DISRUPTION IN THE WILDERNESS

If you’ve read much in the Old Testament, you know that the children of Israel were chronic complainers. They grumbled when they didn’t have enough to eat. They murmured when there wasn’t water in the wilderness to drink. They repeatedly accused Moses and Aaron of bringing them out into the wilderness to die. After God sent them manna, they weren’t happy because they wanted meat!

But the greatest protest came when they crossed the wilderness and were on the brink of conquering the people who were living in their Promised Land! Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan to report back on what the land was like and how vulnerable they might be.

After forty days of scouting out the land, they (the spies) returned home [Numbers 13:24]. Ten reported that the people of Canaan were too strong and mighty and they would never be able to defeat them. However, two of the spies – Joshua and Caleb – said, Let’s go up and take the land – now. We can do it [13:30].

The whole community was in an uproar, wailing all night long. All the People of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The entire community was in on it: “Why didn’t we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness? Why has God brought us to this country to kill us? Our wives and children are about to become plunder. Why don’t we just head back to Egypt? And right now!”

Soon they were all saying it to one another: “Let’s pick a new leader; let’s head back to Egypt.”  [14:1-4]

At this suggestion of rebellion, Moses and Aaron fell prostrate before the multitude. Joshua and Caleb tried to assure the people that God would lead them into this land! At this point, the rabble-rousers began to pick up stones to throw.

Just then the bright Glory of God appeared at the Tent of Meeting. Every Israelite saw it. God said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me like dirt? How long refuse to trust me? And with all these signs I’ve done among them! I’ve had enough—I’m going to hit them with a plague and kill them. But I’ll make you into a nation bigger and stronger than they ever were.”

At this point, Moses argued with God eloquently reminding Him that if He destroys this people many nations would observe that He gave up on them!

Then, going forward boldly and convincingly, Moses appealed to words that God had previously spoken about Himself when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

GOD, slow to get angry and huge in loyal love,

forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin;

Still, never just whitewashing sin.

But extending the fallout of parents’ sins

to children into the third,

even the fourth generation.

[14:18  -  from Exodus 20:5-6] 

Moses pleads with God to forgive the people – and He does!

God said, “I forgive them, honoring your words. But as I live and as the Glory of God fills the whole Earth—not a single person of those who saw my Glory, saw the miracle signs I did in Egypt and the wilderness, and who have tested me over and over and over again, turning a deaf ear to me—not one of them will set eyes on the land I so solemnly promised to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with such repeated contempt will see it.

God then spoke to Moses and Aaron to inform them that Joshua and Caleb WILL be allowed to enter the Promised Land because of their faithful report as spies. However, this entire evil-infested community which has banded against me…will come to their end. There [in the wilderness] they will die [14:35].

When Moses told all of this to the People of Israel, they mourned long and hard. But early the next morning they started out for the high hill country, saying, “We’re here; we’re ready go up and attack the land that God promised us. We sinned, but now we’re ready” [14:39-40].

But Moses said, “Why are you crossing God’s command yet again? This won’t work. Don’t attack. God isn’t with you in this—you’ll be beaten badly by your enemies. The Amalekites and Canaanites are ready for you and they’ll kill you. Because you have left off obediently following God, God is not going to be with you in this.”

But they went anyway; recklessly and arrogantly they climbed to the high hill country. But the Chest of the Covenant and Moses didn’t budge from the camp. The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in the hill country came out of the hills and attacked and beat them, a rout all the way down to Hormah [14:39 41-45].

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Let’s make several observations – if you’ve stayed with me this far:

1.    We all have a choice to make: will we be people of faith or people of fear?

People of faith believe God and follow Him responsively – like Joshua and Caleb! They are rewarded for their obedience!

2.    Leadership has consequences!

The ten spies who gave a negative report that discouraged the Israelites and incited their rebellion – all died in a plague, confronted by GOD!

3.    We can reason with and speak openly with God!  This says much to us about our prayer life.

Moses argued against destroying the Israelites because of how it would reflect on His image to other nations. Moses also reminded God of words He had spoken earlier that defined the fact that He is slow to anger and steadfast in love!

God can deal with our hurt, anger, disappointment, confusion, fear, doubt… We can take all our emotions to God and not fear rejection!

