Category Archives: Repenting from Sin

Compassionate, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Offering Sacrifices, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Speaking, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Do Animal Sacrifices Still Have Relevance Today?

We no longer conduct animal sacrifices as God’s people. Our repentance and forgiveness are no longer administered through an earthly priesthood, but rather now directly through death and resurrection and relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the sacrifice and the priest. He is our savior.

Animal sacrifices documented in the Old Testament were an important part of demonstrating repentance and remaining in communion and relationship with God before Christ’s earthly ministry. There is deep symbolism and meaning to be studied and appreciated that still has meaning today.

The burning body of the animal reminds us of the judgment awaiting those who do not accept the gift of forgiveness by grace through faith offered by Jesus Christ. The penalty for sin is death. God is serious about sin. It is offensive. A holy and righteous God requires a penalty be paid. Fortunately for us, this same loving God came to walk among us as Jesus Christ and pay the penalty for us.

The sacrificial animal was to be without blemish. This is a foreshadowing of the perfection we witness in Jesus Christ.

The owner must choose of his own free will to make the sacrifice. Jesus indeed made this choice of His own free will on our behalf.

The person bringing the sacrifice would take action to put their hand on the head of the animal symbolically so the sacrifice could make atonement on their behalf. Similarly, we must make a choice of our own free will to accept Jesus as Lord and submit our lives to Him. He is our sacrifice, but we must choose Him.

We also see another example of understanding and compassion in our Creator. For those who could not afford the animals of the herd, they could bring one from the flock or even some small birds. God was not demanding someone to go bankrupt with big “donations”. He was leading the people to come before Him asking for repentance and forgiveness. He was helping them to remain aware of their sin and need for repentance.

Leviticus 1

The Law of Burnt Offerings

      1Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5‘He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6‘He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7‘The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8‘Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9‘Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

      10‘But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. 11‘He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12‘He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13‘The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

      14‘But if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. 15‘The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. 16‘He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes. 17‘Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

There is much more significance than what little I have covered here. The Old Testament is rich with symbolism and meaning to help us understand our Creator and how He wants us to relate to Him even today. Take care not to neglect the study of the Old Testament for sake of only reading the New. That is like reading only part of an instruction manual and assuming you understand the whole thing. Both are consistent. Understanding the Old will help you gain a greater context and understanding for the New. They are intended to work together to communicate the full picture of God’s relationship with His people and how He wants us to live and interact with each other and Himself.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Father / Yahweh, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin

Sin Separates Us From God

Sin separates us from God. This theme is repeated consistently throughout the Bible. When we choose to sin, we create distance between us and our loving Father in heaven. We may still seek Him, but He is a holy God and will not tolerate being close to sin. We must repent and turn back to Him asking forgiveness.  Even so, there are still consequences we may experience because of our choice to sin.

In Exodus 33, God removes Himself from amongst the people after they chose to turn away from God’s instruction and worship a golden calf while Moses was with God on Mt Sinai.

Exodus 33:1-11

The Journey Resumed

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2“I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3“Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

      4When the people heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments. 5For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do with you.’” 6So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

      7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. 9Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. 10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

God did not reject or pull away from the righteous, such as Moses or Joshua. He was still present with them. However, even though the people now mourned for their mistakes, there were still consequences. God continued to keep His promise to the people to deliver them to the promised land, but now the people had to keep a distance from God, even while God approached Moses and Joshua.

How do I apply this in my life today? Consider that when we choose to sin we create separation from God. Even if or when we repent and seek forgiveness, we may still experience real consequences that affect our life. We should strive to draw near to God and not rely on His grace or forgiveness as an excuse to go on sinning.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Satan

What Does It Mean To “Believe In” Jesus?

John 3:16 is often referred to as a wonderful summary of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in many ways this is true. However, many allow themselves to be misled or become complacent in reading this popular verse.

John 3:16

  16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For those who read this at a surface level given the common English translations, a lot hinges on the meaning of “believe in”.  This is not simply to acknowledge the historical nature that God became man and walked among us thousands of years ago and then go about doing anything we want, rejecting and rebelling against God, but still  expecting God to give us eternal life.

Even Satan and the demons “believe” in Jesus. In fact, they recognize Him instantly… much more readily than people seem to.

Mark 3:11

11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!”

Luke 8:27-28

27And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.”

Matthew 4:1-11

      1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

      5Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;
and
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

      8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Are we to conclude that just by acknowledging in our minds that the historical figure of Jesus is God we will be saved from the punishment we are due for our sin? The simple answer is … absolutely not. Satan and demons acknowledge and know Jesus.

Let us expand beyond John 3:16 to get better definition of context for the application of the words “believe in”.

John 3:16-21

  16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Note in the broader context we get a much clearer perspective.  There is a very big difference between “believing about” Jesus and “believing in” Him. To believe in Jesus is much deeper than just acknowledging a historical reality, but rather it is reflected in our actions. To acknowledge that aerodynamics work and planes can fly is interesting, but may not affect my life at all. Many may acknowledge planes as a means of travel but be deeply fearful and choose never to use them. If I believe in aerodynamics and planes, I will likely use them as a means of transportation.

The broader context of the scripture shows us that truly believing “in” Jesus as God, or not believing,  will be reflected in our actions. Truly believing that He died for our sins and rose from the dead means we will practice the truth and come to the Light. Not believing will be reflected by a life filled with evil and ungodly living.  Believing “in” Jesus  It is so much more than just believing “about” Him.

Sometimes a lot hangs on proper understanding of context of even small words.  Pray that God would help you to grow in your faith and believe deeply “in” Jesus as Messiah and not grow complacent just acknowledging the historical reality of Jesus. Believing in Him should be reflected in our behaviors and attitudes. It should affect everything we do and how we do it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin

Confronting Sin In The Camp

Moses went up on the mountain to spend time with Jehovah, our Creator. He left the people for a period of time in the charge of Aaron, his brother, who had been at Moses’ side through all the miracles and power demonstrated by God before Pharaoh to lead the people out of Egypt. Of course, the people themselves witnessed these miracles of great power from God as well while they were delivered from slavery.

One would think that the people could behave at least for awhile, but, in fact, they did not last long at all once Moses. left. They claimed to celebrate in the name of God, but they built an idol and worshipped the way the pagans worshipped their false gods. Jehovah was angry, but Moses intervened and Jehovah agreed not to destroy the people.

Knowing they had sinned, when Moses came upon the camp and saw the revelry and pagan style worship he was angry. So angry he actually shattered the tablets he had brought down from God.

How should he confront this situation as leader of these people?

Exodus 32:19-35

Moses’ Anger

      19It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. 20He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

      21Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” 22Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. 23“For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24“I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

      25Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— 26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27He said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” 28So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29Then Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”

      30On the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. 32“But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” 33The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34“But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” 35Then the LORD smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

Moses reaction was quite strong by our standards today, but keep in mind that he changed God’s mind so that all the people would not be destroyed. He was now dealing with those who would not even repent and come to the Lord’s side even after he returned.

First, Moses destroyed the idol. He removed a key focal point associated with the rebellion against God. He did not have a council meeting to discuss all points of view. He knew it was wrong. He was the leader of the camp and the people. He destroyed it in a lasting way, scattering the gold in a way that it would not soon be gathered back together.

He confronted the leadership that was supposed to be watching over the people and instead facilitated and endorsed their rebellion, Aaron. Aaron’s response is completely unsatisfying. There is no direct admission of guilt and repentance. He blames the people for “making him do it” and blames Moses for being gone a long time and then says the golden calf just “leapt” out of the fire as if it sculpted itself. The truth is that Aaron gave in to pressure to rebel against God’s ways and tried to make excuses that they were still worshipping the Lord.

In verse 26, now Moses addresses the people and calls for repentance… for them to come to the Lord’s side. Those that still refuse, after all the earlier events since Moses’ return are dealt with very harshly. Their sin was serious. It was not to be ignored.

We can have a very meaningful discussion about when and in what situations we would be called to exact such harsh punishment today. Jesus died for our sins and calls for us to rebuke and then remove sinners from our midst, but not to execute them.  However, we can not say that Moses was wrong to do so… remember that Jehovah Himself was going to destroy all the people except Moses.

While the punishment and reconciliation is now different with the death and resurrection of Christ, the behaviors that please God and those that anger Him have not changed. When we find sin in the camp in our lives, we are to confront it and not ignore it. Our “camp” may be our family or our workplace or our church. We are to remove idols and other things which are clearly wrong from our midst. We are to confront and rebuke the leadership of the wrong behavior and then follow up to confront and rebuke the people who refuse to repent and separate ourselves from them.

If we are involved in such a rebellion, rather than make excuses like Aaron did, admit we have done wrong, ask forgiveness, and repent. Help others involved to know they should repent and then don’t repeat our error.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Abortion, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Repenting from Sin

Stop the Lies. Save the Children.

Today we are highlighting a serious issue which has become all too common in our society and across the world today. Abortion. The brutal murder of unborn children. Before we get too far into the topic, let us take a moment to recognize that some have already made this mistake or helped someone else to do so. Jesus Christ can forgive all our sins when we approach Him humbly and with repentant spirit. Please visit our web page, Crisis Help: Stop Abortion, which is dedicated to helping people learn about and stand firm against abortion and even seek counseling if they have previously participated in an abortion.
 
Many children are murdered daily across the world, and in most cases, it really boils down to simply the convenience of the mother. It is an act of ultimate selfishness and lack of accountability for one’s actions. Many adults allow themselves to be deceived about this act as if somehow it were acceptable because the world embraces it. It is a lie from Satan himself… just like he deceived Eve in the garden.
“Is the baby growing inside you really alive?”
The answer is a resounding “YES, it is alive! It is a separate life from the mother.” God finds it detestable to kill the innocent, even before they are born.
It is amazing today how many use excuses such as “women’s health” or lies like “it’s a woman’s body” as excuses for supporting the murder of innocent unborn babies. They defy all logic and science, not to mention God’s instruction, in denying that these unborn babies are indeed alive and human.
Right away, let’s shatter one of those lies. The baby’s body is not the same as the mother’s body. It is not the “woman’s body”. It is a separate body within her… a separate person. Pretending it is ok to kill the baby inside the mom but not outside the mom after it is born is to say that it becomes a human life with value only based on where it is located. If one makes the case based on the baby’s ability to survive on its own outside the mom, then baby’s at birth will also not be protected. How old do children really need to be to care for themselves? Some older than others, but certainly none are able at birth. That is why God designed reproduction to be in the confines of marriage where two parents, a man and a woman, can take care of the child.
Let’s touch on the second… “women’s health”? Really? As an excuse to kill a baby? How does killing the baby inside a mom help the mother’s health? It is only in very rare situations where that there may be concern for the mother’s life. Even in these situations, however, let us pause and consider more carefully. If two lives are in danger, do we typically just choose to kill one? or do we try to save both if at all possible? Conceptually it is not that different than a doctor or hospital staff having to decide which person needs help most urgently in the emergency room after a major accident with multiple serious injuries. They do not just decide to kill one to save others… they evaluate the situation and make the best decisions they can to save as many as they can. What if a mother is stressed and ill after a baby is born and taking care of the baby would make it harder for her to get well? Would anyone defend killing the child in the name of helping the mother’s health? Of course not! That is absurd.
How big a problem is abortion? Huge. By numbers, much bigger than the ruthless extermination of the Jewish people during World War II by Hitler. According to the World Health Organization, every year an estimated 45 million children are killed inside their mother’s womb by someone carrying out an abortion.  

God clearly tells us life begins in the womb in Jeremiah 1:4-5

      4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,

      5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

And again in Psalms 139:13-16

      13For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.

      14I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

      15My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

      16Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

Medical science today undeniably confirms what God told us thousands of years ago. Birth begins at conception and the human life grows inside the mother’s womb. We can watch the baby breath and move and monitor heartbeat while he or she is still inside the womb. The baby is defenseless and without a voice, but clearly a separate individual human life inside the mother.

If you or someone you know is considering abortion.  Please choose to save the life of the child, even if it is a hard situation. Reach out for help from God and fellow Christians.

Similarly if you or someone you know has already been involved in an abortion then you know how devastating it is emotionally for the mother. Remember that God is filled with grace.  He can forgive you if you turn toward Him with repentant heart and seek forgiveness. If you are struggling in grief, please reach out to God and to fellow Christians for help.

Let’s work together to stop abortion!

I have listed a few resource links below. If you know of Christian organizations that are effective in this area, please Contact Us  and let us know so we can add them to our site as resources.

  • Heartbeat International works to inspire and equip Christian communities worldwide to rescue women and couples from abortion through the development of neighborhood pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services. These ministries provide life-saving help in a truly life-changing way by assisting women who are at risk for abortion with the life-affirming, practical support they need to choose life, then prepare them to parent or to place for adoption.
  • 40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion. It draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program including: prayer and fasting, constant vigil, and community outreach
  • SilentNoMoreAwareness.org  is a Campaign whereby Christians make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion.
  • DoveChristianCounseling.com provides online, email, or phone counseling to help those who have been involved in abortion or may be considering abortion.
  • I also encourage you to seek out a local Christian organization near you.  It is helpful to have someone you can meet with face to face who shares your Christian view on life and can help you through this difficult issue.   Jesus wants us to work together as the body of Christ to conquer abortion.

This is a serious and difficult topic for all involved, but we must not sugar coat it and make it out to be ok when it is a detestable custom before the Lord. Forgiveness is available to all who may have struggled in this area. Seek forgiveness through Christ and seek to help others avoid abortion.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Holy, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Sin, Speaking, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Why Was It Important For Aaron To Wash His Feet?

There are sections of scripture which I often am tempted to read over quickly because the significance is not always clear to me. I find it a different way to read the Bible to break it into small pieces daily and refuse to skip over these sections, but instead read, reread, and study in some of the Biblical commentaries to understand their significance more clearly.

Reading through Exodus 30, I found myself tempted  to do so for some of the rituals about which God instructed Moses for Aaron and his sons. But if we take time to dig even a little below the surface we will often find some significance that reinforces the gospel message even today. That is because our God has not changed. How He wants to relate to His people and guide them has not changed.

Exodus 30:17-21

      17The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18“You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19“Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; 20when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the LORD. 21“So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”

Certainly it seems a bit intimidating as to why God indicated that Aaron and his sons would die if they failed to wash their feet and hands before approaching Him. We could probably spend a bit of time here, but it would appear clear that this was important to our Father in heaven and He was making that clear to Aaron and his sons.

It is very unlikely that Jehovah was just concerned about dirty hands and feet or germs. So much of His instruction is for teaching the people about how to properly relate to Him. We should remember that Jehovah is a holy God. There is no sin in Him. We are sinful people. To be cleansed of sin once, such as when we come to Christ or when Aaron and his sons were made priests, is not enough. We must daily seek to cleanse our spirit from sin and repent and seek to become clean in order to maintain close relationship with the Lord. As Aaron and his sons were instructed to cleanse themselves daily, so too we can remind ourselves that we must choose to obey and follow our Lord daily. We must be cleansed of sin and rebellion if we are to develop a close relationship with the Father.

There is no power in water and soap to do this type of cleansing. That was a ritual to remind the priests. However, by accepting Jesus as Messiah and repenting from our sins we can be cleansed. This is not a one time activity but rather an ongoing part of our daily lives. Let us never grow complacent that “we accepted Jesus a long time ago. nothing else is required”. Accepting and submitting to Jesus is part of every day in our journey as a disciple of Christ.

Ask yourself, “How often to I consciously choose Christ in determining my attitudes and activities? Do I ask forgiveness often? Do I choose to repent from wrong behavior often? Do I test everything I do against the scripture or just accept what local community or church culture defines as acceptable? “

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Repenting from Sin, Sin

Jehovah Has Not Changed

The details Jehovah shares with us in Exodus about the tabernacle and the ceremonies He instructs His people to perform are not random, ancient, obsolete traditions. They were His instructions to His people for a reason. The details communicate much about sin and our relationship with our Father in heaven which we still can learn from, if we take time to study them.

Exodus 30:11-16

    11The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, 12“When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. 13“This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD. 14“Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD. 15“The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. 16“You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.”

Of course, we know that we can not “buy” our forgiveness and redemption with money. The half shekel was symbolic. It reminds all the people, rich or poor, that they are sinners in need of redemption. Further, because the atonement money is put to use to support the tent of meeting, it points the people toward God for redemption. It further reminds us that all are equally sinners. No one was to pay more or less. All needed atonement and all need atonement equally.

Our true atonement for sin comes only through accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. We receive forgiveness through His death and resurrection. We can not buy it. There is no longer a tent of meeting even to use the atonement money if it was still collected.  However, the principles Jehovah was teaching His people are timeless… while they apply to Jehovah’s people thousands of years ago, they still apply to Jehovah’s people, disciples of Christ, today.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Prayer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Salvation

Can God Forgive My Sin?

All of us sin. Yes, all of us… even that one person you think is really righteous and does everything right. So what differentiates us in our lives and relationships with Jehovah, our Father in heaven? Let us consider David, who God said was a man after His own heart.

1 Samuel 13:14 (prophet Samuel speaking to King Saul)

14“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

Was David free of sin? Absolutely not. Did God make a mistake when He said David was a man after His own heart? Absolutely not. One characteristic that seems to exemplify David is that He genuinely tried to follow God’s instructions and commands and when he messed up, he genuinely and wholeheartedly repented.

What a beautiful picture of a relationship with our Creator. Though there are often consequences for our sin, He still loves us and invites us to return to Him, with a repentant spirit. David turned from his sin and prayed for forgiveness and genuinely tried to change His behavior and attitudes to be in line with God’s direction.

Psalm 51

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

     1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

      2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.

      3For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.

      4Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

      5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

      6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

      7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

      8Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

      9Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

      10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

      11Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

      12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.

      13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.

      14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

      15O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.

      16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.

      17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

      18By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.

      19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

For those who do not remember the details of David and Bathsheba, David committed adultery and then essentially killed the woman’s husband to cover his sin. This was no “small” sin. Yet we see a picture of a genuinely repentant heart turning back to God and asking forgiveness… and getting it.

Though sacrifices are no longer necessary for us as believers, since Jesus Christ has died as our sacrifice to cover our sins, there is still an important lesson in the closing scripture verses for us today. God does not delight in a public show of holiness and repentance (e.g. David making sacrifices) unless it is accompanied by a broken and contrite heart. This is true today. One can not simply keep sinning and just call on Jesus’ name to cover and forgive sins… without any true repentance in their heart. That is simply not how it works. We must truly turn away from our sin and seek the ways of God. We must be submitted to God.

What an amazing Father we have, who can forgive us no matter our transgressions! Come before Him today and humbly ask Him to reveal to you any sin in your life and to help you turn from it and restore or create a closer relationship with Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Repenting from Sin

What Does Genuine Repentance Look Like?

To repent is to turn away from wrong behavior, ask forgiveness, and change and begin pursuing right behavior. Typically it involves turning away from selfish motivations and sinful behavior and turning our lives toward doing things God’s way.

What does genuine repentance look like? Many stop at just saying they are sorry and then they continue repeating the same sinful behavior. This is not repentance at all! Genuine repentance means changing ourselves to be more like Jesus and less like our sinful nature. We see genuine repentance when someone is in a difficult situation where they have failed in the past and they act differently this time… this time they do things God’s way.

Genesis 44 shows us the culmination of Joseph’s testing of his brothers to see if they have changed. Many years earlier they sold him into slavery and lied to their father that he had died simply out of jealousy that Israel loved Joseph more than he loved them.

Now Joseph uses Benjamin as a test of a very similar situation. Will they abandon Benjamin or will they demonstrate repentance for their past wrongs and handle the situation differently this time?

The Brothers Are Brought Back

      1Then he commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2“Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph had told him. 3As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. 4They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5‘Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’”

      6So he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 7They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. 8“Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9“With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” 10So he said, “Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.

      14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?” 16So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” 17But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

      18Then Judah approached him, and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. 19“My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20“We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21“Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22“But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23“You said to your servants, however, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24“Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25“Our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ 26“But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27“Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29‘If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ 30“Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32“For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33“Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34“For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?”

Judah in particular, demonstrates genuine repentance on behalf of the brothers. He asks to substitute his own life for that of Benjamin out of love for his father, Israel. Judah was genuine in his repentance… he did now know that he was talking to Joseph or that this was a test. He believed this was genuinely substituting his own life for that of Benjamin.

We should each of us pray that the Holy Spirit would help us identify our own wrong behavior and help give us the courage and determination to change our behavior and attitudes toward those that God teaches us in the Bible and in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Let us not just say we are sorry and repeat our wrong behaviors, or worse… rationalize and accept our wrong behaviors when they are clearly wrong according to God’s word in the Bible. Instead, let us change to better follow God’s commands in our lives in genuine repentance and experience the transformation that will occur in our lives.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News

Living Submitted To Jesus… Baptism Is Only The Beginning

God sends His Holy Spirit in dramatic fashion to His believers in Acts 2 to fulfill what Jesus promised them. Crowds gather to see what is happening and Peter takes the opportunity to preach to them about who Jesus really was… the Christ… the Messiah… God Himself in the flesh. As we continue in Acts 2:36-47 we see how most of the crowd reacts to Peter’s sermon, which he preached while filled with the Holy Spirit. Thousands come to Jesus and create a community of believers that are filled with joy and praise for God while helping one another.

     36“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

      37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

      43Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Many were moved deeply, “pierced to the heart”, by the good news Peter shared about Christ. They asked him what they should do next. Peter’s response is important to take note of… it is fundamentally the same message as that of Jesus and John the Baptist and many the prophets of God. Turn away from your wrongful ways and turn toward God, living according to God’s instruction.

38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Note that Peter clearly identifies that we must be different from “…this perverse generation!” We must change our behaviors to do things God’s way instead of the way of the world. This is not just true at the Pentecost, but is still true today. Those who do not follow God are lost… perverse… motivated by selfishness and sin nature rather than the things of God.

Three thousand people made the choice to respond to Peter’s sermon.  We are always called to make public choice for God. Peter did not call the three thousand to just remain in the crowd amongst the others who did not accept Jesus that day. He called them forth. They took action… a conscious and public action to demonstrate their submission to Jesus. Baptism is a symbolic, public proclamation that we are submitting to Jesus.

But Baptism is just the beginning of our journey with Jesus, not the end. That is not all there is! After baptism, the followers of Jesus devoted themselves continually to receiving teaching, fellowship, breaking bread together, and to prayer. There is much to do to develop ourselves as disciples for Christ after we accept Him as Lord. Our personal relationship with Jesus takes us on a  journey to become more like Him that lasts our lifetime.

 42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

God allowed many wonders and signs through the apostles. Notice the joy and praise-filled attitude that the early church had. They rejoiced in sharing God together and living according to His instruction. They voluntarily gave and shared to help one another. But take note, at no point is there a reference that the government took their wealth to give to others who did not share their beliefs or work to contribute to the community. There was no central “church” organization that collected everything from them. The sharing was done voluntarily, joyfully, by individuals to individuals in the name of Jesus. Neither a government nor large church bureaucracy was required. No one gave out of guilt or obligation. It was a genuine communion of fellow believers celebrating life in submission to Jesus and His teachings. It is no wonder in this environment and with this attitude that their numbers grew.

One last observation, however, scripture clearly shows it was the Lord who grew their numbers… not the disciples, not the people… but the Lord. This is how the Holy Spirit works. Coming together in prayer and fellowship, learning to live according to God’s word and the Lord will move amongst the people and the numbers of true believers will grow.  Prayer and the Holy Spirit are essential. We can not do it successfully without God.

Each of us should consider… what changes can I make to live my life more like that of the early followers of Jesus Christ? How can I help others with joy and praise for God? Am I coming together with other believers in prayer and fellowship?

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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