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Holiness In Leadership

February 15
Daily Reading – Leviticus 9-11 / Matthew 13:1-35

GOD SAID:

Leviticus 10:3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    When I read passages like the one we have read today in Leviticus 10, I have to step back, and ask myself, how much of what we do today is a “sweet savour” to the Lord. If it were not for the shed blood of Christ, the love and grace afforded us through that blood, would some things presented on the religious scene today be actually considered an abomination in the eyes of our Lord. God said plainly, “I will be sanctified in them that come night me, and before all people I will be glorified.” Is what we see and do today sanctifying God? Is it setting Him apart from the world or is it actually making Him a part of the world. Does it really glorify God?

  Nadab and Abihu were leaders of the children of Israel. They decided that they would do things their own way. They put what the bible calls “strange fire” in their censer when they went before the Lord. In other words, they made their own fire. This wasn’t the way it was to be done. The fire was to come from the altar. (Leviticus 16:12) It’s also been suggested they may have been intoxicated because of the instruction given to Aaron following their death. Leviticus 10:9 “Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:” God takes how we worship Him serious. We should too!

     
GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    You may be thinking, sure glad I’m not in leadership. However my friend, every born again believer is considered a priest before the Lord.(1 Peter 2:5) Every Christian is leading someone somewhere. Either closer to, or away from God.

Where are you leading people today?

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

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Holiness And Leaven

February 14
Daily Reading – Leviticus 7-8 / Matthew 27:1-32

GOD SAID:

Leviticus 7:13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Leaven in the Bible, is most often associated with sinfulness. During Communion at many churches today we use Grape Juice, considered a fruit of the vine, as a symbol of the blood that Jesus poured out at Calvary for our sin. We get this example from scripture. In Luke 22:18 Jesus refers to the drink as “the fruit of the vine.” Then in Luke 22:20 it says; “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” At this Communion we also have a wafer which is normally an unleavened bread representing the body of Christ. This is because at the Passover meal, which Jesus was serving, the bread was to be unleavened. Representing no sinfulness. The body of Christ would need to be represented by no sin associated with it.

        So why in Leviticus 7:13 do we find Leavened Bread after several chapters of finding all other sacrifices containing flour to be unleavened? It’s because of what each one represents. All the sacrifices prior to Leviticus 7 represent the coming Lord and His sacrifice for our sinfulness. However the bread in Leviticus 7:13 represents man. Even though forgiven, there is still an old sin nature in us. That sin nature will be in us until we are made perfect in Christ in Heaven someday. If our life is to represent Holiness, dedication to the Lord, and separation from the world, we need to deal with the leaven.

     
GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Holiness and leaven, or sinfulness are still a battle for believers today; 1 Cor. 5:7 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:” Let’s leave leaven out.

Will you purge today?

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

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Holiness In Our Living

February 13
Daily Reading – Leviticus 4-6 / Matthew 26:57-75

GOD SAID:

Leviticus 5:5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

      I’ve said for a long time, Christians ought to “Keep A Short Sin List.” By that I mean, confess your sin when you realize you’ve committed it and don’t let a long list pile up. Someone once asked me, “what if I don’t remember all my sins, will God still forgive me?” I asked if they were serious about asking for forgiveness? They said they were. I said; “well, even though you may have forgotten, God has not. If you’re serious about asking for forgiveness, ask God to remind you of them so you can know what you’re asking forgiveness for.” Not sure they liked my answer. I do believe that when we come to the Lord for salvation He forgives all our sin. Our relationship with God changes at that very moment. He adopts us into His family and washes away our sin debt. However, our fellowship with God, our Holiness in daily living, still requires cleansing just as it did back then.

    In today’s chapters in Leviticus 4-6 we see that man was to make things right with man, and make things right with God. Just because man may say it’s all ok, we must remember, that every sin is a sin against God. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Our sacrifice was paid at Calvary. We no longer need to make another sacrifice. However, just as they did in the Old Testament; “he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:” Confess!

     
GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

      Holiness in living, a life dedicated to the Lord, and separated from worldliness, takes cleansing daily. Just as Jesus washed the days dust off the disciples feet, we too need this world’s sin daily washed from our life. It begins when we confess we need cleansing.

Been cleansed lately?

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

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Holiness In Our Loving

February 12
Daily Reading – Leviticus 1-3 / Matthew 26:26-56

GOD SAID:

Leviticus 1:3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     As we mentioned yesterday, God is Holy and has said that we who trust in His Son Jesus should also be Holy. That is, dedicated to live for Him and separated from worldly living. This would definitely include our expressions of love for Him.

     Let me give you an example. When I was young and dating my wife, I wanted to give her so much, but my income often limited what I could buy for her. Therefore, I tried my best to give her my time. I desired to spend as much time as I could with her. I tried to touch her heart with talents God had granted me. As well as still trying to provide all I could. I didn’t need anyone to tell me to do those things, I wanted to. I willingly did them. Now after all these years, God has blessed our life and I’m able to give her more material things. However, I still desire to spend lots of time with her, and use what talents I have to bless her life. Still today, no one has to tell me to do those things. The more I have, the more I desire to give.

    In our verse today God said that the people who would bring offerings of sacrifice, needed to do so voluntarily. Why? Well it proved they loved Him and desired to have a relationship with Him. The sacrifice was to remove the sin barrier between them and God. It was their dedication to Him alone, separating themselves from all others. It’s a form of Holiness on our part the dedicate our love to the Lord.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

       Sadly, many Christians miss the blessings of giving to the Lord. They’ve conditioned their minds to believe they have to give offerings, rather than that they GET TO GIVE gifts to God. Holiness in our Love for Him.

How do you feel giving to the Lord of your
time, talents and treasures?

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

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Holiness To The Lord

February 11
Daily Reading – Exodus 39-40 / Matthew 26:1-25

GOD SAID:

Exodus 39:30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    As Christians we are called by God to be different from the rest of the world. It’s known as Holiness. It means to be dedicated specifically for something or separated out of the rest. Christians are called to live a life separated from this world and dedicated to the Lord.

     This separation is not in our location from society. How would we ever reach a lost world if we couldn’t share with them how God, through his Son Jesus and His death on the cross saved our soul. In Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17:15 He said; “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” Jesus was not praying that we would be taken from the world, but rather that worldliness would be taken out of us. The priests in Exodus had an engraved gold plate attached to the headdress they wore when going before the Lord that read, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” It was a statement and reminder of who, and what they were to be. Set apart, dedicated, separated from the sinfulness of the world outside.

      In 1 Peter 1:14-15 it tells us how to be Holy. It says; “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;”  Live as, and for Jesus.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

       Is our life an engraved banner that says we are dedicated to the Lord and separated from worldliness? Does what we do, say, and where we go say clearly “HOLINESS TO THE LORD?”

If your life was the banner for HOLINESS
what would the world see HOLINESS as?

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12