by Whitey | May 6, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.” (vs. 7)
A big part of what the Old Testament teaches us today is all that Christ has saved us from. This is one of those things. Under the Old Covenant, only the Levites could serve as priests, and only they could enter the sanctuary. They were the mediators between God and his people.
The New Testament teaches us the “priesthood of all believers.” We can all go to God directly because of Jesus. We can minister to each others needs. We are all “priests,” and Jesus is our Great High Priest.
What a privilege we have in Christ!
by Whitey | Apr 26, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (vs. 4)
Here, seeking the Lord and seeking His strength are stated as though they’re one and the same thing. Worshiping God and receiving the strength we need to serve Him go hand-in-hand. When I am weakest, it is usually a sign that I have not been seeking Him. And as this verse reminds me, I need to seek Him always.
Seeking God isn’t just about our private devotional life or public church activities. It’s about our everyday work and play as well. What if, before doing anything, we asked ourselves “Can I seek God through this?” “Can I do this as an act of worship?” “Can I invite God into this?” Maybe then we wouldn’t waste so much time on things that pull our focus away from Him.
Lord, please keep reminding me to seek You always.
by Whitey | Apr 25, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.”. (vs.14)
Even after all they’d been through together, the disciples didn’t believe when some of their own testified to seeing the resurrected Jesus. Even after all they’d seen and experienced with Jesus, and all He’d taught them (including predictions of his death and resurrection) they didn’t believe until they saw Him for themselves.
But what a change occurred after Pentecost. The disciples went from being scared, unbelieving and weak, to bold, faithful and powerful witnesses of Christ. It just underscores the fact that, as powerful and meaningful as the death and resurrection of Christ are, we need His Holy Spirit in our lives to change us from the onside out.
Thank You, Lord, for the death and resurrection of Jesus. And thank You that after the ascension, You did not leave us alone. Help me to live in the victory and freedom You won when with the resurrection, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen.
by Whitey | Apr 22, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
Jesus is mocked, beaten and crucified. The people hurl insults at Him about being “King of the Jews,” “Messiah,” and about His claim that He would “tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days.” The irony of their mockery is that by going through with the crucifixion, Jesus is actually fulfilling these things.
Thank You, Jesus, for going through all that, fulfilling Your role as Messiah and King. For all of us. For me.
by Whitey | Apr 21, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
This passage shows us Jesus’ so-called trial before Pilate. Pilate appears weak, panders to the crowd, wants to keep them happy or at least shut them up. He is supposedly the authority but is easy swayed.
Jesus makes no attempt to defend Himself. For the most part, He says nothing. He doesn’t care what the religious leaders or the mob they’ve gathered think about Him. He willingly allows Himself to be condemned to death.
For us. For me.
Jesus, thank you for Your willingness to die for me. Thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You that You were not swayed by the crowd, but did what was right, what needed to be done.
Father, make me more like Jesus.
by Whitey | Apr 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
Churches Helping Churches, one of many organizations partnering with CRASH Japan to bring relief to the people of Tohoku during this time of crisis.
