Becky Austin

We Serve a Holy God (Leviticus 19-23)

10:58 PM



“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (19:2)

Without rules or leadership, we would live in a state of anarchy.  There would be no sense of right or wrong in how we conduct ourselves or deal with each other. Not only did God want his people to have fair dealings with each other but He wanted His people to strive for a standard of holiness. 

In the Bible, the word holy is used more than 650 times. Holy means “sacred, set apart from the profane (unholy) and for God.”  Only God is perfectly Holy.  In the O.T.  holiness was attained through ceremonial practices and sacrifices.  Actions, however were not meant to be separated from having a heart of obedience and submission to God.  Over and over in these chapters he would remind the people of why they should do what he required of them. “ I am the Lord” or “ I am the Lord your God.” Always, the focus of our worship is to acknowledge God as Lord of our life. 

In a world of hatred, dishonesty, corruption, and cruelty, the attributes God called his people to are a sharp contrast. Included in God’s expectations:
  • Reverence of parents, widows, elderly, and the poor.
  • Fair business transactions: “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (19:35-36)
  • Worship God only, refraining from worshiping idols.
  • Refrain from gossip and slander, extend love and goodwill toward neighbors
  • Have honesty and integrity.

In the N.T., Jesus became the last required holy sacrifice because he was perfect and sinless. Christians were then considered holy without all of the ceremony of the old sacrificial system. The holy blood of Jesus made them fully acceptable to God.  Even though the sacrifices of animals are no longer required and the strict ceremonial requirements of the OT are no longer necessary, God still asks us to make Him Lord of our life.   He still calls us to live our life in a way that honors and glorifies Him. Our standard for living becomes Christ.  As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" 
Do you recognize that God is holy and calls you to holy living?
Do you look to Christ as your example of how to conduct your life to reflect His holy standards?
Do you realize that only the blood of Christ can save you and no independent action or merit of your own?
Is the desire of your heart to submit to God as the Lord of your life?



blood

Why All These Rules and Regulations? {Lev 15-17:16}

9:00 PM



Anyone reading the book of Leviticus for the first time must wonder, “What are all these animal sacrifices about?” Can you imagine what the inside of the Temple area where these animals were sacrificed must have looked like? Can you imagine having to bring a lamb to be slaughtered every time you want to confess your sin? It’s hard to imagine, but there was a reason for all God commanded.

Have you ever caught yourself  giving thanks that you live under New Testament grace rather than the Law? Me too, but if we pass too quickly over them, we might miss seeing what our salvation cost our Savior. You see, Jesus was our blood sacrifice. Redemption wouldn't have worked if Jesus had died of a heart attack, because we know that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22).
The Israelites were continually reminded of the cost of their sin. But today, having never experienced the constant slaughter of thousands of animals, some might take their salvation lightly, not realizing what exactly it required. The flogging and crucifixion of Christ was a horrible scene. Isaiah 52:14 tells us, “Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness.” People were appalled! His face and body so marred that they couldn’t even tell there was a human being hanging on the cross. That truth alone should move us to tears of sorrow and gratitude for what He did to redeem us. Without Jesus we’d be without hope and eternally separated from God!

The goat set free, or “scapegoat” in Lev 17 was us! Jesus was the one who took our punishment, so that we could be set free!

Now, instead of bringing our lamb to the altar, we can point to the Lamb of God, who offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. His blood washes us completely each time we come to Him seeking forgiveness, and one day we’ll bow before Him in heaven, and sing praises to the Lamb who redeemed us with His blood (Rev. 5:9-10). What an awesome day that will be!

The reason for the requirements in Leviticus was to teach Israel and us that all life belongs to God and that only He is able to handle it rightly. Our God reigns over all creation! We need to recognize, both in thought and actions that our life belongs to God, and all other life around us.

