Tuesday, February 16, 2021

You Are a Saint


BIBLE MEDITATION


“Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:7

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT


Are you saved? If you are, then you are a saint.


Now you’re probably saying, “But I can’t say that. Christ wants me to be humble.”


But let me tell you what real humility is. It is accepting what God says about you, and God says you’re a saint. Now, that doesn’t make you sinless; it makes you blameless. In God’s sight (and that’s the only sight that counts) you are a saint. God sees you as perfect because He sees you draped in the righteousness of His Son. Glory to God for His indescribable love to us!


ACTION POINT


Stand in front of the mirror and say out loud, “I am a saint.” Spread the Good News to your family and friends who are saved—that they are saints, too!


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When Obedience Feels Impossible


By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. (Hebrews 11:17)


For many of you right now — and for others of you the time is coming — obedience feels like the end of a dream. You feel that if you do what the word of God or the Spirit of God is calling you to do, it will make you miserable and that there is no way that God could turn it all for good.


Perhaps the command or call of God you hear just now is to stay married or stay single, to stay in that job or leave that job, to get baptized, to speak up at work about Christ, to refuse to compromise your standards of honesty, to confront a person in sin, to venture a new vocation, to be a missionary. And as you see it in your limited mind, the prospect of doing this is terrible — it’s like the loss of Isaac, the only son who can be an heir.


You have considered every human angle, and it is impossible that it could turn out well.


Now you know what it was like for Abraham. This story is in the Bible for you.


Do you desire God and his way and his promises more than anything, and do you believe that he can and will honor your faith and obedience by being unashamed to call himself your God, and to use all his wisdom and power and love to turn the path of obedience into the path of life and joy?


That is the crisis you face now: Do you desire him? Will you trust him? The word of God to you is: God is worthy and God is able.


John Piper 

February 16

1 The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,
2 "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
3 "If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.
4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5 Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces,
7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire.
8 And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar;
9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
10 "If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish,
11 and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar,
13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
14 "If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons.
15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar.
16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes.
17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

1 "When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it
2 and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
3 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings.
4 "When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.
5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.
6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
10 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD's food offerings.
11 "No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD.
12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
14 "If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain.
15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering.
16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the LORD.

1 "If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar.
3 And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the LORD, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,
4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.
5 Then Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
6 "If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD,
8 lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
9 Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the LORD its fat; he shall remove the whole fat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails
10 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.
11 And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a food offering to the LORD.
12 "If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD
13 and lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
14 Then he shall offer from it, as his offering for a food offering to the LORD, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails
15 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.
16 And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the LORD's.
17 It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood."

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them,
3 if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering.
4 He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the LORD.
5 And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting,
6 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the LORD in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the LORD that is in the tent of meeting, and all the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
8 And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering he shall remove from it, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails
9 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys
10 (just as these are taken from the ox of the sacrifice of the peace offerings); and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
11 But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung-
12 all the rest of the bull-he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up.
13 "If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt,
14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting.
15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.
16 Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting,
17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil.
18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
19 And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar.
20 Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
21 And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.
22 "When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the LORD his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt,
23 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish,
24 and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering.
25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
26 And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
27 "If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt,
28 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed.
29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
30 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.
31 And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.
32 "If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish
33 and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.
35 And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the LORD's food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. - Leviticus 1-4

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 
2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 
5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 
7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 
8 I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 
9 O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes-it also has gone from me. 
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. 
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 
13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 
14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 
15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 
16 For I said, "Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!" 
17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 
18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 
19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 
20 Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 
21 Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! 
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!  - Psalms 38

12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.
14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near."
16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him."
18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, "Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you."
19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
20 And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him.
21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent."
22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, "Tell no one that you have informed me of these things."
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, "Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.
24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor."
25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
26 "Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.
28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.
29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him."
31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him.
33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.
34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 he said, "I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive." And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium. - Acts 23:12-35

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
4 And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear."
8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."
10 And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?"
11 He answered, "Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.
12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands."
13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. - Matthew 17:1-13

Monday, February 15, 2021

The Truth Shall Make You Free


 

BIBLE MEDITATION


“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT


Have you ever been to a circus and seen an elephant chained to a stake in the ground? Why doesn’t he break free? Because, as a young elephant, he was tied to a tree. And try as he might, he couldn’t break free. Now the thought that he cannot break free is ingrained.


How true that is of you and me who have ingrained thought patterns in our lives. We say, “I am chained to this habit and I can’t break free.” Or we say, “I’m not good enough.” All kinds of lies keep us in bondage, but the real truth is what God says, not what we think.


ACTION POINT


Are there any strongholds in your life that keep you chained to the past? Write down these verses and memorize them.


2 Corinthians 10:4 

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”


Galatians 5:1

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”


Now break free from the lies of the past as you tell yourself the truth!



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Every Calvary Step Was Love


By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us. (1 John 3:16)


The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love.


“When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).


Every step on the Calvary road meant, “I love you.”


Therefore, to feel the love of Christ in the laying down of his life, it helps to see how utterly intentional it was.


Look at what Jesus said just after that violent moment when Peter tried to cleave the skull of the servant, but only cut off his ear.


Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:52–54)


It is one thing to say that the details of Jesus’s death were predicted in the Old Testament. But it is much more to say that Jesus himself was making his choices precisely to see to it that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.


That is what Jesus said he was doing in Matthew 26:54. “I could escape this misery, but how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”


In other words, I am not choosing to take the way out that I could take, because I know the Scriptures. I know what must take place for my people to be saved. It is my choice to fulfill all that is predicted of me in the word of God. It is my choice — every step of the way — to love my people to the uttermost. And I want them to feel this. And be utterly secure and free and radically different from the world.


John Piper 

February 15

1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.
2 He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.
3 And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its utensils of bronze.
4 And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, under its ledge, extending halfway down.
5 He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.
6 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.
7 And he put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it with them. He made it hollow, with boards.
8 He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.
9 And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits;
10 their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
11 And for the north side there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
13 And for the front to the east, fifty cubits.
14 The hangings for one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.
15 And so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.
16 All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen.
17 And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
18 And the screen for the gate of the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court.
19 And their pillars were four in number. Their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver.
20 And all the pegs for the tabernacle and for the court all around were of bronze.
21 These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
22 Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses;
23 and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.
24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.
25 The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary:
26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who was listed in the records, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.
27 The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent a base.
28 And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.
29 The bronze that was offered was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels;
30 with it he made the bases for the entrance of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it and all the utensils of the altar,
31 the bases around the court, and the bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs around the court.

1 From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2 He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
3 And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design.
4 They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges.
5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6 They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel.
7 And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8 He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.
9 It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled.
10 And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row;
11 and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;
12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree.
14 There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.
16 And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece.
17 And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.
18 They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod.
19 Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.
20 And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
21 And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue,
23 and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear.
24 On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.
25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates-
26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
27 They also made the coats, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons,
28 and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen,
29 and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, "Holy to the LORD."
31 And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.
33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases;
34 the covering of tanned rams' skins and goatskins, and the veil of the screen;
35 the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat;
36 the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;
37 the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light;
38 the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent;
39 the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand;
40 the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;
41 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests.
42 According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work.
43 And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.
5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting,
7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 "Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy.
10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy.
11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it.
12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water
13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.
14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them,
15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations."
16 This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did.
17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars.
19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark.
21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil,
23 and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle,
25 and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 
27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing,
31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.
32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses.
33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out.
37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. Exodus 38:-40

23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; 
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. 
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 
26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. 
27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 
28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. 
32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 
33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 
34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. 
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. 
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.  - Psalm 37:23-40

1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day."
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?"
4 Those who stood by said, "Would you revile God's high priest?"
5 And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial."
7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?"
10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome." - Acts 23:1-11

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you."
23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." - Matthew 16:13-28

Sunday, February 14, 2021

You Are So Loved!

BIBLE MEDITATION


“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.’” Jeremiah 31:3

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT


Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers. Did you know that Jesus is the lover of your soul? He is. You, as part of the church, are His bride…His chosen one.


Our Lord loves each of us and all of us with infinite love, everlasting love, and indescribable love.


Are you without a valentine today? Take heart…His heart. He has set His affection on you. Jesus has purchased you, not with silver or gold as a bridegroom would have in Jesus’ day, but our Lord has purchased you with the silver of His tears and with the gold of His blood.


You are loved!


ACTION POINT


Every time you get a Valentine or see an advertisement for Valentine’s Day or hear someone say, “Happy Valentine’s Day,” remember that Jesus is the “Lover of your Soul.”


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers