Decently and in Order – Part 2 – February 29

When I awoke this morning, I started to think about the various things I wanted to accomplish, both things necessary and things not so necessary.  I am not one to make out a to-do list each day, although that has been a practice of mine in the past.  I sometimes think that perhaps I should get back into that practice because there are often things that don’t get done that should be done.  Then I started to think about our readings through the first two months of the year, especially in the last month in Exodus and Leviticus, and now Numbers.  Today,  there is not an assigned reading for February 29th so my friends and I decided to take this day to reflect on the scriptures, wherever that would lead us.  What came to my mind were two things that have been drawn out by my friends.  

First, God is a God of order.  Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if God had not given direction for the building of the tabernacle, and then the movement of the people as to who goes first, second, and so on?  How would they know what to do with the various sacrifices that were required, or how would they know who should take care of what parts of the tabernacle?  I look at the orderliness of the instructions given for these things and I can’t help but ask myself if I am a person who orders their life properly.  I have often heard people quote 1 Cor 14:40 about the church, that all things should be done decently and in order.  But do I conduct my life decently and in order?  Do I know, from one day to the next, what has to be done, or do I just fly by the seat of my pants?  As I stated earlier, I used to make a list.  I do not anymore.  There are times that I do things that are not decent, and sometimes my life is out of order.  God is a God of order, and I need to live my life in a decent and orderly fashion.  Decent in word, deed and thought,  Orderly in respect to the tasks that must be accomplished.  Lord help me to live that kind of life.

The second thing that becomes very clear in these first few books of the Bible is that God wants His people to be set-apart.  They were not to be like the people in the land they were about to possess.  They  had to do things God’s way, not the pagan way.  The  whole sacrificial system was set up to set them apart.  The way they treated things like sexual relations,  the making of idols, the treatment of each other, and even down to what to do with the human waste, were all outined in a specific fashion.  Good not only ordered their steps, He ordered those steps to set them apart from everyone else.  The theme of sanctification, which means to set-apart, carries all the way through the gospel, and it is still true today.  I am not supposed to be like the people in the world around me.  Most of this world will tell dirty jokes, or send emails, or post things on Facebook that are lewd and immoral.  They will smile at the adulterer and think nothing of it.  They will embrace those who directly oppose scripture, even in the church.  But we should not be among those.  We should be set-apart for service to God, just as the Levites were.  We are a royal priesthood to God.  May we always make sure we walk that way.

There are some churches that skip over the Old Testament and look at it merely as a historical part of the Bible.  They may go to the Psalms, or Leviticus, or the prophets, but they spend little time in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.  But these books hold a valuable key to our understanding of the New Testament.  We need these books to fully understand the price that Christ paid on that cross.  If we do not spend time reading, and ask God to reveal these Old testament books we will never be able to fully grasp what Christ has done for us.  We will never understand the word Sanctification, or that God wants us to live lives that are ordered by Him.  I am so glad we have spent this time in these precious books of the Bible.  Tomorrow, we will continue our journey!

January 11

Jacob was quite the cunning man.  He deceived his father twice, deceived his brother once, and was deceived by his father in law once.  But he had a plan to get back at his father-in-law, and it has proven to be a very scientific plan.  He told Laban he would work for him and care for his flocks if Laban would agree that all the speckled, spotted and streaked animals would be Jacob’s.  These animals were considered weaker, so Laban was happy to do it,   He had a shepherd in Jacob who works only for the weak animals.  That’s a fair price to pay for around the clock help, isn’t it?

