Leviticus 22:17–23:44; Mark 9:30–10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19
Profanity Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you, that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD. – Leviticus 22:32-33
“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” – Matthew 12:36-37
Spirit and Life And they [Jesus and his disciples] departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. Mark 9:30-32
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” – John 6:63
Disputes But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. – Mark 9:34-35
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. – Ephesians 4:29
Testimonies We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. – Psalms 44:1
Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. – Psalms 66:16
Boasts In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. – Psalms 44:8
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. – Galatians 6:14
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised. – Psalms 113:3
Restraint In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. – Proverbs 10:19
“In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent.” – Proverbs 10:19 AMP
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. – Psalms19:14
Leviticus 20:22–22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 10:18
My Exceeding Joy O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. – Psalms 43:3-4
My Separation Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out. And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. – Leviticus 20:22-24
I am in a season where I have lost some close friends to other friendships and new callings. I don’t take offense at it, but there are days I look back, and on those days, I sometimes ask why. Then the Holy Ghost brings to remembrance that I asked the Lord to be my closest friend. I asked Him to show me the truth of “deep calling unto deep.”
This passage touches me today because I know there is a promised land. I know the Father is answering prayer. And though it has required a cost I never counted, the Holy Ghost is taking me to deep places that I likely would have ignored if life were busy with a larger circle of friends. The Lord, my God, has separated me from other people (as the scripture says of the Israelites in today’s passage) for His Glory and my good. It is the Lord that does this…
I know if He has separated me, He has separated others.
My Daily Bread When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. – Mark 9:25-29
As I wrote a few days ago, a deaf and dumb spirit has been wreaking havoc in this household since October. I am in the midst of a 40-day fast, along with my church family, and Mark 9:29 is my Bread today!
My, My, My He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. – Proverbs 10:18
So often, I have had offense and anger toward someone and think the right thing to do is “fake it till I make it.” This verse tells me that approach is foolish. I don’t need to fake anything because faking is a lie. I need to deal with the hatred, the anger – what is according to scripture a spirit of murder.
Help me, Lord, to deal with my anger that left unattended turns to so many other things as it grows. Please help me not to speak evil or with evil intent regarding others.
Forgive me, Lord, for those times I have failed in this area. Holy Ghost, I ask You to do Your work in my life right here, right now. Jesus, please help me to bring these things to You rather than to deal with them myself. Help me to cast away the sinful things in my heart. Help me to remember that the consequences of picking up this kind of evil are to be a fool and separated from Your glorious Presence. Such wickedness is not worth that high cost. Help me, Father. I can’t do it without Your grace. But with Your class and in the strength of Your grace, I know I can do all things.
My, my, my, I didn’t expect so much today from our reading today. I am blessed!!!
Leviticus 19:1 – 20:21; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42; Proverbs 10:17
MY Sabbath and MY Sanctuary Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. – Leviticus 19:30
One little (huge) Word in this verse struck me this morning. MY. God doesn’t say THE sabbath or THE sanctuary. He says MY sabbath and MY sanctuary!
It is sad how few of us keep His sabbath and give reverence to His Sanctuary. Preaching to myself here!!! Some say it is just a building, and that is in some ways right, but most church sanctuaries were set apart for the Lord when they were initially built. Over time they have changed. But even if it were true that it is just a building or part of the building, the way we treat God’s house (the building) is very representative of how we keep God’s house (our heart). You say, well, His Sabbath is actually on Saturday. It is just a day. But then Saturday or Sunday, if we keep His Sabbath day by treating it as just another day, it very likely an indication of how little time is given to God every day.
This passage hits home for me and brings me conviction. I am more apt to revere His sanctuary (the building) than my heart, His Sanctuary. Do we treat our hearts and what goes in our hearts with reverence? Do we regularly clean out anything that is not in line with His Word and His Way? In the same line, keeping His Sabbath, as He created His Sabbath to be, has become less and less a day of rest and worship and more like just an hour or two at church before we go out to lunch and then head off to other things of this world. If we keep on the path of slowly eliminating one thing and then another that we think doesn’t matter, eventually there will be only shells of the church but no real church. It is not just a building. If we aren’t gathering together, we are scattered abroad. When I see old churches that are closed down, I often wonder where the people are now.
God help me to keep your instructions, even as You told us in our Proverb today, that I might be on the correct path – the Way of LIFE. Help Your church, Father!!!
Keep – To hold to; retain in one’s possession; not to lose or part with; to preserve; to retain; to tend to.
Reverence – Fear mingled with respect; to regard with respect and affection. We reverence superiors for their age, their authority, and their virtues. We should reverence God, His Word, and His ordinances; an act of respect such as a bow or a curtsy.
Whosoever will come after Me… And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34
Deny yourself- to refrain from satisfying one’s desires or needs; practice self-denial Take up your cross – to hold, grasp or grip; pick up; receive and accept willingly Follow Him – to come after; to conform to, comply with, obey; to imitate or copy; to go in pursuit of
Who Do You Say That I Am? And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. – Mark 8:27-30
We each have a personal relationship with Jesus. He asks each of us, Who do you say that I am? Jesus is not interested in you saying what you heard the person next to you saying. He is not interested in what you read on the internet. He wants to know who you say He is, what is in your heart regarding Him.
Thirst My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? – Psalms 42:2
Thirst is a hard thing to bear. Thirst, if left unfulfilled, can cause desperation and panic. This verse makes me ask myself, am I thirsty for God? Am I desperate to appear before Him, to draw close to Him and know Him? Help me, Lord, to thirst for You!!!
Keep His Instruction He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. – Proverbs 10:17
Keep His instruction, and you will be on the right path; refuse it, and you will lose your way.
Erreth – to go astray in thought or belief; be mistaken; be incorrect; to deviate from the Truth
Leviticus 16:29–18:30; Mark 7:24–8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16
The Deaf and Dumb And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. – Mark 7:32-37
This one is personal today. Beginning in October of 2020, my husband has gone intermittently deaf. Doctors are trying to figure out what is going on. One day he can hear some; the next, nothing. I have prayed, travailed, and commanded this spirit to leave my husband and my home. I have put my fingers in his ear and said, “Ephphatha – Be opened” by the authority and in the name of Jesus. They have yet to open, but Jesus is still a healer and deliverer…so I believe!
It is hard for my husband, and he needs God’s divine touch! That being said, I am in the middle of this trial too. I try to talk as I usually do, and it is hard to communicate. It takes repeating everything several times, but mostly he is right in front of me so he can try to read my lips. Sometimes we just have to give up or write it down. It is exhausting for both of us, and so we often sit in silence. I have found that most of what I say is not important anyway. But then isn’t a conversation about big and little things what creates and maintains relationship? The doctors are calling Meniere’s Disease. I say there is a deaf and dumb spirit that is coming against both of us.
Friends, I ask that you come into agreement with me as I continue to pray and believe for healing and deliverance.
Lord, please deliver my husband from the spirit of deafness and both of us from the dumb spirit that wants to shut us both up and shut us down. I ask this in the beautiful and precious Name of Jesus and for Your Glory. Amen.
The Blood For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. – Leviticus 17:11
Life is in the Blood. Thank You for Your blood, Jesus. Your Blood is LIFE to me. Your Blood made atonement for me. Your Blood heals, delivers, cleanses, saves.
Everlasting to Everlasting Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. – Psalms 41:13
Psalm 41 affirms to me that the Lord is my first and my last. Jesus is my everything. He is here when I need Him and when I suffer and go through various trials. When I am in the midst of hard things for His Name, Holy Ghost is closer than I can ever realize or comprehend. He is my Hope, my deliverer, and He is my very present help in my time of need. I bless my God and my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the precious and ever-present Holy Ghost.
Blessed – Worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship; divinely or supremely favored Everlasting – eternal; lasting forever Amen – It is so; so be it
The Labour The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin. – Proverbs 10:16
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:23
The fullness of life is God’s reward to those rooted in Him and living out their faith. It’s incredible how God came down and took our place on the Cross that we may be made righteous. It’s amazing how we can just believe in Jesus and have eternal life but also then become a channel of LIFE (the labour) to bring others to believe (tendeth) in Jesus (Life) that they may also be a channel of LIFE….and it goes on and on.
Please help me, Father, today!!! Touch my mind, body, and my spirit that I may live this day pleasing to You. In Jesus Name, I pray! Amen and Amen!!!
Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14
Poor and Needy; Yet… But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou are my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. – Psalms 40:17
An Issue of Blood And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. – Leviticus 15:25-28
This passage makes me think about the woman with the issue of blood (found in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, and Luke 8:43-48). She had 12 years of continuous bleeding and so 12 years of separation and uncleanness. Imagine what she was going through and her desperation as she went through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. She had to have touched others because, according to scripture, there were many pressing in. She couldn’t have been proclaiming “unclean,” as was the law. She went for it. Had she not been healed, perhaps she would have been killed by those she “defiled” that day. This woman took a great risk. Her risk shows us how strong her desperation was but even more how strong her faith was. She was poor and needy, yet Jesus met her there!
Why Separate them? Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. – Leviticus 15:31
The children of Israel had to be separated when they were unclean because God dwelt in the tabernacle that was among them. Sin cannot be in the presence of the Almighty God. If a person is in sin in His Presence, they die as Aaron’s sons died. Moses and the Israelites took so much care when they went before the Lord. Have we become too flippant about that? If we carry the Spirit of God within us everywhere we go, if we are the Temple and God resides in us, should we not consider the state of our hearts? Can God live where unholiness and sin abides? Teach me, Holy Ghost!!!
Not What Enters but what Comes Out that Defiles And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. – Mark 7:15-16
Things that Defile And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. – Mark 7:20-23
I like the Amplified version of these verses because it explains them a bit.
And He said, What comes out of a man is what makes a man unclean and render [him] unhallowed. For from within, [that is] out of the hearts of men, come base and wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, Coveting (a greedy desire to have more wealth), dangerous ad destructive wickedness, deceit; unrestrained (indecent) conduct; an evil eye (envy), slander (evil speaking, malicious misrepresentation, abusiveness), pride (the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man), foolishness (folly, lack of sense, recklessness, thoughtlessness). All these evil [purposes and desires] come from within, and they make the man unclean and render him unhallowed. – Mark 7:20-23 AMP
Understanding vs. Lack of Understanding In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction – Proverbs 10:13-14
One of the fruits of those with understanding is wisdom. Those that lack understanding will go through the discipline and pain of correction and consequences.
This verse goes right along with some of our other scripture today. What comes out of the mouth shows what is in the heart. If understanding comes out, there is wisdom. The fruit of the mouth that is void of understanding will be destruction.
Those passages remind me of another verse:
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. – Luke 6:45
Leviticus 14:1-57; Mark 6:30-56; Psalm 40:1-10; Proverbs 10:11-12
Love Covers Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. – Proverbs 10:12
Love covers all sins. ALL means ALL!!!!
Cover – to protect or conceal; to hide from view, screen; to place something over or upon, as for protection, concealment, or warmth.
Atonement And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.
And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the Lord.
Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the Lord.
But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean. – Leviticus 14:18, 20, 29, 31, 53
We are still reading all about cleansing, purifying, skin diseases (leprosy), and mildew! JESUS can take care of all of these and has taken care of all of these. JESUS made our atonement on the Cross of Calvary. He did it all. He said, It is finished. We have the tremendous privilege and ability to be made right by Jesus by believing in Him and confessing Him and following Him. His blood cleanses us, heals us, and makes us whole. From what? Sickness and disease, oppression and possession, things like insecurities, doubts, fears, regret, shame, and an eternal death and life in hell. Jesus paid it all.
