Month: February 2015

The Hideout

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Exodus 34:5
“Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.”

Something happened in Moses that made him desire to know God better. Faced with the opportunity to ask anything from The Lord his sole desire was to see the glory of God. In response to this God had a plan, Moses would get away from the people, hide in the cleft of a rock and listen as God passed by declaring His true character. This event serves as a pattern for how every believer can discover the glory of a God.

Moses rose early and found a secluded place where he could hear the word of God. If we will follow that pattern we too will have glorious encounters with The Lord. It is in the secret place where we learn to abide in Christ and discover the hidden truths of His Word.

It is true that God can speak to us anywhere. Many of us have testimonies of times when our world was interrupted by the unexpected voice of God. We may have heard His voice in the middle of a crowded room, hiking a hill, or even when we were stuck in traffic. While it is true that we may unexpectedly hear from God anywhere, it is also true that we can expect to hear from Him if we will rise early, get in a secluded place, and open the pages of His Word.

Every morning there is a cleft of a rock waiting for the child of God to hide away in and hear the voice of God. Take the time to discover it for yourself.

Pastor Jim

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Foundations Of Faith

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Exodus 36:30
“So there were eight boards and their sockets—sixteen sockets of silver—two sockets under each of the boards.”

IMG_1461The Tabernacle was designed in Heaven, and serves as a picture of the work of salvation. Each article is pregnant with symbolism and serves to illustrate various aspects of salvation and sanctification. The roof of the Tabernacle was supported by wooden walls overlaid with gold, and the walls were held in place by silver sockets or foundation stones. Two interesting facts about these silver blocks are worth our attention.

First, it interests me how the blocks were obtained. Earlier in Exodus, we read of a tax of half a shekel placed upon every person. No matter what a person’s socio-economic condition, they were all required to bring the same amount. This redemption money, as it is often called, serves as a picture of what is required of us in the process of salvation. No person was required to pay for, or build, the Tabernacle on their own, that would be accomplished by a work of the Spirit of God, but each person was required to invest their half shekel. In the same way, the work of salvation was accomplished by Jesus upon the cross. He paid a price much too high for any man to pay. All that is required of us is simple faith. When we choose to trust in the work of Jesus on the cross, we in turn, receive the fullness of salvation. The silver sockets then are a picture of the importance of faith.

Second, I am intrigued by the fact that, as important as these blocks were, they would go unseen. Once the Tabernacle was erected, the silver blocks were completely hidden. However, the proof that they were there, would be evident to all. In the same way, faith, although invisible, can be clearly seen. James spoke of a faith that works (James 2:20-24), and Paul referred to faith that was heard around the world (Romans 1:8). While we cannot see faith, we can certainly see the evidences that faith has upon the person who exercises it. Since faith puts us into relationship with God, a person who has truly believed, will see their life being transformed. Old habits, actions, thoughts, and speech will begin to be replaced with new ones. It is not so much that a person is trying to conform to a new standard to live by, as they are being transformed by the work of God from within.

Just as the Tabernacle was held up by unseen silver sockets, so our lives will be put on display to the world around us as we trust in Christ, and grow in relationship with him.

Pastor Jim

 

Response Required

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Mark 15:20
“And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.”

IMG_1460We have come to the most solemn and most important of all Biblical events. The entire life and ministry of Jesus, as well as the whole of human history, has been leading up to these events. Jesus declared, no one could take His life, but that He would lay it down (John 10:18). That day has finally arrived. Without a fight, Jesus, the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth, was taken by the mob, condemned by the the courts, beaten by the soldiers, and nailed to the cross. There on a cross of wood, amidst the clamor of the mob, He would bear the penalty for the sins of all humanity. Louder than all the jeering of the mockers, the laughing of the soldiers, the accusations of the pharisees and the weeping of the disciples, rang out the cry “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?”

The answer to His question is one so great, it is beyond the human experience to understand. The Son of God, the One who always did the will of the Father and heard the Father declare, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”, now experienced the greatest horror anyone could ever experience. The penalty of sin, separation from God, was placed upon Christ. When Isaiah wrote, “surely He bore our iniquity”, he was referring to the cross. He was speaking of the weight, the guilt and the penalty of sin being placed on Christ, so we would never have to bear it ourselves. Oh, what amazing grace, that Jesus would bear my sin and yours.

