Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (Leviticus 17:11)

Morning Thoughts,

Leviticus 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

This morning, much ado is made about the state of man and how to fix different problems that he has.  In the realm of politics, people on different sides of the aisle have various and sundry ideas about how to fix problems from financial to social to international relations.  In the realm of family units, people of all stripes have differing opinions on the idea of correcting children to managing a cohesive and nurturing family environment.  In the realm of religion and spirituality, many different denominational bodies have all kinds of ideas about what the Bible means about how to help people in this world and solve many of the problems that leave people with aching and sorrowing souls.  However, in one realm particularly, there should be absolutely no qualms – though there are – about the solution to a certain problem that plagues this old world.  That realm is the subject of solving the problem of man's blackness and depravity to have reconciliation between God and men.

Earlier in the week, I had the opportunity to do what I do every 56 days.  For years, I have tried to regularly and consistently give blood donations to the groups that keep blood funds to help those in need.  As I was in the chair, this verse came to mind and caused me to reflect some on the importance of blood from a natural and spiritual perspective.  Naturally speaking, the hope when you give blood is that someone's life can be benefited or spared by gaining access to the blood that is donated.  As a regular donor, my hope is that my blood has helped someone in a dire need or situation.  Still though, my blood can only do so much, and it can only help specific individuals.

Blood types are an interesting study.  My particular type is O positive which is termed the "universal donor."  In other words, though it best matches with someone that also has O positive blood, it can be used in a pinch to help people of all different blood types whether they are A, B, AB, etc.  On the other hand, my blood cannot help a nonhuman life form such as a dog, cat, etc.  So, even in the natural realm, we see that all blood is not equal, nor is all blood compatible.  However, natural blood can be used to help specific people in the preservation of natural life.  As our study verse says, the life is in the blood, and blood donations can help sustain life in that way.

Carrying these natural principles to the spiritual realm, let us consider how they "map over" from one plane to the other.  The Lord declared that not only is the life in the blood but blood is also the form of "currency" to use in the matter of atonement.  Therefore, when considering what God would require to atone for sins, blood is the only suitable form of currency to make that payment.  Payment is required for atonement since God has been offended by sin and the disgusting nature of man's depravity.  When considering all the "solutions" that people posit to "get man right with God," it is always amazing to me how counterfeits are substituted for the only suitable currency payment.

Consider all the ways in which man has been told he can do this or do that to earn God's favor and blessing to enter heaven's pure world.  How many of them require blood?  Unless I am mistaken, the overwhelming majority of ideas are bloodless solutions.  Whether the answer given is baptism, belief, repentance, confession, acceptance, etc. they are all bloodless.  How can atonement possibly come without the right currency?  If God has required blood for atonement, He will not change His mind later and accept something else. (Malachi 3:6) Furthermore, only the right kind of blood would suffice to make the transfusion of life acceptable.

Just as my blood donations cannot help dogs, cats, and other animals, their blood cannot help me either.  Therefore, a sacrifice of any animal would never be sufficient to gain eternal justification and atonement with God.  Paul's very point in Hebrews 10 shows that all the slaughtered animals under the old law service could never put away one single sin.  This is not to say that the Israelites of old were mistaken in their worship – for it was prescribed by God – but its purpose was simply to point to the day of the perfect sacrifice that would put away sins.  A lamb, ram, goat, or heifer's blood could not redeem or atone for man since those beasts are not men.  Man's atonement requires man's blood.  Only man's blood could suffice to redeem men just as my blood could not help anything other than another man.

However, consider also that many parade the idea that Christ's blood was sufficient and given for all of mankind.  In other words, the idea is put forth that Christ's blood is available for the taking for any man to claim and receive to gain atonement.  Well, naturally speaking, if a man is laying in the hospital in dire need of a blood transfusion but his blood type is B negative, can he use the blood there if all the blood on hand is A positive blood?  No, as much as he would like to use the blood that on hand and available, that blood – though the blood of man – would not and could not help him.  In all actuality, if that blood was infused into him, his situation would be worsened rather than improved.

Taking this natural thought and mapping it to the spiritual plane, Christ's sacrificial and atoning blood cannot help someone of a different blood type.  Now, while all of us are of the race of Adam, not all of humanity is related to Christ in His family.  As Paul eloquently describes, Christ family was placed into Him in covenant before time and then redeemed by His blood when He appeared on this earth and shed that precious blood. (Ephesians 1:3-7) To say that Christ shed His blood for everybody to claim fails even the natural test that shows not all human blood is compatible. 