So let me ask you, how well do you trust Him?  Are you trusting in His  power and wisdom to guard and guide your life each day? Have you relinquish control of both your life and others before Him? Are you wholly resting in Him, or still trying to manipulate certain circumstances?

Forgiveness

Sacrifice and Surrender {Leviticus 11-14}

12:30 AM

January 30, 2018

I don’t know about you, but when I read Leviticus, I sometimes struggle with “what does this have to do with me?” questions.  I spent some time researching these chapters and listening to podcasts and sermons, and I stumbled on the following from gotquestions.org.  But I don’t want any of you who do not have an iworship Bible to miss this on sacrifice.

“Only the best, most costly gift was worthy to be offered to God.  By this sacrifice, the worshiper believed he could maintain his relationship with the Lord and received forgiveness.  But those sacrifices weren’t enough.  Only the offering of God’s own Son, the most perfect Lamb of God, could remove the barrier between God’s holiness and our disobedience.  Jesus offered that sacrifice on the cross (1 Corinthians 5:7).

That which costs little or nothing is no sacrifice, only a hollow gesture.  Jesus’ sacrifice cost him everything.  We’re also asked to make a sacrifice.  Ours can’t compare with that of Jesus, but in a way it’s costly also.  It’s a sacrifice to worship when we acknowledge that God is in charge of our lives – not us or our own wants and desires.  “With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name.” (Hebrews 13:15).”

Image result for leviticus 11:44

Clean animals: land animals that chew the cud and have a divided hoof, such as cattle, deer, goats, and sheep; seafood with both fins and scales, such as bluegill, grouper, and cod; certain birds, including chickens, doves, and ducks; and even some insects, such as grasshoppers and locusts.

Unclean animals: land animals that either do not chew the cud or do not have a split hoof, such as pigs, dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and rats; seafood lacking either fins or scales, such as shellfish, lobster, oysters, and catfish; some birds, such as owls, hawks, and vultures; and other animals, such as reptiles and amphibians.

While the New Testament teaches that we are no longer judged regarding what foods we eat (Colossians 2:16), nutritionists have noted that the listings of clean and unclean foods in the Old Testament actually provide a guideline for a healthy diet. In a time period lacking modern food safety techniques, a diet consisting of only clean animals would have protected people against many health problems.

Ultimately, God’s distinction between clean and unclean animals was about more than one’s diet. Many of God’s regulations were to remind His people, that they were set apart to worship the one, true God. The original audience of Genesis 7, during Moses’ day, would have associated the reference to clean animals with the animals God had given them for food as well as sacrifice. It would only make sense to include more clean animals than unclean on the ark. Noah made a sacrifice immediately after the Flood (Genesis 8:20). Since seven (or seven pairs) of every clean animal had been aboard, the sacrifices would still have left plenty of animals to begin replenishing the earth.

Leviticus chapter 12 often strikes readers today sexist. The Law specified that a woman who gave birth to a son would be ceremonially unclean for 7 days, while a woman who gave birth to a daughter would be unclean for 14 days. Why would God require a woman to wait twice as long to be ceremonially clean after having a daughter than after having a son?

The best understanding to account for this difference is found in the Jewish perspective regarding holiness. First, ritual purity is of great importance in the Jewish tradition. A woman traditionally remained impure for seven days following her monthly menstruation cycle. Impurity in this context is not intended to imply sinfulness or inferiority; rather, it emphasizes the tremendous importance of holiness within a woman’s body and the power to create a new life through union with her husband.

At childbirth, this same tradition continues to operate.  As we read here in chapter 12, if a woman has a son, she is unclean for 7 days and her son is circumcised on the eighth day, following God’s covenant with Abraham.  The woman must then wait 33 days to be purified from her bleeding for a total of 40 days (Leviticus 12:4).

