Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: On God's Terms
Date: Monday January 30, 2012
Today's Chapters: Leviticus 8-10
Preview of Today's Message:
All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Hello My Friend,

Have you ever stopped to think about how powerful things are that you cannot see? For instance, the wind, you cannot see it coming, but when it does, you can sure feel it, it can be pleasant or quite dangerous. The air, you cannot see it, but it is what we breathe, without it we would die. How about electricity? It is perhaps one of the most dangerous elements that we cannot see, it's all around us, touch it and it can kill you. Now, imagine how powerful God is, we cannot see Him, but He, in fact, made all these things. Talk about power! God's power is awesome and He uses it on every one of us, and depending on our walk with Him that can be a pleasant or quite dangerous experience. If you have chosen to serve God, it would be wise to do that on His terms, not yours.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God...And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:1,2,27-29.

While God will use any willing heart to serve Him, regardless of their past, He expects that willing heart to serve Him unconditionally. Aaron built a golden god for the Jews to worship, but God still used him in His service. He would become the first high priest of God and his sons would be priests. In order for them to even be able to serve God they had to be consecrated. God gave Moses instructions on how to consecrate Aaron and his sons.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation...And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you. As he hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you. Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded. So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.” -Leviticus 8:1-3,33-36.

The word consecration means the act devoting and dedicating a person for the service and worship of God. Consecration does not make a person holy, but it declares them to be devoted to God in serving Him on His terms. The priests did not consecrate themselves, Moses was the appointed instrument of God to do this work, he was their mediator to God. Without Moses hand in presenting them to God, any work that they would have done in service to God would have been worthless because God only acknowledges the works of those who are consecrated. Today, our Mediator is Jesus Christ, He presents the believer to God for consecration, if we do not know Christ than any service to God would be worthless. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7:21-23.

Now, after the seven days of consecration, they still were not able to do their duties just yet, first, they had to be redeemed, forgiven of their sins. Remember, to stand before God we must be holy, consecration did not make them holy, just prepared their hearts to stand before Him, now, it was time for the first sin sacrifices to be offered. “And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you...And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” -Leviticus 9:6,22-24.

The glory of the Lord, the fire that came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifices, was so powerful that the people fell on their knees in fear. There is no greater way to redeem someone than fear, many of us get saved and have no desire to serve God until we see the glory of the Lord. It us truly the fear of God that gets us serving Him unconditionally. “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” -Hebrews 10:29-31.

So, once you are saved, have Jesus on your side, and choose God over sin, you are capable of serving Him and seeing the blessings from it. However, altar this plan once and it will be fatal. This proved to be true for two of Aaron's sons. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” - Leviticus 10:1-3.

The strange fire offered to God was not holy, it came from outside of the tabernacle, therefore, it was tainted, corrupted and since God is holy we must present ourselves holy before Him, not with corrupted offerings, but pure, undefiled offerings. If you want God in your life and want to serve Him, do it His way, do not alter any part of His plan. Today, offering strange fire to God would be altering the Gospel. To be saved, one must admit they are a sinner, believe and understand that Jesus (who is sinless, died, was buried, and resurrected three days later), is the Only One who can save them, and the only way they can be redeemed is to accept Him in their lives. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:9,10.

Altering the Gospel would be saying, that you must be baptized too, or that if you sin again you have to do it all over again. We are saved by grace, not by our works, salvation is simply trusting in Jesus alone to save you, nothing else. Everything else, from baptism to serving God is done in obedience and reverence to Him, not to remain saved. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” -Titus 3:5-7.

Today's Psalm: 2:11 - “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

Today's Proverb: 1:7 - “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Today's Prayer: God, it has been written that he who stands for nothing will fall for anything. Most within our generation stand for very little that has eternal value though we have been given thorough instruction from Your Word to guide our lives, teach us right from wrong, and how to prepare for eternity. We are convinced of these teachings by the Holy Spirit, by men and women of deep faith, and by our own defining experiences in life. God help me to stand unashamedly and fearlessly before You, ready to serve You unconditionally, with Jesus by my side. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be. Visit: God's Price
Missed A Devotional? Visit: The King James Bible Study Blog
Subscribe To This Devotional Through Google Groups: King James Bible Study
Visit The Official Site Of: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus