Let’s Rumble

And… Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost (Matthew 27:50).*

Then, what happened?

That’s what caught my eye.

To explain…

If my thinking isn’t stinkin’, I tend to see that the Holy Spirit has a somewhat matriarchal role in life (see the essay… She)— the life in the Family of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Holy Spirit gives life… the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead… shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11).

I also see wisdom in Proverbs as the Holy Spirit (see the essay… The Spirit of Wisdom).  And, she [Wisdom] says… The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old… when he appointed the foundations of the earth (Proverbs 8:22,29).  Of course, we also read… The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens (Proverbs 3:19).

Seems like the Lord created us, and what we see, by… the Life of God—the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit gives life and creates… It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing (John 6:63)… In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth… And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3).  Keep this thought running in the background…

Back to the Cross… and what caught my eye.  He… yielded up the ghost… then… behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many (Matthew 27:50-53).

To recap—Christ gives up His Life, and then… the door to the most scared room of the House of God, the Temple, is opened (see the essay… In the House)… the Earth quakes… rocks shatter… dead saints are raised and have a stroll around town—creation rumbles.

Could it be… the Holy Spirit, under the Law given to Moses, was confined to the Tabernacle (see the essay… In the Center) and the few God chose for the Spirit to come upon.  The high priest could only enter into this presence of God—to entreaty God for the sins of Israel by animal sacrifice—once a year.

Then… the way we do things around here… was rocked.

Christ completes the work of the Cross… the power reserved for the few breaks free… the common man is given access to this most holy place of God… Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus… he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh (Hebrews 10:19-20).  Man can now seek and engage God directly… he no longer needs a human liaison to entreaty the Creator of the Universe for him.

Why?

Because, we now have:

• A perpetual high priest representing us… fulfilling the Law of Moses… Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 6:20)… We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens (Hebrews 8:1)… an high priest over the house of God (Hebrews 10:21)… For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth (Romans 10:4).

• A perfect high priest with a perfect sacrifice—His Blood shed at the Cross… the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19).

• A high priest who reconciles us to God, the Father… the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Unlike the Levitical Priesthood who trusted that… the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins (Hebrews 10:4)… Christ replaced it using His own Blood (that which contained his Life) (see the essay… Blood, Water, & Spirit)… once and for all…  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself (Hebrews 7:27).  And, when He did… he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (John 19:30).

Which leads us to…

Let’s rumble—the veil was ripped in two… the signs appeared.  The Spirit of God did what the Spirit of God does—gives life… raises the dead… shakes, rattles, and rolls creation.   The Holy Spirit was out and about… among men… now accessible to all who… Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38)… Whoso eateth my [Christ’s] flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:54).

One could say, “Yea, right”, I’ve got my own way to God’s ear”… so they refuse to repent (change their mind) and believe the account of the Cross.

They now mock the Son of God, Jesus Christ… the Creator of the natural… causing them to disregard the natural law of God… God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men (Romans 1:26).

Thinking they’ve got it covered… they’re smart like God (oblivious to… they rejected Christ, thus God’s Wisdom—the Holy Spirit)… they set out to rescue (intervene with) the environment and the world…Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator (Romans 1:25)… the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night… the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter 3:10).

If they do, are they messing with the Family plan of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—therefore, will the matriarch of the Family make a rumble with… earthquakes… volcanoes… disease… And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven… (Luke 21:11)?

Maybe not… but in the natural, try and fuss with a bear cub with its momma standing by.  You’re on your own if you try.  Mommas don’t like you messing with the family!

Maybe I’m stretching for it like a base runner stealing home… but many call nature… mother nature.  I wonder where the “mother” in “mother nature” comes from?

Could it be—when we try to act as “mother nature’s” guardian… “she” bites back?  There’s only one who has the authority, smarts, and power to fulfill “matriarchal” duties for the Earth… and… it’s not us… Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman (Proverbs 7:4).

Or, maybe… that’s just God’s way of doing things… a rumble then… life is brought forth into the world…

• It happened at the tomb Christ was resurrected from… there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it (Matthew 28:2).

• It happens with the birth of a child… A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child…(John 16:21).

• It’ll happen when Christ returns to this world… For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:7-8)… that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night… as travail upon a woman with child (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). And, the rumble may have already started.

Oh, I almost forgot… as story told to me by my mom and dad… on an early fall morning in 1966, there was a rumble in the place where I took my first breath—the Earth shook—there was an earthquake.

Anyway you look at it… God’s creation rumbles… it’s the world’s sorrow expressed—it’s hope for better days ahead… the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God… that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now (Romans 8:19,22).

We get to use and enjoy God’s creation, but He has full power and control over it, until … He shares it—our time comes… he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations (Revelation 2:26).  Until then… we’re training for the job.  We wouldn’t let… the new trainee run our company… the guy getting his puddle jumper pilot license fly the Boeing 747… the juvenile son take charge of the family… would we?

And, the Spirit of God does a good job with the preparation of God’s kids… But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things (1 John 2:27).

I’m just choosing to invest my time where the odds are for me… not against me… And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail (Hebrews 1:10-12).

It’s called…  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:16-17).  Said another way… you won’t win if you tangle with the rumble… if you square up on an angry bear sow.

I can’t change the climate… rescue the squirrels… light up the world… because… that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light (John 2:19)… If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:19).  But, I can choose… what I invest in—where the odds are in my favor—odds that favor the house… By faith Abraham… looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:8,10).

Let’s rumble… “onward Christian soldiers”… look onward!

*All scripture phrases in italics are King James Version.