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Monday, March 21, 2022

Not Like in the Movies

 I grew up in a time when certain movies were shown yearly, and you gathered the whole family around and watched them.  The Ten Commandments was one of those movies and Moses was the star.  Aaron, his brother, was around but basically he spent the entire movie in the background.  Somehow that movie determined how I read the Bible because I have read Exodus a bunch of times and I just found out today that Aaron had a "rod" of his own, like Moses had a staff and they were definitely co-leaders when it came to showing the power of God to Pharaoh and calling down the plagues.  

Aaron's rod was the one that turned into a snake.  Aaron's rod turned the Nile to blood.  Aaron's rod brought the plague of frogs.  Aaron's rod brought the plague of gnats.

Their is an amazing dignity and honoring that takes place when Aaron dies.  It is unlike anything in the Bible.  Moses, Aaron and Eleazar, Aaron's son who will take over the duties of the priesthood ascend Mount Hor.  All the community sees the 3 of them ascend the mountain.  At the top of the mountain Moses removes Aaron's priestly garments and puts them on Eleazar, "And Aaron died there on top of the mountain."  Now Eleazar and Moses come down the mountain and the whole community is now aware of the death of Aaron and they mourn 30 days.  

This had to be very hard on Moses and there is still a lot of the Exodus story left to tell.  Many things happen between now and the death of Moses, just before they enter the promised land.  Miriam had died a little before Aaron, so he was dealing with the death of his sister, who was a leader in the community and his brother and co-leader.  It seems Aaron is given the punishment of death for being a part of striking the rock, when he and Moses were told to just speak to the rock to get water out of it, way before Moses is.  The real punishment is not being able to enter the promises land, but death is given to Aaron way before they are ready to enter.  

Knowing how hard it is to lose a brother, I feel for Moses and how hard it must have been to just keep on, keeping on and leading this people.  


Thursday, March 17, 2022

Heart's Cry

 Crush me, break me, take me to that precious place where all I have is YOU.  (the night is far spent)

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Jacob's Ladder, Our Messiah, The Lamb Who Connects Us with the Kingdom to Come

 Jacob had the dream of the ladder as he was leaving the promised land to go back to Abraham's home of origin to look for a bride.  The promise of the God of Abraham and Isaac is given to him at this spot.  God promises to bring Jacob back to this land and give it to him.  Yeshua encounters Nathaniel and speaks to him of Jacob's ladder and make it clear that He is that ladder on which the Kingdom to come pierces through the barrier of the Day of the Lord and enters this evil age with a Shofar blast of the sureness of the faithfulness of God.  The Kingdom is coming!  Here is a taste, a foretaste, a down payment, a breaking through of the powers of the age to come that confirms and gives perseverance to your heart to continue in this evil age, with a joy and a absolutely certain hope that what He said He will do!

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Prayer of Repentance for the Arrogant Kingdom

 Daniel 9 has a powerful, humble, prayer of repentance for the Jewish people and their stewardship of the calling of God.  Based on that model and the truth of scripture, here is my first draft of the gentile prayer of repentance for the arrogant kingdom. (aka the "church" - that sees itself as the replacement for Israel)

KNOW THIS - The God of Israel, has one bride, His chosen people.   "I will never leave you nor forsake you" was spoken to the people Israel.  (Deut. 31:6)  Is God a liar?

Hosea was commanded to go again and love His wife Gomer, after her unfaithfulness, after she willingly left him.  Get the picture?

Their call as the chosen people of God is irrevocable.  Look up the meaning of that word and decide whether or not you are going to call the Holy Spirit who inspired Paul to write that a liar - because if you do that you are on very, very shaky ground.

The prayer...

We repent Lord for the arrogant kingdom, that we as gentiles are a part of. We repent for all claims to replace, or usurp Your chosen people. We repent of establishing the work of our hands and praising it above You. We repent of the name "Christian" we are not "little Christ's". We are disciples of the Messiah of Israel. We do not have our own tree. We are not the root. We are "not a people", made to be a people by Your sacrifice and death on the cross. We are grafted into their vine. Their root supports us. Theirs are the promises, theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, theirs the covenants, theirs the receiving of the law, the temple worship. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah. We repent Lord "church" and the "Jesus" associated with it are false gods. We are grafted into Messiah's community, a remnant people that Your sovereign grace has preserved since the time of Abraham. Have mercy and open blinded eyes for Your glory.