TRUTH or Consequences?

The truth hurts or so the old saying goes, but the real truth is that it does bring consequences with it, Now I am going to give you the meaning from an on-line dictionary for the word consequence because I have a reader whose blogger name happens to be "coffee" who will only do it if I don't. So here is what I found for consequence, 1. A phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon; "the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise"; "his decision had depressing consequences for business"; "he acted very wise after the event".

2. The outcome of an event especially as relative to an individual; "that result is of no consequence".

The truth had severe consequences for John the Baptist...he lost his head...literally.

He pointed out the fact to a guy named Herod that he was doing evil in God's sight because he was living with his brother's wife and this revelation infuriated the wife and she tricked old Herod into executing John. The conviction of sin brings with it consequences, no matter who it is. You see John had been called from the time of his birth and even before that while he was still in his mother's womb to be a preacher of righteousness and he was afraid of no one. Including the king, or whatever he was.

Later on however Herod was attacked by an army of worms and eaten alive. The consequences of sin in this case. If he had listened to John and repented then it would have been entirely a different story, a different outcome or consequence.

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death--that is the consequence of sin and it is the truth. We have a choice and if we make the right choice(the other part of that Bible verse I quoted from Romans says "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord)As I was saying , we have a choice, and if we accept Jesus as our Savior as the verse suggests, then our choice will have the right consequence...eternal life. By the way, John the Baptist is awaiting resurrection morning when his glorified body will be reunited with his spirit and soul and he will be caught up first to meet the Lord in the air..."and so shall we ever be with the Lord." To that I say...Hallelujah!

cont'd later

A prophetic word of truth

Isaiah 51:6: "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished." Do you find these words scary or do they cause unsettling feelings in your heart and mind? Are you ready? We all should wake up and examine our own hearts and see if we are ready for that day. Some might say, even some of my readers that these words are not important any longer, that Jesus Christ was just a figure of history, that in fact He was just a man, albeit a good man but this is just a fable, maybe?
I want to declare to you this day that the Bible is true and all you have to do is to proclaim it, you do not have to prove it because it will prove itself! Here is what the great apostle Peter has to say in his first epistle to the pilgrims of the dispersion(those who had to flee Jerusalem under the great Roman persecution). Chapter 1 beginning at verse 3-13, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4)to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5)who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6)In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7)that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8)whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, 9)receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. 10)Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently (KJV) carefully(NKJV), who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11)searching what or what manner of time , the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12)To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven---things which angels desire to look into. 13)Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
What a portion of scripture this is! Do you have any doubts Christian after reading these verses found here in Peter's letter to these dispersed saints of God that Jesus is coming again and that it behooves us to prepare ourselves for His coming? This scripture passage is too much to leave for just one blog entry. I will be discussing it in future blogs.

This is the Truth

I think I have done a series in moreaboutHisWord on the truth. Truth is so shaded in this society today that it is very, very difficult to see it when it is present. Just look at the American election that recently took place and the Canadian also. It is more difficult than ever before to believe some of the promises that they make and to tell the difference between the candidates. However there is One who is Himself the Truth.

Jesus said in John 8:58, "Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. Jehovah God said to Moses in Ex. 3:14 "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you."

vs. 15 "Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel; the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations."
The great I AM...THE NAME OF GOD. And Jesus Christ, Son of the living God had the audacity, the nerve even the unmitigated gall to infer even to say that He was the great I AM. Of course I am being facetious here for it was not audacity nor nerve neither was it gall for Him to say that because He is, He was and He ever shall be God I AM means that He will always be, He is in a constant state of being; eternally. It implies an eternal Being. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the great I AM. The great I AM came down to this earth to save us. He came as a man wrapped in human flesh. The Word was God who became flesh and He dwelt among us is the Bible account. Why then the great debate over Who Jesus really is?
Pilate asked the question, "what is truth?"and he was asking the very personification of truth, Jesus of Nazareth Whom he was about to order His execution, but he was blind to the fact that
God was standing before him. Truth incarnate God. The great I AM is with us. Emmanuel!

The truth will set you free

This blog was supposed to be dedicated to my study on the Tabernacle and it still is, however I have included some other thoughts here also since I have been having difficulty accessing another blog that I contributed to. So this site will be used for other subjects besides the Tabernacle. If you would like to read some from the other site, it is, www. moreaboutHisWord .blogspot.com. So today's topic is from the words of Jesus "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." When I was just in my early teens we used to sing that song there in the old Full Gospel Assembly on Charlotte Street in Saint John and oh, how the power would fall. It goes on to say "Christ died on the cross to grant us liberty, Over every sin there's perfect victory, Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Another one that we sang in those days went "You can't make me doubt Him, no you can't make me doubt Him. You can't make me doubt Him in my heart. You can't make me doubt Him for I can't live without Him, You can't make me doubt Him in my heart."
These old choruses spark a fire in my heart and evoke such pleasant memories of bygone days when Pentecost was new and fresh and vital to our very existence. We lived for church when we would get together to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. That was freedom and it still can be but we must desire Him above every other person, above every other activity...above every other thing.....we must desire God. He must consume our every thought; He must be our passion...we must seek Him with our whole heart. This is the Truth that will set all of us free.
I've said it before; the Truth is a Person and that Person is none othe than the Lord Jesus Christ. To know Him means efernal life...you can live forever!

A man of God:a series on truth.

1 Chronicles 4:10 states a fact..."Jabez was more honorable than his brethren." Starting with the previous blog re- jelly beans I hope to do a series on truth and I've made this statement before that truth is a person and that person is the Lord Jesus Christ. You can only know real truth when you know Him. But on to today's blog with this truth about Jabez. The text says he was honorable. That is my prayer Lord make me an honorable human being...make me a man of God ...an honorable man of God. Forgive me of all my sins, cleanse me,renew in me a contrite spirit, make me pure in heart. That is my desire today; it was said of David that he was a man after God's own heart; Moses was the meekest man on earth and he spoke with God as a man speaks to his friend, he knew God's ways, the children of Israel knew His acts but Moses knew His ways; Abraham was a friend of God who believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.
RIGHTEOUSNESS, right standing with God: you don't earn it...you can't work for it by performing righteous acts, keeping the Law ...none of those things, and yet the righteous man of God will do righteous things. Lord make me a man of God today, I pray. What about you?
Will you be a righteous person today?

Jelly beans

I like jelly beans, I think I like the red ones best, they've got that Maraschino cherry flavour. Then close on the heels of the red ones is black, licorice of course lemon and orange following in that order. I like the taste and the fact that they are so brightly colored. By now you are probably thinking "where is he going with this blog?" I'm saying that we all have favorite things and we choose out of them what suits us for the particular time or occasion. But there are some things in life that we should cherish beyond how it makes us feel. The words of King Solomon as found in Proverbs 23:23 point out what I really want to say; " Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding." He tells us to "buy the truth" What Solomon is telling us is that there is nothing as important as truth and the truth is that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. We all may have certain likes and dislikes but truth doesn't care whether we like it or not and sometimes truth is not popular but that doesn't make one iota of difference, truth is still truth. Jelly beans do not have a lot of nutritional value but they taste good. TRUTH IS OF GREAT VALUE. It may not always suit our taste but it is best for us.

Tabernacle series ; Hebrews 10

In the tenth chapter of Hebrews, we see that the law could never justify us as it could never take away sin. Rather it was a constant reminder of sin. VERSE THREE SAYS "But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year:" Then in the next verse "For it is not possible that the blood of sheep and goats could take away sins." Read verses 5-9. Verse 10 reads "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
"That will" being God's will. There is no more need for animal sacrifices...His sacrifice on the cross, represented by the rent Veil, was and is all the sacrifice necessary for all men for all time. Look at verse 19 again, and reading down to 21 inclusive "Therefore brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the Veil, that is His flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, 22. let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
(read on down through verse 25) Looking at verse 25...just how important is it for us to meet in church? On a regular basis? It would be easy to stay home on a dirty night. It's easy to stay home when you are tired or company comes or you have had a bad day...there are lots of reasons. But the Bible says here in Hebrews ch. 10 that we must do it even more as time passes and we draw closer to the return of the Lord. Can you say amen?

The Tabernacle from Hebrews 10

This portion of scripture that we are about to read is serious business. Vs. 26 from Heb. 10 reads " For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins"...going on further vs. 27 says "But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary."Read vvs. 28&29 also.
Yet we should not fear nor live in a spirit of fear. "PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT ALL FEAR" 1 JOHN 4:18. READ 1 jOHN 4:12-21 IN FACT THE SCRIPTURE HERE TELLS ME THAT "IF WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER, GOD ABIDES IN US" VERSE 12 THAT IS A GOOD TEST. There's no fear in love. Love one for the other (without partiallity, James tells us). I can't love you and not love my brother just because he happens to be a Baptist, can I? if WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER THEN WE NEED NOT LIVE IN FEAR, AMEN? So do you love me? I love you all.
That verse 14 says that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. This is the how and why and when that answers the questions concerning the Veil, the Veil represents the finshed work on Calary. Read John 17:1-5.

More from a wise King...

I have been duscussing some thoughts from Proverbs 28:24-28, spiders, locusts, ants; I have not mentioned the rock badgers yet. The biggest reason being that I have not a clue just exactly what a rock badger is. Now the King James version calls them conies. Duh...what's a conie? It's a hyrax...a what? I had to go to the dictionary for this one and here it is: any of several species of small mammals of the order Hyracoidea, of Africa and the Mediteranean region, having short legs and tail and hoof like nails on the toes. That really narrows it down. Remind you of anyone you know? I've been to the Mediteranean area six times and I can't honestly say that I have ever seen one. But then the Bible says that the conies are a feeble people and that they dwell in rocky crags and I have never visited those areas much. What I do suspect is that they are living in these places because it provides protection for them and a hiding place from their enemies as well as storms and other natural disasters. Just such a parallel is what I see in the Lord Jesus Christ as He provides a protective hiding place from the storms and circumstances of life and also keeps us when our enemy, Satan comes along to trip us up, to lure us out in the open where he can harm us big time.Jesus provides us rest in some hard places, places that seem unlikely for a place of rest. Like the conies, or rock badger, or hyrax, we too are sometimes a feeble people but I am thankful that He provides a hiding place in Him...comments anyone? What is your testimony? RC

More about the Veil

Hebrews 10
1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21And having an high priest over the house of God;
22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
34For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
35Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.




We ended our session last spring, I think it was, with a talk concerning the Veil and if there is only one truth that we could retain in this entire study of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the one that God gave Moses a pattern for and explicit instructions to build, then it would be this truth concerning the Veil that I would hope we would all remember. Why this single truth?




Because if any portion of scripture we have read over the months that we have studied speaks to us and points us to the cross and the finished work that Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour has accomplished for you and I tonight, it is the truth of the Veil that was rent in twain when Jesus cried "It is finished!" Hallelujah! This world is shaking tonight to its very foundations and everything that can be shaken is going to be shaken but the cross of Jesus Christ still stands as a beacon of hope and the only answer for a sin laden world that is lost. The cross is still mankind's only hope. It's "a new and living way" verse 20 says which He has consecrated for us. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin, but His blood that was spilt on Calvary takes away all my sins and males me ready for a home in heaven. That is our hope tonight, can you say am,en? It's our only hope. John says in 1 John, 1-3that it is a hope that purifies. Read it in 1John


1-3. We're talking about the Veil tonight, the Veil of His flesh. It is not a mystical thing it is not the symbolic thing although the Veil of the tabernacle did indicate that Jesus would come and give His life, but it rather is a reality that He is that riven Veil. We are told that the Veil ofg Solomon's temple which was patterned from the tabernacle Veil stood 60 ft. high and was 30 ft. wide by 4" thick and it was said that two teams of oxen could not pull it apart. Only God could tear the Veil in two as it was torn from top to bottom, too high for human hands to reach let alone too strong for human hands to tear.

Words from an ant...go to the ant, thou sluggard. Words are what we use to communicate with each other; now that's a revelation. Some one has said actions speak louder than words, another bit of wisdom. Yet it is still true and just as the ant has spoken to the sluggard(sort of a demeaning term, sluggard is), so our actions tell a lot about us. Words can heal or they can hurt, especially accusing words and worse still when one is unjustly accused. We all know people like that, don't we? Jesus knows how it feels to be hurt by accusations, false ones. And yet when He was reviled, He reviled not again. He was rejected of men; strangers, countrtymen and yes even His own brothers. I think that to be rejected and accused falsely by a family member is no doubt the worst, the most painful. Now the ant did not speak directly to the sluggard; rather he was the inspiration for the writer of this particular proverb. However in one sense this ant spoke directly and correctly to the lazy individual that King James calls a sluggard by his work ethic.

However, my point in all of this confusion that I have created here this a.m. is the seriousness of saying a thing that will hurt another person. Once we let a word go forth from our lips, it is an impossibility to take it back. We cannot retrieve it. I have seen the results of a false accusation and it caused me to realize once again how important was and still is the wards found in James ch. 3 and verses 5-12. I am quoting from the NKJV.

"Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity." Skipping down to verse 10 "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing . My brethren, these things ought not to be so.Words can hurt; words can heal...let us endeavour to heal with our words rather than hurt. So what about the ant you ask? Nothing; everyone knows ants can't talk...can they?

Four things: the locust...grasshopper, maybe?

Last blog was the spider, last on the list found in Proverbs 30:24-28...third on the list is the locust...these may not be our favorite bugs but they can teach us a lesson or two. All four of these creatures have something in common...they are not afraid of work. And they are not sitting around complaining about life. Each one is unique in its own special way. And each one reminds me of someone I know or have known. Today it's the locust that i want to examine. Also called acridid, short-horned grasshopper. any of several grasshoppers of the family Acrididae, having short antennae and commonly migrating in swarms that strip the vegetation from large areas. That is what the dictionary says about them......farmers hate them. But they can still teach humankind a lesson. The scripture in Proverbs said that they have no king....yet they all advance in ranks. What is so important about that you may ask? It tells me that even though they have no leader, that still every one of these creratures knows his place and does what it takes to get the job done. They depend on each other and takong a few liberties here(I can do that 'cause I'm the Blog Master), they support each other. They see the harvest and they don't wait for an invitation, they don't wait for the board to make a decision as to who should represemt them, they just all join in ranks and good by harvest, I mean they reap big time....and they are not fearful for their lives, they literally jump right in and take the spoil and they have ravenous appetites. Do we have that same appetite for God? Do we have that kind of hunger for lot and dying humanity? Pardon the reference...food for thought.

The Spider Prov. 6:6-8, 30:24-28

ch.6:6-8 reads "Go to the ant , oh sluggard, Consider her ways and be wise,etc. Then read ch. 30:24 There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; 26 The rock badgers[a] are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; 27 The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; 28 The spider[b] skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings’ palaces.

I watched a spider in our downstairs bathroom yesterday as it weaved its web and as it was trapping its prey...made me think of a certain trapper I know(two of them, actually.) I watched from a certain vantage point, not unlike a throne and thought about this scripture found in Proverbs, the one I have refferred to and it spoke to me about those who are always complaining about how they have been missed somehow by some circumstance of fate or bad luck or somebody else's fault or some other reason that they have failed to succeed in life. Then there are those people who in spite of circumstances be it ill health or a poor family background or some circumstance that seemingly would not allow them to do well, yet in spite of all these negative things have overcome and are successful today. I know some who feel that God will meet all their needs without them lifting a finger...guess what.....go to the ant, look at the spider..observe the locust...get off your duff! Ch. 6 verse 9 -11 puts it thusly, "How long will you slumber ; O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? Alittle sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep_ So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man." Much sleep sometimes leads to much poverty

A living sacrifice

This early morning as I was in prayer the Lord reminded me of a scripture verse from Romans 12. Verse 1 says "I beseech you therefore, brethren , that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." That is only my reasonable service. And in verse 2 he tells us "And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Just being a nonconformist is not the answer...the hippies were nonconformists, the beatniks were nonconformists...remember them? So what is the writer to the Romans saying?
One thing he is saying as you read on in this chapter 12 is that we are members of His body and as such we ought to live in humble submission to what God wants from us...we should not live and even think like we are superior to others, not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, we need to think soberly and God has given us faith to do just that. In 1 Corinthians ch. 13 commonly known as the "love" chapter it says that love is not puffed up. Love does not parade itself. It does not always dominate every conversation, it does not always want the spotlight, it does not always want to be the center piece in every picture. It isn't rude, it does not want it's own way; the list goes on...read that 13th. chapter and read it over again and again.Don't make a fool of yourself by being obnoxious, if you catch my drift. Love loves life, especially life in Christ. Once I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Grow up is what the Bible is saying..some people never do. Jesus says "take up your cross and follow Me. Don't be a showoff.
The hymn writer said it like this, "my heart is thrilled when'er I think of Jesus, the only name that sets the captive free, the only name through which I find salvation, no other name has meant so much to me"...that is how I feel.

People

People are important...to God, so much so that He sent His only begotten Son to this earth to be born of a virgin, to suffer at the hands of one of the cruelest regimes planet earth has ever experienced, betrayed by His own countrymen,His own friends, even His own family. The Bible says they were offended because of Him. And then they nailed Him to a cross....what untold agony that must have been. People are important to those whom we joined in Morocco who went there(there were five of us) for the sole purpose of encouraging some heroes of the faith. For them to know that we journeyed all the way from Canada just to shake their hand or give them a hug and let them know that we loved them was a real blessing to them. They treated us like the king and his queen. These dear people made sacrifices just to be in our company and it could have been probably not so pleasant for them if some knew what we were talking about. But they sacrificed to feed us, no doubt in my mind and we in turn are in their debt. These are precious people. They are so very important to us.
People are important to each other and we will gather on the morrow to worship our God, but undoudedly we are glad and happy to see one another. Handshakes, back slapping, hugs...all saying to that other person, "you are important to me. When you are in an atmosphere like we will be in tomorrow, fellowshipping with people of like precious faith, nothing else can compare. It is a great blessing for me to gather with the saints of God and offer praise to Him. People are important to our friend Naida who is in Mali with Madeliene and some other people ministering the love of God through medicine. You who are reading this are important to me also and I hope that you will let me know if this blog or any other blog that I or Naida may do is important to you...RC

Disparity
Disparity means by definition the condition or fact of being unequal. While Judy and I were travelling in a particular country in North Africa recently, we discovered what that word really means. We saw just how unequal this world can be. We live in Canada, the best country in the world in our opinion and rather than gloat about it as some nations do, we are grateful to be Canadians.....we were born and raised here. Canada is the second largest country in size in the world, second only to Russia. With only 33.5 million people or so, we have a lot of space left. The particular country that we were travelling in has approximately the same population figures as does Canada in fact we are 36 and they are 37th in the world as far as population goes, but in land massCanada is #2 and the country we visited is #57 in size. We have almost 10 million square kilometres; the country in question has only 446,550 square km's which makes our country over 22 times larger. Now that is disparity. Canada is rich in natural resources as well and compared to other countries we are rich beyond measure. But the real disparity between our two countries is not so much a physical thing but it is rather a spiritual situation...you cannot preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in that land. Christians, you had better be thankful and diligent concerning our freedom and we had best take advantage of every opportunity that we have to proclaim the good news...it might not always be this way. In contrast to the laws of that totally Islamic nation however, they are free to practice their religion in my country. They can pray anywhere they want to without fear of arrest or harassment of any kind. Again an example of disparity. An example from the Bible comes to mind and while I will not take time to quote the scripture verses, it is the story or parable if you will concerning the ten virgins...five of them were wise and five were foolish. The five wise had kept themselves prepared for the coming arrival of their heavenly bridegroom but the foolish ones had not. Take notice that they were all virgins which speaks of purity, however the foolish ones were not prepared...they had let their lamps run out of oil. Are we in tune with our heavenly bridegroom? Are we in a constant attitude of prayer? Jesus said "men ought always to pray and noy faint. Perhaps we too need someone to talk to about spiritual things, perhaps we need to increase our time spent with our bridegroom so that when the cry comes "go ye out to meet Him...there will not be any disparity.

colors of tthe veil, cont'd.

