WORSHIP

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 20-21

(click scripture link to read online)

These are the remains of the Temple of Pan in Caesarea Philippi.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 20:8

And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

The god Pan, half goat and half man, was worshipped at the place pictured here. There is no record of a people group that did not worship someone or something. To worship is a basic human characteristic. We will worship! Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, invites us to worship Him, and so does the fallen angel, Lucifer, who declared war in Heaven so that he would be worshipped instead of his Creator. One third of the Angels joined Lucifer, or Satan, as he became known. They desire worship also. This may explain the thousands of gods we hear of. Our reading today begins with Molech. The horrible god who demanded children as a sacrifice. Worshippers would throw their babies into the fire. We understand that The Great “I am” sought the deliverance of His people from these things. The animal sacrifices were the picture of the final sacrifice when God would give His one and only Son as the ultimate Sacrifice. He sanctified (separated, made holy) a people who would begin the process of bringing people back to the true God.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, You said that we cannot serve God and material things at the same time. Matthew and Luke both record Your statement. I choose to serve You and not things made with men’s hands. Please grant me the grace to hold firmly to You and You alone. I worship You, Lord Jesus. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

The penalties described in our reading were seldom carried out. Forgiveness was offered and received. I can remember making threats of punishment for wrong doing to my children. Reynold, our photographer, was the target of these declarations of justice several times. I would send him to his room and inevitably this 5, 6, or 7-year-old would be on his knees when I arrived. “O God, dear Jesus,” he would cry out, “forgive me and make me a good boy.” What could I do? Of course, I forgave him also and I knelt beside him, prayed for him, hugged him, and rarely would he be punished further. However, I could not help but notice the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He’d figured out how to lessen the punishment. As he matured, he became a boy who loved to pray even when not under judgement from his Dad. Then he was filled with the Holy Spirit, but that’s another story, which I may tell when we get to the Book of Acts in January.

Yours to emphasize the worship of the one and only true God,

David

OUR HOLY GOD

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 19

(click scripture link to read online)

Panorama of the Sea of Galilee looking from the north to south. The grain fields on the slopes are ready for harvest.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 19:2

Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

Seven of the Ten Commandments are emphasized here. Obviously, God knows that we need reminders. An old preacher was asked how he made sure his points were well made. He answered, “I tell them what I’m going to tell them, I tell them what I’m telling them, and then I tell them what I told them.” The truth is that we need all the help we can get to more fully understand God’s Word. If you have not already done so, I have a favour to ask of you. Please help me, like the old preacher, to tell the story to as many as possible. Consider sharing a link to my blog on Facebook, twitter, e-mail, and even the old fashioned way of letters and phone calls. There are bulletin boards, and the really old way, word of mouth. God really hammers “tale-bearing,” or gossip, in today’s reading. But there is a good tale to bear as well! Amen? Verses 6-8 were health guidelines. There was no refrigeration. God’s Word has a multi-purpose application.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I’m so thankful for the honour of Your call to do this blog. In 76 years of living, I’ve learned one or two things. 1 – You love me and I love You. 2 – I am to love my neighbour as myself, as You reminded me again in our Leviticus 19 reading. Please help me to “love my neighbour as myself” by doing a better job of this blog. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

The law of “gleanings” is here in our reading. This involves the harvest of grains, as well as fruit. In Israel today, this is still the law. My sons, Reynold, Ron and I took advantage of this in March of 1978 when we back-packed around Israel. There were no corner stores for many miles, but there were orchards of oranges, grapefruits, and something we never saw here at home, pomelos. They looked like grapefruit, only bigger and sweeter. Actually, these offerings hung over the fences. I’ve prayed fervently over the years that the “Fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) would be hanging out there in my life, so that everyone I meet could, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Every day, my son Reynold offers his photographs. Pray for him as he travels to Turkey (Asia Minor), Greece, and Italy in November to take the photos he’ll offer as we travel via this blog beginning in January through those countries with the Apostle Paul, and of course with John in “The Revelation.” Let me recognize my son, Ron and his wife Ann. They check for spelling and punctuation errors, and Ann, an American as well as a Canadian, when I went to American spelling of words like, “favor” (American) changed it to the international British (and Canadian) spelling, “favour.” Way to go Ann. You have really become one of us! Ron puts his brother’s pictures in the blog, and makes sure of the technical matters, of which I know very little.

Thank you to all my faithful helpers and readers,

David

SEXUAL PURITY

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 17-18

(click scripture link to read online)

An Ibex on the run in Ein Gedi, Israel.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 18:5

You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

The words “I am the Lord” appear 18 times in today’s and tomorrow’s readings. God is establishing His infinitely high moral standards in the minds of a people who have just come out from Egypt, where they practised the abominations mentioned here. Let me point out again that persons were not called “abominable,” their acts were. There is nothing new here. The very things that corrupt society and destroy people and families are described in Moses’ writings. In our key verse, just before a long list of immoral acts, God promises, once again, that just as sin leads to death, obedience leads to life. It’s clear that God hates sexual sin, and it is also clear that He has made provision for the forgiveness of all sin. The words “cut off” could be understood, for example, as the imprisonment of a convicted pedophile. The sacrifices we read so much about were pictures of the final and complete Sacrifice for sin offered by our Lord Jesus.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, give me a loathing for sin and, at the same time, an intense practical love for the sinner. That includes my sin and myself. As the man of whom Jesus spoke prayed, “Lord be merciful to me a sinner,” and was made righteous before You, so I pray this prayer often. Thank You for this prayer that You guarantee, from the mouth of Jesus, will restore and maintain my relationship with You, O Holy God. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Those words, “I am the Lord,” remind me of standing beside the Sea of Galilee with my Middle-Eastern son-in-law. He told me of the significance of the 153 fish the disciples caught in John 21:11. His first language is Arabic, his second is Hebrew, and his third is English. He explained how in Hebrew, each letter has a numerical value, and “Ana Elohim” (“I am the Lord”) comes to 100, 50, and 3. Peter and the other disciples, who would have been graduates of synagogue schools, knew exactly what the risen Christ was communicating. My son-in-law is an ordained minister in the Nazareth Baptist Church, and I’ve checked this out with Hebrew scholars. We’ll be moving to the Gospel of John in nine days. Don’t get discouraged in Leviticus! How about you and I clicking right now and reading that portion about the fish…John 21:1-14. A lady told me the other day that it was not Leviticus where she got bogged down in her reading, it was Numbers. Something to look forward to, right?

Yours for the blessing of going back and forth between the Old and the New Testaments,

David

P.S. I trust all my Canadian friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday yesterday. Below is a photo of Norma-Jean and me just before enjoying a delicious turkey dinner with some of our family…

ATONEMENT

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 16

(click scripture link to read online)

A wandering goat on the hillside by the Sea of Galilee.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 16:34

“This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Yom Kippur, the annual day of atonement in the Jewish calendar, has just past. Here, this most holy day is established. On this day, observant Jews confess their sins to God and ask forgiveness. Last week we presented a video regarding Yom Kippur that everyone should see (click here). Please watch it again. Please pass it on to others.

As believers in Jesus, we have confidence or boldness to enter the Most Holy Place every day (Hebrews 10:19-25). It’s true that God’s presence is constantly with us. When we listen to God as we read His Word and pray, there is an increase in our awareness of His presence. This blog can help us do this every day. Then, as that passage in Hebrews reminds us, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” We need the ministry gifts that God has provided in our local congregation. We need each other in greater depth than the Internet can provide.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, every day I ask for the Divine Teacher, the Holy Spirit, to teach me so that I may teach Your Word correctly and with inspiration. Thank You, Father, that Your Son, our High Priest has, by the Sacrifice of Himself, opened the way into the most Holy Place. May I cherish this most sacred privilege daily. I pray this through the Person and work of Jesus. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS (plus a few more):

I’ve committed to two years doing “100words” daily. This is something that the Lord clearly asked me to do. The Crossroads team is committed to posting this for the two following years so that one could start at any time and complete the entire Bible in two years. Following a week of fasting and prayer last January in our church, I was awakened at 4 a.m. to hear that still small Voice say, “David, you will awaken at this time every day beginning this Spring and you will prepare and write a daily blog.” I began on June 3 of this year, the day after our Crossroads 50th Anniversary. If you’re new to my blog and would like to read more about it, you can visit the “About 100words.ca” by clicking here.

Regularly, as Norma-Jean and I attend church, precious people come up to me and comment on this blog. I get a chance to interact directly with readers. This is very important to me. Last night I read many responses posted on line, and I’m very sorry that it is humanly impossible for me to answer each one. I answered one with one word, “Yes.” The very best place to get answers is when you assemble “yourselves together.” The Crossroads/100 Huntley Street prayer lines are available 24/7 at 1-866-273-4444. One of our prayer partners can recommend a local congregation if you are looking for one in your area. Also, be sure to watch 100 Huntley Street daily. Here’s how to find it on TV (click here) or to watch it online, click here. To my Canadian readers – HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!!!!!!!

Yours for communicating daily,

David

SEPARATION

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 15

(click scripture link to read online)

Among the ruins of the Qumran community are small pools which were used for ceremonial bathing. The steps leading down to the baths were each divided to ensure that the impure people descending did not touch the cleansed ones returning up the stairs.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 15:31

Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.

One of the physical conditions described in our reading is found in Mark 5:25-34. The woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was immediately healed of a 12-year constant discharge of blood. Jesus, our High Priest, changes everything. These ceremonial laws were for a specific purpose and a specific time. They taught certain health lessons which were important to a great multitude of former slaves who were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. These laws seem to have the purpose of honouring God’s dwelling place, the Tabernacle. We are not under the authority of these ordinances today, nor are observant Jews, except for a few particularly religious amongst them. The denomination within Judaism known as Pharisees were burdened down with intricate rules and regulations. The Apostle Paul, a one-time Pharisee, wrote when confronted with teachers who sought to turn believers in Jesus back to some of these ceremonial laws, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, Your servant Paul taught us, as You had taught him, that the law is fulfilled in loving my neighbour as myself (Gal. 5:14). Grant me grace, I pray, to do this constantly. Deliver me from being self centred. Thank You Jesus! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

This past Friday at 8 p.m. a television show called “The West Wing” was aired. In it the producers and writers put Scripture into the mouth of an actor who played the part of the U.S. President. The quotes were from the most sacred Jewish writings, the Torah. He quoted from Exodus and Leviticus. These verses were never intended to be used in this way as a put down of those who stand for biblical moral standards. When confronted with a woman taken in adultery, Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, confronted her accusers, who were more intent in discrediting Jesus than in carrying out the ceremonial law. They dropped their stones when Jesus said, “Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone.” I have a stone on which I wrote this in large letters. It’s a reminder that, along with the laws, the word “forgiveness” is written over and over in the Jewish laws. Jesus exemplified this when He said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” Hollywood, in most cases, gets it wrong. I’m constantly on guard when I watch something like “The West Wing.” God is holy, loving and forgiving. I’m a sinner (1 John 1:8-10) and I deserve death, but God gives me life. I feel the need to worship God. I’m going to search google and join in singing, “Amazing grace.” I worship You, Almighty God. My sin is an abomination, not me. I am the object of God’s love.

Yours for a thorough understanding of Scripture, understanding the reason for the Law and for the “amazing grace that saved a wretch like me,”

David

CLEAN

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 14

(click scripture link to read online)

In the area of Caesarea Philippi in Northern Israel, clean cool water from Mount Herman runs swiftly below these waterfalls at Banias.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 14:8

He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.

Please click on this scripture passage: 2 Cor. 3:14-18. When reading the Old Testament we must read through God’s prescription glasses. He has provided that when we read Scripture, looking through the Person of Jesus Christ, we are able to see with insight and understanding. In yesterday’s reading, the priests were given instruction in the detection of leprosy. Today’s chapter deals with the procedures for cleansing and restoration into the community. Our cleansing is by the Blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). Restoration into the full fellowship of the Church, after spiritual leprosy is cleansed, is described in 2 Thess. 3:6-15. Please click that link and we’ll be blessed to read together.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Please help me to receive those who turn to You in repentance as You have received me. Lord Jesus, I need Your cleansing every day, and I thank You and my fellow believers for receiving me into Your Church. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Today’s photo is a magnificent demonstration of the intricate beauty of God’s creation for the cleansing and productivity of the land. I stepped outside a few minutes ago and gazed at the sky. The stars were so very bright and the moon was front and centre. A racoon scampered away from his breakfast on the seeds the birds had dropped from the feeder. How do I think about these things? The human brain is the most complicated organization of matter in the universe. One of our cells is more complicated than the entire man made electric power system of Toronto. I’m not surprised that, in reading Leviticus, sometimes my eyes glaze over with incomprehension, and I feel like going back to bed. The detail in Leviticus is tough for us to handle. God is a God of infinite detail. I know that I will stick with my reading and with this blog because of the grace God has given me. Lots of people give up their reading at this point. I know I’m stubborn enough to keep on keeping on.

