Date: Friday, January 30, 2015
Chapters: Exodus 37-40
Message Title: The Favor Of God
Hello My Friend,
One amazing thing about God that we may have a hard time comprehending is that He is not a respecter of persons. He doesn't care what color, race, or creed we are, if we have willingly accepted and received His Son as our Saviour, then we are one of His children, we have been adopted into the family of God. Now, if it seems as though some of His children are more blessed than others, it could very well be true. You see, while God does not respect any of His children any more or less, He does give favor to those who love Him unconditionally, and obey His commands. While our salvation has nothing to do with works of obedience, it is our works of obedience that does produce His blessings beyond our salvation. The child of God who grows with Christ, grows into the likeness of Him, and the more we become like Christ, the more blessed we become. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:7-10.
Now, we have an account of the making of the ark, mercy seat, and cherubims, they too were made exactly as God instructed Moses by Bezaleel. While every part of the tabernacle represented a part of Christ, these three represent the glory of a just, holy, and merciful God.“And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it: And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about. And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it. And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;” - Exodus 37:1-7.
The ark would contain only the two tablets of stone containing the ten commandments written by the finger of God, representing the importance of keeping His law hidden within our hearts. The mercy seat represents the endless mercy that God has for His children, and even those who are not. The cherubims represent the angels who are covered in the glory of God, and are obedient to His every command. As the people who built everything according to God's instructions took great care in making sure everything was done exactly to His plan, every believer should take great care in making sure we do everything we do according to His plan. Jesus Christ, the great Mediator, has made reconciliation for the believer in restoring communion with God, and filling us with His glory. From the mercy seat, He accepts us and teaches us, and under the shadow of the Holy Spirit, we are safe and sound under His endless mercy. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” - Galatians 5:1,13,16.
God instructed Moses on how He wanted the tabernacle to be built, the people willingly gave theitems needed for it to be built, Bezaleel and Aholiab willingly constructed the pieces, and did thework necessary to complete the tabernacle exactly to God's specifications. Now, after the tabernacle was complete all males twenty years and older willingly brought the required ransom money of half a shekel, just as God commanded. “All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.” - Exodus 38:24-26.
603,550 men followed God's command to pay a ransom for their souls, all paid half a shekel, yes, they also gave gold, silver, and any other valuables to build the tabernacle, but without the payment needed for their souls none of those things would have gotten the favor of God. No matter what we possess, how much money we have, or who we are, we all have to pay a ransom for our souls. Jesus paid the ransom for us when He died on the cross. All who receive Him get their ransom paid for them and become one of God's children. Then and only then will we find God's favor in everything else that we do for Him. “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” - 1 Corinthians 7:22-24.
Now, came the time for the ephods to be made, the garments that the priests would wear when doing service for God.These too were made exaclty according to God's instructions. “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.” - Exodus 39:1-3,41.
Before the priests were even able to get God's attention they had to be cleansed of all their sins and apply these garments upon them. Before we even go to God we too need to be cleansed of our sins, while the ransom is certainly paid when we accept Christ, and we cannot lose our salvation if we sin after we are saved, before we even ask God of anything we need to ask Him for forgiveness of our current sins. These garments foreshadowed Christ, who gives us a robe of righteousness when we receive Him as our Saviour. When we put on Christ, God no longer looks at us through our sin, but through the righteousness of Christ, but we still have to account for our sin and take responsibility for it if we want to see God's favor. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1John 1:7-10.
