Jesus Dropped the Charges, by the O'Neal Twins (Say Amen, Somebody!)

 You have got to hear this amazing Gospel song!

Jesus Dropped the Charges, by the O'Neal Twins

I was guilty (guilty)

Of all the charges (charges)

Doomed and disgraced

But Jesus (Jesus)

With His special love (special love)

Saved me by His grace

He pleaded (pleaded)

And He pleaded (pleaded)

He pleaded my case

I'm so glad that

Jesus dropped the charges

Jesus dropped the charges (now I'm saved)

Now I'm saved through grace and faith

I was guilty (guilty)

For so long (so long)

Lived in sin too long

But Jesus (Jesus)

With his special love (special love)

Reached out with His arms so strong

He picked me up (picked me up)

Turned me around (turned me around)

Gave me a brand-new song

Jesus dropped the charges (Jesus)

Jesus dropped the charges (now to Him I belong)

Now to Him I belong (look here)

You may remember (remember)

And remember (remember)

Some of the things I've done

But Jesus (Jesus)

With His special love (special love)

Forgave me from everyone

He put me (put me)

On the right road (right road)

Lifted my heavy load, yeah, yeah

Jesus dropped the charges

Jesus dropped the charges (now I'm free)

Now I'm free down in my soul, I am

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

Although I was wrong, ooh

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

Showed me right from wrong, yeah

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

Cast them all away

At Calvary

At Calvary, I heard Him say (at Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say (at Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say

"Case dismissed, case dismissed

Saved by grace"

He dropped the charges Jesus dropped the charges

Although I was wrong

Yeah, He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

Showed me right from wrong

Yeah, He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

And cast them all away

At Calvary

At Calvary, I heard Him say (oh, yeah)

At Calvary, I heard Him say (Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say

"Case dismissed, case dismissed

Saved by grace"

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

He dropped the charges (He dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (when He died on Calvary)

He dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (when He died)

He dropped the charges (for you and me)

Jesus dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

He dropped the charges (yes, He did)

Jesus dropped the charges (I heard Him say, "It's finished")

He dropped the charges (it's finished)

Jesus dropped the charges (it's finished)

He dropped the charges (finished)

Jesus dropped the charges (yeah)

He dropped the charges (I saw Him)

Jesus dropped the charges

He dropped the charges (when He hung His head)

Jesus dropped the charges (in the locks of His shoulder)

He dropped the charges (He died)

Jesus dropped the charges ('til the sun stopped shinin')

He dropped the charges (He dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (when He died for me)

He dropped the charges (He, yeah)

Jesus dropped the charges (when He died for me)

He dropped the charges (He dropped the charges against me)

Jesus dropped the charges (when He died for me)

He dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (at Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say (at Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say (at Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say (case dismissed)

"Case dismissed, case dismissed

Saved by grace"

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

He dropped the charges (yes, He did)

Jesus dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges

He dropped the charges (yeah), Jesus dropped the charges (yeah)

He dropped the charges (yeah), Jesus dropped the charges (yes, He did)

He dropped the charges (when He died for me)

Jesus dropped the charges (He dropped the charges)

He dropped the charges (when He went to Calvary)

Jesus dropped the charges (yeah, and died)

He dropped the charges (between two thieves)

Jesus dropped the charges

He dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

He dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (dropped the charges)

He dropped the charges (yes, He did)

Jesus dropped the charges (when He died for me)

He dropped the charges (He dropped the charges)

Jesus dropped the charges (I heard Him say)

He dropped the charges

Jesus dropped the charges (on the cross)

He dropped the charges (it's finished)

Jesus dropped the charges (it's finished)

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges (dropped the, yeah)

He dropped the charges, Jesus dropped the charges (at Calvary)

At Calvary, I heard Him say

At Calvary, I heard Him say

At Calvary, I heard Him say

"Case dismissed, case dismissed

Saved by grace"

Can I hear somebody say yeah?

