Happy New Year! We made it to yet another year!! :-D
I recently heard this AMAZING sermon about the heart so I have included a bit of it below with a few comments of my own. Enjoy!
Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all vigilance [meaning, keep an eye on your heart] for from it flows the springs of life.” = Your heart is the source of that which flows into the river of your life. Everything in your life flows from your heart. This means that all of the issues in our life can only be dealt with by ultimately going back to our heart.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” – Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 6:5
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
The heart really matters. Jesus cares a lot about the heart. We can see this by how often He speaks of it. In the Bible, the heart is mentioned over 900 times! It is considered the center of our being (in essence, it’s who we are) according to Scripture. So if we want see God, we need to have a pure heart.
Problem: Our hearts are unclean because of sin.
Sin defined = anything that dishonors or disobeys God (thoughts, words, deeds, motives)
By nature and choice we are sinners, therefore our hearts are impure and this is where sin lies.
Question 1: So why do we do the things that we do? Why do we sin?
According to the Bible – Ultimately we have a sin nature. This stems back to the fall of man (Adam & Eve – Genesis 3). Romans 5:12-21 basically states that because of one man’s sin, the whole race fell. When Adam sinned, we were all implicated. Just like when a president chooses to go to war, that whole country follows him into war because they do not live apart of the people in which they are numbered. However, it goes on to say that because of the resurrection of Jesus, many are made righteous. We have our sin nature from our father Adam and our salvation from our Lord Jesus. (We go more into Jesus’ solution for our sin later in this message.)
Psalm 58:3 – “We are wicked from our mother’s womb.” We are born with the inclination to rebel against God.
Pastor Driscoll brought up an interesting point on how it’s amazing that today we want to address behavior. We want to stop drinking too much, stop doing drugs, stop being addicted to something, or stop being angry or depressed. I can think of a couple, being that it is New Years and I’m sure a few of us have already started thinking of our New Year’s Resolutions. All in all, we want behavioral change.
However, Jesus says that all the issues that we struggle with regarding sin come from the heart. (See Matthew 5:28 where He says that if you have a lust problem, in reality, you have a heart problem.) Matthew 6:21 states “Where your treasure is, there your heart is.” So we don’t have spending problems, we have a heart problem. Additionally, Luke 6:45 says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We can start controlling our tongue when we get to the issues of the heart.
Mark 7:20-23 “What comes out from a person is what defiles him. For from within come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these things come within and they all defile a person.”
We can deal with all of these issues when we go straight to our heart. What usually happens with us, however, is that when we see sin in our life, we try to deal with the issue rather than asking God, “What is going on with my heart?”
Question 2: What can we do about this heart problem? What’s the hope?
The world says the answer is behavior modification. Yet God wants more than this. Behavior modification may lead to pride or despair. This may come to a shock to some of us, but God wants more than for you to become a good person. He wants you to be a worshipper out of your heart, loving Him and others in your life. The Lord needs to regenerate our heart first.
Christianity is different than other religions in that it is about getting a new heart. (See Ezekiel 36:26) And going back to Proverbs 4:23…when we get a new heart, as a result, we will also get a new wellspring. When we have a new heart, we have a new Lord. Jesus is in charge, not us. Also we have a new power because of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are now able to overcome the addictions we were once powerless to. We have a new purpose. With a new heart, we want to live in a way that honors God. Lastly, we have new desires. We will now want to read the Bible, go to church regularly, pray, grow as a Christian, and draw nearer to the Lord.
Does this mean we’re perfect? No! We are being sanctified (cleansed), constantly learning and growing with the Lord’s help. However, when we are resurrected from death, we will be made perfect in Heaven. But until then, this new heart allows us to live a new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17 calls us a “new creation” where “the old has gone, and the new has come!”)
The new heart has:
*Faith (Proverbs 3:5)
*A desire for obedience (Proverbs 4:4)
*The ability to be corrected (Proverbs 5:12)
*The ability to be taught (Proverbs 10:8)
*Contentment (Proverbs 14:30)
*A love for wisdom (Proverbs 15:14)
*Cheerfulness (Proverbs 15:15)
*Helpfulness (Proverbs 15:28)
*Discernment (Proverbs 16:21)
*Persuasive abilities (Proverbs 16:23)
*Humility (Proverbs 18:12)
*Intelligence (Proverbs 18:15)
*Beauty (Proverbs 27:19)
*A repentant spirit (Proverbs 28:14)
Proverbs 20:5 – “The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.”
Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Pull these two verses together = “Deep desires”
Ultimately, while religion is saying, “All your desires are bad and you need to modify your behaviors through a lot of rules.” Religion is all about fear, intimidation, control, shame, guilt, and what you can’t do. Christianity is completely different. Because we have been given new desires, it’s not about what you don’t get to do, but rather what you get to do. It’s about not always denying what you really want to do. It’s about going for your DEEPEST DESIRES. [Our DEEP DESIRES are God’s desires for us.] Psalm 37:4 instructs us on how we can get these desires.
Basically the verse is saying that if we love God and are satisfied in Him, He will put desires on our heart AND a passion to pursue them so that our will and His will come together. In the end, we get to do exactly what we want to do! Ex: Be kind to our neighbors, know Jesus, have a loving family, serving others :)
Questions to ponder (and feel free to message me your answers if you’d like to discuss):
Do you have a new heart? How do you know if you have a new heart?
What has God been showing you about your heart lately?
What can you do to nourish the DEEP DESIRES of your new heart?
What desires are even deeper in your heart than your desires for sin? What are you passionate about? What are you hopeful for?
I challenge us to pay attention to our DEEPEST DESIRES today, because these desires are most likely given to us from God. When you find these desires, get passionate about them and pursue them!
May the Lord open your eyes to the new heart He has created for you!
God bless!
<3 Shannon
Song: Hillsong United – Hosanna
“Heal my heart and make it clean….Break my heart for what breaks Yours.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXCoHxX1OC8
About Me
- shannonlynn
- I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Our Value to God = PRICELESS!
"Allow God to place His own values." - A.W. Tozer
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Friday, January 1, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Tabernacle and Salvation Parallel
I recently heard some mind-blowing insight on the Tabernacle that is discussed in the Old Testament. Below I have described a general idea of the parallel the Tabernacle has with salvation, which is defined as deliverance from the power and penalty of sin.
Hebrews 8:4-5; 9:1-28
Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership. It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices.
The Tabernacle of Moses is a lesson of unquestionable authority.
The Tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place. All the components of the Tabernacle were part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God's relationship with His people. One aspect of this relationship was God’s requirement for complete obedience. God told Moses to create the Tabernacle exactly the way He commanded (Exodus 25:9).
To this end, God gave very specific instructions about the size of each component and the materials the Israelites were to use. These seemingly cumbersome rules were not intended to burden the people, but to show God’s unquestionable authority and holiness, and emphasize that people could only come to God on God’s terms, not on their own. They had to obey reverently not only in the construction of the Tabernacle, but also in the way they worshipped. Any irreverence or ritual uncleanness could result from an individual being cut off from his people or in death.
The Tabernacle really was a prophetic projection of the Lord’s redemptive plan for His people. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”
Here are a couple pictures of the Tabernacle of Moses:
http://www.the-Tabernacle-place.com/images/Tabernacle_painted.jpg
http://www.templebuilders.com/Tabernacleimages/Tabernacle2enlargement.jpg
Something to note: There was only one gate by which people could enter into the Tabernacle courtyard. This symbolizes Jesus’ statement that He is the one gate by which we can enter God’s presence. John 14:6 -“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 10:9 - “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved” -John 10:9.
[Refer to Hebrews 9] - The Tabernacle was always to be set up in the midst of Israel’s campsite. This symbolized God’s desire to dwell among His people. God does not desire to be aloof or distant—He desires to be accessible to us. In fact, He desires to dwell within us.
But there is a problem, and the Tabernacle also symbolized this problem...
(Refer to the linked pictures for understanding) Any Israelite could go into the outer court of the Tabernacle as long as they were ritually clean, but there were restrictions and barriers that prevented most people from getting any closer to God. Only the Levitical priests could go into the Holy Place, the sanctuary in the Tabernacle. And no one (with one exception that I’ll explain soon) could go into God’s dwelling-place, the Holy of Holies. A thick veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies—this was as if God was saying: “Yes, I desire to have you in My presence—but you are not allowed the way you are. There is a serious problem that separates us, and until that problem is resolved there can be no real closeness between us.” That problem was explained (symbolically) by what was inside the Holy of Holies...
Their only piece of furniture in the HOH (Holy of Holies) was a wooden box called the “Ark of the Covenant.” And most important of all, it was over the Ark of the Covenant on the mercy seat that the very presence of God existed (Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2). Every article in this box was highly symbolic:
Inside the box were three things that symbolized the problem God had with the Israelites. There was a jar of manna. This was the food that God supernaturally provided for the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness (story in Exodus). This was the same food that the Israelites complained about—so it symbolized their ungrateful rejection of God’s provision. There was also Aaron’s walking stick. This stick represented God’s leadership through Moses and Aaron. Over and over again the Israelites rebelled against their leadership—so that God had to vindicate that Moses and Aaron were his chosen leaders by supernaturally causing his staff to bud (Numbers 17). So this staff symbolized their rebellion against God’s leadership. Finally, there were the 10 Commandments (Exodus 19-24)—the two stone tablets that summarized God’s law. Even as Moses brought these tablets down from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were having an idolatrous orgy. Moses furiously threw them down and smashed them—so God made another copy and told him to put them in the Ark of the Covenant. They symbolized their disobedience to God’s law. This is not a pretty picture—and God has the same problems with us! What do we find in the meeting room with God? A record of why we deserve to be condemned by Him!
*Ultimately, the problem, discussed above, is sin.*
BUT there is good news to come so I encourage you to continue reading :)
Refer to Hebrews 9:1-4. “Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A Tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lamp stand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant. This Ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.”
On top of the ark stood two statues of cherubim—angelic beings who are associated with banishment from God’s presence (Genesis 3:24). The cherubim’s faces were directed downward, into the contents of the Ark. It’s like they are saying: “Look at what these people have done! God definitely has a problem with these people. God has to judge all this!” And that’s the point. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God desires to have personal closeness with us. But He can’t—because we have violated His righteous character in many ways—and the penalty for this is death. (THE GOOD NEWS IS STILL TO COME…)
If this was all there was in the Holy of Holies, this would be a very depressing message. But there was something else—something called the “mercy seat.” It was the lid over top of the ark—and what happened on this lid symbolized God’s solution to our problem with Him. Because God is holy, God must judge our sin with death. But because God is loving, He provided a way to judge our sin without judging us. He provided a substitute who was killed in our place. Once a year, the high priest (the only one allowed in the Holy of Holies) selected a goat without any physical defect. After symbolically transferring the nation’s guilt for that year on to the goat by laying his hands on the goat’s head, the goat was slain and its blood (demonstrating His death) was carried in by the high priest into the Holy of Holies and poured out onto the mercy seat. The blood covered the lid so that the cherubim now “see” the death rather than the sins. The sins have been covered by the substitute’s death. After pouring out this blood, the high priest came back out and laid his hands on another defect-free goat. Then he sent the goat off into the wilderness. Symbolically, then, God’s judgment for their sins was “sent off” because of the death of the first goat.
This ritual sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, then, was a BEAUTIFUL picture of God’s plan of forgiveness. But it was never more than a temporary and defective picture—it never actually solved the problem of our separation from God. This is what the author emphasizes in Hebrews 9:8-10. The problem was not solved, because the high priests were sinful people just like us, not sinless mediators (9:7). They only went into a man-made tent, not into the actual heavenly presence of God. The sacrifices they offered were only animals, not human. (In fact, the Old Testament strictly forbade human sacrifice. It demanded human death for human guilt, but prohibited sinful human sacrifices.)
The Tabernacle system only cleansed people ceremonially/symbolically (re-qualified them to come into the outer court), it didn’t actually forgive people. The proof of this is two-fold: the sacrifices had to be repeated every year, and even then the worshippers couldn’t go into God’s presence. As 9:10 says, it only applied until God brought the real solution... :)
The Fulfillment in Jesus
Refer to 9:11,12. Here is some really good news! Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Old Testament Tabernacle system:
He was the real High Priest - the sinless High Priest who is therefore qualified to fix our sin problems with God because He doesn’t have any of His own sin problems. He went into the real Tabernacle—the actual presence of God—with His solution. He voluntarily offered His own blood—His own perfect and sinless life—to pay for our sins.
Therefore, He has accomplished a permanent solution for our guilt before God—He has died “once for all” and obtained an “Eternal redemption.” See 9:13,14. The most that the Old Testament sacrifices could grant was ritual cleansing—the right to go into the outer court. But Jesus’ sacrifice actually removes our guilt and cleanses our conscience (experience God’s forgiveness) so that we can serve (“worship”) God and enjoy his personal presence! By His blood, we are now able to enter into God’s presence.
This is why Jesus, just before He died on the Cross, cried out “It is finished” (Matt.27:50; John 19:30). What was finished? All of the Old Testament sacrifices and the whole Tabernacle system were finished, because what they symbolized was now accomplished by His death! And this is why the moment Jesus died, the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two (Matt.27:51). The separation between us and God that had stood so long, because our sins, was now bridged by Jesus’ death. The way into God’s presence was open for everyone—as long as we come through what Jesus did for us.
Ritualistic worship of God is now discarded!
The implications that flow from Jesus’ death and resurrection are huge! It changes the whole way we relate to God. One big change is that ritualistic worship of God is now discarded! That’s what is implied by the Temple veil being torn when Jesus died.
God has now called us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (see John 4:24). This means that now God’s presence resides inside of us when we follow Him, and we can worship Him whenever and wherever we want. There is no need to sacrifice animals anymore, because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Now that the real High Priest has entered the real Tabernacle to offer the real Sacrifice, Christianity is about a personal love relationship with God, not about ritualistic worship!
How amazing is it that God would give us such a clear picture in the Old Testament of how the Coming Messiah - JESUS - would redeem us all?!
I pray this novel as a devotional message touched you and gave you more knowledge into God’s love and forgiveness.
May your faith increase always! :)
-Shannon
For more information on the Tabernacle of Moses, you can refer to Exodus 24:12-27:21.
Here is a song that talks about the Tabernacle:
“Take Me In” – Kutless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vG9Cx767mc
P.S. – Thanks to Jennie Reeder for help on this one :) Love you!
Hebrews 8:4-5; 9:1-28
Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership. It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices.
The Tabernacle of Moses is a lesson of unquestionable authority.
The Tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place. All the components of the Tabernacle were part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God's relationship with His people. One aspect of this relationship was God’s requirement for complete obedience. God told Moses to create the Tabernacle exactly the way He commanded (Exodus 25:9).
To this end, God gave very specific instructions about the size of each component and the materials the Israelites were to use. These seemingly cumbersome rules were not intended to burden the people, but to show God’s unquestionable authority and holiness, and emphasize that people could only come to God on God’s terms, not on their own. They had to obey reverently not only in the construction of the Tabernacle, but also in the way they worshipped. Any irreverence or ritual uncleanness could result from an individual being cut off from his people or in death.
The Tabernacle really was a prophetic projection of the Lord’s redemptive plan for His people. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”
Here are a couple pictures of the Tabernacle of Moses:
http://www.the-Tabernacle-place.com/images/Tabernacle_painted.jpg
http://www.templebuilders.com/Tabernacleimages/Tabernacle2enlargement.jpg
Something to note: There was only one gate by which people could enter into the Tabernacle courtyard. This symbolizes Jesus’ statement that He is the one gate by which we can enter God’s presence. John 14:6 -“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 10:9 - “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved” -John 10:9.
[Refer to Hebrews 9] - The Tabernacle was always to be set up in the midst of Israel’s campsite. This symbolized God’s desire to dwell among His people. God does not desire to be aloof or distant—He desires to be accessible to us. In fact, He desires to dwell within us.
But there is a problem, and the Tabernacle also symbolized this problem...
(Refer to the linked pictures for understanding) Any Israelite could go into the outer court of the Tabernacle as long as they were ritually clean, but there were restrictions and barriers that prevented most people from getting any closer to God. Only the Levitical priests could go into the Holy Place, the sanctuary in the Tabernacle. And no one (with one exception that I’ll explain soon) could go into God’s dwelling-place, the Holy of Holies. A thick veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies—this was as if God was saying: “Yes, I desire to have you in My presence—but you are not allowed the way you are. There is a serious problem that separates us, and until that problem is resolved there can be no real closeness between us.” That problem was explained (symbolically) by what was inside the Holy of Holies...
Their only piece of furniture in the HOH (Holy of Holies) was a wooden box called the “Ark of the Covenant.” And most important of all, it was over the Ark of the Covenant on the mercy seat that the very presence of God existed (Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2). Every article in this box was highly symbolic:
Inside the box were three things that symbolized the problem God had with the Israelites. There was a jar of manna. This was the food that God supernaturally provided for the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness (story in Exodus). This was the same food that the Israelites complained about—so it symbolized their ungrateful rejection of God’s provision. There was also Aaron’s walking stick. This stick represented God’s leadership through Moses and Aaron. Over and over again the Israelites rebelled against their leadership—so that God had to vindicate that Moses and Aaron were his chosen leaders by supernaturally causing his staff to bud (Numbers 17). So this staff symbolized their rebellion against God’s leadership. Finally, there were the 10 Commandments (Exodus 19-24)—the two stone tablets that summarized God’s law. Even as Moses brought these tablets down from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were having an idolatrous orgy. Moses furiously threw them down and smashed them—so God made another copy and told him to put them in the Ark of the Covenant. They symbolized their disobedience to God’s law. This is not a pretty picture—and God has the same problems with us! What do we find in the meeting room with God? A record of why we deserve to be condemned by Him!
*Ultimately, the problem, discussed above, is sin.*
BUT there is good news to come so I encourage you to continue reading :)
Refer to Hebrews 9:1-4. “Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A Tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lamp stand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant. This Ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.”
On top of the ark stood two statues of cherubim—angelic beings who are associated with banishment from God’s presence (Genesis 3:24). The cherubim’s faces were directed downward, into the contents of the Ark. It’s like they are saying: “Look at what these people have done! God definitely has a problem with these people. God has to judge all this!” And that’s the point. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God desires to have personal closeness with us. But He can’t—because we have violated His righteous character in many ways—and the penalty for this is death. (THE GOOD NEWS IS STILL TO COME…)
If this was all there was in the Holy of Holies, this would be a very depressing message. But there was something else—something called the “mercy seat.” It was the lid over top of the ark—and what happened on this lid symbolized God’s solution to our problem with Him. Because God is holy, God must judge our sin with death. But because God is loving, He provided a way to judge our sin without judging us. He provided a substitute who was killed in our place. Once a year, the high priest (the only one allowed in the Holy of Holies) selected a goat without any physical defect. After symbolically transferring the nation’s guilt for that year on to the goat by laying his hands on the goat’s head, the goat was slain and its blood (demonstrating His death) was carried in by the high priest into the Holy of Holies and poured out onto the mercy seat. The blood covered the lid so that the cherubim now “see” the death rather than the sins. The sins have been covered by the substitute’s death. After pouring out this blood, the high priest came back out and laid his hands on another defect-free goat. Then he sent the goat off into the wilderness. Symbolically, then, God’s judgment for their sins was “sent off” because of the death of the first goat.
This ritual sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, then, was a BEAUTIFUL picture of God’s plan of forgiveness. But it was never more than a temporary and defective picture—it never actually solved the problem of our separation from God. This is what the author emphasizes in Hebrews 9:8-10. The problem was not solved, because the high priests were sinful people just like us, not sinless mediators (9:7). They only went into a man-made tent, not into the actual heavenly presence of God. The sacrifices they offered were only animals, not human. (In fact, the Old Testament strictly forbade human sacrifice. It demanded human death for human guilt, but prohibited sinful human sacrifices.)
The Tabernacle system only cleansed people ceremonially/symbolically (re-qualified them to come into the outer court), it didn’t actually forgive people. The proof of this is two-fold: the sacrifices had to be repeated every year, and even then the worshippers couldn’t go into God’s presence. As 9:10 says, it only applied until God brought the real solution... :)
The Fulfillment in Jesus
Refer to 9:11,12. Here is some really good news! Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Old Testament Tabernacle system:
He was the real High Priest - the sinless High Priest who is therefore qualified to fix our sin problems with God because He doesn’t have any of His own sin problems. He went into the real Tabernacle—the actual presence of God—with His solution. He voluntarily offered His own blood—His own perfect and sinless life—to pay for our sins.
Therefore, He has accomplished a permanent solution for our guilt before God—He has died “once for all” and obtained an “Eternal redemption.” See 9:13,14. The most that the Old Testament sacrifices could grant was ritual cleansing—the right to go into the outer court. But Jesus’ sacrifice actually removes our guilt and cleanses our conscience (experience God’s forgiveness) so that we can serve (“worship”) God and enjoy his personal presence! By His blood, we are now able to enter into God’s presence.
This is why Jesus, just before He died on the Cross, cried out “It is finished” (Matt.27:50; John 19:30). What was finished? All of the Old Testament sacrifices and the whole Tabernacle system were finished, because what they symbolized was now accomplished by His death! And this is why the moment Jesus died, the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two (Matt.27:51). The separation between us and God that had stood so long, because our sins, was now bridged by Jesus’ death. The way into God’s presence was open for everyone—as long as we come through what Jesus did for us.
Ritualistic worship of God is now discarded!
The implications that flow from Jesus’ death and resurrection are huge! It changes the whole way we relate to God. One big change is that ritualistic worship of God is now discarded! That’s what is implied by the Temple veil being torn when Jesus died.
God has now called us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (see John 4:24). This means that now God’s presence resides inside of us when we follow Him, and we can worship Him whenever and wherever we want. There is no need to sacrifice animals anymore, because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Now that the real High Priest has entered the real Tabernacle to offer the real Sacrifice, Christianity is about a personal love relationship with God, not about ritualistic worship!
How amazing is it that God would give us such a clear picture in the Old Testament of how the Coming Messiah - JESUS - would redeem us all?!
I pray this novel as a devotional message touched you and gave you more knowledge into God’s love and forgiveness.
May your faith increase always! :)
-Shannon
For more information on the Tabernacle of Moses, you can refer to Exodus 24:12-27:21.
Here is a song that talks about the Tabernacle:
“Take Me In” – Kutless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vG9Cx767mc
P.S. – Thanks to Jennie Reeder for help on this one :) Love you!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Jeremiah 2
Israel Forsakes God
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
" 'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness, [a]
a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
'Where is the LORD ?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
I chose to write on Jeremiah 2 tonight because I felt God set it on my heart. Earlier today a friend had read it to me and later tonight it was read during a Christmas program. There are no coincidences! ;-) I love this message because it speaks to those who are beginning to backslide (turn from God), those who have been backsliding for awhile, and for those who will in the future (as a warning to them).
When we begin to backslide, God instructs us first to “remember” (vs.1). He is telling us to remember the beginning of our love relationship with the Lord. This is such great advice! Think of what marriage counselors say to couples during a session, “Tell me about what life was like for you both when you first met.” It is important to remember all the work that God has done in our lives for us to avoid taking Him for granted. In the beginning stages of a relationship or marriage, your loved one holds chief priority in your life. God is asking us, “Remember when I was more than enough for you?”
The passages above goes on to talk about how we have left our first love (God Himself). In spite of the past, where are you now? What choices have allowed you to get here? Has forsaking your first love been one of them?
The Lord uses a visual of broken cisterns to describe the life of those who have left Him for other things (other lovers). He is warning us that these other lovers that we are pursuing for fulfillment such as other relationships, money, sex, etc. are like broken cisterns that hold no water. We will always come up again and again running dry. He goes on to say those who pursue these worthless things, become worthless themselves. This is so true! Here’s an EXTREME example: Think of someone who gets so caught up in their looks that they end up having multiple eating disorders and become so self absorbed that they cannot hold a conversation that does not include, “Me” or “I.” They are empty cisterns! They have forsaken the God, the “river of life.” It’s absurd, right?!
Why does this person do that? Or the real question, why do WE do this?
It is because we have lost our sense of who God is. We have forgotten His worth, the greatness of His being, and the ability He has to fill our hearts with the utmost joy! :) Without Him, we begin to deteriorate inside. Our insecurities drive our actions, our fears dominate our thoughts, and Satan gets that foothold we were warned against! How disguisting we must look when God sees how we lust after anything that comes along with a temporary high, thrill, or drive. How easily we are satisfied!
The beautiful part of this story, however, is that time and time again God calls us back to Him. He is a devoted and faithful love. In Jeremiah 3:22 He says, "Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness." Let us recognize our wrongs and return to His unconditional love. His love is unfailing and it radiates with grace. What greater love is there?! He is waiting to heal our hurts and beautify us once more. God calls us saying, "Return to Me. Come back. It's not too late. I will restore you. I will open your eyes. No longer will you have to walk in ignorance or darkness. I will heal your faithlessness."
How will you respond?
I pray that you will rejoice in His gracious and undeserved offering for our return. May your eyes be opened and drawn back to the Lord.
God bless,
Shannon
Israel Forsakes God
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
" 'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness, [a]
a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
'Where is the LORD ?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
I chose to write on Jeremiah 2 tonight because I felt God set it on my heart. Earlier today a friend had read it to me and later tonight it was read during a Christmas program. There are no coincidences! ;-) I love this message because it speaks to those who are beginning to backslide (turn from God), those who have been backsliding for awhile, and for those who will in the future (as a warning to them).
When we begin to backslide, God instructs us first to “remember” (vs.1). He is telling us to remember the beginning of our love relationship with the Lord. This is such great advice! Think of what marriage counselors say to couples during a session, “Tell me about what life was like for you both when you first met.” It is important to remember all the work that God has done in our lives for us to avoid taking Him for granted. In the beginning stages of a relationship or marriage, your loved one holds chief priority in your life. God is asking us, “Remember when I was more than enough for you?”
The passages above goes on to talk about how we have left our first love (God Himself). In spite of the past, where are you now? What choices have allowed you to get here? Has forsaking your first love been one of them?
The Lord uses a visual of broken cisterns to describe the life of those who have left Him for other things (other lovers). He is warning us that these other lovers that we are pursuing for fulfillment such as other relationships, money, sex, etc. are like broken cisterns that hold no water. We will always come up again and again running dry. He goes on to say those who pursue these worthless things, become worthless themselves. This is so true! Here’s an EXTREME example: Think of someone who gets so caught up in their looks that they end up having multiple eating disorders and become so self absorbed that they cannot hold a conversation that does not include, “Me” or “I.” They are empty cisterns! They have forsaken the God, the “river of life.” It’s absurd, right?!
Why does this person do that? Or the real question, why do WE do this?
It is because we have lost our sense of who God is. We have forgotten His worth, the greatness of His being, and the ability He has to fill our hearts with the utmost joy! :) Without Him, we begin to deteriorate inside. Our insecurities drive our actions, our fears dominate our thoughts, and Satan gets that foothold we were warned against! How disguisting we must look when God sees how we lust after anything that comes along with a temporary high, thrill, or drive. How easily we are satisfied!
