Study from God’s Word… Lev 13: 1-59; Lev 14: 33-57; Deut 24: 8-9; Lev 15: 1-27, 32-33; Num 5: 1-4; Lev 15: 31; … Passage for Reflection: Deuteronomy 24: 8 – 9 … NIV 8 In cases of leprous diseases be very careful to do exactly as the priests, who are Levites, instruct you. You must follow carefully what I have commanded them. 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt.
My Journal for Today: We’ve likely heard the phrase “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Well, that phrase and concept likely had its social origins in the series of health regulations given to the Hebrews in the time of Moses. And my study today took me through these passages, mostly found in Leviticus, chapters 13-15. However, there were others found in Numbers and Deuteronomy, one of which is our focus verse today from Deut. 24, concerning what the Israelites must do when someone is found to have “leprosy,” which was actually a Hebrew term referring to any of a number of skin conditions or diseases which became apparent from an acute outbreak of skin lesions.
And as we read, the Levite Priests were to put the person outside the walls from the tribe, caring for the person’s needs, but not coming into contact with the infected or diseased condition. And then, when the disease passed, they were to accept the healed person back into the tribe with open arms. And in referring to this prescribed treatment process, God’s word reminded His people of what happened with Miriam when she challenged the authority of Moses; and God punished her spiritual disobedience with a serious skin disease; and she was put out of the encampment for seven days.
Really, it is not surprising that people in those days would connect obvious skin diseases with some spiritual weakness or sinfulness. We remember how Job’s friends made such a connection when they saw the boils he was scraping from his skin. And this actually happened to Miriam; so, we can see the origins, in Hebrew Law, in what later became God’s instructions, through Jesus Himself, for the handling of the spiritual disease of chronic and recurring sin. We can read about how, just like the case of physical quarantine was commanded by God for those with leprous conditions, Jesus, in Matt. 18: 15-18 - Matt. 18 linked here - recommended spiritual isolation for one who would not or could not repent of and turn from his/her obvious sinful practices. And Paul exhorted the church – God’s people – to be the place where the spiritual disease of sin should be handled (see 1Cor. 6: 1-6 - linked). Paul also exhorted Christians to stay away from someone who was obviously a sinner who caused divisiveness or sin within the camp of believers (see Romans 16: 17-18 - linked).
So, this way of treating physical skin disease has its carry-over into how we, the Church, and as individual Christians, need to handle the spiritual “disease” of chronic, unrepented sin. And we must remember, as Jesus also taught in Matt. 18 (see verses 21-22 - see link above) that separating the “diseased” person from the flock for a time is a treatment for the disease – whether it be a quarantine for a skin condition or a separation from a sinning Christians. However, we must be willing to forgive the one who has sinned against the Body of Christ or other Christians and take them back into the fellowship of believers when we see evidence of repentance and contrition.
Sometimes it’s obvious, though difficult, to confront a chronic case of sinfulness; and we might be able to go through the Matthew 18 process of dealing with a chronic/hardened sinner. However, it’s more difficult to be there for that person, to forgive them, and to take them back into the Body of Christ when/if they’re willing and able to repent of their sinfulness and seek restoration. I deal with this all the time in the ministry God has called me to lead where husbands have been “busted” for their sexual sin; and this man must be confronted with his sin and even put out from the flock if he’s unwilling/unable to repent. However, when he does repent, it becomes very difficult for his wife and the church to bring him back into the camp and to deal with the restoration of this brother sinner. And there is a social plague of sexual sin going on in the church these days, which would be like a plague of “leprosy” in Moses’ day … if it were not handled properly according to God’s laws and His word.
I hope we see the parallels between how God wanted His People, the Israelites, to diagnose and to deal with infectious diseases in those days and how the church must discipline and deal with the social plagues of problems like Christian men who become “addicted” to pornography, and even for problems like obesity (from the sin of gluttony), where often the church becomes an enabler rather than an agent of correction and discipline. It saddens me to see how few churches have ministries to help the more than 50% of their men who’re into chronic sexual sin. And what church do you know of which confronts its obviously obese members, doing all they can as a church to help that person deal with that Saint’s sin of gluttony?
God’s Law had a way of dealing with diagnosed skin diseases; and God’s church has been given a way to deal with the infectious and growing problem of sin in our midst. The question becomes, “Will we do what God’s word teaches?”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, convict Your church to be Your agent of healing and restoration from the sinfulness which so abounds in our world. Amen
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
2010 – Mar. 2 – Sexual Taboos
Study from God’s Word… Deut 21 10-14; Deut 24: 5; Deut 22: 13-21; Deut 24: 1-4; Lev 18: 1-5; Deut 5: 18; Lev 18: 20; Lev 20: 10; Deut 22: 22-24; Lev 19: 20-22; Num 5: 11-31; Lev 19: 29; Deut 23: 17-18; Lev 18: 6-8; Deut 22: 30; Lev 20: 11; Lev 18: 9-14; Lev 20: 11; Lev 20: 19-20; Lev 18: 15-18; Lev 20: 12; 14, 21; Lev 18: 18-22; Lev 20: 13; Lev 18: 23; Ex 22: 19; Lev 20: 15-16; Lev 18: 24-30, 20: 22-24; Deut 22: 5 … Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 18: 24 … NIV 24 " 'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
My Journal for Today: Okay, … in these studies I’m undertaking from the Law of God through Moses to the ancient Hebrews, under the direction of F. LaGard Smith, it’s time to have “the sex talk.” And Dr. Smith puts it right out there when he writes for this date, ”Nothing is quite the barometer of a culture’s moral values like sex. … If one can throw off the shackles of sexual restraint with impunity, then there are no moral boundaries that cannot be safely traversed. That culture wars are fought mostly on the battle-grounds of sexual issues is not happenstance.”
And in saying this, I am very personally caught up in the playing out of such issues because of where my own sexual immorality led me for so many years of my life before I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior. And all those years where I rejected the morays of God, calling myself an “agnostic,” but actually being an atheist, were moral attempts to justify my own personal immorality, saying that the so-called “Christian ways” were antiquated and meaningless for my life and for our world. And today we see many, like I once was, trying to excuse or redefine the sexual morals of our times, positing that the Biblical morals of the Old Testament are totally antiquated and meaningless for our generation and world.
We have kids who call themselves “christian,” who participate in oral sex outside of marriage; and they call such practices “christian sex” because there’s no “sexual intercourse” involved. We had a President a few years ago who tried to redefine “sex” to fit his own personal sexual practices, reshaping his so-called “Southern Baptist” past. We have people pursuing a sexual lifestyle called “gay,” who say that it’s a normal “christian” mode of behavior, given their post-modern definition of “christianity.”
So, … are there no taboos, … no limits, … no absolutes with regard to sexual morals in our world today? And here it’s interesting for us to observe that those who say that homosexuality is “normal,” do not want to compare themselves morally with those who claim that pedophilia should be considered within the realm of normalcy. But, there are few who would claim that bestiality is “normal,” … except maybe those who have a sexual fetish for animals. And so, it doesn’t take a biblical scholar to see why God, who was setting His Hebrew nation apart from the cultures surrounding them, would place some pretty definite limitations on sexual practices in God’s ancient Israelite nation.
Surrounding the Israelites in Moses’ times, were cultures who used prostitutes in their practices of worship. There were peoples and tribes where homosexuality and bestiality were openly and morally condoned. And hence, as it indicates in today’s highlight passage, God was going to separate His children from such immorality and make His chosen people different; and many of the laws, especially those involving sexual expression, became God’s vehicle to set His ways apart from those of the pagan lands surrounding the Israelites. And God’s desire to hold out moral standards even today shows us that there are sexual pursuits we, as believers in the truth of Scripture (both Old and New Testaments) should avoid; and there are moral absolutes, we should protect and pursue diligently.
Unfortunately, we live in times where many of the Christian sexual morays are breaking down; and it’s hard to lead our families into following the so-called “Biblical” ways of honoring God with sex only in the confines of how the Bible defines marriage and family. Today the definitions of these concepts of “marriage” and “family” are morphing rapidly; and the sexual practices involved in these definitions are also changing so that sexual pursuits which were TABOO 50 years ago are accepted and even promoted today.
And when I read a passage like Romans 1: 18-32 [linked here for your study], I can’t help but think that God, though He has been incredibly merciful for many years in our land, is now lifting the protective shield of His Spirit, and letting mankind pursue deviant practices which will ultimately lead us, as a people and culture, into an abyss of death and destruction. Unfortunately the rain of consequences from the sin of any nation will fall from God on the righteous as well as the unrighteous.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, have mercy on any of the remnant of Your family who hold fast to Your sexual principles of truth. Amen
My Journal for Today: Okay, … in these studies I’m undertaking from the Law of God through Moses to the ancient Hebrews, under the direction of F. LaGard Smith, it’s time to have “the sex talk.” And Dr. Smith puts it right out there when he writes for this date, ”Nothing is quite the barometer of a culture’s moral values like sex. … If one can throw off the shackles of sexual restraint with impunity, then there are no moral boundaries that cannot be safely traversed. That culture wars are fought mostly on the battle-grounds of sexual issues is not happenstance.”
And in saying this, I am very personally caught up in the playing out of such issues because of where my own sexual immorality led me for so many years of my life before I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior. And all those years where I rejected the morays of God, calling myself an “agnostic,” but actually being an atheist, were moral attempts to justify my own personal immorality, saying that the so-called “Christian ways” were antiquated and meaningless for my life and for our world. And today we see many, like I once was, trying to excuse or redefine the sexual morals of our times, positing that the Biblical morals of the Old Testament are totally antiquated and meaningless for our generation and world.
We have kids who call themselves “christian,” who participate in oral sex outside of marriage; and they call such practices “christian sex” because there’s no “sexual intercourse” involved. We had a President a few years ago who tried to redefine “sex” to fit his own personal sexual practices, reshaping his so-called “Southern Baptist” past. We have people pursuing a sexual lifestyle called “gay,” who say that it’s a normal “christian” mode of behavior, given their post-modern definition of “christianity.”
So, … are there no taboos, … no limits, … no absolutes with regard to sexual morals in our world today? And here it’s interesting for us to observe that those who say that homosexuality is “normal,” do not want to compare themselves morally with those who claim that pedophilia should be considered within the realm of normalcy. But, there are few who would claim that bestiality is “normal,” … except maybe those who have a sexual fetish for animals. And so, it doesn’t take a biblical scholar to see why God, who was setting His Hebrew nation apart from the cultures surrounding them, would place some pretty definite limitations on sexual practices in God’s ancient Israelite nation.
Surrounding the Israelites in Moses’ times, were cultures who used prostitutes in their practices of worship. There were peoples and tribes where homosexuality and bestiality were openly and morally condoned. And hence, as it indicates in today’s highlight passage, God was going to separate His children from such immorality and make His chosen people different; and many of the laws, especially those involving sexual expression, became God’s vehicle to set His ways apart from those of the pagan lands surrounding the Israelites. And God’s desire to hold out moral standards even today shows us that there are sexual pursuits we, as believers in the truth of Scripture (both Old and New Testaments) should avoid; and there are moral absolutes, we should protect and pursue diligently.
Unfortunately, we live in times where many of the Christian sexual morays are breaking down; and it’s hard to lead our families into following the so-called “Biblical” ways of honoring God with sex only in the confines of how the Bible defines marriage and family. Today the definitions of these concepts of “marriage” and “family” are morphing rapidly; and the sexual practices involved in these definitions are also changing so that sexual pursuits which were TABOO 50 years ago are accepted and even promoted today.
And when I read a passage like Romans 1: 18-32 [linked here for your study], I can’t help but think that God, though He has been incredibly merciful for many years in our land, is now lifting the protective shield of His Spirit, and letting mankind pursue deviant practices which will ultimately lead us, as a people and culture, into an abyss of death and destruction. Unfortunately the rain of consequences from the sin of any nation will fall from God on the righteous as well as the unrighteous.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, have mercy on any of the remnant of Your family who hold fast to Your sexual principles of truth. Amen
Monday, March 01, 2010
2010 – Mar. 1 – Dignifying the Poor
Study from God’s Word… Num. 5: 5-10; Exod. 22: 7-17; Ex. 21: 33-34, 28; Ex. 21: 28-36; Lev. 24: 18, 21a; Deut. 22: 8; Lev. 19: 13; Deut. 24: 14-15; Lev. 25: 44-46; Deut. 23: 12-18; Ex. 21: 1-11, 26-27; Deut. 23: 19-20; Ex. 22: 25-27; Deut. 24: 12-13; Deut. 24: 6; Deut. 24: 10-11; Deut. 15: 1-11; Lev. 19: 12; Num 20: 1-16; Lev. 19: 11, 35-37; Deut 25: 15-16; Deut. 21: 15-17; Deut 25: 5-10; Num. 27: 1-11; Num. 36: 1-13; … Passage for Reflection: Deuteronomy 24: 10 – 11 … NIV 10 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. 11 Stay outside and let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you.
My Journal for Today: Today, in my study, Dr. Smith, in a rather long reading session, had me wading through many of the civil laws dispensed by God through Moses to help the people in those times of Theocracy, which had singled out the Hebrews to be unlike any culture or society on earth to that point in history. God was setting them apart, i.e., anointed them, for His purposes; and the laws the Lord had for them were at times complex and specific, … at times very general and common sense oriented. But they were dealing with how mankind must interact in ways that glorified their God above the selfish nature of mankind.
One of the aspects of all these laws shows the mercy of God in sparing the dignity of His children when they are stripped of that dignity by poverty; and this was highlighted by today’s study passage concerning how the poor, who could not pay their debt, would be handled by those who were the lenders or land-lords. And herein we see a dilemma which plays out even today. As Jesus said, thousands of years later than Moses was living, we will always have the poor [see Matt. 26: 11]; but how we treat them in their poverty is what God’s Law was focused on in this highlighted study for today; and it’s what Jesus was dealing with in the context of the poor woman who lavished expensive perfume on Jesus to honor Him.
So, how do we personally, and as a society, handle the poor? Do you recoil, as I do, when pan-handlers are pushing you for donations with a sign on a corner in traffic which reads, “Homeless, please help!” Or another which reads, “Will work for food.” Do you immediately, as I have in the past, refuse to give, assuming that this is some drunk trying to ply a few bucks from you so that he can turn it into a bottle of cheap wine to satisfy his addiction? What do we, as Christians, do to help the poor when we live so securely and satisfied in our warm, well-fed homes and there are so many out there who will be sleeping in their cars in the cold tonight? And how do we reach out to help the poor in a way, as today’s study suggests, that we help them to retain their dignity, which has to suffer when any person is to the point of being evicted or cast into a state of homelessness?
Wow. This is a tough one. Because we’re all confronted with individual cases, like the ones I mentioned above on the street corners; but there are many others, that are bigger in social scope, that these street-corner beggars. So, we must ask ourselves what the Church and what our government is doing to give those some sense of dignity and to help them find a hand up and not so much a hand out. Easier said than done, isn’t it?
I must admit I will continue to be convicted and confronted with this dilemma beyond this morning’s devotional; and I can only pray that when I’m at least confronted, on an individual basis, that I will look to God’s Spirit to guide me in doing what I feel is right and what my Lord is leading me to do in that moment.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to do what You taught in reaching out to serve You when I see the least of those who really need my help. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today, in my study, Dr. Smith, in a rather long reading session, had me wading through many of the civil laws dispensed by God through Moses to help the people in those times of Theocracy, which had singled out the Hebrews to be unlike any culture or society on earth to that point in history. God was setting them apart, i.e., anointed them, for His purposes; and the laws the Lord had for them were at times complex and specific, … at times very general and common sense oriented. But they were dealing with how mankind must interact in ways that glorified their God above the selfish nature of mankind.
One of the aspects of all these laws shows the mercy of God in sparing the dignity of His children when they are stripped of that dignity by poverty; and this was highlighted by today’s study passage concerning how the poor, who could not pay their debt, would be handled by those who were the lenders or land-lords. And herein we see a dilemma which plays out even today. As Jesus said, thousands of years later than Moses was living, we will always have the poor [see Matt. 26: 11]; but how we treat them in their poverty is what God’s Law was focused on in this highlighted study for today; and it’s what Jesus was dealing with in the context of the poor woman who lavished expensive perfume on Jesus to honor Him.
So, how do we personally, and as a society, handle the poor? Do you recoil, as I do, when pan-handlers are pushing you for donations with a sign on a corner in traffic which reads, “Homeless, please help!” Or another which reads, “Will work for food.” Do you immediately, as I have in the past, refuse to give, assuming that this is some drunk trying to ply a few bucks from you so that he can turn it into a bottle of cheap wine to satisfy his addiction? What do we, as Christians, do to help the poor when we live so securely and satisfied in our warm, well-fed homes and there are so many out there who will be sleeping in their cars in the cold tonight? And how do we reach out to help the poor in a way, as today’s study suggests, that we help them to retain their dignity, which has to suffer when any person is to the point of being evicted or cast into a state of homelessness?
Wow. This is a tough one. Because we’re all confronted with individual cases, like the ones I mentioned above on the street corners; but there are many others, that are bigger in social scope, that these street-corner beggars. So, we must ask ourselves what the Church and what our government is doing to give those some sense of dignity and to help them find a hand up and not so much a hand out. Easier said than done, isn’t it?
I must admit I will continue to be convicted and confronted with this dilemma beyond this morning’s devotional; and I can only pray that when I’m at least confronted, on an individual basis, that I will look to God’s Spirit to guide me in doing what I feel is right and what my Lord is leading me to do in that moment.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to do what You taught in reaching out to serve You when I see the least of those who really need my help. Amen
Sunday, February 28, 2010
2010 – Feb. 28 – Mixed Signals from the Law
Study from God’s Word… Deut. 5: 17; Exod. 21: 12-14; Lev. 24: 17, 24b; Num. 35: 20-21, 16-19, 29-34; Exod. 22: 2-3; Num. 35: 22-25; Deut. 19: 4-6; Num. 35: 9-15; Deut. 19: 1-3, 7-10; Num. 35: 26-28; Deut. 19: 11-13; Num. 35: 32; Exod. 21: 25; Exod. 21: 16; Deut. 24: 7; Lev. 24: 19-20; Exod. 21: 26-27; Deut. 22: 25-29; Exod. 21: 15-21; Deut. 25: 11-12; Deut. 5: 19; Exod. 22: 1-4; Deut. 19: 14; … Passage for Reflection: Exodus 21: 20-21 … NIV 20 "If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, 21 but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.
My Journal for Today: Today’s highlighted passage (oh, I wish Dr. Smith had not chosen this one) is a case where my human comprehension cries out for explanation from God; but from our so-called “modern day” concept of justice; God’s word, in this regard, is nothing but confusing to me.
For centuries, and even into the 19th century in this county, I can imagine that this passage was used to justify the horrible enslavement of other humans, especially the stench on our country which was our enslavement of our African-American brothers/sisters. I know that there were those, even into the 20th century, wearing KKK robes and calling themselves “christian,” who spouted out this very passage as justification for their beatings of our darker-skinned brothers/sisters in Christ, whom they felt should have been retained as their “property.”
So, how do we explain many of the laws and rules of justice which I have studied today as the precursors for the system of law we have today? I’m afraid my heart, and especially my mind, is not astute enough to be able to do so with any great clarity. Dr. Smith feels that it may have been God moving His children through a cultural milieu which was much more cruel and punitive with regard to justice than those laws about which I was reading today which He imparted through Moses to His people. The pagan cultures surrounding the Israelites in Moses’ time were much harsher than would God’s Law be for the Hebrews as they were being prepared to go into the Promised Land. So, … maybe God had to give them laws which they could accept and use in their culture and their times; but by today’s standards, these laws, at times, seem bizarre at best and unusually vindictive at times.
Hence, here’s where I am forced, by my very limited ability to grasp these concepts of justice, to trust that God knew EXACTLY what He was giving His children for their just needs and cultural limitations in those days. I have to trust that God was moving His people toward the realization of justice which would come in the Person of The Messiah, Who would become the fulfillment of THE LAW. So, I’ll not try to speculate with “perhaps this” or “perhaps that” when it comes to understanding why God set His law in motion through Moses with laws like the one quoted as a study passage today.
As Dr. Smith closes, he asks a provocative question, ”If I am ever tempted to give up on God when I don’t understand how He acts (i.e., through His word and truth), what would be my alternative?” And to that I say, “Right on, brother!” When I don’t understand God’s word, I know that I’m being challenged to dig deeper into God’s full counsel (i.e., His entire Word) to get to know Him more deeply and intimately and to find His wisdom; and I know that every time I do that, I come out loving Him more, wanting to obey Him more diligently, and desiring to serve Him with more fervor. And that I know is a good and Godly pursuit, drawing me ever closer to my Savior.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to understand; but even more, help me to trust You when I don’t. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today’s highlighted passage (oh, I wish Dr. Smith had not chosen this one) is a case where my human comprehension cries out for explanation from God; but from our so-called “modern day” concept of justice; God’s word, in this regard, is nothing but confusing to me.
For centuries, and even into the 19th century in this county, I can imagine that this passage was used to justify the horrible enslavement of other humans, especially the stench on our country which was our enslavement of our African-American brothers/sisters. I know that there were those, even into the 20th century, wearing KKK robes and calling themselves “christian,” who spouted out this very passage as justification for their beatings of our darker-skinned brothers/sisters in Christ, whom they felt should have been retained as their “property.”
So, how do we explain many of the laws and rules of justice which I have studied today as the precursors for the system of law we have today? I’m afraid my heart, and especially my mind, is not astute enough to be able to do so with any great clarity. Dr. Smith feels that it may have been God moving His children through a cultural milieu which was much more cruel and punitive with regard to justice than those laws about which I was reading today which He imparted through Moses to His people. The pagan cultures surrounding the Israelites in Moses’ time were much harsher than would God’s Law be for the Hebrews as they were being prepared to go into the Promised Land. So, … maybe God had to give them laws which they could accept and use in their culture and their times; but by today’s standards, these laws, at times, seem bizarre at best and unusually vindictive at times.
Hence, here’s where I am forced, by my very limited ability to grasp these concepts of justice, to trust that God knew EXACTLY what He was giving His children for their just needs and cultural limitations in those days. I have to trust that God was moving His people toward the realization of justice which would come in the Person of The Messiah, Who would become the fulfillment of THE LAW. So, I’ll not try to speculate with “perhaps this” or “perhaps that” when it comes to understanding why God set His law in motion through Moses with laws like the one quoted as a study passage today.
As Dr. Smith closes, he asks a provocative question, ”If I am ever tempted to give up on God when I don’t understand how He acts (i.e., through His word and truth), what would be my alternative?” And to that I say, “Right on, brother!” When I don’t understand God’s word, I know that I’m being challenged to dig deeper into God’s full counsel (i.e., His entire Word) to get to know Him more deeply and intimately and to find His wisdom; and I know that every time I do that, I come out loving Him more, wanting to obey Him more diligently, and desiring to serve Him with more fervor. And that I know is a good and Godly pursuit, drawing me ever closer to my Savior.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to understand; but even more, help me to trust You when I don’t. Amen
Saturday, February 27, 2010
2010 – Feb. 27 – A Most Intriguing God
Study from God’s Word… Deut. 17: 14-20; Exod. 22: 28b; Deut. 16: 18; Deut. 17: 8-9; Deut. 17: 8-13; Deut. 1: 9-18; Exod. 23: 8, 3-6, Lev. 19: 15; Deut. 24: 17-18; Deut 16: 19-20; Deut. 5: 20; Exod. 23: 1-2; Exod. 23: 7; Deut. 19: 16-21; Deut. 19: 15; Deut. 24: 16; Deut. 25: 1-3; Deut. 21: 22-23; … Passage for Reflection: Deut. 17: 14 – 15a … NIV 14 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," 15 be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses.
My Journal for Today: Today, in my devotional studies from The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, Dr. Smith, the Editor, had me bouncing through quite a bit of the Pentateuch to see some pretty intriguing principles about God and how He governed His people during the times of Moses and those theocratic times. And in this topical area of study today, we read of God actually anticipating man’s desire – much later in history – for a king; and so we read of the establishment of God’s laws with regard to the rule of men over men by earthy kings.
And, as Smith points out, isn’t it intriguing that God would actually allow man to rule men when he knows the sin nature of His fallen creature; and when God’s chosen could see what the pagan governments and cultures which surrounded them in Moses’ day had done? But God, in His omniscience, did anticipate and establish rules and methods for kingship; and really, in retrospect, it all makes perfect sense.
And let me quote the questions raised by Dr. Smith which help us to answer this seeming conundrum. He writes, “Without earthy kings how would we (i.e., believers) understand God’s own kingship over a (His) spiritual kingdom? … Without bad kings, how could we (God’s people) appreciate good kings – especially the righteous King of kings? … And how could we learn to honor our secular leaders, whether kings, presidents, or governors?” Yes, we do serve a most intriguing God, with a most intriguing sense of justice and righteousness, as well as an infinitely intriguing sense of humor. And so, it’s our responsibility to go with God’s flow; and wow, that is certainly being called into question in today’s world, isn’t it?
We have kingdoms [i.e., nations] in today’s world which are much like the pagan lands into which God injected Moses and His people, setting them free from one such mighty nation to follow Moses, a very human sinner; but one who would follow God and lead God’s people. And we see how even Moses, who certainly had God’s ear, had trouble ruling a nation of sinners. Now, today, why would we be surprised by kings and Presidents trying to rule nations of sinners, who are very much like God’s chosen … fickle, selfish, and disobedient people? And yet, we are to understand that it is God Who establishes governments and leaders of governments – for His good favor and as part of His plan. Thereby, and therefore, we must let our leaders lead; and we must do so until and unless our leaders cause us to break God’s law and to be disobedient, individually, to our God. Then, and only then, must we stand for righteousness in anticipation of the coming of the King of kings who will rule forever on God’s throne of grace and righteousness.
So, are you hanging in these days while governments all over the world seem to be becoming more and more evil and corrupt? We must always remember that God is still in control; and His righteousness will one day rule in the Personage of the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Jesus WILL RETURN; and HE WILL RULE - … FOREVER !!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You will always be my King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today, in my devotional studies from The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, Dr. Smith, the Editor, had me bouncing through quite a bit of the Pentateuch to see some pretty intriguing principles about God and how He governed His people during the times of Moses and those theocratic times. And in this topical area of study today, we read of God actually anticipating man’s desire – much later in history – for a king; and so we read of the establishment of God’s laws with regard to the rule of men over men by earthy kings.
And, as Smith points out, isn’t it intriguing that God would actually allow man to rule men when he knows the sin nature of His fallen creature; and when God’s chosen could see what the pagan governments and cultures which surrounded them in Moses’ day had done? But God, in His omniscience, did anticipate and establish rules and methods for kingship; and really, in retrospect, it all makes perfect sense.
And let me quote the questions raised by Dr. Smith which help us to answer this seeming conundrum. He writes, “Without earthy kings how would we (i.e., believers) understand God’s own kingship over a (His) spiritual kingdom? … Without bad kings, how could we (God’s people) appreciate good kings – especially the righteous King of kings? … And how could we learn to honor our secular leaders, whether kings, presidents, or governors?” Yes, we do serve a most intriguing God, with a most intriguing sense of justice and righteousness, as well as an infinitely intriguing sense of humor. And so, it’s our responsibility to go with God’s flow; and wow, that is certainly being called into question in today’s world, isn’t it?
We have kingdoms [i.e., nations] in today’s world which are much like the pagan lands into which God injected Moses and His people, setting them free from one such mighty nation to follow Moses, a very human sinner; but one who would follow God and lead God’s people. And we see how even Moses, who certainly had God’s ear, had trouble ruling a nation of sinners. Now, today, why would we be surprised by kings and Presidents trying to rule nations of sinners, who are very much like God’s chosen … fickle, selfish, and disobedient people? And yet, we are to understand that it is God Who establishes governments and leaders of governments – for His good favor and as part of His plan. Thereby, and therefore, we must let our leaders lead; and we must do so until and unless our leaders cause us to break God’s law and to be disobedient, individually, to our God. Then, and only then, must we stand for righteousness in anticipation of the coming of the King of kings who will rule forever on God’s throne of grace and righteousness.
So, are you hanging in these days while governments all over the world seem to be becoming more and more evil and corrupt? We must always remember that God is still in control; and His righteousness will one day rule in the Personage of the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Jesus WILL RETURN; and HE WILL RULE - … FOREVER !!
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You will always be my King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen
Friday, February 26, 2010
2010 – Feb. 26 – The Making/Keeping of Vows
Study from God’s Word… Deut. 23: 1-8; Num. 6: 1-21; Lev. 27: 1-34; Deut. 23: 21-23; Lev. 19: 1-2, 19; Deut. 22: 9-11… Passage for Reflection: Deut. 23: 23 … NIV 21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.
My Journal for Today: The making and keeping of VOWS has waned in our western culture. Certainly in the days I read about in today’s study, vows were considered very important; and that would be a definite understatement. When one made a vow to God in the days of Moses, under God’s law, he was expected to keep that vow as a sign of surrender to God and man’s attempt to be holy just as God is Holy (see Lev. 19: 2 or 20: 7 in today’s OT readings or 1st Peter 1: 15, 16, repeated in the New Testament]. Today, I’m afraid that our use of vows has become far too superficial, even such ceremonial vows as marriage, which we know, in commitment and reality, only last about half the time.
Under the Old Covenant, the making and keeping of vows was serious business; and Nazirite vows were good examples of that. When a Hebrew man took a Nazirite vow, he vowed to separate himself in holiness so as to be used by God. Examples of those who took Nazirite vows in the Bible were Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist; and in those days, these Nazirites vowed to let their hair grow and abstain from wine as signs of their intent and commitment to separate themselves unto holiness. Well, we know what happened to Samson, who definitely had trouble keeping his vows. Today, about as close to making vows as most of us get is in making New Year’s resolutions; and I think we know how often these fall by the wayside when it comes to keeping them.
This year, I have undertaken to make, and prayerfully keep, some commitments that are more like vows than resolutions. I began the year attempting to activate or maintain a series of behavioral commitments which I felt were those things which helped me to deepen my desire toward becoming a “living sacrifice,” as spelled out in Romans 12: 1-2. My initial surge was a 40 day commitment to maintain these habits and record these commitments to/for God; and I was able to go through those 40 days at the outset of this year, keeping – and even reporting my daily fulfillment. At the end of the 40 days, however, I realized that I needed to keep up the accountability and maintain my “vows” to God, which I felt were Spirit-led, anointed, and a calling to become more intimate in my relationship with my Lord. THEREFORE, I have surrendered myself to keep doing and reporting these vow-like commitments, at least for the remainder of this year. Those who are part of the ministry I lead [Battle Plan Ministries] see my logging of completion of these behaviors daily so that I might be accountable, somewhere, to someone, to document what I’m doing in surrender mode to God.
I don’t desire to be seen as being a “Nazirite” or something special because of my calling to pursue these commitments. I’m not doing these things to be seen as some kind of disciplined “Minister of commitment.” If anyone really knew me, they would know how far from that is from my normal, default, and very human mode of living. Bill Berry is naturally undisciplined, disorganized, and definitely selfish. Hence, this is my need to be more serious about going into and remaining in “surrender mode,” as I call it, to a Spirit-led life which allows me to deepen my relationship with Christ.
I know that only when I make habitual choices to follow Christ will I be able to receive His enabling grace and then to become fruitful for His Kingdom. Allowing myself to go into my default, natural mode of fulfilling my fleshly tendencies, I would become useless for God. And in the spirit of self analysis (which is exhorted by God’s word in 2nd Cor. 13: 5), I would charge you to take an inventory of your commitments to God (i.e., your vows of holiness); and decide which areas you might “tune up” for God’s glory. Then, write down those commitments (“goals,” if you will); and finally develop some way to be accountable for your commitments. And this needs to be far above any new year’s type resolutions. These need to be “VOWS” in the sense of today’s highlight verse; and I think you know which ones need to be made, recorded, and maintained for God’s glory.
I know that doing what I’ve been doing thus far this year has deepened my intimacy of relationship with Christ; and that is well worth any brief failures I’ve experienced during this year.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that I can keep on keeping on in my desire and intent to be more holy and follow You. Amen
My Journal for Today: The making and keeping of VOWS has waned in our western culture. Certainly in the days I read about in today’s study, vows were considered very important; and that would be a definite understatement. When one made a vow to God in the days of Moses, under God’s law, he was expected to keep that vow as a sign of surrender to God and man’s attempt to be holy just as God is Holy (see Lev. 19: 2 or 20: 7 in today’s OT readings or 1st Peter 1: 15, 16, repeated in the New Testament]. Today, I’m afraid that our use of vows has become far too superficial, even such ceremonial vows as marriage, which we know, in commitment and reality, only last about half the time.
Under the Old Covenant, the making and keeping of vows was serious business; and Nazirite vows were good examples of that. When a Hebrew man took a Nazirite vow, he vowed to separate himself in holiness so as to be used by God. Examples of those who took Nazirite vows in the Bible were Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist; and in those days, these Nazirites vowed to let their hair grow and abstain from wine as signs of their intent and commitment to separate themselves unto holiness. Well, we know what happened to Samson, who definitely had trouble keeping his vows. Today, about as close to making vows as most of us get is in making New Year’s resolutions; and I think we know how often these fall by the wayside when it comes to keeping them.
This year, I have undertaken to make, and prayerfully keep, some commitments that are more like vows than resolutions. I began the year attempting to activate or maintain a series of behavioral commitments which I felt were those things which helped me to deepen my desire toward becoming a “living sacrifice,” as spelled out in Romans 12: 1-2. My initial surge was a 40 day commitment to maintain these habits and record these commitments to/for God; and I was able to go through those 40 days at the outset of this year, keeping – and even reporting my daily fulfillment. At the end of the 40 days, however, I realized that I needed to keep up the accountability and maintain my “vows” to God, which I felt were Spirit-led, anointed, and a calling to become more intimate in my relationship with my Lord. THEREFORE, I have surrendered myself to keep doing and reporting these vow-like commitments, at least for the remainder of this year. Those who are part of the ministry I lead [Battle Plan Ministries] see my logging of completion of these behaviors daily so that I might be accountable, somewhere, to someone, to document what I’m doing in surrender mode to God.
I don’t desire to be seen as being a “Nazirite” or something special because of my calling to pursue these commitments. I’m not doing these things to be seen as some kind of disciplined “Minister of commitment.” If anyone really knew me, they would know how far from that is from my normal, default, and very human mode of living. Bill Berry is naturally undisciplined, disorganized, and definitely selfish. Hence, this is my need to be more serious about going into and remaining in “surrender mode,” as I call it, to a Spirit-led life which allows me to deepen my relationship with Christ.
I know that only when I make habitual choices to follow Christ will I be able to receive His enabling grace and then to become fruitful for His Kingdom. Allowing myself to go into my default, natural mode of fulfilling my fleshly tendencies, I would become useless for God. And in the spirit of self analysis (which is exhorted by God’s word in 2nd Cor. 13: 5), I would charge you to take an inventory of your commitments to God (i.e., your vows of holiness); and decide which areas you might “tune up” for God’s glory. Then, write down those commitments (“goals,” if you will); and finally develop some way to be accountable for your commitments. And this needs to be far above any new year’s type resolutions. These need to be “VOWS” in the sense of today’s highlight verse; and I think you know which ones need to be made, recorded, and maintained for God’s glory.
I know that doing what I’ve been doing thus far this year has deepened my intimacy of relationship with Christ; and that is well worth any brief failures I’ve experienced during this year.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that I can keep on keeping on in my desire and intent to be more holy and follow You. Amen
Thursday, February 25, 2010
2010 – Feb. 25 – Water, Water, Everywhere
Study from God’s Word… Lev. 12: 1-8; Lev. 14: 1-32; Lev. 15: 13-15, 28-30; Num. 19: 1-22 [Num. 9: 10]; … Passage for Reflection: Lev. 14: 8a … NIV "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. …”
My Journal for Today: My readings for today focused on the ceremonial cleansing, such as actions or offerings, which were required by God and the Israelite Priesthood, especially when God’s people confronted certain elements of life such as childbirth, certain diseases [especially skin diseases], bodily secretions, and contact or close presence with a dead body. My devotional shepherd, Dr. Smith, had me reading about many of the Hebrew ceremonies, offerings, and actions required of the people who were confronted with some of these life challenging issues which God’s Law had laid out to help protect His people.
For example in my focus verse/passage for today, I read about how someone with a skin disease was required to be cleansed by the Priests, … first outside the camp; and then, after that ritual cleansing, he was to stay outside his own tent for seven days and be cleansed for a week with ceremonially blessed waters by the Priests until he was bodily healed and ceremoniously cleansed.
As Dr. Smith points out, many religions have ceremonial cleansing with water in their rituals; and often these rituals picture the basic sinfulness of man and the need to be cleansed from sin. Hindus actually “bath” themselves in the polluted waters of the Ganges, believing that it cleanses the soul of the one so cleansed. I’ve been to the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem; and I know that the Muslims entering their temple there have to be “cleansed” by a ceremonial washing before entering the Temple. And even Christ submitted Himself to the ceremonial cleansing of the waters of the Jordan River as He, being baptized by John, the Baptistizer, wanted to paint the picture of the need for man to be cleansed of sinfulness by submitting himself to the cleansing of God’s Spirit. This latter process, of course (i.e., Baptism) doesn’t save the believer who is baptized. No, it merely signifies that the person has surrendered to God, in submission to the cleansing of the blood of the Lamb of God, who shed His blood for our sins on the Cross at Calvary. And if you go back to Leviticus 14: 1-8, you’ll read how the blood of a clean dove was sacrificed by the Priest who combined that blood with the ceremonial water for cleansing of the one with the skin disease. All of these are pictures of God’s desire that we be cleansed of our sin and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God.
When asked about the saving power of baptism, I once heard a preacher say, “That water [in the Baptismal font] doesn’t save anyone. If you haven’t surrendered your life to the Lordship of Christ when you’re baptized, you’ll come up out of the water, and all you’ll be is a wet sinner.” And that is Dr. F. LaGard Smith’s point today, as he closes his devotional entry with this application question, “If God has painted me pure in the waters of baptism, have I allowed myself to become polluted?” And it is so true that we can be made positionally holy by believing in and receiving the baptism of God’s Spirit with our faith in the atoning and finished act of Christ’s death and resurrection; but practically, our sin choices can make us as unclean as those Jews with skin diseases who needed to be ceremonially cleansed from their disease.
We need to ask ourselves if we are living out the holiness which became our right of cleansing when we were cleansed by the blood of Christ. If not, we need to be cleansed by our own personal surrender in confession to God so that we can receive His promised cleansing by His Spirit (see 1st John 1: 9 - linked) How about it? Are we keeping short accounts for our sins; and are we living out the cleansing which has been given to us by our Savior on the Cross?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to live holy because You are holy; and my only reflection of Your holiness comes in the way I make my choices and live my life. I am cleansed by the blood of the Lamb; and so, may I live cleanly to show Your presence in my life. Amen
My Journal for Today: My readings for today focused on the ceremonial cleansing, such as actions or offerings, which were required by God and the Israelite Priesthood, especially when God’s people confronted certain elements of life such as childbirth, certain diseases [especially skin diseases], bodily secretions, and contact or close presence with a dead body. My devotional shepherd, Dr. Smith, had me reading about many of the Hebrew ceremonies, offerings, and actions required of the people who were confronted with some of these life challenging issues which God’s Law had laid out to help protect His people.
For example in my focus verse/passage for today, I read about how someone with a skin disease was required to be cleansed by the Priests, … first outside the camp; and then, after that ritual cleansing, he was to stay outside his own tent for seven days and be cleansed for a week with ceremonially blessed waters by the Priests until he was bodily healed and ceremoniously cleansed.
As Dr. Smith points out, many religions have ceremonial cleansing with water in their rituals; and often these rituals picture the basic sinfulness of man and the need to be cleansed from sin. Hindus actually “bath” themselves in the polluted waters of the Ganges, believing that it cleanses the soul of the one so cleansed. I’ve been to the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem; and I know that the Muslims entering their temple there have to be “cleansed” by a ceremonial washing before entering the Temple. And even Christ submitted Himself to the ceremonial cleansing of the waters of the Jordan River as He, being baptized by John, the Baptistizer, wanted to paint the picture of the need for man to be cleansed of sinfulness by submitting himself to the cleansing of God’s Spirit. This latter process, of course (i.e., Baptism) doesn’t save the believer who is baptized. No, it merely signifies that the person has surrendered to God, in submission to the cleansing of the blood of the Lamb of God, who shed His blood for our sins on the Cross at Calvary. And if you go back to Leviticus 14: 1-8, you’ll read how the blood of a clean dove was sacrificed by the Priest who combined that blood with the ceremonial water for cleansing of the one with the skin disease. All of these are pictures of God’s desire that we be cleansed of our sin and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God.
When asked about the saving power of baptism, I once heard a preacher say, “That water [in the Baptismal font] doesn’t save anyone. If you haven’t surrendered your life to the Lordship of Christ when you’re baptized, you’ll come up out of the water, and all you’ll be is a wet sinner.” And that is Dr. F. LaGard Smith’s point today, as he closes his devotional entry with this application question, “If God has painted me pure in the waters of baptism, have I allowed myself to become polluted?” And it is so true that we can be made positionally holy by believing in and receiving the baptism of God’s Spirit with our faith in the atoning and finished act of Christ’s death and resurrection; but practically, our sin choices can make us as unclean as those Jews with skin diseases who needed to be ceremonially cleansed from their disease.
We need to ask ourselves if we are living out the holiness which became our right of cleansing when we were cleansed by the blood of Christ. If not, we need to be cleansed by our own personal surrender in confession to God so that we can receive His promised cleansing by His Spirit (see 1st John 1: 9 - linked) How about it? Are we keeping short accounts for our sins; and are we living out the cleansing which has been given to us by our Savior on the Cross?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to live holy because You are holy; and my only reflection of Your holiness comes in the way I make my choices and live my life. I am cleansed by the blood of the Lamb; and so, may I live cleanly to show Your presence in my life. Amen
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
2010 – Feb. 24 – Jubilee Freedom!
Study from God’s Word… Lev. 21: 1-24; Lev. 22: 1-16; Lev. 25: 1-7: Exod. 23: 10-11; Lev. 25: 8-34, 39-43, 47-55 … Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 25: 10 … NIV Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.
My Journal for Today: Today in my study of many of the rules and practices given to the ancient Jewish Priesthood for the establishment of God’s rule on earth to His people, there was the establishment of the year of Jubilee, a festival which was to be celebrated every 50 years amongst the Hebrew people; and like many things in the establishment of God’s way of living in ancient Israel, Jubilee was a picture of something special to come; and that was also found in and connected to the feast of Pentecost, which was to take place 50 days after each Passover. So, after 50 years of celebrating Pentecost there would be for the Jewish people a special year of Jubilee in which debts were forgiven, land was returned to the original owners, and slaves were freed. And God’s people celebrated that freedom could only come and be granted through and because of their observance of God’s laws.
And the picture God was providing in Jubilee was of THE DAY of Pentecost, which finally came when the Spirit of the Lord descended on those who had repented of their sins after Jesus was crucified (i.e., those we consider the original “Church”); and then, the fulfillment of the spiritual picture of Jubilee took place. As F. LaGard Smith so aptly points out in his devotional, the people after Jesus ascension into Heaven, becoming “THE Church.” And as we know from Acts 2, Peter, was preaching the message of deliverance to God’s people, and the people asked “What must we do?,” seeing their guilt for Christ’s crucifixion. And to this Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And we know that God’s Spirit, in what must have been a glorious Jubilee in Heaven, descended on the early church and for any who would be a part of God’s Church from thence forth.
