Awe & Wonder

Who Is Like You O Lord {Exodus 15:6-11}

4:24 PM




Monday Nov. 18, Exodus 15:6-11

Whenever I would read about the early Israelites, I used to feel a pang of jealousy. After all, they had God in their midst. They encountered first hand His wonders and signs. They were constantly in His presence as He both provided and traveled with them. Oh how I wished I too could have been on that journey. And so I never understood how when presented with the opportunity to actually hear God speak at Mt. Sinai, they turned away in fear. But that was before I experienced the worst thunderstorm I can remember.

 It was a warm September night and while sleeping, I was suddenly jolted awake by a thunder clap with such intensity it chilled me to my bones. The storm was directly overhead. The wind was raging as the rain beat against the house. Flashes of lightening lit up the sky and the thunder was nothing I had heard before. Each boom was louder than the last, leaving me trembling and filled with dread. As I anxiously waited for the storm to pass, I thought about those Israelites standing at Mt. Sinai. After two days spent consecrating themselves to receive God, “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.” (Ex. 20:16) Face to face with the awesomeness of God they were afraid. And as that terrible storm raged around me I too was afraid of the awesomeness of God, leading me to a new found appreciation for their fear and amazement.

Many are the attributes of God. He is our loving Father. Our Protector, Healer, Comforter, Savior, and Friend. Yet just as He has the gentleness of a Lamb, He also has the ferocity of a Lion. A mighty Warrior, none can stand against Him. He is the living God; Ruler and Creator of all things. He is Lord of lords, and King of kings. And after witnessing the strength of God’s righteous wrath against the Egyptians the Israelites declared, “Who is like You among the gods O Lord? Who is like You majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders.” (vs. 11) With His mighty right hand God  “shatters His enemies”.  In the greatness of His excellence He “overthrows those who rise up” against Him. He is all powerful, commanding over enemies, elements, and circumstances. He is glorious, holy, and none can compare.

Hebrews 12:28-29 reminds us that we must, “worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Israel was privy to some pretty amazing miracles God performed on their behalf. A display of majesty, power, and holiness, proving that the Lord alone is worthy of our respect, worship, and faithfulness. As the storm rolled away that night, I thought about the complete fullness of God. Of how one day I would stand before the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and the End, the Maker of the lightening and thunder that scared me so. And as I laid my head on my pillow I was filled with both awe and wonder at the majesty of the Lord, and how in His magnificence He loved and redeemed a sinner like me!


Exodus

Soul Searching Sunday - Worshipping His Character

12:00 AM

Sunday, January 28, 2018

SoulSearching Sunday!



Week Four

 Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We pray that you will find this time soul satisfying!
Our reading this week was Exodus 22:1 -  Leviticus 7:38.

 1. For what attributes of God are you most thankful? In that list, did you include "holy, truthful, and just"? (Sometimes we just focus on God's love, mercy, and grace.) Meditate on God's awesome character and pray that you would drawn into His glorious presence. (Exodus 24:16-17)

 2. Using a pencil, write down several personal habits, thoughts, or actions that you know would not meet with God's approval. Now erase each item, one at a time. As you do, thank God that He has cleansed you through the blood of Christ. (Exodus 30:19:20)

 3. How does a heavy heart with sin weigh down your worship of God? Write a note of confession to God. Lay down before Him anything that might possibly interfere with your worship life. Ask God to show you what needs to  be done to reconnect with Him. (Leviticus 5:5-6)

 See you next week!



Exodus

Our Love Offering {Exodus 35: 1- 40: 38 }

10:30 PM



Throughout this week we’ve seen God’s Glory and Love pouring out over His people, and today we find another example of His unfailing love as they receive an amazing invitation from to God for the construction of the Tabernacle: (35:4-19)

 “And Moses said to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever has a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord’s offering: …“ (35:4-5a) AMP

“Let every skilled and talented man among you come, and make everything that the Lord has commanded:” (35:10 AMP)

The Tabernacle was to be dedicated to the honor of God, and used in his service; and everything that the people were willing to bring was an offering to Him:



They offered their:  possessions (treasures), talents (gifts), and their time. But there was ONE condition: It all had to be from a “willing heart”.  Their love had to be poured out through these offerings!!

1 Peter 4:10 (AMP)”Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]. “

Those that were rich, should bring in materials to work on; those that were skillful, they would serve with their skill. They were in unity: they needed one another, to complete this task (1 Corinthians 12:7-21).
The people continued to bring freely these offerings every morning (Vs. 35:21, 22, 29), until Moses gave the command to bring no more! (36:6) “Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project” (36:7)

They lavished their love to God by these offerings! (1Corinth. 13:1-3)

- Lavish (Verb) = “To generously pour out; to give extravagantly; to expend or bestow with passion”. Such was their zeal and passion for the work in the Tabernacle, that it must have been contagious!

As we continue reading these final chapters, we see how detailed our God is. He cared about every single aspect of the Tabernacle! So let me ask you: how then could He not care about the minor details of our lives? Consider: haven’t you seen His Hand of Mercy lately in a small miracle, provision or turn of events?



Before we close, let me remind you that even today, God is extending this same invitation to each one of us His children, to take from His gifts (the ones we’ve received from Him) to offer them at His Service. (35:35)

“Precious souls are the materials of the gospel tabernacle; they are built up a spiritual house, 1 Pt. 2:5. To this end they are to offer themselves a free-will offering to the Lord, for his service (Rom. 15:16), and they are then committed to the care of his ministers, as builders, to be framed and wrought upon by their edification and increase in holiness, till they all come, like the curtains of the tabernacle, in the unity of the faith, to be a holy temple (Eph. 2:21, 22; 4:12, 13).” (M. Henry)

What is your spiritual gift? How have you nurtured and used (or not used) your gift in building God’s kingdom as an offering of thanks and praise back at Him? Pray that God would make clear to you what your gift is and how best to use it. (iWorship Bible)

Blessings!

Mari

Aaron

A God of Mercy and Righteousness (Exodus 31:1 - 34:35)

12:09 AM



Thursday, January 25
Several things stood out to me in these chapters.
God wants our devotion.  He wants his people to be set apart from corruption. He wants to help us and equip us.  He is willing to give us another chance. 

God wants our devotion.
“(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),” Exodus 34:14.
God wants to be first in our lives.  He wants our unwavering devotion.  He doesn’t want to compete with the things of this world that we choose to make idols of.  Notice that as soon as the people thought Moses might not return from the mountain that they quickly looked for something tangible to put their security in instead of trusting the God who led them out of slavery. It’s not really surprising that this offended God greatly. 

God wants us to be set apart. 
We are to be IN the world but not OF the world.  Even Jesus went among the sinful and outcast people because he loved them and wanted to bring salvation to them.  But, in a world of sinful enticements, God warns us to not fall into sin ourselves.  He did not want the Israelites to compromise their standards by intermarrying and adopting the customs of those who disregarded God. “Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.”  Exodus 34:12 

God wants to help us and equip us.
He gives us ability to carry out his purposes just as he did Bezaliel :“and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,”Exodus 31:3 
“And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:”Exodus 31:6 
God also promised to go before them and drive out their enemies.

God is willing to give us another chance.
When the people angered Moses by worshiping the calf, Moses broke the tablets that had the commandments of God.  But, Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people who were willing to repent and give them another chance.  God was willing to do that and he also wrote the commandments on the tablets again.
 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 

God is a righteous God who judges sin.  He is also a loving, merciful, intimate God.
He is an awesome God who desires to do awesome things with the lives of those who worship and honor Him. 
“And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.” Exodus 34:10 

Exodus

How Can a Holy God Fellowship with Sinners? {Exodus 28-30}

12:00 AM



"That I Might Dwell Among Them" - Exodus 29:46

From the beginning of time it has always been The Lord’s desire to walk and fellowship with His people.
Only two chapters at the beginning of Genesis were written to describe the creation of the world, yet fourteen chapters in Exodus are taken up with the specifications of the tabernacle, for here is where God has come up with a way to meet with His people.
I believe this again demonstrates the value God has placed upon His  work of redemption, and that Christ is the center of that work when you take a look at the meaning behind the symbols. In an earlier post, I showed you how God’s message was found in the names of the original patriarch’s, from Adam to Noah, today I want to show you a few of the items included in the tabernacle and how they all point to Christ:
The entire tabernacle was a figure of the heavenly (Hebrews 9:23,24).
Inside the ark of the covenant:
·         Acacia wood and gold: the humanity and deity of Christ.
·         The Law [10 Commandments]: Christ had God's law in His heart;
·         He was the fulfillment of the law.
·         Manna: Christ is sustenance to believers on their pilgrimage.
·         Aaron's rod: Christ's resurrection.
The ark itself: A type of the throne of grace.
The mercy seat: the Lord Jesus.
The table of showbread: Christ our communion.
The candlestick: Christ our light (Heb 1:9; Rev 1:9-18).
The altar of incense: Christ our advocate and intercessor.
The laver: the cleansing by the Word and by Christ.
Bronze altar: the cross of Christ and His atonement.
Anointing oil: the Holy Spirit's anointing for service.
Garments [of the High Priest]:
·          gold for righteousness and Deity
·         blue for heavenly
·          purple for royalty
·          scarlet for sacrifice.

The writer of Hebrews said, ''And they, truly were many priests, because they were not allowed to continue by reason of death; but this man, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore, He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them'' (Heb 7:23-25).

Jesus is able to understand our need because He is the perfect man, but He is also able to meet all our need because He is God. At the cross He bore the sin of the whole world. At the throne He is able to care for our need through His intercession.

Christ Jesus is ''a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek'' in that He is our Intercessor forever. But His priesthood is after the pattern of Aaron.  Aaron the first high priest was appointed by God (Ex 28:1).  Hebrews 5:5 says, ''So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made a high priest, but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee.” Hebrews 9 reminds us that, ''Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us'' (Heb 9:12).

The Lord said in Exodus 12:13, ''When I see the blood, I will pass over you''. Sin was judged, and the blood was shed, but all was only temporal, yet it also pointed to God’s eternal plan! Therefore, the way of salvation in both the Old and New Testaments is the same - Faith in Christ - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

Hallelujah! God was making a way for you long before you were ever born and there is nothing we could ever do to earn our salvation, for that would mean we would need to set aside God’s way! I pray as you read these chapters you will read them with a heart FULL of love for the Father and Son who were preparing a way to fellowship with YOU forever!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before I leave you, I wanted to share a chart that was designed by Kay Arthur and Precept Ministries that speaks more of Jesus and the Tabernacle: 

THE TABERNACLE:


Tabernacle Furnishings
A Picture: Christ Jesus on Earth

John1:14

The Word became flesh, & dwelt among us
A Pattern: True Tabernacle  in Heaven
Hebrews 8:5
a copy and shadow of the heavenly things

Gate/ Door
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved                                   John 10:9
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.
                        ”                               Acts 4:12
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
Bronze Altar
John 1:29
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Hebrews 10:12
but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God
Bronze Laver
Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ephesians 5:26-27
 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.
Table of Showbread
John 6:35,48
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. “I am the bread of life.
John 6:41, 58
I am the bread that came down out of heaven…..he who eats this bread shall live forever.
Golden Lampstand
John 8:12; 9:5
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”…“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Revelation 4:5
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God
Altar of Incense
Hebrews 7:25
Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Revelation 8:3
And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (Rev 5:8) upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Veil
And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom                                               Mark 15:38

We have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,                               Hebrews 10:19-20
Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
Ark of the Covenant

“Throne of God”
Isaiah 37:16
Hebrews 9:12
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
 Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm
Mercy Seat
Romans 3:25
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.

1 John 2:2
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; … also for those of the whole world.
Revelation 5:6
And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.  Psalm 27:4
 

Covenant

The Glory Of God {Exodus 22:1-24:17}

12:00 AM

Monday Jan. 22 The Glory Of God {Ex. 22:1-24:17}


Could you imagine being an Israelite? To be one of God’s chosen people, pulled from bondage with the promise of a better life in a land flowing with milk and honey? To witness His miracles firsthand and be surrounded in His loyalty and protection? Now can you imagine after experiencing all of that love and glory rejecting the One who gave it? That’s just what the people of Israel did, and sadly what many of us do as well.

Throughout the Bible, God is called glorious. He is the Lord and King of glory, and His glory is above all the earth. And because He possesses a glory that is too bright, a righteousness that is too pure, and a greatness that is too powerful, no one can see God in His fullness and live. (Ex. 33:20) Yet even though we might not be able to see Him face to face, His glory is on full display all around us just as it was for the people of Israel. 

The book of Exodus is filled with example after example of God showering His glory upon His chosen people. He guided them, provided for them, and protected them. And because they saw physical manifestations of His glory, which both awed and scared them, they pledged to make Him their God and to follow Him in obedience. And just as quickly as they promised their faithfulness, they took it away and gave it to a golden calf. This got me to thinking, how many times have I been like the Israelite's. Quick to vow to follow the Lord only to turn around and do just the opposite.

How easy is it to make a covenant with God when we feel surrounded in His glory. Maybe it’s because of a received blessing, an answered prayer, or a need fulfilled. We feel close to Him spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We promise to never forsake Him, to faithfully follow His will and not our own. And then we go about our business, letting our focus wander on things other than our relationship with the Lord. We spend our time and energy pursuing our fleshly desires and instead of trusting Him, attempt to meet our needs on our own. 


But the wonderful news is this. No matter how much we reject God, He will never reject us. When we honestly repent and call out to Him, He forgives us and welcomes us back into His loving arms. The iworship Bible gives us a great challenge. “Picture yourself standing before God, insignificant in the light of His glory. Let God’s greatness resonate in your spirit and change your posture. God yearns to greatly impact and work in the lives of those who humble themselves in this way.” So I ask you this. Will you remove the idols from your life and make a solid and everlasting commitment to the One true Lord of glory?

Exodus

12:00 AM

SoulSearching Sunday!


Sunday, January 21, 2018

Week Three

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We pray that you will find this time soul satisfying!

 Our reading this week was Genesis 46:1 -  Exodus 21:36.

 1. What heritage will you pass on to your children or others who follow in your footsteps? List some of the wonderful acts of God in your life that you would like to share with the next generation so that those events will be remembered and celebrated for years to come.

 2. What is your usual reaction when you feel trapped or under attack?
Think of an action plan for combating the impulse to trust in anything other than God. Ask the LORD to increase your faith so that you will know He is always fighting for you.

 3. What is your motivation for worship? How does your worship compare on days when you feel God's blessing as compared with others when you don't? List some ways that you can make worship a daily habit focused on God, rather than your present circumstances. 

 See you next week!

Angie Benjamin

When life gets too tough {Exodus 12:31-15:21}

1:55 AM



In today's reading we see God leading the Israelites through the wilderness. 

Haven't you felt as the Israelites in certain seasons of your life? Have you ever felt like you were going through a desert season? through a valley? or going around in circles?

We live in a fallen world...corrupted and evil, and in it's in those trials and tribulations that if we allow God to work in us, He'll show us who He is and what He's capable of doing...If we allow Him to go with us through "the valleys" or "deserts" He can certainly do something special in us.

How could we possibly learn to depend on Him if everything in our lives goes smooth, so smooth that we could handle everything by ourselves?

God led the children of Israel through the long and difficult way through the desert in order to prepare them and strengthen them for the battles they will inevitably face in possessing the promised land.

If the way to the promised land had been smooth, by the time they arrived they would have seen their enemy and run back to Egypt and become enslaved again in their former bondage...instead, through the trials, God taught them Who He was and that they could depend on Him to fight their battles.

Many people, mistakenly believe that becoming a child of God automatically takes you to into the Promised Land...that they will never fight battles! but that's not the case! After the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and went in to possess the land of promise, they fought one battle after another.

But it's only when they learned to fight in God's strength and under His direction that they won their battles!



Life will get tough from time to time, please do not back down just because "it gets hard", instead spend more time with Him, lean more on Him and receive more grace from Him.

Receive His grace today, which is the power of God working in you and through you to do the things you cannot do on your own.

Do not allow satan to defeat you in your mind. Do not let your mind give up! Do not lose heart and do not grow weary nor faint! Rest assured that wherever God may lead you,  He is able to keep you. He'll never allow more to come to you than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

You do not have to live in constant struggle if you learn to continually lean on Him for the strength you need!




Becky Austin

Plagues and a Passover (Exodus 7:14 - 12:30)

2:24 AM



The Plagues Against Egypt:
As we read about the plagues, we see that Pharaoh  would want relief from "the circumstance". As the plagues get more intense and difficult to bear, he would come closer and closer to agreeing to let the Israelites go.  As soon as the hardship ended, however, he would change his mind and his heart would be hardened again. This is typical of the human heart.  When circumstances are difficult,  the heart wants relief. This is a time when many will make promises to God that they wouldn’t normally consider.  I imagine God receives many prayers from the burdened heart that is seeking immediate relief,  prayers like “ God , if you will just fix this situation, then I will promise to do what you want me too. “. That insincere, self - seeking heart, however, defaults on those promises as soon as the crisis is over and circumstances ease. God is not fooled, however.  He knows the motives of our prayers and the deepest intentions of our hearts. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

The Passover:
The Passover has been celebrated by Jews for thousands of years. It is significant to them because it reminds them of God’s miraculous deliverance from the bondage of Egyptian slavery and it gives them hope and optimism for the future when the Promised Messiah will come.  They celebrate and remember with a meal called the seder.  Elements of this meal have special significance— matzah as the bread of affliction, salt water as the tears of oppression, bitter herbs as the harshness of slavery.  They eat unleavened bread for the leaven symbolizes “sin”. The unleavened bread also represents readiness for the Jewish people had to prepare their clothing and food in haste and be ready to travel quickly. 

For Christians, the Passover holds even more reason for remembrance and celebration because the sacrificial lamb of the Passover foreshadowed the coming of Jesus as the Promised Messiah.  In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Jesus is called the Passover Lamb and Christians are reminded to celebrate with a humbled, sincere heart.  “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

The prophet John the Baptist recognized Jesus as “the Lamb of God”.  “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 
Peter makes reference to Christ as the “ lamb without defect”. “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19 ). Jesus is qualified to be called One “without blemish” because His life was completely free from sin “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). In Revelation, John the apostle sees Jesus as “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.” (5:6).  Interestingly, we read in Mark chapter 12 that the time of the crucifixion of Jesus was during the time that the Passover was observed. 

If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior then you have symbolically applied the sacrificial blood of Christ to your heart and have escaped eternal death. Just as the Passover lamb’s applied blood caused the “destroyer” to pass over each household, Christ’s applied blood causes God’s judgment to pass over sinners and gives life to believers. Have you been covered by the precious, holy blood of Jesus?  Does it mark the doorway of your heart?  Will he find you ready for his return so that he can take you to heaven, the promised land he has prepared for you?