One Year Bible, February 27

LEVITICUS 20:22-22:16
I know that at first glance, Leviticus reads like a lot of old-fashioned laws; but a second look is required because ALL Scripture tells of Jesus, and of the Spirit's activity in our inner man. Let me spell it out for you: Lev 20:22-26 say that God owns us. He considers Himself married to us and that sanctifies us as His (just like the marriage ceremony sanctified me to my husband and no others.) This is an exclusive relationship. Because God is holy, then we must be holy too. That means that God will purge out any uncleanness and any self-preservation He sees in us. The uncleanness makes us unholy, and the self-preservation will hinder intimacy with God and will deny us the priesthood because the pressure will make us betray God.

Defiled priest:   First of all, there is no such thing because a defiled person is unacceptable to the priesthood.  Let's just break this down: (1) Blemish (sin). (2) Blind (not born again because he is blind to Truth. (3) Lame (unsteady walk) (4) flat nose (no discernment) (5) excess in his extremities, too long or too many!: ( out of balance) (6) crippled hand or foot (spiritually disabled) (7) crookbackt (twisted attitudes) (8) Dwarf (stunted spiritual growth) (9) eye blemish (perverted outlook) (10) scurvy (unprincipled) (11) scabbed (unclean) (12) broken or damaged testicle (cannot reproduce himself in ministry).

Above all else: Uncleanness is contagious. Everything you touch and everyone you are in intimate contact with will become unclean because of you. You cannot even minister TO THE LORD if you are unclean. How do we stay clean? By "abiding in the vine" - staying connected to Jesus Christ and letting His cleanness be manifested in you. By a lifestyle of repentance. Repent often, every day, every time you "forget God" for a few minutes. What we are repenting from is our rebellion, our independence - from thinking like a "single person" when we are married to Jesus. We don't have a life apart from Him any more.

RESPONSE:   My mom used to tell us to "keep your nose clean". We always knew what she meant - stay out of trouble. We sure knew how to "smell it out". So, you see, even Mom didn't want us to have a flat nose!

I am aware of my susceptibility to uncleanness. My flesh seems to want things that it can't have. I take my mind captive to the goodness and greatness of God. He is a Wonderful Husband - He never fails to love me. I will not "cheat" on Him with a substitute. I won't infect my relationships with unclean attitudes, unclean motives, or unclean behavior. It is like a leper handing someone a glass of water. It is unacceptable because the leper is unclean. Thank God that the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from all uncleanness!

MARK 9:1-29
The Kingdom of God come with power: 2 Pet 1:16-18 describes this event as a peek behind the veil into heaven when they were "on the holy mountain". They had a taste of the glory of the Kingdom of God. It was revealed to them that, although Jesus would suffer and die, His life would not end in disaster; it would culminate in glory! He stepped back into His preincarnate glory and shone to give them a peek. 

They weren't to tell anyone what they had seen for two reasons: (1) their information was incomplete (they hadn't witnesses the resurrection yet). (2) their understanding was incomplete (they didn't know what Jesus meant by "rising from the dead").

Faithlessness: The disciples believed that the demons should have responded to their commands. But, it turns out that they had faith in their method, not in God. To cast out devils, we need an active, constant, continual prayer life. To be actual faith in God, it must be an interactive, ongoing relationship with God, of constant dependence on Him (as opposed to independence). Our hearts must be in touch with God. The prayer they were talking about was not the prayer of that occasion (you notice that Jesus did not pray for the boy); it is talking about the lifestyle of contact with God.

RESPONSE:   Yesterday's faith won't cut it for today. In fact, yesterday's manna is wormy already (Exo 15:16-20)! This is good, because then we get to start over every day. That is, if we cleared up what needed clearing up the night before. I don't like to leave a messy house overnight. It is too discouraging to wake up to a mess. Just the same, I don't leave yesterday's spiritual messes overnight if I can help it. I like to start fresh every day. New mercies, new revelations, fresh faith, fresh outlook. But always in contact with God.

PSALM 43:1-5
What do I do with a bad mood? When I am depressed? When remembering what God has done in the past doesn't help, when thinking about my unshakable relationship with God doesn't help, ... then I cry out in desperation: "You are my only hope! Why have You abandoned me?" Aha! A light comes on! God is driving me into a corner, where I must grasp the Word ("light and Truth") and hang on. This is my out! I rest on His Word. What God has said is true, regardless of circumstances to the contrary.

PROVERBS 10:18
Fools have a real problem with their mouths.  A fool thinks he can hide what he is really thinking.  But eventually his mouth gives him away.  Hidden hatred breaks out in slander.

RESPONSE:   God would never lie to me. He is faithful to His promises. His Word is like a life raft to me. Job esteemed God's Word higher than food (Job 23:12) and he had already lost everything else. Psalms calls God's Word is better than gold, better than Life. I know that when I get "down", nothing lifts me up faster than a good Psalm!