As a result of Moses’ intercession, God forgave the Israelites!

4.    God forgave the Israelites, but still punished them for their persistent rebellion!

The punishment seems harsh – they would all die in the wilderness! Only Caleb and Joshua would enter the Promised Land. They spent the rest of their lives wandering aimlessly in the wilderness!

We must note that God forgives, but He does not take away the consequences of our sins! However, He will give us grace and mercy to help us to deal with those consequences!

Hebrews 4:16 [NASB]

…let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS WORSHIP IN CHINA

The crowd gathered slowly at the IF [International Fellowship held in an ‘approved Chinese church’].  The worship began at 10:10 AM.  By the end of the service there were probably fifty present (good in light of the fact that many had gone home for Christmas).  Debbie and I were the only Americans in the service!  The make-up was probably 1/3 Africans, 1/3 Europeans, and 1/3 Chinese and other nationalities. 

A new friend of Debbie’s introduced a young, Chinese man, Charlie, to the congregation.  She had met him in a restaurant.  He asked if she was a Christian.  She said yes.  He told her he wanted to become a Christian!  We celebrated his new birth in Christ!  Pastor Francois anointed him and had several pray over him (in different languages).  It was a thrilling moment. 

Then Frank came forward to give his testimony.  I had met and spoken extensively with Frank months ago at the Quanping Church.  He is an exciting new believer who wants to come to America to study in a Bible College!  I’ve been praying for him daily since that first meeting.  He spoke of being fatherless – until he met God!  He told of harassment in his workplace because of his faith.  He is currently looking for a new job!  His mother was with him in the service as well.  Francois called all the fathers to the front of the sanctuary to hug Frank and pray over him!  It was amazing!  Powerful!  Typically, Chinese nationals are not allowed to attend IF services.  However, Francois and Mimmie (the IF leaders – from South Africa) made an exception this morning because of these two testimonies.

Next, a group of about eight black, South Africans came forward and beautifully sang several familiar carols in French.  Attending IF is such a blessing because of its international flavor!  Then a beautiful, Chinese woman came forward and sang a Chinese Christmas song for us! 

Then a leader in the IF named Wes, came forward to give the message.  He spoke of the silent 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament and explained that they were anything BUT silent!!!

NOTES FROM HIS MESSAGE:

    · 586 BC Jerusalem destroyed
    · The Captivity - the ministry of Ezekiel and Daniel
    · Jeremiah’s message: “This is NOT the end of your story!”
    · King Cyrus and King Darius have their hearts changed by God and are used to         advance His purposes!
    · The Return to Jerusalem!
    · Judaism changed:
        Synagogues became the center of religious life.
        The Old Testament was canonized.
        The rise of rabbi’s – Gamaliel.
        The rise of political parties: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.                     Pharisees accept all of the OT and believe in an afterlife. Sadducees                         accept only the first five books of the OT and don’t believe in an afterlife.
    · Wars:
        Babylon over Judah
        Persia over Babylon
        Greeks over Persia
        Romans over Greeks

Then a group of Africans came forward and sang a traditional Christmas song in Swahili.  Then a German woman played the piano to accompany her young, teenaged son playing the trumpet (we thought of our nephew, Sam). 

One of the things I love about worshipping with the Africans is the way they give a high-pitched yell when something makes them happy!  The rest of us applaud;  but these women give this joyful, high-pitched wail!  I LOVE IT!

Mimmie gave two PowerPoint presentations:

1.      The first was on the differences between a secular celebration of Christmas and a Christian celebration (she had used this with her students)!

2.      The second talked about the two gifts that God gave at Christmas:  His Son and Eternal Life (John 3:16).

We ended the morning singing a number of Christmas songs together.  The Africans helped us with our hand-clapping!  Several people bring tambourines and add to the joyful expression also.  Some of the people enjoy dancing as a part of their expression of worship!  Together, it is all beautiful and very joyful!

Following worship we just missed the 149 bus and ended up waiting a long time.  Mimmie went by and invited us to a church dinner at a nearby restaurant.  We had not registered for this meal, but she included us anyway!  It was an absolute joy!  I sat beside Frank’s mother.  We gathered in two banquet rooms around large round tables (about fifteen at the table).  Typical Chinese format:  round lazy Susan with many entrees.  The conversation was fascinating!  We were privileged to have a group of German women at our table.  One had been raised in East Berlin.  She spoke of the severe conditions of her childhood the constant fear that they lived under.  She told of trucks arriving with a load of bananas;  each person was given one banana.  She also told of going to a store and waiting in a long line to get a banana.  Then she would go to another store and wait again to get another banana.  And on and on till at the end of the day, she would have eight bananas to take home to her mother!

The other woman spoke of crossing into East Berlin to visit with family.  She talked of the constant fear that they would not be allowed to return to West Berlin!  She spoke of the intimidation of the East German soldiers and the constant fear until they would finally return home!  These are glimpses that we’ve never had before.  They dominated the conversation – and we were delighted to listen.  We felt that we had nothing to contribute to this conversation!  We listened in rapt attention! 

All of these people have been here for ten to fifteen years.  They are here because of their love for Jesus and their love for the Chinese people!  They are bold and courageous people of faith!  We are honored to spend time with them.

Debbie sat beside Francois and Mimmie.  He told of having a large family farm in South Africa.  Francois is a direct descendent of the French Huguenots.  About twelve years ago they felt God’s call to come to China.  They figured they would auction the farm and all their belongings and have significant wealth to subsidize their venture.  Unfortunately, at the auction things went for very low prices.  Then the government stepped in and claimed the family farm.  The government has never paid them a cent for the farm [This sounds like news reports from 2025].  They were immediately in financial crisis upon arriving in China.  They spoke of God’s amazing provision every step of the way.  They are passionate leaders who serve as the pastors of the International Fellowship.  They are Spirit-filled servants who love everyone that God puts in front of them!  They give sacrificially of everything they have to advance God’s Kingdom purposes!  They’re the kind of people that you just want to hang out with all the time!  We love them!  We feel privileged to have met them.  He asked me if I would speak at the IF and Quanping [another location] a few times this winter.  Of course I agreed to.

We are SO GRATEFUL that God gave us this three-year opportunity. Our lives have been so enriched by these experiences.

I SAW MY HEART!

The short story is: I had an echocardiogram on Tuesday.

I reported at 6:45 AM. After a short wait, I was escorted down a hallway by a young woman who looked like a high school student. We entered a small room where an older woman was sitting at a desk. The room included a place to lie down and a machine on a cart.

Immediately upon entering the room, she explained that she was a student and asked if it would be ok if she did my test. I agreed – with little time to actually think about it. She had me lie down after taking off my shirt. She attached adhesive pads to my chest and stomach and then attached wires to those pads.

I told this young lady to watch for a flash of light during this procedure. I explained that I had accepted Jesus as a child and that He has been living in my heart ever since! [Both women smiled!]

Quickly, she placed gel on an instrument and put it in the center of my chest. She quickly found what she was looking for – my heart.  She simply held it there for a long time before moving it to my left side, where she held it again for a long time. Finally, she lowered it to just below my chest and again held it there for a long time.  All-in-all, I’d say this procedure took a half-an-hour (maybe more).

Eventually, the older woman took control and simply repeated the process very quickly.

Now, somewhere along the way in this process, I realized that they were watching a screen that – at times – I could also see.

That’s when I saw my heart!!!!!!

I could make out my aortic chamber and its systematic beating. I could see the valve to the lower chamber of my heart systematically opening and allowing the blood to flow through.

Needless to say, I was fascinated by what I was seeing!

Then, suddenly, she switched to a different mode and this time I could see what I believe were the electronic impulses that cause my heart to work! That aortic chamber flashed with an orange and blue light. I assume that this was the electric impulse that makes our hearts work! I was mesmerized!

It looked like a tiny explosion occurring over and over again in my heart!

DISCLAIMER:

I was the patient! I know nothing about the instrument or processes that were being used on me. I’ve only described the experience from a layman’s perspective! I could have misinterpreted what was going on!

You’ll be happy – along with me – to know that I was later told by my doctor that I have a strong, healthy heart along with no symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation.  I do, however, have an irregular heartbeat that puts me at an increased risk for a stroke. He’s walking me through some processes that he hopes will get my heart back into rhythm. It sounds like it will be a rather SHOCKING experience! I’ll also need to be on a blood thinner for the rest of my life – just in case my heart returns to an irregular heart-beat. Not exactly something I can get excited about! I am averse to taking any medications! Oh well!

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I don’t want to turn this into a theological treatise. We can do that another day.

I’m aware, of course, that when the Bible speaks about the heart, it is speaking of something more than the organ that catalyzes life by its persistent beating.

However, today, I was awakened to the blessing of an organ that mysteriously has been beating in my chest since around June of 1951, when I was 4-5 weeks into my formation within my mother’s womb!  I was about five weeks old and my mother might not even have known about me yet…

You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

 Psalm 139:13-14 [NASB]

BEING ASKED TO PRAY

Does this happen much in your life?

If it does, I hope you realize what a compliment it is!

When someone asks you to pray for them, it sends a powerful and complimentary message!

First, it implies that they trust you!

This is HUGE! Is anything more valuable and meaningful than trust?

They are entrusting you with a personal concern believing that you will treat the information privately and not gossip about it with others.

They’ve chosen to entrust you with personal information that is a source of great concern to them. It likely includes information that is highly private and confidential. They’re probably facing some kind of crisis in their life and feel its intensity so strongly that they have decided to call on a few special people to intercede for them with GOD!!!!

Second, it implies that they believe you have a relationship with God!

What greater compliment could they give you?

In the midst of this crisis, they have chosen to include you in a private prayer circle where each person included is assaulting God on their behalf!  It could be life-threatening for them or someone very close to them. It could be a need that has the potential to crush them. It could be a tragedy that is impacting their life and causing them inscrutable fear and pain.

Whatever the case, they have turned to YOU!  They believe – from observing your life – that you have influence with GOD!!!!!

Third, it implies that they believe that GOD can make a difference!

Why ask if they don’t believe God can and will intervene?

For some, turning to God is a last resort. It’s kind of like: “Well, I’ve tried everything else, so I guess I’ll pray.”

Others have learned early on to make GOD our first recourse! Our most frequent prayer begins with the words: “Oh God!” Perhaps we were taught this by our parents? Perhaps we learned it by passing through many trials? Maybe we learned it from a believing spouse? Or a friend? Or a pastor?

But whether we ask as a last resort or as a first impulse – we believe that these are not wasted words! We believe that when we pray – there is a divine reality who hears and responds to our prayers!

We only know that we must tap into His reserves of grace and mercy!

Of course, we hope GOD will relieve our friend or family member of pain and set things right.

If not, however, we trust that they …may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need [Hebrews 4:16 NASB].

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But the reality is that no one wants to pass through desperate times alone! We need encouragers to walk this path with us! We desire to know that we’re not alone in this trial. We highly prize companionship! We need a community of faith!

Consequently, we turn to those who we believe will travel this road with us. We’ve come to trust them deeply and know that they have our best interests at heart! They will NOT let us down!

SOME TIPS TO CONSIDER IF YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO PRAY

• At the moment they ask - stop and immediately pray with them!  Don't care about where you are or what others may think. Simply ask your friend: "May I pray with you right now?"
• Send them a card soon so that they know you are serious about remembering their need before our gracious Father!
• Text or call them periodically so that they know that you haven't forgotten them and are still praying.
• Do whatever you have to do to remember to pray for this need! Notes on your mirror or dashboard. A reminder to pray on your phone. Be creative...
• Don't stop until you know your friend [or family member] has found a settled peace!

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Isn’t this the kind of friend or family member that you want to be?

Today is another blessing from God! Another opportunity to deepen your commitment to Him! A chance to renew your promise to read a little from the Bible every day. To spend a few quiet moments talking to Your Heavenly Father. Deepening the relationship that does more for you than any other!

If you’re not a person that others turn to for prayer – YOU CAN BE!

What are you going to do about it?

JOBS I’VE HAD

I was not close to my dad while growing up. I respected him immensely. He worked for Townsend Company for forty-eight years. I knew that I had a good dad and that he loved me because my mom told me so regularly. 🙂

Although I was very interested in sports and played basketball, baseball and football with my neighbor friends – and later intramural sports at college – my father did not offer any encouragement in this area.

He did, however, invest in teaching me a strong work-ethic.

At the age of eleven, he took me for two Saturdays to Dr. Chadwick’s home [Patterson Heights, Beaver Falls] directly across from the Beaver County Country Club. He taught me to use their mower and to trim their trees and mulch their gardens. I believe he had done this with my brother, Ira, too. Dad had done around-the-house jobs for Dr. Chadwick for many years – perhaps as a way of paying off medical bills.

Those two Saturdays, he taught me principles and skills that I would need to take care of the Chadwick’s home, such as:

>  Don’t work real hard for a while and then sit down to rest! Work steady! If Mrs. Chadwick looks out the window, you always want her to see you working!

>  Never sit down to work! If there is low mulching or planting to do, do it on your knees! You don’t want Mrs. Chadwick to look out and see you sitting down on the job!

>  Do your work in a way that you can walk away proud that you did your best! Make the Chadwick’s happy that they have you as their lawn-boy!

I worked at the Chadwick’s until I left home for college. I made $1.00/hour.

Every Saturday, I rode my bike down the hill from Brighton Heights and across the New Brighton/Beaver Falls bridge, then around and under the bridge to push my bike up a road that no longer exists. It brought me out right near the Country Club – my dad called it “StoryBook Hill’.

Sometimes, on my way home, I would bike over to Waites’ Restaurant and get a hot-fudge Sundae – with my own money - before going down Ross Hill and then back to Brighton Heights!  ☺  I felt pretty big while sitting at the counter and buying and eating my treat!

Eventually others heard about my work and asked me to do their lawns. I even worked for our high school superintendent, Zachary Taylor, although I never let ANYONE know that I was doing his lawn! After I turned sixteen and was driving, I was doing six lawns in New Brighton, Beaver Falls, and Beaver!

It was good training and experience for me. I have no regrets – although I look back with some longing to have been involved in high school sports. My brother-in-law, Lib [my oldest sister, Jeannette’s husband] often worked with me and encouraged me to get into sports, but without a father to open those doors – it just never happened. Lib always felt that I had an arm that would’ve made me a successful pitcher in baseball!  We’ll never know…

With this work ethic entrenched in my young life, I began my working career. The following is a list of the many, diverse jobs that I held over the years and to the present! 

• Lawn care – when I left New Brighton, I was caring for five lawns in Beaver Falls, Beaver, and New Brighton.  It kept me pretty busy.  I also usually spent my own money.

• For a year, I cleaned the elementary school on Marion Hill.  My Dad used his influence with his childhood friend, Mel Miller, who was the Superintendent of New Brighton schools, to get me this job.

• For several summers and Christmases, I worked for Twitchell’s roofing and heating company in Willow Grove, PA as a helper. 

• I cleaned toilets and hallways in Carpenter Hall when I got to Roberts Wesleyan College, North Chili, NY.

• During the summer of 1970, I travelled with ‘The Reflections’ representing Roberts Wesleyan College at various camps, churches and youth events.

• I also worked at Chili Plastics – giving lunch breaks (from 2:30 – 4:30 AM).

• For two years I was the weekend night watchman at RWC.

• For two years, I worked at UPS on the evening loading/unloading shift in Rochester, NY.

• I was an Apprentice Pastor at Pearce Memorial Church for the summer of 1973, after my graduation from RWC.

• For a year I worked as a Bellman at a Hospitality Inn near Lexington.

• I worked at UPS in Lexington, KY for a year while I attended Asbury Theological Seminary.

• For a year I worked as a part-time Corrections Officer at the Blackburn Correctional Facility in Lexington.

• For at least six months I worked at a Phillips 66 gas station in Lexington.

• Newspaper delivery in Nicholasville, KY for a year.

• Along with George Gates, we (along with our wives) daily took turns cleaning the offices of Suburban Gas in Nicholasville, KY.

• Appointment #1 – I served as Student/Pastor to the Tunnel Hill Free Methodist Church in English, IN for a year and a half.  [Wabash Conference]

• Appointment #2 – Jeannette, PA FMC  (1976-1978)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Appointment #3 – McClellandtown, PA FMC  (1978-1982)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Appointment #4 – Oakland FMC, East Liverpool, OH  (1982-1995)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Internship at Highland Drive Veteran’s Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA  (1987)  [As a result of this role, I earned a Basic Unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.]

• Internship at Family Services Family Counseling Service, Steubenville, OH  (1990)

• Worked as a 'Counselor Trainee' for two years at Family Service, Steubenville, OH

• Internship at Woodside Psychiatric Hospital, Youngstown, OH  (1991)

• Appointment #5 – Spencerville, MD FMC  (1995-1997)  [Maryland/Virginia Conference]

• Shelter Care, Inc. – Ran a licensed home for behaviorally challenged children in Summit County.  Akron, OH (1997-2003)  [Served with Debbie]

• Appointment #6 – Cornerstone FMC (Akron, OH)  Lead Associate  (1997-2003)  [Ohio Conference]

• Appointment #7 – Free Methodist Community Church, New Middletown, OH  (2003- 2012)  [Ohio Conference]

• Oral English Professor, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, PRC  (2012-2015)

• Appointment #8 – Kittanning, PA FMC  [Part-time, Commuting Pastor]  (2015-2017)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Retired, June, 2017. 

• Lyft Driver – about 20 hours/week. 5 years

• Part-time, commuting Interim Pastor at The Foundery FMC in Wellsburg, WV from February through September, 1994.

I have nothing but gratitude to God for this work history. I made a lot of friends in each situation and was able to pay for three years of my college education! [My mom and dad paid the equivalent of one year – which they had promised to do when I enrolled.]  I’ve been strong and healthy throughout the years and have tons of stories and very few regrets when it comes to the way I’ve lived my life.

GOD’S SENSE OF SMELL

In marking up the Bible for my granddaughter, Rylie, I began the book of Leviticus this morning. I warned her that it's one of the most boring books of the Bible - BUT, GOD INCLUDED IT IN HIS HOLY WORD FOR A REASON! Therefore, keep your eyes and spiritual ears open to see and hear what God might want you to notice!

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I've mentioned elsewhere that for the two years I studied at Franciscan University of Steubenville, I worshipped frequently in this charismatic, Catholic environment. It was a phenomenal experience for me as I experienced a radically different form of worship.

If I've had a bias throughout my ministry, it has been my desire and attempts to make worship real and relevant to the people whom I have served. I guess there is a creative streak in me that yearns to do things differently and break through barriers of boredom and/or irrelevance. I have always felt that the worship of our AWESOME, INCREDIBLE, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNI-PRESENT, CREATIVE GOD should NEVER be boring!

Consequently, through the years, I have changed the location of worship, the order for worship, the leadership of worship, and the approach to worship frequently! It was never done to irritate people who have an appreciation for predictability or routine [although I’m sad to say that it did have that effect on some].

My desire was pure and persistent. Let’s not worship in mediocrity! Let’s innovate! Let’s be imaginative! Let’s celebrate the creativity of the One who made 73,330 species of trees, 11,500 kinds of birds on earth, and who makes people of different colors, places, sizes, and who speak 7,164 different languages!

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Let me hone in on this today.

I opened by mentioning that I just read the first three chapters of Leviticus. In doing so, I underlined some words that were repeated seven times in three chapters. The words were:

A pleasing fragrance to GOD

If you’re not familiar with Leviticus, these chapters give specific instructions for how to offer Whole Burnt Offerings, Grain Offerings, and Peace Offerings.

Whole Burnt Offerings involved the sacrifice of either a bull, a sheep or goat, or a dove or pigeon [the latter was obviously God’s way of including the poor].

Grain Offerings included flour, oil and incense mixed and placed on the altar [think of the aroma of bread baking]!

Peace Offerings could be a male or female animal from the herd, but it must be without defect. Or, it could be male or female from the flock – without defect. Or, it could be a goat. These offerings were ultimately burned on the altar.

And in every one of these cases it is reported that it was A PLEASING FRAGRANCE TO GOD!

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Hmmmmm…

God – like many of us – seems to enjoy the smell of meat being cooked! 😊

Earlier, I mentioned the experience I had worshipping with my charismatic, Catholic friends. Catholic worship includes a censor with incense at times throughout worship! It is obvious to worshippers as this aroma finds its way through the sanctuary.

This evokes a question: Why do we ignore the sense of smell that God has blessed us with when it comes to our worship?

We all know how POWERFUL our sense of smell can be.

Every summer when my family went to Family Camp, I was abundantly aware of the smell of our cabin when my father opened the door! That aroma swept me back to previous years and experiences that were highly pleasurable! It evoked feelings and memories that were very pleasant!

If aroma has this kind of power – why don’t we use this sense in our worship of God?

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From February through September of 2024, I was drafted to lead The Foundery Free Methodist Church in Wellsburg, WV. On Easter Sunday, I spoke on one of my favorite passages and described how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus – two Pharisees - took down the body of Jesus from the cross, carried it to a new grave that Joseph had carved out for himself, embalmed the body of Jesus WITH 100 POUNDS OF MYRRH AND ALOES.

To drive this point home, in closing I offered each worshipper an incense stick to take home and burn. As I stepped down to make these available, I was inundated with people coming from every direction. I quickly recruited helpers to pass out these simple, inexpensive gifts! The desire to smell the frangrance that surely led Mary and the other women to Jesus’ tomb on Resurrection Morning while it was still dark struck a chord with the hearts of our worshippers!

I burned my stick that afternoon in my study while worshipping God and marveling at His grace! I sensed His presence with me and believe I heard Him say that it was indeed, A PLEASING FRAGRANCE!

THE MEANING OF THE CROWN OF THORNS

I was reading in Exodus 28 this morning and connected some dots that added meaning to my appreciation for all that Jesus has done for me!

Here’s the passage about Aaron and his sons being consecrated as priests over Israel:  [All quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted]

^36-38 “Make a plate of pure gold. Engrave on it as on a seal: ‘Holy to God.’ Tie it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. It is to rest there on Aaron’s forehead. He’ll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites dedicate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before God.

Walk with me as I unpack this a bit.  [If I’m misguided in any of this, I have some scholarly friends who will gently correct me on Facebook. 😌]

If Aaron takes on the sin of the people, what happens to it?

Well, in the next chapter, we read:

^29:15-18 “Then take one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the head of the ram. Slaughter the ram and take its blood and throw it against the Altar, all around. Cut the ram into pieces; wash its innards and legs, then gather the pieces and its head and burn the whole ram on the Altar. It is a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God, a pleasant fragrance, an offering by fire to God.

For at least a period of time, Aaron was the sin-bearer for all the people of Israel. Through this ordination process being described in chapter 29, Aaron and his sons were consecrated as mediators between the people and God!  The process is clarified as the chapter ends:

³⁸ “This is what you are to offer on the Altar: two year-old lambs each and every day, one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at evening. ..

^42-46 “This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That’s where I’ll meet you; that’s where I’ll speak with you; that’s where I’ll meet the Israelites, at the place made holy by my Glory. I’ll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I’ll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests. I’ll move in and live with the Israelites. I’ll be their God. They’ll realize that I am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am God, your God.”

Are you still with me?  There’s good stuff ahead! 😉

Let’s review:

God had established a chosen people who would be His representatives to the whole world!  We’re now reading how God set things up to keep them holy – as He is HOLY!  This process was a daily process of being cleansed and forgiven of sin through the sacrificial system!

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LEAP AHEAD WITH ME!

·         ^{Matthew 27:27-29} The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red robe. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head.

·         ^{Mark 15:17}  The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. 

·         ^{John 19:2}  The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head,

This is not new to us!  We read it repeatedly every Lenten and Easter season!

But consider the link back to Aaron and his consecration as a priest.

“Make a plate of pure gold. Engrave on it as on a seal: ‘Holy to God.’ Tie it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. It is to rest there [like a crown] on Aaron’s forehead. He’ll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites dedicate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before God. 

Aaron took on any guilt of the Israelites so that they could be acceptable to GOD!

1,400 years later, the sacrificial Lamb – so designated by GOD – would HIMSELF become the One to wear the CROWN OF THORNS; thereby taking on the guilt and sin of all humanity throughout all time

so that we can be acceptable to GOD!

 

Hallelujah!

Thank You, Jesus!