Saturday, October 15, 2011

Blood and Spirit

Leviticus 14

I woke up this morning congested still or again or even more than yesterday, I wondered if I had the time and energy to do a thorough housecleaning.  Just maybe my sinus infections are due to allergies and I need to get the dust out of my home.  Maybe my house is unclean.  Don't laugh...  I really did think that and then I read this chapter. 

I've also been falling asleep on the couch a lot lately and I've noticed that when I do that I usually wake up the next morning feeling really bad.  Maybe, just maybe, I could convince my husband that the couch is unclean and it needs to be carted out of the house and a new, clean one brought in.  I'm thinking he won't buy into that story.

On a more serious note...  I finally felt well enough to go out and visit a few members yesterday.  At one particular home, we had a wonderful time talking about three of my favorite subjects:  the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We talked about how all things belong to God and how sadly we have failed to be good stewards of his gifts to us; how we are saved by faith alone - faith in the blood of Christ shed for you; and lastly (but not least), we talked about the annointing of the Holy Spirit at baptism and what that means or should and could mean for the church on earth.  We talked about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and that according to scripture denial of the Holy Spirit is the only unpardonable sin.  That led to a discussion on whether one can deny the Holy Spirit, if one does not know the Holy Spirit, if one has not been introduced to the Holy Spirit.  We talk a lot in the church about knowing God the Father and having a relationship with Jesus Christ.  But, when was the last time you heard of anyone living in relationship with the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit?  I'm guessing not too often. That third person, is usually relegated from personhood to power of the first two persons, after all according to the Nicene Creed, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and that's about where we usually leave it.  We talked last night a lot about our desire to see a renewal, a revival of faith and how without the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit that cannot happen.

How did I get to this conversation this morning?  I got there when I read that the blood had to be put on the right ear lobe, right thumb, and on the big toe of the right foot.  (Relate this to being cleansed by the blood of Christ.) Then the priest had to annoint this same parts with oil.  (Oil being symbolic of the Holy Spirit).  To be clean both the blood and spirit were necessary.  Are they not necessary today?  I could write a lot more on this subject.  But, this is suppose to be short to help you stay immersed in the word, as you read one or two chapters at a time, so just please think and pray on these things...  Pray that God our Father who sent His only begotten Son to die for us would fill us to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, that we might go forth, in power, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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