The Ear, The Thumb, and the Big Toe

My Bible reading this morning included Leviticus chapter 14.  This chapter deals with being cleansed of leprosy.  What caught my attention was verse 14, "And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:"  I've heard this before!

 

Pastor McGriffin taught a Bible study in Hawaii about this.  His text came from Exodus 29:19-20, "And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about." 

 

The context is different - Exodus is talking about anointing Aaron and his sons for the priesthood, Leviticus is talking about cleaning from leprosy.  Leprosy is commonly a picture of sin, so it was the blood that was applied to cover and recover from sin.  This command is given once regarding the priesthood, but four times regarding leprosy!  I'm so thankful that we can be covered by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God.  Here is the significance of each area that is covered by blood:

 

The Ear

Hebrews 2:1 says, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."  Our hearing needs a blood covering.  There are many voices in the world that can lead us astray.  What we hear affects our actions.  Hearing God's Word will bring our thinking back in line.

The Thumb

Psalm 18:34 says, "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms."  Most animals were not created with opposable thumbs. Mankind and the great apes are rare in this ability.  The thumb allows our hands to do three things: grasp, push, and pull.  When our thumb is covered by the Blood, we have a better grasp on the issues of life, we can push away those things that are harmful to us, and we can pull towards us the things that are beneficial.  2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;"

The Big Toe

Proverbs 2:20 says, "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous." When someone loses their big toe they have a difficult time walking.  Our big toe helps us balance and walk in the right path.  When our balance is off, we stumble and veer from the path of righteousness.

Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."  The things God put into place in the Bible were never "just because."  He always had a reason for what He did.

Repost: The Ear, The Thumb, and the Big Toe

My Bible reading this morning included Exodus chapter 29.  Verses 19 and 20 reminded me of a lesson that Pastor McGriffin taught in Hawaii a few years ago.  I remembered that it was good, but after re-reading my original post, it was excellent!  Here is it again:

This is a post I've been wanting to write for a month!  On our last trip to Hawaii we were able to attend two Tuesday night Bible studies at First Church.  Pastor McGriffin did a two part series called, "The Ear, the Thumb, and the Big Toe."  The key verses were Exodus 29:19-20, "And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about." I had never heard a lesson or message on these verses, so I was curious to see where he would take us. 

Throughout the Bible, being covered by blood is essential.  When Adam and Eve first sinned, God slew an animal to make coats for them.  Repeatedly we see the blood being used as a covering, until the ultimate blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Our lives need to be covered by His blood and these three areas are key:

The Ear

Hebrews 2:1 says, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."  Our hearing needs a blood covering.  There are many voices in the world that can lead us astray.  What we hear affects our actions.  Hearing God's Word will bring our thinking back in line.

The Thumb

Psalm 18:34 says, "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms."  Most animals were not created with opposable thumbs. Mankind and the great apes are rare in this ability.  The thumb allows our hands to do three things: grasp, push, and pull.  When our thumb is covered by the Blood, we have a better grasp on the issues of life, we can push away those things that are harmful to us, and we can pull towards us the things that are beneficial.  2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;"

The Big Toe

Proverbs 2:20 says, "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous." When someone loses their big toe they have a difficult time walking.  Our big toe helps us balance and walk in the right path.  When our balance is off, we stumble and veer from the path of righteousness.

I thought this was such a thought provoking lesson!  Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."  The things God put into place in the Bible were never "just because."  He always had a reason for what He did. 

The Ear, The Thumb and The Big Toe

This is a post I've been wanting to write for a month!  On our last trip to Hawaii we were able to attend two Tuesday night Bible studies at First Church.  Pastor McGriffin did a two part series called, "The Ear, the Thumb, and the Big Toe."  The key verses were Exodus 29:19-20, "And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about." I had never heard a lesson or message on these verses, so I was curious to see where he would take us. 

Throughout the Bible, being covered by blood is essential.  When Adam and Eve first sinned, God slew an animal to make coats for them.  Repeatedly we see the blood being used as a covering, until the ultimate blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Our lives need to be covered by His blood and these three areas are key:

The Ear

Hebrews 2:1 says, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."  Our hearing needs a blood covering.  There are many voices in the world that can lead us astray.  What we hear affects our actions.  Hearing God's Word will bring our thinking back in line.

