Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Leviticus 8

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing with chapter eight - Are You Ready to Serve - covering Leviticus 8:1-8:36, looking specifically at the theme - Seek Purification to Serve.  Here, the commentary focuses on the Old Testament sacrificial system of purification, how Jesus as the New Testament High Priest needed no purification, and how God seeks all those who serve Him to be pure.  To start, the commentary refers to v8:6 to describe how God directed Moses to purify and wash Aaron and his sons for their work in the priesthood.  The commentary then pivots to how in the Second Covenant and New Testament believers have Jesus - the Great High Priest who knew no sin and therefore required no washing or purification (although John the Baptist baptized - see accounts in Matthew, Mark and Luke). We are pointed to Hebrews 4:15 and 7:26-27 where Jesus is described as perfect and sinless.  Finally, the commentary states how Jesus was able to serve because He was "always clean morally and spiritually, so He was always ready to serve Him.  As this chapter of the commentary focuses on believers serving the church and Jesus, if we are to serve, we are urged to "confess our sin and allow God to forgive us[, as] God requires us to be clean in order to serve Him....God wants clean vessels to carry His living water to thirsty people."  On this point, the commentary points us to 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who lived a perfect sinless life but You nonetheless willingly died on a cross so that I could have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am undeserving.  I continue to sin, harshness towards others, etc. and need cleansing and purification.  Please forgive me for my sin and help me turn from it towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah 1-3:5

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:6-10

Day 205 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as my commentary* shifts to the prophecies of Jeremiah, who is called by God into ministry in 626 B.C. Jeremiah is described as responding to God's calling with "great reluctance": "In fairness to Jeremiah, he may have good reason to be reluctant: At the time of his call he is still a youth, though his exact age is not known. And had he known exactly how much opposition, persecution, and personal rejection he would face over the next 50 years, he would probably have tried to escape his calling, just as Jonah did."

Jeremiah's "mission is to be one of rebuke and judgment [of Judah] on one hand and encouragement on the other. Finally, God promises to be with Jeremiah through the many personal trials he will face....When he begins his ministry, warning against impending national peril, Judah is resting complacently in an unusual period of peace and is soon to experience a brief period of spiritual revival. While Jeremiah is predicting the fall of Jerusalem, the popular message of the priests and false prophets is “peace, peace.” During a period of shifting alliances and great turbulence in the region, "Judah will stand in constant peril, and Jeremiah’s thankless job will be to bring the message of judgment and national vulnerability to a people who do not want to hear it. What an awesome responsibility for this young man from the little town of Anathoth, a few miles northeast of Jerusalem! How amazed he must be to learn that he was chosen for this special mission before he was ever born!"

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

Just as we have seen with other great prophets (Moses, Jonah), God addresses reluctance as He does not allow anything to stand in His way to accomplish His plan including who He plans to use to carry out such plans.  God equips those He calls to serve.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has equipped me in the various roles You have given me as a husband, father, worker, etc.  I know there is more work to do but I have seen the work of Your hands - thank You Jesus!  Yet I am undeserving of Your love and the many blessings You pour out on me.  I worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

Matthew 15 

His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” v33 

Jesus feeding the five thousand (v29-39) is of course about yet another set of miracles Jesus performs and it’s also about the incredible compassion Jesus has as he heals everyone and never stops loving us – He thinks about US all the time (v32).  Yet it’s easy to overlook what I believe is one of the more important messages we should take away from this story – it’s also about ALL of the excuses we come up to NOT have compassion on others.  I can’t think of ANY excuses Jesus had when asked to serve others.  In fact, His stated purpose during His ministry was to SERVE: 

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 (see also Mark 10:45). 

We are to love others as God love us, so we need to STOP making excuses why we can’t serve others!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who is always thinking about me and You never stop loving me – thank You Jesus.  All the while, I am constantly coming up with excuses about why I can’t serve or love others as You do.  Please forgive me Jesus for such sin and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. v5

As I progress with my study of the major prophets, in Jeremiah we see a recurring theme - a nation that does not heed the word of God.  Yet before we go there, we see Jeremiah's call by God.  Jeremiah, like others, feels unprepared for what God desires for us - see v6.

Moses also felt this way.  Paul knows how serving God can sometimes be difficult and he encourages young Timothy (1 Timothy 4:12-14).  Everyone feels to a certain extent ill prepared to serve when God calls, yet we must understand that God is with us to help us.  It is also important that we serve with others who can support and encourage us.  God gave Aaron to Moses and both Paul and Silas encouraged and supported Timothy.

God will equip us and provide others to support and encourage us as we serve.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You have never left or forsaken me as I have felt Your presence through difficult times - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God as I often lack trust and faith that You are with me.  Please forgive me! Help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that.

Nehemiah 3

Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. v8

Of particular note here is how broadly all those in Jerusalem participated in the rebuilding of the city walls and gates.  Matthew Henry remarks as much.  No job is beneath anyone and Henry notes there is "no strife" among those at work.  Many whose profession did not include building pitched in - as noted here in verse 8 this included both goldsmiths and perfume makers.

We are all called to serve both personally and corporately - as a church.  When we come together as a church it is remarkable how God uses these occasions for others to see God at work.

At my previous church, we served corporately through Southbridge Serves and my current church always does a Christmas concert at a local shopping venue.

We must humble ourselves - serve in any capacity God needs - and allow God to work through us personally and corporately.

^" Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God - able to do amazing things through me and through the church.  Thank You for providing us with a church home that supports our relationship with You - this is a gift from You.  I am not worth such love and such a gift.  I worry - among my many sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

Exodus 3

Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? v11

If you've ever been called to God to serve in a specific capacity, yet feel unequipped to do so, you know exactly how Moses feels.  I have felt that way - yet I know that I am only the hands and feet of Jesus and He does the work through me.  All I need to do is submit to His will and He will equip me.

I will be with you. v12

We must all serve.

 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord Ephesians 6:7

“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”Mark 9:35

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

Although Moses' reservations about serving continue in Exodus 4, he goes on to become a biblical hero with no equal (other than Jesus himself). Upon Moses death, the Bible says this about him:

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.  Deuteronomy 34:10-12.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  I've seen Your glory in how You have equipped me to serve - what an awesome God You are!  You have blessed me and I know I have blessed others through Your work in me.  Thank You for using me and for the blessing to serve.  I am not worth such love - I continue in my sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.