Dead Men Walking

Zombies-what are they?  Who are they? We have seen them in movies, tv programs and comic books.  But perhaps you have seen them not knowing who they were.  A zombie is a person who is or appears lifeless, someone apathetic or completely unresponsive to their surrounding, the living dead.  Yes, the living dead!

For those who know Jesus Christ as Savior, we are given life-eternal life at the moment that we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.  We are no long dead!  For those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior, they are the dead, the zombies and the dead men/women walking.  Without Christ there is no salvation and there is no forgiveness of sin.  It is sin that keeps us dead.

Made Alive in Christ

Ephesians 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

 Jesus died that we might live.  All it takes is a choice to believe that He is the Son of God, that He died for our sins on the cross and He rose from the dead thus conquering death for us.  We can not save ourselves with good works.  The truth is we can never be good enough to buy our way into eternal life.  It is only through God's grace and love that we are saved.

Ephesians 2:4-9 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

If you could see the souls of the people we meet on the street, at church, in the checkout line, at school or anywhere else we might be, would they be a zombie?  Would they be the dead?  Look around you.  Do you see the living dead?  If you know someone without Jesus, a friend, a loved one or anyone else that does not proclaim Jesus as Lord then you know a zombie.  Tell them about Jesus and His great love for us.  Help them become a living, breathing soul that has eternal life in the presence of God.

The Lamb Was Silent

I recently watched a sheep shearing demonstration in Australia.  The sheep to the left sat silent and still as the owner of the ranch talked about sheep and the shearing process. He continued to talk for several minutes explaining what was about to happen as the wool was removed from the sheep.  The animal at his feet did not make a single movement or a single sound. 

Then in the shearing area, an experienced shearer very carefully and deliberately began removing the wool from the silent sheep. As the shearing proceeded, the sheep made not a sound and moved only as directed by the shearer's hand.

It was not until yesterday, that I understood the significance of what I had witnessed.  The lesson was on Phillip's witness to the enunch in Acts 8:29-35

Acts 8:29-35 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

         "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
         AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
         SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
    ³³"IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
         WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
         FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH."

The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, went before His accusers and was silent.  Remember when Pilate sent Jesus to be judged by Herod.  Jesus didn't make a sound.

Luke 23:8-10 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. 9And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. 10And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently.

AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

Jesus spoke not a word and moved only at the direction of the Father's Hand.

The Kangaroo

During my recent trip to Australia, I had a personal encounter with several kangaroos.  These were not wild kangaroos which can be dangerous and mean but gentle ones in a tourist attraction much like a petting zoo.  There must have been twenty or thirty of them resting, sleeping or just curious as to why tourists were invading their space.  One of the momma kangaroos or as the Australians say "Mum" kangaroo had a baby in her pouch.  The little baby had a large head as you can see from the picture and must have been about ready to be out of the pouch.  I did not know that mother kangaroos have three stages of gestation and delivery going on at one time.  The large baby called a "Joey" just large enough to be out of the pouch, a growing new baby "Joey" inside the pouch and an embryo growing and developing just waiting to grow big enough to enter the pouch once the resident baby leaves keep the mother kangaroo very busy.  There are never two babies at the same time. Past, present and future babies.

In thinking about life, I thought of God's perspective of life events.  Our Heavenly Father sees the past, the present and the future at once! We do not.  Not only does He see it, He designed it.  While we can see the past in great detail-the little joey on the ground, we know what has happened and are aware of the things we might have changed and the things we did right.  We may also be aware of the new growing and developing but can only see part of it until it comes to full term.  This is the present-the Joey in the pouch, the one not fully developed and not part of our current understanding.  We may think we know what will take place but until it happens we can only assume it is the way we think it is. And as for the future-the developing joey, we can only imagine what it might be like!  We can imagine the joy and anticipate its coming.

Praise the Lord for His marvelous creation and how marvelous is His provision!  We remember the past and know how He has provided and brought us through all things.  We look at the present and see His Hand is working in our life each day and we look to the future and know that because He has provided for us in the past and in the present that He will indeed provide for us in the future.  Oh, what a marvelous, wonderful God we serve!!

Birthday of a King

During this time of year, Christians focus on the birth of Jesus.  In America, the nation is thinking less about the meaning of Christmas and the beliefs our nation was founded upon and more about the "politically correct" things to say and do.  While it is correct to respect other people's ideas and religion or non-religion, it is also our right and privilege as Christians to express what we believe.


So what is it that we believe?  Do Christians think more about the commercial aspects of the Christmas season or do we know what, why and in whom we belief?  We don't really know the exact date of Jesus birth, but we do know where and how, Jesus was born.  We also know that Jesus' birth was planned while He was still in the heavenlies before His birth as a man as evidenced in the Holy Bible. Prophecies throughout the Old Testament foretold long before His birth:

His pre-existence and place of His earthly birth 

Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

From the tribe of Judah

Genesis 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."

Heir to the Throne

Isaiah 9:6-7 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,  establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."

Born of a Virgin and His name shall be called Immanuel (God with us)

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Declared to be the Son of God

Psalm 2:7 "I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father."

Presented with gifts

Psalm 72:10 "The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts."

Remember who Jesus is and why He came.  He was the sacrificial Lamb of God, our Savior, and our King.  He was born of a virgin, lived among men, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead and is coming again!! Praise the Lord!!

Merry Christmas everyone.  Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.

Thank You God For Everything

I learned a poem when I was a little girl that was brought to mind during this Thanksgiving season.  Many of you know this poem so perhaps it will take you back to a time when you were young.  It sums up just about everything we should be thankful for every day. 

Thank you for the food we eat 
Thank you for the world so sweet
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you, God, for everything.

Most of us in America have plenty to eat.  Some of us eat more than we should especially on holidays. There are many in the communities where we live that have little or nothing.  Perhaps we should share more with those who are lacking.   We need to remember Who it is that has blessed us with this abundance.  God blesses us so we can bless others. Find someone today and give of your abundance. God has created the most beautiful wonderful world.

Everywhere you look you can see God's glory. Praise the Lord for all His blessings everyday!  Take a look at a flower and notice the delicate nature it contains.  Smell the fragrance.  Even in the smallest details God's design is awesome.

God created birds to sing praises to His name and for us to enjoy their melody.  God must love music because He is the one who created it.  Stop and listen to their sound.  The melody from the birds that sing or children playing is beautiful!

Praise the God who has created you and all the things you enjoy!  Praise this God of the universe!  Our God of the universe-vast and marvelous and our God of intricate details in all His designs.  Thank You, God, for everything!!

The Guilt or Trespass Offering-Your Walk with God

Leviticus 5:14-19 The LORD said to Moses: ¹⁵ "When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. ¹⁶ He must make restitution for what he has failed to do in regard to the holy things, add a fifth of the value to that and give it all to the priest, who will make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.¹⁷ "If a person sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible. ¹⁸ He is to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the wrong he has committed unintentionally, and he will be forgiven. ¹⁹ It is a guilt offering; he has been guilty of wrongdoing against the LORD."

This was a personal offering. A ram without defect is offered for your sins.  You lay your hands upon the animal as a symbol of passing your sin to the animal while confessing your particular sin. You state that you have sinned and rebelled against God but also state you are repenting and this animal is your atonement for that sin. This may be an intentional sin or an unintentional sin. Both types of sin required the same sacrifice.

The ram is split open and the priest offers the fat of the inward parts upon the Altar. The priest then sprinkles the blood back and forth on the Altar.  The remainder of the blood is poured out at the base of the Altar.  You must also make restitution for any harm you may have done to another by reimbursing in full and adding twenty percent to the value of his loss.  This brings about reconciliation between the you and the one you harmed.

Note the words restitution and reconciliation.  Restitution means an act of restoring.  Reconciliation means to restore to harmony, to settle or to resolve. When Jesus became the guilt or trespass offering, He did this to restore our fellowship-our harmony with the Holy God.

We are by our very nature sinful.  It all started in the garden with Adam and Eve.  Because of sin we can not come before a Holy God on our own.  God is a Holy God and can not tolerate sin.  God instructed Moses to set up a system of sacrifices to express the sinful nature of man and begin the process of showing His people the way of making restitution with Himself.  This system pointed the way and was fulfilled in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

The Burnt Offering

 Lev 1:10-13 'If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, he is to offer a male without defect. ¹¹ He is to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. ¹² He is to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. ¹³ He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.'

In the Old Testament, God instructed his people to offer a Burnt Offering.  The Burnt Offering expressed the individuals readiness for communication with God.  It was a volunteer offering of yourself.  You presented it of your own free will (self surrender) showing you are ready for communion with God. This was an expression of your readiness to present your entire being to God-a complete giving of yourself to God.

The animal sacrificed was raised by you, that is an animal that was familiar to you possibly even a pet.  The animal is skinned by the priest exposing all of its inward parts.  The priest quickly checks to make sure the animal is free from defects and then burns the entire animal on the Altar except for the skin that remains as evidence that a sacrifice has been made.  The smoke from the Burnt offering ascends as a sweet aroma to God as an acceptable sacrifice.

 

Ephesians 5:2 "...and live a life of love,  just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Jesus offered Himself willingly to become our Burnt Offering, with no reservations He offered His whole body as a "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God".  This made possible a return of communication and fellowship with God that was broken by sin in the Garden of Eden. In Hebrews 10:7-10, Jesus expresses the fact that because of his willful act of sacrifice on the cross, He set aside the covenant of the law and established the covenant of grace.

^{Hebrews 10:7-10 "}Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.' " ⁸First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). ⁹Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Recommended book:  "The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread" by Richard Booker