Tag: Are You In Need of Cleansing?

¹³ Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” ~ Joshua 7:13

God told Joshua to consecrate the people for tomorrow. You must always prepare today for tomorrow. If you wait for tomorrow, it will be too late; tomorrow will come and pass you by. Also, notice this. He was not going to do it for them; the people were to consecrate themselves.

Some people believe that this is an action taken by the LORD. But nowhere do I find the LORD doing this for us, we must do it for own ourselves. Even with things like Mount Sinai, when God came down on the mountain in Exodus 19, they had to consecrate both the mountain as well as themselves (Exodus 19:22-23).

God did not do it for them. We’ve gotten spiritually lazy and want God to do everything for us. Just take it away LORD, just take it away! But Paul instructed us in 1 Corinthians 5:7 to get rid of the old leaven so that we might be a new batch. We have to do it ourselves. We transform ourselves by renewing our minds, Paul wrote in Romans 12:2. And he wrote the same thing in Ephesians.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Begin Transforming.

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¹⁶ When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell facedown. ¹⁷ David said to God, “Wasn’t I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Lord my God, please let your hand be against me and against my father’s family, but don’t let the plague be against your people.” ~ 1 Chronicles 21:16-17^CSB

King David had brought the wrath of God on the nation of Israel because of his sin. Satan incited King David to number the people of Israel. This sinful action brought the punishment of the LORD.

Even though the LORD brought His wrath, when David repented and prayed to the LORD for mercy, God heard him. God will always have mercy on a repentive heart. Why? Because his desire is that none perish but all come to acceptance.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Repent To The LORD.

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^24a No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. ~ Matthew 6:24a

This past Sunday was Father’s Day. On Father’s Day, I came across two entirely different father types. One drove across town to get his son a video game and card game he wanted, while the other pretended to be out of state so he didn’t have to see his son for Father’s Day.

The first father gave up his special day so he could get a gift for his son. He wasn’t a rich man. He wasn’t well off, but what he had, he spent on his son. He did his best to give his son good gifts. Possibly even striving to give his son the life he didn’t have.

The second father couldn’t spare his son (who is also a father) an hour of his time. He had the time. His wife was going out of town, and he had already agreed to go. The son even thought he was looking forward to it, but then he canceled, saying he was going out of state when he was, in fact, just home alone. To say the least, his son was heartbroken by it.

We have two fathers to choose from today: one who’s willing to give you everything and one who’s willing to talk a good talk but never follow through. Our God wants a relationship with us. He wants to be with us and spend time with us. Whereas the Devil doesn’t care about us. He only wants to use us to destroy ourselves and others.

Many of us aren’t blessed with a good earthly father who loves us, so we struggle to choose between God and the Devil, especially when the Devil disguises himself as good. I am so grateful and thankful that I have been blessed with an amazing father who spent his special day driving me to pickups for my business. He didn’t have to. He could’ve said no, but he didn’t. He did it with a smile on his face and love in his heart. He was so proud that my little business was taking off that he didn’t care that it was Father’s Day. He was just proud of me and more than happy to help me where he could.

That’s the kind of father our heavenly Father is. He is like the first dad and my dad. A father who is willing to give everything and more to the child He loves more than anything in this world. We may not get to choose our earthly father, but the choice is ours entirely when it comes to our spiritual father. So, choose wisely.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Choose Your Father.

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⁸ They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. ⁹ Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ~ Nehemiah 8:8-10^CSB

It had been years since the Word of the LORD had been read in their presence. They didn’t know what to expect. As Nehemiah and Ezra read the Scriptures and began instructing people on how they were living compared to how the Scriptures said, the people began to weep.

See, they loved their God. They had a desire to know Him and dwell in His love. Today, the Church only has the desire for off-brand, unsatisfying love that is only of this world.

The enemy will even go a step further and call God’s love and His commands evil. Then, people will justify the enemy’s lies by saying the Scriptures are outdated, no longer necessary, and have no true place in our world today.

If we want to please God, we need to seek to have what breaks His heart to break ours, what angers Him to anger us. We need passion and desire for the things of God if we are going to dwell in His presence.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek His Heart.

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¹ Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. ² Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. ⁴ Against you—you alone—I have sinned  and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge. ~ Psalms 51:1-4

David wrote this Psalm at the time Nathan, the prophet, confronted him about sleeping with Bathsheba and then killing her husband, Uriah the Hittite. From the get-go David throws himself on the mercy of the LORD. He says, “Be gracious to me, God …” But David does not leave it there; he qualifies it. “…according to your faithful love.” Not just any love, but His faithful love. In other words, it is a steadfast love that lasts forever. David asks for forgiveness in accordance with God’s abundant compassion. Please blot out my rebellion and take away my sin is basically what he is writing.

God has a steadfast, everlasting, compassionate love that we can always depend on. No matter what we have done, when we come with a repentant heart, God will have compassion and forgive us. So, never doubt His love for you.

David wrote that because he knew and understood that God is kind and merciful and that His love has no limits and no end. That is what God wants from us. He wants us to forsake our rebellious ways. He wants us to turn from our sin and follow after Him. He will forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we sin, it’s not against someone else; it’s against God, and David understood that as well. Against You and You alone, he writes. It is in your sight that I have done evil, LORD. David realizes that he does not have a leg to stand on, so he submits. He wants forgiveness.

It is not God’s will that any should perish but that all come to repentance so that we can all have eternal life. That is why Jesus came, and that’s why He died. Do not be intimidated or afraid; God will not leave you but will come to you, and He will come quickly. So, if you are away from God, do not fear, and do not doubt, God is for you and not against you.

Just say:

Father, forgive me, for I have sinned. Cleanse me and make me whole. Jesus, I accept You, and I will live for You, the one true King. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁸ You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. ~ Exodus 34:18

The Israelites were not allowed to eat any bread with leaven in it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Matter-of-fact, no leaven was to be seen or found within their borders. They had to completely get rid of all of the leaven from their homes and out of their land. They were to celebrate the feast for seven days.

Now, as I mentioned before, leaven represents sin and it also represents false teaching. Therefore, this is a picture of God’s plan for Christians. Once we have accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior, we must remove the leaven from our lives. In other words, stop purposefully or willfully sinning.

Have you ever noticed some people who are in a desperate situation? The first thing they do is to turn to God and make all kinds of promises and all kinds of vows to God if He would only help them? They are in church every time the doors are open. They are praying and reading their Bibles and living like they have really taken the leaven out of their lives. When He does answer, and they are back on their feet again, they forget their promises and forget their vows. Church sees them less and less, and soon, they are right back where they were before the crisis. The leaven has been mixed into the batch again.

This is not how Jesus wants us to live. He wants us to take even the very appearance of leaven out of our lives. He wants us to seek Him. To seek holiness and chase after righteousness. He wants us to show love and mercy to our fellow citizens of the world, especially to our fellow Christians. This Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, let us make an effort to live like Jesus wants and expects us to live.

Heavenly Father, please forgive our lukewarm actions and help us to live wholly for You. Provide for our needs and give us the strength and the desire to live like You have called us to live and to love like You love; in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²¹ Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. ²² I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. ~ Isaiah 44:21-22

Israel had forsaken the One True God and began to chase after worthless idols. Even though they had turned their backs on Him, God was still pleased to forgive, not willing to completely blot out their name from under heaven. He told them that they will not be forgotten by Him, but He will blot out their transgressions and their sins.

And it is the same with us, because God is a respecter of no persons. God loves everyone and treats everyone alike, and give each the same chances, which is really good for us. Because sometimes we mess up, sometimes we slip up, and sometimes we fall down. Sometimes, we even willingly wander far away from God, but He does not want us to stay gone. For He is compassionate and forgiving. He wants us to return to Him.

No one is too far away from God. You’re not too far away or done too much that He won’t forgive you. You are still called to what God has called you to. Just remember His Word in Isaiah 44:21-22 and insert your own name or the name of the one you’re praying for.

Return to God _____, He has not forgotten you. Return and have your sins forgiven and your transgressions blotted out.

Heavenly Father, forgive me, for I have transgressed. Teach me Your ways that I might walk in them. Remind me that I am Your child and that You love me unconditionally. Thank You for redeeming me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD. ~ Romans 6:23^NIV

The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift of eternal life is in Christ Jesus. What exactly does that mean? Have you ever heard the expression, “Pay the Piper?” Some people will say, “You have to pay the Piper if you want to dance.” Well, it is the same concept that Paul is teaching, only this is not figurative, this is for reals, and for keeps.

Sin, when dabbled in, demands payment when it is all over, and it only knows one currency, that is death. Nothing else will satisfy its payment demands.

Therefore, when we indulge in sin, we must pay with our own lives since the wages of sin is death.

But on the flip side, there is good news. Jesus has paid the demands of sins with His own death. Peter put it this way,

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18^NIV

Through Jesus, the wages that sin demanded, is no longer a standing debt against us, and now He offers us a gift, free of all charges. All we have to do is say, “Yes, LORD, I accept Your free gift, Jesus,” and He will give it to us.

Have you accepted His free gift? Are you living for Him? If not, here is how. Repeat this prayer and mean it from your heart, and Jesus will come into you and give you His free gift of life.

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins. I am so sorry for offending You. Please help me now to live the rest of my life for You. I joyfully accept Your free gift of life. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross in my place. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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