Holy Places

"Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is slain the sin offering shall be slain before the Lord; it is most holy'." -Leviticus 6.25

The instructions on the sacrificial system continue, and I have a feeling tomorrow night is going to be an extremely difficult post. Tonight, however, this stood out to me on a third read through. Side note, sometimes we need to read the text a couple of times, maybe even listen to an audio recording of it, to see what God is trying to tell us.

We see here that the place where the burnt offering and the sin offering were slain was a holy place. Serious work happened there, men were given atonement by the blood of an innocent animal. It was a big deal, and so God said that the place where it happened was a holy place.

Men, do you know where you found forgiveness? Could you take someone to the place where you entered into a relationship with Jesus? Could you show them the spot where you prayed? These places are important spots in our journey, because they mark life changing moments. Think back to Genesis, when God spoke an altar would be built to mark the spot. Today you might not be able to build a physical altar (depending on the spot you might be able to), but did you build a spiritual one?

If you're ever with me on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, I could take you to the spot where I knelt on July 13, 2002 and asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life. I could show you the spot where as a college freshman in October of 2005 I laid on my back and began to really go deeper with Him, understanding that He wanted all of me. I could show you the spot up where I used to sit silently in the dark, enjoying the presence of God. I could take you to the prayer room that I spent more time in than my bed during January of 2008. I could show you holy places in my life.

Where are your holy places? Where has God spoken to you? Where has your life been transformed? These spots are important, not because there is something supernatural about them, but because of what took place there. It is physical proof of what God has done in your life. Where are they?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Fire in the Night

"Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out." -Leviticus 6.13

God is sharing with Moses the role that the priests are to play in the offering of sacrifices. We see the instruction that the fire on the altar is to be kept burning continually, never going out.

Back when I was in college during J-Term we would do a prayer room where there would be 24 hour prayer going on for two or three weeks. The one year this verse was the inspiration. The fire was not to go out, and dozens of students committed to keep prayer going continuously. I'll be honest sometimes it was hard. You'd be there at 3 AM and the next person wasn't showing up, but we stuck it out and kept praying. The one year I kept track of the hours I slept and the hours I prayed, guess which one was higher.

Men, have you ever set aside time like this to pray? Have you ever worked with a group to offer unending prayer and worship to God for an extended period of time? What did you see God accomplish? What do you think God could accomplish if you did?

I haven't been a part of anything like this since college. Honestly, I don't have the freedom and flexibility right now to even think about it. But one day in the future I would love to be part of and/or organize a prayer room like this again. What do you think God would do if a group of men committed to 24 hour prayer for a week? A month? A year? What would God do if we never let the fire go out.

Let the fire burn in the night, never going out.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Repayment

"When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering." -Leviticus 6.2-5

God did not want His people taking advantage of each other, and gaining wealth dishonestly. God calls it sin when we deceive others to get ahead, and it is also an unfaithful act against Him. God says that we need to repay what we've dishonestly taken in full and add one-fifth to it. Society doesn't work with dishonesty and robbery.

Men, have you stolen anything? Maybe you haven't physically broken into someone's house and taken money, but have you cheated them in some way? Are you in sales? Have you knowingly sold something for more than it's worth? Have you been accidentally overpaid for a job? Have you ever been given too much change or under charged? What did you do in that moment?

Some of them may have been honest mistakes that you weren't aware of at the time, but now that you are, what will you do about it? What will you do the next time it happens?

God intended for us to live in a society full of honesty, because it is the only way society can function. If we've cheated or stolen from others we need to repay what we took, and add to what was lost. God wants us to repent and repay, let us be honest men and do the right thing.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor