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Pastimes : Prophecy -- HYPE or HOPE? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cyprian who wrote (2885)	11/13/2004 11:06:32 PM
From: gregor	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5569

Interesting how you mention that Satan wants to be a shield for his children. How comfortable that satan will make his children protecting them from harm and loss of prosperity or provision in that comforts of the world will be numerous and the pleasures of life will be secure. Sorry to say that I have spoiled many of his parties. I believe that when prayers are lifted up to God and intercession is made for sinners that God will tear down the shields the enemy has placed over his children and they will be exposed.

To: Cyprian who wrote (2885)	1/22/2005 1:15:51 AM
From: gregor	Respond to of 5569

The Offense of the Baker and the Cupbearer......... I mentioned to you that it is stated in Jewish legend that Pharaoh found a fly in his chalice and that the baker was hung because a stone was found in Pharaoh's bread. I thought immediately that the stone represented the stumbling stone mentioned by the prophets. The stumbling block has always been the doctrine of salvation by works or in Israel's part adherence to the law. This of course is fatal spiritually and as Paul tells us that a doctrine of works makes the blood of Christ useless. Christians believe that anything other than the blood of Jesus will not be sufficient. Works, while highly valued and esteemed pale are not sufficient in the eyes of God. That left me with the offense of the Cupbearer. If legend has it correctly that the offense of the Cupbearer was indeed the fly in the wine of Pharaoh I was at a total loss of how the stone was a fatal offense and the fly in the wine of Pharaoh was forgiven. What lessons are there in the legend? I have come up with three key areas that I would like to address. I am positive that the reference to the wine and blood or the Cupbearer and the Baker are pointing to Holy Communion, as was Abraham and Melchizidek having wine and breaking bread pointing to Christ also. The first area I thought of is that finding a fly in a cup of wine while not fatal may make the experience of drinking wine a very unpleasant experience. A rock may very well be fatal in a loaf of bread. It could cause an obstruction or choking in the wind pipe or stomach or intestines. A fly while very distasteful would not be fatal. Even the chance of an infection would be diminished by the the alcohol killing the bacteria. I believe that at its core finding a fly in a cup of wine would take the joy out of drinking the wine. Likewise there are flys in our walk with Christ that take the joy out of our daily walk. What are these flys in our wine. It occurred to me that a fly could randomly fly into the cup. But lets see. Wine is stored in casks and filtered. It is transferred to bottles and then corked. It is then transferred to decanters and again it is covered. It is immediately transferred to a chalice or wine glass and drunk. At first though a fly could randomly find its way into Pharaoh's cup but it would seem more so to have happened by an act of carelessness. Even if it flew there randomly a door or window or screen would have carelessly been left open. What is it in our Christian walk that enables a fly to spoil our joy. I feel first it is our own carelessness. We are careless to worship and to pray and to read our bibles. These are the three legs of our spiritual chair that we sit upon. If any of these three areas are neglected it makes the other two supports wobbly. Be careless in any of these areas or all three of them and we start to lose our joy and find a fly in our cup. The second area that I would like to discuss is in our destination and how we lose our focus. Paul talks of the high mark of his calling. He talks about the race set before him and his heavenly home. The Cupbearer was sent back to his home and must have been anticipating that trip with much vigor after Joseph interprets his dream. Likewise we are to anticipate our trip and our destination. So many Christians lose the focus of the destination. Along the way and at the moment of salvation we begin a long trip with a destination in mind. Take a vacation. Is there not an anticipation along the way. Is there not a joy along the way. Do we not enjoy packing for the trip. Is not the reservation made and set for us upon our arrival. Why not have joy for the trip? We should be enjoying the trip. We know what to expect, do not lose our focus. The third area I feel is very crucial. It deals with a very key area in losing our joy. So many Christians make a terrible mistake of wanting to make all their spiritual exploit known to man. Christ teaches on the topic and states that for those people who want the glory for themselves rather than glorifying their heavenly Father that they have already received their reward. I feel there is a secondary offense to this that will just as surely rob us of our joy. This offense or missing the mark is doing things with the expectation of a heavenly reward. Even if we do not want the affirmation of man then doing things or good deeds just for the anticipation of even heavenly rewards will rob us of joy. Why not just do our good works and deeds just for the pure joy of rewarding our heavenly Father without expectation of reward. Will we not lay our crowns of righteousness down at the feet of Jesus. Why do things on the earth with expectation of reward and why not do them just for the sake of joy. Lets remember how unpalatable a fly in our chalice is. While not fatal it will bring disappointment to our daily walk and cause us to lose our joy. In Christ....gregor