The Power of the Blood - Carole Scott

Transcription

1 The Power of the Blood - Carole Scott Twenty years ago at our Catholic Charismatic Conference, a priest from Stubenville, named Fr. Dwyer, stood on the steps of Our Lady of Sorrows Convent, just a few miles from here, and he said, "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit will not be fully set free in Oklahoma because there is blood calling from the land." That priest heard the voice of the blood of slain Native Americans and others moaning and crying out from the soil. Fr. Dwyer's statement was a prophetic utterance. Those who heard his words understood at that moment that the only crying out we wanted coming from this red soil was the voice of the Blood of Jesus speaking for all of us. We knew that in some way we needed to learn to call for the Blood of Jesus to come and speak peace to this red earth. I became convinced that a great emphasis on the Blood of Jesus must precede the outpouring of the Spirit in Oklahoma, just as Fr. Dwyer had stated.. I was convinced that the church must emphasize the Blood so as to overcome satan's stronghold in the heartland and to prepare us for God's revelation which will come through the Church. God has a revelation that is to come through the Church and we charismatics must take responsibility for it. It is no mistake that for many generations we have honored the Eucharist and have drawn close to the Real Presence. Now is the time for the fullness of the revelation of this great Eucharist miracle and it cannot be an anemic revelation. We must have the Blood. The Blood must be recognized and honored. You know to the depth of your bones, that miracles should be taking place at communion time. If we believe what we say we believe, then something should be happening that is impossible to restrain. Fr. Lou Cerulli (Peace, Freedom and Healing Ministry, in Montreal, Quebec) said that if we truly knew what was happening at mass, people would be breaking down doors to get in. Well, I haven't seen any broken down church doors yet. A country preacher reportedly said, "If I believed what you Catholics believe about communion, I'd crawl down that aisle on my belly." I haven't seen any aisle crawlers in my church. Why haven't we seen miracles at the Eucharist celebration in every Catholic Church in all the parishes of all the states represented here? Because the body of Christ is anemic. There is not enough Blood in the body. We must first learn to drink the Blood, to apply the Blood. We must learn to draw strength from the Blood. There is wonder working power in the Blood of the Lamb and the Catholic Church must learn how to pour this power out for others. It is time for Blood transfusions from the altar table of God. We charismatics have a great responsibility. Into our hands have been placed the Spirit's charismatic gifts for this generation. But without the understanding of the Blood, these charisms grow weak. They grow weak because the Blood and the Spirit are always together; and we people of the Spirit have been ignoring half of that partnership. The Blood was poured out on Calvary and the Spirit came afterwards at Pentecost. Where the Blood flows the Spirit goes. We charismatics must not ignore that partnership of Blood and Spirit. I have never ever attended a conference where appropriating the Blood has been taught. Yet, it is by the Power of the Blood and by their testimony about this Blood's power that satan was overcome. (Rev. 12:11) That plan has not changed. I have never heard a homily in the Catholic Church on the power of the

2 Blood. Yet, every Sunday since Vatican II we hold this Blood and we drink it. We drink from the sacred cup without discerning what we are doing and just as Paul warned we grow weak. We need a new awareness. We need an attitude change about the Blood. The Blood is not a little appendage to the Eucharistic meal. The Blood is the life force of the Body and without it we are weak in spirit, weak in spiritual warfare, weak in the gifts of the Spirit. The Blood Covenant is the ancient foundation of this Church. The tap root of the charismatic gifts is in the Blood of that Covenant This weekend is just a beginning. You are breaking ground for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We are opening the season for charismatics to preach and teach and sing of the power of the Blood and to give testimonies about the Power of the Blood of Jesus in their lives. Satan has attempted to rob the church of the recognition of the importance of the Blood. For example, one major denomination removed all the blood songs from their gatherings. Let us not make the same mistake. In researching the Blood, I used reference books you would expect a Catholic to use. In addition, I studied the writings of some of the priests from the Order of the Precious Blood and I read some materials from the Adorers of the Precious Blood. Others whose writings spoke to me of the Blood were St. Mary Madalene of Pizza, St. Gerturde the Great, St Catherine of Sienna and Blessed Sr. Faustina. People who knew I was on a quest sent articles about the Blood from their faith perspective. Consequently, I read the works of some international evangelists such as Malchom Smith, Billye Brim and Marie Brown. I read the works of old time Pentecostals such as Andrew Murry. I hope that what I have gleaned will empower you for a deeper walk with your covenant partner, Jesus. So with expectant faith let us begin to renew our understanding of the power of the Blood Covenant. Let us prepare for the Eucharistic celebration of this covenant with the following teaching. BLOOD COVENANT THE ANCIENT FOUNDATION Throughout history a blood covenant is the most powerful agreement you can enter. Many of the Native Americans at this conference are very aware of the serious nature of a blood covenant and they would not hastily sign a blood covenant. They understand, as did their forefathers and mothers, that a blood covenant is a solemn binding contract which carries consequences. You fail the covenant, you die. Within in one hour Fr. Cooney will lead us into a solemn blood covenant. I want you to understand the fine print of this covenant so you can discern what you are signing when you say amen to it. Your amen signs a contract that has serious consequences. The Bible warns us of the seriousness of entering a blood covenant. The Bible tells of major blood covenants such as God's covenants with Noah, Moses, Abraham, and Jesus. These scripture stories tell of the blessings of being in covenant. They tell of the responsibilities of being in a blood covenant. They remind us of the penalties for breaking covenant.

