Category Archives: Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Peace / Rest, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Repenting from Sin, Sin Nature, Thankfulness

Die To the World, Be Made Alive in Christ

Whether Jew or Gentile, we all start apart from God focused on self and our sinful nature and desires. We all being in sin and trespasses against God as we walk according to the ways of the world. It is our nature. However, our Lord through Christ has made a way for all to be redeemed, to be reconciled to Him and to live according to His nature.

Let us give thanks for such demonstration of grace and love!

Ephesians 2

     1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

      11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Praise the Lord who invites us to follow Him according to His Spirit! Jew and Gentile alike… let us submit to Him and trust in Him. Let us cease striving to pursue redemption through works of our own hands and know that He is the Lord who redeems.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Contentment, Discerning / Judging, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Idols / False Gods, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

He Gives Us Over To The Stubbornness Of Our Hearts

Psalm 81 was written about God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness… or behavior of going astray from God and pursuing ungodly things. God established Israel and provided for them through many mighty deeds and yet they continued to stray from Him to chase false gods and selfish pursuits. A Psalm like this one could very easily be written about the USA with a few minor changes to the historical references such as “coming out of Egypt”. Jehovah blessed our Christian nation at its birth and yet we as a nation continue to stray from God.

As a result of our rejection of Him as a nation, He gives us over to the stubbornness of our hearts and we now walk in our own devices… an immoral society overrun by sin which is normalized throughout the land. Many gods are worshipped… money, sex, power, sports, status, and perhaps most of all self. Coveting is the national pastime for many, always lusting after what others have rather than finding contentment with what God has provided.

Psalm 81

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

     1Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.

      2Raise a song, strike the timbrel,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.

      3Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
At the full moon, on our feast day.

      4For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

      5He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When he went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard a language that I did not know:

      6“I relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the basket.

      7“You called in trouble and I rescued you;
I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I proved you at the waters of Meribah.

Selah.

      8“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

      9“Let there be no strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

      10“I, the LORD, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

      11“But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not obey Me.

      12“So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices.

      13“Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!

      14“I would quickly subdue their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries.

      15“Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.

      16“But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Pray for revival personally, in your family, in your local church, in your state, in the nation and across the world. Live out the revival in your daily life. Pray, study, spend time with our Lord. Ask for His guidance in your life and be prepared to give up your desires and your plans in favor of His. You may well find that what you desire was never really yours to begin with but only that which our culture indoctrinated you to pursue. What He wants for us is much better.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassionate, Father / Yahweh, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

A Beginning And An Ending For Service

Today I highlight a short couple of verses that actually point to retirement for the Levites. The Levites were set aside to serve God. I have oft overlooked this couple verses, but I suppose it makes sense with even our current cultural norms. There was an age of maturity which had to be reached before they started the work of the Lord and then an age of retirement at which they were to no longer do the work themselves.

I fully understand the minimum age to reach a certain preparation and maturity. I am less clear on why He sets the retirement age at 50. I do not know the expected life spans at that time or what would be the physical expectations for the men over 50 years old in that culture. However, clearly today there are many who can remain quite active well past 50 and have much to add. They were still able to help and guide or give advice to remain active in contributing. However they were not required to continue doing the harder work as they got older. This would certainly seem another example of how a gracious and compassionate Father cares for His people.

Numbers 8:23-26

Retirement

     23Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. 25“But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more. 26“They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.”

Let us remember that our Lord, though He is the Creator of all, is very aware of our limitations and is compassionate towards us. He truly is a loving Father. Let us praise His holy name and give Him thanks!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fear / Reverence for God, Giving, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Purposeful / Intentional

It’s Not All About Us

Each of us is born into this world with our attention naturally focused on ourselves. We are inherently selfish. Babies need not be taught to cry for whatever they want, but then initially have no awareness of the needs or perspective of others. Even as children get older, it is natural to remain focused on what affects us… what we want, unless and until we are taught differently. Sadly, many adults have not been taught this as children and they still live as if the world revolves around them. They are completely absorbed in how everything does or does not affect them personally.

Our Father wants more from us. He calls us to focus on each other for sure, but also to focus on Him. He is the Creator of the universe, yet He creates each of us individually and wants to teach us and help us grow. He has purpose for each of us. He wants us to submit to Him and trust Him, as a child does to a loving and wise father. The child knows the father cares for him and has his best interest at heart and trusts him even when he does not fully understand.

Jehovah wants us to honor and respect Him. He wants to help us to focus on building our trust and obedience and not lose sight of Him as we get busy in our every day. If we remain focused and submitted to Him, all will go well for us.

I recognize that Numbers 7 has a great deal of significance beyond what I am focused on today, but it truly struck me as I read it today… sometimes the focus needs to be on the Father rather than our own desires. Sometimes He calls a whole nation to focus on Him rather than all of us doing our own thing. It is good for individuals, families and nations to do so. It does not happen often enough, but when it does it can be powerful in helping people get focused on the One who is in control of all things and is infinitely greater than any or all of us. He is to be held in high esteem and reverence. His name is to be honored with more than just lip service but with actions. He is not to just be a sideshow for five minutes a day when we “fit Him in”, but He is to be “the main thing” and the focus of our full attention.

Numbers 7

Offerings of the Leaders

      1Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also. 2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who were over the numbered men). 3When they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented them before the tabernacle. 4Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 5“Accept these things from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and you shall give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” 6So Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, 8and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.

      10The leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. 11Then the LORD said to Moses, “Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

      12Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; 13and his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 15one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 16one male goat for a sin offering; 17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

      18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering; 19he presented as his offering one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 21one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 22one male goat for a sin offering; 23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

      24On the third day it was Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun; 25his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 27one young bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 28one male goat for a sin offering; 29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

      30On the fourth day it was Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the sons of Reuben; 31his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 33one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 34one male goat for a sin offering; 35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

      36On the fifth day it was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon; 37his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 39one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 40one male goat for a sin offering; 41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

      42On the sixth day it was Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad; 43his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 45one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 46one male goat for a sin offering; 47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

      48On the seventh day it was Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the sons of Ephraim; 49his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 51one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 52one male goat for a sin offering; 53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

      54On the eighth day it was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of Manasseh; 55his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 57one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 58one male goat for a sin offering; 59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

      60On the ninth day it was Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the sons of Benjamin; 61his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 63one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 64one male goat for a sin offering; 65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

      66On the tenth day it was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons of Dan; 67his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 69one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 70one male goat for a sin offering; 71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

      72On the eleventh day it was Pagiel the son of Ochran, leader of the sons of Asher; 73his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 75one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 76one male goat for a sin offering; 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

      78On the twelfth day it was Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali; 79his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 81one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 82one male goat for a sin offering; 83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

      84This was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold pans, 85each silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the utensils was 2,400 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 86the twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans 120 shekels; 87all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, all the rams twelve, the male lambs one year old with their grain offering twelve, and the male goats for a sin offering twelve; 88and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams 60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one year old 60. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

      89Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.

Set aside time to focus on our Father as your main priority and focus. Honor Him according to His holy word and not just according to the traditions of man. Pray for our families, cities, states, nations to do the same.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Repenting from Sin, Salvation

All Have Sinned and Fall Short of the Glory of God

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are righteous in and of ourselves when compared to God’s holy standard. Our salvation is not through our good works, whatever they may be, but rather through His grace and mercy. The Father sent Christ to pay the penalty of our sin… death.

There can be no boasting of our own works. Rather we must have humility to come before Him and admit our sinful nature, asking forgiveness and turning toward Him in repentance. Through Christ we are saved.

Note, however, how Paul emphasizes that this does not nullify the law. Scripture tells us the law is good and perfect and shows us what is right and wrong. It is still a useful guide to our steps. But we can not be saved by adherence to the law but through Christ alone.

Romans 3:21-31

Justification by Faith

     21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

      27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

      31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Come humbly and thankfully before our Father, the Lord of the universe and creator of all things. Praise Him for making a way through Christ for us to be reconciled to Him. Accept Christ as Lord and Savior today. No one is beyond His offer of salvation, no matter what sin has been committed. To learn more about accepting Christ, read The Message of the Cross.

May His name be holy. May His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Faith / Trusting God, Interceding for Others, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Numbers Alone Will Not Grant Victory

The power is not in numbers, but in the God we serve. Numbers alone will not grant victory. Israel had over 600,000 military aged men in the wilderness at Sinai. Yet their victory only came through obedience to God and their greatest failures came through disobedience to God. Let us take care not to put our faith in our military, no matter how strong. Rather put our faith in our God no matter what the situation… big or small.

I think we can also reflect on the leadership challenge that Moses faced through his time leading God’s people. Over 600,000 military aged men… plus women and children all in a wilderness environment without any infrastructure of governance. God led them rather than a formal government devised by men. Moses was His prophet and conduit to speak to the people.

Numbers 1

The Census of Israel’s Warriors

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2“Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head 3from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 4“With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father’s household. 5“These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; 9of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; 10of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; 14of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; 15of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan. 16“These are they who were called of the congregation, the leaders of their fathers’ tribes; they were the heads of divisions of Israel.”

      17So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

      20Now the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 21their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

      22Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 23their numbered men of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

      24Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 25their numbered men of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

      26Of the sons of Judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 27their numbered men of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

      28Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 29their numbered men of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

      30Of the sons of Zebulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 31their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

      32Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 33their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

      34Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 35their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

      36Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 37their numbered men of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

      38Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 39their numbered men of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

      40Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 41their numbered men of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

      42Of the sons of Naphtali, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, 43their numbered men of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

      44These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom was of his father’s household. 45So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel, 46even all the numbered men were 603,550.

Have you placed your faith in the Lord? or do you put your faith in your country and its military or police or people? Let us always look to the Lord for governing and delivering victory. Let us obey Him and praise Him and glorify Him! Pray for our nation to turn to God wholeheartedly and away from the wickedness of man. We will not stand long as a nation if we reject God and His instructions.

Without God’s blessing, no country will achieve greatness. With His curse, no country can stand.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassionate, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Purposeful / Intentional, Thankfulness

Serve Him In Joy Rather Than Guilt or Obligation

There are times when we may feel an emotional desire to dedicate our lives, the lives of our family, and / or property to the service of the Lord. It appears to have been somewhat common in Israel, perhaps associated with gratitude for some healing or blessing or to ask for such healing during tough times. Perhaps someone just moved with joy to dedicate their lives to the Lord. We can conclude from Leviticus 27, however, that people may have had second thoughts after the emotions passed or settled down a bit. God gave Moses a set of rules for redeeming such things or persons that had been consecrated to God so that people could have a way to still honor God, but exit the formal dedication / consecration.

As always, our loving Father is wise. He does not want anyone to feel trapped into serving Him, but rather to do so willingly on a continuing basis. He does not want a single point in time commitment to be driving us to serve Him out of guilt or obligation. He wants us to serve Him continually out of love… always in free choice to submit to Him and love Him or not.

Leviticus 27

Rules concerning Valuations

     1Again, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man makes a difficult vow, he shall be valued according to your valuation of persons belonging to the LORD. 3‘If your valuation is of the male from twenty years even to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4‘Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5‘If it be from five years even to twenty years old then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels. 6‘But if they are from a month even up to five years old, then your valuation shall be five shekels of silver for the male, and for the female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver. 7‘If they are from sixty years old and upward, if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 8‘But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be placed before the priest and the priest shall value him; according to the means of the one who vowed, the priest shall value him.

      9‘Now if it is an animal of the kind which men can present as an offering to the LORD, any such that one gives to the LORD shall be holy. 10‘He shall not replace it or exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. 11‘If, however, it is any unclean animal of the kind which men do not present as an offering to the LORD, then he shall place the animal before the priest. 12‘The priest shall value it as either good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be. 13‘But if he should ever wish to redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of it to your valuation.

      14‘Now if a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, then the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. 15‘Yet if the one who consecrates it should wish to redeem his house, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may be his.

      16‘Again, if a man consecrates to the LORD part of the fields of his own property, then your valuation shall be proportionate to the seed needed for it: a homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver. 17‘If he consecrates his field as of the year of jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand. 18‘If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your valuation. 19‘If the one who consecrates it should ever wish to redeem the field, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may pass to him. 20‘Yet if he will not redeem the field, but has sold the field to another man, it may no longer be redeemed; 21and when it reverts in the jubilee, the field shall be holy to the LORD, like a field set apart; it shall be for the priest as his property. 22‘Or if he consecrates to the LORD a field which he has bought, which is not a part of the field of his own property, 23then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your valuation up to the year of jubilee; and he shall on that day give your valuation as holy to the LORD. 24‘In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25‘Every valuation of yours, moreover, shall be after the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs.

      26‘However, a firstborn among animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may consecrate it; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD’S. 27‘But if it is among the unclean animals, then he shall redeem it according to your valuation and add to it one-fifth of it; and if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

      28‘Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD. 29‘No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.

      30‘Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S; it is holy to the LORD. 31‘If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. 32‘For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. 33‘He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed.’”

      34These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai.

Do not let your commitment to God be driven by a one time commitment and a sense of guilt or obligation. Instead, take time to evaluate your motives in serving Him. Serve Him willingly and out of love and obedience. Serve Him with joy!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Praise For Jehovah’s Mighty Deeds and Answer to Prayer

How often do you take time to stop from your busy life and sing praises to the Father? to shout joyfully to tell others what He has done for His people, and more specifically, for you personally? to thank Him?

Take some time today and praise Him for His mighty deeds. Thank Him for what He does in your life and the lives of other brothers and sisters in Christ. He truly defines “awesome”. We do well to reflect on that more often.

Psalms 66

     1Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;

      2Sing the glory of His name;
Make His praise glorious.

      3Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You.

      4“All the earth will worship You,
And will sing praises to You;
They will sing praises to Your name.”

Selah.

      5Come and see the works of God,
Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.

      6He turned the sea into dry land;
They passed through the river on foot;
There let us rejoice in Him!

      7He rules by His might forever;
His eyes keep watch on the nations;
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

Selah.

      8Bless our God, O peoples,
And sound His praise abroad,

      9Who keeps us in life
And does not allow our feet to slip.

      10For You have tried us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined.

      11You brought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.

      12You made men ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water,
Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

      13I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall pay You my vows,

      14Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke when I was in distress.

      15I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts,
With the smoke of rams;
I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats.

Selah.

      16Come and hear, all who fear God,
And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.

      17I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.

      18If I regard wickedness in my heart,
The Lord will not hear;

      19But certainly God has heard;
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.

      20Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.

Let us take care not to skip over some key verses toward the end. We should indeed fear God. If we regard wickedness in our heart, He will not hear. Let us celebrate His lovingkindness.

Praise the Lord for all His works! Praise Him for the love He shows each of us as His children!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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The Glory of the Lord Revealed

Leviticus 9 offers us an interesting view into the steps Moses instructed Aaron to follow in preparation for Jehovah revealing His glory to Aaron. What an interesting topic to study for those of us who wish to draw near to God and have a personal relationship with Him. (warning – I have more to learn in regards to the full significance of the Levitical sacrifices… by all means study these for yourself)

Aaron was to make a sin offering and a burnt offering for himself. The sin offering reminds us we need forgiveness and atonement for our sin, which separates us from God. Prior to the death of Christ, animal sacrifices symbolically took on the punishment for our sin. Now, we need instead to accept Jesus as Lord and accept His offer of His own death as ransom for our sin. The burnt offering symbolizes atonement for sin and our voluntary dedication (of ourselves) to the Father. Then he led the congregation in a similar set of sacrifices for their atonement and dedication.

He added a peace offering for the congregation, symbolizing fellowship, rejoicing and thanksgiving with the Lord. In all these things, they obeyed the specific instructions of the Lord. They did things His way. It was then that He revealed His glory before them.

Leviticus 9

Aaron Offers Sacrifices

      1Now it came about on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; 2and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the LORD. 3“Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering, 4and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.’” 5So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the LORD. 6Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” 7Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the LORD has commanded.”

      8So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. 9Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10The fat and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver of the sin offering, he then offered up in smoke on the altar just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 11The flesh and the skin, however, he burned with fire outside the camp.

      12Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13They handed the burnt offering to him in pieces, with the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 14He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

      15Then he presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first. 16He also presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. 17Next he presented the grain offering, and filled his hand with some of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning.

      18Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 19As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and the fat covering, and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver, 20they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 21But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the LORD, just as Moses had commanded.

      22Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Take time to reflect on the significance of what God chose to reveal to us as His people in Leviticus 9. Do not rush over it because “sacrifices are obsolete”. Prayerfully consider the following if you wish to draw near to God and experience close fellowship with Him.

  • Do you learn and obey His ways rather than your own or what is accepted by our culture?
  • Have you accepted that you have a sin problem which separates you from the Father? Have you further come humbly before the Lord and asked Jesus to be Lord of your life… accepting His offer to pay to penalty for your sin? Have you repented from your sin and changed your ways?
  • Have you dedicated yourself to the service of the Father? This means your life reflects obedience to Him and setting yourself apart from the world to be holy and used for His purposes.
  • Do you come before the Father in thanksgiving and praise? Do you set aside time to fellowship with Him on His terms rather than your own?

Now consider that none of these things are one time decisions or actions. They are a new way of living once you are reborn in the Spirit. Pray for His help and then lead your heart in the way of the Lord.  Do these things wholeheartedly and He will draw near to you and reveal more of Himself to you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Peace Offerings to Our Father

The animal sacrifices Jehovah instructed His people to conduct were a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Yeshua.  Those of us who follow Yeshua today accept His sacrifice on the cross as the fulfillment of Jehovah’s plans for our redemption. We no longer need conduct animal sacrifices. Yeshua is sufficient.

That said, it is still useful to understand the history of Jehovah’s instructions so that we can more fully understand what Jehovah calls us to do even in accepting the sacrifice that Yeshua offers on our behalf.

Leviticus 3

The Law of Peace Offerings

      1‘Now if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he is going to offer out of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the LORD. 2‘He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar. 3‘From the sacrifice of the peace offerings he shall present an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 5‘Then Aaron’s sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 6‘But if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, he shall offer it, male or female, without defect. 7‘If he is going to offer a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD, 8and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it before the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 9‘From the sacrifice of peace offerings he shall bring as an offering by fire to the LORD, its fat, the entire fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 10and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 11‘Then the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire to the LORD.

      12‘Moreover, if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD, 13and he shall lay his hand on its head and slay it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 14‘From it he shall present his offering as an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 15and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 16‘The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is the LORD’S. 17‘It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall not eat any fat or any blood.’”

The peace offering was made in supplication to the Father, recognizing Him as the provider of all good things. Supplication refers to the action of asking for something earnestly or humbly.  The peace offering was also made as a way of thanksgiving for mercy and blessings experienced… giving the glory and praise to the Father.

Regarding the instruction to eat neither fat nor blood? We could dwell here awhile, but it really helps to more fully understand the culture at the time and also what it means to butcher an animal. I am an expert in neither. I doubt any of us lose any time agreeing we should not drink blood, because it is still common in our culture to avoid this behavior. The fat referred to specific fat of the inwards of animals called the suet (the hard white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle, sheep, and other animals, used to make foods including puddings, pastry, and mincemeat). I am sure most of us did not realize we may be eating this… I hope to avoid it in the future, but honestly I have more homework to do to find out how.

I believe the point our Father was trying to make was to teach His people to separate what is holy, set apart of God, from what is common. This is a principle which we do well to pray and study… holiness. We should strive to be holy in what we do and how we live.

Reflect on how Jehovah’s instructions regarding the peace offering still reflect important principles we should apply in our lives today… giving thanks, humbly asking for God’s help, recognizing God as the source of all that is good, and setting apart what is holy from what is common. Take time to apply specifically in your life. What is one change you should make now? Ask Jehovah for conviction and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

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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.