Category: Faith Fix

Blood & Sacrifice (ATP)

Sacrifices in the Bible seem so violent. Did God really want people to kill animals? Or was it because they were really just seen as livestock- the same as a crop. I don’t  think our God is really a “blood thirsty” God in the Old Testament but did he want animal sacrifices because they were symbolic of the consequences of sin within our lives? “The wages of sin is death.”

God is not a blood thirsty God. When we consider the concept of animal sacrifice it’s hard for us to reconcile because our modern society is not accustomed to this, but animal sacrifice was a common practice within the context of the Ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, and other areas. The idea of animal sacrifice wasn’t originated in Christianity. However, its meaning within scripture is different from what we see in Israel’s neighbors. For example, Ancient Greeks used to eat the best parts of the animal and then sacrificed the leftovers as an offering to their gods. To get a scriptural understanding of animal sacrifice we need to turn to the Bible. Of course, the Word has great detail regarding this topic that we can’t possibly decipher in one Faith Fix. For that reason I will attempt to pull out some key understandings and encourage you to get into the Word further for greater depth of understanding.

Let’s look at the book of Leviticus. The purpose of the book of Leviticus was to show God’s people how to worship, serve, and obey a holy God. In the very beginning of the book the Word addresses animal sacrifice. Leviticus 1:3, “If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.” This scripture addresses the practice with a couple key principles. First, if you’re going to make an offering, do it at your own free will. An offering isn’t an offering if the motives are wrong or the hand is forced. This is still true today. Also, if you’re going to offer an animal at the altar, choose an animal without blemish. This is significant for two reasons. First, leftovers are not true offerings. An offering must be sacrificial. It isn’t putting God last, but putting God first. We saw this in the testimony of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. Abel offered of the first born of his flock, a real sacrificial offering, while Cain collected the fruit off the ground and brought that, leftovers instead of sacrifice. Look at Hebrews 11:4, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”

The other significant understanding we need to see in Leviticus 1:3 is that the offering must be without spot or blemish. This is of course because we offer our best to God, but it’s also symbolic of the coming Messiah. In other cultures and religious ritualistic practices, the animal didn’t need to be whole or pure, but God was saying here that the purity of the sacrifice matters. The animal was meant to be for atonement of sins and transgressions, which the animal surely did not commit, just as Jesus did not commit the sins of humanity. Atonement means to cover, to cancel, to appease, to cleanse, to forgive, to pacify, to pardon, and to reconcile. The purity of the blood was symbolic of cleansing. Many times in scripture you will see Moses making atonement for the Israelites or the Old Testament law addressing how to properly make atonement for sins. Just as with the animal sacrifice, Jesus became the atoning, cleansing blood of the lamb.

Look at Romans 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Through the death of Jesus, through His pure, untainted blood, we receive reconciliation which really means atonement. We are pardoned, forgiven, and reconciled back to full access to God.

Leviticus 17:11 explains why the blood: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” The blood is the life force in a body. God did as He commanded the Israelites. He took His firstborn, innocent lamb and He offered Him up on the altar to make atonement once and for all for all the impurity and sin that could ever be found in humanity. Just as those farmers surely didn’t enjoy offering up those precious animals, God didn’t enjoy offering up His precious Son, but He knew it was a trade off for the rest of us. He wanted His people to understand the significance of what would be done with the coming Messiah.

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This was the truth from the beginning and will be the truth to the end. God can’t go back on His Word. If He said it, He’ll make it good. Remember what we saw in Psalms 15:4, that God, “…honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” Integrity is who God is, whether it costs Him or not.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée

Just An Old Sinner (ATP)

So though this was not specifically a question, it was in a question and I felt led to use it as a teachable moment: “we are all sinners”.

One of my jobs as a pastor is to correct false doctrine. In doing so, I am not attacking an individual but simply looking at things that are unscriptural and making them right. Religion has put so many bad things in people and it is quite a job getting that out. I still find myself saying or doing something and the Spirit will correct me and say, “I never said that!” Wow!

Our words are very important, the Bible teaches us this. Our words spoken from a place of belief are very effective, both good and bad. For example, I am always bothered when a person talks about a sickness they have and places ownership on it. “My allergies are acting up” or “my arthritis is bothering me.” We need to speak good faith words and those sicknesses and diseases are not yours! I’m not saying to ignore them, I’m saying don’t claim them! The first step to cure is using your authority to rebuke and reject what is ailing you!

So yes, the idea that we are just sinners. Technically speaking, all humans have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Technically. However, our focus according to scripture should NOT be this fact. Look at Psalms 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” The word redeemed means to buy back. Specifically in the oriental tradition of what’s called kinsmen redemption. It is an ancient law where when a person loses something, the next of kin has the right to go purchase it back for them. This is what happened with us. Though we were sold under sin, Jesus came to redeem or buy us back, freeing us from that original purchase. If we have been freed from that, no one has right to put that back on us. Even us!

