Lev. 10; Ps. 11,12; Prov. 25; 1 Thess.4

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu were in a leadership role as priests but made the human error of choosing to do something their way instead of the way God had specified. I am reminded that the fire was to be kept burning at all times in a specific way.

“Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning, it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the daily whole burnt offering on it.  He must then burn the fat of the peace offerings on top of this daily whole burnt offering.” Leviticus 10:12.

When Nadab and Abihu chose to “keep the fire going” in a different means by putting coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkling incense over it they disobeyed a direct command, thus resulting in immediate death by fire from God! I know I choose my own way more often than I should and it is not that the choice itself is an evil or harmful choice, but it is against what I know God has asked of me.

Psalm 11:6 stood out to me as a connecting thought to that of Leviticus.  “He rains down blazing coals on the wicked, punishing them with burning sulfur and scorching winds.”   Immediately following this verse it is shared that the LORD is righteous, and he loves justice. Those who do what is RIGHT will see his face.  Once again, obedience results in God’s delight and favor.

Psalm 12–David crying out to the Lord for help as he is seeing more and more sin upon the earth. Lying, gossip, insincerity, and such pride within people that they believe they can say anything they want and no one can stop them. My tongue can do such harm within an instant if it is not tamed.

What a comfort though to know that the Lord’s reply to David’s request is one of assurance that He has seen and heard the wickedness and will rescue them. His promises are pure, just as silver refined in a furnace and purified SEVEN times over! David had to trust God that He would protect and preserve them amidst the evil in the land.

I find more and more that God is speaking to me about my speech and how and when to use it, in HIS timing and His words–not mine. These verses put some of my everyday activities into a realistic perspective of what God demands.  (9-10) “Discuss the matters privately so as to not be accused of gossip and never regain a good reputation.”  v.11 –“Advice in a timely manner is as lovely as GOLDEN apples in a silver basket.” I know I have thrown out advice when it was not properly timed and after reading this verse and soaking it in and looking back on those instances I can honestly say the apples in the basket I was handing out were rotten in comparison to what I could have given had I sought the Lord more for his advice and insight to give to a friend in need instead of being in a hurry to help, help, help someone in my own strength.

Amazing how at the beginning of this in Leviticus it spoke on holiness and staying clear of uncleanliness. I Thessalonians 4:1 it URGES us to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord , along with remaining holy and keeping our bodies holy and clean!

“This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before. As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not NEED to depend on others to meet your needs.” 1 Thess 4:11-12.

I pray my words will be used for encouragement, faithful witnessing and blessing to others. I want to be a FLAME THAT DOES NOT BURN OUT but  lights a path no matter what the circumstance or situation placed in. I desire to BE ON FIRE FOR GOD until the moment He swoops down and takes me to my forever home!  HIDE IT UNDER A BUSHEL? NO. I’M GONNA LET IT SHINE,  LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE!

Erica (guest on 66 Books)

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Jeremiah 47, Jeremiah 48, Hebrews 2

“I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” Hebrews 2 

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, – “Because he exalted himself against the Lord. – His lies have made nothing right. – I will bring The year of their punishment,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 48

Please Read –  www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2047,48;%20Heb%202&version=NKJV

Hebrews 2                Of Jesus Christ: “have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  – Thank You Lord Jesus!!

            King of kings, You think, consider and care for me! Your Word says, “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?”  

              You did and continue to do this through Your Son Jesus Who “for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for” me. And is “a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2

             Lord God, I am so needy. In this sin-stained world, I am grateful to come to You for help and protection against all forms of temptation, deception and evil. Even from things that seem good but that are not glorifying to You, my Lord. Your Word, the Bible, gives me Your wisdom, perspective, comfort, empowerment and love. You grow me, correct and change me, mold me to be different than I was before, and hopefully not as ‘good’ as You will have me by next year. Your peace within me surpasses all understanding. Eternal hope and joy by Your Holy Spirit sustain me and enable my soul to flourish despite my circumstances. I desire to know Your Mind and Heart Lord and Master! I long to serve You better from my inside on out.

~I am Moved to Worship You with deep Gratitude and Awe!~ 

Jeremiah 47             Thus says the LORD: “Behold, waters rise, an overflowing flood, men shall cry, … The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage, … For the LORD shall plunder; the LORD has given it a charge Against –  He has appointed it.”

Jeremiah 48             Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully,”

            The world, the flesh and the devil are alive and active – tugging, pulling, manipulating and trying to deceive even the elect (Matthew 24:24). Culture and “religion” take its toll by lying to me, feeding my pride by saying “You are the most important. Take pleasure, please yourself! Your good works make you good. Your riches make you safe. Do what you think is right because God loves you.” Judges 21:25  

            “Judgment has come on the plain country: The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken,” says the Lord.  “Make him drunk, Because he exalted himself against the Lord. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also be in derision. We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), of the haughtiness of his heart.” Says the Lord, “His lies have made nothing right.”  Romans1:18-2:11

            Cutting off the strength of the country, breaking the abilities of the nation, causing inebriation for false “vision” and wrong perceptions, and losing a good reputation are the righteous judgments for arrogance against the Lord God Almighty. Lies of the nation make “nothing right”.

            Is my nation taking the same path? “Moab shall be destroyed as a people, Because he exalted himself against the Lord. Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,” says the Lord. “For upon Moab, upon it I will bring The year of their punishment,” says the Lord. “Woe to you, O Moab! For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.”

            In my own life – Am I living for pleasure instead of sacrificial faith in God’s Word? Am I lying to myself? Lying to others? What am I like when no person is looking? What is the root of my deception? Pride and self-centeredness? If so, this God’s result: ”Joy and gladness are taken From the plentiful field And from the land of Moab; For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure,” says the Lord. “How Moab has turned her back with shame!”

             The Lord causes these painful tragedies and tells His reason: His declared righteous judgment against a people rebelling against Him, the Holy God. What is the cure? Repentance! 2 Chronicles 7:14  

              Lord God, thank You for explaining to me in Hebrews 2 what Your prepared path is for my success in You. Your Word warns me: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. … every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation”  Hebrews 2  

The Lord Jesus Christ IS the Remedy! I resolve to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 8:31-36; John 15

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)   

Exodus 23, John 2, Job 41, 2 Corinthians 11

All these Do’s and Do Nots!

 “Who then is able to stand against Me? … Everything under heaven belongs to Me.” Job 41:10-11

 Found at Bible Gateway –   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex.%2023;%20John%202;%20Job%2041;%202%20Cor.%2011&version=NIV1984

 All these Do’s and Do Nots! All because You, my LORD, care so much for each person, no matter what their status. You Love the wicked man enough to correct him so he will be Godly, safe, joyous, and not burning under Your eternal wrath. Your heart breaks for people wrongfully treated. You hate lying and cheating! You “will not acquit the guilty.”

             Your warning and promise for me is clear: “Pay attention …Do not rebel… I will be an enemy to your enemies…” v.20-22  You, the All-powerful, send terror and confusion to those who oppose You. I am grateful to be safe because of Your Son’s blood. Your tender side entreats me: Engage in caring for Every person. Lord, grow my trust in Your Ways and my heart in Your compassion. I cannot do it without Your Spirit. Fill me with your Holy Spirit!

             You must be my and my family’s First Love, restfully refreshing ourselves in You every seventh day. Being intimate with You, I may not even speak of false gods! Lord Allmighty, I fear You! You can smite me with a thought. I tremble in awe of You, humbled. Indebted to You because of Jesus’ atonement, I do not take You for granted. You own me! I know that I find pleasure in things that are not of You. Make me aware of my “false gods”. Have me detest them as You do. Reveal the deception of those who flatter, ploy, coming as “angels of light”, wolves in many outfits and sounds. Abundantly give Your True Light to set Your suffering flock free!

             Make me proactively aware of idolatry and ideology that opposes Your Word. Make me intolerant of sin and sinful patterns as You are. Chasten me to keep my righteous boundaries firm to prevent me from being ensnared by sin and depraved. v. 32-33 You placed Your Spirit in me, making my body Your Temple. (1Cor 6:19) Continue to cleanse me. Remind me that You give me far greater and real pleasure when I am in Your Presence!    

             I need You Lord God Almighty like I need breath to live. I cannot live an eternal life without You. I choose to be set apart for You and not yoke or covenant with sinfulness. Cause my country to delight in You, so within our borders will be fresh and clean, and we will see Your Glory 24/7/365. 

             You desire me to joyously celebrate You! Never to come to You empty handed, but to bring You my best, not perfection, but just my all. That is how You are for me! You Joyously Celebrate over me! You serve me the Best! You know my needs thoroughly. You miraculously saved me from Hell by Your greatest Gift, Jesus. Yet Your Love-Gifts never end.  

             Someone came to our home to sell us a set of VERY expensive knives a few years ago. My old set was well cared for and did a good job, they noticed. But You showed me that their tools were far superior! I could make one cut and the job was done. Life would be faster, more accurate, and easier with these tools. But You “told” me that it wasn’t safe to have a set of sharp knives in my home yet. Again, this summer I saw excellent knives. I asked You, “Can I have them?” and quickly added, “I don’t want to spend Your money on what I don’t really need. What I have is still useable.”    You shocked me Jesus. On Christmas Day, under the tree, were the Best set of knives. A salesman gave them to my husband, who gave them to me, for me to serve others~~!! Oh Joy!! You know the minutest desires of my heart. Frivolous, yet valuable to You. – And I learned a lesson by it – Tools are Very Important, especially when in the Hand of the Master. Make me a Great knife in Your Hand, please!! Make me skilled with Your Sword of the Spirit!! Let me not be a clunker, bashing the meat, pulverizing the tomato… but instead, sharp and direct, causing little destruction yet bearing great fruit for You! Please Lord?!

             The leviathan~ I rejoice in Your creativity and power! I delight in your Brilliant Intelligence! I burst with Joy for Who You are and what You do!! You created and know this beast; his emotions, capabilities, and those of his enemies! How much better must you understand, love and think about me? Your child, one made in Your Image. I must pursue thinking this way rather than discounting my value to You, my Lord and Savior. ~ There is nothing too much for You, my God! You can, and You do!

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)

Exodus 9, Luke 12, Job 27, 1 Corinthians 13

Lordship or Not?

 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.  But he who disowns Me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. Luke 12:8-9

Found at Bible Gateway –  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex.%209;%20Luke%2012;%20Job%2027;%20I%20Cor.%2013&version=NIV1984 

Exodus 9          God’s Wrath is real. There is no escape route except One. God will have His Way whether I am on His side or not.

            Pharaoh refused to comply. God sent natural disasters to Egypt with explicit instructions, “Let my people go, so that they may worship Me.” This is always God’s command for me: Worship Me in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24). The plague on livestock, of boils and hail did not move Pharaoh’s stubborn heart against the LORD, the God of the Hebrews.

            What is my reaction to God’s commands? Am I hardening my heart against God to my own demise? What pain am I suffering because I refuse to acknowledge God as my Lord and Master? How am I “plagued” because I disregard and do not submit to the Truth of God’s Word and the power of His Holy Spirit?

Luke 12, Job 27, 1 Cor. 13             Jesus, You warn me not to be false. I am never allowed to lie. I am God’s child, not the devil’s (John 8:44). You will disclose everything about me – please do this to me, so I may see my blind spots and live for you more purely! Lord Jesus, engender a passion for Your Truth, Your Word, that my mind filters everything through It. (Psalm 1, 2 Corinthians 10:5) That I speak, live, and love the Word of God, which is You, Lord Jesus. May my mouth be pleasing to You.

            I am NOT to act out of fear of man nor for worldly desires, for that is distrust and disrespect of the One Who Loves me best. Instead I am to acknowledge Him and learn from His Holy Spirit. I am to be rich toward God, for He is my heart’s priceless Treasure. Lord, I dedicate my mind and heart to be faithful to You, my Rock, so that I will not be tossed to and fro according to the fickleness of man. I get so hurt when I do not live by faith in You.

            Because the Lord Jesus has given and entrusted me with much, He demands much from me. Besides giving me food, clothing, shelter, You have given me an able mind, a new heart, Your Son, Your Word, Your Spirit. What more can I need! Nothing! So I am honored and yearn to always be Your faithful bond slave, actively engaged in Your “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Jesus, You are coming unexpectedly – yet may I live consciously aware that You are in me, that You are watching me right now. So I may always think, act and speak for your purposes and glory! Awaken Your tools and gifts within me that I would use each of the under Your skillful Hand and without ceasing. Bring Yourself much glory, please! I delight to see Your Glory!

            I will not deny my integrity because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross for my multitude of sins (Romans 8:1-2). I will teach the godless about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal (Job 27:11). Jesus warns me that He has brought adversity within my family: those for and against Jesus. (Luke 12:51-53) I know this full well.

            So I will choose to love with God’s wisdom and compassion. God, Who IS Love, never fails. I will drink heavily from His Word and Holy Spirit. I will feed my emotion and mind on the Word of God so He will heal me and pour through me for His good purposes and glory. I will trust the Lord unashamedly. I am to live out of His Agape Love for me.

            My Father, thank You for teaching me in these verses what You expect from me and how You enable me. Thank You for giving me more than I could ask for: Freedom from guilt, shame and condemnation; Freedom to read Your Word and to Worship in my country, anywhere and anytime; Fellowship with true believers; Freedom to hear Your word on the airwaves, TV, and internet. God, You are SO Gracious!! I am so grateful that You are sovereign!! I am indebted to You for all You pour into me!! Thank You!! Your gifts of the Holy Spirit, Your fullness in me, Your chastening me, Thank you!! Your Joy is my strength from the enemy of my soul!! Holy Spirit regenerate me. I seek to follow Your command to “Let go” of whatever is keeping me from truly worshiping You with my life. I rejoice in praise and worship of You Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)