So, even though God's children are related to Christ from before the foundation of the world, we all stood in need of a blood transfusion since our blood was polluted with death and sin.  But, Christ's blood is a suitable currency since it was shed by a Man for men. (Hebrews 2:14-16) It was also a perfect match in blood type since God's people were already related to Him by covenant and adoption.  So, our death was overwhelmed by the life that His blood brought to us.  One of the primary beneficiaries of natural blood donations are family members.  For as long as I am a regular donor, my family is supposed to be covered for any needs they have that require blood.  As Christ's family, our needs were met and supplied by the donation of Christ to us in the form of atonement blood by the perfect Son of God.

One final point about atonement in blood is simply this.  Nobody that stands at the precipice of death and in need of physical blood has any ability to give themselves the transfusion.  They stand in need of another agent to supply it, infuse it, and bring them back physically.  What picture could be more fitting of our needs and eventual supply?  Laying there polluted in our blood of death, we were unable to help ourselves or even infuse Christ's blood into us were it laying right beside us. (Ezekiel 16) If we are the blessed recipients of His blood, it is not only done so because we are His kin but also because the Divine Agent has infused it to us to bring us back from the death of the depravity we were steeped in.

Therefore, knowing these things, let us always remember that we were blessed when we could not help ourselves, blessed because of who we are and not because of what we have done, and blessed because the only thing suitable to bring us to God was poured forth willingly by the hand of Christ to redeem us by His own blood.  While I have no idea generally who my blood goes to, my hope is that not only is their life preserved and spared for a season but that they also have many moments they would not have had to enjoy the fruits of life.  Christ does know who His blood was shed for, and He knows fully what it has blessed them to (eternity in heaven).  However, may our lives show forth fruit and the enjoyment of that fruit in service to the One that has not only preserved us by His sacrifice but given us the ability by that blood to praise Him and show forth that life while we journey here below.

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts (Acts 2:32-33)

Morning Thoughts, ,

Acts 2:32-33, "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."

This morning, actions or events can be the manifestation of a more profound and deeper cause.  Many times, the actions or circumstances around the event are such – perhaps quite overwhelming – that we fail to consider or even realize what the root source of it is.  For example, our country today seems to face an overwhelming financial crisis.  No matter where you go, people talk about it, politicians argue about it, and many in the country suffer as a result of it.  Yet, due to the large volumes of data being reported about the crisis, most do not consider the root cause or have forgotten what led to the mess in the first place.  Too often, people today get caught up in looking at the effects without considering the cause(s) of those effects.  Today, if anyone wants to address the current economic instability, one must first instill a discipline of fiscal responsibility and an understanding of what debits and credits really are.  Solutions that fail to address the root cause will be more like band-aids being applied rather than veritable solutions for the country.

Our study verses are near the end of Peter's discourse on the Day of Pentecost.  While Peter preached on this day, he and the other apostles experienced great manifestations from heaven.  While they spoke, we read in the earlier verses about the heavens being opened, fire descending upon them, and them speaking in a way (cloven tongues) that allowed people in Jerusalem from different nations to all hear them speak in their native tongue.  As Peter continues his speaking, he plainly states that what they are experiencing is a fulfillment of part of Joel's prophecy, and in that prophecy, Peter shows us – who were not there – just how mighty the day must have been.  The stars of the sky being shaken with the sun and moon appearing in ways contrary to the daily norm. 

Peter then begins to give a long and glorious discourse about the suffering of Christ, its purpose, and most importantly its accomplishment.  These statements about the awful suffering and majesty of Christ will eventually lead the hearers to be pricked in the heart to the point of submitting to baptism and entrance into the ranks of God's faithful in His church on earth.  In his discussion on Christ, he quotes from David in the Psalms and applies David's prophecy directly to Christ.  In doing so, Peter teaches a powerful point about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Not only was it heralded by prophecy in the Old Testament, but Peter shows it to be the foundation point for preaching in the New Testament.  Without the resurrection, there is nothing.  However, Peter draws the line further in our study verses.  Further, I believe, than most people think about on a regular basis.

By stating simply and succinctly that God raised up Christ (Verse 32), Peter then relates the effects of this great event.  The first effect of the resurrection is that Christ was then exalted – in bodily form – to the right hand of God.  Though always the Son and in the bosom of the Father, now He sits in heaven as the resurrected and ascended GodMan.  Without the resurrection, we would not have Christ raised up bodily to the right hand of the Father, showing forth His power over death, hell, and the grave by that lofty position.  The next effect is the promise of the Holy Ghost, realized by His comforting presence.  Every time the Holy Ghost testifies and comforts one of God's dear ones, we have ample and manifest proof that Christ is raised from the dead.  However, the last of the three effects from verse 33 is the one that grabs our thoughts the most this morning.

By Christ's resurrection, Peter asserts you witness what you see and hear today.  In other words, those glorious signs in the heavens would not have happened had He not been raised.  Those wonderful words that the men there heard would not have been possible without the resurrection.  Further still, Peter would have had nothing to say that day without the reality of the resurrection.  Everything that day would have been non-existent without it.  Now some might say, "Well I've never heard the preacher preach in tongues before.  I've never seen signs in the heavens while the preaching service happens."  Indeed, most – if not all – of us have never witnessed such a thing, but consider what Peter said.  It was not only the things they saw but heard as well.  While they heard the sound of the rushing mighty wind, they also heard those men's voices too.

We today may not have as many "visuals" as they did, but those things that they heard apply just as equally.  Now some might inquire, "Preacher, what are you driving at?"  Simply put, consider your experience in the house of God.  Have you ever considered how amazing it truly is for a man to hold a congregation's attention for an hour or longer with the end of the sermon being just as interesting and engaging as the beginning if not moreso?  Naturally speaking, that is rather unheard of.  What about the words themselves?  Though they may have been the same words you have heard before – i.e. same subject matter – yet they do not seem old or tired.  Amazingly enough, we can hear the same types of subject sermons, and yet, the story of Jesus Christ and Him crucified never grows old.  How do these things that we hear occur?

Peter attributes that "heard blessing" during preaching to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Whenever we listen to a man preach and lifted up above himself, he goes to places in ways that the natural mind cannot comprehend.  From both the pulpit and the pew, I have marveled at the sight and the experience.  The sermon seems to raise up and walk, and the subject appears to "grow" on the preacher.  For example, I have preached things and ended up with points and going to places that I had no idea beforehand that I would do.  I have felt moved in ways both preaching and being preached to that did not come from the volume of the words or the animation of the experience.  Rather, they came from something more profound.  That which I heard seemed to have force and breath.  Though I could not attest to literally hearing the sound of a rushing mighty wind in the house, I can attest to repeatedly feeling and hearing (by faith) the wind against the heart and very soul of my being.

Friends, sometimes those circumstances in the house of God lift us up to the point that we absolutely want to revel in the experience itself.  Granted, it is profound and abundantly refreshing.  However, the glory of the experience should not make us focus on only this effect.  Peter says the cause of the things we hear and see during preaching are directly shed forth from the power of His resurrection.  When we see men carried above themselves in preaching and taking us there along with them, we should lift up the head to rejoice in the manifest reality of a risen Saviour!  Were He not raised, we would not have those times.  Because we have those times, we know that He is raised!  Peter said to those on Pentecost that they could know of a certainty that Christ was raised because of their experience.

Whenever I hear people downplay the importance of public worship and sitting under the sound of the gospel, I always stand amazed at the mindset.  No better proof of the resurrection of our Lord can be found than by seeing the effects of His life in our worship.  As the songs take flight and the prayers ascend in all humility and meekness, we see the life of Christ in the power of the experience and force of the events.  Then, as the minister ascends through the thoughts of the discourse, the whole scene begins to melt away to see the glory land.  When, by faith, our hearts perceive Him whom we love, we may not have any outward signs like they did on Pentecost, but friends, we hear things and by faith see things that shed forth the abundant proof that He is alive, risen, exalted, and testified unto by the Holy Ghost.  May we treasure the times that we have in the house of God in the things we hear and see, but may we never lose sight of the cause.  When someone asks, "Did you have a good day in church?"  A very fitting response when we do would be to say, "Christ is still alive and raised to His glory in heaven."

In Hope,

Bro Philip