Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Thursday February 5, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Leviticus.

Today's Message: Your Influence
The things that we do in life have a big impact on those around us, as a Christian that becomes even more apparent. Therefore, it is of great importance that we let our influence be positively and morally equip.

Today's Bible Reading: Leviticus Chapters 11-13
You can read the chapters by clicking on the link above, if the link does not work you can copyand paste this link into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2011-13&version=9

God gave specific commandments concerning which animals could be eaten and which ones could not. "And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat." (Leviticus 11:1-3).Only the food that was considered clean according to the command of God was to be eaten. "For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten." (11:44-47). Over 40 times in the book of Leviticus we read, I am the LORD or I am the LORD your God, inwardly, outwardly, morally, and spiritually, we also must separate ourselves from all that defiles our bodies.

The laws were intended to teach Israel that all authority rested in God for the best health possible. The animals that were acceptable for food were those that chewed their cud and had a divided hoof. These two features represent two characteristics of the Christian life.
1. The people of God must be separated from all worldliness.
2. In order for a Christian to remain clean, heneeds tocontinouslymeditate upon the Word of God so he remains holy.

The word unclean is used about 100 times in chapters 11 through 15, implying that God required every unclean thing to be removed from their lives. God also required that the Israelites separate themselves from heathens, idolatry, immorality, and even unsanitary habits. The people of God were not to even allowed to intermarry with Gentile unbelievers. The many sacrifices, rules, and regulations concerning what is clean and unclean provide awareness of how repulsive sin is to God. God's character does not change; therefore these regulations remind every Christianthat we need to truly be careful of what we do to our bodies, the foods we eat or what we drink can seriously defile us. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (I Corithians 10:31).

All who accept Jesus and make the choice to follow Him willbegin to cleanse all the bad habits from their lives, in fact, eventhings that we use to eat and drink are no longer apart of our lives because we learn that it is not good for us. It's all the Power of God working through us and creating us to be the children He intended for us to be. And if you think people are not watching, guess again, they are watching and very closely. You are a big influence on those around you and the closer you get with God the more He shines through you. As that happens you are doing several things.
1. Becoming Christ like.
2. Becoming healthier and enjoying life more.
3. Showing others how important it is to know Christ.
4. Becoming a witness to bring others to Him.

You are setting an example for the world to follow and even the most recognized non-believer'sare watching, one of the most positive ways we can influence themto knowChrist is to live a clean and holy life the gives God the glory for every bit of it.

Jesus Christ is Revealed: Through the clean food of the believer.
Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water that we need in order to have a healthy soul. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35).

Today's Psalm: 107:8-9
"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Your Word indicates the way we interact with those outside the faith will have a positive or a negative influence on whether they choose to follow You.There appears to be no neutral mode in our lives, for we do not live unto ourselves, but regularly give account for our actions and attitudes daily. May we, asYour Children, be faithful in our walk and consistent in our talk as we serve You at home, in the workplace, in our churches, and in our sphere of influence.We do not want to disgrace the holy name of Jesus, but we want to honor His name as we glorify You in all we do.In Jesus' name.............Amen.

Have a wonderful day/night and enjoy the rest of your week, hang in there, it's almost the weekend.
God Bless,
Christina

Visit A Spiritual Guide
www.aspiritualguide.net