Grains of Sand

Pixabay Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, is quoted as saying: “ God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply .” Even oversupply, if truth be told. Moses finally returned from his many sojourns on the holy mountain of Sinai. Instructions were complete and he set to work to build the Tabernacle as God has told him. But where to find the materials to build such a structure? Word was sent out to the camp that anyone willing to contribute any of the many materials required should do so. “ Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike… ” (Exodus 35:20-22). The people added their particular skills to crafting what was necessary. It is interesting that no one was commanded or “guilted” into giving or making. The result was tha...

Pixabay I have a collection of old rusty keys. I also have some nice, shiny ones. They come in handy. They connect to Calvary. “ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel ” —Genesis 3:15. The story begins in Genesis with the first couple and the first sin—at least as far as the historical record is concerned. God’s plan to deal with what He knew was inevitable began long before time began, as is suggested in Revelation 13:8 when John refers to the “… the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world .” It's a pity. No sin, no need for a Saviour, or a cross. James Kennedy remarks in Cross Purposes, Discovering the Great Love of God for You , that we seldom if ever hear the word sin used today—not even from many of our pulpits. Many people go so far as to deny that such a thing as sin exists. We have invented more “politically correct” terms...

Steve Jones, the President of The Fellowship of churches to which I belong sent this email out this morning. The issue he speaks about has been something that has bothered me for some time. The trend to ignore the death of Christ in favour of the more positive message of the Resurrection has been growing—even in my own church. I am glad that our president has chosen to speak to the importance of Christ's death. Here is the email. Dear pastors, missionaries, chaplains and friends,   Steve here… This next week we celebrate the resurrection of our Saviour. This Sunday, we will begin our Easter worship services with the words, “He is risen!”   However, before Jesus rose, He died.   An organization in Britain called The Churches Advertising Network unveiled a fairly unconventional Easter ad campaign a few years back. They said it was designed to take the “churchiness” out of the Easter holiday. Among the symbols being dropped i...

Google Images The rules were clear for the fledgling nation of Israel. God’s people were not to eat the blood of any animal. To do so brought swift and sure punishment (Leviticus 17:10). The blood was sacred because of what it symbolized. “ For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life ” (Leviticus 17:11). These Old Testament sacrifices foretold of One who would make the ultimate sacrifice; whose blood would atone for our sins once and for all time. As we come to another Good Friday and Easter we remember that without the shedding of that blood, there would be no forgiveness. We remember “ …the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin ” (1 John 1:7). As I thought about these verses from Leviticus this morning, an old hymn came to mind. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of ...

Google Images How appropriate that we should come to Leviticus 16 during Easter week. This chapter describes how the sacrifices for atonement were to be made. To atone for something is defined as: make amends for, make reparation for, make restitution for, make up for, compensate for, pay for, recompense for, expiate, redress, make good, offset; do penance for. In the Old Testament an animal sacrifice was required to make atonement for sin. In the New Testament we learn that Christ paid the price that God’s justice demanded because of our sin against Him (1 Peter 3:18). Leviticus 16 describes what went on inside the Tent of Meeting and around the altar where only the High Priest went and what happened outside of the Tent of Meeting as a visible expression to the people of the payment made to remove the guilt of their rebellion against God. Here we are introduced to the scapegoat. The story is told of a prince whose father didn’t think it was appropriate for royalty to be punished f...

“ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all ” —Isaiah 53:5, 6 Sing it again, today and tomorrow and every day after tomorrow. The song of the cross is not seasonal. It is as fresh as Spring, as glorious as Summer, as abundant as Fall and as lingering as Winter. Thomas Chisholm wrote this beautiful hymn, set to music by Merrill Dunlop, which echoes Isaiah’s words: He was wounded for our transgressions, He bore our sin in His body on the tree. For our guilt He gave us peace, From our bondage gave release, And with His stripes, and with His stripes, And with His stripes our souls are healed. He was numbered among transgressors, We did esteem Him forsaken by His God, As our sacrifice He died, That the law be satisfied, And all our sin, ...