cleansing

Let the Light Shine!

October 24, 2012 By Marji "Mike" Kruger

Oh Lord, Your light shines in the darkness. Your light penetrates the darkness. You are contrary to darkness. You are more powerful than darkness. You reveal, You illumine darkness.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

A Prayer to Pray:
Just as I know that You are Light, I know that there is darkness in me, sin that has not been swept away. Have the brightness of Your glory illuminate my sinfulness.

Father,

. . . forgive me for speaking in the flesh, instead of in the Spirit.
. . . forgive me for where I relied on my own power, my own strengths, and talents, instead of on You.
. . . forgive me for withholding words instead of encouraging others.
. . . forgive me for acting like a big shot instead of a servant.
. . . forgive me for exaggerating, for not being honest.
. . . forgive me for listening to thoughts from others rather than thoughts from You.
. . . forgive me for wanting man’s approval.

In You Lord, there is no darkness. . .And amazingly, You forgive me. . . You cleanse me of my sins and wash away all my iniquity. . . and You have given me Your light. Amen.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 4:6

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Our Mediator

October 22, 2012 By Marji "Mike" Kruger

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men– the testimony given in its proper time. (NIV) 1 Timothy 2:5-6

When the blood of Christ flowed at His crucifixion, the veil in the temple was torn in half from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). The veil that had symbolically separated the people from personal contact with God was removed by God Himself (Hebrews 10:20). The human mediation required under the terms of the Old Covenant would no longer be needed. Everyone would have access to God through Jesus, the High Priest. The sole function of a high priest was to offer sacrifices. In so doing, the priest acted as a neutral party between God and man to bring about an agreement or reconciliation of the divided parties.

Under the Old Covenant, a high priest was selected from among men and was “appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1). No high priest took the honor upon himself. Rather he had to be called by God (Hebrews 5:4). A perfect mediator between God and man had to share both natures. Thus for Jesus to be the mediator of the New Covenant, He had to be both divine and human which He was. Christ is the mediator for all believers (Hebrews 9:15, 12:24). If Christ had not been an actual man, He could not have sincerely represented mankind. The author of Hebrews describes Christ from both a divine (Hebrews 7:26, 7:28. 9:14) and human perspective (Hebrews 2:9, 2:14).

Such a high priest meets our need– one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. (NIV) Hebrews 7:26
For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. (NIV) Hebrews 7:28
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (NIV) Hebrews 9:14
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death– that is, the devil– (NIV) Hebrews 2:14

The relationship between God and man is at the heart of the New Covenant. God desires to have fellowship with men. The author of Hebrews writes, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22) and that we “come to God through him (Christ)” (Hebrews 7:25). God desires to have a growing relationship with Christians. Take time to today to show your gratitude to the Son, our perfect mediator.

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (NIV) Ephesians 3:12

The Ultimate Sacrifice

February 24, 2012 By Marji "Mike" Kruger

This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work– whether native-born or an alien living among you–because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. (NIV) Leviticus 16:29-30

The Day of Atonement, was the tenth day of the seventh month on Israel’s calendar. It was set aside as a day of public fasting and humiliation, a day when the nation of Israel sought atonement for its sins. On the Day of Atonement, the whole community gathered at the tabernacle to fast. The high priest, very carefully followed God’s prescribed steps, bringing the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and sprinkled the blood on the cover (the mercy seat) of the ark of the covenant. This annual sacrifice, made before the Lord, was an “atonement . . . to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites” (16:34). Following it, Israel was told, “You will be clean from all your sins” (16:30). Each year the same ritual had to be repeated.

Just before Jesus died on the cross, He said: “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30). . . At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split (Matthew 27:50). Israel’s high priest could never make such a statement as “it is finished,” his work was never finished. But, when Jesus offered His life for all time as a sacrifice for all sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). His work was finished! The tearing of the temple veil indicated that God’s demand for justice was finally satisfied.

God’s Gift to the Israelites, the Day of Atonement, demonstrated God’s graciousness in response to the helplessness of His chosen people. It was given to them as a means of providing reconciliation with God. But, the Day of Atonement was only a shadow of what was to come. . . it was Jesus life, shed on the cross that provided a new and living way for us to God.

We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10

Have you accepted God’s offer of reconciliation through faith in Christ? If not, why not investigate the work that was done on the cross?

Remember, Repent, Return

February 20, 2012 By Marji "Mike" Kruger

Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. (NIV) Revelation 2:5

Jesus spoke the words above to the church of Ephesus immediately after He told them, “I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love” (Revelation 2:4). Jesus never convicts us of a sin without offering both forgiveness and instruction on how to follow His desires for our lives. The instructions to the Ephesians were to: 1) Remember, 2) Repent, and 3) Return. They were to remember what it was like when they were in love with their first love (Him). They were to repent – acknowledge their sin, confess it, and determine not to return back to the same behavior. And lastly, they were to return to the things they did at first.

Have you lost your “first love” for Him? Go back and remember what it was like. . . the passion you had for Him. Have you confessed your lack of love for Him? And determined to make a 180 degree turn back to Him? Lastly, are you ready to go back and do the things “you did at first”? Are those first things, deepening your prayer life again? Or digging deeper into the Bible? Or re-connecting with a Bible teaching church? Or serving Him rather than being served? Or spending a whole day just with God?

Will you ask God today what it will take to stoke the fire of your faith so that He will never have to say to you, “I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love”?

Written by Marji “Mike” Kruger

cleansing

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