3/24/12

If I could look into heaven...


Here is something you don't see everyday; a hole in the clouds!  Imagine it was a magnifying glass and you could see right into heaven.  What would you see?  Someone has and his name is Stephen.  When he was brought before the council, he had a view of it and here is an excerpt from his "sermon" found in the book of Acts......


WEB: Acts Chapter 7

[44] “Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen; [45] which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David, [46] who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. [47] But Solomon built him a house. [48] However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

[49] ‘heaven is my throne,
and the earth a footstool for my feet.


What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord;
‘or what is the place of my rest?


[50] Didn’t my hand make all these things?’


[51] “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. [52] Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. [53] You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

[54] Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. [55] But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, [56] and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

The Jews stoned him for this.  A painful death, but like Jesus he asked that they be forgiven for their actions.  What exactly did he see; was it something like the picture?  No idea, but he did see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  Since this image places Jesus in a position of authority, its no wonder the Jews reacted so violently.  They simply did not accept that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah and refused to listen to such things.  Their loss, our gain.  The Bible is full of imagery of what heaven is like, but since we are told that Jesus is there, what more do we really need to hear?  I don't know how you feel about it, but I want to be where someone really loves me; enough to give up their life on my behalf.  That's all the insight I need!!!!

Mar. 24 Leviticus 3, 4


Mar. 24
Leviticus 3, 4

Lev 3:1 " 'If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings; if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before Yahweh.
Lev 3:2 He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron's sons, the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.
Lev 3:3 He shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Lev 3:4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
Lev 3:5 Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Lev 3:6 " 'If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh is from the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
Lev 3:7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before Yahweh;
Lev 3:8 and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
Lev 3:9 He shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to Yahweh; its fat, the entire tail fat, he shall take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is on the inwards,
Lev 3:10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
Lev 3:11 The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to Yahweh.
Lev 3:12 " 'If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before Yahweh:
Lev 3:13 and he shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
Lev 3:14 He shall offer from it as his offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Lev 3:15 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
Lev 3:16 The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is Yahweh's.
Lev 3:17 " 'It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that you shall eat neither fat nor blood.' "
Lev 4:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev 4:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them:
Lev 4:3 if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bull without blemish to Yahweh for a sin offering.
Lev 4:4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh; and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before Yahweh.
Lev 4:5 The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 4:6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before Yahweh, before the veil of the sanctuary.
Lev 4:7 The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Yahweh, which is in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out all of rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 4:8 He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering off of it; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
Lev 4:9 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away,
Lev 4:10 as it is taken off of the bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
Lev 4:11 The bull's skin, all its flesh, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung,
Lev 4:12 even the whole bull shall he carry forth outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. Where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.
Lev 4:13 " 'If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;
Lev 4:14 when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 4:15 The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh; and the bull shall be killed before Yahweh.
Lev 4:16 The anointed priest shall bring of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Meeting:
Lev 4:17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before Yahweh, before the veil.
Lev 4:18 He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before Yahweh, that is in the Tent of Meeting; and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 4:19 All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar.
Lev 4:20 Thus shall he do with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
Lev 4:21 He shall carry forth the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.
Lev 4:22 " 'When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty;
Lev 4:23 if his sin, in which he has sinned, is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish.
Lev 4:24 He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before Yahweh. It is a sin offering.
Lev 4:25 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
Lev 4:26 All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.
Lev 4:27 " 'If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and is guilty;
Lev 4:28 if his sin, which he has sinned, is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has sinned.
Lev 4:29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
Lev 4:30 The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
Lev 4:31 All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from off of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Lev 4:32 " 'If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.
Lev 4:33 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
Lev 4:34 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
Lev 4:35 All its fat he shall take away, like the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.

"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES" Concluding Thoughts by Mark Copeland

                       "THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"

                          Concluding Thoughts

People have often searched for the meaning of life.  From philosopher to
the common man they have asked questions like: "Why am I here?" or "What
is my purpose for life?"

Presuming there is no God nor life after death, many have concluded
there is no purpose for living, and fallen into despair or hedonism. 
But a search that begins with wrong assumptions invariably leads to
wrong conclusions.  If what we see in this life is all there is, then
truly "vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"

The Preacher, with his personal experiences and God-given wisdom, has
demonstrated that, yes, life from an earthly perspective alone ("life
under the sun") is truly vanity!  But he has also declared that by
fearing God and keeping His commandments one can endure the many
vanities and perplexities of life, all the while enjoying the good
things in life that God give us!  As expressed by the Preacher himself:

   "What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have
   seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be
   occupied."

   "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put
   eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the
   work that God does from beginning to end."

   "I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to
   do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and
   drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God."

                                       Ecclesiastes 3:9-13

May we like the Preacher, then, continue to seek out "acceptable words",
"words of truth" (12:10) that will serve as goads to direct us, and as
well-driven nails with which to build our lives.

Especially those truths from Jesus, who has come and spoken words
designed to help us weather the storms of life:

   "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,
   I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:"

   "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and
   beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on
   the rock."
                                       Matthew 7:24-25

With the help of the Preacher and the Savior, we can find meaning and
hope in this vain world in which we live!