Author: Gary

  • Leviticus 17:1-16

    Leviticus 17 teaches us that God alone determines how people can approach Him. The Israelites were required to bring their sacrifices only to the tabernacle, showing that true worship must be centered on God’s provision rather than human ideas. This chapter also emphasizes that blood is sacred because it represents life, and God appointed it as the means of atonement for sin. It is very important to pay attention to the fact that God APPOINTED it. These instructions point directly to Jesus Christ. Just as there was only one place for acceptable sacrifices in Israel, Jesus is the only way to the Father. The blood of animal sacrifices temporarily covered sin, but Jesus shed His own blood as the perfect and final sacrifice for all who believe in Him. Through His death and resurrection, He accomplished the atonement that the sacrifices of Leviticus could only symbolize. For us Christians today, Leviticus 17 reminds us that salvation comes only through Jesus, that His blood purchased our forgiveness, and that we are called to live holy lives in response to the great price He paid for our redemption. Jesus was APPOINTED by the father to redeem us from our sins. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • John 4:1-26

    In John chapter 4 we see again that the Jews and Samaritans have this great social divide between one another. Jews thought of themselves as the pure breed (God’s chosen people) and the Samaritans as a half breed. The Jews believed that the Samaritan’s sin and ways of worship separated them from God. Jesus blows their mind when he speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well. The Jews had gotten to a place to where they saw themselves as righteous. Although they served the right God and tried to do all the right things, they forgot one important aspect about themselves. They forgot that they weren’t righteous or perfect. They had created a social and spiritual box for themselves and thought to highly of themselves. Jesus quickly shows them through his love, that there is no spiritual or social divide strong enough to withstand what he offers. Jesus offers the only thing in this world that truly satisfies, which is a relationship with him. Through our daily lives as Christians we must be very careful not to put ourselves in a box. Jesus died for every single human being that walks this earth. From the worst sinner to the nicest person you can think of, Jesus died for them. We are all part of God’s creation. It is very natural for us (in our flesh) to see ourselves as different or better than other groups of people sometimes. We must remind ourselves constantly that Jesus died for those people just as he died for us. Whatever social, economical, racial, or political barriers we build for ourselves can be knocked down through what Jesus did for us on the cross. He didn’t die for one he died for all. We must live by Jesus’ example that he gave to us in this chapter. Satan will always try to use our likes, interests, and beliefs to divide, conquer, and isolate us. When we choose not to associate with divisiveness and we choose to see everyone as a child of God that Jesus died on the cross for, we start to look at the world correctly through the correct lenses. God sees us all as his children that he was willing to die for. He showed us through his death on the cross that he would do anything to get his children back. So the next time we see ourselves as better or greater than someone, just remember none of us are perfect and all of us need the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ to receive righteousness. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • Luke 10:1-16

    In Luke 10:1–16, Jesus appoints seventy-two disciples and sends them ahead of Him to the towns He plans to visit. He tells them that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, so they should pray for more laborers. He warns them that they are being sent out like lambs among wolves and must depend on God rather than their own resources. Jesus instructs them to bring peace to homes that receive them, heal the sick, and proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near. If a town rejects them, they are to shake the dust from their feet as a testimony against that town and move on. Jesus then pronounces warnings on cities such as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they witnessed His miracles but refused to repent. He teaches that greater revelation brings greater responsibility. Finally, He tells the disciples that whoever listens to them listens to Him, and whoever rejects them rejects Him and the One who sent Him. Every one of us are called to participate in God’s Mission. Jesus’ command was not only for pastors or missionaries. Every believer is called to share the gospel through words, actions, and daily living. Many of us are searching for hope, purpose, and truth. Jesus’ instruction to pray for workers remains relevant today. The disciples traveled with limited resources, learning to trust God for provision and guidance. Christians today are called to rely on God’s strength rather than their own abilities. Some people welcomed the disciples, while others rejected them. Our responsibility is faithfulness, not controlling the outcome. The cities Jesus rebuked had seen incredible evidence yet remained unchanged. Today, we who hear God’s Word are responsible for how we respond to it. Jesus says that receiving His messengers was the same as receiving Him. We as Christians are called to represent Jesus faithfully in their speech, conduct, and character. This passage reveals Jesus as the King whose Kingdom is advancing throughout the world. The disciples were sent ahead to prepare people for His arrival, just as we today point others to Christ. Jesus is still gathering a harvest, and He invites us to join Him in that work until He returns. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • Luke 10:25-37

    The parable of the Good Samaritan
    In Luke 10:25–37, a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus points him to the Law: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. When the lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is attacked by robbers and left for dead. A priest and a Levite see him but pass by without helping. Then a Samaritan, someone from a group despised by many Jews, stops to care for the injured man, treating his wounds and paying for his recovery. Jesus explains that the true neighbor was the one who showed mercy and commands, “Go and do likewise.”
    Jesus teaches that genuine faith is demonstrated through active love and compassion. Faith through works show where our fruit truly comes from. Our neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of race, background, or beliefs. Followers of Christ are called to show mercy, sacrifice for others, and love people the way God has loved us. The Good Samaritan reflects the heart of Jesus, who came to rescue and care for those who could not save themselves. We must humble ourselves and live our lives to serve, not to be served. How you treat and love God and people tells us who our hearts belong to. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • Leviticus 16:1-34

    Leviticus 16 points directly to Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. On the Day of Atonement, one goat was sacrificed for the sins of the people, and another goat (the scapegoat) carried their sins away into the wilderness. Jesus fulfilled both pictures. Through His death, He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and through His resurrection and finished work, He removes our sins from us completely. The high priest entered God’s presence once a year with the blood of animals, but Jesus, our perfect High Priest, entered the heavenly sanctuary once and for all with His own blood, securing eternal redemption for believers. Leviticus 16 foreshadows Jesus as both our perfect High Priest and our perfect sacrifice. He paid for our sins, carried them away, and opened the way for us to have direct access to God under the New Covenant. (See Hebrews 9–10.)This is no coincidence. This has been God’s plan from the very beginning. The one who knew no sin, became sine for us. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • Hosea 12:1-14

    Hosea 12 is God’s indictment of both Israel (also called Ephraim) and Judah (the southern kingdom) for their deception, pride, and reliance on human schemes rather than on Him. God compares Israel’s behavior to their ancestor Jacob and calls them to repentance. Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel) is described as “feeding on the wind” and chasing the east wind. This means they were pursuing things that could never truly satisfy or help them. They were making political alliances with foreign nations like Assyria and Egypt instead of trusting God. God says that He has a case against His people and will judge them according to their actions. God reminds Israel of Jacob’s life. Jacob grasped his brother’s heel at birth (Genesis 25:26), he wrestled with God and prevailed through persistence and humility (Genesis 32:24–30), and he met God at Bethel. The point is not that Jacob was perfect, but that he eventually sought God’s blessing and submitted to Him. Israel (Jacob’s descendants) should follow that example. Verse 6 sums up the whole point of what God is saying to the Israelites.

    “But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God.”

    God doesn’t want religious rituals from us. He wants our hearts. The way we give our hearts to Jesus is through repentance, faithfulness, justice, and dependence on Him. In our human minds we read the law in the Old Testament as merely do’s and don’ts, but they are so much more than that. They were a way for the Israelites to give their hearts to God through obedience to him. Now that we are in the days of the new covenant Jesus has bridged the gap between us and the father. For us to embody God is to love what he loves the way he loves it. The only way we do this is by truly understanding and believing that giving our lives to Jesus is the only way we escape from the sinful flesh that we live in. It is by accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross. As humans we feel like we have to do a bunch of works to gain access to Jesus. Until we realize it isn’t what we do, but it is what Jesus does through us that makes us free. Once we truly realize what Jesus has done for us we are called to do all of the things we do “in love” for the rest of the time that we have on this earth. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:14 says “let all that you do be done in love.” The true source of love in us comes through Jesus Christ. We must choose everyday to become a vessel for the Holy Spirit to use. For us to lose ourselves is to gain everything. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • Leviticus 15:1-33

    Leviticus 15 teaches us that before Jesus, bodily discharges made a person ceremonially unclean and unable to approach God’s presence until they were cleansed. This chapter reminds us that uncleanness is part of living in a fallen world and that people need purification before coming near a holy God. The deeper message is that humanity has a problem we cannot fix on our own. Just as an unclean person needed cleansing before worship, sinners need cleansing before they can have fellowship with God. The repeated washing, waiting, and sacrifices in this chapter point to the need for a greater and permanent cleansing. Jesus is the fulfillment of what Leviticus 15 foreshadows. Under the Law, uncleanness spread from the unclean person to others. But when Jesus came, the opposite happened. Instead of uncleanness defiling Him, His holiness cleansed the unclean. An example of this is found in Mark 5:25-34. A woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years would have been considered ceremonially unclean according to Leviticus 15. When she touched Jesus, she was immediately healed. Rather than becoming unclean Himself, Jesus made her clean. Leviticus 15 ultimately points to Jesus as our perfect cleanser from sin and impurity, the one who removes what separates us from God the final sacrifice who accomplishes what animal sacrifices could only symbolize, the source of living water that washes us spiritually clean and the High Priest who allows us to enter God’s presence with confidence. Leviticus 15 teaches that God’s holiness requires purification before we can approach Him. The chapter uses ceremonial uncleanness to illustrate a greater spiritual reality. As humans we need cleansing from our sin. The washings and sacrifices point forward to Jesus Christ, who permanently cleans us who trust in Him. Through His death and resurrection, we are made clean before God. Not through rituals, but through faith in the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

    1 John 1:7
    “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
    Love y’all! Have a great day!
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  • Leviticus 14:1-57

    Leviticus 14 describes the process for cleansing a person who has been healed from a serious skin disease (often translated as leprosy) and for cleansing a house that had been contaminated by mold or mildew. The chapter is not about curing the disease. The person has already been healed. It is about being restored to fellowship with God and the community. This chapter is one of the clearest pictures of salvation in the Old Testament. Jesus cleanses what we cannot. A leper could not heal himself and we cannot remove our sin by our own efforts.

    “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

    The two birds foreshadow Jesus. The slain bird points to Jesus’ death and the released bird pictures Jesus’ resurrection and the new life believers receive through Him. The blood represents forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice and the oil represents the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within believers. The healed person was restored to the community and worship. In the same way, Jesus restores us to a right relationship with God. All in all Leviticus 14 explains how a person healed from leprosy and a house cleansed from contamination were ceremonially restored to God’s people. This chapter teaches that God desires cleansing, restoration, and fellowship. It points forward to Jesus, whose death and resurrection cleanse us from sin, whose blood makes us acceptable before God, and whose Spirit empowers us to live a new life. Through Christ, we are not merely forgiven. We are fully restored. Love y’all. Have a great day!

  • Leviticus 13:1-59

    Leviticus 13 gives instructions for identifying and dealing with skin diseases (often translated as “leprosy”), as well as mold or mildew found in clothing. The priests were responsible for examining people and determining whether they were ceremonially clean or unclean. Those declared unclean were separated from the community until they were healed. God wanted Israel to understand that impurity and sin spread if left unchecked. The physical diseases described in this chapter serve as a picture of the deeper problem of sin, which contaminates and separates people from God’s presence. Leviticus 13 highlights humanity’s need for cleansing that we cannot provide for ourselves. In the New Testament, Jesus touched and healed lepers, doing what no priest could do. He removed the uncleanness rather than becoming unclean Himself (Mark 1:40-42). Just as lepers needed cleansing and restoration, all people need Jesus to cleanse them from sin and restore them to fellowship with God. Leviticus 13 reminds us that sin is serious and separates us from God, but Jesus is the perfect cleanser who makes us spiritually clean through His death and resurrection. Through faith in Him, we are restored to a relationship with Jesus and we are welcomed into His family. Love y’all! Have a great day!

  • Leviticus 12:1-8

    Leviticus 12 reveals an important truth that runs throughout the entire Bible. God is perfectly holy, mankind is affected by sin, and purification is necessary before sinful people can be in God’s presence. Although this chapter focuses on a mother’s ceremonial purification after childbirth, the deeper message is not that childbirth is sinful. It highlights that every person is born into a fallen world that has been corrupted by sin since the fall of Adam and Eve. The purification requirements served as a constant reminder to Israel that sin affects every aspect of human life. Even one of God’s greatest blessings (the birth of a child) occurred in a world that had been impacted by sin and death. The sacrifices required at the end of the purification period pointed to the need for atonement and cleansing before approaching a holy God. This chapter also points directly to Jesus Christ. When Jesus was born, His parents obeyed the requirements of Leviticus 12 and brought the prescribed offering to the temple (Luke 2:22-24). Though Jesus was completely sinless, He willingly entered the human condition and submitted Himself to the Law. He fulfilled every requirement that God had given to Israel, succeeding where all others had failed. The sacrifices in Leviticus were temporary and had to be repeated continually. They could never permanently remove sin. They only pointed forward to the coming Messiah. Jesus became the perfect and final sacrifice that all of these offerings foreshadowed. Through His death and resurrection, He accomplished what the Old Covenant sacrifices could never fully achieve. Complete forgiveness and cleansing from sin. Under the New Covenant, believers no longer need ceremonial purification rituals or animal sacrifices because Christ has already provided perfect purification through His blood. The cleansing that God now desires is not external but internal. Through faith in Jesus, we are washed clean, given a new heart, and led by the Holy Spirit. We no longer approach God through repeated sacrifices offered by earthly priests. We come boldly to Him through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Ultimately, Leviticus 12 reminds us that our greatest need is cleansing from sin, and it points us to the One who provides that cleansing. What was symbolized through purification rituals in the Old Testament has been fully accomplished in Jesus. Because of His finished work, we who trust in Him are made clean, accepted by God, and welcomed into His presence forever. This is the beauty of the New Covenant. Jesus fulfilled the Law, became the perfect sacrifice, and secured the purification that every believer needs. Love y’all! Have a great day!