Leviticus 4 & 5
(4:1-2) The Lord said to Moses, Say to the Israelites, When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands--
(4:13) If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty.
(4:22) When a leader sins unintentionally ... he is guilty.
(4:27) If a member of the community sins unintentionally ... he is guilty.
(5:2) Or if a person touches anything ceremonially unclean, ... even though he is unaware of it, he has become unclean and is guilty.
(5:3) ... Even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty.
(5:4) ... Even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty.
(5:17) If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.
(5:5) When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned ...
The Book of Leviticus is the record of all the technical aspects of the different sacrifices, and in later chapters of all the various and sundry protocols to do to take care of many different circumstances they may confront.
What I realized in going through these two chapters, is that God's standards never change, never waver, never vary, even if we're not even aware of them. God designed this World to run and operate like clockwork. Even extreme environmentalists preach an essential doctrine of "human hands off, let Nature take care of itself." They just don't recognize that it's God's Plan that works, when you take sin out of it. But we always have to "throw the monkey wrench into the works," then we wonder why all of our "good ideas" don't work out the way we'd planned.
Even when we're not cognizant of the ways God designed this Earth to "run," it still "runs" according to His Plan. Then when we violate His rules, we suffer the consequences. How much better to read the "Manufacturer's Instructions" and follow them in our attitudes, reasoning, and actions--and realize the successful outcome of our endeavors.
O my Father, search me and know me and reveal to me my sin that is still lurking in my heart and mind and attitudes, so that I may confess the truth of what I've done. Then I will be able to follow Your ways of righteousness in every aspect of my life, in Your wisdom and power and authority.
May Your will be done on this Earth, the same way it is done in Your Heaven, my Lord and my King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, October 2, 2017
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Becoming Holy
Leviticus 6: 18, 27
... Whatever touches these offerings shall be holy ... Whatever touches the sacrificial meat shall be holy ...
Leviticus 11: 45
... Therefore be holy, because I am holy.
These are two related Hebrew words for "holy." Whoever or whatever touches the holy sacrifices will be made holy, or will have been made holy. This word is qadash which means "to appoint, to bid, to consecrate, to dedicate, to hallow." So whoever is handling the holy sacrifices in a way that he touches the meat or bread offered to the Lord must have consecrated himself in setting himself apart from the common people and things, as touching these things will also set him apart, making him holy.
Then God says we are to be holy, in the way God is holy. This word is qadowsh which means "sacred, a holy one, a most holy place." This refers to God as already totally pure, sacred, and distinctly separate from everything else. He is the Creator, and we are all what He has made. He is saying here that He wants us to set ourselves apart from the World and Worldly ways and thinking, and think the way God thinks, and live our lives the way He would have us live, always considering what He has told us, rather than what would be worldly or convenient.
We are to live in the World, but not be of the World. We are to live as citizens of His Kingdom, which would have us obeying all the laws of this World, as well as going above and beyond this World's ways in our attitudes and our relationships with one another. We are to love one another, which would have us living according to all the laws of the land and all the Law of God.
Psalm 37: 1-8
Don't worry ... or envy ... Trust in the Lord ... Take delight in the Lord ... commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him ... Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act ... Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper. ...
O my Father, forgive me and cleanse me and I will be whiter than snow. Carry me in Your strong and gentle arms, and Your touch will make me holy.
I refuse to worry or fret, or envy, or allow anger to dominate my emotions and passions. I trust in You, my heart delights in You. I commit all my life and my self to You. I rest in Your arms today and patiently wait for You to act, to accomplish Your purposes this day in my life, in my family, in my friends, in my Nation, and in this World where You have placed me. I trust You to continue to do Your work of preparing everything for the return of our King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
... Whatever touches these offerings shall be holy ... Whatever touches the sacrificial meat shall be holy ...
Leviticus 11: 45
... Therefore be holy, because I am holy.
These are two related Hebrew words for "holy." Whoever or whatever touches the holy sacrifices will be made holy, or will have been made holy. This word is qadash which means "to appoint, to bid, to consecrate, to dedicate, to hallow." So whoever is handling the holy sacrifices in a way that he touches the meat or bread offered to the Lord must have consecrated himself in setting himself apart from the common people and things, as touching these things will also set him apart, making him holy.
Then God says we are to be holy, in the way God is holy. This word is qadowsh which means "sacred, a holy one, a most holy place." This refers to God as already totally pure, sacred, and distinctly separate from everything else. He is the Creator, and we are all what He has made. He is saying here that He wants us to set ourselves apart from the World and Worldly ways and thinking, and think the way God thinks, and live our lives the way He would have us live, always considering what He has told us, rather than what would be worldly or convenient.
We are to live in the World, but not be of the World. We are to live as citizens of His Kingdom, which would have us obeying all the laws of this World, as well as going above and beyond this World's ways in our attitudes and our relationships with one another. We are to love one another, which would have us living according to all the laws of the land and all the Law of God.
