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How to Know if Your Burnout is Self Inflicted

Posted in Bible, discipleship, religion, sanctification, tagged Aaron, Jesus and Him crucified, love of Christ, Nadab and Abihu, return to your first love, when Christians burnout on May 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

For the love of Christ compels us… 2 Corinthians 5:14a

What is the source of your passion for ministry; or more accurately, Who is the source of your passion? If it is not the love of Christ, that is the love Jesus freely gave and continues to give, then it is only a matter of time before you will wear down and wear out.

Do you remember Nadab and Abihu from Leviticus 10:1?

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.

What Happened?

So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them… Leviticus 10:2

We could say they were burnt out. We could also say they were in sin, for the source of their fire; their passion if you will, was not the altar of God, but themselves. We call that pride and pride is always self-inflicted. Had they relied solely on God, following His direction and guidance, burnout would have never occurred. The same is true for us; when we try to maintain our own fire, we are most likely in sin and we will eventually suffer burnout.

Think about it

Do you remember your last collapse? Unappreciated, over-worked, and feeling like a door mat, right? (And just to be clear, I’m not talking about fatigue. You’ll know the difference [because] becoming exhausted in Jesus-focused work is typically an exhilarating experience). Burnout is almost always ego-based. Chances are that you forgot why you were doing what you were doing and more importantly, Who you were doing it for. Somehow, some way, it was no longer about Jesus and Him crucified; it was about your expectations, your emotions, and your wants.

Don’t Freak

This isn’t really a problem, so don’t panic and don’t despair, just change fuel. Empty your tank of you and fill it with Him. You get a do-over! Let the love of Christ compel you once again. Change your mind and God will change your heart.

I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent. Revelation 2:4b-5

What do these verses say about God?
What do they say about us?
Are you justifying your behavior or confessing it?

Do You Follow the Manual? (getupandwalk.org)
Have You Been Taken to the Cleaners? (compassiondave.wordpress.com)
God’s Confidence in Man Not Man’s (divinityhc.wordpress.com)

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A Little Bible Quiz

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, religion, tagged Aaron, Ark of the Covenant, Bible Quiz, holy of holies, Jesus, King David, Manna, moses, Solomon on September 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 1 Kings 8:6

It had been almost 500 years since the Exodus and Solomon had finished constructing the desire of his father David’s heart, the Temple of the Lord. Its moving day and all the components of the Temple were brought in and put in position and the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies. Question—‘What’s inside the Ark of the Covenant?’ Follow-up question—‘Are you absolutely sure?’

Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 1 Kings 8:9

Okay, Who Stole Aaron’s Rod and the Manna?

While God in His Word does not explain what happened to the staff and manna, we can rest assured that there are reasons why they were missing. Before we delve into the explanation, we would recall why these items were placed in the Ark in the first place. Aaron’s ‘budding’ rod was a miraculous confirmation; a sign to Israel that Moses and Aaron were His intended leaders. The manna on the other hand was a wondrous sign of God’s provision. The Law was a sign of a different category; a tangible road-sign informing every reader of where he is (in sin) and where he needs to go (to the cross of Jesus Christ).

So the question of most importance is not, “Who removed these two items,” or, “where are they,” or “what happened to them,” but rather, “why does only one remain?” The answer is evident; this singular article (two tablets) effectively demonstrates two facts…

…The word of the Lord endures forever. 1 Peter 1:25a

The second fact might not be as obvious. It will serve us well to remember that there is no other people group in world history that witnessed more miraculous signs and wonders than post-Egypt Israel. What impact did all those signs and wonders have upon them? Not much. Out of entire generation of people (a couple million or more), only two, Joshua and Caleb, came to believe. There is an enormous lesson in that.

Are We Done With Miracles?

Heaven forbid! Jesus told His church that there is an order in which these things will occur…

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17-18

And He told us why there needs to be an order…

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Matthew 16:4

And there’s the second reason. Generally speaking, we are sign-seekers; we want evidence, we want confirmation, we want corroboration before we commit and handover the reigns to Someone we cannot readily see or touch. There’s a drawback that comes with that kind of attitude and Jesus told us pointedly what it is:

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24:24

The rod and the manna were removed for our protection! So like me, you might ask why were those signs and wonders placed into the Ark to begin with. I submit to reveal to us that a) they exist, and b) we don’t need them to come to faith, and c) they will follow us as we follow Jesus. We should consider what was said regarding John the Baptist [who] Jesus called the greatest prophet whoever lived…

Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” And many believed in Him there. John 10:41-42

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Opposing Leadership

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, health, investment, Jesus, peace, religion, tagged Aaron, airing grievences, burkina faso, Jesus Christ, korah, moses, Numbers, twitter on September 10, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Now Korah…Dathan and Abiram…took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. Numbers 16:1-2

The Byproduct of Pride

Korah’s rebellion was fueled by jealousy; pure and simple. Korah, Moses, and Aaron were in fact cousins and Korah was likely sick and tired of watching Moses and Aaron (seemingly) getting all the glory. Korah’s biggest mistake was failing to remember that God had given these two men their authority and only He could remove it. The reality was that Korah brought his affliction (spiritual blindness) upon himself. Pride has a way of doing that and it something I can unquestionably identify with.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2

I have always made the assertion that in Christ Jesus there are no coincidences and therefore confess that it is no accident that this Bible study crossed my path today. I must acknowledge that the Lord has revealed [to me] that I need to reevaluate how it is I voice my opposition to those in authority over me, lest like Korah I be swallowed-up in a worldly pit. The remedy for self-destructive behavior, thank you Jesus, lies in His word.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

The Numbers passage reminds us that first and foremost we need to examine the motives for our oppositional behavior; in other words, we need to know what’s percolating deep within our hearts. The problem is that this is a task we cannot do outside of ourselves; we need God to do both the searching and the revealing. Moses understood this. Despite the fact that cousin Korah’s rebellion angered him, Moses fell on his face before the Lord and sought His supervision rather than rely upon his own.

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind… Jeremiah 17:9-10

Having secured a Godly account of the heart, we then need to examine those things which encompass our grievances. Our Father has prescribed that the best method is to engage the counsel of like-minded, Christian men. The fact that we often lack eagerness to take this step strongly suggests that our objections are without weight. Far too many times we seek those we know will agree with our position; a trap of an unexplored heart.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7a

One cannot help but think of the Apostle Paul (when he was just Saul) and how he zealously persecuted the church in God’s name. Without any doubt this man thought he was doing the right thing, but it was not until the Lord restored his spiritual sight that he saw the horrendous error of his way.

The Way

Matthew 18:15-20 provides for us an excellent prescription regarding the airing of grievances and I would suggest that we devour that text enthusiastically. However, before tackling that instruction, it’s vital that we absorb the doctrine in these two passages.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3

~And~

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

There is really little need to expound on that text, except to say we need to soak in these God-given conclusions until they ooze from our souls; then and only then should we give voice to our grievances. Oh to God that I might remember these things.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

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Deadly Serious: The Worlds Best Diet

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, food and drink, health, Jesus, religion, tagged Aaron, Bible, cleansed by the word, defiled, Jesus Christ, leviticus, sin leprosy on June 19, 2009| 1 Comment »

Say to them: ’Whoever of all your descendants throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the Lord. Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean…the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he washes his body with water. And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because it is his food. Leviticus 22:3, 4, 6, 7

This Does Not Apply to Me

That is what I used to think about certain books of the Old Testament—they just are not applicable to the modern-day Christian. I have since been corrected. If we allow Him to, the Lord will reveal significant applications for these passages while still maintaining the legitimacy of His original intent. So while it is true these were ordinances for Aaron the high priest and his descendants, it is wise to bear in mind that while we are not the sons of Aaron, we are the sons of God.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… 1 Peter 2:9

Cut Off From God

God lets His high priest know of those things which defile a man and leprosy, discharges, and touching the dead top His list. Leprosy we might recall is a picture of sin [in the Bible] and substituting the terms for one another helps define our application: sin separates; i.e. cuts us off from God. But what of these discharges; how can we give spiritual relevance to those? I like to think ofthem as those words and actions of ours that ooze mechanically. You know, those phrases we utter and those gestures that we make when that guy cuts us off suddenly ~and~ before we have occasion to glance down at our WWJD bracelets. What does God say about those again? Oh yeah…

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34b

No Soup For You!

In Levitical times God was saying that the despoiled priest could not eat of the sacrifices which was his custom. It kind of reminds me of mom sending me away from the dinner table to wash my hands before I could eat. But I believe God is pointing out something more significant to us—the reality of sin is that we lose our spiritual appetite and the cutting-off of divine sustenance is not God’s doing, but our own. In our sin we avoid God, we do not eat, and we become spiritually emaciated. Here’s a test: if you were given solid food to eat in proportion to the spiritual food you normally consumed each day, what would you look like in a week, a month, or a year?

But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” John 4:32

Washing and Waiting

God is not One to leave His people starved and provides the solution—washing in water and waiting until sundown. Why sundown? Because in Jewish tradition, it is when the sun rests on the horizon the old day has past away and a new day has begun—we are renewed physically when we sleep and spiritually when we rest in Him. Consider this admired verse…

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion, ” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:21-26

Of course patient-waiting is pointless if we have not first cleansed ourselves—go to bed filthy and wake up filthy, plus the bed is now soiled too. Our solution is not in merely turning away from sin, but turning towards the Word who is Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul adds that we are cleansed by the water that is God’s Word. The writer of Hebrews concurs.

…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 10:22

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Dead or Alive: Being An Example to Others

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, health, investment, Jesus, peace, religion, tagged Aaron, Abihu, glory, God's glory, holiness, Jesus Christ, leviticus, moses, Nadab, Nadab and Abihu, profane fire, tony wolf on May 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »

An Example to OthersThen Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ’By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace. Leviticus 10:1-3Why?

Why did Nadab and Abihu do this irreverent deed and why did God kill them for doing it? Many suggest that Nadab and Abihu were drunk (and perhaps they were), but the root of their sin was unquestionably pride. Their behavior, fueled by a flawed awareness of their own self-importance, was arrogant. They had lost their perspective of who God is and where they stood in relationship to Him. It is for this reason God said that He must always be regarded as holy and that He alone must be glorified.

I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another… Isaiah 42:8a

God is Serious

God is very serious about holiness and glory, so much so that He devoured Nadab and Abihu by fire as a perpetual example for us. If mere words had been sufficient, Nadab and Abihu would not have died (for these were things that they knew). We might then ask, “Why does God want all the glory for Himself—is God selfish? This is not the case; God is not egocentric.

God Knows That…

When man gets the glory, or a ministry, or a church, those things will eventually come to disappoint and frustrate us. If we suffer discontentment chances are we have become enamored in the temporary splendor of man or ourselves. God knows these things and this is precisely the reason He demands the glory must be His alone. In Him, no one is ever saddened or dissatisfied.

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

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Grace, Good News, and Gravity

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, health, investment, Jesus, religion, tagged Aaron, annoitting, holy oil, Jesus Christ, pastor jim white, sweet on May 13, 2009| 1 Comment »

Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also take for yourself quality spices–five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil…And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ’This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Exodus 30:22–24, 30-32

Since ours is a God of order, it is essential to recognize that all these procedures are not happenstance, but rather purposeful and prophetic indicators pointing towards the Son, Jesus Christ. The good news is that in so many instances they point to us–that is those who are in Christ, as well. Our Father, in His infinite wisdom, has painted these pictures so that when Jesus came to walk the earth, He would not be foreign to us. Those who do not see Jesus for who He truly is have likely failed to see Him portrayed in these Old Testament texts.

Sweetness

By now many of us perceive that oil (in the Bible) quite often is representative of the work and service of the Holy Spirit. That is certainly the case here. We might have some difficulty seeing our Jesus as ‘sweet’, but unquestionably in His perfected state, He is nothing less. While in some circles that attribute of Jesus may seem clichéd, nevertheless it is an accurate assessment and our jumping-off point for the typology.

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:2

Aaron and his sons…

From our prophetic posture, everything begins to sky-rocket at the mention of Aaron and his sons. Aaron is of course the High Priest, the very picture of our Jesus, the Anointed One (‘Anointed One’ the very definition of the title Messiah). We might then ask if Aaron is a picture of the only One worthy of anointing, how is it his son’s were also anointed? The answer is wonderful, because in his sons we can see a depiction of ourselves–just as Jesus is the Son of the Father, in Him so are we! I would say that is very Good News.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14

Nor shall you make any other like it…

There is only One Jesus. Just as there should be no attempt by man to duplicate this holy oil, similarly there cannot be a duplicate for our Jesus—He is the only One and the only way; He is inimitable! And we should be oh so grateful for the Father’s wisdom in this. If God had made two ways to salvation, in our humanness we would have said why aren’t there three? If He had provided one-hundred ways, we would have asked why not one-hundred and one. The Father kept it simple—there is One way and zero confusion.

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:7-9

A Psalmist’s Perspective

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing– Life forevermore. Psalm 133:1-3

The Lord magnificently weaves the work of the psalmist and our Exodus passage into His tapestry and further illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ Jesus, and our participation through faithful relationship. Plainly stated, God’s anoitinging runs down hill—it starts at the head, Jesus Christ and adheres to the law of gravity. The only way to receive the blessing is to be linked to Jesus; in order to be touched by the flow we must be attached to the Source.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:33

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Wholly Holy

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, health, investment, Jesus, religion, tagged Aaron, First Epistle of Peter, High Priest, Holy, Jesus Christ, moses, New creation on May 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »

You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. Exodus 28:36

J on Courson tells the story of overhearing his son talking with some friends. The conversation surrounded the issue of the external affects of consuming too many beans in one’s diet. Needless to say, the ‘f’ word one generally associates with that activity came up several times in the discussion.

Now Jon is not prudish or legalistic in any sense of those words, but he did take the time to lovingly correct and advise his child. He explained that satan desires to lead us all astray and his tactics are often very subtle. Electing to use one seemingly innocuous word today will ultimately lead to the use of not-so-innocent expressions tomorrow. In other words, one ‘f’ word would likely lead to another ‘f’ word. Think about the progression for a moment, if satan can get the world to talk casually about our private parts, perhaps in time we will become casual in our use of those private parts. Is this not the truth? We did not go from ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ to ‘How I Met Your Mother’ overnight.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Colossians 3:8

HOLINESS TO THE LORD

I love this image (and the reality) of Jesus Christ being perpetually Holy, as symbolized by the High Priest adorned in his priestly garments. If we are in fact reflections of Christ’s light, should that not be our desired image as well. While we cannot be perfectly and wholly devout, it can most certainly be the dedicated course we decide to follow. As it pertains to the Colossians passage, when I rededicated my life to the Lord, the first thing He laid on my heart was to abandon the unclean speech—I understand more fully (now) why that was.

Brained Washed

Anybody ever tell you that you were being brain-washed? My response to that remark is always the same, “I need my brain washed.” It’s sad that I struggle to remember magnificent Bible verses, but can recall effortlessly the immature rhymings of my youth. Or might my eye catch the glimpse of an attractive woman that my mind evokes a decades-old centerfold. Or sufficiently stir my anger and almost without thinking I consider cinematic-solutions rather than godly ones.

Am I being brain washed? I pray to God I am!

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16

However Far You Walk Into the Woods…

Is how far you must walk out, goes an old adage. From a practical analysis, that is quite true. However, from a spiritual perspective that is not actually the case. Those who are in Christ are a new creation. Yes there are earthly consequences for illicit jaunts into the wastelands, God will not be mocked, but thanks be to God where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. Therefore a child of God who strays away from God, need only do an ‘about face’ to discover He is right there.

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Bells and Whistles Just Don’t Cut it

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, investment, Jesus, love, religion, tagged Aaron, bells and whistles, fruit of the spirit, Jesus Christ, kacie, letter writing, love, moses, Of Bells and Pomegranates, salvation, Tabernacle on May 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Its all about Bells and PomegranatesYou shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. “And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die. Exodus 28:31-35

Everything in the Tabernacle–from massive tapestry to curious thread, prophetically picture and point towards Jesus and our life in Christ. The skeptic may say that as we draw our Messianic parallels that we are merely grasping at sanctimonious straws in an attempt to somehow qualify our Jesus as Lord. “Coincidence!” they screech. Frankly, I might agree with them if not for the enormous rate-of-occurrence on each and every page of the Bible. Jesus Himself verifies our claim when He in effect declares that the entire Old Testament is a testimony to Him.

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. John 5:39

Bells

Envision the High Priest and his bell-hemmed robe. Only he could enter the Holy Place and Holy of Holies, that tent within a tent inside the Tabernacle. Those in the Tabernacle’s courtyard could hear him as the bells on his garment jingled-away as he serviced the fixtures inside the tent–a witness that he was engaged in ministry. Lots can be said about active ministry, but one thing is for certain—active ministry has a sound.

Pomegranates

We need not be theologians to grasp that the pomegranate depicts the fruit of the Spirit which the book of Galatians reminds us is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Since all those latter things are essentially attributes of love, we could simply say the pomegranate is a depiction of love. So why then the repetitive bell-pomegranate-bell-pomegranate pattern on the robe’s hem? The Apostle Paul gives us that answer.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1

Paul asserts that as we go about our continual pattern of Christian service—making noise for the Lord as it were, if not seasoned with love throughout, appealing chimes become appalling cymbals. Love must be sandwiched between every word and deed, lest the sounds of loveless ministry frighten everyone away.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

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Assimilation and Diversity in Christ

Posted in Bible, Bible Prophecy, investment, Jesus, religion, tagged Aaron, diversity, Exodus, gems, individuality, Jesus Christ, kevin bussey, moses, one body, recovering pharisee on May 4, 2009| 2 Comments »

Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: six of their names on one stone, and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth…And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial…And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes. Exodus 28:9-10, 12, 17-21Animals Do Not Do This

Human beings are not animals. That is not the direction of today’s blog, but I did want to point that out because there is a striving that takes place within a man’s soul to be singularly unique and universally accepted simultaneously; a trait demonstrated nowhere in the animal kingdom. The idiosyncrasy is best observed in any teenager (again, not an animal) with the irony being in their resolve to be one-of-a-kind, they typically end up looking and behaving like one another. As onlookers we might be quick to propose the behavior as inane, but the reality is God knowingly integrated this characteristic into our framework for the purpose of bringing honor, glory, and praise to Himself.

The garments of the high priest bear witness to this truth—the notion that both individuality and oneness go hand-and-hand within the body of Christ. As a body of believers; a corporate entity, Christ bears the weight of the Church upon His shoulders, much in the same way He bore His own cross. Because of His singular efforts, oppression and encumbrance are choices for the believer rather than realities—if in Christ we suffer in these things, it is because we have chosen to.

It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. Isaiah 10:27

And yet Christ still confirms our individuality, so much so we are portrayed in this priestly garment as being continually over His heart. We are sanctified; set apart both corporately and independently—one body, yet singular in composition. Individually we are as the gems on Aaron’s breastplate; all reflecting and refracting light differently, all valuable, but yet as a singular garment positioned over His heart eternally.

For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one…so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Hebrews 2:11-13, Romans 12:5

Do we see ourselves as God sees us; gems born upon the shoulders of His Son and across His breast? Do we understand that if we are sapphires, we cannot be amethysts and that both are of equal value to God? Do we see our brothers and sisters in Christ in this same light?

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Could This Be Your Daily Bread?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, food and drink, Jesus, religion, tagged Aaron, blood, daily bread, joshua, magicians, moses, pharoah, plagues, snakes, texas in africa, this & that, water, wonderbread on March 27, 2009| 1 Comment »

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ’Show a miracle for yourselves, ’ then you shall say to Aaron, ’Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Exodus 7:8-12Real or Imagined

We know the power behind Aaron’s feat was Divine, but what about Pharaoh’s performance? Were his magicians merely creating an illusion similar to that of say a David Copperfield or was there demonic influence? I submit to you that this was a work of satan [that] God had allowed for (at least) two purposes—so that the world would know that although it is limited, satan’s power is real ~and~ that when this power is employed it always makes matters worse. Think about it—satan brought about more venom, more toxic water, and later on more frogs–Nothing he did made things better and isn’t that always the case with satan. I find it ironic that in regard to the plague of lice, arguably the simplest thing to recreate from a magical standpoint, he failed.

A Third Application

Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Exodus 7:12

The message obvious to us all is that God’s power is supreme to that of satan’s. The power of satan is restricted, he is only allowed to exhibit that which is allowed by God, and in the end God’s power is absolute. But there is another noteworthy insight being expressed here—in the conquest over evil; in the victory over tribulation, there is nourishment! Consider the report of Joshua filed with Moses after he returned from spying-out the Promised Land.

“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ’a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” Numbers 14:7b-9

Bread For Us

Joshua had affirmed that the Anakin; the wicked giants living in the land were but Wonder Bread for the twelve tribes of Israel, for in their consumption they could “Help build strong bodies 12 ways.” What the other spies saw as obstacles, Joshua (and Caleb) saw as nourishment. Why recoil from satan’s interruptions when there is sustenance in devouring them! Joshua understood this godly principle so well that when they divvied-up the land he wanted this specific region. “Keep the milk and honey, ” he might of said, “give me my Wonder Bread!”

Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

Whether we realize it or not, people are watching us. The world has always examined the Christian community to see how we handle trials and tribulations. Sadly we have not always faired so well. When the world points this out (and they will), we would remind them they should look to Christ as the definer of our faith and not the Christian. But having said that, we are still called to embrace tribulation for there is growth to be had that brings honor, glory, and praise to our Lord. Surely we will stumble, but let it be known that satan takes no pleasure when we fall flat on our faces, but rather when we fail to rise.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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