Closure and Comfort

 Closure and Comfort 

In 1984 an 8 year old Tucson girl was taken from her family forever. She was kidnapped and murdered by a man on probation from California. In 1987 he was convicted and sentenced to death. 

How would you react if this was your child? The family fought a legal justice system that was a failure to victims of crime. They fought for victims rights, they fought to have laws changed, they fought to have their daughter and sister’s story told. They helped create the Amber Alert System.

They wrote letters to politicians to have the punishment carried out.

Today was that day of closure as Arizona carried out the death penalty of the pedophile and murderer of their daughter and sister.

While watching the post execution news conference a tearful mother told the life story of her daughter and explained how her faith and church family helped them get through the tragedy and the 35 + years of legal hell that the excessive appeals, clemency and stay’s that delayed justice.

I am reminded by these verses:

2 Corinthians 1: 3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

I am also reminded what Jesus said about the children:

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I am assured by my faith and knowledge of the Bible that Vicki Lynne Hoskinson is in heaven.

Please keep this family in your prayers, a painful chapter ended today.

http://loveneverforgets.com/category/vicki-lynne/

Deuteronomy 16:8-10 Blessed You?

 8For six days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day you shall hold a solemn assembly to the LORD your God, and you must not do any work.

9You are to count off seven weeks from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain. 10And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you, 

“The Feast of Weeks (or Pentecost) was a feast associated with the joy of harvest, during which Israelites brought a freewill offering unto the LORD, as a demonstration of the thanks in their heart.” (Guzik)

Blessed you?

Have you experienced pain at the gasoline pump? We have and altered our travel because of it. Have you experienced pain at the grocery store? We have and have altered our purchases because of it.

Since we are experiencing pain, how can we be blessed?

“Suffering is a universal part of our humanity that exists in a fallen world.” 

(https://www.gotquestions.org/suffering-death.html)

Everyone in the Bible experienced pain!

Instead of focusing on pain, focus on your blessings! 

“For me to live is Christ, to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21)

I look forward to going home (heaven), do you?

Blessings 

Deuteronomy 16:5-7 Passover Lamb

 5You are not to sacrifice the Passover animal in any of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you. 6You must only offer the Passover sacrifice at the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name. Do this in the evening as the sun sets, at the same time you departed from Egypt. 7And you shall roast it and eat it in the place the LORD your God will choose, and in the morning you shall return to your tents.

“The reason of this is evident the passover itself was a sacrifice; hence Christ, as our passover, is said to be sacrificed for us, and many other sacrifices, as we have just seen, were to be offered during the seven days of the feast. Now no sacrifice was accepted but from the altar that sanctified it. It was therefore necessary that they should go up to the place of the altar; for though the paschal lamb was entirely eaten by the owners in their separate apartments, yet it must be killed in the court of the tabernacle or temple, its blood sprinkled, and its inwards burned upon the altar.” (Benson Commentary)

1 Corinthians 5: 7Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

You can live by the Law and all it’s sacrifices or accept Christ as your Passover lamb.

As for me and my house, we accept Christ as our Passover lamb.

What about you?

Blessings 

Deuteronomy 16:3-4 Unleavened

 3You must not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days you are to eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left the land of Egypt in haste—so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.

4No leaven is to be found in all your land for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice in the evening of the first day shall remain until morning.

Leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible because a little leaven affects the whole lump of dough, the same with sin, one little sin affects the whole body and makes us unclean.

Have you ever eaten unleavened bread, or gluten free bread? Gluten free is usually heavy and dense. What about grain free bread? We make a keto muffin with eggs and almond flour that’s a good substitute and a chocolate cake substituted with ground pecans for flour.

Jesus is our sin substitute! He took our punishment for sin so we could become clean in Gods eyes. 

Next time you think of substituting leaven or grains for baked goods think of the ultimate substitution, think of Jesus upon the cross taking our place for the punishment of sin.

I’ve heard it said, if only Adam and Eve didn’t sin. If it wasn’t them it would have been you or me!

Blessings 

Deuteronomy 16:1-2 Passover

 1Observe the month of Abiba and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

2You are to offer to the LORD your God the Passover sacrifice from the herd or flock in the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for His Name.

Exodus 12: 12On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

“Prophetically, the feast of Passover clearly presents Jesus as our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), the Lamb of God who was sacrificed, and whose blood was received and applied, so the wrath of God would pass over us.” (Guzik)

Jesus Christ is the only Passover lamb that can save you from the judgement to come. A religion can’t save you, going to church can’t save you! 

John 3:16 16For God so loved the world that He gave His one and onlye Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus!

Is Jesus your Passover lamb?

Blessings 

Deuteronomy 15:20-23 Saying Grace

 20Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.

21But if an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. 22Eat it within your gates; both the ceremonially unclean and clean may eat it as they would a gazelle or a deer. 23But you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

“When the firstborn animal was brought to the tabernacle (or later, the temple) and given to the priests for sacrifice unto the LORD, a portion of the sacrifice went to the family that brought the animal. It was given so that they could eat a joyful ceremonial meal before the LORD.” (Guzik)

Saying Grace

When you eat your meals do you give thanks to the Lord for His provision?

When you say grace do you pray for the world?

Our pastor once gave a sermon about that, it’s one thing to say grace and another to pray for the world as your meal gets cold! 🤣

Eat your meals as a joyful ceremonial meal before the Lord because He made the provision!

Blessings 

Deuteronomy 15:19 Set Apart

 19You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.

Set Apart

“This was for three reasons. First, because Israel was God’s firstborn (Exodus 4:22), and this honored that fact. Second, because the firstborn was thought to be the best, and the best was always given to God. Finally, it was to be a reminder to all generations of when God redeemed Israel, His firstborn.” (Guzik)

As a true born again Christian you are set apart also!

2 Timothy 2:21 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.

You are adopted into the Lords family.

Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,

You are marked as His.

Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

They can kill your body but they can’t touch your soul.

Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Do you understand what it means to be set apart as holy, useful to the master?

Blessings