Leviticus 7:15, “And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.”

When I was growing up I would often wake up and go get a midnight snack on the weekends.  I guess that is where I learned to like cold food.  We did not have a microwave until I was a little older so there was no easy way to warm up things quietly. I still like cold pizza too.

This can apply spiritually if we are not careful.  We; as Christians, can fall into the trap of living on leftovers.  This is not good.  If you are always looking back and remembering what happened yesterday it is high time to get back to reality.  I have seen so many people who live in the past and it is a sad thing.

I believe that God is showing us we need to not live on leftovers.  Maybe, I am off as we consider our passage of Scripture.  We cannot live spiritually on what the Sunday School teacher tells us.  We need to be searching the Scriptures daily and getting fed fresh “meat”.  As we get fed we get stronger spiritually.  There are far too many anemic Christians.

Will you commit to daily read the Word of God and pray?  If you will, I can promise you that you will not regret it.

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  Lord Jesus, give me a deep desire to read Your Word daily and meet You daily in prayer.  Help me not to give You my leftovers.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Read: Psalms 29, 59, 89, 149; Proverbs 29

Leviticus 8:12, “And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.”

Many years ago I walked into the office of our Pastor at that time.  When I went in he invited me to sit down and we began to talk.  He asked me, “What is the significance of the Holy Spirit?”  My mind splattered.  It was not pretty, really.  After of  by Pastor I was on track for what he was driving at with his question.  Mom never said I was the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Oil in the Word of God is a picture of the Holy Spirit.  So, when I read an account of someone in the Scriptures being anointed I think of the filling of the Holy Spirit.  When we are born again we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit once and for all.  We do not have to fear as King David in Psalm 51:11, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”  You see the Holy Spirit is our “earnest” or down payment.  It is proof that we are genuinely God’s child.  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come and go as God saw fit.  Today we believers have Him and we do not lose Him.  We can quench the Spirit; but, we do not lose Him.

The Holy Spirit fills us from head to toe so to speak.  We have all of Him that we need.  Aaron was anointed and the oil ran from his head all the way to his feet.  Maybe you think I am reading too much into this; but, these are the thoughts that come to my little grey matter.

So friend, are you relying upon God the Holy Spirit or are you relying upon the flesh?

Really?

Pray:  “God forgive me for relying upon my flesh.  Please fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me to yield to His leading.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.”

Read:  Deuteronomy 10, 11, 12; Psalms 28, 58, 88, 118, 148; Proverbs 28

Leviticus 4:21, “And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.”

The other night I had dinner with a small group of friends.  We had a wonderful time together.  The topic of Church finances and the office of Pastor came up.  This group of friends began to talk about a man who used to have the biggest Church around in his day.  As I listened, I began to think to myself that these friends of mine did not know what I know about this particular situation.  I got so angry that I could not speak out for my dear friend.  Finally one of the men of the group spoke up and said that this particular Pastor was a friend of mine (meaning me) and that we ought not to talk about him like that in front of me.   I appreciated this man’s input.  I took a few short seconds and I addressed the crowd and shared this dear friend’s innocence.  After this the conversation stopped for a few moments.

When I went home after dinner I actually cried at my lack of ability to stand up for my dearest friend.  I was so angry with myself that the next morning I called him and apologized for my part in the incident.  Thankfully he forgave me.  That felt so good to be forgiven.  To him it was not a big deal as he is used to being roasted by other people.  To me it was huge because I did not stand up for him and I definitely should have.  God forgive me!

As I was reading our Scriptures for today I could not help but think about our Lord Jesus Christ.  You see this sacrifice was made without the camp.  It was taken outside and the sacrifice made.  Well, so did Jesus.  He was crucified outside “the camp” so to speak.  He was sacrifices so that you and I could be saved or born again.  We can now have our sins forgiven and have a confidence knowing that Heaven is our home.  Glory to God!
I thank God for the forgiveness of my friend.  Most of all I thank God for the forgiveness that God extended to me as He suffered and died outside the camp in my place.  Thank You God!

Read:  Deuteronomy 10, 11, 12; Psalms 28, 58, 88, 118, 148; Proverbs 28

Pray:  “Lord Jesus, I thank You so much for dying for me.  Thank You for eternal life and the forgiveness of sin.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.”

Leviticus 3:13, “And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.”

When I was growing up on the farm we had all kinds of animals.  I remember one time we had a goat named Pickles.  That goat would stand up on it’s back legs and reach up into the tree as far as he could to get leaves to eat.  He was an interesting guy to say the least.
One time we had a lamb named Sammy.  He was a popular little guy.  I remember taking him to grade school for show and tell.  I can still see my mom and my aunt walking into the building with Sammy in tow on a leash.  He was a real hit that day.  I remember the day that I went out to the barn to play and I found Sammy laying stiff in the straw.  He was dead.  That was a tough day.

I remember Ferdinand the bull.  He was big and black and I have to admit I was a bit afraid of him.  One evening for dinner my aunt fixed beef tongue.  It was so good.  She told me that it was Ferdinand’s tongue.  I told her that Ferdinand’s tongue was good.  Ah the innocence of a child.

These animals that were taken for sacrifice were sometimes family pets; but, they had to be sacrificed none the less.  They laid their hands on the animal to identify with it.  These sacrifices would only cover the sins of the people for the year.  Each year they had to go through the same ritual.

Thankfully when Jesus came as our Sacrifice, He only had to die once.  His blood was sinless and did not cover sin; but, His blood removed sin.  We have a much better Sacrifice than those of the Old Testament.  Have you realized your sinfulness and gone to Christ for the free pardon of your sin?  I hope you have.  He is ready to forgive you and make you His child.

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  “Lord Jesus, I ask you to wash me and forgive me of all my sins.  Make me Your child and take me to Heaven when I die.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.”

Read:  Deuteronomy 7, 8, 9; Psalms 24, 54, 84, 114, 144; Proverbs 24

Psalms 119:9, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
After almost twenty years of being a dispatcher for police, fire and ems I have seen, heard and experienced a lot of different things.  Some of those things were good and some were bad.  Many of my fondest memories are of someone saying something wrong on the radio (usually me). Oh, precious memories.

Some of the less happy memories were seeing an old girlfriend arrested, checking the license plate on your daughter’s car after it was hit by an intoxicated driver.  Those are the shifts that memories are hated the worst was to call someone that I loved and respected to tell them to come to the police department or some obscure location to take custody of their wayward child or children.  This happened far too much.

As I was reading over the Scripture for today I pondered the question asked, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?”  There is no possible way he alone can.  In order for him to do this he will experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  If he will respond to that then he can, “by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”  The cleansing power of God and His Precious Word.  Is there anything You need to get cleaned up?  Run to the Lord because He is ready to forgive and cleanse you.

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  “Heavenly Father, I confess to You that I have sinned against You.  I ask You to forgive me and cleanse me in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Read:  Deuteronomy 4, 5, 6; Psalms 23, 53, 83, 113, 143; Proverbs 23

Exodus 40:34, “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”

As I sit here today (about three weeks before you will read this) I am waiting for friends to pick me up so I can ride along as one goes back to college.  This whole family is just like our own family to us.  I know that education is vital.  It is sometimes difficult to see a loved one go off to school or the military or etc…  The separation can seem unbearable at times.  Yet, this separation is just what is needed.  This time of separation is a time to grow and especially with the student in Christian college.

About God’s glory filling the tabernacle and obscuring from sight all visual distractions.  We need to take not here.  We must take time each day to get alone with God and we must remove all distractions during this time.  You and I cannot spend time with God all the while we are thinking about something or someone else.  As you and I spend time with God in prayer and Bible study we must focus solely upon Him.

Just like we are told in the Scriptures that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), we cannot effectively spend time with God and be thinking about anything else.  Our whole attention must be given to God and nothing or nobody else.

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  “Lord as I come to You in prayer today help me to focus totally on You.  Keep the distractions from getting my attention away from You I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Read:  Deuteronomy 1, 2, 3; Psalms 22, 52, 82, 112, 142; Proverbs 22

Exodus 36:5, “And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.”

I remember when my wife and I were first married we attended a local First Baptist Church.  Early on our Pastor invited a man and his family to come and be a part of our revival meeting.  His preaching was wonderful.  I still have cassette tapes of some of his most popular messages. I use some of his outlines myself from time to time with his permission.  He and the family are still in the ministry singing for God’s glory and his preaching is still great.  God uses this family powerfully.