Psalm 37: 1-8
Don't worry ... or envy ... Trust in the Lord ... Take delight in the Lord ... commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him ... Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act ... Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper. ...
I refuse to worry or fret, or envy, or allow anger to dominate my emotions and passions. I trust in You, my heart delights in You. I commit all my life and my self to You. I rest in Your arms today and patiently wait for You to act, to accomplish Your purposes this day in my life, in my family, in my friends, in my Nation, and in this World where You have placed me. I trust You to continue to do Your work of preparing everything for the return of our King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, September 30, 2017
In His Hand
Psalm 37: 23-24
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
II Corinthians 4: 8-9
We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
God loves what He created, and He made us to live with Him where He is. So He sent His own Son to take our place in the death we all deserve because of sin, so that He could redeem us from ourselves and save us from that sinfulness that constantly pursues us.
So in this world we will experience sorrow, and all the other things enumerated in these verses, but our Father will never abandon us, not allow us to fall, be crushed, or be destroyed, holding us in His loving, powerful, shielding hand.
All these things He does allow, though, in order to teach us how to be like Him, and to grow our characters into godly people.
He does all this because He loves us so much, more than we can fathom.
O my Father, You truly are the Great God of the Universe! You made it all and You hold all of everything in Your hand, the whole huge Universe. You are also infinitely small, so that You direct the very atoms and molecules of life, and the smallest, most insignificant details, using them all to further Your great Plan to fulfill all Your purposes.
You hold me in Your hand and direct the circumstances of my life to mold and shape my character into the image of Your dear Son, my Lord, and the accomplishment of Your purposes for my life, that will bring all the credit, all the glory and honor to You Who alone deserves all the glory. And it also turns out to be the very best for me and for those I love.
O Father, You are so wise, so smart, and so loving and powerful to work all things, from the minute to the grandiose, all in perfect harmony, to accomplish all You desire to the very end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
II Corinthians 4: 8-9
We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
God loves what He created, and He made us to live with Him where He is. So He sent His own Son to take our place in the death we all deserve because of sin, so that He could redeem us from ourselves and save us from that sinfulness that constantly pursues us.
So in this world we will experience sorrow, and all the other things enumerated in these verses, but our Father will never abandon us, not allow us to fall, be crushed, or be destroyed, holding us in His loving, powerful, shielding hand.
All these things He does allow, though, in order to teach us how to be like Him, and to grow our characters into godly people.
He does all this because He loves us so much, more than we can fathom.
O my Father, You truly are the Great God of the Universe! You made it all and You hold all of everything in Your hand, the whole huge Universe. You are also infinitely small, so that You direct the very atoms and molecules of life, and the smallest, most insignificant details, using them all to further Your great Plan to fulfill all Your purposes.
You hold me in Your hand and direct the circumstances of my life to mold and shape my character into the image of Your dear Son, my Lord, and the accomplishment of Your purposes for my life, that will bring all the credit, all the glory and honor to You Who alone deserves all the glory. And it also turns out to be the very best for me and for those I love.
O Father, You are so wise, so smart, and so loving and powerful to work all things, from the minute to the grandiose, all in perfect harmony, to accomplish all You desire to the very end.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, September 29, 2017
Our Strong Fortress
Psalm 37: 39-40
The Lord rescues the Godly; He is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in Him.
II Samuel 22: 2-4
He [David] said, " The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in Whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior--from violent men You save me. I call to the Lord, Who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."
Every time King David talks about God being his Fortress, he uses the same word, matsuwd, meaning "castle, fortress, stronghold." This is a place where someone can be protected and defended from all enemies, where the ancient peoples would bring all the women and children to keep them safe in wartime.
God is our place of refuge and protection. We can run to Him and be safe as He protects us from our enemies, fighting our battles for us.
O my dear Father, You alone are the Great God of the Universe, the Lord over all the Heavenly Hosts. I run to You as my strong castle and fortress. I am nothing without You. Please keep me mindful of Your presence with me, Your closeness with me, each moment of each day. Give me Your strength and courage to lean on You, not my own flesh, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, as You fight my battles.
Teach me to rely on Your wisdom and Your patience and Your gentleness and love, that I may be so transparent that I disappear, and You are seen instead. Help me to be so invisible in Your stronghold that when others look upon me they may see only You.
Then You will get the victory, and all the credit for everything that is done will go to You, and You will receive all the praise, all the glory and honor throughout all eternity for what You are doing today in my life and in this World.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The Lord rescues the Godly; He is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in Him.
II Samuel 22: 2-4
He [David] said, " The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in Whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior--from violent men You save me. I call to the Lord, Who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."
Every time King David talks about God being his Fortress, he uses the same word, matsuwd, meaning "castle, fortress, stronghold." This is a place where someone can be protected and defended from all enemies, where the ancient peoples would bring all the women and children to keep them safe in wartime.
God is our place of refuge and protection. We can run to Him and be safe as He protects us from our enemies, fighting our battles for us.
O my dear Father, You alone are the Great God of the Universe, the Lord over all the Heavenly Hosts. I run to You as my strong castle and fortress. I am nothing without You. Please keep me mindful of Your presence with me, Your closeness with me, each moment of each day. Give me Your strength and courage to lean on You, not my own flesh, moment-by-moment, day-by-day, as You fight my battles.
Teach me to rely on Your wisdom and Your patience and Your gentleness and love, that I may be so transparent that I disappear, and You are seen instead. Help me to be so invisible in Your stronghold that when others look upon me they may see only You.
Then You will get the victory, and all the credit for everything that is done will go to You, and You will receive all the praise, all the glory and honor throughout all eternity for what You are doing today in my life and in this World.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, September 28, 2017
The Mirror's Reflection
Exodus 38: 8
Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
We use mirrors to view our own reflections. God had the washbasin made from mirrors. So, when I see my faults, failures, and imperfections in the mirror of the Word, then I am to immediately "wash up" by confessing and cleaning up my life, accepting God's forgiveness and cleansing, and forgiving myself.
I don't want to be like the man who beheld his image in a mirror, then went on, forgetting what manner of man he was (see James 1:23-24).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
We use mirrors to view our own reflections. God had the washbasin made from mirrors. So, when I see my faults, failures, and imperfections in the mirror of the Word, then I am to immediately "wash up" by confessing and cleaning up my life, accepting God's forgiveness and cleansing, and forgiving myself.
I don't want to be like the man who beheld his image in a mirror, then went on, forgetting what manner of man he was (see James 1:23-24).
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Leaders And Slaves
Matthew 20: 26-28
But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.
O my Father, it is only my sinful flesh that leads me to desire to be a leader. I want to grow my character to be more like Jesus, Who came only to serve and to give away His life.
Show me, Father, how I can give my life away to serve others, and please don't let me get in the way of Your working in and through me to benefit others' lives.
I praise You and thank You for the promise that You began this good work in me, and You will continue to perform it until I am perfected on the Day my King returns.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.
O my Father, it is only my sinful flesh that leads me to desire to be a leader. I want to grow my character to be more like Jesus, Who came only to serve and to give away His life.
Show me, Father, how I can give my life away to serve others, and please don't let me get in the way of Your working in and through me to benefit others' lives.
I praise You and thank You for the promise that You began this good work in me, and You will continue to perform it until I am perfected on the Day my King returns.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
From Clay To Diamonds
Jeremiah 18: 1-6
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you My message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands, so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Then the Word of the Lord came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as the potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel."
Isaiah 64: 8
Yet, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, You are the Potter, we are all the work of Your hand.
Romans 9: 21
Does not the Potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
O my dear, dear Father! Thank You for for all You have done, are doing, and will finish in my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren and their children.
Thank You for this picture You gave me while I was praying with my prayer partner: We begin as clay pots fit for nothing but garbage. Then You save us and clean out all the filth within us. Then You continually work in us to transform the opaque clay into crystal, little by little, moment by moment, molecule by molecule; transforming these clay pots into crystal goblets, crystal vases, Your glory shining out from us like Diamonds, as You had Paul tell the Corinthian church:
II Corinthians 4: 6-7
God ... made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
O Father, even now, once in a while, Your goodness and compassion shines out through a tiny window of crystal in this clay, and others can see Your glory in us.
I thank You, dear Father, so much, that now that You have begun thus good work in us, that You will continue to finish and perfect it until our King returns in His Glory, and we will shine like the Sun, as Stars in His Crown!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you My message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands, so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Then the Word of the Lord came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as the potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel."
Isaiah 64: 8
Yet, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, You are the Potter, we are all the work of Your hand.
Romans 9: 21
Does not the Potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
O my dear, dear Father! Thank You for for all You have done, are doing, and will finish in my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren and their children.
Thank You for this picture You gave me while I was praying with my prayer partner: We begin as clay pots fit for nothing but garbage. Then You save us and clean out all the filth within us. Then You continually work in us to transform the opaque clay into crystal, little by little, moment by moment, molecule by molecule; transforming these clay pots into crystal goblets, crystal vases, Your glory shining out from us like Diamonds, as You had Paul tell the Corinthian church:
II Corinthians 4: 6-7
God ... made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
O Father, even now, once in a while, Your goodness and compassion shines out through a tiny window of crystal in this clay, and others can see Your glory in us.
I thank You, dear Father, so much, that now that You have begun thus good work in us, that You will continue to finish and perfect it until our King returns in His Glory, and we will shine like the Sun, as Stars in His Crown!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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