The Priests' Garments

 

Exodus 28:31-43

 

October 14, 2024

 

The Priests' Garments

“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.  It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear.  On its hem, you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them,  a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.  And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’  And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban.  It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

“You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework.

“For Aaron's sons, you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty.  And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.  You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs;  and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.

What is a follower of Christ: a person who, with the faith God has given them, and the grace to ask Jesus to forgive their many sins, and take over the management of their lives.  What does Scripture give as a title for that person?  Words that both the Church and the World are not comfortable with the word Saint, the Catholic Church, is made to be a person whose service to both God and people is exceptional.  Is that what God has said in the Scriptures?  The Scriptures are very clear that all who are in Christ are saints. 

“Got Questions” handles this very well. The following is some of what they said: “The word 'saint' comes from the Greek word hagios, which means 'consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." It is almost always used in the plural, “saints.” "…Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem" (Acts 9:13). "Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda" (Acts 9:32). "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons …“ (Acts 26:10). There is only one instance of the singular use, and that is "Greet every saint in Christ Jesus…" (Philippians 4:21). In Scripture there are 67 uses of the plural “saints” compared to only one use of the singular word “saint.” Even in that one instance, a plurality of saints is in view: “…every saint…” (Philippians 4:21).

The idea of the word “saints” is a group of people set apart for the Lord and His kingdom. Three references are referring to godly character of saints: "that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints …" (Romans 16:2). "For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints" (Ephesians 5:3).”

The other word is being called to be Holy and into the  Priesthood.  But Scripture addresses both of these; let’s begin with being holy.  1 Peter 1:15–16: "Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy because I am holy'"  Leviticus 20:7: "Be holy; for I, the Lord your God, am holy" And also in the book of Ephesians 1:4-6, “ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us^[a] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,  to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”  It is clear that we are saints that sin, so our holiness is not found in our actions, only when we allow and obey our Lord, for it is His holiness that makes us holy.

What about the word Priest, has God said you, as a follower of Christ, have been brought into the holy priesthood?  1 Peter 2:5-9 give a very clear picture of our calling; “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. ”So, the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”  and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. ”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

In my career as a professional salesman, I was trained to ask questions that would open the door to share what my product would do that exceeded what they were using or doing.  So here is the question: why do followers of Jesus not understand their identity in Christ?  And the second question is, if we do, why do we not act on them?

Could it be that you are so busy with all the things of this world that you don’t have time to study the Scripture, to know who you are in Christ?  Maybe you are like the man who brought his son to be healed by Jesus and said, “IF” you can please do so.  When Jesus addressed the “IF,” the man said, “I believe, help my unbelief.”  I find myself in need of getting my eyes off this dark and evil world and onto what Jesus calls me.  Could it be that we just have an identity problem?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice  

 

The Priests' Garments

                                                                  Exodus 28:15-30

 

October 12, 2024

 

The Priests' Garments

“You shall make a breast piece, of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod, you shall make it of gold, blue and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it.  It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth.  You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row;  and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;  and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree.  There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.  You shall make for the breast piece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.  And you shall make for the breast piece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece.  And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breast piece.  The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod.  You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breast piece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.  And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.  And they shall bind the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breast piece shall not come loose from the ephod.  So, Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breast piece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.  And in the breast piece of judgment, you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus, Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.

 

Often, I’ve read past words like the Urim and the Thummim with no understanding of their meaning.  Let me share what I read this morning on these two items.  Urim: The Hebrew word for "lights." Thummim: The Hebrew word for "perfection" or "truth" 

Function: The Urim and Thummim were placed in a breastplate worn by the High Priest, which was attached to an apron-like garment called an ephod. The priest would use the Urim to inquire of YHWH on behalf of the ruler. 

We find them referred to also in Numbers 27:21,  ^“And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.”

 

Deuteronomy 33:8, “And of Levi he said, 'Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah. ”

1 Samuel 28:5-7, “When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.  And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.  Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”  Often, it is our unbelief or fear that drives us to evil sources, and this sure did not work out well for Saul.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Priests' Garments

 Exodus 28:1-14

 

October 11, 2024

 

The Priests' Garments

“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.  And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.  You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.  These are the garments that they shall make: a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.  They shall receive gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.

“And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked.  It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together.  And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen.  You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,  six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth.  As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree.  And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance.  You shall make settings of gold filigree,  and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

 

As I read Exodus 28:1-14, one verse caught my attention, verse three. Maybe it would be wise to ponder.  You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill. How many people do you encounter that God has blessed with skills and talents, looks, and a great mind, and believe it was their doing?  In my career in sales.  I often told people who I work for and my customers that would say You are good at what you do;” I’m a composite of all those professionals in sales that I’ve encountered.”  And there was some truth in that statement. I often learn from them, but who gave them the skills they have?  My question to me and maybe to you is, where did the skills, the talents, the mind, and our good appearance come from?  And why are we willing to give credit to others but not to God?

Maybe it is time to open your Bible to James 1:17, which states, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." 

In Exodus 31:1-3, we have a very clear picture of how God has blessed you and me, “The Lord said to Moses,  “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,  and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,” 

That being true, why not apply Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

If you are a follower of Christ and believe you are better than another brother or sister in Christ because of your spiritual gifts, you need to examine yourself. I Corinthians 12:4-11 makes it clear that these gifts have been given to serve others.  “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of work, but in all of them and in everyone, it is the same God at work. Now to each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous power, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

 

Let me share my thoughts about myself. I’m not sure why you do it, maybe for some of the same reasons.  I never applied myself in school; I did not see the value in learning at that time in my life. I just wanted to be noticed.  I was one of the smallest in my class for many years, and I chose to be somebody by association, and who I wanted to be like, the smart kids, not to mention they were popular.  So, my kind of flesh, needing to be noticed, needs to be included, but on my terms.  When you grow up with that kind of mindset, you’re not very secure, and so once more, you look to others who seem to be the best at whatever needs to be done.  One big problem was that fear and insecurity do not go away with becoming a new person in Christ.  I was trained like a bird dog on how to get my needs met outside of Christ.  For many years, I was that man, and then one day early in my career, I was putting a copy machine in my car and saw a young man in a suit, who looked very sharp and handsome, going into my office, and I just knew that he would get my job.  And at that moment of fear and insecurity, I heard a voice in my head that said, Bob, I have given you skills and talents to be the best at this job, and I listened and went about my day, and never again did I doubt that God had blessed me.  I did look at others who were real pros in sales, but often what they did was not a fit for the gifts God had given me.  Was I blessed by the many who helped me improve? You bet, but they were sent by my Lord.

 

Let's end with 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

I fell in Love with Jesus

 

I fell in Love with Jesus

 

I fell in love with Jesus when I was just a child, OH yes, I fell in love with Jesus as a child in my mother’s lab, 

As she sang about Jesus and told the stories of how He stepped from glory to show me how to be a man. Telling me how to be a man.  

 

But how what a sad story as I grew and became a man, yes, what a sad, sad story of how I fell out of love with Jesus, and fell in love with self. 

It was a sad, sad story of a life lived without that man.

 

I’m told it's a common story of many men like me, who go for the glory and forget who the King is.  

 

A most amazing story of a King who came from glory to save a wretch like me, Jesus came from glory to redeem you and me,

A story of amazing grace, it is amazing grace  

 

A life without His glory so empty you see, and how I long for the peace I knew on mother's lab, but that is long gone, how empty it all seems. 

 

And now once more I’ve looked beyond this darkness at the heavens above and the God of my mother lab. 

So clear, O’ so clear I see Jesus once again, not on mother’s lab, but now, as a man. 

 

Often I was drowning in all lives demands, but when I came to Jesus He took me by the hand, He took by the hand.

 

Yes, He walks with me and we talk, and I’m learning from Him about being a man.  I’m experiencing the glory of Jesus, whom my mother and dad told me about as a kid.

 

Free again, free to share and talk about His amazing joy and peace, as I walk with Jesus on the highways of this life, learning and depending on Jesus as I learn to be a man, 

I’m learning to be a man. Yes, I’m learning to be a man, walking with Jesus hand in hand.

 

^“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

 

Matthew 13:36-43

 

October24, 2025

 

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,  and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.  Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.   The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,  and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

This is the most important question you will ever be asked: Do you believe Jesus tells the Truth?  If you said I’m not sure, you fall in one camp; if you said no, you or in the same group. And I you say yes, I know Jesus tells the truth, you are in right standing with God.

Next question, do you have family, wife, husband, or children, that would be in the other group? What are you doing about it?

Folks, we are not talking about temporal; it is not referring to the loss of a child, or job, it is talking about eternal, in a place of eternal pain and suffering, a place of weeping and gashing of teeth.

 

If you answer yes, Jesus tells the truth, there are two kingdoms, one is a place of no pain, no time, being in the presence of your Lord and Creator. The other is a place called Hell, and it was not designed for man; it was designed for the devil and his angels.  It is all about choices; it is all about what you have done with Jesus.  He loves you so much that before He made you, He, being God, saw and knew that He would have to one day come and die for all who would receive Him. It's not about anything but submitting to Him and His authority in your life.  Today, will you ask Jesus to be in charge of your life?

 

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

 

Oil for the Lamp

 

Exodus 27:20-21

 

October 10, 2024

 

Oil for the Lamp

“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.  In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.”

 

“The Bible statutes set boundaries for life. God, our Creator, knows our needs and what is best for us.”  In that, everyone who has asked Jesus to forgive their many sins repented of them, and has asked Jesus into their lives as Master and Lord, or the Church.  And Scripture is clear that when two are more come together in His name, He is with them.  So, as a follower of Christ, what are your boundaries?  And why do you need those boundaries?

 

One of the main statutes is found in Matthew 28:18-20, ^“And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  How does that apply to you and me, as we go, share what God has done for you, tell them they are loved greatly by Jesus, and He desires a personal relationship with them.

 

One of the statutes that is so needed and the reason boundaries are so important is found in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  Men, it is your responsibility, not your wife’s, to lead your family, to love your wife, and to discipline your children in love. 

 

What about the statute found in Matthew 22:37-40, “And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

I believe a person with a foot in the culture of this world will find it impossible to do the statutes found in Matthew 22:37-40, in that this culture is all about self.  And God reminds us it is not about you, it is about Him. So how does one learn to love God above all others?  I believe it requires another statute found in 2 Timothy 2:15,  ^“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”  If you are a new follower of Jesus, you may need a mentor, men you need a man who is mature in both his walk and the application of the Scriptures.  Ladies, you also may need an older lady who has the same qualities.

 

One thing we have to make sure we grasp, our neighbor is anyone we encounter, but just for practice, start with those who live around you.

There are many more, but if you get these, the Holy Spirit will guide you to the ones that you need in your life.  The Holy Spirit is the oil for our lamp, and it is the Holy Spirit that will shine the light of Jesus in your life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

 

 

The Court of the Tabernacle

                                                                  Exodus 27:9-19

 

October 9, 2024

 

The Court of the Tabernacle

“You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side, the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.  And likewise, for its length on the north side, there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.  And for the breadth of the court on the west side, there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases.  The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits.  The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.  On the other side, the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.  For the gate of the court, there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases.  All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze.  The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze.   All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

 

How good is your ability to recall something you were told that was important last week, or what about three days ago?  Remember, Moses and Joshua were on the Mountain with God for 40 days, and God had not only given Moses the 10 Commandments, but also all the details of how to build the Tabernacle and the furniture.  Plus, the details on the Holy of Holies.

 

Now, if you are like me, you understand God is doing a mighty work at this moment in Moses and the life of Moses and the young man who will later be leading the people of Israel.  I also hope you see the need to mentor younger men, and ladies, younger ladies.  Moses pours his life into Joshua, and we see the result in Joshua and his friend Capela, the only spies that came back with a God is with us, and He will fight for us.

When you read about all the designs and instructions that God gave Moses, God also gave him the ability to recall every detail.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

The Bronze Altar

  

Exodus 27:1-8

 

October 8, 2024

 

The Bronze Altar

“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.  And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.  You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze.  You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net, you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.  And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar.  And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.  And the poles shall be put through the rings so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.  You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

 

It may not be hard for a person who is an architect to grasp what God has shown Moses on the Mountain, but for him to have all of this fixed in his mind, one more shows me the greatness of our God.

 

In our day to effectively show a customer what a house will look like, an architect typically uses computer-aided design (CAD) software to create detailed 2D and 3D drawings, including floor plans, elevations, and sections, which can then be rendered into realistic visualizations using specialized rendering software; additionally, tools like virtual reality (VR) can provide an immersive experience for clients to "walk through" the design virtually.

 

We have no understanding of what God did to show Moses these designs, but whatever it was, He did something for Moses that all the tools above could not do for the architect customer.  He gave Moses the ability to recall every detail.

 

Do you understand God has given you and me a new covenant, we also have an altar, the Cross, where Jesus pays for sin, all sins.  Hebrews 13:10-14,  ^“We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.  For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.  So, Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.   Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.  For  here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.“

 

We are told in Hebrews Galatians 2:20,  ^“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Crucified, they die, so what death took place in you, was it not the old man, the one who wanted to do it his way?  By dying unto self and living for Jesus.  Our flesh has been trained by the world to get its needs met outside of Christ, and that is why one must study God’s word to seek Him and to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 6:14 tells us to put no faith in self, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  God has given us Sacrifices Pleasing to God.  In Hebrews 13:1-8, let brotherly love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.  Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.  Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  So, we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice