made Him to be wisdom unto you, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30. But He brought more. “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:16-17.
Grace does not cancel the Law—it fulfills the Law. Grace puts you at the finish line of the Law. My grace gives you perfect righteousness in Jesus as your starting point and you go forward from there by renewing your mind and presenting your body to bring My Kingdom to the earth through your beautiful, righteous, light filled life. New life in Me. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:12-14.
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:8-11.
Look again at what Jesus said in the light of the Transfiguration, “Do not think that I (Grace and Truth) came to abolish the Law (represented by Moses) or the Prophets (represented by Elijah); I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17. The things of the Old Covenant, all things from the redemption from slavery in Egypt, the Passover lamb, the manna, the sacrifices for sin offerings and peace offerings, to the furnishing of the tabernacle and beyond to the conquest of the Promised Land and the building of the temple, and so much more are all things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ—the body from which the shadow fell down to eternity past was Jesus Himself born in time to usher in the age of grace. Colossians 2:17. The Messiah. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” Hebrews 10:1. Only the sinless pure blood, the eternal blood, of My Son could make perfect for all time those being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14. And eternal redemption that went back to Adam and Eve and forward to the end of time when My Kingdom joins the new heavens and the new earth and you enter into the eternity with Me.
Do you recall when Jesus led Peter, John, and James up the mountain to pray and let them see a glimpse of the glory that was hidden under His humanity in His spirit? When you are born again and filled with My Spirit you too are radiant in the spirit. He took them away from the crowd to a quiet place that was up high. You see best in the spirit when you come up to higher places in the spirit where your vision is above the problems and not below them. Prayer in spirit and truth will take you there for that is worship. In prayer things become clearer. In My house of prayer, the secret place, I make you joyful if you will come with a grateful and expectant heart, knowing I will show you My secrets and My plans. Look up at Me and smile and you will become radiant. Like Moses did when he spent time with Me. That is why I tell you to pray without ceasing. Just raise your heart wherever you are and sanctify Me in your heart. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit.
And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became radiant, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:28-31. Remember Jesus told you that Moses wrote about Him. He has fulfilled all that Moses wrote. Moses represents the giving of the Law. Elijah represents My Word coming through My prophets. Moses prayed that all would prophesy. Moses and Elijah were filled with joy at the fulfillment of all they had seen and foretold, of all they had so longed for on earth but not seen. “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16.
“And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40. They were seeking what you have today, the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. Salvation. “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.” 1 Peter 1:10-12.
And on that mountain of prayer, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. And as these were leaving, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Remember that Moses went up into the cloud at the top of the mountain to speak with Me as friends speak to one another. Then My voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Beloved; listen to Him!” And then as all became quiet and the cloud rose up, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen. Luke 9:32-36. Some things are too beautiful to repeat, they lose something of the quality in your heart. Our times together are often very private in things that are for you alone that lose fragrance when shared and aired. Other things I tell you in the secret place you must shout from the housetops.
Peter never forgot the glory I had shown him and close to the time of his departure from this world to My Kingdom, he shared it with you, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:16-21.
In Jesus I made a new and better covenant with mankind that will never be broken as you broke the one I made with Moses and the people. Jesus made the New Covenant with Me in His blood representing all of you who would believe in His Name and enter the Covenant in Him. It is a better Covenant with better promises. And He will never break it. It has all the old plus all the new made “yes” to you.
The sacrifices and rituals of the Old Covenant have been fulfilled in Jesus, for your true Passover has been sacrificed. No need to do the Passover as it was coming out of Egypt and later celebrated every year in remembrance of so great a deliverance with the lamb sacrificed again and again. Jesus died once for all, putting an end to animal sacrifices. But I told Moses the Passover would be a perpetual institution and I have done that in the communion meal of the Body and Blood of Jesus, which you can do daily in remembrance of all He did to save you and set you free. For as often as you eat His Body and drink His Blood you proclaim His death until He comes again for you. And it has the same value and benefits for you as it did that day at Calvary. Eternal redemption in His Blood, eternal healing in His Body. And whoever eats His flesh and drinks His Blood under the appearance of the bread and wine has eternal life and will live forever. All fulfilled in Jesus.
And this teaching of the Sermon on the Mount goes on to proclaim, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:18. My Word is sure, forever established in Heaven, and it will all come to pass. Events that have not happened yet will. Most of the prophecies of the Old Covenant have been fulfilled in Jesus except for the endtime prophecies which are to come, but they will come. And you have My Words, Isaiah’s words, Ezekiel’s words, Daniel’s words, Jesus’ Words, Paul’s words, and the book of Revelation showing you the things to come. Watch for them so you are not caught off guard. For Satan is gearing up and deceiving many.
Stand on the rock of My Word and you will not be shaken.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8. for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:23-25.
Value and honor My Word. It has great reward. It is the only safe harbor for you in this perilous time. It is the best time for you but not so much for others. Many are doubting and questioning My Word. Many are saying My commandments are not in keeping with today’s “enlightened” morality. Even believers are on a slippery slope some tossing out the Law saying that grace cancels out the Commandments. But this is not so, grace is a higher standard of morality, not a lower one. It is based on loving each other from the heart as Jesus loves you. We shall see as we go on with the Sermon on the Mount that not to commit murder goes to a higher notch of not to have anger, hatred and ill will towards another and not to call them demeaning names such as “stupid” or “good for nothing.”
Jesus told you, “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20. My Son told the Pharisees that they would die in their own sins if they did not believe in Him as My Son and their Savior, their promised Messiah. Even the least now born again into My Kingdom is greater than all the prophets and kings that preceded you. You are now starting from perfect righteousness, My gift to you of My own righteousness in Jesus, and running forward laying aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles you and running, by My grace, with endurance the race that is set before you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.
And there is the key, fixing your eyes on Jesus. Beholding Him. Do you recall when My people in the wilderness complained about the Manna and let down their protection so that the snakes in the desert attacked them? They were dying of the poisonous venom which entered their hearts, but the people repented and cried out to Me and I had Moses make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole so that in beholding the bronze serpent on the pole the poison would be drawn out and they would be immediately healed. This again was a shadow fulfilled in Jesus. Bronze is the metal of judgment, and the snake is the symbol of sin from the beginning, so in the bronze serpent the judgment for sin has fallen thereupon as it has pulled the sin off you as you behold.
So where do you look when you sin to have all that poison pulled out of your heart? At Jesus upon the Cross, as you do in the communion meal. Look at Jesus on the cross in the eyes of your heart and know that is where your sins and pains ended and your true life began. The abundant life, like those who looked upon the bronze serpent upon the pole in the wilderness. Your sin has gone on Him and His goodness has come into you. He became sin, you became righteous. His judgment gives you acquittal. Jesus assures you, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40. And that is true.
I told Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.” And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9. And Jesus confirmed this was fulfilled in Him, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” John 3:14-15.
And you who believe and behold Him have eternal life. “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” 1 John 5:11-15. Do you know this? My Word is true and it is for you.
I love you with an everlasting love. And all that love is manifested in Jesus before your eyes. Behold Him with the eyes of your heart and you will go from glory to glory until you shine with His own light, which is My light, which is the glory.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17.