In the last series of devotionals, we took a close look at “The Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus gave His listeners (that includes us by the way) some pointers for them to live as Christians. Most of which tore down traditions that have been built up and enforced by the Jewish leaders.
Now we have come to the point where Jesus has just finished His sermon and is now walking away from the mountain area. A man approaches Him who probably listened to the whole thing. He was a leper. Lepers were NOT supposed to be in public. They were banished from the city to a quarantine area better known as a Leper Colony. They were not allowed to leave even to get food and water. They did eat because family members would travel to the colony and leave food and water by the entrance. They were not allowed to worship either because they were considered “unclean” and had to wrap open sore with strips of cloth. Remember the verse in Isaiah? “All our righteousness are like filthy rags”? Those filthy rags that it refers to are these rags that are wrapped around a leper’s sore. I will not get into the gross details but I think you get the picture. This man not only had faith to come and listen to Jesus and risk causing a scene but he knew that this man Jesus was no ordinary man.
Look at the passage and see what he says, “Lord if you are WILLING. You can make me clean”. The leper man not only breaks away from being isolation but seeks out the one whom he knows can make Him clean. That took FAITH!!!
Also, this man must have been there when Jesus said “Ask and you will receive”. So he did! And the Scripture says that Jesus was so full of compassion that He did not hesitate and touched the man. The Bible says the the disease IMMEDIATELY left him. Two things to note here. First, Jesus touched a leper. The transmission of the disease was by touching. Jesus was so filled with compassion that he knew the man needed a human touch. He had probably had not been touched in years. Second, Jesus had the power over the disease and it IMMEDIATELY left him.
Then what did Jesus do? He told him to “NOT tell anyone but go and tell the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed as a testimony.” Why? So that his healing would be accepted among his people and he could worship again. This man was made whole just by asking.
Have we asked to be made whole? Sometimes we need to ask!

Just after graduating from Naval Aircrewman Candidate School, I was sent to SERE school (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape). The “survival” portion of the school was part of my favorite. During this phase we learned how to scrounge for the basic needs for life. FOOD, WATER, SHELTER. Food was scarce but we picked leaves and searched for bugs. Water was everywhere because it was Maine during January and it had just snowed. Only we learned to keep our canteens in our inner part of jackets otherwise it would freeze. When that happens you had to wait till it thaws before getting to drink. Building or finding a shelter was the toughest part. You wanted one that gives enough cover that you would EVADE from the enemy but also strong enough to battle against the elements. So naturally it could not be near a dried creek bed in low land or out in a field where it’s hard to camouflage. It had to be under a fallen tree, under a rock, and it had to stand the test. We were “graded” that night when the instructors would hike through the forest and try to find us. We passed if our shelter was hidden and strong.

Go about today and think about the Points of Jesus’ sermon.
The Beatitudes
Believers Are Salt and Light
Christ Fulfills the Law
Murder Begins in the Heart
Adultery in the Heart
Divorce Practices Censured
Tell the Truth
Go the Second Mile
Love Your Enemies
How to Give
How to Pray
The Model Prayer
How to Fast
God and Possessions
The Cure for Anxiety
Do Not Judge
Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking
Entering the Kingdom
The Two Foundations

Last night I had “Meet the Teacher” at my school. It is always the one day that I dread the most and the day I look forward to the most. I look forward to it because I get to see some students that I have had in the past  and see how they have grown. I dread it because I have to work very hard trying to make a good first impression on those that are coming in to my class.
I relate this to the section we are studying by saying this; We look at Jesus as our Teacher. We are already in the school year and He is in the middle of one of His lectures. Are we listening? Are we taking notes? Are we doing the homework by applying what HE has said in our lives now?
Reflect back at some of the lessons so far in Matthew chapter 5. By the way this is a good teaching practice to stop in the middle of the lesson and go back and do a short review.
Feel free to comment on what the Lord has taught you through these passages.

Last night we experienced a storm. This storm moved through our neighborhood while we were on our way home. Randi and I did our usual “What are we doing for dinner?” conversation and we decided on Long John Silver’s. We stopped at the one in Lake Worth but noticed the power was out. So we decided to go to the one in Saginaw. We didn’t know how bad the storm was but it had knocked out power to them as well.
“Sonic?” my wife exclaims.
“Sure!” my stomach yells.
We ate while the rest of the storm passed on by. The temperature went from 103 to 75 in a matter of 30 minutes. Then the trip home. As we pulled into the outskirts of our neighborhood we started to see trees down everywhere and got a little nervous. Even the old trees at the local elementary school were down. They must have been 100 years old.

Then….

We were at first a little upset but then quickly reminded that God had redirected our path to not be in this mess. You know? Sometimes God sends a storm our way just so that we can be a little closer to Him.

Grace to you!

Be confident series

The Superior Sacrifice

Hebrews 10

-This chapter emphasizes the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ

3 benefits that explain why Jesus Christ is Superior to the old covenant sacrifices

I.                   Christ’s Sacrifice Takes away sin (10:1-10)

1.                  We are not sinners because we sin, We sin because we are sinners

B.                 The need for a better sacrifice (vv. 1-4)

1.                  The very nature of the old covenant made them inferior

2.                  Animal sacrifices could never completely deal with human guilt

3.                  Day of Atonement was not to accomplish the remission of sins but to remind of sin

4.                  Desperate need for a better sacrifice

5.                  Blood only covered sins never took it away

C.                The provision of a better sacrifice (vv. 5-9)

1.                  God provided the sacrifice not man.

a)                  Man provided the goat or pigeon …

D.                The effectiveness of the better sacrifice (v. 10)

1.                  The believer is set apart or sanctified.

2.                  Under O.C. the person had to constantly be purified

II.                Christ’s Sacrifice need not be Repeated (10:11-18)

A.                By Christ “sitting down” at the right hand of God symbolizes that it is a finished work

B.                 The sacrifices were repeated day after day

C.                You don’t need to take aspirin anymore.

III.             Christ’s Sacrifice Opens the way to God (10:19-39)

1.                  The Holy of Holies was closed

B.                 A gracious invitation (vv. 19-25)

1.                  Christ’ blood allows us to be bold in entering the HOH

2.                  “Let us draw near”

3.                  “Let us hold fast”

4.                  “Let us consider one another”

C.                A solemn exhortation (vv. 26-31)

1.                  Despising the word

a)                  The evidence of this despising is a willful sin

b)                  This cheapens the sacrifice

D.                An encouraging confirmation (vv. 32-39)

1.                  The Just shall live by FAITH

Be Confident Series

The Superior Sanctuary

Hebrews 9

I.                   The Inferior Old Covenant Sanctuary (9:1-10)

1.                  5 questions to answer what made the tabernacle inferior

B.                 It was an earthly sanctuary (v.1)

1.                  Made by man

2.                  Needed repair

3.                  Limited geographically

C.                 It was a type of something greater (vv. 2-5)

1.                  The furnishings listed carried a spiritual meaning (Hebrews 9:23)

a)                 Lampstand= the nation of Israel was supposed to be the light of the world. It was situated outside the Holy of Holies and it was pitch black except for the lamp

b)                 Table of the showbread=reminds them that God has sustained them

(1)              Bread of life= refers to Jesus

c)                  Golden Altar= picture of prayers ascending to God (Ps. 141:2

d)                 Ark of the Covenant= mercy seat

D.                It was inaccessible to the people (vv. 6-7)

1.                  Only the Levites were allowed in the sanctuary

E.                 It was temporary (v. 8)

1.                  The veil was torn from top to bottom

F.                  Its ministry was external, not internal (vv. 9-10)

1.                  All of the ceremonies had to do with the outer man and not the inner man.

II.               The Superior Heavenly Sanctuary (9:11-28) matched with the inferiorities

A.                 It is heavenly (v.11)

1.                  The tabernacle was patterned after the sanctuary in Heaven.

2.                  No need for repair, it is eternal

B.                 Its ministry is effective to deal with sin (vv. 12-15)

1.                  Ceremonial cleansing vs. conscience cleansing (vv.13-14)

2.                  Temporary blessing vs. eternal blessings (v.15)

C.                 Its ministry is based on a costly sacrifice (vv. 16-23)

1.                  Under the old covenant sins were covered by blood- Jesus’ blood covers our sins

D.                It’s ministry represents fulfillment (v. 24)

1.                  New covenant things are “made without hands”- whereas the old was made with hands.

a)                 The temple does not stand today

E.                 It’s ministry is final and complete (vv. 25-28)

1.                  The work of Christ is a completed work

Today’s Reading Romans 12-16

When someone strikes you on the cheek and you strike them back, that’s expected – the natural reaction. When someone strikes you on the other cheek and you still don’t retaliate even after running out of cheeks, that’s remarkable – the supernatural reaction.

The final chapters of Romans deal with supernatural reactions to everyday situations – the kind possible only when Christ is in control. Can you think of a 20th- century example from your life that illustrates the kind of reaction Paul is calling for with each of the following exhortations?

Prefer one another (12:10)__________________________________________________
Be patient in tribulation (12:12) _____________________________________________
Give no man evil for evil (12:17) ____________________________________________
Avenge not yourself (12:19) ________________________________________________

Remember, anyone can act like a Christian, but it takes a true Christian to react like one!