43rd Week Exodus Chapter 30-34 (Click on Title for Video Introduction)

Click on Title for Video Intro

Monday, Exodus Chapter 30

 Exodus 30

Verse 8

Jeanie Boldt

July 3, 2008

Verse:  He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.

THOUGHT

This chapter helps us remember four things.

We must remember to pray. The golden altar before the veil symbolized the ministry of prayer. We don’t have to stand before the veil; we can enter the very presence of God. Prayer is special, and we must not treat it as common.

Remember we are ransomed. We were not redeemed by paying money, but paying the annual half-shekel reminded the people of what God had done for them. The foundation for everything is redemption.

We must remember to keep clean. Like the priests, we are washed once at redemption, but we must keep clean in our daily walk.

We must remember to honor the Holy Spirit. The holy anointing oil symbolized the Spirit of God. We must beware of trying to duplicate His work by human effort or treating Him in a common way.

The above verse stood out to me because it spoke of how the Lord shines continually for us and never dies. How brightly does He shine for each of us? Do we lose sight of His brilliance in times of prosperity? Let us not forget that the brightness of our spirit is because of His presence. How about when night falls--the deep, dark night of sorrow? It is here that a host of stars begin to shine, bringing forth God’s blessed constellations of hope and promises of comfort from His Word. 

It was at night, “at twilight”, that Aaron lit the sanctuary lamps. And it is often during nights of trouble that the brightest lamps of believers are set ablaze.

PRAYER

Father God, we lift up our country. Father we pray that we would be one nation under YOU!!! We pray that men who know You and love You would lead our country. Thank You for all the men and women who have served our country for this day of freedom that we celebrate. God Bless Grandpa Hall and Rory who have served from our family. Thank You again that we might worship You as we wish in this country, and that we can let our light shine day and night – all year long. AMEN

Tuesday, Exodus Chapter 31

Exodus 31

Verse 12

Jeanie Boldt

July 4, 2008

Verse 12:  Observe the Sabbath. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

THOUGHT

This chapter has three thoughts that need to be brought up.

WORK:  When God wants to get a job done, He calls workers, equips them, and gives them the plan for the task. He also calls people to help them and to provide the needed resources. What is God calling you to do right now? Don’t forget to talk to Him about it.

REST:  Why did God mention the Sabbath at this point? Perhaps He wanted to remind His people that even the building of the sacred tabernacle was not a reason for breaking the Sabbath law. They needed a day of rest, and since the Sabbath was a sign between God and His people, they needed to honor Him.

LAW : The Lord gave us the commandments. He made observing the Sabbath a law. He wants to write it on the hearts of those who trust Christ and worship Him.  What is right and wrong about working on the Sabbath? Many of us are involved in the health profession in one way or another (Nursing, Maintenance, Pharmacy). The ill must be cared for.  Sickness happens on Sunday also. We want to give Mom a day off, so we take her out to eat as an act of kindness. Restaurants do a huge business on this day of the week. (I bet Alan has worked over 600 since he has had this job) My favorite sport is racing. Most of the races always take place on Sundays. (Drivers work, TV people work, all those involved at the sight work) We need time to do errands when we work every day. Thank goodness for stores that are open on Sundays. (Rory spends 1/2 of his Sundays helping those who need to purchase clothing)

I don’t know what the answer is. Churches have adjusted and are offering services on Sat. night, more worship is televised, and internet carries messages from the churches on the website. The Lord’s Word can be accessed anytime.

I guess if I was to say anything, it would be to become more “Marys” in this “Martha” world. The Lord wants us to be still. He loves to hear our praises to Him and commune with others in our prayer life. The Lord knows when we step over our boundaries!!! We need to be aware of it and observe His Law the best way possible in our lives!!!! After all I am happiest when I am in His presence!! Let’s make it on the Sabbath also.

PRAYER

Father God, help us to keep this commandment. Fill our hearts each Sunday with the Holy Spirit so much that we will sing Your praises out loud. When other worldly things come in our way, please keep us accountable to have our Still Time with You some time during that day. Be with all the celebrations being held all over the U.S. this day. Keep people safe and free from harm. Bless our service men and women afar, and may they somehow feel the pride and thankfulness that we have in our hearts for them this day. We love You and are so glad You are our GOD!!! Thank You for Your Saving Grace.  AMEN  

Wednesday, Exodus Chapter 32

Exodus 32

Bart Strayer

July 8, 2008

THOUGHT

God does not like us to have other gods in our lives. As we have discussed many times before, gods come in many forms like money, success, TV, and yes, for you parents out there, some may fall victim to worshiping their children. As we see, God’s (with a big ‘G’) anger is so fierce towards this act, death is the only way out.

Yet, as we see from point number 2, our God is merciful. Moses cried out to God for His mercy on the people of Israel, and God spared them. This shows us God’s grace that he has for His people, even during those times when He was driven to such anger.

Never underestimate how far we could fall if we take our eyes off God. As we learn from Aaron in this chapter, compromising God’s ways leads to massive theological failures and in the end, blatant disregard for our God.

Aaron didn’t find himself suddenly sinning against his God in this major way. I am sure he was just like the rest of us, slowly sliding down the slippery slope until we find ourselves at the bottom of a manure pile.

What a great chapter chalked full of great lessons.

PRAYER

Lord, we thank You for speaking to us through Your Word. Continue to reveal Yourself to us as we continue our journey to Your throne. Help us in our weaknesses and heal our hearts when they grow hard. We love You.  AMEN

Thursday, Exodus Chapter 33

Exodus 33

Verses 15 & 16

Bart Strayer

July 10, 2008

Verses 15 & 16:  Then Moses said to Him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

THOUGHT

I loved Moses’s words in these verses.

Wow! Is this our goal as ‘Saltshakers’ or what?! We need God’s light to shine through us so we may be differentiated from the rest of the world.  It is kind of a problem with our churches these days. God’s people are living so much like the world; we can’t tell the children of God apart.

Personally, my problem is that I don’t even ask what Moses is asking. We need to pray this prayer that Moses is praying. We need to ask God to continually be in our midst so that what we do will have meaning in the presence of the world. Also, when God goes with us, it doesn’t mean our problems are over; however, our struggles will not be in vain. God can work through anything with purpose.

PRAYER

Lord, go with us and before us! Without You, our actions are useless. We acknowledge our need for You in our lives so we may be light to the world.  We ask for Your continual presence in us. In Jesus Name. AMEN

Friday, Exodus Chapter 34

Exodus 34

Verse 12

Bart Strayer

July 11, 2008

Verse 12: The Lord said, “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.” 

THOUGHT

When you have cancer, the most effective treatment is the total removal of the infected area. Trimming the tumor may be dangerous because if any is left, you haven’t cured anything. ALL must be taken. 

Similarly, our churches suffer the same fate. Our churches are not perfect.  They can have ‘tumors’ that attempt to destroy the body. For example, if gossip is a problem in a church, ridding the church of ALL gossip is an effective treatment to the problem. Cutting back on gossip will not work because it will grow again. That is what God is saying in this verse: “All of the problem must be dealt with. Don’t let the tumors grow.”

PRAYER

Dear God, we thank You for instilling Your wisdom in us. Continue to guide and protect us as we continue on our journeys. Give us eyes to see the tumors that threaten our lives. Help us keep a healthy path void of any sin that causes us to deviate from You. In Jesus Name, AMEN