The Almond Tree Perspective

 

God Watching Over His Word

Have you ever read a familiar Bible verse and had its meaning completely transformed by a new understanding? The book of Jeremiah offers one of these moments. When we connect Jeremiah 1:12 with the New Testament revelation that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God from the very beginning, a simple promise becomes a profound, personal declaration of God's love and absolute grace. The focus shifts from a generic promise to the person of Jesus Himself.

The verse in question reads: "Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:12, KJV).

The Holiest Day Fulfilled

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is revered as the holiest day of the year in Jewish tradition. For followers of Jesus, this is a profound truth, but not in the way that many might think. This is not a day to be observed, but a day to be celebrated as a shadow completely fulfilled by the reality of Jesus Christ.

Many people, including Christians, feel obliged to follow Jewish traditions and celebrate these feasts. However, this comes down to a fundamental choice: do you celebrate the shadow, or do you embrace the Person? The Old Covenant law and its festivals were given to Israel to point them to their need for a Savior, not as a means of salvation. They are a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). You are either under the law, striving to do the works of men to achieve your own salvation, or you choose to receive the free gift of grace—Jesus Christ Himself.

The Yom Kippur Context

Final Feasts Fulfilled

It's incredible how many believers feel a need to celebrate the Jewish feasts, seemingly missing a crucial point. What’s even more amazing is how perfectly and completely Jesus fulfilled every one of these festivals. They are but a shadow, with Christ as the substance.

Each year, around September, the Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah is celebrated. The date changes annually on our Western calendar because it's not synchronized with the Hebrew calendar. This observance, along with the others, points to a deeper reality now found in Jesus Christ.

What Is Rosh Hashanah?

All things pertaining to Life and Godliness

The Unveiling of Glory in Our Dominion and Virtue in Christ's Finished Work (2 Peter 1:1-4)

Have you ever considered the sheer magnitude of what Christ accomplished for us? It's not merely a "get out of hell free" card, but an invitation into a life of profound partnership with the Divine, marked by dominion and infused with divine virtue. Peter's opening words in his second epistle are a stunning declaration of this reality, anchored firmly in the finished work of Jesus.

The End of Formlessness

 

Behold the Lamb: Sin's Defeat and Our New Life in Grace

Have you ever been told that sin is a non-issue and there is no need for a saviour because? It's a common challenge in the secular world, and it highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Bible teaches about sin and salvation. To truly grasp the Gospel message, we may need to delve into the most profound declaration ever made by the greatest prophet that ever lived, John the Baptist (Luke 7:28). And perhaps it's time to accept that our part is all about receiving (lambano), that comes with the afforded righteousness and gloriousness of the absolute Grace extended onto us, shed abroad from before the foundation of the earth.

So, imagine the scene on the dusty banks of the Jordan River, a crowd gathered around John the Baptist, a wild-looking prophet whose life's mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah. People from all walks of life came to him, confessing their sins and seeking a cleansing baptism. John's ministry was powerful, yet he consistently pointed beyond himself to the One who was to come.

Wholeness and Healing Inheritance

 

The Divine Blueprint: Unpacking God's Wisdom in Bread, Wine, and Oil

Have you ever considered the meticulous precision of God's Word? It's far more than a collection of stories or laws; it's a divinely inspired blueprint, a living revelation. Nothing within its sacred pages is there merely to fill space or for an insignificant reason. Every single word and letter, every sentence and sequence, is purposefully placed in its appropriate and appointed spot to unveil Yah'shua (Jesus), our Christ, and to give Him glory. He is the Living Word. As Jesus Himself declared in John 5:39 (KJV), "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." And after His resurrection, He opened the understanding of His disciples: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27, KJV). HalleluYAH!

This divine precision extends even to the sequence of God's words when He speaks of blessings. Have you noticed it?

Perfect Liberty

 

Unveiling Freedom and Dominion in Christ's Finished Work

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25, KJV). This profound declaration from the Apostle James introduces a concept that, at first glance, might seem paradoxical: one "perfect law" that brings "liberty." How can the very idea of 'law,' which often conjures images of restriction, rules, and bondage, be synonymous with 'perfect' and 'liberty'?

Wholeness and Healing the Inheritance for those Called

God the Healer: Receiving Wholeness Through Christ's Finished Work for the Ekklēsia

In the vast tapestry of divine revelation, one of the most comforting and profound truths is that God is our Healer. From the earliest covenants to the glorious finished work of Christ, the Lord consistently reveals Himself as the one who restores, makes whole, and delivers from sickness and infirmity. This isn't a peripheral aspect of His character, but a central declaration of His benevolent heart towards humanity. Understanding God as our Healer is not merely an intellectual exercise; it is an invitation for His beloved Ekklēsia—the called of God—to experience His boundless compassion and the complete provision made for us in Jesus Christ.

The Christ Reflection

 

As He Is, So Are We in This World: Unveiling the Radical Reality of Hyper-Grace and Christ's Finished Work – Operating in Dominion Authority

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17). This profound declaration from the Apostle John stands as one of the boldest statements in the entire New Testament. It is not a hopeful wish or a distant aspiration; it is a radical, present-tense reality. But how can mere mortals, prone to struggle and imperfection, be genuinely likened to the glorified Son of God, even now and here, and what does this have to do with boldness in the face of judgment? The answer lies wholly within the majestic truth of

Many are called … few are chosen. Are You?

For Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen: The Message of Grace

Jesus uses a phrase that often causes confusion, if not condemnation, in the hearts of believers. In Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14, He says, "...for many be called, but few chosen."

This phrase follows two of His most powerful parables: the parable of the workers in the vineyard who are all paid the same wage regardless of when they started, and the parable of the wedding feast where one guest is cast out for not wearing the proper garment.

Is this phrase a warning of exclusion, a looming threat that implies our salvation is conditional upon our performance? Or is it a profound revelation of God's unchanging nature and His redemptive plan?

Legalistic preachers often use this text to condemn their audience, preaching, "Get right with God or get left behind!" or "Repent, or you won't be chosen!" This mindset forces people into a law-abiding, Pharisee-like way of thinking. In doing so, they miss the very heart of the Gospel and risk causing believers to fall from grace by returning to a works-based system (Galatians 5:4).

So, what is the true meaning behind Jesus's words?