The beautiful part of this story, however, is that time and time again God calls us back to Him. He is a devoted and faithful love. In Jeremiah 3:22 He says, "Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness." Let us recognize our wrongs and return to His unconditional love. His love is unfailing and it radiates with grace. What greater love is there?! He is waiting to heal our hurts and beautify us once more. God calls us saying, "Return to Me. Come back. It's not too late. I will restore you. I will open your eyes. No longer will you have to walk in ignorance or darkness. I will heal your faithlessness."
How will you respond?
I pray that you will rejoice in His gracious and undeserved offering for our return. May your eyes be opened and drawn back to the Lord.
God bless,
Shannon
Friday, December 11, 2009
God Is Love
"God is love." - 1 John 4:16
"Love one another as I have loved you." - John 15:12
Christ gave His love when it was not deserved to people who did not deserve it. That's the principle to practice! Love is the one ingredient of which our world never tires and of which there is never an over abundance. The world will never outgrow its need for love. God created us in His own image, which means we were created to function on the fuel of love. The world cries out for genuine love, love that heals, love that unites, love that forgives, love that encourages.
Love is essential to our emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being. There's a quote I like that says, "Our lives are shaped by those who love us and by those who refuse to love us." If you give love away, it will be renewed each day and become stronger and purer.
Last quote I want to leave you with - "Love in your heart is not put there to stay. Love is not love until you give it away."
Note to remember: We enrich the world by what we give.
God bless!
<3 Shannon
Movie to check out on loving God's way: Fireproof
Song: "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love" - Jars of Clay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CobNWUXb1M
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Relying on His Energy
A Story of A Man and A Fly
There once was a fly flying inside a flying plane. I inquired, "Mr. Fly, why do you fly? Why don't you sit down and enjoy the journey?" His reply smacked of smugness. "And let the plane crash? Why this craft needs me. My wings are essential to our safety." And with a puff of the chest he flew toward the front of the plane. As he returned some moments later, he didn't look so confident. Fear flicked in his tiny eyes, "I don't think I can keep up!" "Keep what up?" "The plane! I don't think I can keep the plane up. I'm flying as furiously as I can. But my wings are weary. I don't know how long I can do this." I opted for frankness. "Don't you know it's not up to you? You are surrounded by strength, held aloft by power that is not yours. Stop flying! It's not up to you to get this plane home." He looked at me as if I were crazy and told me to buzz off.
I wanted to share this short story (from Max Lucado's "Come Thirsty") because I feel so often I find myself trying to "fight the good fight" or "run the race" on my own. But after reading this part in the book, I was reminded of the support we have in Christ. We are the fly in this situation. God is telling us to slow down and rest. If we rest in Him, He will be our strength.
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." - 1 Peter 5:7
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13
I pray that today you will take full advantage of Christ's empowering Spirit within you and let His wings sustain you.
In Christ,
Shannon
Being Open To God
"God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus."
This is an introductory quote from one of Max Lucado's popular books, "Just Like Jesus: Learning to Have a Heart Like His." I chose to refer to this book, because today I have been listening to a song (the one I posted in this message) and I felt it had a great message so I wanted to find a good book to go with it.
Max Lucado talked about how God loves you just the way you are and how we should not confuse His love with the love of people. Whereas the love of people is often based on performance, God loves you right where you are. The author then gave a beautiful analogy of what it would be like if, for one day, Jesus were to become you. He raised some great questions that I challenge us all to ask ourselves: Would your priorities change? Would those around you detect more joy? Would you treat the less fortunate the same? And your friends and family?
The main message I'm hoping to send is a reminder to be open to God's leading in your life. See people the way He sees them. See trials, struggles, and daily circumstances the way He does. Ask Him to open your eyes, ears, mind, and heart the way Shawn McDonald does in the song posted.
I pray the Lord stirs something in you and you have a desire to let Him live through you even more today. Let His light be the light that directs your actions.
God bless,
Shannon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzSwqCbZqL8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)