Union or Unity?

The Loops of the Tabernacle

You can tie together the tails of two tigers and you will have union, but its guaranteed that you won’t have unity! When a man and woman marry, they enter into a union but are not always in unity.  A church made up of Christians is technically in union but definitely not always in unity. Why is that? Doesn’t union guarantee unity? (Matt 19:5,6; 1 Corinthians 6:16,17; 1 Cor. 12:12-14)

The instructions which Moses received from God for the making of the Tabernacle were very detailed. Of course, all the elements of the Tabernacle stand as types of Christ and our relationship with Him and others. One detail in particular stands out to me: the loops attached to the coverings for the tabernacle. The covering was made in sections with 50 loops attached on the edges. Then the loops were joined together thus causing the curtain sections to be joined. “He made fifty clasps of gold and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be ONE Tabernacle.” (Ex. 36:13 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul asked the church at Corinth: “Do you not know that you are the Temple of God?.” Also this Church is built “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ht chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 3:16 and 2 Cor. 6:16; Ephesians 2:21)

Each Christian is vital for this Tabernacle, this Temple, to be built into the dwelling place of God. Each loop of gold or brass “was carefully numbered and guarded by the Levites, for if but one had been wanting, the curtains of the tabernacle or tent would have been insecurely united.” (The Tabernacle”, by Henry Soltau, p.47) We are already in union with Christ and with one another. We must seek Him for love and wisdom as well as work at our unity so that the Temple may be secure and display Him to the world.

“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – Psalm 133:1 and 1 Peter 1:22

Like Layers of an Onion

    Why doesn’t God just whip us into shape when we are first born again. I think the answer begins with a statement in the Old Testament when the Israelites were receiving instructions on their entrance to the Land of Promise: “I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you have increased, and you inherit the land.”—Exodus 23:28,29

I feel like I could teach endlessly on these scriptures, but now is not the time. Point: the whole journey of the Israelites on into the Land is a picture and type of the Christian’s journey through life with Christ. Think about it. Search it out.

Possessing the Land was definitely a process and was to be accomplished a little at a time—like peeling back the layers of an onion. As we walk with Him and talk with Him, He peels back a layer and (hopefully) we receive His revelation from the Word and the Holy Spirit as to how to “increase” so that the land is progressively taken. One layer at a time.

If you have been saved for awhile, you can look back and see this process in action. Were you ready to receive the truth back then that you now have at least partially grasped? Setbacks? Read the Bible if you want to hear of others who had “setbacks”. Some learned; some didn’t.

God is ever wanting to lead us forward with Him: “Come, follow Me,” He says.  “I have already given you the Land—the Land of My Promise--I will drive out your enemies little by little. Possess those parts that I liberate for you, through Christ as your life. Have faith in His processes with you!

“He must increase; but I must decrease”—John the Baptist, John 3:30

Contemporary Church Idolatry

      Stalking boldly across the courtyard, King Hezekiah shouted orders for the men to open all the doors to the Temple of Jehovah. Then he ordered the repair of those doors and the cleaning out of all the trash in the inner parts of God’s sanctuary. He was on a mission, a mission to re-sanctify the priesthood and the Temple, and to re-establish worship according to God’s instructions. His father, Ahaz, had rejected the Law and the Temple. Hezekiah knew that the nation could not be blessed until this work was done. You can read all that took place during this extraordinary revival and restoration in 2 Chronicles, chapter 29 and 2 Kngs 18.

      High on the king’s agenda was the breaking down of the places where sacrifices were made to various idols. At one such place he found an unusual idol: a bronze serpent. This serpent had been made by Moses hundreds of years before. At the time the people were under a plague and God told Moses to make this serpent and place it high on a pole. Those who looked on it were miraculously healed. We now understand that the serpent and pole pre-figured Christ on His cross. However, hundreds of years after Moses did this, the people were worshiping the bronze serpent along with their other idols. They called it Nehushtan.

Today we see many Nehustan worshipers in the Church, i.e they worship something from the past: a type of music, a style of worship, a doctrine, a concept of how “church” should be conducted or organized. For the Israelites, they had transferred their worship from Jehovah to a symbol or representation of past blessing. They no longer worshiped Jehovah or kept His Law.

The Church is transitioning into a new paradigm. We must stop worshiping at the altar of the past paradigms. Someone has said that the “Seven Last Words of the Church” are “We never did it that way before.” God is not static. While His Word or His Person never change, His seasons do. Let’s prepare by giving up our Nehushtans!

The "Groaning" Honey Bee

Have you seen those SPCA ads on TV where you view all those abused, neglected and abandoned animals? How grisly and sad. They are the direct result of human evil and cruelty. But, there are other ways that the curse which emanated from Eden effects our world. I am speaking particularly about America and “Progress”.

We are beginning to see the effects of our “progress”—or arrogance—in a new way. In the April 12, 2010  issue of Time magazine there is an article entitled “The Perils of Plastic—chemicals in plastics and other products seem harmless, but mounting evidence links them to health problems—and Washington lacks the power to protect us”. The author notes that changes have been made to reduce air pollution and the water is cleaner. “But if the land is healing, Americans may be sickening. Since World War II, production of industrial chemicals has risen rapidly, and the U.S. generates or imports some 43 BILLION lbs of them per day, leaving Americans awash in a sea of synthetics.” (p.48)

As a source of disease, he notes that these plastics “may disrupt the delicate endocrine system, leading to developmental problems. A host of modern ills that have been rising unchecked for a generation—obesity, diabetes, autism, attention –deficit/hyperactivity disorder—could have chemical connections.” My comment: suspicions confirmed. As a diabetic I find this very interesting.

And the honey bee disappearance? Genetically modified foods may be a possible cause. Man is ignorant and arrogant. The more he tries to “progress” on his own, the more evident is the futility of his efforts. Now things are so complex and intertwined that it seems that there is no “fix” or solution.

Paul said in Romans 8:19-22 that the whole creation was subjected to “futility” and suffers because of Adam, the original lord over the earth who gave it over to satan by his disobedience. He, Eve and the whole creation came under a curse as a result. The Great Hope (promise of God) is that one day the creation will be delivered—along with man: “The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now…” This is the final and complete solution!

Spiritual Gifts and Farm Machines

Recently I was reading Mary Jane’s Farm,  a magazine about organic farming and related subjects.  In one article there are several sketches of various kinds of farm machines. Even though I was raised on a dairy farm in upstate New York, I never saw nor heard of a number of these machines. Each piece of machinery was designed for one purpose: to prepare the ground for, plant, or harvest crops. The focus is not on the great machines themselves—their design, weight, exceptional quality, performance or cost. Farmers do not purchase these wonderful--but very expensive--machines in order to display them for everyone to admire. The focus is on harvesting a crop, not on the machines. Their various functions ultimately serve to bring in ripened crops.
Are you getting my drift? The gifts of the Holy Spirit are like those machines: their purpose  is the planting, growing, harvesting , and gathering of men, women and children into the Kingdom of God. Each machine has a different function—some plough up the soil, some plant the seed, others fertilize and lastly there are those that help gather up the harvest. Harvest time is not about the display of these wonderful machines, i.e. gifts; it is about the harvest that will be brought in.
We need to “sharpen” our machines/gifts so they will be ready for the Harvest that God is bringing. How can we do that? Become trained and mentored. Whether it is in the doctrinal foundations of the Word, the use of the Gifts, teaching, prophesying, or visiting the sick. Not every one is “gifted” in every “machine”, but there is at least one gift that speaks to your heart and in which you can further your training. The Apostle Paul told Timothy to “stir up” the gifts that were in him. I believe training is included in that “stirring up. (2 Timothy 1:6)

“If the ax is dull and and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success”—Ecclesiastes 10:10 (NKJV)



(See dream about NOT ENOUGH STAFF to handle the Harvest Dec. 27,2009)

Hooked on God!

Was listening to a Kim Clements song: “Why did I run away?...Because I wanted to hear His voice again.” Of course he is referring to Elijah when he ran away after the spectacular experience with the prophets of Baal and God won! Haven’t you had those times with the Lord that were so special, but when you “came down” from them it was kind of like being thrown into a tub full of ice water! You just want to remain there with Him and experience Him again and again and again. You’re hooked on God!

At such times you could be in a den of lions, i.e. a room full of atheists and muslims and they could give you all the possible arguments as to why your beliefs are crazy and irrational; they are right and you are wrong. At such times laughing is what comes to mind, for Christianity is not just another “religious belief”. It is literally experiencing God and learning to walk with Him. The old-time Pentecostals used to say: “It’s better felt than telt!” Of course life isn’t all ecstatic experiences. There is plenty of warfare, mud and desert—the places where character is formed and we are shaped into the likeness of Christ; those places where our testimony may, at times, simply be that we are still standing.

It is not difficult to imagine why we need new bodies in the next life. Without them we would all fall down like Daniel did and be sick for weeks.  The story is told of a kitten that used to hang around when the farmer was hand milking his cows. Occasionally the farmer would squirt milk in the direction of the kitten who would open his mouth to receive his bounty. The farmer walked away for a minute and the kitten climbed to the top of the full pail of milk and then accidentally fell in. He sank to the bottom of the pail and nearly drowned. But, he swam to the top and was heard to say: “O for the capacity equal to my opportunity." One day we will have that new capacity.

Simplify: Back to Basic Christianity

For those who are interested in what The Ministry is and is not, I recommend the article at the end of my post. What he writes is definitely not the usual yada-yada. If you go to the link you can also read the discussion. I also recommend this man's ministry which I have followed for years. The following is a copy of my comment in the discussion of his article:

While in South Africa visiting my son and his wife who were administrators at an urban church there, I met and chatted with a black pastor affiliated with the church. The Holy Spirit communicated with me that I needed to listen carefully to what this man had to say. He never shared the circumstances of his salvation but apparently he did not receive much discipling at that time. He explained that after being saved he began to have a great concern for those in his community who were in need, including the many AIDS victims. At times he was almost overwhelmed by their needs and his desire to help them. In fact, he said, he began to think there was something “wrong” with him because of the strong urges in his heart. He spent many hours sharing Christ and giving whatever help he could.

Finally, someone from the church (mentioned above) visited his area and the pastor shared with this man his concerns for his community, and the anxiety he had that there was something wrong with him. After further instructing him in the Word, this man told him that he most likely had a pastor’s ministry and calling. Now, the pastor said, everything began to make sense and he understood how the Holy Spirit had been working in and through his life.

I have never forgotten my chat with this black pastor. Somehow I felt like I had met with a real New Testament “ministry”. Ministry expressed as the loving and concerned heart of Jesus--no titles, no financial perks or status among fellow ministers. As a member of a poor black community, if he was "known" at all, it was for his love and good works. He was in "full-time" ministry, but not like we usually define it.

My "word" for 2010 is "Simplify". And, in regards to everything Christian I really desire to clear the field, shovel back all the trash that has accumulated over the years and covered the treasure; to dig out and go back to the basics: Christianity 101. God has restored much to the Church of His Son, especially in the last 100 years. But, I remember what happened to Rebecca. Once she got a look at Isaac, she forgot all about the gifts Abraham had sent ahead for her--gold, silver, rich clothing! (Genesis 24:53,61-67) She only had eyes for her Bridegroom! The purpose of God's restoration is not so we could fall in love with the restoration or His gifts, but so we might fall in love with Him and then minister the gifts for others.

Article: The Ministry of One-Anothering by Chip Brogden

http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/the-ministry-of-one-anothering.html