“The Blood of Jesus” – Now Think On This by Steve Martin

April 9, 2020 Love For His People in Charlotte, NC USA

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

Revelation 12:11, NASU

Growing up in the Roman Catholic Church and going to Mass more than just the required Sunday morning, or later to the scheduled Saturday night option, tended to de-sensitize my mind, soul, and spirit to the true meaning, and purpose, of the Eucharist, or more commonly known as communion. Some call it the Last Supper, when in fact it is the Jewish Passover celebration.

I was missing the revelation that Jesus (Yeshua) wanted to give to all at His last Passover on earth, starting with His Jewish disciples. As instructed, they had gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, next to Mount Moriah, a short distance from where Abraham had also gone centuries before in obedience to God, to sacrifice Isaac upon the altar. This was a foretaste of the Father sacrificing His Only Begotten Son.

Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah

Try as I might, I had a real hard time believing that when we were given the host communion wafer that it had been transformed into His Body, which Catholics call the transubstantiation. What originally was matzah bread, or unleavened bread in Jesus’ day and even today in Jewish and believing homes, the concept escaped me. Even when dipped in the wine cup by the ordained, celebrate priest, rather than sharing the cup of the fruit of the vine as then, this whole idea of Jesus’ Body and Blood, broken and shed for all of us, remained unclear and uncertain.

Roman Catholic Mass – chalice, wine, crucifix

During the growing years at my elementary grade school at St. Patrick’s in Cedar Falls, Iowa, as the altar boy dressed in the black and white and catching a few hosts that on occasion were about to drop onto the floor when it missed the kneeling, or standing, recipient’s tongue (good thing we had the golden platter with the handle attached to catch it) it still didn’t help in understanding the reverence of the moment. It seemed though many did grasp this understanding, judging by the solemn look on their face when receiving, I certainly did not.

For many years following, as I became a member of several Protestant churches as the years went by, where having communion wasn’t the main center point of the church service, and less shared given the weeks or months that would pass without it, my heart still wasn’t quite there.

The revelation of the body and blood of Jesus just hadn’t reached me yet. Even now, on my way to the 7th decade of life, there must be something more than what my mind has yet to realize.

It truly is a thing yet to be grasped. For me at least. Our finite minds cannot grasp the full measure of what the Lord had done beginning at that Passover, and continuing on through the crucifixion that followed, at least on this side of heaven. It truly is a matter of faith, believing that which we cannot see, but what we know in our hearts is the truth.

But as I continue to contemplate the cruelty of the crucifixion, the scourging that Yeshua’s body was given with the severe beating, and whipping to the point of what was believed to be one less swing that would have brought death at any moment (being He received 39 out of the 40 lashes that typically brought death), my heart begins to beat fast with grief, but also with thanksgiving.

Painting on a full wall at Calvary Daycare in Charlotte, North Carolina

O the love of Jesus, to do what He had done. For you and for me.

As Jesus Himself said to the disciples, He could have called on multitudes of angels to deliver Him from the Roman death sentence, but He didn’t.

He could have walked away from the death ahead, and live for Himself, but He didn’t.

He could have said, “Let this cup pass from Me, Father. I will not go through with this.” But He didn’t.

He gave Himself for us. He would let His precious blood flow, the saving blood that carried the forgiveness needed for all of mankind, for the redemption of the world.

He had come to save the world, and being He Alone was the perfect sacrificial Lamb, the Passover Lamb, the One without spot or wrinkles as the Just and Holy God the Father demanded because of His holiness, Yeshua the Messiah completed the mission He had come to accomplish.

The Blood of Jesus, as the hymns of old were so properly versed, is the only solution that can wash away our sin. (“Nothing But the Blood”, Robert Lowry 1876)

We are now called to be “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrew 12:2, NKJV

Throughout the year, and not just during Passover or Good Friday when all this is more prominent and in the forefront, we must meditate on the life given for us, that life being of His laid down, when He shed His blood for you and me.

