The writer of Hebrews refers to Moses’ tabernacle as a pattern of the true tabernacle in heaven (Heb 8:1-5). Certainly then, Moses’ tabernacle is a picture of our redemption and sanctification that is going on in heaven through the intercession of Christ for us. When the tabernacle was finished, it was filled with the glory of God. Twice in the same paragraph Moses says that the tabernacle was filled with the glory of God. Apparently that glory was so great that even Moses could not enter into the tabernacle.
Both Paul and Peter refer to our physical bodies as our earthly tabernacle (2Cor 5:1,4; 2Pt 1:13,14). I wonder if we can make the jump that our own bodies should be a picture of the indwelling presence of the glory of God. Certainly the New Testament indicates that we should be experiencing the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Peter refers to each of us as being living stones being built together for God’s indwelling (1Pt 2:5-10). Are we experiencing that? Can we experience that? How would we experience that? What would happen to us and our communities if we experienced that? Hmmm. . .
I don’t know. It would indeed be an awesome thing for the glory of God to fill us. However, even with experiencing the presence of the glory of God, Israel still murmured and complained and even refused to enter the land promised to them. So why does God bother to show Himself to us? It is because we were created to experience His glory and to praise Him for it. Oh Lord, please fill me and Your whole church with Your glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 88
Wow! Talk about a dark Psalm! I have been depressed before, I don’t think it was ever to this extreme! It seemed to Heman (See 1 Kings 4:31 for a description of his wisdom.) that he was on the brink of death, alone and deserted. Neither loved one nor friend sought to comfort him. He was convinced that all that was happening to him was God’s intent and design. He is angry at God and angry at man. He describes himself as being under the waves of God’s wrath. And yet, he calls out to God for relief. He stretches out his hands toward Him. How does this reflect the glory of God? Deep inside, Heman knows that in spite of the wrath of God, that the Lord is merciful. He will not let go of Him. He knows that God’s mercy will triumph over justice! That is the glory of the Lord Jesus! He is God’s mercy incarnate. It is also fitting that the father has handed all judgment over to the Son. If we neglect His mercy, how shall we escape His justice. If I feel I am experiencing His wrath now, then I should call out to Him for His mercy! That is His glory. He is compassionate, longsuffering and full of mercy! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
SONG OF SONGS 3
Disappointment with God I remember the title, although I never read the book. We often run into what we might term as disappointment with God. In reality He is never disappointing, although we might hit circumstances which mold us to feel that way. Our disappointment usually is the result of things not happening the way we planned rather than God having failed. The Shulamite is disappointed that her shepherd did not show up for that night to deliver her. On her bed she enters a dream sequence of her love. Franticly she searches in her dream to find him. Finally finding him she embraces him to never let him go. She desires to take him to her elderly mother to get her mother’s approval for their marriage. But alas the dream turns to a nightmare. Solomon appears on the scene with his retinue. Now she dreams of the event when she was taken by Solomon into his harem. The crowd is enamored with His incense, fragrance and soldiers. His entourage and palanquin are next to none. The spectators cry out to the maidens to go out and meet him. Perhaps they will be chosen to be one of his maidens. Yes, it is disappointment. She doesn’t want to be one of a harem, even if it is Solomon. She wants her shepherd.
We often run into disappointment. The world constantly is calling to us. Just when we think we are breaking free, something happens and we feel like we get sucked deeper in. Our dreams turn into nightmares. Oh sure, to most the nightmare is all they dream of. But to those who really know the Shepherd of their souls, we can hardly wait to be free of the world and finally in His presence. Not even the worldly goods of Solomon will suffice when we have met Him. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
LUKE 5:1-16
Unlike Peter, James and John, I've never been much of a fisherman. I don't usually catch anything. So it ends up being a frustrating rather than a relaxing experience for me. But then, P, J & J did it for a living. They learned how to find the fish and cast their nets upon them as opposed to throwing a single line. When they didn't catch fish, it meant a lack of a pay check rather than just not accomplishing a goal. I do remember one fishing experience that I enjoyed. Bill and I went down to the Cimarron River one spring evening and ran a trotline across it. It was fun wading out into the muddy water to cross to the other side, setting the line and just enjoying the river. We went home and slept and then came back the next morning to retrieve our trotline. Like most of my fishing experiences, most of what we caught were little carp. Several of our hooks had the bait missing with no fish on them. But I think we did catch one or two cat fish. We were successful! Now that is unusual for me in my limited fishing experience.
Peter, James and John, had been fishing long enough that they understood the habits of fish. They were apparently good enough at it that they made a good living as well as hired other people to fish with them. Fishing was probably part of their personal identity. Here is this man, who up until within the last year or so, had been a carpenter. His home, as the crow flies, was 30 miles from the Sea of Galilee. He knew nothing about lake fishing. It was a full day’s journey from Nazareth to the Sea. Jesus probably never owned a boat. It is unlikely that He had any experience fishing. When Peter submitted to Jesus' request, it was not that he did so because he believed that he would catch anything. Indeed his response indicates that he didn't expect to catch anything. He did it out of pure respect for the relationship he had with Jesus.
Casting their net into the sea, a large school of fish swam right into the net. It was like Nemo telling all the fish to swim into the net. Pulling the net to the boat, the net was starting to break under the heavy strain of the fish. They called their partners to help. The catch was so large that both boats were filled and started to sink! These experienced fishermen were face to face with an absolute miracle. The glory of Jesus was shining forth! Peter, catching a glimpse of that glory, fell down in awareness of his own sinfulness. He had been consumed with the lack of a pay check when the God of glory was in his presence. He was probably thinking how offensive that must have been to the Lord. Jesus calmed his fears and gave him something new to think about. "From now on you will catch men." From that point on they forsook all and followed Him. Paychecks were no longer a concern.
What caused such an upheaval in their lives? They were confronted with the glory of Jesus. When we see the glory of Jesus, he begins to change us so that we too catch men. Where do we see His glory? How do we gain that ability? Look at verse 16. He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Often is italicized because there is not a corresponding word in the original. Rather the grammatical construction emphasizes the continual, durative nature of His getting away to pray. We find His glory when, like Him, we withdraw to pray. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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