Sacrifice

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I challenge you to protect life!

Fads come and go.

There was a time college students swallowed goldfish and wore raccoon coats.
Lava lamps, bell bottoms, and platform shoes were fads.
So were Beanie babies, fanny packs, and sagging pants, though that last one needs to leave.

Fads come and go and the latest to come is the ALS ice bucket challenge.

On the surface it looks fun and the videos have been entertaining. But under the surface something else lurks.

Each challenge participant is to make a donation toward ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) research. It appears that the research involves embryonic stem cell research.

I don’t think anyone has the right to force another person to forfeit their life for the lives of others. Embryo’s may not be able to walk, talk, or live outside the womb but that doesn’t make them any less human.

Barbaric religions have often forced the sacrifice of the innocent to appease the god of the guilty. Children have often been chosen to be that sacrifice.

Not even God forced His own innocent Son to give His life for you. It is written

He laid down His life for us. 1 John 3:16

And

Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. John 10:17-18

Jesus gave His life for others.

That’s something an embryo, baby, or toddler cannot do!

Abba, we have failed You and ourselves in not protecting the innocent. Forgive us and help us change our ways! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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God’s Prescribed Sacrifice

“It is only by obedience that we understand the teaching of God.” ~Oswald Chambers

Gen 15:17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.

Abram obeyed God and had taken the five sacrifices and prepared them.

This obedience became a reassuring teaching from God – teaching involving the future of his descendants. (Gen 15:13-16)

Then a firepot and burning torch went between the pieces.

The pieces were the complete blood sacrifices the Law would prescribe. Those sacrifices would be offered by the priests.

In this text, God, Himself, burns the sacrifice…

…which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Col 2:17

1 John 3:16 He laid down His life for us.
Heb 7:27 He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

For all the sacrifices that mankind can offer, it is the one offered by Christ, the complete Sacrifice, that satisfies the Father.

No matter what trouble may come, the Father will fulfill His promise to deliver His people.

That promise is yours when you accept God’s sacrifice for you – His own Son!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

YES&AMEN

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The Complete Offering

God’s word is not always easy to understand. For years I avoided the following, never preaching or teaching on it.

But God’s word is meant to be understood. It is given so we can know the fullness of the Father.

Gen 15:9-11 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

The greatest proof of God’s promises is found in the text and those that follow.

Sacrifice is important to God.

According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Heb 9:22

The sacrifices of Adam, Noah, Abram, and all before Sinai, were done without the demand of the Law.

In Abram’s case, he brought every blood sacrifice allowed by the future Law. The complete set, as it were.

Jesus is the complete sacrifice. He did what the heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon could not do – satisfy God.

Satan wants to take that away, like the vultures. He doesn’t want you to know or depend on the offering of Jesus.
He wants the world to be confused, divided, and confrontational over Jesus.

Break through the confusion and misunderstanding. Read God’s word and let the Holy Spirit reveal the truth, in Jesus name, YES&AMEN!!!

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Law of Moses: 101 – a Christian perspective

lawPs 51:17 – The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

Israel lived under the rules of the Law of Moses. The Law contains detailed instructions for sacrifices of certain animals and grains. It also contained Continue reading →

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You need an offering.

offering4While watching a new Ten Commandments movie, I was reading my Bible at the same time just to check up on one of the details of the movie that I didn’t remember reading in the Bible. (You know how that artistic license goes!) Continue reading →

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The End of Sacrifice

no more sacrificeContinuing with yesterday’s thought on the sacrificial death of Jesus and the forgiveness of your sins.
I quoted 1 John 1:9 at the end of the blog – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

The word “all” only means one thing to me and that is ALL! Continue reading →

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The Reward of Sacrifice

Today I’m not exactly sure what my thoughts are. A situation has been building in our family and came to fruition last night.
It’s not the way I wanted it; my hand was forced.
Yet, as I fasted and prayed I have to believe that God orchestrated everything. Continue reading →

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Personal Sacrifice – God’s Reward

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down.’” Jer 38:17
To really make a difference in the lives of others will often involve personal sacrifice. Personal sacrifice can often be uncomfortable. Continue reading →

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Supply and Demand

There are many Bible stories that seem very far-fetched! If I had not experience the saving grace of God, the forgiveness through Jesus, and the filling of the Holy Spirit, I would find it easy to be an atheist.
But because I am continuing to experience a relationship with the Lord God, I not only believe in Him but in His word. Continue reading →