Is God Serious about His Holiness??

Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense
Exodus 37:29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.


The Profane Fire of Nadab and Abihu
Leviticus 10:1 Then 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.
2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
3 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 all the people I must be glorified.’”

So Aaron held his peace.
4 Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
5 So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

Lying to the Holy Spirit
Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
11 So great fear*** came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

*** Psalm 111
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

This concept of "The fear of the LORD" leading to wisdom, knowledge and other positive fruit in the lives of those who do fear the LORD, occurs 23 times throughout the New King James Version. Check it out.

What exactly is the "fear of the LORD"? Too many interpret this as a negative thing. But is it??

Bible passages from BibleGateway.com

Forward to the Past (heh)

DOW Jones Industrial Averages ~~

~~ February 13, 1997 ~~ 7,022.44

~~ October 9, 2007 ~~ 14,164.53

~~ February 17, 2009 ~~ 200PM ~~ 7,579.37

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

You Cannot Serve God and Riches
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Do Not Worry
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Bible Gateway

I thought of

Psalm 1 this AM while doing my Bible readings. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in it he meditates day and night. That's where it's at folks!

First of all the juxtaposition of Leviticus 1 and 2 (the Levitical offerings are introduced), Psalm 22 (you should know that one - if not, read it) and Matthew 27. These passages illustrate so clearly the internal synthesis of God's Word...thrilling!

So what are these Levitical offerings? Are they boring? Do we just surge through Leviticus as fast as possible and get it over with, since it seems to have no relevance to us today?

Check here, here, here, here and here. So many resources available to us! We can be internet Bereans for sure!!

more later, if I have some time...

To Whet Your Appetite

for reading Exodus 39:1-31. Priestly Garments ~ here and here.

Beauty by God the Architect and Designer

As I read Exodus 37 and 38, I try to picture in my mind the details of the Tabernacle and how they all fit together. By the "magic" of the internet I can actually "see" the Tabernacle. Using our "magic carpet" let's visit the Tabernacle today. Enjoy your visit!!

Reading the Bible...or what is God saying in this passage or that passage?

Read Exodus 25 through Exodus 31.

Did you ever wonder why God took the time and precision to write out all the details in these 7 chapters? Why bother you might think & what does it mean for us today?

"Ever since God dictated the blueprints of the tabernacle to Moses, people have wondered about the significance of the exact details. Several terms are used to indicate times in the Bible when events, persons, or things represent larger ideas: typology and foreshadowing. For example, the sacrifice of the lambs in the Old Testament had not only limited immediate significance in understanding the cost of forgiveness, but this practice also foreshadowed the eventual sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus, on the cross.

Because at least some parts of the tabernacle hold special significance--the ark representing God's covenant with His people--students of Scripture have looked for other possible deeper meanings. Ingenuity in linking very item of furniture and every piece of building material to Christ may appear most intriguing; but if New Testament statements and allusions do not support such linkage and typology, students ought to proceed with caution. The beauty and efficiency of the tabernacles's design presents a tribute to God's creative character, but those who look for hidden meaning in every tent peg and covering stitch run the risk of missing the big picture in the details. The New Testament points repeatedly to the awesome fact of God's presence with people as represented in the Tabernacle. Other New Testament lessons (particularly the Book of Hebrews) help identify the intended symbols and deeper meanings."
taken from The MacArthur Daily Bible, John F. MacArthur, Jr., Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003, p. 128.

I need... (read want!)

A Letter From a Granddad

Guess you heard that 68% of the youth vote went to Obama. My granddaughter called this morning to tell me she was one of them.

I replied with this e-mail:

Dear Granddaughter,

The election of Obama comes down to this. Your grandmother and I, your mother, and other productive, wage-earning tax payers will have their taxes increased and that means less income left over.

Less income means we will have to cut back on basic purchases, gifts and handouts. That includes firing the Hispanic lady who cleans our house twice a month. She just lost her job. We can't afford her anymore.

What is the economic effect of Obama's election on you personally? Over the years, your grandmother and I have given you thousands of dollars in food, housing, cash, clothing, gifts, etc. By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help.

So in the future, if you need assistance with your rent, money for gas, tires for your car, someone to bring you lunch, etc. ... call 202-456-1111 . That's the telephone number for the Office of the President of the United States . I'm sure Mr. Obama will be happy to send a check from his personal or business accounts, as we have, or leave cash in an envelope taped to his front door for you, as we have.

It's like this. Those who vote for the President of the United States should consider what the impact of an election will be on the nation as a whole and not just be concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, stimulus checks, etc.). What Obama voters don't seem to realize is that the government's money comes from taxes collected from tax paying families.

Raising taxes on productive people means they will have less money to spend on their families.

Congratulations on your choice. For future reference, you might attempt to add up all you've received from us, your mom, Mike's parents and others and compare it to what you expect to get over the next four years from Mr. Obama.

To congratulate Mr. Obama and to make sure you're on the list for handouts, write to:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington , DC 20500

Love you, but call the number listed above when you need help.

Granddad

wisdom, part 2

Justice for All

Exodus 23
1 “You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2 You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.
3 You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.
4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.
6 “You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute.
7 Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

More to come, stay tuned...

wisdom, part 1

1 Corinthians 1
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

More, stay tuned...

Explain, please.....

I am, unapologetically, a creationist and am constantly amazed at the (intentional?) references to creation in Scripture. Today while reading in Proverbs 6 I was again struck by the foolish arguments posed by those who think we all evolved to our present state of being.
Let me share: "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest." Pr. 6:6-8. Okay, now if our busy little ant evolved over many years, how did she "know" how to gather, when to gather and that she would even have to gather?!? As Dr. Jobe Martin so aptly explains in "Incredible Animals that Defy Evolution", animals didn't get a second chance to learn the lessons of survival. They had to come fully complete or in another word, created, to live in this world and that includes the ant. If she evolved over hundreds or thousands of years, how did she stay alive those first few winters?? And with no ruler or queen ant, how did she even learn to gather??
I agree with Dr. Jobe Martin and find it easier to believe the Biblical account that God created each individual creature to be exactly what it is -- in the above instance, a very knowledgable, busy, industrious CREATED ant.
For more information on "Incredible Animals..." check out this site:
http://www.evolutionofacreationist.com/jobeblog/
Now, let's get busy!