I had never looked this up, but how exactly did Jacobs’ plan work?  Was he some kind of geneticist, oir did God give him this remarkable action to take?  You see, there is a gene in all animals called the agouti gene, that determines the color of the animal’s fur.  This gene is affected by the diet of the mother.  It is turned off when certain nutrients are eaten, and that change is passed down to four generations.  The trees Jacob set before the mothers had those nutrients in them, so when they ate among the rods, they consume these nutrients because Jacob had opened the bark, and the nutrients could flow down into the ground.  This was not a miracle of God as I always thought.  It was just science!   Here is a link to the article I found

Science Proves Weird Bible Story True

We can easily look at the Bible and its characters and think they are just ordinary people like us, and many times it is true.  Joshua and Caleb were faithful men of no special reputation, Gideon was afraid of the enemy and hiding as he threshed wheat, David was just a shepherd, Peter and many of the disciples were fishermen.  God is the one who lifts them up and makes them extraordinary.  God gave Jacob knowledge that we are just learning about in recent years due to the study of genes.  God is the one who sets men apart for His service, and He wants to set each of us apart as well.  The word sanctify means to be set apart.  1 Corinthians 6:11 says we are sanctified by Jesus Christ.    Am I allowing God to set me apart, or am I too stuck in my ways to allow Him that kind of access to my life?  I know in my spirit that God wants more for me, and desires more from me.  Am I going to follow that calling, or just remain where I am?  This is a question we all need to answer, and the way we answer it will determine how far God will take us.  A Fenelon says “God loves a cheerful giver.  How much more does He love a man that cheerfully gives himself to God?”

We Are Sanctified

Hebrews 10:1-10

10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

³ But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

I am just about done with testing to renew my insurance license.  I have been selling various kinds of insurance for almost 9 years, and every three years I have to go through a mountain of material and take tests to get this renewal completed.  The law used to say that 18 hours of this had to be classroom time, but that was changed last year and I can take the courses all online without a proctor for the exam, and without sitting through classes.  I am glad for that change, because my memory is not as good as it used to be, and there is a lot of material to go through.  Once it I complete, the transcript will be sent to the state insurance office and I can pay to have my license renewed.  Then I have to send the information to the various companies I represent.  I have to do this every three years!  There is no such thing as a permanent license that does not expire.

My drivers’ license is a different story.  I renewed it in 2019 and will not have to renew again until 2027.  Because I am over 70, I will have to go in and have my eyesight tested, but should have no problem getting that renewal done.  If I was a fisherman, I would be eligible for a lifetime fishing license in the State of Iowa.  When you turn 65, you can purchase this for $65 and it is good for 100 years.  But there I an expiration date, although I doubt anyone will reach that date.

Everything on this earth will eventually expire or decay.  Food has dates that it should not be sold after, or used after.  Metal can rust, wood can mold, rubber and plastic can wear out.  There is nothing that is permanent and will not deteriorate with time.  Even the trees eventually fall, the mountains quake and tremble and the oceans and seas evaporate one day with fervent heat.  All of it is temporary.

In the Old Testament, God sent His Word to establish a pattern for all of us through the nation of Israel.  The journeys of this nation, and its’ history, are a picture of how our lives can be up and down, but God is always there to pull us through the hard times.  The system of sacrifices, the feasts, the priesthood and the day of atonement also show a pattern that must be followed in order for us to have peace with God.  This peace, the same peace on earth the angels spoke of to the shepherds that night, can only come into our lives when our sin has been forgiven.  God has not changed the requirement that blood must be spilled for the remission of our sin. 

But the pattern of the Old Testament was only a pattern for that time.  Jesus Christ came, from the line of David, a priest in the line of Melchizedek, to be the blood offering for all sin, for all time.  He was sinless lamb, having been conceived by the Holy Ghost and not through the fallen seed of Adam.  The pattern of the Passover was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  The sacrificial law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  The day of atonement was carried out for all time when He shed His blood on that cross.  The vail of the temple was rent fro top to bottom and the Holy Ghost was made available for all of us as a comforter and guide.  Never again will Christ have to offer His life.  It was a once in forever thing. Sanctified means set apart. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have ben set apart for God for all time.  What a glorious thing it is to be able to call on Him for help at any time!  What a wonderful thing to know He has a plan for us, and will speak to us and show us His plan.  What a freedom we gain when we put our trust in Him!  We are forever set apart for God!  Hallelujah!

Purged and Prepared

2 Timothy 2:20-21 King James Version (KJV)

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

There is no denying that sin is in each one of us. We can do all the good deeds God assigns to us, we can give until there is nothing more to give and we can love with an unending devotion, but there will still be sin within us of some kind. For some it is more evident than others. Some may struggle with pornography, others with gossip, others with backbiting or complaining all the time. The way Paul says it here is enlightening to me. He calls this a great house. A great house is worthy of honor and is highly respected. It is seen as a place where good things dwell and where mercies are given out. It is a house that has a lot of honorable vessels in it. Vessels that can deliver good things to those who enter the house. But there are also vessels of dishonor, of wood and earth. These vessels will not survive the fiery trials that may come into the house. They may be useful for some purposes, but not an everlasting purpose.

I would imagine if Paul expanded on this a little bit, he would say that a house that is not so great would have more vessels of dishonor than the great house does. There will still be vessels of honor there, but not as many good deeds and not as much desire to fulfill God’s purpose. These houses are much more common than the great houses as we all know. There are also houses that have vastly more vessels of honor than dishonor. In other words, there are all kinds of houses in this world, some with more honor and some with less. Some with more dishonor and some with less.

Of course by now we all know that this analogy describes the human condition, not just a house. It brings out the fact that there is good and bad in all of us. None is perfect except Jesus himself. We all have good things inside us, vessels of honor that we can offer up to God at any time. But we also have bad things, vessels of dishonor, that must be purged from our life in order to bring God glory. The question is: What kind of vessels are you carrying around? Do you carry vessels of honor, like mercy, grace, kindness, patience, joy and other attributes that will assist those around you to know Christ. Or do you carry vessels of dishonor, like grumbling, moaning, complaining, backbiting, pride, gossip, irreverence, hypocrisy and other attributes that bring shame to Christ? Whatever vessels you carry will reflect on Jesus and His witness within you.

This is why we must purge the bad vessels out of our life and make room for the vessels of honor. If the church looks the same as the world, why would anyone want any part of it? This is exactly what is happening in many churches and denominations right now. The church is looking more and more like the world because it’s members are full of vessels of dishonor and the world doesn’t need more of that. They get enough of that from outside the church. God is looking for a people that will bring their vessels to be filled with His goodness, righteousness and all other Godly attributes. He wants us to bring our vessels just as the woman did with Elijah. Every vessel she could find was filled with oil to give her life again. Every vessel we can purge from the dishonorable things in life, and bring to Jesus, will be filled with honorable things.

I’m not sure about you but I know that God has more for me on this earth. He is not done with me yet! Moses started his ministry when he was 80 and I’m only 68. I have many years left that I can make an impact in this world and I intend to do just that. I have a great desire to touch others with the poetry and songs I hear on almost a daily basis. I have no doubt that you have the same desire deep within your heart. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can think or imagine by the power that works within us. He has plans for us that we can’t possibly comprehend until we have purged out the dishonorable vessels and replaced them with honorable ones ready to be filled. Once these dishonorable things are gone, we become sanctified and ready for the master’s use. God cannot sanctify a filthy vessel. It must be purged of dishonor. The things of this earth must be put ion the back seat – better yet in the trunk. The word sanctify means to set apart. Why would God set aside a vessel that is not honorable? He would not. He would make sure the dishonorable things were gone from that vessel before he would set it apart for His use. Sometimes I think we forget this. I know I do. I keep asking God to do great things with me, yet I am unwilling to put aside the things in me that do not bring him honor,. He simply will not do that. If I really want God to bring greater things into my life, my desires must be put aside, my dishonorable vessels must be destroyed and purged out of my system, and I must come to a place where I bring Him honor in all I do. This is something very few are willing to do. It’s always one step away, one worldly desire away. When will I learn to just take that extra step and give Him all I have?

It is at that moment that we purge ourselves of these dishonorable vessels that we are prepared for every good work that he would have us do. There are so many things he would have us do and we are only holding ourselves back. The church today is shrinking back from the enemy, the culture is moving away from the church, and false religions are rising up around us. When will we wake up and see that God has so much more for us to do. When will we learn that it is us who God wants to use? When will I learn?