The Perfect Sacrifice

Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: The Perfect Sacrifice
Date: Saturday January 28, 2012Today's Chapters: Leviticus 1-4Preview of Today's Message: The legal sacrifices under the law, were shadows of Christ’s atonement, but could never fully justified the sinner, it had to be a continuous offering to God. Christ became the perfect sacrifice to make that atonement permanent. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Hello My Friend,
Under the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ became the perfect atonement for the sinner, His sacrificial death justifies them once and for all. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect...But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;..For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified...Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;.. 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 10:1,12,14,18-20,22.
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains twenty-seven chapters, the timeline is approximately 1490 B.C (This is a continuation of Exodus and Numbers). The author of the book is Moses and it was written to the people of Israel. This book was a manual of worship for Israel, it was provided to give them instructions on how a sinner could fellowship with God. The purpose of the book was to show Israel how to live as a holy nation in fellowship with God and to prepare them to extend God's plan of redemption to all nations. What we are to learn from the book is that God only redeems and fellowships with us if we go to Him willingly. “If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.” - Leviticus 1:3.
While God would love for everyone to offer themselves to Him, God does not and will not force Himself upon anyone, they must offer themselves to Him willingly if they want Him to be in their lives. Now, an offering is a sacrifice, a donation, present, or gift, it is something given willingly with no force or persuasion by others. So, when we offer ourselves to God we willingly give ourselves to Him, but to give ourselves to Him comes with a price, we must be righteous to stand before Him, to fellowship with Him. Since no one is righteous, except Jesus, God gave a temporary solution for people to be righteous before Him, sacrificial offerings. Today we will learn about sin, meat, and peace offerings.
The sin offering was to be of animal flesh, it had to be a male under a year old without one spot on it, the person had to offer the offering willingly as a payment for their sin. Once they brought the offering they had to place one hand on the head of the sacrifice and then kill the animal. Once the offering was killed the animal was handed over to a priest where he would cut it up, clean it, place it upon the altar to be a burnt offering unto God.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” - Leviticus 1:2-5.

The sin offering could have been in the form of any animal, this was to provide a way for every person, rich or poor to fellowship with God. The sin offering was abolished when Christ offered Himself without spot to God for the atonement of sin once and for all. The same rule applies in order to fellowship with God, one must willingly come to Christ. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” -Romans 10:9,10.
The meat offering was not the flesh of an animal it was actually bread, vegetables, baked or fried in olive oil and spices, this was the only offering offered that was able to enter the tabernacle. “And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil...No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.” - Leviticus 2:1-4,11.

The meat offering was offered to God as a way to show thanks for God's atonement as well as what He blessed them with throughout the year. Christ is the Bread of life, who offered Himself as a sacrifice, meat offerings today would be presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, not a dead one, but living sacrifice. Leaven is the emblem of pride and honey, sensual pleasure, which is why it was not an acceptable offering. We are to offer our bodies to God holy and acceptable. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” -Romans 12:1,2.
The peace offering was to be animal flesh, it could be a male or female, but it had to be spotless. This was an offering given after the sin offering and meat offering for one to be able to communicate and fellowship with God. “And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.” - Leviticus 3:1-4.

The word oblation means to offer it willingly, today, the same rules apply, we still need to seek forgiveness for our sins, we still need to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, and we still need to do both to be able to communicate and fellowship with God. The only difference is that Jesus paid the price for our sins permanently, that is if we call on Him to save us. Without Jesus we cannot receive atonement for our sins, we cannot be all we can be for Him, and we cannot have a good relationship with Him. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased...Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” -Hebrews 13:15,16,20,21.
God instructs Moses on how the Jews were to present their offerings, there were actually five offerings that were to be made. The sin offering, the peace offering, the burnt offering, the meat offering, and the trespass offering. Above all was the sin offering, it was the only one to be given for the atonement of their sins, even if they ignorantly sinned, were not aware of the sin, they had to present a sin offering. “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:..And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” - Leviticus 4:2,33-35.
While anyone can accept Christ, not everyone lives for Christ once they accept Him. Only when we live for Him can we truly understand what He did for us. Ignorance does not save a person from hell, we all have sinned, we all must pay the same price for sin. Our only hope is in the acceptance of Him who “became sin for us”. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” - 2 Corinthians 5:20,21.
Today's Psalm: 101:2 - ”I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

Today's Proverb: 4:18 - “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Today's Prayer: God, Here I am again, Your work in progress. Though I committed my life to you many years ago the finished work will not be revealed until I reach You on the upper side. In the midst of my struggles, failures, and doubts I remain confident that You will complete the work You began the day I surrendered my life to You. You accepted me as I was and You lovingly began reshaping my life to reflect Your own nature. Not only are You continuing the good work You began, but You are perfecting the situations that weaken my faith and my Christian testimony. I thank You that You will fulfill Your purpose for me this day as I commit all my ways to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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A Willing Heart

Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: A Willing Heart
Date: Thursday January 26, 2012Today's Chapters: Exodus 35-37Preview of Today's Message: God loves a willing heart, in fact, if a heart is not willing He rather it not do anything for Him than do it and not enjoy it. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Hello My Friend,

Jesus Christ is the chief Shepherd of the whole flock and heritage of God. All those that faithfully serve Him will receive a crown of unfading glory, infinitely better and more honorable than all the authority, wealth, and pleasure of the world combine. The key to receiving such glory is having a willing heart, willing means with free will, cheerfully of ones own choice. God wants a cheerful, servant coming to Him with their own free will.
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away...Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” -1 Peter 5:2-4,8-11.
The time had come for the tabernacle to be built, just as God instructed Moses to the exact specifications, Moses instructed the people. God did not force anyone to participate He wanted people of a willing heart to build His dwelling place. “And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,..And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;” - Exodus 35:4,5,10.

God will never force anyone to come to Him, just as He wants a willing heart to do His work He wants a willing heart to accept Him into their lives. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” - Mark 12:30.

God stirred the hearts of many, whatever skill they had, men, women, and children came eager to make and do the things that needed to be build for the tabernacle, which by the way, they would never enter or work in. “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.” - Exodus 35:21-23.

God will use anyone willing to work for Him, while there are some things that He only wants men or women to do specifically, He will put anyone to work for Him that have a willing heart to do so. In fact, He gives us the skills that we have today to be used of His purpose. For example, I am a website designer, God uses me to build websites specifically for the service of spreading the Gospel and the truths of His Word. Everything we are good at is a gift from God. “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:” - Ephesians 4:11,12.

Much of what we read today is a replay of what we read a couple of days ago, while it may seem a waste of time it is important. Why? It shows that every detail from the very last candle stick was made according to God's specifications and that we can be obedient to everyone of God's commands. God chose Bezaleel and Aholiab to build the parts that would go in the tabernacle.

“Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.” - Exodus 36:1-3.

Bezaleel's name means master builder or carpenter, Moses was in charge of making sure every piece was built to God's specifications. Today, Jesus is our master builder, when we accept Him into our hearts and allow Him to work through us we are built to God's specifications too. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 3:9-11.

The Tabernacle was more than a worship center, this was the place where the Spirit of God would dwell and the only place that the people could come to communicate with God, that is unless you were one of the select few that God had used to be His mouth and guide others to Him. Today, God still dwells in the tabernacle of every person who has accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as their Savior. “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” - 1 Corinthians 3:15-17.

Incidentally, the design of the tabernacle was a foreshadow of Christ. The Ark, Mercy Seat, Table of Showbread, the Candlesticks, the Altar, and everything within the Tabernacle represented a part of Christ. Christ was placed upon the altar (tree) and became the sin sacrifice that would redeem the sinner who believes in Him, permanently. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect...Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” - Hebrews 10:1,9,10. Praise God!
Today's Psalm: 9:1 - ”I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”

Today's Proverb: 16:1 - “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.”

Today's Prayer: God, thank You for enlisting us as Your servants in the kingdom of God here on earth. You do not require a royal title or a fancy degree to serve You. You look for willing hearts whose love and commitment to Christ spill over into their words and deeds in every day life. Thank You for the many testimonies of lives that are fully yielded to Your purpose as they glorify You while influencing others to have willing hearts. Lord, lead me and guide me, prepare my heart, help me to be eager to diligently study Your Word so that I can effectively serve You in the areas of Your calling. I love You and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Just Wait

Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Just Wait
Date: Wednesday January 25, 2012Today's Chapters: Exodus 31-34Preview of Today's Message: 
All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Hello My Friend,

Perhaps one of the toughest things about being a Christian is waiting for God, we labor, we pray, we read, we obey, we confess, over and over again in hopes of that one thing we are waiting for to happen. So, what is to come of all this waiting? To perfect us and to prepare us to handle receiving what we have been asking for. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” - James 1:3-7. We must never give up on God and we must never ask Him anything in doubt, doubt gets us into nothing, but trouble. 

Each and every person who has received Christ as their Savior has the Spirit of God indwelling them, He talks to us, teaches us, protects us, and even corrects us. That special skill you have is a gift from God to be used for serving God, you may not know right now what God will have you do for Him, but your skill, all your skills, will be used to serve Him in some way. God gave Moses the names of the people who would be helping him build the parts needed for the tabernacle and everything in it. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;” - Exodus 31:1-6.

God gave them wisdom, understanding, and the knowledge to be able to build the parts for the tabernacle, He used people whose hearts were ready to do what He commanded. Sometimes God waits to give us things until we get our heart right with Him. “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” - Jeremiah 24:7.

Meanwhile the people were impatiently waiting for Moses to come down and give them some direction. They demanded that Aaron make them a god that they can worship, Aaron gathered all the gold jewelry given to him, melted it, formed it, and out came a golden calf.
“And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?” - Exodus 32:7-11.

Moses earnestly intercedes with God on their behalf, he pleaded with God for them not to be destroyed. However, when Moses came back down and actually saw what what going on he got so angry that he broke the two tablets of stone containing the ten commandments and ordered every man that was against God to be killed. Three thousand men died that day, but the next day Moses went before God to make an atonement for the rest of the people. “And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.” - Exodus 32:31-35.

Do you know how many people even today make themselves gods of gold because they do not want to wait for God? There are many, just take a look at all the false religion out there, including evolution and atheism, all gods of gold. Careers, people, hobbies, whatever takes first place over God becomes their god of gold. I heard someone say last night, “God bless you and God bless America.” I thought, “What god are you blessing us with?” There is only One True and Living God, ignoring Him does not save us from the judgment given to us. God hates sin so much that even the tiniest of sin blots a person out of the book of life. There is only One person able to save us and that is Jesus Christ, He is the perfect Lamb that shed His blood to give is life. “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it...And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” -Revelation 21:22-24.

An amazing thing happens when you have Christ in your life and overcome the challenges that God places before you. You begin a relationship with Him, one so strong that eventually you will be able to speak to God as if you were standing face to face with Him. Moses literally stood face to face with God, well, he wasn't allowed to see His face directly, but God stood before him while they talked as friends. “And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.” - Exodus 33:5-8-11.

Moses was not a perfect man, he had to daily offer sacrifices to God as well, he just found favor in His sight because he obeyed Him and when he messed up he sought forgiveness. God does the same for us, as we live for Him and wait patiently for Him there is nothing that He would not give us, it's just all in His timing. Do not give up on God, He is working, preparing you, perfecting you to be able to receive the very thing you have been waiting for. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.” - Isaiah 64:4,5.
Today's Psalm: 27:14 - “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Today's Proverb: 20:22 - “Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.”

Today's Prayer: God, we want to be faithful to You, but it’s often a challenge and there are many excuses we can give for wanting to quit before Your appointed time. It would have been so understandable for Jesus to give up His plan to redeem the lost, but He was faithful to the mission which is our only hope for salvation. Help me to remember that my labor is not in vain, that my faithfulness is critical to the mission You have called me to do. As I remain faithful to You and wait patiently for You I know that You are perfecting me and getting me ready to receive what I have been waiting so long for. Thank You, Lord for Your patience with me as well. I love You and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Holy Garment

Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Holy Garment
Date: Tuesday January 24, 2012Today's Chapters: Exodus 28-30Preview of Today's Message: We all want to be accepted by God, to know that He hears us and to see Him answer prayer. In order to be holy and accepted by God we need to put on our holy garments. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Hello My Friend,

Since we all grow at different levels of our Christianity we can expect that not everyone knows what is sinful in God's eyes. As we grow we learn to eliminate the things that hinder our relationship with God, but sometimes we have a hard time of letting those things go. It does not mean that we are better than anyone else, it means we all have something that we need to eliminate. The key to eliminating those things is being a living sacrifice. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” -Romans 12:1-3.

God instructs Moses to make holy garments for Aaron and his sons, they were to be the priests of the tabernacle, the ones who would receive the sacrifices of the people and offer them to God on their behalf.“And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office...And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.” -Exodus 28:2-4,40,41.

To minister means one who serves at the altar, in order for the men to serve God they had to put on these holy garments. We can serve God in many ways, but unless we put on our holy garments we are unprofitable. I am a Sunday school teacher, if I teach the kids that they are not to smoke, drink, or fight and I am doing those things I would be an unprofitable servant of God. I cannot expect God to hear me and bless me if I am not holy and acceptable to God. “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” -Matthew 25:29,30.

Now, before the priests were to even enter the tabernacle they had to be cleansed as they were sinners too. God instructs Moses on how they were to be cleansed, they needed two rams for a sacrifice. “And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar...And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about...And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.” -Exodus 29:16,18-20,33,34.

