Numbers 9:14
“‘And if a stranger dwells among you, and would keep the LORD’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land.’”
In my ever slow and steady verse-by-verse reading through the Bible I’ve learned some pretty interesting things. One in particular that has really been jumping out off the page to me recently is repeated over and over again. It’s something that God continually tells Moses with each section of the Law. Whether He’s giving the sacrificial law for atonement or the sacrificial law for cleansing, God always makes a provision for the “stranger” in the land.
Here in Numbers 9 God is talking to Moses about keeping the Passover feast. This is a celebration of God’s supernatural delivering of Israel out of the hands of Pharoah. One would think that of all the rituals, sacrifices, and feasts that God would hold special for His “chosen” people, this celebration would be set aside just for them. But that’s not the case. Even in this celebration, God gives a clause for the stranger in the land who would choose to keep the Lord’s Passover.
Why would God do such a thing? I like to think that all of these little “stranger clauses” given to Moses by God are preparatory inclusions for the post-cross generations. What? By God placing these clauses in His law, He was creating a loophole through which anyone could become a member of His chosen people and prosper under His blessing! These provisions would allow for any stranger in the land who was willing to make a choice to follow God’s law to receive the same blessings and protections according to God’s word.
Today, instead of having the Law of Moses to choose and follow, we have Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17) to choose and follow. Both Old and New Testament declare the same outcome for making the choice. (Exodus 19:5-6 “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Revelation 1:5-6 “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”)
The truth is simple: God has always made provisions for every single person on the face of the earth. His desire is that no one should ever die (2 Peter 3:9), but rather choose to accept the sacrifice of His Jesus on the cross and follow Him. Through His perfect Son, God provided a loophole for our sinful human depravity. In our fallen state, we are strangers to grace. But God, the creator of grace, saw it fitting to give us forgiveness. What “stranger clause” is there than choosing to become the sacrifice for a fallen and depraved society? The Passover feast and blood of the lamb were merely a foreshadowing of the Last Supper and the Cross of Christ. Today is the day to make a choice.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
You're already forgiven!
Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
How do we receive God’s forgiveness? We have to ask, beg, and plead. Through a series of religious ceremonies and practices, we are able to receive God’s forgiveness. Right? Wrong. That couldn’t be any further from the truth.
In Matthew 9 (also found in Luke 5 and Mark 2), Jesus has this paralyzed man brought to Him by his friends. (There is a completely different lesson to be learned here about being a good friend and carrying another to Christ, but we’ll save that for a later date.) Their hope was to get close enough to Jesus that He would notice them and heal their friend. They wanted Jesus to fix his body so that he would be able to walk and function in society without being or feeling like a burden anymore. This is a completely honorable and acceptable reason for a friend to help another. Unfortunately for them, the crowd was too big to push through, so they had to improvise, adapt, and overcome by tearing the roof off and lowering their friend down, right in front of Jesus!
When Jesus saw the man, He instantly acknowledged the faith of his friends and did the unexpected. Instead of telling the man to get up, Jesus said, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” He didn’t heal the man’s paralysis, but rather told him that he’d been forgiven for his sins. Was it because Jesus didn’t know why the man had been brought to Him? Of course not! He was acting on His mission from the Father, not on the goals and desires of men. He was also setting the stage for those of us to come!
You see, first and foremost, Jesus had a mission here on earth. His mission was to bring us forgiveness of sins followed by health in our bodies and spirits. Unconditional, unmerited, unearned, unrequested forgiveness of sins. The whole point of Jesus dying on the cross was so that the Father could freely forgive us of our sins and bless us unconditionally. This is why our sins and our troubles were placed on Christ at the cross. When you ask for Grace, it becomes Mercy. But the Bible tells us that it is by Grace we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), not by works, and not by mercy.
Why then do we constantly tell people they have to ask for God’s forgiveness in their lives? Yes, we all need to confess to God when we are wrong (1 John 1:9), when we mess up, but there is no need to beg Him for forgiveness; everything has already been forgiven. (1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ) If Christ died once for the sins of both the righteous and the unrighteous (in today’s terms the believer and the unbeliever) then how is anyone excluded from heaven? The key is accepting His forgiveness. If you choose to not accept the forgiveness graciously granted to all through the cross, then you choose to rely on your own merit and “good” standing with a just and holy God. (Acts 10:43) A profession of faith in Christ and His eternal sacrifice is all it takes to receive God’s forgiveness. That’s it. (Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”)
Until people realize that they have already been forgiven, and are no longer in need of forgiveness, the blessings and abundant life that Christ offers cannot be received. Jesus didn’t heal the man of his paralysis until He first told him that his sins were forgiven. The same holds true for people today. Until we start preaching a message of “YOU ARE FORGIVEN”, many will never receive the healing that they so longingly desire! Many will make a choice based on pride to not “ask” for forgiveness and in so doing will miss the wonderful message of Christ’s salvation! (Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall)
Pride is what got the Devil in all that trouble. It’s what destroys marriages and friendships today. It is what continually keeps people away from Christ. “I don’t need forgiveness” is a prideful attitude that is destroying souls. It has been used and manipulated by the Devil to keep people from accepting the Grace offered by Jesus. It’s time to use foolish pride to our advantage. Let’s use the Devil’s weapon against him. Let’s tell people that they’re right, they don’t have beg and plead for forgiveness before the Throne of God, because they’ve already been forgiven at the Cross of Christ! It’s a lot easier to explain grace through grace, then grace through self condemnation.
Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
How do we receive God’s forgiveness? We have to ask, beg, and plead. Through a series of religious ceremonies and practices, we are able to receive God’s forgiveness. Right? Wrong. That couldn’t be any further from the truth.
In Matthew 9 (also found in Luke 5 and Mark 2), Jesus has this paralyzed man brought to Him by his friends. (There is a completely different lesson to be learned here about being a good friend and carrying another to Christ, but we’ll save that for a later date.) Their hope was to get close enough to Jesus that He would notice them and heal their friend. They wanted Jesus to fix his body so that he would be able to walk and function in society without being or feeling like a burden anymore. This is a completely honorable and acceptable reason for a friend to help another. Unfortunately for them, the crowd was too big to push through, so they had to improvise, adapt, and overcome by tearing the roof off and lowering their friend down, right in front of Jesus!
When Jesus saw the man, He instantly acknowledged the faith of his friends and did the unexpected. Instead of telling the man to get up, Jesus said, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” He didn’t heal the man’s paralysis, but rather told him that he’d been forgiven for his sins. Was it because Jesus didn’t know why the man had been brought to Him? Of course not! He was acting on His mission from the Father, not on the goals and desires of men. He was also setting the stage for those of us to come!
You see, first and foremost, Jesus had a mission here on earth. His mission was to bring us forgiveness of sins followed by health in our bodies and spirits. Unconditional, unmerited, unearned, unrequested forgiveness of sins. The whole point of Jesus dying on the cross was so that the Father could freely forgive us of our sins and bless us unconditionally. This is why our sins and our troubles were placed on Christ at the cross. When you ask for Grace, it becomes Mercy. But the Bible tells us that it is by Grace we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), not by works, and not by mercy.
Why then do we constantly tell people they have to ask for God’s forgiveness in their lives? Yes, we all need to confess to God when we are wrong (1 John 1:9), when we mess up, but there is no need to beg Him for forgiveness; everything has already been forgiven. (1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ) If Christ died once for the sins of both the righteous and the unrighteous (in today’s terms the believer and the unbeliever) then how is anyone excluded from heaven? The key is accepting His forgiveness. If you choose to not accept the forgiveness graciously granted to all through the cross, then you choose to rely on your own merit and “good” standing with a just and holy God. (Acts 10:43) A profession of faith in Christ and His eternal sacrifice is all it takes to receive God’s forgiveness. That’s it. (Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”)
Until people realize that they have already been forgiven, and are no longer in need of forgiveness, the blessings and abundant life that Christ offers cannot be received. Jesus didn’t heal the man of his paralysis until He first told him that his sins were forgiven. The same holds true for people today. Until we start preaching a message of “YOU ARE FORGIVEN”, many will never receive the healing that they so longingly desire! Many will make a choice based on pride to not “ask” for forgiveness and in so doing will miss the wonderful message of Christ’s salvation! (Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall)
Pride is what got the Devil in all that trouble. It’s what destroys marriages and friendships today. It is what continually keeps people away from Christ. “I don’t need forgiveness” is a prideful attitude that is destroying souls. It has been used and manipulated by the Devil to keep people from accepting the Grace offered by Jesus. It’s time to use foolish pride to our advantage. Let’s use the Devil’s weapon against him. Let’s tell people that they’re right, they don’t have beg and plead for forgiveness before the Throne of God, because they’ve already been forgiven at the Cross of Christ! It’s a lot easier to explain grace through grace, then grace through self condemnation.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tooting your own horn?
Joshua 6:5
“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
I’m sure that at some point in our lives we’ve all heard the expression “tooting your own horn.” I’m even more certain that most of us are guilty of living into this expression from time to time. It’s a term used to describe a person who is boasting about the great and wonderful things they’ve accomplished.
Here in Joshua 6 we discover the story of the Israelites and the Great Walls of Jericho. This city that they had to conquer before entering the promised land was surrounded by 2 great, seemingly impenetrable brick walls. To make matters worse for the Israelites, Jericho had a fresh water spring inside the city and the people had just collected the harvest. Food and water wouldn’t be an issue for the people camped inside the city. This meant that non-traditional tactics needed to be employed in order to get in. Starving them out simply wasn’t an option.
So Israel turned to God, who answered by giving very specific instructions: walk around the city walls once each day for six days; don’t make a sound. On the seventh day walk around the city seven times, again without a sound. After the seventh trip around, have the priests sound their trumpets made of ram’s horns and have the people give a loud shout. The walls will come tumbling down and the city will be yours!
We all know that everything happened exactly as God said it would. Often people use this story as a message of how faith can topple walls; that taking that last step, putting in the extra effort, is what gets God to knock down the walls in our lives. However, I don’t believe that’s the point to this story. God was specific to tell the people to walk by faith, but without sound and without working. That means that this army had to walk around the city that they were planning to conquer and not speak, grumble, gloat, or taunt. They had to walk around and look at the wall they were trying to get over or through and not stop to investigate what they thought was a weak spot or flaw. They merely had to walk by faith.
Finally, on the seventh day, they got to make some noise, but still could do no hands-on work! When the priests sounded the ram’s horn trumpets, then the walls came tumbling down. It wasn’t their walking in silence that brought down those walls, and it wasn’t their clever detection of weak points; it was the sound of the ram’s horn and the shouts of victory from the people.
Friends, Jesus is the Ram. In this passage, He is the power that brought down the walls in Jericho, and He is the power that will bring down the walls in our lives. Today those of us in Christ are priests according to His righteousness. (1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;) While we walk by faith, we are to remain silent, not looking for flaws or weak points in our enemies’ defenses. This will ensure that Christ can work His glory, not we in ours. When the time comes we need only sound the Ram’s horn, that is, call out the name of Jesus, and our enemies’ walls will come crashing to the ground. As we proclaim His holy name and shout victoriously walls will topple and victory will be the Lord’s.
Whether it’s debt, depression, anger, sexual sin, drug abuse, or other struggle, a silent walk of faith and the proclaiming of Jesus with a shout of victory will conquer your enemy! Don’t go about tooting your own horn; toot the Ram’s horn. Proclaim Jesus victoriously in your battle today!
“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
I’m sure that at some point in our lives we’ve all heard the expression “tooting your own horn.” I’m even more certain that most of us are guilty of living into this expression from time to time. It’s a term used to describe a person who is boasting about the great and wonderful things they’ve accomplished.
Here in Joshua 6 we discover the story of the Israelites and the Great Walls of Jericho. This city that they had to conquer before entering the promised land was surrounded by 2 great, seemingly impenetrable brick walls. To make matters worse for the Israelites, Jericho had a fresh water spring inside the city and the people had just collected the harvest. Food and water wouldn’t be an issue for the people camped inside the city. This meant that non-traditional tactics needed to be employed in order to get in. Starving them out simply wasn’t an option.
So Israel turned to God, who answered by giving very specific instructions: walk around the city walls once each day for six days; don’t make a sound. On the seventh day walk around the city seven times, again without a sound. After the seventh trip around, have the priests sound their trumpets made of ram’s horns and have the people give a loud shout. The walls will come tumbling down and the city will be yours!
We all know that everything happened exactly as God said it would. Often people use this story as a message of how faith can topple walls; that taking that last step, putting in the extra effort, is what gets God to knock down the walls in our lives. However, I don’t believe that’s the point to this story. God was specific to tell the people to walk by faith, but without sound and without working. That means that this army had to walk around the city that they were planning to conquer and not speak, grumble, gloat, or taunt. They had to walk around and look at the wall they were trying to get over or through and not stop to investigate what they thought was a weak spot or flaw. They merely had to walk by faith.
Finally, on the seventh day, they got to make some noise, but still could do no hands-on work! When the priests sounded the ram’s horn trumpets, then the walls came tumbling down. It wasn’t their walking in silence that brought down those walls, and it wasn’t their clever detection of weak points; it was the sound of the ram’s horn and the shouts of victory from the people.
Friends, Jesus is the Ram. In this passage, He is the power that brought down the walls in Jericho, and He is the power that will bring down the walls in our lives. Today those of us in Christ are priests according to His righteousness. (1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;) While we walk by faith, we are to remain silent, not looking for flaws or weak points in our enemies’ defenses. This will ensure that Christ can work His glory, not we in ours. When the time comes we need only sound the Ram’s horn, that is, call out the name of Jesus, and our enemies’ walls will come crashing to the ground. As we proclaim His holy name and shout victoriously walls will topple and victory will be the Lord’s.
Whether it’s debt, depression, anger, sexual sin, drug abuse, or other struggle, a silent walk of faith and the proclaiming of Jesus with a shout of victory will conquer your enemy! Don’t go about tooting your own horn; toot the Ram’s horn. Proclaim Jesus victoriously in your battle today!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Part 6- Eating a Biblical Diet
Leviticus 11:29-30
“‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.”
Finally we have come to the last grouping of animals that God doesn’t want us to eat. On this list are rodents, pests, cute little pets, and great monsters.
First up on our list, rats and weasels. Rats are very social and affectionate creatures. Contrary to myth and popular belief, they are very clean animals. They take great care in grooming themselves and each other, removing parasites and dirt from one another. But, they have poor eyesight, a short life span, and can become cannibalistic! Weasels are very stealthy little hunters. They are quick to move, silent, and deadly. They eat small and young animals. Both rats and weasels are nocturnal creatures.
It’s not hard to pick out the rats and weasels of today’s church. The rats, well, they correspond to the churches that are great in number, seeming to be clean and perfect. Their pastors never seem to miss a beat or falter, their worship band sounds exactly like a CD recording, and they pride themselves on their social skills. Unfortunately, like rats, these churches have poor vision and they seem to operate in the dark, blinded by the glitz and glory of recognition and notoriety. They fail to see the truth of Jesus’ grace and spend all their time functioning out of the rules and requirements society dictates. They’ll tell you how to look, act, and speak, how old you can be to serve and what team you’ll serve with. Eventually these churches will become cannibalistic and consume themselves from within. They’ll kill their brothers and sisters, driving them away from God and His Truth, in the name of self-preservation.
Weasel churches aren’t any better. They are sneaky and divisive. They prey on the young of society with slogans like, “This ain’t your mama’s church”. They try, desperately, not to look like a church, luring and wooing in today’s youth with worldly gimmicks, giveaways and concessions. But the truth is they are warping the hearts and minds of the young, not giving them the gospel of Jesus’ grace, but rather the image of the world wrapped up in a “church-like club”. These churches are leading the youth to destruction!
What about the reptiles? Chameleons, geckos, and the monitor lizard are all represented by today’s churches. Monitor lizards are fierce predators. They have amazingly sharp claws, strong teeth, and a powerful tail. Monitor lizards are efficient killers; whether killing with a quick bite to the jugular or injecting venom and bacteria-laced saliva to slowly rot their prey to death, they always get a meal! Chameleons are able to change their appearance to suit their environment. They are masters of disguise. Geckos come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Some, just like the chameleon, are capable of changing color to suit their environment. Other species are parthenogenic, meaning that the females can reproduce without a male.
Reptile churches are not healthy on many levels. Starting with Genesis 3:1 (Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ) we learn that the devil came in the form of a serpent, crafty and deceiving. Reptile churches try to blend in with society. They change their appearance to suit the trends, removing the cross because its offensive, maybe talking about God but no longer proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ because He’s offensive. Instead they strive to be culturally relevant while being spiritually lost. A group of fun-loving, “good Christian people”, who are actually fierce predators working in disguise. Interestingly, some of these churches are able to grow and sustain a large population, and they to do this without Jesus. These parthenogenic churches teach Biblical principles and doctrines derived from an intellectual interpretation of scripture, but fail to marry those doctrines with the blood of Christ and the gospel of His grace. Instead they grow based on their own merit, out of their own work, through their own ideas and theologies. This type of church is dangerous! The church that continues to grow and reproduce without Jesus, while claiming to be of Jesus, is genetically flawed. It’s body is full of sickly, weak, pseudo-Christians that will eventually succumb to disaster.
God’s desire for us, in every aspect of our lives, is to be healthy. The laws that He gave 6000 years ago about eating food still hold true today. Pork, rats, vultures, and monitor lizards are unhealthy for literal consumption. They are full of fats and bacteria that our bodies are not meant to process. But when Jesus died on the cross, He became our High Priest for eternity and fulfilled all of the literal laws through His blood and death. We are made clean through Him; however, because the law was not abolished, but fulfilled (Matthew 5:17), then there is still Truth to be found in the law. (Hebrews 7:12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.)
I am convinced that these laws no longer represent the requirements for our physical bodies to remain clean and healthy, but for our spiritual bodies to remain clean and healthy. (2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ) The key to it all is at the end of the verse: “in righteousness”. We who have professed faith in Jesus, who call Him Savior, have been made righteous because of His blood. The scripture isn’t about making us righteous, but about teaching us in His Righteousness.
“‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon.”
Finally we have come to the last grouping of animals that God doesn’t want us to eat. On this list are rodents, pests, cute little pets, and great monsters.
First up on our list, rats and weasels. Rats are very social and affectionate creatures. Contrary to myth and popular belief, they are very clean animals. They take great care in grooming themselves and each other, removing parasites and dirt from one another. But, they have poor eyesight, a short life span, and can become cannibalistic! Weasels are very stealthy little hunters. They are quick to move, silent, and deadly. They eat small and young animals. Both rats and weasels are nocturnal creatures.
It’s not hard to pick out the rats and weasels of today’s church. The rats, well, they correspond to the churches that are great in number, seeming to be clean and perfect. Their pastors never seem to miss a beat or falter, their worship band sounds exactly like a CD recording, and they pride themselves on their social skills. Unfortunately, like rats, these churches have poor vision and they seem to operate in the dark, blinded by the glitz and glory of recognition and notoriety. They fail to see the truth of Jesus’ grace and spend all their time functioning out of the rules and requirements society dictates. They’ll tell you how to look, act, and speak, how old you can be to serve and what team you’ll serve with. Eventually these churches will become cannibalistic and consume themselves from within. They’ll kill their brothers and sisters, driving them away from God and His Truth, in the name of self-preservation.
Weasel churches aren’t any better. They are sneaky and divisive. They prey on the young of society with slogans like, “This ain’t your mama’s church”. They try, desperately, not to look like a church, luring and wooing in today’s youth with worldly gimmicks, giveaways and concessions. But the truth is they are warping the hearts and minds of the young, not giving them the gospel of Jesus’ grace, but rather the image of the world wrapped up in a “church-like club”. These churches are leading the youth to destruction!
What about the reptiles? Chameleons, geckos, and the monitor lizard are all represented by today’s churches. Monitor lizards are fierce predators. They have amazingly sharp claws, strong teeth, and a powerful tail. Monitor lizards are efficient killers; whether killing with a quick bite to the jugular or injecting venom and bacteria-laced saliva to slowly rot their prey to death, they always get a meal! Chameleons are able to change their appearance to suit their environment. They are masters of disguise. Geckos come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Some, just like the chameleon, are capable of changing color to suit their environment. Other species are parthenogenic, meaning that the females can reproduce without a male.
Reptile churches are not healthy on many levels. Starting with Genesis 3:1 (Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ) we learn that the devil came in the form of a serpent, crafty and deceiving. Reptile churches try to blend in with society. They change their appearance to suit the trends, removing the cross because its offensive, maybe talking about God but no longer proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ because He’s offensive. Instead they strive to be culturally relevant while being spiritually lost. A group of fun-loving, “good Christian people”, who are actually fierce predators working in disguise. Interestingly, some of these churches are able to grow and sustain a large population, and they to do this without Jesus. These parthenogenic churches teach Biblical principles and doctrines derived from an intellectual interpretation of scripture, but fail to marry those doctrines with the blood of Christ and the gospel of His grace. Instead they grow based on their own merit, out of their own work, through their own ideas and theologies. This type of church is dangerous! The church that continues to grow and reproduce without Jesus, while claiming to be of Jesus, is genetically flawed. It’s body is full of sickly, weak, pseudo-Christians that will eventually succumb to disaster.
God’s desire for us, in every aspect of our lives, is to be healthy. The laws that He gave 6000 years ago about eating food still hold true today. Pork, rats, vultures, and monitor lizards are unhealthy for literal consumption. They are full of fats and bacteria that our bodies are not meant to process. But when Jesus died on the cross, He became our High Priest for eternity and fulfilled all of the literal laws through His blood and death. We are made clean through Him; however, because the law was not abolished, but fulfilled (Matthew 5:17), then there is still Truth to be found in the law. (Hebrews 7:12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.)
I am convinced that these laws no longer represent the requirements for our physical bodies to remain clean and healthy, but for our spiritual bodies to remain clean and healthy. (2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ) The key to it all is at the end of the verse: “in righteousness”. We who have professed faith in Jesus, who call Him Savior, have been made righteous because of His blood. The scripture isn’t about making us righteous, but about teaching us in His Righteousness.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Part 5- Eating a Biblical Diet?
Leviticus 11:22-23
“These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.”
Well, I guess God does not want us eating the flying insects. Flies, wasps, and mosquitoes are not good to eat. Hopefully you’ve been reading parts 1-4 and understand that predators and scavenger creatures are not allowed by God for food. This same concept is true with insects.
Wasps and mosquitoes are predators. Wasps have a disturbing way of eating. They hunt for an insect, grab it with their jaws, and sting it. The sting isn’t intended to kill, but rather to paralyze it, making transport back to the colony or young easier. The point is the wasp wants its food fresh and alive when it eats. Mosquitoes are hunters too. They survive on the blood of animals. (Deuteronomy 12:23 “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.”) God didn’t intend for us to eat the blood of animals so He doesn’t want us eating insects that survive on the blood of animals. Mosquitoes also have a knack for passing on bloodborne parasites and diseases to their victims, in some cases killing them long after the initial bite!
Flies are just disgusting pests. They are trash eaters, but more than that, their preferred diet is rotten flesh (animal or vegetable). Flies also love to eat feces. They don’t have teeth so they have to find decaying, liquid food. If the food is not liquid, they vomit on it to liquefy it, and then they are able to slurp up what is there.
How are these insects represented by some churches today? With regard to the wasp’s sting, some churches will teach messages based on fear. They’ll teach you to fear for your soul, watch your every move because if you slip, God will condemn you. They’ll paralyze their congregations with long lists of prayers and supplications that must be made in order to secure a place in heaven. They’ll put fear in the hearts of the people with regard to their loved ones who have passed away, using that as a motive for draining bank accounts and building greater displays of wealth and power. They’ll eventually consume any hope that a church member may have had, and leave an empty shell of what could have been a faithful follower of Christ.
Mosquito churches are just evil. They go after blood in the name of God. They strike fear in the hearts of men and they disperse plagues among the people. They are terrorists! These churches can be seen blowing up Planned Parenthood offices and abortion clinics. They believe that they were called to act out God’s vengeance on the earth when in truth they are working for the devil.
And then there is the fly church. This is the church that preys and feeds on the desperate. These churches operate by roaring and babbling, vomiting out false doctrines and lies on the weak and oppressed so that they can drink up the spoils of their bounty. You know, the devil goes about like a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”) He roars because he has no teeth! They were removed by Jesus at the cross. Christ took back all that the devil stole from mankind and left Satan with only his voice. All he can do is roar to try to scare people into doing what he wants; he has no real power!
So, we should find a good grasshopper church. Grasshoppers love to eat wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Can you see where I’m going with this? They eat what we turn into bread. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. (John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”) We need to be looking for a church that isn’t bent on consuming the congregation, but rather on feeding the congregation. Find a church whose leadership has gorged itself on the Word of God and is overflowing with the message of Jesus’ salvation through grace.
“These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.”
Well, I guess God does not want us eating the flying insects. Flies, wasps, and mosquitoes are not good to eat. Hopefully you’ve been reading parts 1-4 and understand that predators and scavenger creatures are not allowed by God for food. This same concept is true with insects.
Wasps and mosquitoes are predators. Wasps have a disturbing way of eating. They hunt for an insect, grab it with their jaws, and sting it. The sting isn’t intended to kill, but rather to paralyze it, making transport back to the colony or young easier. The point is the wasp wants its food fresh and alive when it eats. Mosquitoes are hunters too. They survive on the blood of animals. (Deuteronomy 12:23 “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.”) God didn’t intend for us to eat the blood of animals so He doesn’t want us eating insects that survive on the blood of animals. Mosquitoes also have a knack for passing on bloodborne parasites and diseases to their victims, in some cases killing them long after the initial bite!
Flies are just disgusting pests. They are trash eaters, but more than that, their preferred diet is rotten flesh (animal or vegetable). Flies also love to eat feces. They don’t have teeth so they have to find decaying, liquid food. If the food is not liquid, they vomit on it to liquefy it, and then they are able to slurp up what is there.
How are these insects represented by some churches today? With regard to the wasp’s sting, some churches will teach messages based on fear. They’ll teach you to fear for your soul, watch your every move because if you slip, God will condemn you. They’ll paralyze their congregations with long lists of prayers and supplications that must be made in order to secure a place in heaven. They’ll put fear in the hearts of the people with regard to their loved ones who have passed away, using that as a motive for draining bank accounts and building greater displays of wealth and power. They’ll eventually consume any hope that a church member may have had, and leave an empty shell of what could have been a faithful follower of Christ.
Mosquito churches are just evil. They go after blood in the name of God. They strike fear in the hearts of men and they disperse plagues among the people. They are terrorists! These churches can be seen blowing up Planned Parenthood offices and abortion clinics. They believe that they were called to act out God’s vengeance on the earth when in truth they are working for the devil.
And then there is the fly church. This is the church that preys and feeds on the desperate. These churches operate by roaring and babbling, vomiting out false doctrines and lies on the weak and oppressed so that they can drink up the spoils of their bounty. You know, the devil goes about like a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”) He roars because he has no teeth! They were removed by Jesus at the cross. Christ took back all that the devil stole from mankind and left Satan with only his voice. All he can do is roar to try to scare people into doing what he wants; he has no real power!
So, we should find a good grasshopper church. Grasshoppers love to eat wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Can you see where I’m going with this? They eat what we turn into bread. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. (John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”) We need to be looking for a church that isn’t bent on consuming the congregation, but rather on feeding the congregation. Find a church whose leadership has gorged itself on the Word of God and is overflowing with the message of Jesus’ salvation through grace.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Part 4- Eating a Biblical Diet?
Leviticus 11:13
‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard’
Birds of prey. God does not want us eating birds that prey on the weak, dead, and dying. Birds like the eagle, who soar high above their prey waiting for the perfect opportunity to swoop down and make a kill. Majestic creatures who, at times, devour their prey while it is still alive, allowing it to suffer as their beaks and talons tear the flesh from its body. Scavenger birds, like the vulture, who circle above smelling the decay of rotting flesh in the air and then land to consume it. God does not want us to eat these animals.
Interestingly enough, some of these birds that God forbids are beautiful symbols of power and might, while others are hideously ugly creatures. Take the Bald Eagle, America’s bird; it sits at the top of the food chain adorned with beautiful markings and a white “crown” upon its head. But it’s a vicious predator with its beauty surpassed only by its amazing ability to hunt and devour prey! Then there is the vulture. From far off in the sky, as it soars above the rest of the world, the vulture appears beautiful. But up close it is a hideous creature, covered with parasites, the stench of rotten flesh, and the blood of animals.
God does not want us getting our nutrition from predators and scavengers like this, nor does He want us going to a church that acts or appears like these creatures, a church that preys on the weak, lost, and dying, or a church that manipulates the scripture and, in so doing, manipulates a congregation’s understanding of Jesus and His infinite grace.
We have these churches all over the world, professing that God demands your offerings, your gifts, and your sacrifices. We see a lot of them on the TV; their pastors telling you to give your “seed of faith”. They prey on a person’s desire to please God, and manipulate that through scripture to drain them of their finances and hope. “Sow your seed today and receive God’s double portion of blessings in your life. Give sacrificially, work hard, step out in faith in order to get the portion of God’s favor that He so longs to give you, IF you would just.....”
The church leaders that teach these lessons have great stories. They use words like “challenge” and “I dare you to try it” in order to lure the unsuspecting, undernourished, underfed believer into guilt giving. They use your guilt for the profit of the church in order that the new sanctuary can be built, that the new lights can be purchased, or that the new paid positions can be filled. By using your desire to see God fix your marriage, health, or finances and manipulating your heart, the church reaps the benefits.
Teaching like this is spiritually deadly to seekers and believers both. It drives people away from knowing the grace offered by Christ at the cross. It can turn their hearts away from Jesus because His message is lost in our perceived need to do works. (Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.) The Bible clearly states that all of our acts (even those done with righteous motives) are like trash before a holy and just God. Teaching that our giving, that our sacrifice will lead to greater blessings is contrary to scripture.
Jesus tells us that all we have to do is ask in His name and God the Father will give it to us. (John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.) There is nothing that we can give to God to get His blessings or love. There is no work or deed, sacrifice or monetary gift that we can offer to God that will cause Him to bless us double-fold. All of the laws of ‘giving to receive’ were fulfilled when Christ went to the cross. He alone tore the veil and cleared a path to the riches of heaven.
God wants us to eat grain-fed birds like chickens and quail. That’s why He provided quail to His people in the wilderness. That’s why He wants the church to be grain-fed, that is, nourished by the Bread of Life who is Jesus Christ. We need churches that are filled with Christ and the riches of His grace, not the riches of the people!
***Please note*** I am not advocating that you not give of time, talent, or financial resources. I am simply stating that it is important you are giving, and churches are receiving, with right motives. A church that manipulates Scripture or your emotions to get you to open your wallet is not one working in a right spirit and applying Scripture correctly. Give, give freely to churches that are teaching sound Scriptures; don’t give because a church promises blessings or because you are trying to earn favor. You are a child of God if you follow Jesus Christ; you already have His favor!
‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard’
Birds of prey. God does not want us eating birds that prey on the weak, dead, and dying. Birds like the eagle, who soar high above their prey waiting for the perfect opportunity to swoop down and make a kill. Majestic creatures who, at times, devour their prey while it is still alive, allowing it to suffer as their beaks and talons tear the flesh from its body. Scavenger birds, like the vulture, who circle above smelling the decay of rotting flesh in the air and then land to consume it. God does not want us to eat these animals.
Interestingly enough, some of these birds that God forbids are beautiful symbols of power and might, while others are hideously ugly creatures. Take the Bald Eagle, America’s bird; it sits at the top of the food chain adorned with beautiful markings and a white “crown” upon its head. But it’s a vicious predator with its beauty surpassed only by its amazing ability to hunt and devour prey! Then there is the vulture. From far off in the sky, as it soars above the rest of the world, the vulture appears beautiful. But up close it is a hideous creature, covered with parasites, the stench of rotten flesh, and the blood of animals.
God does not want us getting our nutrition from predators and scavengers like this, nor does He want us going to a church that acts or appears like these creatures, a church that preys on the weak, lost, and dying, or a church that manipulates the scripture and, in so doing, manipulates a congregation’s understanding of Jesus and His infinite grace.
We have these churches all over the world, professing that God demands your offerings, your gifts, and your sacrifices. We see a lot of them on the TV; their pastors telling you to give your “seed of faith”. They prey on a person’s desire to please God, and manipulate that through scripture to drain them of their finances and hope. “Sow your seed today and receive God’s double portion of blessings in your life. Give sacrificially, work hard, step out in faith in order to get the portion of God’s favor that He so longs to give you, IF you would just.....”
The church leaders that teach these lessons have great stories. They use words like “challenge” and “I dare you to try it” in order to lure the unsuspecting, undernourished, underfed believer into guilt giving. They use your guilt for the profit of the church in order that the new sanctuary can be built, that the new lights can be purchased, or that the new paid positions can be filled. By using your desire to see God fix your marriage, health, or finances and manipulating your heart, the church reaps the benefits.
Teaching like this is spiritually deadly to seekers and believers both. It drives people away from knowing the grace offered by Christ at the cross. It can turn their hearts away from Jesus because His message is lost in our perceived need to do works. (Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.) The Bible clearly states that all of our acts (even those done with righteous motives) are like trash before a holy and just God. Teaching that our giving, that our sacrifice will lead to greater blessings is contrary to scripture.
Jesus tells us that all we have to do is ask in His name and God the Father will give it to us. (John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.) There is nothing that we can give to God to get His blessings or love. There is no work or deed, sacrifice or monetary gift that we can offer to God that will cause Him to bless us double-fold. All of the laws of ‘giving to receive’ were fulfilled when Christ went to the cross. He alone tore the veil and cleared a path to the riches of heaven.
God wants us to eat grain-fed birds like chickens and quail. That’s why He provided quail to His people in the wilderness. That’s why He wants the church to be grain-fed, that is, nourished by the Bread of Life who is Jesus Christ. We need churches that are filled with Christ and the riches of His grace, not the riches of the people!
***Please note*** I am not advocating that you not give of time, talent, or financial resources. I am simply stating that it is important you are giving, and churches are receiving, with right motives. A church that manipulates Scripture or your emotions to get you to open your wallet is not one working in a right spirit and applying Scripture correctly. Give, give freely to churches that are teaching sound Scriptures; don’t give because a church promises blessings or because you are trying to earn favor. You are a child of God if you follow Jesus Christ; you already have His favor!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Part 3- Eating a Biblical Diet?
Leviticus 11:9-10
“‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.”
Fish without scales include sharks, lobsters, catfish, shrimp, and mollusks. Some of these have become delicacies in today’s eating establishments, others a staple of good home cooked American soul food; however, there are reasons God didn’t want the Israelites to eat them, and there are reasons why He doesn’t want us attending a church that mimics them.
Lobster, shrimp, and most mollusks are bottom feeders. They occasionally hunt, but for the most part they survive on the leftovers, scraps, waste, and decaying remains of other creatures. I think it’s plain to see why God wouldn’t want us eating a creature who has been fed and nourished by trash or dead rotting flesh. Sharks, catfish, and eels are examples of fish with fins, but no scales. Not only are they hunters, stealthy, quick, and brutal when they attack, but they lack the ability to filter toxins from the water. Instead, they ingest them into the body and disperse them throughout their internal organs and flesh. When we eat these creatures, we eat the toxins as well.
In order to properly explain this I’m going to have to give a very brief biology lesson. Fins are used by fish for directional control and stability. Scales on a fish help guard against toxins in the water infiltrating the body, and they provide a layer of armor-like protection for the fish. Scales are part of the integumentary system; that is, the system that provides protection for the internal organs of the fish (in humans the system is comprised of skin, hair, and nails).
Moving on. When searching for or attending a church, we must ensure that we find one that maintains control of its direction and stability in its teaching. We must seek a church with fins. We can’t go to a church that follows the latest trends in marketing or music just to continue to provide a show for its audience. (Colossions 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”) There is no stability in this type of environment. In this type of church the leaders are following worldly ideas and concepts rather than Jesus. This shows a lack of directional control. The direction a church should be moving is towards Jesus, not the way of the crowd.
A church should have armor for its body. This armor is found in a core of firm believers in Christ, who may appear rough and hard-headed on the exterior. These are people who can naturally filter out toxic material and provide a layer of protection before anything harmful ever gets into the body to poison the system. These scaly people, though rough by nature, are God’s protection for the body of believers. A church without scales that doesn’t filter out false doctrine and hokey practices, one that doesn’t have accountability within the body and with its leaders, is bound to become sick.
God’s desire for our Christian walk is to be led and nourished by His Son and His teachings, not the ideas and traditions of men. He certainly does not want us aimlessly drifting in the currents with no protection. In order to be spiritually nourished in the way God wants for us, we must seek out solid, Jesus-centered teaching. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it; therefore we are still called to practice the law, just under different terms. (Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”) Though we no longer receive sanctification through the law, because Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all mankind, we can still receive wisdom and a greater understanding of God’s will for our lives by practicing and following the law under the New Covenant.
“‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.”
Fish without scales include sharks, lobsters, catfish, shrimp, and mollusks. Some of these have become delicacies in today’s eating establishments, others a staple of good home cooked American soul food; however, there are reasons God didn’t want the Israelites to eat them, and there are reasons why He doesn’t want us attending a church that mimics them.
Lobster, shrimp, and most mollusks are bottom feeders. They occasionally hunt, but for the most part they survive on the leftovers, scraps, waste, and decaying remains of other creatures. I think it’s plain to see why God wouldn’t want us eating a creature who has been fed and nourished by trash or dead rotting flesh. Sharks, catfish, and eels are examples of fish with fins, but no scales. Not only are they hunters, stealthy, quick, and brutal when they attack, but they lack the ability to filter toxins from the water. Instead, they ingest them into the body and disperse them throughout their internal organs and flesh. When we eat these creatures, we eat the toxins as well.
In order to properly explain this I’m going to have to give a very brief biology lesson. Fins are used by fish for directional control and stability. Scales on a fish help guard against toxins in the water infiltrating the body, and they provide a layer of armor-like protection for the fish. Scales are part of the integumentary system; that is, the system that provides protection for the internal organs of the fish (in humans the system is comprised of skin, hair, and nails).
Moving on. When searching for or attending a church, we must ensure that we find one that maintains control of its direction and stability in its teaching. We must seek a church with fins. We can’t go to a church that follows the latest trends in marketing or music just to continue to provide a show for its audience. (Colossions 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”) There is no stability in this type of environment. In this type of church the leaders are following worldly ideas and concepts rather than Jesus. This shows a lack of directional control. The direction a church should be moving is towards Jesus, not the way of the crowd.
A church should have armor for its body. This armor is found in a core of firm believers in Christ, who may appear rough and hard-headed on the exterior. These are people who can naturally filter out toxic material and provide a layer of protection before anything harmful ever gets into the body to poison the system. These scaly people, though rough by nature, are God’s protection for the body of believers. A church without scales that doesn’t filter out false doctrine and hokey practices, one that doesn’t have accountability within the body and with its leaders, is bound to become sick.
God’s desire for our Christian walk is to be led and nourished by His Son and His teachings, not the ideas and traditions of men. He certainly does not want us aimlessly drifting in the currents with no protection. In order to be spiritually nourished in the way God wants for us, we must seek out solid, Jesus-centered teaching. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it; therefore we are still called to practice the law, just under different terms. (Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”) Though we no longer receive sanctification through the law, because Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all mankind, we can still receive wisdom and a greater understanding of God’s will for our lives by practicing and following the law under the New Covenant.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Part 2-Eating a Biblical Diet?
Leviticus 11:4
Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;
So, now we know a church that is providing nutrition to God’s children is one that rightly divides the word as it walks and ruminates in the scriptures, continually drawing out more and more Jesus. How do God’s laws of unclean animals apply to today’s church? We know from part 1 what we as Christians should be looking toward for spiritual nourishment; what are we specifically supposed to avoid and guard ourselves against?
We can think of these unclean sources of nourishment as “camel churches” or “pig churches”. These animals (along with the rock hyrax [a small pest, similar to a guinea pig] and the hare) are mentioned in the verses immediately after Leviticus 11:4 as unclean and are forbidden by God for consumption. The interesting thing about these animals is that they each possess one of the attributes of a clean and acceptable animal according to God’s law, but not both.
The camel chews its cud. It is capable of eating and then digesting food over and over again until it draws out the nutrition, but it does not have a completely divided hoof. A camel’s hoof is only partially divided. At the base is a solid pad connecting the hooves together. Camel churches digest the word of God and draw out Jesus, but they don’t stand firm in what He says. They’re able to glean the message of hope that Jesus brings throughout the Bible, but when it comes to holding fast to a true belief about what He said or did, they waiver. (Revelation 3:3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”)
Churches like this tend to believe that miracles, supernatural healings, angels, and demons are something that only happened or existed 2500 years ago. They are events that modern science can explain today and in some cases replicate. These are churches who falter and stumble, when push comes to shove, because they aren’t standing firm on the truth of Christ.
Then there are the pigs. Pigs are nasty animals that will eat just about anything. They’re big, loud animals with a sure foot, hard to topple. Pigs, however, regardless of how big and strong, loud and sure footed, don’t eat in a healthy manner! Pigs inhale their food, leaving no time for chewing or breaking down of the materials. They just open their mouths and swallow. While they get some nutrition from this process, it’s not the best or the healthiest way to be nourished!
Pig churches are very similar to real pigs. They grow at exponential rates standing firm in the truth that is God’s word, but they’re not drawing out all of the nutrition, all of the Jesus. These churches give relevant messages about today’s day and age using lessons from the Bible to illustrate certain principles or rules that should be followed in order to gain God’s full blessings, but they don’t reveal the truth hidden in the scripture, that is, Jesus. They preach the message of salvation through the cross and Jesus’ resurrection, but they fail to complete the story by explaining and expounding on the grace, forgiveness, and unmerited favor that the cross brought. Instead they hold fast to the teaching of law and works, rules and provisos in order to fully gain God’s favor. (Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.) They are sure that Jesus is the Son of God, but they aren’t proclaiming His complete message of grace and mercy because they haven’t taken the time to digest His word.
God doesn’t want us to get surface nourishment from His word. He wants us to get the fullness of His blessings by chewing, digesting, and meditating on His Son, Jesus Christ. By doing this our faith-footing will be firmly anchored in Christ (Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”) and our spiritual bodies will be healthy.
Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you;
So, now we know a church that is providing nutrition to God’s children is one that rightly divides the word as it walks and ruminates in the scriptures, continually drawing out more and more Jesus. How do God’s laws of unclean animals apply to today’s church? We know from part 1 what we as Christians should be looking toward for spiritual nourishment; what are we specifically supposed to avoid and guard ourselves against?
We can think of these unclean sources of nourishment as “camel churches” or “pig churches”. These animals (along with the rock hyrax [a small pest, similar to a guinea pig] and the hare) are mentioned in the verses immediately after Leviticus 11:4 as unclean and are forbidden by God for consumption. The interesting thing about these animals is that they each possess one of the attributes of a clean and acceptable animal according to God’s law, but not both.
The camel chews its cud. It is capable of eating and then digesting food over and over again until it draws out the nutrition, but it does not have a completely divided hoof. A camel’s hoof is only partially divided. At the base is a solid pad connecting the hooves together. Camel churches digest the word of God and draw out Jesus, but they don’t stand firm in what He says. They’re able to glean the message of hope that Jesus brings throughout the Bible, but when it comes to holding fast to a true belief about what He said or did, they waiver. (Revelation 3:3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”)
Churches like this tend to believe that miracles, supernatural healings, angels, and demons are something that only happened or existed 2500 years ago. They are events that modern science can explain today and in some cases replicate. These are churches who falter and stumble, when push comes to shove, because they aren’t standing firm on the truth of Christ.
Then there are the pigs. Pigs are nasty animals that will eat just about anything. They’re big, loud animals with a sure foot, hard to topple. Pigs, however, regardless of how big and strong, loud and sure footed, don’t eat in a healthy manner! Pigs inhale their food, leaving no time for chewing or breaking down of the materials. They just open their mouths and swallow. While they get some nutrition from this process, it’s not the best or the healthiest way to be nourished!
Pig churches are very similar to real pigs. They grow at exponential rates standing firm in the truth that is God’s word, but they’re not drawing out all of the nutrition, all of the Jesus. These churches give relevant messages about today’s day and age using lessons from the Bible to illustrate certain principles or rules that should be followed in order to gain God’s full blessings, but they don’t reveal the truth hidden in the scripture, that is, Jesus. They preach the message of salvation through the cross and Jesus’ resurrection, but they fail to complete the story by explaining and expounding on the grace, forgiveness, and unmerited favor that the cross brought. Instead they hold fast to the teaching of law and works, rules and provisos in order to fully gain God’s favor. (Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.) They are sure that Jesus is the Son of God, but they aren’t proclaiming His complete message of grace and mercy because they haven’t taken the time to digest His word.
God doesn’t want us to get surface nourishment from His word. He wants us to get the fullness of His blessings by chewing, digesting, and meditating on His Son, Jesus Christ. By doing this our faith-footing will be firmly anchored in Christ (Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”) and our spiritual bodies will be healthy.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Part 1-Eating a Biblical Diet?
Leviticus 11:3
3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.
Until recently, I never thought that Leviticus 11 could be speaking about our modern day church and our need as Christians to be mindful of what we are consuming. This book isn’t just a lesson for eating (though there are benefits to eating according to God’s law) but a spiritual lesson for believers. Let’s take this step by step and recognize God’s wisdom and genius, even in the seemingly mundane, seldom taught passages of Leviticus.
Rule number one: eat any animal that has a divided hoof and chews the cud. In the scientific community these animals are called Ruminant. This comes from the Latin word ruminare which means “to chew over and over again”. This is the same root word from which we get ruminate, meaning “to meditate”. So, for literal consumption we can eat cows, deer, antelope, goats, and sheep. Any animal that has a divided hoof and multiple stomachs for digesting food.
These creatures also represent where we are to be getting our spiritual nourishment, that is, the church. There are two distinct things that these animals do. First, when they walk, they divide the ground beneath their feet. Their hooves are used to maintain balance, to stay upright. Goats and smaller animals can actually use their divided hooves to climb small trees in order to get at higher vegetation. Secondly, they digest the food over and over again in order to get every last bit of nourishment from it.
As Christians we should be seeking and feeding from a “cow church”. This is a church whose leaders continually ruminate through the Bible in order to find every possible bit of nourishment in the pages. That nourishment is the revelation of Jesus Christ through scripture, both Old and New Testament. A church that rightly divides the word of God, not seeking a principle or law or “take-away” lesson for the day, but rather seeking the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ.
Paul specifically tells Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV) Jesus Himself sets the example on the road to Emmaus. Jesus disguised Himself so that He could use the Old Testament scripture to reveal Himself to the Disciples. (Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.) A church isn’t called to lay out laws and rules and regulations for people to follow. God did that thousands of years ago, knowing full well that we COULDN’T follow them. A church needs to be laying out the foundation for spiritual growth, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Until we start to apply these words of Christ to our church teaching, all of the other things are pointless to teach. How will I parent? How will I fix my finances? How will I save this marriage? Those questions can’t be answered until Jesus is revealed. Churches are so focused on drawing laws, now called principles, from the Bible, that the simple message of Jesus and what He has done for humanity has been pushed aside.
What should you be consuming according to God’s instructions? Christ. It’s just that simple. If you aren’t consuming Christ when you go to get fed, but instead you are trying to get spiritual nourishment from laws, regulations, and requirements, then you’re not eating according to what God has commanded!
3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.
Until recently, I never thought that Leviticus 11 could be speaking about our modern day church and our need as Christians to be mindful of what we are consuming. This book isn’t just a lesson for eating (though there are benefits to eating according to God’s law) but a spiritual lesson for believers. Let’s take this step by step and recognize God’s wisdom and genius, even in the seemingly mundane, seldom taught passages of Leviticus.
Rule number one: eat any animal that has a divided hoof and chews the cud. In the scientific community these animals are called Ruminant. This comes from the Latin word ruminare which means “to chew over and over again”. This is the same root word from which we get ruminate, meaning “to meditate”. So, for literal consumption we can eat cows, deer, antelope, goats, and sheep. Any animal that has a divided hoof and multiple stomachs for digesting food.
These creatures also represent where we are to be getting our spiritual nourishment, that is, the church. There are two distinct things that these animals do. First, when they walk, they divide the ground beneath their feet. Their hooves are used to maintain balance, to stay upright. Goats and smaller animals can actually use their divided hooves to climb small trees in order to get at higher vegetation. Secondly, they digest the food over and over again in order to get every last bit of nourishment from it.
As Christians we should be seeking and feeding from a “cow church”. This is a church whose leaders continually ruminate through the Bible in order to find every possible bit of nourishment in the pages. That nourishment is the revelation of Jesus Christ through scripture, both Old and New Testament. A church that rightly divides the word of God, not seeking a principle or law or “take-away” lesson for the day, but rather seeking the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ.
Paul specifically tells Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV) Jesus Himself sets the example on the road to Emmaus. Jesus disguised Himself so that He could use the Old Testament scripture to reveal Himself to the Disciples. (Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.) A church isn’t called to lay out laws and rules and regulations for people to follow. God did that thousands of years ago, knowing full well that we COULDN’T follow them. A church needs to be laying out the foundation for spiritual growth, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Until we start to apply these words of Christ to our church teaching, all of the other things are pointless to teach. How will I parent? How will I fix my finances? How will I save this marriage? Those questions can’t be answered until Jesus is revealed. Churches are so focused on drawing laws, now called principles, from the Bible, that the simple message of Jesus and what He has done for humanity has been pushed aside.
What should you be consuming according to God’s instructions? Christ. It’s just that simple. If you aren’t consuming Christ when you go to get fed, but instead you are trying to get spiritual nourishment from laws, regulations, and requirements, then you’re not eating according to what God has commanded!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Speak Jesus
Titus 2:7-8
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
We are all striving to live by the example that Jesus laid out for us. We give sacrificially, try to help the poor and needy, and make every effort to love one another. We teach at home and in church the principles of a good life that can be extrapolated from the writings in the Bible and we try our best to live into them. We set rules and regulations around our behavior and attitudes and place restrictions on our flesh in order to “lead by example”, but where we tend to go off track is in our doctrine.
This isn’t to say that the doctrine, the rules and regulations, that we teach is wrong in any way, but it’s subject to scrutiny by the world. The doctrine and interpretation of the Bible that is most often preached isn’t much different from the “Bill and Ted” slogan, “Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!” The message that we bring of ‘work hard, try your best, and God will bless’ is always open ended and leaves a gap that an opponent, or Enemy (the Devil), can attack.
What Paul wrote to Titus was a very simple instruction. In everything that you do, whether work, school, marriage, or parenting, show yourself to be a pattern of good works. Work hard for your boss. Do the best that you can in school. Love your husband or wife unconditionally. Love and train your children. These things are good and establish you to the world as a “good” person. But he changes the tone when he speaks of doctrine.
In doctrine he says, show integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. He is saying when you teach in the church (or at home for that matter) it must be a teaching of integrity; incorruptible and unable to be condemned. What is incorruptible? What (or who) is unable to be condemned? Jesus Christ. In doctrine, teach Jesus. In church, teach Jesus. Teaching Jesus is the only way that your opponent, your adversary, will have nothing evil to say about you. Teaching Jesus will bring shame to the Devil, not to the church or to you!
With religion, in church, it is too easy to get caught up in dogmatic law. Teaching a personal interpretation as law (or principle as we’ve come to call them in today’s church) opens the door for argument and debate. However, teaching Jesus Christ and Him alone leaves no room for debate or interpretation. You can have your own belief about homosexuals, mediums, marriage covenants, or anything else, but when it comes to Christ there is only one truth.
Let’s get back to teaching the sound doctrine that Paul was writing about. Let’s talk about the name of Jesus in church and at home. Let’s allow His power and speaking His name to change whatever is wrong in our lives and not rely on dogma, interpretation, or Biblical principles. Let the world see our works and interpret them as good, but when they hear our voices leave no room for interpretation; speak Jesus!
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
We are all striving to live by the example that Jesus laid out for us. We give sacrificially, try to help the poor and needy, and make every effort to love one another. We teach at home and in church the principles of a good life that can be extrapolated from the writings in the Bible and we try our best to live into them. We set rules and regulations around our behavior and attitudes and place restrictions on our flesh in order to “lead by example”, but where we tend to go off track is in our doctrine.
This isn’t to say that the doctrine, the rules and regulations, that we teach is wrong in any way, but it’s subject to scrutiny by the world. The doctrine and interpretation of the Bible that is most often preached isn’t much different from the “Bill and Ted” slogan, “Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!” The message that we bring of ‘work hard, try your best, and God will bless’ is always open ended and leaves a gap that an opponent, or Enemy (the Devil), can attack.
What Paul wrote to Titus was a very simple instruction. In everything that you do, whether work, school, marriage, or parenting, show yourself to be a pattern of good works. Work hard for your boss. Do the best that you can in school. Love your husband or wife unconditionally. Love and train your children. These things are good and establish you to the world as a “good” person. But he changes the tone when he speaks of doctrine.
In doctrine he says, show integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. He is saying when you teach in the church (or at home for that matter) it must be a teaching of integrity; incorruptible and unable to be condemned. What is incorruptible? What (or who) is unable to be condemned? Jesus Christ. In doctrine, teach Jesus. In church, teach Jesus. Teaching Jesus is the only way that your opponent, your adversary, will have nothing evil to say about you. Teaching Jesus will bring shame to the Devil, not to the church or to you!
With religion, in church, it is too easy to get caught up in dogmatic law. Teaching a personal interpretation as law (or principle as we’ve come to call them in today’s church) opens the door for argument and debate. However, teaching Jesus Christ and Him alone leaves no room for debate or interpretation. You can have your own belief about homosexuals, mediums, marriage covenants, or anything else, but when it comes to Christ there is only one truth.
Let’s get back to teaching the sound doctrine that Paul was writing about. Let’s talk about the name of Jesus in church and at home. Let’s allow His power and speaking His name to change whatever is wrong in our lives and not rely on dogma, interpretation, or Biblical principles. Let the world see our works and interpret them as good, but when they hear our voices leave no room for interpretation; speak Jesus!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
God's annoying personality?
Exodus 14:24
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.
Did you ever wonder what God was doing while you were praying? Not long ago I heard a sermon about keeping the morning watch. What the pastor meant was that it is our duty as Christians to get up in the morning and start the day by fellowshipping with God. He reminded us that we should be up, reading the Bible, seeking God’s divine guidance in our lives, and asking Him for our needs and wants. This communication isn’t supposed to be a one way street of our blabbering at the Creator and His listening, but we too are supposed to be quiet and listen for God’s still small voice. (Psalm 46:10, 1 Kings 19:12)
Sometimes, however, it’s hard to do that. Sometimes we don’t hear what He is saying; we can’t see what He is doing. It’s hard to remain faithful when the response from God is silence. It’s hard to get out of bed and continue reading and studying His word and praying for His guidance when He doesn’t seem to even be in the same room with us.
Then I came across this passage in Exodus and it brought me great peace. When God doesn’t answer me, it doesn’t mean that He’s not answering me. (There’s some twisted wording for you.) What is God doing when I pray? Is He listening to my needs, my concerns, my troubles, and my desires? Or is God just sitting there thinking, “Yea, yeah, yeah...enough already, I’ve got a universe to run...”? Obviously He’s listening. Not only is He listening but He’s acting on our requests. Sure, we can’t see Him in action all of the time, but He’s still working.
In this passage, the Israelites were in battle. They had just been released from bondage and a horrible existence in Egypt under Pharaoh's rule. They had come across the desert and crossed the Red Sea on DRY GROUND. They had seen God in action. They had cried out and seen the hand of God work mightily in their lives, just as we’ve seen Him work in our lives. They witnessed firsthand answers to their prayers, as we have been blessed with firsthand answers to our prayers.
But God did something else for them. While they were camped and the guards were in their morning watch (guard duty), God left their presence and went to their enemies. He didn’t stop listening to them and He certainly didn’t stop answering their prayers and cries for help, but He also didn’t show them firsthand what He was doing at that moment. God went behind them and “troubled” the Egyptians. He took the wheels off their chariots. I don’t know about you, but that’s kind of funny. It shows us some of God’s personality. He could have instantly wiped them out, but instead He chose to annoy them on His people’s behalf. After He prepared the Egyptian army for certain disaster, He returned to His people and gave them the power, through Him, to conquer.
God is doing this same thing for us today. Sometimes we can get discouraged in our morning watch that He’s gone from us or isn’t listening, but that’s not entirely true. Sometimes while we’re in the middle of our morning watch, God is off annoying our enemies. I like that idea. He’s gone ahead of us and prepared the way, or He’s gone behind us to stop the pursuit. Either way, He hasn’t stopped listening, He’s just being God!
Jesus made this point clear to His disciples and it should be just as clear to us today. (John 14:1-3 1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”) Jesus wasn’t physically with His disciples any more, but that didn’t mean that He wasn’t doing work on their behalf. The same is true for us today. Just because God isn’t blatantly manifesting Himself in our lives during a particular time, that doesn’t mean that He isn’t out preparing the way for us! Jesus left His disciples with one simple reminder: He is the Way. Continue in the faith that He is working and preparing a way for you and that He’ll return as The Way for you.
Rest and find peace in knowing that God is out annoying your enemies. He’s preparing them for certain destruction and He’s going to allow you to conquer them through Him. Whether it’s a drug addiction, family separation, disease, or eating disorder, God is frustrating it for you so that you may have the victory!
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.
Did you ever wonder what God was doing while you were praying? Not long ago I heard a sermon about keeping the morning watch. What the pastor meant was that it is our duty as Christians to get up in the morning and start the day by fellowshipping with God. He reminded us that we should be up, reading the Bible, seeking God’s divine guidance in our lives, and asking Him for our needs and wants. This communication isn’t supposed to be a one way street of our blabbering at the Creator and His listening, but we too are supposed to be quiet and listen for God’s still small voice. (Psalm 46:10, 1 Kings 19:12)
Sometimes, however, it’s hard to do that. Sometimes we don’t hear what He is saying; we can’t see what He is doing. It’s hard to remain faithful when the response from God is silence. It’s hard to get out of bed and continue reading and studying His word and praying for His guidance when He doesn’t seem to even be in the same room with us.
Then I came across this passage in Exodus and it brought me great peace. When God doesn’t answer me, it doesn’t mean that He’s not answering me. (There’s some twisted wording for you.) What is God doing when I pray? Is He listening to my needs, my concerns, my troubles, and my desires? Or is God just sitting there thinking, “Yea, yeah, yeah...enough already, I’ve got a universe to run...”? Obviously He’s listening. Not only is He listening but He’s acting on our requests. Sure, we can’t see Him in action all of the time, but He’s still working.
In this passage, the Israelites were in battle. They had just been released from bondage and a horrible existence in Egypt under Pharaoh's rule. They had come across the desert and crossed the Red Sea on DRY GROUND. They had seen God in action. They had cried out and seen the hand of God work mightily in their lives, just as we’ve seen Him work in our lives. They witnessed firsthand answers to their prayers, as we have been blessed with firsthand answers to our prayers.
But God did something else for them. While they were camped and the guards were in their morning watch (guard duty), God left their presence and went to their enemies. He didn’t stop listening to them and He certainly didn’t stop answering their prayers and cries for help, but He also didn’t show them firsthand what He was doing at that moment. God went behind them and “troubled” the Egyptians. He took the wheels off their chariots. I don’t know about you, but that’s kind of funny. It shows us some of God’s personality. He could have instantly wiped them out, but instead He chose to annoy them on His people’s behalf. After He prepared the Egyptian army for certain disaster, He returned to His people and gave them the power, through Him, to conquer.
God is doing this same thing for us today. Sometimes we can get discouraged in our morning watch that He’s gone from us or isn’t listening, but that’s not entirely true. Sometimes while we’re in the middle of our morning watch, God is off annoying our enemies. I like that idea. He’s gone ahead of us and prepared the way, or He’s gone behind us to stop the pursuit. Either way, He hasn’t stopped listening, He’s just being God!
Jesus made this point clear to His disciples and it should be just as clear to us today. (John 14:1-3 1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”) Jesus wasn’t physically with His disciples any more, but that didn’t mean that He wasn’t doing work on their behalf. The same is true for us today. Just because God isn’t blatantly manifesting Himself in our lives during a particular time, that doesn’t mean that He isn’t out preparing the way for us! Jesus left His disciples with one simple reminder: He is the Way. Continue in the faith that He is working and preparing a way for you and that He’ll return as The Way for you.
Rest and find peace in knowing that God is out annoying your enemies. He’s preparing them for certain destruction and He’s going to allow you to conquer them through Him. Whether it’s a drug addiction, family separation, disease, or eating disorder, God is frustrating it for you so that you may have the victory!
Grace Provision
Leviticus 21:21-22
21 No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy;
It must have been hard for Aaron’s sons and grandsons to hear these words and commandments given by God through Moses. Imagine sitting and hearing that any man who is a descendant of Aaron who has any defect in his body will not be allowed to make offerings as a priest for the people. This must have been devastating news given that Aaron’s family was chosen by God to be the priests of God.
God was very clear however, that no man with any deformity, or defect as the Bible states, would be allowed to offer anything to the Lord. This was pretty serious news. If you were blind, had a deformed limb, or a scar on your face, you could not make offerings to the Lord. If you had a broken bone, a hunchback, or a skin condition such as eczema, you could not bring offerings to the Lord. This shows me that, no matter what your offering is, no matter how perfect it is, if you’re defective the offering is no good.
But even the very law that God gives is intertwined with His infinite grace. Because God knew that there would be men born in Aaron’s family with physical defects and blemishes, He left a grace provision in His work-filled Law to cover the broken. He (God) made it very clear that a broken priest couldn’t bring an offering, but that he would certainly be allowed to eat the offering. Any offering that a broken priest brought to the Lord would be rendered unworthy. He went above and beyond in His provision to specifically state that the broken man would be allowed to eat the Bread of his God, both the Most Holy and the holy of offerings.
This provision was made on our behalf! The Bible clearly tells us that those of us who are in Christ have been made sons of Christ. (1 John 3:1-3 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.) Furthermore, because we are sons of Christ we are also priests according to His Priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.)
God, through the giving of Law to Aaron and his descendants, was alluding to our future priesthood and sonship through Christ. Not only that, but He was accounting for our brokenness, our sinfulness, and our unworthiness to bring an offering to Him. There is nothing, no matter how perfect, that we can bring to God as an offering He deserves, because our brokenness in sin makes us to be ineligible to offer. Whatever we bring is unworthy because of our defect. (Isaiah 64:6) We do, however, still have the benefit of eating the Most Holy of the offerings, that is the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. Because we are sons of the High Priest, and our priesthood is obtained through Him, God has made this provision for us.
At the cross Jesus, our High Priest, placed the ultimate and Most Holy of offerings before the throne of God. He was perfect in every aspect of His life, His body, and His spirit, and so was the only one worthy to even bring an offering to God. He gave Himself as the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Atoning Blood, and the Fulfillment of the Law. Jesus became, to God, the greatest offering; in doing so He used God’s grace provision to open the blessings of Heaven for us all!
21 No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22 He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy;
It must have been hard for Aaron’s sons and grandsons to hear these words and commandments given by God through Moses. Imagine sitting and hearing that any man who is a descendant of Aaron who has any defect in his body will not be allowed to make offerings as a priest for the people. This must have been devastating news given that Aaron’s family was chosen by God to be the priests of God.
God was very clear however, that no man with any deformity, or defect as the Bible states, would be allowed to offer anything to the Lord. This was pretty serious news. If you were blind, had a deformed limb, or a scar on your face, you could not make offerings to the Lord. If you had a broken bone, a hunchback, or a skin condition such as eczema, you could not bring offerings to the Lord. This shows me that, no matter what your offering is, no matter how perfect it is, if you’re defective the offering is no good.
But even the very law that God gives is intertwined with His infinite grace. Because God knew that there would be men born in Aaron’s family with physical defects and blemishes, He left a grace provision in His work-filled Law to cover the broken. He (God) made it very clear that a broken priest couldn’t bring an offering, but that he would certainly be allowed to eat the offering. Any offering that a broken priest brought to the Lord would be rendered unworthy. He went above and beyond in His provision to specifically state that the broken man would be allowed to eat the Bread of his God, both the Most Holy and the holy of offerings.
This provision was made on our behalf! The Bible clearly tells us that those of us who are in Christ have been made sons of Christ. (1 John 3:1-3 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.) Furthermore, because we are sons of Christ we are also priests according to His Priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.)
God, through the giving of Law to Aaron and his descendants, was alluding to our future priesthood and sonship through Christ. Not only that, but He was accounting for our brokenness, our sinfulness, and our unworthiness to bring an offering to Him. There is nothing, no matter how perfect, that we can bring to God as an offering He deserves, because our brokenness in sin makes us to be ineligible to offer. Whatever we bring is unworthy because of our defect. (Isaiah 64:6) We do, however, still have the benefit of eating the Most Holy of the offerings, that is the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. Because we are sons of the High Priest, and our priesthood is obtained through Him, God has made this provision for us.
At the cross Jesus, our High Priest, placed the ultimate and Most Holy of offerings before the throne of God. He was perfect in every aspect of His life, His body, and His spirit, and so was the only one worthy to even bring an offering to God. He gave Himself as the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Atoning Blood, and the Fulfillment of the Law. Jesus became, to God, the greatest offering; in doing so He used God’s grace provision to open the blessings of Heaven for us all!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
That's gonna leave a mark!
Leviticus 19:20
20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
So far, this is the only law in the Old Testament that I can find that has scourging specifically named as the punishment. It’s implied in this verse that both the male and the female are to be scourged as a result of their sexual sin. What this verse doesn’t tell us is who the man is. It could very well be the one to whom she is betrothed, or he could be some random stranger. Either way they both are to be punished by scourging for their sin.
Scourging was not a very pleasant experience. It usually consisted of being stripped of clothing, tied to a pillar, and being whipped repeatedly. The whip used was made of leather strips that had pieces of bone or metal tied to its ends. These additions to the leather would ensure tissue damage and mutilation of the body. Scourging was not a death sentence, though some of its victims surely wished for death.
So what does this verse mean? A woman who has been engaged or set apart for a specific man has had sex with that man or another before her wedding; before her future husband has come to pay the ransom and redeem her as his bride. As a result of her indiscretion (and his) they are to both be punished.
Today, we refer to the Christian church as the “Bride of Christ”. In the Old Testament Israel was set apart, betrothed, to God. When Christ came to fulfill the laws and accept the punishments for the crimes that we as humans have committed, His mission was to fulfill them all. As His fiance, whether Old Testament Jew or New Testament Christian, we have all given ourselves to another “man” at some point. Be it alcohol, pornography, drugs, T.V., jobs, family, money, or football (just to name a few), we have all placed an idol before God at some point in our lives. We have been whores to the world, for the things of the world.
When Christ came His purpose was to redeem and sanctify us, His bride, so that He could present us holy and acceptable before God. Part of that redemption process involved taking the punishment for our past and future behavior as an unfaithful fiance. That punishment had to be scourging; it’s what His law required. (John 19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him) Jesus accepted this punishment on behalf of His bride, His nation, and the rest of the world who may choose to not ever accept Him.
Some say that Pilate had Jesus scourged in order to gain sympathy from the Jewish leaders in the hopes that they wouldn’t ask for His death. I say that Pilate had Him scourged because in order to fulfill God’s laws it was a requirement. It wasn’t just Roman tradition, it was God’s holy plan.
Whatever vice (or vices) you’ve given yourself to in the past, Jesus has accepted the punishment for it. His scourging, death, and resurrection have fully compensated God for any wrong you have committed. Today is the day to realize that Jesus has redeemed you and given you your freedom.
20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
So far, this is the only law in the Old Testament that I can find that has scourging specifically named as the punishment. It’s implied in this verse that both the male and the female are to be scourged as a result of their sexual sin. What this verse doesn’t tell us is who the man is. It could very well be the one to whom she is betrothed, or he could be some random stranger. Either way they both are to be punished by scourging for their sin.
Scourging was not a very pleasant experience. It usually consisted of being stripped of clothing, tied to a pillar, and being whipped repeatedly. The whip used was made of leather strips that had pieces of bone or metal tied to its ends. These additions to the leather would ensure tissue damage and mutilation of the body. Scourging was not a death sentence, though some of its victims surely wished for death.
So what does this verse mean? A woman who has been engaged or set apart for a specific man has had sex with that man or another before her wedding; before her future husband has come to pay the ransom and redeem her as his bride. As a result of her indiscretion (and his) they are to both be punished.
Today, we refer to the Christian church as the “Bride of Christ”. In the Old Testament Israel was set apart, betrothed, to God. When Christ came to fulfill the laws and accept the punishments for the crimes that we as humans have committed, His mission was to fulfill them all. As His fiance, whether Old Testament Jew or New Testament Christian, we have all given ourselves to another “man” at some point. Be it alcohol, pornography, drugs, T.V., jobs, family, money, or football (just to name a few), we have all placed an idol before God at some point in our lives. We have been whores to the world, for the things of the world.
When Christ came His purpose was to redeem and sanctify us, His bride, so that He could present us holy and acceptable before God. Part of that redemption process involved taking the punishment for our past and future behavior as an unfaithful fiance. That punishment had to be scourging; it’s what His law required. (John 19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him) Jesus accepted this punishment on behalf of His bride, His nation, and the rest of the world who may choose to not ever accept Him.
Some say that Pilate had Jesus scourged in order to gain sympathy from the Jewish leaders in the hopes that they wouldn’t ask for His death. I say that Pilate had Him scourged because in order to fulfill God’s laws it was a requirement. It wasn’t just Roman tradition, it was God’s holy plan.
Whatever vice (or vices) you’ve given yourself to in the past, Jesus has accepted the punishment for it. His scourging, death, and resurrection have fully compensated God for any wrong you have committed. Today is the day to realize that Jesus has redeemed you and given you your freedom.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Brand Recognition?