During their time at First Baptist Church their dually pickup truck developed a problem with the transmission.  Our Church decided to give them money to help cover their repairs.  I am not bragging.  I remember giving him money that week and him telling me that he was embarrassed by my giving to he and his family.  I assured him that if God had not prompted me to do I would not give. The truck was fixed and they went on their way.
Seventeen or eighteen years later we talked about that and he told me that other than us, there was only one other family that helped them.  This family was probably the poorest family in the Church besides us.  They lived on fixed income; but, they served the same Big God that we do.

My point today is that we need to give liberally to God of our time, talents and treasures.  Hey friend,  the tithe is only a starting point.  Let’s give to the glory of God in our offerings above the tithe.

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  “Dear God, I want to thank You for all that You have given me.  Thank You for providing my needs and so much more.  Help me to give out of a pure heart back to You I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Read:  Numbers 34, 35, 36; Psalms 21, 51, 81, 111, 141; Proverbs 21

Exodus 33:11, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”

There is a southern gospel music group called “Ponder, Sykes and Wright”.  They sing a song titled, “He Still Speaks”.  It is definitely a favorite song of mine for many reasons.  There was a really dark time in my life several years ago.  I prayed and I told God exactly how I felt.  As I prayed it felt to me like God put His arms around me.  People might say I am crazy or even worse; but, the fact is I felt it.

I know that writing this blog has been a great opportunity for me.  It makes me look just a little deeper into the Scriptures every day as I read the Bible.  He speaks to me and I pass it along to you, my readers.

Now here is the thing.  Does God speak to you?  If He does not speak to you then you should figure out why not.  I will assure you that He wants to speak to you.  Confess and forsake those sins in your life so those communication lines can be restored and God can speak to you.

So, how are you doing?

Read:  Numbers 31, 32, 33; Psalms 20, 50, 80, 110, 140; Proverbs 20

Exodus 32:26, “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.”

When I was growing up I was always the fat kid with glasses.  All I needed was read hair and freckles (sorry if I have offended anyone who has red hair and freckles) and I would have been totally ostracized.  When teams were picked I was normally the last one picked.  The team I would end up on would look downcast.  It was such a discouragement.  This continued into my adult life and it hurt just as bad.

At the age of eight years old I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and He saved me.  When He saved me I was taken from the kingdom of darkness and put into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13).  At this moment I became a child of the King and a soldier of the cross.  It is my privilege to be so named.  I cannot say that I have always lived up to this.  It makes me ashamed that I have not always lived in such a way as to exemplify this.

Our days are filled with choices to make.  God gives us a will of our own to make choices.  Joshua put it this way in Joshua 24;15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”  If you are not on the Lord’s side, switch now.  Get on the Lord’s side and together let’s go, grow and glow for the glory of God.

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  “Dear Lord forgive me for not living as if I am on Your side.  Help me to please you with my life I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Read:  Numbers 22, 23, 24; Psalms 17, 47, 77, 107, 137; Proverbs 17

Exodus 32:8, “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”

For approximately the last month I have been hanging out with our son during the worship services at our Church.  We are meeting at a hotel because of problems with our building.  I want my wife to stay in the services so God can speak to her and so she can pick out the invitation hymn based upon the message in that particular service.
By doing this I am not in the preaching service and I miss the announcements.  I am not in the know.  It was a huge breath of fresh air today to sit in the services with my wife and not have to worry about our son.

You see God has given us a wonderful Pastor and I love him so very much.  He is God’s gift to me and my family.  He leads us in the way that God is leading him.  We thank God for him!

The problem is when we don’t follow him we get into sin.  God gives to us Pastors who love us and lead us; but, we must follow them as they follow God.  If the Pastor ceases to follow God; I assure you, my family and I will cease to follow him.  I truly don’t see this happening.  Friend, who are you following?  Do they follow Jesus Christ?

So, how are you doing?

Pray:  “Lord Jesus, I thank You for faithful Pastors who receive from You and give to us Your Word.  Protect them and bless them in Jesus’ name I pray.   Amen.”

Read:  Numbers 19, 20, 21; Psalms 16, 46, 76, 106, 136; Proverbs 16