As some of you know I am reading, slowly, through the Bible, not necessarily all in this one year of 2024, but reading through all the same. In my reading, I took note of sacrifices.
If you have read the early Books, you saw the innumerable lambs, goats, rams, doves, and pigeons sacrificed. Constant blood-shed. There was a reason for that. There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) and all this pointed to YESHUA who would come and His sinless Blood would be shed as The Sacrifice for sin.
Today I read this again for the first time.
1 Peter 2:5. 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Many times I have been thankful that it is no longer necessary for animal sacrifices to be made; that we do not have to take an animal every time we sin, go before a priest, and sacrifice that spot-less animal in our place for the sin we committed.
However, 1 Peter 2:5 told me sacrifices are not over; spiritual sacrifices are required of us and I am thinking daily; perhaps multiple times daily.
Here’s my note to myself: Oh my! In the Old Testament, they were constantly offering up sacrifices, bloody sacrifices, but now JESUS is that Blood Sacrifice. And we are NOW to offer up spiritual sacrifices and they will be acceptable because of JESUS. Spiritual Sacrifices. Am I offering them? Am I daily coming to make sacrifices on the Spiritual Altar of my life?
Well, today is the day! A day for feasting and the giving of thanks for the Feast. I am thankful that feasts are a GOD Thing. Feast
Most often we think of feasting, as it is related to the intake of food. Albeit, I am reminded that we are also privileged to FEAST upon The WORD of GOD. May it be as this month of Thanksgiving continues that we will FEAST on The Scriptures. They will surely nourish us; no other food comes close.
Revelation 3:20 New American Standard Bible 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. source
Hebrews 5:14 King James Version 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. source
1 Peter 2:2 New Living Translation 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, source
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 New American Standard Bible 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.8 Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. source
Just something to chew on today. :)
Because HE came & HE is coming again, Kathie Whitestone Thompson
I like coming here.
I like this Blog. Most of the time I even like what I say.
I like the connection.
I like putting words on a webpage screen that hopefully will help someone know JESUS more.
I even like the attempts I make to be funny from time to time.
I have experienced some trepidation with some posts, and I am getting better about it — thank You, HOLY SPIRIT.
So I am saying today I am thankful for The White Stone Blog, that I get to write here, and for every dear person who comes here to read. And I am thankful The Father has provided and kept this blog free of Ads!
Travel safely today. GO with GOD.
There is an enemy out there.
5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. source 1 Peter 5
We talk about it. We go to places of worship as we call them. We sing songs of worship, as we call them. I wonder does GOD call it worship? Do you ever wonder that too?
But are we worshipping The One True God? And how can we know if we are or are not?
What is worship anyway?
All good questions. Can we answer them here? I don’t know, but we can seek answers here for sure.
Are you familiar with the story of Nebuchadnezzar, his statute, and his demand of the people in the plain of Dura? If you are not I hope you will use the link above and read Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel.
There were three (3) Hebrews in the province of Babylon named, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Those were their Babylonian names. Their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, respectively. (If you are interested in a little more about their names, click HERE.)
So what was going on in Babylon? Nebuchadnezzar. Poor guy. He was so messed up but GOD loved him -and he was not even a Jew. Chapters 1 through 4 of Daniel tell the story of Nebuchadnezzar. I am thinking he finally got it right and I am thinking we might get to meet him in Heaven. I am hoping so.
But I’m off point.
In Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar is so full of himself, that he had a statute of himself erected and he demanded to be WORSHIPPED.
That set me off on this trail.
Nebuchadnezzar, in my humble opinion, was set on controlling the people. And that meant obedience. I mean you can’t control the people, unless they obey you. Can you?
It seems to me man is never satisfied as long as he wants to control other men (please understand this includes women too – as all mankind). There’s just something about people that causes them to want to control other people. And it causes so many problems. But I’m slightly off-point.
Worship. We can attend a song service, sing every song, raise our hands, and jump a pew, but if we are not yielded to consistently, daily, obeying GOD, we are not worshipping Him. Instead, we just may be worshipping the traditions of men.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah understood obedience. They understood that bowing down before that statute was an affront to The One and Only Holy Holy Holy GOD. And they refused to do it.
Worship. I made a note in the margin of my Bible.
True worship is yielding to the CONTROL of GOD.
Am I yielded to being controlled by GOD? Daily, consistently?
Am I ever growing more and more obedient to Him? Am I more and more obeying what I read in the Bible, practicing the commands and precepts found there? Practicing them in my home? Practicing them in public?
More and more times are coming to afford us opportunities to choose to worship (obey) GOD or the traditions of men.
Today we can examine ourselves and we can pray, for ourselves and each other. Not a one of us is exempt from the distractions, snares, strategies, and traditions set in place by the evil one. Let us guard our hearts and all our senses so that we will grow more and more obedient and thereby worship our GOD with every breath. 1 Peter 5:7-9, Proverbs 4:22-24
It’s not the music. It’s not the song. It’s not the sermon. It’s not the place. It’s OBEDIENCE.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to control the people, he lusted for worship. And from the majority, he got it. There are many Nebuchadnezzars in our world, sometimes they are people, sometimes, just things.
WORSHIP GOD. Only HE is worthy. HE is the ONLY safe One to worship. The only safe one to unconditionally obey.
We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. We estimate there to be over 3,000 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?
As some of you know I am reading, slowly, through the Bible, not necessarily all in this one year of 2024, but reading through all the same. In my reading, I took note of sacrifices.
GO with GOD.
