Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Holy Ordination: A Fragrance to Christ
Leviticus 10:16-20


Elizabeth Philip
St. John’s MTC, NY

19 And Aaron spoke to Moses, “See, today they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord; and yet such things as these have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been agreeable to the Lord?” 
 
From the beginning, God provided clear rules and standards for priests so that the people of Israel understood His expectations. Moses had given instructions to people of Israel regarding God’s commands regarding sacrificial sin and burnt offerings. The above verse tells us that Aaron was following God’s commands even though his two sons (Nadab and Abihu) were burnt to death in the presence of the Lord for not following the Lord’s commands. Aaron was fasting and following God’s commands to save the rest of his family.
                When we face difficulties in our daily lives, we question the rules and regulations imposed to us by our rulers and authorities. As Christians, are we committed to doing what God expects us to do? Don’t we make our own assumptions and excuses by not following the rules? Are we prepared to follow God’s commands to save our family and friends just like Aaron? Romans 6:23 reads, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. We are aware that we all pay the penalty for sin. At times, we get foolish, disobedient, and rude. We become slaves of passions and pleasures of this world. We become so consumed with worldly pleasures that we tend to forget the simple principles given to us by our God. As per Solomon’s proverbs, can anyone really say that he got rid of his sin? We have a Christian conduct – an obligation to live by the Spirit. Sometimes, it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. We have to reach rock bottom in order to build a more positive and better character for ourselves. When we confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness, we will be saved through Jesus Christ our Savior. He will save us through grace and mercy.

PRAYER

Dear Father, when we face difficulties, help us to follow Your commands as Aaron. Give us strength as we face difficulties in our lives. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life – Proverbs 22:4

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Community Formation Around Resurrection Experience Acts 23:1-10 Vinod Johnson Carmel MTC, Boston, MA 6 When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”  Sometimes, the only thing that keeps you going through a brutal winter is the hope for the spring. It may have been a hard hope to hold on to this particular year in New England - a year in which Boston considered dumping not tea, but the ever growing mounds of snow into its harbor. And yet, the waist deep snow has dissolved away. White desolation has given way to increasingly visible green shoots of spring. A resurrection is at hand! In this passage, Paul tries to defend himself before the Sanhedrin Council. He seeks to drive a wedge between the Pharisees who believed in resurrection and the Sadducees who did not; even though neither believed in the resur
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more