Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant.
Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because his service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
Deuteronomy 15:12-18
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The first part of Deuteronomy, Chapter 15, involves the command to cancel debts at the end of every seven years (verse 1). These early verses discuss this debt cancellation as primarily monetary but as the chapter continues through the verses above, we see that people were involved as well. This is because people would sell themselves to people they owed money to when they had no other means to pay. And scripture tells us that a Hebrew man or woman who sold themselves and served for six years were to be set free…not empty-handed but supplied from the flock, threshing floor and winepress. The Israelite slave owner was to give to the freed man or woman in accordance with the way the Lord had blessed them and not consider it a hardship. They were also reminded of their own enslavement in Egypt and the redemption God provided then…a redemption they were expected to duplicate toward their slaves.
This matter of redemption is central to this scripture passage and should be central to our daily Christian walk. Why? The answer can be found in the following verses:
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-24
Friends, redemption should be central to our lives because we can’t have redemption without Jesus. He is central to the redemption message and, as Christians, we are to proclaim the redemption He brings as we go forth to carry out His call to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that He commanded. And as we write Christ’s redemption on our hearts and testify about it to all we see, then we begin to embody the concept of redemption in our own lives. We find ourselves willing to forgive and love others just as Jesus did for us on Calvary. My hope is that through living and breathing redemption in our day to day calling, we can reach a point where the entire world feels like the Psalmist did when he wrote the following words:
My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning…put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:6-7.
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, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A GIVING HEART
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the Lord's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:1-11
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Consider the following facts below:
- According to the US Census Bureau, 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America, including 12.9 million children.
- According to the Bread for the World Institute, 3.5 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. More than 9 million people, including 3 million children, live in these homes.
- Children make up 39 percent of the poor and 26 percent of the total population.
These statistics aren’t coming from a nation where wealth and resources are an issue. These numbers exist in the United States, the nation that has been blessed with so much…the nation that is the richest in the world. And yet, the numbers don’t lie. How well are we really taking care of each other?
Our scripture today, although at face value centered on the cancellation of debts every seven years, has a deeper message for us today. For the responsibility to care for those who are poor is truly the main theme of these verses from Deuteronomy, Chapter 15.
Moses tells Israel that “there should be no poor among (them)”. Why? Because God was “giving them a land to possess as an inheritance…a land that would leave them richly blessed. This blessing would include a bountiful abundance that would allow Israel to “lend to many nations but…borrow from none”. There would more than enough for everyone and no reason for anyone to be poor and without.
Fast forward to today. Has God not given the United States a great abundance as well…so much so that there shouldn’t be anyone who is in need? And yet, the statistics tell the sad story of where we are. I often wonder how anyone or any group that has been blessed with a rich plenty can really enjoy that plenty when there are so many people without. Just today, I read where an athlete had a swimming pool built on their property that cost over a million dollars. How many people would a million dollars have helped if that money had been used to help others instead of provide a lavish status symbol of being rich?
Friends, we need to understand that the Lord expects us to be giving people. As scripture tells us,
“there will always be poor people in the land” and so this is why we were commanded to “be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy.” We aren’t to possess our money, time and talent like we somehow had anything to do with gaining it. No…the Lord blessed us with it and this is why we have anything. He expects us to be good stewards of what He provides…to “give generously to (another) and (to) do so without a grudging heart”. For God loves a cheerful giver... (2 Corinthians 9:7) one who gives from the heart and does so gladly.
So what do we do with this scripture today? My prayer is that we take it to heart each and every day. That we seek to help anyone we see who is down and out. Don’t turn the other way from the poor but see how you can help them. The Lord will grant you the guidance as to how you can meet their needs. We need to only answer His call. In the end, wouldn’t our world be a better place if we all just shared the wealth? Wouldn’t it be such a wonderful world to live in if no one went hungry or died from a health problem that was treatable if the afflicted person only could afford the care needed?
Again, as in my last devotional, I raise up the words of our savior Jesus as He tells us:
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me." Matthew 25:40
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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the Lord's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:1-11
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Consider the following facts below:
- According to the US Census Bureau, 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America, including 12.9 million children.
- According to the Bread for the World Institute, 3.5 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. More than 9 million people, including 3 million children, live in these homes.
- Children make up 39 percent of the poor and 26 percent of the total population.
These statistics aren’t coming from a nation where wealth and resources are an issue. These numbers exist in the United States, the nation that has been blessed with so much…the nation that is the richest in the world. And yet, the numbers don’t lie. How well are we really taking care of each other?
Our scripture today, although at face value centered on the cancellation of debts every seven years, has a deeper message for us today. For the responsibility to care for those who are poor is truly the main theme of these verses from Deuteronomy, Chapter 15.
Moses tells Israel that “there should be no poor among (them)”. Why? Because God was “giving them a land to possess as an inheritance…a land that would leave them richly blessed. This blessing would include a bountiful abundance that would allow Israel to “lend to many nations but…borrow from none”. There would more than enough for everyone and no reason for anyone to be poor and without.
Fast forward to today. Has God not given the United States a great abundance as well…so much so that there shouldn’t be anyone who is in need? And yet, the statistics tell the sad story of where we are. I often wonder how anyone or any group that has been blessed with a rich plenty can really enjoy that plenty when there are so many people without. Just today, I read where an athlete had a swimming pool built on their property that cost over a million dollars. How many people would a million dollars have helped if that money had been used to help others instead of provide a lavish status symbol of being rich?
Friends, we need to understand that the Lord expects us to be giving people. As scripture tells us,
“there will always be poor people in the land” and so this is why we were commanded to “be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy.” We aren’t to possess our money, time and talent like we somehow had anything to do with gaining it. No…the Lord blessed us with it and this is why we have anything. He expects us to be good stewards of what He provides…to “give generously to (another) and (to) do so without a grudging heart”. For God loves a cheerful giver... (2 Corinthians 9:7) one who gives from the heart and does so gladly.
So what do we do with this scripture today? My prayer is that we take it to heart each and every day. That we seek to help anyone we see who is down and out. Don’t turn the other way from the poor but see how you can help them. The Lord will grant you the guidance as to how you can meet their needs. We need to only answer His call. In the end, wouldn’t our world be a better place if we all just shared the wealth? Wouldn’t it be such a wonderful world to live in if no one went hungry or died from a health problem that was treatable if the afflicted person only could afford the care needed?
Again, as in my last devotional, I raise up the words of our savior Jesus as He tells us:
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me." Matthew 25:40
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
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
IT'S BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 14:22-29
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Today’s passage coupled with the instruction in Numbers, Chapter 18, provided Israel with guidance regarding tithing. The word “tithe” is actually a Middle English word derived from the old English word “tegotha” which means tenth. In the church, it would represent “a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment”.
This certainly was the case in our scripture passage. The words of Moses told Israel to “set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year”. This tenth was to go to the Levites who you’ll remember were not permitted to produce their own sustenance (scripture states they had “no allotment or inheritance of their own”). Instead, the people of Israel were responsible for tithing and taking care of those God appointed to be the spiritual leaders and sanctuary maintainers.
Our passage from Deuteronomy provides additional guidance to the Israelites. For a portion of the tenth they were to give the Levites was to be eaten “in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name” for by doing this Israel would “learn to revere the Lord…always”. God expected the people to come together in a communal meal of thanksgiving and praise to the One who provided their bounty…the bounty from which they would be eating from.
You’ll see that a potential problem is also addressed in the scripture. For the place where God wanted Israel to go and present their tithe might be too far for someone to travel given the tenth the had to bring. What would they do? Well, God shows us that He always has a Plan B. In the case of Israel, they were to sell their goods for silver, carry the silver to the place where God wanted them to bring the tithe and commune, and then purchase their goods at that place using the silver. The end result was that God’s command was met, only through a pair of purchases and sales. God had a Plan B for Israel…and He has one for us as well in times when we need one.
Note as well that every three years, the people of Israel were to bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows” could “come and eat and be satisfied”. Through this, the people of Israel would find themselves blessed “in all the work of (their) hands by the Lord. In other words, the hard work and effort that went into the harvest would bring satisfaction by way of the blessing it provided to those who were most in need. Israel would learn that it’s far better to give than receive.
In fact, these early Old Testament requirements to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate by taking care of them would be expounded on by Jesus. Remember these words?
“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.”
Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.'”
They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?”
He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.”
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus definitely let us know He expects us to care for those who are having difficulties in life. We are to look after anyone who is struggling or suffering or hungry or thirsty or in need of clothing or in trouble, giving what we can to help them through their situation. Truly, we are drawn into joy and satisfaction through the blessing we provide to someone in need. But there is far greater reason to be joy-filled. For as we do things for the least, it is as if we are doing it to the One who is the Most…Christ Jesus Himself. And in doing this we gain the inheritance…the “kingdom prepared since the creation of the world”…a place where we will be with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…forever. We can’t gain this if we are selfish and centered on ourselves. Truly, it is better…far better now and forever…to give than receive. Let’s recommit to doing it every chance we get. 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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 14:22-29
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Today’s passage coupled with the instruction in Numbers, Chapter 18, provided Israel with guidance regarding tithing. The word “tithe” is actually a Middle English word derived from the old English word “tegotha” which means tenth. In the church, it would represent “a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment”.
This certainly was the case in our scripture passage. The words of Moses told Israel to “set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year”. This tenth was to go to the Levites who you’ll remember were not permitted to produce their own sustenance (scripture states they had “no allotment or inheritance of their own”). Instead, the people of Israel were responsible for tithing and taking care of those God appointed to be the spiritual leaders and sanctuary maintainers.
Our passage from Deuteronomy provides additional guidance to the Israelites. For a portion of the tenth they were to give the Levites was to be eaten “in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name” for by doing this Israel would “learn to revere the Lord…always”. God expected the people to come together in a communal meal of thanksgiving and praise to the One who provided their bounty…the bounty from which they would be eating from.
You’ll see that a potential problem is also addressed in the scripture. For the place where God wanted Israel to go and present their tithe might be too far for someone to travel given the tenth the had to bring. What would they do? Well, God shows us that He always has a Plan B. In the case of Israel, they were to sell their goods for silver, carry the silver to the place where God wanted them to bring the tithe and commune, and then purchase their goods at that place using the silver. The end result was that God’s command was met, only through a pair of purchases and sales. God had a Plan B for Israel…and He has one for us as well in times when we need one.
Note as well that every three years, the people of Israel were to bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows” could “come and eat and be satisfied”. Through this, the people of Israel would find themselves blessed “in all the work of (their) hands by the Lord. In other words, the hard work and effort that went into the harvest would bring satisfaction by way of the blessing it provided to those who were most in need. Israel would learn that it’s far better to give than receive.
In fact, these early Old Testament requirements to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate by taking care of them would be expounded on by Jesus. Remember these words?
“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.”
Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.'”
They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?”
He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.”
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus definitely let us know He expects us to care for those who are having difficulties in life. We are to look after anyone who is struggling or suffering or hungry or thirsty or in need of clothing or in trouble, giving what we can to help them through their situation. Truly, we are drawn into joy and satisfaction through the blessing we provide to someone in need. But there is far greater reason to be joy-filled. For as we do things for the least, it is as if we are doing it to the One who is the Most…Christ Jesus Himself. And in doing this we gain the inheritance…the “kingdom prepared since the creation of the world”…a place where we will be with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…forever. We can’t gain this if we are selfish and centered on ourselves. Truly, it is better…far better now and forever…to give than receive. Let’s recommit to doing it every chance we get. 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, July 28, 2008
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.
Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof completely divided you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the coney. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.
Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.
You may eat any clean bird. But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
All flying insects that swarm are unclean to you; do not eat them. But any winged creature that is clean you may eat.
Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God.
Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 14:1-21
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Chapter 14 begins with Moses reviewing guidelines for what foods God permitted Israel to eat. Food was divided into one of two categories: clean or unclean. Anything placed in the clean category was fine for Israel to eat. But if the food was labeled unclean, it was not to be eaten.
Two important things to remember about Moses giving these guidelines:
1. The guidelines had already been given and in much more detail in Leviticus (review chapter 11). So these directions weren’t new…only reminders.
2. Jesus revised the matter of clean and unclean food. Consider His words from Matthew, Chapter 15, verses 17 through 20:
"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "
Jesus sets things straight. Food doesn’t make someone unclean. It’s what’s in the heart that does.
OK…so here’s the 99 million dollar question. Why in the world were these restrictions placed on food if Jesus was just going to write them off in the not too distant future? I think the answer comes in the prior chapter.
Remember the words from Deuteronomy, Chapter 13:
“The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
The test spoken of in chapter 13 was whether or not Israel would give in to those who would entice them to engage in worshipping false gods. In chapter 14, the test involves whether or not Israel could avoid eating the foods that God told them not to eat.
Note that Israel wasn’t going to starve to death. It wasn’t as if God told them they couldn’t eat. He just told them what they could and couldn’t eat. All Israel had to do was be obedient to what God commanded. Israel would be what they ate. If they ate in accordance with God’s expectations, then they would be righteous and holy. If they ate the things that God told them not to eat, then they would be wicked and evil in sinful disobedience.
Today, we have many things available to us…some holy and pleasing to God and some detestable and evil in God’s eye. Everything we see, everything we hear, everything we do, everything we think, everything we breathe, everything we eat and everything we drink, all revolve around a myriad of choices. We can choose to ingest or engage in things that God desires or decide to go against His desires, choosing the world’s or Satan’s instead. And we, like Israel, will become what we eat…or drink…or breathe in…or hear…or watch…good or bad…holy or evil…righteous or wicked…whichever we choose. We are continuously being put to the test and, in the end, it does become our heart that determines whether we are clean or unclean…just as Jesus said.
So how is it with you? If you consider that you are what you eat, how are you doing when you consider what God expects? If the Lord were to look into your heart this very moment, what would He see? The answer to that is between you and the only One who can either help you change or continue to lead you in the right direction. Where would we be without Him? 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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.
Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof completely divided you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the coney. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.
Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.
You may eat any clean bird. But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
All flying insects that swarm are unclean to you; do not eat them. But any winged creature that is clean you may eat.
Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God.
Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 14:1-21
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Chapter 14 begins with Moses reviewing guidelines for what foods God permitted Israel to eat. Food was divided into one of two categories: clean or unclean. Anything placed in the clean category was fine for Israel to eat. But if the food was labeled unclean, it was not to be eaten.
Two important things to remember about Moses giving these guidelines:
1. The guidelines had already been given and in much more detail in Leviticus (review chapter 11). So these directions weren’t new…only reminders.
2. Jesus revised the matter of clean and unclean food. Consider His words from Matthew, Chapter 15, verses 17 through 20:
"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "
Jesus sets things straight. Food doesn’t make someone unclean. It’s what’s in the heart that does.
OK…so here’s the 99 million dollar question. Why in the world were these restrictions placed on food if Jesus was just going to write them off in the not too distant future? I think the answer comes in the prior chapter.
Remember the words from Deuteronomy, Chapter 13:
“The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
The test spoken of in chapter 13 was whether or not Israel would give in to those who would entice them to engage in worshipping false gods. In chapter 14, the test involves whether or not Israel could avoid eating the foods that God told them not to eat.
Note that Israel wasn’t going to starve to death. It wasn’t as if God told them they couldn’t eat. He just told them what they could and couldn’t eat. All Israel had to do was be obedient to what God commanded. Israel would be what they ate. If they ate in accordance with God’s expectations, then they would be righteous and holy. If they ate the things that God told them not to eat, then they would be wicked and evil in sinful disobedience.
Today, we have many things available to us…some holy and pleasing to God and some detestable and evil in God’s eye. Everything we see, everything we hear, everything we do, everything we think, everything we breathe, everything we eat and everything we drink, all revolve around a myriad of choices. We can choose to ingest or engage in things that God desires or decide to go against His desires, choosing the world’s or Satan’s instead. And we, like Israel, will become what we eat…or drink…or breathe in…or hear…or watch…good or bad…holy or evil…righteous or wicked…whichever we choose. We are continuously being put to the test and, in the end, it does become our heart that determines whether we are clean or unclean…just as Jesus said.
So how is it with you? If you consider that you are what you eat, how are you doing when you consider what God expects? If the Lord were to look into your heart this very moment, what would He see? The answer to that is between you and the only One who can either help you change or continue to lead you in the right direction. Where would we be without Him? 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
Sunday, July 27, 2008
PUT TO THE TEST
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt. None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that the Lord will turn from his fierce anger; he will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, because you obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.
Deuteronomy 13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
A great deal of attention was paid to the matter of worshipping gods other than the one true God…the Maker of all things…the Father of all mankind. This was because every other culture outside of Israel practiced polytheism…the worship of many gods. And several of those nations were living in Canaan, the land that Israel was about to inherit.
In Chapter 13, Moses spends time warning Israel about those who might try and persuade them to engage in polytheistic worship practices. We see where he specifically addresses prophets, family members and even complete communities that might try and lead them astray toward worshipping “other gods”. In every instance, Israel was not only supposed to reject the propositions but they were to kill anyone who tried to entice them. There was no room for evil in God’s kingdom and anyone trying to tempt Israel were working under the auspice of Satan, not the Holy Spirit.
It’s this point that gets to the central message I would like to focus on in this devotional. For the key verse in this passage comes in the beginning when Moses is warning Israel about the polytheistic-believing prophets they might encounter. Note these words from Moses:
“The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
The false prophet coming to Israel might have been seen as God attempting to tempt Israel to see if they would fail to be obedient to His commands. But this would go counter to the scriptures that tell us that God does not tempt. Satan does that. God does test us though to see how we respond when Satan does tempt us. If we love Him with all our heart and soul, then we will stand firm in obedience to Him when Satan attempts to tempt us. And we only come to this place of loving God with all our heart and soul when we commit ourselves to follow and revere Him, every second of every minute of every hour of every day. In other words, always. And when we are committed to God at that level, then we will find it easy to keep His commands, obey Him, serve Him and hold fast to Him.
So how are you doing in your life? How are you passing the tests that life will bring to you…the enticements that Satan will use to see how resolute you are in your relationship with the Father. Are you firmly rooted in Him with all your heart and soul? Or is your relationship more occasional…like whenever you want to be in relationship with Him? The rest of the time, you are obedient to your own sinful desires.
Friends, the scriptures make this clear: life is a test and God is grading us day-by-day. How are you doing? Do you have a passing grade? Only you know the answer to that question. 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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt. None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that the Lord will turn from his fierce anger; he will show you mercy, have compassion on you, and increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, because you obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.
Deuteronomy 13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
A great deal of attention was paid to the matter of worshipping gods other than the one true God…the Maker of all things…the Father of all mankind. This was because every other culture outside of Israel practiced polytheism…the worship of many gods. And several of those nations were living in Canaan, the land that Israel was about to inherit.
In Chapter 13, Moses spends time warning Israel about those who might try and persuade them to engage in polytheistic worship practices. We see where he specifically addresses prophets, family members and even complete communities that might try and lead them astray toward worshipping “other gods”. In every instance, Israel was not only supposed to reject the propositions but they were to kill anyone who tried to entice them. There was no room for evil in God’s kingdom and anyone trying to tempt Israel were working under the auspice of Satan, not the Holy Spirit.
It’s this point that gets to the central message I would like to focus on in this devotional. For the key verse in this passage comes in the beginning when Moses is warning Israel about the polytheistic-believing prophets they might encounter. Note these words from Moses:
“The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
The false prophet coming to Israel might have been seen as God attempting to tempt Israel to see if they would fail to be obedient to His commands. But this would go counter to the scriptures that tell us that God does not tempt. Satan does that. God does test us though to see how we respond when Satan does tempt us. If we love Him with all our heart and soul, then we will stand firm in obedience to Him when Satan attempts to tempt us. And we only come to this place of loving God with all our heart and soul when we commit ourselves to follow and revere Him, every second of every minute of every hour of every day. In other words, always. And when we are committed to God at that level, then we will find it easy to keep His commands, obey Him, serve Him and hold fast to Him.
So how are you doing in your life? How are you passing the tests that life will bring to you…the enticements that Satan will use to see how resolute you are in your relationship with the Father. Are you firmly rooted in Him with all your heart and soul? Or is your relationship more occasional…like whenever you want to be in relationship with Him? The rest of the time, you are obedient to your own sinful desires.
Friends, the scriptures make this clear: life is a test and God is grading us day-by-day. How are you doing? Do you have a passing grade? Only you know the answer to that question. 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
Saturday, July 26, 2008
GOD'S APPOINTED PLACE OF WORSHIP
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.
You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. And there rejoice before the Lord your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.
Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, "I would like some meat," then you may eat as much of it as you want. If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. Eat them as you would gazelle or deer. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give, and go to the place the Lord will choose. Present your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same." You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
Deuteronomy 12
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The theme of today’s devotional is worship and what better day to talk about it than the Sabbath.
So I will start with three questions and I think you, the reader, will fit into one of the three:
1. Are you not seeking or attending a church right now?
2. Are you currently seeking a church home, worshipping in different churches until you find the right one?
3. Are you currently attending one church regularly?
See which of the questions fit you and I’ll get back to them in a minute. First, we need to go to the scriptures.
For there we see Moses talking about the matter of worship with Israel before they cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. In the seven verses above, we see Moses make a true distinction between the right and wrong way to worship.
Israel was commanded to completely destroy “all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.” Israel was not to allow any place to stand where any other god was worshipped other than the one, true God…the Creator God who was giving Canaan to Israel.
Israel was also told to not “worship the Lord your God in their way”. Instead, they were to “seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.” In other words, God would show Israel their appointed place of worship and they were to rejoice and bring their tithes, offerings and gifts to Him there, celebrating the way God had blessed them.
Today, God still has appointed places of worship for every one of His children. Back to the three questions:
1. Are you not seeking or attending a church right now? My secondary question is, “What are you waiting for?”
God has an appointed place of worship for you. You need to only pray about it and allow Him
to guide you. Trust me….He will lead you where He wants you to be. Even if you end up working on Sunday mornings, churches have services at other times…some on Wednesday nights, others on Saturday and Sunday nights. The time to get started is now.
2. Are you currently seeking a church home, worshipping in different churches until you find the right one?
Two words for you if you are in this category: keep looking. And while you’re looking, never give up hope. God has an appointed place of worship for you and will lead you to it. Be patient and wait for Him to reveal that place to you.
3. Are you currently attending one church regularly?
If you answered yes to this question, great! You are already know that God has an appointed place of worship for you. But I do have a secondary question for you as well…”Are you so deeply rooted in your church that you would be unable to pull up those roots if God called you to?” For God just might do that. There’s nothing to say that He won’t want to send you to a different appointed place during the course of your life. Consider what pastors endure. Seldom do they just lead one congregation in the course of their ministry careers. No…they go where the Lord calls them to go…to their appointed places of worship. We should be ready to respond as well.
So there you have it. Three different worship scenarios. One constant…that being God. He has an appointed place of worship for you, and I and every one else. Thanks be to God for that. 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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.
You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. And there rejoice before the Lord your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.
Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.
When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, "I would like some meat," then you may eat as much of it as you want. If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. Eat them as you would gazelle or deer. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give, and go to the place the Lord will choose. Present your burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat the meat. Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same." You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
Deuteronomy 12
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The theme of today’s devotional is worship and what better day to talk about it than the Sabbath.
So I will start with three questions and I think you, the reader, will fit into one of the three:
1. Are you not seeking or attending a church right now?
2. Are you currently seeking a church home, worshipping in different churches until you find the right one?
3. Are you currently attending one church regularly?
See which of the questions fit you and I’ll get back to them in a minute. First, we need to go to the scriptures.
For there we see Moses talking about the matter of worship with Israel before they cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. In the seven verses above, we see Moses make a true distinction between the right and wrong way to worship.
Israel was commanded to completely destroy “all the places on the high mountains and on the hills and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.” Israel was not to allow any place to stand where any other god was worshipped other than the one, true God…the Creator God who was giving Canaan to Israel.
Israel was also told to not “worship the Lord your God in their way”. Instead, they were to “seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.” In other words, God would show Israel their appointed place of worship and they were to rejoice and bring their tithes, offerings and gifts to Him there, celebrating the way God had blessed them.
Today, God still has appointed places of worship for every one of His children. Back to the three questions:
1. Are you not seeking or attending a church right now? My secondary question is, “What are you waiting for?”
God has an appointed place of worship for you. You need to only pray about it and allow Him
to guide you. Trust me….He will lead you where He wants you to be. Even if you end up working on Sunday mornings, churches have services at other times…some on Wednesday nights, others on Saturday and Sunday nights. The time to get started is now.
2. Are you currently seeking a church home, worshipping in different churches until you find the right one?
Two words for you if you are in this category: keep looking. And while you’re looking, never give up hope. God has an appointed place of worship for you and will lead you to it. Be patient and wait for Him to reveal that place to you.
3. Are you currently attending one church regularly?
If you answered yes to this question, great! You are already know that God has an appointed place of worship for you. But I do have a secondary question for you as well…”Are you so deeply rooted in your church that you would be unable to pull up those roots if God called you to?” For God just might do that. There’s nothing to say that He won’t want to send you to a different appointed place during the course of your life. Consider what pastors endure. Seldom do they just lead one congregation in the course of their ministry careers. No…they go where the Lord calls them to go…to their appointed places of worship. We should be ready to respond as well.
So there you have it. Three different worship scenarios. One constant…that being God. He has an appointed place of worship for you, and I and every one else. Thanks be to God for that. 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, July 25, 2008
NO MIDDLE GROUND
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Love the Lord your God and keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always. Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm; the signs He performed and the things He did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; what He did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how He overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. It was not your children who saw what He did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place, and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.
Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today — to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul - then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow — to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him - then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, west of the road, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today. Deuteronomy 11
This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
I believe there are three categories of people today:
1. Those who believe in the Lord and conscientiously strive daily to obey His commands, word and will.
2. Those who refuse to believe in the Lord and have no interest in following His commands, word and will.
3. Those who live in between…those who say they believe in the Lord but decide when they want to live in obedience and when they don’t.
Israel too often fell into Category 3 and this is why so much dialogue was invested in instructing them in the matter of obedience. In Chapter 11, we see Moses once again discussing the matter with Israel, reminding them that their success in Canaan would rely largely on how well they kept the Lord’s requirements, decrees, laws and commands. Complying would ensure they would “have the strength to go in and take over the land (they were) crossing the Jordan to possess…”so that (they could) live long in the land that the Lord swore to (their) forefathers…a land flowing with milk and honey.” And the land would remain bountiful for Israel as long as they “faithfully obey(ed) the commands” Moses gave them which included “to love the Lord…and…serve him with all (their) heart and…soul”. This would result in “rain on (the) land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that (Israel could) gather in (their) grain, new wine and oil”. Grass would be provided “in the fields for (the) cattle and (Israel would) eat and be satisfied”.
Yes, life would be good is they would just be obedient. But what if they chose to do otherwise?
Well, Moses tells them what to expect in that instance as well. He warns Israel to “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.” Moses made it very clear. Disobedience would bring misfortune The choice was up to Israel.
So the lines were drawn. Obey or disobey. Flourish or fail. Or as Moses would sum it up, it would be blessing or curse. Once again, consider his words from our passage:
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.”
Note there is no middle ground. No in between. If you obey, you will be blessed. If you disobey, you will be cursed. Choosing to obey when and where one wanted to was not an option. It wasn’t then and it isn’t today either. Don’t believe for a minute that God has changed the way He feels about disobedient behavior…AKA sin. Sin is what caused Him to sacrifice His only Son on the cross. God hates sin and will not accept any cavalier approach toward dealing with it.
Given this, we have to see that there’s only one primary expectation from God and that is for us to eradicate sin from our lives. And we don’t need to act as if we haven’t been told or shown how. For His word instructs us and His Son came to earth to live and personally demonstrate righteous living to us. God has provided all the direction we need. Now it’s up to us to step up spiritually and say no to the world and its sinful enticements, trading it for the holiness and righteousness God wishes and wants for us.
Are you standing on middle ground? Know there is no such thing. Blessing only comes to those who are committed fully to obedience. Curses await the rest. God’s word tells us so.
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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Love the Lord your God and keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always. Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm; the signs He performed and the things He did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; what He did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how He overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. It was not your children who saw what He did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place, and what He did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.
Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today — to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul - then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow — to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him - then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses. As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, west of the road, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you have taken it over and are living there, be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today. Deuteronomy 11
This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
I believe there are three categories of people today:
1. Those who believe in the Lord and conscientiously strive daily to obey His commands, word and will.
2. Those who refuse to believe in the Lord and have no interest in following His commands, word and will.
3. Those who live in between…those who say they believe in the Lord but decide when they want to live in obedience and when they don’t.
Israel too often fell into Category 3 and this is why so much dialogue was invested in instructing them in the matter of obedience. In Chapter 11, we see Moses once again discussing the matter with Israel, reminding them that their success in Canaan would rely largely on how well they kept the Lord’s requirements, decrees, laws and commands. Complying would ensure they would “have the strength to go in and take over the land (they were) crossing the Jordan to possess…”so that (they could) live long in the land that the Lord swore to (their) forefathers…a land flowing with milk and honey.” And the land would remain bountiful for Israel as long as they “faithfully obey(ed) the commands” Moses gave them which included “to love the Lord…and…serve him with all (their) heart and…soul”. This would result in “rain on (the) land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that (Israel could) gather in (their) grain, new wine and oil”. Grass would be provided “in the fields for (the) cattle and (Israel would) eat and be satisfied”.
Yes, life would be good is they would just be obedient. But what if they chose to do otherwise?
Well, Moses tells them what to expect in that instance as well. He warns Israel to “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.” Moses made it very clear. Disobedience would bring misfortune The choice was up to Israel.
So the lines were drawn. Obey or disobey. Flourish or fail. Or as Moses would sum it up, it would be blessing or curse. Once again, consider his words from our passage:
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.”
Note there is no middle ground. No in between. If you obey, you will be blessed. If you disobey, you will be cursed. Choosing to obey when and where one wanted to was not an option. It wasn’t then and it isn’t today either. Don’t believe for a minute that God has changed the way He feels about disobedient behavior…AKA sin. Sin is what caused Him to sacrifice His only Son on the cross. God hates sin and will not accept any cavalier approach toward dealing with it.
Given this, we have to see that there’s only one primary expectation from God and that is for us to eradicate sin from our lives. And we don’t need to act as if we haven’t been told or shown how. For His word instructs us and His Son came to earth to live and personally demonstrate righteous living to us. God has provided all the direction we need. Now it’s up to us to step up spiritually and say no to the world and its sinful enticements, trading it for the holiness and righteousness God wishes and wants for us.
Are you standing on middle ground? Know there is no such thing. Blessing only comes to those who are committed fully to obedience. Curses await the rest. God’s word tells us so.
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, July 24, 2008
HE IS OUR PRAISE
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. Deuteronomy 10:14-22
This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The Webster-Merriam dictionary defines praise as expressing a favorable judgment or commending…it’s also glorifying something or someone especially by the attribution of perfections. The word “praise” is derived from the Middle English word preisen which came from the Anglo-French word preiser, priser meaning to appraise and esteem.
There are many things we can praise in life. We might praise a person for great things they have done. We might praise something we see as being noteworthy. We typically have no problem showing praise to things of the world. But how well do we show praise to the One through all these things are possible?
This is the point in our passage today, the final verses in Chapter 10, as Moses attempts to open the eyes of Israel to God…their God…the One who was to be their praise.
Moses begins by reminding Israel, and us, that all things we know are from God, the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth. He states, “To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.” In other words, everyone belongs to God and as we studied in a previous lesson, we are His treasured possession.
Indeed, He treasures everyone and shows no favoritism or partiality. He “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.” And He expects His people to do the same. He reminds Israel that they were once aliens themselves when they were in Egypt. Their numbers were few then, seventy in all at first. But now, on the brink of the land promised to their forefathers…the ones who initially entered Egypt…Israel’s population was vast…made by God to be as “numerous as the stars in the sky.” And now look at our world today…a multitude, all with the opportunity of life forever.
For through Jesus, the gates of heaven were cast open for Jew and Gentile. All who believed and trusted in Him would have the promise of eternal life and no one would come to the Father except by way of His Son...the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)…the slain Lamb of God who is worthy to receive “…power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12) Truly, we are a blessed people…a people who belong to a mighty, awesome God.
Friends, this mighty, awesome God is to be our praise. And we should lift Him up and glorify Him with every breath we take through every day He blesses us with for all things are by and through Him. My hope is that we all will live the words of one of my favorite hymns, All Creatures of Our God and King. The lyrics are as follows:
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And thou most kind and gentle Death,
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
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 scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. Deuteronomy 10:14-22
This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The Webster-Merriam dictionary defines praise as expressing a favorable judgment or commending…it’s also glorifying something or someone especially by the attribution of perfections. The word “praise” is derived from the Middle English word preisen which came from the Anglo-French word preiser, priser meaning to appraise and esteem.
There are many things we can praise in life. We might praise a person for great things they have done. We might praise something we see as being noteworthy. We typically have no problem showing praise to things of the world. But how well do we show praise to the One through all these things are possible?
This is the point in our passage today, the final verses in Chapter 10, as Moses attempts to open the eyes of Israel to God…their God…the One who was to be their praise.
Moses begins by reminding Israel, and us, that all things we know are from God, the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth. He states, “To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.” In other words, everyone belongs to God and as we studied in a previous lesson, we are His treasured possession.
Indeed, He treasures everyone and shows no favoritism or partiality. He “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.” And He expects His people to do the same. He reminds Israel that they were once aliens themselves when they were in Egypt. Their numbers were few then, seventy in all at first. But now, on the brink of the land promised to their forefathers…the ones who initially entered Egypt…Israel’s population was vast…made by God to be as “numerous as the stars in the sky.” And now look at our world today…a multitude, all with the opportunity of life forever.
For through Jesus, the gates of heaven were cast open for Jew and Gentile. All who believed and trusted in Him would have the promise of eternal life and no one would come to the Father except by way of His Son...the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)…the slain Lamb of God who is worthy to receive “…power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12) Truly, we are a blessed people…a people who belong to a mighty, awesome God.
Friends, this mighty, awesome God is to be our praise. And we should lift Him up and glorify Him with every breath we take through every day He blesses us with for all things are by and through Him. My hope is that we all will live the words of one of my favorite hymns, All Creatures of Our God and King. The lyrics are as follows:
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And thou most kind and gentle Death,
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
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
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)