DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TIME FOR ONE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – TIME FOR ONE

"Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him, and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, 'My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her that she may be healed and she will live.' So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years." (Mark 5:21-25)

Get the picture. Jesus was surrounded by a multitude of people. One big mass of humanity pressing and shoving to get close to the Teacher. When out of the throng, a man broke through the crowd and fell at Jesus' feet. He had an urgent need. His daughter was dying, and there was no hope of recovery. So he begged Jesus earnestly – with great urgency and passion – to come and heal his daughter. He was a ruler of the synagogue. Many of the religious rulers rejected Jesus. But this man, Jairus, was desperate and he put aside any reservations he had about Jesus to seek His help. So Jesus went with him. Eventually, Jairus' daughter was healed.

As they were going to Jairus' home, a woman also pressed through the crowd to get to Jesus. She had suffered twelve years with a flow of blood, had spent all her money on doctors, but only grew worse. She had faith that she would be healed if only she could touch the hem of His garment. She did, and she was healed.

With all stars and planets to tend to, the angels of heaven, and the needs of this world, and millions of people coming to Him for help, Jesus is never too busy to stop and minister to the one person who is desperate. He has time for you and me. I read a book entitled, "Then Came Jesus." It is about lives that were changed when they came into contact with Jesus. When Jesus comes, He ministers to the individuals – not just the masses.

Audrey Meier penned a song, "It matters to Him about you." "Although He has millions of souls to see above, although the sun, the moon and the stars are in His hands, How wonderful to know, wherever you may go, He can be reached by just a simple prayer. It matters to Him about you, your heartaches, your sorrows, he shares. No matter what you may do, He wants you, He loves you, He cares. It matters to Him about you. Believe it because it is true. Cling to His hand, He'll understand, for it matters to Him about you." Jesus has time for you.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OTHER LITTLE BOATS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – OTHER LITTLE BOATS

"Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' " (Mark 4:36-38)

Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee after a day teaching. It had been a full day of ministry for Jesus, and this would be a chance for Him to catch up on needed sleep. Jesus was asleep when a storm arose and was about to drown them all. In their distress, the disciples woke Jesus, yelling above the roar of the storm, "Teacher, don't You care that we are perishing?"  Jesus got up, and with three simple words – "Peace, be still" – He calmed the storm.

The disciples were not the only ones in the middle of the storm. There were other little boats with them. There is no indication that the disciples cared anything about the other people. How often we are engulfed with the storms of life, and it seems that Jesus is sleeping. We are so concerned about ourselves that we forget about the other little boats around us. Our personal storms don't just affect us, but they affect others. But we are often like the disciples – all we can think about is ourselves.

The "other little boats" are worthy of our concern when we are going through storms. When Jesus said, "Peace," the storm subsided, and it ended for them also.

God, help me not to be so focused on my own storms that I forget those who are around me that are also being tossed about by the waves. Lord, please speak "Peace" – not just for me but for those who are also going through the storm with me.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PARABLE OF THE SOIL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PARABLE OF THE SOIL

"Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 'Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." (Mark 1:2-3)

Perhaps one of the best-loved parables that Jesus told is the Parable of the Sower. Although the Sower and the Seed are important parts of the story, I think it should be called the Parable of the Soil, because the real issue is the place where the seed is planted.

Just as a reminder, the parable is about a Sower who went out to sow the seed. He scattered the seed on various types of soil – some by the wayside, some on rocky soil, some on land filled with weeds and briers, and some on good soil.

Jesus explained the meaning of the parable. The sower is the one who plants the seed. The seed is the Word -- the word of the Kingdom, the Gospel, or the Word of God. The soil along the wayside was not prepared to receive the Word and Satan immediately pecked at the seed like a bird. The seed that was sown on rocky soil did not have enough dirt to sustain the roots of the plants, and although they sprung up, they withered because they had no roots. Some seed landed on okay soil, but the plants  were choked out by weeds and brambles. Finally, some seed on good soil that was tilled and ready to receive the seed and produced a great harvest.

Perhaps the most poignant of the soils was the weed and bramble-covered soil. The soil was not bad soil and the plant grew, but because the weeds – that is, the cares of this life and the desire for things – were not tended to, they crowded out the good plants.

So often my life is like that. I have received the Word of the Gospel and it has taken root and grown in my life. But because of my carelessness to keep the weeds hoed, they crowd out my spiritual life. The cares of this world and the desire for material things can choke my spiritual life if I am not careful to keep them under control.

As a teenager, I worked for a farmer who grew strawberries. One of my jobs was to hoe the weeds out of the strawberry fields. It was back-breaking work in the rain and in the hot sun, but very necessary. I also picked strawberries in fields where the farmer did not keep the weeds out. The weeds kept the plants from producing large fruit, and it was difficult to find the strawberries among the weeds.

My job is to pay attention to the weeds in my life that would choke my spiritual life and hoe them out when necessary.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO ARE MY BROTHERS?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHO ARE MY BROTHERS?

"And He looked around in a circle at those who sat with Him, and said, 'Here are My mother, and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." (Mark 3:34-35)

Mark has been called the "Action Gospel" because it focuses on incidents in the life of Jesus rather than extended teachings. Most of the teachings flow out of something that had happened, whether a miracle or confrontation with the religious leaders, or as in this incident, just a happening.

Jesus was meeting with a group of people, but his family was not included in this group. They were standing outside, calling for Jesus to come to them. One would think that one's family would be your strongest supporters, especially His mother, Mary, who had experienced the miraculous things surrounding His birth. But even his brothers, whom the Gospel of Mark identifies as James, Joses, Judas, and Simon (Mark 6:3), plus his sisters, were not a part of Jesus' followers. The Apostle John stated that "Even His brothers did not believe in Him" (John 7:5). Indeed, they thought He was crazy – just a brick shy of a full load, an inch short of a foot, an elevator that did not go to the top floor. Mark records that His own people – his family – "went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, 'He is out of His mind' " (Mark 3:21). It was not until after the Resurrection of Jesus that his brothers became believers.

Jesus had left His birth family for the sake of the Gospel. When Jesus said that some of His followers would have to leave their houses and families (Mark 10:29), He was speaking from personal experience. Some people who stand on the outside looking in, even family members, think that we are nuts to follow Jesus. But if the Lord Jesus could take the brunt of this rejection, even by family members, surely we can too if that is what it takes to follow Him.

It is not insanity to follow Jesus. It is insanity – denial of reality – not to leave everything to follow Him. To do the will of God is to put us into relationship with Him. If we lose our natural family for the cause of Christ, we gain a spiritual family that has a heavenly Father.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SIX "IFS"

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SIX "IFS"

"If you walk in My statues and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit." (Leviticus 26:3-4)

"But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you….." (Leviticus 26:14-16a)

"But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with the unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humble, and they accept their guilt – then I will remember…." (Leviticus 26:40-42)

We are coming to the end of Leviticus, and next week we will be back in the New Testament with Gleanings from the Gospel of Mark. As we finish the Book of Leviticus, there are promises God makes – two good and one not so good.

First, God said that if they obey Him, that He will bless them. Then He makes the promise that if they do not obey Him, that He will bring them heartache and trouble. But then, God says that if they humble themselves and repent, He would remember His covenant with Israel, and would not cast them (vs. 44).

God's promises are always true and He will keep them – both positive promises and negative promises. But He puts the onus on humanity. We have the choice to obey Him, disobey Him, or confess that we have lived contrary to Him.

I want God's blessings. There consequences for disobedience and they are not pretty. Living in God's blessings is a whole lot better than experiencing the consequences. Remember the saying: "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"?  It may seem pleasant to disobey God and ask for forgiveness later, but it is better to obey God in the first place and not have to ask for forgiveness.

I choose to live in God's positive blessings.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IT'S PARTY TIME

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – IT'S PARTY TIME!

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, "The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts." (Leviticus 23:1-2)

God loves a party. When He commanded the children of Israel to have feasts, He proclaimed that they were His feasts. He wanted to meet with His people in these special gatherings.

In America, we have special days set aside for celebration, like Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and others. God designated special convocations – National Days of Celebration. The first was the Sabbath – the day of rest – to be done every seven days. Next on the list are the Passover meal on the 14^th day of the first month each year, followed the next day by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Fifty days later came the Feast of Weeks, which we know as Pentecost. Then came the Feast of Firstfruits at the beginning of the harvest, when they were to bring some of the initial produce of their reaping.

The last National Holy Days were celebrated in the seventh month as three special days. First was the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, followed on the 10^th day of the seventh month by the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur. On the 15^th day of the seventh month was the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. This was at the end of the harvest when the fruit of the land had been gathered (see vs.39).

The purpose of the Feasts was to keep their focus on God. The Sabbath each week was a time of rest, reminding them that God rested from His labors on the seventh day. And so it was with the rest of the feasts. All the males were commanded to appear before the Lord GOD for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, reminding them of the exodus from Egypt when they departed with unleavened bread; at the Feast of Harvest, celebrating the first-fruits of their labor; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year after the harvest was completed (Exodus 23:14-17) – times of thanksgiving to God for His provision.

We do not celebrated these Feasts as Israel did, but we do need to keep God central in our focus. Observance of the day of rest each week when we come together as the Church is a holy assembly. Celebrating Passover and Easter important dates in our spiritual lives remembering Christ's death and Resurrection. And continual thankfulness for God provision – the Feasts of Harvest and Ingathering – help us keep our God-focus.

God loves feasts. Someday we will gather for a great feast in Heaven called The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But every day with Jesus is feast day. It's party time!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO'S THE BOSS?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHO'S THE BOSS?

"Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the LORD. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.' (Leviticus 22:31-33)

Just suppose that you are working in a factory or office, and a co-worker says to you, "Do this." And you say, "What gave you authority do you order me to do this? Who made you my boss?" But if the foreman orders you to do something, then you do it because he has been given the authority.

In our verses for today, God makes it plain Who is the Boss when three times He says, "I am the LORD." In the books of Exodus and Leviticus, the phrase "I am the LORD" occurs 64 times, beginning with the revelation to Moses in the fiery bush, and 44 times in Leviticus alone. It seems that God wanted them to know that He was boss. He had the authority to tell them what to do. He was the LORD, and the authority rested in Himself. They were to obey and hallow Him because He was their God.

This reminds me of the time when the chief priests and elders confronted Jesus, asking, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?" (Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:28-33; Luke 20:1-8). Jesus declined to answer the question at that time. But later He said to His disciples, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). Jesus has the authority and right to demand our obedience and worship because He is the Lord God.

I choose Who will be my God and who I will obey and worship. Everyone has a god. Some people worship themselves. They are their own authority and answer to no one. Some people even worship the Devil and do his bidding. But I choose to make Jesus my Lord. He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and as God He is to be obeyed and worshiped.

"He is Lord, He is Lord, He has risen from the dead and He is Lord."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UNIVERSAL LAWS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – UNIVERSAL LAWS

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." (Leviticus 19:1)

In an introductory statement regarding the law of God in Leviticus, it was mentioned that there are various categories of laws that God gave. Some are universal, some are ceremonial, some are relational, some are national and cultural, some are moral.

In today's Scripture passages, we find a combination of these various genre of laws. So you ask, "How can you tell if it is a universal law that applies to all people regardless of their culture, or if it is specific to the nation and culture of Israel?" One of the defining criterion is whether it is repeated in the New Testament. For example, outside of Jesus' remarks about the Sabbath, there are no injunctions for New Testament believers to be bound by the Sabbath. Or, there is no New Testament command to leave the corners of the field unharvested for the poor.

But there are many commands that traverse the centuries and are applicable today. Here are some of them.

"Every one of you shall revere his father and mother" (19:2) is repeated in Ephesians 6:2. Or, "Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God" (19:4); I John 5:21 exhorts us, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."

In Leviticus 19, there are laws against stealing, defrauding, lieing, profanity, gossip, taking vengeance, sexual immorality including sex outside of marriage, adultery, incest, homosexuality, beastiality, and occultism (going to mediums or calling for familiar spirits).

These prohibitions are all found in the New Testament. Stealing: Let him who steals steal no longer (Ephesians 4:8); Defrauding: no one should take advantage and defraud his brother (I Thess. 4:6); Lying: Do not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9); Profanity: Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth (Ephesians 4:29); Gossip or talebearing is listed as sin in Romans 1:29, II Cor. 12:20; Vengeance: Do not avenge yourself (Romans 12:19); Sexual immorality is condemned throughout the N.T; The Occult: Sorcery is condemned as sin (Galatians 5:20).

These laws are relevant today because, 1) man hasn't changed in the past 6,000 years, and 2) God has not changed. What was sin then is sin now, despite what modern culture would try to make us believe. The righteous person takes seriously God's prohibitions and seeks to live pure before a holy God.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BEING DIFFERENT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BEING DIFFERENT

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do, nor shall you walk in their ordinances.'" (Leviticus 18:1-3)

The people of Israel were to be different than the nations around them. They were "peculiar," to use the terminology of the Apostle Peter, who wrote that God's people are "a holy nation...a peculiar (special) people" (I Peter 2:9) because they belong to a holy God. The word in our text translated "ordinances" can also be translated a "customs" or "manners." As a peculiar or special people, they were not to do the customs of the nations in which they lived. This had a broad range of application, but in Leviticus 18, God especially addresses moral issues.

As pilgrims walking through this world, we live in cultures that do not always reflect the heart of a holy God. God tells us to not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). The Phillips paraphrase says, "Do not let the world press you into its mold." There are strong pressures to conform to the ways of this world that are contrary to our holy God, and it is so easy succumb to the desire to be accepted by the world which demands that we do what they do. We don't like to be different – but we are. We are citizens of heaven, and live according to heaven's rules.

We are called to be different because we serve a different master than the rest of the world. We have a different King. We serve a holy God who calls us to holiness. And remember that holiness means to be "called out" or "separate." That does not mean that we live as hermits, nor that we don't have any contact with ungodly people. When the Apostle Paul wrote that we should not to keep company with with ungodly people, he did not mean that we are isolationists, since then we would need to go out of the world (I Corinthians 5:10-11). What it does mean is that we are not to be conformed to the world's attitudes and philosophies, practices and customs which are contrary to God's ways. As Christians, we march to the beat of a different drum. We sing a different tune – the song of heaven. We are different because we serve a holy God.

Love, Dad

DAD;S RAMBLINGS -- LEPROSY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – LEPROSY

"This is the law for any leprous sore and scale, for the leprosy of a garment and a house, for a swelling and a scab and a bright spot, to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law of leprosy." (Leviticus 14:54-57)

In Leviticus chapters 13 and 14, God gave extended and precise instruction regarding leprosy – how to determine if it was truly leprosy or if it was just a boil, a scab or some other rash. We do not have the problem of leprosy today because of better hygiene and drugs that provide a cure. Leprosy is a disease caused by bacteria, and as we see in chapter 14, could infect clothes and houses. It was controlled by hygiene and isolation. (Does this sound like COVID?) This was the difference between a common skin eruption or rash and leprosy.

When a person suspected that he might be leprous – if he had a swelling, a scab, or a white spot, and it appeared to be deeper than the skin, he was to go to the priest, and after inspecting the sore, the priest would make a decision whether it was just a skin problem, or if it was truly leprosy. The priest had specific things to look for – the color, or if it was under the skin, or if it was localized or spread over a large area. Based on these symptoms, the priest would declare the person clean or unclean. Blemishes or flaws were not leprosy and these were considered "clean." If the priest determined that it was leprosy, the person would be declared unclean, and would be isolated to dwell alone outside the camp so that he or she would not be contagious to other people, and was required to alert other people to his condition, by crying, "Unclean! Unclean!" (Leviticus 13:46).

Leprosy is not sin, but it is a picture of sin. Consider some parallels. One of the tragedies of leprosy is that it separates people from people. But Sin separates us from our holy God. We need God's cleansing to make us holy and to bring us into close fellowship with Himself.

Also, sin, like leprosy, begins small – perhaps seeming just to be an insignificant sore spot, but then, like a cancer, it grows and infects the entire being. It doesn't seem to be so bad in its initial stages. But if not attended to, it will infect other parts of the body.

Leprosy disfigures the body, with loss of body parts and marred facial features. Looking at a leprosy victim is repulsive. Sin disfigures a person also. A body ravaged by sin is not a pretty picture.

Another parallel of leprosy to sin is the cure. If you read closely the Levitical approach and also the Gospel accounts when Jesus cured people from leprosy, it was not called a healing. It was cleansing. Leviticus 14:1 says, " 'This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing.' " People in those days did not have the medical understanding that leprosy was caused by bacteria, but God knew the difference.

When Jesus cured leprosy, it was a cleansing. For example, "Behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing, be cleansed.' Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, 'See that you tell no one; but go your way; show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them' " (Matthew 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12). Or the time when Jesus healed the ten lepers. They were ostracized from society, and stood afar off. But they cried to Jesus, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" And Jesus told them, " 'Go, and show yourselves to the priests.' And so it was as they went, they were cleansed" (Luke 17:11-19). Likewise, we may be afar off from Jesus, but when we cry out to Jesus for mercy, sin is cleansed.

Character flaws may need healing, but they are not the same as sin. Sin needs cleansing rather than healing. In the salvation experience, we are not healed from sin – we are cleansed. Praise God for His cleansing. I'm so glad that despite my flaws and blemishes, I stand before my Holy God cleansed and in the righteousness of Jesus. As Paul wrote: "You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:11). And John wrote, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin" (I John 1:6). Revelation 1:5 states, "To Him who loved us and washed us in His own blood." Clean before my Lord I stand.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CLEAN AND UNCLEAN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – CLEAN AND UNCLEAN

"This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten." (Leviticus 11:46-47)

The next five chapters – chapters 11-15 – may not seem to have much relevance to us today. But the emphasis of the difference is striking between the clean and unclean – between the holy and unholy.

Chapter 11 deals with regarding prohibitions of eating unclean animals. In the New Covenant, there are no such restrictions. Remember Peter's vision in Acts chapter 10 when he sees a vision of a great sheet lowered form heaven filled with all kinds of animals, creeping things, and birds. A voice said, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." This was totally against the Mosaic law and Peter's training. But God said, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." The purpose of the vision was to open Peter's understanding that the Gospel was open to all races. But it also showed the difference between the Old and New Covenant in regard to food. There are no unclean dietary restrictions in the New Covenant. If you like pork – enjoy it!

For the Christian, observance of these laws is no longer mandatory. But they do point to the fact that holiness and purity are important to God. He is pure and holy, and He emphasizes holiness in His people. The phrase, "Be holy," is found 20 times in the book of Leviticus. In Leviticus 11:44. God said to the Israelites, "I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). Peter quoted this verse when he wrote, "But as He who called you is holy, you be holy in all your conduct because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy"(I Peter 1:15-16). God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness (I Thessalonians 4:7), and without holiness, no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

But holiness is not a matter of outward appearances, or keeping a bunch of rules that make us look holy. The Pharisees tried that approach, and failed. As Christians, "we are washed, we are sanctified, we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God" (I Corinthians 6:11). This is what makes us holy before God. Holiness is a matter of the heart. But then, we are called to walk in that holiness. That's why the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, admonishes us, "Just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness" (Romans 6:19). And again he wrote, "...Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (I Corinthians 7:1). We are examples to unbelievers in our words, our conduct our love, our spirit, our faith, and our purity (I Timothy 4:12). Since we are holy because of God's work in us which makes us holy, we are called to put flesh and bones on that holiness, and live out that holiness in our lives.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CONSECRATED WORSHIP

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – CONSECRATED WORSHIP

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, a bull as the sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; and gather all the congregation together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.' … And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him." (Leviticus 8:1-2, 12)

These chapters of Leviticus tell a sad tale. It could have been so good, but it went so wrong. You can read the story in chapters 8 and 10. Aaron and his four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eliezer, and Ithamar, were consecrated – that is, set apart -- to do the ministry of priests. It was their job to present the offerings of Israel to God.

But two of the sons did not appreciate their God-given position as priests. Thus it is recorded in chapter 10:1-2: "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."

What was the problem here? "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 the people I must be glorified"'" (vs. 3). That was the problem.

Worshiping God is an awesome thing, and must not be taken lightly. Nadab and Abihu dishonored God by offering "profane fire" before the Lord. The Hebrew word means "strange" fire and is translated thus in the KJV. It was strange because it was not what God had commanded. God had instructed them that they should not offer strange incense on the Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:9). But they decided to do their own thing by offering profane – common – incense that was not of God's choosing. And they died.

According to Peter, we are a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9), and we offer spiritual sacrifices to God as our worship – the sacrifice of praise, as it says in Hebrews 13:15: "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." (See Jeremiah 33:10-11.) So I ask myself, how often is my worship strange or profane? I'm afraid that if I was Nadab or Abihu, I would have been struck down long ago.

Worship is God-centered. I worship a holy God. But so often my worship is self-centered. I can go through the motions of worship and still not worship from my spirit. If the music doesn't fit my liking, I may sing but I don't worship from the heart. Or my mind is elsewhere, thinking of other things. Or I put on a show of piety and wonder if people can see me lifting my hands. Worship is not about making me feel good or making me look good. Jesus said that God is seeking those who worship in spirit and truth. My worship is strange or profane – that is common – if it is about me instead of God.

There is a contemporary song that says, "I'm coming back to the heart of worship – It's all about You, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the things I've made it when it's all about You, Jesus." Worship is not about doing my own thing or gratifying my own desires. It is about honoring the holy God of the Universe and the Savior of my soul. May my worship not be common or profane.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OFFERINGS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – OFFERINGS

"This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecrations, and the sacrifice of the peace offering which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day when He commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai." (Leviticus 7:37-38)

The first seven chapters of Leviticus are the ceremonial laws regarding sacrificial offerings that God ordained for the children of Israel to perform. There is the protocol of the Burnt Offering, which applies to all sacrifices. Then there are other offerings – the Trespass Offering, the Restitution Offering, the Grain Offering, the Sin Offering, and the Peace Offering. Even though these sacrifices are not binding for the New Testament Believer, they do provide spiritual insight.

The Sin and Restitution offerings were sacrifice to atone for sin which was against God and the holy things. A sin offering was required when a person disobeyed any of the commandments of the LORD (Leviticus 4:1).

The Trespass offering was required when person was guilty of sinning against another person by lying or not fulfilling an oath, or extortion, or not speaking up as a witness when he knew the truth. When he confessed his guilt, he would bring an offering to the LORD (5:5-6).

The Grain offering was an offering of Thanksgiving, as was the Peace Offering.

Even though these offerings are not obligatory for New Testament believers, still we can offer these sacrifices in our devotion to God. The offering for sin was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus gave the supreme sacrifice of Himself for all sin. We still need to confess when we sin against someone else. And we can continually offer up the grain and peace offering – sacrifices of thanksgiving – to God for His good provision of our material needs and salvation. I am so grateful for peace with God. As it says in Romans 5:1 – "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Peace is reconciliation – the absence of conflict. I give thanks and rejoicing to God for this peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LIVING IN FREEDOM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – LIVING IN FREEDOM

" 'If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him." (Leviticus 5:19)

God says that we all fall short of the glory of God, even if we don't realize it at the time. What about sins we commit that we are not aware of? Our verses for today's meditation summarize chapters 4 and 5 of Leviticus. These chapters deal with transgressions of God's law which are done in ignorance, unintentionally, without knowing that the sin has been committed. The word "unintentional" is used five times in these two chapters, and refers to the priests, the elders, the rulers, common people, and the whole congregation. When they became aware of their sin, they were to bring an animal to be sacrificed and the priest would lay his hands on the animal.

The sacrificial animals were a type of the sacrifice of the spotless Lamb, the Lord Jesus, when He died on the cross. The laying on of hands is the symbolic act of transferring sin to the animal which was laying down its life as a substitute. We no longer sacrifice animals because the Lord Jesus, the spotless Lamb, laid down His life as a substitutionary atonement for our sins, and by faith, we transfer our sins to Him because He paid the penalty for sin, even those we are not aware of.

I confess that I am a common person who does not always live up to the standard of God's holiness. I usually do not sin intentionally. Yet daily, I find myself thinking or doing things that do not measure up to God's best. So I walk with confidence that Jesus died for all my sin, unintentional or otherwise." I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). Praise God for freedom from the penalty of sin.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WORSHIP

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WORSHIP 

"Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings….." (Exodus 39:23-33)

In Exodus Chapter 36-38, God gave very precise instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and the articles that were a part of the worship scene

Worship was not just a haphazard thing. It followed a very detailed order. We do not worship in the tabernacle, but the lessons from the tabernacle and its furnishings give us insight into God's order and plan. I am not talking about liturgy in our worship. Liturgy, when done for liturgy sake, can kill worship. But when done with a right spirit, it can bring freedom.

Let's look at the layout of the Tabernacle and how it gave a formula for worship.

Outside of the tabernacle in the courtyard was the Bronze Altar. Next was the Laver. The tabernacle itself had two sections – the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In the Holy Place were the golden lampstand, the table of showbread and the Altar of Incense. In the Holy of Holies were the Mercy Seat with the Ark of the Covenant. This was to be the place where God's presence was manifested on this earth and was the center of worship.

The priests could not just barge into the Holy Place without going through a process. Worship started at the Altar of Sacrifice, where the animal offerings for sin were made. The priest would then move to the Laver and do personal cleaning and purifying. Only then could the go into the Holy Place to tend the duties of keeping the lamps filled with oil, and changing the showbread and altar of incense daily. In the Old Testament economy, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year.

