"The Fire on the Altar"

"....This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it....And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out....A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out."  (From Leviticus 6)

The Moravians (Unitas Fratrum, "Unity of Brethren") took this passage as a motto for their 24/7/365 prayer watch.  Some reports say that it lasted for 120 years.  It was the birth of a "modern" mission movement which spread throughout the earth.  My Dad often spoke of them; he was a man of prayer.  In fact, I first learned of prayer not in a teaching, but seeing my Dad pray.

During this quarter's journey through the Pentateuch, the repeated emphasis in Leviticus 6 has been "staying" with me, "the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it....And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it....A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out."  Now I know that many in the modern church have seen this, as did the Moravians, as a "type" of continual prayer, and have attempted 24/7 prayer watches, I among them.  Most fizzled out after a season, some continue today in various parts of the world, but I think there is more here than prayer watches.

I believe our text is a call to the Church to realize something which it many times refuses to admit, that there is much we can do for people, and indeed we are commanded to do by our Lord Jesus Christ.  But in the "grand scheme of things," we can do so much more when we as the Church, "The Body of Christ," walk in our text, "A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out."  Could this possibly reflect an "attitude" as well as, "pray without ceasing"?  For example, what if the Church Universal, manifesting in local congregations, had a predominance of prayer gatherings, say, for every one hour of meetings, conferences, projects, there be two hours of prayer.  No amount of meetings, seminars, "outreaches," books, CDs could have prevented the recent Boston massacre or change the heart of the leaders of nations who are out to loot the Planet. 

I confess that I do not grasp the "depths" of our text and do not want to offer shallow interpretations.  Yet there is somewhere in those words a call of the Blessed Trinity, a "move" of the Holy Spirit, a call and command to the Church, "A fire shall always be burning on the alter; IT SHALL NEVER GO OUT."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I don't want any "religious" interpretation of the text.  Please give me Your Heart in these words.  Amen.
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I will be sharing about the North Korea Mission in the CCE service, May 19, 10:00.  If there would be a change, I will let you know. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Deliverance From Oppression

"Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to follow man's command." (Hosea 5:11, NASB)

The NRSV says, "because he was determined to go after vanity."  The Amplified Bible says, "he was content to walk after idols...and man's [evil] command (vanities and filth)."  Now oppression and judgments can come from many things, but our text says in this case it was following, "man's command."  We can search the annals of history to try to refute this, but history will just confirm it.

Consider just the twentieth century, the Russian Revolution, Germany of the 1920s and 30s.  In Dr. Zhivago, a revolutionary responds to a question, "Will Lenin be the new czar?" with, "No more czars, just workers in a workers paradise."  History proved how following that "command" brought oppression and, "crushed in judgment."  It was said that Hitler met the deepest longing in the German people.  He brought nothing but oppression and, "crushed in judgment."

What has brought oppression and, "crushed in judgment," in our lives?  Much of it is the result of, "determined to follow man's command."  Follow the command of Jesus instead, and you and I will walk in freedom from oppression; we will not be, "crushed in judgment."  Surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ and following Jesus releases the power of the Cross, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us....And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always recognize, "man's command."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"A Bright Cloud Overshadowed Them...."

"While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!'" (Matthew 17:5)

I really like Peter, who would later be referred to by some as "The First Bishop of Rome," but he did have a very real tendency to have a suggestion and answer for every situation he encountered.  Sometimes we all just need, "a bright cloud overshadowed them...."

The recent bombings at the Boston Marathon was a tragedy; three young people murdered by lunacy.  Pundits on the "left" and "right," religious and nonreligious are attempting to explain just what happened, who could be responsible, the infamous "blame game," etc.  " While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them...."  I think this would happen more often than we might imagine if we would just be more "cloud" sensitive than, "Oh, I have an answer for that."

I wonder today if our Lord Jesus would reveal Himself as, " a bright cloud," in our gatherings or daily lives if we would just not have life so figured out.  "While he was still speaking, behold...."  This would shake up the whole world, surely our religious gatherings.  People often talk about the Lord "showing up."  Sometime, when they are saying that, it would be wonderful if, "While he was still speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!'"  

Father, in Jesus' Name, I want to be, "bright cloud," sensitive.  I pray that each day, when I commune with You in prayer, Bible reading, do, "works of service," just go about daily life, that You would, "overshadow[]" everything.  Amen.
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I am scheduled to preach in the CCE service on May 19.  If you are interested in hearing about the North Korea Mission, I plan to share about it in that service.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

It Does Not Matter What "They" Say

"They said in their hearts, 'Let us destroy them altogether.'  They burned up all the meeting places of God in the land." (Psalm 74:8)

Yesterday's Psalm reading included our text.  Since Abel, this has been the battle cry of the wicked, "Let us destroy them."  Kistallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass"), which occurred on November 9 and 10, 1938 throughout Germany, was a modern version of our text.  The next day Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote those dates in the margin of his Bible beside our text, a stark reminder of just how little things had changed for Jews.

Jews worldwide are celebrating the 65th anniversary of the modern state of Israel.  Yet there has been an Israel since the call of Abraham, since the Living Triune God changed Jacob's name to, "Israel."  And the Psalm which declares, "He Who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep," is a truth which endures to this very moment.  Humanity has experienced suffering since the Garden, and Covenant People are no exception to this.  The whys have been discussed and will be discussed unceasingly.  But thankfully our Lord Jesus Christ never, "slumbers nor sleeps," and keeps Himself and His words before us, "I will never, no positively never ever leave you nor forsake you."

The Enemy has one purpose for humanity, "Let us destroy them."  Satan and his legion of angels will attempt to "burn[] up all the meeting places of God in the land," in your life and my life.  But he cannot succeed, because, "He Who keeps Israel," keeps you and me; He, "will neither slumber nor sleep." 

You may be having "one of those days," a day of despair, or suffering, or sickness, or loneliness, or......  But right now, right there is Jesus Christ, your Jesus, the One Who the Bible declares Is, "for me."  Let this Wonderful, "For me," be your Comfort and Strength today, your Power, your Health, Your Everything---------------- because He Is.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You that when the enemy determines to, "destroy them," You say, "I keep them."  Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2