Which God?

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:5-6

Old Testament or New Testament?

A recent question was posed to me. Which God are you talking about - the God of the Old Testament or the God of the New Testament?

I was stunned. 

There is only one God. Why would one pose such a question? In thinking upon this, I decided to go back to the Old Testament. After all, it is in the Old Testament that we are given example after example of God working among His chosen people. 

Where better to look than to the book of Leviticus. This, then, is an introduction into a study to delve into Leviticus. I am not a theologian. If you have read my devotions you will know that I love the practical approach to studying the Bible. Of course, we must remain true to the Bible’s teachings but how do we use those teachings in our daily lives?

Let us examine then, through the eyes of Leviticus, the “God of the Old Testament” showing that the laws given to the people of Israel - especially those relating to the sacrifices - all point to Christ.

Jesus Christ is the sacrifice who alone could conquer sin in our hearts and lives. The blood sacrifices of the Old Testament, therefore, all point to Christ. 

Come with me, then, as we look through this amazing book.Please note that the devotions in this blog all point to a more detailed devotional study on this same topic from my website: 

Devotional Reflections from the Bible

God Bless You,

Linda

Special Note: You will note that I have not been publishing devotionals for several years. As I again launch into these, pray with me that as God’s truth is presented Christians will be encouraged in a time when the world is fast leaving Biblical foundations and that others will come to know this amazing Savior.

Thanks,

Linda

Heirs of God

Heirs of God

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.  Romans 8:16 & 17

Heirs - what does that mean? As I enter my golden years that word has more import. Who are my heirs? In 10, 20, or 50 years, will they remember who I even am or will I be just another name on their ancestry chart. Our impact on others will soon grow dim and die away (pun intended).

Who are your ancestors? How well do you know them? Think of that as you read the verses shown above from Romans 8. We are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. If we are truly believers, God's Spirit lives within us. We inherit God's blessings upon us in this life, but even more importantly, we inherit eternal life with Christ.

As we view the chaos in the world in which we live, we must pray that God will help us to live above our circumstances. Let us live continually with a view of Christ - our eternal Hope and Glory.

Have a blessed day,

Linda

PS Be sure to visit my site, devotional-reflections-from-the-bible.com where I will expand on this devotional under a new heading, Reflections from the Elderly.

 

 

Shadow of Death

 Death! We all face the shadow of death! It may be a loved one—it may even be us. Are we prepared for death? Can we say with the Psalmist, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil?”

Why did he fear no evil?

He knew that God was with him. This Psalmist, David, has now been with the Lord for thousands of years and yet we are still comforted by his words.

Is the Lord with you? If not, then you should fear death! Let us not be so involved with the things of this world that we forget to prepare for the next. This world is just a few short years but the next is for eternity!

Go to Christ. Now is the accepted time; now is day of salvation.

God Bless You,

Linda

He Restores My Soul

 He Restores My Soul

How often do we think about our soul? Why does it need restoring? 

Our soul is the very essence of who we are. Animals do not have a soul. But what use is it and why does it need restoring? Our soul is how we communicate with God. Yet that communication is disrupted by our sin. When we come repentant before God, He forgives our sins and restores our soul. Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit who leads us in the path of righteousness.

In other words, to enjoy a right spirit before God, our Creator, we come to Him confessing our sin. His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God man, came to this earth for the purpose of saving us - or opening our access to God which has been disputed by sin. The Lord Jesus shed His blood for us. When covered by His blood, God does not see our sin and we can have direct communication wth Him.

What an amazing God we serve. Go to Him today, confess your sins, and ask God to forgive you. Only then can you experience the weight of sin lifted from you. Only then will He restore your soul!

God Bless You,

Linda

Psalm 23

 Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known Psalm in the Bible, and there is a reason for that. Faced with so many challenges in life, we look to the Psalms for comfort and guidance. For the next few days we will be considering a verse at a time. (All of the images used were taken in Door County, Wisconsin.) 

In John, chapter 10, verses 14 & 15,  Jesus tells us: I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

When we understand all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us and realize our need for Him to take away our sins so that we may stand as righteous before a Holy God, then we understand that we are just like poor, dumb, sheep who need a shepherd to guide and care for them.

Jesus is that shepherd for those who follow Him. He cares for us and truly He does make us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters.

Come to Christ today. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Him. John 10 explains that Jesus is the door (to God). In verse 9, Jesus continues His narrative with:  I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

God Bless You,

Linda

 

Consider the Lilies

As spring continues it’s profusion of loveliness, let us just take a moment to consider the beautiful colors and designs of God’s creation. If God displays such detailed loveliness in flowers which will quickly fade away, think of His special love and care of His people. Let us live today in the awareness of God’s love and care of us. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die and take the punishment for our sins. Only through Christ can we have peace, joy, and contentment.

God bless you,

Linda