The Thumb

Psalm 18:34 says, "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms."  Most animals were not created with opposable thumbs. Mankind and the great apes are rare in this ability.  The thumb allows our hands to do three things: grasp, push, and pull.  When our thumb is covered by the Blood, we have a better grasp on the issues of life, we can push away those things that are harmful to us, and we can pull towards us the things that are beneficial.  2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;"

The Big Toe

Proverbs 2:20 says, "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous." When someone loses their big toe they have a difficult time walking.  Our big toe helps us balance and walk in the right path.  When our balance is off, we stumble and veer from the path of righteousness.

I thought this was such a thought provoking lesson!  Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."  The things God put into place in the Bible were never "just because."  He always had a reason for what He did. 

Repost: We Get Up

Part 2 from 2010...

Last week's "We Fall Down" post generated more comments than usual. And Bob Carlisle's song has been on continual play in my head. So I decided to spend some time on the second half of falling - Getting Up. I had worked on this post, but it was still a draft when we went to a Fellowship Meeting in Thousand Oaks on Saturday night. Elder Morton was the speaker and I wish y'all could have heard him! It was outstanding as usual, but it also went right along with this theme.

His text was I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." His title was "A Spirit of Repentance." The first step to getting back up is true repentance. Not crocodile tears, not being sorry because we were caught, but true repentance.

While he was preaching, Elder Morton said, "Calvary is enough! It doesn't matter what you've done! Calvary is enough! God doesn't want anyone to be lost."

I had those same thoughts last week. When we say, "I can't get back up," "I can't go on," or "I can't be forgiven." What we're really saying is, "The blood of Jesus isn't powerful enough for what I've done." We may not say it out loud, but that is what is being said. Because if we truly understood the power of the Cross, we would never doubt again. Yes, we will still fall, but we would grasp the nail-scarred hand that was reaching down to us and allow it to pull us back up again.

I remember praying with a young lady a few years ago. After praying for a while I told her, "You can make it. You can live for God." Her response haunts me still. I can still hear the anguish as she replied, "I hope so." She was so full of doubt, afraid of her own weak flesh.

I believe getting back up is a decision. It takes faith, but it can be done. The next time you're tempted to stay down, look yourself in the eye and say, "The blood of Jesus isn't powerful enough for what I've done." If you can say that, you can stay down. But if you want to get back up, shout it in the face of your despair, "The blood of Jesus IS powerful enough, no matter what I've done!"

HE is faithful and just. He WILL forgive us and cleanse us.

I'm not done with this topic, there are a few people in the Bible I hope to write about in the next few days. Some who fell and got back up. Others who stayed down.

The Second Day

I was out for a run this morning thinking about the events we celebrate this weekend.  On Good Friday we pause to remember, thinking of the sorrow. On Resurrection Day we rejoice.  This is a post I wrote 2010 about that day in between the sorrow and the joy...

If you count like I do, you've probably wondered about three days from Friday to Sunday. In my counting, that is two days. But according to Jewish calendars, Friday is day one, Saturday is day two, and Sunday is day three.

So here we are on the second day. If you've read your Bible, you know that on the third day Jesus arose. On the third day all was right again. If you've ever seen a passion play or Easter drama, the crucifixion scene is quite prominent, followed by a song or some narration, no more than 5 minutes later "He's Alive!" But there was an entire day, the second day, the sabbath. Travel with me in my imagination as I think about what happened on the second day...

Store fronts were buttoned up tightly. No business would take place on the sabbath, even with Jerusalem teeming with visitors who had arrived for the Passover. The only place they would go is the temple. Heavy hearts, guilty minds, relieved hypocrites, all were in attendance.

What now Caiaphas? Are you and Annas patting yourselves on the back? There is the nasty little business of Judas hanging himself, so you can't keep that money, but you've rid yourself of Jesus. Now you can relax. No one will be driving out the money changers from the temple again. Calling you a hypocrite! He should have known better.

I wonder about the man born blind. Sitting in his house, looking on the faces of his loved ones. He'd never seen a Roman crucifixion before, only heard the description. The vivid details are almost too much. Why the One who gave him back his sight?

There are soldiers dispatched to guard the tomb. They must have laughed, thinking how anyone would be able to steal the body. The silly Jews - always creating some kind of drama. Was there one boasting that it was his sword that pierced Jesus' side? Of course a surprise was coming their way on the third day, but the second day was just another day of duty.

What was it like in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha? Lazarus spent four days in the grave. They knew the pain of grief. Was Martha silently weeping as she thought, "I just wanted to take care of Him and His followers, but I should have also spent more time at His feet. I told myself I would do so the next time He came. That chance is now gone."

What about the young lad who gave his lunch? His five loaves and two fish were used to feed thousands! But now... "Mother, why were you yelling 'His blood be on us and our children?' "

What were the thoughts of the lepers He cleansed? The woman with the issue of blood? Jairus and his daughter? So many whom Jesus touched. Had they all been swayed by the yelling crowd? Did anyone still believe He was the Messiah?

Where were the disciples? Faith seemed to be missing in Jerusalem that day. If they truly believed what Jesus taught, wouldn't they have been anticipating his resurrection? Shouldn't they have been making plans to be there when He arose? Only three women returned to the tomb on the third day, but only to take spices to anoint his body.

Somewhere, Barabas was sitting in wonder. He was a free man.

I just wonder if anyone sang this song:

VERSE 1
I was guilty with nothing to say
And they were coming to take me away
But then a voice from Heaven was heard that said
"Let him go and take me instead"

CHORUS
I should have been crucified
I should have suffered and died
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace
But Jesus, my Lord, took my place

VERSE 2
Crowns of thorns, the spear deep in His side
And those pains should have been mine
Those rusty nails were meant for me
Oh Jesus took them and let me go free

CHORUS
I should have been crucified
I should have suffered and died
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace
But Jesus, my Lord, took my place

I Don't Think So!

I heard something the other day that I didn't agree with.  The person said, "There are times when I just don't know if I can make it."  In my nearly 50 years of life, I have never thought that.  Yes, life has been hard at times.  I've been through trials and tests.  I've had grief and trouble.  But I have never thought, "I don't think I can make it."  On my own strength, I know I can't make it, but through the power of the Holy Ghost and the blood of Jesus, I've always know I CAN make it!  I've had so many examples of victorious Christians, I know if they can, I can!

It all comes back to the Battle of the Mind.  What we think is what we will do and become.  When we win that battle, everything else falls into place.  Here are some other things I don't think:

All Men Cheat On the Wives - I heard this from a co-worker many years ago.  I don't think so!  My parents were married for 40 years and my Dad didn't cheat on my Mom.  We've been married for nearly 23 years and no cheating has taken place and I pray to God that it never does.  I know it happens and I'm so sorry if it has happened to you.  But it does not happen to everyone.  I stay away from books, even Christian fiction, that the main storyline is that of an affair.  I don't want to fill my mind with the hows and whys, that will just put doubts in my mind.

All Teenagers Go Through a Rebellious Stage - someone once told me "all college students experiment with drugs and alcohol."  I don't think so!  I know many who have not.  Not all teenagers are pushing at the "restraints" of godly living.  Some are wise enough to know there is safety in staying with the ninety and nine.  I never tried drugs or alcohol and I never wanted to!  Les lived in a college dorm for four years and lived for God the entire time.

My Parents Divorced, so I'll Probably Get Divorced - a close friend told me this when we were teenagers.  I don't think so!  The choices of our parents affect us, but we do not have to follow that same path.  God created marriage and HE wants your marriage to last.

My Parents/Grandparents Had  Cancer/Heart Disease/Fill In the Blank, So I Will Too - I don't think so!  For years we thought every disease was hereditary.  Many are, but many studies show obesity as the cause.  What we inherit is grandma's cookbook and grandpa's sweet tooth!  We inherit habits and lifestyles.  I may be diagnosed with some fatal disease next month, but it won't because I haven't taken care of myself.  I'm not sitting in fear wondering when the ax is going to fall, I'm keeping my family's good habits and working hard to keep the bad ones in the past.

As An Apostolic Lady, I Can't Exercise/Be Active/Have Fun and Be Modest - I don't think so!  Mankind (and that includes ladies) has always been active.  Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz and remained modest.  I know ladies who hike, bike, golf, ride horses, run, and kayak and all of them remain modest!

In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."  When you think "I can't make it" what you are really thinking is "the blood of Jesus is not powerful enough to help me overcome this situation."  Say it with me:  I don't think so!

