Category Archives: Loving / Kind

Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Offering Sacrifices, Seeking God, Self Control, Sin, Study the Word, Teachable

Ignorance of Sin Is Not Protection From Guilt and Judgment

Many people today want to believe that everyone goes to heaven and no one gets punished. People want to believe that somehow if someone is “good” in man’s definition, then it must not matter what they believe in regards to God. This is dangerous teaching, because quite plainly it is not true and it can lead people to complacency in their relationship with the Father. Complacency in relationship to the Father usually results in becoming more like the world rather than becoming more like Him. Complacency is a lure that leads to separation from the Father.

Throughout the scriptures, the truth of guilt and sin are reinforced. From Old Testament to New Testament, we are reminded consistently that there is an absolute right standard … God’s standard, and there are things which are absolutely wrong… sin. It is God’s judgment on what is good and what is bad that matters, not man’s opinion. When we choose to submit to the Father as Lord of our lives, we want to learn how to please Him. We pray for wisdom and discernment and seek Him by studying scriptures. We learn right and wrong more completely according to His word.

For those who do not seek Him, who do not recognize sin effectively out of ignorance… ignorance is not a protection from guilt and the wages of sin is death.

Leviticus 5:17

17“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

Romans 6:23

23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Leviticus 5

The Law of Guilt Offerings

      1‘Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt. 2‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. 3‘Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty. 4‘Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these. 5‘So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. 6‘He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

      7‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8‘He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it. 9‘He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering. 10‘The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

      11‘But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12‘He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering. 13‘So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest’s, like the grain offering.’”

      14Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 15“If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the LORD’S holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16“He shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.

      17“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. 18“He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him. 19“It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD.”

A price must be paid for our sin. We are guilty whether or not we know if and how we sinned. Ignorance of sin is not protection from guilt. We are blessed that we have such a loving Father that He sent Jesus Christ to bear our punishment. The Old Testament sacrifices and offerings foreshadow the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for our sin. We now can turn directly to Jesus and ask forgiveness, changing our behaviors to be more like Him, and making Him Lord of our life. For those who truly make Him Lord, it will be obvious by their desire to change their sinful ways and turn toward Him. That requires study and prayer to learn God’s ways and identify sin from righteousness… and then turn away from sin.

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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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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.

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Jehovah’s Works Are Materpieces

Exodus explains in incredible detail the obedience of the craftsmen in building the Tabernacle according to God’s specifications. God was very particular and intentional in His design. He is a master. The craftsmen whom He gifted and charged with building His design took painstaking effort to deliver exactly what was commanded. It must have been extraordinary to see. I am sure the people took time to appreciate the fine detail and symbolic nature of the Tabernacle as they finished it and ultimately used it according to God’s purpose.

Exodus 38:1-20

The Tabernacle Completed

      1Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. 4He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. 5He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.

      8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

      9Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; 10their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 12For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13For the east side fifty cubits. 14The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen. 17The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. 18The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. 20All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.

What has God done in your life or the life of those around you? Have you taken time to pause and appreciate the fine details He has worked out to accomplish His specific purpose? I can reflect across my life at the journey He has brought me through. Many situations I would never have chosen, were knit together by the Master to help me develop and grow closer to Him. The more closely I seek to understand His instruction for how to live my life and the more closely I apply it in my life the better it gets. I can see how He has transformed me and continues to do so. I can now see it reflected in my family where we have established His word as the guide… the lamp unto our feet. I still find myself growing more and more and learning where I could and should do even better to honor Him, often by choosing His way consciously over my own, even in small things. The details matter. Follow God in the details and pause every once in awhile to admire His work. Then continue to seek Him even more.

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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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Come To Me, All Who Are Weary and Heavy-Laden

Yeshua (Hebrew name for Jesus) came to be among us for our benefit, not for His. He lived to show us how we should live. He took on Himself the punishment for our sin and died to pay for our transgressions. He rose again, overcoming the grave, and is now with the Father. Nothing is beyond His power. He still loves those who follow after Him. He welcomes those who are weary and heavy-laden. He offers us rest.

Matthew 11:28-30

      28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Notice that Yeshua speaks about rest for our souls. He does not mean that we can be lazy and physically do very little. This has never been the intent. We can find peace and rest for our souls through Jesus Christ.

Many read this scripture and misunderstand because they do not understand farming. I misunderstood for years. When Jesus says to take His yoke upon us, He is not asking us to pull a burden for Him. Quite the opposite. A yoke is a tool that enables more than one animal to work together to pull the load. He offers for us to put on His yoke so that He will help us with our burdens! When He is helping us, the burden is light, despite all of our difficulties. The yoke  does not remove the work or burden. It allows someone else to help you do the work or shoulder the burden.

Take care not to overlook that we must come to Him. He will not force Himself on us. It must be a conscious choice on our part to seek Him. We will still have to deal with all the troubles that life has to offer, but when we share Yeshua’s yoke, He helps us bear the load. We can find peace and rest for our souls no matter what we are dealing with.

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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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How Would You Describe God? How Does He Describe Himself?

How would you describe God? Do you know how He describes Himself? The better we know Him, the more consistent our view of Him is with how He describes Himself.

The relationship that Moses experienced with Jehovah was quite amazing. Each time I read it, I think I appreciate the significance even  more. Moses became a righteous man and as he did so, God allowed Him closer and closer to His holy presence. Moses did not start out holy as if by birth. Not so. He had an anger problem and murdered a man. He lacked self confidence and even refused to obey God’s call at first to lead the people out of Egypt. Over the course of his lifetime, Moses became more obedient to God, more righteous. Moses experienced God in a personal way that most will never experience on this earth.

Exodus 34:1-9

The Two Tablets Replaced

      1Now the LORD said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. 2“So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. 3“No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain.” 4So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. 5The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. 6Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. 9He said, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.”

Not only can we reflect on this scripture and see the relationship Moses had with Jehovah, but we get insight into how Jehovah describes Himself!

compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth, righteous judge for the guilty

Jehovah is indeed all these things. Sometimes we do not recognize the traits because we see things from our own, very limited, perspective instead of from God’s eternal perspective. We may act as if we, instead of God, are the center of all things and then we can’t seem to understand why things work out how they do. Truth is that this creation, our lives… are not just about “us”. They are about our relationship with our Creator and Father. While we may not have the same relationship Jehovah that Moses achieved, we should seek Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and strive to draw near to our loving Father in heaven.

The best way to come to know Him, is through Jesus Christ, the living example of God among us. That is a big part of why Jesus came to live among us and why it is documented so well in the Bible. Study, pray, and seek fellowship with other true believers who follow after Christ in thought and deed rather than only with words.

As you grow in faith and wisdom, you will see that your understanding of God will more and more align with how He describes 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.

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Moses Intercedes Again For The People

If you read the preceding chapters you will refresh yourself on the sin and rebellion of God’s people against God when Moses went up Mount Sinai to be with Yahweh. Moses interceded with God on behalf of the people and God spared them by not destroying them. There were consequences and the people were kept at a distance from God due to their sin. God remained close Moses and Joshua, the righteous.

Now we see Moses intercede again on behalf of the people, that they would have the continued presence of God among them.

Exodus 33:12-23

Moses Intercedes

      12Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16“For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

      17The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.” 18Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” 20But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” 21Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23“Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Moses found favor in the sight of God. Moses was a righteous and faithful servant. As such, he drew near to God and God to him. When he interceded on behalf of the people, God listened because of this relationship and favor.

If we choose not to seek after God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, do not expect to be able to effectively intercede for others. When you do draw near to God and wish to intercede, remain focused not only on the people, but also on God and His name… His kingdom… His glory.

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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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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.

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Is Jehovah Is Too Busy To Get Into Details?

Our human nature typically feels best when we feel we have control of the details of our lives. It can be tempting to believe that Jehovah is too busy to really care about the details of our life, so we will just make all those decisions on our own. After all, He has a lot to look after, right?  Some even teach that we should pray not to the Father, but to dead people that are labeled saints. Somehow, we are to believe, Jehovah is not able to handle it all and must have the help of dead people for us to pray to? The truth is that we are to pray only to the Father, following the example of Jesus Christ. Never did he support or teach that we should pray to anyone except the Father. Jesus did not even teach that we should ever pray to Him… only in His name to the Father.

Jehovah is quite sufficient on His own to hear all our prayer and be involved in intimate details in our lives. Let us consider an example in Exodus. Several chapters provide painstaking detail of exactly what the Father wanted for His people to do in creating an altar and tabernacle in which He would dwell among them in the wilderness.

Exodus 27

The Bronze Altar

      1“And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2“You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3“You shall make its pails for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4“You shall make for it a grating of network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5“You shall put it beneath, under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will reach halfway up the altar. 6“You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7“Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, so that the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8“You shall make it hollow with planks; as it was shown to you in the mountain, so they shall make it.

Court of the Tabernacle

      9“You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side there shall be hangings for the court of fine twisted linen one hundred cubits long for one side; 10and its pillars shall be twenty, with their twenty sockets of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver. 11“Likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, and its twenty pillars with their twenty sockets of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver. 12“For the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets. 13“The width of the court on the east side shall be fifty cubits. 14“The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits with their three pillars and their three sockets. 15“And for the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16“For the gate of the court there shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver, with their four pillars and their four sockets. 17“All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver bands with their hooks of silver and their sockets of bronze. 18“The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits of fine twisted linen, and their sockets of bronze. 19“All the utensils of the tabernacle used in all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

      20“You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. 21“In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.

Next time you are facing difficult decisions, whether great or small, know that you can come prayerfully and humbly before our heavenly Father and ask for His help. He is able and willing to help us even in the small details of our lives. He may be the Creator of all, sustaining all things, but He is also our loving Father who cares very much for His children!

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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, Guide, Loving / Kind

Does Jehovah Really Care About the Details of My Life?

At times it seems simply unbelievable that the Creator of the universe, and everything in it, is interested in my life. Who am I that He should be mindful of me? If you find yourself wondering from time to time if Jehovah cares about the details of the lives of His people, be encouraged. He absolutely does. As we study scripture we see over and over again that Jehovah cares about details. He is not too busy. He does not have limits or boundaries to how much He can oversee. If we listen, we will see evidence of His lovingkindness and His desire to guide His people even in details.

Consider, as one example, how involved Jehovah was in leading His people as they left slavery in Egypt and learned to follow Him. He did not tell them just to build Him a temple worthy of Him and then intend to come back later and sit in judgment as to whether they did well or poorly. He showed them and guided them in even the minute details.  Can you imagine how overwhelming it would be to try to design a holy place for Him without His help guiding us in the detail? We would hardly know where to begin. What a loving God!

Exodus 25:23-40

The Table of Showbread

      23“You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. 24“You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it. 25“You shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth around it; and you shall make a gold border for the rim around it. 26“You shall make four gold rings for it and put rings on the four corners which are on its four feet. 27“The rings shall be close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28“You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that with them the table may be carried. 29“You shall make its dishes and its pans and its jars and its bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30“You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

The Golden Lampstand

      31“Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32“Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33“Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower—so for six branches going out from the lampstand; 34and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. 35“A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 36“Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37“Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. 38“Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39“It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40“See that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.

The next time you find yourself thinking that you must manage all the details of your life and Jehovah does not really care… reconsider. Stop and pray. Ask for His help and guidance in even the details. Then listen carefully. The answer may not come in the manner it came to Moses. Jehovah may speak to you through others or in dreams or through insight He provides as you consider the problem. There are many ways He speaks to His people, when they stop long enough to ask and then listen.

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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.

All Knowing, Father / Yahweh, Holy, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind

Is God a Micro-Manager?

To some, you may be surprised that the Ark of the Covenant is real and not just a storyline in a popular movie from a few decades ago. Indeed it is not only real, but Jehovah Himself designed it. In truth, it is one of many good examples that show us Jehovah’s great interest in details. We can have good discussion around why Jehovah gets into the detail of a very specific design… “Is He a micro-manager needing to be in control of every detail? or is it just that He loves His people and has a plan for them. He cares enough to lay out even minute details.” In fact, as we read on through the Bible, we will confirm many other instances where He gets involved and leads on even seemingly small and perhaps insignificant details. We must conclude He cares about His people even to a detailed level. He cares about leading them well. He cares about setting up holy things in a way that distinguishes them as set apart for His purpose and not just a few more items around the camp.

Exodus 25:10-22

Ark of the Covenant

      10“They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11“You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. 12“You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. 13“You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14“You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15“The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. 16“You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.

      17“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 18“You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19“Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 20“The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. 21“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22“There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

I believe that Jehovah cares about the detail here in large part to make the point to the people that these things are holy and set apart for His purpose. Details matter. The people are called to follow His direction in every detail. He wants to help people have the right attitude toward Him when they approach Him and the ark and mercy seat are symbolic of that interface between Creator and created.

Since our Creator does not change, we should take note that He wants us to take it seriously when we seek to come into His presence. Scripture clearly tells us He is like a Father and we can approach Him with anything, but let us also not forget that He is the holy Creator of all things. He is to be revered and respected. Let us challenge ourselves not to get so casual in our relationship with Him that we forget who He is and instead redefine Him in our own image and desires. He sets the agenda. He defines right and wrong. He directs every detail. Praise to Jehovah indeed that He also makes a way for us to come before Him and enter into His presence. He loves us!

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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.