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Avoid What Is Unclean

Avoid what is unclean. This remains good advice for many things. We should exercise discipline to avoid what Jehovah says we should avoid. Through obedience we can learn to be set apart and holy, distinct from other pagans who ignore or dismiss the Lord.

In Leviticus 11, scripture records what is clean and unclean to eat. Jehovah does not record why he sets these guidelines about what we are to eat, and what we are to avoid. We can certainly study and speculate the “why”… but more importantly, we should obey.

Let us start by recognizing that all of us inherently already make a distinction about what is good and what is bad, whether in regards to food or behavior… so we should be slow jump to conclusions that Jehovah should not set aside this type of instruction. It is quite natural even for us to establish boundaries like these for ourselves.

By obeying our Father and Creator in our diet we demonstrate obedience and self control, just as in other areas of our lives where we submit to Him. We demonstrate we are different from others around us in a practical way. It reminds us three or more times a day that our Creator exists and we are submitted to Him in all we do. It puts before us a test of self control and obedience similar to the one Adam and Eve failed in the garden with regards to having plenty they are allowed to eat and one item they were forbidden to eat.

God is direct in telling His people not only not to eat certain things, but not even to touch them. We are to approach all temptation to sin in this way. Do not even rationalize getting close to it. Steer clear. Stay far away.

There were also some additional cultural context of idol worship of some of these “unclean” animals within the pagan nations around the Israelite people.

Leviticus 11:13-47

Avoid the Unclean

13These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds; they are abhorrent, not to be eaten: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, 14and the kite and the falcon in its kind, 15every raven in its kind, 16and the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind, 17and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, 18and the white owl and the pelican and the carrion vulture, 19and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

20All the winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. 21Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects which walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. 22These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. 23But all other winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you.

24By these, moreover, you will be made unclean: whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 25and whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. 26Concerning all the animals which divide the hoof but do not make a split hoof, or which do not chew cud, they are unclean to you: whoever touches them becomes unclean. 27Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you; whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 28and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening; they are unclean to you.

29Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, and the mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds, 30and the gecko, and the crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand reptile, and the chameleon. 31These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening. 32Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a skin, or a sack any article of which use is made it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. 33As for any earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break the vessel. 34Any of the food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. 35Everything, moreover, on which part of their carcass may fall becomes unclean; an oven or a stove shall be smashed; they are unclean and shall continue as unclean to you. 36Nevertheless a spring or a cistern collecting water shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37If a part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing which is to be sown, it is clean. 38Though if water is put on the seed and a part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.

39Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening. 40 He too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

41Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. 42Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable. 43Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. 44For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.

46This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, 47to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.

Before you dismiss God’s dietary restrictions as obsolete or as no longer “required”, take time to study the word carefully. Jesus taught clearly that He did not come to abolish the Law and further stated that the Law would not pass away, not even a jot or tittle, until “all was accomplished”.  Jesus never changed this teaching even after He died and was raised again. All is not accomplished until after He returns again. He instructed His disciples to teach new believers to observe all that He commanded them. He did not declare new commandments or drop old ones.

Matthew 5:17-19

 17Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 28:18-20

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Have you submitted to the Lord in all things? Are you holding back certain areas of your life? Pray for God’s help and study the scripture closely. Do not assume everything you have been taught is correct, for there is much false or misunderstood teaching in churches today.

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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.

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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.

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Seek the Lord and Serve Him In The Way of His Choosing

There is rich historical and spiritual context to be studied in reading through Biblical commentaries or other study material online regarding the sacrifices detailed throughout Leviticus 6. I encourage each of you to take some time and read some. BibleHub.com has many available online at no charge… just a few clicks away. One example is Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Even on the surface of the scripture we can appreciate some things it tells us about our Father and what He desires from our relationship with Him. Our Father calls even those serving Him full time to (such as Aaron and his sons) come before Him with offerings. There is much preparation for those who serve the Father even in how we give offerings. We are called to take time in doing this His way. It is a main activity and not a distraction. We are to focus on the Father and what He wants. We are not to hurry and treat this as a distraction from our daily lives.

 Leviticus 6:19-23

      19Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 20“This is the offering which Aaron and his sons are to present to the LORD on the day when he is anointed; the tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. 21“It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle. When it is well stirred, you shall bring it. You shall present the grain offering in baked pieces as a soothing aroma to the LORD. 22“The anointed priest who will be in his place among his sons shall offer it. By a permanent ordinance it shall be entirely offered up in smoke to the LORD. 23“So every grain offering of the priest shall be burned entirely. It shall not be eaten.”

Do you set aside time to maintain and grow your relationship with the Father the way He calls us to? In the example above, many of us may struggle with why the priests should go to so much trouble to prepare an offering, just to burn it all. There is actually some spiritual messaging there if we go and study to understand it in greater depth, but also even on the surface we can see that we are called to obey and serve the Father His way… even if we don’t always understand it.

Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Prayer, Provider, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Do Not Let the Fire Go Out

I will admit, as I read through the entirety of scripture, I do find times and passages where I struggle to immediately find value for application today. I have to dwell on it and sometimes study some of the commentaries. I am reminded by 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that even after our Lord Jesus was crucified and raised again from the dead,  the entirety of Old Testament scripture is still inspired by God and valuable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness… so we may be equipped for every good work. It is worth the time to seek to understand how it applies in my life still today.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Leviticus 6:8-13 has quite a bit of significance, though I would miss it if I just scanned it and said… “sacrifices no longer apply, so I will skip this.” I challenged myself to study further and take time to pause and meditate on it.

Our Father has provided many instructions to help us. Some we understand… some we do not. All are intended to help us love God and love one another. Should we insist that we must understand all that He asks in order to obey? No. That is not the natural order of things. All of us who had good and loving parents had to obey them as children, even if we did not understand why every time. They were helping us, protecting us, teaching us, etc. We could not as children understand as much of the complexity of life as the adults did. So too with us as adults… we can not fully understand the ways of God, but we can still obey and seek Him.

Leviticus 6:8-13

The Priest’s Part in the Offerings

      8Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 9“Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. 10‘The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11‘Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12‘The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 13‘Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

There are many things we could explore and study in this passage. Why did the priest put on undergarments next to his flesh when approaching the alter? What symbolism is intended in the detailed instructions for this activity, which is set apart to honor God… it is holy. Why should the fire never go out? How might that apply for me today?

I will take one of those and unpack it a bit. I encourage you to read some commentaries (available through the link on BibleHub.com for no cost) and seek out more meaning and background.

The priests were to keep the fire going continually. They were not to let it go out. Our relationship with God needs constant attention. We should always be mindful of Him. We do not “turn on” and “turn off” our relationship with a spouse or child and neither shall we do so with God. He is to be continually a part of our focus through our daily life. We are to obey Him and seek Him in prayer and study His word and share His word and help others… continually. God does not wish us to go to church (e.g. light a fire to please Him) for a short while once a week, then ignore Him for a week (e.g. allow the fire to go out) until it is time to go to church again. We are to be in constant relationship with our Father. Yes… it takes time and commitment. Yes… He must be a priority and we must not get too distracted on lesser important things. Yes… if we tend to His business and obey, He will take care of the rest.

What else can you unpack from this scripture through prayer and study to apply in your 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.

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Shall We Continue to Sin So That Grace May Increase?

It is a very important concept for followers of Jesus Christ to understand. When we ask Jesus to be our Lord and accept His offer of salvation by grace through faith that He died for our sins, we must also recognize that we are not to abuse that grace. For us to abuse grace by intentionally continuing to sin is to not truly submit to the lordship of Christ over sin and self. It is to not truly accept His offer of salvation.

We all sin, but let us never embrace it intentionally under the excuse that His grace will cover our sins. Instead let us seek to repent from sin, to turn away from it and toward the Father. Let us die to self and sin and rise in Christ to a new life. We need His help and He will provide it to those who truly invite Him in to be Lord of their life.

Romans 6

Believers Are Dead to Sin, Alive to God

      1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

      8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

      12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

      15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

      20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can well remember a variety of sinful habits that I seemed unable to break on my own power. The more I turned my life over to the Father, the more I sought to learn and understand His word and apply it in my life, the more the Holy Spirit has revealed Himself in my life to guide me and strengthen me in my daily walk… in rejecting sin. I have been able to turn away from habits and behaviors that had me beat and stay away. However, temptation remains a challenge, trying to draw us in. Remain vigilant and focused. Choose righteousness over sin. The rewards in this life and beyond are priceless.

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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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There Is A Battle… If You Don’t Prepare, You Lose

In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul provides us important guidance about the reality of spiritual warfare.  Too often Christians dismiss spiritual warfare and focus only on the things we can see and touch. This leaves us vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. If we do not recognize the true enemy, we will struggle to win against him.

      10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

      18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Some key points upon which to reflect:

  • Our strength comes from the Lord, not ourselves
  • The devil is real and he has strategies he uses to lie, cheat and destroy. He will use more than one strategy against us.
  • Warfare does not always take place in physical world, sometimes it is in the spiritual world. Don’t believe me? Read the book of Job.
  • Just putting on one or two pieces of the armor of God is not enough, we need to put on all of them.
  • Prayer and a relationship with Jesus is necessary! Jesus tells us to pray daily and to pray specifically to not let us yield to temptation, and to be rescued from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13
  • We are to stay alert and pray for others in addition to ourselves. Pray for those preach the gospel that they would preach boldly!

Let’s explore what it really means to put on the full armor of God.

Truth can simply be defined as the real facts about something.  Surprisingly the world today proposes that truth is relative when it comes to God or how we live… “True for you but not for me”, etc. This is no more accurate than saying “If I do not believe in gravity, I will not fall off a ladder.” Gravity is true whether or not I believe in or accept it. God lovingly and in great detail shares truth in the Bible and reveals it in the world around us. There is absolute truth.

Righteousness is characterized by living consistently with God’s standards of morality, justice, virtue, etc. As God’s standard is Himself, it is a lofty bar. We will never achieve it to perfection but He is the standard and reference point none the less. We should keep our eyes on Jesus and keep changing to be more like Him.

The peace that comes from knowing the good news is not a promise that we will avoid conflicts and trials, but rather an affirmation that when we have relationship with Jesus Christ we know He is with us in this life and that we have eternal life on the other side of this world. We can have peace through the mightiest storms.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1. In this context Paul reminds us that we must trust in God even when we are under attack by Satan. Just because we can not recognize how God is working in the situation does not mean that He is not there. We can be confident He is with us.

Salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences, which is death. It is not enough to know or acknowledge Jesus Christ. Even Satan and his demons due that. By asking and accepting Jesus into our  lives and repenting from our sinful ways we receive salvation through grace.

The sword of the spirit, or word of God, is what Jesus Himself used to defeat Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11. We must know the word of God before the attack comes just as a soldier must train and be prepared before he goes to battle.

To be effective we must understand and use all of this equipment daily. It ceases to become “something we do” and becomes “how we do everything” in our lives.

Remember to heed Paul’s warning and guidance for prayer. The battle is not ours alone, but the Lord’s!

      18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

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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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They Neither Marry Or Are Given In Marriage

Make no mistake about it… this was an attempt at a trap question for Jesus. The Sadducees do not believe in resurrection, yet they ask in Mark 12 a question with the premise of resurrection. They were trying to make up a scenario which Jesus would not be able to answer and then use it to discredit the concept of resurrection and Jesus, Himself.

We must study and prepare to give answers to others as well. Jesus was always prepared during His earthly ministry. Whether the question was a trap or a genuine inquiry, Jesus seized the opportunity to teach.

There is additional meaning in this scripture as well, Jesus gives us another brief glimpse of what heaven is like and how it is different than what we are used to on Earth.

Mark 12:18-27

      18Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. 20“There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21“The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. 23“In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? 25“For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26“But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob’? 27“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

I admit, this scripture is challenging for me. I love my wife. She is a core part of who I am in this life. I find it hard to get my mind around that in heaven, there is no marriage. When we rise from the dead and join the angels in heaven, there is no marriage. Whether or not I “like” that or feel “comfortable” with that… it appears to be so by reading what Jesus told us about heaven in this passage.

With all things, we must remember to accept God’s word as truth even for those parts we don’t fully understand and feel comfortable with. Gravity works and is true whether I like it or not. So, too, the truth about the universe and about life and life after death do not change because I may not be comfortable with them. The truth is what it is and it is not relative… it is absolute. There is one truth.

Instead of dwelling in confusion, I seek two paths… further Bible study and prayer to continue to increase my understanding of God’s word and also relying on God in faith. If I don’t understand or “agree” with His design… that makes me wrong rather than Him. I choose to trust Him. I ask Him to help me in my faith and He will.

I believe heaven will be wonderful, even if there are aspects I struggle to get my mind around while I am yet in this life.

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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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Just As The Lord Had Commanded

We are called by our Father in heaven to do just as He commands. His instruction and design is far greater than our own. We are to work together as a body of Christ, letting each one use their specific (and unique) God-given talents and abilities to the fulfillment of the whole of what He commands. It is like watching a beautiful masterpiece come together when we obey in this way. Paying attention to fine detail and not rushing our work for God, but rather putting aside the right time and focus for it.  Doing what God commands us is not a distraction we must complete to get back to our lives, but rather it is the main point of our lives!

Exodus 39

The Priestly Garments

      1Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet material, they made finely woven garments for ministering in the holy place as well as the holy garments which were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      2He made the ephod of gold, and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen. 3Then they hammered out gold sheets and cut them into threads to be woven in with the blue and the purple and the scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a skillful workman. 4They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two upper ends. 5The skillfully woven band which was on it was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      6They made the onyx stones, set in gold filigree settings; they were engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7And he placed them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      8He made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful workman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 9It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a span long and a span wide when folded double. 10And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald; 11and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set in gold filigree settings when they were mounted. 14The stones were corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve, corresponding to their names, engraved with the engravings of a signet, each with its name for the twelve tribes. 15They made on the breastpiece chains like cords, of twisted cordage work in pure gold. 16They made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. 17Then they put the two gold cords in the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece. 18They put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 19They made two gold rings and placed them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod. 20Furthermore, they made two gold rings and placed them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven band of the ephod. 21They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be on the woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; 23and the opening of the robe was at the top in the center, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around its opening, so that it would not be torn. 24They made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material and twisted linen on the hem of the robe. 25They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around on the hem of the robe, 26alternating a bell and a pomegranate all around on the hem of the robe for the service, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      27They made the tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons, 28and the turban of fine linen, and the decorated caps of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twisted linen, 29and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed it like the engravings of a signet, “Holy to the LORD.” 31They fastened a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. 33They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars and its sockets; 34and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the screening veil; 35the ark of the testimony and its poles and the mercy seat; 36the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37the pure gold lampstand, with its arrangement of lamps and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the veil for the doorway of the tent; 39the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils, the laver and its stand; 40the hangings for the court, its pillars and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords and its pegs and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41the woven garments for ministering in the holy place and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests. 42So the sons of Israel did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 43And Moses examined all the work and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, this they had done. So Moses blessed them.

We should take a lesson from how Moses and the Israelites completed the details not only of the tabernacle, but also the priestly garments. There were intricate and labor intensive details which God instructed them to complete in a very specific way. Each time, they avoided hurry or rushing, but instead took the time and care necessary to deliver exactly what God commanded. In this passage of scripture alone there are eight times it highlights not just completing a task, but that they had completed each task “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”.

At the very end, we see as a result that the people were blessed.

“So Moses blessed them.”

For guidance, we must study the Bible, seek Jehovah in prayer, and it is also good to seek confirmation from other true believers that do the same. This will help us to understand His character and the general instructions He has already provided for our lives. As we continue to look for His specific will for our lives it is important that we learn how to recognize His voice and confirm through the scriptures and other believers. Remember to pursue what God calls you to do as the main thing, rather than a distraction to be completed so you can go back to your leisure activity or work. Take the time to do it right… do it just as the Lord has commanded… and that always involves a right attitude to go along with physical obedience.

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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 Is Bigger Than The Missions He Gives Us

We can often get wrapped up in how big a challenge appears. We can think as if we have to make it happen all by ourselves. We do well to consider, however, that if God is the one who told us to go accomplish the mission, then He already knows how He will enable us to accomplish it. He will provide. We need only listen and obey, even if we don’t see how He will finish the task with us and through us.

Exodus 38:21-31

The Cost of the Tabernacle

      21This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 23With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.

      24All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the wave offering, was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 25The silver of those of the congregation who were numbered was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 26a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), for each one who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men. 27The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 28Of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. 29The bronze of the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. 30With it he made the sockets to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar, 31and the sockets of the court all around and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the court all around.

Think about how overwhelming the mission could or perhaps did appear to Moses and the Israelites to build the tabernacle. They were in the desert, not in a land of plenty! Jehovah laid out very specific instructions and a grand scale for the tabernacle. The people could easily have thrown up their hands and made excuses why it was not possible. They could have quit even before they started. They did not. And consider what they accomplished!

Are you facing a mission or challenge that Jehovah has called you to complete? Does it feel overwhelming? Do not be discouraged or find reasons to reject the challenge. Instead, trust in Him, seek Him, and obey His instructions and guidance. You will be amazed at what He can accomplish through His people.

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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.