True Independence in Christ Alone

The First Prayer of Congress: 1774

“Lord our Heavenly Father, High and Mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American States, who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent on Thee, to Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give; take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle! Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst Thy people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. all this we ask In the Name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.  Amen.”

September 7th, 1774 by Jacob Duche in Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia

Quickly, We Lost Our Way

1787, eleven years after the Declaration of Independence, the representatives were struggling to put in writing the Constitution of the United States making little or no progress.  This congress was beginning to consider that their attempt to form a lasting union had failed.  Prior to adjourning one day, eighty-one-year-old Benjamin Franklin stood up and addressed the confused, distressed and contradictory conference.  He said…

“In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection.  Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered.  All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor….And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend?  Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?”

“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: ‘that God governs in the affairs of man.’   And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?  We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.  I firmly believe this.”

 ”I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little partial local interest; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages.  And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war or conquest. I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business.” 

Benjamin Franklin then proposed that Congress suspend proceedings for two days in order to seek God’s will.   When they returned two days later, they commenced in opening each congressional session with prayer. Franklin’s speech marked a turning point in the writing of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the decision to put God first in all things concerning this country.

A Call to Knees

As a country we may have (once again) gone spiritually astray. Perhaps there is little we can do for those of this nation who are determined to ignore Jesus Christ, the blessings He provides and continues to provide, and the work He has finished on the cross, but as individual Christians and corporately as His church we are still called to prayer.  Quite honestly, ol Ben Franklin, I believe influenced by the Holy Spirit, nailed it and we would be wise to heed his prudent counsel.

Deadly Serious: The Worlds Best Diet

Say to them: ’Whoever of all your descendants throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the Lord. Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean…the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he washes his body with water. And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because it is his food. Leviticus 22:3, 4, 6, 7

This Does Not Apply to Me

That is what I used to think about certain books of the Old Testament—they just are not applicable to the modern-day Christian. I have since been corrected. If we allow Him to, the Lord will reveal significant applications for these passages while still maintaining the legitimacy of His original intent. So while it is true these were ordinances for Aaron the high priest and his descendants, it is wise to bear in mind that while we are not the sons of Aaron, we are the sons of God.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… 1 Peter 2:9

Cut Off From God

God lets His high priest know of those things which defile a man and leprosy, discharges, and touching the dead top His list. Leprosy we might recall is a picture of sin [in the Bible] and substituting the terms for one another helps define our application: sin separates; i.e. cuts us off from God. But what of these discharges; how can we give spiritual relevance to those? I like to think ofthem as those words and actions of ours that ooze mechanically. You know, those phrases we utter and those gestures that we make when that guy cuts us off suddenly ~and~ before we have occasion to glance down at our WWJD bracelets. What does God say about those again? Oh yeah…

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34b

No Soup For You!

In Levitical times God was saying that the despoiled priest could not eat of the sacrifices which was his custom. It kind of reminds me of mom sending me away from the dinner table to wash my hands before I could eat. But I believe God is pointing out something more significant to us—the reality of sin is that we lose our spiritual appetite and the cutting-off of divine sustenance is not God’s doing, but our own. In our sin we avoid God, we do not eat, and we become spiritually emaciated. Here’s a test: if you were given solid food to eat in proportion to the spiritual food you normally consumed each day, what would you look like in a week, a month, or a year?

But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” John 4:32

Washing and Waiting

God is not One to leave His people starved and provides the solution—washing in water and waiting until sundown. Why sundown? Because in Jewish tradition, it is when the sun rests on the horizon the old day has past away and a new day has begun—we are renewed physically when we sleep and spiritually when we rest in Him. Consider this admired verse…

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion, ” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:21-26

Of course patient-waiting is pointless if we have not first cleansed ourselves—go to bed filthy and wake up filthy, plus the bed is now soiled too. Our solution is not in merely turning away from sin, but turning towards the Word who is Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul adds that we are cleansed by the water that is God’s Word. The writer of Hebrews concurs.

…Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

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Swat a Fly, Go to Jail

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ’Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. Leviticus 20:1-3

Did You See This Today?

I read this today at Comcast.net news and almost fell out of my chair. Check out these excerpts from the story……

The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he’s bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside (*insert laughter here).

“We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals, ” PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. “We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals.”

During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama’s conversation with correspondent John Harwood.

“Get out of here, ” the president told the pesky insect. When it didn’t, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead…

Friedrich said that PETA was pleased with Obama’s voting record in the Senate on behalf of animal rights and noted that he has been outspoken against animal abuses. Still, “swatting a fly on TV indicates he’s not perfect, ” Friedrich said, “and we’re happy to say that we wish he hadn’t.”

Have We Gone Insane?

It is absolutely no accident that this passage from Leviticus 20 was a part of my bible study today. In it we read about God’s absolute disdain towards those who would worship false gods, especially the false god Molech. Why Molech? Well according to a Jewish rabbinic commentary on Jeremiah 7:31 the brass idol of
Molech was super-heated from a caldron within his hollow body. Parents then would ritually sacrifice their infants on the idol’s molten-hot, outstretched arms. In the back ground a drum was beaten loudly to drown-out the screams of the babies.

Modern Day Molech Worship

Nobody worships Molech anymore, but sadly the practice of burning babies has not ceased. What has changed is our methodology; we now conveniently murder
with saline solutions inside their mothers womb where drums are no longer needed to cover the screams. We may not be worshipping brass idols, but we are selfishly worshipping ourselves as we partake in this horrible ritual that defends our pursuit of happiness. Considering the practice, it is the same exact behavior God said He despised in the Leviticus passage.

Yet sadly, we have become a society which absurdly defends the life of a fly over the life of an innocent child. When did this happen and when will we as a Christian nation correct this outrageousness. Certainly PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich should be publicly spanked for his response to President Obama, but what is our response; when will we say enough is enough?

Where do we start?

As always, we start and continue in prayer. If I could borrow a quote, “If God does not react to what’s going on in America, He owes Sodom an apology.” I repeat the quote here not to prompt God to judging us, but rather so that we might judge ourselves for the purpose of restoration.

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Being Holy and Breeding Cattle

“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ’You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’…You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.” Leviticus 19:2 + 19

Why Are We Here?

It’s all about holiness. We have been created as a people who might recognize that we have been set apart for a specific use—God’s good will. If you have ever been confused why God made you, there’s your reason—stop being confused. Once we get with the program (God’s program that is) everything begins to make sense and wrestling with His agenda only serves to obstruct the flow of His blessing. But that’s just a part of the holiness equation…

Holiness = Wholeness

I don’t mean to be flippant about it, but God is One happy Guy and He wants us to share in this His delight. Read through His holiness doctrine prescribed in the 19th chapter of Leviticus. Essentially God is saying that adherence to these divine values will result in holiness; an assurance of wholeness for a specific godly purpose. Our Father, via holiness, wants us to live the fullest life possible on earth as preparation for the life we will live eternally with Him. Leviticus 19 is the formula.

Peculiar Edicts

Most of the Levitical canon makes sense to us. Reverence for parents, keeping Sabbaths, and turning away from idols all appear to be logical pursuits that might lead a believer towards holiness. However we may ask what cross-breeding cattle, planting diverse crops, and fusing linen and wool into garments has to do with the subject. I submit to you that God was not merely outlawing these practices for the prohibition’s sake, but rather because in our observance of them we would habitually remember that God hates mixture.

Crossbred Cattle

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

It is a basic tenant—God does not want us tethered to nonbelievers. We are certainly called to be among them and to share freely and lovingly with them, but there is a line we must not cross lest our holiness (and wholeness) be affected. A person’s salvation is not necessarily in jeopardy, but their capacity to be full in the Lord. It is true that some unequally yoked Christians have guided their unbelieving spouses over, but these occurrences are rare and usually result in the believer being pulled asunder.

Variable Seeded Fields

The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11b

Throughout the Bible, seed is a euphuism for the Word of God. It should be obvious to every follower of Christ Jesus that we cannot combine doctrines from other false religions, even if we see similarities. Additionally it is an all to common practice for Christians to quote non-Christian sources and secular writings. The danger of course is that in so doing we erroneously give credence to those sources. Please think about that before the next time you desire to reference Gandhi, Mark Twain, etc.

Linen and Wool

And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Revelation 19:14

The analogy might be a stretch, but it is applicable: linen is light and un-burdensome, while wool is heavy and hot. Nowhere in the Bible do we see God’s people striving away in woolen garments—Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light, so isn’t it fitting that the spiritual garments we sport be likewise. There are certainly practical reasons why stitching wool and linen together is a inane pursuit and likely a source for numerous sermons, but in abstention we recall God’s disdain for impurity.

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You Might Be a Pervert if…

None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord…And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion. ’Do not defile yourselves with any of these things…’ Leviticus 18:6, 21-24

Sin Precedence

I don’t give precedence to one sin over another. God in His Word teaches that any singular sin a person commits, as it relates to causing separation from Him, is the same. I agree with that. Why am I raising the issue? Because today (in my Bible study) a few particular sins are singled-out and I do not want anyone to suppose I believe they deserve some kind of top-billing as the all-time worse sins a person can commit. They are in fact just sin.

They Are Sin

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God said so (not me) and because I have some prudence, I agree with what He says—Call me crazy, I happen to agree with what God says in His entire Bible. When an individual refuses to accept the foundational premise that God’s Word is infallible, a door has been opened for that person to substitute that which he or she does not like with that which he or she does. I find it ironic that ninety-nine percent of the time (unsubstantiated embellishment) the parts of the Bible that are most often proxied are those things that define sin. When this occurs, the Bible is no longer God’s sacred Word, but an erroneous and artificial text of fallen man.

You might be a pervert if…

You habitually act in a perverse manner. In like fashion, you are a liar if you consistently lie and a murderer if you murder. The good news is that God loves perverts, liars, and murders; He loves all sinners—and so should we! We can see how a problem develops when the sinner determines his sin is no longer a sin. Once that happens—once we have deemed ourselves squeaky-clean, suddenly there is no need for salvation; we do not see ourselves estranged from God because of sin.

But I Was Born That Way

Have you ever heard someone use this excuse? Let me go on record and say I agree with you; you were born that way. We all were born that way, because we were all born sinners. The thing I will never agree with is that being born defective is an excuse to practice a deviate behavior. The serial rapist likely proclaims that he was born that way as well, but no one in his or her right mind would allow him to exploit that as an excuse, would we?

We Are a Fortunate Lot

Do not marvel that I said to you, ’You must be born again.’ John 3:7

Praise the Lord, we get a do-over. We may have been born one way, but God in His abounding love, mercy, and grace allows us all, by our choice, to be born again. The only thing a sinner need do is acknowledge that the sin they participate in is a sin. Every race has a start-line and for the Christian the event starts with recognizing who they are.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… Hebrews 12:1

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Gone a Whoring

Gone a Whoring

“Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man…They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.” Leviticus 17:3-4, 7

Not Guilty?

Were the Jews of this day actually making sacrifices to satan and/or his demons? It would seem that they were on occasion, but for the Christian that is not really the issue. For those who consider themselves followers of Christ Jesus what matters is how we might construct a modern-day application for this passage so we may not do similarly. To do so, the very first thing we must examine is whether or not we are offering our sacrifices of praise and/or thanksgiving to the devil; have we too gone a whoring?

”Of course not, ” I suspect everyone is saying, ”my praises and the thanks I give are solely to the Lord!”

For brevity’s sake, I concur, Not guilty!” In fact (and you might agree with me), I do a pretty good job of giving thanks; i.e. remembering God for all the goodness He has provided. But what about the times I do not give thanks? Oh not the times I forget (which is also common), but when I choose to not thank God for His provision—what about those times?

The truth of the matter is simply this—when I opt to not thank God for that which I am about to receive, regardless if it is victuals or vocations, chances are it is because I know that the thing I am about to partake of is not of God. In other words I have gone a whoring. What might that look like? Often times it’s apparent in what I may elect to view on TV or at the movies. Would I invite Jesus to watch with me? Would I give Him thanks for providing the opportunity to watch it?

Here is the bottom line from God’s perspective: if I cannot thank Him for it, then I should not be a part of it. This is precisely what He was conveying to Israel in the Leviticus passage and it’s what He is communicating to us today. Give thanks always and to Him only.

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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5

Many read this text and collectively scratch their heads wondering what is David suggesting and what exactly is he pronouncing against his mother. Very simply he is confirming that we–his own mother included, are sinners. His declaration is not that procreation is sinful, but rather at the point of conception two sinners have accomplished bringing yet another sinner into the world. The fact that the world largely rejects this doctrine is a cause why the world suffers as it does today. We need to grasp the truth that we are not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we are born sinners.

Consider Communism as Proof

Examine the principles of communism and you might think it initially a wonderful concept and perhaps even perplexed as to why it never panned-out. Just today I discovered the false premise on which Karl Marx constructed his model and understand why the entire concept was doomed before it even began–Marx asserted thatthat all men are inherently good. That idyllic philosophy is in direct contrast to the truth regarding sinful man.

And by the way, we might find it interesting that the only reason our capitalistic system works is because it is based (whether we realize it or not) soundly on God’s truth. Capitalism succeeds (for lack of a better word), because man is fundamentally self-centered and given the prospect of keeping that which he has made, drives him to make more. It works because man has essentially tapped into his own sinful nature and the reality of its success is nothing more than a sad commentary confirming what God has said all along…

There is none righteous, no, not one… Romans 3:10

His Remedy

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 22:15; 13:24

We need to address the issue (as truth) somewhere and there is likely no better place than in the home. Spanking our children is not a solution to the sin problem, but it is a treatment that will serve to keep the propensity to sin in check. More importantly it helps our children to understand the difference between right and wrong and affords them a release-mechanism for their guilt. Sorry, but timeouts do not achieve the same result—all one need do is look at our penal system to understand that timeout-theology is a largely a wasted effort.

God knows discipline is painful—our Lord knows all about pain. We need to reflect on that when we are seeking a softer solution to our discipline problems–what if He had sought an easier way. Our gratitude should be displayed in our obedience. When it comes to discipline, let us stop searching for painless responses where none exist.

His Solution

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11

As Christians we know that the only cure for our sinful condition is found in Christ Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross. We would not have come to this realization had we not first recognized that we were sinners and without that basic appreciation there can be no discernment regarding the need for a Savior. Now I am not blaming my parents, but I have a strong sense that had my folks been more direct and unwavering in their disciplinary strategy, I may have sooner come to understanding the type of person I am. And today I look at my two oldest and reflect on the disservice I did them by not being consistent in this same quarter. For the most part, I would say that they would agree.

Compassion International

Have you ever thought about sponsoring a child living in extreme poverty? I cannot tell you how many times I have asked that question and heard in response, “Yes, I was just waiting for ‘right’ time.” My reply is often the same, “Maybe now is the right time.” Please visit the Compassion website today, look at the children waiting to be sponsored, and prayerfully ask the Lord if the time is right.

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Is That Cow Pointing at Me?

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ’These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud–that you may eat…For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy… Leviticus 11: 1-3, 44

The Typology Continues!

All glory, honor, and praise to our Lord who has woven these magnificent, typological threads throughout His word the Bible. By so doing, our Father in Heaven had created for His people a pictured roadmap, if carefully followed, would funnel them towards Christ Jesus. For Christians, these Levitical writings provide a diagram that unmistakably illustrate our Messiah’s eternal presence throughout scripture and equip us with an understandable message we can share with those who desire to see more clearly.

It’s About Being Consecrated

Where in the bible does it say we are, “In the world not of the world?” I hate to burst you spiritual bubble, but that phrase is not found in God’s word–the maxim is there, but those actual words are not. Probably the closest expression of this godly standard, being set-apart for God, is found in John 17:11a + 16; and 1 John 2:15

Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You…They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world…Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

What is apparent is that the truism is expressed plainly between the covers of the entire Bible. The Levitical text pours more light on this actuality, although it is critical that we use a Bible-filtered, God-inspired eye to perceive it. Using external contradictive sources only serve to muddy the waters and erode God’s gift of faith. If a man’s words cannot be supported by God’s word, then his declarations are worthless.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3

Hoof and Cud

What spiritual application can we possibly derive from these two attributes? We must keep in mind that God desires His people, including those in these last days who have been grafted in, to be separate. So while it is absolutely true we need not keep these dietary laws, the doctrine attached to them is of great value to the believer. Getting back to our ‘in-the-world-not-of-the-world’ theology, the split hoof speaks to our God-ordained disconnect—the split hoof being a constant reminder. Honestly, there is too much effort being made by the church to assimilate ourselves into the very culture God works so hard to isolate us. If there is to be association it shall always be on God’s terms, not the worlds.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

I found this whole cud-chewing stuff to be particularly interesting. In other parts of the Bible the part of speech in the Hebrew language used to describe an animal that chews its cud is the same for the word ‘meditate’. Is God using cud-chewers to remind us of our need to chew on His word continually? In a word, yup. Again, if we were not finding these parallels in almost every sentence, we might say it is nothing more than coincidence. I do not know about you, but the God I serve does not operate by chance; every move He makes is intentional and designed with a specific purpose—including these barnyard images. It is my hope that as you read His word you would see Christ Jesus in every verse.

Compassion International

Proportionally speaking, the world is a wretched place, but for the most part, those who are reading these words are living a life that is quite the opposite. If in your ignorance you are bliss, you are no longer ignorant (sorry about that). Therefore, a bliss once fueled by unawareness is now maintained by deception. God provides the remedy. Plainly stated, the Father has mandated that the blessed are to reach out to those who are not, despite the fact that is against our nature to incline ourselves towards them. In so doing both the wretched and the blessed are healed. Please sponsor a child today.

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Dead or Alive: Being An Example to Others

An Example to Others

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ’By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace. Leviticus 10:1-3

Why?

Why did Nadab and Abihu do this irreverent deed and why did God kill them for doing it? Many suggest that Nadab and Abihu were drunk (and perhaps they were), but the root of their sin was unquestionably pride. Their behavior, fueled by a flawed awareness of their own self-importance, was arrogant. They had lost their perspective of who God is and where they stood in relationship to Him. It is for this reason God said that He must always be regarded as holy and that He alone must be glorified.

I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another… Isaiah 42:8a

God is Serious

God is very serious about holiness and glory, so much so that He devoured Nadab and Abihu by fire as a perpetual example for us. If mere words had been sufficient, Nadab and Abihu would not have died (for these were things that they knew). We might then ask, “Why does God want all the glory for Himself—is God selfish? This is not the case; God is not egocentric.

God Knows That…

When man gets the glory, or a ministry, or a church, those things will eventually come to disappoint and frustrate us. If we suffer discontentment chances are we have become enamored in the temporary splendor of man or ourselves. God knows these things and this is precisely the reason He demands the glory must be His alone. In Him, no one is ever saddened or dissatisfied.

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

Compassion International

By now you are aware that the one millionth Compassion child has been sponsored—to God be the glory! While similar programs have waned in the light of our current economic crisis, the Compassion ministry has continued to increase, again all to God’s glory. We believe it is because that we have never lost sight of our mission to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever we go and that the Father has honored this with bringing more and more children into His fold. Our hope is in Christ Jesus and this is the message we share with the hopeless. Please prayerfully consider sponsoring a child in desperate need and sharing that which God has freely shared with you.

Compassion Dave’s “Blog of the Day ”

‘INTERNATIONAL MAN OF ’MINISTRY’? « The Blog of that Guy named Tony Wolf

Please also visit the Compassion International Blog produced daily by the web-team staff of Compassion International

Do You Pray in Jesus’ Name?

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exodus 34:6-7 (KJV)

What We May or May Not Know

When we read ‘LORD’ (in all capital letters) in the King James Version of the Bible, we can know that it signifies the vowel-less spelling of God’s name, YHWH. Some pronounce His name Jehovah and some Yahweh, but the reality is that we just do not know for certain. However, while God does not give us a clear pronunciation for His name, He does make clear the attributes of His name. With immeasurable quantity, God declares that He is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, good, true, and forgiving.

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:14

We all say it, “In Jesus name, Amen, ” but what are we actually proclaiming? Far too often these words of Jesus are taken out of context and many believe that at the mere utterance of His name prayerful requests come to pass. Contextually, Jesus is confirming that when our prayers line-up with the attributes associated with who He is, then and only then are they realized. In other words, at the mention of His name, we assert that deliberate thought has been given to God’s character in each of these areas and that our desire is allied with His desire. I should probably confess now that this is something I need to work on.

…By no means clear the guilty

The words, ‘the guilty’ are not found in the original Exodus 34 text, but added at a later time to make the verse ‘clearer’ to the readers. The problem however is that the meaning is clouded by this addition of this wordage. Understanding that the Lord is finishing a sentence and that He is still referring to Himself, a clearer reckoning of the phrase strongly suggests that He will not revoke the promise He has just made. That truth also helps us to understand the back-half of His remark…

…Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exodus 34:7

What God is not saying is that He will hold our children and our children’s children accountable for the sins we commit. That notion flies in the face of His nature and the attributes that He just declared about Himself! Consider the words of the Lord as recorded by the prophet Ezekiel, paying close attention to the last two sentences.

“What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ’The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As I live, ” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:2-4

This is a doctrine protracted by Jesus in the New Testament as well. In the Exodus 34 text, our Father is upholding that He will visit us to do whatever it takes to restore us—even to the point of sacrificing His only begotten Son on a cross. This is a generational promise—to visit our children and our children’s children, not to punish, but to re-establish us through His Son Jesus.

Compassion International

Have you visited the website of Compassion International? Would you prayerfully consider doing so now? I know it is not easy—we fear what the Lord may speak to our hearts when we see the children waiting to be sponsored. Please pray the attributes of God and that your desires will align with His. In overcoming that which we fear, lives on the other side of the world can be saved.

Compassion Dave’s “Blog of the Day ”

‘Adventures in Life: Compassion International Mission Trip , ’ by erin

Please also visit the Compassion International Blog produced daily by the web-team staff of Compassion International