Words of Encouragement

Have you ever watched a baby sleeping?  She doesn't worry about the things around her, she simply finds rest and comfort in the arms of her mother or father.  Oh the things we could learn from an infant.  What would happen if we simply found rest in the comfort of the arms of our Heavenly Father?  What if we did not worry about the things around us?

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. - Psalm 4:7-8

Peace of God. I find rest. There are times when things seem to bother you and you find yourself restless.  You sometimes try to pray about it and release it, only to have it bothering you and keeping you from sleeping.

Yet, when you learn to trust in the Lord and call upon him for his peace, you can lie down and sleep because you know you are in the Lord's care and under his protection.

The psalmist makes a great declaration.  The psalmist writes that his heart is fuller than if there were bounty in the land. When you recognize that God is your help, you also realize that no matter what you face God is big enough to take care of it.  When you come to that understanding, you can find rest and peace.

Lord, today help us your people not to become weighted by our fears so that we lose out on your peace.  Help us today Lord to trust you and know that you promise us rest.

The Week in Review

This building does not look inviting. If we saw this building we would most likely not go inside.  Why?  Because it does not look like a safe place to be or one that is inviting.  So if we can look at a building at tell if it safe or not, why can't we look at actions and tell the same thing?  Why can't we tell when the actions we do are not safe for our spiritual lives?

“Why are you feeding the dead?”

March 25, 2007

Preached in Wisconsin by Jewel D. Williams

Biblical background – The book of Romans is broken into several sections.
A quick overview in chapter 1:1-18, Paul introduces the generosity of servant hood. He then gives a “diagnosis – The knowledge of God and the sinful fall of humanity” (1:19-3:20). He moves to his 1st prognosis – Justified by faith in Jesus Christ (3:21-8:17). He gives the 2nd prognosis – subjected to futility (uselessness), subject to hope (8:18-11:36), here he talks about the glorious freedom of the Children of God, whom God justifies he also glorifies, the mercy of God and the riches of His glory toward all, he then gives his prescription: faithful servants in action (12:1-15:13) he talks about sacrificial worship, humble use of gifts within the body, loving acts of service and hospitality, loving one’s neighbor, living as in the day and not in darkness. Then he gives his conclusion, (15:14-16:27) his purpose for writing so boldly and his final greetings, warnings, and doxology.

The book of Romans is said to be one of the most powerful of Paul’s writings, three historical figures attribute their salvation to the book of Romans, Augustine, Martin Luther and John Wesley. Paul writes this letter to give the people the good news (the gospel). Paul gives the good news because the bad news is so bad, and people are in desperate need of the good news (isn’t that true today). What is the bad news? The bad news Paul expresses is that all people are cut off from God and subject to eternal judgment because of their built-in tendency to ignore who they really are and their refusal to turn away from “self”.

Paul starts this letter off talking about the people of his day. They had an idea of God because they could see the beauty and splendor of God’s hand in nature, but instead of seeking this God, the creator of everything, they worship nature itself. They were indifferent to the God who liberates people from their bondage to evil, pagan rituals, homosexual practices, to sexual immorality and the like. Their minds were warped and their moral compasses were spinning wildly. Murder, malice, deceit, and heartless cruelty prevail. But Paul goes on the say that this bad news isn’t just for the idol worshippers, murderers, and sexual offenders, but he says in verse 3:19 that every mouth is silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Compared to a holy and righteous God, the morally religious person is no better off than the immoral criminal.

All were alike, Jew and Gentile are without hope, because all alike have sinned. This is the stage that Paul letters sets when he gives the diagnosis of man’s plight. He could have been writing to us today. In our day, we are aware of God, we see his splendor in the earth, but there are still those that decide to worship the created instead of the creator. And one of those created things, is ourselves. So we worship “self” instead of the one that created man. Men and women today are still indifferent to a God that will liberate from the bondage of evil, from rituals to “self” and other false beliefs, from bondage to homosexuality and bondage to sexual sin and the like. Our minds today are also warped. And not only is our moral compasses spinning wildly, I think sometimes we have thrown them out the window to the ideas of “what works for me, is good because it works for me” We have thrown away the moral standards of God for the ideas of relativism, how does it relate to me. Murder, malice, deceit and heartless cruelty still prevail today.

So Paul gives the prognosis or cure of what can change man’s standing before God. It is still the same cure you and I need today. He tells his audience that there is hope, hope in Jesus Christ. Christ alone opens up the way for man to be in a right standing with God. This is where we will stop for a moment.

Let us look at the scripture:

Romans 7:15-25 – “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not: but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good things: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

There are different beliefs about whom Paul was speaking about. Some believe Paul is speaking about the struggles of the unsaved man. Some believe it is the struggle going on within the saved man, but that Paul is not speaking personally. There is also the belief that it is Paul speaking about himself, using himself as an example. I have no problem believing this is Paul speaking about his own struggles. I do not believe it is the unsaved, because they have not yet been changed so there is no good thing yet inside to struggle against, for the unsaved man is still filled with unrighteousness, yet we know that the Holy Spirit is working to draw the unsaved to the place where they can either accept or reject Christ. But, as of now the unsaved is still hostile towards God. And here Paul talks about the struggle against that which is good, and that which is sinful.

He is also addressing some of the popular believes of his time, for example that the soul struggle is essentially against a specific sin or habit, that human nature is essentially good, that sanctification is by means of the law, and that if one will only determine to do the right, he will be able to do it in his own power. These are some of the misconceptions Paul is addressing with this letter. These are some of the same misconceptions of our time. We believe that our problems will go away if we can only get rid of a particular habit or sin and we are going to be forever without struggles, that we have this inward good that we need to only tap into, and that if we are good upstanding people we will be sanctified, blessed or made holy and righteous because of our ability to want to do good and do it. We believe those “New Age” philosophies of we have the power to become God with our only wanting it to be so.

Reading other letters written by Paul we can know that Paul has no problem with using himself as an example to explain the truths of God. And if you know anything from listening to those that preach, that is how God does. He gives the preacher the message first so that when he or she comes to give it to the people, it is more than just words written on a piece of paper, but words that God has made real within their life. So let’s look a little deeper at one of the messages here in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

1. THE WAR INSIDE

What is dictating our actions?

The “Sin” inside –When we were sinners, we had no control over the sin inside we were in bondage to it, and we were lead by it. When Christ saved us, we were set free from the bondage of this sin. Yet we still have to deal with the flesh. When we were changed, our flesh did not disappear. We will contend with it as long as we are here on this side of heaven. What do we mean when we say flesh? The Flesh – is marked by no control over self or pursuit of self fulfilling things and lusts, it is self-sovereign (it’s own god), and it worships a false trinity of “Me, Myself and I” and it battles against…

The “Good” inside – God’s spirit was made alive in us through salvation. God imparted to us his Spirit so that we could live righteously before him. Now the Spirit in us – desires to do what is right before God, the spirit within wants us to flee evil, the Spirit wants control over the flesh, and the Spirit worships the true trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Paul asks the question, “Who can save me from this body of death” – the answer is, Jesus Alone. Paul is acknowledging that he does not have the power in himself to fight the war going on inside. Let me just say this, if I say nothing else, we could learn a valuable lesson from Paul in these verses. If Paul the great Apostle was aware that he was fighting a battle he could not win, why do we keep trying to change stuff ourselves? Why do we think we can work it out, figure it out in ourselves? Scripture tells us not to lean to our own understanding, and that is because our understanding is fleshly motivated and not spiritual and it will only mess things up really bad. You know you are using your understanding because ever sentence you say starts with “I”. That is you working from that false trinity of “me, myself and I”

You say things like I am going to do… I want to do… I won’t do…. What I need…and the list is endless. Instead we need to realize that if we are to be successful in this walk it will be us releasing our selves into God’s hand. We have to move our speech from “I” to saying things like, “God direct me…” “God lead me…” “God give your wisdom in this matter…” When we do we understand what Paul was saying, that Jesus alone will do it. Paul warns us not to think we can achieve through our own works. You or I cannot do enough to get this walk right. Us getting this walk right is based solely on you and I submitting completely to God and from that place we work out our salvation. This was one of those false beliefs I just mentioned that Paul was trying to show as a lie. We cannot just will it so; we must count completely on the Spirit of God in us, to be able to do what is right before God.