My prayer for you and me is for a fuller revelation of what it cost Yeshua when He gave His redeeming Blood, poured out for us. I am convinced that when more revelation does come, the Power in His blood that flows will further propel us into the glorious mission He has given to us, to take the Good News to the ends of the earth, preaching and teaching with all boldness, assurance, and understanding.

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus saves.

Thank You, Lord, for giving us Your Blood. The Blood of Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, Who is the Savior of the world.

Now think on this.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin, Founder/President  Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. This being my 500th Now Think of This, having the first one written and published in 2013 (now for the 7th year!), it is quite appropriate that it is centered on the One Who gave His all, and continues to reach out to us, drawing us after Him. Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, the Living God of Israel, the soon returning King.

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Now Think On This #500 – in the year of our Lord 04.09.2020 – “The Blood of Jesus” – Thursday, during Passover, 5:33 am in Charlotte, NC USA

Published April 7, 2020
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Exploring the Roots of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal - 700 Club CBN News

Exploring the Roots of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

700 Club  CBN News  June 14, 2017

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Lucca, Italy
1895
Kneeling in solitude, Sister Elena, a devout Catholic nun and foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, prayed to God again and again.

“Generi, in nome di Jesus, trasmettono avanti il vostro spirito e rinnovano il mondo.”  

“‘Father, in the name of Jesus, send forth Your Spirit and renew the world.’ ‘Father, in the name of . . .’ over and over.  ‘Father, in the name of Jesus . . .’ Wow! Elena Guerra prayed the way we pray.  She was like a prophetess of this new coming of the Spirit.” 

As the world stood poised to enter the 20th century, sister Elena’s passion for the Holy Spirit would spread far beyond the walls of her small order.

Elena Guerra was devoted to her faith from a young age and established her own congregation in 1866 in order to educate young women. Her deepest passion was to see the Holy Spirit renew the world.

Patti Mansfield, the author of As By A New Pentecost reports: “Elena said things about the Holy Spirit like, ‘If only—if only we would want Him.  If only we would seek Him. If only we would pray to Him, He would surely come.’ "   

Between 1895 and 1903, Sister Elena penned 12 confidential letters to Pope Leo the 13th. She urged the Pope to lead the Church back to the “upper room”—to a posture of expectant prayer displayed by the apostles, Mary, the mother of Christ, and other believers before Pentecost. Elena wanted the Church to experience a “perpetual Pentecost.”

“And the amazing thing is, the Pope took it very seriously, and in fact, responded to that,” states Al Mansfield, Director, The Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans.

Prompted by Elena’s letters, Pope Leo called for a special time of prayer each year between Ascension Day and Pentecost. The Bishops and Cardinals soon lost passion for the special prayers, but Elena did not.  She encouraged the Pope to teach more fully on the Holy Spirit, which inspired him to write a letter to the Bishops. The letter, titled “Divinum Illud Munus,” emphasized the indwelling and miraculous power of the Holy Spirit.

According to Al Mansfield, “A landmark document on the Holy Spirit. t's still looked on today as just a milestone of writing on the Holy Spirit.”

Still not satisfied, Elena urged Pope Leo to invoke the hymn, “Veni Creator Spiritus”—“Come, Holy Spirit”—over the first day of the new century.  (That would be January 1st, 1901.)

“Pope Leo XIII went into St. Peter's Basilica and, surrounded by the Bishops and Cardinals of the Church, saying in a solemn way, they need Creator Spiritus, ‘Come Creator Spirit.’  And he (Pope Leo XIII) solemnly dedicated and consecrated the 20th century to the Holy Spirit. And, of course, at the very same time January 1, 1901, in Topeka, Kansas, there was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the little group there gathered at the Bethel Bible School,” reports Al Mansfield.  

Agnus Ozman, a student at the Bible school, received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues late New Year’s Day after prayer and the laying on of hands. Her experience—echoed by several other students—sparked the modern Pentecostal movement.  

“You see this amazing convergence of prayer to the Lord for a new coming of the Holy Spirit,” reflects Patti Mansfield.

“It's very interesting how the Lord began the 20th century by pouring out His Holy Spirit that way,” states Al Mansfield.

By 1906, members of the Bethel Bible School group, most notably William J. Seymour, were leading the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles.  Healings, salvations, and the renewed power to witness all flowed from Azusa Street, just as signs and wonders flowed from the upper room of the disciples’ day.

“We owe a great debt to our Protestant brothers and sisters who have been witnesses to the reality of the Holy Spirit for so many years,” states to Dr. Ralph Martin, a Catholic Theologian.

Sister Elena’s prayers again bore fruit in 1958 when white smoke billowed from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of Pope John the 23rd, who, like Sister Elena, longed for the Holy Spirit to renew the church. He said the Holy Spirit had inspired him to reset the Church’s relationship with the world.  It was time.   

Dr. Ralph Martin says of the era, “As we see the hostility to Christ and the Church that's growing in our culture, people are realizing, ‘ You know what?  If we keep on doing business as usual that's not gonna work.’ ”  

In 1962, Pope John convened a church council, later called Vatican II, hoping to pave the way for Christian unity. He asked Christians everywhere to join him and “joyfully echo” his prayer to the Holy Spirit: “Renew your wonders in our time, as though for a new Pentecost.”   

“He was looking for energy.  He was looking for power from on high.  He was looking for God to do something. He was looking for new Pentecost.
He anticipated that Vatican II was going to open the windows of the Church to the Holy Spirit, and apparently to signs and wonders,” says Dr. Martin.  

Pope John passed away in 1963 before Vatican II concluded. Pope Paul the 6th followed and found the world devolving into chaos. A new generation was thumbing its nose at convention. Students took to the streets in protest. Turbulence ruled the decade.  

“At that point a lot of people were questioning everything and questioning God,” recalls David Mangan.

David Mangan was a graduate student in physics at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He belonged to Chi Rho society, a group of Catholic students who met before classes to pray and study Scripture. Hungry for more of God and seeking this “new Pentecost,” they went away together on retreat at The Ark and The Dove in February 1967.  

“We were given a little paperback book called The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, who was a Pentecostal pastor who worked with drug addicts and, in miraculous ways, brought them to healing and salvation merely through prayer,” remembers Mangan.  

Patti Mansfield recalls, “I kept saying, ‘This is happening today? Well, why aren't these things happening in my life?’  I thought, ‘Here I am, I’m baptized, I’m confirmed, I’ve received the Holy Spirit. Why isn't the Holy Spirit doing this in my life?’  And, we were told to to do three things, first, pray with expectant faith. The next thing was to take the Bible and read the first four chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. To tell you how ignorant I was of the Scripture, I had no idea where to find the Acts of the Apostles. I figured it was the New Testament because I knew the Apostles were in the time of Jesus.”   

The students opened each session of the retreat with the hymn “Veni Creator Spiritus”—“Come, Holy Spirit”—the same hymn Pope Leo invoked over the 20th century. One of the speakers taught from Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 (NLT), “. . . but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

“The word for power is the same Greek word where we, in English, would get the word dynamite. And He (Jesus) likened the coming of the Holy Spirit to dynamite”, says David Mangan. “And, that struck me extremely deeply, because although I’d been raised a good Catholic boy, and I was with the Lord. He hadn’t abandoned me at all and I knew that’s where I belonged and where I was but, I don't think I could have used the word “dynamite” as an adjective to describe my spiritual life at that point.“

David joined his small group session and asked a question: “Where is the dynamite?” He later recorded in his notes his desire to hear someone speak in tongues. “And then I put a dash.  And I put ‘me!’ with an exclamation point.”

David went off by himself to reflect on the teaching.

“When I opened the door and walked into the chapel, the presence of God was so powerful, I could hardly move. The only way I could say this, ‘I was lost in Christ, and happy to be so.’  And, I forgot—completely forgot—about all my pushing to say, ‘Where's the dynamite? Where's the dynamite?’ And that's exactly what it felt like. It felt like little explosions in my body were going off as part of this whole experience. I don't even know how to describe it beyond that. So, I started opening my mouth to thank God for what he had done, and I started praying in another language,” recalls Mangan.  

Later Patti joined David in the chapel.

Patti Mansfield remembers, “I began to tremble.  I remember thinking, ‘But God is here.  And he's holy, and I’m not holy.’ And so, just kneeling there in the quiet of my heart . . . I said, ‘Father, I give my life to you.  Whatever you ask, I accept it.’ I was lying there prostrate, and I felt immersed in the love of God. I felt like I was swimming in the mercy of God. I remember thinking, just [whispering] to Him, ‘Stay, stay, stay.’ “  

Other students were drawn into the chapel.   

“Some people were laughing for joy, others were weeping for joy.  Some said they felt like they wanted to praise God, but they didn't know if it was going to come out in English.  We were there and just in awe of the sovereign God,” recalls Mansfield.

David Mangan remembers, “Everything changed at that point . . . Now, I didn’t spot it all right away,  but  I mean everything was different, as it turned -   after-after this happened to me.”

The small gathering of Duquesne students who walked away from that retreat center say they were never the same. But, what they didn’t know at the time was that their life-changing experience was meant to be shared—and it was just the beginning. 

Learn more about the Manifestations of the Spirit.

The Pope celebrates Pentecost.

Beauty - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Beauty

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

 “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30, NASU)

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. That may be true, if the beholder has the character and discernment to know what is real beauty. You see, it goes far beyond skin deep. Real beauty resides in the deep affection of the soul to please the Creator. Then that which radiates from within is indeed a thing of beauty.

Growing up in the northeast land of Iowa, in the town of Cedar Falls, I had the privilege of going to a parochial school, named St. Patrick’s. The classes of about 18 kids each received our educational instruction from BVM nuns (Blessed Virgin Mary order) and “lay” teachers. Occasionally one of the priests would come during the week and conduct a class on the Roman Catholic Church theology.

Prior to daily classes, I would attend Mass around the 8:15 am hour. Desiring to please the Lord, as I knew at the time was a way to do thus, it was my intent to follow Him in His ways, and in the meantime cut a few years off of my time to be spent later in Purgatory (or so I was taught.) Being a young lad, attending the school from 2^nd through 8^th grades until I reached the age of 13, going to Mass during the week was not the norm for most kids, apart from Sunday. In fact, I can’t remember if any others in my grade did this. Besides that, there weren’t too many adults either that I recall making their presence known. I guess work and other occupations restricted the time it took, rather than time with God.

One thing I most remember about those morning hours, other than the bare heads of Father Mullen and Father Purcell, was this old, stooped-back lady who was always dressed in a long, black coat. Her head was also always covered with a black hood, but I knew she was not a nun. In fact, I knew very little about her, other than that she regularly was cleaning the church building. Quietly. Consistently. Without fanfare or to be an attention-getter. For the most part I thought she was kind of creepy, and weird. I never heard or saw her speak to anyone.

I can’t remember the exact day, but one Saturday morning I followed her as she walked down the street to her home, after the Mass had ended. I had an idea where she lived, but wasn’t sure. And yes, when she got to the house that I thought was hers, badly in need of paint and repair, she stopped and turned around. I was shocked!

For the first time I was able to see into her eyes. Though surrounded by wrinkles and gray hair that needed some combing, she had the most tender eyes. She smiled, didn’t really say anything, turned back around and went into the house.

I never knew what her name was, but the impression she left on me over those years, as often I watched her in her work, clearly had an impact in my life. A true servant of the Lord, and one whose beauty was truly one to behold.

The Lord has many that aren’t widely known among the populous nor being counted with the famous. They are carefully hidden, daily doing that which is their calling, performing the works which the Lord has given them to do. But when they reach their time of glory, the beauty within will shine along with the One who created them, as they behold the most beautiful One of all.

What a glorious and magnificent day that will be.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 03.11.17 - #277 – “Beauty” – Saturday 4.30 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve