Month: January 2024

Thank God for His Provision

In the first of 3 sermons to the
nation, Moses begins with review
 of the past, including His Provision.
 God had promised His people
 a new homeland, but Israel failed
 to possess  it because of unbelief.
 For 40 years they had wandered
 and died.  Now with the passing
 of that unbelieving generation,
 God has led the nation in victories 
over  Sihon & Og, bringing them
to the threshold of the land again.

Lord, we ask for Your Provision:
.                        The LORD your God has blessed
 you in all that you have done;
 He has known your wanderings
 through this great wilderness.
These forty years the LORD your
 God has been with you; you have
 not lacked a thing (Deut 2:7).
Abraham took the ram and
offered it up for a burnt offering
instead of his son. And Abraham
called the name of the place:
The Lord Will Provide (Gen 22:1).
And… God shall supply all your
needs according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19).

Lord, You will provide for our needs
 just as You provided for the needs
 of Your people Israel in their
 journey to the promised land.
For we look up to You Father God
 with open hands as Your children,
and ask that You will supply
all our needs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 
Thanks for taking care of us. Amen.

Lord, You are the All-Sufficient One
You are Jehovah Jireh the Provider
 who will provide all that we need.
You are my source of Wisdom.
 If I lack wisdom, I can ask God,
who gives generously to me.
You are my Guide when I’m
 unsure of what to do, You will
instruct me in the way I should go.
You are my Healer for You are the
 one who heals all my diseases.
 And You are my Strength and
power when I am weak. Amen.

Heavenly Father, Thank You
for the gift of Provision of needs
 that carries us through 2023.
 And  as we draw near to the lunar
new year, we approach it with
some concerns, and we lift up
our hands to You and surrender them into Your strong Hands. For we trust in Your Goodness, Power and Faithfulness to Your people. Amen.

Jesus Paid It All Atoning sins

The great Day of Atonement
observed each year was Israel’s
most significant act of worship.
On that day, the nation gathered
to watch in expectation as the high
priest entered the Holy of Holies
with the blood Atonement which
would cover the sins of the entire
nation for another year. Because
blood was the central ingredient
in Israel’s national and personal
forgiveness, God prohibited the
use of blood for any purpose
other than sacrifice to Him.

Lord, we’re grateful for Your Grace:
Aaron shall take the two goats and
present them before the Lord… Then
he shall cast lots for the two goats:
Aaron shall bring the goat on which
the Lord’s lot fell & offer it as a sin
offering. But the goat on which the
lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be
presented alive…to make atonement
upon it and to let it go as the scape-
goat into the wilderness(Lev16:7-10)
In the seventh month on the tenth
day of the month, you shall… do
no work at all… For on that day, the
priest shall make atonement for you
to cleanse you, that you may be
clean from all your sins (v29-30).
Come now & let us reason together…
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool (Isa 1:18) Amen

Lord Jesus, Thank You for paying
 the price for my sins so that I don’t
 have to. Because of You I have been
 reconciled to God, and I will never 
be separated from Him again.
 Help me to extend to others the
 love and forgiveness You have
 given to me. Teach me ways I can
show my gratitude to You for all
 that You have done for me. Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You do not
see my sins, rather You see me
 righteous because of the work of
Your precious son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for Your lovingkindness and
 for Your grace of forgiveness of sins.
Help me reason with You & really
 appreciate Your love and mercy.
 Help me follow the Holy Spirit 
so that I will remain obedient.
 Help me have deep gratitude to
You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
 And melt the heart of stone.
 Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
 Sin had left a crimson stain,
 He washed it white as snow…
 For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of Leviticus is to
serve as a handbook for priests
and Levites outlining their duties
in worship as well as a guidebook
of holy living for the Hebrews.
And Numbers tells the story of
how Israel prepared to enter the
promised land, how they sinned
and were punished, and how
they prepared to try again.

On Monday, we learn from Lev 16
that Jesus Paid It All Atoning Sins.
On Tuesday, we learn fr Lev 18/19
that Holy God Changes Us.
On Wed, we learn from Num 6
that the Lord Blesses You.
On Thursday, we learn fr Num 11
that God Cares for the Weary.
On Friday, we learn from Num 14
that the Lord Abounds In Mercy.
On Saturday, we learn fr Num 21/23
about the Lord who Keeps Promises.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For Jesus paid it all Atoning sins.
and that Holy God Changes Us;
For Abba Father Cares for the weary
and that He Abounds in Mercy;
For the Lord loves to Bless us
and that He Keeps promises.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Lord who Keeps Promises

As the Israelites march to Canaan,
 they defeat three enemies: the
 Canaanites, Amorites & Bashanites.
 But on the heels of victory they
suffer defeat at the hands of a
persistent foe: constant grumbling.
And God sends fiery serpents
to chasten His rebellious nation.
The threat of Israel’s advance
prompts neighbouring pagan nations
to hire Balaam to bring a curse upon
God’s people. But instead of curse,
 Balaam delivers a sweeping witness
 to the glorious future of Israel.

Lord, we’ll Respect & Honour You:
             Speak to the rock before their eyes
 & it will yield water. So Moses took
the rod & said: You Rebels! Must we
bring water for you out of this rock? 
Then Moses…struck the rock twice
 with his rod and water came out…
The Lord spoke to Moses:
Because you did not…hallow Me…
you shall Not bring this assembly
into the land (Num 20:8-12).
                               The people came to Moses & said:
 We sinned when we spoke against
 the Lord and against you. Pray that
 the Lord will take the snakes away…
So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said: Make a snake & put
 it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten
 can look at it and live (Num 21:7-9).
God is not human, that He should lie,
not a human being, that He should
change His mind. Does He speak
and then not act? Does He promise
and not fulfill? (Num 23:18-19).

Holy Spirit, help me be gracious &
 Careful with my words when under
 pressure or when I am frustrated.
 Help me not to trust and rely on
 past experience of doing things.
Help me instead to listen carefully
to what God said and respond in
faith by obeying His instructions.
 Help me Honor Father as holy God
in Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, I look to You as Saviour
 and to what You accomplished
 on the cross as guarantee of
 my salvation. Thank You Lord for
 paying the ultimate price for my sin.
Forgive me Lord if I have spoken
 against You in any way, or have
 been motivated by fear and doubt.
 I come to You in Faith, believing
that You’ll hear & answer my prayer.
.           Help me to always Obey You. Amen.

Abba, when Israelites complained
 against You God and rebelled 
against Moses, that led to disaster.
 Help us to Be Careful when under
difficult and confusing situations.
 Help us to Beware Grumbling and
 Bitterness but focus on blessings.
 Help us to Respect U & be careful
 with words when under pressure.
Help us trust You and Obey Your Instructions; for You keep promises,
for You are a faithful God. Amen.

The Lord Abounds In Mercy

Following the Lord’s instructions,
Moses selects one rep from each
of the 12 tribes to form a scouting
party. Their assignment: to spy out
the defenses of the land and bring
back a sample of the produce.
The 12 return with a divided report!
Ten see only the obstacles while
two see opportunities. The nation
disheartened & faithless, threatens
to stone Moses and return to Egypt
rather than face what lies ahead.
As a result, God condemns that
unbelieving generation to forty
years wandering the wilderness.

Lord, we’ll Choose Faith Not Doubt:
Joshua and Caleb said: The land
we explored is a wonderful land!
The Lord will bring us safely into that
land and give it to us… Do not rebel
against the Lord (Num 14:6-9).
The Lord said to Moses: How long
will these people treat me with
contempt? Will they never believe
Me, even after all the miraculous
signs I’ve done among them (v11).
Moses said… As You’ve spoken: The
Lord is longsuffering and abundant
in mercy, forgiving iniquity…
Pardon the iniquity of this people
I pray according to the greatness
of Your mercy… Then the Lord said:
I have forgiven them as you asked.
Because these men who have seen
My glory and signs… have put Me to
the test 10 times & have not heeded
My voice, they shall not see the land
which I swore to their fathers(18-23)

Lord, open my spiritual eyes to
see those exceedingly good things
that You have laid in my path.
Forgive me Lord for focusing
on the problems around me.
Help me keep my eyes on You and
the purpose You’ve put before me.
May I go forth in faith, not in fear,
so that I don’t miss Your blessings
each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, it is so easy to let our hearts
be affected by negativity; and treat
You in contempt by not obeying You.
I confess having inclination to live
by sight and not by faith; so Lord
help me reverse that tendency.
I purpose to hang on to Your word,
even when it may contradict the
circumstance; for I want to believe
in You more & more. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, Moses in his intercession for
the Israelites, appeal to Your mercy
and long-suffering & You relented.
But then the unbelieving Israelites
couldn’t enter the Promised Land.
Lord of Mercy and Longsuffering,
Help us not treat U with Contempt;
Help us Not to Doubt You; and
Help us see You thru Eyes of Faith.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Cares for the Weary (Jan 18)

The time has come for the final
journey to Canaan. After a special
celebration of the Passover, the
people watch as the pillar of cloud
begins to move. It’s time to march!
But the thrill of expectation soon
gives way to tedium of travel. And
Moses is faced with numerous
problems: complaints about travel
conditions and food, longings for
the good old days in Egypt, greedy
hoarding of the quail God supplies
and jealousy by Miriam and Aaron
toward his position of leadership.
In spite of the difficulties, the
people finally arrive at Kadesh-
Barnea, on the doorstep of Canaan!

Lord, we need Your Encouragement:
The foreigners who were travelling
with the Israelites began to crave
the good things of Egypt. And the
Israelites also began to complain:
Oh for some meat! We remember
the fish we used to eat in Egypt. And
we had all the cucumbers, melons,
leeks, onions and garlic we wanted.
But now our appetites are gone.
All we… see is manna(Num 11:4-9).
Moses heard the people weeping…
So Moses said to the Lord: Why
have You afflicted Your servant?
And why have… You have laid the
burden of all these people on me?
I’m not able to bear all these people
alone because the burden is too
heavy for me. If You treat me like
this, plse kill me here & now (v10-15)
So the Lord said: Gather 70 elders…
They will help you carry the burden
of the people so that you will not
have to carry it alone (v16-17).

Father God, help us not to grumble
by directing our attention on the
right things. Help us to be careful
not to let dissatisfaction reigns
when our attention shifts fr what
we have to what we don’t have.
We purpose to Be Thankful for
what God has given us & not allow
our unfulfilled desires to cause
us to forget Your gifts. Amen.

Father, like Moses our feelings
can give way, when unreasonable
murmuring get the better of us.
Like Moses we can be burdened
and glad that You God knew it
and graciously provided relief.
Relieved that though Moses prayed
amiss, You gracefully responded to
the prayer of a discouraged heart.
Help us Father learn how to rest in
the Lord; who is our All in all. Amen.

Father, I lift to You the areas of
my life that are overwhelming.
I’ve not come to You to complain,
but rather to seek Your help.
Where I have tried to handle
everything in my own strength
instead of depending on You,
I sincerely ask Your forgiveness.
I pray You Lord to enable me to
rise above the challenges. Amen.

The Lord Bless You (Jan 17)

At Mount Sinai, Israelites received
specific directions for their life-
style in the new land God would
give to them. A census was taken
& the 2nd Passover was celebrated,
marking one year of freedom
from slavery in Egypt. Three weeks
before the people leave Sinai
for the last leg of journey to Canaan,
Moses received commands from
God to cleanse the people & prepare
them to enter the Promised Land.
They must be free from immorality
and jealousy; they must understand
the binding nature of vows made
to God; the Levites must realize
the sacred nature of their calling.

Lord, we’ll Consecrate to You &
Be Your Instrument of Blessing:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses
saying… When a man or woman
consecrates… to take a vow of
a Nazirite, to separate himself
to the Lord, he shall separate
himself from wine… He shall not
make himself unclean… All the
days of his separation he shall
be holy to the Lord (Num 6:1-8).
Speak to Aaron and his sons saying:
This is the way you shall bless
the children of Israel. Say to them:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine
upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord (show you His favour)
and give you peace (v23-26).

Lord, my few experiences drinking
liquor as a youth convinced me
it did not taste nice and had a
negative effect on my emotions.
Biblical warnings on strong drink
also provide inspiration to avoid it.
But there are other areas Lord
that need Your help in moulding.
Whatever is preventing me from
consecrating fully to You Lord and
seeing only You, provide me the
strength I need to set it aside. Amen.

Lord, what a really good God
You are to bless us, smile on us,
extend grace to us, show us Your
favour and give us Your peace.
We know that we stand under
the stream of Your abundant
blessing only because Jesus
plunged Himself under Your wrath.
We rejoice Lord in Your unfailing
love and mercy, and we ask that
You increase our love for You. Amen.

Lord, I realize a blessing can create
a pathway into someone’s life
for fullness, completeness,
abundance and well-being.
May my tongue Lord be an
instrument of Your shalom.
May I impart Your goodness
to others through my words.
May Your Spirit inhabit those
words in mighty power. Amen.