Depart, Rest, and Pray And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. – Mark 6:46
Jesus teaches his disciples by example that there comes a time in ministry that it is necessary to depart from everyone’s company so that you can spend time alone with God. Jesus went alone to the mountain to pray. He prioritized His time along with God. Jesus needed that particular time with God because people needed Jesus and the power and authority He carried. His time with His Father was His source of strength and power. Jesus teaches there is a time for fellowship and work, but there is equally a time for rest and solitude and communing with the Father. That time prepared Him, and it will prepare us for what lies ahead. So, what lay ahead for Jesus?
And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. – Mark 6:54-56
All those that touched Him, even the edge of His garment, were healed and made whole. His power came from His time with His Father in prayer.
Sacrifice and Offering Thou Didst Not Desire Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. – Psalms 40:6, 8
Well, a life following God is a life of sacrifice and offering. But, God cares more about our obedience than what we sacrifice or give. He opens our ears, eyes, and our hearts so that we can hear and live by His commands. Living by His law is an action that leads to delight in His will and His ways. When you are filled with the Holy Ghost, sacrifice and offering still won’t be required, but you will give them because You will have His heart and His is a heart that serves and gives.
Thank You so much, Father, that You sent Your precious Son, Jesus, to make atonement for my sins. Thank You, that You don’t desire or require sacrifices, but You provided the perfect sacrifice in Jesus Christ. Oh, heavenly Father, let me always keep Your price in the forefront of my mind. Such great LOVE that came to this earth and covered all of my sins. Such great LOVE that saved me from hell and gave me Eternal Life. Such great LOVE – His Name is Jesus!!! I am thankful, and I praise and glorify the Lamb of God today. He covered my sins. He was the atonement for ME. He did it willingly. Father, Your Word says that if I love YOU, I will keep Your commandments. Help me, God. Help me to obey and to delight in Your will more than I ever thought that I could. Help me prioritize my time with You as Jesus did that I may hear and follow Your every command immediately. Oh, Father, during this time of fasting, help me to pray like never before. Please help me to get into the Word like never before. Help me to draw closer to You than I ever imagined I could. Fill me again to overflowing with Holy Ghost. Fill me again with Your power. Anoint me to do the work You have assigned to me…and I will give You alone the Glory, the honor, and the praise. In Jesus Precious Name, I pray. Amen!
Defiled And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be. – Leviticus 13:45-46
Today’s reading in Leviticus would be easy to bypass. It is a lot of instructions about leprosy and skin diseases. God had to instruct the Israelites because they had never lived outside of captivity or in a wilderness. They didn’t have modern medicines, antibiotics, emergency rooms like we do. They couldn’t look up their symptoms on WebMD. If they caught a disease and someone didn’t deal with it and them aggressively, it could be tragic for the whole nation. God had to set up their government, and He also had to teach them many things, including cleanliness.
We know that God put these instructions in the Bible, which means they are eternal, so also for us today. To find the spiritual application, we must look below the surface as the priests had to look below the surface to see if a disease had defiled the body. That being said, we don’t have to look too far.
If something is on the surface, it can be dealt with quickly—a little quarantine. Serious problems can cause deeper issues if left unattended. The problem is we can’t always see that it is happening. Uncleanliness (sin) on the surface of our lives – whether in body, mind, or spirit – shouldn’t be left to grow and fester. Sin not dealt with will threaten our eternal lives and touch everything and everyone around us, much like the effects of leprosy. What kinds of things? Well, to name a few – jealousy, competition, gossip, bitterness, anger, lust. The list goes on and on, but these types of sins are not easily seen in their beginnings.
Reveal the hidden sins in my life today, Father, that I might deal with them now and live a clean and holy life. Help me, Holy Ghost, to yield to all You are doing in and through me. In the precious Name of Jesus! Amen!
Dishonored But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. – Mark 6:4
Familiarity will cause us to reject what God is doing in someone’s life. The rejection looks like unbelief but also could have roots of jealousy, pride, and bitterness. But, familiarity issues don’t have to have all that. Sometimes we don’t hear the Word from someone familiar – someone we are used to hearing preach or teach the Word. You can listen to your Pastor preach a sermon and feel almost nothing, but an evangelist can come in and give the same Word, and you respond.
Help us, Jesus, not to dishonor what You are doing in and through others!!!
Dumb (with Silence) I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. – Psalms 39:1-5, 7
It is incredible how slow life sometimes seems but how fast life can turn around. One day you are young, and the next, you are old. One day you are healthy, and the next, your body has started showing signs of age and deterioration. One day you are pleased where you are, and the next, you are looking for a smaller house, on one level, free from the steps and cleaning that once didn’t bother you at all. Life truly is fleeting.
Teach us to number our days, Lord. Teach us not to take one day for granted. To work while we are able and to also prepare for the time when we can’t. Help us trust You in each season and realize that even if we are still young, we are all very frail…without YOU!!!
Distressed He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall. – Proverbs 10:10
My dad always taught me not to trust anyone who winks. He must have read this verse because in my opinion, the message of this verse is that one who winks does not take wickedness and foolishness seriously.
Had the priests in Leviticus not taken leprosy seriously and had they winked at the uncleanliness of even one person, that uncleanliness would have spread until it couldn’t be contained.
There is no room to ignore (or wink at) any sin or wickedness. There is no room to wink at (or ignore) the person committing that sin and wickedness. Yes, we are to love the sinner and hate the sin, but we need to be very careful in our “loving” them, that we do not give a wink to their sin in any way.
People need to know that their sin is of the enemy, and it is not WHO they are. God created them to live for Him and believe in His Son and follow Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost.
But, the enemy comes to drag them away to the life of sin. The person in front of you is precious to God, but the sin is not. He doesn’t wish that any should perish, so He won’t, and we shouldn’t ignore the sin and uncleanliness that festers. If we do, it can be as tragic as it would have been for the children of Israel.
If someone calls out sin in your life, don’t despise it. It might not feel wonderful at the moment, but they didn’t wink at your sin, which is the most loving thing they can do. One glorious day, someone called out my sin, and I often think where would I be, had they not had the courage to confront me.
Give us boldness and great courage, God, to take the authority given to us by Your Son Jesus to confront the evil all around us. In Jesus Name, fill us with Your FIRE to work today for You and all for Your Glory. Amen!!!
The One Year Bible passages – Leviticus 11:1–12:8; Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9
Be Holy For I Am Holy For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. – Leviticus 11:44-45
The theme of Leviticus is holiness. The word “holy” is in Leviticus more than any other Bible book. God wanted the children of Israel to be clean and holy in every area of their lives. He wants the same from His children today. In the New Testament, God removed many of the dietary restrictions. However, God did not remove the spiritual principle of being pure, living a clean life, and being set apart for the Lord. Those principles are as binding today as they were in the days of Moses. We still should distinguish ourselves from the world by eating, drinking, and dressing in ways that honor God. We should not participate in the things of the world that are ungodly and morally impure. But even more than the way we act, we should live with a heart that is pure through and through. That would be a heart of love, a heart that knows Jesus and seeks each day to follow Him and look more and more like Him. Living a life that is holy and pleasing to God is the only way to live in true peace.
Sanctify – to make holy; set apart as sacred; to purify or free from sin
This Song is My Prayer!!!
Go in Peace And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. – Mark 5:34
Peace – the normal, non warring condition of a nation; a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations; freedom from any strife or dissension; freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession, etc; tranquility, serenity; silence, stillness
Forsake Me Not Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. – Psalms 38:9-10
Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. – Psalms 38:21-22
Panteth – To breathe hard and quickly; to gasp for air; to long with breathless or intense eagerness; yearn. To throb or heave violently or rapidly
Wise in Heart The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. – Proverbs 10:8
Prating – to talk excessively and pointlessly; to babble; to utter in empty or foolish talk
Leviticus 9:7–10:20; Mark 4:26–5:20; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 10:6-7
Glory of God And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. – Leviticus 9:23-24
When the Glory of the Lord appears, you will fall on your face before Him.
Strange Fire And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 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. – Leviticus 10:1-3
These men died because they did something they were not instructed to do. It was disobedience. What is strange fire? A fire offered in your own way or for your own purposes. It is something offered in disobedience. God’s instructions are to be followed exactly.
Drinking 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: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. – Leviticus 10:9-11
Here good reasons not to drink – that you can distinguish between what is holy and what is unholy; what is clean and what is unclean. And that you can teach the Lord’s laws.
Kingdom of God is Like a Man that Scatters Seed And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. – Mark 4:26-29
Growth happens day and night, and the farmer can’t understand precisely how the transition takes place, but he knows it is happening all the time, little by little, and he patiently waits for the harvest because he knows it is coming. Once the fruit is seen, he immediately gets to work to gather the harvest.
Kingdom of God is Like a Grain of Mustard Seed And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. – Mark 4:30-32
Although in its beginning a seed is tiny, it grows as we care for it and flourishes more and more each moment, and we find it has become mighty in time.
Jesus is Our Strength But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. – Psalms 37:39-40
Blessings of the Just Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. – Proverbs 10:6-7
Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31 – 4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5
Prepare Your Heart for the Harvest “Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” – Mark 4:3-9, 13-20
“And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” – Mark 4:24-25
Harvest is a scriptural term and an agricultural term. And we understand seedtime and harvest. There is a time to plant a seed and a time together what the kernel has produced – harvest. That is the way we get our food. So if you are a farmer, when you put the seed into the dirt, you want it to yield fully to its full potential. So Jesus is talking here about different kinds of soil.
The kind of soil we plant in dictates the type of harvest we get. The seed can be excellent but planted in not-so-awesome soil, it will not produce a great crop. But the good seed planted in good soil does bring forth a great harvest.
Jesus was teaching in parable form, and this is a famous parable. It is pretty easy to understand because Jesus interpreted His parable.
We all want the hundred-fold, bountiful harvest. We don’t just want to see it in others. We want it in our own lives. Maybe as we think of gardening and the harvest, we should focus less on missionaries, church outreach, and sharing the Gospel. Those things are wonderful and essential, but first, maybe we need to worry less about whether someone hasn’t heard us because of the condition of their lives and turn to see the state of our own heart. See our hearts as a field of soil. So I ask myself, what kind of soil is in my heart? Whatever type of soil is in my heart will dictate the harvest, no matter how good the seed is.
God nourishes us through His Word every day. His Word is a good seed. But is my heart good soil for His excellent seed? If the seed falls and cannot take root, then it is just going to lay there on the surface, and it is going to get snatched away.
If my heart is hard and stony and difficult, then there is nowhere for the seed to take root. If I am distracted and anxious and full of worry or if I am distracted and chasing other things, other desires, then the soil of my heart is thorny, and it is going to choke the seed out.
We’ve all seen rocky and thorny ground, and we can visualize and understand how difficult, if not impossible, it is for a bountiful harvest to grow under those conditions. In the same way, if our hearts are in that condition, we will not yield that harvest we long to gather.
God is going to do His part. But we each have our part. I have a role to play. I have some gardening to do. It is time to dig up the stony ground and do away with any thorn bushes that I have allowed to grow and overtake. It is time to make my heart fertile and ready for anything God wants to bring into my life today.
Prepare Your Heart for the Glory And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you. – Leviticus 9:5-6
Prepare Your Heart for the Famine The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. – Psalms 37:18-19
Prepare Your Heart to Gather He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. – Proverbs 10:5
Jesus, thank You for this wisdom. You have made it abundantly clear what You desire and the path I am to take. I. know many of the hard places in my life. Reveal others, Lord, that I may work on the soil. Reveal the thorny area and the shallow spots. I need Your help, Lord. I need You to guide me and show me how to become good soil. So come Holy Ghost as I meditate on and consider this, I invite You to come in and take over. Have Your way, Father. I ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen!!!!
