Grains of Sand

Nic Taylor — Google Images The detailed description of how the Tabernacle was to be built continues in Exodus 27. It isn’t until the end of the chapter that a light goes on, literally. The last two verses of the chapter describe the lighting for this meeting place with the Lord. “ Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come ” (Exodus 27:20, 21). Olive oil is good stuff. But you have to be careful when using it because it catches fire at a lower temperature than other oils—this I know because I had a small kitchen fire of my own when I wasn’t paying attention to what was happening in the frying pan! In this account, we see that the oil was to be uncontaminated—cle...

Henry and Richard Blackaby, in their book Fresh Encounter , describe the characteristics of a normal Christian life this way: 1. Intimate fellowship with God 2. Joy in God's presence 3. A sense of peace 4. A holy life 5. A Spirit-filled life 6. Recognizing God's voice 7. Filled with the fruit of the Spirit 8. Experiencing God's power This is only page three and I'm already convicted! Last night I was taking a couple of candidates through the church membership class and caught myself saying, "But we're only human" as though that excuses us from reaching for the goal for which Christ had destined us as believers. There are numerous passages that remind us that being "only human" doesn't cut it but this one from Ephesians 4:23, 24 (NIV) is particularly pointed: " You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude ...