Blessings & Cursings By Sharon Killion E-mail, sparrow557@aol.com Website, cherubimnetwork.com/brokenbread
	We've all read and loved Deuteronomy 28 (the chapter of blessings and cursings), but did you know that there's another chapter very much like it in Leviticus 26? Two is the number of witness, and I believe our Father is really trying to get the point across by repeating Himself. I really didn't discover this chapter until about a month ago. In some ways it's presented in a more beautiful and inspirational way than Deuteronomy 28. I love the Amplified Bible, so you'll be able to follow me best using this translation. The bible is full of passages that speak of "ifs" and "thens." (i. e. If you do this, then God will do that. Follow?) In verse one of Leviticus 26 God says, "You shall make no idols, nor shall you erect a graven image, pillar, or obelisk, nor shall you place any figured stone in your land to which or on which to bow down; for I am the Lord your God." What's an idol today in the 21st century? It is simply anything you love more than the Lord. We all protest, "Oh, I don't love anything more than God!" Here's a list of things that might be idols to us: Our money, Our work, Our children, Our family, Our hobby (or hobbies), Our home (or homes), Our land, Our clothes, Our car(or cars), Our church, Our friends, Our significant other, Our pets, and…most of all… Self - the biggest one of all. Here are some simple questions to ask yourself to see if you have idols: Look at your checkbook. What do you spend most of your money on? Consider your thoughts and imaginations. What do you think about most? Which of the above items cause pain when God puts restrictions on them? Let me share some personal experiences. Several years ago the Lord told me to stop buying shoes and clothes until further notice. He told me that I could wear what I already had for quite some time before needing to buy more - Ouch! Some time later, the Lord told me that I loved my children more than I loved Him. I wanted to argue with Him, but figured He knows me better than I know myself. I told Him that I didn't want to love my children less, but that I wanted my love for Him to grow and become greater than my love for them. Also, He's challenged me to spend more quiet time with Him...staying home from Monday- Thursday every week (since I work as an OBGYN nurse on the weekends). He's asked me to turn off the TV, radio, music (unless He directs) and even limit my "spiritual" reading in order to be available to hear Him and fellowship with Him. Trust me, you really find out how dead you are to yourself in times like these. It's like withdrawal from drugs or something. It's not easy, and it doesn't happen all at once. He's been slowly weaning me, from unnecessary activities, for years. I'm not telling you to do what God has asked me to do, but I want you to think about the idols in your life which God - in Leviticus 26:1 - says we must forsake. Leviticus 26:2 goes on to say, "You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary, I am the Lord." Here's another "if" for us to consider. This (“if”) is our part, what He is asking us to do. How do we keep His Sabbath? Is this about going to church on a Saturday or a Sunday only? No! I think the meaning is much different than that. In Isaiah 58:13 we have a wonderful description of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is really His rest that we are to enter into, not doing any of our own works or pleasures. Jesus said of Himself in John 5:19 and John 12:49 that He only did what He saw the Father do and only spoke what He received from the Father. Let me quote from Isaiah 58:13 (Amp): "If you turn away your foot from [traveling unduly on] the Sabbath, from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor Him and it, not going your own way or seeking or finding your own pleasure or speaking with your own [idle] words, then will you delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage [promised for you] of Jacob your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it."(Notice the “if/then” clause?) Do you see it? This is talking about the Christ-life, where we cease from our own works in order to cooperate, with the Lord, in the application of His personal will. This should be a way of life that we are growing into. As He is in this world, so are we. Now, verse 2b (of Lev. 26) - we are to reverence His sanctuary. This is important as well for “Do you not know, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Co.6:19) Uh, Oh! Now she's going to mess with our food and exercise! Yes, unfortunately, you're right. It takes the Holy Spirit many years to process us and grow us up to be fit to really produce fruit, and we, meanwhile, are ruining our health and giving Him less years to use us for His glory. Ouch! That hurt me too! Thank God for people like Dr. Reginald Cherry and others who are pointing us in the direction of balance concerning our physical health, but there's more involved here than just our physical body. Our soul must be healthy in order for our body to be healthy. Paul says, "Brethren I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health even as (in direct proportion as) your soul prospers." (KJV) If we are sick in our soul, our body will be sick as well. Our soul is our mind, emotions, and will. What are we putting in our minds? Garbage in, garbage out. What are we reading? What are we watching? What are we listening to? Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…Who do we get our counsel from? The nightly news, local newspaper, unsaved family, doctors, friends, fashion magazines, etc.? Mark 4:24 says, "Be careful what you are hearing…" Mark 4:19 says,"...the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasures and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the word, and it becomes fruitless." Isaiah 33:15b speaks of the behavior of one who walks righteously "…who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes to avoid (looking upon evil)." Our emotions too, are a part of our soul. Do you often get angry? Oh, you say, "our family's always been like this." Well, Jesus said if you get angry with someone it's as if you murdered him. If you look upon a woman (or man) to lust after her (him), you're an adulterer. Fear is another sinful emotion according to the word. It has been noted that 365 times in the bible God tells us not to fear. I don't think this is a suggestion. Fear is the opposite of faith, in fact, it is having faith in what the enemy can do. You say, “How can I change? What hope is there? What can I do?” You have been given all the power needed to overcome, you just didn't know it. James 4:6 says, "He gives us more and more grace(power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace (continually) to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it)." Ask Him, seek Him, knock until He gives you the grace you need to overcome. We can also do our part: close our mouth before speaking evil, walk away from a potentially sinful encounter, turn off the tv, only do those things which we know we could do in His presence. Let's return to Lev.26:3"…If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them." Jesus said all of the law and commandments are fulfilled in this, that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Is He really the Lord of your life? Then… Now is my favorite part of Lev.26. Our loving Lord by the Holy Spirit innumerates all the blessings that are ours IF we are cooperating with verses 1-3. I love all the tangible things we're promised, but I must admit, it's the relational promises that thrill me the most…so I'm only going to mention them. Verse 9 says, "I (God) will be leaning toward you with favor (selah) and regard for you (selah again). Wow…I want the Lord to lean toward me with favor, don't you?...and have regard for me? The dictionary says regard means to show respect, kind feeling, esteem, liking, and give attention to. I sure want all of that from our Lord! Verse 11 says, I will set My dwelling IN and AMONG you and My soul (God's soul - selah) shall not despise or reject or separate itself from you. God's soul - His mind (His thoughts), emotions (of love, compassion, kindness, etc.), and will (His perfect will I might add) shall be yours. Verse 12 is my final text. "And I will walk IN and WITH and AMONG you, and will be your God, and you shall be My people." (selah) One of my favorite "living" ministers is Wade Taylor. He walks WITH God. His mentor, John Follette, a bachelor, had an extra place set at his table for Jesus. The first time Bro. Wade went to his home to visit, he said the tangible, manifest presence of God abided there. John Follette was teaching a bible school class one day and suddenly turned to the side and began a conversation with an unseen guest. After a few minutes, he noticed where he was, apologized to the class and resumed his teaching. I don't know about you, but I want more of God than I am presently experiencing. Let’s press in to do our part (cooperating with the Holy Spirit) so that we can experience more of His part.