A Word To His Beloved
We are so happy you came.
Those of us at Crossing Jordan – A Mission Of Mercy express our eternal gratefulness to Holy Spirit for having chosen us to present to all people His invitation to “Come” and build a personal relationship with God’s Word—His Son—of Whom He said in Isaiah 7:14 would be called Immanuel, meaning God is with us. A slideshow presentation of His invitation has been posted on our home page for your convenience.
He then asked that we prepare and freely distribute His instructions on how each of us could learn to build that personal relationship, come to recognize the face and voice of God’s Son, and understand the journey each soul will take to its redemption and reconciliation to God. Holy Spirit also offers a glimpse into the destruction that will occur if a soul decides to ignore God's Word and turn away.
The place Christ will prepare for those who follow Him is the mansion of the soul. His bodily death and resurrection to life opened the door for humankind to be redeemed from spiritual bondage, reconciled with God, and united with all believers. It is a journey in which each soul recognizes the sins it has committed (in a place lovingly referred to in some cases as the wilderness, perhaps a wine press, or as the threshing floor); learns the reason God felt those actions needed to change; looks at what should be done in the future; and chooses to repent and turn away from its former behavior.
By the time salvation is granted, some souls have been on the threshing floor for a considerable period. But they have relied on the promises in John 6:37 and Hebrews 13:5 that He would never leave them nor forsake them. He said in John 3:14-21 that He would bring them through. Because of this, God’s Word says in Psalms 118:15 and Luke 15:7 that we should always applaud the salvation of a soul, regardless of who it belongs to.
Now listen closely, reconciliation or restoration of a soul to God cannot occur until after it is first redeemed. But in His divine wisdom, Almighty God has chosen to begin your journey with the Old Testament book of Haggai that deals with the subject of restoration (often referred to as reconciliation), as He feels you will do well to understand initially the ultimate goal to which you should be striving to attain. When that recognition is fully achieved, He will then walk with you through the journey of the redemption of your soul.
Yes, as was the case with those of us at Crossing Jordan – A Mission Of Mercy, your personal journey can be long and arduous, and friends and family may step aside. But you will not be alone even though at times it may seem as if you are. Forgive them, as their journey will not be the same as yours. Just talk to God about feelings of rejection and separation. He will speak to their souls when they are ready to hear Him.
To freely distribute these instructions, we chose to use various virtual platforms and hope to be uploading lessons one by one on a weekly basis. This is not a race nor will you be asked to share any personal thoughts or information, so please take your time with each lesson. Every soul will travel this journey at an independent speed. Reading the text without also reading the captioned scripture will diminish understanding of the lessons Holy Spirit desires to impart and, subsequently, impede the quality of the relationship He wishes to develop with you.
Now, let Him nurture you and mold you into what He has ordained for you to become. Take a moment and rejoice for you are loved by the One who created you. Ask Holy Spirit to join you in your studies and give you understanding from His point of view. After all, He inspired the words written in the Bible – who would know better what was intended you understand? As you will see, with a change in your perception of the relationship God wants with you, He is able to give you victory over any enemy that attempts to prevent your soul from being reconciled to Him.
Let’s begin the journey understanding the political (Lesson 1A) and religious environments (Lesson 1B) from the time of the release of the Israelites from seventy years of Babylonian captivity until the ascension into Heaven of the Christ (meaning anointed), the one who would prepare a place for those who would follow (John 14:2). This meaning is the Greek equivalent to the ancient Jewish Messiah. Jesus was the personal name by which He was referred to in the Gospels, while Christ or Jesus Christ is generally used in the Epistles.[i] See Lesson 1C for the prophecies concerning Him.
Journal your steps and review them from time to time and see how you are growing into His image and likeness. You will be so proud of yourself for it is recorded in Matthew 19:26 that Jesus, God’s Word made flesh, promises that nothing is impossible for Him. And if you are tenacious to ask Him for help when along the journey you feel faint or weary, you will suddenly realize that you are able to see His face and recognize His voice.
Joan Elizabeth Parker
Let’s begin!
[i] Bible Dictionary and Concordance. Broadman & Holman – Nashville, 1998
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Haggai - A Journey Through The Restoration Of A Soul
Psalm 51: To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba Lesson 1A Abridging the Political Environment - Published Lesson 1B A Cursory Look at the Religious Environment - Published Lesson 1C Prophecies Concerning Him - Published Message One Lesson 2 Introduction, Preface, Insights, Historical Plotting, Forward - Published Lesson 3 Ground Work, Their Circumstance, Divine Solution - Published Lesson 4 Introduction, The People's Response, Special Note - Published Lesson 5 Continuation of Lesson 4 - Published Message Two Lesson 6 Introduction, Divine Assurance - Published Lesson 7 Divine Assurance (continued) - Published Lesson 8 Divine Assurance (continued), Spiritual Stirring - Published Message Three Lesson 9 Glory Past and Present - Published Lesson 10 Glory Past and Present (continued), Conviction - Published Lesson 11 Bringing it Forward, Restoration - Published Lesson 12 Concluding Message Three - Published Message Four Lesson 13 Introduction, Their Responsibilities, Shared Labor, Continued Obedience - Published Message Five Lesson 14 Introduction, The Thwarted, The Chosen, A Promise Fulfilled - Published Psalm 34 Published at the end of Lesson 14 |
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Ruth - A Journey Through The Redemption Of A Soul
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