It Really Is a Privilege!
"This is the procedure for Aaron when he enters the Holy Place: He will bring a young bull for an Absolution-Offering and a ram for a Whole-Burnt-Offering; he will put on the holy linen tunic and the linen underwear, tie the linen sash around him, and put on the linen turban. These are the sacred vestments so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. Then from the Israelite community he will bring two male goats for an Absolution-Offering and a Whole-Burnt-Offering.
Leviticus 16: 3 THE MESSAGE (read 3-25 for the whole procedure)
Before the imparted kinship, friendship and priesthood we have in Jesus (2 Cor. 5:19), there was a procedure that must be followed before coming into the presence of God. Take a look at Aaron, in Leviticus 16. Aaron had to do these things, before coming into the presence of God (into the presence of the Holy of Holies):
Take a bath.
Put on his holy attire that consisted of (I am kind of joking, but not really) putting on holy -underwear, tunic, sash, a holy turban and the rest of the holy clothes
Bring an Absolution offering and a Whole burnt offering for sin in general
Cast lots (to see which goat is the scapegoat)
Start an open flame, add incense and burning coals
Sprinkle blood (3 times)
Pray
Smear more blood, and pray for himself and the camp.
In addition to all of that, if you were planning on coming directly to God, you had better be a man and had better be a Levite. If you veered from the process and rules, you could be struck dead.
Now, Because of Jesus, we can come to God anytime we want. You don’t have to be a Levite, gender is irrelevant, good or bad, Jew or Goy, we can all come to Him (Galatians 3:26-29).
Next time you pray, remember the privileged position you have in Jesus and thank God for that! It’s no small thing.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Why Are You Afraid?
Why Are You Afraid?
All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't have God speak to us or we'll die." Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin." The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21 THE MESSAGE
In this part of Exodus, I get the feeling that God is all excited about finally having his own people. He delivers directions; via Moses, to have everyone scrub their clothes and consecrate themselves. Then, congregate at a specific location and wait. Why? Because God is coming to meet with them! When they hear all the noise, they tell Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.” Then it says that they kept their distance. How sad.
After reading the aforementioned verse, what comes to mind is when I met, a dear friend’s son for the first time. Normally, kids see me as a stuffed toy, ready for play. But, not this time. As his parents introduced me to Jr., he ran like the wind, right behind his dad. They pulled him out and reassured Jr. that “Uncle Eric” was no one to fear. As I got on my knees and reached out, he only sought refuge behind his dad’s leg.
The fear of the new and unknown overrode any logic and assurance junior’s parents offered. Likewise, the Israelites refused to listen and only retreated from the one that saved them. They saw something so terrifying that they wanted nothing to do with it, even though they had every assurance. Do you think that God was saddened by the Israelite’s fear of him?
I wonder; if God came to you and beckoned you closer, would you come closer? Or, would fear of losing what you already have, keep you from drawing closer to the one that has saved you? When God asks you to come closer, try to remember he has plans for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't have God speak to us or we'll die." Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin." The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21 THE MESSAGE
In this part of Exodus, I get the feeling that God is all excited about finally having his own people. He delivers directions; via Moses, to have everyone scrub their clothes and consecrate themselves. Then, congregate at a specific location and wait. Why? Because God is coming to meet with them! When they hear all the noise, they tell Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.” Then it says that they kept their distance. How sad.
After reading the aforementioned verse, what comes to mind is when I met, a dear friend’s son for the first time. Normally, kids see me as a stuffed toy, ready for play. But, not this time. As his parents introduced me to Jr., he ran like the wind, right behind his dad. They pulled him out and reassured Jr. that “Uncle Eric” was no one to fear. As I got on my knees and reached out, he only sought refuge behind his dad’s leg.
The fear of the new and unknown overrode any logic and assurance junior’s parents offered. Likewise, the Israelites refused to listen and only retreated from the one that saved them. They saw something so terrifying that they wanted nothing to do with it, even though they had every assurance. Do you think that God was saddened by the Israelite’s fear of him?
I wonder; if God came to you and beckoned you closer, would you come closer? Or, would fear of losing what you already have, keep you from drawing closer to the one that has saved you? When God asks you to come closer, try to remember he has plans for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Coming of Age
Coming of Age
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God.
Genesis 28:20-21 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
If this isn’t a “coming of age” story, I don’t know what is!
Jacob is on the run! Esau is plotting to murder Jacob for identity theft and for stealing his inheritance. Jacob has been sent away by his mom Rebekah, to his uncle Laban. On the way, Jacob falls asleep and has an incredible dream. Upon arising, Jacob makes a vow. “If God will be with me and protect me …, then I will make the Lord my God.”
I think in verses 20-22 Jacob has suddenly become his own man. The God of his grandfather, and of his father, has now become his God. Is God your god or are you interacting with God through the experiences and perspectives of your family and friends? Is God the one you know?
I feel that eventually, each of us needs to confiscate and cultivate our own relationship with God. You cannot know God to your fullest on the experiences of others. Each of us need our own testimony of who God is and how he saves, loves and redeems. Our friends, family, church and others can help us along the way and are a necessity for a balanced life and spiritual growth. But, the relationship has to be personal, between you and the Father. Jacob can tell you that God will give you protection, food, clothing and redemption by his personal experience. What can you tell me about God from your personal experience? Have you come of age yet?
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God.
Genesis 28:20-21 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
If this isn’t a “coming of age” story, I don’t know what is!
Jacob is on the run! Esau is plotting to murder Jacob for identity theft and for stealing his inheritance. Jacob has been sent away by his mom Rebekah, to his uncle Laban. On the way, Jacob falls asleep and has an incredible dream. Upon arising, Jacob makes a vow. “If God will be with me and protect me …, then I will make the Lord my God.”
I think in verses 20-22 Jacob has suddenly become his own man. The God of his grandfather, and of his father, has now become his God. Is God your god or are you interacting with God through the experiences and perspectives of your family and friends? Is God the one you know?
I feel that eventually, each of us needs to confiscate and cultivate our own relationship with God. You cannot know God to your fullest on the experiences of others. Each of us need our own testimony of who God is and how he saves, loves and redeems. Our friends, family, church and others can help us along the way and are a necessity for a balanced life and spiritual growth. But, the relationship has to be personal, between you and the Father. Jacob can tell you that God will give you protection, food, clothing and redemption by his personal experience. What can you tell me about God from your personal experience? Have you come of age yet?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Cain’s Crossroads
Cain’s Crossroads
God spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it."
Genesis 4:6-7 THE MESSAGE
Cain and his brother offered sacrifices to God. One sacrifice was acceptable and the other was not. When I was young, I heard a minister say that meat was not an acceptable offering because we aren’t supposed to eat meat, only veggies and grains. Or in other words, it was the wrong type of material to sacrifice. But this verse rules out that ridiculous thought. The problem was Cain’s anger. A perfectly good sacrifice is ruined by anger. In fact, anger is not the whole issue. How we handle our anger is the real issue, not necessarily the anger in itself. For example, Jesus handled anger by healing a man’s hand in Mark 3:5 and clearing the temple of money changers and shifty business entrepreneurs in Matthew 21.Does your anger spur you on to blessing or sin?
You know, Paul tells us in Ephesians not to sin in our anger. But my anger has never caused me to do anything good. My most famous anger outburst was more than twenty years ago. My dad owned a home that he used as rental property and he found it necessary to evict the tenants. Before they left, the tenants completely trashed the house. They broke several windows, caused some plumbing issues and if my memory serves correct, even urinated on the carpet in one room. I discussed this with a friend and we decided to pay them back. I knew where these people moved, went to their new location and trashed their car. I broke every window and beat the car with a baseball bat.
The next day, I parked my Pontiac Sunbird in my parent’s garage and went on an errand with my mom. When we came home, the fire department was just finishing. The former tenants had turned my Sunbird into a fried chicken by burning down the entire garage. James 1:20 says that “man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” My decision made in anger caused my parents property damage and the loss of my car. I doubt those outcomes were the desires of God or the reflection of a righteous life.
God does something in Genesis 4:6-7 that I find rather unbelievable. He says “why this tantrum?” As if to say, “You know you made a mistake. Why are you acting like I wouldn’t know?” Then God says, “You’ve got to master it.” I wish God would just open my head, pour in the stuff he wants, remove the garbage and close it tight. Then I could be just what he wants. But for some reason, God prefers to partner with me. He shows me the way to go, then says try it! Master it! Be a pro and show me you can do it.
Has your anger brought you to a crossroad? Sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it! Will you continue to sulk and blame everyone else or will you master it?
God spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it."
Genesis 4:6-7 THE MESSAGE
Cain and his brother offered sacrifices to God. One sacrifice was acceptable and the other was not. When I was young, I heard a minister say that meat was not an acceptable offering because we aren’t supposed to eat meat, only veggies and grains. Or in other words, it was the wrong type of material to sacrifice. But this verse rules out that ridiculous thought. The problem was Cain’s anger. A perfectly good sacrifice is ruined by anger. In fact, anger is not the whole issue. How we handle our anger is the real issue, not necessarily the anger in itself. For example, Jesus handled anger by healing a man’s hand in Mark 3:5 and clearing the temple of money changers and shifty business entrepreneurs in Matthew 21.Does your anger spur you on to blessing or sin?
You know, Paul tells us in Ephesians not to sin in our anger. But my anger has never caused me to do anything good. My most famous anger outburst was more than twenty years ago. My dad owned a home that he used as rental property and he found it necessary to evict the tenants. Before they left, the tenants completely trashed the house. They broke several windows, caused some plumbing issues and if my memory serves correct, even urinated on the carpet in one room. I discussed this with a friend and we decided to pay them back. I knew where these people moved, went to their new location and trashed their car. I broke every window and beat the car with a baseball bat.
The next day, I parked my Pontiac Sunbird in my parent’s garage and went on an errand with my mom. When we came home, the fire department was just finishing. The former tenants had turned my Sunbird into a fried chicken by burning down the entire garage. James 1:20 says that “man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” My decision made in anger caused my parents property damage and the loss of my car. I doubt those outcomes were the desires of God or the reflection of a righteous life.
God does something in Genesis 4:6-7 that I find rather unbelievable. He says “why this tantrum?” As if to say, “You know you made a mistake. Why are you acting like I wouldn’t know?” Then God says, “You’ve got to master it.” I wish God would just open my head, pour in the stuff he wants, remove the garbage and close it tight. Then I could be just what he wants. But for some reason, God prefers to partner with me. He shows me the way to go, then says try it! Master it! Be a pro and show me you can do it.
Has your anger brought you to a crossroad? Sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it! Will you continue to sulk and blame everyone else or will you master it?
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