Check the Williams Innovative Network website, http://home.comcast.net/~inhisword/site/
 for the second installment of this message.

The Week in Review

As beautiful as the sky is when the sun is setting, it still cannot do justice to explaining the essence of God.  We only get glimpses of him but he is much bigger than what we can see, hear or feel.  Yet, I am grateful to him for taking the time to show himself to us at all.

Writing Assignment #2 – View of God

Jewel D. Williams

Written 2006

The writers of the Bible used different models to represent God. They helped bring the enormity of God to a level the average person could relate to or understand. David was one of those writers that used models to express his understanding of God. One must take a look at the writer, David the king and warrior, to comprehend why he used military models in describing God.


According to Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary David is the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel. David as a youth showed courage and faithfulness as he tended to his fathers sheep. He killed both a lion and a bear that attacked the flock (Nelson 332). David knew the sheep were defenseless without the care of a shepherd. The models David used were those most familiar to him as shown in his writing about God as “my shepherd” (in the 23rd Psalm).


David also referred to God as his fortress and high tower. “The LORD is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2 KJV). The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a fortress as “A fortified place, esp. a large permanent military stronghold that often includes a town” (Gildea 546). “These fortified cities were strengthened by walls towers gates and bars” (Nelson 464). The practice of erecting defensive walls around a city to protect it from enemy attack was not widely used by Israel until the period under David and Solomon. Usually these massive walls were 15 to 25 feet thick and about 25 feet tall. Sometimes several walls were built for more protection of the city. Towers were built on the corners and in places were obvious attack was possible. The tops of the towers often had rows that resembled teeth and they were used to put the archers in a good position to turn back imposing attackers (Nelson 463).




David was thankful to God for being his fortress, the impenetrable walls that protect. A fortress keeps things in and it also keeps things out. God’s protection stopped the enemy’s attack from every direction. David felt pressed on all sides when sought by Saul. God had placed the heavy wall of protection around David and he knew God as his fortress. God as a fortress keeps one safe in his presence, enclosed within his walls or arms of protection. As David writes, “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou has given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.” (Psalm 71:3 KJV). David knew he had to stay in God’s presence to continue to receive God’s protection.


David again gives the reference to God as his fortress and high tower in this scripture. “And he said, The LORD is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge my savior; thou savest me from violence” (II Samuel 22:2-3 KJV). In these verses David uses several references to military items when speaking about God. Shields were normally made from hard material like metal. They came in all sizes and shapes. Another word used to represent shield was buckler (Psalm 18:2 KJV). To give another view of this model one can look at the war movies created in our times. In these movies the king’s army is clad in armor and fighting against another kingdom that is shooting arrows, swinging heavy clubs or axes as their weapons of destruction. Those warriors that had a shield were able to go forging ahead and use their shields to push back the enemy and his weapons. David was aware of being pushed against by strong forces. He models God as the shield that helps him to push back the hand of the enemy and continue to go forward. Saul chased David but the hand of God shielded David against everything Saul tried to do.


Looking again at the fortress, it has a high tower, a place where one can easily see into the distance any approaching danger. The watchman that sits in the high tower relays the message to the fortified city and the trumpet is blown to alert everyone to come to arms. Imagine standing level on the ground and then someone being high up in a tower or tall building looking down on the surrounding area. The one level to the ground has a limited visual of what is ahead. As one goes higher, vision increases and limitations are diminished or completely removed. David was aware that God’s vision was not limited as his was. God was able to see all approaching dangers. God as one’s high tower allows an individual to receive the information needed to know in advance of coming danger. God provided David with the information he needed to stay alive as Saul sought his destruction. God, like the watchman in the high tower, saw the impeding danger. David may have also understood that it was his relationship with God that increased his spiritual vision and understanding in the situations he faced. He also understood God as the archer that stood on top of the high tower that could send the arrows to defeat the attacking enemies. Against God’s weapons there is none greater. To see him as a high tower an individual must also see him as the one who has the best vantage point. God is the one that can see in every direction at all times. He is able to see where others are limited.


