Washing in the Blood and the Water

Jesus is dead on the cross. Just to be sure, one soldier pierced His side; blood and water flowed. John writes to the truth of this testimony. John swears an oath to this – the fluids pour out.

Why was John so adamant? Medically, it appears to be a ruptured heart, as the spear pierced deeply. But is there more to this story?

Jesus was heard to cry out; “It is finished.” This is a special season where the bodies must be removed from the cross and buried before sunset. In keeping with religious practices of the day, a body must not be left on the cross. The body must come down.

If the criminal isn’t dead, to hurry the process, legs are broken. It helps rush the inevitable. At this point though, Jesus has already died. None of His bones were broken which was in keeping with earlier writings, where John wrote in verse 19:26; None of His bones would be broken.

Still, just to be sure, a spear was thrust into Jesus’ side from which blood and water flowed, showing the truth of that. John saw it. He wrote about it. He was emphatic about the sentences he wrote, stating it testifies to the truth of what he saw.

For a historical testimony – Jesus actually died. A genuine corpse hung on the cross – that’s the written proof of the death of Jesus. Jesus physically died and John swore to the truth of that. He writes, so you too will believe. When he wrote about the blood and the water, this is the medical verification of the truth of Jesus’ death. Blood poured from the heart. Water poured from the sac around the heart, which is what happens in a death of this kind, where fluid collects around the heart after death.

When pierced, John doesn’t use a diagnosis of broken heart or sac of water. We don’t want to proffer an idea that isn’t biblical. The bible doesn’t state a ruptured heart but shows the symbolism of the moment. Instead, what flows from the rupture.

The bible speaks a lot to the blood of Jesus. Blood means life and atonement, right from when Adam and Eve sinned and blood was shed to clothe them. Further along, blood was painted on doorposts to protect the Israelites during the exodus movement. The temple had rivers of blood; blood which poured out for 1500 years.

God was showing sin costs a life; a price must be paid. Bulls and goats could cover but were never able to make a full payment. The pierced side changed that. 1500 years of ineffective washing away of sin until the perfect sacrifice.

Earlier, John had stated; “Behold the Lamb who takes away the sin (John 1:29). At the cross the Lamb is slain. John sees in that moment, the one and only, final sacrifice. The moment every sin is paid in full.

During old testament days millions of animals were sacrificed. Generation after generation and yet none took away sin permanently for it was impossible to take away sin until finally; one Man, one death and then the sacrifices could stop. For that was the moment every sin is paid in full.

The blood deals with your guilt. Your wrong is covered by that one sacrifice – that’s the first river from the side of Christ. And the water? The water is more than forgiveness (for that’s what the blood bought). It’s the transformation into the new life.   

Water flows for your new nature. Blood flows for your guilt. Blood pays the debt for what you’ve done. Water brings new life as it renews the heart. The heart of stone turned into a heart of flesh. One cancels and one releases. You need both.

You can’t preach on the blood only, for one comes with the other; justification and regeneration. Blood first then water. Guilt dealt with then cleansing and new life. Both are gifts. Both flow from the open wound at His side.

And then what happens? Sin is forgiven but we are tired from the battle. The water is the renewal; the remaking from the inside, not to white-knuckle it on our own but to go through to our rest with Him who will not leave the job half done. The second river is for you; refreshment and new life – a new heart.

Blood and water are a theme running throughout the bible and once you’re aware of it you will see it. In Eden, rivers flowed. Sin comes and man was thrown out of the garden. In accepting the living water, man was brought back into paradise. The wounded side at the cross brings that flow into your life.

Eve, Adam’s bride, came from Adam’s side. Jesus’s open side is the bride purchased; washed in blood and water. The wounded side is the birthplace. The wounded side is the bride. When the priest came to the temple, he had to wash in both blood and water – a forerunner pointing the way to God. That is the miracle of the death of Jesus. Both together – sacrifice and cleansing in one.

Let the blood cover your guilt this day and let the water wash you clean. Only His wound can do it. Both came from His side. This is grace poured out for you. We take the bread and the blood; His body and His life-force.

God used that wound to open hearts from death to grace, forgiveness and love. Cancelled debt isn’t enough. You need the bill paid to be washed clean – a stream that cancels debt and washes at the same time. Crushed by guilt and exhausted by work – from one wound both sides are taken care of.

