Pastor John,

I was reading Leviticus 7 this morning, and noticed that in verse 13, God tells Moses to tell the people to bring “leavened bread” as part of their peace offerings to Him. 

In most places, God told Israel to bring unleavened bread as part of their ceremonial sacrifices. Why is that different here? Is there a specific New Testament message hidden in there for us?

Thank you.

Zoli

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Hi Zoli.

Yes, there is meaning in leavened bread being allowed for loaves with the Peace Offerings and for loaves brought for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) offering (23:17).  We know that God had a purpose for that because we know that God commanded the ceremonies of the law as prophetic symbols of what His Son would do when he came.

Having said that, the meaning for that specific element of the Peace Offerings

and the Feast of Weeks is unknown to me, as is the case with many other specifics in Moses’ law.  If God does not tell us, we do not know.  Brother Damien has done a lot of work in this area and may have some insight on your question, but as for me, I do not know why God allowed for leaven in those cases.

Thank you for the question.  Jesus has the answer, whatever it is.

Pastor John

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Pastor John,

What is John saying here, in 1John 5:

7. For there are three that bear witness:
8. the Spirit, and the water, and the blood.  And these three agree.

Beth D.

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Hi Beth.

I don’t have a clear answer for that, Beth, but the answer is definitely connected in some way with verses 5–6 of the same chapter:

5. Who is it who overcomes the world except he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6. This is he who came through water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.  And the Spirit is the witness because the Spirit is truth.

The answer to your question must have something to do with the Spirit bearing witness in the human body of Jesus and of us who believe.  His body and ours came “through water [our mother’s womb – see John 3:5] and blood”.  I think that “blood” here refers to human nature (see John 1:13).  If not, I do not know what John meant by that.

By the way, Paul emphasized our human selves bearing witness in conjunction with the Spirit in Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself bears witness, together with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”  So, that may help clarify what John wrote.

That’s the best I can do with that one, Beth.  Thank you for your question.  It’s one that I have pondered over many times.

Pastor John

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Good morning Pastor John,

Kevin and I were listening to a tract on Marriage and Divorce (Going to Jesus.com Tracts – Marriage and Divorce).  We talked about how the holy Ghost is needed in order to be equally yoked. 

He had a question that I wasn’t sure how to answer from 1Corinthians 7:14 below:  What makes the children unclean?  

“The [pleased-to-dwell-with] unbelieving husband is sanctified by the [believing] wife, and the [pleased-to-dwell-with] unbelieving wife is sanctified by the [believing] husband; otherwise, your children are unclean.”

Is the answer the unbeliever?

Thank you,

Rebekah E.

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Hi, Rebekah.

I don’t know why Paul used that word in reference to children.  It may be that he knew the relationship between a believer and a non-believer which produced the child was not in the will of God.  Other than that, I can’t think of a reason Paul would have made that statement.  After all, Jesus spoke well of little children, even telling his disciples that unless they became as little children, they would never see the kingdom of God (Mt. 18:1–3).

Sorry, but that’s the best I can do with that question.  Maybe someone who reads this can provide a better answer.

Pastor John

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Pastor John,

Were the Magi who came to see the baby Jesus Jews?

Wendell

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Hi Wendell,

There is nothing in the Bible which indicates the Magi were Jews.  Some who lived in Mesopotamia were well-known observers of the skies, as far back as Babylonian times.  So, to have Magi observing the stars and determining that a king had been born in Israel fits that narrative.  The real question is, what did the Magi see in the heavens that let them know a king had been born?  And why did they even make that long journey to honor him?  Kings’ sons were being born all the time.  Did they travel to other countries as well?  If not, maybe they were indeed Jews who had learned from the heathen in Mesopotamia how to read the stars.

There is much more that we do not know (about anything, really) than there is that we know.  So, let’s stay thankful for what God has revealed.  He did not have to do it; He just wanted to because He loved us.

Pastor John

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Good morning Pastor John,

I got called in to work for an anesthesia machine failure this morning and had a couple of experiences I want to share with you.  I will start with the second first.  

As I was leaving one of the techs that clean equipment was telling me her mother was in the hospital.   While she was telling the story, I started to tell her I would pray for her mother.  But before I could even draw the breath to start I heard/felt, “Don’t do it.”  As she continued talking, I thought about this but the feeling was still there and growing so I didn’t say it.  I have always just popped off with “I will pray for you/them”, so this feeling makes me wonder.  First, is that a right feeling?  As I thought about it, I felt, “You don’t know her or her mother, nor how they live.  Maybe she’s where God wants her.”  Then, “You don’t just pray for people, things, situations just because you or someone else doesn’t like them.”  I am not sure what to make of this.  As I said, I would always pray, never even considering whether it might be wrong to pray.  Please help!?

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That is a great lesson, Mark.  Thank you for sharing it.  I think some good people can fall into a rut, saying by habit that they are praying, or will pray, but they are not.  Not really.  I see it all the time.

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Now to the first experience.  As I was waiting on the surgery to be completed, I didn’t want to waste the time, so I read one of the Father and Son messages.  I was in a darkened office alone reading it.  As I got to the last page, I had a strong feeling of the spirits at the cross.  I closed my eyes and could see a cross with a man (whom I knew was Jesus) hung on it, dark sky, feeling doom, people on my right were partying, people on my left, up the hill a bit, were in great sorrow, and the feeling of a great storm about to erupt was in the air.  My heart was about to burst from the sorrow.  I felt like my heart was growing.   I fell to my knees and put my face to the ground in my heart (don’t know any better way to say it).  Tears were welling up in my heart.  There was such a wide range of emotions and behaviors from the people on that hillside!  I am not doing this justice at all.  I still want to cry when I think about it.  I felt him look down at me.   Then, someone walked by here and I “came to”.

While reflecting on it a few minutes later, I was not sure what to think.  I don’t know what purpose this is to serve.  So I hesitate to even write this to you, but the feelings I got reading the message are so real.  The memory of this daydream was so strong I don’t want to withhold something I should share.  So I will leave this to you to discern, and may God help me be a faithful and true servant, not a storyteller.  I don’t think my imagination is that good, as I wasn’t even thinking of the cross.  But the very next lines I read were, “It was not Jesus’ death, but God’s acceptance of his sacrifice that made eternal life available to man.”  I tried to put this down and not send it, but it is all I can think about so you have it now!

Mark W.

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That is a wonderful experience, Mark.  The only thing that would make it better is if you were here in person telling it!  Thank you again.

Pastor John

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