Yesterday morning, before my track meet, God completely blew my mind with Leviticus and I thought I'd share.
In Leviticus, there are a lot of rules for sacrifice. There is clearly a need for atonement, because the people keep sinning. In verse 17:11, it says, "for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" Chapter 16 verse 21 says that when the priest takes a goat, all the sins are put onto that goat, and the blood of the slaughter makes the people clean before God. And, it says that only the high priest can make an atonement for all of his people:
And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 16:17
Isn't this incredible?! Look at it. It's a parallel (precursor) to Calvary, and it's getting me so excited. The Lord transferred all of our sins onto the perfect Savior Jesus Christ, who faced the cross alone, redeeming the entire world.
I was telling my friend that the more I read and learn in the New Testament, the more exciting the Old Testament is, and then the circle just never ends. Jesus was in the beginning (John 1:1), always has been, and always will be. He is there from Genesis to Revelation, our Savior, the lover of the world. I crave knowing more. Every day the Lord shows me something new about who He is, and there is nothing I love more than getting to know Jesus.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Philippians 3:10
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:18
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Get Up
This is the weekend of indoor conference for track and field. It's a really exciting time, and even though I don't compete until tomorrow, I have those positive nerves running around in me. I woke up to Superchick's "Get Up" stuck in my head, a song a haven't listened to in years. There are so many great lines, but the one I want to look at here is "I know I'll fall again but I can win this in the end"
Does that describe humanity to the T or what? We are not perfect and sinless. There was only one of those, and His name is Jesus Christ. He never fell. He was so high and devoted in HIs relationship with our Father that even when tempted, He didn't give in. And so God also highly exalted HIm (Philippians 2:9-11). But us, we want to know our Lord; He created us with a hole only He can fill, but we can't stop sinning.
But.
It wasn't enough to have our God step down and live a perfect life. He died an excruciating death so that we too could be raised up and enter the Kingdom of God forever. In Christ, we are already victors. We have nothing to fear, and even if our world is trying to get us down, we will win this in the end, because the battle's already over. Our failures do not count against us, and if we turn to the Lord and Savior, He will carry us through.
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. Proverbs 24:16
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Micah 7:8
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Romans 8:37
Does that describe humanity to the T or what? We are not perfect and sinless. There was only one of those, and His name is Jesus Christ. He never fell. He was so high and devoted in HIs relationship with our Father that even when tempted, He didn't give in. And so God also highly exalted HIm (Philippians 2:9-11). But us, we want to know our Lord; He created us with a hole only He can fill, but we can't stop sinning.
But.
It wasn't enough to have our God step down and live a perfect life. He died an excruciating death so that we too could be raised up and enter the Kingdom of God forever. In Christ, we are already victors. We have nothing to fear, and even if our world is trying to get us down, we will win this in the end, because the battle's already over. Our failures do not count against us, and if we turn to the Lord and Savior, He will carry us through.
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity. Proverbs 24:16
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Micah 7:8
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Romans 8:37
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Restoration
This week has been pretty nice. The Lord blessed me with extreme efficiency, giving me a low-key week to follow the insanity of last week.
He continued His work today. I went to the local Christian school to talk with someone about National Day of Prayer events, and there are some good things in the works. He invited me to stay for their chapel service, a weekly event. Since I didn't have anything pressing to do, I said sure. With some worship and then a few Bible readings, sermon, and prayer, it was pretty basic. But in its simplicity, I left feeling so uplifted, so refreshed, so restored. I loved being surrounded by all the students, encouraged by the fact that they are being taught to love Christ and follow His will. Sure, many of them were less than attentive, but I treasured seeing the ones hanging on every word, truly digging into their Bibles.
I have truly felt God restoring me, and I am thankful. I know, too, that He has plans for me and that this is a time of preparation for what is to come. I felt very tired and plain worn out after last week's craziness, but I can feel God bringing me back to life through the heart of Jesus Christ. He is taking what is broken and ultimately useless and crafting it for His purpose. Only the Lord knows what He is doing, but I know that He is working for my well-being (Romans 8:28).
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11
He continued His work today. I went to the local Christian school to talk with someone about National Day of Prayer events, and there are some good things in the works. He invited me to stay for their chapel service, a weekly event. Since I didn't have anything pressing to do, I said sure. With some worship and then a few Bible readings, sermon, and prayer, it was pretty basic. But in its simplicity, I left feeling so uplifted, so refreshed, so restored. I loved being surrounded by all the students, encouraged by the fact that they are being taught to love Christ and follow His will. Sure, many of them were less than attentive, but I treasured seeing the ones hanging on every word, truly digging into their Bibles.
I have truly felt God restoring me, and I am thankful. I know, too, that He has plans for me and that this is a time of preparation for what is to come. I felt very tired and plain worn out after last week's craziness, but I can feel God bringing me back to life through the heart of Jesus Christ. He is taking what is broken and ultimately useless and crafting it for His purpose. Only the Lord knows what He is doing, but I know that He is working for my well-being (Romans 8:28).