The third color of the veil is scarlet.....perhaps the most significant of all the colors in the veil. Scarlet or red represents the purpose of this entire gospel story; it represents the shed blood of the Lamb of Calvary. "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.
Hebrews says "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
Heb. 9-14. 1 Peter 1:18,19...For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver or gold, from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot:"
The scarlet on the veil speaks to you and I tonight of the blood that Jesus shed for each and every man, woman, boy or girl on the face of planet earth. He was faithful to death and are we not required to do the same if necessary?
One more color though it may not be spelled out in these verses, is the color of white...someone has said that white is the presence of all colors and that black is the absence of colors..I don't know if that is true or not but it does fit if it is true. In it's description of the veil the Bible speaks of fine twined linen. It is depicted in Revelation as the righteousness of the saints. It speaks of purity. If we are going to be part of the bride then we must have purity...we must be pure and the blood of Jesus is the only thing that will keep us pure and make us pure. Our thought life must be pure...our conversation must be pure...what we say..when you say Oh my God..are you using His name in vane or are you praying? Are we honest in all our business dealings with others? You know the devil is an accuser but there are times when it is the Word of God that accuses us. White is a color in the veil.
Oh! the blood that drew salvation's plan, oh! the grace that brought it down to man, Oh the might gulf that God did span...at Calvary.

If you've been with Jesus, it will show on your face

Ex. 34:29-35 : "Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets in his hand, Moses did not know tht the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near Him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him and Moses spoke with them. Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face, but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, that the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again , until he went in to speak with Him."Have you ever noticed that some people's facial expression, who claim to be a Christian seem to have a facial expression of a prune? How can this be? Having been in the presence of the LORD many times and praying with those of like mindedness, I have seen what the results of that experience can be. A person who loves Jesus ought to show it on their face; it should be evident by their countenance.





We have just been with some great Christian people. Most of them are Spanish and since most of them can't speak English and we can't "habla Espaniol" it would seem like we could not communicate, however such is not the case, we communicate because of the abidng presence of Almighty God, who Jesus is, and it shows on our faces. The glory of God will show forth on the faces of those who love to be in His presence.




Even a smile will bring forth another smile but this that is spoken of Moses is much greater than a smile, it is a reflection of Jesus face. Our lives should be like that shining for Jesus. When we've been with Jesus, spending time in His presence, our lives should shine with a radiance that is .from God. You don't even have to say anything, all you have to do is shine for Him. The face of Moses shone because he had just spent forty days with Him on the mount Sinai studying the Word of God. God was giving to Moses His Word. It was alive and it was powerful. Moses was there in His presence, face to face with the creator of the universe. The book of Hebrews is very clear on just who created the universe as is the gospel of John. In ch. 1 and verse 1&2 of John we read,"In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him ws not anything made that was made." Also in Hebrews ch. 1 explains that through the Son, He(God) created the worlds...the universe and later in the same chapter verse 10 it says, "And, In the beginning, LORD, You founded the earth, and the heavens are the workof your hands." John saw this creator when he was on the Isle of Patmos and he said in verse17, "When I saw Him, I fell at His fet as though dead." Little wonder he did; he was in the very presence of the living God! Every eye is going to see Him...

Colors of the Veil, cont'd.

The second color we are shown is purple. Purple is universally accepted as the colour of royalty.
It is the colour of kings. Jesus is the King of kings He was the rightful heir ...even through His earthly genealogy to the throne of David. Man did not anoint Him King, not even with the oil of the sanctuary that Moses (through Bezaleel) made. Rather He was anointed to be King of kings and LORD of lords by God the Father with that Anointing of the Holy Ghost, the true Oil of the Spirit. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth. We must have that same anointing oil applied to our hearts and lives in order to enter into the sanctuary and pass through the entrance that is marked by the riven veil, that is the Veil of His flesh.
The Jews rejected Him; John said, "He came unto His own and His own received Him not but as many as received Him, To them He gave the power to become the sons of God. Even to as many as call upon His name. He is our King, hallelujah!

Colours of the veil

For those who have attended the Bible study at the church house, I must apologize for not keeping up with this blog during these summer months. So here is an attempt to correct this situation. And I will be continuing the study sometime this fall at the church, LORD willing.
I'm speaking of the colours of the veil and their significance today and the first colour that was mentioned was blue. But let us first read from Exodus 26:31-33 "31And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
32And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
33And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Also Exodus 36:35-38 35And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
36And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
38And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.
I have already mentioned that the first colour was blue and it has been suggested that it is because He was and is from heaven. 1Cor. 15:47 calls Him the LORD from heaven."This colour is interwoven throughout the writings of John who is always presenting Him as God from heavenly origin....actually that word origin is probably the wrong word here since God has no origin...He always was, is and evermore shall be! John met Him, you know there on the Isle of Patmos.
Let's take a look at some verses in the book of the Revelation, chapter 1 and reading from verse 9-18 " 9I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
To say that He was just a man is preposterous; He is God who came down from heaven and became a man. "In the beginnig, ....God" Genesis 1:1 He came from heaven...blue is the colour of heaven...Continued later

The Veil…Lo He is the Mighty Conqueror since He rent the veil in Two
Oh behold the Man of Sorrows Oh behold Him in plain view, for He is the Mighty Conqueror, since He rent the veil in two. John 14:6, “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” This scripture verse that I have just read is depicted in type to show us that Jesus is the real truth and life and the way and we will see this fulfilled in typology in the construction of the Gate, the Door and the Veil, and tonight(being the last night until next fall) we will confine our study to the Veil and if time permits perhaps a little review might be good as well.…The reason that I am starting with the Veil is the same reason that I started with the Holy of Holies…God came to us, not the other way round. He searched for me. In tenderness He sought me….when I was lost without hope, without God …He came to me. Why did He love me so? Why does He love you so? I’m glad He did. I’m glad He does tonight.
The Veil was a veil of separation between a holy God and unholy man. It hung between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place that was called the Holy of Holies in which was the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat Let’s look at the scriptural setting, the background…tonight’s text if you will and it is found in Ex. Ch. 26 verses 31-33 Exodus 26:31-33 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. 32 You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.
Also look at Ex.ch. 36:35-38 Exodus 36:35-38 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

35 And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim. 36 He made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, with their hooks of gold; and he cast four sockets of silver for them. 37 He also made a screen for the tabernacle door, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. And he overlaid their capitals and their rings with gold, but their five sockets were bronze.

