Offering Up My Life

[S] Leviticus 3:5 --
Then Aaron's sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 

[O] I can't help but to think about BBQing at home when I read this because even though I BBQ at home to ultimately eat the meat, the aroma of BBQ is always very pleasant.  Such is the picture I see of the priests offering up the smoke of the burnt offerings.  The meat they burnt was not to be eaten but to be offered up to God as the soothing aroma.

[A] How is my life being burnt up as soothing aroma to my God?  In order to do that I must surrender what I am to be offered up to God and if I were to apply "burning" up to my life, it is about releasing what I am made of through the fire of this world.

[P] Dear God, as I go through the trials and challenges of this world, may my life be offered up to You as sweet aroma.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Soothing Aroma of My Offering

The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21 NASB)

[O] What a beautiful scene here where the offering was received by God as a soothing aroma and He was moved by it. Noah's offering of the clean animals represents the sinless Christ being offered as the ultimate offering for our sins which soothed God also.

[A] My own life must be offered as a burnt sacrifice also. I tend to find easiest ways to do things but when it comes to following Christ there is no shortcut. I must die and be offered up to God. And boy I'd like my life to be a soothing aroma to Him just like how described in this passage.

[P] Jesus, I want to follow your footsteps of dying in order to be lifted up by God in His power. May you use my life to be a pleasing sacrifice. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Don't Play With Strange Fire

[S] Leviticus 10:1-2 --
 ¹Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. ²And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 

[O] While it is unclear what they were really doing but the "strange fire" was something that God had not commanded them to do in His presence and the consequence of not adhering to His holy presence was death in this case.  It's like bringing a piece of paper near a burning fire -- it'll be consumed instantly.  Bringing any unholiness near the "burning" presence of God's holiness will only bring instant consummation by His holiness.  Nadab and Abihu disrespected this and they faced the consequence.  Verses 9 and 10 hints the idea perhaps they were under influence of some strong drinks bringing before God profanity.  God is holy and that attribute by nature cannot co-exist with anything unholy no matter what our intentions may be.

[A]  At the end of the day, God will not accept or tolerate any unholiness in my heart when I come before Him.  I am constantly pulled from my daily activities to be tainted by unholiness which can easily cause me to bring some strange offerings to God which He never commanded me to bring to Him.  I need to be very sensitive about my thoughts and heart condition at all times.  Through the Life Journaling my heart is drawing closer to Him by filling it up with His word daily but many challenges in my life currently just seems to deflate it just like a tire with a hole losing air faster than air pumped into it.  I need to pray more to protect my heart as well as my wife's.

[P] Dear Father, as little as it may be my wife and I are trying our best to submit our hearts for your ministry and lately not only due to the ministry's challenges but just overall things in life are simply overwhelming.  May we not fall by the forces that hit us but to stay firm in Your word through consistent prayer lives.  I know You are with us just like how You had been with Your people through the history of seeing how You moved nations in Isaiah 41 and yet promised to be with Your people.  I am trusting Your sovereignty and omnipotence in this world.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

The Keeper of Fire

[S] Leviticus 6:13 --
 ¹³'Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

[O] There was a keeper of this fire so it won't go out.  I usually glance over this verse because I'm thinking "someone must be doing this job" but today it dawned on me that this task involved more than just someone casually watching the fire.  It needed coordination of shifts, focus of making sure it stays alive, and probably more than just taking this as a mere task but someone who understands the aspects of worshiping God through offerings.  In God's ministry no tasks are more important than another because they all collaborate to bring a true worship to God.

[A] Homework is to find out how I may continue to encourage everyone to take part in our church's ministry by taking ownership of various tasks from vary basic and simple tasks to those requiring a lot of efforts and specialized skills, we're all doing this as a team to bring forth a wonderful worship to God.

[P] Dear God, in some sense keeping the fire going means to always keep God's presence alive in our midst.  In this passage the fire was used to offer sacrifices, so I'm wondering what the "fire" equates to our church.  Please give me the wisdom to know what that is so I can keep it going continually.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Moved Heart Leads to Freewill Offering

[S] Exodus 35:29 --
 ²⁹The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.

[O] Before our actions, our hearts must be moved first because that is what is going to motivate right actions.  Israelites were moved by the awesomeness of God's presence architecting and orchestrating the building of the beautiful Tabernacle.  It must've been something like entering an awesome cathedral and looking up into the high ceiling and the echoing sound of choir singing in the background.  They were moved and out of that came a freewill offering to the LORD.  Everyone chose freely to bring their offerings to God.

[A] As we take part in God's ministry, we need to remember that the presence of God must stir the people's hearts first before trying to "run" church programs.

[P] Dear God, please use my meager efforts in Your ministry to move the people's hearts towards You.  May Your Spirit motivate the people to freely offer their lives precious aspects to You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Becoming a Soothing Aroma

[S] Numbers 29:36; Mark 7:4-6 --
³⁶'But you shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect;

⁴And His disciples answered Him, "Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?"
⁵And He was asking them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven."
⁶And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people.

[O] The burnt offering actually produces the smoke and aroma that physically gets sent up toward Heaven. To me, this scene of burnt offering tells me that God wants my spiritual life to produce the aroma which satisfies Him. Such an offering has to start with unblemished heart which goes through the fire of burning -- burning away all but the soothing aroma. God has breathed in the sweetness of His aroma into my life when He created me and when everything's burned away that's what should be offered up to God.

As I was reading the passage in Mark about the seven loaves of bread feeding the 4,000 people, I related how Jesus "broke" the bread and started to give them out to the Numbers burnt offering how soothing it was to God and He kept multiplying the seven loaves to feed such a large crowd. I want to be broken so offering of my life will not only be sweet to Him in Heaven but that it will be "feeding" miraculously greater number of people around me as a witness of Jesus Christ's love and care for them.

[A] May I positively respond to Your breaking of my life as this usually is a very uncomfortable process. I need to be careful not to react with my own interpretation or strength.

[P] Dear God, I know I'm praying a "dangerous" prayer by asking You to break me but that is my prayer because I want my life (and also my family's) to be permeating through the communities we live in just like the burnt offering the Numbers as well as the broken loaves of bread. In Jesus' name I carefully pray. Amen.

Moved Hearts Moves Our Offerings

[S] Exodus 35:29,35; 40:5,7 -- ²⁹The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.
 ³⁵"He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.
 ⁵and they said to Moses, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded us to perform.
 ⁷For the material they had was sufficient and more than enough for all the work, to perform it.

[O] I see the scene here where God's Spirit moving the hearts of men which results in the people responding to the calling of God to bring their treasures to make the tabernacle, God's temple.  The temple does have the physical structure but more so than that, His people is what really establishes the true temple for Him.  These people's outpouring of their treasures is such a wonderful scene to imagine.  In verse 35 I also see how God gifts these people with various skills to carry out their tasks to the max.  Isn't it true that God is the source of our skills?  And when we desire to use them for His purposes, He will fill us with necessary skills?  What's more amazing is that the people kept bringing more and more such that it was more than enough so Moses had to tell them to stop.  When God moves in the midst of the people there's an overflowing of supplies we bring to Him.  One thing to note here is that this is not because a few people offer great amounts but because great amount of people bring what they can afford regardless of the size or amount.

[A] When men initiate God's project, it will go as far as our plans and resources will carry, but when God initiates the task, it will go as far as God's plan and resources will carry.  Which is a better deal?  It's not how well each small group is equipped, but how many willing hearts stirred by God offers their services in this effort that will make the difference.

[P] Dear God, three months into our Small Group ministry's launch and feel a bit draining to keep things going but this passage encourages me to turn to You for moving people's hearts so they would come forth to offer their services.  Let Your Spirit sitr the hearts of people at our church!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Offering as in Former Years

[S] Malachi 3:4-5 --

 ⁴"Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
 ⁵"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.

[O] Without a sense of trying to dwell in the past, there are certain things that we should pay attention to the original intentions rather than inventing new ways to veer away from the original intent.  Worshiping God falls into this category.  God had laid the ways for us to please Him in our worship which had not changed over the years.  However, over the years the way we worship God had altered into ways we prefer.  One of the indication is to see whether God draws near to us in our worship or not (v. 5).  Is the trend around us more and more churches popping up where when people gather, God draws near?  At least from where I live, that is not the trend.  In fact, the trend is churches are not doing too well to the point of closing up in some cases.  God is showing us the formula for the believers' church to get back on track.
In the beginning of Jesus' ministry He cleansed the Temple (John 2:13-22) based on this passage in order to restore the Temple's original purpose.

[A] As Jesus cleansed the corrupted Temple, I need to re-examine my own life/body as the temple of God to see if I have veered off in tangent away from God's original intent for me to worship and adore Him.

[P] Dear God, please identify the areas in my life where as a temple of God I need to restore to your original way of worship and offering which please You.  May I be moldable enough to change my life in order to please You every day of my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

From Dedication to Healing

[S] 1 Chronicles 26:26-27 --
Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders. Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the LORD.

[O] There was a need to repair the temple of the Lord. They needed funding to meet this need. The funding was met by the offerings King David dedicated. Our dedications to our local church community is used to build up His ministries. The word "repair" prompted me to think that above the practical aspects of the buildings, etc. how much we are in need of the healing of our souls. As we observed that King David's victories were led by God in a supernatural ways, but He still uses our offerings to build up His ministries rather than doing everything for us. Couldn't He have repaired the temple Himself? Yes, but it was the offerings of His people that was used to repair it instead. God includes us in His wonderful works.

[A] When giving to God's ministries, don't hold back. Those are opportunities for me to be included in His works.

[P] Dear God, as You look at our hearts and not what or how much we offer to You, I want to dedicate my whole heart to You and also dedicate the rest of the resources You granted me to have in this world. I pray that my offerings will be used to repair/heal Your people here. In Jesus' name. Amen.