“If she cannot afford…”

The Law of Moses required a sacrifice of a lamb from those women who had given birth.  After the forty days of purification, they had to bring their offering to the tabernacle to be cleansed.

God in his mercy and infinite wisdom knew that many women would not be able to afford such an expensive offering.  Therefore he opened an “escape” door if you please, for them.  They could bring little birds instead of a lamb, if they were poor.

In God’s ministry we find three different kinds of Christians.  There is Bob “Does it all,” there is also Jimmy “Does little” and finally we find James “Does his best.”  They represent the entire Christian community, in their different work ethics and philosophy.

Bob “Does it all” typifies those believers that “kill” themselves by working in too many ministries.  They remind me of Carlos who became totally burned-out after over-extending himself in several church departments.  The problem with “Bob” is that he forsakes his family and never finishes his work in any of the ministries.

Jimmy “Does little” represents the vast majority of inactive believers.  They think that by attending church they are serving God or doing him a big favor.  The Christian “Jimmies” do very little work for God, if any at all!

James “Does his best” is the symbol of true Christian servanthood.  Christians, who are like “James” do their best for God and complete the work that He has called them to perform.  Everything they do comes from a grateful heart and it is done with love.  Which type of minister are you?

A. G.

            “…creatures that swarm (creep) upon the earth…”

I have discovered a very alarming fact! I have noticed that many people, who call themselves Christians, prefer to creep or slither upon this earth, rather than walking in holiness with God.

It is sad to see children of the Eternal God living in continuous defeat.  They fall into sin, or become slaves to depression or fear.  Is this how we are supposed to live as Christians?

I would venture to say that every believer has fallen at least on a few occasions.  If we are sincere, we must admit that perhaps we have slithered like serpents more times than we have flown like eagles.  God, however, is able to lift us up if we repent.

Brothers and sisters, there is no need to continue living in sin or defeat.  Our God is powerful enough to meet our needs and forgive our sins.  God is in control of our destinies and in Him we are victorious.

There is no room for fear.

Does this mean that we will be happy all the time? Perhaps some can claim that this is their every day experience, but the majority of us experience ups and downs; good days and not-so-good days; victories and defeats.  God knows very well that we are not perfect.

Nevertheless God will not accept “Snake-like-Christians” whose lifestyle seems to be a deliberate attempt to imitate the unbelievers.  A snake was an unholy creature to the Israelites; a snakelike life is not appropriate or good for children of the Lord.

A. G.

            “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common…”

The children of the Lord would do well, by distancing themselves as far as possible from wine.  When we say “wine,” we are referring to any substance, situation or person that can affect our judgment in a negative way.

In the Bible we find the pre-requisites to become a minister of God.  Among them, there is the prohibition to indulge ourselves in wine, to the point of becoming drunkards or alcoholics.  Drugs and alcoholic beverages can dominate our minds so much, that we will not be able to discern between good and evil.

God commands the Christians to be “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).  The Holy Spirit is capable to help, comfort, strengthen and empower the believer.  Wine destroys, brings despair and suctions all of our physical and emotional strength.

The Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus’ words in our times of desperate need.  Wine only reminds us of how miserable and foolish we are!  For these reasons, Christians, and specially ministers, must abstain from any kind of “wine” that can lead to debauchery.

Which “wine” is attempting today to impair your Christian walk? To some it is pornography or drinking alcohol; to others the love of money, or perhaps the sins of the tongue.

God is telling us to forsake anything that dampens or obstructs our precious relationship with him.  Nadab and Abihu died for allowing their pride and rebellion to come between them and the Lord.  Do not allow the “wine” of the world to seduce you and separate you from Christ…Ever!

A. G.

            “…so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

            There is a wonderful reassuring promise from God: We will see His glory when we do his will and worship Him.  This should be our expectation when we engage in public or private worship; otherwise, worship becomes a futile and meaningless exercise.

            To worship, is to give ourselves totally unto the Lord.  Just as Aaron and his descendants were consecrated to God, our souls must be completely devoted to prayer, praise and spiritual (not transcendental) meditation.

            A godly expectation must accompany our adoration.  If we are offering our praise and worship to a great and BIG God, then we should expect to see His glory.  How will we be able to detect a manifestation of God’s eternal glory?

            God will show forth His glory in the midst of the praise of His people.  He will touch our hearts in such a way, that we will know that His glory is present.  How is it possible then, that  some see His glory and even cry, while others remain “untouched” and empty? The answer lies on the intensity and depth of our worship.  Only those who honor the Lord with all their hearts, minds, strength and power, and “chase” after God will be able to see His glory.

            God’s glory is also visible, when we can observe lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  His glory can be manifested through us for all to see, as we lead godly lives.  Unfortunately, many will never see God’s glory.  They refuse to believe, and only those who do, shall be able to see God (John 11:40).  To see the stars, we must look up to heaven; but to see God’s glory, we need to look up to Jesus in faith and true worship.

            A. G.

            “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”

God has supreme and undisputed authority over the universe.  His commands are followed without question by angels and by every other creature, except for many humans.  Even his children sometimes dare to disobey Him!

What happened to the days when preachers would proclaim the Gospel with power and authority? Nobody says, “Thus says the Lord” anymore or as Moses said in this chapter: “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”

We are living now in a permissive society in which little children demand answers from their parents and scream “NO!” when they are told to perform any task.  Secular Psychology is partly responsible for the demise of parental authority.  They “teach” us to listen and respect our children (which is biblical anyway), and not to spank them (which is not biblical), for this is child abuse according to them.

Do psychologists and psychiatrists know more than God about child rearing?  Certainly not! The Bible instructs us to love and discipline our children.  If there is rebellion, we are commanded to use the rod to bring back some sense into our child.

There is a time for talking and listening to our children.  There is also a time to answer authoritatively when they demand an explanation:  “You’ll do it because I am your father (or mother) and you have to obey.”

Does this sound too harsh? Perhaps we have accustomed ourselves not to obey and follow directions from anyone including God.  God commanded Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons to be priests, and he obeyed.

Are you submitted to God’s authority?

A. G.