David refers to God as a hiding place when he writes, “thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:7). David sinned and tried to hide it from God. Yet his sin was not hidden at all. In the earlier verses of this chapter, David tells how he felt when he tried to cover his sins. He most likely felt physically ill from the ordeal. He felt the heaviness of his sins, the weight of it (Psalm 32:3-4). Yet when he acknowledged his sins, God was merciful and David was forgiven.


David describes God as the one to go to in order to find forgiveness of the sins that will destroy. David found out you cannot hide yourself from God and the consequences of your sin. David describes how sins negatively affect an individual emotionally, physically and spiritually. Yet when there is confession to God, he becomes the only true place to find rest from the sentence of sin. When confession is made, one experiences the relief from the emotional feelings of the separation because of sin. One experiences the relief from the physical effects of the stress and worry caused by sin. Most importantly one experience the relief from the spiritual weight sin has caused when an individual was out of God’s will.




David was now hidden by God’s love from the punishment of his sin. This also gives a glimpse into what Jesus would accomplish with his coming. The blood of Jesus becomes a hiding place when one comes and confesses their sins. Those forgiven sins can no longer destroy because the death sentence that was set has been removed by the crucifixion of Jesus. Isaiah 32:1-2 foretells of this very thing, “BEHOLD, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgement. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”


David was a man very much aware of battle. He took on one of his first acts as a warrior when he killed Goliath. David saw God as a protector, an unmovable force and the one who would keep him in any situations. He also saw God as a mighty leader with limitless abilities and resources. These models are vital today in equipping believers to be able to stand when faced with attack and say as David did, he is “my fortress”.

Works Cited

Alden, Robert L., et al. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995.


Gildea, Spike, Ph.D., et al. The American Heritage College Dictionary. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.




Thompson, Frank Charles, D.D., PH.D. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, 5th ed. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbridge Bible Co., Inc., 1988.

Words of Encouragement

Image with me for a moment. The Israelites knew that God would only come into the tabernacle after they had done everything just as he had instructed.  they would watch as the cloud would come down and enter the tabernacle.  Image if you would with me, we cannot see God's presence in our own lives if our "tabernacles" are not in the order he wants them to be so that he can dwell there.  Lord cleanse us from all unrighteousness so that your presence like the cloud over the tabernacle can be evident.

Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries [a] and the delusions of their own minds. - Jeremiah 14:14

This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. - Jeremiah 29:10-12


Where is God? Among the Faithful. As I begin to write this message for today, I rejoice at what the Lord is already speaking to my heart.  This week's lesson was a little difficult to write, because no one really wants to talk about disobedience, yet we must. If you read God's word again and again, you see the people asking where is God in the midst of their situations.  Yet, God was always there, the problem was not with God, but with mankind turning their back on the will of God.

The first scripture is God's message through the prophet Jeremiah about the "false truth" that was going through the land.  The prophets were promising everyone, "peace, peace".  Yet, the truth was God was calling his children to come to a place of repentance and to turn back to him.  He told them again and again if you do not stop what you are doing and turn back to me, I will remove my protection and you are going into captivity (this is what he did with the Israelites under Joshua, he removed his protection because they were disobedient to him).

Yet, the people refused to believe the truth and instead continued to listen to the false prophets giving words that were not true (cotton candy, sweet to the tooth, but no good for the body). They refused to let go of their own ways and ideas and heed what God was telling them.  Each was righteous in their own eyes, and refusing to hear the message of repentance. So instead they refused to hear the truth but embraced a lie.  Are we embracing lies today because the truth calls for us to release ourselves, our thoughts and ideas?

The second set of scripture is God's message that he is going to carry out the plan for captivity because the people have listen to Jeremiah speaking the same message of repent for over 20 years, yet refused to heed so now the punishment is at hand. Yet do not miss the beauty of God in this judgement. God tells them, if you are faithful under my hand and accept your punishment of 70 years, I promise to come back and deliver you.  I will restore you.  This is because I know what plans I have for you.

