Shedding Former Things

But after the men were healed, God told Joshua, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you'" (Josh 5:9).

God is calling thousands of people out of Egypt, out of their old lives of bondage. He's calling them to become new people, living out His plan for their lives in the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 

God wants Christians to take their places in the financial marketplace, the corridors of commerce, the capitals of information and entertainment, and the halls of government.

When the people of Israel crossed over the Jordan River and set foot upon the land of promise, God told Joshua to make flint knives and revive a ritual that had fallen into disuse: circumcision.

Defeat Your Giant

"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26)

You may be facing a giant today. He may be a giant of sickness or failure, of financial shortage or another kind of trouble. But don't let him scare you. You have a secret weapon. A weapon that once turned a shepherd boy into a bear-busting, lion-killing, giant-slaying champion. That weapon was a blood covenant with Almighty God.

Back in David's day, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. So, when he called Goliath uncircumcised, David was saying: This guy may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has no covenant with God and that's why I can kill him.

Like David, you, too, have a covenant. But yours is better. The covenant David had offered a wealth of blessings to those who kept it, but it also included curses for those who broke it.

Yours doesn't. Yours is a New Covenant that Jesus bought with His own blood. It doesn't depend on your ability. It depends on Him and what He has already done. He has done it all! All you have to do is believe it and receive it.

Defeat Your Giant

"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26)

You may be facing a giant today. He may be a giant of sickness or failure, of financial shortage or another kind of trouble. But don't let him scare you. You have a secret weapon. A weapon that once turned a shepherd boy into a bear-busting, lion-killing, giant-slaying champion. That weapon was a blood covenant with Almighty God.

Back in David's day, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. So, when he called Goliath uncircumcised, David was saying: This guy may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has no covenant with God and that's why I can kill him.

Like David, you, too, have a covenant. But yours is better. The covenant David had offered a wealth of blessings to those who kept it, but it also included curses for those who broke it.

Yours doesn't. Yours is a New Covenant that Jesus bought with His own blood. It doesn't depend on your ability. It depends on Him and what He has already done. He has done it all! All you have to do is believe it and receive it.

Right now, read Deuteronomy 28:16-68. That's a list of the curses Christ has freed you from. You might even call it a list of the giants Jesus has already slain for you. It contains every diabolical thing the devil could ever use to destroy you.

Read it and rejoice. God has healed you and delivered you from those things!

Don't let any giant intimidate you. You have a blood covenant with Almighty God. There's no uncircumcised circumstance on the face of this earth that can take your victory away from you.

Scripture Reading: Galatians 3:13-29

Does Circumcision Affect Pleasure?

Circumcision does not affect performance or satisfaction as noted in various studies. 

The overall prevalence of circumcision [In the USA] was 79% and varied by race/ethnicity:

88% in non-Hispanic whites

73% in non-Hispanic blacks

42% in Mexican Americans

50% in all others

Review article in the journal AIDS in 2000 showed a reduced risk of HIV infection of 44% among circumcised men as compared to uncircumcised men.

Circumcision tied to lower prostate cancer risk: study

REUTERS - Circumcised men may have a slightly lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who still have their foreskin, according to a U.S. study.

The World Health Organization already recommends the controversial procedure based on research showing it lowers heterosexual men's risk of contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Last year scientists also reported that wives and girlfriends of circumcised men had lower rates of infection with human papillomavirus or HPV, which in rare cases may lead to cervical and other cancers. And last week, researchers reported that African men who were circumcised were less likely to be infected with a particular herpes virus.

The new study, published in the journal Cancer, jibes with those findings but falls short of actually proving that circumcision will reduce a boy's future cancer risk, said Jonathan Writer, at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, who led the study.

"I would not go out and advocate for widespread circumcision to prevent prostate cancer," Wright said. "We see an association, but it doesn't prove causality."

Although most U.S. men are circumcised, the procedure has become less popular over the past decade, and various groups have spoken out against it. In September, the Royal Dutch Medical Association discouraged the practice, calling it a "painful and harmful ritual."

For their study, Wright and his colleagues compared two groups of more than 1,600 men who had answered questions about their medical history, sex life and whether or not they were circumcised. Half had prostate cancer, the others didn't.

In the group with cancer, 69 percent of the men have been circumcised, compared to 72 percent of those without cancer -- suggesting a small protective effect.

Even accounting for a host of other factors, such as age, race and whether or not the men had been screened for prostate cancer, those who were circumcised still had a 15 percent lower risk of the disease.

"Circumcision before first sexual intercourse is associated with a reduction in the relative risk of prostate cancer in the study population," Wright and his colleagues wrote.

The foreskin is prone to tiny tears during sex, which may help bacteria and viruses enter the bloodstream.

Wright said that some viruses can trigger cancer when they are incorporated into human DNA. Another possibility is that sexually transmitted microorganisms could lead to cancer by causing chronic inflammation.

One in six U.S. men will get prostate cancer during his lifetime, although only a minority of them will die from the disease. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/h73jcS

(Reporting from New York by Frederik Joelving at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies and Bob Tourtellotte)

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/circumcision-tied-lower-prostate-cancer-risk-study-004109207.html

Understanding The Heart’s Worst Disease

The heart is the most important member of the inner man.
Did you know that there are more than 700 references to the heart in the Bible, and that only two of them, 2 Samuel 18:14 and 2 Kings 9:24, actually refer to the physical heart?
In the Scriptures, the word “heart” has various meanings. Sometimes it is a synonym for the mind and understanding. Sometimes it indicates the affections, sometimes the will, and sometimes the conscience. Actually in Scripture the “heart” includes the various functions of the inner man.
The heart is the center of man’s moral nature, the inward spring from which proceed “the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23 KJV). It signifies the whole soul, and is the fountain from which issue all our thoughts, desires, passions, affections, emotions, motives, impulses, reflexes, and instincts. That the heart is the very center of our inner or secret life is clearly seen from how Peter designates it: “the hidden man of the heart.”
The Lord’s teaching is in harmony with the entire Bible. Man is judged according to his heart’s condition: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil” (Lk. 6:45).
Many Scriptures indicate that the heart performs mental functions. Thus the heart thinks (Prov. 23:7), has imaginations (Gen. 6:5; 8:21), and is the seat of thoughts and intentions (Heb. 4:12). The Lord Himself, the only diagnostician of man’s disease, affirms that evil thoughts proceed from the corrupt heart of sinners (Mk. 7:21). Other intellectual functions ascribed to the heart are: reasoning (Mk. 2:8), conceiving ideas (Acts 5:4), understanding (Prov. 8:5; Jn. 12:40), and hiding God’s Word (Ps. 119:11).
We ordinarily think of the heart as the emotional part of man. And the heart is used in Scripture to express affection: “My heart rejoices in the Lord” (1 Sam. 2:1); “My heart is inditing (bubbling over with) a good matter” (Ps. 45:1); “Let not your heart be troubled” (Jn. 14:1).
Sometimes the Bible uses the word “heart” to indicate the conscience (1 Sam. 24:5; 2 Sam. 24:10). Hebrews 10:22 implies that the conscience in man is, in fact, a component of his heart: “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.”
The heart is doubtless the most important member of the inner man. This is made evident by the more than 700 references to it in Scripture, the way God views it and exhorts us concerning it, the fact that Satan aims his attacks at it, the close relationship it has with all other parts of the soul, and the vital role it plays in both the sinner’s and saint’s life.

God And The Heart
The supreme place of the heart in the Bible is proven by how God regards it. The Bible presents several divine attitudes toward the human heart.
First, the Lord looks at the heart: “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). The eyes of God are principally fixed on that inward spring from which come the issues of life. He alone is fully conversant with that great center of our moral being. He sees its thoughts and intents, beholds its motives and impulses, observes its dispositions, and knows its desires and passions.
Second, the Lord ponders the heart (Prov. 21:2; 24:12). This is not said of any other member of our inward being except the spirit (Prov. 16:2). Proverbs 24:12 describes God as “He that pondereth the heart” and the Judge of all earth who will “render to every man according to his works.” Our righteous God deals with us according to the condition of our hearts since all our words, works, and walks can be traced back to that fountain.
Third, the Lord turns the heart: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord ... He turneth it whithersoever He will” (Prov. 21:1). Earlier we saw that the “heart” in Scripture signified the whole soul; by turning the heart the Most High is able to influence the whole man.
Fourth, the Lord knows the heart (Acts 15:8). He alone is well acquainted with that secret fountain of life and personality. None of us can fully discern the secret motives and hidden recesses of our heart. The apostasy of man has resulted in his knowing “good and evil” (Gen. 3:22), but not knowing his own heart (Jer. 17:9).
Fifth, the Lord searches the heart (Jer. 17:10). This is not said of any other faculty of the soul except the mind. Thus we read that God sees, searches and tries the heart and mind (Ps. 7:9; Jer. 20:12; Rev. 2:23). Together, the heart and mind represent “the inward parts ... the hidden part” (Ps. 51:6). God requires truth - that is, reality and not hypocrisy - in these hidden parts. It is not enough that the truth be on the mouth; it must reach and permeate the inward parts - the heart and mind.

God’s Exhortation About The Heart
The great importance of the heart is also seen in the many divine exhortations concerning it. In His Word, God bids us to: “circumcise ... the foreskin of your heart” (Dt. 10:16; Jer. 4:4); “wash thine heart from wickedness” (Jer. 4:14); “rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God” (Joel 2:13); “believe with all thine heart” (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9); and “purify your hearts” (Jas. 4:8). In the Bible the heart is the very center of human accountability. Let’s look more closely at two additional injunctions from Proverbs.
First, we are told, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). This is the touchstone of true religion, the most essential task the Lord has assigned to each of us. But how sadly it is neglected! Most of us keep our bodies, investments, reputations and positions with great vigilance. But our heart is not guarded, and is left an easy prey for Satan to enter and fill it.
Second, God says to every person, “Give Me thine heart” (Prov. 23:26). God insists that the heart, representing the whole inner man, be unreservedly given to Him. If we give God only the head (theoretical non-saving knowledge such as described in 2 Pet. 2:20), the lips (mouth religion), the hands (work religion), or the feet (false-walk religion), He will not accept them. Neither will He accept an unstable, divided heart. He will not share the human heart with any other idol (Ex. 20:3; 1 Jn. 5:21).

Satan And The Heart
In tempting man, Satan always sends his evil darts to the heart. In doing so, he reveals his knowledge of the anatomy of our inward being as well as human psychology. With 6,000 years experience seducing man, he knows that if he can enter a man’s heart, he will have full sway of the whole man.
Jesus affirms that Satan’s work is focused on the heart. In all three accounts of the parable of the sower and seed, our Lord declares that the prince of darkness snatches the Word of God out of the “hearts” of the “wayside” hearers (Mt. 13:19; Mk. 4:15; Lk. 8:12). In addition to taking God’s Word out of men’s hearts “lest they should believe and be saved” (Lk. 8:12), he is also able to put vile thoughts into the heart, as he did when he put the idea “into the heart of Judas” to betray Jesus (Jn. 13:2).
Scripture outlines three stages of Satan’s work within the human heart. First, he whispers wicked suggestions into the heart (Jn. 13:2). It is our responsibility to immediately repel evil thoughts and not dwell on them. The unguarded heart - that does not comply with Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart,” - is easy prey for the wicked one. Second, Satan actually enters the heart (Lk. 22:3), turning it into a channel for his wicked purpose. When we feed on his imaginations we encourage him to enter our heart. Third, to ensure that his evil is carried out, Satan fills the heart by strengthening the sinner’s resolve to perform the wicked act. This is illustrated in Peter’s reproach of Ananias: “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” (Acts 5:3). Peter’s question clearly suggests that Ananias was to blame for yielding to the temptation.
A very important reason why we are exhorted to “keep our heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23) is that there is a strong enemy who “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He has an ally within us, our corrupt nature, the “flesh” as the Bible calls it.

The Sinner And The Heart
In our fallen condition, no member of our inward being is so horribly depicted in the Bible as the heart. It is seen as wholly evil, desperately wicked, congenitally foolish, intrinsically mad, and exceedingly deceitful (Gen. 6:5, 8:21; Prov. 22:15; Eccl. 8:11, 9:3; Jer. 17:9).
This humbling description of the fountain of all vital actions puts the noses of the best humans in the dust before God. Those who brag about the nobility of human nature should familiarize themselves with what our Creator - who knows the havoc sin has wrought in us - says about us.
Scripture clearly teaches that the seat of indwelling sin is the heart. Sin is a loathsome heart disease. That is why it is termed “the plague of his own heart” (1 Ki. 8:38). Sin is “foolishness ... bound in the heart of a child” (Prov. 22:15). Solomon affirms that indwelling evil resides in the heart: “The heart of the sons of men is full of evil” and “is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl. 9:3, 8:11). The words “full” and “fully” imply the totality and horribleness of indwelling corruption.
Sin is the plague of every heart. How lamentably we are unaware and altogether blind to the presence of this mortal enemy! Its presence may be veiled under a thin covering of politeness and good manners, the garb of religion, or a refined exterior of culture and education. But it lies deep in the heart. And, worst of all, we neither know nor feel it. We are at peace with it. We don’t hate it, mourn over it, or long to be free from it.
Christ accurately diagnoses man’s fatal disease attributing all sin to “the evil treasure of his heart” (Lk. 6:45). He says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Mt. 15:19). The fact that sin has its residence in the heart explains at least five aspects of human conduct.
First, in all our sinning, our appetites and affections override reason and judgment. Once the battle rages between our unlawful desires and our reason, it is already lost because desires are stronger than reason.
Second, the fact that man listens to his heart and not his mind explains why men do what they know is wrong. In their minds, human beings know that drinking, drugs, gambling, smoking and sexual promiscuity will damage their physical, emotional, financial and social life - yet millions indulge in these vices. The link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer has been clearly established, yet multitudes continue in this deadly habit.
Third, all attempts to better human nature by changing the mind are in vain. Since all sin originates in the heart, no amount of education, religious instruction, threatening, punishment, or any other human effort can repress human wickedness. This also explains why all kinds of social reform, environmental improvement and other humanitarian efforts have failed to produce any radical betterment in human nature and conduct.
Fourth, because sin is seated in man’s heart, all resolutions against sin are doomed to fail. Resolutions are made by the mind and will, both of which are controlled by a wicked and deceitful heart.
Fifth, because sin gains mastery over us through our affections, the battle against sin can only be waged successfully if directed at the heart. All the divine exhortations against sin are focused on the heart: “Keep thy heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23); “Circumcise ... your heart” (Jer. 4:4); “Wash thine heart from wickedness” (Jer. 4:14); “Purify your hearts ye double-minded” (Jas. 4:8). In this verse, note the emphasis on the heart and not the mind. The double-minded need to purify their hearts.
The above practical principles must be used to fight sin. Never allow the desires of the corrupt nature to come in contact with outward temptation. Never allow the struggle between desire and reason to burn, for desire is almost always the winner. You know your weak zones. Never enter them.
If suddenly you find yourself face to face with temptation, the only safety is in fleeing. Joseph heeded these rules and triumphed. David, confronting the same temptation, lingered and fell into sin. The result was devastating. The man “after God’s own heart” failed miserably and committed the double sin of adultery and murder.

The Saint And The Heart
There is but one way to change man’s heart - from the inside out. And only God can effect such a change: “A new heart also will I give you” (Ezek. 36:26). This is His gracious promise.
While the heart is the worst part of unregenerate man, it becomes the best part after regeneration. New birth results in a glorious, thorough, and radical change of heart. It is a supernatural change that can only be wrought by the Holy Spirit who takes away “the heart of stone” and gives “a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). Such strong figurative language indicates a revolutionary heart change - that is neither superficial nor transient.
At the moment of regeneration God honors man’s heart by residing in it through His Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22) and His Son (Eph. 3:17). No depraved member of the fallen race will dwell forever with God in eternity unless God has first dwelt in his heart on this side of eternity.
For several years I have wondered how the infinitely holy God can dwell in man’s heart despite the presence of sin. It is true that at new birth we are saved from the penalty, power, love and guilt of sin, but not from its presence. So how can the One who is so holy that He cannot behold iniquity (Hab. 1:13) accept living within the believer’s heart?
God never dwells in the unregenerate heart, which is ruled by sin. It is only after sin is dethroned by new birth that He condescends to live in our hearts. It is not until “the body of sin might be destroyed” (Rom. 6:6) that God resides in the heart. The word "destroyed" in this verse does not mean “annihilated” but “made inoperative,” its reigning power over man being removed. Either God or sin occupies the throne of the human heart.
The fact that God dwells in the regenerate heart, even though dethroned - sin that could be activated at any moment - is still present, is an act of infinite grace. The heart which was previously wed to sin now becomes wed to holiness. And what is more blessed than the infinite and majestic God making our hearts His home?
In the lost sinner the heart is the source of all trouble. But in the penitent and believing sinner, the heart is the center of Christian living. At the moment of regeneration, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). This miracle of grace takes place within us because God “hath shined in our hearts (not our minds), to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Maurice Bassali, MD is a retired specialist in diagnostic radiology. This article is from his book, Medicine For The Soul, available from Believers Bookshelf, Box 261, Sunbury, PA, 17801, USA.
Grace & Truth Magazine February 2000

Do Blessings and Curses Affect New Covenant Believers?

Do Blessings and Curses Affect New Covenant Believers?

"And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good" (Jeremiah 32:38-41).

The innermost desire of God is to accomplish the best for us in our lives, because we are entered into a blood covenant with Him. He wants to draw us unto Himself, to teach us to trust and totally depend upon Him. He wants to brings us into a relationship where we are at one with Him.

Drawing us to Himself is God's purpose for "cutting covenant" with man. His desire is to fill us with Himself: His love, His blessings, His nature as expressed in Jesus, and His grace (Ephesians 1:23, 3:19, 4:13). In this covenant relationship, He desires that we delight ourselves in Him, that we love Him with our entire beings, that we know He is all in all to us.

Many Christians want to claim all of the "blessings of Abraham" but forget about the curses that are also listed in Bible. There are curses that come upon us if we fail to keep our part of the covenant (Deuteronomy 28; Leviticus 26). However, if the Old Covenant simply was swallowed up in a better covenant, or fulfilled in Jesus, then the new covenant--also a blood covenant--still has all of the same "clauses" or parts as the old. A blood covenant is a blood covenant.

The part that changed was how the covenant was sealed, memorialized, and received. As you study these aspects of the Old and New Covenants, you will notice many striking similarities between them:

The Old Covenant was sealed with circumcision in the flesh of the male heads of households, which covered all of the women in that house as well.

The New Covenant is sealed by "circumcision" of the heart (Romans 2:29), which happens when a person is born again, adopted into the family of God through a blood covenant. The entering in to this covenant with God is publicly displayed through baptism, much like a wedding ceremony publicly seals the marriage covenant between a man and woman.

What the Old Covenant emphasized outwardly, the New Covenant emphasizes inwardly. Yet, all along, God has looked for those who are His, through more than a mere fleshly ritual. Even in the Old Covenant, what He was really after was the hearts of His people:

"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 4:4).

The Old Covenant was memorialized by Passover, signifying that those under His covenant blessings were not susceptible to the curses, plagues or judgments that God reserves for those who oppose His ways. People under His covenant are blessed, while those that are not under His covenant are cursed when their "iniquity" is full (Genesis 15:16). That means the wrath of God in judgment falls when they have refused all the attempts of God to bring them to repentance and there is no other possibility of their hearts turning to Him.

The New Covenant is memorialized by Communion (Luke 22:15-20), the Passover meal that Jesus ate with His disciples during the Last Supper. Today, when we partake of Communion, we are partaking of a type of the Passover meal that the Israelites ate. The ritual of Communion does not save us, but as we mix this tradition with faith towards God, we receive the blessings of Covenant with Him. As with circumcision, the real issue once again, is our hearts toward God. That is why Paul warned that we must partake of Communion in a worthy manner and check our hearts before partaking of it.

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:26-31).

The Old Covenant was "received" by the animal sacrifices. However, once again, the person's heart also was involved. One could sacrifice animals for their sins, and still have a rebellious and unpleasing heart towards the Lord. Without a heart toward God which was manifested in willing obedience, the Covenant promises were null and void over that person, tribe, or nation. Disobedience to the Lord brings the curses. Today we see the fruit of disobedience to God’s laws manifested in various curses in people’s lives. Broken family relationships, extreme poverty, lack of self-discipline and many other similar things are part of the curses that we see in the world today. Being willing and obedient, however, allows God’s people to "...eat of the fat of the land" (Isaiah 1:10).

The New Covenant is received by faith in the one-time, eternal sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary (Romans 10:9,10). Though Jesus died for the whole world’s sins, many will never receive the benefits of it because they do not believe in Him. Even many Christians who are under the blood of Jesus do not fully understand, nor believe that the blessings of the New Covenant can really be theirs. From the beginning, those who entered into a covenant with God, followed more than mere outward directions given by God. Always, these directions and religious traditions were to be mixed with faith, hope and love. Otherwise they mean nothing to God.

Born again Christians are children of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:29) through His Promised Seed, Jesus, (Galatians 3:2,19). However, without a heart manifested in willing obedience, the promises are null and void. This means the curses automatically begin to operate.

In the next issue of the Overcoming Life Digest, we will examine various aspects of the blessings and the curses and how God’s covenant partners can walk in all the blessings He has for them.

(Continued next issue)

Note: This teaching is continued from last month's Overcoming Life Digest. See Table of Contents for Archives.

(Excerpt from the book entitled: COVENANT God's Guarantee for Victorious Living by R.S. "Bud" Miller)

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