It has always amazed me to observe the reaction of the people around the cross, as Jesus is being crucified. I notice the soldiers at the foot of the cross. Failing to understand the severity of the moment, or the brevity of life, they are playing games for Jesus clothes. How sad that many still treat Jesus in the same way. Instead of seeing Him as Savior, and surrendering to Him as Lord, they look to Him for what they can get out of Him. Their relationship with Jesus is reduced to simply seeing Him as the one who will give them what they want.

I notice the crowd, made up of people from all walks of life. While He is bearing their iniquity, they are asking Him to prove Himself. It is not enough that He lived a sinless life, fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, and transformed the lives of all who received Him; these men wanted further proof. Isn’t it interesting, by ignoring their request to come down from the cross, Jesus is, in fact, proving He is the Savior. What horror would await us had Jesus acquiesced to their request and come down from the cross. Instead of the penalty of sin being placed upon Him, it would still be awaiting us.

I also notice the centurion who stood by watching these events. He had a front row seat as the Son of God breathed His last. Rather than accepting the popular opinions about Jesus, he cried out,

“Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

If we will look to Him, as the centurion did, believing He is the Son of God and Savior of Humanity, then we will see Him transform our lives and find that instead of horror, heaven awaits us.

Pastor Jim

 

Willingness

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Exodus 35:5
“Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; . . .”

IMG_1459Moses had been instructed to build the Tabernacle. It was to be an elaborate facility with a solid silver foundation, golden walls, intricately woven tapestries and highly detailed furnishing. Every detail was given to Moses, including it’s size, shape, and purpose. However, two things had been left out; materials and labor.

At one time, Moses, as a prince of Egypt, had been an extremely wealthy man with all the resources of Egypt at his disposal. For a nation that had erected structures like the pyramids, building the Tabernacle would not be beyond their means, and Moses could have underwritten the entire project.

However, those days were passed. Moses had forsaken all the riches of Egypt. In a word, Moses was broke. Where would the resources come from to build? The answer is found in two words that are repeated over and over in Exodus 35: stirred and willing. After explaining to the people the vision he had received from God regarding the building, he instructed them to go back to their tents. It was there, as families gathered together, that their hearts were stirred by the Lord. They determined to offer the Lord a portion of what had been given to them. We read, those with a willing heart brought a free will offering to the Lord. For some it was golden earrings, for others necklaces, rings or other jewelry. Some brought precious stones, while others brought their abilities as an offering; making themselves available to be part of the construction team. In each case, we read they brought willingly of what the Lord had given them, and that all the labor was directed and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord. As the project gets underway, the leaders find they are facing an interesting problem. They examined the plans and realized the people had given too much. Moses has to instruct the people to stop giving to the Lord. They had more than enough supplied to accomplish the task.

We learn some very important lessons about giving and receiving from this text. First, note that Moses was only interested in building what he had received directly from the Lord. He did not take on a additional projects that were more than the Lord wanted. He sought the Lord and built what the Lord desired. Second, Moses did not attempt to coerce the people. He allowed each man to go home to his family and determine what they would willingly give to the Lord. In the church today, too much pressure is being placed upon God’s people to give. We need to encourage people to seek the Lord, and give willingly. Finally, people gave a variety of things. Those who had wealth, gave gold and other precious things, those who had skills, gave their abilities, but all who gave were richly blessed as the Tabernacle was completed, and served as a place for people to meet with God.

Pastor Jim

 

Steps To A Fall

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Mark 14:29
“Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

IMG_1457Mingled into the fabric of the betrayal, arrest, conviction and crucifixion of Christ, is the story of Peter’s denial. What happened to him? He went from confidently stating he would never deny Christ, to hiding his faith, denying his Lord, and bitterly weeping. While we never start out to fall, the path we walk will always determine our final destination. Peter’s path inevitably led to Peter’s fall. Let’s take a few minutes to notice the steps leading to his failure, that we might avoid these same pitfalls.

First, notice the pride of Peter, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” Pride will always cause us to put our guard down and open us up to failure.

Second, notice that while he should have been praying, he was sleeping. How often we neglect to make spiritual investments because other things become more pressing.

Third, we read he attempted to do spiritual battle in the arm of the flesh. Having neglected to watch and pray, Peter was left to pull out a sword for battle. How ineffective the flesh is, to battle in the realm of the Spirit.

Fourth, we read, “Peter followed Him at a distance.” Instead of realizing his failure and running to Jesus, Peter’s fear caused him to keep his distance. Satan is so good at getting us to sin, then convincing us that we are guilty and must stay in our sin, rather than running to Christ.

Fifth, notice where Peter is hanging out. Eleven friends had been following Jesus together for over 3 years, yet in a time when his faith is being tested the most, Peter is hanging out in the enemy’s camp. How different the story would have been if these eleven men had returned to the garden for prayer and fellowship.

