Healthy Breakfast

Healthy Breakfast

By Travis

It sure is nice to start my day off right with a healthy breakfast.  I’m not saying it’s a sign of things to come.  But I’m sure thankful for it today.  Whatever today brings, I know that I am better equipped to handle it.  Plus there is just something about sitting down to a delicious bowl of oatmeal that just whets my appetite.
O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!  Psalm 103:1 The Message.

Cords Part 3

I know you can't wait to get into some more scriptures like yesterday.  Believe me, I know the feeling.  I know where I want to go and I know how fast I want to get there.
That is why it is of importance to pray and seek God for this next leg of the journey.  The warning in Jeremiah 10 yesterday to the shepherds who did not seek God is there for good reason.  One of the reasons I want to pause here is to study that out.  Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward:  he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.  Proverbs 22:5.
But the real reason that I believe that God wants us to slow down is that He has more in store for us if we will take time to enjoy the journey.
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself:  it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.  Jeremiah 10:23.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
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.  1 John 1:6,7.
Enjoying the journey is something that Joyce Meyer talks about.  I don't have a particular quote in mind right now but you can listen to her at http://www.joycemeyer.org/home.aspx.

Cords Part 2

In all the work of Christ, and above all in reconciliation:  God's objective is the removal and destruction of sin.  Knowledge of sin is necessary for the knowledge of reconciliation. - Andrew Murray.
My insatiable hunger and thirst for God does not satisfy the righteous requirements of the law.  There is only one thing that can a guilty heart of sin.
Being justified freely by his grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  whom God set forth to be a propitiation [reconciliation] through faith in his blood.  Romans 3:24-25.
Knowing that Jesus Christ was given up in exchange for my sin what then is one to do but to fight the good fight, to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
The passage I want to take you to is one that better illustrates the importance of the one we looked at yesterday.  What are the cords used for?
My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken:  my children are gone forth of me, and they are not:  there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.  Jeremiah 10:20.
The first part of the verse paints a pretty good description.  "My tabernacle is spoiled" is the King James rendering.  The Hebrew word for spoiled is 'shadad' which means: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.  In other words this is not a natural act.  It is the result of a crime being committed.
Jeremiah's language in this passage is a strong lament.  That is our natural response when we witness a heinous crime unless we are hardened to suffering.  We are conditioned to send a cry of distress.
It's like we are looking at a crime scene.  Further, it is reported that all my cords are broken.  This tells us that not only is the tabernacle plundered it is also impossible to repair.  The tabernacle is totally useless in it's present condition.
He goes on to say...
1) my children are gone
2) there is none to stretch forth my tent any more
3) and to set up my curtains
These last two conditions tie it in perfectly with the Gershonite's service in the tabernacle of the congregation (Numbers 4:28.)
The last point I want to leave you with is this.  There is a thief that wants to break our cords and plunder our tent (1 Peter 5:8-10.)  Come back tomorrow and we will see whether or not our tabernacle still stands.
By Grace,
Travis

Cords

and the cords of it for all the service thereof.  Numbers 3:26c KJV.


You don't need to be an expert on tabernacle construction.  You just need to be hungry.  It's all here in the inspired Word of God.
The first glimpse is found in Exodus 35.
The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords, Exodus 35:18.

Triumphant

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us;  no one can compare with You!  If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered.  Psalm 40:5.  

I'm definitely not suggesting that it's wrong to remember the victories that God gives you.  In fact I'm suggesting the opposite.  I just spent a little bit of time remembering some recent victories that God brought about and after writing for a few minutes I had quite a list.  

Knowing God better and knowing that He is for me is the end result of those victories.  It's not about having an impressive scorecard to show.  It's about knowing that "I am triumphant in ever situation because God always causes me to triumph" (II Corinthians 2:14).   

Curious

And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of ram's skins dyed red, and a covering above of badger's skins.  Exodus 26:14.

The Hebrew word used here for badger is Tachash.  It is used fourteen times in the Old Testament.  It refers to: a kind of leather, skin, or animal hide, perhaps the animal yielding the skin, perhaps the badger or dugong, dolphin, or sheep.
I really don't know what the significance of that is, and I'm not in the least bit curious.

Today

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  
Behold, I will do a new thing;  now it shall spring forth;  shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Isaiah 40:18,19.

All of the miracles that the Gershonites were witness to had a purpose.  Apart from providing the needs of the people by daily providing mana and fresh water in a desert wilderness God was reprogramming them.
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  Four hundred years of service.  At the end of their stay in Egypt they were oppressed.  If you recall God hardened the heart of Pharoah that he would not let them go free.  The reason the passover is eaten with bitter herbs is to remind Israel of the bitterness of slavery.
After God got the Israelites out of Egypt He had to get Egypt out of them.  How did he do that?  By helping them to focus on where they were, and where they were headed, as opposed to where they had been.

Greased

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard:  that went down to the skirts of his garments:  Psalm 133:1,2.

Not only was Aaron a good talker (Exodus 4:14) but he was sharply dressed (Exodus 28).  As if that wouldn't get your attention stand back.
Aaron was greased!   Greased!
Psalm 133 just paints a beautiful picture of what it is like when there is unity between brothers (and sisters)!
Getting in the Spirit and walking in love is kind of like that.  It doesn't happen automatically.  It takes a little bit of grease to keep things flowing but it's totally worth it.
Thank God for grease!

Strong Stuff

Most High

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Ephesians 6:12.

I have a real quick word today but one that is very clear.  The enemy would love for me to spend all my energy rebuking him.  What I need to do is spend more time praising the Most High.  

I will cry unto God, most high;  unto God that performeth all things for me.  Psalm 57:2.

Source

That was a pretty strong word yesterday,  which is what I was going for.  I did however fail to mention that a borrowed a quote from Pastor Craig Groeschel.  Pastor Craig is legendary for his boldness.  I hope you get a chance to check him out at http://www.lifechurch.tv/.  

Enjoy!

Enjoy

I just enjoyed a bowl of Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla soup.  It's worth commenting over.

Aggression

all that enter in to perform the service to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.  Numbers 4:23b, KJV.

The Hebrew word for "perform" is Tsaba'.  It literally means to wage war, fight, or to go forth to war.
It turns out that the Gershonites were rather aggressive!
Whenever we are serving in our capacity to minister the gospel it is an act of warfare against the kingdom of this world.  In response the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2) seeks to hinder the kingdom of God from advancing.  Opposition occurs.  There is a battle that takes place in the invisible, before results can be experienced in the visible.  
This is why Paul told Timothy,"This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;  1 Timothy 1:18, KJV.
Many people take their stand at Elevation Church on the weekend.  Some people say that it is not about the numbers, but it is very much about the numbers because there is power in the simple act of agreement.  As a matter of fact it's getting harder and harder to disagree that there is definitely something going on at Elevation Church that is, "NOT NORMAL."

Grace

At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service:  and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.  Numbers 4:27.

The Gershonites were experts at grace.
What is the connection between appointment, service and burdens?
The Gershonites received their assignments from Aaron the high priest of the tabernacle.  The Gershonites under authority were assigned burdens.  All the burdens that were assigned to them were appointed by Aaron.  When they carried the burdens that were assigned to them they were operating under authority and they had the power to carry it out.
The power of God is available to lift burdens.  As long as we operate under the principle of authority and our lifting the burdens assigned to us.  
Jesus, our Great High Priest, knows our strengths and our weaknesses.  When He assigns us a task He also gives the power to accomplish it.  That power is His grace.  Grace is God's empowerment to accomplish what would be humanly impossible.

Unlocked

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.  Solomon's Song 5:4.  KJV

Pure poetry.  No interpretation.  Hopefully it will unlock something.

Unsung Heroes

Unsung Heroes

From left to right : Mike B, Travis D, Paul J, Carl M.  

Just Curtains

Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet:  with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.  Exodus 26:1.

I know it's only my seventh blog and I shouldn't get fancy just yet but I can't help it.  This morning I just feel the wind of the Spirit and I have to go where it leads me.
What really jumped off of the page this morning were the words cherubims of cunning work.  So I looked up the definition of cunning in the Wiktionary.  I actually found three definitions.
1.  Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behavior.
2.  Skillful, artful.
3.  (rare) Cute, appealing.
If you had seen a cherubim, would you describe it as sly, crafty, and clever in surreptitious behavior?  How about skillful and artful?  Those cute and appealing ones sure are nice, aren't they?  Which ones would you rather take home with you?
Or are they cute and appealing from a distance and when you get up close they are sly, crafty and clever?
What a surprise that would be, eh?
Are we talking about curtains or about action figures?  I'm starting to wonder.
Stay tuned for more about the Gershonites.

The Missing Ingredient

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8.  KJV

What would keep the Gershonites from coming unraveled when facing monumental challenges?  What kept them fearless in the face of evil?  What kept them from becoming enamoured by their own success and breaking apart like so many other one hit wonders?  

They had a weapon that Satan didn't have.  Love.  In the Bible and in my personal experience I just don't find where Satan ever did one single thing out of love.  The forces of darkness can not prevail against a church that is operating in the gift of love.  

Modest Beginnings

And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle.  Numbers 4:25a KJV

We see hear that it is God's nature to cover.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden they felt shame for the first time.  So God took the skin of a lamb that He slew and covered them with the skin.
Thank God for modesty.  God's not saying we should become prudish.  For our comely parts have no need:  but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked:  1 Corinthians 12:24.  I think God just wants us to ask, "Lord, show me Your goodness."  Think that would put a smile on His face?  :)