THE TASTE OF CHRIST JESUS
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (February 24, 2018)
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame…But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. …That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 6:4-20, King James Version [Christ’s priesthood]).
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, Jesus spoke to the woman of Samaria that if she only knew the gift of God---who asked her to give him drink, then he would have given her living water…whosoever drinketh the water shall never thirst again---a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (St. John 4:10-15, KJV). I know my brothers, sisters, and mothers, in Christ Jesus say, “Oh, to taste the heavenly gift is truly divine. I can get used to the taste of everlasting life. I am accustomed to the taste of God’s gift to mankind---the world, here on earth [St. John 3:16, KJV]. However, there was a man of God, known as the pastor of many heads of state throughout the world that reminded man of their sinful nature when he said,” When you taste fame, you will thirst again.” The taste of sin---no matter what fame the sin affords you as you walk through to the gallows to taste death, is not the taste of everlasting life. Let us speak perfectly clear that you will not enter in as---even Jesus did, to everlasting life.
Accordingly, Mark---a disciple of Christ Jesus witnessed that Jesus said six days before he was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, up on a high mountain that he led them to, “…Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” (St. Mark 9:1, KJV [Christ is transfigured]). Most importantly, I know the saints of Christ Jesus want to be in that number standing as a testimony to taste the gift of everlasting life, as promised, “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (St. John 3:16,
2
KJV [The witness of John]). More importantly, my sisters and brothers, in Christ we live in a time of false prophets who believe in death and destruction---to steal away the children of God in false doctrine. “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (St. John 3:20-21, KJV]). I do not know about you but I want to be wrought in God---in God’s plan---lined up under the will of God, in Christ Jesus, for the saving of my soul, as a testament to the promises of God.
Henceforth, many did not believe the Christ Jesus resurrected until “he appeared before the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen,
…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (St. Mark 16:14-18, KJV [The resurrection of Christ]).
We know some of the disciples could not effectively deliver healing and Christ Jesus said afterwards when the man complained that the disciples failed to heal that he desired to buy the gift of healing, “Ye of so little faith”:
“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for oftentimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of you unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
3 and fasting.” (St. Matthew 17:14-21, KJV; St. Mark 9:14-29, KJV; St. Luke 9:37-43, KJV [Unbelief]).
We think of the little children killed by one of their very own peers because those who looked on failed to cast out his demons when death took his mother and he played with weapons of mass destruction---available to him as a purchase from a gun shop. Lord have mercy. Why could they not heal him?
In closing, Was the young man’s soul tormented with seven devils as Mary Magdalene was tormented with evil spirits and infirmities [St. Luke 8:2, KJV [Women minister unto Christ] or did the devils reappear once exorcised or did we, the one body of Christ Jesus look on in shame and not even try to heal---not believing, in unbelief---waiting for the death and destruction that everyone knew would take over his life and those of his peers because he could not stop the demons that ruled---possessed his flesh? So, you say you do not want to hear prayers just action:
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house,
and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” (St. Luke 6:46-49, KJV [Love and good works]).
What about one of the daughters of Abraham who was loosed from Satan after suffering eighteen years so much so she was bowed and she could not lift herself up---healed on the Sabbath? “And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” (St. Luke 13:11-12, KJV [The crooked woman healed]). Truly, all things are possible, in Christ Jesus. Jesus saves.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (St. John 14:27, KJV [Christ promiseth Comforter]). “…These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” (St. John 16:1-2, KJV [Christ comforteth his disciples]).In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