Finally, Mark gives us an interesting insight into the story that is particularly relevant. He tells us, before the third denial, there was the sound of a rooster crowing. In the 11th hour of temptation, Jesus is still giving warning signs to keep Peter from his fall and the subsequent misery. Instead of heeding the warning, Peter continues down the road until his sin is complete.

Let’s learn a lesson from Peter’s failure and draw near to Jesus today.

Pastor Jim

 

More

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Exodus 33:18
“And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’”

IMG_1456While most of Israel seemed satisfied with their present experience of God, Moses had a longing for more. His past experiences of being commissioned directly by God at the burning bush, seeing the miraculous hand of God work through the plagues, watching the Red Sea part, tasting Manna from heaven and water from a rock, hearing the voice of God from the mountain, and seeing the Shikinah glory abide in his own tent, were not enough to satisfy the longing in Moses’s heart for more of God.

He desired a deeper and fuller experience of God than he ever had. He is illustrating the words of Jesus when He declared, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Moses is not alone in his desire for more of God. We read that Joshua did not depart from the Tabernacle. Later, David would cry out, “One thing I desire of the Lord and that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever. . .” (Psalm 27:4). And again, “As the deer pants for the water so my so longs after You, oh God.” (Psalm 42:1). Elisha would cry out for a double portion of the Spirit of God that was on his predecessor (2 Kings 2:9), and Paul declared that his greatest desire was to know Christ, even if that meant great suffering (Philippians 3:10).

Oh, that our hearts would long to know Christ better. That the experiences of the past would only work as fuel to drive us closer to Him, that we might see His glory. For Moses, the longing to experience the glory of God,  began with a desire expressed in prayer, but it did not stop there. To truly encounter the Lord, he must go from prayer, to the Word. It was through His Word that God revealed Himself to Moses. He did not see Him, but heard Him. The same will be true of us. If you are yearning for more of God, the place to go is His Word. There He reveals Himself as the merciful, gracious, patient, true, good, forgiving and just, Lord of all.

Pastor Jim

 

Fill Me Up

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Exodus 31:3
“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,”

Fuel GaugeWhen the time came to make the articles for the Tabernacle, God selected two men, and filled them with the Spirit of God. Under their leadership, this vast and elaborate project was completed. Normally, we associate the need for the Holy Spirit with intrinsically spiritual tasks, like leading worship, teaching the Bible, or witnessing to the lost. However, here, we discover that the empowering of the Spirit is required for designing the facility and making the building. It seems a pattern develops within Scripture, where God chooses common men, fills them with the Spirit of God, and accomplishes uncommon works. Instead of focussing on what makes us common, we should fix our attention on being filled with the Spirit.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church regarding the work of the Holy Spirit, he gave them a series of exhortations. First, he told them to earnestly desire or covet the gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31). It is when we step out of our comfort zone and into ministry that we will begin to covet the gifts. As long as we only serve Jesus where we are comfortable, we will never find ourselves desperate for His work in our lives. If you want to covet the gifts, begin to look for new ways to serve.

Second, he wrote that the desired gifts are received through prayer. He used the example of tongues and interpretation of tongues and wrote “if someone speaks with a tongue, pray that you might interpret”(1 Corinthians 14:13). In other words, the gifts are acquired through prayer. When we step out to serve the Lord, and become aware of our shortcomings, all we need to do is ask for His Spirit. When we do, we will be filled with what is lacking, in order to accomplish the work of ministry.

Third, he wrote that while the gifts are given to individuals, they are designed to build up the entire church. God’s method of reaching the world is through His church. He designed it, built it, and energizes it with His Spirit. The church has its greatest Impact when each member is being filled with the Spirit and stepping into the areas of ministry to which God has called them. We can only imagine what a tremendous impact your local church would have, if each person surrendered completely to the Lord, and stepped out in the power of the Spirit to serve Him.

Jesus exhorts us to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest (Luke 10:2). Those who will be sent are like Bezalel and Aholiab, who are filled with the Spirit of God, to accomplish the task at hand.

Pastor Jim

 

You Snooze You Lose

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Mark 13:2
“Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

IMG_1454The stones that formed the Temple were massive. Their sheer size represented permanence. For the disciples, it would be difficult to imagine them ever being destroyed. When Jesus declared that a time was coming when the Temple would be leveled, the minds of the disciples jumped to the future. They asked;

“What will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

Mark 13 is an abridged version of the Olivet Discourse recorded also in Matthew 24-25. The subject is the signs that point to the return of Christ. Jesus states;

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

People are fascinated with what the Bible teaches about the future. Many Christians have become students of prophecy, many books have been written on the subject, Hollywood has produced movie after movie depicting their interpretations of eschatology. Sometimes, in the midst of all this, we can miss the repeated exhortation of Jesus.

