Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts 58

Among other things the Book of Leviticus establishes God’s life-rhythm for His people. In the feasts God prescribed for Israel we see an ebb and flow that is God intended way. We humans have a need for structure, probably because we lack the prophetic foresight of our God. Having anchors of tradition, certain repetitive reminders in life, keeps us from careening completely into cultural hopelessness. Here’s what I learned from Leviticus 23 and 24.

Leviticus chapter 23 sermon topics/titles:

1. A Regular Rest: Lev. 23: 1-3

2. The Future In the Feasts (A Prophetic Look At Israel’s Holy Days): Lev. 23: 4-44

3.The Unfulfilled Feasts: Lev. 23:4-44

Leviticus chapter 24 sermon topics/titles:

1. Give Me Oil In My Lamp!: Lev. 24:1-4

2.  The Ultimate Friendship Bread: Lev. 24:5-9

3. The Power In the Name: Lev. 24: 10-23

Now tell me what you see! 🙂

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 57

Most people think that to be holy means to be really good or righteous. Leviticus paints a different picture of the word “holy”. Sure righteousness and goodness are wrapped in with holiness, but the basic thought behind holiness is separation for a specific purpose.

Do you have a good set of china you use only for the holidays? That china is holy… set aside for the holidays. The idea behind Israel’s law was not primarily about good versus bad (though certainly many of the laws were indicative of right vs wrong) but about special versus common…holy versus mundane.  As I look at the chapter charts today I see  some themes about holiness.

Leviticus chapter 21 sermon topics/titles:

1. Separated From Death :Lev. 21:1-4

2.Separated From Fashion: Lev. 21: 5,6

3. Separated From Culture: Lev. 21:7-15

Leviticus chapter 22 sermon topics/titles:

1. Separated to Sacrifice: Lev. 22: 1-16

2. Give Your Best: Lev. 22: 17-33

3. The Name On the Line: Lev. 22: 31-33

What do you see? 🙂

Heaven Pt. 24

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this [for] a memorial in a book, and rehearse [it] in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” Ex. 17:14 KJV

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He will have His way and it is not the way of men.

This verse reminds me that God is not all-inclusive nor is He entirely tolerant. He is patient and loving and good but there are things and behaviors and people who will not be part of His kingdom because He cannot abide them.

We must be careful in our walk of faith not to make Him a God of our own devising. His Word reveals His way and by His own admission that way is “narrow and few there be that find it.”That’s not because it is hidden but because it runs contrary to the way of accepted thinking.

We cannot reach Heaven by being good in our own eyes. Heaven is not attained because the good we do outdoes the bad. Only perfect people make it to Heaven.

Did you feel the road just get narrower? Did you feel it go completely out of sight? Good! Then we are back to, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!

You see, I was Amalek. I was slated to “be utterly put out of the remembrance from under Heaven”… But God in the fullness of time sent His son Jesus to die in my place, to become Amalek for me, to take the blame for my sin.

I was one whom God could not abide. But Jesus took the wrath of God for me. Now my name is written in the Book of Life. My feet are planted on the narrow path. Jesus has justified me, that is He has made it “just as if I never sinned”. Has Jesus justified you?

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord Jesus in my own walk I have fallen short of perfect and so I realize I am disqualified from entering Heaven on my own. But God you said in Your Word that You have made another way. You sent Jesus to die on the cross for me. You said if I would believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead and if I would confess with my mouth “Jesus is my Lord” that I would be given eternal life and a home in Heaven. Well Lord I believe and I confess Jesus is Lord! Thank you for rescuing me! A-men!

Heaven Pt. 23

“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” Ex 16:4 KJV

“Jehovah Jireh my provider

      His grace is sufficient for me,

      For me, for me!

     Jehovah Jireh my provider

     His grace is sufficient for me!

    My God shall supply all my need,

    According to His riches in glory.

   He shall give His angels

   Charge over me.

   Jehovah Jireh cares for me,

   For me, for me!

   Jehovah Jireh cares for me!”

Those are the words to a song we used to sing  in church. They are true words. God does care. God does provide. God will take care of His people even if He has to rain bread from Heaven to do it!

Never forget though, that God’s provision always has a purpose beyond meeting our physical need. He provides to reveal the inner motives of our hearts.

Have you ever noticed that the established pattern in the Bible is that men seek God until they are blessed and then they turn to sin?

This is a pattern I have regrettably followed in my own experience. God flows blessing from Heaven. I receive it with thanks that the pressure of poverty has been removed. Then just when I think I am strong and mighty in the Lord I stumble and fall. Usually it is because I get my eyes off of the Provider and make some kind of God out of the provision.

I am learning that while the blessings of God are good they are not what I need. I need Him! should a blessing get in the way of my receiving Him I need to cast it down so that the blessing from Heaven doesn’t keep me from seeing Him in Heaven.

Let’s pray: Father God, thank You for all the ways You bless me. Help me Lord to always keep You before my blessing. Help me not to become so consumed by provision that I forget my wonderful Provider. In Jesus name A-men!

Award Sundays: the Candle-Lighter Award

Angela at http://meetingintheclouds.wordpress.com/ has given me yet another Sunday to rejoice in the Lord by granting me the Candle-Lighter Award.

I am so thankful to the God who has called me into this work. He has blessed me through a group of affirming readers during a time of great transition and personal challenge.

When I started “Reinventing the We’ll” I never realized the many turns my life would take. I thought I would be writing mostly about changes in mid-life, family and the empty nest experience. But God has drawn me back to my roots in ministry and has affirmed that through every change no matter how difficult or devastating His Word is “all our hope and stay”. Thank you Angela and thank you “Believe Anyway” for creating this award!  http://believeanyway.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/creation-of-new-blog-award-the-candle-lighter-award/

Before I close I want to nominate another blogger.  Lillian is a young inspiration. She has finished her first novel at sixteen and has taken on her high school campus as her first mission field! Read about her exploits at  http://teenagedmissionary.wordpress.com/

Heaven Pt. 22

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness [which] may be felt.” Ex. 10:22 KJV     We are come into a portion of the Scripture where the word “heaven” is used in conjunction with the judgment of God.  The reality of our world is that for most of Earth’s population that is all Heaven will ever be…a place of judgment. As the Scripture attests:

     In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not….He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:4,5,10,11 KJV

It is mankind’s rebellion against God which turns the glories of Heaven into a hopeless darkness.

I can feel this darkness that is come upon the world and with each passing day I am more convinced that the darkness is “the wrath of God… revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” Rom. 1:18 KJV

Still I have hope. For though the darkness has come the church is still in the world. While she stands light will shine in the darkness. Like the picture of the night sky above all is not dark! We are the light! While we remain the darkness may grow but it will only become a better backdrop against which we can shine. As you feel the dark determine to shine the Greater Light!

     Let’s pray: Father God, the darkness does increase I can feel it. Let me feel Your light more powerfully in myself than ever before. Use me God to push back this darkness not from the world but from the souls of precious men and women who can yet be saved from the wrath to come! In Jesus name A-men!

Prague Vicariously Pt. 2

Here for your viewing pleasure are a few more pictures of my sister’s recent tour of Prague! Brenda is working for missionary Judy Mensch in The Netherlands. Her role as a missionary associate and as a professional director/ stage manager is to build the drama wing of Kidzark&Zo. For more info on  Kidzark& Zo go to: http://www.gonetherlandsag.com/

Thank you for the cross Lord!A beautiful city!Does anyone have the time?ChiaroscuroBeautiful Blue!

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 56

Leviticus, the book of the law, is considered by many to be one of the hardest books to get through. If you are stuck in this camp try the chapter charts. Make it a devotional exercise to come up with three personal applications for every chapter in the book:It’s a challenge; It’s fun; It doesn’t take long and it leaves you thinking all day about the Word of God.

Here’s what I came up for Leviticus 19 and 20

Leviticus chapter 19 sermon topics/ titles:

1. How Many Holy People Should There Be? Lev. 19:1, 2

2.The Ten and Then Some: Lev. 19: 3-37

3. Make Mine Medium Rare!: Lev. 19:31

Leviticus chapter 20 sermon topics/titles:

1. Modern Day Molech: Lev. 20:1-5

2. The Old New Age: Lev. 20:6

3. Happy, Dead Or Childless You Make the Choice: Lev. 7-27

Now it’s your turn! 🙂

Pastor Wrinkles: Chapter Charts Pt. 55

I am now just a few weeks out from the second class of “God’s First Five.” I am beginning to think about how I will present the Pentateuch to this next class of excited students! As I work through Leviticus via the chapter charts God has me contemplating many interesting points to bring out in what most consider a very dry book.

I’d love to hear what you see in Leviticus chapters 17 and 18. 🙂

Leviticus chapter 17 sermon topics/titles:

1. Sacrifice or Bloodshed: Lev. 17:1-7

2. The Life Is In the Blood: Lev. 17:11-13

3. Clean It Yourself: Lev. 15-16

Leviticus chapter 18 sermon topics/titles

1. You Are Not Your Culture: Lev.18: 1-5

2. Sex Before and After the Law: Lev. 18:6-19

3. Your Behavior Affects the Family: Lev. 18: 6-18

Now you try! 😉