As Dr. Smith points out, ”Like Jubilee’s turning back of property, REPENTANCE is a turning back of one’s life. Like Jubilee’s redemption, FORGIVENESS is the discharge of debt for sin. And just as with Jubilee’s freedom for those enslaved, the GIFT OF THE SPIRIT accompanies freedom from spiritual bondage.” And when a believer comes to repent of his/her sinfulness and receives the saving Grace offered by Christ’s atoning blood sacrifice, it is no wonder that there is a Jubilee celebration in heaven by God’s angels, who celebrate that all that Christ came to earth to accomplish (you can read about that in Luke 4: 18-19 - linked here) becomes worthy of celebration in heaven as a life is set free from the bondage of sin and ultimately remade into the image of Christ, The Lord and Savior.
To close his devotional entry for today, Dr. Smith asks, ”Have I (or ‘have you’) prepared the way for my [or ‘our’] own jubilee by doing what the celebrants on Pentecost did?” And only you or I can answer that one for ourselves. But if we’ve acknowledged our sinfulness before God’s throne of grace; and if we’ve declared with our mouth [to another Christian as well as to God] that Jesus is your LORD and Savior [see Rom. 10: 9-13 - linked ] the angels in heaven have celebrated our Jubilee of deliverance; and we have been invested with the presence and power of God’s Spirit to provide us, as truly repentant souls, deliverance and freedom in Christ.
And to that, we, who have had our own Pentecost, must all celebrate and say, “HALLELUJAH!!!”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that all who read here have felt the deliverance that Your freedom from sin can offer in our Jubilee of coming to know You as Lord and Savior. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today in my study of many of the rules and practices given to the ancient Jewish Priesthood for the establishment of God’s rule on earth to His people, there was the establishment of the year of Jubilee, a festival which was to be celebrated every 50 years amongst the Hebrew people; and like many things in the establishment of God’s way of living in ancient Israel, Jubilee was a picture of something special to come; and that was also found in and connected to the feast of Pentecost, which was to take place 50 days after each Passover. So, after 50 years of celebrating Pentecost there would be for the Jewish people a special year of Jubilee in which debts were forgiven, land was returned to the original owners, and slaves were freed. And God’s people celebrated that freedom could only come and be granted through and because of their observance of God’s laws.
And the picture God was providing in Jubilee was of THE DAY of Pentecost, which finally came when the Spirit of the Lord descended on those who had repented of their sins after Jesus was crucified (i.e., those we consider the original “Church”); and then, the fulfillment of the spiritual picture of Jubilee took place. As F. LaGard Smith so aptly points out in his devotional, the people after Jesus ascension into Heaven, becoming “THE Church.” And as we know from Acts 2, Peter, was preaching the message of deliverance to God’s people, and the people asked “What must we do?,” seeing their guilt for Christ’s crucifixion. And to this Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And we know that God’s Spirit, in what must have been a glorious Jubilee in Heaven, descended on the early church and for any who would be a part of God’s Church from thence forth.
As Dr. Smith points out, ”Like Jubilee’s turning back of property, REPENTANCE is a turning back of one’s life. Like Jubilee’s redemption, FORGIVENESS is the discharge of debt for sin. And just as with Jubilee’s freedom for those enslaved, the GIFT OF THE SPIRIT accompanies freedom from spiritual bondage.” And when a believer comes to repent of his/her sinfulness and receives the saving Grace offered by Christ’s atoning blood sacrifice, it is no wonder that there is a Jubilee celebration in heaven by God’s angels, who celebrate that all that Christ came to earth to accomplish (you can read about that in Luke 4: 18-19 - linked here) becomes worthy of celebration in heaven as a life is set free from the bondage of sin and ultimately remade into the image of Christ, The Lord and Savior.
To close his devotional entry for today, Dr. Smith asks, ”Have I (or ‘have you’) prepared the way for my [or ‘our’] own jubilee by doing what the celebrants on Pentecost did?” And only you or I can answer that one for ourselves. But if we’ve acknowledged our sinfulness before God’s throne of grace; and if we’ve declared with our mouth [to another Christian as well as to God] that Jesus is your LORD and Savior [see Rom. 10: 9-13 - linked ] the angels in heaven have celebrated our Jubilee of deliverance; and we have been invested with the presence and power of God’s Spirit to provide us, as truly repentant souls, deliverance and freedom in Christ.
And to that, we, who have had our own Pentecost, must all celebrate and say, “HALLELUJAH!!!”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that all who read here have felt the deliverance that Your freedom from sin can offer in our Jubilee of coming to know You as Lord and Savior. Amen
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
2010 – Feb. 23 – Communal Responsibility
Study from God’s Word… Lev. 5: 14-19; Lev. 6: 1-7; Lev. 7: 1-10, 37-38; Num. 28: 9-15; Deut. 21: 1-9; Lev. 22: 17-25 [Deut. 17: 1]; Lev. 22: 26-30; Ex. 23: 18: 35, 34: 25; Lev. 14: 1-9; Num. 6: 22-27; … Passage for Reflection: Deuteronomy 21: 6-8 … NIV 6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8 Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
My Journal for Today: As I’m reading today through the various rules and offerings which were required of God’s people in my daily reading of the Daily Bible in Chronological Order, we come across a section in Deut. 21: 1-9 where offerings for an unknown murderer are discussed; and one might ask, why would God, in His instructions to His people, especially the leaders of the people, discuss the communal responsibility of a town or group of people where a corpse was discovered and the community didn’t have a clue who was responsible for the murder?
Then Dr. Smith poignantly points out that with full knowledge of the “law” that a community of God’s people must take some responsibility for even an unknown murder. Then, we think about those Jewish believers, especially the leader elite, who called for the blood of Jesus to be shed on the cross. What responsibility, given their full knowledge of this section of God’s Law, did they take for that murder? And then I think of a very personal thing which happened for me just a year ago when my wife and I were with a group of Christians on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
At one point in our sightseeing, we were led to the place in Jerusalem where archeologists believe Jesus was nailed to the cross. I’ll not go into how they know that; but I will mention that there are carvings in the stones which show that Roman soldiers were playing games, casting lots for clothing. And so, as I was standing on those stones, I looked down at my feet; and I began to weep because I realized that it was MY sin which nailed MY Savior to that cross. I realized that I was not only no better than the mob who cried for Christ’s death, I was equally responsible for each nail which was driven into the body of my Savior.
In some sense, when we read each day – as we here in the Memphis area certainly do – of murders, rape, and other senseless crimes, we must take some degree of corporate spiritual responsibility for those crimes. We may not pull the trigger in a murder or rape a weakened woman; but we can’t say were blameless as a community for the atmosphere which breeds such senseless crime. As F. LaGard Smith wrote to close his devotional for today, ”As I go about my community today, what vulnerable lives will I be touching for good or for ill?”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, we touch others with our influence, … with our caring, …or with our lack of concern. May I be one who makes a difference for Your glory today, Lord, and may I give honor to You in the way I treat others. Amen
My Journal for Today: As I’m reading today through the various rules and offerings which were required of God’s people in my daily reading of the Daily Bible in Chronological Order, we come across a section in Deut. 21: 1-9 where offerings for an unknown murderer are discussed; and one might ask, why would God, in His instructions to His people, especially the leaders of the people, discuss the communal responsibility of a town or group of people where a corpse was discovered and the community didn’t have a clue who was responsible for the murder?
Then Dr. Smith poignantly points out that with full knowledge of the “law” that a community of God’s people must take some responsibility for even an unknown murder. Then, we think about those Jewish believers, especially the leader elite, who called for the blood of Jesus to be shed on the cross. What responsibility, given their full knowledge of this section of God’s Law, did they take for that murder? And then I think of a very personal thing which happened for me just a year ago when my wife and I were with a group of Christians on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
At one point in our sightseeing, we were led to the place in Jerusalem where archeologists believe Jesus was nailed to the cross. I’ll not go into how they know that; but I will mention that there are carvings in the stones which show that Roman soldiers were playing games, casting lots for clothing. And so, as I was standing on those stones, I looked down at my feet; and I began to weep because I realized that it was MY sin which nailed MY Savior to that cross. I realized that I was not only no better than the mob who cried for Christ’s death, I was equally responsible for each nail which was driven into the body of my Savior.
In some sense, when we read each day – as we here in the Memphis area certainly do – of murders, rape, and other senseless crimes, we must take some degree of corporate spiritual responsibility for those crimes. We may not pull the trigger in a murder or rape a weakened woman; but we can’t say were blameless as a community for the atmosphere which breeds such senseless crime. As F. LaGard Smith wrote to close his devotional for today, ”As I go about my community today, what vulnerable lives will I be touching for good or for ill?”
My Prayer for Today: Lord, we touch others with our influence, … with our caring, …or with our lack of concern. May I be one who makes a difference for Your glory today, Lord, and may I give honor to You in the way I treat others. Amen
Monday, February 22, 2010
2010 – Feb. 22 – Unintentional Sin
Study from God’s Word… Lev. 3: 1-17; Lev. 7: 11-21, 28-36; Lev. 17: 1-7; Lev. 4: 1-35 [Num. 15: 22-28]; Lev. 5: 1-13; Lev. 6: 24-30; Num. 15: 29-31 … Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 4: 27-28 … NIV " 'If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, he is guilty. 28 When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect.’ “
My Journal for Today: Is God way too tough on His children to make them atone for sins committed unintentionally? Well, from man’s point of view and since we’re all sinners in the sight of an absolutely Holy God [remember Romans 3: 23], one might want for our God to turn His head of judgment and look the other way for those things we do, especially unintentionally, which fall short of His mark of holiness. But, as God’s word makes it very clear, God cannot do this, being the mark of Holiness Who demands that anyone coming to Him must be presented to Him completely and utterly cleansed of sinfulness. But there’s only one way that can happen; and God has made a way.
Sure, we might say that it’s unfair for God to have such high standards now that we inherit the sin nature, naturally, from our sinner parents, Adam and Eve. But God’s standard is God’s standard; and so He set up this way for His people in ancient Israel to atone and be cleansed for their sins; and we read of this in today’s highlight passage. And if you’re a Christian today, aren’t you glad that God made a way – THE WAY – for our sins to be cleansed, once and for all, by the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross? And we, who plead the blood of Christ, acknowledging our sinfulness and believing on the atoning sacrifice of Christ, will positionally be made right in God’s eyes forever. Do I sense a loud “HALLELUJAH!” from any reading here, joining me in my sense of gratefulness in this moment?
Now, we know that we are still sinners, … even those of us who have received God’s saving grace of mercy from our faith in what Christ did for us. And so, what about what we must do to make amends for our sin? And the word of God, from the Apostle John’s first letter is clear on that. And I hope you know – by heart – the wonderful words of promise from 1st John 1: 9, which states in the NIV, If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Wow! What a wondrous promise for a sinner like myself, … one who knows that I’m never going to be able to stand before my God, at any moment in time, without being able to plead the shed blood of my Lord and Savior, Who was sacrificed on that cross, shedding His blood, that I might be able to come to God and be cleansed of any sin, any time, any where … CLEANSED COMPLETELY … forever! But that means that I must do all I can to be aware of and keep short accounts for my sinfulness, … doing all I can to avoid sin; and then by confessing and pleading the blood of Jesus whenever I discover – intentionally or unintentionally – that I have transgressed in sin.
Oh, every day and in every way may I keep myself cleansed from my sin by my confession and contrition in God’s sight.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You are so wondrously forgiving and merciful; and I’m so grateful to have a Savior, Who stood for me on that cross, shedding His blood that I may be cleansed from my sin and presented to You, dear Father, holy in Your sight. Amen
My Journal for Today: Is God way too tough on His children to make them atone for sins committed unintentionally? Well, from man’s point of view and since we’re all sinners in the sight of an absolutely Holy God [remember Romans 3: 23], one might want for our God to turn His head of judgment and look the other way for those things we do, especially unintentionally, which fall short of His mark of holiness. But, as God’s word makes it very clear, God cannot do this, being the mark of Holiness Who demands that anyone coming to Him must be presented to Him completely and utterly cleansed of sinfulness. But there’s only one way that can happen; and God has made a way.
Sure, we might say that it’s unfair for God to have such high standards now that we inherit the sin nature, naturally, from our sinner parents, Adam and Eve. But God’s standard is God’s standard; and so He set up this way for His people in ancient Israel to atone and be cleansed for their sins; and we read of this in today’s highlight passage. And if you’re a Christian today, aren’t you glad that God made a way – THE WAY – for our sins to be cleansed, once and for all, by the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross? And we, who plead the blood of Christ, acknowledging our sinfulness and believing on the atoning sacrifice of Christ, will positionally be made right in God’s eyes forever. Do I sense a loud “HALLELUJAH!” from any reading here, joining me in my sense of gratefulness in this moment?
Now, we know that we are still sinners, … even those of us who have received God’s saving grace of mercy from our faith in what Christ did for us. And so, what about what we must do to make amends for our sin? And the word of God, from the Apostle John’s first letter is clear on that. And I hope you know – by heart – the wonderful words of promise from 1st John 1: 9, which states in the NIV, If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Wow! What a wondrous promise for a sinner like myself, … one who knows that I’m never going to be able to stand before my God, at any moment in time, without being able to plead the shed blood of my Lord and Savior, Who was sacrificed on that cross, shedding His blood, that I might be able to come to God and be cleansed of any sin, any time, any where … CLEANSED COMPLETELY … forever! But that means that I must do all I can to be aware of and keep short accounts for my sinfulness, … doing all I can to avoid sin; and then by confessing and pleading the blood of Jesus whenever I discover – intentionally or unintentionally – that I have transgressed in sin.
Oh, every day and in every way may I keep myself cleansed from my sin by my confession and contrition in God’s sight.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You are so wondrously forgiving and merciful; and I’m so grateful to have a Savior, Who stood for me on that cross, shedding His blood that I may be cleansed from my sin and presented to You, dear Father, holy in Your sight. Amen
Sunday, February 21, 2010
2010 – Feb. 21 – Keeping Faith Alive
Study from God’s word: Lev. 1: 1 – 17; Lev. 6: 8 – 13; Num. 28: 1-8; Lev. 17: 8-9; Lev. 2: 1-10; Lev. 2: 11-13, 14-16; Lev. 6: 14-23; Num. 15: 1-12; Num. 15: 13-21; … Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 6: 13 … NIV The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.
My Journal for Today: Today my trek through the times of Moses from my Daily Bible reading had me looking at the sacrifices and offerings which God established to help in the removal of guilt (i.e., the expiation of sin) from a people who were born into sin and needed the removal or payment (i.e., propitiation) of that sin on a continual basis. The Day of Atonement, for example, was an annual feast (now called “Yom Kippur”) where the people were given an opportunity to confess and have atonement for their sins through the sacrifices and offerings brought to God’s altar on that day. And a blood sacrifice was necessary for that to be accomplished through these ceremonies. But God knew that His people needed more than an annual feast to keep the fires of worship burning for God so that He could pour His grace out for His chosen people.
And one thing Dr. Smith did in this study of the sacrifices and offerings the people was to highlight what was required of the Priests for devotion and worship, keeping the fire of the altar lit and burning continuously (see the focus verse for today in Lev. 6: 13). Why did God order the Priesthood to keep the worship altar fire burning? Well, I’d bet that you know the answer to that one. It’s because God knows how hard it is for His children to keep their minds/hearts focused and burning in worship to our God, Who is our protector, provider, and the essence of our purpose. God knows – and we’ve seen – just how weak of purpose we can be in our continual worship of our God. But we need to remember that we, as Christians, are now God’s Priesthood (see 1st Pet. 2: 9); and thereby we need to keep that fire of devotion burning in our hearts, where God now resides, forever.
Did any of you make New Year’s resolutions this year; … maybe to lose weight; … perhaps to exercise more and more regularly; … maybe to have a deeper and more devoted quiet time with God each morning? How’re you doing? Well, if you are like many of us, it’s easy to let the demands of the flesh or of the world interrupt our commitment; and our focus and attention to our Godly goals wane, breaking through and letting the fires of devotion dwindle and then to die. Do I sense a confession of “Amen!” to that?
Well, God, knowing how easy it would be for His children, who had a heart described by Jeremiah (see Jer. 17: 9) as “deceitful … beyond cure,” commanded the Priests, the spiritual leaders for God’s people to keep the flame on the altar of worship burning – continually - to remind the people to hold their worship out for God on a daily basis. It is far easier to keep a fire burning than to have to restart it when it has died out, … isn’t it? And once someone has developed a habit of regular devotion, worship, or Bible study, it would be a lot easier to keep it going daily than to let the habit dwindle and die and then have to restart and re-establish the habit again. But unfortunately the latter is the way most New Year’s resolutions go, … don’t they?
So, where do we go with this very human tendency to let the fires of purpose die in our lives? Well, if we know that we need to have a regular and deeper devotional life with God, when and how are we going to relight the fire and keep it burning? Would it be better to wait until tomorrow or begin again today? And if the answer is today, as we know would be better, what do we need to do set the fire of our worship/devotion of God ablaze for His glory?
At the beginning of this year, I did an inventory of my life and determined a number of disciplines which were honoring to God, … disciplines which I needed to keep going or to get going. I listed them and began on a 40 days of commitment to document and report [to a select accountability group] how I was doing on these disciplines as part of my daily devotion to God.
Well, I was able to do the 40 days; but then I realized that if I didn’t keep this fire burning in the way I had started it – on a daily basis, my own default sin nature would likely let it burn out sometime down the road. So, I made a commitment on Day 40 to make it a 365 day commitment to the Lord and report every day to my select group how I was doing on my list of offerings of purpose. If you are in the group who get this devotional journal with my daily listing of behavioral entries, you would know that I’m still doing my listings daily. And I’m reporting this to praise God for giving me the enabling grace to keep this fire of devotion to Him burning (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
Have I waxed and waned on some of the individual disciplines? Yes, I have; but I immediately know it as I report it daily; and I can – and have – rekindled that fire to keep it burning. Recognizing how weak I can be, this is my way of following through with my behavioral and devotional offerings daily; … to keep the fires of worship burning in my heart for God. And I recognize that this may not be a way that you can or will keep your worship fires for God burning. However, I maintain that you’re going to need to do something, on a daily basis, to do it; because we do have a flesh which will pull us away from God. And we have an arch enemy, Satan, who will pour gas on those fleshly embers so that our fleshly choices will draw us away from keeping the fires of devotion lit and burning for God.
How are you keeping your fires of commitment burning – every day - for God?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to keep my fires burning each day; no, each moment, for You! Amen
My Journal for Today: Today my trek through the times of Moses from my Daily Bible reading had me looking at the sacrifices and offerings which God established to help in the removal of guilt (i.e., the expiation of sin) from a people who were born into sin and needed the removal or payment (i.e., propitiation) of that sin on a continual basis. The Day of Atonement, for example, was an annual feast (now called “Yom Kippur”) where the people were given an opportunity to confess and have atonement for their sins through the sacrifices and offerings brought to God’s altar on that day. And a blood sacrifice was necessary for that to be accomplished through these ceremonies. But God knew that His people needed more than an annual feast to keep the fires of worship burning for God so that He could pour His grace out for His chosen people.
And one thing Dr. Smith did in this study of the sacrifices and offerings the people was to highlight what was required of the Priests for devotion and worship, keeping the fire of the altar lit and burning continuously (see the focus verse for today in Lev. 6: 13). Why did God order the Priesthood to keep the worship altar fire burning? Well, I’d bet that you know the answer to that one. It’s because God knows how hard it is for His children to keep their minds/hearts focused and burning in worship to our God, Who is our protector, provider, and the essence of our purpose. God knows – and we’ve seen – just how weak of purpose we can be in our continual worship of our God. But we need to remember that we, as Christians, are now God’s Priesthood (see 1st Pet. 2: 9); and thereby we need to keep that fire of devotion burning in our hearts, where God now resides, forever.
Did any of you make New Year’s resolutions this year; … maybe to lose weight; … perhaps to exercise more and more regularly; … maybe to have a deeper and more devoted quiet time with God each morning? How’re you doing? Well, if you are like many of us, it’s easy to let the demands of the flesh or of the world interrupt our commitment; and our focus and attention to our Godly goals wane, breaking through and letting the fires of devotion dwindle and then to die. Do I sense a confession of “Amen!” to that?
Well, God, knowing how easy it would be for His children, who had a heart described by Jeremiah (see Jer. 17: 9) as “deceitful … beyond cure,” commanded the Priests, the spiritual leaders for God’s people to keep the flame on the altar of worship burning – continually - to remind the people to hold their worship out for God on a daily basis. It is far easier to keep a fire burning than to have to restart it when it has died out, … isn’t it? And once someone has developed a habit of regular devotion, worship, or Bible study, it would be a lot easier to keep it going daily than to let the habit dwindle and die and then have to restart and re-establish the habit again. But unfortunately the latter is the way most New Year’s resolutions go, … don’t they?
So, where do we go with this very human tendency to let the fires of purpose die in our lives? Well, if we know that we need to have a regular and deeper devotional life with God, when and how are we going to relight the fire and keep it burning? Would it be better to wait until tomorrow or begin again today? And if the answer is today, as we know would be better, what do we need to do set the fire of our worship/devotion of God ablaze for His glory?
At the beginning of this year, I did an inventory of my life and determined a number of disciplines which were honoring to God, … disciplines which I needed to keep going or to get going. I listed them and began on a 40 days of commitment to document and report [to a select accountability group] how I was doing on these disciplines as part of my daily devotion to God.
Well, I was able to do the 40 days; but then I realized that if I didn’t keep this fire burning in the way I had started it – on a daily basis, my own default sin nature would likely let it burn out sometime down the road. So, I made a commitment on Day 40 to make it a 365 day commitment to the Lord and report every day to my select group how I was doing on my list of offerings of purpose. If you are in the group who get this devotional journal with my daily listing of behavioral entries, you would know that I’m still doing my listings daily. And I’m reporting this to praise God for giving me the enabling grace to keep this fire of devotion to Him burning (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9).
Have I waxed and waned on some of the individual disciplines? Yes, I have; but I immediately know it as I report it daily; and I can – and have – rekindled that fire to keep it burning. Recognizing how weak I can be, this is my way of following through with my behavioral and devotional offerings daily; … to keep the fires of worship burning in my heart for God. And I recognize that this may not be a way that you can or will keep your worship fires for God burning. However, I maintain that you’re going to need to do something, on a daily basis, to do it; because we do have a flesh which will pull us away from God. And we have an arch enemy, Satan, who will pour gas on those fleshly embers so that our fleshly choices will draw us away from keeping the fires of devotion lit and burning for God.
How are you keeping your fires of commitment burning – every day - for God?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to keep my fires burning each day; no, each moment, for You! Amen
Saturday, February 20, 2010
2010 – Feb. 20 – Chasing Away Scapegoats
Study from God’s Word - Exod. 23: 14-17, 34: 23; Deut. 16: 16-17; Exod. 34: 24; Exod. 34: 18; Deut. 16: 1-7; Num. 9: 13-14; Lev. 23: 4-8; Num. 28: 16-17; Deut. 16: 8; Num. 28: 18-25; Deut. 16: 9-12; Lev. 23: 9-14; Exod. 34:22; Lev. 23: 15-21; Numb. 28: 26-31; Lev. 23: 23-25; Num. 29: 1-6; Lev. 16: 1-5; Lev. 16: 6-34; Lev. 23: 26-32; Num. 29: 7-11; Lev. 23: 33-43; Num 29: 12-38; Deut. 16: 13-15; Lev. 23: 37-38, 44; Num. 29: 39-40 … Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 16: 22; … NIV The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
My Journal for Today: Well, my guess is that you didn’t likely follow me by reading all of the verses to which my Bible Reading guide has led me to read yesterday or today. When I saw what was asked of me to read/study today in my devotional bible series, I thought of the times when, staying overnight with grandparents, my grandmother would give me medicine, several teaspoons of Castor Oil, when I had an upset stomach. I remember that the second and third of those teaspoons, once having tasted the first, became terribly “yukky,” as she would say to me, “Now, young man, you take this because you need it!”
Well, my devotional guide today was having me study God’s instigation of the various FEASTS which were established by God to help God’s people remember and worship their God, helping them to remember what He had put them through and saved them from in their past. It was God’s way in those days to help God’s children retain their focus of worship in the One True God, Who had established an everlasting covenant with His people.
Well, it was tough reading; but it was good medicine for me to realize that we, of the New Covenant, can – and do – celebrate all that ancient Israel celebrated in our worship of Jesus Christ, Who, by becoming the sacrificial lamb, allow us to become the scapegoat and to run free, our sins having been atoned for by His blood sacrifice.
And it is this latter element of celebrated worship upon which F. LaGard Smith focuses in his highlighted verse for today from Leviticus 16: 22, which describes how, during the Day of Atonement, now called “Yom Kippur,” the priest laid his hands on the head of one of lambs, which was then sent out into the wilderness as a symbol of God laying all the confessed sins of His people on the head of another, perfect lamb. And it was this second, perfect lamb, who, by lot, became the blood sacrifice for the sins of all of God’s people.
I know it can seem so contrived that God would create such an elaborate way for God to give His people a way of celebrating what God had done for His people; but it was also God’s way of painting a picture of what would one day be the very real and final way for God to set His people free from their sins. And I’m sure it’s not difficult for Christians today to see whom has become the scapegoat and Whom was the perfect Lamb of sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Our sins, of course, were laid on the head of the Lamb of God, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ; and we become the scapegoat, running free into the wilderness as the Lamb of God became the atoning blood sacrifice for our confessed sins.
Dr. Smith’s question today hits deep after I took my “medicine” and read through all that God did in ancient Israel to paint a ceremonial picture of what would take place when the perfect Lamb of God would be taken outside the city and sacrificed, becoming the sacrificial Lamb, shedding His blood so that I can live and go free, having confessed my sins and letting the Lamb of God take upon Himself my sins; and paying for my sin debt with His blood. Dr. Smith’s question is this: ”Does my gratitude match the extent of Christ’s love when He willingly became a scapegoat for the sins I will commit even this very day?”
As we enter the season of lent – the 40 days prior to Easter – we have to answer that question by the attitude we hold about what we’re willing to do to remember what God did for us by providing His Lamb to become both the scapegoat and the sacrificial lamb, taking our sins upon Himself and shedding His blood so that we can live and walk free for eternity. I’m glad I took my medicine today and read these passages to remind me of just how much I take for granted.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I’m totally convicted by my sinfulness and so grateful for Your sacrifice. Amen
My Journal for Today: Well, my guess is that you didn’t likely follow me by reading all of the verses to which my Bible Reading guide has led me to read yesterday or today. When I saw what was asked of me to read/study today in my devotional bible series, I thought of the times when, staying overnight with grandparents, my grandmother would give me medicine, several teaspoons of Castor Oil, when I had an upset stomach. I remember that the second and third of those teaspoons, once having tasted the first, became terribly “yukky,” as she would say to me, “Now, young man, you take this because you need it!”
Well, my devotional guide today was having me study God’s instigation of the various FEASTS which were established by God to help God’s people remember and worship their God, helping them to remember what He had put them through and saved them from in their past. It was God’s way in those days to help God’s children retain their focus of worship in the One True God, Who had established an everlasting covenant with His people.
Well, it was tough reading; but it was good medicine for me to realize that we, of the New Covenant, can – and do – celebrate all that ancient Israel celebrated in our worship of Jesus Christ, Who, by becoming the sacrificial lamb, allow us to become the scapegoat and to run free, our sins having been atoned for by His blood sacrifice.
And it is this latter element of celebrated worship upon which F. LaGard Smith focuses in his highlighted verse for today from Leviticus 16: 22, which describes how, during the Day of Atonement, now called “Yom Kippur,” the priest laid his hands on the head of one of lambs, which was then sent out into the wilderness as a symbol of God laying all the confessed sins of His people on the head of another, perfect lamb. And it was this second, perfect lamb, who, by lot, became the blood sacrifice for the sins of all of God’s people.
I know it can seem so contrived that God would create such an elaborate way for God to give His people a way of celebrating what God had done for His people; but it was also God’s way of painting a picture of what would one day be the very real and final way for God to set His people free from their sins. And I’m sure it’s not difficult for Christians today to see whom has become the scapegoat and Whom was the perfect Lamb of sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Our sins, of course, were laid on the head of the Lamb of God, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ; and we become the scapegoat, running free into the wilderness as the Lamb of God became the atoning blood sacrifice for our confessed sins.
Dr. Smith’s question today hits deep after I took my “medicine” and read through all that God did in ancient Israel to paint a ceremonial picture of what would take place when the perfect Lamb of God would be taken outside the city and sacrificed, becoming the sacrificial Lamb, shedding His blood so that I can live and go free, having confessed my sins and letting the Lamb of God take upon Himself my sins; and paying for my sin debt with His blood. Dr. Smith’s question is this: ”Does my gratitude match the extent of Christ’s love when He willingly became a scapegoat for the sins I will commit even this very day?”
As we enter the season of lent – the 40 days prior to Easter – we have to answer that question by the attitude we hold about what we’re willing to do to remember what God did for us by providing His Lamb to become both the scapegoat and the sacrificial lamb, taking our sins upon Himself and shedding His blood so that we can live and walk free for eternity. I’m glad I took my medicine today and read these passages to remind me of just how much I take for granted.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I’m totally convicted by my sinfulness and so grateful for Your sacrifice. Amen
Friday, February 19, 2010
2010 – Feb. 19 – Misusing God’s Name
Study from Lev. 19: 20b; 19: 31; 20: 6-8; Deut 18: 9-14; Exod. 22: 18; Lev. 20: 27; Deut. 13: 1-5; Deut. 18: 15-19; 18: 20-22; Deut. 5: 11; Exod. 22: 28; Lev. 24: 10 – 16, 23; Exod. 22: 29-30; Exod. 34: 19, 20; Exod. 22: 29; Exod. 23: 19, 34: 26; Deut. 15: 19-23; Deut. 18: 1-8; Deut. 14: 22-29; Deut. 26: 1-11; Deut. 26; 23-25; Exod. 31- 16, 17; Lev. 19: 30; 26: 2; Lev. 23: 1-3; Exod. 35: 3; Exod. 24: 21; Exod. 31: 12-15: Num. 18: 32-36 … Passage for Reflection: Deuteronomy 5: 11 … NIV You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
My Journal for Today: Well, it is unlikely that you’ve followed along with me in reading what I have read from God’s word today unless you have the Daily Bible in Chronological Order, which I’m using for my reading adventure through God’s word this year and most certainly today. Being led by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, I’ve been through quite a few passages from the first five books of the Bibles as Smith has brought me to read today about the many laws – laws about everything one could imagine – which were given BY GOD through Moses to/for His people. But in the final offering, Smith settled on one of the Ten Commandments, from Deut. 5: 11, to discuss in some depth today; and you know that one. It’s about not taking the Lord’s Name in vain.
Well, it’s way too much to ask you to dig out and read what my Chronological Bible led me to read today; but reading and meditating on Deut. 5: 11 is not too much to ask. So, I hope you’ve gone back and reviewed those Ten Commandments in Deut. 5, which were also spelled out in detail in Exodus 20 for us believers. And this one, in Deut. 5: 11 points to the reverence we need to have for our God in the use of His Holy Name. And wow, there certainly is a lot of misuse we can use to illustrate how we take God’s Law and trivialize God through the use of His Name!
Before I was a Christian, calling myself an “agnostic,” it always felt wrong to me somehow to cry out, “Jesus Christ!” as a statement of anger. Maybe it was the way I had been raised; but that use of God’s Name just seemed wrong to me. But yet, at that time in my life I totally disclaimed the deity of Jesus Christ. How hypocritical was that?! And how common is that foul use of God’s name these days? But Smith points out something quite interesting as he points out that when someone is surprised, flabbergasted, or angry we never hear them using the name of “Buddha” or “Mohammed.” Yet I know you’ve often heard others say something like, “Oh, … my God!” when they are surprised by something. We hear people say the latter when they are totally surprised by something or even when they taste some luscious piece of cake. And the use of “Jesus Christ!” or “Oh, my Lord!” as exclamation is about as close to prayer as some people in our culture will ever get.
And all of these, of course, flagrantly break with God’s Law in the Ten Commandments. But Dr. Smith then points out a very sad and notorious misuse of God’s Name; and that is how mankind will take oaths, even legal oaths, saying, “… so help me God;” and they are lying at the time or subsequently they break the oath. Taking oaths in “God’s Name” is serious business; and I would expect that the Angels cringe when they hear us humans making or taking an oath in God’s Name than then breaking it. We mock our God when we take an oath in His Name and then fail to carry it out. And that, my friend, is serious business!
But I’m most convicted by probably the most common misuse of God’s Holy Name by Christians, one which I’m afraid I’ve breached God’s Law all too often; and that has to do with invoking the name of Christ, calling myself “Christian,” and then living in a way which misappropriates that blessed Name. Oh, I know that I’m not the only one who does it. Whole Universities do it when the name of the University is labeled as a “Christian” University but where many ungodly things are being taught in the curriculum of the school. But I’m no better when I am called “Reverend” Bill Berry, my title of Ordination, and I do things which dishonor the Name of Christ. And how many of us witnessing in the world as “Christians” do things which dishonor the Name of God?
Oh, may God have mercy on me when I misrepresent My Lord by my choices or my actions, especially when I publically call myself a “Christian.” Well, conviction has been leveled here for me today, my friend; … how about you?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, may my life be a reflection of the Holiness of Your Name; and forgive me when it has not been so. Amen
My Journal for Today: Well, it is unlikely that you’ve followed along with me in reading what I have read from God’s word today unless you have the Daily Bible in Chronological Order, which I’m using for my reading adventure through God’s word this year and most certainly today. Being led by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, I’ve been through quite a few passages from the first five books of the Bibles as Smith has brought me to read today about the many laws – laws about everything one could imagine – which were given BY GOD through Moses to/for His people. But in the final offering, Smith settled on one of the Ten Commandments, from Deut. 5: 11, to discuss in some depth today; and you know that one. It’s about not taking the Lord’s Name in vain.
Well, it’s way too much to ask you to dig out and read what my Chronological Bible led me to read today; but reading and meditating on Deut. 5: 11 is not too much to ask. So, I hope you’ve gone back and reviewed those Ten Commandments in Deut. 5, which were also spelled out in detail in Exodus 20 for us believers. And this one, in Deut. 5: 11 points to the reverence we need to have for our God in the use of His Holy Name. And wow, there certainly is a lot of misuse we can use to illustrate how we take God’s Law and trivialize God through the use of His Name!
Before I was a Christian, calling myself an “agnostic,” it always felt wrong to me somehow to cry out, “Jesus Christ!” as a statement of anger. Maybe it was the way I had been raised; but that use of God’s Name just seemed wrong to me. But yet, at that time in my life I totally disclaimed the deity of Jesus Christ. How hypocritical was that?! And how common is that foul use of God’s name these days? But Smith points out something quite interesting as he points out that when someone is surprised, flabbergasted, or angry we never hear them using the name of “Buddha” or “Mohammed.” Yet I know you’ve often heard others say something like, “Oh, … my God!” when they are surprised by something. We hear people say the latter when they are totally surprised by something or even when they taste some luscious piece of cake. And the use of “Jesus Christ!” or “Oh, my Lord!” as exclamation is about as close to prayer as some people in our culture will ever get.
And all of these, of course, flagrantly break with God’s Law in the Ten Commandments. But Dr. Smith then points out a very sad and notorious misuse of God’s Name; and that is how mankind will take oaths, even legal oaths, saying, “… so help me God;” and they are lying at the time or subsequently they break the oath. Taking oaths in “God’s Name” is serious business; and I would expect that the Angels cringe when they hear us humans making or taking an oath in God’s Name than then breaking it. We mock our God when we take an oath in His Name and then fail to carry it out. And that, my friend, is serious business!
But I’m most convicted by probably the most common misuse of God’s Holy Name by Christians, one which I’m afraid I’ve breached God’s Law all too often; and that has to do with invoking the name of Christ, calling myself “Christian,” and then living in a way which misappropriates that blessed Name. Oh, I know that I’m not the only one who does it. Whole Universities do it when the name of the University is labeled as a “Christian” University but where many ungodly things are being taught in the curriculum of the school. But I’m no better when I am called “Reverend” Bill Berry, my title of Ordination, and I do things which dishonor the Name of Christ. And how many of us witnessing in the world as “Christians” do things which dishonor the Name of God?
Oh, may God have mercy on me when I misrepresent My Lord by my choices or my actions, especially when I publically call myself a “Christian.” Well, conviction has been leveled here for me today, my friend; … how about you?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, may my life be a reflection of the Holiness of Your Name; and forgive me when it has not been so. Amen
Thursday, February 18, 2010
2010 – Feb. 18 – Marked for Holiness
Study from various sections of Deut. 5, Exod. 22, Deut. 16, Lev. 19, Deut. 12 – 13, and Deut. 17; Passage for Reflection: Leviticus 19: 28 … NIV Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourself. I am the Lord.
My Journal for Today: Today my trek through God’s word, under the shepherding of F. LaGard Smith, in The Daily Bible In Chronological Order, took me through several sections reviewing how God imparted his laws to His people through Moses, as the called and anointed “Law Giver.” And though Moses was the agent of the law being imparted to God’s people, God, and God alone, was “THE Law Giver.” And we see just how detailed the laws could be for the Israelites; but they all were designed to set God’s chosen people aside from the world of that day, to protect them from evil (which, of course, included themselves), and, above all, to honor and glorify the One True God.
And today, in his devotional, Dr. Smith singles out one of these laws which was given to the Israelites, dealing with the avoidance of a pagan practice of the day, which was marking the body, including tattooing. And right before this one law, we read in Lev. 19: 27, [to the men of Israel] “Do not cut the hair at the sides of sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
Even today in the obvious personal practices of the Hasidic Jews, we see these laws lived out in the way the Hasidic men display their very orthodox observance of God’s Mosaic laws; and we ought to be able to see how it sets them apart from the world in their very close observance of the ancient bodily practice laws which God laid down for His people through Moses.
But why then don’t we see orthodox Evangelical Christians observing these personal practice laws the same way as the Hasidic Jews do? Well, we could get into a long discussion here about the fact that our day – the age of grace and of the New Covenant – follows the example of Jesus, The Christ, in what we think, say, and do. And God’s Law (and all those laws which set apart God’s people from the pagan cultures which surrounded them in that age/culture) is not part of our day as we follow Christ as our Law Giver.
But when we can see from those past laws and their observance how they might apply to our lives, we can learn from them and let them teach us how to honor God through what we do or don’t do for Him and in His Name. And you don’t have to have a Ph.D. in Theology to see that tattooing or cutting one’s body to set the self apart for the observance of worldly or selfish pleasure dishonors God and would therefore be considered a sinful practice. Tattooing marks the body permanently; and we who are Christians need to recognize that we are already permanently marked in the Temple (i.e., the body) God has given us by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, Who will display in and through us the marks of Christ, which are the fruit of His Spirit (see Gal. 5: 22-23). We don’t need any bodily marking to set ourselves apart in the world and display Christlikeness for all to see. So, there is Spiritual validity for all the ages in the command given by Moses to God’s people to avoid being like the pagans with the marking/tattooing of the body as a way for showing that the flesh is on display to honor pagan gods and/or worldly idols.
In application here, we need to ask ourselves if the markings of God’s Spirit are on us for all the world to see to Whom we belong. Does the world see God’s markings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control in the way we live our lives? Or do we find ourselves tattooing our lives with the marks of the world and the trappings of selfish pursuit? Can the world see the permanent tattoo of Christ emblazoned on our very being; or do we have idolatry tattooed on our soul which dishonors God by the way we live our lives?
Choices are the tattoos of our Christian living.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I so desire that others see Your permanent eternal marking on my soul from the way I choose to live. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today my trek through God’s word, under the shepherding of F. LaGard Smith, in The Daily Bible In Chronological Order, took me through several sections reviewing how God imparted his laws to His people through Moses, as the called and anointed “Law Giver.” And though Moses was the agent of the law being imparted to God’s people, God, and God alone, was “THE Law Giver.” And we see just how detailed the laws could be for the Israelites; but they all were designed to set God’s chosen people aside from the world of that day, to protect them from evil (which, of course, included themselves), and, above all, to honor and glorify the One True God.
And today, in his devotional, Dr. Smith singles out one of these laws which was given to the Israelites, dealing with the avoidance of a pagan practice of the day, which was marking the body, including tattooing. And right before this one law, we read in Lev. 19: 27, [to the men of Israel] “Do not cut the hair at the sides of sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
Even today in the obvious personal practices of the Hasidic Jews, we see these laws lived out in the way the Hasidic men display their very orthodox observance of God’s Mosaic laws; and we ought to be able to see how it sets them apart from the world in their very close observance of the ancient bodily practice laws which God laid down for His people through Moses.
But why then don’t we see orthodox Evangelical Christians observing these personal practice laws the same way as the Hasidic Jews do? Well, we could get into a long discussion here about the fact that our day – the age of grace and of the New Covenant – follows the example of Jesus, The Christ, in what we think, say, and do. And God’s Law (and all those laws which set apart God’s people from the pagan cultures which surrounded them in that age/culture) is not part of our day as we follow Christ as our Law Giver.
But when we can see from those past laws and their observance how they might apply to our lives, we can learn from them and let them teach us how to honor God through what we do or don’t do for Him and in His Name. And you don’t have to have a Ph.D. in Theology to see that tattooing or cutting one’s body to set the self apart for the observance of worldly or selfish pleasure dishonors God and would therefore be considered a sinful practice. Tattooing marks the body permanently; and we who are Christians need to recognize that we are already permanently marked in the Temple (i.e., the body) God has given us by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, Who will display in and through us the marks of Christ, which are the fruit of His Spirit (see Gal. 5: 22-23). We don’t need any bodily marking to set ourselves apart in the world and display Christlikeness for all to see. So, there is Spiritual validity for all the ages in the command given by Moses to God’s people to avoid being like the pagans with the marking/tattooing of the body as a way for showing that the flesh is on display to honor pagan gods and/or worldly idols.
In application here, we need to ask ourselves if the markings of God’s Spirit are on us for all the world to see to Whom we belong. Does the world see God’s markings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control in the way we live our lives? Or do we find ourselves tattooing our lives with the marks of the world and the trappings of selfish pursuit? Can the world see the permanent tattoo of Christ emblazoned on our very being; or do we have idolatry tattooed on our soul which dishonors God by the way we live our lives?
Choices are the tattoos of our Christian living.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I so desire that others see Your permanent eternal marking on my soul from the way I choose to live. Amen
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2010 – Feb. 17 – Treating Cause and Effect with Caution
Study from Deuteronomy 9 – 11; Passage for Reflection: Deut. 9: 6 … NIV Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
My Journal for Today: I hope you’ve read through Deuteronomy, Chapters 9 – 11, or you know its contents well; because when you read/meditate on the instructions that Moses is giving to God’s “stiff-necked,” fickle, and often foolish people, the Israelites (especially knowing, from God’s word, where they are going mess-up over and over again), one has to feel like poor Moses, as a leader of God’s people, has been given a poor cohort of followers to let Joshua lead them across the Jordan and to take possession of that “Promised Land,” to which God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their progeny. But in what Moses is saying to the Jewish nation, we have some principles which we need to understand and to apply in our lives.
The first is that God is a merciful God, slow to anger and completely bound to His covenant promises. So, if God has promised something to us as believers today, we can expect that He will carry out His part of that covenant. And the biggest of those promises is wrapped up in the promise of eternal salvation for anyone who believes in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and is willing to surrender his/her life to the Lordship of The Christ. If you have done that, God, as He has promised by His word, will deliver; and by His grace, He will give you eternal life [and you know of that from John 3: 16 and Romans 10: 9 – 13].
With that said, then, like with the “stiff-necked” Jewish people, we must realize that nothing we can, or will do, can earn anything more than what God has promised. So, if we do a lot of good stuff, as born-again Christians, we cannot expect God to “pay off” with anything more than He has already delivered on the cross by Christ’s blood sacrifice. So, all I need to know is that God’s grace is sufficient for my life (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9); and that what I do in this life is merely preparation for my life in heaven. Yes, I should be seeking to glorify my Lord with my good works; but I’m not doing that to earn a bunch of good things in this life. What I do – i.e., good works in His Name – are simply a reflection of God’s grace working itself out in my life (see Eph. 2: 10 as a result of Eph. 2: 8 – 9). And by my works, may He be glorified.
We need to remember that we’re never as good as we think we are; and God is always better than we can imagine Him to be. As Moses warned God’s children, those warnings apply to you and me as well; and if we have some foolish notion that we can – in these New Covenant times – ignore the realities of our obedience to the Law, we are no better … and probably a lot worse … than the “stiff-necked” Jews to whom Moses was addressing for God in today’s readings.
I pray that we all can keep our works in perspective and in the context of God’s grace through the completed sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You did it all for me on the cross. May I do it all for You in this life as I prepare for the next. Amen
My Journal for Today: I hope you’ve read through Deuteronomy, Chapters 9 – 11, or you know its contents well; because when you read/meditate on the instructions that Moses is giving to God’s “stiff-necked,” fickle, and often foolish people, the Israelites (especially knowing, from God’s word, where they are going mess-up over and over again), one has to feel like poor Moses, as a leader of God’s people, has been given a poor cohort of followers to let Joshua lead them across the Jordan and to take possession of that “Promised Land,” to which God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their progeny. But in what Moses is saying to the Jewish nation, we have some principles which we need to understand and to apply in our lives.
The first is that God is a merciful God, slow to anger and completely bound to His covenant promises. So, if God has promised something to us as believers today, we can expect that He will carry out His part of that covenant. And the biggest of those promises is wrapped up in the promise of eternal salvation for anyone who believes in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and is willing to surrender his/her life to the Lordship of The Christ. If you have done that, God, as He has promised by His word, will deliver; and by His grace, He will give you eternal life [and you know of that from John 3: 16 and Romans 10: 9 – 13].
With that said, then, like with the “stiff-necked” Jewish people, we must realize that nothing we can, or will do, can earn anything more than what God has promised. So, if we do a lot of good stuff, as born-again Christians, we cannot expect God to “pay off” with anything more than He has already delivered on the cross by Christ’s blood sacrifice. So, all I need to know is that God’s grace is sufficient for my life (see 2nd Cor. 12: 9); and that what I do in this life is merely preparation for my life in heaven. Yes, I should be seeking to glorify my Lord with my good works; but I’m not doing that to earn a bunch of good things in this life. What I do – i.e., good works in His Name – are simply a reflection of God’s grace working itself out in my life (see Eph. 2: 10 as a result of Eph. 2: 8 – 9). And by my works, may He be glorified.
We need to remember that we’re never as good as we think we are; and God is always better than we can imagine Him to be. As Moses warned God’s children, those warnings apply to you and me as well; and if we have some foolish notion that we can – in these New Covenant times – ignore the realities of our obedience to the Law, we are no better … and probably a lot worse … than the “stiff-necked” Jews to whom Moses was addressing for God in today’s readings.
I pray that we all can keep our works in perspective and in the context of God’s grace through the completed sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You did it all for me on the cross. May I do it all for You in this life as I prepare for the next. Amen
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
2010 – Feb. 16 – Godly Parenting
Study from Deuteronomy 4: 44 – 5: 8: 20; Passage for Reflection: Deut. 6: 6 – 7 … NIV 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
My Journal for Today: During my discipleship after I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior, my mentor and my teachers and the leaders of my Christian education [remember this is occurring after I was 39 years old] taught me one practical principle involving my study of God’s truth from His word, the Bible. And this truth was that when I would read God’s word, through whatever author, book, or passage where God was repeating Himself over and over again, I was alerted to PAY ATTENTION and assimilate that truth, whatever it was, if it was pertinent to my life (which it often was).
And in today’s passages from Deut., Chapters 4 – 8, we read Moses repeating something we had heard God say through him a number of times during the first five books of the Bible, often referred to as “THE LAW” by orthodox Jews. And here today we have something emphasized in the highlight passage for today, a principle of diligence which we find being challenged greatly among those of us who believe that it is the responsibility of Godly parents to impart Godly principles into our kids and grandkids.
How often do we need to read from God’s word or hear from God’s messengers (i.e., His church leaders, preachers, and Christian educators) that we should teach our kids to obey God’s truth? BUT … [and it’s another BIG BUT in our world today] … how often do we find this instruction concerning what Christian parents need to be doing for their children ignored and often mocked by today’s believers who call themselves “christian.”
When my wife and I had children in their formative years of learning (i.e., in their pre-teen and teen years), we were agnostics; and I even flaunted my desire to put down Christianity and the Christians around me. But apparently with time enough to turn things around in the minds of our two daughters, Elly and I became Christians back then; and we began teaching our daughters the truth of God’s word; and now our daughters are about the age we were when we became Christians; and they, along with their husbands, are doing all they can to pass along God’s truth from the Bible to their kids, … our grandchildren.
And thus far what God instructs Godly parents to do in Deut. 6: 6-7, we see them doing on even a daily basis. And Elly and I are doing all we can to support and back up this discipleship process, taking every opportunity we can to pass along the essence of God’s truth which is conveyed by the Bible.
We want our children to understand and apply what Moses was trying to impart to the children of God, … that obedience to God’s truth from His Law was/is essential to our being the benefactors of God’s promises. And just prior to the statement of today’s highlight passage, there is a truth lain out for all God’s people to read and incorporate into our lives. It is called “The Great Shama,” which is the core Hebrew prayer, to which all believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and most certainly all Christians, must adhere. It is stated primarily in Deut. 6: 4 – 5 … “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” And Jesus became the fulfillment of this prayer on earth; and we, who call our selves by His Name, must live this out and teach it to our children and grandchildren.
To ignore this prayer and truth is to ignore the very God Who spoke it and commanded that His children pass it along to their children and their children’s children. The question first becomes, “Are we living it?” And then are we should be teaching it by example and principle to our children? I will leave that to be the application question for our lives from today’s study. And my friend, we simply cannot afford to be lax, or worse, to snub God by ignoring our responsibilities to convey this principle to our children and grandchildren.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, may I live to see the day when our grandchildren exhibit this truth of The Shama in their lives. Amen
My Journal for Today: During my discipleship after I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior, my mentor and my teachers and the leaders of my Christian education [remember this is occurring after I was 39 years old] taught me one practical principle involving my study of God’s truth from His word, the Bible. And this truth was that when I would read God’s word, through whatever author, book, or passage where God was repeating Himself over and over again, I was alerted to PAY ATTENTION and assimilate that truth, whatever it was, if it was pertinent to my life (which it often was).
And in today’s passages from Deut., Chapters 4 – 8, we read Moses repeating something we had heard God say through him a number of times during the first five books of the Bible, often referred to as “THE LAW” by orthodox Jews. And here today we have something emphasized in the highlight passage for today, a principle of diligence which we find being challenged greatly among those of us who believe that it is the responsibility of Godly parents to impart Godly principles into our kids and grandkids.
How often do we need to read from God’s word or hear from God’s messengers (i.e., His church leaders, preachers, and Christian educators) that we should teach our kids to obey God’s truth? BUT … [and it’s another BIG BUT in our world today] … how often do we find this instruction concerning what Christian parents need to be doing for their children ignored and often mocked by today’s believers who call themselves “christian.”
When my wife and I had children in their formative years of learning (i.e., in their pre-teen and teen years), we were agnostics; and I even flaunted my desire to put down Christianity and the Christians around me. But apparently with time enough to turn things around in the minds of our two daughters, Elly and I became Christians back then; and we began teaching our daughters the truth of God’s word; and now our daughters are about the age we were when we became Christians; and they, along with their husbands, are doing all they can to pass along God’s truth from the Bible to their kids, … our grandchildren.
And thus far what God instructs Godly parents to do in Deut. 6: 6-7, we see them doing on even a daily basis. And Elly and I are doing all we can to support and back up this discipleship process, taking every opportunity we can to pass along the essence of God’s truth which is conveyed by the Bible.
We want our children to understand and apply what Moses was trying to impart to the children of God, … that obedience to God’s truth from His Law was/is essential to our being the benefactors of God’s promises. And just prior to the statement of today’s highlight passage, there is a truth lain out for all God’s people to read and incorporate into our lives. It is called “The Great Shama,” which is the core Hebrew prayer, to which all believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and most certainly all Christians, must adhere. It is stated primarily in Deut. 6: 4 – 5 … “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” And Jesus became the fulfillment of this prayer on earth; and we, who call our selves by His Name, must live this out and teach it to our children and grandchildren.
To ignore this prayer and truth is to ignore the very God Who spoke it and commanded that His children pass it along to their children and their children’s children. The question first becomes, “Are we living it?” And then are we should be teaching it by example and principle to our children? I will leave that to be the application question for our lives from today’s study. And my friend, we simply cannot afford to be lax, or worse, to snub God by ignoring our responsibilities to convey this principle to our children and grandchildren.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, may I live to see the day when our grandchildren exhibit this truth of The Shama in their lives. Amen
Monday, February 15, 2010
2010 – Feb. 15 – In Proper Retrospect
Study from Deuteronomy 1 - 4; Passage for Reflection: Deut. 4: 9 … NIV Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
My Journal for Today: We certainly have some stark and important warnings in God’s word about looking back and dwelling too heavily on the past. We have the curious story of Lot’s wife looking back and dwelling on her past (see Gen. 19: 26); and she became a pillar of salt. And there was Paul’s exhortation in the New Testament (see Phil. 3: 13 – 14 - linked here for you) to focus on the prize which God has lain ahead of all who are born-again Christians; … and that is the prize of Christlikeness which comes from building a deep/abiding relationship with our Lord, … following Him along the narrow, but clearly marked road to righteousness.
Yes, it is true that we should primarily focus on the road ahead when we’re driving toward the future. It is said that we only use our rear-view mirror in driving to keep us from driving into the wrong lanes based upon where we’ve come from and the traffic on the road. But when we’re driving toward our destination, which for the Christian is that narrow road to Christlikeness, we keep our eyes on the road by looking through the windshield, preferably keeping it as clean as possible so that we can clearly see what lies ahead.
That’s what Moses was trying to get the people to do as we read in Deut. 1 – 4 of his admonition to God’s people as they were about to move into the Promised Land. He wanted the Israelites to remember the roads they had traveled in the past following their God; and he especially wanted them to pay attention to the laws of the road and what would happen if they ignored the laws which had been given to them for their safety by their God. And poignantly he even used himself as an example, reminding the people that he would never step foot in the Promised Land because of his own transgressions in the past as well as God’s judgment upon Moses’ leadership of God’s people along the way.
Dr. Smith, my devotional author asks today, ”Am I trapped in time, unable to escape the past, or is my rearview mirror an invaluable aid to the journey ahead?” In the ministry God has called me to lead, those who can/will avoid past trails to the tarpits of sinful living and those who can focus on God’s light shining on the path of righteousness ahead, … it is those Christians who will travel successfully into the future, following God’s road signs and moving effectively down the narrow path of Christlikeness. However, those, who cannot or will not avoid the very wide and tempting roads which the world or the flesh point them towards, will continually be lured off God’s road and crash along the highways of life as Satan leads them astray.
How’s your driving record along God’s highway these days?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, shine Your light brightly on the ever darkening road ahead so that I might follow Your Light toward glory. Amen
My Journal for Today: We certainly have some stark and important warnings in God’s word about looking back and dwelling too heavily on the past. We have the curious story of Lot’s wife looking back and dwelling on her past (see Gen. 19: 26); and she became a pillar of salt. And there was Paul’s exhortation in the New Testament (see Phil. 3: 13 – 14 - linked here for you) to focus on the prize which God has lain ahead of all who are born-again Christians; … and that is the prize of Christlikeness which comes from building a deep/abiding relationship with our Lord, … following Him along the narrow, but clearly marked road to righteousness.
Yes, it is true that we should primarily focus on the road ahead when we’re driving toward the future. It is said that we only use our rear-view mirror in driving to keep us from driving into the wrong lanes based upon where we’ve come from and the traffic on the road. But when we’re driving toward our destination, which for the Christian is that narrow road to Christlikeness, we keep our eyes on the road by looking through the windshield, preferably keeping it as clean as possible so that we can clearly see what lies ahead.
That’s what Moses was trying to get the people to do as we read in Deut. 1 – 4 of his admonition to God’s people as they were about to move into the Promised Land. He wanted the Israelites to remember the roads they had traveled in the past following their God; and he especially wanted them to pay attention to the laws of the road and what would happen if they ignored the laws which had been given to them for their safety by their God. And poignantly he even used himself as an example, reminding the people that he would never step foot in the Promised Land because of his own transgressions in the past as well as God’s judgment upon Moses’ leadership of God’s people along the way.
Dr. Smith, my devotional author asks today, ”Am I trapped in time, unable to escape the past, or is my rearview mirror an invaluable aid to the journey ahead?” In the ministry God has called me to lead, those who can/will avoid past trails to the tarpits of sinful living and those who can focus on God’s light shining on the path of righteousness ahead, … it is those Christians who will travel successfully into the future, following God’s road signs and moving effectively down the narrow path of Christlikeness. However, those, who cannot or will not avoid the very wide and tempting roads which the world or the flesh point them towards, will continually be lured off God’s road and crash along the highways of life as Satan leads them astray.
How’s your driving record along God’s highway these days?
My Prayer for Today: Lord, shine Your light brightly on the ever darkening road ahead so that I might follow Your Light toward glory. Amen
Sunday, February 14, 2010
2010 – Feb. 14 – The Importance of Eradication
Study from Numbers 27: 15-23; Num. 32; Deut. 4: 41-43; Numb 33: 50-56; Deut. 25: 17-19; Num. 34 - 35; Passage for Reflection: Numbers 33: 55 … NIV But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.
My Journal for Today: It happened before in their history. God had commanded His people to eradicate the Midianites; and they were unwilling to follow His commands 100%. Then God led them through the wilderness for 40 years to eradicate an entire generation of recalcitrant and grumbling children. Now, here they are poised and ready to enter the promised land; and God again reminds them of the importance of the eradication of their spiritual enemies.
And being Bible students, you’ve read on ahead; and you know that as they take the land in God’s Name under the leadership of Joshua. However, once again, God’s people, who had pledged to follow God’s will, once again became the fickle children of compromise and character weakness.
If, like me, you’re an application junkie of Bible truth, what does this picture for you? It doesn’t take one with a Ph.D. in Bible lore to see that we, so-called “believers,” have always had a tendency to play patsy with the one major force in our lives which stands to destroy us and our relationship with God; … and that is sin. We know, in our hearts (as defined in a passage like Jer. 17: 9) that we are deceptive and evil beyond our ability to recognize that weakness. We know that we’re all – 100% of us – sinners (see Rom. 3: 23). And fortunately – and yet, unfortunately – we know the truth of Isaiah 53: 6, where in the Old Testament our salvation from our sinful selves is prophesied. And prayerfully all us, as painfully weak lambs, have become part of God’s flock, by placing our faith in the saving grace of what Christ, the Lamb of God and our Good Shepherd, did on the cross to save us from our sin.
But though we may be saved, we still have the charge from God to eradicate sin from our lives; and we still have powerful God-hating enemies who desire to lure us, divide us, and use our deceit-ridden hearts to capture us from the 100% devotion expected by our Savior. Reading today’s passage about the Israelites as they prepare to take what God has promised them, I realize that I’m no different or better than those children of God, who would hear God’s commands and then march off to do life in their own way, … unwilling and/or unable to eradicate sinful, selfish patterns behavior from their lives [i.e., our lives].
F. LaGard Smith asks (for me) today, ”Am I kidding myself to believe that I can rid my life of most major sin and still live comfortably alongside the few ‘insignificant sins’ I allow to remain?” How many of us live with “acceptable” sin patterns in our lives – sins about which even the church will not discipline from it’s members, things like gluttony, gossip, and I’m sure you know others as well. When am I going to get it … that God desires I clean out ALL SIN from my life; and then to do what he charged the young adulteress to do … “Go and sin no more!” ??
And God has even given us way to do that. He’s given true-believers the ministry and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and to clean us up any time we’re willing to confess and receive His enabling grace of forgiveness [see 1st John 1:9). He’s given us the ability to wear His full armor into battle each day, and to carry His Spirit-Sword, as well as to go to the high ground of prayer in battle (see Eph. 6: 10-18). Because when we don’t compromise with our weaknesses and our fickle hearts, we can be victorious (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9), letting God’s strength cover our weakness and allowing us to eradicate sinful living from our lives.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, … 100% … nothing short of Your goal to eliminate sin from my life. That is my prayer today. Amen
My Journal for Today: It happened before in their history. God had commanded His people to eradicate the Midianites; and they were unwilling to follow His commands 100%. Then God led them through the wilderness for 40 years to eradicate an entire generation of recalcitrant and grumbling children. Now, here they are poised and ready to enter the promised land; and God again reminds them of the importance of the eradication of their spiritual enemies.
And being Bible students, you’ve read on ahead; and you know that as they take the land in God’s Name under the leadership of Joshua. However, once again, God’s people, who had pledged to follow God’s will, once again became the fickle children of compromise and character weakness.
If, like me, you’re an application junkie of Bible truth, what does this picture for you? It doesn’t take one with a Ph.D. in Bible lore to see that we, so-called “believers,” have always had a tendency to play patsy with the one major force in our lives which stands to destroy us and our relationship with God; … and that is sin. We know, in our hearts (as defined in a passage like Jer. 17: 9) that we are deceptive and evil beyond our ability to recognize that weakness. We know that we’re all – 100% of us – sinners (see Rom. 3: 23). And fortunately – and yet, unfortunately – we know the truth of Isaiah 53: 6, where in the Old Testament our salvation from our sinful selves is prophesied. And prayerfully all us, as painfully weak lambs, have become part of God’s flock, by placing our faith in the saving grace of what Christ, the Lamb of God and our Good Shepherd, did on the cross to save us from our sin.
But though we may be saved, we still have the charge from God to eradicate sin from our lives; and we still have powerful God-hating enemies who desire to lure us, divide us, and use our deceit-ridden hearts to capture us from the 100% devotion expected by our Savior. Reading today’s passage about the Israelites as they prepare to take what God has promised them, I realize that I’m no different or better than those children of God, who would hear God’s commands and then march off to do life in their own way, … unwilling and/or unable to eradicate sinful, selfish patterns behavior from their lives [i.e., our lives].
F. LaGard Smith asks (for me) today, ”Am I kidding myself to believe that I can rid my life of most major sin and still live comfortably alongside the few ‘insignificant sins’ I allow to remain?” How many of us live with “acceptable” sin patterns in our lives – sins about which even the church will not discipline from it’s members, things like gluttony, gossip, and I’m sure you know others as well. When am I going to get it … that God desires I clean out ALL SIN from my life; and then to do what he charged the young adulteress to do … “Go and sin no more!” ??
And God has even given us way to do that. He’s given true-believers the ministry and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and to clean us up any time we’re willing to confess and receive His enabling grace of forgiveness [see 1st John 1:9). He’s given us the ability to wear His full armor into battle each day, and to carry His Spirit-Sword, as well as to go to the high ground of prayer in battle (see Eph. 6: 10-18). Because when we don’t compromise with our weaknesses and our fickle hearts, we can be victorious (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9), letting God’s strength cover our weakness and allowing us to eradicate sinful living from our lives.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, … 100% … nothing short of Your goal to eliminate sin from my life. That is my prayer today. Amen
Saturday, February 13, 2010
2010 – Feb. 13 – Disinherited Children
Study from Numbers 26; Passage for Reflection: Numbers 26: 65 … NIV For the LORD had said of them [Moses and Aaron after the first census], “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
My Journal for Today: Here we are, coming out of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; and God is about to activate His covenant to His children, … giving them entrance into the “Promised Land.” And as we know, from Biblical accounting and historical study, two men [and their families] from the original census of Israel will be benefactors of God’s covenant; and they are Caleb and Joshua, … the two who came back with reports based on faith and promise when Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan over a generation earlier.
So, God is about to begin the process of turning His Promised Land over to His Children; but note that those who will receive the bounty of that promise are those who come from the “Children of faith” and those who remained obedient to God from the beginning to the end of the covenant. Even Moses and Aaron would not physically step into the promised land because of acts of disobedience, which disinherited them from receiving the initial benefits of God’s ultimate covenant.
So, what do we learn from the Book of Numbers and this accounting of God’s people in Chapter 26. Well, God speaks loudly to this humble follower of God’s Son, Jesus, that it is the living out my faith in Christ’s New Covenant act of atonement which will bring me into His eternal Kingdom. I have no doubt that I will be an inheritor of God’s promise because all of His promises of atonement have been fulfilled by God’s Son, Jesus, on the cross and through His resurrection, ascension, and His being re-established on God’s throne of grace. Therein lies my faith; and therein lies the hope of my salvation.
Oh how patient, loving, and merciful God has been in providing me – or you – with a way to eternal inheritance in glory; and Moses will be there as well. He may not have been able to physically walk into the “promised land” with God’s children from the original census of Israel or even from the second census; but God has provided a way that His faith will justify him, … just as it did for Abraham and others of faith in the original covenant God made with His children. Faith, and the humble obedience which marks that faith, is the key which opens God’s gates into glory.
I pray that anyone who reads this has lain their faith in the Lordship and saving grace offered by God through His atoning blood shed by the Lamb of Gold on the cross, … having faith – the faith of Caleb, Joshua, or even one who had sinned, like Moses – that God will provide a way for all who believe in His saving grace to be saved and be given entry into God’s eternal Promised Land.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You have provided THE way; and that way comes through faith in Your redeeming plan of salvation, which was completed by my Savior and Lord, Jesus, on the cross at Calvary. Amen
My Journal for Today: Here we are, coming out of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; and God is about to activate His covenant to His children, … giving them entrance into the “Promised Land.” And as we know, from Biblical accounting and historical study, two men [and their families] from the original census of Israel will be benefactors of God’s covenant; and they are Caleb and Joshua, … the two who came back with reports based on faith and promise when Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan over a generation earlier.
So, God is about to begin the process of turning His Promised Land over to His Children; but note that those who will receive the bounty of that promise are those who come from the “Children of faith” and those who remained obedient to God from the beginning to the end of the covenant. Even Moses and Aaron would not physically step into the promised land because of acts of disobedience, which disinherited them from receiving the initial benefits of God’s ultimate covenant.
So, what do we learn from the Book of Numbers and this accounting of God’s people in Chapter 26. Well, God speaks loudly to this humble follower of God’s Son, Jesus, that it is the living out my faith in Christ’s New Covenant act of atonement which will bring me into His eternal Kingdom. I have no doubt that I will be an inheritor of God’s promise because all of His promises of atonement have been fulfilled by God’s Son, Jesus, on the cross and through His resurrection, ascension, and His being re-established on God’s throne of grace. Therein lies my faith; and therein lies the hope of my salvation.
Oh how patient, loving, and merciful God has been in providing me – or you – with a way to eternal inheritance in glory; and Moses will be there as well. He may not have been able to physically walk into the “promised land” with God’s children from the original census of Israel or even from the second census; but God has provided a way that His faith will justify him, … just as it did for Abraham and others of faith in the original covenant God made with His children. Faith, and the humble obedience which marks that faith, is the key which opens God’s gates into glory.
I pray that anyone who reads this has lain their faith in the Lordship and saving grace offered by God through His atoning blood shed by the Lamb of Gold on the cross, … having faith – the faith of Caleb, Joshua, or even one who had sinned, like Moses – that God will provide a way for all who believe in His saving grace to be saved and be given entry into God’s eternal Promised Land.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You have provided THE way; and that way comes through faith in Your redeeming plan of salvation, which was completed by my Savior and Lord, Jesus, on the cross at Calvary. Amen
Friday, February 12, 2010
2010 – Day 43. Feb. 12 – In Praise of Moral Outrage
Study from Numbers 25 and 31; Passage for Reflection: Numbers 25: 7-8 … NIV 7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.
My Journal for Today: Yes, the climate of political justice in the days of Moses was different than it is today; but moral justice, God’s moral justice, never changes. And Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson and the son of the Priest of God’s people becomes a moral example, a personal picture of how we have lost our sense of moral righteousness in today’s world. Of course, in the world we live in, we cannot – and should not – take it upon ourselves to kill someone who is an outright and open sinner against God’s Name. That is not the message which, from our New Covenant we would get from THE ONE we follow, Jesus, the Christ.
As I write this, a man is being tried for murdering George Tiller, the abortionist who admittedly carried out thousands of late term abortions in Kansas City. Is this man who is on trial for killing Tiller – in a Church, no less – a modern day Phinehas? Of course not! He is murderer! And we’d get the wrong message if we took today’s passage and used it to justify the striking down of an open murderer of children like George Tiller by carrying out murder ourselves.
So, how do we interpret God’s justification of Phinehas in that day and the unjustified homicide of George Tiller today? What Godly, New Covenant lesson do we get from Phinehas’ action to apply in today’s worldly climate where sin is being glossed over and God is being mocked as he was in Moses’ day? Well, we can say that we need to have the zeal toward righteousness which Phinehas had; but we need to exercise that zeal within the model of Christlikeness which was exemplified by our Lord when He walked this earth. We cannot take a righteous and zealous hatred of sin, which we should all have in our hearts and exercise that hatred of sin by sinning grievously against our fellow human beings. That was THE message Jesus was trying to impart in the Sermon on the Mount, was it not?
But we can choose to hate sin in our own hearts with the zeal of a Phinehas; and we can, even in the codes of conduct of our present culture, do all we can to crucify the sin in our own hearts and lives and then to be a warrior against sin in our cuture. God has given us the power, through the Holy Spirit residing in our hearts as Christians, to murder sin in our lives. We can act out our anger against the open sinfulness we see in our world by not succumbing to the nonjudgmental, tolerance culture we find all around us today. We can be a Phinehas by standing up and demanding our political representatives represent BIBLICAL moral values.
I need to be asking myself and possibly you need to ask yourself these things …
... What am I doing to follow Christ as He demanded in Luke 9: 23?
... Am I being the “living sacrifice” of a 24/7 lifestyle of worship exhorted by God in Romans 12: 1-2?
... Am I showing myself to be a warrior to kill sin in myself and my culture as exhorted by Eph. 6: 10-18?
If I can answer “YES” to these questions, I think I can be a Phinehas to kill sin in my own life and to be God’s warrior against sin in my world. To that end I will set myself on God’s narrow road.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me kill the sin in me; and stand against sin in my world. Amen
My Journal for Today: Yes, the climate of political justice in the days of Moses was different than it is today; but moral justice, God’s moral justice, never changes. And Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson and the son of the Priest of God’s people becomes a moral example, a personal picture of how we have lost our sense of moral righteousness in today’s world. Of course, in the world we live in, we cannot – and should not – take it upon ourselves to kill someone who is an outright and open sinner against God’s Name. That is not the message which, from our New Covenant we would get from THE ONE we follow, Jesus, the Christ.
As I write this, a man is being tried for murdering George Tiller, the abortionist who admittedly carried out thousands of late term abortions in Kansas City. Is this man who is on trial for killing Tiller – in a Church, no less – a modern day Phinehas? Of course not! He is murderer! And we’d get the wrong message if we took today’s passage and used it to justify the striking down of an open murderer of children like George Tiller by carrying out murder ourselves.
So, how do we interpret God’s justification of Phinehas in that day and the unjustified homicide of George Tiller today? What Godly, New Covenant lesson do we get from Phinehas’ action to apply in today’s worldly climate where sin is being glossed over and God is being mocked as he was in Moses’ day? Well, we can say that we need to have the zeal toward righteousness which Phinehas had; but we need to exercise that zeal within the model of Christlikeness which was exemplified by our Lord when He walked this earth. We cannot take a righteous and zealous hatred of sin, which we should all have in our hearts and exercise that hatred of sin by sinning grievously against our fellow human beings. That was THE message Jesus was trying to impart in the Sermon on the Mount, was it not?
But we can choose to hate sin in our own hearts with the zeal of a Phinehas; and we can, even in the codes of conduct of our present culture, do all we can to crucify the sin in our own hearts and lives and then to be a warrior against sin in our cuture. God has given us the power, through the Holy Spirit residing in our hearts as Christians, to murder sin in our lives. We can act out our anger against the open sinfulness we see in our world by not succumbing to the nonjudgmental, tolerance culture we find all around us today. We can be a Phinehas by standing up and demanding our political representatives represent BIBLICAL moral values.
I need to be asking myself and possibly you need to ask yourself these things …
... What am I doing to follow Christ as He demanded in Luke 9: 23?
... Am I being the “living sacrifice” of a 24/7 lifestyle of worship exhorted by God in Romans 12: 1-2?
... Am I showing myself to be a warrior to kill sin in myself and my culture as exhorted by Eph. 6: 10-18?
If I can answer “YES” to these questions, I think I can be a Phinehas to kill sin in my own life and to be God’s warrior against sin in my world. To that end I will set myself on God’s narrow road.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me kill the sin in me; and stand against sin in my world. Amen
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