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Who Do I Need To Forgive And Resume Loving

Leviticus 19:18---Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.

Love...keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13:4) Jesus said that this was one of the Laws that summed up all the others (Matthew 22:39,40). I'll bet when you read that verse, the 'bear a grudge' part pricked your heart, or at least provoked a memory. We seem so ready to be offended in this day and age. Jesus warned us that this would be true (Matthew 24:12). We have lauded self-esteem but forgotten to warn of pride. Pride sets itself above others and demands that others give us respect and honor. If we hear a word spoken against us, we readily forget all the words we have spoken that are wrong against others and excommunicate that person from our love and grace. In the worst cases, we play the offense over and over in our minds until it festers and becomes an infection in our memories. Just to touch on it brings back the pain. Believe it or not, the cause of all that is self, not the one who offended you. If we esteem others better than ourselves, we will examine their words to see if there is truth in them. If there is, we will apologize and adjust our life. If there is not, we will give those words to God and go on loving that person. How many times have we offended God? Does He harbor each offense and bring them up to you every time you want to pray? Jesus said that God will treat you as you treat others. It sounds like we better be very generous in our forgiveness, don't you think?

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Let The Word Of God Dwell In You

Matthew 13:22-23---He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Perhaps the most famous of all of Jesus' parables is the parable of the sower. The seed was illustrative of the word of God. It was sown on a path, rocky ground weed-filled led ground, and good soil. The seed on the hard path was eaten by birds. That which grew in the rocks withered from heat, because the roots were shallow. The seed that grew with the weeds bore no fruit because of the choking power of the weeds. The seed in the good ground multiplied from 30 to 100 times the amount of seed. The soil is a picture of man's heart. The hardhearted never allow the word to take root. The stony heart does not let the roots grow deep. When difficulty comes, they forsake the word. We are focusing on the seed among the weeds. Jesus said the weeds are worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Some hearts will never allow their trust for daily needs to be placed in the Father's hands. They think their own hard work and planning is the way they survive. The fear of lack drives them to concentrate on gaining wealth. Jesus called wealth deceitful. It promises satisfaction and provision, but it can do neither. It can fly away with one little monetary crisis. Today's hot investment is tomorrow's big loser. If your heart is set on these things, you will not bear fruit. In a weedy field, the weeds suck the nutrient from the soil. That keeps the stalk of grain from having sufficient nutrients to form the grain heads. The good soil produces many times over what was originally sown. Is the word of God multiplied in your life? Are you giving the word out because of the increase the word has produced in the good soil of your heart? If not, examine what kind of soil your heart is. The Lord is waiting to change the condition of that soil if you will ask.

The Challenge Of The Cross

The Wonder That Took Place On The Cross

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.

Blood brings life-giving oxygen and nutrients to every cell in our bodies. It carries away the waste from every cell. Without this wonderful process of both bringing nutrition and carrying away waste, we quickly die. Our brains cease to function after only a short time without sufficient blood flow. Truly, blood is our physical life. God told Moses that the reason He designed us this way was so that the blood could make atonement for us on the altar. It makes atonement or covering for our sins. As the priest would slay the once- a- year atonement sacrifice, he would gather the blood to sprinkle before the Ark of the Covenant where God dwelt. The blood brings life, and the blood takes away impurity. Man's rebellion against God is so serious that only death is a sufficient penalty. Since life is in the blood, blood must be spilled as justice. From the foundation of the earth, God determined that it would be the blood of His own Son. That was the only blood that could take away the impurity of the world. All other blood was insufficient to remove sin. They had their own sin that needed to be removed. The blood of animals could cover for a time (atonement) until the sufficient blood was shed, the blood acceptable to God for the sins of the world. Thank God today that He made a way to do what you could never do. Without the blood of Jesus, there would be no hope for the removal of the impurities of your life. Like a person with liver failure, you would have died on your own poisons. But the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sins.

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Is There Something That Is Competing For Your Love For God?

