ONE MESSAGE. ONE FAITH.

Yesterday I was flipping through the pages of my 4 year old's bible- a Gideon published New Testament- and was pleasantly surprised by what I found in the prefacing pages. A few songs were shared there, anthems, such as "Jesus, Lover of my soul", "The Star -Spangled Banner", "Onward, Christian soldiers" and "America ( My country 'tis of thee)". The songs themselves were not the surprise. It was the verses that are not generally sung or mainstream. We may all belt out, skillfully or unskillfully, O say ! can you see, by the dawn's early light.... Yet the song has this  4th verse: O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation... Or how about this one: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing... Yet take a l...

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God speaks in the wilderness. Numbers 9:1- "And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai..." There are times we must stand still and hear what the Lord will command. Stillness in the word of God is usually accompanied by an action. It almost seems counteractive. We must stand still and hear. We must stand still and see the salvation of the Lord ( 2 Chronicles 20:17 ). We must be still and know that He is God ( Psalm 46:10 ). Numbers 9:8-"  And Moses said unto them: 'Stay ye, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.'  " Stillness is part of the journey. They journeyed; they pitched [their tents]. Resting is vital to the journey too. The cloud, which was a visual and tangible representation of the Spirit of God, evoked rest. The cloud was the guard and the guide. The cloud was the "voice" of the Lord, if you will, for by it they knew when to walk and where. Now we, the temple of the Holy Ghost, can rest, be at pe...

I shake my head at myself as I continue slowly through the book of Numbers. Getting past chapter 7 has proven to be a challenge. I have read and reread the beginning of this chapter several times already. And then I stop. Sometimes it's because of a "light-bulb" moment. Sometimes it's external forces at work. I have not made it to the end. It disappoints me. I want to finish. Then I read... Numbers 7: 3-9 3 And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.   4 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,   5 Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.   6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.   7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their serv...

Can you count the number of people? God Can. Ok, I get the point. This was my initial thought as I read the first chapter of Numbers. Each verse began the same. " From the descendants of ________ :      All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families.   21   The number from the tribe of ______ was ___." Over and over it read, all the same. That is, until the name. The name change made the passage unique. With the name change was a number change as well. I slowed down, purposefully. I read the passage, all 12 times. One for each of the tribes of Israel. I did not want to rush through, though another part of me wished I would just scan and jump to the last verse.  But oh what a treasure I would have missed if I listened to the impatient self instead of the ever-patient Spirit.

Everything that the tabernacle represented, Jesus fulfilled it. From the one and only entrance, to the covering, allowing us access  to the throne of Jehovah. Hebrews 7:12 tells that when the priesthood is changed, so the law is changed also.  The tabernacle priesthood was established from the line of Levi, the order of Aaron. In the case of Jesus, however his priesthood came from the line of Judah, after the order of Melchizedek. Matthew 5:17-18 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.   18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. With the new order came a new law- the law of grace through faith. John 1:17 For the  law  was given by Moses, but grace and truth  came  by Jesus Christ. Jesus came to fulfill the law. He brought it to completion, allowing a new law, one...

Photo used from oneinjesus.info I did not intend to get so emotional. Tears sprang to my eyes and joy quickened my heart as I read the 21st chapter of revelation. Yes, I have read it before. It appeals differently to me now, knowing that we are living in the end of the book. Amazing and exhilarating. The end of the book. 1   Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”   for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.   2   I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a  bride beautifully dressed for her husband.   3   And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.   4   ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’   or mourning or crying or pain, for the old orde...