Psalms 90:12 (KVJ)
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psalms 90:12 (NASB)
So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
First thing I read today in the newspaper was the nasty report of how a bright 8 year old boy was killed by a reversing lorry yesterday. This is but one of the many recent reports of people being killed in traffic accidents.
Some 40 minutes later, as I left the house and was about to cross the street, I made a concerted effort to cross at the zebra crossing and only after I saw all the cars come to a standstill. Somehow, I simply became a lot more cautious and didn't cross it on my own confidence and skill.
Call it paranoia or being overly cautious but it was a good reminder of the fraility of life and the fact that we don't know how long we have for our lifespan. Thus, the psalmist asked God to teach him the preciousness of the time given to him for his life, because it would provoke him to use the days to live wisely.
The human body is indeed fragile and while the sun still shines in these last of last days, may you be a good steward of the days given to you. That your heart would choose to be alert with the fear of God in your life that would guide you in pleasing God above self interests.
Jesus declares in Matthew 10:39, " He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." Therefore, don't grieve the Holy Spirit and allow yourself to drift along with the never ending issues of life and be overcomed with stress, studies, programmes, relationships, money and career. The secular are already embroiled in life's issues, but why are you following likewise?
May you choose wisely and be a good steward of the time given to you in this life.
Blessings,
M.
"As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away." Psalms 90:10
23 May 2007
22 May 2007
Add Salt to all your Offerings
Leviticus 2:13
Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
As earlier posted, salt is one of the most significant item talked about throughout the bible. In the grain offering which the people of God were instructed to perform, salt was to be used to season the grain. The grain offering was presented after the burnt-offering (done for the pardon of sin). The purpose of the bloodless, grain offering was an offering of tribute to God for His goodness and provisions. While the people were the one who laboured to reap the grains, it was God which blessed and provided them with the final harvest. Thus, the grain offering represents the consecretion to God of the fruit of one's labour.
But why add salt? Salt is used universally to preserve and maintain the purity of food. We see this in the first miracle which Elisha performed after Elijah had been taken up by God is captured in 2 Kings 2:19-22, below:
The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive." "Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.' " And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
Salt was used by Elisha to make the water wholesome for farming and it gave the land a new lease of life. Similiarly, as much as the grain offering was given by the people as an offering of God's abundance, God were pointing to the people that their sacrifices, in themselves, were unsavoury. The instructions of adding salt to the grain offering was to remind the people of the benefits of the covenant that God has made with His people - He would be their God and they His people. Likewise, as children of God, we need to know how this affects us. The bible says that by Grace we have been saved, not by works lest anyone of us should boast.
Do not forget that each week as you come into the sanctuary of the Lord, we should come ready to consecrete to God the fruit of our week's labour. Even as we are called to be salt of the world, we often come into the sanctuary defeated and/or exhausted. Why so?
Instead, every week we should come ready to be renewed by God. Don't rob God of the worship which He deserves, neither should you deprive yourself of the glorious destiny which He has promised to us who are children of God.
For by the Grace and through the blood of Christ, we need to understand that we have lived through the week with God's Grace. Thus, we must come with the right attitude and enter the sanctuary with our thanksgiving (grain) offerings of praise, worship and monetary giving that is a grateful tribute to God. Then, before we offer it, we will give thanks for by the work of Christ on the cross, our thanksgiving has been sanctified. We should also be reminded of the covenant of God's faithfulness to our lives and be renewed for the next week ahead. (not just sit in the pews and go through the motion.)
So even as you come into the sanctuary this week and every other week, God is saying, don't forget to offer me consecreted, pure tribute of offering and rememeber that you are more than conquerors because of Christ Jesus in you. Rejoice therefore and may you live victoriously!
blessings,
M.
"For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
As earlier posted, salt is one of the most significant item talked about throughout the bible. In the grain offering which the people of God were instructed to perform, salt was to be used to season the grain. The grain offering was presented after the burnt-offering (done for the pardon of sin). The purpose of the bloodless, grain offering was an offering of tribute to God for His goodness and provisions. While the people were the one who laboured to reap the grains, it was God which blessed and provided them with the final harvest. Thus, the grain offering represents the consecretion to God of the fruit of one's labour.
But why add salt? Salt is used universally to preserve and maintain the purity of food. We see this in the first miracle which Elisha performed after Elijah had been taken up by God is captured in 2 Kings 2:19-22, below:
The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive." "Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.' " And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
Salt was used by Elisha to make the water wholesome for farming and it gave the land a new lease of life. Similiarly, as much as the grain offering was given by the people as an offering of God's abundance, God were pointing to the people that their sacrifices, in themselves, were unsavoury. The instructions of adding salt to the grain offering was to remind the people of the benefits of the covenant that God has made with His people - He would be their God and they His people. Likewise, as children of God, we need to know how this affects us. The bible says that by Grace we have been saved, not by works lest anyone of us should boast.
Do not forget that each week as you come into the sanctuary of the Lord, we should come ready to consecrete to God the fruit of our week's labour. Even as we are called to be salt of the world, we often come into the sanctuary defeated and/or exhausted. Why so?
Instead, every week we should come ready to be renewed by God. Don't rob God of the worship which He deserves, neither should you deprive yourself of the glorious destiny which He has promised to us who are children of God.
For by the Grace and through the blood of Christ, we need to understand that we have lived through the week with God's Grace. Thus, we must come with the right attitude and enter the sanctuary with our thanksgiving (grain) offerings of praise, worship and monetary giving that is a grateful tribute to God. Then, before we offer it, we will give thanks for by the work of Christ on the cross, our thanksgiving has been sanctified. We should also be reminded of the covenant of God's faithfulness to our lives and be renewed for the next week ahead. (not just sit in the pews and go through the motion.)
So even as you come into the sanctuary this week and every other week, God is saying, don't forget to offer me consecreted, pure tribute of offering and rememeber that you are more than conquerors because of Christ Jesus in you. Rejoice therefore and may you live victoriously!
blessings,
M.
"For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17
04 May 2007
Don't Grumble
Exodus 15:22-26
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. ) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
Immediately after the victorious and magnificant Red Sea crossing which the power of God was demonstrated, some 3 days later, the Israelites forget everything and become their good old sinful self .
We get a glimpse of the Israelite's human nature surfacing, something which you and I as Singaporeans are super at - grumbling (aka as complaining). Somehow, we grumble as long as things don't suit us or don't meet our expectations.
Note that the thirsty Israelites grumbled to Moses because after three days of travlling in the desert without water, and having found waters, were unhappy that the waters of Marah were bitter. It wasn't good enough that they found water to drink, the water had to be pleasant enough for them to drink. Somehow, I can imagine many of us, myself included, like that if we were placed in the situation, because like the Israelites we can't see to appreciate the provisions in perspective to our prior needy situation.
Today, I like to just share a simple reminder to you and myself who are going about the past while trying to find water for our lives - Don't grumble. Regardless of whatever the Lord provides. In everything, let's learn to give thanks.
Blessings.
M.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
P.S - Now the most interesting part of the scripture is found as we read on after God healed the waters. The Lord made a decree and a law for the people to test them. The test was for them to listen carefully to the voice of God, to do what is right in His eyes and keep all His decrees. Weirdly, the results promised for doing all of that was that there would be no diseases that would be levied upon the Israelites.
Disease? Why wasn't the rewards of being God-fearing more of God's blessing and provision? Especially since the people were already walking in the desert and suffering in the uncomfortable conditions.
Simply because the people were already promised that God was bringing them out of captivity into the promise land which would be full of abundance. The provisions were a given blessing that were already bestowed. The freedom from the diseases which God was talking about was the 10 plagues:
1.(Exodus 7:14-25) rivers and other water sources turned to blood ('Dam')
2.(Exodus 7:26-8:11) reptiles (commonly believed to be frogs) ('Tsfardeia')
3.(Exodus 8:12-15) lice ('Kinim')
4.(Exodus 8:16-28) Either flies, wild animals or beetles ('Arov')
5.(Exodus 9:1-7) disease on livestock ('Dever')
6.(Exodus 9:8-12) unhealable boils ('Shkhin')
7.(Exodus 9:13-35) hail mixed with fire ('Barad')
8.(Exodus 10:1-20) locusts ('Arbeh')
9.(Exodus 10:21-29) darkness ('Choshech')
10. (Exodus 11:1-12:36) death of the firstborn ('Makat Bechorot')
In the next few postings, I hope to elaborate more about God's promises to the Israelites of complete protection from any of the 10 plagues curses of God and what each of them could mean for us. Meanwhile, I challenge you to spend some time digesting the latter part of the key verses and allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you to see how/what the 10 plagues link
Cheers,M.
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. ) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
Immediately after the victorious and magnificant Red Sea crossing which the power of God was demonstrated, some 3 days later, the Israelites forget everything and become their good old sinful self .
We get a glimpse of the Israelite's human nature surfacing, something which you and I as Singaporeans are super at - grumbling (aka as complaining). Somehow, we grumble as long as things don't suit us or don't meet our expectations.
Note that the thirsty Israelites grumbled to Moses because after three days of travlling in the desert without water, and having found waters, were unhappy that the waters of Marah were bitter. It wasn't good enough that they found water to drink, the water had to be pleasant enough for them to drink. Somehow, I can imagine many of us, myself included, like that if we were placed in the situation, because like the Israelites we can't see to appreciate the provisions in perspective to our prior needy situation.
Today, I like to just share a simple reminder to you and myself who are going about the past while trying to find water for our lives - Don't grumble. Regardless of whatever the Lord provides. In everything, let's learn to give thanks.
Blessings.
M.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
P.S - Now the most interesting part of the scripture is found as we read on after God healed the waters. The Lord made a decree and a law for the people to test them. The test was for them to listen carefully to the voice of God, to do what is right in His eyes and keep all His decrees. Weirdly, the results promised for doing all of that was that there would be no diseases that would be levied upon the Israelites.
Disease? Why wasn't the rewards of being God-fearing more of God's blessing and provision? Especially since the people were already walking in the desert and suffering in the uncomfortable conditions.
Simply because the people were already promised that God was bringing them out of captivity into the promise land which would be full of abundance. The provisions were a given blessing that were already bestowed. The freedom from the diseases which God was talking about was the 10 plagues:
1.(Exodus 7:14-25) rivers and other water sources turned to blood ('Dam')
2.(Exodus 7:26-8:11) reptiles (commonly believed to be frogs) ('Tsfardeia')
3.(Exodus 8:12-15) lice ('Kinim')
4.(Exodus 8:16-28) Either flies, wild animals or beetles ('Arov')
5.(Exodus 9:1-7) disease on livestock ('Dever')
6.(Exodus 9:8-12) unhealable boils ('Shkhin')
7.(Exodus 9:13-35) hail mixed with fire ('Barad')
8.(Exodus 10:1-20) locusts ('Arbeh')
9.(Exodus 10:21-29) darkness ('Choshech')
10. (Exodus 11:1-12:36) death of the firstborn ('Makat Bechorot')
In the next few postings, I hope to elaborate more about God's promises to the Israelites of complete protection from any of the 10 plagues curses of God and what each of them could mean for us. Meanwhile, I challenge you to spend some time digesting the latter part of the key verses and allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you to see how/what the 10 plagues link
Cheers,M.