“Take heed… Take heed, watch and pray… Watch… What I say to you I say to all: watch!”

While it is important to be aware of the events that point to the return of Christ, it is more important to be focussing on your relationship with Jesus. Are you ready? If He were to return today, what will He find you doing? Are you living your life for His glory and Kingdom? Are you watching or have you fallen asleep? When He returns, we will not be tested on our knowledge of prophecy but rewarded for our faithfulness.

Perhaps this is a good time to take inventory of your walk with the Lord. Maybe you need to do a little “house cleaning.”

Pastor Jim

 

Past Due

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Exodus 32:3
“So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.”

IMG_1453More than a month before this event, Moses had ascended Mount Sinai, disappearing into the thick smoke. As the weeks passed, the people began to believe Moses must have died. In their fear and confusion, they approached Aaron, seeking spiritual counsel. They realized they needed a worship service. However, their time in Egypt had left them very confused about who God really is. Aaron instructed them to bring financial gifts, then he made a god they could worship. The cost of their sinful activity was great.

The initial cost of their sin was financial. They took of their gold and gave it away; sin always has a financial cost. Even so, this was not the highest price they paid for their sin. Their sin also had a moral cost. It was not long before their false worship led to bad behavior. What began as a worship service, soon became a wild party with drinking and sexual misbehavior. The people who were chosen by God, to be blessed by God, found themselves under the judgment of God, due to their actions. Sin had a very high price tag that day, and people actually died as a result of their disobedience.

The final cost of sin is even greater than the cash that comes out of our pockets, or the lives that are ruined by it. Paul declared the ultimate cost of sin is death.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Bible speaks of two deaths. The first is physical; defined as the spirit being separated from the body. The second is spiritual; defined as a person being separated from God. When we live apart from Christ, we live separated from God. To die in that condition is to suffer eternal judgment.

The great promise of the Gospel is that NO ONE has to live or die separated from God. Christ came to set us free from sin and give us eternal life. Christ paid the cost for our sin on the cross. To receive Him is to have your account paid in full.

Pastor Jim

 

Word Art

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Exodus 30:1
“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.”

IMG_2001The book of Exodus not only tells the story of the building of the Tabernacle and it’s furnishing, it also serves as a wonderfully detailed illustration of the New Testament work of salvation. The altar serves as a portrait of the cross, which provides atonement for sin and access to God. Each of the remaining articles illustrate some aspect of our walk with God.

The incense altar was situated inside the first room of the tabernacle, and serves as a portrait of the beauty of prayer. Morning and evening the priest would bring incense to burn upon this altar, and the fragrance would rise up to the heavens. In the same way, when we take the time to lift our praise, petition and intercession to the Lord it rises up and fills the throne room of heaven like a sweet aroma.

Every adult in Israel, no matter how rich or poor, was required to bring a half shekel of silver as an offering for the sanctuary. By some estimates, the Tabernacle would have cost in excess of fifty million dollars. This was an impossible sum for any one man, but everyone could afford half of a shekel. This offering serves as a picture of the need for and value of faith. Our simple offering of trust in Christ is all that is required for us to receive the benefit of salvation.

Just outside the door of the Tabernacle sat the bronze laver. It was a big bowl used by the priests to ceremonially wash themselves whenever they approached the tent. This cleansing is a picture of the importance of the Word of God. Jesus spoke of the Word as a cleansing agent in the life of the believer. Each time we open the Bible it is like taking a shower, and the dirt of living in a fallen world is washed away.

Finally, the priests were anointed with a fragrant oil. This oil symbolizes the work of the Holy Spirit that makes ministry possible. Before Jesus began His public ministry He was baptized with the Holy Spirit, and before the ministry of the church began the believers were also baptized with the Spirit. We see in Scripture that the work of the Lord is energized by the work of the Spirit on individuals. It is also worth noting, they were not to alter the fragrance. A false incense would not serve as a proper anointing oil. In the same way, we must be careful not to confuse hype and emotion with a work of the Spirit of God.

As we continue through Exodus, we will see more and more of these beautiful portraits of our relationship with the Lord. Keep in mind, Jesus said the entirety of the Bible testifies of Him.

Pastor Jim