All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God

What Should We Eat? What is Food?

Every culture and group of people around the world has determined some “norms” or guidelines for what is considered food and what is not… and they are often different. Some eat bugs while others think that is gross. Others eat cats and dogs while we consider them to be pets rather food. I could physically eat a cat… and it would provide nourishment… but I don’t want to. Our culture has decided that cats are not food. There is no consistent rhyme or reason as to how different cultures decide what is food and what is not food.

Why then do so many Bible-believing Christians think it absurd and outdated when they read God’s instructions regarding what is and what is not food? The only real answer… it is different than what we have accepted growing up in our current culture.

Many misread scripture and conclude that somehow the dietary restrictions no longer apply, as if God changed His mind. Careful study of scripture can help dispel these common misunderstandings of scripture. The details of such study can be saved for future discussion, but I recommend Bible studies available at 119Ministries.com. You can start with a site search for “dietary” and immediately connect with good discussion threads and video Bible studies to walk you through many common misunderstandings about dietary instructions from God.

Leviticus 11:1-12

Laws about Animals for Food

1 The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. 4 Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. 5 Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; 6the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; 7and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. 8 You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

 

9 These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. 10 But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, 11and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest. 12 Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you.

Ask yourself… is it really absurd that God defines what we should and should not eat? I suggest it is quite normal. Every group of people basically do the same thing… defining what is and is not food. The basis is almost never as simple as “Can I physically eat it or get nourishment from it?” There are always cultural influences based on beliefs and values of the group of people. God’s people should not expect to be any different. God has helped us by telling us rather than leaving us to try to figure it out ourselves.

Why a certain diet? Because He says so. I may not fully understand each food and His reasoning for it, but neither do I fully understand why people think cow is food and not cat or dog. (Be careful if you assume good taste is the only deciding factor… that can exclude a lot of food that is really good for you, replacing veggies and fruit with ice cream and desserts that have tons of calories and no nutritional value!) Maybe it is just so we remember to submit to our Father in everything, even in what we eat so we remember multiple times a day that He is Lord, not us.  Maybe it is to differentiate us from pagans so we can be set apart and holy, dedicated to Him. Maybe there is rich symbolism embedded in the dietary instructions to remind us about other aspects of our relationship with our Father.

For those that truly want to understand… seek God in prayer and study the scripture and the studies of scripture to learn more clearly for yourself about how to follow God’s instruction. As for me and my house… we started following the dietary instructions over a year ago. I appreciate having submitted another aspect of my life to His sovereignty.

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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.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Consequences of Sin, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Marriage, Temptation/Tempting

Immorality Devastates Individuals and Families

Immorality is destructive. It may seem tempting to some at times, but leads to destruction. Take heed God’s warning, or just look at the destruction it has ravaged in the families in our culture around us. Broken families ending in divorce, children out of wedlock by different parents,  deception and lack of intimacy with your family even for those who don’t “get caught”.

It is far better to observe discretion and flee temptation.

Proverbs 5

Pitfalls of Immorality

      1My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;

      2That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.

      3For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;

      4But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

      5Her feet go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.

      6She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

      7Now then, my sons, listen to me
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

      8Keep your way far from her
And do not go near the door of her house,

      9Or you will give your vigor to others
And your years to the cruel one;

      10And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien;

      11And you groan at your final end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

      12And you say, “How I have hated instruction!
And my heart spurned reproof!

      13“I have not listened to the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!

      14“I was almost in utter ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

      15Drink water from your own cistern
And fresh water from your own well.

      16Should your springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?

      17Let them be yours alone
And not for strangers with you.

      18Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

      19As a loving hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.

      20For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress
And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

      21For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He watches all his paths.

      22His own iniquities will capture the wicked,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

      23He will die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

Do not be one who “will die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.” The consequences are devastating to families and individuals.

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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.

Encouragement, Grace / Patience, Humility

Even Moses Did Not Always Have All the Answers

As we begin to follow Christ and dedicate our lives to Him we may have a tendency to expect ourselves (or others) to be somehow perfect in submitting to God. Quite frankly, this is not possible. None of us is perfect or can be expected to get everything right. We need help from the Holy Spirit and from other believers.

Even Moses did not always have all the answers or get everything right. Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, had just been executed by God because of their rebellion or carelessness in how they failed to follow God’s instructions regarding sacrifices. Moses became angry at Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s two surviving sons, because they let the goat of the sin offering burn up. The scripture actually records this statement with an exclamation point.

Ultimately, Aaron explains to Moses why this was done and Moses is satisfied. He needed Aaron’s help to get it right. (For more detail regarding this event, consider Elliot’s commentary.)

Leviticus 10

      12Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that is left over from the LORD’S offerings by fire and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. 13“You shall eat it, moreover, in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due out of the LORD’S offerings by fire; for thus I have been commanded. 14“The breast of the wave offering, however, and the thigh of the offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your due and your sons’ due out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. 15“The thigh offered by lifting up and the breast offered by waving they shall bring along with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat, to present as a wave offering before the LORD; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your sons with you, just as the LORD has commanded.”

      16But Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, 17“Why did you not eat the sin offering at the holy place? For it is most holy, and He gave it to you to bear away the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD. 18“Behold, since its blood had not been brought inside, into the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded.” 19But Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the LORD?” 20When Moses heard that, it seemed good in his sight.

Let us take care not to be too hard on others, even leaders, or ourselves in our ability to follow Christ. None of us can achieve perfection, though we should put forth significant effort and do the best we can, always striving to be better and praying for help. If Moses benefited from some help every now and then, I certainly need to cut myself a little slack for when I get things wrong… which is often enough to keep me humble for sure!

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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.

Drunkenness, Fear / Reverence for God, Holy / Set Apart, Self Control, Speaking

Distinguish Between the Holy and the Profane

After striking down two of Aaron’s sons for disobedience in serving God in the priesthood, the Lord further instructs Aaron that neither he, nor his sons, should drink wine or strong drink in the tent of meeting. He did not say they could not drink at all, but not in the tent of meeting. The Lord wanted once again to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Strong drink can lead to many mistakes and sin if taken in too much quantity.

Leviticus 10:8-11

      8The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying, 9“Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations— 10and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, 11and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses.”

Our Father warns us throughout His word to avoid getting drunk. He does not forbid us from drinking, but in examples like this scripture calls upon us not to drink, in this case as an example of being set apart and holy. Another example is the Nazarite vow, which among other things included a vow not to drink. The Nazarite vow was also a consecration in which someone was set apart for God’s service.

Let us take heed that we should not underestimate the potential hazards that wine and strong drink can lead to. If we are to partake, we should use discretion and self control to avoid drunkenness. It is completely acceptable, even perhaps wise, to avoid alcohol all together… which may help us if we wish to be set apart for His service and avoid foolishness and poor choices.

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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.

Discipline / Correction, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Obeying God, Seeking God, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

His Way… Not Our Own

Imagine the scene at hand. God has just manifested Himself to the congregation of Israelites. The holy ceremony to launch the priesthood was just completed. People were still celebrating. All had been carefully done how the Lord commanded.

Then two of the priests just seem to completely disregard all that God said about how to approach Him and serve Him. Nadab and Abihu take their own utensils instead of those set aside to be holy and used at the temple. They offered incense together where God said only one at a time should do so. They encroached on the function of the high priest, who alone was to offer burnt incense. They offered incense at the wrong time, neither part of the morning or evening sacrifice. They seemed unable to even honor God for a little while but rather immediately launched into disobedience after having been invited to serve in high honor as priest.

This was more than a simple mistake, they disregarded almost all that had just been instructed. They insisted on doing their own thing. Disobedience has serious consequences with the Lord, especially for those who have been set aside to be holy and know better.

Leviticus 10:1-7

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

      1Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying,
‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will be honored.’”
So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

      4Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp.” 5So they came forward and carried them still in their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had said. 6Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not become wrathful against all the congregation. But your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which the LORD has brought about. 7“You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the LORD’S anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.

Disobedience is serious business once God has made clear to us what we ought to do and how we ought to do it. More so for those who have been selected to be set aside for His purposes and have seen His very presence in the camp among them.

Seek genuinely to learn the ways of the Lord and obey. Let go of doing things your own way and pursue His way and you will do well in the presence of the Lord.

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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.

Bitterness / Resentment, Controlling Thoughts, Grace / Patience, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Righteous, Self Control, Slow to Anger

Christ Is Our Example

No one has been treated more unfairly than Jesus Christ. He committed no sin and yet suffered greatly for our sin. While he was reviled, He did not revile in return. He demonstrated no bitterness or resentment despite terribly unfair treatment.  He is our example. We do well to follow His example.

1 Peter 2:21-25

Christ Is Our Example

      21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

The storms and difficulties will come for all of us. We have to prepare for how we deal with them. Do we become bitter and resentful or do we trust in God and lean on Him in faith as difficult times come. One way is the path based on sin and selfishness and leads to misery and frustration. The other way is the way of faith and leads to peace and joy. Let us strive to live our lives in the way our Lord, Jesus demonstrated by how He lived His life.

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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, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Sin, Study the Word, Thankfulness, Through Prophets

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.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God

To Be Holy and Set Apart for the Father

To set apart your life and purpose to the service of Jehovah is a big deal. All followers are called to do this … to lay down their wants and desires and sinful temptations and to instead follow the ways of Christ. Less of us, more of Him.

John 3:30

30“He must increase, but I must decrease.

In Leviticus, we see how significant an event it was for Aaron and his sons to be consecrated in order to serve Jehovah. The Father was very detailed in the steps to be carried out. There is rich symbolism we can explore, but there are two areas in particular I want to highlight that we can all apply in our lives today.

Those set aside for the service of the Father were anything but a secret. Their consecration was not subtle. They assembled the congregation of believers. Their dedication to the Father was public, no matter what others may think about it. Second… count how many times in this scripture we are told that the instructions of Jehovah were obeyed. I count at least six times. If we are to be holy and set apart for God, we must be obedient.

Leviticus 8

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, 3and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” 4So Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting, 5Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded to do.”

      6Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water. 7He put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash, and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the artistic band of the ephod, with which he tied it to him. 8He then placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      10Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13Next Moses had Aaron’s sons come near and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      14Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15Next Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and with his finger put some of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar. 17But the bull and its hide and its flesh and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      18Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar. 20When he had cut the ram into its pieces, Moses offered up the head and the pieces and the suet in smoke. 21After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23Moses slaughtered it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24He also had Aaron’s sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. Moses then sprinkled the rest of the blood around on the altar. 25He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer, and placed them on the portions of fat and on the right thigh. 27He then put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. 28Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD. 29Moses also took the breast and presented it for a wave offering before the LORD; it was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

      31Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ 32“The remainder of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn in the fire. 33“You shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days. 34“The LORD has commanded to do as has been done this day, to make atonement on your behalf. 35“At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you will not die, for so I have been commanded.” 36Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD had commanded through Moses.

Each of us as followers of Christ should not be shy about our dedication to the Lord. It should be public and obvious as part of our lives rather than a secret. Obedience is a must, even if we don’t always understand why He asks us to do something or do it a certain way. To be holy is to be set apart to live our lives according to His purposes and ways rather than our own or those of the world.

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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.

Eternal, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Peace / Rest, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

It’s Not About Us or the Physical Things Around Us… It’s About Him

Each of us who choose to follow Jesus as Lord, must submit our lives and ministry to the Father as He did. Let our witness not be about ourselves, but rather let it be about Him. We are imperfect and perishable. He is perfect and eternal.  When we submit to Him we seek to be transformed by the Holy Spirit so that we are no longer of the world but rather reborn in the spirit.

2 Corinthians 4

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

      1Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

      7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death works in us, but life in you.

      13But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

      16Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Put not your trust in your own health of body and mind, but only in Jehovah Himself.  As we share the gospel, let us not make the focal point to be about us or our ministry or our witness.  Do not anchor your faith in the things of this physical world we live in for it is only temporary. It is only the things which are not seen which are eternal. Let our lives bear witness of Christ by leading others to Him.

All Knowing, Controlling Thoughts, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Free Will, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Self Control

Thoughts and Motivations Matter

It is not only our actions that matter, but our thoughts and motivations as well. Jehovah always knows our intentions. We can not, and should not hide them from Him. We should just be open and honest with Him and ask for help where we need it. He cannot be fooled as people can.

Hebrews 4:12-13

12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Our Father wants our heart, soul, mind and strength. That is why He gave us free will instead of just forcing us to do everything His way as if we were robots to be programmed. Will you give yourself to Him fully?

Mark 12:28-30

   28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’

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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.