3 According to the words of Malcolm Smith (Unconditional Love Ministry, in Bandera, Texas).) six things were necessary for a blood covenant as written about in your Bible. In his teachings which I am quoting here, he says the following six requirements were necessary: 1. Gathering: A representative from each tribe or nation would come together. Often times these covenant heads would take off their cloaks and give their cloaks to each other. This gesture was saying: this cloak carries my identity. Both people would take off their weapons and their weapon belts. This gesture was saying: this is all my strength. This sharing of cloak and weapons said: I die to independent living. I will no longer be who I was when I came in here because now I am identified with you. All I have and all my strength will be yours whenever you need it. 2. Exchange names: Something of the name of one person would go into the name of the other. Whenever that person heard his name, it was a reminder of the covenant. It was a reminder of his position in the other person's life. In the covenant God cut with Abram, the H was taken from God's name and put in Abram's name. H is one of the dominate letters in God's name: El Shaddai, Yahweh, Elohim. Now Abram was Abraham and Sara becomes Sarah. Whenever the names were said, it reminded them of the blood covenant they had with God. Whenever descendants generations later said those names, it reminded those descendants of the covenant they were in because a blood covenant was in force for all generations to come. All the agreements, all the blessings of the covenant, all the responsibilities of the covenant were in force for all generations to come. As long as there was one living relative of Sarah and Abraham, the covenant was in effect. Just saying the names of Abraham or Sarah would remind the descendants of their covenant membership. Your name "Christian" is to remind you of the blood covenant you are in. How about your confirmation name, does that speak of covenant membership? How many here are named after saints? Your sainted name is a reminder that you are part of a blood covenant family. 3. Most importantly there had to be blood letting. Blood had to flow in some way for the covenant to be a binding contract. No blood flow, no covenant. The two covenant representative's bodies were cut and their blood was mingled. The cuts were made deeply so a scar would remain. Each time the person looked at his scar it was a reminder of the responsibilities of being in that blood covenant. Others would see the scar and they would be hesitant to attack, rob, or rough up a person who had a blood covenant scar because they knew the other covenant partner would come into the fray with all his forces. In Catholic Churches we hang the crucifix with the cut body of Jesus on it. Jesus cut a Blood Covenant with God for us. The corpus on the cross is a covenant reminder. Each time we look at the crucifix, we are to remember the Blood Covenant Jesus cut. His wounds are there to testify to every generation that we are members of a Blood Covenant he cut for humanity with God. How many of you wear a crucifix around your neck? You are saying to others in the natural and spiritual realm: "Look at these wounds. This is my Blood Brother. You attack me, you deal with Him and all His followers. We are in covenant. All His strength is mine to call for whenever I need it."

4 When covenants were cut, usually the wrist was slit on each person. Blood flows easily from the wrist. They would drain their blood into a common cup to be mingled and drunk. The blood would continue to flow down over their hands. They would clasp hands and mingle the blood on their hands. This gesture said, "No longer my own independent blood, but now our blood is mingled. It is a new type of blood. We are of one blood." The handshake we give at mass during the kiss of peace is a remnant of that covenant gesture. You are giving the sign of a blood covenant. Remember this mingling of blood as you reach out your hand tonight. Do not reach out without discerning what you are doing. You are affirming the blood covenant with the person you touch. Know what this gesture is committing you to. You are saying by that gesture: "Peace Be With You. Peace my covenant brother or sister. Be anxious for nothing. We stand together, one in strength. I lay down my independence. Your concerns are mine. Your needs are my concern. All that I have is yours whenever you need it. Peace. This is my covenant handshake. We are of one Blood." May the kiss of peace never again be mere ritual for you. May you never again enter into it lightly. 4. Blessings and Curses: This bloody handshake committed the covenant heads and all their descendants for all generations to specific blessings and penalties or curses. These blessings and curses were announced over each other. Blessings included: All the prosperity I have is yours if you need it. The force of all my protective warfare is yours if you need it. Everything I have is at your disposal if you need it. Today we might say : "My bank account is yours if you need it. My living quarters are open to you when needed." The other person might say: "My IRA is yours, my car, my house. Everything I have is yours whenever you have need. I die to independent living." Do you understand now why people looked at the early Christians and exclaimed, "See how they love one another!" The early Christians understood and lived in covenant. When we understand blood covenant, our lives change, the Mass takes on a deeper meaning, the stories in t the Bible take on new depth, and the kiss of peace at mass will be a serious gesture with consequences. Throughout scripture you hear the covenant blessings pronounced: " If you keep the covenant, you will be blessed. I will remember your sins no more. I will write my laws in your heart. I will be your God and you will be my people. I will heal you. I will be your sword and your shield. I am your Protector. I will give you peace that passes understanding. I will prosper you. I am your Provider. I will give you the oil of gladness. I will raise you up." and many others. Search the scriptures for these covenant promises. Read the Bible with covenant eyes and you will see great promises for covenant keepers. For example, your father, Abraham, trusted the covenant and lived in such covenant blessings. Abraham knew his responsibilities of being in covenant. He knew that everything he owned, he had contracted to God in a blood covenant with God. Abraham had agreed that God could have whatever Abraham owned whenever God needed it. One day God said that He needed the blood of Isaac for sacrifice. Abraham was in a solemn covenant to do whatever his blood partner needed. Gen. 22:9 is a covenant story. Thus you understand why Abraham would even sacrifice his beloved

5 son, Isaac. This story warns us that blood covenants are serious business and should not be entered into lightly. God stopped the human sacrifice of Isaac and a ram's blood was used to renew the covenant God had with Abraham. For those who would break the covenant, there were penalties which were announced as curses. They said: "If you break this contract, these are the things that will happen to you and all your descendants." These penalties they stated over each other were binding if one person broke the contract. Such things were said as: "If you break this covenant, no rain will come upon your fields." This meant there would be no crops and the people would die from starvation. When King Ahab broke the covenant, the prophet Ellijah said, "There will be no rain in this land." Ellijah knew draught was one of the curses of the covenant. Ellijah did not give a prophetic utterance, he was simply stating the result of breaking the contract. Breaking covenant always has serious consequences. As you read the scriptures with covenant ears and eyes you will see the many covenant curses and blessings and you will come to a deeper understanding of your responsibilities as a covenant member. 5. Memorial: The covenant heads would set up a memorial of some sort to signify the never ending covenant they had entered. The covenant was good for all the generations to come and the memorial was there to remind each generation. The Israelites were given a memorial to remind them of the covenant. It was a box called the Ark of the Covenant. The box stayed with the children of Abraham to remind them they were a people over whom God had said, "I am your God and you are my people. Thousands of generations later a person of this covenanted family could call upon the original blessings of this never ending covenant and the blood partner's descendants were bound by covenant law to answer. For example, when the descendants of Abraham and Sarah, were in great trouble as slaves in Egypt, they called out to Abraham's covenanted partner, God. "Hey!" they said. "We are your people and you are our God." They stated covenant promise. "You said you would protect us." God said, "Yes, I hear you. Let my people go." God spoke covenant words, "Let my people go." God then prepares to renew the covenant with the slave descendants of Abraham. God prepares to set up a memorial they will not forget because they will renew the memorial each year. It will be an annual meal. But first, God warned there would pass through Egypt a judgment of sin. It would be a judgment not only on Egyptians but on all people in that country including Israelites. When judgment for sin comes, it is not selective. Sin, the breaking of the covenant, affects us all, causes the penalty to come upon all. The cost of sin is death. The cost that night would be that the eldest son of each family would die. However, if the head of a household knew about the covenant blessings, he could assure his family of those covenant promises. He could remind his family of the covenant blessing where God said he would be our shield and sword and our protector. He could assure his family that God is faithful and would not break this covenant. He could explain that God said for the reception of these covenant blessings this night in Egypt, we must take a lamb, slay it and renew the covenant. He could promise his family that for those who will renew the covenant with God, there will be protection and the lamb will die in place of the eldest son.

6 The father would slay the lamb and sprinkle the lamb's blood above the door and on the sides of the door frame. The family stayed in the house marked with the renewed covenant sign of blood. Billy Brim in her book The Blood and the Glory, published by Harrison House, 1995 asks the question, "Was it a power inherent in the blood of the little lambs that held off the people's destruction?" Was there something special in the blood of that lamb that saved that father's family? No. When the head of the household applied the blood, he was consciously renewing the original blood covenant of Abraham and God. By that blood painting he was purposely entering into the original ancient covenant. He was expecting the blessings of the covenant. He was expecting God to uphold His end of the deal to protect and defend him and all his descendants. He claimed the covenant for himself and for his family. Those who boldly marked their households as covenant members were proclaiming their safety. Billy Brim continues, "Unless the Israelites took the blood and put it on the door posts, they were not protected, no matter how many lambs they killed." They were protected only if they put blood on the door post. No matter how good God's plan was, it only worked when they consciously accepted it, consciously entered into it and purposely applied the blood. Many people died because they chose not to claim the covenant and all its blessings. We are here this weekend to learn how to consciously claim blood covenant blessings. The mass, the blood covenant, requires conscious participation and application. We must be as active in the mass as the Israelite father was on Passover night. 6. Covenant Meal: A simple meal of bread and wine was the final act that legally bound the two representatives together for all generations to come. The bread represented who they were. They understood as they offered bread to each other that they were saying, "This bread is my body, my life." When you see the bread tonight at mass, remember that is why we use bread. From generation to generation bread has represented humanity in a covenant meal. As they ate the bread, each understood the gesture meant: This bread is me. As you eat it, what I am is now coming into you and becoming part of you. I in you. You in me. At our covenant meal tonight, all that you are, the good and the troubled parts of you, the entire you is signified by the bread. When you put that piece of bread in the bowl as you enter church tonight, you are saying to everyone, "This is my body. This is my life" When you see the bread lifted high and carried in procession to the altar table, your entire life is on that plate. Look at it and make a conscious act of recognizing your life there. Get yourself on the altar table tonight! Then the priest will call for the Holy Spirit to come and the bread will become Jesus body. All that Jesus is will reside in the bread. This means all that you are is now in Jesus. At communion, you take that bread, the body of Jesus, you eat it and all that Jesus is comes into you. Covenant meal. I in you. You in me. The covenant heads would share a cup of wine. It represented to them all the energy of life. Tonight when you see the wine carried high as it is taken in procession to the altar table, it represents all the strength of life, the essential energy of life. Consciously acknowledge that all the energy of your body, all the energy

7 of your mind, all the strength of your soul and spirit, all the power of your emotions will go into that wine. All the negative and positive powers of your life, those energies that get you up in the morning and propel you through the day, will go into that cup. The very blood force of your life is going into that cup. The very strength of your life will be on that altar table in that cup. The priest will add the water of your humanity and bless the mingled water and wine. Now it is Jesus' own blood. It is a new blood type this earth has not known. Jesus' life force is now the wine. You drink deeply at communion, and the very strength of Jesus is now in you. The blood of His life becomes part of you. A new blood type flows in you. All His strength of mind and spirit is now in you. It is no wonder that those early Christians who discerned what they were doing were healed at the communion table. Early church fathers mention that people fell over and rested as they drank and they walked as if inebriated. Inebriated means a change of consciousness, an ecstasy. Do you remember the Litany of the Blood in which we pray, "Blood of Christ inebriate me"? Saint Augustine wrote that he saw seventy-four healings at one Mass. The early church expected miracles every time Mass was celebrated. I hope you will come to the covenant meal tonight with great expectant faith. Be ready tonight for freedom, no matter what is weighing you down. Be ready for consolation, no matter how you are suffering. Be ready and expect to move out into freedom no matter how you are bound. Be ready to experience all the covenant blessings as you renew the covenant tonight. Come with expectant faith. The Israelites had expectant faith as they stood and ate their first memorial meal. They trusted and immediately came their first miracle. Those Israelites who were so abused by slave labor, regained their boldness and walked out with renewed strength. Be prepared tonight to be energized, strengthened and healed as you eat the Lamb. As the Israelites walked out with renewed belief in the power of the covenant blood another miracle took place. A cloud of the presence of God came and went before them and was their source of provision and protection. In that cloud, Israelites had miracles of food and drink which sustained them. God was their provider after they had trusted in the power of the blood covenant to save them from destruction. As you drink the cup of Jesus' blood tonight, consciously trust its power to save you from destruction and to sustain you. As you drink, sense the glory of God in your midst. As you drink the cup expect miracles and healings. Expect to have the power of Jesus' life flowing in your mind, your heart, your soul, every cell of your body. Expect to be inebriated with His glorious presence. You have entered covenant with the God of provision. God has said because you have consciously applied the Blood of My Lamb, Jesus, all I have is yours. Receive what you need. Jesus, the Jewish man, understood covenant; and like a good Jew he celebrated the Passover meal every year to remember the covenant. Then one year he eats his final Passover meal. He celebrated that memorial meal exactly as a good Jew would. As he broke the bread, bread representing the life of everyone there, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Eat it. I will become part of you. I in you and you in me." Then he said something very startling, "This is the cup of Blood of the New Covenant which will be shed for you." Blood of the new covenant! That had never before been said. His words meant, " I am cutting a new covenant. This is the Blood. This is the new covenant meal. This is the living memorial which is to be renewed through all generations to come. Do this to keep constantly aware of this new

8 covenant we are cutting tonight. Do this to remember all the promises of the new covenant and all the responsibilities of being in that covenant." Those disciples who were always asking questions of Jesus, never asked a single question about the bread and wine at that meal. They never asked what Jesus meant when he said. "This is my body, this is my blood". People of that time understood blood covenant. The disciples understood blood covenants. They knew this was a covenant meal. They immediately realized a new blood covenant was being cut. They recognized that a new living memorial was being set up so this new covenant would never be forgotten and would continually be renewed. It was an awesome evening. No questions were needed. Jesus was committed to all aspects of making a legal covenant. He knew there had to be some cutting and blood flowing before the covenant could be sealed. He was committed to letting his blood be drained to paint the doorposts of our lives so we could live in the realm of covenant blessings. A new covenant required new blood. It required a new type of lamb. Jesus would be the first and the last lamb of the new covenant. The Alpha and the Omega. This would be the end of anymore blood sacrifices. It would be the last lamb God would look at. It would for be for all generations to come. On the cross Jesus shed the last drop of blood and then he says, "It Is Finished." His statement meant, "All requirements have been met. The covenant is complete. It is finished." It is not enough to believe Jesus died on the cross, not enough to believe satan is overcome by the Blood. We must consciously apply the Blood. As you take the cup tonight in the mass, you must use faith like a hyssop branch and consciously apply the blood of Jesus, the Lamb, to the doorposts of your life. You must drink deeply of the covenant cup and speak words of faith attesting to your belief that this blood will strengthen you, protect all your family members, and be blessing to all your descendants forever. You must be as active as the Israelite father was in Egypt on that Passover night. How do we speak and attest to our faith in the Blood Covenant? How do we testify to the power of the Blood? We stand up at the great amen of the mass and proclaim it. The great amen is your testimony. It is your word of belief in the Blood Covenant. It is your verbal agreement to covenant partnership. Your yes and amen says: "My whole life rests on this Blood Covenant Jesus cut for me. I bet my life on this. Through Him, In Him and With Him my life is saved and the lives of my children and the generations yet to come. This great amen is the word of my testimony which overcomes satan. By the power of this Blood and word of my testimony satan is overcome tonight." Amen! (Rev. 12:11) The Great Amen is not a time of adoration. It is the time of testimony. I will stand tonight and let the rafters ring with my ascent. This Amen is my signature on the covenant with God. It says that I will be His covenant partner in this world. I will stand boldly because my amen is more than affirmation of God's presence in the Eucharist, it is my life's blood signature on the covenant. Join me in this stance. Get an attitude about the Great Amen! After the music ministers lead us in singing the Great Amen, shout your affirmations, shout your amens, and shout out, "I believe!" Let your testimony ring in this place tonight "Amen! Yes, I agree. I claim this Covenant. The Power of the Blood is here. I bet my life on this Blood Covenant! So be it!"

9 Consciously say yes tonight to being a member of this Blood covenant; and then drink heartily of the sacred Blood. Drink to cure the anemic body, drink to be able to love others especially your enemies, drink for renewal, drink to have a church energized with the power for healing of the sick, drink for the power to preach the Word of God with manifestations of the Spirit, drink for the forceful action of dominion over devils. Renew the ancient foundation as you drink and honor the Blood with song. The Holy Spirit will answer to the Blood in this place. Let it be said about us tonight, "They overcame satan by the power of the Blood and the word of their testimony." I encourage you to listen closely to every word of the Mass. Stay alert and listen with covenant- aware ears. The words will have deep meaning for you. They will give you greater understanding of your covenant membership. Read your liturgy sheet before mass to prepare yourself. If you don't read the liturgy sheet, you will slip into your same old church habits. This sheet will prod you to keep alert to the solemn contract you are signing. Let us stand and sing of the Blood as we enter into the covenant meal, we call the Mass.