You don’t need to stay guilty, to strain for cleanliness. Blood without water means striving to stay clean and pure. You need both for your record to be cleansed, for the washing away in forgiveness. John’s eyewitness testimony fulfilled scripture and needs no embellishment. So, let us take now of the bread and the cup, for you are forgiven and washed clean, made new and whole.

 

The Eighth Day

“Entering the Eighth Day”

As we come to the Lord’s Table this morning, I want to invite you into a way of seeing that changes everything — a way of living that Jesus Himself opened for us through His death and resurrection. Scripture says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  

This is not poetic exaggeration, it’s the announcement of a new world; a new way of being.  

The early church had a name for this new reality. They called it The Eighth Day — the day beyond days, the day that began when Christ stepped out of the tomb and lived forever. The Eighth Day is resurrection life. It’s the life we remember and receive at the Communion Table.

Communion is not merely a ritual, it’s a threshold. A moment where the seven‑day world — the world of pressure, fear, limitation, and circumstance — gives way to the Eighth Day, the world where Christ reigns and resurrection defines reality.

When we take the bread and the cup, we are not simply remembering what Jesus did.  

We are entering the life He opened.  

We are stepping into the day He created.  

We are aligning ourselves with the dimension He now inhabits.

And that dimension isn’t far away. It’s not mystical, not reserved for the spiritually elite. It’s the Kingdom — and the Kingdom is within you.

Communion reminds us of this. It re‑centres us in this and re‑awakens us to this. Because in the seven‑day world, circumstances shout, but in the Eighth Day, identity whispers. And the Table is where the whisper becomes louder than the shout.

Here, it’s as if Christ is saying: “This is who you are. This is where you belong. This is the life you carry and the world you now live in.” When we take the bread, we remember His body — broken not only to forgive us, but to recreate us. When we take the cup, we remember His blood — poured out not only to cleanse us, but to make us new.

Communion is the meal of new creation. It is the feast of the Eighth Day. Communion is the reminder that resurrection is not an event we recall, but a dimension we inhabit.

 

And so today, as we prepare our hearts, I want to invite you to bring your seven‑day burdens — the places where you feel stuck, behind, overwhelmed, or defeated — and hold them gently before the Lord. Because in the Eighth Day, dead things become seed. Delays become preparation. Weakness becomes doorway. What looks impossible becomes invitation. Communion is where we take it all in.

Jesus Himself said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me… This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24–25).

The new covenant.  

The new creation.  

The new day.  

The Eighth Day.

So as we come to the Table, let us step out of the seven‑day world. Let’s step out of fear, out of rush and hurry. Let’s step out of striving and out of the belief that we are defined by our circumstances.

And let us step into the Eighth Day — the day where Christ reigns, where resurrection breathes, where identity governs, where the ordinary becomes sacred, and where our story is threaded with redemption.

Come to the Table. Come to the day beyond days. Come and receive the life Jesus opened for you. Amen.

Anointed Discernment

The anointing of God and the power to discern.

1. Read your word daily. Listen and work with Him.

 

2. Spend time with God; quality time, not rushed time. 

3. Spend time with Jesus. Sit with Him, ask nothing but enjoy His presence.

4. Repent – often.

5. Be still before the Lord. Sit quietly and wait. 

6. Pray in tongues, regularly. The longer and more frequent, the better.

7. Speak only positive. Speak out loud. No criticism. No negativity.

8. Welcome Holy Spirit. Ask questions about Him. Get to know Him.

9. Study the great generals of the faith who’ve gone before us. 

10. You get the ‘healing anointing’ by praying for the sick.

11. Put action to your faith. What is God showing you – do it. 

12. Touch base frequently. Make a deliberate point of contact. 

13. Give God the glory; always praise Him. Never take the glory for yourself.

14. Study and meditate on the word. Don’t rush through it. 

15. Develop a deep hunger and fervour, for God, for His word. 

16. Remain with Him constantly. Look up at every opportunity. 

17. Don’t step into areas you know He won’t like.

18. Put on the ‘anointing;’ break into joy - song will draw you out of mire. 

19. Before taking action, ask two questions;

What do You want me to know? 

What do You want me to do?

One more question I like to include is; God, is there a way to do this that I don’t know about? This in particular for a situation that you don’t know how to handle or which way to go. 

The First Miracle - The Wedding Feast.

The First Miracle - The Wedding Feast.

We’ve all heard of Jesus turning water into wine; His first miracle. But what if that’s not the main point of the story? What if the story is more than a caterer running short, or the miraculous change of liquid states? 

John 2:6 reads; Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty to thirty gallons apiece. 

John describes the containers; six stone jars, holding 20 to 30 gallons, for Jewish purification. He recorded this on purpose. Why stone and not clay, after all, clay was lighter and much more affordable? Clay jars were a ‘one time only use’ because the clay quickly became contaminated whereas stone didn’t. Once used, clay was discarded. Wine; a fine drink for a pure vessel, not for a vessel which contaminates easily. 

A little side note; the water turned to wine on the third day of the feast. That’s a bit of a hint that things aren’t as they seem. Water to wine was where law met grace; ceremonial washing to the blood of the Saviour. This was a wedding, a ceremony with food, wine and dance. 

When the host runs out of wine, Mary brings the problem to Jesus (the starting place for all our problems). Jesus tells Mary, His hour has not yet come. He’s talking of His hour at the cross. Mary ignores Jesus’ remark and says to the servants to ‘do whatever He tells you.’ Mary doesn’t know what Jesus is going to do but she knows Him and puts the problem into His hands – just as we should.

Stone jars are expensive, heavy and harder to make than clay. When it comes to vessels, materials matter. Stone is safe, permanent, perpetually pure. It’s a ceremonially acceptable and unchanging vessel of the old way. 

Why six stones and not seven? Why didn’t John just say some stone jars? Why be this precise? Seven is considered the number of completion - six is one less. Six is almost but not quite. It’s a state of ‘not finished yet.’ The external washing, endless and every day, never quite able to finish the job. And never internal. Ceremonial washing was always external; hands, face, feet – never internal. Never reaching deep enough. External washing cannot cleanse the internal.

Jesus didn’t get rid of the Jews old system, the law. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water to the brim. He doesn’t destroy what was but fills the jars with what is and not only fills them but fills them to the brim. He didn’t come to abolish but to fulfil, to bring to completion that which wasn’t complete. He takes those six jars of incompletion and brought them to fulfilment. The old was holy and not to be done away with. The transaction is complete by what is now held inside; wine. 

Jesus tells the servants to draw some out and take to the master of the feasts. The water has become wine; the drink of the new marriage covenant. Wine; the initial point of what was to come; the blood poured out. A transformation of washing externally to washing internally. The old and the new in one moment. 

Endless washing now transfigured into grace by the wine, into a new covenant. Not a new disconnected religion but an addition from old to new. The Master of Ceremonies has no idea what’s happened. He told the host, you’ve kept the best, the good wine, for last. Normally good wine is used first and old wine last. Here, the old went first and the good kept for last because this is a holy occasion.

The best is ahead. The marriage supper is still to come. The servants knew where the wine came from, not the Master of Ceremonies, nor the host. The servants had the miracle in their hands, not the elites, but the lowly servants and the disciples were there to witness it. 

John 2:11 reads; This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. 

The first sign Jesus did manifested His glory and the disciples believed in Him. The first sign is the headline of what is to follow, of turning the six into seven, of the almost complete to completion. Turning law into grace. 

It’s the bridegroom’s responsibility not to run out of wine. Today, Jesus is the bridegroom. He provides the wine which never runs dry. It is His hour. In this story, you feel the weight of the wine pointing the way to the cross. A forecast of what was to come. The fulfilment, the completion, the good wine kept to last. Jesus, our bridegroom, once and for all time. 

The Five Books of Psalms.

Have you noticed that The Psalms are divided into five books? Why are the Psalms divided as such? The short answer: The Psalms are divided into five books because ancient Israel shaped the Psalter to mirror the five books of Moses — the Torah — and to guide worshippers through a spiritual journey from lament to praise. But that’s only the surface. Let me give you the deeper, layered explanation.

The core reason the Psalter mirrors the Torah is because ancient Jewish tradition understood the Psalms as a kind of “second Torah” — not law, but instruction of the heart. So the editors shaped the final form of the Psalter into five books, echoing: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

This wasn’t accidental. It was a theological statement; a statement of what someone believes about God – their religious beliefs: “As the Torah forms the life of the people, so the Psalms form the inner life of the people.” The Psalms become the prayer-book that corresponds to the lawbook.

The themes of the five books each have their own emotional and theological system.

Here’s the shape: Book I (Psalms 1–41) Theme: Personal lament, trust, and the rise of David. This is the “Genesis” of the Psalter — beginnings, foundations, identity.

Book II (Psalms 42–72) Theme: Longing for God, conflict, and the hope for a righteous king. This mirrors “Exodus” — movement, struggle, deliverance.

Book III (Psalms 73–89) Theme: Crisis — national collapse, exile, theological disorientation. This is the “Numbers” wilderness season of the Psalter.

Book IV (Psalms 90–106) Theme: God’s kingship, God’s eternity, human frailty. This parallels “Deuteronomy” — returning to God, remembering who He is.

Book V (Psalms 107–150) Theme: Restoration, thanksgiving, and escalating praise. This is the “Promised Land” of the Psalter — ending in a short hymn; an expression of praise to God. The structure itself is a spiritual journey.

Why the division matters: The five-book structure isn’t just literary; it’s pastoral. It guides the people safely to the other side of the storm. It teaches that: Faith has seasons. Lament belongs in worship. Crisis is not the end of the story. Praise is the final word.

The Psalter moves through each: Lament → Trust → Crisis → Renewal → Praise. This is the arc of a human life with God.

The historical reason The Psalms were collected over the centuries is because The Psalms weren’t written all at once. They were written by different authors, from different eras and used in different worship settings. They were compiled in stages.

The five-book division preserves older collections inside the larger one:

- “Psalms of David”

- “Psalms of Asaph”

- “Sons of Korah”

- “Songs of Ascents”

- “Hallelujah Psalms”

Each book ends with a doxology; a short worship song showing the end of a collection.

The deepest layer of the Psalter is the journey of the soul. The five books trace the movement of a believer’s inner life: 1. Orientation — God is good, life makes sense. 2. Disorientation — suffering, confusion, exile. 3. Reorientation — God restores, renews, resurrects.

There is a pattern embedded in the ancient structure of these verses. The Psalter is not random. It is a spiritual formation manual and we all have the privilege of reading through the pattern and adjusting our life accordingly. The word, from cover to cover, is amazingly scripted. The word become flesh, amazingly sacred.

In honour of that Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, let’s now take of the emblems; His body broken, His blood shed, in remembrance of all that He did on the Cross that we might have life and have life abundantly. 

Lord we thank You for Your great and ineffable sacrifice. We repent of our sins and honour You in this moment and from this day forward. Praise be the name of the Lord.

The Snake - A Side Note

Ophidian means “snake‑like” or “pertaining to snakes,” coming from Latin Ophidia and ultimately Greek óphis (“snake”). It can be used as both a noun (a snake) and an adjective (serpentine in nature).

 

Core Meaning:

- As an adjective: “of, relating to, or resembling snakes.” 

  This includes physical traits (slender, sinuous, scaled) or symbolic qualities (stealth, danger, wisdom). 

  - As a noun: “a snake” is specifically any member of the suborder serpentine. 

 

Etymology:

- Derived from Latin Ophidia, a zoological term for the snake order. 

- Ultimately from Greek óphis (ὄφις) meaning “snake.” 

 

This root also appears in related words:

- ophiolatry — serpent‑worship 

- ophio‑ — a combining form meaning “snake” 

 

Usage in English:

- First recorded in the 1820s in scientific writing. 

 

- Common in:

  - zoology (“ophidian evolution,” “ophidian vertebrae”) 

  - literature (“an ophidian movement,” “an ophidian deity”) 

  - pathology (rarely, referring to snake‑related conditions) 

   

Symbolic and Cultural Resonance:

While the dictionaries focus on zoological meaning, the word ophidian carries a strong mythic and symbolic charge because of its Greek root.

- In Mesoamerican art, the Feathered Serpent (Kukulcán/Quetzalcóatl) is described as an ophidian deity. 

  - In literature, “ophidian” often evokes hidden wisdom, danger or temptation, transformation (shedding skin), liminality (creatures that move between worlds)

This makes ophidian a powerful descriptor in theological, poetic, or symbolic language.

 

Semantic Texture:

The word has a distinctive feel.

- More archaic and elevated than “snake‑like.” 

- More scientific than “serpentine.” 

- More mythic than “reptilian.”

 

It sits at the crossroads of biology, mythology, and symbolic imagination — a word that can carry both precision and enchantment.

 

*Note; AI derived answer to what is ophidian.

