GraceWay D.C.

For nearly six months we have been studying our way through the rich book of Leviticus. We have noted Moses began outside of the tabernacle. For twenty-five chapters, God has meticulously described how to get into His presence. In a word: HOLINESS.

Here we are at the end and God closes by giving an ultimatum: disobey His Word and face disaster, or dedicate everything to Him and be guaranteed success.

Well, what are we waiting for? Let the dedication begin!

What if every 50 years all debts were canceled and people were restored to the place of their birth? Sounds like an answer to a lot of problems...or does it? Just think of the implications for our economy!

Though it was commanded, like a lot of things God said, His people seemed to ignore it.

So what was the purpose of the Year of Jubilee? We'll never discover it all, but the Bible gives us some wonderful glimpses into its meaning for you and me.

The Seven Feasts of the LORD are a glimpse into the character and calendar of our Almighty, Eternal God. Four of the Feasts have already been fulfilled in the Person and Work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The next to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets - picturing the rapture of the Bride of Christ, the Church. It falls on September 23 this year. Could this be the year? We can always hope!

The Law has been given, the Tabernacle built, the sacrifices instituted, the purification of the priests performed, and the sanctification of the people begun.

Now, there's one last area of life to cover: holy days. God wanted His people to remember and celebrate all He had done -- and would do -- for them. He called these special days the "Feasts of the Lord" and they are a roadmap of His prophetic plan to save, sanctify, and stay with His people forever.

General John Teichert reminds us we are called to live “behind enemy lines” with a mission from God, just as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did in Babylon. Their oversized impact came from three traits: an excellent spirit, trusting obedience, and a pursuit of excellence—traits we must embrace to represent Christ well in our own Babylon today.

We are back to the study of Leviticus. We've seen the five offerings, proper worship, ritual purity, the Day of Atonement, and God's view of morality.

Today we turn to the high calling of priesthood. It was exclusively based on birth in the Old Testament. And it still is: the new birth!

Also, just as priests had different jobs, so it is in the priesthood of believers. The qualification in the New Testament is consecration to God.

Our first president, George Washington closed out one of his prayers with these words, "For his sake, who lay down in the Grave and rose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

My friends, that's the Glorious Gospel in a nutshell--the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Thus far in our series we have seen Abraham's Faith, David's Victory, Elijah's Prayer, and today...Paul's Gospel.

Wait, what? How dare we call it "Paul's Gospel"? Give me a few minutes to tell you why.

A group of statesmen gathered in late June in Philadelphia to pen the words that would eventually govern our great nation. After weeks of no progress, Mr. Franklin arose and stated, "The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men." He went on to encourage them to ardently pray. Eyewitnesses cited this renewed dependence upon god as the turning point in the creation of our grand and glorious constitution.

Our Father of Faith, Elijah also called his nation back to conscience through fervent PRAYER.

Who will do so today?

"From war's alarm...be Thy strong arm ever sure defense..." These words of the third verse of the poem "God of Our Fathers" were written by Daniel Roberts to celebrate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876.

Unfortunately, war is a reality of human existence in our fallen world. And how much more in a spiritual sense! My fellow-soldiers, it is high time to fight and win the victory.

Yet before victory, we must embrace certain disciplines found in the life of our Father of Faith, the Warrior David.

"God of our fathers, whose almighty hand, leads forth in beauty, all the starry band..."

This is a direct reference to our forefather of faith, Abraham, who believed God's promise to multiply his descendants as many as the stars. God saw his faith and counted him righteous.

Abraham is the father of all who believe God for righteousness by faith. Though, as we will see today, Abraham didn't begin as a hero, he grew to trust God completely.

Our nation was founded upon the faith of Abraham. Without it, we will never please God - neither can we endure.