April 13, 2010

Leviticus 17

Humans have always tried to create God in our likeness. Our Lord is not created in our likeness. He is beyond us. He is separate from us. He is different. He is holy. It is easy for us in our own minds to put parameters upon God, to define what He is like, to make Him fit our own paradigms. This has always been true of humanity. It is as true today as it was in the days of the ancients. However, the ancients were often more blatant in expressing it. In the days of Moses and the Egyptians they included their gods in everything. Hence, if they were going to have meat at a meal they would offer the animal first to their idols as a way of sanctifying the meal. Here, the Lord is making sure that the Israelites break from their Egyptian idolatry.

He forbids them to eat sacrificial meat. The meat which they bring to the tabernacle is left there. Only the priests ate of it. If they ate meat at home, it was to be completely drained of the blood. Why? Because of God’s holiness. One constant for all ages is that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. That is why Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted. It was not a blood sacrifice. Life is in the blood. Sin requires death. Therefore, for the remission of sin, blood must be shed. Out of that death, our Lord brings life. Out of His death the Lord brings life. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Luke 12:1-31

If I were to ask you, "What is the greatest and most common sins among Americans?" What would you say? Would it be sexual immorality? Certainly our television programming and movies are full of it. I don't watch much broadcast TV but when I do it seems to be filled with references to divorce, adultery, fornication and homosexuality. These are all different forms of breaking the seventh commandment. Or would your answer be violence and hatred. Again the media is filled with violence. We seem to go from war to war. Our video games highlight violence. Again these are all forms of breaking the sixth commandment. Maybe you would say, "Sabbath breaking," or, "dishonoring parents," the fourth and fifth commandments. Or, would you say, "Stealing and lying," the eighth and ninth commandments? Or perhaps you would say that taking the Lord's name in vain is the most pervasive sin, the third commandment?

Somebody once asked a very rich man (I have heard this attributed to J.P. Morgan and to Rockefeller), "How much is enough?" His answer was, "Just a little bit more." That is the heart of covetousness, the tenth commandment. You know our economy is somewhat based upon covetousness. We produce things people want. In order to get people to buy our brand, we come up with commercials and advertisements that incite the covetous nature in people. This product is better than that product--just a little bit more. For some people their self-concepts are formed by how well they meet the standards of Madison Avenue. Unless they have the latest clothes, electronic gadget, music or what have you, they think their life is unfulfilled. Somehow we let the advertising community tell us that our lives consist of the abundance of things we posses or the achievements we attain.

Many years ago, I heard (via CD) the testimony of Neil Jeffries. He was the quarterback for the Baylor Bears in the early-mid-seventies when they defeated the Texas Longhorns for the first time in 17 years. This was the height of his career. He said that with in just a few hours after the victory and emptiness settled in. It wasn't enough. It didn't satisfy. He wanted more. Somehow we begin to think that life consists of the things we possess or the accomplishments we achieve or the recognition we receive.

Of what then, does life consist? Well He is our Creator-not a watch maker who put us together and then left us to ourselves. He is intimately involved in all our affairs! He has Created us to enjoy Him forever. If that is true then, when we put our focus on the things He has created rather than upon Him, we are essentially turning our back on life itself. We are turning our back on that of which life consists! That is why focusing upon His glory is so important. If we are ashamed of His glory, it is only reasonable that He would be ashamed of us. It is time to quit focusing on creation and focus on the Creator. That is why I follow Jesus. He is my Creator. I rebelled against Him. He loved me in my rebellion. He died for me when I ignored Him. He sought me when I turned my back on that of which life consists! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john