The first ram was just an offering to God, it was a token of their dedicating themselves to serve God, the second ram was to give as a sin offering, this would be their atonement, their cleansing of all their sins to be able to stand before God holy and acceptable. The atonement blood was to be applied to their right ear, thumb, and toe, signifying the need to be to the right of God. The ear was to cleanse their ears from what they have heard and to prepare them to hear God. The thumb was to cleanse them from touching unclean things and to prepare them to serve God. The toe was to cleanse them from any corruption or sin they walked into and to prepare them to stand before God holy and acceptable for duty. Today, we too need to apply the blood of a sacrifice upon our ears, hands, and feet, but it can only be the blood of Christ. His sinless sacrifice made the atonement for all mankind, in order to apply it we need to accept it. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” -1 Peter 1:18,19.
One other thing that hinders our relationship with God is Satan, he is the biggest culprit of keeping us from eliminating sin. We can overcome Satan, but we need to put on our holy garments, which is the whole armor of God. Only by putting on the whole armor of God can we ever overcome Satan, sin, and truly receive all of what God has to offer us. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” - Ephesians 6:11-17.

The whole armor of God is truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Each piece of armor we put on is holy and brings us closer to God and receiving His blessings. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” -Ephesians 4:22-24.
Today's Psalm: 19:14 - “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Today's Proverb: 21:3 - ”To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

Today's Prayer: God, there is nothing we can do or say to merit salvation. It is a gift freely extended to all who believe in the ultimate price that Jesus for our sins. He who knew no sin washes away our sin His precious blood shed on Calvary. Thank You, for accepting Christ’s blood as our holy garment to stand before You holy and accepted. Lord, help me apply the whole armor of God upon me so that I am able to overcome all the hindrances that keep me from serving You with my whole heart. Lead me and guide me away from Satan's ploys to keep me from receiving all the blessings You have waiting for me. In Jesus' name. Amen. 
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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God's Judgments

Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: God's Judgments 
Date: Sunday January 22, 2012Today's Chapters: Exodus 21-23Preview of Today's Message: God sets judgments upon His people, the laws He enforces are given to not only keep us moral, they are given to protect us from the dangers of the world. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Hello My Friend,

Judgment is the act of determining, as in courts of law, what is conformable to law and justice, also, the decision, or sentence of the court, or of a judge; the mandate or sentence of God. A pardon may be pleaded in the case of judgment. The sentence given to all mankind by God is death and hell, the judge is Jesus Christ Himself, and we will all stand before Him. There is only one way to be pardoned of this judgment, Christ Himself. “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” -John 5:22-25.

While many of the laws God enforced upon the Jews are not enforced upon us today, they are good reminders of why He enforced them in the first place and of why we are to live a moral, uncorrupted life.“Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them...He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death...And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death...If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.” -Exodus 21:1,12,15,22-27.

The law which authorized retaliation was a civil one. It was given to regulate the procedure of the public magistrate in determining the amount of compensation in every case of injury, but did not encourage private revenge. The later Jews, however, mistook it for a moral precept, and were corrected by Jesus on this matter. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also...But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” -Matthew 5:38-40,44,45.

The people of God should ever be ready to show mildness and mercy, according to the spirit of these laws. We must answer to God, not only for what we do maliciously, but for what we do ignorantly also. God continues giving His judgments. “And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.” -Exodus 22:16-24.

Some of God's judgments should be common sense to man, but just like any law given it is enforced because someone did it first. God can see everything! He sees what we do, He even knows what we think. Nine times out of ten the things we think of become action regardless of whether those thoughts are good or bad. I woke up this morning from a dream (nothing immoral) wondering what God thought of that dream in my head and even asked forgiveness for thinking how the dream would end. Of course, we cannot control our dreams, but we can control our thoughts that lead to those dreams. I was thinking about the things that lead to that dream for a couple of days now, I do not want them to become actions, at least the corrupted things. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” -James 1:13-15.

God does not enforce judgments upon us to keep us from enjoying life, He does it so we can enjoy life. All of the dumb decisions I made over the years that I suffered for are of my own doing and I deserved it. God promises to always be there for us, to love us through think and thin, whether we obey His judgments or not. However, imagine the blessings that God gives to us from living by those judgments all the time. God said,
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” -Exodus 23:20-25.

That angel is none other than Christ, he blesses us and takes away the sickness of our sins when we obey His voice. Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” -Matthew 10:28-34. Today, Christ lives in every believer in the form of the Holy Spirit and pardons all who accept Him. 
Today's Psalm: 105:7 - “He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.”

Today's Proverb: 19:29 - “ Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.”

Today's Prayer: God, all the goals and strategies that I set for my life are the blessings of knowing that as I keep obeying Your judgments that I will eventually hear You say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant“. You have persevered me and endured the hardships for me. Others in this world may earn titles and win prizes for worthy earthly pursuits, but the greatest prize that I will ever obtain is my entrance into Your Kingdom where I will see you face to face. Amazingly, not because I earned it, but because I believe in and have accepted Your Son as my personal Savior. Only through Jesus am I pardoned of my death and hell sentence. Thank You Jesus! In Jesus' name. Amen. 
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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