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| Sunset on the South Toe River - Mt. Celo Church is located in the South Toe River Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina - between Asheville and Boone. |
My Contemplations/Lessons/Applications from Today's Readings
SACRED BLOOD Leviticus 17:1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying...Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." This OT passage is key in understanding The New Covenant - sealed by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ - the final sacrifice, once and for all. There is power - life-giving power - in the blood, both physically and spiritually.
HOLINESS CODE (Holman's Bible Dictionary) - Leviticus 17-27 - This chapter begins God's instructions on the necessity of holiness - being separate to God, distinct and set apart, "in the world but not of the world." Many specific commands of purity follow this. The majority of these in Chapter 18 deal with sexual purity. This IS very important to God; this IS very different from the world's view.
MY LIGHT, MY SALVATION, MY STRENGTH - Psalm 27:1-3 This is all of the LORD. He saves me, guides me, empowers me to live out His calling in my life. This should take away fear; this should be my confidence. It calls to mind Jesus's command in Matthew 10:28 , "fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
INTEGRITY/SECURITY Proverbs 10:9 is an extension of the holiness code - giving us the consequences of living a life under God's commands - or following the ways of the world. "He who walks with integrity, walks securely; but he who perverts his ways will become known." (emphasis mine.)
NOTHING HIDDEN Our holiness, our walk in integrity IS known to God, so are our sins. The so-called hidden corruption that marks so much of our business, legal, family and church lives are not hidden at all from God. We WILL - ALL - give account for these deeds of our lives. Mark 4:22-23: For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."Hebrews 4:12-13 "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Numbers 23:32...and be sure your sin will find you out.
It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus…Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind…
From Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon
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