Kansas City, Missouri,
United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Consecrate Yourself” – Tuesday,
29 April 2014 - Scripture: Leviticus 18: Yahweh said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them,
‘I am Yahweh your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt,
where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I
am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4 You shall do my
ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am Yahweh your
God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man
does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.
6 “‘None of you shall
approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am
Yahweh.
24 “‘Don’t defile
yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am
casting out before you were defiled. 25 The land was defiled: therefore I
punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 26 You
therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of
these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a
foreigner among you; 27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done
all these abominations, and the land became defiled); 28 that the land not
vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was
before you.
29 “‘For whoever shall
do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from
among their people. 30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do
not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you,
and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’”
“Consecrate Yourself” by
Carol Rittenhouse
Leviticus is not an easy
book to read. It is not filled with familiar stories or characters. At first
glance it appears to be a book of rules that could easily be overlooked in the
21st Century, dismissed as outdated or irrelevant. Our faith asserts that the
truths found in Leviticus are as relevant today as they were when they were
written.
In Leviticus the
Israelites were consistently reminded about what God expected of them.
Leviticus 18 begins a call to the Israelites to be holy–or consecrated–set
apart for God’s purpose. The Israelites were God’s “called out” people. This
meant their lives needed to reflect God’s character. All of the directives
listed in this passage are designed to develop a lifestyle that could never be
confused with other groups around them.
The people of any
kingdom will reflect the values, character, and example of the king. God is our
heavenly King. As God’s people the way we live should look different than those
who serve the gods of modern culture. Our God asks us: “Are you willing to set
yourself apart in every aspect of life to show others what kind of God I am?”
Consecrate yourself to be Sanctified by God’s Holy Spirit!
Hymn for Today:
“I Want to be Like Jesus”
by Thomas O. Chisholm
1. I have one deep,
supreme desire -
That I may be like
Jesus.
To this I fervently
aspire -
That I may be like
Jesus.
I want my heart His
throne to be,
So that a watching world
may see
His likeness shining forth
in me.
I want to be like Jesus.
2. He spent His life in
doing good;
I want to be like Jesus.
In lowly paths of
service trod;
I want to be like Jesus.
He sympathized with
hearts distressed,
He spoke the words that
cheered and blessed,
He welcomed sinners to
His breast,
I want to be like Jesus.
3. A holy, harmless life
He led;
I want to be like Jesus.
The Father’s will - His
drink and bread;
I want to be like Jesus.
And when at last He
comes to die,
“Forgive them, Father,”
hear Him cry
For those who taunt and
crucify.
I want to be like Jesus.
4. Oh, perfect life of
Christ, my Lord!
I want to be like Jesus.
My recompense and my
reward -
That I may be like
Jesus.
His Spirit fill my
hung’ring soul,
His power all my life
control.
My deepest prayer, my
highest goal -
That I may be like
Jesus.
Thought for Today:
““Speak to all the
congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for
I, Yahweh your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2).
Prayer Needs:
Many young people in
Brazil will be called into full-time Christian ministry!
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Embrace holy
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