Leviticus

The more I read Leviticus the more grateful I am for Jesus. He is my Savior. He is my intercessor. He makes me clean. Bless those sweet priests. They had such an important job and they couldn't mess up. Bless Moses. He had to clearly articulate all the rules and customs to the Israelites. Leviticus overwhelms me and reminds me of the amazing gift of grace offered by Jesus.

Deception

Ok, first of all I am just going to say I've been WAY behind in my readings. BUT I am caught up now and ready to stay active in this blog. Anyone else have problems with starting out strong and then tapering off as time goes by??? Just wondering.....

In today's reading I got hit again. Yesterday at church I was REALLY hit...and then in todays reading I heard the quiet whisper of my Lord convicting me. I read something I have never noticed before. Lev. 19:11~ Do not steal. (I'm ok with that) Do not lie. (ok I know it's a sin to lie so I try not to do that) Do not deceive one another. How many times do I mislead someone...not an outright lie mind you but tip toe enough around the lie that they draw their own conclusion to be something that is not true? UGH....a major area for me. I struggle with this most with my dh. I SO hate to have his disapproval that instead of being truthful and possibly disappointing him I let him believe what he wants to be true. Make sense or am I rambling?? Anyhow, just another area the Spirit has convicted me in which I need to repent and turn from.

Also read some VERY CLEAR verses against homosexuality that I can share with someone close to me. (no one in my town, but a relative living in another state)

The OT CDC

Okay, at first today's reading seemed tedious to me again. When I finished it I laughed and said, "Lord, this kinda sounds like disease control regulations." Then I realized that once again it shows the goodness of God. And I prayer journaled:
This reading seems to be health instructions. The allowed animals to eat are less disease-prone than those not allowed. Then women are given time to heal after child birth. Then disease control for skin disorders is given. :) You were trying to help them live healthy. But, You could've miraculously healed them. Why didn't You offer that? You were there with them. Obviously You allowed (and still allow) sickness and disease. Why is that? Is it to remind us of our frail mortality? Is it so we will seek You more and depend on You more? Maybe sometimes we need to be forced to rest. But for children, like Ben and Julia, it seems a very heavy cross to bear. It's hard to understand Lord. But I know You are good, and You have good plans for their lives. You love them deeply. I pray their illnesses wouldn't break them, but would strengthen their faith and trust in You. Please carry them when it's just too hard. Please have mercy and compassion on them and on all of us, and heal us or give us Your grace to endure our sufferings of all kinds. I love You. Help me, and all of us, keep trusting You, even when we don't understand things. Thank You for Your love, which is better than life. Amen.

A thank you note to God

Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for sending your son to
die for us. The ultimate sacrifice......
to forgive me of my sins and to save me.
Amen

Soo thankful for the blood of Christ that
cleansed me. So thankful that we do not
have all the offerings--burnt, grain,sin, wave,
fellowship and on and on......and the
sprinkling of the blood everywhere!!

Latrelle

Tabernacle

   I am posting several lessons, I could not leave this alone. I think it's my favorite... I love the Tabernacle!  Brezalel made the Ark out of shittim wood , inside and out covered with gold - Just as much wood as gold. Just as much God as man .
   It's all in my mind the colors, Gold-diety, talking about God. Silver-mans redemption. Brass- judgment of God. Blue- heavenly nature of Christ. Purple- Royalty, King of Kings. Scarlet-color of shed blood of Jesus. Fine Linen-white- speaks of righteousness, pure and clean.
   Then the goats hair-picture of sin. Rams skin dyed red-shed blood of Christ. Badgers skin-outward appearance of Jesus. Shittim wood-humanity of Christ. Oil- picture of the holy spirt of God. Spices- Aroma - picture of prayer. Onyx -stones in breastplate-picture of bearing burden over heart,
   I see the fence, walking in the gate on the east side the brazen alter next the Laver then going through the outer veil into the Holy Place with the table of show bread on the right the candlestick on the left and the alter of incense before the inner veil and then into the Holiest of Holies. This is where the Ark of the Covenant is, the lid is the mercy seat (copperith) with two cheribum looking down. Inside the Ark, Arrons rod that budded - Resurrection. Pot of Manna-picture of living bread and the Ten Commandments (second set) we could not keep the law so He kept it for us. He is the Ark.
   I have probably got carried away, I wanted to talk about the Laver (word of God) and that it was made of brass from the looking glass of the ladies and how when we walk with God we get our feet dirty in this world and with our hands we should all work for God .The word is the mirror- when we look into the word of God we get a true reflection of what we really are. Washing of the word!
  I am also thankful that we do not have to worry about offerings that we can go straight to our Father. That we can have  Relationship, Fellowship and Worship. You see without relationship there is no fellowship and when fellowship is broken there is no worship.
  Thank-you Lord , it is ALL so awesome !!!

God is so merciful and gracious

It's been kinda tough for me to get through all the tabernacle specs we've been reading lately, but God does usually use something to get my attention. Today it was God's instructions about Aaron and his sons. God wanted them cleansed, consecrated, and anointed to serve as His priests. He wanted them to have very beautiful and elaborate clothing filled with symbolism and representing the holy calling of God. This was for Aaron, his sons, and all their future descendants. God chose Aaron by name, had-picked him, and set him and his family apart as special servants of God forever. God would also care for them and provide for them forever. Can you imagine a more incredible honor?

Ya'll, this is the same Aaron that we read about just a few days ago, who made a gold calf and told the people- "Here's your god that brought you out of Egypt!" We're talking serious idolatry here. I'm not judging him, we don't know what we'd have done in his shoes. Maybe he was afraid of the people. Maybe he thought God had forgotten about them, since they hadn't heard or seen Moses or God for more than a month. Don't we often run quickly to idols when we can't see God working in our lives? We don't really like to wait on God to fill the deep needs of our souls, and we try to fill ourselves with other idols- like relationships, food, materials, or whatever. Waiting on God can be very hard. Sometimes we mess up pretty bad.

But then there is the glorious mercy and grace of God! Hallelujah! If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Amazing, really. God did not reject Aaron or throw him away. God forgave him completely. God called him to minister in the presence of His holiness! God blessed Aaron and his whole family. And not just them, but the whole family of Israel. When they'd completed everything God had instructed, He came and stayed with them, giving them a physical manifestation of His presence with them. He made sure they ALL knew He was with them, and He did this throughout all their journeys! God is so good!

Oh Father, we would love to see Your manifest presence in our lives, guiding us. I pray that we and our families would see You and follow You. Please forgive us for the times we've trusted in anything besides You. Please show us where You are so we can stay with You and follow You. We love You so much Father. Thank You for being so merciful and gracious to us. You are holy, and You are good. Hallelujah. Amen.

In Awe of the Word of God

I haven't blogged in a while because I've had too many other things that had to be done. I've wanted to often, as I've been reading along with you sisters. I have also read your posts, and love them every time. God often uses you to point out more cool truth to me, although I may not always leave a comment. Anyway, I just had to post today.
I am in awe of the Word of God! Actually I am in awe of the God of the Word, and how He has been revealing Himself to mankind from the beginning of time. I've recently become friends with some people who don't really believe in God because they've been given a wrong perception of who He is. They think He is angry, mean, judgemental, and condemning. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I used to even kinda think that God was a little like that in the Old Testament, but Jesus took God's wrath for us, so God is nicer now. That is also full of error. Jesus did bear the wrath of God in our place, but not because God is mean- but because He is good! As we have been reading the Old Testament, I keep seeing that God is continually reaching out to us and making a way for us to know Him. He has always wanted us to trust Him, worship Him, love Him, and know Him.
We must remember that He is holy and awesome, and we can't approach Him with a prideful, sinful heart. But because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can approach Him!
In our reading today God gave specific instructions for the clothing and ordaining of the priests. My NLT Bible says God wanted their garments to be glorious and beautiful. Right off the bat, I just love that as a woman. But then I immediately thought of Jesus, and how He is our High Priest who ushers us into the presence of God. Jesus, my sweet Saviour, is so glorious and beautiful! Jesus made a way for us to be forgiven and purified so we could come into His presence, the presence of God, and know Him! Hallelujah! Now He has also set us apart, and made us glorious and beautiful as we reflect Him to the people around us. Wow.
Then we read about the ordination sacrifices. It was very elaborate and serious. God wanted us to know that He is holy, and sin is a serious problem that keeps us from His presence. Still He wanted people to know that He loves them and wants to live among them and be their very own God. That is incredible! Then, with tears in my eyes, my heart wells up with gratitude as I realize that Jesus became the perfect and final sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, so that we could come to know God. Ya'll that was His plan the whole time. I know we've all been taught that before, but it just seems more real to me today. God set up this elaborate way for the Israelites to come to Him with reverence and humility, realizing the seriousness of sin. But He knew the whole time that He was going to make the ultimate sacrifice for our sins Himself!
I am so in awe of God. I have been such a sinner in my lifetime, and I am amazed that Father God sacrificed His own Son, pouring out all of His wrath and fury for my sin on Him, because He wanted to save me. I am amazed that Jesus, knowing all my sin and all the times I'd take Him lightly, willingly laid down His life and suffered a cruel, agonizing, humiliating death, because He wanted to save me. What kind of love is this?! Hallelujah!
Holy Father, Spirit, Jesus, please forgive me for ever doubting Your love for me just because I suffer a little pain. My suffering is usually of my own doing anyway, and I certainly deserve no more than hell. Thank You for forgiving me. Thank You for reminding me that Your love for me is so deep and strong and all-encompassing, that I will never be able to comprehend the depths of it. You know everything I've done, still You love me fully and completely. You don't look at me in my sin, You see me clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. :) I love You! Please help me to share the glory and beauty of Your love with the people You've put around me. You are not an angry, mean, condemning God. You are a loving, Self-sacrificing God who bore our punishment and set us free! Hallelujah! Thank You. Amen.

Overwhelming Task

When reading today's passage, I began to feel overwhelmed. How in the world were the ISraelites really going to be able to make this tabernacle and altar that God was asking them to build? God was extremely specific when he told Moses what to do. What a task!!! I can't hardly even follow a recipe. I would have been completely overwhelmed. I can only imagine the time and effort that went into making this ark. The Israelites had no power tools, no sewing machines, no rulers. How in the world would they be able to get the hide of a sea cow? (Exodus 26:14) God told them exactly what to do and the Israelites would get it done.

Today I learned that if God asks you to do something, no matter how elaborate or difficult, He will provide the plan and resources to get it done.

Tactical Errors

When I was in college, I wrote all of my papers with three other girls in the history department, and we quickly earned the nickname, "The Four Horsemen." I was War (which probably doesn't surprise anyone who knows me), because I talked a lot about tactics and plans of attack, etc. Reading my Bible today, I saw some interesting things.

God did not want His people traveling through the Philistine country, because they were not ready for battle; war would only encourage them to return to Egypt, where at least people weren't openly fighting them. God's alternative was to lead them into a clear trap--a strategically terrible physical layout.

Ex. 13:20-14:4 After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians wil know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.

This is so interesting. God trumps all the gods of Egypt--absolutely slaughters them--with the ten plagues. God leads His people out with plunder from the land of Egypt; they are the richest escaped slaves ever. He stays with them day and night, with an obvious sign of His presence and care, and then He says, "Turn back. Put yourselves in danger. Back into a position from which there is no retreat and no escape, where the Egyptians can see you, and they will surely come to kill you. I intend to glorify Myself here." In any military situation, what the Israelites did would only be the last-ditch effort of an amateur strategist who had, quite frankly, lost it. Who, when given a chance to escape, turns back and intentionally puts himself into an impossible position? Tactically, this is the worst move ever. This is General Custer at the Little Bighorn. It's an invitation to hopeless slaughter. And many of the Israelites recognize this when they see Pharaoh's army drawn up in bristling array at the only possible exit from the area: "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

What I love here is that the LORD has a plan, even though He doesn't immediately articulate it for His people. He intends to turn the thing that makes escape impossible into the perfect escape route; the sea will become a highway, and the highway will become a grave for the Egyptian army. God put His people into an impossible situation because He wanted to do something impossible. What kinds of impossible things does God want to do in our lives? Are we willing to be put into a position of no retreat and no escape? "The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has hurled into the sea" (15:3-4a). What battles does our great Warrior God want to win in our lives? Are we willing to face certain failure to watch Him win miraculously?

O Father, I want to trust You like Moses.

Am I listening?

God asked Moses to do something that he didn't feel qualified to do - go before Pharoah and ask for the Israelites to be released. Moses trusted God and did what was asked of him. What I find interesting is that God hardened Pharoah's heart. Why did God send Moses and Aaron and then purposefully harden Pharoah's heart? Pharoah didn't listen to Moses and Aaron. As a matter of fact, he even became harder on the Israelites. As a result the Israelites didn't want to listen to Moses when he was telling them what God had to say.

Nobody was listening to God except Moses and Aaron. Do I listen to Him or is my heart sometimes hardened? Am I tuned in to God? What about the messengers that He sends my way? I have no doubt that God uses people, like Moses and Aaron, to speak to others on His behalf. Do I listen?

Lord, open my hears so I may hear the voices that Thou sendest clear;and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,Everything false will disappear. Silently now I wait for Thee,Ready, my God, Thy will to see;Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit Divine!

God's Plan

One thing really stood out to me today as I was reading in Genesis chapter 50. Joseph mourned his dad's death and Joseph's brothers were afraid that he might punish them for the sins they had committed against him. Joseph's response is beautiful. He told his brothers that what they had done was "intended to harm him, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of lives."

As I go through life, I want to embrace difficult circumstances and understand that they are allowed by God so that He can use them for His purposes, not mine. Ultimately, God is in control today, just as he was thousands of years before the birth of Christ. I am so glad to be His and He is mine!!!