The song says, "At Calvary, I heard Him say

I heard Him say

You know a lot of folk were standing around Calvary that day

But as He was hanging on the cross, I heard Him, at Calvary

At Calvary, I heard Him say

He was carrying the sins of the world (at Calvary)

"At Calvary, I heard Him say

He said, "Hey! O'Neal, I'm gon' save you"

I heard Him say

"Case dismissed, case dismissed

Case dismissed (case dismissed)

I'm gon' save you

Case dismissed (case dismissed)

You've been guilty

Case dismissed (case dismissed)

Case dismissed (case dismissed)

Saved by grace, saved by grace

Alright, alright

Oh, Lord, alright

When We Receive Salem, It's Easy to Reject Sodom

I have learned so much about the ministries that help people escape from unnatural affection (same-sex temptations, etc). For too long, however, in the Body of Christ, there is still an insistence on what we must do to get right with the Lord. It's all about our efforts, and in all too many cases, there are so many Christians who still believe that they need to stop doing the wrong so that they can be in the right and receive all that they need from Jesus.

In fact, the Bible is Christ-al (crystal) clear that the Holy Spirit transforms us, not we ourselves:

"18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

and

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Notice that we receive the transformation. This is not something that we do. This is something that the Holy Spirit does.

Now, to the specific issue for those who struggle with unnatural affection.

In Genesis 14, we read about an incredible victory wrought by our father of faith Abraham (at the time, he was still called Abram):

"13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. 14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people." (Genesis 14:13-16)

With only 318 men, Abram defeated four kings, and he rescued all the people who had been captured, and reclaimed all the goods that had been looted by those kings.

Now, who was the first person to reach out to Abram after this incredible victory?

"17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale." (Genesis 14:17)

The King of Sodom arrived first. This king is the picture of our flesh, and for those who struggle with unnatural temptations, that struggle. 

Then who comes to Abraham?

"18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." (Genesis 14:18)

First, there is the King of Sodom, but then comes the King of Salem. This Melchizedek is a type of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

"18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." (Psalm 110:4)

and

"14For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life." (Hebrews 7:14-16)

More comparisons ...

"Sodom" means "scorching" or "burning fire." This name is appropriate, since the LORD God would destroy Sodom in fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24-25)

Lusts, fleshy demands in our minds and in our bodies, war against us, like a consuming fire:

"15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough." (Proverbs 30:15-16)

and

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;" (1 Peter 2:11)

That fire also speaks of the fiery darts of the Enemy, who seeks to condemn us for our wrong thinking and feeling, the lusts in our flesh (Ephesians 6:16)

"Salem" means "peace" or "paid for." Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), for He has paid for our sins--and all the sins of the world (1 John 2:2)

Now, notice that Melchizedek (which means "King of Righteousness") not only comes to Abraham, but he brings bread and wine.

He also blesses Abraham--and he blesses him before he blesses the Most High God! (Genesis 14:19-20)

Then Abraham tithed to Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods that he secured from the four kings.

Then consider what he says to the King of Sodom after this burning king asks for the people whom Abraham had rescued:

22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:" (Genesis 14:22-23)

Here are a few wonderful revelations which Daddy God showed me in this passage, which can help people who still struggle with unnatural affection:

1. The King of Sodom did come to Abraham first, but Melchizedek did follow. In the same way, all of us who are saved, who are called by God to great things, will find these struggles burning at our flesh from the outset, but Jesus comes to us. Again, notice that Abraham did not go to Melchizedek, but rather this wonderful King of Righteousness came to Abraham first.

2. The King of Righteousness and Peace blessed Abraham, and the word "bless" is used three times in the passage. We must rest in this gracious truth that our Savior, our High Priest Forever at the order of Melchizedek has a priesthood that blesses only, that does not curse.

3. Then this revelation came to me: Melchizedek provided Abraham bread and wine, and he blessed him--but at no time did Melchizedek tell Abraham to break off his meeting with the King of Sodom first. In other words, Melchizedek was ministering to Father Abraham all the while that the King of Sodom was right there with him!

The revelation for all of us today, which we must share with fellow brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ who still find themselves mired in certain temptations: Jesus ministers to us, serves us, blesses us with His goodness even when we still struggle with unnatural affections. He does not go away. He does not tell us to get our acts together, to stop sinning, so to speak.

He blesses us first, He fulfills us first, he pays for all our sins and gives us His righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Then, and only then, are we able to say to the King of Sodom "I am not taking anything from you. I receive everything I need from the Most High God, who is also the Possessor of Heaven and Earth." Who need what the world has to offer, when He who spoke the worlds into existence can give you all things with His Son?!

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

Paul writes about this beautifully to the Romans:

"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)

He later writes:

"11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" (Titus 2:11-13)

First, through Christ Jesus we are justified from all things (Acts 13:38) Then, because we see more of Jesus, He transforms us!

