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Showing posts from January, 2020

The Lord Your God

This short but incredibly important phrase appears 45 times in Deuteronomy. More than any other book in the Bible. It also appears in what Jesus said is the Greatest Command, which by the way is also found in Deuteronomy. Do you think that God was trying to emphasize an important point? He not only was, but he IS emphasizing the most important point. God must be mine! These words were repeated so many times in Deuteronomy because the people were about to make a move. Not that they hadn't been moving for the last 40 years, because they had been. But this move was different. They were going to be settling down for awhile. They were coming into the Promised Land. It was full of cool stuff, like furnished houses and planted gardens. All the comforts of home just waiting for their arrival. Really cool stuff. However, there would be a great temptation to forget about God, who had brought them to this place. Funny how that works isn't it? Not really. But that is what happens with us i

Love God and do what you please

Deuteronomy 6: 5. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. https://bibliajfa.com.br/app/niv/05O/6/5 When asked for his idea of the greatest command, Jesus replied with the above text.  Years ago one of my college professors told the class that we could "love God and do what we pleased". I was surprised by his statement. But as he explained further, I could see how that what he said made total sense. When we love God, we will want to do what he loves. We will want to please him with our conversations, our plans and our thoughts. We will want to do what he wants with all of our being. So, remember, God is love and we are to love him back with everything that we have. 

Know God

Numbers 23: 19. God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? This is our problem most of the time isn't it? We think of God as a human. We find it difficult to understand how he can be eternal, all knowing all powerful and everywhere. It does not make sense. We can't fathom him. So we doubt him. We mistrust him. We don't talk to him. We can't see him and thus he is not present. The reality is that he IS all of the above. He is near. He does not lie. What he says he does. It's a guarantee. So, we need to know what he says and is saying. How? All of our knowledge and understanding of God comes from the Word. So pay attention. 

Leviticus

Leviticus is a priest's guide. It tells of sins and sacrifices; how to treat them and how to offer them. It illustrates the impossibility of keeping the Law. It pictures the holiness of God. If we read this holy, technically detailed and thorough book with God's holiness in mind, we will better understand Christ's perfect sacrifice. Jesus fulfilled the Law and thus eliminated the need for other offerings. He made the impossible possible by taking our place at God's alter. He offered his own blood as our perfect high priest. He set us free from the Law's requirements. His perfect, once for all, sacrifice paid the debt I owed. Leviticus is there between Exodus and Numbers to remind us of Jesus' cross work. Thank you dear Father.