TABERNACLE PRIEST

What a joy it was to fill in for Dr. Jim at Gaither BC while he and Virginia were away at a Bangladesh missionary reunion. I really enjoy speaking about the Old Testament tabernacle. I enjoy getting into costume, and taking folks back in time about 3300 years or so. There is so much information about the tabernacle from the Scripture and Jewish writings in the Mishna and the Talmud.

By The Way it is not just information we deal with when discussing the tabernacle, it is a beautiful application of Old Testament typology of New Testament truth concerning the necessity of sacrifice in order to approach God. Christ is both the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, and also the High priest who in type performed the sacrifice on Yom Kipper (the Day of Atonement).

The tabernacle was a place where God demonstrated his living presence in the glory cloud, and showed the way for sinful man to approach a holy God.

Bro. Jim did such a great job putting together the model of the tabernacle. I will be sharing this message Sunday morning, August 9 at Burlington Baptist Church. I will be sharing it again at Western Grove Baptist Church on September 20, and in a revival in Paducah, KY on September 27, with Bro. Jim and I teaming up on a meeting.

Contact me if you are interested in this teaching, or other first person Biblical characters, or revival meetings and evangelistic crusades.

BLOGTHOT: IN THE OLD TESTAMENT GOD HAD A TABERNACLE FOR HIS PEOPLE, NOW GOD HAS A PEOPLE FOR HIS TABERNACLE

MONSTERS IN THE DARK

When I was a young boy growing up on the farm I was not unlike most boys, I was afraid of the dark. I have discovered since those days that it is not only children that are afraid of the dark, grow-ups are too.

Sometimes dad would ask me to go to the barn lot after dark to make sure the gates into the barn were closed. After I had gotten a little older, I could carefully, yet nervously, make my way to the barn lot if I had a strong flashlight. While I was younger, I was too afraid to go, and so dad would go with me. Sometimes he would not even have a flashlight, but would depend on the light of the moon. I discovered that as long as dad had hold of my hand I was not afraid. If he turned loose, fear would begin to flood into me.

By The Way, later in life as I reflected on those times I realized that I was not really afraid of the dark, nor was I afraid of those unseen monsters that might be lurking around every corner. What I was really afraid of was being alone. As long as I had the right person with me I could face anything, monsters and all.

It is the same for all of us during every season of life. All of us have a darkness we may be called upon to penetrate, and monsters we may have to face. But what we really fear is facing the darkness and the monsters all alone.

Your darkness may be failing health, or lose of a friend or loved one. Your monster may be financial problems, family problems, or wayward children. You may be afraid as you think about dying. What you really fear is facing those things alone.

What I learned as a boy was that I had an earthly father that I knew was sufficient to take me anywhere I had to go and face anything I had to face. What I know now is that I have a heavenly father that is committed to being with us 24/7. Now, He must be “your” father, and He will be if you have received His son, the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

As a child of God we have His promise in Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said,
"I will never leave you;
I will never abandon you." — Deuteronomy 31:6
6 So we can be sure when we say,
"I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper.
People can't do anything to me." — Psalm 118:6(New Century version)

BLOGTHOT: YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE DARKNESS WHEN THE LIGHT OF WORLD IS BY YOUR SIDE

"'LOOKIN' SOME BEANS"

As I was growing up our menus quite often included pinto beans. I remember when mom was preparing to cook a pot of beans; she would often say to me, “I need you to ‘look’ some beans.” What she meant was for me to open the sack of beans and as I poured them in the pot I was to look for tiny rocks, bad beans, or some other piece of debris that might have gotten packaged with the beans. I got pretty good at ‘looking’ beans. We also did the same thing with leaf lettuce out of the garden. We ‘looked’ the lettuce before we included it in our salads. I usually found something I would have to discard, throw away. In other words I got really good at looking for the bad among the good.

By The Way the practice of looking for the bad is all too common even among those who claim to be Christians. We ‘look’ our neighbors, our friends, our pastors, our government leaders, and even our family members. We get so accustomed to finding the bad we miss the good. I am not saying we should be gullible, and undiscerning. But as believers we are to emphasis the good, and encourage the positive.

Paul said in Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I once heard a story about a gentleman moving into a new town. As he entered the town, he stopped along side the street and called out to a man on the sidewalk. He said, “I am new in town and just wanted to know what kind of people live here.” The local gentleman asks, “What kind of people lived in the town you are leaving?” “Oh,” said the newcomer, “some of the meanest, most unfriendly people I have ever been around.” “Well,” came the reply, “that’s the kind of people you will find here.”

Later that day, another gentleman came into town planning to leave his former home and move to a new residence. He saw a gentleman walking down the sidewalk, and he pulled over. Though he was unaware of it, it was the same man who had talked to the first newcomer. He ask the gentleman, “I was wondering, I’m moving to your town, and just wanted to ask, what kind of people live here?” The reply came back, “what kind of folks did you have in the town you are leaving?” Said the newcomer, “some of the greatest, nicest people you would ever want to meet.” “Well,” said the local, that’s the kind of people you will find here.”

BLOGTHOT: IF WE WONDER WHY WE ARE ALWAYS SEEING THE BAD INSTEAD OF THE GOOD, IT’S BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE

Recently we had a rain storm that dropped several inches of water in a short period of time. Some streets looked like creeks. It is amazing how much water is carried aloft in clouds.

One of the basic things we learned in general science class in grade school was how the water vapor cycle worked. Water evaporated from earth’s great seas and oceans, and the rising water vapor formed clouds. When the conditions were right, the water condensed and the droplets became too heavy to stay aloft and fell as rain.

By The Way, I have heard from critics in the past who think this notion of a world wide flood, as in the day of Noah, is ludicrous. They say there is not enough water in the world to cover the entire earth including the mountains. But recently I heard an interesting discovery on the History Channel. It has been scientifically demonstrated that there is more water below the surface of the earth than above the surface. In fact, they stated because of the shifting plates in the earths crust water has been trapped in pocket deep within the earths crust. This water becomes superheated and at times spews forth as heated geysers, like “Old Faithful” in Yellowstone National Park. Now scientists are saying that if all the water from below came to the surface it would cover the earth to as much as one and one half miles higher than the highest mountain.

As I read the account of the flood in Genesis, it states that the great fountains of the deep were broken up. The indication is that water came both from the heavens and from beneath the earth. It seems the more we discover about our planet we more we face the truth that the Scripture is true, even in areas were science often lags behind.

The bottom line is simply this. I can trust the Word of God to tell me the truth, whether, scientifically, geographically, mathematically, historically, and especially spiritually. As one of my seminary professors said, “Though the Bible is true in all that it purports to be true, the greatest truth is not how the heavens go but how to go to heaven.”

Scripture says, 2 Tim 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...

BLOGTHOT: THE BIBLE SHEDS A LOT OF LIGHT ON WHAT MAN THINKS ARE NEW DISCOVERERS. OUR WISDOM NEEDS TO CATCH UP WITH OUR KNOWLEDGE