Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Let My Word dwell in your richly. There are so many layers and levels to My Word that you can always be gaining new insights and revelations from My Word. My Word is living and active, it is spirit and life, and it will transform you and your world. It is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. It is life to those who find it and health to all their flesh. My Word gives joy, light and peace. It gives prosperity and healing. It is imperishable seed that when planted and cultivated will always produce a harvest of blessing.
And My Word became flesh and dwelt among you. And from His fullness you have all received, grace upon grace.
And just as I told the Israelites to always keep the Word before their eyes, so I tell you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. The revelation of My Word gives light and Jesus is the Light of the World. My Word is eternal life and that life is in My Son. He is true God and eternal life. I send forth My Word to heal you and to deliver you from destruction and death. Psalm 107:20. And My Son healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the deaf to hear and the lame to walk, and raised the dead to life. He calmed storms and rebuked fevers. He cast out demons and delivered those oppressed by the devil. And that is what My Word does.
So where are you looking?
The devil tries to force you to always look at yourself. He makes you look constantly at your performance and your thoughts. But I specifically tell you to deny yourself and follow My Son. I tell you to look at Him. It is My Will that all who behold Him and believe in Him have eternal life and Jesus Himself will raise them up on the last day. John 6:40. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the desert so was Jesus lifted up. And all who look upon Him with faith shall be saved.
Focus on Jesus and see Him in all His excellencies, beauty and glory. For as He is so are you in this world. 1 John 4:16-17. I see you in Christ and He is altogether lovely. And He is obedient to all the Law.
And in Him I see you holy and blameless. Ephesians 1:4.
The Israelites who I freed from slavery in Egypt never entered the Promised Land. Why? Because they looked at themselves and not My Word to them. Because they looked at their inadequacies and not at My power and might. Looking at yourself and not fixing your eyes on Jesus, My Word, can stop you from your destiny. Do not lose your reward. I want to give it to you. I delight in doing good to you. But you cannot receive when you judge yourself unworthy or disobedient.
You would do well to consider the High Priest pursuant to My instructions to Moses concerning his office and vestments for Jesus is your High Priest at My right hand forever and the Old Testament gives you the shadow of the good things that came in Jesus. It is fulfilled in Him.
The High Priest represents the people before Me. If he is accepted in My eyes then the people are accepted and forgiven. As the High Priest goes so goes the nation. Today Jesus is your representative before Me and you who believe in Him are holy and acceptable to Me based on His thoughts, obedience, and merits, so you know you are accepted in the Beloved because as He is so are you in this world.
Many believers have trouble with thoughts coming to them that are impure, doubting, unholy (even perverted), angry, slothful, or envious. And these thoughts torment them or make them feel they have sinned and are not acceptable to Me. You know that I tell you to think on whatever is excellent, praiseworthy, pure and lovely. Philippians 4:8. But as My apostle Paul told you, you do not always do what your spirit tells you but sometimes the flesh gets in the way.
Be at peace. When you are in Christ you are not judged by your thoughts but by His. And His thoughts are pure and holy. And as He is so are you in this world.
Let us look at the shadow and then see the substance in Christ. One item of the clothing of the High Priest I would like to discuss today is the plate of pure gold I told Moses to have made and to have engraved on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ He was then to fasten it on a blue cord, and it was to be on the front of the turban of the High Priest on his forehead, and the High Priest then took away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrated, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it was to be always be on his forehead, that the Israelites may find favor and be accepted before Me. Exodus 28:36-38. As long as the High Priest’s thoughts were holy to Me, the people represented by the High Priest are acceptable to Me and I give them My favor. You are not accepted or rejected by your inadvertent thoughts but by those of the High Priest. Because of Jesus’ thoughts (He is spotless, blameless, and pure), I favor you today. The fragrance of Christ, of His loveliness, surrounds you so that you spread His fragrance everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14.
You should have a passion to know Jesus. Why? Because as He is so are you in this world. So are you in My sight. So open the Bible and look for Jesus to see just who you are in Him.
Look away from your failures and look at His victory.
And how do you look at Jesus? How do you keep your eyes fixed on Him so that My Spirit in you transforms you from glory to glory as you behold Him?
I teach you how with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. At first they were not looking at Jesus but at themselves and they did not recognize Him. They were too busy being disappointed and focusing on what they had thought and felt. But then Jesus focused their attention on My Word and that alone. Beginning with Moses (the first five books of the Bible, the Torah or the Law) and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:27. And that is the entire Bible.
And as they focused on the Word and fixed their eyes on it, suddenly they lost their depression, hopelessness, and sadness and their hearts came alive, as if on fire! They were looking at Jesus in the Word, and that is where you can look at Him today too. His physical manifestation had not focused them on Him, it was the Word that did. And it is the same for you today since He is not physically with you any longer in the same way He was when He humbled Himself to become as one of you in all things but sin.
And then there was one more step in beholding Him, in fixing their eyes on Him before they really beheld Him in His glory, and that was partaking in the Bread of Life, the Holy Communion. It was in the hearing and revelation of My Word and in the breaking of and partaking of the bread that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Luke 24:31.
And that is how you behold Him today. In My Word, for all My Word in the Bible is Sprit breathed and the Spirit testifies to Jesus, and in the Bread of Life in the Communion meal.
Jeremiah wrote that when He found My Word that he devoured it and it became the joy of his heart. That is fixing your eyes on Jesus. And I revealed Jesus to Jeremiah. I told him of the LORD your righteousness and of the new covenant I would make with you under which your sins and offenses I would remember no more.
Yes, many a prophet and many a saint longed to see what you see and did not see it and hear what you hear and did not hear it. And that is Jesus, My Word made flesh, your life, your hope and your savior.
Keep your eyes on Him and you will walk on water. Look away at yourself and you will sink. Peter found that out.
So keep your eyes on your great High Priest and get them off yourself. If all you look at is yourself, your thoughts, and your performance you will be the sad and incomplete, filled with regrets and fear. But if you look away from yourself and lift your eyes and your thoughts above where Jesus is seated at My right hand and behold who you are in Christ you shall have joy—a joy no man can take from you. And you shall have peace that passes all understanding.
So take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4, which means when the devil tries to make you fearful, ashamed, guilt ridden, or depressed by looking at your own lack of obedience or over your wrong thoughts that he has put in your mind, do not fight with your thoughts but merely turn your mind to the obedience of Christ and know that as He is so are you in this world. Think of the High Priest’s thoughts with the gold plate stating “Holy to the Lord” and know He bears the guilt of your wrong thoughts– those you have that come unbidden to your mind in church or during prayer– so that you find favor before Me. He fulfills the law so that you are no longer under the law but grace. Be at peace. You are My beloved child in whom I am well pleased.
So keep your eyes on Jesus. Focus on My Word. Do not look to the right or the left but meditate on My Word day and night. Speak it, think on it and renew your mind with it. It has the power to save you.
I love you. Put your attention on My Words as you would a light in a dark place, till the morning star rises in your hearts and the perfect day appears. And be sure you do not neglect the breaking of the bread and the partaking of holy communion. As you recall great grace and favor was on the early Christian community with many miracles and signs. Why? They kept their eyes on Jesus. How did they do that when He had left and ascended to Heaven already? I tell you that “they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42. They focused on the Word (the good news the apostles’ preached, for they preached Jesus), fellowship with other believers (joining in prayer and worship and discussing My Word), the breaking of bread (communion) and prayer. If you want the great grace, favor and miracles they had, then you would be wise to do the same.