The Scarlet Thread - It Ends With You

Les taught the adult Sunday school class while we were home.  We are finishing up our quarter studying about the Scarlet Thread of Redemption.  Our key verse was Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

The scarlet thread began with the killing of the first animal to cover the sins of Adam and Eve and concludes with the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross.  On February 10th, Les spent the entire lesson going through the hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion - starting on Thursday evening when Jesus celebrated the Passover supper with his disciples and ending at approximately 3:00 on Friday afternoon when He said, "It is finished."

Sunday's lesson was about applying the blood.  Jesus paid the ultimate price, but each of us must choose to apply or deny the blood.

Les spent quite a bit of time explaining how the blood can be misapplied.  He talked about the ideas of John Calvin, developed in the 1500s during the Reformation.  I have never heard it explained so clearly.  I've taken the liberty to borrow some of Les' notes to share here.

John Calvin’s core ideas resulted from him trying to reconcile the following 3 scriptural concepts:
a) It is God’s will that everyone be saved
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
b) Jesus shed His redemptive blood for all mankind
1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
c) The majority of people will be lost
Mathew 7:13-14 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:   Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Because he couldn't reconcile those three points, he developed the 5 Points of Calvinism:
1. "Total depravity," also called "total inability," asserts that as a consequence of the fall of man into sin, every person is enslaved to sin. People are not by nature inclined to love God but rather to serve their own interests and to reject the rule of God. Thus, all people by their own faculties are morally unable to choose to follow God and be saved because they are unwilling to do so out of the necessity of their own natures. (The term "total" in this context refers to sin affecting every part of a person, not that every person is as evil as they could be).
2. "Unconditional election" asserts that God has chosen from eternity those whom he will bring to himself not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in those people; rather, his choice is unconditionally grounded in his mercy alone. God has chosen from eternity to extend mercy to those he has chosen and to withhold mercy from those not chosen. Those chosen receive salvation through Christ alone. Those not chosen receive the just wrath that is warranted for their sins against God.
3. "Limited atonement," also called "particular redemption" or "definite atonement", asserts that Jesus' substitutionary atonement was definite and certain in its purpose and in what it accomplished. This implies that only the sins of the elect were atoned for by Jesus' death. Calvinists do not believe, however, that the atonement is limited in its value or power, but rather that the atonement is limited in the sense that it is intended for some and not all.
4. "Irresistible grace," also called "efficacious grace", asserts that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to a saving faith. This means that when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved. The doctrine holds that this purposeful influence of God's Holy Spirit cannot be resisted, but that the Holy Spirit, "graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ."
5. "Perseverance of the saints" (or preservation) of the saints (the word "saints" is used to refer to all who are set apart by God, and not of those who are exceptionally holy, canonized, or in heaven) asserts that since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or will return to the faith.
 
The Universalists Rebuttal
Universalists, on the other hand, simply deny that the majority of humans will be eternally lost, claiming that because the atonement was for everyone and God wants everyone to be saved, everyone will be saved. They may be out of God’s favor all their lives and die in their sins, but at some point after death every human being will be saved. Some Universalists even argue that Satan himself one day will be greeted with “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Both Calvinism and Universalism are False Doctrine
1. They neglect the preservation of the human free will.  God will never force himself on anyone.  His blood was shed for everyone, but there are many who know of the power of the blood and still refuse to accept this glorious gift.
2. God’s Spirit draws sinners and backslider to repentance without violating the right to resist the Spirit of God.
3. The Calvinists err in that they believe the blood of Christ is limited in atonement to only the predestinated.
4. The Universalists err by cheapening the blood of Christ to the point where it is not life-changing.

Many of today's religions embrace these teachings.  Pre-destination; once saved, always saved; we are all on different paths, going to the same place. Many of these have a seed of truth, but they stray far from the Bible.  You probably know people who hold to these beliefs.  I hope this will be helpful to you in your own understanding or in answering questions or showing someone the Way, the Way of the Cross.

The Curse and The Scarlet Thread

Les started a new series in our adult Sunday school class last week - The Scarlet Thread.  This is the line through the Bible, from start to finish that teaches us that the life is in the blood.  Blood has always been necessary for redemption and eternal life. Yesterday's lesson was excellent as always.  Les taught about Adam and Eve and the curse that came upon the world because of their disobedience.

Most aspects of the curse were familiar to me.  I'm so thankful that Jesus bruised Satan's head.  Les pointed out something in verse 16 that I had never heard before:

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

The first use of the word "sorrow" is not the same as the second usage.  The second word "sorrow" in the Hebrew is as we would expect - "pain," but the first "sorrow" is actually "worrisomeness."

Worrisomeness in the Hebrew means:  worry, pain, anger, displease, grieve, hurt, be sorry, vex. Webster's dictionary doesn't contain the word "worrisomeness" but is does give the definition for worrisome: causing distress or worry, inclined to worry or fret. 

Les didn't spend much time on this, but I've been chewing on it since his lesson.  Any ladies reading this today know the feeling of worrisomeness?  Are there days when you just feel overwhelmed with it all and sit fretting about things over which you have no control?  Then you tell your sweet husband all about it and his response is, "What's the big deal?"  Men just don't worry as much.  I know they feel stress, but that is not part of the curse that was put upon man, we ladies got that privilege!

Eve had never experienced worry before the fall.  The Bible doesn't tell us how long they were in the garden before Adam and Eve partook of the fruit.  It may have been weeks, months, or even years.   She lived in a perfect world with nothing to worry about it.  Until the fall, then the curse.

Does that mean we ladies should just resign ourselves to worry?  Should we spend our days as Chicken Little:  "There's no way to avoid it, I'm cursed with worry, the sky is falling, the sky is falling!!"  I don't believe so.  I believe we will be attacked with worry, but we must take those thoughts captive.

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6:

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Repeatedly Jesus says "take no thought."  One commentator said this:

It is the repeated command of the Lord Jesus to his disciples, that they should not divide and pull in pieces their own minds with care about the world. The thought here forbidden is, 1. A disquieting, tormenting thought, which hurries the mind hither and thither, and hangs it in suspense; which disturbs our joy in God, and is a damp upon our hope in him; which breaks the sleep, and hinders our enjoyment of ourselves, of our friends, and of what God has given us. 2. A distrustful, unbelieving thought. God has promised to provide for those that are his all things needful for life.

I needed this so much!  We've had a lot of stress in our life lately and I have watched Les confidently going on, believing that God is going to take care of us.  I believe that, until worry takes hold.  I wasted precious time on Saturday taking thought instead of trusting. 

The answer to overcoming our thoughts is the blood.  The scarlet thread that was started in the garden when God slew the first sacrifice to clothe Adam and Eve with skins, is still the answer today.  The blood of Jesus does more than save us, Isaiah 53 tells us:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Our grief, our sorrow, our worry, our future, He carried it all.  Because He did, we can take no thought and know that our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need.  Several weeks ago, Les taught about God's purpose.  He said, "Since aspects of God are identical past, present and future… God’s future plans are as if they had already been fulfilled."  I have to wonder, what am I worried about?  God has it all in His very capable hands!

October 9th ~ Red

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Nothing but the blood of Jesus can take our sins, red like crimson, and wash them white as snow.

Are You Washed In the Blood?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

~ words and music by Elisha Hoffman 

The Unconquerable Symbol

I am reading a fascinating book.  I'm sure I'll do a full write up when I'm finished, but something jumped out at me last night that I had to share.

The book is called  Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor when Hitler came in to power in 1933.  I am only about 25% of the way through the story, the author has taken a lot of time to lay the ground work of who Bonhoeffer was before Nazi Germany.

As the Nazis began taking over Germany, one thing to come under attack was Christianity.  Chapter 11 is titled "Nazi Theology." Hitler said, "It’s been our misfortune to have the wrong religion. Why didn’t we have the religion of the Japanese, who regard sacrifice for the Fatherland as the highest good? The Mohammedan religion too would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?"

The new Nazi religion had a 30 point program outlining the way things should be.  These points included cessation of the publishing and dissemination of the Bible in Germany and clearing away from its altars all crucifixes, Bibles and pictures of saints.  And finally, point number 30:

On the day of its foundation, the Christian Cross must be removed from all churches, cathedrals and chapels . . . and it must be superseded by the only unconquerable symbol, the swastika.

Whew!  That just struck me!  The unconquerable symbol does not look like this:

There is only One Who is unconquerable and conquered all.  Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."  The old rugged cross that "emblem of suffering and shame" is the unconquerable symbol!  It stands for the greatest event in the history of mankind.  When God Himself paid the ultimate price for US.  Yes, there's an unconquerable symbol, but it looks like this:

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Jesus Paid It All

In recent years I have seen pictures of individuals in the Philippines participating in flagellation.  This is a brutal practice, usually taking place just before Easter, with participants whipping their flesh.  The pictures I have seen are horrifying as individuals torture their bodies.

Webster defines a flagellant as a person who scourges himself or herself as a public penance. According to Wikipedia, this practice has been going on for centuries, in many religions around the world. A further search took me to Redemptive Suffering, described as:

Redemptive suffering is the Roman Catholic belief that human suffering, when accepted and offered up in union with the Passion of Jesus, can remit the just punishment for one's sins or for the sins of another. Like an indulgence, redemptive suffering does not gain the individual forgiveness for their sin; forgiveness results from God’s grace, freely given through Christ, which cannot be earned. After one's sins are forgiven, the individual's suffering can reduce the penalty due for sin.

No amount of suffering on our part can pay the price for our sins.  We will never be good enough or holy enough.  It's impossible!  That's why Jesus came.  He paid the price IN FULL.  We don't have to suffer, because He did.  The second verse of this song says it perfectly, "nothing good have I, whereby Thy grace to claim..." but Jesus Paid It All!

Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

 

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
 

And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
 

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
 

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
 

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.

 

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

 

~Elvina M. Hall

Oh The Cross!

This Sunday we will celebrate the single most important event in the history of mankind.  The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!  It changed everything.  It's overwhelming when I try to wrap my mind around what God did for me.  And you.

Our youth department has a drama in the works for Sunday.  I have been asked to sing "Oh The Cross" by Brooklyn Tabernacle.  The words to this song are beautiful.  Since it's a Brooklyn Tab song you know it's a bit on the high side, so I'd really appreciate your prayers.  I've flubbed more than once while trying to sing, but I especially want God's anointing as I sing this Sunday.  Here are the lyrics:

Oh The Cross

My longing for love wouldn’t go away
I was desperate, searching, broken by pain
Looking for answers but nothing seemed right
Where was my answer, what was my life?
Blinded by sin I was lost, couldn't to see
Until I turned my eyes to Calvary

Oh the cross where Jesus died
He shed His blood, gave His life for you and I
My sins erased, no longer lost
My debt was paid, I am saved
Oh the cross

Day after day as I live my life
I find heartache, trouble, battles to fight
When fear tries to grip me and I feel alone
Jesus is with me, I’m not on my own
Now I can say in my heart I believe
My life has been changed because of Calvary

Oh the cross where Jesus died
He shed His blood, gave His life for you and I
My sins erased, no longer lost
My debt was paid, I am saved
Oh the cross

We Get Up

Last week's "We Fall Down" post generated more comments than usual. And Bob Carlisle's song has been on continual play in my head. So I decided to spend some time on the second half of falling - Getting Up. I had worked on this post, but it was still a draft when we went to a Fellowship Meeting in Thousand Oaks on Saturday night. Elder Morton was the speaker and I wish y'all could have heard him! It was outstanding as usual, but it also went right along with this theme.

His text was I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." His title was "A Spirit of Repentance." The first step to getting back up is true repentance. Not crocodile tears, not being sorry because we were caught, but true repentance.

While he was preaching, Elder Morton said, "Calvary is enough! It doesn't matter what you've done! Calvary is enough! God doesn't want anyone to be lost."

I had those same thoughts last week. When we say, "I can't get back up," "I can't go on," or "I can't be forgiven." What we're really saying is, "The blood of Jesus isn't powerful enough for what I've done." We may not say it out loud, but that is what is being said. Because if we truly understood the power of the Cross, we would never doubt again. Yes, we will still fall, but we would grasp the nail-scarred hand that was reaching down to us and allow it to pull us back up again.

I remember praying with a young lady a few years ago. After praying for a while I told her, "You can make it. You can live for God." Her response haunts me still. I can still hear the anguish as she replied, "I hope so." She was so full of doubt, afraid of her own weak flesh.

I believe getting back up is a decision. It takes faith, but it can be done. The next time you're tempted to stay down, look yourself in the eye and say, "The blood of Jesus isn't powerful enough for what I've done." If you can say that, you can stay down. But if you want to get back up, shout it in the face of your despair, "The blood of Jesus IS powerful enough, no matter what I've done!"

HE is faithful and just. He WILL forgive us and cleanse us.

I'm not done with this topic, there are a few people in the Bible I hope to write about in the next few days. Some who fell and got back up. Others who stayed down.