Do you know that even if you have disobeyed God, he still wants to deliver you?  He still wants to have fellowship with you.  Because he is a just God he will not remove the circumstances of your sins, but he promises to stay faithful to you, if you stay faithful to him.

I rejoice in knowing that even if we find ourselves so far removed from God, he still is willing to reach out to you and save you. He says that at that time, we will call to him and he will answer, he will hear us. He will listen to your pleas and answer.

There are times in our lives when we will have to go through somethings because of our refusal to obey God.  Yet, he is not allowing those difficulties because he wants to destroy us but he is using them to shape us, refine us and to take us through those "fires" to consecrate us unto himself.

Church, God's family, God's people. Today let us pray that we hear God speaking to us.  He knows the plans he has for us.  Plans to prosper us and not to harm us.  He has the desire to give us a hope.  Yet, we must obey him even if we find ourselves in difficulties because of our own doing.  Yield under his hand and watch him show up.

Where is God today?  He is where the faithful are.  He is among the consecrated, the repentant and those that have yielded themselves.  He is among his people.  He is among those that are called by his name, that have repented, turned from their wicked ways and now stand waiting for him to heal their lands.

Words of Encouragement

What a beautiful piece of fruit?  Yet, what if you took a bite and it found it was no good? What good is then?  It is true for us today.  What good does it do us to look good, but that no good thing dwell within?  Lord help us to bring forth good fruit.

But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things [a] ; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, [b] the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel. - Joshua 10:1

The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.  "Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. - Joshua 10:10-13

Where is God? Among the Consecrated. Let me make a long story short. The first verse of this chapter sets the tone for what is to follow.  The people had been given instructions not to take any of the things that had come from the victory they just won (at the wall of Jericho). 

Some of the things had been set aside as the scripture says.  However as we turn from chapter 6, to this chapter, some of the people did not obey the commandments of God and scripture says that God's anger was against Israel.

So what takes place next is the Israelites go into battle confident they will win because they have won the last battle, however that is not what happens.  They are defeated and Joshua tears his clothes and goes to cry before God.

These next scripture are the answer God gives to him. He ask Joshua why are you down on your face crying for, the people have sinned.  He tells them because of this sin, they cannot stand against their enemy.  God tells him to go and consecrate the people and destroy whatever is for destruction. What happens is the individuals that were guilty were found out and they were destroyed.  They were stone to death as well as their entire families.

In our modern times this seems way to harsh but let us not miss God's message to us today.  Do you know why some of our churches are dead or dying?  There is sin in the camp.  God has given instruction to his people to follow him and some where we have gone our own ways, doing our own things and our greed and self importance has stepped in the way.  And what has taken place is the sin (though it may only be a few) is enough to hinder our worship and our power.

All the Israelites did not sin, yet those that were destroyed in the battle paid the price of the guilty ones.  That is what takes place in a church that refuses to be obedient to God.  The many suffer for the few.  This is something that grieves my heart very much and I pray for it when I see it.

Joshua could not simply sit back and look at the destruction of those he was leading but he had to take action.  He had to call the people together to consecrate themselves and allow the wickedness to be exposed. Joshua had to call the people to come to set themselves aside for the purpose of God's calling (repenting comes to mind).

Often time those in leadership are so afraid of hurting people that we end up covering up their sins and continuing the destruction that sin is causing within the body.  Joshua could not be timid about addressing this sin, because it was affecting all the people. This does not mean you do not atttempt to restore one to the faith, but we cannot allow the sin in the camp to continue otherwise we will see our own destruction. As scripture says, he that has an ear, let him hear.

Today, Lord I earnestly pray that you would help us your people realize that when we come together as a body of believers, we are not an island unto ourselves.  The unrepentant sins in the camp is causing her destruction.  Lord help us to come together to consecrate ourselves as one so that we can see your presence.  For you are in the presence of those that consecrate themselves unto you.

Words of Encouragement

As I looked at this picture my daughter did sometime ago, I thought about how black our lives are without the Spirit of God.  There is nothing we can do to remove that darkness. Only the holiness of God can remove that darkness.  If we want God's presence to dwell with us, we must willing give ourselves to him, so he can make us holy as he is holy.

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.  Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD." - Exodus 30:8-10

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: 'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.' " Aaron remained silent. - Leviticus 10:1-3

Where is God? Where Holiness is Present. The scripture from Exodus gives some of the instruction that went out to the people to obey. In the first verses of scripture it is clear that God says you are to offer to him what he has approved as an offering.  No other incense is to be used other that what has been approved, nor is any other time approved other than what God has appointed.

So we now turn to the second section of scripture.  We see that Aaron's son making executive decisions to burn incease before the Lord.  The scripture says they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord.

Scripture clearly shows how God handle this disobedience.  It reads that fire came up and killed them right there.  Well we may first read this and want to say, that seemed really unfair that they had to die, couldn't God simply have told them what they were doing was wrong?  Well, he already did.  He gave clear instruction on what he wanted his people to do, how to live holy before him.

We do not know the reason they decided to do things their own way, but we do know it met with destruction.  It is imperative for us to understand the holiness of God.  Because fire does not quickly come up and consume us for disobedience doesn't mean our foolishness of doing things our own way are any less serious to God. We cannot use any excuses either when we find ourselves dealing with the consequences of our disobedience.  We have been given the instructions on how to worship a holy God in his holy word.

When we wonder why we are not experiencing the fellowship with God as we desire we must first check ourselves to see if we are behaving as the holy people he has called us to be.  These were the sons of the priest and that did not stop God's wrath from coming upon them.  We too must realize that if we refuse to obey God's way we too stand as one that will face God's wrath.  Do not try to hide your disobedience by saying, "I'm covered under the blood". 

The blood does not simply cover our sins so that we can continue in them.  The blood frees us from the curse of the sins we committed and frees us to live holy.  God's presence is evidence in the places where holiness dwells.

Lord, today we seek you and ask that you would help us to careful to hear you and heed your commandments.  Help us to be the holy people you have called us to be so that we can truly experience you presence.

The Words of Encouragement

God is a God of excellence.  He took great care in creating this world we live in and the beauty we see around us, are we to be slack in our honoring his excellence?

Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. - Exodus 25:8-9

Where is God? Where Things are Done His Way. I was speaking with someone about the presence of God, and it lead me in this direction of us examining this topic.  The scripture today is from God giving Moses instruction on how to build his sanctuary.  If you read the entire section of scripture you will see the detail that was expected to be carried out.

For today, we will look at these two verses of scripture.  The instruction is, have them make me a santuary and furnish it exactly like the pattern I will show you.  These words to us may seem like light instructions but when it comes from God, they are not to be taken lightly.

If you have every read about the tabernacle you would know that the presence of God would not even inhabit the tabernacle until everything was set up and done just as instructed.  They did not get the opportunity to say, "we can leave this out, or that out and it will be okay".  If they ever did, God's presence would not show up to inhabit the tabernacle.

While we look at this and think that was "Old Testament" and we do not have to look at that today.  That would be a wrong belief.  We say it often, God is the same today as yesterday.  Then that means he still expects us to set up worship his way.

That means he still is expecting his people today to place "excellence" as a standard for him.  That is what the Israelites did.  They knew that excellence was what was needed to ensure God's appearance.  It is the same today.  God's presence will be where his children are in line with his purpose, his way and his will. We cannot expect to have church "our way" and still expect God to show up.  We will simply be a building with people and no "spiritual" substance. This excellence is not man's excellence but us following what God has instructed us to follow and thus lining up with the excellency put in place by God.

That means we seek God's direction on everything we do.  What do you want us to sing today?  What do you want us to preach today?  Who do you want to pray today?  We ask God everything.  We do not leave that up to our ideas or our thoughts.  As soon as we do, we move from God's excellency to us just doing things our way.

Today, Lord help us understand you still expect your children to come to worship your way.  You still expect your children to come with the mindset of excellence.  For you are worthy of our praise and honor.  Help us to worship you, your way.