Exodus 34:14---For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

We run into trouble when we think of God as we would think of a man. That is all we have to relate to, other humans. With the exception of Jesus' physical life, all human comparisons with God's character are flawed. When we read this passage, at first, we may think of jealousy is an unholy quality. That would be thinking as if God was like man. He is not. He is utterly holy. We can understand Him calling Himself a jealous God if we consider His other attributes. His jealousy is out of a holy heart of real love. Since we are dedicated to Him as His bride, He longs to see us uncompromisingly dedicated to Him. His desires are entirely pure and unselfish. The motivation of His jealousy is His genuine love that knows His ways are best for us. He wants to see us made into a pure and spotless bride. The same word for jealous in Hebrew can be translated zealous. God has a great zeal to see us transformed into the image of Christ. It is out of His great love that we see this jealousy, or zealousness, in God. It is hard to fathom that Someone so great could love us so much. We, in proper response, should allow our love for Him to flourish. We should be zealous about Him as well. We should also be sensitive to times when something may be competing for our love for Him. It is not a good idea to arouse His jealousy. It is there for our good.

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Let the King Reign in Your Heart

Matthew 11:12-14---And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

John the Baptist came preaching repentance. Though he was the last to hold the Old Testament office of prophet, his message was not about the Law. It was about the coming kingdom of heaven. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Crowds were drawn to the wilderness to hear John speak and be baptized by him. Their hearts were becoming a level highway for Christ to enter in. Even though the Spirit was forcefully moving people, they had to be willing to buck centuries of tradition and thought patterns to hear and receive the Gospel. The Prophets and the Law pointed to the coming Messiah. The Jews believed that Elijah would return to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus was telling them that Elijah had come, in John the Baptist. John was the one that prepared the way for the Messiah. All history pointed to the moment in time in which they lived. The revelation of God to man was climaxing in that day. No wonder Jesus said the kingdom of heaven was forcefully advancing since John began his ministry. This was it! But it continues its advance. After Jesus ascension, the Spirit was poured out upon men. The kingdom of heaven continues to forcefully advance. Have you forcefully laid hold of it? It takes an effort to break the traditions and thought patterns of man and let Christ be formed in you. Forcefully lay hold of the kingdom of heaven in all your ways. Don't allow the world to hold you back! Lay hold of the kingdom of heaven.

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In Him We Find Rest

Exodus 33:13-15---Now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

Moses had set up a tent where he would go and meet with the Lord. The cloud that led them would come over the tent when Moses went to commune with God. He had a special place he would go. It is a good example for us. We should commune with God throughout the day, but a special place to really hear from God can be helpful. After Moses saw the devastation that sin brought to the camp and was reminded of the fallen nature of man, he asked God to teach him His ways so that he would stay in God's favor. Moses was asking to learn to walk in righteousness. He wanted to forsake the ways of man and live in the ways of God, that he might please God. How can he lead if he does not know God's ways? His reminder that the nation is God's people enforces the need to know God's ways. He had already received the Law, but Moses knew it was more than just rules for living. Instead of giving Moses more rules or a book to study called The Ways of God, He gave Himself. Presence is rightly capitalized here. This is the Prince of the Countenance. It is Jesus going with Moses. That is who is in the cloud as the angel of the Lord. He is the One who meets with Moses in the tent. He is the Way of God. Moses rightly says, "If your Presence does not go with us we don't want to move." I hope you have come to the same conclusion. Sin is devastating. You need to know the ways of God. You need His Presence with you in all you do and everywhere you go.

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Carrying A Burden For People

Exodus 32:31-32---And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
While Moses was on the mountain receiving God's instructions, the people had gone their own way, insisting that Aaron make them a god to lead them. Freed from the bondage of Egypt and now thinking they are free of a moral leader, they threw caution to the wind and gave in to their lusts. While Aaron formed a golden calf from their donated earrings, the people partied wildly. God told Moses to get back to the people, for they had already broken the commandments He had just given. God described the people as stiff-necked. In other words, if you call to them, they will not turn their head to hear. They go their own way. God said He will destroy them and begin again with Moses' children to make a nation for Himself, but Moses pled to God with the above prayer. Imagine if Moses had not had such a heart for the people. The nation would be called the Children of Moses, not the Children of Israel. Here we see the real heart of an intercessor. Paul the Apostle had the same burden for Israel. These men shared the heart of their LORD. God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that we would not perish. How much are you willing to give of yourself for the lost around you? Pray for a heart for others like Moses and Paul had, and most of all, like our heavenly Father, who is not willing that any should perish.

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