sarkakaiaima

The Lord said, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:49-50, NASBU) I have come to understand this “fire” to be identical to John the Baptizer’s prophesy that the Lord would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16, NASBU). This is the work of spiritual cleansing and transformation of the character, disposition and behavior of the redeemed person. Only the Lord can affect this kind of change in a human being and he can only do so with the full cooperation of that person!  God’s purpose remains to make his people holy (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 1:13-16). This is a process requiring the perpetual offering up of ourselves, as we become more self-aware; this process is both of learning to say “NO” to evil things and to be open to God’s blessed Spirit. Grace is given again and again as I renew my faith again...

There is a provision in the legislation of God’s Torah regarding proper worship that I think is very instructive. That is, the instructions for making incense (see Exodus 30:34-38). This brief list of ingredients and instructions for preparing it ends with the following warning: “When you make incense according to this composition, you shall not make it for yourselves; it shall be regarded by you as holy to the LORD. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from the people.” (30:37-38, NRSV) The priests were to utilize this incense as part of the daily worship in their work of representing the people before God. This task was gravely serious and God proved it by taking the lives of two of Aaron’s sons. For Aaron’s sons, taking up censers, “after putting fire in them, placed incense in it and offered strange fire before the LORD which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LO...

Some years ago, while I was living in Oregon, there was a severe snow storm that blanketed Portland and the surrounding areas. While listening to the radio I recall hearing a bulletin put out by the State highway patrol that I did not expect. This bulletin warned of dangerous conditions on all roads and freeways and specifically stated a request to “not pass the snowplows.”    I have never forgotten this because it spurred this question in my mind: Why would someone pass a snowplow on a road covered with multiple feet of snow? Is this not safe? Of course it was not safe—thus the State highway patrol was asking people to refrain from doing this.  Yet there is something in the fact that people were “passing the snowplows.” Why could they not wait till the road had been cleared and there was a safe path established by which to travel? Impatience is one obvious answer. Stupidity perhaps? Or better yet reckless pride. All the above may be fitting.  I th...