The Same Sacrifice

Numbers Chapter 7:12-88

As I read from Numbers this morning, I admit (It could have been that it was three a.m.) to being a little critical of what I read, but I thought "Why am I reading these same words twelve times in ONE chapter, and then it is finished off with a sum of all those  items.  Had it been to Word's of Christ, some profound point, I could have understood, but this is what I read:

 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: One kid of the goats for a sin offering: And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year.

When it was time for me to start my day, I realized they all made the same sacrifice.  Yes, it was a redundancy to spell it out person by person, day after day for twelve days and over 89 total verses.  I don't believe God wastes words though, so what was the point He was trying to make.  His point was that big or small, strong or weak, repentant or not, they all required the same sacrifice. It didn't matter the size, what they had done, who they were.  They all required the same sacrifice.  

I think sometimes today I forget this.  I categorize sin, but the same sacrifice was required for all sin. I judge behaviors, but the same sacrifice was required to cover them all.   I justify words and actions, but the same sacrifice was required to cover them all.  Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice was required for every person regardless of race, gender, color, ability, orientation, beliefs, marital status, accepting of Him or not, repentant or not.  The same sacrifice was made for us all.    





  

Awaken Us

Today I had the opportunity to sit in a local church that was distributing assistance to those in need. When I drove up the place was packed with cars.  People were coming in and out, talking among themselves and eating and drinking refreshments that were provided.  Honestly,  it looked like most churches, most Sundays.

I selected a seat at the end of the hall holding a sleeping baby while the woman with me went to get her number.  She was number 51.  An hour later she learned that she made the cut because someone else did not qualify for help and was given an application.  An hour later they had reached #11 in the screening process. I left at 10:30 to take care of other things and they had started handing out checks to #11s and screening #24.At 12:30 I received a message she had been helped.

On a side note to all the churches who do this type of ministry, a big opportunity was missed.  While ministry may have happened as she went back for screening, the church really misses the opportunity of 50+ people sitting there in the hallway waiting to get assistance.  A captive audience, with a definite need, and receptive to help.  It was a great place to build relationship!

While I sat there visiting the young lady and playing with the baby, we shared conversation with an older man there and a gentleman with a familiar face that struck up a conversation as we tried to figure out the connection.  I mean I was just there half the time and can tell you work history, current needs, marital issues, where they live, legal history, where they have attended church, and current connections of the two others who joined our conversation and I was not trying to gather information.  The closest thing I saw to a ministry was when I sneezed and the gentleman said "God bless you." He jokingly told me that would be $5 for the blessing, but we laughed. 

Anyway back to the point of my blog.  As I sat there waiting and listening to the stories a comment was made that really woke me up.  Please understand I have worked in public welfare for thirteen years - I know the poverty, abuse, drugs, legal issues and mental health issues.  I deal with them daily.  But three things were said by these old timers that really stuck me to the core.  The comments were:

1) "I have been doing this (Seeking help) for seventeen years" - This man worked, had a home, a family.  He had made some poor choices that hurt his employ-ability, felony charges.  There were some things he could change to help his situation a little - he had more animals than he needed, but overall he was struggling to survive.  He is healthy, his wife is ill.  He works a minimum wage job because he is not longer eligible to work for the companies that pay more because of his background, and he can't make ends meet.  For seventeen years he has lived this way.  He was born and raised in this community - nature vs nurture we failed.

2) While looking at a dated picture of the church congregation no one was smiling. There was discussion of this, and I pointed out a little boy in the picture smiling. "They were the real Christians."    Probing further: "They were too serious to smile, but were filled with the Spirit and knew how to make things happen.  They are all gone now."

3) "Now Christian's are smiley, wave and Say "God bless you and I love you with the love of the Lord." and then walk on by not caring if you are in need.  They don't want to help, they say things and don't follow though, and don't really seem to care. They say "Come by anytime." but when you do, they say "oh not right now", or pretend they are not at home."

So I left there, and pondered on the comments throughout the day.  Until prayer meeting tonight - Awakening.  We have been praying for an awakening in the Northwest Arkansas region.  For THE CHURCH to awaken.

Ephesians 5:8-14 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit[b]is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),  finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.  But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  Therefore He says:“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

What I felt in my spirit is that just as I thought that 'I knew the issues' that people were facing, I hadn't even scratched the surface with my statistics and resources.  The Church thinks we are awake, but we are sleeping.

 It is like when you dream that you are awake and it is so real that you don't realize you are sleeping.  That is how the church is, we think we see the things that are going on around us, that we are meeting the needs of the congregation and community, but we are not even scratching the surface.  We must awaken.  We must walk in the Light.  We must expose the work of darkness.  It is time for the Church to awaken to the things we have allowed to take place on our watch.

God's perspective

I often pray "God, help me to see that person as you see them so I can love them with your love."  I think that God gives me glimpses of others, but this week He gave me a true view from His Word.  I have been reading in Exodus during my morning devotion and got a view of God's perspective.

Exodus 32:2-4 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”  So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

MY view:  Here is a guy that just eight chapters before was in the presence of God.  (Exodus 24:9) Now he is a people pleaser.  On Exodus 32:1 the Israelites come to him and say "Moses is probably not coming back, lets make a new god."  There is not hesitation on the part of Aaron.  There is not a spiritual "remember what God has done for us thus far. I was just with God."  He just says, "Okay."  He went from being the voice of God to Pharaoh to a person fashioning a false God.  Not exactly the type of leader that I would want, pretty much this would be a "fallen pastor" in our day.  He is wishy washy at best, and his faith is pretty weak.

Now we know Moses was gone for forty days and forty nights from Chapter 24 to Chapter 32 on the Mountain getting instruction from God.  Forty days from the presence of God to the building of an idol, creating an alter for it, and planning a feast in its honor.  And while Aaron is being swayed by the people, God knowing all, is still instructing Moses on Aaron's priesthood.

Exodus 28:1  Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

God's view:  Here is a man that God has used to speak on His behalf to leaders as a mouthpiece for Moses.  Aaron was one of the select few that God allowed to accompany Moses to worship (Exodus 24: 1 and 9).  He was one of God's elect, hand selected as a priest unto the Lord.  God knew what was going on at the base of the mountain, and yet still spent 40 days telling Moses how to prepare Aaron, his sons and the Tabernacle.

What I learned:
1) God does not just look at our present circumstances, but sees the future He designed for us
2) When the world would write us off, God is just getting started
3) God really can use anyone
4) When we are willing, God will allow us to fulfill His destiny
5) I need to stop judging, cause God wants to use people that I would write off.

The Gate of Hell

As we broke out tonight into smaller prayer circles at Awakening, one of the pastors from another church shared a word and encouraged us in our need to be Steadfast.  Strong activity in the spiritual realm often looks like nothing in the natural for a while.

As we were praying, God gave me a vision of the stationary gates of Hell, that the church is suppose to prevail against  described in Matthew 16:18  New King James Version (NKJV)  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Then He showed me the Enemy, tearing down the walls of the church and building new walls expanding his territory and taking territory away from the Kingdom.  The gates were still stationary, but he is building his fence in the territory of the Church, and we have stood by and let him.  His territory is getting larger and larger and the Church has been standing idly by while he moved his fence one foot at time into Kingdom territory.

The last thing I saw was the Church rising up aggressively tearing down the walls and rebuilding new ones around that stationary gate.  The Church took back so much territory that the walls we built back up were only big enough for Satan and his minions.  

Tonight I felt a call to repentance for The Church while praying. I kept coming back to the verse found in 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 New King James Version (NKJV) If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

We must repent.  It is time that we tear down the walls he built and take that territory back.  It is time that we repent for our compromises, lax behaviors, and complacency.  It is time for the dry bones to rise and be the Army of Lord and take back what the enemy has stolen, plus some! 

He Called the Church

Tonight at Awakening, a community prayer group focused on praying for the region weekly, and during corporate prayer, I was praying for those things that God placed on my heart.  I have a burden for the lost, children who are abused, families, and marriages.  And have experienced a stirring lately in the real issues in our community today - poverty and homelessness vs greed and selfish ambition, God's definition of marriage vs the homosexual agenda and premarital relations, child abuse neglect, and substance abuse.

After praying for these things, I turned my focus to the organizations and government entities that address these issues in the community.  As I was listing out specific ones, I felt God say "STOP."

I said "God these are great organizations and they are meeting the needs, the government needs the Christian workers to be a light."

To which he responded, "I didn't call for organizations and the government to meet the needs.  I called the Church to meet the needs."

James 1:27  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Psalm 68:5-6 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
Psalm 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Malachi 3:5   “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.
Isaiah 42:6-7  “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

God did not bless us, so that we could build bigger houses and have more things, but to meet the needs of the orphans, widows, fatherless, poor, afflicted, needy, families.  So that we could help those who are bound, the foreigners, the blind (physically and spiritually), the prisoners.  

He did not sanction the government and nonprofit and for profit organizations to do this, He told the Church to be his hands and feet.  If the Church in Northwest Arkansas would rise and use their blessings to be obedient to the things that God told us to do, we would not need DHS and the multiple nonprofit organizations in the area because all needs would be met.  As I turned my prayers towards stirring in the heart of the Church towards this, I realized that when we obey, I will need to find a new career!  God let the Church arise!

I  find  it  interesting  how  you  can  hear  something  so  much  that  you  are  desensitized from  it,  and  then  you  hear  it,  as  if  for  the  first  time  and  you  are  just  moved  by  the fact.   My daughter was sharing with me a conversation with her classmates.  A young man came in with a bag of fast food and was eating away.  Another young girl said "I work there."  During the conversation that young lady made the comment that "people come in to place an order, and often times they are spending more on themselves for that meal than she makes in the day."

One would say, she is a teenager with no expenses.  My daughter knew that last year, the young lady was homeless.  This  young  student  was  left  to  fend  for  her self,  and  had  taken a  job  to  support  herself. The others in class were not aware of this fact, and seemed oblivious to the issue of youth homelessness in Northwest Arkansas, which Christian quickly informed them of.

But what sunk in was    "people come in to place an order, and often times they are spending more on themselves for that meal than she makes in the day."   I had a similar conversation with a board member in passing, although we were discussing the United Way presentation and the breakdown of a working family making $12 and hour and the expenses that they have, which after taxes, rent, utilities, phone, transportation, and groceries there was only $51 left at the end of the month for everything else.  He had been taken aback by this figure, and seemed surprised when I said most of the families we work with make less than that.  I had quoted those figures, not really feeling the depths of what it meant.

But today, it sank in.  How many times have I went through a drive through, and spent the money and eaten the food.   The worker selling the food does not even make in a week what it costs me, for my convenience, and even the time that I and or my family would spend eating it.

Our society is quick to condone those on welfare, calling them lazy bums.  Every one of the single parents that I work with is working full time or attending school, or a combination at a full time level.  Yet, almost without exception, everyone of them makes under $9.00 an hour and is supporting a dependent child, some times two children.  Most did not ask to be in the situation, although all got there by poor decision making.

It is time that as a society we rise up and offer a helping hand, not a hand out to those trying to improve their situation.  If companies can record record breaking profits, those should be distributed to the front line workers just as much as the top level executives to help improve the life of the working poor.  I mean what is a fast food company without a server, and what is a department store without a retail clerk and what is an oil company without the sale clerk at the pump.

Fallen

  

Last night I was watching Olympus has Fallen with my husband and I started thinking about it from a spiritual perspective.   I became overwhelmed by the picture that played out before me.   As a nation, we have allowed small compromises to spiral out of control.  We are oblivious to the fact that we have allowed the enemy in to our inner circle, and he is causing division.  We have sat back watching as the enemy storms our gates and we allowed them to over take our nation.

As Christians, we have the ability to fight against the enemy.  All around us, people are dying needlessly.  We put forth some effort, but because we have not made God our primary focus, we often end up being destroyed and taking others down with us.  The fact is that we have the ability to defeat the enemy.   It is time that we put our primary focus back on God.  We need to pursue the enemy, take back the territory that he has stolen and take back those he has held captive.  We must, even if we have to stand alone fight with the soul purpose of reclaiming that which belongs to the Kingdom.