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