SowerCast™ podcast of the weekly message for March 18th, 2007 about the meaning of sacrificing animals “without blemish.” This week we’ll talk about the internal sense of this command. Many times in the Old Testament the Lord commanded the Children of Israel to sacrifice an animal that was “without blemish.” For us, this means sharing the truth from the Word that we’ve actually applied, and has actually made a difference in our lives.
Archive for March, 2007
Balance
By: Rev. Ethan McCardell
Those who acknowledge the Lord and love to lead a life in keeping with His commandments are the ones who are enlightened when they read the Word and who have an understanding of it, not those who say they believe and do not lead such a life.
(AC 10659:3)
When you look at the history of the churches that have existed on the earth, you can notice a pattern of “pendulum swings”. The same exists today when we look at the world. There are those advocating all faith and no love, or all love no faith (all truth no good, etc). One of the things this is pointing to is a very real part of our wiring as human beings. Depending on our state, we focus on whatever will bring us the greatest short-term satisfaction.
If we are having trouble living the life of faith, but know that we believe in God, we can (if we’re not careful) end up focusing on truths by themselves, (which the Heavenly Doctrines tell us aren’t living). If we’re okay with doing good things, but feeling uninspired to check out the doctrines, we tend to let whatever uses we’re performing take over.
The point: the Lord advocates “balance.” There was a tee-shirt I friend of mine used to wear in college that had this one word – BALANCE - printed in cursive across the center. I have to remind myself of this often as a minister, because sometimes in getting absorbed with study, I can “lose the forest through the trees.” Yet, the Lord is very clear: we can’t have one to the exclusion of the other if we are living the life that leads to heaven.
We’re told, “Those who acknowledge (one part faith) the Lord and love to lead a life (one part charity) in keeping with His commandments are the ones who are enlightened when they read the Word…”
So, if we wish to have any enlightenment at all, if we wish to see clearly the path to the kingdom of heaven-WE NEED BOTH. And the Lord told us the same when He said: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” (John 14:21)
This month, lets work together as a community to keep the God’s Word, in faith AND life!