When a woman gives birth to a daughter, two differences are noted. First, instead of being unclean for 7 days, she is unclean for 14 days, or twice as long. Second, instead of waiting 33 days until being purified, she must wait 66 days, again twice as long, for a total of 80 days (Leviticus 12:5). According to Jewish tradition, this period is twice as long to account for the purity of both the mother and the daughter. Therefore, the time period is twice as long as when a mother gives birth to a son.

Physically, there is no reason a woman should be unclean for longer or require longer to recover after giving birth to a daughter. Some have suggested more time was given for a mother to bond with a daughter or to provide protection for her, but this idea is not found in the passage.



God had given the Israelites very specific instructions on how to deal with leprosy and other skin infections (Leviticus 13). Anyone suspected of having this disease had to go to a priest for examination (Leviticus 13:2-3). If found to be infected, “the leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45-46). The leper then was considered utterly unclean—physically and spiritually.

Incurable by man, many believed God inflicted the curse of leprosy upon people for the sins they committed. In fact, those with leprosy were so despised and loathed that they were not allowed to live in any community with their own people (Numbers 5:2). Among the sixty-one defilements of ancient Jewish laws, leprosy was second only to a dead body in seriousness. A leper wasn’t allowed to come within six feet of any other human, including his own family. The disease was considered so revolting that the leper wasn’t permitted to come within 150 feet of anyone when the wind was blowing. Lepers lived in a community with other lepers until they either got better or died. This was the only way the people knew to contain the spread of the contagious forms of leprosy.

The Bible records the story of a leper who was the first to be healed by Jesus (Matthew 8:2-4). The key lesson to be learned from this incident is that sin defiles us in the sight of God, but through Christ, we can be healed of the plague of sin that separates us from God. God loathes sin; it is repulsive to Him. Sin bans us from the presence of God because God will not allow sinful man in His sight and presence (Psalm 5:5; Habakkuk 1:13; Revelation 21:27). This is not only true of sins with a sexual connotation that are normally regarded as filthy and repulsive, but it includes all forms of disobedience and rebellion (1 Samuel 15:23; Proverbs 15:9). All sin is abhorrent to God. But those who have been redeemed from sin by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) can stand in God’s presence in full confidence that we are accepted “in the Beloved,” and we praise Him for the grace He extends to us for that purpose (Ephesians 1:5-7).

When we’ve captured a glimpse of the holiness and purity of God, we have to exclaim as did the prophet Isaiah, “Woe to me … I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5). Our attitude toward sin in the light of our Savior should echo the words of Peter: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:1-8). Another key lesson we learn from the leper in Matthew’s Gospel is that just as the leper did, we can confidently approach Jesus in all our need, with all our sin and defilement. When we plead for cleansing and forgiveness, He will not turn us away (Hebrews 4:16; Psalm 103:12).

Aaron

Compromise and Redemption {Lev. 8:1-10:20}

12:00 AM

Monday Jan 29
Compromise and Redemption {Lev. 8:1-10:20}


In chapters 8-10 of Leviticus we learn of the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests to the nation of Israel. While reading I couldn’t help but wonder why Aaron was chosen, especially after his sin of creating the golden calf. The more I researched, the more I realized that Aaron’s story was a warning against unwise compromise, and an example of the redemption God offers to those He calls His own.

Aaron was the older brother of Moses. He became Moses’ right hand man, and spokesman to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. He received a divine calling when God choose him to be high priest, the supreme religious leader, to the people of Israel. He was the first to wear the priestly garments, and to start the sacrificial system. Through him began the line of priests from the tribe of Levi. Because this calling was such an important responsibility, as high priest Aaron had to be holy in his conduct. But unfortunately Aaron had a weakness for stumbling under pressure. And that weakness cost him, his sons, and the people of Israel dearly.

When Moses didn’t come down right away from Mount Sinai, the people grew impatient and asked Aaron to craft a calf of gold to serve as their god. Instead of standing strong and instructing them in obeying the Lord, he caved under the pressure and forged the calf and worshiped it with them. This fatal compromise led to the deaths of three thousand of his fellow Israelite's. After such a terrible sin, why would God leave Aaron seemingly unpunished and allow him to become high priest to His people?

Allowing Aaron to remain in his appointed position is an awesome example of God’s grace and forgiveness. After the sin of the calf, Exodus 36:26 says that Moses stood at the gate of the camp and asked who was on the side of the Lord. All of the sons of Levi gathered around him. Aaron, being a Levite Himself, was among them. Because of his declaration and repentance, and the fact that Moses went to God and interceded for the people, he received God’s forgiveness and redemption.  Aaron is yet another example of God using the least likely people to accomplish tasks for His glory. “Aaron, the man who led the Israelite's astray to worship a golden calf, was the very man God chose to lead Israel in worship of the Lord. This pattern is often observed in Scripture. Many times, God uses the least likely to accomplish tasks for His glory. Other examples include David,a shepherd boy turned king; Paul, a church persecutor who became a martyr and missionary leader; Peter, a fisherman-turned-evangelist; Mary Magdalene, a demon-possessed woman who became the first to see the resurrected Jesus; and many others.” (gotquestions.org) 


Although forgiven and redeemed, Aaron did experience loss and punishment for his compromise and sin. Not only did he die in the wilderness and never enter the promised land, he also endured the loss of two of his sons in a judgement from God. His story reminds us that no matter the circumstance, God requires complete obedience. And in those times that we sin, as we all will do, when we repent and ask for forgiveness, God is quick to redeem and restore us. So the next time we are faced with compromising or obeying, we would do well to remember Aaron who learned the hard way that we serve a holy God who insists on being treated as such.



Exodus

Soul Searching Sunday - Worshipping His Character

12:00 AM

Sunday, January 28, 2018

SoulSearching Sunday!



Week Four

 Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We pray that you will find this time soul satisfying!
Our reading this week was Exodus 22:1 -  Leviticus 7:38.

 1. For what attributes of God are you most thankful? In that list, did you include "holy, truthful, and just"? (Sometimes we just focus on God's love, mercy, and grace.) Meditate on God's awesome character and pray that you would drawn into His glorious presence. (Exodus 24:16-17)

 2. Using a pencil, write down several personal habits, thoughts, or actions that you know would not meet with God's approval. Now erase each item, one at a time. As you do, thank God that He has cleansed you through the blood of Christ. (Exodus 30:19:20)

 3. How does a heavy heart with sin weigh down your worship of God? Write a note of confession to God. Lay down before Him anything that might possibly interfere with your worship life. Ask God to show you what needs to  be done to reconnect with Him. (Leviticus 5:5-6)

 See you next week!



Cherries

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

11:00 AM

These fudgey, fruity gems are just the thing to satisfy any chocolate craving! Sometimes I substitute the cherries with cranberries. So good! 

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies


1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate and cherries. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake until firm, 12-14 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.

Aaron

12:00 AM

Saturday, January 27, 2018




Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

 This coming week's memory verse is Leviticus 10:3...

 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD meant when He said, 'I will show Myself holy among those who are near me. I will be glorified before all the people.'" And Aaron was silent.
Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!

Exodus

Our Love Offering {Exodus 35: 1- 40: 38 }

10:30 PM



Throughout this week we’ve seen God’s Glory and Love pouring out over His people, and today we find another example of His unfailing love as they receive an amazing invitation from to God for the construction of the Tabernacle: (35:4-19)

 “And Moses said to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever has a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s offering: …“ (35:4-5a) AMP

“Let every skilled and talented man among you come, and make everything that the Lord has commanded:” (35:10 AMP)

The Tabernacle was to be dedicated to the honor of God, and used in his service; and everything that the people were willing to bring was an offering to Him:



They offered their:  possessions (treasures), talents (gifts), and their time. But there was ONE condition: It all had to be from a “willing heart”.  Their love had to be poured out through these offerings!!

1 Peter 4:10 (AMP)”Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]. “

Those that were rich, should bring in materials to work on; those that were skillful, they would serve with their skill. They were in unity: they needed one another, to complete this task (1 Corinthians 12:7-21).
The people continued to bring freely these offerings every morning (Vs. 35:21, 22, 29), until Moses gave the command to bring no more! (36:6) “Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project” (36:7)

They lavished their love to God by these offerings! (1Corinth. 13:1-3)

- Lavish (Verb) = “To generously pour out; to give extravagantly; to expend or bestow with passion”. Such was their zeal and passion for the work in the Tabernacle, that it must have been contagious!

As we continue reading these final chapters, we see how detailed our God is. He cared about every single aspect of the Tabernacle! So let me ask you: how then could He not care about the minor details of our lives? Consider: haven’t you seen His Hand of Mercy lately in a small miracle, provision or turn of events?



Before we close, let me remind you that even today, God is extending this same invitation to each one of us His children, to take from His gifts (the ones we’ve received from Him) to offer them at His Service. (35:35)

“Precious souls are the materials of the gospel tabernacle; they are built up a spiritual house, 1 Pt. 2:5. To this end they are to offer themselves a free-will offering to the Lord, for his service (Rom. 15:16), and they are then committed to the care of his ministers, as builders, to be framed and wrought upon by their edification and increase in holiness, till they all come, like the curtains of the tabernacle, in the unity of the faith, to be a holy temple (Eph. 2:21, 22; 4:12, 13).” (M. Henry)

What is your spiritual gift? How have you nurtured and used (or not used) your gift in building God’s kingdom as an offering of thanks and praise back at Him? Pray that God would make clear to you what your gift is and how best to use it. (iWorship Bible)

Blessings!

Mari

Aaron

A God of Mercy and Righteousness (Exodus 31:1 - 34:35)

12:09 AM



Thursday, January 25
Several things stood out to me in these chapters.
God wants our devotion.  He wants his people to be set apart from corruption. He wants to help us and equip us.  He is willing to give us another chance. 

God wants our devotion.
“(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),” Exodus 34:14.
God wants to be first in our lives.  He wants our unwavering devotion.  He doesn’t want to compete with the things of this world that we choose to make idols of.  Notice that as soon as the people thought Moses might not return from the mountain that they quickly looked for something tangible to put their security in instead of trusting the God who led them out of slavery. It’s not really surprising that this offended God greatly. 

God wants us to be set apart. 
We are to be IN the world but not OF the world.  Even Jesus went among the sinful and outcast people because he loved them and wanted to bring salvation to them.  But, in a world of sinful enticements, God warns us to not fall into sin ourselves.  He did not want the Israelites to compromise their standards by intermarrying and adopting the customs of those who disregarded God. “Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.”  Exodus 34:12 

God wants to help us and equip us.
He gives us ability to carry out his purposes just as he did Bezaliel :“and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,”Exodus 31:3 
“And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:”Exodus 31:6 
God also promised to go before them and drive out their enemies.

God is willing to give us another chance.
When the people angered Moses by worshiping the calf, Moses broke the tablets that had the commandments of God.  But, Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people who were willing to repent and give them another chance.  God was willing to do that and he also wrote the commandments on the tablets again.
 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 

God is a righteous God who judges sin.  He is also a loving, merciful, intimate God.
He is an awesome God who desires to do awesome things with the lives of those who worship and honor Him. 
“And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.” Exodus 34:10 

Exodus

How Can a Holy God Fellowship with Sinners? {Exodus 28-30}

12:00 AM



"That I Might Dwell Among Them" - Exodus 29:46

From the beginning of time it has always been The Lord’s desire to walk and fellowship with His people.
Only two chapters at the beginning of Genesis were written to describe the creation of the world, yet fourteen chapters in Exodus are taken up with the specifications of the tabernacle, for here is where God has come up with a way to meet with His people.
I believe this again demonstrates the value God has placed upon His  work of redemption, and that Christ is the center of that work when you take a look at the meaning behind the symbols. In an earlier post, I showed you how God’s message was found in the names of the original patriarch’s, from Adam to Noah, today I want to show you a few of the items included in the tabernacle and how they all point to Christ:
The entire tabernacle was a figure of the heavenly (Hebrews 9:23,24).
Inside the ark of the covenant:
·         Acacia wood and gold: the humanity and deity of Christ.
·         The Law [10 Commandments]: Christ had God's law in His heart;
·         He was the fulfillment of the law.
·         Manna: Christ is sustenance to believers on their pilgrimage.
·         Aaron's rod: Christ's resurrection.
The ark itself: A type of the throne of grace.
The mercy seat: the Lord Jesus.
The table of showbread: Christ our communion.
The candlestick: Christ our light (Heb 1:9; Rev 1:9-18).
The altar of incense: Christ our advocate and intercessor.
The laver: the cleansing by the Word and by Christ.
Bronze altar: the cross of Christ and His atonement.
Anointing oil: the Holy Spirit's anointing for service.
Garments [of the High Priest]:
·          gold for righteousness and Deity
·         blue for heavenly
·          purple for royalty
·          scarlet for sacrifice.

The writer of Hebrews said, ''And they, truly were many priests, because they were not allowed to continue by reason of death; but this man, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore, He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them'' (Heb 7:23-25).

Jesus is able to understand our need because He is the perfect man, but He is also able to meet all our need because He is God. At the cross He bore the sin of the whole world. At the throne He is able to care for our need through His intercession.

Christ Jesus is ''a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek'' in that He is our Intercessor forever. But His priesthood is after the pattern of Aaron.  Aaron the first high priest was appointed by God (Ex 28:1).  Hebrews 5:5 says, ''So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made a high priest, but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee.” Hebrews 9 reminds us that, ''Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us'' (Heb 9:12).

The Lord said in Exodus 12:13, ''When I see the blood, I will pass over you''. Sin was judged, and the blood was shed, but all was only temporal, yet it also pointed to God’s eternal plan! Therefore, the way of salvation in both the Old and New Testaments is the same - Faith in Christ - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

Hallelujah! God was making a way for you long before you were ever born and there is nothing we could ever do to earn our salvation, for that would mean we would need to set aside God’s way! I pray as you read these chapters you will read them with a heart FULL of love for the Father and Son who were preparing a way to fellowship with YOU forever!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before I leave you, I wanted to share a chart that was designed by Kay Arthur and Precept Ministries that speaks more of Jesus and the Tabernacle: 

THE TABERNACLE:


Tabernacle Furnishings
A Picture: Christ Jesus on Earth

John1:14

The Word became flesh, & dwelt among us
A Pattern: True Tabernacle  in Heaven
Hebrews 8:5
a copy and shadow of the heavenly things

Gate/ Door
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved                                   John 10:9
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.
                        ”                               Acts 4:12
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
Bronze Altar
John 1:29
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Hebrews 10:12
but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God
Bronze Laver
Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ephesians 5:26-27
 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.
Table of Showbread
John 6:35,48
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. “I am the bread of life.
John 6:41, 58
I am the bread that came down out of heaven…..he who eats this bread shall live forever.
Golden Lampstand
John 8:12; 9:5
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”…“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Revelation 4:5
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God
Altar of Incense
Hebrews 7:25
Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Revelation 8:3
And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (Rev 5:8) upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Veil
And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom                                               Mark 15:38

We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,                               Hebrews 10:19-20
Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
Ark of the Covenant

“Throne of God”
Isaiah 37:16
Hebrews 9:12
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
 Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm
Mercy Seat
Romans 3:25
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.

1 John 2:2
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; … also for those of the whole world.
Revelation 5:6
And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.  Psalm 27:4