Shaking hands with God!

Covenant is a thing of the past with most people. In the world I grew up in I heard men repeatedly say to each other about other men, "His word is his bond!" Sometimes they were talking about themselves and would say, "My word is my bond!" It was an age of trust. If men shook hands on anything, that sealed the deal! As a small boy I can remember seeing men shake on something and it facinated me. It was so real to me that it made me want people to say that about me, "his word is his bond", and I still do!

The "bond" referred to a security that was put up by one or both of the men making it more profitable to keep your word than to renege on it. Bonds are still used today in real estate deals (escrow), and even car deals! Non-refundable down payments. It is a real shame that men have to be "bribed" to keep their word but it is true about many men. I love to brag on the few people I can say about them that "If he/she said it, that's the way he/she is convinced it really is!" Now I can't always say "..that is the way it is" because someone else may have been dishonest with them. so I am glad to say they are convinced that is it. It brags on their honesty even if their source isn't honest.

This "word being bond" proved that a person's word was more valuable than money or things. In those days a man would not chance losing the veracity of his word over a dishonest deal or backing out on a promise.

True covenant says, "I will keep this agreement at the cost of death if necessary." Now God made covenant several times with man. With Noah the "seal", or proof of a man's involvement in the covenant was the rainbow, with Abraham it was the visible circumcision of the foreskin, with the New Testament believer it is the invisible circumcision of the heart! Now it gets serious and it involves the life of the person rather than a forced involuntary removal of the foreskin of a child (8 days old), who cannot make the decision himself, in order to fulfill a religious ritual. Anyone can do that, but it takes reality to LIVE it!

No matter how righteous or wicked you were under the Abrahamic covenant, it was no problem to bare the circumcision, but in Christ if you are required to show your 'mark', the heart... you have to say, "Look at my life!" WHOA!!

Water baptism is a part of this 'heart seal' as we are symbolically buried with Him and rise from the watery "grave" to do away with the old man and begin to demonstrate the heart circumcision through the life of this new man we have become! Abraham walked in the promises of God for a long time but at 99 years old he entered the bond of the covenant. What would happen if we understood the full ramification of our 'shaking hands" with God in baptism and the new birth. Our promise to be His representatives in full power in the earth!

Jesus in the flesh! Without seeming to be wierd or a religious nut, I want to agree with the great apostle Paul and remind you that you have ALREADY entered into covenant, shook hands with God, and circumcised the foreskin of your heart (male and female), and taken the mark of citizenship in His Kingdom.

We have a lot to do, don't we?

jack

My political message...

I sent this to several people on my e-mail list but some asked me to put it here on the blog, sooo here it is!

I don’t send political stuff but I thought this was appropriate to send.. I am to blame for everything in it!

“I’M Jack Hollis and I approve this message!!”

Jesus is Lord and His Kingdom will prevail, nevertheless His people should desire a “David” over a “Saul”. Neither was perfect but one was chosen to be predecessor. Now don’t write me something I already know, about how Jesus set us free and how you depend on Him… I know more about that than most people I know do! I still don’t want the wrong man in office for the sake of the unbeliever.

Scripture says that God proved to Nebuchadnezzar that “God rules in the kingdom of MEN and appoints over it whomsoever He wills!” (Dan 5:21) and in another place He said, “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.” (Dan 4:17)

Often the people pick a man by voting and I think God says, “OK. If that’s what you want!” Then HE appoints them so that they are accountable to Him not us! I don’t think that it always is the man or woman God wants, but they are ALWAYS appointed by Him because they are over HIS family, so He makes them accountable to HIM!!!

I am secure no matter what the economy does because my Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills (and the hills)!!

I am secure no matter who rules the Nation from the oval office, because while I am secondly an American and a patriot, I am FIRST and Fully a Christian and a loyal subject in God’s Kingdom.

I will pray for whoever gets elected. I will pray for the nation! I pray daily for the Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth just as it is in heaven!

