Luke 4:18
“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, . . .”
Since man’s greatest problem is sin, man’s greatest need is for a savior. We don’t have to look too far to see that we are a fallen race. War, prejudice, and crime are all around us. Even within our own homes we have anger, lust, fear and unforgiveness. We are a people desperately in need of God. The great news of the Bible is that God came to save. The Bible speaks of the all-sufficient work of Christ upon the cross. So effective was His sacrifice, that any and all who believe on Him will be saved from the penalty of sin. That my friends is the good news of the Gospel.
But the good news does not stop there. When Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth, He declared to His friends, neighbor, and relative that He had come not only to save us from our sins, but also to repair the damage sin had done to us.
“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, . . .”
Living in this fallen world, none of us are immune to heartbreak. We have experienced the pain of loss, departure and even abandonment. For some, the pain has been with you for years; you wake up with it. For others, it is seasonal. We function normally until something in our lives stirs up the feelings again and we are transported back in time to the moment of our pain. These times can be difficult, even crippling. Isn’t it encouraging to know that Jesus came to heal your broken heart? Sometimes, the best way to experience His comfort is to lay your burden down at His feet, and pick up His promises. We must make a conscious decision to leave the memories behind and to walk out the door with His promises.
Today, instead of focusing on the cause of your broken heart, focus upon the heart-healer, the one who can restore to you the joy of salvation.
Pastor Jim
The Old Testament offerings served a duel purpose. First, they were designed to provide a way for man to have relationship with God. Second, they were designed as types or illustrations of a relationship between man and God through Christ. Paul wrote that these things were written for our “example” (Romans 15:4). An understanding of the Old Testament offerings, helps to illustrate the similarity of those offerings to a healthy relationship with Christ. The burnt offering is a picture of a life fully devoted to the Lord. This offering was brought to the priest morning and night, and completely consumed upon the altar.
Leviticus 4 addresses unintentional sins. The word unintentional means, “not being done on purpose; accidental or unwittingly”. Whether these sins are committed by the people, the leaders, or the congregation as a whole, Moses gives instructions for how forgiveness will be received. This forgiveness involved two primary factors. First, once they became aware of their sin, the people were responsible to bring an offering to the altar. Second, they were to lay their hands on the offering as an admission of their guilt. We can learn something about our reaction to sin from these offerings.
John the Baptist had a thriving ministry. We read that multitudes, or large gatherings of people, came out to hear him preach. We read that this crowd was made up of a cross section of society. There were religious people, tax collectors, and soldiers, as well as what we might call the everyday man; all of whom had come out to hear John speak.
The first five chapters of Leviticus introduce us to five offerings; a part of Israel’s worship. The first three were free will offerings, meaning the individual gave of his own volition. The final two were compulsory. There was no relationship with God without the sin and trespass offerings.
Sometimes, we wonder if our lives could ever really make a difference. We see others who are being used by God, and we think, “of course God uses them, they are so…” But when it comes to us, we think, “God can’t use me because…”
Leviticus is a book about worship. After Israel was redeemed from Egypt and settled for a time at Sinai, God gave them detailed instructions regarding how to worship Him. This worship was centered around five offerings, all of which, when offered, were a sweet aroma to the Lord. Although we are no longer required to bring animal sacrifices to a temple to please God, each offering represents an important aspect of our relationship with God.
What the church needs today more than anything else, is a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit; like the one received on the day of Pentecost, and the day the Tabernacle was erected. For both, Israel and the church, divine power and direction were directly related to the presence of God. While we cannot manufacture a work of the Spirit of God, we can learn a valuable lesson from the events that transpired on the day the Tabernacle was first constructed.
Every parent has the same goal. We desire the best for our children. We want to see them achieve more than we have. We want them to make it through childhood not having been distracted or derailed by vices, but to be prepared to live godly lives and make good life choices. What a blessing for Zacharias and Elizabeth to read that their son, “grew and became strong in spirit”.
In order for the Old Testament priest to serve the Lord, he must be clothed in the proper attire. Moses referred to his clothing as the garments of ministry. These garments included an ephod, breastplate, robe, tunic and a turban. It was clear that those who were to do the work of the Lord, must be clothed in the garments of the Lord. Things have not changed. Just as the Old Testament priest must be clothed in the garments of ministry, so the New Testament saint must don the proper attire if he/she is going to serve Christ. Our garments include at least four things.
Jim Gallagher 