It is easy for us, being acquainted with our own weaknesses, to feel that we are not redeemed. Many days I do not even remotely “feel” saved. Thank God I do not have to live by how I feel. If I did, I’d be just as hopeless as before and never make it to Heaven. Shoot, I wouldn’t ever make it to the pulpit! Thank God Jesus changed all that!

Often when counseling someone who is dealing with hopelessness, I encourage them to meditate on Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” This scripture does not tell us to pretend there is nothing bad in the world. It doesn’t say you won’t see anymore trial if you think you won’t. It simply instructs us where we are to put our thoughts.

And not just your thoughts! In the Old Testament the word meditate also means to mutter or speak. Here it also means to reason. The idea is that our focus in what we think about and talk about has got to be on good things. Again, not that you ignore it, just don’t make it your focus. You can recognize trial without meditating on it. “I see this or this is happening, however, my God is for me and has never forsaken me. So this time, just like in the past, He will rescue me!” Stating this truth in adversity is where your joy and peace will begin to take shape. Staying with it will ensure that it grows!

So what about being a sinner? If you focus on being a sinner, it will be easier for you to act as such. If however you focus on being redeemed, blood bought, set free, and endued with Holy Spirit power (the same power that raised Jesus from the dead), imagine how your outlook will be! Imagine going through life thinking about yourself that way! You can’t be depressed when you’re convinced that His power to live is in you! You can’t accept defeat when you’re convinced that beyond your own ability, you can’t lose!

Some people embrace being a sinner. As one who has been redeemed I look at it past tense. After all, how I lived yesterday doesn’t matter if I live better today. I may have been a sinner but now I am redeemed. I may still make a mistake but it will be as a redeemed one who missed it, not as a sinner who embraces it!

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff

Are We Really Forgiven? (ATP)

The Bible says when we go to Heaven our tears will be wiped away and our sins are forgiven but it also says we have to give an account for every word or deed on judgement day. If we are forgiven and our sins washed away then why will we still have to given an account on judgement day? And what about our errors and mistakes before we were born again? And our mistakes and errors after done in a moment of weakness and frustration? Even though I try and I know we are all sinners I feel frustration and frustration of when I keep falling short and messing up and I worry about my judgement day. In the Bible it says Jesus will wipe our tears away when we reach heaven, with knowing loved ones may not be there when we get there how is this possible knowing where they might be spending eternity?

There is a lot to this question, or really questions, so I will attempt to squeeze it all in. The first thing we always have to keep in mind when understanding scripture is context. Who, what, where, when and why is something we need to continually ask ourselves concerning the Bible. Although all scripture is for our understanding, not all applies specifically in every circumstance. The scripture you are referring to is Revelation 21:4 which reads, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

The first thing about this scripture is where it appears which, is in the end of the book of Revelation. Specifically, if you look in chapter 20:11-13, we see that it is talking about what we refer to as the “Great White Throne Judgement”. This is where God judges all people according to their works. A mistake that Christians often make is that once you are saved, you are off the hook. The Bible very clearly tells us that we are “saved for good works” Ephesians 2:10). The sad thing is, many Christians continue to live for themselves. We will give account for how we lived after receiving salvation and this should be sobering to us. Our works will be judged and we will answer for those times we acted wrong, or failed to fulfill God’s plan. I am convinced we will see those that didn’t get reached because we didn’t reach them. I believe there will even be Christian parents that will see their children go to hell because the parents refused to live right and so their children never took “that God stuff” seriously. Those things, even seeing what God intended for them, will bring many tears to their eyes.

“Well what about God forgiving our sins?” He does forgive them, however this does not mean that we are free from consequence. What we have to understand about sin is what it does. The Bible is very clear, sin causes death. Not just dying death (though that is certainly not excluded), but most importantly, spiritual death or eternal death. Sin separates humans from God and is what puts them in hell. Jesus came, in part, so that we could be broken free from that future. A murderer in jail for example, can confess his sin and God will forgive him, however he may still spend his life in jail or even face the death penalty even though he gets to go to Heaven. Though he’s forgiven, he still has consequence. For a Christian to think that a loving God will just over look their refusal to reach people, have those people go to hell, and not hold them accountable is foolish and lacks understanding of a just God. He is loving but He is also just!

As far as mistakes we make before we are born again or even before we come to knowledge of God’s plan for us, God is also a God of mercy. Scripture tells us we are also judged according to what we know (Romans 2:13-16). That doesn’t mean we can be willfully ignorant and be ok either. Now, if we make a mistake when we know better, as in a moment of weakness, God is still merciful.

What about those we love that don’t make it? You need to understand that when we get in His presence the Bible says we will be changed (Psalm 16:11, 1 Corinthians 15:51). Our emotions will be perfected and our thoughts will not be corrupted like they are now. We will think right about all things, so I have to believe this will factor into our ability to be aware of things of this nature but still be in peace. I also think of this scripture: Isaiah 65:17, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

We cannot live this life in fear, however we do need to live in reverence. We can’t be afraid of our future but live life like ones who will answer for it. If we make mistakes, we confess them (1 John 1:19) and God forgives us. We need to be aware that our mistakes can cause us trial that God can’t always or won’t always get us out of, though we are forgiven. We need to also know not all consequences are a matter of His judgement either.

All this said, a Christian who does their best to follow God and is faithful to do what they know AND to continually seek Him will stand before God with confidence (1 John 2:28). This is His will and it is not just possible, it’s probable. Make it your goal to live for Him, and you will find confidence now in this life and when you stand before Him.

Note: Next week I will address the idea, “we are all just sinners.”

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff

Can God Hear Me? (ATP)

Today I came across some Christian songs with some country singers I like featured in them, and in reading the comments that people post, one particular stood out to me… They referenced John 9:31.  “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears them.” I got a little confused as my first reaction was “God hears everybody”. I got to thinking, what if a sinner wants to repent his/her sins and get away from evil-doing? Aren’t we all sinners, born that way because of Adam & Eve?  (Romans 3:23) I understand this as God turns away from evil people, but again, what if they want God to turn around and help them get away from evil and sin? I think I found the answer in 1 John 1:9 but I’d really like to hear your answer and take it further.

Many of us have had these same sorts of  questions over the years and this is multifaceted so let’s see if we can tie it all together here. Let’s look first at John 9:31-33, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” In context, what was expressed here is that God does not use sinners to heal the eyes of the blind and if He were not of God He could do nothing.  In John we see a Pharisee named Nicodemus who came to Jesus and said in John 3:2-3, “…Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In this passage we see a key truth of scripture, that our access to Heaven is a born again spirit. We have been promised power, healing, authority and deliverance as born again believers. We have been commissioned to do His work on the earth, but those who do not know God, and aren’t His children and His co-laborers, won’t be used to bring His gospel or His power to this world.

Look at the first part of 1 Peter 3:12 Amplified,

“For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer.“ We see again and again in scriptures like 1 John 1:7 that if we walk in light He is in that light or 1 Thessalonians 5:5 that says we as born again believers are children of light.  Matthew 4:16 says, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” And we see in Luke that that light brings revelation to the gentiles, AKA sinners. It is in light that God dwells and it is where God dwells that we communicate with Him.

Now look at Deuteronomy 30:14, “…the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” Romans 10:8-10, reiterates this, “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” God is listening for the sinner’s repentant prayer. He’s not willing any should perish.

Remember in Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned and God came to them and couldn’t find them? Sin had separated them and it broke the heart of the Father. It’s the same today, sin separates us from God because God is light and can’t dwell with darkness. John 12:46, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” The same is found in John 8:12, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 2 Corinthians 6:14 asks, “…For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” Of course, the answer is no fellowship at all. Light and dark are opposite so if we want to walk in light, we need to access that light, which is the Lord and His Word of truth.

Finally, Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You also mentioned, 1 John 1:9-10 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” We have all done things that make our communication with God and our walk with God a bit blurry so to speak. We have all fallen short of walking in perfect light, but the Word says He is faithful and just to forgive. His mercies are new every morning. Our hearts should continually be searching to be in His perfect will and in His light.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée

Swearing To Your Own Hurt (ATP)

Question: What does psalm 15:4 mean? Specifically the part about “he who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” 

The scripture this question is referring to says this, Psalms 15:4, “In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change.”  If we go back to the beginning of Psalm 15 we see the original question David posed. Psalms 15:1, “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” The remainder of Psalm 15 really goes along with this posed question. So what David is asking, then proceeds to answer, is what are the conditions to dwell with Him forever. Of course we see that is, according to this Psalm, walking uprightly, not backbiting, not doing evil to your neighbor, etc. When we get to verse 4 we see that one who abides with God cannot honor and accept sin and we also see, as in your question, that it’s good to be a person that swears to your own hurt but still remains unchanged. Let’s look at this verse in the Amplified Bible,  Psalms 15:4, “In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change.”

One could misinterpret this scripture easily, but what it’s actually talking about in context is how God blesses integrity. I love Psalm 15 in the Message Bible: GOD, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? “Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. “Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. “Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. “You’ll never get blacklisted if you live like this.”

Integrity says, once you commit to something and give your Word, you will fulfill your word no matter the cost. It is common practice in our culture to keep our word only as long as it’s convenient for us to do so. Something I learned while in college studying to be a a school teacher was that it was very important we stuck to our word. If I threatened a consequence or offered a reward and the student followed through, I needed to follow through. If I said you’re going to earn a detention for talking back but then never gave a detention to the student who talked back, my word and my consequences would be null and void. Likewise, if I promised a candy bar to any student who helped clean up the classroom but never brought the reward, the students would lose trust in my word and be less hesitant next time around.  I carried this into parenting as well, sometimes to my own hurt! I recall grounding my son from crossing the street and when it was time to go somewhere my car was parked on the opposite side of the street. My son declared that he’d be breaking punishment to go get in the car! I had sworn to my own hurt.

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” God is a god of integrity and He calls us to be the same. This is sadly lacking in our society. Follow through is based on current mood, if something better came up, or even based on what one can get out of it.  Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity (crookedness) of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Integrity is meant to be our guide. If I said it, I’ll make it good. If I foolishly agreed to something I cannot fulfill, then I will repent and make it right. Look at Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Being honest and upright matters greatly to the Lord.

Proverbs 28:6 says, “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” Integrity is so valuable to God and it ought to be to us. Look at Psalms 41:12, “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.”

Besides this, 1 Peter 3:16-17 calls us to have, “a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Our integrity, our follow through or true repentance when we’re unable to follow through, speaks volumes about the God we serve. God does not want us to “swear to our own hurt” but He wants us to understand that our words have weight like His words have weight. He wants us to understand that being a person of integrity is always worth being inconvenienced. Ultimately God wants His people to be less about self than they are about others.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée

Thoughts & Fiery Darts (ATP)

How do you know where a thought comes from? How can you know if it’s of the Enemy or if it is of our own sinful nature? Can the devil read your thoughts?

Let’s start first with the latter question. Is the devil able to read your thoughts? From my understanding of scripture, the devil cannot read our thoughts. I can’t recall a single place in scripture that would clearly show otherwise. The devil is never called omniscient or all knowing. However, the devil operates in the spiritual realm and his weapons attack our minds. Read Ephesians chapter 6.

Let’s consider two important events in scripture where the devil tempted mankind. First, we see the devil coming to Eve, Genesis 3, in the garden where the Word calls him more cunning than any other beast in the garden. That word cunning means subtle. He came to Eve, he listened to Eve speak, he questioned what God has said to her and twisted God’s words. The devil is observant, but he’s not all knowing. Now remember when he came to tempt Jesus in Matthew 4:2-3, “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” It’s clear the devil knew what Jesus was dealing with, but it’s not clear he was reading his thoughts.  If we look to 1 Peter 5:8-9, we see the enemy’s forte, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Notice how in verse 9 the Word says the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. The devil has the same tactics over and over again, always with the goal of stealing, killing, and destroying. His tactics are against humanity and chances are if you’ve been tempted in an area many others you know have also been tempted that same way.

The devil is never said to know everything or even to be able to get into our minds. What he does and how he operates is found in, Ephesians 6:16, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” If you’ve ever played darts you’ll know that there’s a certain line on the floor you don’t cross. It’s a game of throwing from a distance hoping to hit the mark. This is how the devil operates. He knows humanity. He knows the lusts of the flesh and the temptations of mankind and so he throws darts in the form of thoughts hoping to land a bullseye. The Word says above all to take the shield of faith. What is faith? It’s believing God at His Word. The difference between Adam and Eve whose actions were the downfall of humanity and Jesus whose actions were the saving grace of humanity was that Jesus trusted God’s words above all temptation but Adam and Eve did not.

2 Corinthians 4:4 shows us that there are many, “… minds the god of this age has blinded.” The god of this age is the devil and his goal is to blind humanity because that’s his only fight. The devil is well aware of the power of God and His Word but he’s also aware that God has given us free will. His hope is to help us choose wrong.

Now let’s look at the next part of the question: How do you know where a thought comes from? How can you know if it’s of the Enemy or if it is of our own sinful nature? Let’s look at a familiar scripture, Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Be transformed by the renewing of your mind means that what we put into our minds has the power to transform us and notice with a renewed and transformed mind we will

Be able to prove what’s God’s will. Only with a renewed mind could Jesus withstand the temptation in the garden. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:5, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Our flesh or sinful mature will always try to do whatever is appealing for it. It wants what it wants. There’s a reason the industry for the vices of mankind is so large and lucrative.

We know this, whatever you put in is what you’re going to be transformed by. If you’re thinking thoughts that aren’t godly or that go against the Word, first ask, “is what I’ve been putting into my mind helping me to have these thoughts?” Look at Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” What we need to do is check our thoughts against the Word of God. If it doesn’t line up, it’s not godly and it’s not meant for us to have. It may be a result of things we’ve put in or it may be a fiery dart from the devil, or even a combination of both, but if it doesn’t line up with the Word we throw it away. I love what Dr. Ed Dufresne used to say, “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head but you can stop it from making a nest in your hair.” Get proficient at, as the Word says, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée