The scripture for today, September 21, is Hebrews 9:21f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“In the same way, he [Moses] sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
The wages we earn when we sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death means separation. In a physical sense, we are separated from people living on earth. In a spiritual sense, we are separated from God in heaven. God is life, and cannot dwell with death. It is not in his nature.
But he loves us dearly. So he sent a final blood sacrifice for us ~ his own Son, the perfect Lamb of God ~ to shed his blood in our place, to collect the terrible wages of our sin for us ~ so mankind could be forgiven of our sins.
What a God we have! Let us fall at his feet and worship.
#sin, #death, sacrifice
The scripture for today, September 20, is Luke 9:20 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
” ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ “
Jesus is still asking that question today. Who do you say Jesus is? Some people in the world say Jesus was the savior of the Christians, the same person as Moses to the Jews, and Mohammed to the Moslems, and Buddha to the Buddhists. In the name of being fair to everyone, they claim these are all saviors of different religions going by different names but of the same God.
Let us not be caught in the web of the New Age Movement that claims all saviors are the same savior and all gods are the same God.
The Bible ~ the only religious book in the world that can be proven to be divine ~ says regarding our Jesus, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
So stand up for Jesus, THE Savior! Stand up and be counted!
#Jesus, #Savior
The scripture for today, September 19, is Acts 9:19f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food he regained his strength.”
This is the story of Saul, as he was known to the Jews and to us as Paul, who became an apostle. Notice the order he did this: He was hungry, but that wasn’t important. He had to do what was important first. He was baptized.
Why was Paul baptized? In Acts 22:16 Paul recalls that day when he was told, “Get up: be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
Further, notice who baptized him. Was he part of the clergy, someone with an ordained title in the church? Acts 9:10 says, “In Damascus, there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him…Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul.” What title did Ananias have? None. He was just another disciple, disciple simply meaning follower.
Little did this otherwise unknown disciple realize that day, that the person he baptized would end up writing much of the New Testament.
Do you feel like you are an “unknown disciple” to followers of Jesus around you? Find something to do, and God will make it great. And remember, do the important thing first.
#Baptism
The scripture for today, September 18, is Leviticus 9:18ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. But the fat portions of the ox and the ram ~ the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver ~ these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded.”
The Law of Moses did not have just Ten Commandments. It had over 600! They were intricate commands that had to be kept exactly. The above is just a small portion of what they were supposed to do for a particular sacrifice. (Yes, both tithes and offerings were required.)
Thank God, Jesus nailed the Old Law of Moses to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Yet some religious leaders continue to dip back into the Old Law to copy showy types of worship ~ robes, candles, choirs, harps, incense ~ many things, and all commanded. But if they do that, they must keep all of the Law of Moses.
They can’t just pick and choose which ones they like. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:17 “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised [just one command in the Old Law of Moses] that he is obligated to obey the whole law.”
Old Testament worship was showy and elaborate. New Testament worship is just the opposite.
Mark 14:26 says that after Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper/Communion, “When they had sung a [single] hymn, they went out…”
Acts 2:41-42 says, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people…”
I Timothy 4:13 says, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”
Nothing complicated about it. Just simple worship. Worship the way Jesus and his apostles worshiped. Worship the way God likes it.
#worship, #Law of Moses, #Old Testament
The scripture for today, September 17, is Nehemiah 9:17 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore, you did not desert them.”
Such love! We rebel against God (who is only trying to save us from Satan and hell) over and over because we don’t want anyone telling us what to do, and God forgives over and over.
First Peter 3:9 says “The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
God could turn us all into robots and force us to obey him. But that wouldn’t be Love. God is Love, and he cannot go against his own nature. And so he follows us around and pleads over and over, “Follow my Son to safety!”
How he hurts when we do not; how he smiles when we do.
#Sin, #Forgiveness
The scripture for today, September 15, is 2nd Corinthians 9:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
Can you imagine dying in the place of your enemy? Taking your enemy’s punishment for the wrong your enemy did against you? Now try to imagine making your child die in the place of your enemy ~ your sinless, innocent child.
It is indescribable.
It is unimaginable.
It is unthinkable.
But God did exactly that.
How can we thank Him for his indescribable gift? We fall silently at His feet and worship.
#crucifixion, #sacrifice, #enemies