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Gift of Sundays
People who know me well know that I don't do serious work on Sundays. If I do homework, I'm working ahead, and it's only because I want to. At any point if I don't feel like it, I just stop. The only things I do regularly are church, Bible study, and working out (easy, just to recover from the week).
When I woke up this morning, I was recalling a Gospel teaching, where Jesus says that the Sabbath was created for man, and not for Sabbath. Sunday mornings to me mean waking up "late" (around 6:30 or 7), and spending time in prayer and the word of Lord while resting in my cozy bed before breakfast. I love it so much. I work incredibly hard during the week, with classes, track, and work, and then on Saturdays I have track meets all day. So by the time Sunday comes, I need a break. And the Lord provides.
Sundays, in my opinion, are one of God's greatest gifts beyond Christ, whose bloody sacrifice is the ultimate treasure. This day gives me so much time to dwell in the presence of the Lord. I am so in awe of my Father, and how good He is and how He loves us. The blood of Jesus covers our sin, but He also reigns inside our bodies. Feeling the sovereignty of God in my body is what makes Sabbath rest so absolutely incredible. There is nothing better than spending an entire day in full awareness of the Holy Spirit in every essence of my life.
My soul just feels restored, knowing that the God of the Universe was thinking about His people and created a day for them to be revitalized by His very presence.
Lord, I thank You for Sundays. I thank You for Your bountiful gifts to humanity, for the way You poured Yourself into a body to serve the world, both in dying and in living still. You are a provisional God of passion and love, forever my all in all. Glory to You my Creator, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, Amen
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:11
And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Mark 2:27
When I woke up this morning, I was recalling a Gospel teaching, where Jesus says that the Sabbath was created for man, and not for Sabbath. Sunday mornings to me mean waking up "late" (around 6:30 or 7), and spending time in prayer and the word of Lord while resting in my cozy bed before breakfast. I love it so much. I work incredibly hard during the week, with classes, track, and work, and then on Saturdays I have track meets all day. So by the time Sunday comes, I need a break. And the Lord provides.
Sundays, in my opinion, are one of God's greatest gifts beyond Christ, whose bloody sacrifice is the ultimate treasure. This day gives me so much time to dwell in the presence of the Lord. I am so in awe of my Father, and how good He is and how He loves us. The blood of Jesus covers our sin, but He also reigns inside our bodies. Feeling the sovereignty of God in my body is what makes Sabbath rest so absolutely incredible. There is nothing better than spending an entire day in full awareness of the Holy Spirit in every essence of my life.
My soul just feels restored, knowing that the God of the Universe was thinking about His people and created a day for them to be revitalized by His very presence.
Lord, I thank You for Sundays. I thank You for Your bountiful gifts to humanity, for the way You poured Yourself into a body to serve the world, both in dying and in living still. You are a provisional God of passion and love, forever my all in all. Glory to You my Creator, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, Amen
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:11
And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Mark 2:27
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Indescribable
Life has been crazy! From organizing a student volunteer movement to hosting an author and pastor to pole vaulting to Bible study to school work to trying to sleep once in awhile, I am so blessed to be granted the strength of the the Lord Jesus Christ right now.
Monday marked a very special spiritual moment in my life. A year prior, I began praying for a friend daily, wanting him to return to his walk with the Lord. It was often difficult, especially at the beginning, but God used this time to teach me more about what His love and forgiveness really looks like. He did come back to Christ this summer, but I kept up the prayer because that's what God had called me to. My friend and I both recognize that we are forever linked together, whether or not we see each other again on this side of the world.
To celebrate, I wrote him a message that was simply called "Prayer 365", and it was at the end of the day at the end of the year. Part of his response to me was, "There really aren't words in our dictionary to accurately capture what you've done and to thank you for it", with another piece being, "Kate, you've literally slain me with kindness and selflessness. I cannot begin to put it into words"
The reason he doesn't have any words for this, and really, neither do I, is because what God did in Christ at Calvary is completely indescribable. We don't have a way to talk about the glory of our risen Savior that can come close to what happened there. We try, but it's not enough, and we just have to live in that recognition that God's grace is too big for us to understand all at once. The Lord wants us to continue to follow Him so that He might reveal more of Himself to us. And the fact that the God of the Universe wants anything to do with us is pretty indescribable in itself.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15
Monday marked a very special spiritual moment in my life. A year prior, I began praying for a friend daily, wanting him to return to his walk with the Lord. It was often difficult, especially at the beginning, but God used this time to teach me more about what His love and forgiveness really looks like. He did come back to Christ this summer, but I kept up the prayer because that's what God had called me to. My friend and I both recognize that we are forever linked together, whether or not we see each other again on this side of the world.
To celebrate, I wrote him a message that was simply called "Prayer 365", and it was at the end of the day at the end of the year. Part of his response to me was, "There really aren't words in our dictionary to accurately capture what you've done and to thank you for it", with another piece being, "Kate, you've literally slain me with kindness and selflessness. I cannot begin to put it into words"
The reason he doesn't have any words for this, and really, neither do I, is because what God did in Christ at Calvary is completely indescribable. We don't have a way to talk about the glory of our risen Savior that can come close to what happened there. We try, but it's not enough, and we just have to live in that recognition that God's grace is too big for us to understand all at once. The Lord wants us to continue to follow Him so that He might reveal more of Himself to us. And the fact that the God of the Universe wants anything to do with us is pretty indescribable in itself.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15
Monday, February 14, 2011
Beloved
I love Valentine's Day. I love thinking about all the wonderful people in my life. And I love hearing everyone talk about love, because God is love (1 John 4:8).
I may be single, but that doesn't mean I don't have the greatest love that anyone has ever known. My beloved is the Beloved Son of God. I have found the one my heart will love (Song of Solomon 3:4). Last night I pulled out my guitar and wrote a love song to Him.
My love, my hope, my all in all
I wanted You to know
That You're the one I adore
And this love always grows
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus,
It's me You died for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus,
It's You I'm longing for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
You're the One who hears me
And whispers in my ear
You hold my hand and walk with me,
Drawing ever near.
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus
It's me You died for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus
It's You I'm longing for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
"Be" means "I am". "I am" is a name for God" Beloved. God loved. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Jesus gave everything He had just to make us His.
Oh Lord, You are my absolutely everything. What I have to give is never going to be enough, but I want to give You all I am. You have swept me off my feet and into Your glory. How dearly blessed I am to be loved by the very definition of the word! Amen
But now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says: 'Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name, you are Mine" Isaiah 43:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1
I may be single, but that doesn't mean I don't have the greatest love that anyone has ever known. My beloved is the Beloved Son of God. I have found the one my heart will love (Song of Solomon 3:4). Last night I pulled out my guitar and wrote a love song to Him.
My love, my hope, my all in all
I wanted You to know
That You're the one I adore
And this love always grows
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus,
It's me You died for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus,
It's You I'm longing for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
You're the One who hears me
And whispers in my ear
You hold my hand and walk with me,
Drawing ever near.
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus
It's me You died for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
Dear Jesus, sweet Jesus
It's You I'm longing for
Your love is all I need
My heart's forever Yours.
"Be" means "I am". "I am" is a name for God" Beloved. God loved. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Jesus gave everything He had just to make us His.
Oh Lord, You are my absolutely everything. What I have to give is never going to be enough, but I want to give You all I am. You have swept me off my feet and into Your glory. How dearly blessed I am to be loved by the very definition of the word! Amen
But now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says: 'Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name, you are Mine" Isaiah 43:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1
Friday, February 11, 2011
He Is Jealous
Today, a really good friend of mine surprised me with a shoulder rub while I was in the library studying. My shoulders get really tight and knotted up from pole vaulting, so I can't express how appreciated this was, and he'd just done it without any prompting whatsoever. As we were talking, he misunderstood me. I said I was breaking in my new pole vault pole, but he'd thought I'd said I was breaking up with someone. He initially was upset that he hadn't known I'd had a boyfriend. When I explained myself, he said, "Good. Because you know, when you do date someone I'm going to have to meet him first and threaten to break him if he isn't good enough to you" He went on to add that this guy couldn't be too much bigger than him, of course. (Side note: he's in a very committed relationship and we are not "interested" at all in each other)
I instantly thought of the way the Lord jealously protects His faithful ones. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells us He is with us always, and we know that is through His Holy Spirit (John 14:17). God came down here to take care of us, and reigns inside our very bodies. He has never let us go.
But He also wants all of us. Our Father wants us to come to Him for all of our needs. He is more than we could ever want or hope for. He is everything we could ever desire or need. God gave us good things to be enjoyed, but He always wants us to remember who created them. He designed us to be in community with each other, but He also wants to be our number one source of intimacy and friendship. And it's all because of how much He loves us. I'm sitting here right now crying because I'm trying to get my head around the love Christ had for us and it's simply indescribable. Oh, how He loves us!
Lord, thank You so much for wanting all of me. How incredible it is that You , so holy, awesome, and pure, would want a sinner so unworthy as myself. I praise Jesus as my Savior for redeeming me in Your eyes and making a way for me to know You. Help me to always be taken by Your love and let it govern my life and rule over my whole being. I love You, Lord, more with every breath that You give me. Amen
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24
No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I instantly thought of the way the Lord jealously protects His faithful ones. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells us He is with us always, and we know that is through His Holy Spirit (John 14:17). God came down here to take care of us, and reigns inside our very bodies. He has never let us go.
But He also wants all of us. Our Father wants us to come to Him for all of our needs. He is more than we could ever want or hope for. He is everything we could ever desire or need. God gave us good things to be enjoyed, but He always wants us to remember who created them. He designed us to be in community with each other, but He also wants to be our number one source of intimacy and friendship. And it's all because of how much He loves us. I'm sitting here right now crying because I'm trying to get my head around the love Christ had for us and it's simply indescribable. Oh, how He loves us!
Lord, thank You so much for wanting all of me. How incredible it is that You , so holy, awesome, and pure, would want a sinner so unworthy as myself. I praise Jesus as my Savior for redeeming me in Your eyes and making a way for me to know You. Help me to always be taken by Your love and let it govern my life and rule over my whole being. I love You, Lord, more with every breath that You give me. Amen
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24
No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)