Monthly Archives: March 2013

mmmm leviticus 16 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Italian Handmade Pasta with Porcini today Mmmm

I’m grateful that I live in multicultural Sydney with food from all over the world!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

29 “And it shall be a statute to you for ever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselvesand shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. 30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute for ever. 32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. 33 He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 And this shall be a statute for ever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

Leviticus 16:29-34

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we see how the Israelites were to relate to God.

The Israelites were “unclean”, rebellious and sinful and needed instructions to come near a holy and “clean” God.

On one special day of the year, the High Priest made atonement for the sins of the whole nation.

This involved animals symbolically being punished for the sins of the people.

A scapegoat was released into the desert and bulls were sacrificed.

The High Priest was only allowed into the Most Holy Place of the Tent of Meeting on the Day of Atonement.

God forgave the sins of Israel when this annual ceremony took place.

The Jewish people still observe the Day of Atonement – “Yom Kippur”.

In the New Testament, “Yom Kippur” has been made obsolete.

At Easter, Christians remember that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.

He died on the cross and his blood was shed just like the animal sacrifices.

He became the scapegoat and the sins of the whole world were placed on him.

Jesus died once for all, so Christians are forgiven for all time.

We do not need to keep sacrificing animals every year for forgiveness.

In fact because of Jesus, ordinary Christians can come near to God every day.

We no longer need the High Priest to go into the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple.

Anyone can accept Jesus on any day of the year and be forgiven by God.

We do not need to wait for “Yom Kippur”.

We no longer need to go to the temple in Jerusalem.

We can pray to God anywhere on Earth and be assured of forgiveness.

Are you forgiven?

mmmm Bible mmmm

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mmmm exodus 20 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Vietnamese Beef Pho with fresh chilli last weekend Mmmm

I thank God that I live in Sydney with the best authentic Asian food outside Asia!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not let God speak to us or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:12-21

This passage includes a portion of the familiar Ten Commandments.

Many think that as long as you obey these and lead a good life, you will go to heaven.

Wrong.

Our salvation comes from Jesus alone.

We do not earn our way to heaven by obeying religious rules and regulations.

Jesus saves us & makes it possible for Christians to have a real relationship with God.

These verses show the nature of our relationship with our Heavenly Dad.

We are to fear and respect our Dad because He created the whole universe & us.

The Ten Commandments demonstrate the holiness of being in the same family as God.

They were written to test our love for Him.

When we follow Jesus, we try to live our lives in a way that pleases God.

But often we stuff up and break the Ten Commandments many times in our lives.

Thankfully we don’t have to be worried that we are not good enough to enter heaven.

Because entering heaven doesn’t depend on our “goodness”.

Instead if we ask for forgiveness, God will allow us into his “house” or heaven.

After we’ve been forgiven, we live our lives in thankfulness for what Jesus did on the cross.

Christians aren’t perfect.

Christians are forgiven.

Christians are children that demonstrate their love for their Dad in a way that makes him proud to call us his kids.

Is God proud of you?

mmmm Bible mmmm