Cleansing

 Scripture:

““‘Thus you are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭15‬:‭31‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God has spent the last several chapters talking about cleansing impurities in our bodies, our clothes, our houses, etc. He went through a long list of things that would make us unclean, and therefore, not allowed to enter His presence. There were strict regulations for coming into the Tabernacle. These were given so that they would not die in the Lord’s presence.

Application:

My application today is to thank Jesus for being the ultimate sacrifice to get my sins and impurities cleansed because of His precious blood. So many things make us unclean, but Jesus died so we could be free from this list of obligations by putting our trust in His perfect sacrifice. It should also make us understand that God is a holy God and doesn’t like us to bring sin and iniquity or uncleanness into His presence. We may not need purification rituals, but we should take very seriously cleansing ourselves of all unrighteousness.

Prayer:

Father, purify my life this morning. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness and let me live a pure life, filled with Your favor and blessing. Thank You for the cross. Thank You Jesus for fulfilling the Law and making a way for us to have access into the holy of holies. You are incredible and I appreciate all You have done for us. Let my life be an offering for all You have done for me.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Holiness Among the Priesthood

 Scripture:

“Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron kept silent.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, had just burned strange fire before the Lord. It was not done according to God’s command and His ways. When they did this, fire came out from the Lord’s presence and killed them. The Lord said to Moses, “Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.” In other words, God will deal with His priests before the People and they will honor the Lord. The priest was set apart to be holy from among the other people. 

Application:

God expects His leaders to walk in submission to His word. He expects those who are called by Him into ministry to live to a higher standard. We must learn to obey God, rather than question His ways or put Him in a box. As a leader, my life must be set apart and sanctified before the Lord. If I want to serve Him well, I must live to a higher standard and hold myself accountable to it. 

Prayer:

Father, You are great and glorious. You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. Help me to live a life that pleases You and that You can bless. Come Holy Spirit and convict me where I need convicted. Show me how to serve You well in my generation. Teach me Your ways and direct my steps. Help me to live a life that You approve of in every area. I want to see Your glory.

Yours,

Jeff

More of His Glory

 Scripture:

“Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar, and all the people saw it, so they shouted loudly and fell down with their faces to the ground.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

After Moses and Aaron did everything God had told them to do in preparing the sacrifices, the altar, the Tabernacle, etc. the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offerings. The people couldn’t believe what they saw. They shouted and fell down on their faces when God really showed up. 

Application:

I love the presence of the Lord. I love it when He comes into a room with His incredible power and might. I love it when God manifests His presence where everyone sees it and knows it. I realize in these verses that it was great obedience that brought greater glory. After Moses and Aaron did everything they were supposed to do, God showed up in power. I want to see the Lord’s glory more and more. There is a stirring in my heart for more of God’s glory. I need to walk humbly before Him and walk in complete obedience, then He will manifest His glory more and more. I want to see Him face to face. I long for times when nobody can deny the presence of the Lord. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to be faithful to obey everything You tell me to do. Convict me where I need convicted. Change me where I need changed. Direct me clearly and I will do my best to follow You completely. Show me the way forward. I want to see Your glory. I long for Your presence. Come Holy Spirit and walk with me. Let me have an undivided heart.

Your Son,

Jeff

Keep the Fire Burning

 Scripture:

“but the fire which is on the altar must be kept burning on it. It must not be extinguished. So the priest must kindle wood on it morning by morning, and he must arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat of the peace offering up in smoke on it. A continual fire must be kept burning on the altar. It must not be extinguished.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

God tells Moses here that the fire on the altar of the burnt offering was to never go out. It had to keep burning 24/7. It was never to be extinguished. This speaks of a continual place where we can bring our sacrifices and offerings. It is a reminder to us to keep our spiritual fires going at all times and never let them go out.

Application:

To keep a fire burning day and night, there must be fresh wood on the fire and there must be occasional taking out of the old ashes. The embers have to be stoked sometimes, or the fire will go out. In our spiritual lives, there are certain things that help us maintain our fire. This is our personal prayer and devotional time. It is our personal outreach time. When we continue to put fresh wood on the fire, there are certain fire will never stop burning, but there is action required on our part. We need to be faithful in taking care of the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, never let my fire go out. Help me to keep the fire burning bright for You all the days of my life. Teach me to walk more intimately with You. Let my fire burn brighter as I age. I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything without Your presence. I long for You to move in my life and church. Come Holy Spirit and set us on fire again.

Yours,

Jeff

Bless the Priests

 Scripture:

“The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons – it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Leviticus starts out with a listing of all of the sacrifices that were to be presented to the Lord. This one, called the grain offering, was unique because they were to bring it to the Lord, then bring the remainder to the priests, Aaron and his sons. The Lord then said, “it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.” In other words, this is important to remember as you sacrifice to the Lord, take care of God’s servants as well.

Application:

There are times when we should honor men of God who give their lives unselfishly for the Kingdom. According to this verse, “it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.” In other words, It is important to honor those who serve God with a sincere heart and to bless them with offerings. I need to get better at this. I love to honor God’s servants, but I should make sure we really bless those who serve the Lord because it is a holy thing to do. I want to be a generous person who blesses God’s servants well.

Prayer:

Father, use me to bless Your servants. Teach me how to honor those who are working hard at serving You. I want to honor what You honor and put down what You put down. Help me discern well when to give, how much to give, and how to give whenever there is opportunity. I want my gifts and sacrifices to serve You and Your purposes well.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Accompanying Signs

 Scripture:

“They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.]]” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭20‬ ‭NET‬

Observation:

This is the final verse of the book of Mark. It describes what the disciples and followers of Jesus did after His ascension to heaven. They did what He said to do. They went out and proclaimed everywhere, and the verse tells us that the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs. After His resurrection, He was still working WITH His people through the Holy Spirit. He remained active, just through His followers. 

Application:

Many times when we think about evangelism or spreading the Good News, we think we are on our own and have to know everything in the Bible, but really when we go for Him, He will go with us. He stills works WITH us to confirm the word with accompanying signs and wonders. He may have gone to heaven and changed location, but He is still very active in and through the lives of His people. We should expect signs and wonders as confirmation that Jesus is working with us. We should also be busy going out and proclaiming everywhere that Jesus is Lord.

Prayer:

Jesus, work WITH me as You did with the early Church. Teach me to proclaim and demonstrate Your words effectively. Help me to go out and do what You said to do. I ask You for signs and wonders when I declare Your truths. Help me to walk boldly and confidently in obedience to Your word. 

Always Yours,

Jeff

Generosity

 Scripture:

“He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Jesus showed His disciples this lady that threw two copper coins into the offering. It amounted to very little, but to her, it was a massive sacrifice because she needed that money to buy something to eat. She gave out of her poverty and everyone else gave out of their abundance. Sometimes, it’s not what we give, but what’s leftover after we have given.

Application:

Generosity is really observed by how much we have left after we have given. Sacrificial giving will cost you something, but it gets God’s attention. God has been challenging me about sacrificial giving for His kingdom and purposes. I’ve heard it said, when God blesses you, don’t increase your standard of living, increase your standard of giving. I want to live a generous life that God can bless.

Prayer:

Father, I want to hear Your voice concerning giving. You are the Lord of my life and I surrender my finances to You. Help me to listen and obey when You speak. Teach me to keep kingdom priorities above my own priorities. Let me have a generous spirit that listens and follows Your direction at all times. 

Your Son,

Jeff