If we want to see God's favor, we need to grow into the likeness of His Son, if we want to grow into the likeness of His Son, we must know everything about Him, love Him unconditionally, study Him, hang out with Him, take Him everywhere we go. We are an image of who we get around, regardless of how old we are, when we hang out with someone long enough we start to act like them. What better person to mimic than Jesus Christ. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:..For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:5-8,17,23.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You making it easy for us to become one of Your children, the sacrifice You made for us is something we will never fully comprehend, but we can learn to appreciate it by living in obedience to Your commands. It's not a requirement, but something we willingly do so because we love You, Father. Lord, help us learn and grow closer to You as we follow Your will and trust that You are always with us. Lead us and guide us, give us Your power, wisdom, and strength to endure all the trials we face and keep serving You with a willing heart.Help us to take Jesus with us wherever we go, and let us not be drawn away from the very things that produce Your favor. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
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Saturday, January 31, 2015
Serving God Willingly
Date: Thursday, January 29, 2015
Chapters: Exodus 34-36
Message Title: Serving God Willingly
Hello My Friend,
Jesus Christ is the heart of every born again Christian, it is those who willingly came to Him as asked them to save them from their sins that has the Saviour's heart. Those who faithfully serve Him do so willingly, the word willingly means, of our own free will. Since God gives everyone free will, most who are saved choose to use that gift for their own selfish reasons, but a select few will use it for God and those who do will see some amazing blessings in their lives. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9.
God instructed Moses to go back up to Mount Sinai with two more tables of stone, no sooner than he got up to the top, God was there. “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” - Exodus 34:5-9.
God descended, and proclaimed His NAME, His perfections, and character are revealed, He is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and has an abundance of goodness and truth. While God could strike down anyone in the blink of an eye, He is always merciful, ready to forgive the vilest sinner, He is gracious, kind, and gives so many blessings even though we do not deserve them. Is God boasting about who He is? No. He is proclaiming who He is. The word proclaim means to declare with honor. Every child of God should never be ashamed to proclaim that they are a born again, child of the living God through Jesus Christ. If we cannot proclaim that we are a child of the King, than perhaps we are not. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:11-13.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little fear for people to see that they need God, and once they do, they willingly want to follow His commands and serve Him as He calls them. Moses came back down and told the Israelites God's plan, and for the first time since they departed Egypt they willingly began doing exactly what God instructed them to do. “And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.” - Exodus 35:20-23,29.
The women who spun the goats hair were just as wise hearted as the builders of the tabernacle because they did it heartily to the Lord. No job is too small for God if it comes directly from a willing heart. Our wisdom and duty consist of giving God the glory and using the talents He has given us, whether they be many or only a few to serve Him whenever He needs us, even if it is only one time. “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.” - 1 Corinthians 7:20-22.
Moses calls for the men that God appointed to build the tabernacle, they as well as many others quickly stood up to build God's sanctuary. “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;” - Exodus 36:1-4.
God does not want us to do the things He calls us to do on our time, He wants them done the second He calls us to do them. Do not mistake God's timing in making us wait for the things we are asking Him for as the same thing as our waiting to do what He calls us to do. When God waits to give us things, He is waiting for the right time to give them to us, He is not being mean or ignoring us, He is preparing us for the time when we are ready to receive them. By the way, when God does call us to do things, He does so knowing fully well that we are capable of doing it at that time. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” - James 1:12-14,17.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for allowing us the choice to serve You, You do not require a royal title or a fancy degree, all You look for is a willing heart. Lord, lead me and guide me, prepare my heart, help me to be eager to diligently study Your Word so that I can effectively serve You in the areas of Your calling. I love You and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Chapters: Exodus 34-36
Message Title: Serving God Willingly
Hello My Friend,
Jesus Christ is the heart of every born again Christian, it is those who willingly came to Him as asked them to save them from their sins that has the Saviour's heart. Those who faithfully serve Him do so willingly, the word willingly means, of our own free will. Since God gives everyone free will, most who are saved choose to use that gift for their own selfish reasons, but a select few will use it for God and those who do will see some amazing blessings in their lives. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9.
God instructed Moses to go back up to Mount Sinai with two more tables of stone, no sooner than he got up to the top, God was there. “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” - Exodus 34:5-9.
God descended, and proclaimed His NAME, His perfections, and character are revealed, He is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and has an abundance of goodness and truth. While God could strike down anyone in the blink of an eye, He is always merciful, ready to forgive the vilest sinner, He is gracious, kind, and gives so many blessings even though we do not deserve them. Is God boasting about who He is? No. He is proclaiming who He is. The word proclaim means to declare with honor. Every child of God should never be ashamed to proclaim that they are a born again, child of the living God through Jesus Christ. If we cannot proclaim that we are a child of the King, than perhaps we are not. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:11-13.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little fear for people to see that they need God, and once they do, they willingly want to follow His commands and serve Him as He calls them. Moses came back down and told the Israelites God's plan, and for the first time since they departed Egypt they willingly began doing exactly what God instructed them to do. “And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.” - Exodus 35:20-23,29.
The women who spun the goats hair were just as wise hearted as the builders of the tabernacle because they did it heartily to the Lord. No job is too small for God if it comes directly from a willing heart. Our wisdom and duty consist of giving God the glory and using the talents He has given us, whether they be many or only a few to serve Him whenever He needs us, even if it is only one time. “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.” - 1 Corinthians 7:20-22.
Moses calls for the men that God appointed to build the tabernacle, they as well as many others quickly stood up to build God's sanctuary. “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;” - Exodus 36:1-4.
God does not want us to do the things He calls us to do on our time, He wants them done the second He calls us to do them. Do not mistake God's timing in making us wait for the things we are asking Him for as the same thing as our waiting to do what He calls us to do. When God waits to give us things, He is waiting for the right time to give them to us, He is not being mean or ignoring us, He is preparing us for the time when we are ready to receive them. By the way, when God does call us to do things, He does so knowing fully well that we are capable of doing it at that time. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” - James 1:12-14,17.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for allowing us the choice to serve You, You do not require a royal title or a fancy degree, all You look for is a willing heart. Lord, lead me and guide me, prepare my heart, help me to be eager to diligently study Your Word so that I can effectively serve You in the areas of Your calling. I love You and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Friday, January 30, 2015
The Trying Of Your Faith
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Chapters: Exodus 31-33
Message Title: The Trying Of Your Faith
Hello My Friend,
Perhaps one of the toughest things to do as a Christian is wait for God, we labor, we pray, we read, we obey, we confess, over and over again, in hopes of that one thing we are waiting for will happen So, what is to come of all this waiting? Perfection. God is perfecting us and preparing us to handle receiving what we have been waiting for. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” - James 1:3-7.
The word sabbath means, intermission of pain or sorrow; time of rest, we all need a time of rest, and that is why God is so passionate about us taking one day from our work and devoting it all to Him. “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” - Exodus 31:13-17.
The sabbath is a great instance of God's favor toward His people, it is a sign that He has distinguished them from all other people, their religious observance of it, is a great instance of their devotion to Him. God, sanctified this day among them, and let them know that He sanctified them, and set them apart for Him. Today, most Christians set aside the first day of the week as the sabbath to God, this is because Christ arose on the first day. By taking one day of rest, after six days labor, we testify that we worship the God that made the world in six days, and rested onthe seventh. In a world that destroys everything that Christ stands for, it's good to know that we are not limited to a particular day of the week, we can have a day of rest any day, thanks to Christ. “Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” - Matthew 12:5-8.
The biggest part of our faith and dedication to God is waiting on Him, when we are waiting for answers it can seem like years, but if we keep looking to Him, even when we do not see Him, we will get the answers we need, and then some. Ninety-nine percent of the time people fall into a mess of trouble because they get tired of waiting for God. Moses was up on the mount for forty days, that's a little over a month, and they were getting tired of waiting for him to come down and tell them what they needed to do next. Instead of waiting, they forced Aaron to make them a god they could see, and began worshiping that.
“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.” - Exodus 32:1-5,35.
You see, they wanted a god in their lives, they just wanted one that catered to every need of their flesh, which is still a problem today. God never caters to our flesh because He knows how corrupt it is when we take our eyes off Him. You want to know why everything is a mess and the world is falling apart? It's because so many men of God are afraid to stand up and fight, they cave into pressure instead of looking to God. Aaron knew it was wrong in what he did, and he would latersuffer for going against God. We have no one to blame, but ourselves for the suffering we face for going against God. Moses took the blame for their sin, but God already knew who it was that sinned against Him. “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” - Exodus 32:30-33.
Even the people of the Old Testament knew about the book of life, sin blots our name out of the book of life. One of the challenges as a child of God is to give up sin, and since we all have this flesh that clearly desires things that are sinful, God made another way for our names to be written in the book of life, Jesus Christ. Only through Him can we be atoned of our sin, and get our names in the book of life. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” - Revelation 3:2,3,5.
After all that came to pass, Moses literally stood face to face with God, he wasn't allowed to see His face directly, but God stood before him and talked with him, one on one. It was then that God told him that He was no longer going to go before them as they traveled to the promised land.“And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” - Exodus 33:12-20.
To be able to stand directly face to face with God, would be the death of us, because that would be when every single thing we ever remember that we did would come to mind, but God's mercy and grace saves us from death. Moses was not a perfect man, he had to daily offer sacrifices to God as well, he just found favor in His sight because he trusted Him, and obeyed Him, and when he messed up he sought forgiveness. God does the same for us, as we live for Him and wait patiently for Him there is nothing that He would not give us, it's just all in His timing. Do not give up on God, He is working on you, preparing you, and perfecting you to be able to receive the very thing you have been waiting for. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.” - Isaiah 64:4,5.
Today's Prayer: God, Help me to remember that my labor is not in vain, that my faithfulness to You is critical to the mission You have called me to do. As I remain faithful to You, and wait patiently for You, I know that You are perfecting me and getting me ready to receive what I have been waiting so long for. Thank You, Lord for Your patience with me, and doing agreat work in me. I love You and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
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Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Chapters: Exodus 31-33
Message Title: The Trying Of Your Faith
Hello My Friend,
Perhaps one of the toughest things to do as a Christian is wait for God, we labor, we pray, we read, we obey, we confess, over and over again, in hopes of that one thing we are waiting for will happen So, what is to come of all this waiting? Perfection. God is perfecting us and preparing us to handle receiving what we have been waiting for. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” - James 1:3-7.
The word sabbath means, intermission of pain or sorrow; time of rest, we all need a time of rest, and that is why God is so passionate about us taking one day from our work and devoting it all to Him. “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” - Exodus 31:13-17.
The sabbath is a great instance of God's favor toward His people, it is a sign that He has distinguished them from all other people, their religious observance of it, is a great instance of their devotion to Him. God, sanctified this day among them, and let them know that He sanctified them, and set them apart for Him. Today, most Christians set aside the first day of the week as the sabbath to God, this is because Christ arose on the first day. By taking one day of rest, after six days labor, we testify that we worship the God that made the world in six days, and rested onthe seventh. In a world that destroys everything that Christ stands for, it's good to know that we are not limited to a particular day of the week, we can have a day of rest any day, thanks to Christ. “Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.” - Matthew 12:5-8.
The biggest part of our faith and dedication to God is waiting on Him, when we are waiting for answers it can seem like years, but if we keep looking to Him, even when we do not see Him, we will get the answers we need, and then some. Ninety-nine percent of the time people fall into a mess of trouble because they get tired of waiting for God. Moses was up on the mount for forty days, that's a little over a month, and they were getting tired of waiting for him to come down and tell them what they needed to do next. Instead of waiting, they forced Aaron to make them a god they could see, and began worshiping that.
“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.” - Exodus 32:1-5,35.
You see, they wanted a god in their lives, they just wanted one that catered to every need of their flesh, which is still a problem today. God never caters to our flesh because He knows how corrupt it is when we take our eyes off Him. You want to know why everything is a mess and the world is falling apart? It's because so many men of God are afraid to stand up and fight, they cave into pressure instead of looking to God. Aaron knew it was wrong in what he did, and he would latersuffer for going against God. We have no one to blame, but ourselves for the suffering we face for going against God. Moses took the blame for their sin, but God already knew who it was that sinned against Him. “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” - Exodus 32:30-33.
Even the people of the Old Testament knew about the book of life, sin blots our name out of the book of life. One of the challenges as a child of God is to give up sin, and since we all have this flesh that clearly desires things that are sinful, God made another way for our names to be written in the book of life, Jesus Christ. Only through Him can we be atoned of our sin, and get our names in the book of life. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” - Revelation 3:2,3,5.
After all that came to pass, Moses literally stood face to face with God, he wasn't allowed to see His face directly, but God stood before him and talked with him, one on one. It was then that God told him that He was no longer going to go before them as they traveled to the promised land.“And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” - Exodus 33:12-20.
To be able to stand directly face to face with God, would be the death of us, because that would be when every single thing we ever remember that we did would come to mind, but God's mercy and grace saves us from death. Moses was not a perfect man, he had to daily offer sacrifices to God as well, he just found favor in His sight because he trusted Him, and obeyed Him, and when he messed up he sought forgiveness. God does the same for us, as we live for Him and wait patiently for Him there is nothing that He would not give us, it's just all in His timing. Do not give up on God, He is working on you, preparing you, and perfecting you to be able to receive the very thing you have been waiting for. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.” - Isaiah 64:4,5.
Today's Prayer: God, Help me to remember that my labor is not in vain, that my faithfulness to You is critical to the mission You have called me to do. As I remain faithful to You, and wait patiently for You, I know that You are perfecting me and getting me ready to receive what I have been waiting so long for. Thank You, Lord for Your patience with me, and doing agreat work in me. I love You and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Monday, January 26, 2015
The Power Of The Holy Spirit
Date: Monday, January 26, 2015
Chapters: Exodus 25-27
Message Title: The Power Of The Holy Spirit
Hello My Friend,
The Holy Spirit, part of the great three in one, He is just as powerful as God, after all, He is God, but He often gets overlooked. It is the Holy Spirit that lead men to pen down the very words of God, it is the Holy Spirit that lead the men who translated God's Word into English, and every other language so that all can understand. It is the Holy Spirit that leads to the moral and right decisions of every Christian. The Holy Spirit dwells in each and every person who believes in and accepts the Gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ as their only means to God, and He's not there just temporarily, but permanently. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” - 1 Corinthians 3:16-19.
The Holy Spirit did not always dwell in God's people all the time, in fact, He came and went as God saw fit. God did not want His people to be without His presence thought, and that is why He instructed Moses to get every willing heart together to gather materials to build a tent for Him to dwell. “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” - Exodus 25:2-9.
It was important that Moses follow these instructions entirely, one missed loop could have done a lot of damage. While we may not ever see the significance of knowing every loop and tache needed in building God's tent, they are significant to God. Every part of the tabernacle, down to the very last loop of a curtain, was given specific details on how it was to be assembled and attached in order to become one tabernacle, just like every person who accepts Christ as their Saviour becomes a part of the body of Christ. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” - Romans 12:3-5.
Now, God instructs Mose on what is needed to build the most holy place. The most holy place, the place where God would dwell would be hidden with a veil. “And 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. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.” - Exodus 26:33-35.
Two veils are instructed to be made, one was a partition between the holy place and the most holy place, which not only was forbidden for any to enter, they could not even look at it. The other veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle, through this veil the priests went in every day to minister in the holy place, but the people could not go in. The wonders of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit are known only to those who have come inside the curtains of His grace. Jesus Christ removes the veil that separates God from man, once we receive Him as our Saviour, He cleanses us, and makes us ready to minister to God. “And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” - 2 Corinthians 3:13-17.
Before the tabernacle there was to be a court yard, enclosed with hangings of the finest linen that was used for tents. This court, according to the common computation of cubits, was fifty yards long, and twenty-five wide. “The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass. And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.” - Exodus 27:18-21.
The court was a type of church, it was enclosed and distinguished from the rest of the world, this court would be the place in which David longed for, and the people of God entered with praise and thanksgiving to Him, yet it could only contain a few worshipers. Thanks be to God, now, under the gospel, the enclosure is taken down and we no longer have to enter a certain place or speak to a certain person to reach God. God wants us to speak to Him all day long, you know, the believers of the Old Testament were no different than we are today, they prayed to God all day, just like we do, but back then He used prophets to relate His answers to. Today, God speaks to us one on one, we no longer have to wait for some prophet to come to us to tell us that He hears our prayers, we have the Holy Spirit in us and He does that very thing for us. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit, He is always with those who know Christ. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” - Romans 8:26,27.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to become the sacrifice neededthat would redeem me of my sins and bring me to know that You are always with me. It is comforting to know that You dwell in me, but it's also a bit scary, because I don't want to do anything that makes a disgrace of Your temple. Lord, I want to be a living sacrifice for You, I want to offer myself to be used in anyway that You need me. Lead me and guide me, help me know Your will and follow it so I can be acceptable to You, Give me Your power to understand and know Your Word so that I can be ready and prepare to handle any situation You place before me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Chapters: Exodus 25-27
Message Title: The Power Of The Holy Spirit
Hello My Friend,
The Holy Spirit, part of the great three in one, He is just as powerful as God, after all, He is God, but He often gets overlooked. It is the Holy Spirit that lead men to pen down the very words of God, it is the Holy Spirit that lead the men who translated God's Word into English, and every other language so that all can understand. It is the Holy Spirit that leads to the moral and right decisions of every Christian. The Holy Spirit dwells in each and every person who believes in and accepts the Gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ as their only means to God, and He's not there just temporarily, but permanently. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” - 1 Corinthians 3:16-19.
The Holy Spirit did not always dwell in God's people all the time, in fact, He came and went as God saw fit. God did not want His people to be without His presence thought, and that is why He instructed Moses to get every willing heart together to gather materials to build a tent for Him to dwell. “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” - Exodus 25:2-9.
It was important that Moses follow these instructions entirely, one missed loop could have done a lot of damage. While we may not ever see the significance of knowing every loop and tache needed in building God's tent, they are significant to God. Every part of the tabernacle, down to the very last loop of a curtain, was given specific details on how it was to be assembled and attached in order to become one tabernacle, just like every person who accepts Christ as their Saviour becomes a part of the body of Christ. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” - Romans 12:3-5.
Now, God instructs Mose on what is needed to build the most holy place. The most holy place, the place where God would dwell would be hidden with a veil. “And 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. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.” - Exodus 26:33-35.
Two veils are instructed to be made, one was a partition between the holy place and the most holy place, which not only was forbidden for any to enter, they could not even look at it. The other veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle, through this veil the priests went in every day to minister in the holy place, but the people could not go in. The wonders of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit are known only to those who have come inside the curtains of His grace. Jesus Christ removes the veil that separates God from man, once we receive Him as our Saviour, He cleanses us, and makes us ready to minister to God. “And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” - 2 Corinthians 3:13-17.
Before the tabernacle there was to be a court yard, enclosed with hangings of the finest linen that was used for tents. This court, according to the common computation of cubits, was fifty yards long, and twenty-five wide. “The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass. And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.” - Exodus 27:18-21.
The court was a type of church, it was enclosed and distinguished from the rest of the world, this court would be the place in which David longed for, and the people of God entered with praise and thanksgiving to Him, yet it could only contain a few worshipers. Thanks be to God, now, under the gospel, the enclosure is taken down and we no longer have to enter a certain place or speak to a certain person to reach God. God wants us to speak to Him all day long, you know, the believers of the Old Testament were no different than we are today, they prayed to God all day, just like we do, but back then He used prophets to relate His answers to. Today, God speaks to us one on one, we no longer have to wait for some prophet to come to us to tell us that He hears our prayers, we have the Holy Spirit in us and He does that very thing for us. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit, He is always with those who know Christ. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” - Romans 8:26,27.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to become the sacrifice neededthat would redeem me of my sins and bring me to know that You are always with me. It is comforting to know that You dwell in me, but it's also a bit scary, because I don't want to do anything that makes a disgrace of Your temple. Lord, I want to be a living sacrifice for You, I want to offer myself to be used in anyway that You need me. Lead me and guide me, help me know Your will and follow it so I can be acceptable to You, Give me Your power to understand and know Your Word so that I can be ready and prepare to handle any situation You place before me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Learn How To Get Saved: God's Price
Visit Our Website: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
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