Too many Christians who struggle withing lingering sins are trying to get their acts together first, then come to Jesus. That is not how it works. We cannot change ourselves, we cannot save ourselves. If we could find a way to fix ourselves, then Jesus did not have to come our way and be the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life.

When we receive Salem, it's easy to reject Sodom!

When people receive Jesus as their King of Peace and their King of Righteousness, as they continue to receive revelation of His Finished Work (the bread and wine, i.e. Holy Communion), as they continue to receive His blessings and favor, for Jesus is Grace Personified (John 1:14), then Christians can say to the temptations in their flesh: "I won't take anything from you. I receive all I need from my High Priest forever.

Jesus Makes the Unlearned Wise and The Ordinary Extraordinary

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

There is something about being with Jesus that takes men from a low estate to a greater place.

In the original Greek, "unlearned" means unschooled, and "ignorant" is literally "idiot."

What is interesting especially is that the people who listened to Peter and John thought that they were unschooled idiots. They judged by appearance, and boy were they wrong!

Jesus instructed the Israelites during His earthly ministry:

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24)

Notice that because of Jesus, these two apostles--no longer are they disciples, since they have received Jesus' life and standing before God the Father (cf. John 20:22)--were bold! They knew the truth and they declared it without fear:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

This perfect love comes from being established in Jesus' righteousness (Isaiah 54:17; 1 John 3:7, 4:17).

The same holds true for wisdom and honor. Peter and John were not ignorant idiots in any way. Why?

Because of Jesus!

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Jesus transforms us from dead in our trespasses to alive and seated in heaven places in Him (Ephesians 2:4-6) so that we are in His standing, and God our Father sees us in His Son!

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

Hang out with Jesus--and You will become more like Him, all by the power of His Holy Spirit:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

No Great Joy Than to be Redeemed From All Things

"Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." (Psalm 32:2)

This blessing is so overlooked.

I was meditating for the last few days on the promises which God made to Abraham:

"2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12: 2-3)

and then

"Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" (Genesis 18:18)

and finally in Genesis, we find:

"1And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things." (Genesis 24:1)

Wow!

I want the blessings that Abraham received. He was blessed in all things.

Of course, we are indeed blessed with Abraham, because of Jesus:

"So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:9)

and also

"29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)

So, what is the most important thing when it comes to being of faith?

It's about believing that all your sins have been forgiven, and that we have been made righteous:

"6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3: 6-9)

BAM!

There is no greater joy that to be redeemed, to be justified from all things through Christ Jesus.

That is good news, good news indeed!

"38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13: 38-39)

It's really important for us to get excited about this. I haven't considered how great it is, how sweet it is, that no matter how often I may fail, sin, fall short of the glorious ideal, God will never be angry at me again:

"For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." (Isaiah 54:9)

The waters prevailed at one time, signs of God's wrath against the fallen, evil world. But the LORD God gave a sign, a testimony through His rainbow that He would never condemn the world again. We have this ironclad promise that God will never condemn us for our sins, because every sin was paid for in the body of His Son Jesus Christ:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

No greater joy! Let's us continue to mediate ont he truth that we are set free from all our sins, that we have been redeemed from the curse of the law, that no matter how uch we sin, fall, or fail, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior is our full propitiation for all our sins (1 John 2:1-2)

Not Just Redemption, but Fulfillment in Christ Jesus

"I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." (Psalm 81:10)

In the Bible, references to God leading the Israelites out of Egypt speak of Christ's redemption for everyone of us at the Cross.

Jesus was the Angel of the Lord who lead them out.

He is the pillar of fire and the pillar of clouds which protected the Israelites out of the land of bondage to the Promised Land.

Notice what the Psalmist connects with redemption:

"Open your mouths wide. I will fill you up."

Salvation is more than deliverance from death.

Salvation is more than being saved from hell and going to heaven

It's about God blessings  us spirit, soul, and body:

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

And

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 2)

Remember. The Promised Land was a real place on this earth, not some far away kingdom.

Indeed we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, not the earth (Philippians 3:20), but He intends to prosper us here on earth in the meantime!

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

and

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men." (Psalm 115:16)

We receive all things in Him, and our loving Father wants us to receive all things from Him!

Don't limit God's grace and blessings!

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" (Psalm 103:2)