Proverbs 22:1
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
It never ceases to amaze me how God speaks differently to people even while using the exact same words. Last night the pastor of our church read this verse to us at our Sunday night fellowship dinner and followed it up with a very good lesson about people and their perception of Christians and Christianity.
His point was that rather than being the richest church with the greatest attendance and most impressive worship team and services, we should be a church with a good name. A church whose members and staff are thought of as honorable in the community. A body of like minded believers who have become a living breathing example of Christ’s love and teachings. He taught how, often, the church has been given a bad name in the public eye. From sex scandals to theft, from endorsing hate to standing idly by as hate crimes are committed, our Christian church has given herself a bad name. We, through the works of others, have been given a bad name and a bad reputation.
While he was teaching, I realized something. Society, the world, views us by what we have. They judge us based on our stature in the community. People look at a church with its lights and fancy stages, its ornate decorations, and stained glass windows that pay homage to some former parishioner, and immediately think about the money and riches that went in to the building. They’re not thinking about Jesus and His sacrifice for them; they’re too busy oohing and awing over the laser show.
So I went back and reread this verse with all that our pastor had just said in my mind. What was revealed to me was simply Jesus. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. Whose good name? My good name, my good reputation? Certainly not. I should choose, we should choose the name of Jesus, and His reputation, rather than the riches of this world. Not that wealth is a bad thing, but our focus, our life should revolve around branding ourselves with the name of Jesus.
I’ve heard some churches say, “It’s all about brand recognition” as a reason for changing their logo from a cross to something edgy and trendy. I agree with the statement, but I want to be brand recognized as a belonging to Jesus. I don’t want to be a product of a church; I want to be a product of Jesus. I don’t want to be recognized by the good name of “X-church” that I’ve chosen, but rather by the name of Jesus Christ whom I have chosen.
What about the rest of this Proverb? Loving favor rather than silver and gold. I’ll say it simply; by choosing Jesus as your brand name you are also choosing His loving favor and labeling it more precious than silver and gold. Jesus is everywhere in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. To me this Proverb reads, “The name of Jesus is to be chosen rather than great riches, His loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
So yes, we do want a good reputation and that reputation should be more important to us than great riches. We’ve all heard the saying, “His reputation (or name) precedes him.” Likewise, we want the reputation (or name) that we have chosen for ourselves to precede us. I want the name of Jesus going before me. I want His reputation with the Father speaking for me before I get there!
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
It never ceases to amaze me how God speaks differently to people even while using the exact same words. Last night the pastor of our church read this verse to us at our Sunday night fellowship dinner and followed it up with a very good lesson about people and their perception of Christians and Christianity.
His point was that rather than being the richest church with the greatest attendance and most impressive worship team and services, we should be a church with a good name. A church whose members and staff are thought of as honorable in the community. A body of like minded believers who have become a living breathing example of Christ’s love and teachings. He taught how, often, the church has been given a bad name in the public eye. From sex scandals to theft, from endorsing hate to standing idly by as hate crimes are committed, our Christian church has given herself a bad name. We, through the works of others, have been given a bad name and a bad reputation.
While he was teaching, I realized something. Society, the world, views us by what we have. They judge us based on our stature in the community. People look at a church with its lights and fancy stages, its ornate decorations, and stained glass windows that pay homage to some former parishioner, and immediately think about the money and riches that went in to the building. They’re not thinking about Jesus and His sacrifice for them; they’re too busy oohing and awing over the laser show.
So I went back and reread this verse with all that our pastor had just said in my mind. What was revealed to me was simply Jesus. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. Whose good name? My good name, my good reputation? Certainly not. I should choose, we should choose the name of Jesus, and His reputation, rather than the riches of this world. Not that wealth is a bad thing, but our focus, our life should revolve around branding ourselves with the name of Jesus.
I’ve heard some churches say, “It’s all about brand recognition” as a reason for changing their logo from a cross to something edgy and trendy. I agree with the statement, but I want to be brand recognized as a belonging to Jesus. I don’t want to be a product of a church; I want to be a product of Jesus. I don’t want to be recognized by the good name of “X-church” that I’ve chosen, but rather by the name of Jesus Christ whom I have chosen.
What about the rest of this Proverb? Loving favor rather than silver and gold. I’ll say it simply; by choosing Jesus as your brand name you are also choosing His loving favor and labeling it more precious than silver and gold. Jesus is everywhere in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. To me this Proverb reads, “The name of Jesus is to be chosen rather than great riches, His loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
So yes, we do want a good reputation and that reputation should be more important to us than great riches. We’ve all heard the saying, “His reputation (or name) precedes him.” Likewise, we want the reputation (or name) that we have chosen for ourselves to precede us. I want the name of Jesus going before me. I want His reputation with the Father speaking for me before I get there!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Yom Kippur or New Year's Day?
Leviticus 16:30
30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Society likes to grab hold of New Year’s Day as a though it were some semi-sacred holiday. With the drunken foolishness of December 31st barely a blurry memory, the new year is an opportunity to forget about the past and move on into the future. What future, though? Another year filled with pain and suffering? Another year where resolutions fail, where attempts at reconciliation fall to pieces, where career ambitions grind to a halt? What makes January 1 so different from any other day? My answer to you is: nothing! There is nothing different or significant about January 1 that sets this day apart from all the rest. There are 11 other months of the year that begin with day 1. We could plan to change on any of those days too (or on any other day, for that matter)!
God saw something special in one specific day, though. It was the Day of Atonement, known to the Jewish people as Yom Kippur. Oddly, this day does not fall on the first of the year. This day is 10 days after the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), but according to our calendar this day comes sometime in the fall. Either way you look at it, God did not intend for the Day of Atonement to be the first day of the year. So why do we put so much emphasis on the beginning of the year?
I think it’s our human desire to start over and make everything right. We feel like we can do it all; just give us a starting point! What better place to begin than on the first day of the year? It’s easier for us that way. I’ll start my diet, quit smoking, stop fighting with my wife after the first of the year. Unfortunately, we all know what happens. Our best intentions and attempts to fix our lives starting on January 1 usually fall apart by January 14 and we rarely achieve our goals. The fact is that we’re trying to do all of the work instead of putting our trust and faith in the Miracle Worker, Jesus.
On the Day of Atonement no one in the nation of Israel, whether native or stranger (Jew or Gentile), could do any work. It was a day of complete and total rest for the people. The only person who was allowed to work at all was the high priest. His job was to go before God and make the sacrifices and sprinkle the blood on the altar for the entire nation. It was the priest who would be working on the Day of Atonement to make amends, to make right, all of the misdeeds of his people before a holy and just God. It was his work that would cover the sins of the people and allow them a prosperous new year. It was his job, and his alone, to fix all the mistakes of the past year.
Today, we have a High Priest; His name is Jesus. With Him, every day is our continuing Day of Atonement. We don’t have to wait until January 1, 10, April 17, or September 18 to have our change and reconciliation. We can have our rest, healing, and health through His work any day, any time! When Christ went to the cross He became the High Priest for the world. The day of His crucifixion became the most holy Day of Atonement ever! He did all of the work, took all of the burden, bore all of the curses, so that we could simply rest and be reconciled to God the Father through His work, not our own.
So here it is, the first of the year and I’m sure the resolutions are working in full force, but I’m asking you to rest. Stop working, stop trying so hard to fix everything; you can’t do it. Instead, rest, relax, and enjoy this day. Today, as the beginning of 2011, simply accept the rest that Jesus, the High Priest has offered you. (Matthew 9:6-7 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.) There is both healing and forgiveness of sins found in Him!
30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Society likes to grab hold of New Year’s Day as a though it were some semi-sacred holiday. With the drunken foolishness of December 31st barely a blurry memory, the new year is an opportunity to forget about the past and move on into the future. What future, though? Another year filled with pain and suffering? Another year where resolutions fail, where attempts at reconciliation fall to pieces, where career ambitions grind to a halt? What makes January 1 so different from any other day? My answer to you is: nothing! There is nothing different or significant about January 1 that sets this day apart from all the rest. There are 11 other months of the year that begin with day 1. We could plan to change on any of those days too (or on any other day, for that matter)!
God saw something special in one specific day, though. It was the Day of Atonement, known to the Jewish people as Yom Kippur. Oddly, this day does not fall on the first of the year. This day is 10 days after the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), but according to our calendar this day comes sometime in the fall. Either way you look at it, God did not intend for the Day of Atonement to be the first day of the year. So why do we put so much emphasis on the beginning of the year?
I think it’s our human desire to start over and make everything right. We feel like we can do it all; just give us a starting point! What better place to begin than on the first day of the year? It’s easier for us that way. I’ll start my diet, quit smoking, stop fighting with my wife after the first of the year. Unfortunately, we all know what happens. Our best intentions and attempts to fix our lives starting on January 1 usually fall apart by January 14 and we rarely achieve our goals. The fact is that we’re trying to do all of the work instead of putting our trust and faith in the Miracle Worker, Jesus.
On the Day of Atonement no one in the nation of Israel, whether native or stranger (Jew or Gentile), could do any work. It was a day of complete and total rest for the people. The only person who was allowed to work at all was the high priest. His job was to go before God and make the sacrifices and sprinkle the blood on the altar for the entire nation. It was the priest who would be working on the Day of Atonement to make amends, to make right, all of the misdeeds of his people before a holy and just God. It was his work that would cover the sins of the people and allow them a prosperous new year. It was his job, and his alone, to fix all the mistakes of the past year.
Today, we have a High Priest; His name is Jesus. With Him, every day is our continuing Day of Atonement. We don’t have to wait until January 1, 10, April 17, or September 18 to have our change and reconciliation. We can have our rest, healing, and health through His work any day, any time! When Christ went to the cross He became the High Priest for the world. The day of His crucifixion became the most holy Day of Atonement ever! He did all of the work, took all of the burden, bore all of the curses, so that we could simply rest and be reconciled to God the Father through His work, not our own.
So here it is, the first of the year and I’m sure the resolutions are working in full force, but I’m asking you to rest. Stop working, stop trying so hard to fix everything; you can’t do it. Instead, rest, relax, and enjoy this day. Today, as the beginning of 2011, simply accept the rest that Jesus, the High Priest has offered you. (Matthew 9:6-7 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.) There is both healing and forgiveness of sins found in Him!
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