"Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35, CSB)More than once in our reading of Numbers 1-3, we read that 'the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded' (Numbers 1:54, for example). God places a premium on obedience, for, as we were reminded in last Sunday's sermon, obedience is the outcome of love: 'Whoever loves me, keeps my commands' (John 14:15). That t...  Read More

Have you pondered the relationship that the Scribes and Pharisees had with Jesus? They had the same relationship with God, the Father...they would never admit it, or may not even have realized it, but it is true. E.M. Bounds in talking about the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) summarizes their empty spiritual condition: "...though schooled in prayer by training and hab...  Read More

"Aliens and temporary residents" (CSB), or "Strangers and Sojourners" (NKJV) are terms God uses (Leviticus 25:23) to remind His children who they are and that "the land is His." Indeed, "The earth is the LORDS and everything therein" (Psalm 24:1) including land and inhabitants. Rather than finding these labels disconcerting, they should point us to a greater truth and a glorious hope. While this w...  Read More

One thing is certain as we read through Leviticus: our holy God deserves our first and our best. This approach and attitude is not only to be reflected in our worship, but also in our service and in our relationships. And, every good thing that we receive from His hand is to be enjoyed and treated with respect to His holiness. The standard is set high. It feels like a lot of rules and regulations ...  Read More

Happy Valentines Day! Today is a celebration of romantic love. In a world that often cheapens the meaning of love and its most intimate physical expression, our reading of Leviticus 18 reminds us that God has given us a context in which such love can thrive. It is called marriage. If one had any doubt as to the appropriate expression of that love, again, Leviticus 18 is quite clear...it is between...  Read More

How timely and how timeless. Leviticus 17 reminds us that 'the life' of any created being 'is in the blood.' Truth! Move across the years from the daily sacrifices being brought to the tent of meeting and their blood shed and sprinkled on the altar. Now, look upon a cruciform altar upon which the Lamb of God was sacrificed once and for all, His blood freely flowing and staining that altar. Yes, th...  Read More