Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Say to the Israelites: 'Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. " 'There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. " 'Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you. " 'These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. " 'All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other winged creatures that have four legs you are to detest. " 'You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. " 'Every animal that has a split hoof not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. They are unclean for you. " 'Of the animals that move about on the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot. Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean. Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean. A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you. " 'If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean till evening. Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. " 'Every creature that moves about on the ground is detestable; it is not to be eaten. You are not to eat any creature that moves about on the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is detestable. Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. " 'These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves in the water and every creature that moves about on the ground. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.' " Leviticus 11
"The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"…Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " Mark 7:1-5, 14-23
As Leviticus, Chapter 11 opens, the Lord begins to give additional guidance to Moses and Aaron to share with the Israelites. Specifically, He passes instruction regarding the food that Israel was allowed to eat. The central theme of the directive deals with whether food is clean or unclean to eat.
Rules are administered regarding "animals that live on land", "animals that move about on the ground", "all creatures in the seas or streams", birds, and flying insects. The Lord’s guidance is pretty black and white. You can eat this because it is clean. You can’t eat this because it is unclean. If something unclean touches something clean, then it renders the clean item unclean. In the end, the Israelites were left to "distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten."
On the surface, all these laws seem maddening. In most cases today, we can eat whatever we please and there is little thought to what is clean or unclean, except when food spoils, is improperly stored or falls on the ground. Why would the Lord go into such detail addressing clean and unclean things?
Well, in that time, the rules were an actual blessing to the people. For with little exception, the foods that were deemed unclean were foods that could have caused bodily injury to the Israelites had they eaten them. There weren’t professional dieticians back in the days of Moses. Nor were their professional doctors or modern medicine that might be able to diagnose illness and treat people when they became ill. It was paramount to watch the things that one ate to ensure that no parasitic organism such as a worm was ingested. Many people died from this very ailment.
So the stringent laws were not only meant to help Israel eat the foods that the Lord favored. They also served as protection from disease. Still, can you vision having to be so careful about everything you ate?
Well, it didn’t take long before times changed in the scriptures. For just as Jesus brought new teachings about so many other things that had been established as law in the Old Testament, the matter of clean and unclean food would be no different. In our passage from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sternly addresses a crowd after the "Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law" question Him as to why His disciples were eating with unclean hands saying:
"Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " What did Jesus mean? Well, His disciples wanted to know and asked Jesus. He responded by admonishing them somewhat saying, ""Are you so dull?" He then continued:
"Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
In His statement, Jesus removed the restrictions for food. All food was "declared clean". For the matter of cleanliness and uncleanliness had absolutely nothing to do with what went in and out of the body but what went in and out of the heart. Jesus tells His disciples, "…out of men's hearts come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean’. In other words, sin isn’t a stomach disease but one of the heart.
Question: What state is your heart in? Do you harbor any of the evils that Jesus mentioned (i.e. evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly)? If so, what are you doing to come clean so you can get clean before the Lord?
For we are just a prayer of repentance away from turning our evil heart into a holy one…an unclean spirit into a righteous one. The Lord is ready to do a work of cleansing within you…just turn to Him. And then we might be able to confirm the words of the psalmist when he wrote:
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior." Psalm 24:3-5
Amen and thanks be to God for His love, mercy and grace…and for His willingness to help us become clean.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
GROWING SPIRITUALLY
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the grain offering left over from the offerings made to the Lord by fire and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy. Eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons' share of the offerings made to the Lord by fire; for so I have been commanded. But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites' fellowship offerings. The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded." When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and asked, "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." Aaron replied to Moses, "Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" When Moses heard this, he was satisfied." Leviticus 10:12-20
Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s two sons and aides in the tabernacle ministry have died because of their disobedient conduct in the tabernacle. Aaron and his remaining sons have received guidance on abstaining from drinking alcohol before entering the tabernacle to perform their duties. In today’s passage, we find Moses giving further instruction to "Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar" regarding sacrifices and how they were to conduct them.
It’s during this discourse that Moses inquires about a sacrifice already performed, the "goat of the sin offering" and we read where Moses is "angry with Eleazar and Ithamar" when he learns the offering had been burned up. He asks, ""Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." It was the custom for the priests and their assistants to eat the sin offering in the sanctuary, symbolic of the sins of the people being forgiven and swallowed up. It is clear that Aaron’s sons did not obey the command and on the surface, you might fear that they might face a fate as fatal as Nadab and Abihu. But this matter was different and interestingly, we find Aaron coming forward to intercede for his remaining sons.
Aaron explains to Moses, "Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" In other words, Aaron takes accountability for what has happened and places himself in as much a place of guilt as his sons. Through his actions, we see an incredible display of spiritual growth in Aaron from what we saw in the past.
For rewind back to when Moses was on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). At one point during the forty days and nights he was on the mountain, the people became restless and yearned to have an idol to worship. So they approach Aaron with the idea and instead of rebuking the people and standing firm for God, he tells the people to bring him all their gold jewelry which he melts down and forms into a golden calf. The people then dance and worship the calf, clearly in violation of God’s commandments and the covenant the people had made with Him.
You’ll remember that when Moses came down the mountain with God’s commandments written by His finger on the two stone tablets, Moses smashes the tablets on the ground and asks Aaron what had happened. You’ll recall that Aaron blamed the people only and formed his account as if he had no willingness in the matter. Moses knew better however and saw where Aaron had "let them get out of control."
That was then…this is now. Aaron speaks up now, takes accountability for what has happened and explains the matter to Moses in such a way that Moses was "satisfied". So what did Aaron say that convinced Moses that there wasn't as serious a violation of God’s command as what had been committed by Nadab and Abihu?
It all came down to the matter of repentance.
For Aaron and his sons were so struck by the judgment on Nadab and Abihu, that they saw themselves also sinful…so much so that they didn’t feel worthy to consume the sin offering. After all, why would Aaron and his sons eat meat that was to represent the sins of the people when they were just as blemished? Aaron and his sons did not feel consecrated or set apart to represent the people before the Lord thus they didn’t consume the goat in the Holy Place and instead burned it. It was this humble acknowledgement of their unworthiness and unholiness before a most Holy God that preserved them and prevented judgment. Their heartfelt emotions and actions in support of those emotions showed that they had already passed judgment on themselves.
Question: How do we respond when we realize our sinful failings? Do we display the kind of heartfelt repentance and remorse found in Aaron and his sons in scripture today? Do we take full accountability for our sinful actions or do we attempt to make excuses, blaming other things instead?
Truly, we can learn a lot from Aaron, his sons and their actions. We see where we should always examine ourselves as to our standing before God. If we have sinned, then we should be in a state of reverent repentance, solemnly bowing down before the One who we have wronged, confessing where we have went wrong and recommitting ourselves to His will and way…a will and way that will allow us to turn from our sinful ways.
Thanks be to God for His word and the truths it reveals, especially when those truths lead us to see where we fall short of His expectations. For the word also helps instruct us on how to get straightened out and restore our relationship with God. May we, like Aaron, ever seek to be restored and grow spiritually each and every day.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the grain offering left over from the offerings made to the Lord by fire and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy. Eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons' share of the offerings made to the Lord by fire; for so I have been commanded. But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites' fellowship offerings. The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded." When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and asked, "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." Aaron replied to Moses, "Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" When Moses heard this, he was satisfied." Leviticus 10:12-20
Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s two sons and aides in the tabernacle ministry have died because of their disobedient conduct in the tabernacle. Aaron and his remaining sons have received guidance on abstaining from drinking alcohol before entering the tabernacle to perform their duties. In today’s passage, we find Moses giving further instruction to "Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar" regarding sacrifices and how they were to conduct them.
It’s during this discourse that Moses inquires about a sacrifice already performed, the "goat of the sin offering" and we read where Moses is "angry with Eleazar and Ithamar" when he learns the offering had been burned up. He asks, ""Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." It was the custom for the priests and their assistants to eat the sin offering in the sanctuary, symbolic of the sins of the people being forgiven and swallowed up. It is clear that Aaron’s sons did not obey the command and on the surface, you might fear that they might face a fate as fatal as Nadab and Abihu. But this matter was different and interestingly, we find Aaron coming forward to intercede for his remaining sons.
Aaron explains to Moses, "Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?" In other words, Aaron takes accountability for what has happened and places himself in as much a place of guilt as his sons. Through his actions, we see an incredible display of spiritual growth in Aaron from what we saw in the past.
For rewind back to when Moses was on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). At one point during the forty days and nights he was on the mountain, the people became restless and yearned to have an idol to worship. So they approach Aaron with the idea and instead of rebuking the people and standing firm for God, he tells the people to bring him all their gold jewelry which he melts down and forms into a golden calf. The people then dance and worship the calf, clearly in violation of God’s commandments and the covenant the people had made with Him.
You’ll remember that when Moses came down the mountain with God’s commandments written by His finger on the two stone tablets, Moses smashes the tablets on the ground and asks Aaron what had happened. You’ll recall that Aaron blamed the people only and formed his account as if he had no willingness in the matter. Moses knew better however and saw where Aaron had "let them get out of control."
That was then…this is now. Aaron speaks up now, takes accountability for what has happened and explains the matter to Moses in such a way that Moses was "satisfied". So what did Aaron say that convinced Moses that there wasn't as serious a violation of God’s command as what had been committed by Nadab and Abihu?
It all came down to the matter of repentance.
For Aaron and his sons were so struck by the judgment on Nadab and Abihu, that they saw themselves also sinful…so much so that they didn’t feel worthy to consume the sin offering. After all, why would Aaron and his sons eat meat that was to represent the sins of the people when they were just as blemished? Aaron and his sons did not feel consecrated or set apart to represent the people before the Lord thus they didn’t consume the goat in the Holy Place and instead burned it. It was this humble acknowledgement of their unworthiness and unholiness before a most Holy God that preserved them and prevented judgment. Their heartfelt emotions and actions in support of those emotions showed that they had already passed judgment on themselves.
Question: How do we respond when we realize our sinful failings? Do we display the kind of heartfelt repentance and remorse found in Aaron and his sons in scripture today? Do we take full accountability for our sinful actions or do we attempt to make excuses, blaming other things instead?
Truly, we can learn a lot from Aaron, his sons and their actions. We see where we should always examine ourselves as to our standing before God. If we have sinned, then we should be in a state of reverent repentance, solemnly bowing down before the One who we have wronged, confessing where we have went wrong and recommitting ourselves to His will and way…a will and way that will allow us to turn from our sinful ways.
Thanks be to God for His word and the truths it reveals, especially when those truths lead us to see where we fall short of His expectations. For the word also helps instruct us on how to get straightened out and restore our relationship with God. May we, like Aaron, ever seek to be restored and grow spiritually each and every day.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, March 29, 2008
THE EVIL THAT LURKS BENEATH THE SURFACE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11
I rarely write twice on a given subject but I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit since writing yesterday to share a secondary, and just as important, message about this matter of alcohol use and the effect it has on those who choose to partake in it.
The message is plain and clear: Alcohol is not an excuse for sinful behavior.
What do I mean by this? Here’s a few examples:
A married man or woman is out and away from their spouse. They decide to go to a bar or club and have some drinks. While at the bar or club, they meet someone and engage in what starts out as conversation…and then moves into a bit more. They end up having sex with one another and we have a classic case of adultery. When the alcohol wears off and the adulterous man or woman come to their senses, they seek for something to help them deal with the guilt of their actions. And so, they blame the alcohol as the cause.
If it were only that simple…
Here’s another scenario:
A man or woman decides to go out to a bar or club and have a few drinks. After they have had a few, someone gets rude and ignorant with them, suddenly raising their level of anger to the point where they get into a fight. They bloody the other person and they too get bloodied. When they go to work the next day, they are asked about what happened because their injuries are visibly evident. They tell the person they were in a fight which surprises the co-worker because they always saw the person as shy and withdrawn…peaceful and non-confrontational. They say they can’t believe that the person would fight. The fighting co-worker tells them they had a few too many drinks and this is what caused them to do it. It was all about the alcohol.
Again, it sounds easy enough but there’s much more to it than that. How many situations do you know that are like this? Has it happened to anyone you know? To you?
So what’s my main point here. Didn’t the alcohol really make these people do the things they did?
The answer is no. The alcohol didn’t create the sin. It released it.
You see, in both cases, the affair and the fight, the person committing the act didn’t just all of a sudden decide to have an affair or fight another. They had always had the thought within them. The adulterous man or woman constantly lusted after others of the opposite (and today sometimes the same) sex. The fighter had always wanted to just punch someone in the face, their rage churning inside them. In both, the evil desire lurked just under the surface wanting to get out but it was unable to. Satan was ready to act on the desire if it could just come out but he couldn’t because the sin never got released. Why? Because the Holy Spirit within each person always keep the evil, sinful desires in check. It’s what the world calls an inhibition.
Question: What sins lurk under your surface, yearning to be released?
Now we can get to alcohol and the role it plays. For under the influence of alcohol, we trade the fruit of the Spirit which includes self-control and instead decide to go for the fruit of the vine (alcohol). And when we decide to make that trade, we lose our inhibition and the evil desires within us gain their freedom…much to the delight of Satan. We lose control from this point on. Anything can happen and little of it will be good. The Lord is no longer in control. Satan is…and is ready to fulfill all your desires and your will. And forget about blaming the alcohol. It was you who allowed the sin to lurk under the surface, you who decided to trade the fruit of the Spirit for the fruit of the vine, you who are accountable to the Lord for your actions.
Friends, why is the Lord convicting me so hard on this matter? Because it is serious and so pertinent to our world today. Lives are being destroyed each and every day because of substance abuse. It is one of Satan’s chief instruments to destroy the people of God.
But, there is good news for us. We have a choice. We can choose not to fail and fall.
Here’s are the three key steps to stay on the right path and ensure we move closer to righteousness than sinfulness:
Treat the problem at hand. And the problem at hand is the evil desire within us. We all need to identify them and pray them away. The Lord is ready to take everything evil within you and replace it with holiness. Take away the sin and you take away the sinfulness.
Stay away from any substance that will trade away the fruit of the Spirit. The Lord requires that we always exercise self control and we surrender this when we come under the influence of anything artificial…anything that is not of the Lord.
Always stay connected to Jesus. Friends, we are to be Christians and the root of that word is Christ. How can we claim to be of Him when we act unlike Him? Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) Where is your treasure? Is it found in the sinful desires that lurk under your surface? Is it found in alcohol or drugs? Or is it in Jesus…our Savior…the only truly perfect person to ever live…the only One who can bring us ever closer to perfection in righteousness and holiness? Won’t you recommit yourself today to make Him your one and only treasure now and forever more?
Please share this prayer with me:
Dear Lord,
Look deep within me…to the depths of my heart and mind and soul
Expose the sin within and take it from me, I pray
For all I yearn for is You…Your love…Your way…Your will…Your life
Yes, all I yearn for is You and Your Son Jesus who bore my sins, died and rose from the dead for me
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit Lord…fill me to the very top until I overflow
And help me grow ever stronger in your holy and righteous ways.
For it’s in Your precious, blessed name I pray. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11
I rarely write twice on a given subject but I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit since writing yesterday to share a secondary, and just as important, message about this matter of alcohol use and the effect it has on those who choose to partake in it.
The message is plain and clear: Alcohol is not an excuse for sinful behavior.
What do I mean by this? Here’s a few examples:
A married man or woman is out and away from their spouse. They decide to go to a bar or club and have some drinks. While at the bar or club, they meet someone and engage in what starts out as conversation…and then moves into a bit more. They end up having sex with one another and we have a classic case of adultery. When the alcohol wears off and the adulterous man or woman come to their senses, they seek for something to help them deal with the guilt of their actions. And so, they blame the alcohol as the cause.
If it were only that simple…
Here’s another scenario:
A man or woman decides to go out to a bar or club and have a few drinks. After they have had a few, someone gets rude and ignorant with them, suddenly raising their level of anger to the point where they get into a fight. They bloody the other person and they too get bloodied. When they go to work the next day, they are asked about what happened because their injuries are visibly evident. They tell the person they were in a fight which surprises the co-worker because they always saw the person as shy and withdrawn…peaceful and non-confrontational. They say they can’t believe that the person would fight. The fighting co-worker tells them they had a few too many drinks and this is what caused them to do it. It was all about the alcohol.
Again, it sounds easy enough but there’s much more to it than that. How many situations do you know that are like this? Has it happened to anyone you know? To you?
So what’s my main point here. Didn’t the alcohol really make these people do the things they did?
The answer is no. The alcohol didn’t create the sin. It released it.
You see, in both cases, the affair and the fight, the person committing the act didn’t just all of a sudden decide to have an affair or fight another. They had always had the thought within them. The adulterous man or woman constantly lusted after others of the opposite (and today sometimes the same) sex. The fighter had always wanted to just punch someone in the face, their rage churning inside them. In both, the evil desire lurked just under the surface wanting to get out but it was unable to. Satan was ready to act on the desire if it could just come out but he couldn’t because the sin never got released. Why? Because the Holy Spirit within each person always keep the evil, sinful desires in check. It’s what the world calls an inhibition.
Question: What sins lurk under your surface, yearning to be released?
Now we can get to alcohol and the role it plays. For under the influence of alcohol, we trade the fruit of the Spirit which includes self-control and instead decide to go for the fruit of the vine (alcohol). And when we decide to make that trade, we lose our inhibition and the evil desires within us gain their freedom…much to the delight of Satan. We lose control from this point on. Anything can happen and little of it will be good. The Lord is no longer in control. Satan is…and is ready to fulfill all your desires and your will. And forget about blaming the alcohol. It was you who allowed the sin to lurk under the surface, you who decided to trade the fruit of the Spirit for the fruit of the vine, you who are accountable to the Lord for your actions.
Friends, why is the Lord convicting me so hard on this matter? Because it is serious and so pertinent to our world today. Lives are being destroyed each and every day because of substance abuse. It is one of Satan’s chief instruments to destroy the people of God.
But, there is good news for us. We have a choice. We can choose not to fail and fall.
Here’s are the three key steps to stay on the right path and ensure we move closer to righteousness than sinfulness:
Treat the problem at hand. And the problem at hand is the evil desire within us. We all need to identify them and pray them away. The Lord is ready to take everything evil within you and replace it with holiness. Take away the sin and you take away the sinfulness.
Stay away from any substance that will trade away the fruit of the Spirit. The Lord requires that we always exercise self control and we surrender this when we come under the influence of anything artificial…anything that is not of the Lord.
Always stay connected to Jesus. Friends, we are to be Christians and the root of that word is Christ. How can we claim to be of Him when we act unlike Him? Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) Where is your treasure? Is it found in the sinful desires that lurk under your surface? Is it found in alcohol or drugs? Or is it in Jesus…our Savior…the only truly perfect person to ever live…the only One who can bring us ever closer to perfection in righteousness and holiness? Won’t you recommit yourself today to make Him your one and only treasure now and forever more?
Please share this prayer with me:
Dear Lord,
Look deep within me…to the depths of my heart and mind and soul
Expose the sin within and take it from me, I pray
For all I yearn for is You…Your love…Your way…Your will…Your life
Yes, all I yearn for is You and Your Son Jesus who bore my sins, died and rose from the dead for me
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit Lord…fill me to the very top until I overflow
And help me grow ever stronger in your holy and righteous ways.
For it’s in Your precious, blessed name I pray. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Friday, March 28, 2008
WHICH IS GREATER IN YOU? THE FRUIT OF THE VINE OR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11
Right after the Lord executes Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, by fire for violating His commands regarding tabernacle worship and specifically incense burning, the Lord gives Aaron a direct command about priestly conduct within the tabernacle. The Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die." And this didn’t just apply to Aaron and his sons but all priests who would follow. For God’s command would be a "lasting ordinance for the generations to come." So why did God have to issue this command?
Well, there is speculation that Nadab and Abihu were intoxicated when they burned the wrong incense, at the wrong time, with the wrong fire which prompted God to burn them to death with His fire. Alcohol has adverse effects which not only can affect those who lead but also those who follow.
Regardless of leading or following, God expected complete obedience to His expectations. This required clear thought and judgment at all times and one under the influence of alcohol could not exercise sound decision making. This is why God added in our passage, "You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses." How could the priest make the appropriate determinations about things that were clean and unclean if their minds were clouded by alcohol? And how could they teach other properly if they were always drinking? For not only would they be setting the wrong example for those they were teaching but those the people they were teaching could always choose to question the teaching they received since it was coming from someone who was under the influence of alcohol. So priests were disempowered by drinking and thus God prohibited it when they were carrying out their tabernacle duties…which pretty much went around the clock.
So how do you size up before God when it comes to alcohol? One thing I can say with absolute certainty is that you will never have an alcohol problem in your life if you don’t drink. It’s perfectly fine to be abstinent. And just in case you think it’s impossible, I will tell you it isn’t. I have survived over 48 years of life without alcohol and this has included my 24 years and three months in the Navy. I can tell you with absolute assurance that I haven’t missed anything in life by never having a drink of alcohol. But I can tell you I have watched so many others fail because of it. This is why I have always thought of alcohol as the devil’s drink. For anything that causes a person to be impaired, whether it is alcohol or drugs, is something to stay away from. God expects us to be clear-headed and able to make the right decisions. Alcohol takes you away from these expectations and, more often than not, takes a person closer to sin.
There are accounts of people falling into sin as a result of intoxication. There are still other passages where the Lord speaks in anger at the way Israel as a people had abandoned Him and His principles…with each occasion leading to judgment. Consider these passages on the matter of drunkenness:
In a passage I wrote about on October 12th in my devotional titled, "The Devil’s Drink", Lot was intoxicated when he slept and impregnated his two daughters (Genesis 19:30-38).
Nabal, a wealthy man in Carmel, almost brought death on all his men at the hands of David by his greed and selfish attitude. His wife, Abigail, intervened when her drunk husband was unable to make a decision that meant life or death to all his servants and himself. Once sober, the discovery of what nearly happened was too much for Nabal’s heart which failed him and the Lord struck him down 10 days later. 1 Samuel 25
Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus ring just as true to us today: "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:17-18) Filled with alcohol, we will make decisions based on our desires and sinful nature. Filled with the Spirit, we will always make choices that fully fit God’s desire for us and our lives.
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8) Indeed, these words to the church in Thessalonica remind us that as Christians, we are to be in the light…the light of Christ Jesus. Drunkenness moves us toward darkness and away from the light of the Lord. It’s no wonder that many people who have chronic alcohol issues find themselves depressed and in despair.
"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry…be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."
(1 Peter 4:1-3, 7) Peter reminds us that drunkenness is not of one who is in partnership with the Lord but rather paganism. For those living righteously and walking in the ways of the Lord will be clear-minded and self-controlled so they can pray and be in fellowship with the Father.
Finally, we read Paul’s words to the church in Galatia. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:16-23) Friends, this is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it serves as a primer for Christian living. When we live by the Spirit, we live outside of the sinful
natures and as you can see, there are far more of them than just drunkenness…although misusing alcohol can lead you toward committing the other acts. But Paul leads us from the fruit of the vine and rather toward the fruits of the Spirit…fruits that will lead us toward holiness and far away from sinfulness.
Question: What fruit is more dominate in your life…the fruit of the vine or the fruit of the Spirit? Only you can answer that question and I pray you will come before the Lord and His word to test yourself and seek what the Father would have you do. He will make His expectation clear. My hope is that He already has started through this devotional today. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11
Right after the Lord executes Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, by fire for violating His commands regarding tabernacle worship and specifically incense burning, the Lord gives Aaron a direct command about priestly conduct within the tabernacle. The Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die." And this didn’t just apply to Aaron and his sons but all priests who would follow. For God’s command would be a "lasting ordinance for the generations to come." So why did God have to issue this command?
Well, there is speculation that Nadab and Abihu were intoxicated when they burned the wrong incense, at the wrong time, with the wrong fire which prompted God to burn them to death with His fire. Alcohol has adverse effects which not only can affect those who lead but also those who follow.
Regardless of leading or following, God expected complete obedience to His expectations. This required clear thought and judgment at all times and one under the influence of alcohol could not exercise sound decision making. This is why God added in our passage, "You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses." How could the priest make the appropriate determinations about things that were clean and unclean if their minds were clouded by alcohol? And how could they teach other properly if they were always drinking? For not only would they be setting the wrong example for those they were teaching but those the people they were teaching could always choose to question the teaching they received since it was coming from someone who was under the influence of alcohol. So priests were disempowered by drinking and thus God prohibited it when they were carrying out their tabernacle duties…which pretty much went around the clock.
So how do you size up before God when it comes to alcohol? One thing I can say with absolute certainty is that you will never have an alcohol problem in your life if you don’t drink. It’s perfectly fine to be abstinent. And just in case you think it’s impossible, I will tell you it isn’t. I have survived over 48 years of life without alcohol and this has included my 24 years and three months in the Navy. I can tell you with absolute assurance that I haven’t missed anything in life by never having a drink of alcohol. But I can tell you I have watched so many others fail because of it. This is why I have always thought of alcohol as the devil’s drink. For anything that causes a person to be impaired, whether it is alcohol or drugs, is something to stay away from. God expects us to be clear-headed and able to make the right decisions. Alcohol takes you away from these expectations and, more often than not, takes a person closer to sin.
There are accounts of people falling into sin as a result of intoxication. There are still other passages where the Lord speaks in anger at the way Israel as a people had abandoned Him and His principles…with each occasion leading to judgment. Consider these passages on the matter of drunkenness:
In a passage I wrote about on October 12th in my devotional titled, "The Devil’s Drink", Lot was intoxicated when he slept and impregnated his two daughters (Genesis 19:30-38).
Nabal, a wealthy man in Carmel, almost brought death on all his men at the hands of David by his greed and selfish attitude. His wife, Abigail, intervened when her drunk husband was unable to make a decision that meant life or death to all his servants and himself. Once sober, the discovery of what nearly happened was too much for Nabal’s heart which failed him and the Lord struck him down 10 days later. 1 Samuel 25
Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus ring just as true to us today: "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:17-18) Filled with alcohol, we will make decisions based on our desires and sinful nature. Filled with the Spirit, we will always make choices that fully fit God’s desire for us and our lives.
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8) Indeed, these words to the church in Thessalonica remind us that as Christians, we are to be in the light…the light of Christ Jesus. Drunkenness moves us toward darkness and away from the light of the Lord. It’s no wonder that many people who have chronic alcohol issues find themselves depressed and in despair.
"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry…be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."
(1 Peter 4:1-3, 7) Peter reminds us that drunkenness is not of one who is in partnership with the Lord but rather paganism. For those living righteously and walking in the ways of the Lord will be clear-minded and self-controlled so they can pray and be in fellowship with the Father.
Finally, we read Paul’s words to the church in Galatia. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:16-23) Friends, this is one of my favorite passages in the Bible because it serves as a primer for Christian living. When we live by the Spirit, we live outside of the sinful
natures and as you can see, there are far more of them than just drunkenness…although misusing alcohol can lead you toward committing the other acts. But Paul leads us from the fruit of the vine and rather toward the fruits of the Spirit…fruits that will lead us toward holiness and far away from sinfulness.
Question: What fruit is more dominate in your life…the fruit of the vine or the fruit of the Spirit? Only you can answer that question and I pray you will come before the Lord and His word to test yourself and seek what the Father would have you do. He will make His expectation clear. My hope is that He already has started through this devotional today. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, March 27, 2008
PLAY WITH FIRE AND YOU’LL GET BURNED (UNLESS YOU HAVE JESUS)
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them." Exodus 19:22
"Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: " 'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.' " Aaron remained silent. Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary." So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered. Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting or you will die, because the Lord's anointing oil is on you." So they did as Moses said." Leviticus 10:1-7
"This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai. The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron." Numbers 3:1-4
Success only sustains itself as long as one performs at a level that breeds success. Favor only prolongs when one lives in a way to garner favor. This was certainly true in regard to Aaron’s two sons who are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as Leviticus, Chapter 10 opens.
There had been plenty of preparation and preliminary instruction as to how worship was to be conducted in the tabernacles to include proper conducting of sacrifices and burning of incense. The Lord covered all the bases in delivering His expectations through Moses and Aaron and his sons knew what they were supposed to do and how they were supposed to do it. And it was very clear that Aaron was the high priest with the greatest level of spiritual responsibility and accountability. His sons were there to assist him as needed with the work the Lord commanded he do.
Well, as we read in the first verses of Chapter 10, Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, "took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command." God’s clear direction from Exodus, Chapter 19, put the priests on notice. They wouldn’t receive any preferential treatment for their sinful actions just because they were priests. Violating God commands would cause the Lord to "break out against them."
Well God made good on His word because we see where "fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed (Nadab and Abihu), and they died before the Lord." The sons knew they weren’t to be in the tabernacle unattended and performing acts. Yet, "they made an offering with unauthorized fire" and paid for their sins with their lives.
This won’t be the last instance in scripture where God sends judgment in the form of a consuming fire.
In Numbers, Chapter 16, 250 men who were well-known Israelite community leaders will be consumed by fire as they offer incense.
In Second Kings, Chapter 1, we see where two separate occasions occur where a captain and his 50 men are consumed by fire as they attempt to make Elijah come down off a hill to meet with King Ahaziah who Elijah had prophesied would die in his bed.
And of course, all those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will find themselves cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
So what are we to make of this scripture today? Well, there are three main points I want to underscore:
1. God despises disobedience and dishonesty. Aaron’s sons knew that what they were doing was wrong. In defiance of God’s commands, they decided to do their own thing, burning the wrong incense with the wrong fire. Thus, God sent His own fire to take care of the problem once and for all. If the people didn’t get the message before, then maybe they would get it now. God expected and still expects full compliance with His commands, especially from people chosen to be His spiritual leaders.
2. God always had others ready to fill in for anyone who perishes because they can’t obey Him. Nadab and Abihu were now dead but the tabernacle would still be manned by Aaron and his sons. It’s just that Aaron would have his two other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, assisting him. Worship had to continue and it did.
3. In Jesus Christ, God withdrew condemnation for those who believed in Him (John 3:17, Romans 8:1). Jesus paid the price for our sins, saved us and intercedes for us so that we might not be destroyed by our sinfulness. Through Him, we find justification as confirmed by these words from Paul:
"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Acts 13:38-39
Justified. In other words, it is just as if I had never sinned. All through Jesus…all because of Jesus.
Friends, are you safe from condemnation or are you closer to being consumed by the fire? It’s a rather simple matter of whether you believe and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior or not. The choice is up to you. My recommendation is that you run into the arms of Jesus right now if you don’t know Him. And if you do know Him, never cease to get down on your knees and give thanks for the condemnation He saves you from.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them." Exodus 19:22
"Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: " 'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.' " Aaron remained silent. Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary." So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered. Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting or you will die, because the Lord's anointing oil is on you." So they did as Moses said." Leviticus 10:1-7
"This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai. The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron." Numbers 3:1-4
Success only sustains itself as long as one performs at a level that breeds success. Favor only prolongs when one lives in a way to garner favor. This was certainly true in regard to Aaron’s two sons who are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as Leviticus, Chapter 10 opens.
There had been plenty of preparation and preliminary instruction as to how worship was to be conducted in the tabernacles to include proper conducting of sacrifices and burning of incense. The Lord covered all the bases in delivering His expectations through Moses and Aaron and his sons knew what they were supposed to do and how they were supposed to do it. And it was very clear that Aaron was the high priest with the greatest level of spiritual responsibility and accountability. His sons were there to assist him as needed with the work the Lord commanded he do.
Well, as we read in the first verses of Chapter 10, Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, "took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command." God’s clear direction from Exodus, Chapter 19, put the priests on notice. They wouldn’t receive any preferential treatment for their sinful actions just because they were priests. Violating God commands would cause the Lord to "break out against them."
Well God made good on His word because we see where "fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed (Nadab and Abihu), and they died before the Lord." The sons knew they weren’t to be in the tabernacle unattended and performing acts. Yet, "they made an offering with unauthorized fire" and paid for their sins with their lives.
This won’t be the last instance in scripture where God sends judgment in the form of a consuming fire.
In Numbers, Chapter 16, 250 men who were well-known Israelite community leaders will be consumed by fire as they offer incense.
In Second Kings, Chapter 1, we see where two separate occasions occur where a captain and his 50 men are consumed by fire as they attempt to make Elijah come down off a hill to meet with King Ahaziah who Elijah had prophesied would die in his bed.
And of course, all those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will find themselves cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
So what are we to make of this scripture today? Well, there are three main points I want to underscore:
1. God despises disobedience and dishonesty. Aaron’s sons knew that what they were doing was wrong. In defiance of God’s commands, they decided to do their own thing, burning the wrong incense with the wrong fire. Thus, God sent His own fire to take care of the problem once and for all. If the people didn’t get the message before, then maybe they would get it now. God expected and still expects full compliance with His commands, especially from people chosen to be His spiritual leaders.
2. God always had others ready to fill in for anyone who perishes because they can’t obey Him. Nadab and Abihu were now dead but the tabernacle would still be manned by Aaron and his sons. It’s just that Aaron would have his two other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, assisting him. Worship had to continue and it did.
3. In Jesus Christ, God withdrew condemnation for those who believed in Him (John 3:17, Romans 8:1). Jesus paid the price for our sins, saved us and intercedes for us so that we might not be destroyed by our sinfulness. Through Him, we find justification as confirmed by these words from Paul:
"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Acts 13:38-39
Justified. In other words, it is just as if I had never sinned. All through Jesus…all because of Jesus.
Friends, are you safe from condemnation or are you closer to being consumed by the fire? It’s a rather simple matter of whether you believe and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior or not. The choice is up to you. My recommendation is that you run into the arms of Jesus right now if you don’t know Him. And if you do know Him, never cease to get down on your knees and give thanks for the condemnation He saves you from.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
THE SIGN OF GOD'S APPROVAL
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. Then say to the Israelites: 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.' " They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you." Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded." So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. His sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver from the sin offering, as the Lord commanded Moses; the flesh and the hide he burned up outside the camp. Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. He washed the inner parts and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat for the people's sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one. He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way. He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning's burnt offering. He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. But the fat portions of the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver-these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded. Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown." Leviticus 9
Aaron and his sons have completed the seven day ordination period as we start Leviticus, Chapter 9. They are ready to begin leading worship and represent the people in the tabernacle.
As we read, Aaron begins by receiving direction from Moses as to what he should do to receive the glory of the Lord. Moses tells him to "Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded." Aaron obeys assisted by his sons.
Scripture tells us that the sin offerings were followed by a grain offering which was burned on the altar, the slaughtering of an ox and ram as a fellowship offering for the people and a wave offering as Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as Moses commanded. Once he had finished atoning for the people, we read that Aaron blessed them.
The nature of the ritual must have been fascinating enough for the people but there was only one thing missing: the presence of the Lord. For God had promised that He would be with them and be present during their times of worship. I’m sure the people were wondering whether their offerings had been acceptable to God. Keep in mind that the animals sacrificed on the altar were to have carried away the sins of the people so they could attain atonement and forgiveness before God. You can almost feel the people waiting for some sign from God to see if He had accepted their atonement offerings.
Well…God did give them a sign…and what a sign it must have been. For after Moses and Aaron emerged from the Tent of Meeting and blessed the people, "the glory of the Lord appeared to all" in the way of "fire…from the presence of the Lord" which "consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar." Can you picture this scene? You’re watching intently as Moses and Aaron emerge from the tabernacle and all of a sudden, a wave of fire engulfs and consumes the offerings on the altar. This was no man-made fire. This was an awesome holy fire…a fire that carried with it a statement to the people. For God had accepted their offerings and they were pleasing to His sight. In response, we read where the people "shouted for joy and fell facedown."
Question: How does the Lord show you that He is well pleased with what you offer Him? He may not send a fireball down from heaven to consume something in front of you (even though He COULD do that) but I feel God has other ways of signaling to us when we’re on the right track. Here’s an example.
Have you ever done something good for another and had this really good feeling pass over and through you? Some might call it that "warm and fuzzy" feeling inside. Can you relate to this? I know I can. This feeling cannot be explained scientifically, no more than a conscious can, because it isn’t scientific but spiritual in nature. I’m convinced that "warm and fuzzy" feeling is the Holy Spirit filling your heart and soul to overflow…and bringing a message from the Lord with it. The message? "Well done, good and faithful servant. With you I am well pleased."
I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of feeling that overwhelming sense of spiritual satisfaction and rejoicing because it was all about the Lord leading me toward making a significant difference in the life of another. For you see, it isn’t about what we are doing but what the Lord is doing through us. In this way, He gets the glory not ourselves. That’s the way it is supposed to work.
In our scripture, can you not sense the people of Israel feeling "warm and fuzzy" all over as God displayed His glory before them and accepted their sin sacrifices. At that moment, all was well between Israel and God…and after having fallen out of favor with Him at Mount Sinai, you can’t help but think the people feel they are back on good terms again. And this is indeed reason to bow down and rejoice.
Question: How is God showing His favor to you today? How has He shown it to you in the past? For we serve a God who not only holds us accountable and shows us when we do wrong but also shows us when we’re doing right. Seek the right path and He will light it for you. Walk it in obedient service to Him and He will continuously show you His glory and approval.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. Then say to the Israelites: 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.' " They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you." Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded." So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. His sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver from the sin offering, as the Lord commanded Moses; the flesh and the hide he burned up outside the camp. Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. He washed the inner parts and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar. Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat for the people's sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one. He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way. He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning's burnt offering. He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. But the fat portions of the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver-these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded. Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown." Leviticus 9
Aaron and his sons have completed the seven day ordination period as we start Leviticus, Chapter 9. They are ready to begin leading worship and represent the people in the tabernacle.
As we read, Aaron begins by receiving direction from Moses as to what he should do to receive the glory of the Lord. Moses tells him to "Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded." Aaron obeys assisted by his sons.
Scripture tells us that the sin offerings were followed by a grain offering which was burned on the altar, the slaughtering of an ox and ram as a fellowship offering for the people and a wave offering as Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as Moses commanded. Once he had finished atoning for the people, we read that Aaron blessed them.
The nature of the ritual must have been fascinating enough for the people but there was only one thing missing: the presence of the Lord. For God had promised that He would be with them and be present during their times of worship. I’m sure the people were wondering whether their offerings had been acceptable to God. Keep in mind that the animals sacrificed on the altar were to have carried away the sins of the people so they could attain atonement and forgiveness before God. You can almost feel the people waiting for some sign from God to see if He had accepted their atonement offerings.
Well…God did give them a sign…and what a sign it must have been. For after Moses and Aaron emerged from the Tent of Meeting and blessed the people, "the glory of the Lord appeared to all" in the way of "fire…from the presence of the Lord" which "consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar." Can you picture this scene? You’re watching intently as Moses and Aaron emerge from the tabernacle and all of a sudden, a wave of fire engulfs and consumes the offerings on the altar. This was no man-made fire. This was an awesome holy fire…a fire that carried with it a statement to the people. For God had accepted their offerings and they were pleasing to His sight. In response, we read where the people "shouted for joy and fell facedown."
Question: How does the Lord show you that He is well pleased with what you offer Him? He may not send a fireball down from heaven to consume something in front of you (even though He COULD do that) but I feel God has other ways of signaling to us when we’re on the right track. Here’s an example.
Have you ever done something good for another and had this really good feeling pass over and through you? Some might call it that "warm and fuzzy" feeling inside. Can you relate to this? I know I can. This feeling cannot be explained scientifically, no more than a conscious can, because it isn’t scientific but spiritual in nature. I’m convinced that "warm and fuzzy" feeling is the Holy Spirit filling your heart and soul to overflow…and bringing a message from the Lord with it. The message? "Well done, good and faithful servant. With you I am well pleased."
I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of feeling that overwhelming sense of spiritual satisfaction and rejoicing because it was all about the Lord leading me toward making a significant difference in the life of another. For you see, it isn’t about what we are doing but what the Lord is doing through us. In this way, He gets the glory not ourselves. That’s the way it is supposed to work.
In our scripture, can you not sense the people of Israel feeling "warm and fuzzy" all over as God displayed His glory before them and accepted their sin sacrifices. At that moment, all was well between Israel and God…and after having fallen out of favor with Him at Mount Sinai, you can’t help but think the people feel they are back on good terms again. And this is indeed reason to bow down and rejoice.
Question: How is God showing His favor to you today? How has He shown it to you in the past? For we serve a God who not only holds us accountable and shows us when we do wrong but also shows us when we’re doing right. Seek the right path and He will light it for you. Walk it in obedient service to Him and He will continuously show you His glory and approval.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
THE LORD EXPECTS PREPARATION
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"The Lord said to Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Moses said to the assembly, "This is what the Lord has commanded to be done." Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him. He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. Then he placed the turban on Aaron's head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. Then he brought Aaron's sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the Lord commanded Moses. He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it. Moses also took all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses. He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Then Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood against the altar on all sides. He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire, as the Lord commanded Moses. He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. Then from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took a cake of bread, and one made with oil, and a wafer; he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord as a wave offering. Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire. He also took the breast—Moses' share of the ordination ram—and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments. Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded." So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses." Leviticus 8
The first seven chapters of Leviticus provided instruction on all the offerings expected by the Lord. As we enter Chapter 8, the time has come to ordain the high priest and his aides…in this case, Aaron and his sons.
In our scripture, we see where Moses is the one who presides over and carries out the ordination process. He is directed by the Lord to "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." Once there Moses begins to prepare Aaron and his sons for the holy work they were soon to do. He first washes them to cleanse and purify them before dressing them in the clothes made by the people in accordance with God’s guidance. Moses first dresses Aaron and turns toward the tabernacle and, specifically, the altar.
At the altar, we read where Moses "took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them." The altar was to be made holy before the sacrifices could be offered. So was Aaron as Moses also poured some of the anointing oil on his head.
Next, Moses had to ensure Aaron’s sons were prepped properly. Already having been washed, Moses "put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the Lord commanded."
A series of offerings would follow…with the bull’s blood poured on the altar to purify it before the offering was burned. Note that there were parts of the bull that weren’t to be burned inside the tabernacle because God had commanded. Moses took these parts ("the hide and its flesh and its offal") and burned them outside the camp. After the bull came the ram. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, passing their sins to the animal before it was slain as an atonement. Moses then killed the ram, spreading its blood on the altar before burning it. Another ram followed…the one designated as the ordination ram. Once again, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram before it was slain. Then Moses "took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot." He would do likewise with Aaron’s sons before spreading the ram’s blood on the altar. Next, the "fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh" along with "a cake of bread…and a wafer" taken from a "basket of bread made without yeast" were put into "the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord as a wave offering" before "Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire." We’re further told that "the breast" was "Moses' share of the ordination ram" and he "waved it before the Lord as a wave offering" before taking "some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar" and sprinkling "Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments", thus consecrating them. The ceremony was soon coming to a close but Aaron and his sons were to stay on station at "the entrance to the Tent of Meeting" and not leave "for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed" and they were to remain obedient to the command so they would not die. That’s a pretty fair reason to obey.
So what is the common theme throughout this lengthy ordination process? It can be summed up with a single word: preparation. The Lord wanted His worship leaders and the instruments that would be used for worship to be consecrated and purified. They had to be ready to enter into His presence and seek atonement for the people and for themselves through the prescribed sacrifices.
How does this apply to us today? Well, it still comes down to a single word: preparation. For the Lord today is just as interested in how we prepare ourselves to come before Him as He was back in the days of Moses. He expects us to come before Him with the proper mind…the proper heart…and the proper spirit. And what is proper? A heart, mind and spirit that is reverent, humble, repentant, obedient and respectful. Consider these words from the 24th Psalm:
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior." Psalm 24:3-5
Truly friends, we should echo the request of David when he asked the Lord to "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:7, 9-12) And when we do, we can see the following proverb come to life in us: "He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend." Proverbs 22:11 And there isn't any better friend to have then the King of Kings. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"The Lord said to Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Moses said to the assembly, "This is what the Lord has commanded to be done." Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him. He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. Then he placed the turban on Aaron's head and set the gold plate, the sacred diadem, on the front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. Then he brought Aaron's sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the Lord commanded Moses. He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it. Moses also took all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar. But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its offal he burned up outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses. He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Then Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood against the altar on all sides. He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. He washed the inner parts and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire, as the Lord commanded Moses. He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. Then from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took a cake of bread, and one made with oil, and a wafer; he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord as a wave offering. Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire. He also took the breast—Moses' share of the ordination ram—and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments. Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded." So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses." Leviticus 8
The first seven chapters of Leviticus provided instruction on all the offerings expected by the Lord. As we enter Chapter 8, the time has come to ordain the high priest and his aides…in this case, Aaron and his sons.
In our scripture, we see where Moses is the one who presides over and carries out the ordination process. He is directed by the Lord to "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." Once there Moses begins to prepare Aaron and his sons for the holy work they were soon to do. He first washes them to cleanse and purify them before dressing them in the clothes made by the people in accordance with God’s guidance. Moses first dresses Aaron and turns toward the tabernacle and, specifically, the altar.
At the altar, we read where Moses "took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them." The altar was to be made holy before the sacrifices could be offered. So was Aaron as Moses also poured some of the anointing oil on his head.
Next, Moses had to ensure Aaron’s sons were prepped properly. Already having been washed, Moses "put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and put headbands on them, as the Lord commanded."
A series of offerings would follow…with the bull’s blood poured on the altar to purify it before the offering was burned. Note that there were parts of the bull that weren’t to be burned inside the tabernacle because God had commanded. Moses took these parts ("the hide and its flesh and its offal") and burned them outside the camp. After the bull came the ram. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, passing their sins to the animal before it was slain as an atonement. Moses then killed the ram, spreading its blood on the altar before burning it. Another ram followed…the one designated as the ordination ram. Once again, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram before it was slain. Then Moses "took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot." He would do likewise with Aaron’s sons before spreading the ram’s blood on the altar. Next, the "fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh" along with "a cake of bread…and a wafer" taken from a "basket of bread made without yeast" were put into "the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord as a wave offering" before "Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire." We’re further told that "the breast" was "Moses' share of the ordination ram" and he "waved it before the Lord as a wave offering" before taking "some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar" and sprinkling "Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments", thus consecrating them. The ceremony was soon coming to a close but Aaron and his sons were to stay on station at "the entrance to the Tent of Meeting" and not leave "for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed" and they were to remain obedient to the command so they would not die. That’s a pretty fair reason to obey.
So what is the common theme throughout this lengthy ordination process? It can be summed up with a single word: preparation. The Lord wanted His worship leaders and the instruments that would be used for worship to be consecrated and purified. They had to be ready to enter into His presence and seek atonement for the people and for themselves through the prescribed sacrifices.
How does this apply to us today? Well, it still comes down to a single word: preparation. For the Lord today is just as interested in how we prepare ourselves to come before Him as He was back in the days of Moses. He expects us to come before Him with the proper mind…the proper heart…and the proper spirit. And what is proper? A heart, mind and spirit that is reverent, humble, repentant, obedient and respectful. Consider these words from the 24th Psalm:
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord ? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior." Psalm 24:3-5
Truly friends, we should echo the request of David when he asked the Lord to "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:7, 9-12) And when we do, we can see the following proverb come to life in us: "He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend." Proverbs 22:11 And there isn't any better friend to have then the King of Kings. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Monday, March 24, 2008
THE FINAL SACRIFICE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
Leviticus 1 The Burnt Offering
Leviticus 2 The Grain Offering
Leviticus 3 The Fellowship Offering
Leviticus 4 The Sin Offering
Leviticus 5 The Guilt Offering
Leviticus 6 Further directions on the Burnt, Grain and Sin Offerings
Leviticus 7 Further directions on the Guilt and Fellowship Offerings and the Priest’s Share
Now that the tabernacle (now also referred to as the "tent of meeting") was completed, the Lord directs Moses on the matter of sacrifices. And this direction is not brief. As you can see above, the first seven chapters of Leviticus deal with the matter of sacrifices or offerings to God. You’ll see where there was more than one type and each had their own separate criteria as to how they were to be performed as spelled out in their respective chapters.
Yet, despite their distinctive meanings, each sacrifice had a common theme: atonement.
Man had been infected with sin ever since Adam and we have already seen how much God hates sin. God expected His people to sanctify themselves and seek righteousness through the way they lived. They would not be able to achieve this however unless they lived in accordance with His will and word. God was always standing by to guide Israel and we see over and over again how they succeeded when they remained obedient and failed miserably when they didn’t.
And when they failed and fell into sin, God expected them to restore their relationship with Him and atone for their sins. Animal sacrifice was the vehicle through which this was done. The animal would be slain, paying the price in blood for the sin of its owner and bring him or her forgiveness.
Can you imagine if this system of atonement was still in place today? We would all regularly be heading to altars with our animals and an awful lot of blood would be shed each and every day. It certainly wouldn’t be a good time to be an animal! So what changed things? I can answer this with one holy, blessed word: Jesus.
For Jesus, the unblemished, sinless, Lamb of God, was the final sacrifice and His blood shed on Calvary was redemption for all the sins of mankind. (Ephesians 1:7) Consider these words from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews:
"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.' "First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:1-14
Truly, "…Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:24-28)
This Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior…the sacrificed perfect Lamb of God…is risen and alive. He died for our sins as a living sacrifice…then conquered death to rise to heaven where He sits on God’s right hand to intercede for us forever. Jesus was God’s one final sacrifice...once and for all…a single holy atonement for now and forever. As we continue to rejoice in His resurrection, let us not forget His crucifixion…where He paid the price for us all…and He did so because He loved us as much then as He does this very moment. Thank you Jesus.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Leviticus 1 The Burnt Offering
Leviticus 2 The Grain Offering
Leviticus 3 The Fellowship Offering
Leviticus 4 The Sin Offering
Leviticus 5 The Guilt Offering
Leviticus 6 Further directions on the Burnt, Grain and Sin Offerings
Leviticus 7 Further directions on the Guilt and Fellowship Offerings and the Priest’s Share
Now that the tabernacle (now also referred to as the "tent of meeting") was completed, the Lord directs Moses on the matter of sacrifices. And this direction is not brief. As you can see above, the first seven chapters of Leviticus deal with the matter of sacrifices or offerings to God. You’ll see where there was more than one type and each had their own separate criteria as to how they were to be performed as spelled out in their respective chapters.
Yet, despite their distinctive meanings, each sacrifice had a common theme: atonement.
Man had been infected with sin ever since Adam and we have already seen how much God hates sin. God expected His people to sanctify themselves and seek righteousness through the way they lived. They would not be able to achieve this however unless they lived in accordance with His will and word. God was always standing by to guide Israel and we see over and over again how they succeeded when they remained obedient and failed miserably when they didn’t.
And when they failed and fell into sin, God expected them to restore their relationship with Him and atone for their sins. Animal sacrifice was the vehicle through which this was done. The animal would be slain, paying the price in blood for the sin of its owner and bring him or her forgiveness.
Can you imagine if this system of atonement was still in place today? We would all regularly be heading to altars with our animals and an awful lot of blood would be shed each and every day. It certainly wouldn’t be a good time to be an animal! So what changed things? I can answer this with one holy, blessed word: Jesus.
For Jesus, the unblemished, sinless, Lamb of God, was the final sacrifice and His blood shed on Calvary was redemption for all the sins of mankind. (Ephesians 1:7) Consider these words from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews:
"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.' "First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:1-14
Truly, "…Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:24-28)
This Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior…the sacrificed perfect Lamb of God…is risen and alive. He died for our sins as a living sacrifice…then conquered death to rise to heaven where He sits on God’s right hand to intercede for us forever. Jesus was God’s one final sacrifice...once and for all…a single holy atonement for now and forever. As we continue to rejoice in His resurrection, let us not forget His crucifixion…where He paid the price for us all…and He did so because He loved us as much then as He does this very moment. Thank you Jesus.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Sunday, March 23, 2008
LIFTED UP
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words." Luke 24:1-8
Well, Easter is finally here. We have made it through the Lenten season, persevered through the last week of Jesus to include His trial, wrongful conviction, beatings, crucifixion and death. Today, God’s almighty resurrection power takes Jesus from death to eternal life…lifting up Jesus from the tomb and sitting Him in the place of honor at the right hand of His throne.
But God didn’t stop at lifting Jesus up. He also opened the way for all of us to follow. John 3:16 assures us that "…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Without the resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of those who believe in Him would not have happened. In other words, John 3:16 would have been rendered powerless.
But God did resurrect His one and only Son…lifting Him up to the heavenly realm to be with Him until that time when He is sent to return to earth and call everyone who is in Christ, both dead and alive to Him forever. So in this truth, we have our hope as those who believe and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. He is the Author of our salvation and it is only through Him that we can find our way to the Father. (John 14:6)
So today, Easter Sunday, my prayer is that you are lifted up…just as Jesus was lifted up.
I pray you feel lifted up in love…a love that would allow Himself to be nailed to the cross for you…a love that would shed His blood so you might live. Truly, "greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus died for us…His friends…then rose from the grave so we might be lifted up in love…both now and forever.
I pray you are lifted up in peace. What an assurance we have through the resurrection. Death has no rule over those who believe and trust in Jesus! Is this not good news that should set us free? We need not fear the end of this life for it isn’t the end but just the beginning of an eternal life with the Father and His Son Jesus. This not only brings us peace but hope eternal.
Finally, I pray that you will be lifted up in Spirit. The resurrection should bring us to the place of rejoicing. The same awesome power that resurrected Jesus from the tomb is available to help us in whatever we might be going through. Do you think there is anything that is out of the possibility of God’s doing after He showed He could raise Jesus from the dead? The only right answer is that there is nothing He can’t do. If it is His will, He can and will make things happen. So feel the excitement and energy in the resurrection of our Savior. Allow your Spirit to be lifted up to the highest heights…just as Jesus was.
Yes…Jesus is risen. He has left the tomb to be with His Father. One day, we will join Him. Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Happy Easter everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words." Luke 24:1-8
Well, Easter is finally here. We have made it through the Lenten season, persevered through the last week of Jesus to include His trial, wrongful conviction, beatings, crucifixion and death. Today, God’s almighty resurrection power takes Jesus from death to eternal life…lifting up Jesus from the tomb and sitting Him in the place of honor at the right hand of His throne.
But God didn’t stop at lifting Jesus up. He also opened the way for all of us to follow. John 3:16 assures us that "…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Without the resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of those who believe in Him would not have happened. In other words, John 3:16 would have been rendered powerless.
But God did resurrect His one and only Son…lifting Him up to the heavenly realm to be with Him until that time when He is sent to return to earth and call everyone who is in Christ, both dead and alive to Him forever. So in this truth, we have our hope as those who believe and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. He is the Author of our salvation and it is only through Him that we can find our way to the Father. (John 14:6)
So today, Easter Sunday, my prayer is that you are lifted up…just as Jesus was lifted up.
I pray you feel lifted up in love…a love that would allow Himself to be nailed to the cross for you…a love that would shed His blood so you might live. Truly, "greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus died for us…His friends…then rose from the grave so we might be lifted up in love…both now and forever.
I pray you are lifted up in peace. What an assurance we have through the resurrection. Death has no rule over those who believe and trust in Jesus! Is this not good news that should set us free? We need not fear the end of this life for it isn’t the end but just the beginning of an eternal life with the Father and His Son Jesus. This not only brings us peace but hope eternal.
Finally, I pray that you will be lifted up in Spirit. The resurrection should bring us to the place of rejoicing. The same awesome power that resurrected Jesus from the tomb is available to help us in whatever we might be going through. Do you think there is anything that is out of the possibility of God’s doing after He showed He could raise Jesus from the dead? The only right answer is that there is nothing He can’t do. If it is His will, He can and will make things happen. So feel the excitement and energy in the resurrection of our Savior. Allow your Spirit to be lifted up to the highest heights…just as Jesus was.
Yes…Jesus is risen. He has left the tomb to be with His Father. One day, we will join Him. Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Happy Easter everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, March 22, 2008
HOPE AND JOY FOR OUR JOURNEY
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then the Lord said to Moses: "Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. "Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. "Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them. "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him. He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." Exodus 40:1-38
We have reached the end of the Book of Exodus and what an exodus it has been for us as we have journeyed with Moses from his birth through his ascension into leadership under Pharoah to his falling out with Pharoah and his encounter with God…to his Egyptian return and leadership over Israel from bondage through the God-parted Red Sea…to the desert wilderness where water would flow from a rock…manna and quail would come from the Lord…and victory would be had over the Amalekites…to Mount Sinai where Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments as well as other instruction and directions for building the tabernacle while the people of Israel, under the shoddy leadership of Aaron, sinned below…to his return from that meeting, the smashing of the stone tablets at seeing the sins of Israel on display and the eventual slaying of 3,000 who decided to not be for God…to his return to Mount Sinai, his second meeting of 40 days and nights with God and his return to direct the remaining, faithful people to build the tabernacle which they did and Moses blessed them after inspecting their work. Yes, we have traveled many days and nights through this book…and it has been a blessing.
As we finish Chapter 40, we see that the tabernacle is in full use and God is present as He promised…His glory filling the tabernacle. What an awesome blessing this must have been to the people of Israel. God was with them and was ready to lead them to the Promised Land as He promised.
We read that the Lord led Israel in this way:
"In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels."
When the cloud of the Lord lifted, the people knew it was time to travel and so they did. And while they traveled the cloud was with them, always in sight..."over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." God was always with them. And so it is with us today.
For there is never anywhere that we journey that God is not with us…watching over us…rejoicing in our successes in and through Him…lamenting the times when we fail and fall. Through it all, there is God bringing us hope and joy in our journeys.
Yes indeed, we are finishing up our own personal exoduses once again, having come to the end of Lent and a journey of reflection, repentance, change and spiritual growth. We come to the end of this journey only to begin another one…fresh and new tomorrow with our Risen Savior, Jesus…God’s gift to mankind to not only pay the price for our sins but conquer death so me may as well on that day when He calls us home. Thanks be to God for His everlasting presence…thanks be to Jesus for His sacrifice that brought everlasting life to all who believe and trust in Him. Happy Easter everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Then the Lord said to Moses: "Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. "Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it. Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. "Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them. "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him. He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him. Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him. He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses. Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." Exodus 40:1-38
We have reached the end of the Book of Exodus and what an exodus it has been for us as we have journeyed with Moses from his birth through his ascension into leadership under Pharoah to his falling out with Pharoah and his encounter with God…to his Egyptian return and leadership over Israel from bondage through the God-parted Red Sea…to the desert wilderness where water would flow from a rock…manna and quail would come from the Lord…and victory would be had over the Amalekites…to Mount Sinai where Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments as well as other instruction and directions for building the tabernacle while the people of Israel, under the shoddy leadership of Aaron, sinned below…to his return from that meeting, the smashing of the stone tablets at seeing the sins of Israel on display and the eventual slaying of 3,000 who decided to not be for God…to his return to Mount Sinai, his second meeting of 40 days and nights with God and his return to direct the remaining, faithful people to build the tabernacle which they did and Moses blessed them after inspecting their work. Yes, we have traveled many days and nights through this book…and it has been a blessing.
As we finish Chapter 40, we see that the tabernacle is in full use and God is present as He promised…His glory filling the tabernacle. What an awesome blessing this must have been to the people of Israel. God was with them and was ready to lead them to the Promised Land as He promised.
We read that the Lord led Israel in this way:
"In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels."
When the cloud of the Lord lifted, the people knew it was time to travel and so they did. And while they traveled the cloud was with them, always in sight..."over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." God was always with them. And so it is with us today.
For there is never anywhere that we journey that God is not with us…watching over us…rejoicing in our successes in and through Him…lamenting the times when we fail and fall. Through it all, there is God bringing us hope and joy in our journeys.
Yes indeed, we are finishing up our own personal exoduses once again, having come to the end of Lent and a journey of reflection, repentance, change and spiritual growth. We come to the end of this journey only to begin another one…fresh and new tomorrow with our Risen Savior, Jesus…God’s gift to mankind to not only pay the price for our sins but conquer death so me may as well on that day when He calls us home. Thanks be to God for His everlasting presence…thanks be to Jesus for His sacrifice that brought everlasting life to all who believe and trust in Him. Happy Easter everyone.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Friday, March 21, 2008
DO YOU PASS INSPECTION?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"So all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests. The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." Exodus 39:32-43
As many of my readers know, I have been in the Navy for a long time now (over 24 years) and through this time, I have been stationed on many different shore and sea commands with more time at sea than on shore. One thing you get accustomed to right away regardless of where you are stationed is the matter of being inspected.
It really gets started in basic training. I remember getting inspected on everything. If I was in uniform, I was under inspection. If I had cleaning responsibilities, I wouldn’t be done until I had someone inspect and approve my work. I even had to have my storage locker inspected to make sure I folded my undergarments correctly (and yes, they do it…trust me). They were trying to teach us attention to detail and the importance of following direction to the letter. As we would learn later as we went into the Navy and began to work in our specialties, not following directions could lead to some vital piece of equipment not functioning properly and the mission failing as a part of it.
This is why ships are scrutinized so carefully. It seems like you never stop being inspected when you’re inport and getting ready for your next deployment. The Navy wants to make sure the ship is in top condition to do whatever it needs to do in defense of our country and other nations. It also wants to make sure that the taxpayer’s investment (tax dollars buys ships) is being taken care of properly. Inspections are not fun to go through but are of the utmost importance.
But inspections didn’t just start when I joined the Navy. To a lesser degree, they were part of my upbringing.
When I was home, my parents would always check out my room and, believe me, if it got messy…I was going to hear about it. Ditto for my homework. My parents would ask me, "Are you done with your homework?" and if my response was "Yes" then the next words from them would be, "Bring it to me so I can check it." They wanted to inspect my work to make sure I was doing things properly.
In today’s scripture, Moses too decides it is time to inspect the work of the Israelites. They had worked very hard to make the tabernacle items in accordance with God’s directions and now their work was set to be tested. Scripture tells us "they brought…the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests"…everything they had been told to make, they brought.
Moses then went through everything to make sure it was "done it just as the Lord had commanded." Seeing that it was, we read that he "blessed them." In other words, they had done a great job! And with the items all made to specifications, the people of Israel were soon to have a place of regular formal worship.
Question: If God were to inspect you and your life, what kind of assessment would He give you? Would He say you were ready to go forth and meet His mission requirements?
In the bible, we are given God’s directions for how He expects us to build our lives. There is little doubt as to what we are supposed to do. There’s also little doubt that we serve a God who is checking us out constantly…inspecting us to make sure we are living up to His standard. In other words, God inspects us to see if we are what He expects. Again, how do you size up? What changes do you need to make to ensure you pass inspection?
Friends, now is the time and God’s word holds all the answers to how He wants us to live. We only need to comply and obey. As a result, we can hope that God will want to bless us after inspection, just as Moses did to the people of Israel.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"So all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests. The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." Exodus 39:32-43
As many of my readers know, I have been in the Navy for a long time now (over 24 years) and through this time, I have been stationed on many different shore and sea commands with more time at sea than on shore. One thing you get accustomed to right away regardless of where you are stationed is the matter of being inspected.
It really gets started in basic training. I remember getting inspected on everything. If I was in uniform, I was under inspection. If I had cleaning responsibilities, I wouldn’t be done until I had someone inspect and approve my work. I even had to have my storage locker inspected to make sure I folded my undergarments correctly (and yes, they do it…trust me). They were trying to teach us attention to detail and the importance of following direction to the letter. As we would learn later as we went into the Navy and began to work in our specialties, not following directions could lead to some vital piece of equipment not functioning properly and the mission failing as a part of it.
This is why ships are scrutinized so carefully. It seems like you never stop being inspected when you’re inport and getting ready for your next deployment. The Navy wants to make sure the ship is in top condition to do whatever it needs to do in defense of our country and other nations. It also wants to make sure that the taxpayer’s investment (tax dollars buys ships) is being taken care of properly. Inspections are not fun to go through but are of the utmost importance.
But inspections didn’t just start when I joined the Navy. To a lesser degree, they were part of my upbringing.
When I was home, my parents would always check out my room and, believe me, if it got messy…I was going to hear about it. Ditto for my homework. My parents would ask me, "Are you done with your homework?" and if my response was "Yes" then the next words from them would be, "Bring it to me so I can check it." They wanted to inspect my work to make sure I was doing things properly.
In today’s scripture, Moses too decides it is time to inspect the work of the Israelites. They had worked very hard to make the tabernacle items in accordance with God’s directions and now their work was set to be tested. Scripture tells us "they brought…the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows and the shielding curtain; the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light; the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests"…everything they had been told to make, they brought.
Moses then went through everything to make sure it was "done it just as the Lord had commanded." Seeing that it was, we read that he "blessed them." In other words, they had done a great job! And with the items all made to specifications, the people of Israel were soon to have a place of regular formal worship.
Question: If God were to inspect you and your life, what kind of assessment would He give you? Would He say you were ready to go forth and meet His mission requirements?
In the bible, we are given God’s directions for how He expects us to build our lives. There is little doubt as to what we are supposed to do. There’s also little doubt that we serve a God who is checking us out constantly…inspecting us to make sure we are living up to His standard. In other words, God inspects us to see if we are what He expects. Again, how do you size up? What changes do you need to make to ensure you pass inspection?
Friends, now is the time and God’s word holds all the answers to how He wants us to live. We only need to comply and obey. As a result, we can hope that God will want to bless us after inspection, just as Moses did to the people of Israel.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers." Exodus 35:30-35
Before I surge toward the end of Exodus, I wanted to come back to a passage at the end of Chapter 35 because it underscores an important point about our ministry obligations under the Lord. For when the Lord grant us gifts in the way of talents and skills, He doesn’t expect us to keep all our knowledge and experience to ourselves as we carry out His will. He expects us to teach others as well.
Notice in the scripture that God not only gave Bezalel and Oholiab the "skill to do all kinds of work" but He has also "given… the ability to teach others." There needed to be others who knew how to construct the items in the tabernacle in case something would happen to Bezalel and Oholiab. By teaching others, there would be a legacy of skill passed on from generation to generation.
The bible also talks about our requirement to teach in many places. Consider these passages and what they tell us about the matter of teaching:
"The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." John 7:15-17
All teaching comes from God who sent His only Son, Jesus, to save us. We can never be teaching properly by relying on our own understanding but rather through the enlightenment that God will grant us when we seek His will.
"In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:7-8
The word of God is serious business because it literally deals with the matter of life and death point blank. Whosoever who does not believe and trust in God’s Son Jesus will not be saved. They will perish and not have everlasting life. Teach the truth through the Spirit of the One who is The Way, The Truth and The Life. (John 14:16) When you do, you will not be able to be condemned by anyone for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. (Romans 8:1)
"Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. '"If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20
When we teach in the Name and Spirit of Jesus and do so with absolute integrity, people will obey your teaching…just as they obeyed Jesus. The word assures us of this. It also warns that teaching might bring us into places of persecution because they persecuted Jesus too. Expect it’s coming and don’t begrudge it but rejoice in the fact that you are sharing an experience of Christ.
Remember He will always be with you and grant you the strength to persevere through any challenge.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
"Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." 2 John 1:9
Why should we teach? Because Jesus commanded it and expects us to do it. Do note that He doesn’t send us out alone for He says He will be with us always "to the very end of the age." If we choose not to teach, then God is not in us but if we are obedient and obey, then we have the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit.
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 5:41-42
Teaching is a constant process and requirement for our work as disciples of Jesus. Just as the apostles never stopped teaching, preaching and proclaiming the good news, so too are we to be that persistent in our ministry work.
Indeed, teaching was central to the bible and especially the gospel message. If you doubt this, study your bible and see how many times the scripture connects Jesus to teaching. Next to healing, it’s what He did most frequently. This blog, The Christian Walk, attempts to model Jesus and His emphasis on teaching about the word and will of God. My hope is that everyone who reads is edified so that God will be glorified in all things. Don’t rule out how God could use you to do likewise.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers." Exodus 35:30-35
Before I surge toward the end of Exodus, I wanted to come back to a passage at the end of Chapter 35 because it underscores an important point about our ministry obligations under the Lord. For when the Lord grant us gifts in the way of talents and skills, He doesn’t expect us to keep all our knowledge and experience to ourselves as we carry out His will. He expects us to teach others as well.
Notice in the scripture that God not only gave Bezalel and Oholiab the "skill to do all kinds of work" but He has also "given… the ability to teach others." There needed to be others who knew how to construct the items in the tabernacle in case something would happen to Bezalel and Oholiab. By teaching others, there would be a legacy of skill passed on from generation to generation.
The bible also talks about our requirement to teach in many places. Consider these passages and what they tell us about the matter of teaching:
"The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." John 7:15-17
All teaching comes from God who sent His only Son, Jesus, to save us. We can never be teaching properly by relying on our own understanding but rather through the enlightenment that God will grant us when we seek His will.
"In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:7-8
The word of God is serious business because it literally deals with the matter of life and death point blank. Whosoever who does not believe and trust in God’s Son Jesus will not be saved. They will perish and not have everlasting life. Teach the truth through the Spirit of the One who is The Way, The Truth and The Life. (John 14:16) When you do, you will not be able to be condemned by anyone for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. (Romans 8:1)
"Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. '"If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20
When we teach in the Name and Spirit of Jesus and do so with absolute integrity, people will obey your teaching…just as they obeyed Jesus. The word assures us of this. It also warns that teaching might bring us into places of persecution because they persecuted Jesus too. Expect it’s coming and don’t begrudge it but rejoice in the fact that you are sharing an experience of Christ.
Remember He will always be with you and grant you the strength to persevere through any challenge.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
"Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." 2 John 1:9
Why should we teach? Because Jesus commanded it and expects us to do it. Do note that He doesn’t send us out alone for He says He will be with us always "to the very end of the age." If we choose not to teach, then God is not in us but if we are obedient and obey, then we have the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit.
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 5:41-42
Teaching is a constant process and requirement for our work as disciples of Jesus. Just as the apostles never stopped teaching, preaching and proclaiming the good news, so too are we to be that persistent in our ministry work.
Indeed, teaching was central to the bible and especially the gospel message. If you doubt this, study your bible and see how many times the scripture connects Jesus to teaching. Next to healing, it’s what He did most frequently. This blog, The Christian Walk, attempts to model Jesus and His emphasis on teaching about the word and will of God. My hope is that everyone who reads is edified so that God will be glorified in all things. Don’t rule out how God could use you to do likewise.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
SHARING WITH THE LEAST
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded." Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done." Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work." Exodus 35:30-35, 36:1-7
In yesterday’s devotional, we saw how the people of Israel were expected to give willingly in response to God’s expectations. As we see at the beginning of Exodus, Chapter 36, the people responded in such a powerful way that there was an abundance of materials to construct the tabernacle. Their contributions were "more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done" so "Moses gave an order" saying, "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary" and "the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work." This is an illustration of what can happen when the people of God come together in the spirit of obedient giving. Instead of worrying whether you will get what you need to accomplish God’s will, you end up with a bounty.
This principle leads me toward a truth that I have always believed in. We have so many problems in our world that are centered on poverty. Here are some telling statistics from World Vision, an organization that my wife and I partner with:
- A child dies every 3 seconds because of extreme poverty and disease.
- Some 854 million people—most of them women and children—suffer from chronic hunger or malnutrition.
- More than 1 billion people around the world who still live on less than $1 a day.
- 12.5 percent of all people in America are living in poverty.
World Vision has also proposed a rather interesting solution to defeating the world hunger problem. They did some math and found that if every person in the world who was not impoverished would donate a one time gift of 75 cents, then there would be more than enough money available to completely eradicate poverty, starvation and stem the death rate from disease, many of which are completely treatable.
God has lavished so much blessing on His creation and He didn’t intend for this to breed selfishness within our hearts and minds. He expected us to take what He has blessed us with and reach out to help others whenever and wherever possible. His only Son, Jesus, validated this statement when He said:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:31-40
Friends, could Jesus be any clearer about our obligation to care for the "least of His brothers"? Do you really see caring for those in need as caring for Jesus Himself?
God has blessed most of us with more than we could ever ask for. Most of the time, we get ourselves into trouble, especially financially because we become so centered on materialism. We want to have everything and fail to see the difference between a need and a want. Well, consider this…God and His Son, Jesus, WANT us to help those in NEED. How can we live in grandeur when so many live in squalor? Won’t you consider this day how you might be able to assist someone who is down and out. You’ll be blessed…the one you help will be blessed…and you will find favor with the Lord…guaranteed.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded." Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done." Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work." Exodus 35:30-35, 36:1-7
In yesterday’s devotional, we saw how the people of Israel were expected to give willingly in response to God’s expectations. As we see at the beginning of Exodus, Chapter 36, the people responded in such a powerful way that there was an abundance of materials to construct the tabernacle. Their contributions were "more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done" so "Moses gave an order" saying, "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary" and "the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work." This is an illustration of what can happen when the people of God come together in the spirit of obedient giving. Instead of worrying whether you will get what you need to accomplish God’s will, you end up with a bounty.
This principle leads me toward a truth that I have always believed in. We have so many problems in our world that are centered on poverty. Here are some telling statistics from World Vision, an organization that my wife and I partner with:
- A child dies every 3 seconds because of extreme poverty and disease.
- Some 854 million people—most of them women and children—suffer from chronic hunger or malnutrition.
- More than 1 billion people around the world who still live on less than $1 a day.
- 12.5 percent of all people in America are living in poverty.
World Vision has also proposed a rather interesting solution to defeating the world hunger problem. They did some math and found that if every person in the world who was not impoverished would donate a one time gift of 75 cents, then there would be more than enough money available to completely eradicate poverty, starvation and stem the death rate from disease, many of which are completely treatable.
God has lavished so much blessing on His creation and He didn’t intend for this to breed selfishness within our hearts and minds. He expected us to take what He has blessed us with and reach out to help others whenever and wherever possible. His only Son, Jesus, validated this statement when He said:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:31-40
Friends, could Jesus be any clearer about our obligation to care for the "least of His brothers"? Do you really see caring for those in need as caring for Jesus Himself?
God has blessed most of us with more than we could ever ask for. Most of the time, we get ourselves into trouble, especially financially because we become so centered on materialism. We want to have everything and fail to see the difference between a need and a want. Well, consider this…God and His Son, Jesus, WANT us to help those in NEED. How can we live in grandeur when so many live in squalor? Won’t you consider this day how you might be able to assist someone who is down and out. You’ll be blessed…the one you help will be blessed…and you will find favor with the Lord…guaranteed.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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