Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Friday February 12, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 1 & 2. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-12
Title: Bible Study: Dwelling With God
The Book of Numbers is the forth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains thirty-six chapters. The author of the book is Moses and it was originally written to the Israelite's. The purpose of the book was to record the Israelite's 40 years of wandering in the wilderness as a result of their disobedience to God. What we are to learn from the book is that God is not pleased with anything less than a total commitment to Him. The Book of Numbers is literally a book of numbers, first it begins with the numbering of the people, except for the Levite's. This numbering became what is known as what we call today a census. “And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.........But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying, Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel: But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.” - Numbers 1-4,47-51. The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in the Abrahamic covenant of increasing the seed of Jacob. They were about to be trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan so every male of 11 of the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob) twenty years and older was counted. The Levites were not included in this number because they were chosen by God to serve Him. They were in charge of keeping up the Tabernacle, when the camp was moving they had to disassemble everything and reassemble it in their new location. It was for the honor of the holy things that none should see them, or touch them, but only those who were called of God to do the service. Today, when we call on Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, as our Savior we by His grace become the spiritual seed of God, making us Levites and priests to our Lord. Since we are children of God and called to represent Him, we are to be holy and set apart from the rest of the world, including those who say they know Jesus, but do not believe in the Gospel. It is the greatest honor we will ever receive, we have been chosen by God Himself to serve, guide and teach others the truth that He is a loving and graceful God who only wants the best for His people. Why would He send His only Son to die for us so we can have life if He did not love us?
God also told the Israelite's where they were to dwell among the Tabernacle, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.” - Numbers 2:1,2. Each tribe was to encamp within close proximity to the Tabernacle, but not too close. The Tabernacle was a token of God's gracious presence that was always around them, but they were not to get so close that it would endanger them. Remember, anyone who came in contact with any part of the Tabernacle other than a Levite would instantly die.
So, the children of Israel were given allotted space according to the tribe and number of people in their tribe. They went peacefully to their allotted space without any murmuring or disputing, . “These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers.” - Numbers 2:32-34. It is observable, those tribes who were placed together, were nearest of kin to each other. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were the three youngest sons of Leah, so Issachar and Zebulun would not grudge to be under Judah, their elder brother. Reuben and Simeon would not be content with their place. Therefore Reuben, Jacob's eldest son, is chief of the next squadron. Simeon doubtless is willing to be under him. And Gad, the son of Leah's handmaid, is fitly added to him, in Levi's room. Ephraim/Manasseh (Joseph's sons), and Benjamin are all the posterity of Rachel. Dan the eldest son of Bilhah leads the rest, to them are added the two younger sons of the handmaids. It was in their best interest as well as safety to dwell amongst the area God had chosen for them. Had they chose to go where they wanted there would have been more strife between the Israelite's then there were against the others who were present in the land.
What all this comes down to is God's will and whether or not we are willing to follow Him and do what He asks from us, this includes going to the right church and seeking the right religion. I was out soul winning Thursday night and a man answered the door, his response was, I do not do religion. Well, my response was neither do we. God is not religion, God is choosing to live by His standards, which are in His book, not ones made up by man, which is what religion is. Even basketball can be a religion if one sets his life around the game. Think about it. Are you willing to travel miles away from comfort to do the unknown for God? I live in America and my life is here, I serve at my church, and do so much for God as it is. Yet, I may have the opportunity in a couple of years to go to New Zealand. If it is God's will to send me thousands of miles away from the comfort of home here than I will do it. We are to serve God for the purpose that He has called us, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ........ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” - Ephesians 4:4-7,11-15. We as Christian's are called to continue the work of Christ, He does not expect us to do everything, but He gives us all certain gifts that allow us to serve Him to the fullest and the truth is the more we use our gifts for His glory, the more He blesses us. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
P.S. I apologize for this being posted a day late, weekends are such a challenge for me, but I am working on getting everything in order. Thank you for your patience and God bless you for your faithfulness.
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Saturday, February 13, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Bible Study: Earning God's Respect
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Thursday February 11, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 26-27. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-11
Title: Bible Study: Earning God's Respect
As we close out of the book of Leviticus, God reveals to the Israelite's the blessings in store for them as long as they live in obedience to Him. “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;...........For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” - Leviticus 1-3,9-12. God loves it when we are completely faithful to Him and He will respect and bless us for it. However, He will not respect and bless when we do things that take His place, we are not to worship or bow down before anything except our God any anything else causes Him to lose His respect for us. This includes hobbies, sports, and careers that take place before Him. Now, one thing I would like to clear up is that some people have no choice and have to work when they want to be in church. God understands this and does not reprimand a person for trying to come to church and wanting Him in their lives. What God does not respect is someone who can not get up and go to church because he partied too much the night before. Anything that is more important to you than God becomes your idol or the thing you worship and God will not respect you for that. God also addresses what happens to those who live in disobedience to Him. “And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.” - Leviticus 26:15-17. So, here is the thing that gets God so angry. God gives us all the free will to chose to live His way or the way of the world. That means we either choose God or the world. We can not choose to have both, we can not choose to follow God when we feel like it and live in the world the rest of the time. Once we say that we will be committed to God we need to be committed to God, that means that we slowly lose the things of the world and gain the things of God. God loves us and wants the best for us, if we choose to follow Him it needs to be wholeheartedly or we will suffer.
The rest of this chapter reveals prophecies of what the Israelite's would face by living in disobedience to God, it was not the present generation that would suffer, it was their future generations that would suffer. Think about it. Have you ever suffered for something that you had not done? This was usually a result of being around the person that caused the trouble. Often we suffer things over someone else's wrong doings and this is why generations of Israelite's suffered over the centuries. However, God's suffering does not last forever as long as we are faithful to Him. “If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;.......... And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.” - Leviticus 26:40, 44,45. God knows our hearts and He knows that at times we will err as we have this flesh, but He knows the difference between those who humbly seek Him for forgiveness and want Him in their lives. He is faithful and just to forgive all our iniquities. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - I John 1:9.
The last chapter of Leviticus reveals the vows the committed people made to God. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation. And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.” - Leviticus 27:1-3. When a person vowed to commit himself to God a value was placed on that person according to their gender and age. This was a way for the Israelite's to cover a debt or gain income, for a certain period of time. This is what we today would know as working for a person or company, he or she gets paid according to their work ability. Since men between the age of 20 and 60 had the most strength and ability they were paid the most for their work. Although we are not bound to this law today, the concept of it still applies. In other words, once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and commit ourselves to Him, we make a vow with God. This means that everything we do for Him has a value, do not mistake this as salvation, one can not earn his salvation, that is a gift that no one can earn or get that taken away from them. It is the things that we do for Him in our daily lives after we are saved and commit ourselves to Him that are valued. For instance, I am a self employed website designer, since I am made a vow to live my life for God I can not just build any website, it must be something that lines up with God's Word. I could just take any offer as I would have a lot more money by doing so, but if I did that I would be breaking my commitment to God. However, if I stand my ground, God values that and blesses me for that by giving me work that lines up with His Word. You see, when we live in obedience to His Word, God respects that and we are of great value to Him. If we want to earn God's respect we need to daily search our hearts and think about the things we do. If they do not line up with God's Word then we need to start making some changes in our lives. Although we as Christian's are not bound to the laws given here in the book of Leviticus we need to read all of it as well as every one of the books in the Bible. Every law was given as a way for the Israelite's to live a joyful life of peace and morals away from the corruption of the world. We too would benefit from learning of the things that we need to stay away from that corrupt us. As I have said before, there is nothing going on today that has not already been covered in this book. When we read all of God's Word we learn what God loves and not only do we earn His respect, we receive many blessings as we learn to live the way He intended for us to live.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Today is Thursday February 11, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 26-27. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-11
Title: Bible Study: Earning God's Respect
As we close out of the book of Leviticus, God reveals to the Israelite's the blessings in store for them as long as they live in obedience to Him. “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;...........For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” - Leviticus 1-3,9-12. God loves it when we are completely faithful to Him and He will respect and bless us for it. However, He will not respect and bless when we do things that take His place, we are not to worship or bow down before anything except our God any anything else causes Him to lose His respect for us. This includes hobbies, sports, and careers that take place before Him. Now, one thing I would like to clear up is that some people have no choice and have to work when they want to be in church. God understands this and does not reprimand a person for trying to come to church and wanting Him in their lives. What God does not respect is someone who can not get up and go to church because he partied too much the night before. Anything that is more important to you than God becomes your idol or the thing you worship and God will not respect you for that. God also addresses what happens to those who live in disobedience to Him. “And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.” - Leviticus 26:15-17. So, here is the thing that gets God so angry. God gives us all the free will to chose to live His way or the way of the world. That means we either choose God or the world. We can not choose to have both, we can not choose to follow God when we feel like it and live in the world the rest of the time. Once we say that we will be committed to God we need to be committed to God, that means that we slowly lose the things of the world and gain the things of God. God loves us and wants the best for us, if we choose to follow Him it needs to be wholeheartedly or we will suffer.
The rest of this chapter reveals prophecies of what the Israelite's would face by living in disobedience to God, it was not the present generation that would suffer, it was their future generations that would suffer. Think about it. Have you ever suffered for something that you had not done? This was usually a result of being around the person that caused the trouble. Often we suffer things over someone else's wrong doings and this is why generations of Israelite's suffered over the centuries. However, God's suffering does not last forever as long as we are faithful to Him. “If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;.......... And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.” - Leviticus 26:40, 44,45. God knows our hearts and He knows that at times we will err as we have this flesh, but He knows the difference between those who humbly seek Him for forgiveness and want Him in their lives. He is faithful and just to forgive all our iniquities. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - I John 1:9.
The last chapter of Leviticus reveals the vows the committed people made to God. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation. And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.” - Leviticus 27:1-3. When a person vowed to commit himself to God a value was placed on that person according to their gender and age. This was a way for the Israelite's to cover a debt or gain income, for a certain period of time. This is what we today would know as working for a person or company, he or she gets paid according to their work ability. Since men between the age of 20 and 60 had the most strength and ability they were paid the most for their work. Although we are not bound to this law today, the concept of it still applies. In other words, once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and commit ourselves to Him, we make a vow with God. This means that everything we do for Him has a value, do not mistake this as salvation, one can not earn his salvation, that is a gift that no one can earn or get that taken away from them. It is the things that we do for Him in our daily lives after we are saved and commit ourselves to Him that are valued. For instance, I am a self employed website designer, since I am made a vow to live my life for God I can not just build any website, it must be something that lines up with God's Word. I could just take any offer as I would have a lot more money by doing so, but if I did that I would be breaking my commitment to God. However, if I stand my ground, God values that and blesses me for that by giving me work that lines up with His Word. You see, when we live in obedience to His Word, God respects that and we are of great value to Him. If we want to earn God's respect we need to daily search our hearts and think about the things we do. If they do not line up with God's Word then we need to start making some changes in our lives. Although we as Christian's are not bound to the laws given here in the book of Leviticus we need to read all of it as well as every one of the books in the Bible. Every law was given as a way for the Israelite's to live a joyful life of peace and morals away from the corruption of the world. We too would benefit from learning of the things that we need to stay away from that corrupt us. As I have said before, there is nothing going on today that has not already been covered in this book. When we read all of God's Word we learn what God loves and not only do we earn His respect, we receive many blessings as we learn to live the way He intended for us to live.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
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Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Bible Study: Feasts To The Lord
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Tuesday February 09, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 22-23. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-9
Title: Bible Study: Feasts To The Lord
There is nothing like a feast to bring people together, whether it is for fellowship, celebration, or mourning, food is a big part of any gathering. The Feasts of the Lord were observed as reminders of the freedom, gifts, and miracles that God had given to the Israelite's as He protected, provided, and fulfilled His promises to them. These were not ordinary feasts, they were sabbath days used to reflect on the freedom, provisions, and hope that only God could give. Before these feast days, the Israelite's did not know how to give offerings to God, so God instructed Moses on what the priests and Israelite's were to do. First, God spoke about the priests, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.” - Leviticus 22:1-3. The priests were considered the closest thing to God, therefore, they and all their family members had to even separate themselves from what the people thought was holy. Think about it. How many different religions are out there claiming that they are Christian's? The majority of them are not and this is what God is referring to here. A true Christian believes in the birth, death, and resurrection of the one and only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary. A true Christian, admits that he is a sinner and calls on Jesus to save him, trusting in the shed of His blood when He died on the cross to give them eternal life. A true Christian knows that once they accept Jesus as their Savior that it is forever and they can not lose or work for their Salvation. We as Christian's are to separate ourselves from Christian's who have different views on this very matter as well as deny the truth that heaven and hell are real. God requires us to reverence His name, His truths, His ordinances, and commandments. Let us beware of hypocrisy, and examine ourselves concerning our sinful ways, seeking to be purified from them in the blood of Christ, and by His sanctifying Spirit.
Every Feast of the Lord observance became a sabbath day, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” - Leviticus 23:1-4. The sabbath was a day of rest, usually it was the seventh or last day of the week, God created everything in 6 days and rested on the 7th therefore, He declared rest on the seventh day of the week. However, during any of these Feasts of the Lord there could be several sabbath days, “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:” - Leviticus 23:15. On a sabbath one was to separate himself from the world and all business that had nothing to do with God, this included working or doing any kind of labor outside of serving God. A holy convocation means that all the people were to assemble together in one place, including servants, and worship God. Today, God's sabbath's should still be a part of every Christian, it is a day of spiritual rest from all sin and a time of resting with God. The sabbath should be observed in every Christian home, by every part of the family as well as assemble together with other Christian families. That is what Sunday church is all about, a time for fellowship with other Christian's who have the same belief's as a holy convocation to God.
The great Feasts of the Lord are symbolic of Christ's entire work of salvation, the first feast was the Passover and and it symbolizes our redemption from sin by Christ, the Lamb of God who died for our sins. The Feast of Firstfruits was the Sunday after Passover and is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ for this was the day that Jesus arose from the dead. During this feast, one handful of grain from the first harvest was waved before God as an act of faith that He would give a great harvest. Fifty days after Firstfruits, a new Meat (Meal) Offering was brought, known as the Feast of Weeks and later as Pentecost, this summer harvest foreshadowed the Church. A long interval elapsed before the Feast of Trumpets, which represents the day this present age will close with the coming of Jesus. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest made confession of all the sins of the people and offered sacrifices. It proclaimed that approaching day when our Great High Priest, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ returns. The 7-day Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the fall harvest. It points to the coming glory of Christ's reign and the Christian's glorious inheritance in His kingdom. Today, we no longer have to observe these feasts, in fact we have feasts of the Lord of our own to observe, but we should not wait until these holy days come around before we go to God with all of our sins, and remember that Jesus Christ saved us from all of them. We should observe this every day of our lives. That is truly the only way to have redemption and fellowship with Christ.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Today is Tuesday February 09, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 22-23. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-9
Title: Bible Study: Feasts To The Lord
There is nothing like a feast to bring people together, whether it is for fellowship, celebration, or mourning, food is a big part of any gathering. The Feasts of the Lord were observed as reminders of the freedom, gifts, and miracles that God had given to the Israelite's as He protected, provided, and fulfilled His promises to them. These were not ordinary feasts, they were sabbath days used to reflect on the freedom, provisions, and hope that only God could give. Before these feast days, the Israelite's did not know how to give offerings to God, so God instructed Moses on what the priests and Israelite's were to do. First, God spoke about the priests, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.” - Leviticus 22:1-3. The priests were considered the closest thing to God, therefore, they and all their family members had to even separate themselves from what the people thought was holy. Think about it. How many different religions are out there claiming that they are Christian's? The majority of them are not and this is what God is referring to here. A true Christian believes in the birth, death, and resurrection of the one and only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary. A true Christian, admits that he is a sinner and calls on Jesus to save him, trusting in the shed of His blood when He died on the cross to give them eternal life. A true Christian knows that once they accept Jesus as their Savior that it is forever and they can not lose or work for their Salvation. We as Christian's are to separate ourselves from Christian's who have different views on this very matter as well as deny the truth that heaven and hell are real. God requires us to reverence His name, His truths, His ordinances, and commandments. Let us beware of hypocrisy, and examine ourselves concerning our sinful ways, seeking to be purified from them in the blood of Christ, and by His sanctifying Spirit.
Every Feast of the Lord observance became a sabbath day, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” - Leviticus 23:1-4. The sabbath was a day of rest, usually it was the seventh or last day of the week, God created everything in 6 days and rested on the 7th therefore, He declared rest on the seventh day of the week. However, during any of these Feasts of the Lord there could be several sabbath days, “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:” - Leviticus 23:15. On a sabbath one was to separate himself from the world and all business that had nothing to do with God, this included working or doing any kind of labor outside of serving God. A holy convocation means that all the people were to assemble together in one place, including servants, and worship God. Today, God's sabbath's should still be a part of every Christian, it is a day of spiritual rest from all sin and a time of resting with God. The sabbath should be observed in every Christian home, by every part of the family as well as assemble together with other Christian families. That is what Sunday church is all about, a time for fellowship with other Christian's who have the same belief's as a holy convocation to God.
The great Feasts of the Lord are symbolic of Christ's entire work of salvation, the first feast was the Passover and and it symbolizes our redemption from sin by Christ, the Lamb of God who died for our sins. The Feast of Firstfruits was the Sunday after Passover and is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ for this was the day that Jesus arose from the dead. During this feast, one handful of grain from the first harvest was waved before God as an act of faith that He would give a great harvest. Fifty days after Firstfruits, a new Meat (Meal) Offering was brought, known as the Feast of Weeks and later as Pentecost, this summer harvest foreshadowed the Church. A long interval elapsed before the Feast of Trumpets, which represents the day this present age will close with the coming of Jesus. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest made confession of all the sins of the people and offered sacrifices. It proclaimed that approaching day when our Great High Priest, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ returns. The 7-day Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the fall harvest. It points to the coming glory of Christ's reign and the Christian's glorious inheritance in His kingdom. Today, we no longer have to observe these feasts, in fact we have feasts of the Lord of our own to observe, but we should not wait until these holy days come around before we go to God with all of our sins, and remember that Jesus Christ saved us from all of them. We should observe this every day of our lives. That is truly the only way to have redemption and fellowship with Christ.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Monday, February 8, 2010
Bible Study: The Day of Atonement
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Sunday February 07, 2010, and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 16-18. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-7
Title: Bible Study: The Day of Atonement
While we may not understand all the laws and commands that God has bestowed upon us, every one of them are made in order to keep us holy and righteous before God. Now, some of the laws that we read about in the Book of Leviticus may not apply to us today, (Praise God!) but the morals of the laws still apply. As I have said before, God did not stop at just ten commandments, He lists more here in today's reading. However, one of the most uplifting chapters in the book is chapter 16. Here God explains the Day of Atonement or forgiveness. “Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” - Leviticus 16:3-10. The Day of Atonement was the one day a year that the high priest could make an atonement for the entire congregation for their sins of the past year. In addition to the normal sin, trespass, and peace offering were two goats. One was offered to God as a sacrifice, the other one was a scapegoat. A scapegoat is a person who takes the blame for others, when Aaron put his hands upon the scapegoat, he placed all the sins of the entire congregation on the goat and when he let it go into the wilderness all the sins went with it, which took all the sins of the people away, making an atonement for their sins. Today, the Day of Atonement represents Jesus Christ, who has not only given us a way to atone for our sins, but escape them as well. Jesus, who is our high priest, not only became the sin, trespass, and peace offerings, but the scapegoat as well. When we call on Jesus and confess that we are a sinner and need Him, Jesus makes an atonement for us, He died on the cross and shed His blood to make a permanent atonement for us. He also carried our sins away when He resurrected from the dead 3 days later. Praise God! This means that every sin that we committed has been carried away, never to be seen again. Praise God! And this is forever, we no longer have to go year by year and offer up a sacrifice because Jesus took care of all that for us. Now, that does not mean that we are exempt from repentance when we sin, but it does mean that anything we do when we call on Jesus for repentance get carried away and forgotten. Many have confessed their sinful past lives. Real peace comes in knowing that through the blood of Jesus our past no longer counts against us. Praise God!
Just as I have said in my last message, God addresses every issue known to man, if we think that what we have seen, done, or are still doing is something new to God, think again. There is not one thing in this life that God has not seen already over the centuries, this includes every immoral, lustful, and abominable act such as eating dead animals, blood, fornication, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, and even giving into brutal lusts within a marriage bed. God stresses to the Israelite's that they are not to do the things that they had saw or done while they were in Egypt, that He is their people and they needed to start acting like it. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” - Leviticus 18:1-5. Once again, I will stress that many of these laws are no longer valid to us as Christian's, but the concept of the law still applies. Although I have not listed the passages, if you read the chapters, you will understand what I am saying here. Think about it, do you know how many diseases come from eating an animal that has died for whatever reason? Whatever disease an animal has or even eats gets into our bodies when we eat it. Why do you think there are so many sick and obese people out there? It really is our diet, even the healthy foods that we think are good for us are making us sick and obese because of what is in the animal and even the grains and produce we eat as well. As for all immoral acts done with our bodies, this includes the substances that we put in them as well, you know what they are and you know that you are doing wrong. That is why people who live in the world stay away from God, they know it is wrong.
We are children of God, just like the Israelite's, that means that we are to start acting like it and not do the things that we see or have done while we were in the world either. Yes, we may have done some things while in the world that we were ignorant to, but that does not mean that we can still do them now. “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - I Corinthians 6:15-20. It is time to put away all the things that defile our bodies and treat it with respect. I have been in the world and have seen and done many things that defiled my body, but now I know and respect that my body is the Temple of God and needs to be treated like one. Think about it, does anyone really respect a person who lives immorally? I never known anyone to. Praise God that He has forgiven every act that we have done with our bodies and that Jesus made an atonement for them. He always forgives those who slip up once in a while, but be careful not to take advantage of God's mercy and grace as He will not take too kindly to that either. Remember, He knows our hearts and what our agendas are and will not condone anyone for disrespecting Him by seeking salvation just to continue to live in sin.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
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Today is Sunday February 07, 2010, and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 16-18. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-7
Title: Bible Study: The Day of Atonement
While we may not understand all the laws and commands that God has bestowed upon us, every one of them are made in order to keep us holy and righteous before God. Now, some of the laws that we read about in the Book of Leviticus may not apply to us today, (Praise God!) but the morals of the laws still apply. As I have said before, God did not stop at just ten commandments, He lists more here in today's reading. However, one of the most uplifting chapters in the book is chapter 16. Here God explains the Day of Atonement or forgiveness. “Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.” - Leviticus 16:3-10. The Day of Atonement was the one day a year that the high priest could make an atonement for the entire congregation for their sins of the past year. In addition to the normal sin, trespass, and peace offering were two goats. One was offered to God as a sacrifice, the other one was a scapegoat. A scapegoat is a person who takes the blame for others, when Aaron put his hands upon the scapegoat, he placed all the sins of the entire congregation on the goat and when he let it go into the wilderness all the sins went with it, which took all the sins of the people away, making an atonement for their sins. Today, the Day of Atonement represents Jesus Christ, who has not only given us a way to atone for our sins, but escape them as well. Jesus, who is our high priest, not only became the sin, trespass, and peace offerings, but the scapegoat as well. When we call on Jesus and confess that we are a sinner and need Him, Jesus makes an atonement for us, He died on the cross and shed His blood to make a permanent atonement for us. He also carried our sins away when He resurrected from the dead 3 days later. Praise God! This means that every sin that we committed has been carried away, never to be seen again. Praise God! And this is forever, we no longer have to go year by year and offer up a sacrifice because Jesus took care of all that for us. Now, that does not mean that we are exempt from repentance when we sin, but it does mean that anything we do when we call on Jesus for repentance get carried away and forgotten. Many have confessed their sinful past lives. Real peace comes in knowing that through the blood of Jesus our past no longer counts against us. Praise God!
Just as I have said in my last message, God addresses every issue known to man, if we think that what we have seen, done, or are still doing is something new to God, think again. There is not one thing in this life that God has not seen already over the centuries, this includes every immoral, lustful, and abominable act such as eating dead animals, blood, fornication, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, and even giving into brutal lusts within a marriage bed. God stresses to the Israelite's that they are not to do the things that they had saw or done while they were in Egypt, that He is their people and they needed to start acting like it. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” - Leviticus 18:1-5. Once again, I will stress that many of these laws are no longer valid to us as Christian's, but the concept of the law still applies. Although I have not listed the passages, if you read the chapters, you will understand what I am saying here. Think about it, do you know how many diseases come from eating an animal that has died for whatever reason? Whatever disease an animal has or even eats gets into our bodies when we eat it. Why do you think there are so many sick and obese people out there? It really is our diet, even the healthy foods that we think are good for us are making us sick and obese because of what is in the animal and even the grains and produce we eat as well. As for all immoral acts done with our bodies, this includes the substances that we put in them as well, you know what they are and you know that you are doing wrong. That is why people who live in the world stay away from God, they know it is wrong.
We are children of God, just like the Israelite's, that means that we are to start acting like it and not do the things that we see or have done while we were in the world either. Yes, we may have done some things while in the world that we were ignorant to, but that does not mean that we can still do them now. “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - I Corinthians 6:15-20. It is time to put away all the things that defile our bodies and treat it with respect. I have been in the world and have seen and done many things that defiled my body, but now I know and respect that my body is the Temple of God and needs to be treated like one. Think about it, does anyone really respect a person who lives immorally? I never known anyone to. Praise God that He has forgiven every act that we have done with our bodies and that Jesus made an atonement for them. He always forgives those who slip up once in a while, but be careful not to take advantage of God's mercy and grace as He will not take too kindly to that either. Remember, He knows our hearts and what our agendas are and will not condone anyone for disrespecting Him by seeking salvation just to continue to live in sin.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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