The Veil was supported by four pillars consisting of acacia wood overlaid with gold and grounded in silver foundations. We won’t occupy our time tonight with the pillars but rather with the Veil which they support…that was their function, the meaning for their existence and we will see more as we study the Veil. However everything about this Tabernacle building has significance because every minute detail in one way or another points us to Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, so it is all significant, amen?
The Tabernacle was built after the pattern of the things in heaven That is why we look to Jesus Who is in heaven and came down from heaven to dwell among us.
There it is, in the book of Hebrews that we look for the interpretation of these truths regarding the Tabernacle. All other explanations have to line up with the one found in Hebrews.

The Veil was a veil of separation between a holy God and sinful man; it kept the O.T. saints of all ages from approaching God except for that once a year the high priest could go in to seek an atonement for the sins of the people and he would go there with the blood of an animal to offer upon the mercy seat in the hopes of having their sins covered up. That is what the word atonement means…it is an old testament word that means to “atone” or “cover up” After the Veil has been rent the word is “expiation” or “reconciliation” or “redemption” The blood of Jesus does not just “cover up” sin but rather takes it away. It fully reconciles a holy God with repentant sinners. David said in Psalm 32 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.” That is Old Testament, however the truth is still the same because when Jesus came and went to the cross and made an atonement for sin it was not only covered but it was also washed away. Are you glad your sins are not only covered but they are washed away? They are gone!

The Old Testament saints were unable to have their sins removed before Calvary. That’s why Ephesians tells us He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men, speaking of course about Jesus after His crucifixion descending into the lowest parts of hell and leading them to freedom.

The Veil speaks of the flesh and the body and the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
O/T. saints looked ahead in faith as we see in Hebrews chapter 11.even as we look back to Calvary. They by faith saw what He was going to do whereas we look to what He has done. However in saying that we know that according to Rev. 13:8 , He was slain from before the foundation of the world, so that in the mind of the Father He was already crucified.

There are four groups or companies of saints in heaven and they are all represented by the four and twenty elders that we find in Rev. ch 4:4
They do not cease to worship God through out eternity. They made it in because
Of the Veil being rent or torn in two. They are people who are redeemed and clothed in gold and grounded in redemption. These four and twenty elders represent the redeemed of all the ages and the scene is the time when all the redeemed are gathered where the Lamb is the only One found worthy to open the Book…the Blood has been shared and the Veil has been rent.
I said that there were four companies of believers who will be gathered, and the first company will be the Old Testament Saints. Acts 7:38
The church in the wilderness refers to the Israelites who came out of Egypt. They were under the Mosaic covenant right up until the Veil was rent in two. Their salvation as well as ours was and is totally dependent on the Lamb of God. He shed His blood for all men of all ages. As I said previously the 11th. Chapter of Hebrews is testimony to what He did in their lives. Read Hebrews 12:1,2.
The second group is the New Testament church Saints and that includes you and me, can you shout amen? Matt 16:16-16 -18. Read Col. 1:18-22
The third group would be the 144,000 Jewish church saints who have been martyred for their testimony. Look at Rev. 7:2-4 Also Rev. 14:1-3.
The fourth group is the Great Tribulation Saints. Rev 7:9-14. Rev 15:2-5
All four groups benefit from the Veil that was rent. Hebrews10:19,20We know undoubtedly that the Veil represents our Lord .Hebrews 10:19,20

The Tabernacle Bars

The Tabernacle bars…Ex 26:26-29, May, 20, 2008

26 “And you shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle,
27 “five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, for the far side westward.
28 “The middle bar shall pass through the midst of the boards from end to end.
29 “You shall overlay the boards with gold as holders for the bars, and overlay the bars with gold.
30 “ And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain.
Do you remember the little children’s chorus? :
“BUILDING UP THE TEMPLE?
That is what were talking about in these scriptures…building the tabernacle of God…and where does He abide today?
In the lives of His people, amen?
This is going to be good tonight! When I was looking at this material; these scriptures and especially this verse that says “And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain
My heart sort of said …pitter patter …so lets get at ‘er
Let us consider the purpose of the bars tonight and see their parallel reflected in the N.T. and what they mean to you and I.
The bars consolidated or kept the whole as one. The boards already had two tenons that fit into the silver sockets and sort of clung to the foundation…they were fitly framed together…The nkjv puts it thusly in Eph. 2:21 “in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” Notice the word “grows” here…we are His temple but we are not instantly perfected are we? We grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord, can you say amen? Hallelujah! The whole building fitted together…Bezaleel fitted everything together…he saw to it that it was properly fitted..the Spirit does that as we yield to His will in our lives..and the next verse says “in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” We are the dwelling place of God tonight! Some of you are thinking …right! I know him and he isn’t all that great …who does he think he is anyway? I’m a slow learner and therefore He is still working on me…have patience cause I’m going to make it by His grace.
The boards were fitly framed together but they still required strengthening in their lateral support. They needed to be kept from falling sideways. They had a relationship to the boards beside each other but not to the whole.
The boards are of no value to the temple as long as they remain individual boards just as stones are of no value to a building as long as they stay individual stones or in a rock pile. They must be drawn out and chosen by the mason and placed where he wills…isn’t this good?? Look at what Peter describes us as in 1 Peter 2:3-5. We offer up sacrifices…
It took specialized workmanship, called of God like Bezaleel was to place these “lively” stones into a temple for the Living God…it takes the Holy Spirit to work this in our lives and He uses specific ministries to accomplish His goals. He gives “gifts unto men” and I’m not talking about material things but I’m speaking about certain specific ministries that He places within the true church of the Living God.
Notice what verse 1-3 says here in 1Peter 2, “Therefore laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” We, in order to be a living stone must lay aside all malice…and we must lay aside all deceit, we must lay aside all hypocrisy, we must lay aside envy….and all evil speaking…I must daily put off the “old man and his deeds” I must daily “put on Christ” You have to choose to love someone…love is a choice and it must be unconditional to really be love. That is why there are so many broken homes today and we need to be on guard always, amen?
We will see as we go on in the ministry of the bars…
There were five bars on three walls each facing in a specific direction…nothing was haphazard, five northward, five southward, and five westward…the front had pillars for the gates…we’ll talk about them later, but not tonight. The walls had one center bar that went the entire length of the wall, the other four went halfway two above the center bar and two below. They were made from the acacia wood covered with gold…today we would call them poles. Each board had three gold rings, one in the middle, one halfway to the bottom and one halfway to the top.The poles were slid through the rings.
This made one solid steadfast wall. And yet it was portable. It had to be portable. Can you imagine the work involved in setting up and tearing down? When God says it is time to move on we had better be ready. We’d better know what is required of each one of us.
All the bars including the center one were made of wood and gold ,…let’s detail this picture of the wall:
Each board was cut from one individual tree, to say that in another way…each board was once a tree;
Each tree had to have its own personal cutting down..each one had to be severed as an individual tree;
In order for this to happen each one of them had to submit to the craftsmen’s axe. . Each tree had to have its branches cut off and be hewn into a board. Each board had to be individually clothed in gold. Each board had to have its hand grasped to the foundation.
However there is still more to be done before Gods plan can be finalized…they must come together as one wall, as one building for Gods’ dwelling place. Read those two verses from Eph. 5:21,22 “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirir” Gods’ habitation is you and I tonight.
So what is the meaning of the bars and rings that we read about in Ex? The answer is found in the fourth chapter of Eph. Verses 4-6, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”
The rings were gold speaking of Diety…no humanity in pure gold. And what is the specific purpose? To keep the bars in place so that the bars can keep all the boards together as one body. Notice what it says here in Eph.
One Body.
One Spirit. One Lord.
One God…there is only one God and we call Him Jesus.!!!
Look at verses 8-10 of Eph. 4
Over in Isaiah ch.11 vs. 1-10 speaks of Jesus coming in power and He is referred to the rod of Jesse
This center rod of Jesse, humanity clothed with Diety, reaches from Eternity to Eternity, from God to earth and to Hell and back to God. Rev. 22:13, John 1: 1-3, Micah 5:2,
Each wall only has one long bar, it is the longest bar in the whole tabernacle and holds all the boards and bars together
The entire wall is held together by this bar.
Col. 1:17 – He is before all things and by Him all things consist
The word consist in the original is really saying – in Him all things have been permanently framed together
Col. 2:9-10, Rom. 8:35
These four bars – wood overlay with gold are kept in place by the three golden rings and these too have a ministry to the boards.
The boards are standing on the foundation but are maintained and are effective because of the center bar which is supplemented by the other four.
This is the ministry found in Eph. 4:11-16
We need to do the following –
To come into the unity of the faith
And the knowledge of the Son of God
Unto a perfect man
Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
And if we do that we will –
henceforth be no more children
Won’t be tossed to and fro
Carried about with every wind of doctrine
But we will speak the Word in truth
Grow up in Him in all things and the end result will be the whole fittly framed together
If we are grounded in His redemption, we have a sure foundation
We are the boards bound to one another by the center bar which is our Lord Jesus Christ- a sure foundation
When we are supported and ministered to by the four bars we surely are fittly framed together………. A habitation of God through the Spirit

By way of informing you (FYI) you can click on the image and enlarge it for a better view

The Tabernacle Boards/ part two

Boards part two

Yes the angels desire to look into this glorious gospel of salvation (read 1 Peter 1:12 “things which angels desire to look into” in fact read the entire chapter. We see also that the Old Testament prophets who prophesied these things also searched diligently and carefully concerning the grace of God and all the things that pertained to salvation. Isn’t this a great truth? Getting back to the boards; #1 they were cut from the acacia wood trees. #2 they were clothed or covered, overlaid if you will with gold, indicating the presenc e of Diety. This is the Church.
These trees had to be cut down. In Ex. Chapter 35 verses 30 through 35 we see the call of God on a man by the name of Bezaleel, (and we will have one lesson at least at a later date devoted to him, Lord willing). He was called by God for this great work, and I only mention him to bring forth a point that is pertinent to our study tonight. As we shall see later in our study on the Tabernacle, Bezaleel was a type of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit at work in our lives that makes us and molds us into the vessels that God wants us to be, molded and shapen in His image.. It was Bezaleel who went out and found the trees and looked them over and tapped them for soundness and measured them to see if they came up to the specific measure that God said they were to be: remember what He said to Moses? “See that you make it according to all that I show you.” Everything had to be like the pattern God had given Moses when he was on the mountain. Every size and every detail no exceptions…no substitutes. And Bezaleel represents the Holy Spirit as He tests the hearts of men and calls them unto Himself. Do you believe this Word tonight?
Can you picture in your mind’s eye Bezaleel walking through the groves of acacia wood trees looking for those trees that could provide a board destined or predestined if you will for a board fit for the Master’s use…fit for a place in the Tabernacle? They all looked knotty and crooked and from the outward appearance not fit for the building of the Tabernacle. But Bezaleel, like only the Spirit can see, could see a board that would fit in the Tabernacle wall. The Spirit tests us for soundness, He measures us for size, He looks at our inner man and says, “cut that one down .” Much work will be required with the axe and saw and adze or whatever they used back there, yes much work before these trees could become logs and further work before they would become boards covered with gold to be fitly framed together in the construction of the Tabernacle. The house of God…today God does not dwell in a temple made with hands but He dwells within those who have been washed in the Blood of the precious Lamb of God.
Continued later

The Tabernacle Boards/ part 1

The scripture text is found in Ex. 23 vs 15: “ And for the Tabernacle you shall make the boards of acacia wood. “ Also you should read vvs. 16-25 of this same chapter.
In the study of the Tabernacle in the wilderness we need to look at the construction and the first part after we have examined the sockets of silver which are the foundation (and we have already done so) are the boards.
As we have seen in these verses (you need to read the scripture text verses that I gave you, if you haven’t already done so) we see here a clear picture , a type if you will of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and His church. Refer to my blog at www.moreaboutHisWord.blogspot.com for a series on the Church. Also in that blog there is one by Naida called “The Hand of God.” Well worth checking out as well. We can see the mighty Hand of God revealed in these scripture verses that I have just referred you to. So it’s important that you read all of them…and there is more. So we will take a look at the Church that is represented in these gold covered boards.
The boards were set in the silver foundations and while some may say that this is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ…that the church is not overlaid with gold, and we have proven that gold represents Deity, yet we have seen in our last study that the silver foundation represents the Blood of Christ and the church is built on this foundation…the Blood of Christ, amen? Paul says in 1 Cor. 3:11 “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
So I am saying that these boards at least in this context represent the church which shows forth the glory of God which in turn is represented by the gold covering on the boards. “Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle…washed in the Blood of the Lamb.” What makes the Church glorious? Is it not from Him who loved us and gave Himself for us? Christ was not forced to give His life…He gave Himself willingly and gladly. What do we do willingly and gladly for Him? The glory in the Church certainly does not originate with you or I now, does it? The Church is clothed in His glory…in His righteousness, His and His alone.
Let us examine these boards more thoroughly and firstly we see that they were cut from the same kind of trees that the Ark, the Table of Shewbread, the Alter of Incense and the Brazen Alter were. They came from the acacia wood tree…like Jesus, they typify humanity. Some might ask, “was Jesus typical of humanity…isn’t He God? The answer in both cases of course is YES!! He is both God and Man…the Bible says “the Man Christ Jesus.” Thomas after seeing Him in the room where He invited him to touch Him, declared “my Lord and my God”
Yes He is a perfect man and He is the perfect God, however His salvation that He offers us and we receive by faith is not to any avail based on His perfect life, but rather on His shed Blood.
How can you say such a thing, you might ask? If Jesus had not died and shed His own blood on the cross…if He had just come down to earth and lived the good, holy life that He did and then went back to heaven and the Father, then we would not be saved tonight. There would be no remission of sin had He not shed His blood. The Apostle Peter tells us in chapter 1 and verse 12 that the angels of heaven desire to look into these truths. One writer puts it …”they desire to stretch their necks to look in to salvation’s redemptive plan. It was not designed for them but rather for a sinner like me; one who can’t even live for God in my own strength; one who deserved hell in all of its horror…angels would like to know what it feels like to be forgiven!

To be continued…

The Tabernacle in the wilderness series will be continued here throughout the summer and, Lord willing, will be resumed again at the church on Sydney street this coming fall if not sooner and in the meantime I will keep you updated. Randall

Bible study, Tuesday, April8, 2008
The Tabernacle Series

We have been looking at the subject of the Tabernacle since sometime last September and we have only scratched the surface. This is an inexhaustible
subject, especially for a group of lay people like we are.
Before we go further into the study of the Tabernacle, I think it would be good to go back and read the 24th. Chapter of Exodus to see the setting where God met with Moses and where He gave him the commandments and the pattern for the Tabernacle. And to see or at least understand the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel at that time and realize a parallel, if you will to the spiritual condition of the church today. Israel is often referred to as the church in the wilderness. We have studied the furnishings and the utensils somewhat and we need to go on from there and study the construction of the Tabernacle itself but firstly I would like us to observe several points here in ch. 24…reading from the KJV. I’m backtracking a little.
Exodus 24
1And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
3And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
4And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
5And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
6And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. (You had better believe it…you will do what God wants..one way or the other.) This is where they refused the grace of God and chose the Law…rules and regulations. Man has always tried to work out his own salvation, hasn’t he?
8And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
9Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
10And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. …”they saw the God of Israel
11And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
12And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
13And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. (note here that Joshua went with him)
14And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
15And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
16And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Here we see the ratifying or the confirmation of the Mosaic covenant in this chapter and also we see here the Glory of God revealed there on the mountain called Mt. Sinai. Notice also that the nobles of the children of Israel saw God. These men saw God and lived. They saw His glory and lived. John saw His glory in Revelation ch. 1
10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Was this One whom John saw the same One whom the nobles of Israel saw on the top of Mt. Sinai? John saw the risen and glorified Christ, amen? Who was the One on Mt. Sinai that the nobles of Israel saw? I believe they saw God and I believe that John saw the Son of God and put another way he saw God as well. In the first letter from John to the church verse #7, the fifth chapter we read For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Who better qualified than John to make that statement and he goes on to report the words of Jesus further here in Revelation 1:
17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Remember when we were talking about the Candlestick; the golden Lamp stand in the Tabernacle that I said it represents Christ? The church is the body of Christ in this world; the only Christ the world will ever see is the life that we live in front of them…today we are the temple of God in this earth, amen? And we are the light…didn’t Jesus say that…you are the light of the world?
Who but God could reveal Himself in this manner? And who but God in the risen Savior is speaking with John on the Isle of Patmos? How then can men say that Jesus is not God? That is heresy in its purest form, if it can be called purest. Perhaps I should say its rankest form.
Look for a moment to the 13th. Verse of 1 John 5: 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,[a] and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
That is the most important thing we can do…”continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” It does not say that as long as you once accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior that you can do what you want to do and live any kind of life that you want to…commit sin and live in sin, but we are to continue to believe in the name of the Son of God and that word believe in this context means to adhere to, trust in, and rely on. From the Amplified Bible it reads this way:13I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in [a]the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, [b]yes, eternal life. And I want to tell you tonight that it is all by His grace but that does not mean that we can continue in sin.
So the nobles saw God. And note here what the people said when Moses told them he was heading up the mountain and he told them what God had said to him. They said in verse 3 “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.” And again they repeated it in verse 7, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient “ That didn’t last long…it did not last long enough for Moses to come down from the mountain. In a moment we will look at chapter 32. We’ll read it in a minute or two. I am sure that satan had a plan in all of this and he certainly did not want the Tabernacle to go ahead…he did not want the message of the cross to be shown in typology nor any other way, so he was delighted I’m sure with the way the Israelites were carrying on. God gave Moses the ten commandments (which are still in force today) and He gave Moses all the pattern for the building of the Tabernacle as well as the Tabernacle worship, furnishings, ordination of the priests, all that… and while He was doing that, they were lusting in their hearts and preparing to commit adultery while Moses had the tablets tucked under his arm getting ready to come down to them. And God said “step aside Moses and let Me consume them” He said “I will make of you a great nation”
What would we have said if we were in Moses place? Do you think God might have been testing Moses at the same time? And do we take the commandments of God too lightly, do we frustrate the grace of God in our own lives and is our walk with Him taken too lightly? Do we repent of our sin because we are convicted or because we are caught?
Real conviction leads to real repentance and we must be truly sorry for sin to have real repentance. David was caught in his sin before he repented however his repentance was real just the same. Look at psalm 51To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.
From the Amp. Bible:
1HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin!
3For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me.
4Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment.(A)
5Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful].(B)
6Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.
7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness and death, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness (Your rightness and Your justice).
15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering.(C)
17My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
18Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, justice, and right, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then bullocks will be offered upon Your altar.
This portion here in Exodus 32 that we are about to look at and again in Psalms shows two things #1 God is merciful and #2 He is also just but if we come in true repentance as David did “IN wrath , God remembers mercy”
The children of Jacob said “we will do all that you command us to do.
Moses did not get down off the mountain before they were engaged in all kinds of immoral acts. Exodus 32 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

Exodus 32
1WHEN THE people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, [they] gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
2So Aaron replied, Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and daughters, and bring them to me.
3So all the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.
4And he received the gold at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it a molten calf; and they said, These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!
5And when Aaron saw the molten calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.
6And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
7The Lord said to Moses, Go down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves;
8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, These are your gods, O Israel, that brought you up out of the land of Egypt!
9And the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people;
10Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and that I may destroy them; but I will make of you a great nation.
11But Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why does Your wrath blaze hot against Your people, whom You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
12Why should the Egyptians say, For evil He brought them forth, to slay them in the mountains and consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and change Your mind concerning this evil against Your people.
13[Earnestly] remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self and said to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.
14Then the Lord turned from the evil which He had thought to do to His people.
15And Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tables of the Testimony in his hand, tables or tablets that were written on both sides.
16The tables were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
18But Moses said, It is not the sound of shouting for victory, neither is it the sound of the cry of the defeated, but the sound of singing that I hear.
19And as soon as he came near to the camp he saw the calf and the dancing. And Moses' anger blazed hot and he cast the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
20And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. (Moses was blistering hot mad!) Talk about hot under the collar
21And Moses said to Aaron, What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin upon them?
22And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord blaze hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil.
23For they said to me, Make us gods which shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
24I said to them, Those who have any gold, let them take it off. So they gave it to me; then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. (imagine that!)
25And when Moses saw that the people were unruly and unrestrained (for Aaron had let them get out of control, so that they were a derision and object of shame among their enemies),
26Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoever is on the Lord's side, let him come to me. And all the Levites [the priestly tribe] gathered together to him.
27And he said to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Every man put his sword on his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.
28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about 3000 men.
29And Moses said [to the Levites, By your obedience to God's command] you have consecrated yourselves today [as priests] to the Lord, each man [at the cost of being] against his own son and his own brother, that the Lord may restore and bestow His blessing upon you this day.
30The next day Moses said to the people, You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.
31So Moses returned to the Lord, and said, Oh, these people have sinned a great sin and have made themselves gods of gold!
32Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--and if not, blot me, I pray You, out of Your book which You have written!
33But the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him [not you] out of My book.(A)
34But now go, lead the people to the place of which I have told you. Behold, My [a]Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish I will visit their sin upon them!(B)
35And the Lord sent a plague upon the people because they made the calf which Aaron fashioned for them. Sin is not without consequence is it?
Sin is serious business and we need not take it lightly…we need not think it will be without consequence. Look at the spread of aids in the world tonight. While there are innocent victims and we know that is true we also know that the primary cause of aids is people’s lifestyle and it is a lifestyle of sin. Babies are always innocent victims…children are always hurt the most. Our society is where it is tonight because of sin, because we take sin so lightly. The Bible says “the wages of sin is death” and that is so true. Is aids a judgment from God? I’m saying tonight that it is the natural outcome of breaking God’s moral law whether you want to call it judgment or not. “But the gift of God is eternal life” and that comes with true repentance and it is “through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Yes, God will judge sin. Abortion will be judged…Morgentaler will be judged…it is God’s Word. Adultery and every other form of sin will be judged. Whether it is the very act or whether of the mind. But I am so grateful that there is mercy…the Bible says that His mercy endures forever. Thank God for His mercy and if Moses had not stood in the gap and interceded on behalf of the children of Israel…there would not be a nation called Israel today.
What a price we pay for our sin…the tribe of Levi were consecrated before the Lord that day but what a cost to them. They had to kill their brothers and sons in order for God to restore them to a place that they should have been. We don’t read where they made any kind of a protest when Aaron made the calf or when the people engaged in debautchery. Are we serious about revival? “It will cost you something to follow, but you’ll get far more than you gave. You’ll give up a life of sorrow, forever with Jesus to reign.” Anyone remember that old song? What truth in these simple lines. Yes, revival may cost us something…we may have to give up television, or some other waste of time…but the rewards far outweigh the costs. There’s a message here in these few lines…”it will cost you something to follow…”
We have read, looked at quite a lot of scripture tonight, for which I make no apology; I felt that I should go back to Ex. 24 tonight to set the scene and look at the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel at the time of God’s order to Moses to build a dwelling place for Him. Hebrews tells that Moses was faithful in all his house. I wonder if there are some similarities in the church today? It is not a time to be pointing fingers at someone else….it rather is time to re-examine our own hearts.

Easter//the Tabernacle

Having been on vacation for the past two weeks and still away, I have been some time since I have given some more thoughts on the subject at hand, that being the tabernacle. Also being this is the Easter weekend and churches meeting all over the world to commemorate the Ressurection of our Lord, I feel that I should offer something regarding the resurrection as it is portrayed in the Tabernacle. After all, it is God's pattern for us to live by as we see the portraying of the Plan of Salvatiion in the very construction of it.


We have been studying the furnishings to date and some of the ceremonial rituals associated with them and it is time to proceed with further study and I shall begin with the foundation of the structure and that is found in Exodus ch. 26 and in particular the portion regarding the boards and sockets. The boards speaks of humanity and the silver sockets speak of redemption

Jesus purchased redemption for you and I when He went to the cross as represented in the sacrifices on the Brazen Altar of Sacrifice and there we see the cross represented where Jesus shed His own blood at Easter time for you and for me as well as every man, woman and child who ever lived. That includes 1.2 billion in India; that includes something over 1.3 billion in China and billions more around the world. Flesh and blood is not our enemy today but rather we should love and pray for all men everywhere because Jesus died for each and every one. He gave His life as a ransom and we see that in the sockets of silver that supported the boards of the Tabernacle. Judas betrayed his Lord for thirty pieces of silver. What would you or I betray our Lord for or would we like Peter say "I will never forsake You' Lord."

Tabernacle/ footwashings

One more point before we leave this subject of the Laver and that is the foot washing. Remember on the night before He was crucified how He girded Himself with a towel and taking a basin of water began to wash the feet of His disciples? Remember Peter's reaction when it was his turn? Let's turn to John 13:6-10, "
6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” 8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
The old testament priests had to wash both hands and feet but Jesus said to Peter "He who is bathed (or cleansed) needs only to wash his feet." So what is the connection and why the difference in these two instances? After all I have said that all these ceremonies in the Tabernacle service is a type pointing to the true worship and the cross of Christ. So why did they wash their hands as well as their feet in the O.T. and just their feet in the N.T? Jesus was illustrating a point here...we use our hands to work with....hands have to do with our works while feet has to do with our walk...there is nothing we can do with our works that will merit or earn salvation...not animal sacrifice , not keeping the law, nothing. All we can do is to walk in His steps and stay in His Word and that is the washing of the water of the Word that Paul speaks of in Ephesians. Our walk can become defiled and we need only our feet washed. It is a daily cleansing through the Word.