 

 

 

Power of Morning Prayer.

God’s word tells us to lay our concerns at the foot of the cross. Whatever concerns you, give it to the Lord. “Casting your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

The day listens to the voice of faith or fear. Every morning before the sun rises, what you say is where your life is set for this day. I realise not everyone can manage to do this before the sun rises. The idea is to do the best you can as early as can. 

The spirit world responds to your words, not your thoughts. It responds to your commands. So, command boldly. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.   

The unseen takes instruction from those who speak with conviction and faith. Your words carry weight. You can’t wait for the day to decided how it will treat you. You have to open your mouth before the sun rises. In the early hours, the soil of your day receives the seed you send. Command and faith will create. Don’t wait for the world to react. Don’t wait for things to happen - command them to happen.

Define your day - tell your body how to feel, your mind how to think and your circumstances how to align. Let your words rise before the sun and define your day. Your words dictate the outcome of your day. Speak with assurance. Angels and the atmosphere are listening, waiting for your instruction.

You must speak faith filled words. The spoken word will shape your day. Speak life, peace, purpose, power. Darkness can’t override the light you bring, the boldness you declare. You were never meant to chase the day but to rule it in divine authority.

The moment of the morning is the moment of command and what you speak in the morning will show up by evening. You have the power to reign in life. Command your day before it commands you. You’re not meant to be passive but creative - create with authority. Be bold. Command.

If fear rises first, fear will be in control. Let faith rise first. And if fear comes, remember; FEAR is only false evidence appearing real. Think instead; FEAR; Father, eternal, almighty, reigns.

Don’t start your day in doubt, worry or hesitation. Decree and declare how you want to see your day unfold. Step into your day, declare, and the day will step into alignment with you.

A few examples of how to start your day and what words to declare:

This will be a day of peace. I walk in favour today; doors open. I walk in strength today and ability. I have the mind of Christ. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I decree and declare my children be calm and at peace. I decree and declare my time be extended to meet my needs. I give thanks for God’s favour, for loving kindness and for needs met.

Open my eyes, that I might see. Open my ears, that I might hear and as I read through Your word today, show me what You want me to know.

I put on the armour and mantle. Helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shoes of peace, sword of the Spirit, shield of faith, mantle of Christ. Let me carry them well and with honour.

Pray the earthly senses come under and obey the spiritual senses. I pray for discernment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. I pray for divine visitation today. Holy Spirit, speak to my spirit. Lord, give me courage, boldness and strength today.

I ask that God meet my needs and also for wisdom that I will know what to do to unlock more blessings, for supernatural wisdom and understanding, so as to tap into the power of creative miracles. Open my eyes to the world beyond my world.

I pray for a supernatural detox from any harmful substance in the food and water today. Am I where you want me to be? If not, Lord, show me.

I pray for the peace of Jerusalem; May they prosper who love You. Peace be within her walls, prosperity within her palaces. Bless Your people, Israel. Bless them mightily. I pray for the harvesters of souls; may there be many.

Thank you, Father, for answered prayer. I praise Your wonderful and Holy name.

There is so much more l could have added to this prayer list. Different prayers for different needs. Prayers for family, friends and people I meet but in the interest of time for you to read this, you now get the gist of what's entailed. I do have one further prayer which I like to pray on a regular basis and it is as follows…

"Lord; You are the Creator of the earth and all its people. You hold the nations in Your hands, and Your justice is perfect. I ask You at this time to intervene and stop the exploitation which is happening around the world and bring justice to the nations.

Father, I pray against the forces of greed, oppression, and destruction that harm nations. Protect the vulnerable, and bring justice to those who exploit others. Lord protect the women and children, the widows and orphans, the oppressed women and girls from Arabic and Asian nations.

Lord, guide the leaders of nations to act with righteousness and compassion. Remove those who seek to harm or exploit. Raise up leaders who honour You.

Mighty King, bring full restoration to lands and people who have suffered. Heal the wounds of exploitation, and renew the hope and strength of those affected.

Lord, remove unjust rulers from all nations of the world.

We declare that Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let Your peace and justice reign over all nations.

In Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.”

While there is no formula for answered prayer (otherwise some would try to sell the formula), I do have an order which appears to work best when I follow it. That order is; praise and worship, then prayer - or "touching base" as I call it - followed by bible study. It's simple. It's not meant to be complicated.