I will continue to pray for my children and my grandchildren not to have to face some of the hardships I had to face and my parents had to face as well as many from other nations have had to! We are very spoiled in America!!

Some of you are trying to be so spiritual and you forget what it is to be an intercessor. As the Scripture says in Jer 29:7, “And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”

Let me close by saying that I have never preached “threshold” preaching. (You know, where you get people on the edge of their seat looking for what is about to happen, good or bad.) However, let me tell you that it would be very advisable for you to live as though you were going to be here for a long time and you need to make a difference… but I would also suggest that you be ready for things never seen before (perhaps the end), and to be used of God for the Kingdom! This generation and the next may learn to experience what it means to have to stand up to persecution and hate with glory and power!

Jesus is wonderful!
Father is so good!
Ruwach (Spirit) is thrilling!

Jesus has no physical Body here except you and me. Do you really believe?? Did He really die for you? Is there really a Kingdom of Heaven or is it just church? Is there really a hell? Do you really love Him?

Would you be martyred for Him? Men and women die on foreign fields daily for freedom and loyalty to their country. Are you that committed to Christ? As my boy scout motto said, “Be Prepared”!

More later!

jack

Puttin' Mercury on my list...

Hi... I am starting a regular study on this site soon. I will keep on with the 'folksy' stuff even after I start the study!

I have heard that girl on the Mercury commercial say, "You've just gotta' put Mercury on your list." until it has become a joke at home. I tell Shellie tht I have put Mercury on my list every day!

I've been thinking tonight that if a pretty girl, chosen for the part, can fill my head with a slogan that almost (I said almost) can make me want to go look at a Mercury, surely we need to keep on repeating the truths from God's Word until people begin to say to themselves, "maybe I ought to put Jesus on my list"! Now I don't mean we should be a nuisance, but after all Peter said, "I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me."

Peter felt that he should consantly remind people concerning what was important! He realized that after he died, they might let all this slip from their priority list. He wanted the ministry he had with them to continue "automatically" in them and to be propagated to others uninterrupted by his demise!

If you knew where they were giving away free food, and you had someone who was hungry, You would keep teling them where it was and encouraging them to "put that place on their list"! Tell me... is Jesus really on your list? Near the top?

Keep on telling your friends and co-workers and family that they've just gott'a put Jesus on their list!

Love you... jack

Who is responsible?

Every head of every nation on the face of the earth is appointed to their post by the Lord. That leader is appointed by Him so that he will always be accountable and answerable to the Lord! People foolishly believe that if they voted a man or woman into office, or if he/she obtained it by force, that person would be answerable to the voter, or at best autonomous! Not so!!

After obtaining the office in whatever method, THEN the lord supernaturally does the appointing so that He would remain in charge. I find comfort in knowing that since the Lord appointed that leader (even if I voted him in), the Lord could "take him out" at will and could also force his hand on behalf of His people! Should we be the unfortunate recipient of a "mistake" for a president, God will appoint him/her and will rule in our nation.

One way God chastens His people is through giving them horrible leaders. We must pray and vote and tell the Lord we trust Him above our government or our human leaders. Only He knows the heart and the future of everyone running for office. Only He knows what they will do after being elected. Let's trust HIM!

Even though this is true, we MUST still vote from our information according to what we want in a leader. By the way, when you get e-mails spreading fear about the Supreme Court appointments, remember that "The Supreme Court" isn't!!!

Be responsible! jack

Peace and confidence in difficult times!

Good Morning;
Just a note to help build some peace and confidence in these times!

I sent a letter out to most of you who are on my e-mail list about the election and the economy and anything else that tries to ruin our peace and confidence in God! I hope you got it, if not, let me know and I will send you another one.I also wanted to remind you that history bears out the truth concerning dedications whether they be children, jobs, home, marriages, finances or life!

If you truly dedicate something to the Lord it becomes accursed to anyone else who touches it. When His own is touched He is not pleased! It may be YOUR home, etc. but it is HIS more! Like Paul, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I commit unto Him against that day!”

Give it all to Him… jack
Labels: Peace