Yours for persistent and consistent reading of God’s Word,

David

DIAGNOSIS

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 13

(click scripture link to read online)

The ancient Caesarea Maritima city and harbour was built by Herod the Great about 25-13 BC. It served as an administrative centre of Judaea Province of the Roman Empire. You can read in Acts chapter 10 about the story of Cornelius, who lived in Caesarea.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 13:44

…he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his sore is on his head.

When Jesus healed the 10 lepers, as recorded in Luke 17, He said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priest.” The priests were the medical doctors of the day. Jesus’ miracles will always stand the test of medical scrutiny. The word “leprosy” is found 28 times in Leviticus alone. Obviously, God and Moses treated this disease most seriously. There are two purposes for the instructions concerning leprosy. First, the health of those suffering from this dreaded disease, as well as the protection of others from the disease, and second, the spiritual lesson that leprosy illustrates. Leprosy demonstrates the spiritual corruption that will infect God’s people if left untreated, if there is no separation from sin.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord, please bless those that serve us in the medical profession. You care about every detail concerning our health and the treatment of our diseases. You are our Healer, Lord Jesus. Please help me to keep clean spiritually. Give me a heart that yearns to honour You always in all I do, say, and think. I pray these blessings through the Person of the One who healed many lepers, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

From time to time Norma-Jean and I have sent offerings to the Leprosy Mission of Canada. A pill has been developed which can halt and reverse the spread of this disease, particularly if taken regularly at an early stage. Thousands have been helped. In the early 1970’s I travelled to Calcutta. There I spent time with Mark Buntain, who established a wonderful Christian congregation, and in the 1980’s built a great hospital. In a Sunday morning service we were together at the altar laying hands on the sick, praying for their healing. Before me stood a lady with an obvious leprous sore on her head. To my shame, I drew my hand back, but not Mark. He laid his hand upon her forehead, not touching the sore, and prayed. The following Wednesday she appeared at the church totally healed. She was pregnant at the time. I knew my family would agree, and we took on the support of the Avatoon family (the husband and father had left them). She named the new baby David, after me. I have never felt so unworthy. Today, the three children are professionals in various fields and the mother has never had a return of leprosy. Reynold, our son, met one of the daughter’s in Calcutta a few years back and took a picture (below). What a joy to receive his first-hand report! Reynold and his wife Kathy were there dedicating a school building project on behalf of Crossroads Missions. Many of you supported this project that helped to get young children out of working in the dumps and into school. The project was called “Treasures in the Trash.” To view their report of this school from 2005, click here.

Yours because of God’s concern for every person,

David

One of the daughter's of the woman who was healed of leprosy.

BE HOLY

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 11-12

(click scripture link to read online)

This Desert Horned Viper can be found in Africa, the Sinai Peninsula, Israel and Arabia.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 11:44a

For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.

God is holy! The four living creatures in Rev. 4:8 worship God by saying, “Holy, holy, holy.” God’s Word to us is, “be holy.” Self righteousness is as “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6); therefore, in God’s eyes, being holy is not attained by keeping the food regulations found in these chapters. These requirements may be good for your health, but keeping them does not make one holy. Romans chapter 4 is an important New Testament reading in order to understand the holiness God provides for us. Please do as I have done this morning and read 1 Peter 1:13-16. You’ll discover that God’s Word makes it clear that we are to live holy lives. We are holy before God and are to consistently conduct ourselves in a godly way.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

I realize, Lord God, that, like Abraham, I am righteous before You by faith, and like Abraham I am to demonstrate righteousness by obedience. Grant me grace to conduct myself in a righteous way, doing what is right before You and before people. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

At a gathering of Pork Producers of Ontario, I was asked to say the blessing over a feast which featured, what else, roasted pork. I thought about my late Father-in-law, Godfry Rutledge, who prayed over one meal at our dinner table, “Lord if You can bless under grace what You cursed under Law, bless this food.” Needless to say, he did not partake, but the rest of us enjoyed our meal, pork included. I thought of my own Dad, who spent over 20 years in Egypt. He said that the pigs ate the garbage and so he would not eat pork there, but here he enjoyed it greatly. As I prayed about my blessing for the Pork Producers, I saw in my mind’s eye the vision of Peter with the unclean animals in the sheet let down from Heaven. There, in my imagination, I saw a pig front and centre on the sheet. I blessed the meal with a clear conscience. I’ve just read again Acts 10:9-16.

Yours for holy living,

David

AN ACCEPTABLE OFFERING

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 9-10

(click scripture link to read online)

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in these caves in the region known as Qumran. These scrolls are a collection of 972 texts consisting of Biblical manuscripts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-Biblical documents found on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 10:11

…and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.

In today’s reading, we learn about the conduct of the priests and the judgement of God on misconduct. There are most serious consequences to the failure to follow God’s instructions, particularly for those whose calling is in leadership. The priests were not to drink any intoxicating beverages. Why? They must be fully aware at all times in order to distinguish right from wrong, the holy from the unholy, and the clean from the unclean, so that they could, by example as well as words, teach the people God’s ways. How often have God’s leaders, and followers alike, lost our ability to discern what is right and then do it. The book of James should be regular reading for us, not just when our reading schedule requires it. It’s the New Testament book of Christian conduct. Consider the purpose of the Law for those who believe in Jesus… read Galatians 3:23-27.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Thank You, Lord God, that I live in the time when I know Your grace, and I am justified by faith, not by the works of the Law. May I never take careless advantage of Your forgiveness, but may I live, as my Dad prayed every day, “With the smile of Your approval on my life.” In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I had the honour of interviewing the Hon. Joseph R. Smallwood, Premier of Newfoundland, and one of our Fathers of Canadian Confederation. He said, “I don’t drink alcoholic beverages because I may be just one drink away from becoming an alcoholic, and I don’t wish to take the chance of destroying my life and hurting everyone around me.” At 15 years old in the United Church in Brockville, I went forward to the front and signed a pledge that I would not partake of intoxicating drinks throughout my life. It was at what was called, “a temperance service.” I’ve never been sorry I did this. Keeping that promise has enabled me to minister with integrity to many alcoholics and those who became chemically dependent. I had a great, great grandfather who was an alcoholic, who lost the farm, and who simply disappeared. His son, my great grandfather, Joseph Mainse, was converted to Christ and that changed the entire direction of my family.

Yours for knowing right from wrong and the holy from the unholy,

David

CONSECRATION

Suggested Reading: Leviticus 8

(click scripture link to read online)

The High Priest washes his hands at the Brazen Laver. Behind him stands the replica of the Brazen Altar.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Leviticus 8:5

And Moses said to the congregation, “This is what the Lord commanded to be done.”

The first seven chapters of Leviticus speak of the sacrifices. Chapter eight introduces the priesthood. As sinners we need a sacrifice. As believers we need a priest. We have both in Jesus Christ. He offered Himself as the final Sacrifice on the Cross, then He entered the heavenly sanctuary as our Priest. The ear, the thumb, and the big toe represented hearing the Word of God, doing the will of God, and going where God commands. Notice that Moses did not say, “This is expedient, agreeable, suitable or traditionally proper.” He did not lead by consensus. Seven times in this chapter the word “commanded” is used. In tomorrow’s reading, we’ll learn the results of obedience. Here’s a sneak peek…”The glory of the Lord shall appear to you” (Lev. 9:6).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, grant me the grace of strict adherence to Your Word. I find the symbols of Your Priesthood in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of those symbols in Your life and teachings, as described in the Gospels. Thank You that You established “Truth” in these ways. Finally, You confirmed the truth in practice, evident in the lives of believers in the Acts of the Apostles and in the detailed writings of those Apostles. Please sanctify anew my hearing, my doing, and my going. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

While still a teenager, I heard the rector of a local Anglican Church say about the Bible, “Read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God.” Some statements, such as this one, have been indelibly engraved on my mind. I’ve just read again Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:7-13. You may want to click on those references and read them with me. I understand that God has put His laws in my mind and has written them on my heart. I make myself available to Him to do this every morning. What an amazing privilege to say, “I know Him,” and to be certain that He is merciful to my unrighteousness. My “sins and lawless deeds” He remembers no more!

Yours for putting equal portions of our minds and our hearts into a more thorough understanding of God’s Word,

David