Light & Momentary Troubles: The Veil is TORN!

In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to inform the children of Israel to build Him a sanctuary where He will dwell, known as the tabernacle (Ex 25:8-9).  God gave Moses the details for the pattern of the tabernacle, and the furnishings that will go in it.  Including in the plans for the tabernacle was the veil that would serve as a divider between them and the Most Holy Place, also referred to as the Holy of Holies (Ex 26:31-34; Hebrews 9:3).  The separation was significant, because God dwelt in the Most Holy Place and no ordinary person could enter; man was too sinful to enter God's holy dwelling place.  In fact, only the high priest could enter once per year on the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur, the day in which man could be cleansed of his sins (see Leviticus 16; in particular, verses 15-19).

But everything changed with the New Covenant, Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 9:11 says, "Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation."  Just think about that for a moment.  Remember, the role of the high priest was to approach the Most Holy Place (the dwelling place of God) for the cleansing of sin (using the blood of animals).  When Christ came, HE became the High Priest!  AMEN!  The man made tabernacle became obsolete; the heavenly sanctuary became accessible to all of us.  If you go on to read the remainder of the text in Hebrews 9, it says:

"Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."

Wow!  There is so much doctrine in this text that you should just take a moment to soak all in.  Don't miss this, because it is good!  (And I'm hardly doing it justice in this blog.)  The blood of an animal became useless; Christ's blood redeems us forever!  Christ mediates the New Covenant; a mediator reconciles!  Recall, Romans 5:10 says, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

Now to get to the point: THE VEIL IS TORN!  Why are you (we) acting as if the veil is still hanging in the tabernacle completely in tact, shielding us from the place where God dwells?  Why do you (we) approach the Most Holy Place timidly?  Why do you (we) walk around in bondage and condemnation as if we have to wait for the Day of Atonement to be cleansed from our sins?  It is done!  (Or, "it is finished" depending on wish translation you prefer - see John 19:30 Jesus' final words on the Cross).  Don't you know that the moment Jesus died on the cross, the very moment he cried out with a loud voice for the last time, the veil was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45)?!  Now think about that for a second.  Bible scholars believe that the veil was about 60 feet in height, 30 feet in width and four inches thick ... yet it was torn from top to bottom!  You do the math.  Christ paid it all!  Don't you know that the bible says, "let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).  Not to end this post abruptly, but what more do you need to know?  (Okay, that is rhetorical ... of course there's always more to know.  But you get the point.)  Approach the throne BOLDLY and make your needs known to your heavenly Father.  Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares about you (1 Peter 5:7).

Listen and enjoy the Revelation Song by Phillips Craig & Dean that says, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain ..." Remember, Christ died, the veil tore in two pieces, and at that moment, everything changed!  Amen!

Light & Momentary: Your Body, Your Temple

How much does God care for us?  The answer to this question is truly beyond our comprehension.  God gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16), He knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matt 10:30, Luke 12:7), He knew us even before he formed us in our mother's womb (Jer 1:5), and He watches us even as He watches a sparrow (Matt 10:29-31, Luke 12:6-8).  Still, we cannot begin to comprehend the loving kindness God has toward us.

If God cares about us in unmeasurable, humanly unfathomable ways, does this mean He cares about every aspect of our lives?  Of course!  And this includes our diet and fitness routine.  I cannot tell you how many times I've started and stopped a diet.  I cannot tell you how many times I've joined a gym only to let the membership go to waste.  Something was missing.  Then one day as I mindlessly opened a cabinet door to retrieve an unhealthy snack, I had an epiphany: God cares about the food in my cabinets.  God cares about my grocery list.  God cares about my physical activity.

Why?  Because the bad food in my cabinets, the unhealthy snacks on my grocery list, and my couch potato ways can negatively affect my body.  The Bible says our body is for the Lord (1 Cor 6:13) and is the temple of the Holy Spirit in us (1 Cor 6:19)!  The Holy Spirit is our precious gift, our Helper and Comforter who convicts us and guides us toward truth (John 14:26, John 16:5-15).  Jesus, Himself, refers to His body as a temple (John 2:19-21).

I decided that by taking better care of my temple, I am acknowledging that there is a precious gift that dwells inside of me.  Last September, I once again embarked on a healthy living journey that I call "from the inside out" because it is time for my outsides to match my insides.  I exercise 4 to 5 times per week, I make healthier food choices, and as a result, I've lost 29 pounds.  I am a work in progress!  I repeat: I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS!  I have to remind myself that these things should never be done for the purposes of being vain (Psalm 31:30).  Also, exercise without godly living profits nothing (1 Tim 4:8); the latter is far more important.

I really can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)!  My first goal was to lose 10% of my body weight.  Did you know that by losing just 10% of your body weight, you can lower your cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure, and reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes (according to Weight Watchers)?

My diet is not perfect, and I often allow myself "cheat days" on the weekends (did I mention that I am a work in progress?).  But here is an example of my average weekly diet (pictured above - my most recent trip to the grocery store).  All of this costs about $43, and it will feed me a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack for almost an entire week!  Here's the breakdown of what you see in the picture:

1. Egg whites and deli sliced turkey - pan seared together for breakfast.  A high protein breakfast keeps me full and satisfied until lunch.  Sometimes, I make a sandwich out of it by using the Nature's Own wheat bread (only 40 calories a slice).
2. Smart Ones Fettuccine Alfredo for lunch.  I can add a 1/4 slice of cantaloupe or a 100 calorie snack pack of my choosing.
3. The fresh green beans, fresh carrots, and smoked turkey necks go into a crock pot with the low sodium vegetable broth over night.  Once it is cooked, I split it into 4 servings and place it in the refrigerator.  This is my dinner for 4 nights!

So what was missing before?  I think the answer is obvious.  Even if I gain all of the weight back, my "success" will have nothing to do with the numbers on the scale, the items on my grocery list, or the gym pass that remains in my wallet.  So wherever you are in your journey (from contemplating a start to being a "healthy living" pro), I pray that you stay encouraged by knowing that God cares for you and wants the very best for you.

MEMORY VERSE: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)

Light & Momentary: New Beginnings!

What do you think of when you see a rainbow?  Do you think of a leprechaun guarding his pot of gold?  Or the symbol of the gay pride movement?  Or Rainbow Brite?  Perhaps.

I think of New Beginnings. Consider this (Gen 9:8-16):

 ⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”  ¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

A covenant is a promise; in this case, God made a promise to us and all living creatures that He will never again destroy the earth by a flood.  God destroyed the earth because He was displeased with the wicked and evil nature of humans (Gen 6:5, 12, 13).  When the earth dried up, Noah, his family, and all living creatures exited the ark  to start a New Beginning (Gen 8:16-19).

God is all about New Beginnings.  His mercies are new every morning (Lam 3:22-23).  We become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17-18).  We renew our minds when we choose not to conform to the world (Rom 12:2).  And most of all, God activated the New Covenant with us when He sent his son Christ Jesus to forgive us for our sins (Jer 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:7-13).

Is it "raining" in your life?  Are you ready to see the rain dry up and the rainbow shine through?  Is it time for a new beginning?  Do not let fear hold you back.  Fear of leaving a toxic, long-term relationship.  Fear of leaving your job to start school.  Fear of moving to a new city.  Fear of doing what is right at the risk of losing friends.  God wants to give you a fresh start.

Memory Verse: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)

A picture of a double rainbow taken by my mother after a downpour on 3.25.2012