Worship in the tabernacle is a pattern for our worship. Sometimes we come to worship so flippantly. It seems that any way we come is acceptable. But God is holy and the great God of the universe, and is worthy of careful preparation. We begin at the Altar of Sacrifice – the cross, and receive His forgiveness for sin. There, we receive His righteousness. Then we go to the laver for personal purification and holiness. After that, we move into the Holy Place where we see the lampstand representing Jesus, the light of the world, and the table of showbread which represents the manna, the living Word of God. Before entering the Holy of Holies, we come to the Altar of Incense where we offer up the sacrifices of praise, the sweet smell that God loves. Then we are ready to proceed into Holy of Holies – into the very presence of God. Unlike the Old Testament Priests, we can come confidently to His throne any time, all the time – not just during Sunday Worship.

If it seems that worship has become unimportant or a drag, perhaps it is because we have forgotten that we are worshiping the God of the Universe Who is worthy of more than just a tip of the hat on a Sunday morning. Maybe we have not truly come to the Cross for forgiveness to receive His garments of righteousness. Or maybe we have not purified ourselves. Or maybe we have not offered up the sacrifices of praise. God calls us to come to Him, but He gives us a pattern to follow. So instead of just barging into God's presence, maybe it would be good to take time to prepare ourselves. God is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) – not just as a ritual. Worship comes from the heart.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A WILLING HEART

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE WILLING HEART

This is a test. As I read some Scriptures from Exodus 35, see if you can identify the common thread that runs through all of them.

"And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, 'This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying: "Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold silver, and bronze [and other things]…." (Exodus 35:4-5).

"Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its, service, and for the holy garments. They came, both men and women, as may as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who make an offering to the LORD." (vss. 21-22)

"The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material of all kinds for the work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done" (vs. 29).

Congratulations. You got it! The correct answer is a willing heart.

When the Bible talks of a free-will offering, it means that the offering came from the heart without compulsion. This perspective has not changed. Listen to what Paul wrote to the people at Corinth: "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7). The word here translated "of necessity" is in the margin "by compulsion." It has the flavor of doing something because of pressure from someone else or personal guilt, or external pressure of law or duty. Churches have a way of pressuring people by making them feel guilty if they don't donate, or of making it the fulfillment of a religious duty. But God does not do that.

Jesus set the example of a free-will offering by freely giving Himself. He said that no man took His life from Him, but that He laid down His life (John 10:15, 17). It was a free-will offering that bought our salvation.

Our giving to God should always flow from a willing heart in love and gratitude for all that God has done for us. God loves that kind of grateful expression of thanks. And our spirits are free to give liberally because we give out of love (see Romans 12:8). Is your heart stirred to give? Then give joyfully!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CONSECRATED TO MINISTRY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – CONSECRATION TO MINISTRY

"And this is what you shall do to them (Aaron and his sons) to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests……" (Exodus 29:1a)

Aaron and his sons were to be hallowed – sanctified, consecrated, or set apart – to be priests. There was a ritual or ceremony for this consecration. They were to kill a ram, and then anoint themselves with its blood on their ear, on the right thumb and right big toe. Scripture does not interpret this ceremony for us except that it was a requisite consecration of Aaron and his sons for doing spiritual ministry as priests. So we are left to wonder.

In my own assessment, I wonder if it is not a metaphor of God's people, as priests, to be consecrated from head to toe. The word "minister" is simply serving the Lord and other people.

First is the ear. There are so many voices and ideas clamoring to be heard, that if I am not careful, I can be drawn astray. Many of the things we hear are not from God's perspective. Jesus said, "Take heed what you hear." (Mark 4:24). I need to consecrate my ears to God.

Second is the thumb of the right hand. Our hands are the tools of our bodies that we do things with. Most of us are right-handed, but if you happen to be left-handed, this can apply to you as well. James admonished his Christian readers to "cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" James 4:8). My actions can be so very fleshly, and I need to be consecrated daily.

The third anointing is the toe of the right foot. This may speak of paths we trod in our journey. There are many paths to take and not all are godly paths. I know that I need to have God's anointing on my spiritual feet that will keep me on the right road to heaven, "so you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness" (Proverbs 2:20).

There may be other anointings which we could include. For example, I need the anointing of Jesus on my eyes. All around us are visual images that appeal to my flesh. Job said that he had made a covenant with his eyes, to guard what he looked at (Job 31:1). It's like when I walk through the checkout stand at the grocery story with all the magazines that grab my attention. Many of them are not edifying to my walk with Jesus, and I my eyes to be consecrated.

Also, I need the anointing of Jesus on my lips. Often my words do not reflect God's Word, and I need to have His consecration of my speech. As the Psalmist wrote, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

The hymn says, "Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice and let me sing always only for my King."

Lord Jesus, consecrate my ears to hear, my hands to do, my feet to walk, my lips to speak, and my eyes to see.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE VALUE OF A SOUL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS - THE VALUE OF A SOUL

"The Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.' And the LORD said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.' " (Exodus 32:31-33)

There are many great things in these chapters which we could use for our meditation today. Such things as Moses' desire to know God: "Then Moses said to the LORD, 'Show me Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight' " (Exodus 33:13). Or the way that God gifted Bezalel and Aholiab to do the craftsmanship of building the tabernacle and all the things used in worship (Exodus 31:2, 6). He filled them with wisdom and knowledge to do the work He called them to do.

But there is one focus that has spoken especially to my heart, and that is the intercession of Moses for his fellow Israelites. This has caused me some soul-searching as I have pondered it. I have to ask myself, "What is a soul worth?"

The people of Israel, under the leadership of Aaron, Moses' brother and the High Priest, had sinned greatly by making a golden calf and then worshiping it. Moses was greatly disturbed by this sin. He knew that God's wrath "burned hot against them" and He threatened to bring great judgment on them (32:10).

Moses interceded before God for the people. In His great love for his people, Moses offered to take the punishment on himself, even to having his name removed from God's book. God, in effect, said, "Not so, Moses. Everyone is responsible for their own sin." We cannot pay the penalty for someone else's sin.

But the question haunts me. How much is a soul worth? Would I be willing to have my name blotted out of God's book if it meant another person's salvation? Moses is way ahead of me on this one. Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this than to lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), and He demonstrated this by laying down His life for us. Jesus thought you and I were so valuable that He left heaven to come down to this sinful earth to die on a cross so that we can go to heaven? Do I love lost souls that much, that I would die for them – that I would surrender my own salvation so someone else would be saved? God doesn't ask me to do that. Still, it reveals my own soul.

And, of course, it would not be possible. Scripture is makes it very clear that "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we can be saved" (Acts 4:12). There is only one way to have our names written in God's great Book, and that is by faith in the Lord Jesus. And God's word says that "anyone not found written The Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). That is sobering to contemplate.

Jesus asked a profound question. "What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what would a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37). Can you put a price on a soul? Is there anything on this earth that is more valuable than eternal life with God?

We can know that our names are written in the Book. In writing his Gospel, John says that he wrote the book so that "you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31). We can know beyond a doubt that we have eternal life by believing that Jesus is the Son of God (I John 5:13), and that He died for our sins.

How much is a soul worth? So much that Jesus left heaven to come to this earth to die for sinful man. Oh, what a great Savior! "Man of sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah, What a Savior."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- KEEP THE FLAME BURNING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – KEEP THE FLAME BURNING

"And you shall command he children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel." (27:20-21)

The Tabernacle was divided into two sections. The first section, the Holy Place, held the golden lampstand, a table on which the showbread was place every morning, and the altar of incense, which was positioned directly in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, which held the Ark of the Covenant, sometimes called the Ark of the Testimony, and the Mercy Seat. It was on this Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies that the presence of God dwelt on this earth.

The Levitical priests were given the job of tending the flame in the lampstand so that it burned continually. It was to never go out. It was an awesome responsibility. And not just any oil would do. It had to be pure olive oil.

We do not have the Tabernacle, the Ark, the Mercy Seat, the Table of Showbread, nor the Lampstand. They are long gone. But there is a principle that is relevant to us. It is that we have some responsibility to keep the light in our Holy Place – that is, our spirits – burning brightly.

When our family was younger, we did some outdoor camping. Invariably, we would have a fire in the fire-pit. But, you know, that fire did not just keep burning by itself. We had to add fuel to the fire often to keep it going. It took some effort on our part – gathering tree branches to burn and moving the logs around so that it would keep burning. If we didn't, the fire left untended would go out.

There is a fire burning in our lives – a fire of warmth, light, love and devotion to the Lord Jesus. But it takes intentional effort to keep the fire burning hot. Left alone, the cares of this world will smother the flame. We need to keep the fire burning with the oil of the Holy Spirit. So, keep the flame in the lampstand burning.

Love, Dad